When I keep reading how difficult the lending environment is for midsize private companies, it only makes sense to take a hard look at the business development companies (BDCs).
It’s been a catch 22 for the banks. They are awash in cash — but after getting shell-shocked by the recession, they aren’t willing to put that cash in the system in the form of new small-business loans, as the Fed had intended under its current policy. This conundrum drives businesses to borrow from BDCs at 10% to 15% rates with equity kickers attached to every deal, translating into fat dividends for investors, who get 90% of the income generated by these cash machine-like assets.
Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Own For 2015: Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd(ACH)
Aluminum Corporation of China Limited engages in the manufacture and distribution of alumina, primary aluminum, and aluminum fabrication products in the People?s Republic of China and internationally. Its Alumina segment involves in the mining and purchasing of bauxite and other raw materials, refining of bauxite into alumina, and sale of alumina. This segment also produces and sells chemical alumina, including alumina hydroxide and alumina chemicals, and metal gallium. The company?s Primary Aluminum segment engages in smelting alumina to produce primary aluminum, principally ingots for use in general aluminum fabrication in the construction, power generation, automobile, packaging, machinery, and durable goods industries. This segment also produces and sells carbon products and aluminum alloy products. The Aluminum Fabrication segment involves in the production and sale of aluminum fabrication products, including casts, planks, screens, extrusions, forges, powder, and die castings for use in the construction, power generation, automobile, packaging, machinery, and durable goods industries. The Trading segment engages in the procurement and sale of alumina, primary aluminum, and aluminum fabrication products, as well as relevant metal products, and raw and ancillary materials. The company also engages in the manufacture and distribution of metal materials; sale of general machinery and equipment; production, acquisition, and distribution of limestone ore, aluminum magnesium ore, and related nonferrous metal products; aluminum smelting, manufacture, and distribution of nonferrous metals; and generation and supply of electricity, as well as in iron ore mining and coal mining activities. Aluminum Corporation of China Limited was founded in 2001 and is based in Beijing, China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Pendulum]
Century Aluminum's stock price has held up well compared to other aluminum companies:
AlcoaNoranda Aluminum (NOR)Aluminum Corp. of China (ACH) - [By Dan Carroll]
Meanwhile, investment has taken a toll on other industries such as materials like steel and aluminum, where oversupply has poisoned not only the domestic market but also the worldwide industry. That's resulted in both a hit to China's economy and a major headache for investors, who have watched major Chinese materials leaders such as Chinalco (NYSE: ACH ) suffer through plunging stock prices. Chinalco's stock has nosedived by more than 34% this year alone as the aluminum sector has weathered a prolonged dry spell of demand and oversupply, fed primarily by China's investment boom.
- [By Dan Carroll]
Output at Chinese manufacturers�is declining and stockpiles of goods are increasing, according to HSBC's PMI reading. The combination is a storm of weak demand and oversupply for firms such as leading aluminum producer Chinalco (NYSE: ACH ) , which is already in a rut with the fall of aluminum prices around the world and global demand still weak. Chinalco slowed production recently to deal with falling demand, but with China representing�around 45% of the world's demand for the metal last year, falling demand in the world's second-largest economy is a killer blow to Chinalco and other powers in the industry. Until Chinese manufacturing can post a significant bounce-back, aluminum and other metals providers will be under serious pressure.
- [By Holly LaFon]
During the quarter, Visa (V) reported strong year-颅��ver-颅��ear growth with earnings up 14%, as the business continues to operate at a superior level ��very much in-颅��ine with the past several years. Visa has been a core holding for our clients since October 2008 and rarely has a year gone by without the Company and its partners having to contend with lawsuits and legislation aimed at limiting pricing power and 4 distribution. 2014 is no exception, though most of the news has been favorable, with a ruling for "no change" to Visa's exclusivity for high-颅��alue signature transactions. We continue to see Visa's pricing power as being derived from VisaNet's superior value proposition relative to substitutes, particularly paper-颅��based payments, automated clearinghouse (ACH), and more recently, "cryptocurrencies" (e.g. Bitcoin). While these emerging payment platforms, including PayPal and Square, represent very legitimate substitutes to traditional interchange, in our view they are not quite "good enough," as evidenced by merchant acceptance that is largely sequestered to small businesses. While we have been net sellers of Visa over the past 18 months, it has been solely due to valuation ��our primary tool for risk management at Wedgewood. We believe Visa will continue to maintain its superior competitive positioning, as competitors find it difficult to achieve the network-颅��ffect benefits that have compounded the value proposition of VisaNet, particularly as acceptance and issuance of the Visa brand continues to expand.
5 Best High Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Reed Elsevier PLC(RUK)
Reed Elsevier PLC provides professional information solutions worldwide. The company?s Elsevier segment offers scientific, technical, and medical information solutions. This segment publishes science and technology research articles and book titles; and abstract and citation database of research literature, as well as offers information and workflow tools that help researchers generate insights in the advancement of scientific discovery. The Elsevier segment also provides medical journals, books, reference works, databases, and online information tools to medical researchers, doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, students, hospitals, research institutions, health insurers, managed healthcare organizations, and pharmaceutical companies. Its LexisNexis Risk Solutions segment offers data and analytics for the insurance industry; risk management, identity verification, fraud detection, credit risk management, and compliance solutions for financial institutions; invest igative solutions; and employment-related, resident and volunteer screening services. The company?s Lexisnexis Legal and Professional segment provides legal, tax, regulatory, and business information solutions. Its Reed Exhibitions segment organizes exhibitions and conferences for the broadcasting, TV, music, and entertainment; building and construction; electronics and electrical engineering; alternative energy, oil, and gas; engineering, manufacturing, and processing; gifts; interior design; IT and telecoms; jewelry; life sciences and pharmaceuticals; marketing; property and real estate; sports and recreation; and travel sectors. The company?s Reed Business Information segment provides data services, information, and marketing solutions to business professionals; produces industry critical data services, lead generation tools, and online community and job sites; and publishes business magazines. Reed Elsevier PLC was founded in 1894 and is based in London, the United Kin gdom.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Zarr Pacificador]
A look at Reed Elsevier
Today, I'm evaluating�Reed Elsevier� (LSE: REL ) (NYSE: RUK ) , a professional information solutions provider,�which currently trades at 743 pence. Here are my thoughts:
5 Best High Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Novartis AG (NOVN)
Novartis AG provides healthcare solutions. The Company is a multinational group of companies specializing in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of a range of healthcare products led by pharmaceuticals. Its portfolio includes medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. It has five segments: Pharmaceuticals, which include patent-protected prescription medicines; Alcon, which include surgical, ophthalmic pharmaceutical and vision care products; Sandoz, which include generic pharmaceuticals; vaccines and diagnostics, which include human vaccines and blood-testing diagnostics, and consumer health, which include over-the-counter medicines (OTC) and Animal Health. In February 2014, it acquired CoStim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sofia Horta e Costa]
Novartis AG (NOVN) slipped 1.3 percent to 67.20 Swiss francs after JPMorgan Chase cut its recommendation on the drugmaker to neutral from overweight, a rating similar to buy. The stock has rallied 17 percent so far this year, compared with a 15 percent increase for the Swiss Market Index.
- [By Corinne Gretler]
Novartis AG (NOVN) climbed 2 percent to 69.25 Swiss francs after raising its full-year forecasts. Sales will increase at a low-to mid-single-digit percentage rate in constant currencies, and core operating income will match or exceed the previous year, Europe�� biggest drugmaker said. In July, the company forecast a low-single-digit percentage decline in earnings in 2013, with sales rising at a similar rate.
- [By Corinne Gretler]
Novartis AG (NOVN) climbed 1.3 percent after saying a psoriasis treatment met all its objectives in a clinical study. Lloyds (LLOY) Banking Group Plc advanced 3.8 percent after a person with knowledge of the matter said a former Standard Chartered Plc executive may mount a bid for a stake in the U.K.�� biggest mortgage lender. TGS Nopec Geophysical ASA declined the most since May 2012 after cutting its full-year revenue guidance.
5 Best High Dividend Stocks To Watch Right Now: Two Harbors Investment Corp (TWO)
Two Harbors Investment Corp. (Two Harbors), incorporated on May 21, 2009, operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is focused on investing in, financing and managing residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), residential mortgage loans, residential real properties, and other financial assets. The Company focuses on security selection and implements a relative value investment approach across various sectors within the residential mortgage market. Its target assets include Agency RMBS, Non-Agency RMBS, residential mortgage loans, residential real properties and other financial assets comprising approximately 5% to 10% of the portfolio. The Company has designated certain of its subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries (TRSs). Capitol Acquisition Corp. (Capitol) is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Two Harbors. The Company is externally managed and advised by PRCM Advisers LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pine River Capital Management L.P. (Pine River).
The Company invests primarily in mortgage pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations and other residential mortgage-backed securities representing interests in or obligations backed by pools of mortgage loans issued by Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) (collectively GSEs). The Company also invests in residential mortgage-backed securities that are not issued by the GSEs (non-Agency RMBS) and United States Treasuries. At December 31, 2011, the Company had total assets of approximately $8.1 billion, of which $6.2 billion, or 77.1%, represented its RMBS portfolio. At December 31, 2011, $5.1 billion, or 80.9%, of its RMBS portfolio was comprised of Agency RMBS, $0.9 billion, or 14.9%, of its RMBS portfolio was comprised of senior non-Agency RMBS, and the remaining $0.2 billion, or 4.2%, was comprised of other non-Agency RMBS. The remaining $1.9 billion of assets consisted p! rimarily of United States Treasuries classified as trading instruments, cash, restricted cash, mortgage loans held-for-sale, receivables, derivative assets and prepaid assets.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Amanda Alix]
Putting things in perspective
Perhaps in response to such concerns, hybrid mREIT Two Harbors (NYSE: TWO ) recently released a useful investor primer on the industry, giving a much clearer view of just where mREITs stand compared to other mortgage players.
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