Investors are suddenly getting less brave as the recent selloff has tested their resolve, and fears that a correction could be coming get more real.
Skittish investors are skipping the exciting momentum stocks for now, instead jumping into the so-called defensive stocks ��those deemed less likely to react to swings in the markets and the economy.
Not wanting to see their gains on big winners disappear, investors are shifting into defensive stocks until the market's turbulence goes away, says Sam Stovall of S&P Capital IQ. "Investors are being no better than hyperactive first graders playing musical chairs and waiting for the music to stop," he says.
MORE STOCKS: Fed exit rattles markets yet again
Signs of investors rush to be seated in defensive areas of the market is clear from:
Best Defensive Companies To Invest In 2015: Knightsbridge Tankers Limited(VLCCF)
Knightsbridge Tankers Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the seaborne transportation of crude oil and dry bulk cargoes worldwide. The company?s customers include oil companies, tanker companies, dry bulk companies, petroleum products traders, government agencies, and other entities. As of September 6, 2011, it owned and operated a fleet of four double-hull very large crude carriers, and four Capesize dry bulk carriers. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Maxx Chatsko]
The horrendous flops
I wrote a blog post explaining why Knightsbridge Tankers (NASDAQ: VLCCF ) made the right move in slashing its dividend and why its prospects were looking up. The shipping company was extremely undervalued at the time, so why was I wrong? I made the mistake of thinking that a company trading below book value represented good value for shareholders. In reality, many shipping companies were -- and are -- trading below shareholders' equity because their fleets are enormously valuable assets. Unfortunately, that inflates book value enormously. It may not seem so harmful at first, but perpetually low charter rates have actually forced many shippers -- including Knightsbridge -- to sell tankers at less than market value to keep the lights on. Those practices can erase large chunks of book value overnight.
Best Defensive Companies To Invest In 2015: NGex Resources Inc (NGQRF.PK)
NGEx Resources Inc. (NGEx) is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metal properties located in North and South America. The Company�� projects include Josemaria Project, Vicuna Project, Tamberias Property, Colmillos project, Andrea Project, GJ/Kinaskan Property, Mogoraib (Hambok), Kerkebet, Shukula and Lelit, Bada Potash License and Congo-Brazzaville. Its Josemaria is a copper/gold porphyry project located in San Juan Province, Argentina. The Vicuna properties consist of approximately 31,650 hectares that covers a number of porphyry copper and high sulfidation gold targets in San Juan Province, Argentina. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it completed 9,643 meters of diamond drilling in 14 holes on its 60% owned Los Helados copper-gold project located in Chile. In October 2012, it sold its Hambok copper-zinc deposit to Bisha Mining Share Company.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By The Investment Doctor]
In this article I'll have a closer look at NGEX Resources (NGQRF.PK), a member of the Lunding Group which owns the extremely large Los Helados copper project in Chile, the Josemaria project in Argentina and the Filo del Sol project exactly on the border of Chile and Argentina. As these three properties are within 11 miles from each other, one can easily say NGEX is a potential district play.
5 Best Long Term Stocks To Watch Right Now: Akamai Technologies Inc.(AKAM)
Akamai Technologies, Inc. provides content delivery and cloud infrastructure services for accelerating and improving applications over the Internet in the United States and internationally. The company offers application and cloud performance solutions to enhance the operation of the applications used by enterprises to connect with their employees, suppliers, and customers. Its solutions include Web Application Accelerator, which enables enterprises to run various applications; and IP Application Accelerator that is designed to optimize the performance, availability, and real-time sensitivity associated with IP-enabled applications delivered over Internet-related protocols. The company also provides video and software solutions that are designed to enable enterprises to execute their large file management and distribution strategies, which include media delivery solution to entertainment industry; and electronic software delivery solution that handles the distribution of s oftware for its customers. In addition, it offers Website optimization services for accelerating business-to-consumer Websites that integrate collaborative content and applications into their online architecture; security and protection solutions that address the Internet security requirements; and network operator solutions, which provide custom solutions to commercial and government customers. Further, the company provides mobile content adaptation solution; and advertising decision solutions that enable advertisers, agencies, publishers, and networks to buy and sell advertising, as well as network data feeds, Website analytics, and business performance management services. It markets and sells its services and solutions through direct sales and services organization; and through active channel partners. Akamai Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Lee Jackson]
Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) has been able to offer scalable benefits associated with offloading services from client infrastructures, allowing clients to have fewer hard assets in place while providing an ongoing revenue stream for Akamai. This translates into more than 125,000 servers operating dedicated, hybrid cloud and true cloud servers to provide IT and, increasingly, security services in a vast array of companies across a widely diversified group of industries. With an impressive client list that grows each quarter, the company is firing on all cylinders. The Thomson/First Call price objective for the stock is $53.50. Akamai closed Thursday at $51.16.
- [By Bryan Murphy]
The winds of change are blowing within the patent-enforcement world. If you don't believe it, just ask Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM), and Soverain Software LLC. All three companies recently found themselves on the losing end of a court decision - the appeals court, to be specific - that likely could have come out very differently were we in the patent-enforcement environment from just a couple of years ago. Things are a bit tougher for patent owners now. That change, however, may be a very good thing for patent-protection company Endeavor IP Inc. (OTCBB:ENIP) and ENIP shareholders.
- [By Tim Beyers]
Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM ) soared as much as 21% as the leading content delivery network served more online media traffic than expected. Both revenue and earnings easily topped estimates.
Best Defensive Companies To Invest In 2015: CHS Inc (CHSCP)
CHS Inc. (CHS) is an integrated agricultural company. As a cooperative, the Company is owned by farmers and ranchers and their member cooperatives (members) across the United States. The Company buys commodities from and provide products and services to patrons (including its members and other non-member customers), both domestic and international. It provides a variety of products and services, from initial agricultural inputs, such as fuels, farm supplies, crop nutrients and crop protection products, to agricultural outputs, which include grains and oilseeds, grain and oilseed processing and food products. A portion of its operations are conducted through equity investments and joint ventures. The Company has three segments: Energy, Ag Business, and Corporate and Other. In February 2012, the Company acquired Solbar. In May 2012, the Company acquired a 51% interest in CZL Ltd. In August 2012, it acquired Atman. Effective July 28, 2013, CHS Inc, a unit of Hamilton Farm Bureau Co-Operative Inc, acquired a 50% interest in AgFarm Pty Ltd, from Ruralco Holdings Ltd.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company dissolved its United Harvest joint venture, which operated two grain export facilities in Washington that were leased from the joint venture participants. During fiscal 2011, the Company sold its 45% ownership interest in Multigrain to one of its joint venture partners, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. During fiscal 2011, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, CHS Europe, S.A. acquired Agri Point Ltd.
The Company�� Energy segment derives its revenues through refining, wholesaling and retailing of petroleum products. Its Ag Business segment derives its revenues through the origination and marketing of grain, including service activities conducted at export terminals, through the wholesale sales of crop nutrients, from the sales of soybean meal and soybean refined oil and through the retail sales of petroleum and agronomy products, processed sunflow! ers, feed and farm supplies, and records equity income from investments in its grain export joint ventures and other investments. It includes other business operations in Corporate and Other. These businesses primarily include its financing, insurance, hedging and other service activities related to crop production. In addition, the Company�� wheat milling and packaged food operations are included in Corporate and Other.
Energy
The Company is the nation�� cooperative energy company based on revenues and identifiable assets. The Company�� operations include petroleum refining and pipelines; the supply, marketing (including ethanol and biodiesel) and distribution of refined fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel and other energy products); the blending, sale and distribution of lubricants; and the wholesale supply of propane. The Energy segment processes crude oil into refined petroleum products at refineries in Laurel, Montana (wholly owned) and McPherson, Kansas (an entity in which the Company has an approximate 74.5% ownership interest) and sells those products under the Cenex brand to member cooperatives and others through a network of approximately 1,400 independent retail sites, of which 57% are convenience stores marketing Cenex branded fuels.
The Company�� Laurel, Montana refinery processes medium and high sulfur crude oil into refined petroleum products that primarily include gasoline, diesel fuel, petroleum coke and asphalt. Its Laurel refinery sources approximately 85% of its crude oil supply from Canada, with the balance obtained from domestic sources, and the Company has access to Canadian and northwest Montana crude through its wholly owned Front Range Pipeline, LLC and other common carrier pipelines. Its Laurel refinery also has access to Wyoming crude via common carrier pipelines from the south. The Laurel facility processes approximately 55,000 barrels of crude oil per day to produce refined products that consist of approximately 43% gasoline, 37% die! sel fuel ! and other distillates, 5% petroleum coke, and 15% asphalt and other products. Refined fuels produced at Laurel are available via the Yellowstone Pipeline to western Montana terminals and to Spokane and Moses Lake, Washington, south via common carrier pipelines to Wyoming terminals and Denver, Colorado, and east via its wholly owned Cenex Pipeline, LLC to Glendive, Montana, and Minot and Fargo, North Dakota.
The McPherson, Kansas refinery is owned and operated by National Cooperative Refinery Association (NCRA), of which the Company owns approximately 74.5%. The McPherson refinery processes approximately 85% low and medium sulfur crude oil and 15% heavy sulfur crude oil into gasoline, diesel fuel and other distillates, propane and other products. NCRA sources its crude oil through its own pipelines as well as common carrier pipelines. The low and medium sulfur crude oil is sourced from Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, and the heavy sulfur crude oil is sourced from Canada. The McPherson refinery processes approximately 85,000 barrels of crude oil per day to produce refined products that consist of approximately 49% gasoline, 45% diesel fuel and other distillates, and 6% propane and other products. Approximately 32% of the refined fuels are loaded into trucks at the McPherson refinery or shipped via NCRA�� products pipeline to its terminal in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The remaining refined fuel products are shipped to other markets via common carrier pipelines.
The Company�� renewable fuels marketing business markets and distributes ethanol and biodiesel products throughout the United States and overseas by contracting with ethanol and biodiesel production plants to market and distribute their finished products. It owns and operates a propane terminal, four asphalt terminals, seven refined product terminals and three lubricants blending and packaging facilities. The Company also owns and leases a fleet of liquid and pressure trailers and tractors, which are used to transport refined fu! els, prop! ane, anhydrous ammonia and other products.
The Company�� Energy segment produces and sells (primarily wholesale) gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, asphalt, lubricants and other related products and provides transportation services. It obtains the petroleum products that it sells from its Laurel and McPherson refineries, and from third parties. In fiscal 2011, the Company obtained approximately 55% of the refined products it sold from its Laurel and McPherson refineries, and approximately 45% from third parties.
Ag Business
The Company�� Ag Business segment includes crop nutrients, country operations, grain marketing and oilseed processing. The revenues in its Ag Business segment primarily include grain sales. Its wholesale crop nutrients business sells approximately 5.6 million tons of fertilizer annually. Primary suppliers for the Company�� wholesale crop nutrients business include CF Industries, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Mosaic Company, Koch Industries, Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) in Kuwait and Belrusian Potash Company. The Company�� wholesale crop nutrients business sells nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfate based products. During fiscal 2011, the primary crop nutrients products the Company purchased were urea, potash, UAN, phosphates and ammonia. The wholesale crop nutrients business sells product to approximately 2,000 local retailers from New York to the west coast and from the Canadian border to Texas. Its largest customer is its own country operations business, which is also included in its Ag Business segment.
The Company�� country operations business purchases a variety of grains from its producer members and other third parties, and provides cooperative members and customers with access to a range of products, programs and services for production agriculture. Country operations operates 401 locations through 67 business units, the majority of which have local producer boards dispersed throughout Colorado, ! Idaho, Il! linois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Washington. Most of these locations purchase grain from farmers and sell agronomy, energy, feed and seed products to those same producers and others, although not all locations provide every product and service.
The Company is one of the country elevator operators in North America based on revenues. Through a majority of the Company�� locations, its country operations business units purchase grain from member and non-member producers and other elevators and grain dealers. Most of the grain purchased is sold through its grain marketing operations, used for livestock feed production or sold to other processing companies. For the year ended August 31, 2011, country operations purchased approximately 582 million bushels of grain, primarily wheat, corn and soybeans. Of these bushels, 558 million were purchased from members and 417 million were sold through its grain marketing operations. Its country operations business units manufacture and sell other products, both directly and through ownership interests in other entities. These include seed, crop nutrients, crop protection products, energy products, animal feed, animal health products and processed sunflower products.
The Company is the cooperative marketer of grain and oilseed based on grain storage capacity and grain sales, handling over 2.1 billion bushels annually. During fiscal 2011, it purchased approximately 60% of its total grain volumes from individual and cooperative association members and its country operations business, with the balance purchased from third parties. The Company arranges for the transportation of the grains either directly to customers or to its owned or leased grain terminals and elevators awaiting delivery to domestic and foreign purchasers. It primarily conducts its grain marketing operations directly, but do conduct some of its business through joint ventures.
The Company��! grain ma! rketing operations purchases grain directly and indirectly from agricultural producers primarily in the midwestern and western United States. The purchased grain is contracted for sale for future delivery at a specified location, and it is responsible for handling the grain and arranging for its transportation to that location. The Company owns and operates export terminals, river terminals and elevators involved in the handling and transport of grain. Its river terminals are used to load grain onto barges for shipment to both domestic and export customers via the Mississippi River system. These river terminals are located at Savage and Winona, Minnesota and Davenport, Iowa, as well as terminals in which it has put-through agreements located at St. Louis, Missouri and Beardstown and Havana, Illinois.
The Company�� export terminal at Superior, Wisconsin provides access to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, and its export terminal at Myrtle Grove, Louisiana serves the Gulf of Mexico market. In the Pacific Northwest, it conducts its grain marketing operations through TEMCO, LLC (a 50% joint venture with Cargill) which operates an export terminal in Tacoma, Washington, and primarily exports corn and soybeans. The Company owns two 110-car shuttle-receiving elevator facilities in Friona, Texas and Collins, Mississippi that serve large-scale feeder cattle, dairy and poultry producers in those regions.
For sourcing and marketing grains and oilseeds through the Black Sea and Mediterranean Basin regions to customers worldwide it has offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Barcelona, Spain; Kiev, Ukraine; and Vostok, Russia. In addition, it opened grain merchandising offices in fiscal 2011 in Budapest, Hungary; Novi Sad, Serbia; Bucharest, Romania; Sofia, Bulgaria; and a marketing office in Amman, Jordan. The Company has a deep water port in Constanta, Romania, a barge loading facility on the Danube River in Giurgiu, Romania, and an inland grain terminal at Oroshaza, Hungary. In addition! , it has ! an investment in a port facility in Odessa, Ukraine. In the Pacific Rim area, it has offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China that serve customers receiving grains and oilseeds from its origination points in North and South America. In South America, the Company has a grain merchandising offices to source grains in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina. It sells and markets crop nutrients from its Geneva, Switzerland; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Buenos Aires, Argentina offices.
The Company�� grain marketing operations purchased approximately 2.1 billion bushels of grain during fiscal 2011, which primarily included corn, soybeans, wheat and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Of the total grains purchased by its grain marketing operations, 866 million bushels were from its individual and cooperative association members, 417 million bushels were from its country operations business and the remainder was from third parties. The Company�� oilseed processing operations convert soybeans into soybean meal, soyflour, crude soybean oil, refined soybean oil and associated by-products. These operations are conducted at a facility in Mankato, Minnesota that can crush approximately 40 million bushels of soybeans on an annual basis, producing approximately 960 thousand short tons of soybean meal and 460 million pounds of crude soybean oil. The same facility is able to process approximately 1.1 billion pounds of refined soybean oil annually. Another crushing facility in Fairmont, Minnesota has a crushing capacity of over 50 million bushels of soybeans on an annual basis, producing approximately 1.2 million short tons of soybean meal and 575 million pounds of crude soybean oil.
The Company�� oilseed processing operations produce three primary products: refined oils, soybean meal and soyflour. Refined oils are used in processed foods, such as margarine, shortening, salad dressings and baked goods, as well as methyl ester/biodiesel production, and for certain industrial uses, ! such as p! lastics, inks and paints. Soybean meal has high protein content and is used for feeding livestock. Soyflour is used in the baking industry, as a milk replacement in animal feed and in industrial applications. It produces approximately 60 thousand tons of soyflour annually, and approximately 20% is further processed at its manufacturing facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. This facility manufactures unflavored and flavored textured soy proteins used in human and pet food products, and accounted for approximately 2% of its oilseed processing annual sales in fiscal 2011.
The Company�� soy processing facilities are located in areas with a strong production base of soybeans and end-user market for the meal and soyflour. It purchases virtually all of its soybeans from members. The Company�� oilseed crushing operations produce approximately 95% of the crude soybean oil that it refines, and purchases the balance from outside suppliers. Its customers for refined oil are principally large food product companies located throughout the United States. However, over 50% of its customers are located in the midwest. Its largest customer for refined oil products is Ventura Foods, LLC (Ventura Foods), in which it holds a 50% ownership interest. The Company�� sales to Ventura Foods accounted for 27% of its soybean oil sold during fiscal 2011. The Company also sells soymeal to approximately 325 customers, primarily feed lots and feed mills in southern Minnesota. In fiscal 2011, Interstate Commodities accounted for 12% of its soymeal sold. It sells soyflour to customers in the baking industry both domestically and for export.
Corporate and Other
The Company has provided open account financing to approximately 100 of its members that are cooperatives (cooperative association members). These arrangements involve the discretionary extension of credit in the form of a clearing account for settlement of grain purchases and as a cash management tool. CHS Capital, LLC makes seasonal and term! loans to! member cooperatives and individual producers. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary, Country Hedging, Inc., is a registered Futures Commission Merchant and a clearing member of both the Minneapolis Grain Exchange and the Kansas City Board of Trade. Country Hedging provides full-service commodity risk management brokerage and consulting services to its customers, primarily in the areas of agriculture and energy.
The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary, Ag States Agency, LLC, is a full-service independent insurance agency. It sells insurance, including all lines of insurance including property and casualty, group benefits and surety bonds. Its approximately 2,000 customers are primarily agribusinesses, including cooperatives and independent elevators, energy, agronomy, feed and seed plants, implement dealers and food processors. Impact Risk Solutions, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ag States Agency, LLC, conducts the insurance brokerage business of Ag States Group.
The Company�� primary focus in the foods area is Ventura Foods, LLC (Ventura Foods) which produces and distributes vegetable oil-based products, such as margarine, salad dressing and other food products. Ventura Foods is 50% owned by the Company. Ventura Foods manufactures, packages, distributes and markets bulk margarine, salad dressings, mayonnaise, salad oils, syrups, soup bases and sauces, many of which utilize soybean oil as a primary ingredient. Ventura Foods has 11 manufacturing and distribution locations across the United States. Ventura Foods sources its raw materials, which consist primarily of soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil and other ingredients and supplies, from various national suppliers, including its oilseed processing operations. Agriliance LLC (Agriliance) is owned and governed by CHS (50%) and Land O��akes, Inc. (50%).
The Company competes with ConocoPhillips, Valero, BP Amoco, Flint Hills Resources, CVR Energy, Western Petroleum Company, Marathon, ExxonMo! bil, Citg! o, Flint Hills Resources, U.S. Oil, Delek US Holdings, HollyFrontier Corporation, Sinclair Oil Corporation, Tesoro, Chevron, Koch Industries, Agrium, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Cargill, Incorporated (Cargill), Simplot, Helena, Wilbur Ellis, Land O��akes Purina Feed, Hubbard Milling, Columbia Grain, Gavilon, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Ag Processing Inc., Unilever, ConAgra, ACH Food Companies, Smuckers, Kraft and CF Sauer, Ken��, Marzetti and Nestle.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Paul Ausick]
ConAgra said on Wednesday that it will close two plants in New York by early 2015, cutting more than 400 employees. The company also expects to close its $4 billion flour mill merger in the second calendar quarter of 2014. Privately held Cargill and CHS Inc. (NASDAQ: CHSCP) will hold 44% and 12%, respectively, of Ardent Mills, while ConAgra will hold the other 44%. Combined sales of what will be the country’s largest milling operation total $4.3 billion.
Best Defensive Companies To Invest In 2015: American Eagle Outfitters Inc (AEO)
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO, Inc) is a specialty retailer that operates in the United Sates and Canada, and online at ae.com. AEO, Inc operates under the American Eagle (AE), aerie by American Eagle (aerie), and 77kids by american eagle (77kids) brands. Through the Company�� family of brands, it offers clothing, accessories and personal care products. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 1,090 stores in the United States and Canada under the American Eagle Outfitters, aerie and 77kids brands. The Company also had 21 franchised stores operated by its franchise partners in 10 countries. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, the Company opened 33 new stores. As of December 31, 2011, it operated in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. During fiscal 2011, the Company remodeled and refurbished a total of 106 AE stores.
AE Brand
The American Eagle Outfitters brand targets 15 to 25-year old men and women. Denim is the cornerstone of the American Eagle product assortment, which is complemented by other categories including sweaters, graphic t-shirts, fleece, outerwear and accessories. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 911 American Eagle Outfitters stores. During fiscal 2011, it opened 11 AE stores.
aerie by American Eagle
The Company�� aerie is a collection of Dormwear, intimates and personal care products for the AE girl. The collection is available in aerie stores throughout the United States and Canada, online at aerie.com and at select American Eagle stores. As of January 28, 2012, AEO, Inc operated 158 aerie stores. During fiscal 2011, it opened 10 aerie stores.
77kids by american eagle
77kids offers clothing and accessories for kid�� ages 2 to 14 and babies under the brand name little77TM. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 21 77kids stores. All 77kids clothing is backed by the brand�� 77wash and 77soft. During fiscal 2011, AEO, Inc opened 12 77kids stores.
AEO Direct
The Company's online business, AEO Direct, ships to 77 countries worldwide. The Company sells merchandise via its e-commerce operations, ae.com, aerie.com and 77kids.com, which are extensions of the lifestyle that it conveys in its stores. As of December 31, 2011, AEO Direct shipped to 77 countries worldwide. In addition to purchasing items online, customers can experience AEO Direct in-store through Store-to-Door. Store-to-Door enables store associates to sell any item available online to an in-store customer in a single transaction. The Company accepts PayPal and Bill Me Later as a means of payment from its ae.com, aerie.com and 77kids.com customers.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Howard Gold]
Macy's isn't alone. Apparel retailers Urban Outfitters (URBN) and The Gap (GPS) both have had sharp corrections after, respectively, tripling and more than quadrupling from their lows. Teen retailers Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF), Aeropostale (ARO) and American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) have had their clocks cleaned as even teenagers��he canaries in the coal mine of discretionary spending—have tightened their purse strings.
- [By Johanna Bennett]
American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) fell 9.5% to close at $14.85 after the teen retailer offered up a muted outlook for the current quarter, which includes the critical holiday season.
Best Defensive Companies To Invest In 2015: MTS Systems Corporation(MTSC)
MTS Systems Corporation supplies test systems and industrial position sensors in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company?s Test segment provides testing solutions, including road simulators for durability simulation; tire performance and rolling resistance measurement systems; moving road-plane systems and balances use for aerodynamics measurements in wind tunnels; systems for the physical characterization of materials, such as ceramics, composites, and steel; systems to test durability and performance of implants, prostheses, and other medical and dental materials and devices. This segment also offers products, systems, and software to perform static and fatigue testing of aircraft and space vehicles; systems for structural engineering, including high force static and dynamic testing; and seismic simulation tables to test the designs of structures and set building codes. In addition, it provides various accessories and spare parts, as well as installation, calibratio n, maintenance, training, and consulting services. This segment serves automobile, truck, motorcycle, motorsports vehicle, construction equipment, agricultural equipment, rail, and off-road vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as power generation, aerospace, bio-medical, wind energy, structural engineering, and petroleum industries. The company?s Sensors segment manufactures products utilizing magnetostriction technology for manufacturers of mobile equipment, plastic injection molding machines, and wood product processing equipment, as well as to steel mill, fluid power, oil and gas, medical, and alternative energy industries. It also offers products to measure fluid displacement for customers in the process industries. The company sells its products through direct sales organization, and independent representatives and distributors, as well as through the Internet and catalogs. MTS Systems Corporation was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Evan Niu, CFA]
What: Shares of MTS Systems (NASDAQ: MTSC ) dropped by as much as 13% today after the company reported disappointing earnings.
So what: Revenue in the fiscal second quarter came in at $137.7 million, which topped the $135 million analysts were expecting. However, the bottom-line result of $0.69 per share was significantly worse than the $0.86-per-share consensus forecast. The sensors segment continues to face soft market conditions.
- [By Brian Pacampara]
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, road simulator specialist MTS Systems (NASDAQ: MTSC ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
Best Defensive Companies To Invest In 2015: Furiex Pharmaceuticals Inc (FURX)
Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a drug development collaboration company. The Company�� product pipeline includes two marketed products and three programs in development, including late-stage compounds, in multiple therapeutic areas. Its programs include Priligy, Alogliptin Nesina, Alogliptin/Actose Combination, Alogliptin/Metformin Combination, Fluoroquinolone, Mu Delta and PPD 10558. In November 2011, it acquired full exclusive license rights to develop and commercialize the compound MuDelta under its existing development and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V.
Priligy (dapoxetine) is a drug developed for the on-demand treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). Dapoxetine is a short-acting, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) designed to be taken only when needed one to three hours before sexual intercourse is anticipated rather than every day. Nesina (alogliptin) is a drug for the oral treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Alogliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor that slows the inactivation of incretin hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP).
Fluoroquinolone drug candidate is a Phase II-ready novel fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is being developed by the Company for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections, such as abscesses that occur deep in the skin layers and respiratory infections. This antibiotic has a spectrum of activity and is able to treat methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. The Company is developing both oral and intravenous (IV) formulations. The Company is developing Mu Delta for treatment of diarrheal predominant irritable bowel syndrome (d-IBS). The Company is conducting a Phase II study on an oral formulation of Mu Delta.
The Company is developing PPD 10558 for the treatment of dyslipidemia. PPD 10558 has shown muscle safety in preclinical studies by minimizing the delivery of the drug to the muscle. The Company has filed an inve! stigational new drug (IND) application with the United States Food and Drug Association and completed five clinical studies.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, small cap drug development collaboration company Furiex Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: FURX) surged 129.91% after announcing that its experimental drug had alleviated diarrhea and abdominal pain caused by irritable bowel syndrome in two studies, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock because that�� a condition that effects millions of people (with no other effective drug to treat it) plus take a look at the�performance of biotech benchmarks iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index ETF (NASDAQ: IBB) and SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSEARCA: XBI).
- [By Lisa Levin]
Furiex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: FURX) shares moved up 28.41% to $102.92. The volume of Furiex Pharmaceuticals shares traded was 2285% higher than normal. Forest Labs (NYSE: FRX) announced its plans to buy Furiex Pharma for up to $1.46 billion.
Best Defensive Companies To Invest In 2015: Humboldt Capital Corp (HMB)
Humboldt Capital Corporation (Humboldt) is an investment company with its holdings concentrated in the resource sector. The Company�� principal business is to purchase securities for investment income and capital appreciation over the long term. The Company provides early-stage risk capital, business experience and guidance to junior oil and gas enterprises. Humboldt is engaged in making investments in a range of very small to large companies, which are in turn engaged in the exploration, development, production and acquisition of crude oil and natural gas or minerals, or companies, which provides services to such companies. Humboldt also makes investments in other businesses that have potential for growth. Humboldt has investments in western Canadian energy companies, international oil and gas companies and in the mining sector, with particular emphasis on companies exploring or producing commodities.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Tom Stoukas]
Ladbrokes (LAD) Plc plunged to its lowest price in almost a year after issuing a profit warning for its digital division. Thomas Cook Group Plc slid 6.6 percent after it said winter bookings have slowed. Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMB), Europe�� second-biggest clothing retailer, rose to its highest price after posting third-quarter profit that beat analysts��estimates.
- [By Inyoung Hwang]
EasyJet Plc and International Consolidated Airlines Group SA climbed as oil prices fell after the U.S. and Russia agreed on a plan to destroy Syrian chemical weapons. Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMB) advanced to a three-year high after sales topped estimates. Remy Cointreau SA (RCO) soared the most in almost four years as Chinese cognac shipments increased.
- [By Namitha Jagadeesh]
Zurich Insurance Group AG (ZURN) lost 3.6 percent after second-quarter profit missed analysts��estimates. Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMB) declined the most in seven weeks as Europe�� second-biggest clothing retailer reported worse-than-expected sales. BG Group Plc, which derives 20 percent of its oil-and-gas production from Egypt, slipped 2.4 percent as the death toll from nationwide violence in the most populous Arab country climbed above 500.
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