Saturday, November 8, 2014

Top Supermarket Companies To Own For 2014

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Safeway (NYSE: SWY  ) shares were taking their turn in the dunk today, falling as much as 19% after posting a disappointing quarter.

So what: The supermarket chain sacrificed profit during the quarter in order to hold on to customers, as competition from the likes of Wal-Mart�and Target�continues to rise. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.35, $0.01 below estimates, and revenue was off by about 1.5%. Same-store sales increased by 1.5%, which was due, in part, to a shift in the calendar.

Now what: Today's drop seemed to be less of a result of a terrible earnings report, and more of a slight miss coming after strong appreciation in the stock. Before today's drop, sales had nearly doubled since the summer, as the company has tried new strategies to increase sales and remain relevant in a changing industry, including personalized deals and lower prices. The momentum seemed to get ahead of itself, however, as profit growth would not seem to justify a share price of $30. For those who still have profits to take, now might be a good time.

Best Gas Companies To Watch In Right Now: Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP (BWP)

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP is a limited partnership company. The Company owns and operates three interstate natural gas pipeline systems including integrated storage facilities. Its business is conducted by its primary subsidiary, Boardwalk Pipelines, LP (Boardwalk Pipelines) and its subsidiaries, Gulf Crossing Pipeline Company LLC (Gulf Crossing), Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP (Gulf South) and Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (Texas Gas) (together, the operating subsidiaries), which consist of integrated natural gas pipeline and storage systems. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it formed Boardwalk Midstream, LP (Midstream), and its operating subsidiary, Boardwalk Field Services, LLC (Field Services), which is engaged in the natural gas gathering and processing business. In December 2011, Boardwalk HP Storage Company, LLC (HP Storage), a joint venture between Boardwalk Pipelines and Boardwalk Pipelines Holding Corp. (BPHC) acquired Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C. (Petal), Hattiesburg Gas Storage Company (Hattiesburg). In December 2011, it acquired a 20% equity interest in HP Storage.

The Company�� pipeline systems originate in the Gulf Coast region, Oklahoma and Arkansas and extend north and east to the midwestern states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. It serves a mix of customers, including producers, local distribution companies (LDCs), marketers, electric power generators, direct industrial users and interstate and intrastate pipelines. The Company provides a portion of its pipeline transportation and storage services, through firm contracts, under which the Company�� customers pay monthly capacity reservation charges. Other charges are based on actual utilization of the capacity under firm contracts and contracts for interruptible services. During 2011, approximately 82% of its revenues were derived from capacity reservation charges under firm contracts; approximately 14% of its revenues were derived from charges-based on actual utilization under firm contr! acts, and approximately 4% of its revenues were derived from interruptible transportation, interruptible storage, parking and lending (PAL) and other services. Its expansion projects include South Texas Eagle Ford Expansionand Marcellus Gathering System and HP Storage.

Pipeline and Storage Systems

The Company�� operating subsidiaries own and operate approximately 14,200 miles of pipelines, directly serving customers in twelve states and indirectly serving customers throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States through numerous interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. In 2011, its pipeline systems transported approximately 2.7 trillion cubic feet of gas. Average daily throughput on its pipeline systems during 2011 was approximately 7.3 billion cubic feet. Its natural gas storage facilities are comprised of eleven underground storage fields located in four states with aggregate working gas capacity of approximately 167.0 billion cubic feet. the Company operates the assets of HP Storage on behalf of the joint venture.

The principal sources of supply for our pipeline systems are regional supply hubs and market centers located in the Gulf Coast region, including offshore Louisiana, the Perryville, Louisiana area, the Henry Hub in Louisiana and the Carthage, Texas area. Its pipelines in the Carthage, Texas area provide access to natural gas supplies from the Bossier Sands, Barnett Shale, Haynesville Shale and other gas producing regions in eastern Texas and northern Louisiana. The Henry Hub serves as the designated delivery point for natural gas futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Its pipeline systems also have access to unconventional mid-continent supplies, such as the Woodford Shale in southeastern Oklahoma and the Fayetteville Shale in Arkansas. The Company also accesses the Eagle Ford Shale in southern Texas; wellhead supplies in northern and southern Louisiana and Mississippi; and Canadian natural gas through an unaffil! iated pip! eline interconnect at Whitesville, Kentucky.

Gulf Crossing

The Company�� Gulf Crossing pipeline system originates near Sherman, Texas, and proceeds to the Perryville, Louisiana area. The market areas are in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Florida through interconnections with Gulf South, Texas Gas and unaffiliated pipelines.

Gulf South

The Company�� Gulf South pipeline system is located along the Gulf Coast in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The on-system markets directly served by the Gulf South system are generally located in eastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. These markets include LDCs and municipalities located across the system, including New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, and other end-users located across the system, including the Baton Rouge to New Orleans industrial corridor and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Gulf South also has indirect access to off-system markets through numerous interconnections with unaffiliated interstate and intrastate pipelines and storage facilities. These pipeline interconnections provide access to markets throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States.

Gulf South has two natural gas storage facilities. The gas storage facility located in Bistineau, Louisiana, has approximately 78 billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity from which Gulf South offers firm and interruptible storage service, including no-notice service. Gulf South�� Jackson, Mississippi, gas storage facility has approximately five billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity, which is used for operational purposes and is not offered for sale to the market.

Texas Gas

The Company�� Texas Gas pipeline system originates in Louisiana, East Texas and Arkansas and runs north and east through Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, K! entucky, ! Indiana, and into Ohio, with smaller diameter lines extending into Illinois. Texas Gas directly serves LDCs, municipalities and power generators in its market area, which encompasses eight states in the South and Midwest and includes the Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and Evansville and Indianapolis, Indiana metropolitan areas. Texas Gas also has indirect market access to the Northeast through interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. Texas Gas owns nine natural gas storage fields, of which it owns the majority of the working and base gas. Texas Gas uses this gas to meet the operational requirements of its transportation and storage customers and the requirements of its no-notice service customers.

Field Services

In 2011, the Company formed its Field Services subsidiary and transferred to it approximately 100 miles of gathering and transmission pipeline. In 2012, the Company transferred to Field Services an additional 240 miles of pipeline and two compressor stations. Field Services is developing gathering and processing capabilities in south Texas and Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Boardwalk Pipeline Partners�(NYSE: BWP) is a midstream partnership with a focus on natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs), and until recently one of the constituents of the Alerian Natural Gas MLP Index. The partnership operates 14,450 miles of pipelines and underground storage caverns with an aggregate working gas capacity of 207 billion cubic feet (Bcf) and liquids capacity of 18 million barrels.

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    This is, fortunately, an update not on a current portfolio holding but rather one on Boardwalk Pipeline Partners (NYSE: BWP), the MLP we recommended selling in November at near $28 and ahead of a continuing decline that cost investors another 13 percent as of Friday.

Top Supermarket Companies To Own For 2014: ViroPharma Incorporated(VPHM)

ViroPharma Incorporated, a biotechnology company, develops and commercializes therapeutic products that address serious diseases in the United States and internationally. It focuses on developing products used by physician specialists or in hospital settings. The company markets and sells Cinryze, a C1 esterase inhibitor therapy for the routine prophylaxis against angioedema attacks in adolescent and adult patients with hereditary angioedema, a life-threatening genetic disorder; and Vancocin HCl capsule, an oral capsule formulation for the treatment of C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) and to treat enterocolitis caused by staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains. It also offers Plenadren, an orphan drug for treatment of adrenal insufficiency in adults; Buccolam, a oromucosal solution for treatment of prolonged, acute, and convulsive seizures in infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents; and maribavir, an antiviral compound for the treatment o f CMV disease through a license agreement with GlaxoSmithKline. The company?s primary development programs include Cinryze, a C1 esterase inhibitor for management of hereditary angioedema; and VP 20621, a non-toxigenic strain of C. difficile. Its clinical stage drug candidate comprises VP-20629 for the treatment of Friedreich?s Ataxia. The company sells its products directly to wholesale drug distributors and specialty pharmacies/distributors. ViroPharma Incorporated was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By MONEYMORNING]

    On Monday, Dublin-based pharmaceutical firm Shire (Nasdaq ADR: SHPG) announced that it will buy Pennsylvania-based ViroPharma (Nasdaq: VPHM) for $4.2 billion in cash. The $50 per share purchase price is a 27% premium to Viropharma's Friday close and a 64% premium to the price when sale rumors first emerged this summer.

  • [By Johanna Bennett]

    Shares of ViroPharma (VPHM) spiked nearly 26% after the rare-disease company said it was being acquired by U.K. biopharmaceutical firm Shire (SHPG). Shire is paying $4.2 billion, or $50 a share, to ViroPharma. Shire�� ADRs rose 0.7%

  • [By George Budwell]

    Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG  ) is in the process of buying orphan drug-specialist ViroPharma (NASDAQ: VPHM  ) for $4.2 billion, strengthening Shire's already robust commercial drug portfolio for rare diseases. The deal is expected to be finalized no later than Jan. 9, after Shire extended its tender offer to acquire all outstanding ViroPharma shares last week.

  • [By Sara Sjolin]

    Shares of Shire (UK:SHP) �climbed 0.9% in London after the drug maker said it is buying rare-disease company ViroPharma Inc. (VPHM) �for $4.2 billion, or $50 a share. ViroPharma shares traded 26% higher in the U.S.

Top Supermarket Companies To Own For 2014: MedCAREERS Group Inc (MCGI)

MedCareers Group, Inc., incorporated on December 30, 2004, focus is to develop and build value through its wholly owned subsidiary Nurses Lounge (www.nurseslounge.com), an online professional network and communication source for nurses and organizations connected to the nursing community. On August 10, 2010, MedCareers acquired the workabroad.com Website from Steve Elisberg (Workabroad.com Website).

The Nurses Lounge is a professional network for nursing professionals providing relevant content and information and professional networking. Nurses can subscribe to Lounges created by nursing schools, nurse associations, employers, specialties and more to receive email updates of relevant news, events and other info. Professional networking is a place for nurses to connect with colleagues and network on a professional level.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Last Friday, small cap stocks MedCAREERS Group Inc (OTCMKTS: MCGI), USmart Mobile Device Inc (OTCMKTS: UMDI) and Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd (OTCMKTS: DKAM) were all over the place with the first two sinking 54% and 48.05%, respectively, while the last one rose 10.81%. It should be mentioned that all three small cap stocks have been the subject of paid promotions albeit none of these stocks have been over promoted. So where can investors and traders expect these stocks to head this week? Here is a quick look at what you might expect:

    MedCAREERS Group Inc (OTCMKTS: MCGI) Gets Additional Commitments to Join Its Subsidiary

    Small cap MedCAREERS Group aims to develop and build value through its wholly-owned subsidiary Nurses Lounge, Inc., an online professional network and communication source for nurses that offers a 21st century solution to recruitment and information that cannot be accomplished on a static nursing school or association website. On Friday, MedCAREERS Group sank 54% to $0.0575 for a market cap of $3.03 million plus MCGI is up 161.4% since the start of the year and down 93.9% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

  • [By Peter Graham]

    While small cap green or renewable energy type of stocks have been the flavor of the month for many stock promoters (and sometimes still are), small cap health care stocks like PPJ Enterprise (OTCMKTS: PPJE), Plantation Development Corp (OTCMKTS: BRMA) and MedCAREERS Group Inc (OTCMKTS: MCGI) have also started to get some notice lately ��perhaps because Obamacare has been topping the news lately. However, are these small cap health care stocks a better bet for investors or for their promoters? Here is a quick reality check and a checkup:

Top Supermarket Companies To Own For 2014: Sealed Air Corporation(SEE)

Sealed Air Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides food safety and security, facility hygiene, and product protection solutions worldwide. Its Food Packaging segment provides shrink bags and vacuum packaging products; packaging materials for cook-in applications; laminated and coextruded rollstock packaging materials used in thermoforming and form, fill, and seal applications; and associated packaging equipment and systems, including bag loaders, dispensers, and vacuum chamber systems. The company?s Food Solutions segment offers case-ready packaging offerings; ready meals packaging technologies; vertical pouch packaging solutions for packaging flowable food products; foam and plastic trays; absorbent products for food packaging; and related packaging equipment, including vacuum chamber systems. Its Protective Packaging segment provides air cellular packaging materials; polyolefin performance shrink films for product display; shrink packaging equipment systems; pol yurethane foam packaging systems that provide protective packaging; lightweight and tear-resistant mailers and bags; inflatable packaging systems; paper cushioning systems that include recycled paper and automated dispensing equipment; paper packaging products; and suspension and retention packaging products. The company?s Diversey Segment offers a range of products and services, such as kitchen cleaning products; food and beverage and manufacturing and processing products; floor care products and systems; restroom care and other housekeeping products; and laundry products, as well as consulting services. Sealed Air Corporation also provides specialty materials products to fabricators and manufacturers; and medical applications products and solutions to medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. The company markets its products primarily under the Bubble Wrap, Cryovac, and Diversey brands. Sealed Air Corporation was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in El mwood Park, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lee Jackson]

    Basic Materials: Sealed Air Corp. (NYSE: SEE) is top pick at other firms that we cover on Wall Street as well. Credit Suisse believes that following the recent (October) management change at the company, Sealed Air will significantly improve its profitability and cash flows while also deleveraging its sizable debt load, with both of these things driving significant shareholder value. The price target for the stock is posted at $36. The Thomson/First Call estimate is at $33. Investors are paid a 1.9% dividend. Credit Suisse is the high target on Wall Street and would represent a 31% gain for investors. The stock closed Tuesday at $27.48.

  • [By ovenerio]

    The company has a current ROE of 14.5% which is higher than the industry median. Also, it is higher than the ones exhibit by Sealed Air Corp (SEE) and Sonoco Products Co (SON). In general, analysts consider ROE ratios in the 15-20% range as representing attractive levels for investment. So for investors looking at those levels, MeadWestvaco Corp (MWV) and Packaging Corp of America (PKG) could be the options. It is very important to understand this metric before investing, and it is important to look at the trend in ROE over time.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Sealed Air�(SEE) has fallen 0.7% to $28.35 after the food-safety company was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight at�Barclays.

    Towers Watson�(TW) has dropped 0.5% to $102.49 after it was cut to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan. It was also upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    On the upside, Sealed Air (SEE) has gained 8.4% to $30.90 after it said it earned 39 cents share, beating forecasts for 34 cents, and offered strong guidance. Gilead Sciences (GILD) has risen 4.3% to $72.50 after it reported a profit of 52 cents, beating forecasts for 48 cents.

Top Supermarket Companies To Own For 2014: Nano Labs Corp (CTLE)

Nano Labs Corp., incorporated on March 27, 1995, is a nanotechnology research and development company. The Company is focused on creating a portfolio of advanced products that could provide benefits to a range of industries including consumer products, energy, materials, and healthcare.

As of March 31, 2013, the Company had not generated any revenue. As of March 31, 2013, the Company had not commenced any operation.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    Last Friday, CTLE remained (0.00%) +0.000 at $.0449 with 960,190 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance September 27, 2013 ��Close).

    Nano Labs Corp. previously reported that the Company has been testing its intumescent, fire resistant coating with Atencio and Atencio, a certified maintenance supplier for Pemex, the Mexican state-owned petroleum company.
    Nano Lab’s intumescent paint was tested at Pemex’s Francisco I. Madero Refinery. Testing of the product followed Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1709 test protocols for the “Rapid Rise Fire Tests of Protection Materials for Structural Steel”.

Top Supermarket Companies To Own For 2014: GSE Holding Inc (GSEH)

GSE Holding, Inc. (GSE) is a provider of engineered geosynthetic containment solutions. GSE�� products are used in a range of infrastructure end markets, such as mining, waste management, liquid containment (including water infrastructure, agriculture and aquaculture), coal ash containment and shale oil and gas. The Company operates in two segments: North America, which represents the United States, Canada and Mexico, and International, which represents the rest of its global operations. The Company is a provider of products required to deliver customized solutions for projects on a global basis, including geomembranes, drainage products, geosynthetic clay liners, or GCLs, nonwoven geotextiles, and specialty products. In April 2010, the Company sold its 75.5% interest in GSE Bentoliner (Canada). In June 2010, it divested the United States Installation. In July 2010, GSE closed GSE UK, its manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom. In March 2012, the Company announced the purchase, by one of its subsidiaries, of certain manufacturing equipment from Poly-America, L.P. and Poly-Flex, Inc. In February 2013, the Company acquired SynTec, LLC.

GSE has seven manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Germany, Chile, Egypt and Thailand, 18 regional sales offices located in 12 countries. The Company serves mining, waste management and power companies; independent installers and dealers; general contractors and government agencies.

Geomembranes

Geomembranes are synthetic polymeric lining materials used as barriers in geotechnical engineering applications in mining, solid waste containment and liquid containment markets. Geomembranes are manufactured from polyethylene and polypropylene resins with additives designed to resist weathering, ultraviolet degradation and chemical exposure for extended time periods. Its geomembranes include GSE high-density polyethylene (HDPE), GSE LLDPE, GSE Textured, GSE White and GSE Conductive. GSE HDPE liners are used material! for lining applications in the geosynthetic products industry.

Drainage Products

The Company�� primary drainage products are GSE HyperNet and GSE FabriNet. GSE HyperNet. GSE�� geonet product consists of two sets of HDPE strands intertwined to form a channel along which fluid is conveyed for drainage. GSE HyperNet liners are used as part of a landfill liner system. Its geocomposite product is produced by heat bonding nonwoven geotextiles to one or both surfaces of the GSE HyperNet. This permeable textile serves as a separator and a filter, keeping soils out of the GSE HyperNet drainage layer, which allows the product to perform its function of transmitting liquids and gases. GSE FabriNet liners are used as part of a landfill liner system.

Geosynthetic Clay Liners

GSE offers two varieties of GCLs: GSE GundSeal and GSE Bentoliner. GCL, which includes GSE GundSeal, combines HDPE liners with sodium bentonite clay. The sodium bentonite clay is adhered directly to the liner and serves as a support layer to the liner, sealing any small punctures in the overlaying liner by expanding or swelling upon contact with liquids. Applications of GSE GundSeal include landfill liners and water containment pond liners. GSE Bentoliner combines durable geotextile outer layers with an inner layer of low permeability sodium bentonite clay. GSE Bentoliner includes patent-pending coal ash-resistant GCL. GSE Bentoliner offers an array of application usages for low to high loads and flat to steep slopes in landfill liners, mining heap lead pads and water containment pond liners.

Nonwoven Geotextiles

Nonwoven geotextiles are synthetic, staple fiber, nonwoven needle-punched fabrics used in environmental and other industrial applications that include filtration, soil stabilization, separation, drainage and gas transmission, cushion and liner protection applications. The Company�� nonwoven geotextile products are available in many weights and thickness! es. They ! are used primarily internally to manufacture its geocomposite and Bentoliner products. During the year ended December 31, 2010, sales of nonwoven geotextiles represented 3% of its total product sales.

Specialty Products

The Company offers other specialty polysynthetic products. GSE CurtainWall and GSE GundWall specialty products are vertical barrier systems that block the lateral migration of subsurface fluids. GSE CurtainWall is suited for trench-style installations, while GSE GundWall is installed with trenchless, vibratory and installation techniques. GSE StudLiner is a studded geomembrane that protects against corrosion and deterioration of concrete structures, including tanks, pipes, drainage channels and tunnels. Common applications for GSE StudLiner include industrial, municipal and civil applications, such as concrete storage tank protection. Pre-Fabricated Products include pipe boots, corners, sumps or other ancillary parts.

The Company competes with Agru Kunststofftechnik GmbH (Agru) and Agru America.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James Miller Phd]

    As we can see, the firm has a higher ROE than it peers: Sharps Compliance, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST), Donaldson Company, Inc. (DCI) and GSE Holding Inc. (GSEH).

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