Saturday, October 6, 2012

Boeing Upgraded as Delivery Concerns are “Overdone”

Boeing (BA) investors have been fretting about the possibility that deliveries will be deferred due to the slow economy. But Bernstein Research analyst Douglas Harned “continue[s] to see the company’s delivery plan as well-supported through 2015″ and thinks the stock is undervalued.

“We expect Boeing to deliver all of its planned airplanes through 2015, as emerging market demand and the need for replacement aircraft should sustain rising production rates. Even during the 2009-10 economic downturn, we saw a negligible decline in deliveries at a time when global GDP actually declined. This time we do not expect global GDP growth to turn negative. Instead, we expect a smaller number of delivery deferrals to occur, with slots that may open picked up by airlines seeking earlier deliveries.”

Harned also thinks that Boeing has made progress in ramping up 787 production, with the possibility of the company making five of the planes a month by the end of the year getting better. And while its defense business could slump, that shouldn’t hurt the stock too much.

Harned raised his rating to Outperform with an $92 price target. Boeing shares rose 3.3% in Tuesday afternoon trading to $72.46.

iShares South Korea ETF Is Emerging as an Asian Leader

South Korea is becoming a market leader as it aggressively pushes into other markets with its innovative high-tech products. The country’s potential hasn’t gone unnoticed, and investors have been throwing money at South Korea’s markets and ETF.

South Korea’s ETF (EWY) took a spill on Friday as one of the county’s naval vessels sank near the border of North Korea, but will it leave any permanent damage? Although details about the incident are spotty, few analysts seem to believe so.

That’s because it otherwise seems like there’s little not to like about the South Korean economy lately. South Korea, a leading manufacturer of microchips, LCD panels and automobiles, is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies and the country has experienced the greatest increase in per-capita GDP since the mid-1960s, remarks Michael Schuman for TIME.

  • China has been pushing around other Asian countries as it encroaches on leading sectors and competing with even lower costs. Still, Korea has maintained an edge over China by switching gears from a developing economy based on manufacturing into an advanced country that is increasingly based on innovation.
  • Additionally, Korean companies have been aggressively pushing into markets such as India and China, outmaneuvering Japan in these key economies. Korea has the potential to become a leader in these markets and direct where industries will be heading.
  • Foreign investors bought $3.76 billion worth of stocks in South Korea’s stock markets and purchased $15.3 billion in local bonds this year as optimism about an economic recovery and amply liquidity worldwide remain high, according to Bernama. Korean bonds have become favorable on growing expectations that the Citigroup’s World Government Bond Index may soon include Korean Treasury bonds.
  • Cho Jae-hoon, a senior analyst at Daewoo Securities Co. believes that “foreign investors turned their eyes to Korean assets amid mixed favorable conditions: the local currency’s ascent to the dollar, earnings momentum by Korean firms and the low probability of a rate hike in Korea in the near term.”
  • South Korea’s economy is expected to expand about 5% this year.
  • iShares MSCI South Korea (EWY)

Max Chen contributed to this article.

Disclosure: None

3 Stocks Near 52-Week Highs Worth Selling

Italy remains a hot spot for the world's attention, but here in the United States, we seem not to care, with more than 500 companies within 6% of a new 52-week high. For optimists, these rallies may seem like a dream come true. For skeptics like me, they're opportunities to see whether companies trading near 52-weeks highs have actually earned their current valuations.

Keep in mind that some companies deserve their current valuations. Home improvement outlet Home Depot (NYSE: HD  ) , and to a lesser extent Lowe's (NYSE: LOW  ) , are benefitting from homeowners' inability to sell their homes. This sector is raking in the profit as consumers opt to remodel rather than move.

Still, other companies might deserve a kick in the pants. Here's a look at three companies that could be worth selling.

When in doubt, discount
It's pretty hard to argue against Jos. A Bank's (Nasdaq: JOSB  ) performance over the past decade. Gross margins have stayed consistent around 60% and the company has grown revenue by a multiple of four. Still, I find it difficult to support buying into the stock at these levels, especially considering how it operates its business.

Jos. A Bank relies on steep discounts in order to move merchandise. This can return huge profits when the economy is looking up, but could also bite the company's margins hard if consumer spending habits change. With consumer sentiment figures near 30-month lows, I'm not exactly optimistic about retail spending prospects in the U.S.

Also of worry is the company's valuation relative to the past decade. It may not seem unreasonable that Jos. A Bank is trading at 17 times operating cash flow or 14 times forward earnings, but considering that these are both way above the company's five-year average of 10.3 times cash flow and 12 times earnings, I feel it's cause for concern.

Conflict of interest
In a real case of he said/she said, Group 1 Automotive (NYSE: GPI  ) , the nation's fourth-largest auto dealership, forecast in late October that U.S. auto sales may top 13.5 million units in 2012. This figure is in stark contrast to Ford's (NYSE: F  ) prediction that a slowdown in auto sales may not allow the U.S. auto industry to hit its low-end production target of 13 million vehicles this year. Also, as Fool John Rosevear noted last month, General Motors (NYSE: GM  ) may have a tough time hitting its sales expectations.

Another concern I have with Group 1 relates to its high levels of debt. It's not uncommon for auto-related companies to carry large amounts of debt to finance their business, but at 137% debt-to-equity and considering investors' unwillingness to take on risk recently, Group 1 Automotive could be a stock to run away from at these levels.

Fast-food flub
Being inexpensive on a per-share basis doesn't necessarily make a stock a buy.

Take Wendy's (NYSE: WEN  ) as a prime example of a company near a 52-week high that I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. The company has been profitable in only five of the past 10 years and has ceded market share to many of its closest peers. In its latest quarterly report, the company noted that higher commodity costs are going to result in a 100-basis-point reduction in restaurant margin in 2011 -- higher than its initial forecast of 50-100 basis points. Given the company's spotty growth history, even at a mere 1.06 times book value, I'm not tempted one bit. Leave this stock on the menu.

Foolish roundup
Discounts, debt, and a real lack of growth are three things that will usually land a stock on my list of possible sells.

What's your take on these three companies? Are they sells or belles? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and consider adding Jos. A Bank, Group 1 Automotive, and Wendy's to your free and personalized watchlist in order to keep up on the latest news with each company.

JCG: Q3 Beats; Q4 View In Line; Stock Up 6%

Is the best over for J Crew (JCG)? Doesn’t look like it this evening. The company this afternoon reported Q3 revenue rose 14%to $414 million versus analysts’ estimates of $407 milion, yielding profit per share of 67 cents versus 58 cents expected. However, the company forecast profit this quarter of 37 cents a share to 42 cents, which at the midpoint is below the current 40-cent estimate. Shares rose a modest $2.59, 6%, to $43.44 in after-hours trading after rising 1% during the regular session.

Stocks Jump On Italy News

  • DJIA down 33.08 (-0.29%) to 12,033.84
  • S&P 500 up 14.81 (+1.2%) to 1,275.93
  • Nasdaq down 2.30 (-0.29%) to 2,692.76

GLOBAL SENTIMENT

  • Nikkei down 1.0%.
  • Hang Seng steady
  • Shanghai Composite down 0.24%.
  • DAX-30 up 1.4%
  • FTSE 100 up 1%

Stock averages snap back from choppy early trading to score solid closing gains.

Stocks fell around midday as Greece slipped off center stage of Europe's debt drama and Italy became the focus of investor jitters. U.S. indexes erased much of their gains as the budget from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi managed to win the approval of that country's parliament to pass a new budget, but without a majority. Italy's borrowing costs have surged in the last several days, making markets jittery about what European leaders will do to contain the debt crisis plaguing the eurozone.

In the U.S., the economic data calendar remained light, but there were positives with indicators showing job market improvement and increasing optimism among small businesses.

In U.S. economic data, optimism among small businesses is growing, according to a survey released by the National Federation of Independent Business. The index rose 1.3 points to 90.2 - which was slightly above the average of 89.1 since January, MarketWatch reported. Also, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that job openings rose to 3.35 million last month - the highest level since August of 2008 - from 3.13 million in August, also reported by MarketWatch.

However, investor attention focused on Italy where Prime Minister Berlusconi was unable to win an absolute majority for a routine ballot measure in parliament. The vote has increased calls for Berlusconi to resign as lawmakers there worry about Italy's ability to access capital markets over the next few days. Italy has a $2.6 trillion debt - the fourth largest in the world, Bloomberg notes. The yield for Italy's debt - 6.61% - is near the 7% market that forced Greece, Portugal and Ireland to get international bailouts, Bloomberg noted.

In company news:

Dynegy (DYN) gained after the company earlier announced that it has reached an agreement with a group of investors holding over $1.4 billion of senior notes issued by Dynegy's direct wholly-owned subsidiary, Dynegy Holdings, regarding a framework for the consensual restructuring of over $4.0 billion of obligations owed by DH. If the restructuring support agreement is successfully implemented, it will significantly reduce the amount of debt on the company's consolidated balance sheet.

Shares of McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants, Inc. (MSSR) surged after restaurant chain Landry's inked an agreement to acquire all of McCormick's stock for $8.75 a share. Landry's will acquire MSSR through an all-cash tender and merger.

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) shares were down on reports it is looking to sell Palm's webOS mobile software platform. Reuters reports the deal could fetch hundreds of millions of dollars but less than the $1.2 billion that HP paid last year.

Shares of Amylin Pharmaceuticals (AMLN) were down by double-digit percentage points as Eli Lilly (LLY) announced an agreement to terminate the two companies' alliance for exenatide and resolve the outstanding litigation between them.

UPSIDE MOVERS

(+) PKT guidance above Street view

(+) FITB initiated at Buy

(+) RAX upgraded

(+) EMR upgraded

(+) OVTI downgraded

DOWNSIDE MOVERS

(-) ARCC beats Q3 estimates

(-) LGCY prices offering

(-) ITW downgraded

(-) ALLT initiates share offering

(-) ALU upgraded

(-) TRGT drug study fails to meet primary endpoint

(-) URBN comparable retail sales slip 3%

(-) HON upgraded

(-) MCD same-store sales up 5.5%

Friday, October 5, 2012

How Fast Is the Cash at Ameristar Casinos?

It takes money to make money. Most investors know that, but with business media so focused on the "how much," very few investors bother to ask, "How fast?"

When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Ameristar Casinos (Nasdaq: ASCA  ) .

Let's break this down
In this series, we measure how swiftly a company turns cash into goods or services and back into cash. We'll use a quick, relatively foolproof tool known as the cash conversion cycle, or CCC for short.

Why does the CCC matter? The less time it takes a firm to convert outgoing cash into incoming cash, the more powerful and flexible its profit engine is. The less money tied up in inventory and accounts receivable, the more available to grow the company, pay investors, or both.

To calculate the cash conversion cycle, add days inventory outstanding to days sales outstanding, then subtract days payable outstanding. Like golf, the lower your score here, the better. The CCC figure for Ameristar Casinos for the trailing 12 months is -10.8.

For younger, fast-growth companies, the CCC can give you valuable insight into the sustainability of that growth. A company that's taking longer to make cash may need to tap financing to keep its momentum. For older, mature companies, the CCC can tell you how well the company is managed. Firms that begin to lose control of the CCC may be losing their clout with their suppliers (who might be demanding stricter payment terms) and customers (who might be demanding more generous terms). This can sometimes be an important signal of future distress -- one most investors are likely to miss.

In this series, I'm most interested in comparing a company's CCC to its prior performance. Here's where I believe all investors need to become trend-watchers. Sure, there may be legitimate reasons for an increase in the CCC, but all things being equal, I want to see this number stay steady or move downward over time.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Because of the seasonality in some businesses, the CCC for the TTM period may not be strictly comparable to the fiscal-year periods shown in the chart. Even the steadiest-looking businesses on an annual basis will experience some quarterly fluctuations in the CCC. To get an understanding of the usual ebb and flow at Ameristar Casinos, consult the quarterly-period chart below.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FQ = fiscal quarter.

Based only on the raw number, Ameristar Casinos has achieved the enviable feat of running a negative CCC cycle. That is, it typically collects what is owed it before it pays what it owes to others. On a 12-month basis, the trend at Ameristar Casinos looks less than great. At -10.8 days, it is 2.5 days worse than the five-year average of -13.4 days. That small change isn't likely to matter much given Ameristar Casinos' continued, quick CCC, but it does bear watching. The biggest contributor to that degradation was DPO, which worsened 3.7 days when compared to the five-year average.

Considering the numbers on a quarterly basis, the CCC trend at Ameristar Casinos looks good. At -10.8 days, it is 5.4 days better than the average of the past eight quarters. With quarterly CCC doing better than average and the latest 12-month CCC coming in worse, Ameristar Casinos gets a mixed review in this cash-conversion checkup.

Though the CCC can take a little work to calculate, it's definitely worth watching every quarter. You'll be better informed about potential problems, and you'll improve your odds of finding the underappreciated home run stocks that provide the market's best returns.

  • Add Ameristar Casinos to My Watchlist.

Analysts Pick Gold Stocks With Price-Linked Dividends

To compete against ETFs for investment demand until new production yields more metal, gold producers are raising their dividends, making their ROE stronger as gold prices are expected to scratch the $1,900 mark in 2012, said Ian M. Preston, a Resources Analyst at Goldman Sachs in Australia. In a December 6, 2011 interview, Preston said that Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) has already implemented a dividend linked to gold’s rapid price increases. He also says other major producers are raising their dividends significantly, aiming to provide investors with 2.5% to 3% levels of yield.

“I think that's a clear signal that they want to make it very easy, very transparent for an investor to say, "Well, I have a view of where the gold price is going to be, therefore I can actually calculate what the dividend will be,” Preston said. “And the share price response for Newmont post that announcement has actually been very positive.”

The high price of gold is also fueling increased production among the world's major gold producers, making previously uneconomical projects profitable. The newly extracted gold is expected to hit the markets in the 2015 to 2020 period, according to a December 19, 2011 interview with Jorge Beristain, Analyst at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

"If investors start to form a belief that gold will at least sustain in the $1,700 to $1,900 range in the next few years - that really does change materially the outlook for these [gold] equities," Beristain said. "The thought process for a lot of investors prior to the summer spike was that gold was somehow going to reach a 'peak' level and then collapse."

The price of gold itself has been driven in large measure by ETF demand and central banks. Central banks have become net buyers of bullion and investors are increasingly parking their funds in gold ETFs, propelling gold prices around the world as the precious metal offers a way to hedge against currency fluctuations in a volatile macroeconomic environment, said Elizabeth Collins, of Morningstar in a December 19 interview.

Collins said:

We saw a very high level of demand for gold. Jewelry demand for gold was actually down and demand from the technology sector was flat, but we saw demand from the investment community be very strong because of the strong performance of gold to date, as well as because of worries about macroeconomic uncertainty.

Gold Producers
Company Ticker Price (12/27) P/E Market Cap ($bln) Dividend Yield
Newmont Mining (NEM) $61.51 14.01 30.44 2.20%
Goldcorp Inc. (GG) $44.11 22.41 25.72 1.20%
Eldorado Gold Corp. (EGO) $13.59 28.31 7.49 0.90%
AngloGold Ashanti (AU) $42.11 84.46 81.35 1.00%

The high dividend stock with a high upside exposure to gold prices through increased production is Newmont. The company is expected to grow its output by 40% in the next five years, reaping the benefits later this decade if gold prices stabilize in the $1,700 to $1,900 range.

"In May of this year [Newmont] came out with a new six-year growth plan to start to grow their output," Beristain said. "By 2016, Newmont expects to ramp up production by about 2 million net ounces per year versus today's 5 million ounces. But that's going to be very second half loaded and post-2015 time frame."

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

TheStreet Ratings Top 10 Rating Changes

Every trading day TheStreet Ratings' stock model reviews the investment ratings on around 4,700 U.S. traded stocks for potential upgrades or downgrades based on the latest available financial results and trading activity.

TheStreet Ratings released rating changes on 48 U.S. common stocks for week ending December 16, 2011. 24 stocks were upgraded and 24 stocks were downgraded by our stock model.

See if (SIRI) is in our portfolio

Rating Change #10Bill Barrett Corporation (BBG) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and good cash flow from operations. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, deteriorating net income and disappointing return on equity.Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • BBG's revenue growth trails the industry average of 35.7%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 15.5%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
  • The debt-to-equity ratio is somewhat low, currently at 0.65, and is less than that of the industry average, implying that there has been a relatively successful effort in the management of debt levels. Although the company had a strong debt-to-equity ratio, its quick ratio of 1.00 is somewhat weak and could be cause for future problems.
  • The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels industry. The net income has decreased by 16.0% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, dropping from $24.56 million to $20.64 million.
  • The company's current return on equity has slightly decreased from the same quarter one year prior. This implies a minor weakness in the organization. In comparison to the other companies in the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels industry and the overall market, BILL BARRETT CORP's return on equity is significantly below that of the industry average and is below that of the S&P 500.
Bill Barrett Corporation, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas and crude oil principally in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. Bill Barrett Corporation was founded in 2002 and is based in Denver, Colorado. The company has a P/E ratio of 26.6, equal to the average energy industry P/E ratio and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Bill Barrett has a market cap of $1.62 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and energy industry. Shares are down 17.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.You can view the full Bill Barrett Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #9

Sothebys (BID) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its good cash flow from operations, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and notable return on equity. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including unimpressive growth in net income, poor profit margins and a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • Net operating cash flow has increased to -$82.87 million or 10.47% when compared to the same quarter last year. The firm also exceeded the industry average cash flow growth rate of -3.48%.
  • Despite currently having a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, it is higher than that of the industry average, inferring that management of debt levels may need to be evaluated further. Despite the fact that BID's debt-to-equity ratio is mixed in its results, the company's quick ratio of 1.97 is high and demonstrates strong liquidity.
  • The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Diversified Consumer Services industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 53.5% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from -$19.36 million to -$29.72 million.
  • The gross profit margin for SOTHEBY'S is currently extremely low, coming in at 2.40%. It has decreased from the same quarter the previous year. Along with this, the net profit margin of -51.10% is significantly below that of the industry average.
Sotheby's, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an auctioneer of fine and decorative art, jewelry, and collectibles in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company operates in three segments: Auction, Finance, and Dealer. The company has a P/E ratio of 10.8, below the average specialty retail industry P/E ratio of 10.9 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Sothebys has a market cap of $2.06 billion and is part of the services sector and specialty retail industry. Shares are down 32.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.You can view the full Sothebys Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #8

Wendy's Co (WEN) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, revenue growth and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including unimpressive growth in net income, weak operating cash flow and poor profit margins.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • This stock has managed to rise its share value by 10.44% over the past twelve months.
  • Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 11.2%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 1.8%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
  • WENDY'S CO has shown improvement in its earnings for its most recently reported quarter when compared with the same quarter a year earlier. Stable earnings per share over the past year indicate the company has sound management over its earnings and share float. However, the consensus estimates suggest that there will be an upward trend in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, WENDY'S CO reported lower earnings of $0.00 versus $0.01 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an increase in earnings to $0.15 from $0.00.
  • Net operating cash flow has decreased to $49.50 million or 24.03% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, when comparing the cash generation rate to the industry average, the firm's growth is significantly lower.
  • The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 336.3% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from -$0.91 million to -$3.97 million.
The Wendy's Company operates as a quick-service hamburger company in the United States. The company, through its subsidiary, Wendy's International, Inc., operates as a franchisor of the Wendy's restaurant system. Wendy's has a market cap of $1.95 billion and is part of the services sector and leisure industry. Shares are up 8.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.You can view the full Wendy's Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #7

Ingram Micro Inc (IM) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, attractive valuation levels and good cash flow from operations. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity and poor profit margins.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • The revenue growth significantly trails the industry average of 45.5%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 5.3%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
  • IM's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.13 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. Although the company had a strong debt-to-equity ratio, its quick ratio of 0.95 is somewhat weak and could be cause for future problems.
  • The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed against the S&P 500 and did not exceed that of the Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 64.1% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $64.99 million to $23.33 million.
  • The company's current return on equity has slightly decreased from the same quarter one year prior. This implies a minor weakness in the organization. When compared to other companies in the Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components industry and the overall market, INGRAM MICRO INC's return on equity is below that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
Ingram Micro Inc. distributes information technology (IT) products and supply chain solutions worldwide. The company has a P/E ratio of 10.8, equal to the average wholesale industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Ingram Micro has a market cap of $2.6 billion and is part of the services sector and wholesale industry. Shares are down 11.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.You can view the full Ingram Micro Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #6

New York Community Bancorp (NYB) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. Among the primary strengths of the company is its expanding profit margins over time. At the same time, however, we also find weaknesses including weak operating cash flow, a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself and deteriorating net income.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • The gross profit margin for NEW YORK CMNTY BANCORP INC is rather high; currently it is at 64.40%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Along with this, the net profit margin of 23.00% is above that of the industry average.
  • Despite the weak revenue results, NYB has outperformed against the industry average of 20.5%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly dropped by 9.1%. The declining revenue appears to have seeped down to the company's bottom line, decreasing earnings per share.
  • NEW YORK CMNTY BANCORP INC's earnings per share declined by 12.9% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. We feel it is likely to report a decline in earnings in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, NEW YORK CMNTY BANCORP INC increased its bottom line by earning $1.25 versus $1.11 in the prior year. For the next year, the market is expecting a contraction of 12.0% in earnings ($1.10 versus $1.25).
  • Looking at the price performance of NYB's shares over the past 12 months, there is not much good news to report: the stock is down 32.70%, and it has underformed the S&P 500 Index. In addition, the company's earnings per share are lower today than the year-earlier quarter. Naturally, the overall market trend is bound to be a significant factor. However, in one sense, the stock's sharp decline last year is a positive for future investors, making it cheaper (in proportion to its earnings over the past year) than most other stocks in its industry. But due to other concerns, we feel the stock is still not a good buy right now.
  • Net operating cash flow has significantly decreased to -$320.99 million or 163.27% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, when comparing the cash generation rate to the industry average, the firm's growth is significantly lower.
New York Community Bancorp, Inc. operates as a multi-bank holding company for New York Community Bank and New York Commercial Bank, which offer banking products and services in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, and Arizona. It primarily engages in generating deposits and originating loans. The company has a P/E ratio of 10.2, equal to the average banking industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. New York Community has a market cap of $5.18 billion and is part of the financial sector and banking industry. Shares are down 37.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.You can view the full New York Community Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #5

Forestar Group Inc (FOR) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from sell to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its compelling growth in net income, revenue growth and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself and poor profit margins.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Real Estate Management & Development industry. The net income increased by 308.3% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from $8.92 million to $36.43 million.
  • FOR's revenue growth trails the industry average of 26.6%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 9.3%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.
  • FORESTAR GROUP INC reported significant earnings per share improvement in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, FORESTAR GROUP INC reported lower earnings of $0.15 versus $1.64 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($0.78 versus $0.15).
  • The gross profit margin for FORESTAR GROUP INC is currently extremely low, coming in at 12.50%. It has decreased significantly from the same period last year. Despite the weak results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of 138.80% has significantly outperformed against the industry average.
  • FOR has underperformed the S&P 500 Index, declining 18.92% from its price level of one year ago. Looking ahead, other than the push or pull of the broad market, we do not see anything in the company's numbers that may help reverse the decline experienced over the past 12 months. Despite the past decline, the stock is still selling for more than most others in its industry.
Forestar Group Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the real estate and natural resources businesses in the United States. It operates in three segments: Real Estate, Mineral Resources, and Fiber Resources. The company has a P/E ratio of 16.9, equal to the average real estate industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Forestar Group has a market cap of $544.5 million and is part of the financial sector and real estate industry. Shares are down 20.2% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.You can view the full Forestar Group Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #4

Charming Shoppes Inc (CHRS) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from sell to hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, impressive record of earnings per share growth and compelling growth in net income. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that the company has not been very careful in the management of its balance sheet.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • Powered by its strong earnings growth of 31.25% and other important driving factors, this stock has surged by 29.31% over the past year, outperforming the rise in the S&P 500 Index during the same period. Regarding the stock's future course, our hold rating indicates that we do not recommend additional investment in this stock despite its gains in the past year.
  • CHARMING SHOPPES INC has improved earnings per share by 31.3% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. This trend suggests that the performance of the business is improving. During the past fiscal year, CHARMING SHOPPES INC continued to lose money by earning -$0.46 versus -$0.68 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($0.06 versus -$0.46).
  • The gross profit margin for CHARMING SHOPPES INC is rather high; currently it is at 54.20%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Regardless of the strong results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of -3.00% trails the industry average.
  • Current return on equity exceeded its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a clear sign of strength within the company. Compared to other companies in the Specialty Retail industry and the overall market, CHARMING SHOPPES INC's return on equity significantly trails that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
  • Despite currently having a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, it is higher than that of the industry average, inferring that management of debt levels may need to be evaluated further. Despite the fact that CHRS's debt-to-equity ratio is mixed in its results, the company's quick ratio of 0.51 is low and demonstrates weak liquidity.
Charming Shoppes, Inc. operates as a specialty apparel retailer primarily for women in the United States. The company operates retail stores and related e-commerce Web sites under the LANE BRYANT, FASHION BUG, and CATHERINES PLUS SIZES brand names. Charming Shoppes has a market cap of $557 million and is part of the services sector and retail industry. Shares are up 34.6% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.You can view the full Charming Shoppes Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #3

Blue Coat Systems Inc (BCSI) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • BCSI's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.17 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. Along with this, the company maintains a quick ratio of 2.63, which clearly demonstrates the ability to cover short-term cash needs.
  • The gross profit margin for BLUE COAT SYSTEMS INC is currently very high, coming in at 80.60%. Regardless of BCSI's high profit margin, it has managed to decrease from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, BCSI's net profit margin of 4.00% is significantly lower than the same period one year prior.
  • BCSI, with its decline in revenue, underperformed when compared the industry average of 6.5%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly dropped by 5.8%. Weakness in the company's revenue seems to have hurt the bottom line, decreasing earnings per share.
  • BLUE COAT SYSTEMS INC has exprienced a steep decline in earnings per share in the most recent quarter in comparison to its performance from the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. We feel it is likely to report a decline in earnings in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, BLUE COAT SYSTEMS INC increased its bottom line by earning $0.97 versus $0.92 in the prior year. For the next year, the market is expecting a contraction of 12.4% in earnings ($0.85 versus $0.97).
  • The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Communications Equipment industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 61.9% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $12.03 million to $4.59 million.
Blue Coat Systems, Inc. designs, develops, and sells products and services that secure, accelerate, and optimize the delivery of business applications, Web content, and other information to distributed users over a wide area network (WAN) or the public Internet/Web. The company has a P/E ratio of 43.3, above the average computer software & services industry P/E ratio of 41.9 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Blue Coat Systems has a market cap of $1.07 billion and is part of the technology sector and computer software & services industry. Shares are down 15.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.You can view the full Blue Coat Systems Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #2

Copano Energy LLC (CPNO) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, good cash flow from operations, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 35.7%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 48.8%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share.
  • Net operating cash flow has significantly increased by 60.90% to $46.78 million when compared to the same quarter last year. The firm also exceeded the industry average cash flow growth rate of 32.53%.
  • COPANO ENERGY LLC's earnings have gone downhill when comparing its most recently reported quarter with the same quarter a year earlier. The company has suffered a declining pattern of earnings per share over the past two years. However, we anticipate this trend to reverse over the coming year. During the past fiscal year, COPANO ENERGY LLC swung to a loss, reporting -$0.36 versus $0.35 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($0.01 versus -$0.36).
  • CPNO's debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00 is somewhat low overall, but it is high when compared to the industry average, implying that the management of the debt levels should be evaluated further. Regardless of the somewhat mixed results with the debt-to-equity ratio, the company's quick ratio of 0.80 is weak.
  • This stock has managed to decline in share value by 4.31% over the past twelve months. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year.
Copano Energy, L.L.C. provides midstream services to natural gas producers in the United States. The company's services comprise natural gas gathering, compression, dehydration, treating, marketing, transportation, processing, conditioning, and fractionation. Copano Energy has a market cap of $2.25 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and energy industry. Shares are up 0.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.You can view the full Copano Energy Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

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Rating Change #1

Sirius XM Radio Inc (SIRI) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income, revenue growth, expanding profit margins and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally poor debt management on most measures that we evaluated.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

  • SIRIUS XM RADIO INC reported significant earnings per share improvement in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, SIRIUS XM RADIO INC turned its bottom line around by earning $0.00 versus -$0.15 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an increase in earnings to $0.07 from $0.00.
  • The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Media industry. The net income increased by 54.0% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from $67.63 million to $104.18 million.
  • SIRI's revenue growth trails the industry average of 19.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 6.3%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
  • The gross profit margin for SIRIUS XM RADIO INC is rather high; currently it is at 63.60%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Along with this, the net profit margin of 13.70% is above that of the industry average.
  • Powered by its strong earnings growth of 100.00% and other important driving factors, this stock has surged by 30.43% over the past year, outperforming the rise in the S&P 500 Index during the same period. We feel that the stock's sharp appreciation over the last year has driven it to a price level which is now somewhat expensive compared to the rest of its industry. The other strengths this company shows, however, justify the higher price levels.
Sirius XM Radio Inc. provides satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. The company has a P/E ratio of 44.2, above the average media industry P/E ratio of 35.4 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Sirius XM Radio has a market cap of $6.64 billion and is part of the services sector and media industry. Shares are up 7.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday.You can view the full Sirius XM Radio Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.For additional Investment Research check out our Ratings Research Center. For all other upgrades and downgrades made by TheStreet Ratings Model today check out our upgrades and downgrades list.

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Loncor Resources: Positive Drilling Results Justify Undervalued Valuation

Last month, the Toronto-based gold miner Loncor Resources (LON) released its most recent mining results. The report points to very favorable exploration outcomes, showing profound mineral vein thickening in several of the holes drilled on the company’s holdings in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC.

In fact, according to Loncor’s August 23rd press release found on its website:

Commenting on the latest drilling results from Ngayu, Peter Cowley, President and CEO of the Company, said: 'We continue to be encouraged by the intersections at Makaplea including the thickest vein intersection to date in borehole NMDD023 at Sele Sele which had a true thickness of 15.68 metres, indicating significant thickening at depth.'

The thicker the mineral veins, the more natural resources are stored within those veins. As a result of the thickness of 15.68 metres, there is a relatively good probability that Loncor Resources will find a significant gold reserve at Sele Sele.

In fact, according to Michael Cooper, CFA, who is the President of Toronto-based Cooper Financial Research, in a September 13th telephone interview:

These results indicate significant thickening of several mineralized veins, especially in Sele Sele, which is situated in a greenstone belt. In the past, greenstone gold belts like the Abitibi Gold Belt in Canada and the Ashanti Gold Belt in Ghana have yielded significant gold reserves. .

These drilling results intensify my view that Loncor Resources, which was the topic of a Seeking Alpha article that I published on July 27, 2011, will be an acquisition target sometime in the future. As I stressed in that article, it is important to note that Newmont Mining (NEM), the world’s largest gold producer, already has a significant strategic investment in Loncor Resources and results like these might drive Newmont to push for total control of the company, which would drive Loncor’s stock price higher.

This notion is further substantiated by David Urban, who in his August 16, 2011 Seeking Alpha article titled “Newmont Mining: A Long-Term Gold Stock With a Strong Dividend Yield,” claimed the following:

The recent acquisition of a stake in Loncor Resources (LON) indicates that Newmont may be on the acquisition trail as the valuations of Central African mining stocks represent one of the remaining value areas for mid- to large-cap gold mining companies.

There are several African mining industry professionals who feel the same way as Mr. Urban. In fact, according to Serigne Diouck, Managing Partner at New York and Toronto-based American Strategic Resources Group, in a September 15th telephone interview:

The prospects for exploration stage gold mining companies with significant gold reserves on their properties in Africa are limitless. This area of the world has been comparatively untouched by precious or base metals miners relative to other parts of the world. The potential for free cash flow generation and acquisitions premiums really is staggering.

Moreover, according to Mr. Diouck,

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has approximately $24 trillion in natural resources wealth. This figure is equivalent to the combined Gross Domestic Product of Europe and the United States. The DRC is fast becoming the newest frontier in the African gold mining boom, especially due to the new pro-business initiatives that have recently been implemented by President Joseph Kabila.

Additionally, the $24 trillion estimate illustrates just how critical the DRC will be going forward in terms of natural resources extraction in Africa. According to Mr. Diouck,

Shareholders in junior miners who are willing to take on the risk of owning an exploration stage miner like Loncor Resources with promising drilling results are likely to capture a lot of capital appreciation as these companies go into their development and production stages.

Based on these drilling results, Loncor Resources looks like an attractive acquisition target by a company like Newmont Mining or AngloGold Ashanti Limited (AU). In fact, Newmont Mining already has a sizable stake in Loncor Resources, which is testament to the strategic interest of the majors in this region of the DRC.

Serigne Diouck’s company, American Strategic Resources Group, provides consulting and advisory services to companies and governments in Africa. Additionally, the company specializes in sovereign and municipal asset privatizations, public-private partnerships, natural resources industry strategic advisory, and infrastructure valuations and financings. Notably, the American Strategic Resources Group was welcomed to ring the Closing Bell at the NASDAQ with a delegation of government officials from Sierra Leone as well as several Africa-focused corporations on September 23rd, 2011.

Thus, these drilling results are a very bullish indicator for Loncor Resources. It is also important to note that Loncor Resources has a market capitalization of around $150 million, no debt on the balance sheet, and $32 million in the bank.

Loncor Resources’ relative multiple, (price over net assets valued) a very important metric in the mining industry, is 0.2x. This is the lowest valuation among its competitors and it implies a rock bottom valuation relative to the industry. As a result of the company’s fundamentals, I believe it is a very compelling investment opportunity and should be considered by investors looking to gain exposure to an emerging gold miner with significant capital appreciation upside.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

IMAX Is on Cruise Control

It may have been a lousy year at the local multiplex, but don't tell that to IMAX (NYSE: IMAX  ) .

The provider of supersized theatrical experiences closed out the year with a bang on the heels of its successful screenings of Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol.

The fourth installment of the popular movie series has grossed $46.1 million globally in IMAX ticket sales through Monday.

Viacom's (NYSE: VIA  ) Paramount has a hit in the relentless action flick, grossing $367 million worldwide.

How important has IMAX been to the film's success? Well, let's break this down domestically. IMAX ticket sales of $33.1 million account for a little more than 23% of the $141.2 million that the Tom Cruise movie has scored in domestic ticket sales. To put this into its proper perspective, just 300 of the 3,455 screens in this country screening the movie are IMAX. In other words, IMAX may account for just 9% of the film's screens -- but it has raised 23% of the revenue.

Sure, IMAX cheated. The movie opened in IMAX screens six days before most conventional theaters began running Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol. An action-packed 30 minutes of the movie were also filmed with IMAX cameras, sequences that expand to fill the entire screen at IMAX showings.

However, aren't these "tricks" really ultimately great reasons to consider IMAX as a big winner in a year that saw theater attendance dip to a 16-year low?

Whether it was a lack of interest, a soft economy, or the quality of 2011's movie slate that kept popcorn-downing patrons away, there's still a market for companies that raise the intensity of celluloid. 3-D outfitter RealD (NYSE: RLD  ) gives exhibitors a way to charge slightly more for a rich 3-D screening that they can't experience in most living rooms. IMAX's larger-than-life projections and amped up sound system give a movie -- especially thrillers and big-budget action movies -- more oomph.

Folks aren't afraid to pay up for an engrossing cinematic escape regardless of the industry's soft overall ticket sales.

Whether audiences bounce back in 2012, the lesson has been learned. More studios will be tempted to follow Paramount's blueprint and film select segments with IMAX cameras and open early at IMAX theaters.

The traditional multiplex may self-destruct in five seconds, but IMAX is proving why it's built to last.

�If you want to see how premium cinema holds up beyond today's matinee, consider adding RealD and IMAX to My Watchlist. If you're ready for a different kind of feature presentation, ask yourself if you know the two words that are scaring the dance moves out of Steve Ballmer. It's a free report, but like a hot theatrical release, it won't be showing forever, so check it out now.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Lauding Those That Are Better Off

This morning I shot off an email to the staff at Stansberry Radio to thank them for their new series of podcasts. And that email got me to thinking about how I feel with regards to folks like Porter, Peter Schiff, Jim Sinclair, Eric Sprott, Mike Maloney, Rick Rule, Gerald Celente and James Turk.

It got me thinking about how I would NEVER be able to sit one on one with any of them and ask questions. I’m not about to be invited to dinner or brought into a conference call or sent an email looking for my advice.

And whether you agree with them or not isn’t the issue. The issue is the value and premium of their time and wisdom, access to which we can agree is severely limited by various factors.

They walk, talk and move in circles I probably won’t ever enter. There’s a good chance that my children never will either or even their children. And yet, due to the mechanisms of technology that I don’t comprehend, on a daily basis, on a timetable I set, I’m able to “sit at the feet” of some of the worlds’ most knowledgable.

Without leaving my home or interrupting my schedule I can more detailed, unfiltered, unregulated insight and gleanings from people with whom I would most likely never bump into or even have a scheduled meeting with.

Everyday titans of various industries make available interviews, podcasts, newsletters, videos, etc. discussing their views of various markets, trends, politics, social events, economic policies, etc. and send them out to masses via the internet. Being on the receiving end, I get to choose which information, and just how much of it, I will allow pulled into my sphere of life.

When was the last time a billionaire or multimillionaire sat face to face with you and discussed anything? When was the last time you got to pick the brain of a market mover? Or someone whose made it to the top of their field? Most of us consider ourselves lucky to get five minutes with our department manager never mind filling our baskets with nuggets from some of the worlds’ renowned and most profitable CEO’s.

And, for the record, the 99% DO NOT speak for me. Let me make this clear: I abhor what the banking and financial system have done to our economy and now the global economy as well. I detest the destruction, impoverishment and division they have brought down upon our lives. No one will cry over their end.

But, those I referenced above and the many more just like them, too many in number to list here, fall into a different bracket. I don’t envy them, I admire them. I’m proud of them and their accomplishments. I may never be their equal, but, I damn sure don’t begrudge them what they have and where they risen to.

They inspire, motivate and provoke myself and others to look at what is attainable. They draw out the inner desires of success and victory that many aspire to daily. We love to see people win and be victorious and we’re willing to pay big money to see it every Sunday at our sports arenas.

So my hat is off to those that are willing to share via technological avenues their successes, accomplishments and insights. They increase my knowledge, stimulate my will and ultimately inspire me to become a better and more productive citizen.

A former broker and pastor Ray has turned to imploring folks to prepare for hard times ahead by acquiring silver and other precious metals.

Read more of his writings at http://www.cheapestgoldandsilver.com

Being created a California Foreign Firm.

http://www.clickcopycashinfo.org/satellite-direct/satellite-direct-review/

When will i need some sort of California overseas corporation?

If you’re a small company owner somewhere at the West coast and small business is booming, you might opt to expand your small business to exploit other markets, possibly over state outlines, and California is a great place to build and expand a small company. But when you sign the particular lease in your new management and business offices and also throw vast your doorways, bear in your mind the processing requirement that is the difference in between a satisfied and profitable relationship using the state as well as a swift charges for screwing up to comply like a welcome to the neighborhood: intricate your Ca Foreign Corporation.

A Ca Foreign Corporation is usually a required processing of any kind of corporation which has been registered within another express (the domestic express) and is considered by the state to be doing small business in Ca. While nys will not really offer to help interpret what the law states in your stead, and while legal advice is generally best sought from your lawyer or even legal counsellor, a reduce, general rule of thumb is that if you manage an website and someone residing in California purchases a specific thing, you are not regarded as doing business inside state — but in the event you open some sort of corporate office in Ca and deliver the distributed goods from there, you probably would have to file some sort of California Dangerous Corporation.

What can i need to be able to receive the California Dangerous Corporation?

There are many of documents you will need to submit to be able to register and also conduct business like a foreign institution in Ca.

Statement and also Designation by means of Foreign Corporation

When you’re ready to register your own foreign institution in Ca, you can draft some sort of document just like Articles associated with Incorporation you accustomed to start your small business in your own domestic express, called the particular Statement and also Designation by means of Foreign Corporation form. This form will obtain information regarding both your own existing business plus your new small business.

The Dangerous Corporation form will incorporate information for the following:

The legal name of one’s corporation, as it is laid away in the most up-to-date version of one’s Articles associated with Incorporation with your domestic express
The legislation under which usually your corporation was formed; your own domestic express
Your principle executive office address, likely located as part of your domestic express
The address you want to you utilization in California, if applicable (it is perfectly possible to be legally considered performing in Ca without possessing an office inside state)
The agent, or even registered broker, who will be the make contact with person with the California overseas corporation and is to possess a physical house address inside state
Signature and also affirmation of an corporate officer

Relative to many people other declares, the Ca Foreign Corporation formation document is very easy — the particular printed form occupies only a couple pages.

Document of Beneficial Standing

Sometimes also called a Document of Everyday living or Document of Truth, the Document of Beneficial Standing is usually a document from your domestic express showing that you not merely exist but your corporation features a status from the state associated with Active, and that it must be in beneficial standing inside domestic express. If your own Certificate associated with Good Positioned shows that you’ll be in Default, you’ll not be permitted to register your own California Dangerous Corporation and soon you have adjusted whatever difficulty was preserving you from being within good standing up.

This requirement is just not specific to help California — almost all states demand a Certificate associated with Good Positioned or equivalent document. Not every states include this necessity; in Colorado front range, for case, you are necessary to confirm your corporation was in good standing up in the domestic express, but simply no formal documentation to compliment this claim is necessary. (Although in the event you lie, the Colorado front range Secretary associated with State will probably be less compared to pleased plus your ability to help legally execute business from the state will probably be revoked.) Some other states, such as Virginia, demand, rather than the Certificate associated with Good Positioned, the initial Articles associated with Incorporation and also any succeeding filed changes, certified by the Secretary associated with State.

Submitting fee

The signing up fee for any California Dangerous Corporation is now $100. In addition there are expedited processing options, information on which can be found on the particular Secretary associated with State’s payment schedule.

Declaration of Information

While not necessary to become submitted with the Foreign Corporation registration documents, a Declaration of Information for Dangerous Corporation form is necessary of many foreign entities from the month that they file (or even the right away preceding all 5 calendar months), so many decide to complete and also submit the particular document with the California Dangerous Corporation records. The filing have to be repeated annually to the next the Admin of California’s office appreciates all the time of updated information on your small business.

The Declaration of Information contains specifics of the small business not included for the Statement and also Designation by means of Foreign Corporation, including:

CEO’s title and handle
Secretary’s title and handle
CFO’s title and handle
Type associated with business in the corporation

Other info that duplicates information on the Declaration of Information can even be provided for the form, if you will discover any changes to be made.

Where will i register the California Dangerous Corporation?

There are many of approaches to go about creating your overseas corporation, according to the degree associated with assistance you would like in organizing the records. (When you are certainly in a position to draft and also submit these documents yourself, it’s usually better to run any kind of filing selections you make by a corporate legal professional or legal advisor.)

Corporate and business attorney

A management and business attorney can help you decide what sort of entity in order to create and establish the solutions to any kind of compliance-related questions you may have. He or even she are able to prepare your own Statement and also Designation by means of Foreign Corporation (usually by assigning the drafting to some paralegal, which will fill away your paperwork determined by information you’ve given the particular attorney) and also file the particular documents for you personally.

Any legal professional service can incur legal fees, fees which might be certainly deserved for legal assistance, but which may be considered high with the drafting service part of the services.

Third-party processing service

This is the solution for individuals who are also busy or even flustered using the responsibilities of not merely running a business but successfully navigating a second to own time to waste looking into paperwork thank you’s and demands.

There are a huge amount of third-party processing services around, most which have equivalent services. A lot of them are absolutely reputable, and take the data that anyone provide to help draft and also customize the particular Statement and also Designation and also file the particular California Dangerous Corporation for you personally. Do your quest — exactly what costs anyone $239 on one company might price only $97 on another company. And read conditions and terms carefully — some sort of corporate officer’s signature is usually a requirement, so avoid being surprised after you receive an email asking someone to print and also sign a questionaire.

In-person processing

This is a great solution for business people who are comfortable with government paperwork and have the the perfect time to draft them properly (any kind of mistakes seen in the application will squeeze in a delay to the already astronomical signing up wait times). To take action, download the particular forms through the Secretary associated with State’s website and send your signing up by posting or providing it to help: Secretary associated with State, Small business Programs Scale, Business Organizations, 1500 11th Neighborhood, Sacramento, Ca, CA 95814.

However you decide to submit your own Statement and also Designation associated with Foreign Corporation, note that the Secretary associated with State, as a result of budget reduces, has closed all its side branch offices above 2010 and now operates solely in a office. For that reason, filing times are relatively delayed (though you will discover near-immediate expediting options for those willing to fund such providers).

Satellite Direct

Two Banks Fail; 2011 Tally at 87

Two banks failed Friday evening, bringing this year's total number of bank failures to 87.

Both failed banks were previously included in TheStreet's preliminary third-quarter Bank Watch List of undercapitalized institutions, based on early regulatory data provided by SNL Financial.Mid City BankThe Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance closed Mid City Bank of Omaha, which had total assets of $106.1 million and $105.5 million in deposits when it failed. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was appointed receiver and sold the failed institution to Purdum State Bank of Purdum, Neb.On Saturday morning Purdum State Bank will change its name to Premier Bank, and the failed bank's five branches will reopen during normal business hours under the new name.The FDIC estimated that the cost of Mid City Bank's failure to the deposit insurance fund would be $12.7 million.SunFirst BankThe Utah Department of Financial Institutions took over SunFirst Bank of Saint George, which had total assets of $169.1 million and $177.3 million in deposits.The FDIC was appointed receiver and sold all but $15 million of the failed bank's deposits to Cache Valley Bank of Logan, Utah. The agency said it was retaining a portion of SunFirst Bank's deposits that were frozen before the bank failed and "may be subject to external litigation."Cache Valley Bank also purchased $177.3 million of the failed bank's assets, with the FDIC agreeing to cover 80% of losses on $128.9 million of the acquired assets. The FDIC retained the remaining assets for later disposition. The failed bank's three offices were set to reopen during normal business hours as branches of Cache Valley Bank.SunFirst was among the banks ensnared in what the Justice Department called a "poker Ponzi scheme" involving Full Tilt Poker and several other online gaming sites, with John Campos -- a former vice chairman of SunFirst -- being charged by the Justice Department with money laundering and setting up accounts that illegally processed payments for Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars, according to several reports.Large banks that the Justice Department said were unwittingly involved in the accusations against the online gaming companies included Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C), JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo (WFC). Thorough Bank Failure CoverageGeorgia leads all states with 22 bank failures this year, followed by Florida, with 12 failures, and Illinois, with nine bank closures. There was one bank failure last Friday. All previous bank and thrift closures since the beginning of 2008 are detailed in TheStreet's interactive bank failure map:
The bank failure map is color-coded, with the states having the greatest number of failures highlighted in dark gray, and states with no failures in light green. By moving your mouse over a state you can see its combined 2008-2011 totals. Then click the state to open a detailed map pinpointing the locations and providing additional information for each bank failure.RELATED STORIES: John McCain Calls for FHFA Head's Head >Bank of America Sinks 6%: Financial Loser (Update 1) >Bank of America Faces $45B Capital Shortfall: Analyst >Bank of New York Execs Seek Punishment Pass: Report >146 Banks Desperate for a Bailout >-- To contact the writer, click here: Philip van Doorn.To follow the writer on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/PhilipvanDoorn. >To order reprints of this article, click here: Reprints

Top Stocks For 4/3/2012-2

SuperGen, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUPG) announced that James S.J. Manuso, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, will present at Future Leaders in the Biotech Industry 2011 on Friday, April 15th in New York. SuperGen’s presentation will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET. A live webcast of the presentation will be available in the Investor Events section of the Company’s website at www.supergen.com. The webcast will be archived for 30 days.

Supergen, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, primarily engages in the discovery and development of therapies to treat patients with cancer.

GreenHouse Holdings, Inc. (GRHU)

GreenHouse Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of energy efficiency and sustainable facilities solutions. The company designs, engineers and installs disparate products and technologies that enable its clients to reduce their energy costs and carbon footprint.

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems are different from Solar Hot Water systems in that they generate electricity when exposed to the sun instead of heating the water.

In the interconnected case, PV systems produce energy from the panels during the sunny days and provide this energy to the house, but if more energy is needed than is currently being produced, grid supplies the difference. If the PV system produces more than needed, surplus is then fed back into the grid, often for a benefit to the home owner. In battery-based systems, there is no backup of the grid and all energy that is produced is used or stored in the batteries for later use.

GreenHouse offers Solar PV systems with state of the art Micro-Inverters that maximize the harvest of available sunlight, can now triple the R.O.I. as compared to traditional single inverter systems.

Solar Photovoltaic Systems consist of few key components: solar photovoltaic panels, inverter, battery chargers and batteries (if off-grid installation), PV combiner boxes, DC array disconnect, wiring, and panel mounting racks.

Target markets for GreenHouse’s energy efficiency solutions include residential, commercial and industrial, as well as government and military markets. In addition, the company develops designs and constructs rapidly deployable, sustainable facilities primarily for use in disaster relief and security in austere regions.

Mr. Robinson, a founder of GreenHouse Holdings, Inc. recently appeared for an interview on Fox Business’ America’s Nightly Scoreboard Friday April 1st, at 9PM. Mr. Robinson, is a globally recognized expert in terrorism and national security, provided expert insight into the likelihood and feasibility of future terrorist attacks perpetrated or financially backed by the Lybian dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi. His over 30 years experience in Special Forces, Special Mission Units, and the Central Intelligence Agency helps provide GreenHouse Holdings with invaluable global “on the ground” expertise with respect to their energy efficiency and sustainable solutions business.

For more information about GreenHouse Holdings, Inc. Visit its website:www.greenhouseintl.com

National Health Partners, Inc. (NHPR)

National Health Partners, Inc. is a national healthcare savings organization that provides discount healthcare membership programs to uninsured and underinsured people through a national healthcare savings network called “CARExpress.” CARExpress is one of the largest networks of hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare providers in the country and is comprised of over 1,000,000 medical professionals that belong to such PPOs as CareMark and Aetna.

Health insurance should not cover basic or routine medical services, but instead should cover major illnesses, surgeries, etc. Moreover, the government should require that healthcare providers charge all patients the same fees for out-of-pocket medical procedures (insurance companies and the government should be free to negotiate discounted prices for the services for which they directly pay, but these preferred rates would not apply to the services paid out-of-pocket by their members). This would bring normal, competitive market forces to bear on the provision of routine medical services. Insurance would then provide (as it is properly intended) coverage against significant and expensive maladies.

National Health Partners Inc recently announced that it has signed a new agreement with a major marketing company that will significantly enhance the growth of its CARExpress membership base.

According to the Company, this deal, in combination with the previous partnership with Xpress Healthcare, will enable the company to build its membership base exponentially, initially generating in excess of an additional 2,000 new members per month. The new campaign is set to launch within the next few weeks and will provide a material positive impact on the company’s 2nd quarter sales.

National Health Partners anticipate that this new marketing agreement will provide a major impact on their overall sales not only for the 2nd quarter, but more importantly for the year. They look forward to building on the profits that they anticipate generating in 2011 that will be driven by substantial growth in sales of their CARExpress health discount programs. The combination of their substantial growth with their low price-to-equity ratio should reflect itself in the price of their stock over the coming months.

For more information about National Health Partners, Inc visit its website www.nationalhealthpartners.com

East West Bancorp (Nasdaq:EWBC) will discuss first quarter 2011 earnings with the public on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 8:30 A.M. PT/ 11:30 A.M. ET via the Company’s live quarterly earnings conference call. The public and investment community are invited to listen as management discusses first quarter results and operating developments. Information for the conference call and replay is provided on the Investor Relations page at www.eastwestbank.com. The following dial-in information is provided for participation in the conference call: Local call within the US - (877) 317-6789; Call within Canada - (866) 605-3852; International call - (412) 317-6789.

East West Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for East West Bank, which provides a range of personal and commercial banking services to small and medium-sized businesses, business executives, professionals, and other individuals in California.

Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BPFH) will report first quarter financial results after market close on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Management will hold a conference call at 8 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 27, to discuss the financial results in more detail. To access the call: Dial In #: (866) 843-0890. International Dial In #: (412) 317-9250. Elite Entry Number: 0128082. Replay Information: Available from Apr. 27 at 10 a.m. to May 5. Dial In #: (877) 344-7529. International Dial In (412) 317-0088. Conference Number: 450199. The call will be simultaneously webcast and may be accessed on www.bostonprivate.com.

Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. operates as the multi-bank holding company in the United States. The company provides private banking, investment management, and wealth advisory services to high net worth individuals, families, small and medium-sized businesses, and institutions.

BofA Boosts Merrill Lynch Client Minimum to $250K

BofA headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. (Photo: AP)

Merrill Lynch is raising its minimum asset level for client households to $250,000 from $100,000 in 2012, the Bank of America (BAC) unit said late Thursday. The move, experts suggest, appears to be one more way for the unit to boost results of its high-end wealth-management business while carving out an expanding market for its mass-affluent Merrill Edge operations.

Merrill Lynch will not change payouts tied to existing household relationships of under $250,000 but will now pay out 20% on new accounts in this category. Plus, if an advisor has more than 20% of his or her book tied to relationships in which the household has assets of under $250,000, there will be no payouts for new household clients with asset levels of this size.

"Moving said minimum from $100,000 to $250,000 sends a loud message of what the firm values," said Chip Roame, head of Tiburon Strategic Advisors, in an interview with AdvisorOne. "And it makes being an FA more challenging."

On the one hand, "Merrill Lynch is back filling service for these smaller accounts with Merrill Edge, so the firm will be able to capture all types of clients," explained the Northern California-based consultant. And on the other, "The firm will allow its FAs to still take on and service these smaller accounts to a limited degree when the FAs see the upside."

"A lower payout on smaller accounts is a well-founded business strategy," stressed Roame (left). "Similarly, a policy that no payment will be earned after a book is compromised of more than 20% of these small accounts is another solid business strategy; I like it, too."

According to BofA, accounts at this level represent less than 6% of total client assets at Merrill Lynch -- which were about $1.45 trillion in the third quarter of 2011 -- and account for roughly 4% of total sales in the broader wealth-management division -- which totaled $4.2 billion in Q3.

Nonetheless, these accounts most likely represent a sizeable number of the firm's total accounts, estimates Roame, whose firm has 300-plus industry clients, including BofA-Merrill and rival Wells Fargo (WF).

. "One issue I can imagine is [the impact on] new brokers. This [shift] makes it increasingly difficult to get launched as one often hits up friends and family, many of whom will not have $250,000."

For its part, Merrill insists the change makes sense for both its business results and its advisors.

“Each year, we review financial-advisor compensation and make strategic adjustments to ensure the plan is aligned with the interests of our clients, shareholders, and advisors, as well as to enhance our leadership position within the industry,” a spokesperson explained in a statement. “We continue to make significant investments in tools and capabilities for our financial advisors, and more importantly, in their training and development to support their efforts to provide the best client service and expand their businesses.

Merrill Lynch includes about 16,720 advisors, who work for both it high-net-worth and mass-affluent (Merrill Edge) operations, defined as those with between $50,000 and $250,000 in investable assets.

In mid-December, Bank of America said it planned to add 160 Merrill Edge Financial Solutions Advisors in the Southwest by the end of March 2012 and named several managers to help it grow the business in the market.

Earlier in 2011, BofA explained that it was on track to nearly double the number of FSAs serving mass-affluent clients in branches and call centers to more than 1,000 by the end of 2011. It also aims to have about 1,000 small-business bankers serving clients in bank branches by early 2012.

According to the bank, it now has more than 8 million mass-affluent (or “Preferred”) customers. Merrill Edge introduced a mobile application for the iPad, iPhone and BlackBerry earlier this year and close to 500 new no-transaction-fee mutual funds on its platform.