For several decades, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico has been one of the most sought-after areas of upstream investment. Following the oil embargo of 1973 and the subsequent surge in oil prices, energy companies intensified their Gulf operations and began targeting deeper reservoirs.
This trend continued into the 1980s, bolstered by the Reagan administration's decision to expand the area available for development in the Gulf. With the introduction of 3-D seismic technology in the late 1980s and Royal Dutch Shell's discovery in water depths greater than 5,000 feet, the "ultra-deepwater" era began in earnest. Over the subsequent two decades, major oil and gas finds, such as BP's billion-barrel Thunder Horse discovery in 1999, ensured that the Gulf stayed in high demand.
But that quickly changed in 2010, when a rig operated by BP caught on fire and subsequently exploded, resulting in the deaths of 11 workers and discharging nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This incident, commonly referred to as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill or the Macondo blowout, led to a six-month long moratorium on drilling new wells in the region -- a ruling that had a profound impact on drilling activity in the Gulf.
Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Own For 2015: Verint Systems Inc (VRNT)
Verint Systems Inc. (Verint), incorporated in February 1994, is engaged in Actionable Intelligence solutions and value-added services. More than 10,000 organizations use Verint Actionable Intelligence solutions to capture, distill, and analyze complex and underused information sources, such as voice, video, and unstructured text. In the security intelligence market, it offers communications and cyber intelligence, video and situation intelligence, and public safety solutions help government and commercial organizations to protect people and property. On March 30, 2011, the Company acquired Rontal Engineering Applications Ltd. On August 2, 2011, the Company acquired a privately held provider of communications intelligence solutions, data retention services, and network performance management, based in the Americas region. On August 4, 2011, the Company acquired Vovici Corporation (Vovici). On October 7, 2011, the completed the acquisition of Global Management Technologies (GMT). On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired certain technology and other assets for use in its Communications Intelligence operating segment. On November 10, 2011, the Company acquired certain technology and other assets for use in its Enterprise Intelligence operating segment in a transaction. On January 5, 2012, the Company acquired a privately held provider of Web intelligence technology, based in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. In February 2014, Verint Systems Inc has completed its acquisition of KANA Software, Inc, a portfolio company of Accel-KKR.
The Enterprise Intelligence Solutions Segment
The Company is a provider of enterprise intelligence software and services. Its solutions enable organizations to extract and analyze information from customer interactions and related operational data. It markets these solutions under the Impact 360 brand to contact center, back-office, and branch and remote office operations, to other customer-facing departments, such as sale! s and marketing. These solutions comprise a range of enterprise workforce optimization and voice of the customer solutions and services, which include Internet protocol (IP) and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) voice recording, quality monitoring, voice of the customer analytics (speech, text, and enterprise feedback management), workforce management, e-Learning and coaching, performance management, and desktop and process analytics. These solutions can be deployed stand-alone or in an integrated fashion.
The Company�� Impact 360 is an unified portfolio of workforce optimization and voice of the customer solutions. Its portfolio of Enterprise Intelligence Solutions include Quality Monitoring, Full-Time and Compliance Recording, Workforce Management, Voice of the Customer Analytics (Speech, Text, and Enterprise Feedback Management), Performance Management, e-Learning and Coaching, Desktop and Process Analytics, Workforce Optimization and Voice of the Customer for Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses and Public Safety. Quality Monitoring records multimedia interactions based on user-defined business rules and provides interaction assessment functionality, including intelligent evaluation forms and automatic delivery of calls for evaluation according to quotas or contact-related criteria. Its Full-Time and Compliance Recording provides contact center recording for compliance, sales verification, and monitoring in IP, traditional TDM, and mixed telephony environments. It includes encryption capabilities to help support the payment card industry data security standard and other regulatory requirements for protecting sensitive data. Workforce Management Helps enterprises forecast staffing requirements, deploy the appropriate level of resources, and evaluate the productivity of their customer service staff. It also includes optional strategic planning capabilities. Its speech analytics solutions analyze call content for the purpose of identifying business trends, building containment and customer s! ervice st! rategies, and quality monitoring programs. Its text analytics analyze structured and unstructured data in multiple text sources include e-mail, chat sessions, blogs, contact center notes, white mail, survey comments, and social media channels. Its enterprise feedback management solutions provide enterprise-wide customer feedback capabilities through surveys and online communities to centralize and simplify survey management, deployment, and analysis across survey platforms, including interactive voice response, e-mail, social media, and mobile devices. Performance Management Provides a view of key performance indicators (KPIs), with performance scorecards and reports on customer interactions, customer experience trends, and contact center, back-office, branch, remote office, and customer service staff performance. e-Learning and Coaching Enables enterprises to deliver Web-based training to customer service staff desktops, including learning clips created from recordings and other customized materials to staff needs and competencies. Desktop and Process Analytics Captures information from customer service employee interactions with their desktop applications to provide insights into productivity, training issues, process adherence, and bottlenecks. Workforce Optimization and Voice of the Customer for Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses is designed for smaller companies (with contact centers), which face the same business requirements as their larger competitors. Public Safety includes quality assurance, forecasting and scheduling, speech analytics, performance scorecards, citizen surveys, incident investigation and analytics, and full-time and compliance recording solutions under the brand Impact 360 for Public Safety Powered by Audiolog. Its public safety solution allows first responders (police, fire departments, emergency medical services, etc.) in the security intelligence market to deploy workforce optimization solutions to record, manage, and act on incoming assistance requests and related data.
! The Company competes with Aspect Software, Inc., HP company, Genesys Telecommunications, NICE Systems Ltd. (NICE).
The Video and Situation Intelligence Solutions Segment
The Company is a provider of networked IP video solutions and a provider of situation intelligence solutions to optimize security and enhance operations. Its solutions, marketed under the Nextiva brand, include IP video management software and services, edge devices for capturing, digitizing, and transmitting video over different types of wired and wireless networks, video analytics, network video recorders, and physical security information management. Its networked IP video portfolio enables organizations to deploy an end-to-end IP video solution with analytics or evolve to IP video solutions. Its situation intelligence solutions enable organizations to view, correlate, and analyze information from various stand-alone systems and sensors. It is engaged in the networked IP video market with Nextiva, an end-to-end, networked IP video solution portfolio. Its IP Video Management Software simplifies management of video and geographically dispersed video surveillance operations, with a suite of applications, which includes automated system health monitoring, policy-based video distribution, networked video viewing, and investigation management. It is designed for use with industry-standard servers and storage solutions and for interoperability with other enterprise systems. Edge Devices captures, digitizes, and transmits video across enterprise networks. It includes IP cameras, bandwidth-efficient video encoders to convert analog images to IP video for transmission over IP networks, and wireless devices, which perform both video encoding and wireless IP transmission. Video Analytics Analyzes video content to detect anomalies and activities of interest, such as perimeter intrusion, unattended objects, camera tampering, and vehicles moving in the wrong direction. It also includes industry-specific analytics applicati! ons. Netw! ork Video Recorders Performs networked video recording utilizing secure, embedded operating systems and market-specific data integrations for applications, which require local storage, as well as remote networking.
The Company�� Physical Security Information Management (Situation Intelligence) captures and integrates information from various stand-alone security and public safety systems, such as access control, video, intrusion, fire and public safety, first responder, and other mobile device systems. Its Video Intelligence solutions are deployed across a range of industries, including banking, retail, critical infrastructure, government, corporate campuses, education, airports, seaports, public transportation, and homeland security. Its video solutions include video analytics and data integrations.
The Company competes with 3VR, Tyco, Genetec Inc., March Networks Corporation, Milestone Systems A/S, NICE and Schneider Electric Limited.
The Communications and Cyber Intelligence Solutions Segment
The Company is a provider of communications intelligence solutions and a developer of cyber intelligence solutions, which help law enforcement, national security, intelligence, and civilian government agencies detect, investigate, and neutralize criminal and terrorist threats and detect and thwart cyber-attacks. Its portfolio includes solutions for communications interception, service provider compliance, mobile location tracking, open source Web intelligence, cyber intelligence and tactical communications intelligence. These solutions can be deployed stand-alone or collectively. The Company is engaged in the market for communications intelligence solutions and a developer of cyber intelligence solutions, which are marketed under the RELIANT, VANTAGE, STAR-GATE, ENGAGE, FOCALINFO, and CYBERVISION brand names. Its Communications Interception enables the interception, monitoring, and analysis of information collected from a range of communications networks, inc! luding fi! xed and mobile networks, IP networks, and the Internet. It includes lawful interception solutions designed to intercept specific target communications pursuant to legal warrants and mass interception solutions for investigating and proactively addressing criminal and terrorist threats. Communications Service Provider Compliance enables communication service providers to collect and deliver to government agencies specific call-related and call-content information in compliance with Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and other compliance regulations and standards. It includes a scalable warrant and subpoena management system. Its Mobile Location Tracking tracks the location of mobile network devices for intelligence and evidence gathering, with analytics and workflow designed to support investigative activities. It provides real-time tracking of multiple targets, real-time alerts, and investigative capabilities, such as geospatial fencing and events correlation. Its Open Source Web Intelligence features advanced data collection, text analysis, data enrichment and analytics. Tactical Communications Intelligence provides portable communications interception and location tracking capabilities for local use or integration with centralized monitoring systems, to support tactical field operations. Its Cyber Intelligence designed to provide network-based cyber security, including malware detection capabilities for high-speed networks, for national cyber protection organizations.
The Company competes with Bosch Security Systems, Cisco Systems, Inc., United Technologies Corp., Honeywell International Inc., Aqsacom Inc., BAE Systems, JSI Telecom, NICE, Pen-Link, Ltd., RCS S.R.L., Rohde & Schwarz, Trovicor, SS8 Networks, Inc. and Sophos, Plc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tess Stynes]
Verint Systems Inc.(VRNT) agreed to buy customer-service software firm Kana Software Inc.(SWKH) from private equity firm Accel-KKR for about $514 million in cash, as the data-analysis company seeks to expand its offerings.
- [By Lisa Levin]
Verint Systems (NASDAQ: VRNT) shares rose 3.88% to $48.75. The volume of Verint Systems shares traded was 881% higher than normal. Verint reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued a strong full-year forecast. Verint reported its adjusted earnings of $0.91 per share on revenue of $257.1 million.
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In 2014: Meredith Corp (MDP)
Meredith Corporation, incorporated on September 8, 1905, is a media and marketing company serving American women. The Company operates two business segments: national media and local media. The national media segment includes magazine publishing, brand licensing, digital and customer relationship marketing, digital and mobile media, database-related activities, and other related operations. The local media segment consists of the operations of network-affiliated television stations, related digital and mobile media, and video creation operations. In February 2014, Gannett Co Inc completes the sale of KMOV-TV in St. Louis, MO, to Meredith Corp.
National Media
The Company�� national media segment includes national consumer media brands delivered through multiple media platforms, brand licensing activities, and business-to-business marketing products and services. It focuses on the home and family market and is a publisher of magazines serving women. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 (fiscal 2013) the Company published in print twenty subscription magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Ladies' Home Journal, Parents, FamilyFun, American Baby, EveryDay with Rachael Ray, and Fitness, and approximately 120 special interest publications under approximately 75 titles primarily under the Better Homes and Gardens brand. 20 if the Company�� brands are also available as digital editions on various platforms. The Company�� national media segment's extensive digital media presence consists of over 40 Websites, almost 30 mobile-optimized Websites, and about 30 applications (apps). Of those websites and apps, the Allrecipes' brand accounts for 18 websites, 18 mobile sites serving 23 countries in 12 languages, and 11 mobile apps. The national media segment also includes digital and customer relationship marketing, which provides specialized marketing products and services to some of America's companies; a large consumer database; brand licensing activities! , and other related operations. National media segment represented 74 % of the Company�� revenues in fiscal 2013. The Company�� magazines offer regional and demographic editions that contain similar editorial content but allow advertisers to customize messages to specific markets or audiences. The Company sells two primary types of magazine advertising: display and direct-response. Advertisements are either run-of-press (printed along with the editorial portions of the magazine) or inserts (preprinted pages).
The Company also possesses a marketing unit, Meredith 360掳, which provides clients and their agencies with access to a range of media products and services it has to offer, including many media platforms. Its subscription magazines, except American Baby, Ser Padres, and Successful Farming, are also sold by single copy. Single copies sold on newsstands are distributed primarily through magazine wholesalers, who have the right to receive credit from the Company for magazines returned to them by retailers. National media has 22 apps focused on food, parenthood, and health. National media's 30 websites and 10 mobile-optimized Websites provide ideas and inspiration. These branded websites focus on the topics that women care about most-food, home, entertaining, and meeting the needs of moms-and on delivering content geared toward lifestyle topics, such as health, beauty, style, and wellness.
Local Media
The Company�� local media segment consists of 12 network-affiliated television stations located across the United States. The television stations consist of six CBS affiliates, three FOX affiliates, two MyNetworkTV affiliates, and one NBC affiliate. Local media's digital presence includes 20 Websites and mobile Websites and 36 apps focused on news, sports, and weather-related information. Local media segment represented 26% of the Company�� revenues in fiscal 2013. The principal sources of the local media segment's revenues are local advertising focusing on ! the immed! iate geographic area of the stations, national advertising, retransmission of its television signal to satellite and cable systems, advertising on the stations' Websites and mobile Websites, station operation management fees, and payments by advertisers for other services, such as the production of advertising materials. The stations sell commercial time to both local/regional and national advertisers. The Company broadcasts local newscasts in high definition in six of its markets and in wide screen format in its other four markets. Meredith Video Studios (MVS) is its development, production, and multiplatform distribution company that produces video for use by the Company�� television stations and its local and national media Websites, and is producing custom video for clients as well.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. Avg. High Yield Price 2. 20-Year DCF Price 3. Avg. P/E Price 4. Graham Number K is trading at a discount to only 3.) above. Since K's tangible book value is not meaningful, a Graham number can not be calculated. The stock is trading at a 130.9% premium to its calculated fair value of $28.13. K did not earn any Stars in this section.Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. Free Cash Flow Payout 2. Debt To Total Capital 3. Key Metrics 4. Dividend Growth Rate 5. Years of Div. Growth 6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15% K earned no Stars in this section. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1923 and has increased its dividend payments for 10 consecutive years.Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. NPV MMA Diff. 2. Years to > MMA The NPV MMA Diff. of the $37 is below the $2,500 target I look for in a stock that has increased dividends as long as K has. If K grows its dividend at 2.2% per year, it will take 8 years to equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.31%.Memberships and Peers: K is a member of the S&P 500. The company�� peer group includes: Campbell Soup Company (CPB) with a 2.7% yield, General Mills, Inc. (GIS) with a 3.0% yield, and The Hershey Company (HSY) with a 1.9% yield.Conclusion: K did not earn any Stars in the Fair Value section, did not earn any Stars in the Divi
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In 2014: Guggenheim CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust (FXA)
Guggenheim CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust, formerly The CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust, is a grantor trust. The Trust issues shares (the Shares) in blocks of 50,000 (a Basket) in exchange for deposits of Australian Dollars and distributes Australian Dollars in connection with the redemption of Baskets. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the price of Australian Dollars plus accrued interest, if any, less the expenses of the Trust�� operations. The Shares are intended to offer investors an opportunity to participate in the market for the Australian Dollar through an investment in securities. The Shares are bought and sold on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Arca like any other exchange-listed security.
The Trust holds Australian Dollars and, from time to time, issues Baskets in exchange for deposits of Australian Dollars and distributes Australian Dollars in connection with redemptions of Baskets. The Sponsor of the Trust oversees the performance of the Trustee and the Trust�� principal service providers. The Sponsor is Rydex Specialized Products LLC. The Sponsor is responsible for payment of administrative and marketing expenses. The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the Trustee. The Trustee is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Trust, including keeping the Trust�� operational records. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., London Branch is the Depository.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dr. Duru]
So, the slight change of wording in the first sentence of the statement is important in that it could be a precursor to other upside adjustments in the RBA's language. If this happens, the Australian dollar (FXA) could take off…exactly what the RBA does not want. In fact, its desire to contain the currency must underlie the strained attempts to contain enthusiasm over the economy.
- [By Fede Zaldua]
The easiest way to go short Australia's currency and long the US dollar is through selling Australian dollar's ETF, the Currency Shares Australian Dollar Trust (FXA), which is still held by John Keeley. Even when the ETF is down by 15% since 2013 started, I believe there is still significant downside potential for the currency.
- [By Richard Cox]
Finally, the Australian Dollar has moved to new lows for the year, and prices in the AUD/USD will be forced to contend with another 61.8% Fib retracement (of the move from 0.8060 seen in 2010). This suggests the declines are in need of a corrective bound and equates to a bearish bias in the CurrencyShares Australian Dollar Trust (FXA).
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In 2014: Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.(SBGI)
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., a television broadcasting company, owns or provides certain programming, operating, or sales services to television stations in the United States. The company broadcasts free over-the-air programming, such as network provided programs, news produced locally, local sporting events, programming from program service arrangements, and syndicated entertainment programs. It owns or provides programming and operating services pursuant to local marketing agreements, or provides sales services pursuant to outsourcing agreements to 58 television stations in 35 markets. The company was founded in 1952 and is based in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
In the latest of a string of acquisitions, Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: SBGI ) is to buy Fisher Communications (NASDAQ: FSCI ) . The merger transaction will cost the former roughly $373 million. Fisher stockholders are to receive a cash payout of $41.00 per share, which, according to Sinclair, is a 44% premium to the stock's recent closing price.
- [By Dan Radovsky]
Sinclair Broadcast Group (NASDAQ: SBGI ) says it is on its way to becoming the nation's largest television broadcasting company if a� definitive agreement it signed with the Allbritton family comes to fruition, according to an announcement today by Sinclair.
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In 2014: World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.(WWE)
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., an integrated media and entertainment company, engages in the sports entertainment business. The company develops content centered around its talent, and presents at its live and televised events featuring World Wrestling Entertainment. It operates through four segments: Live and Televised Entertainment, Consumer Products, Digital Media, and WWE Studios. The Live and Televised Entertainment segment conducts live events; produces television shows; sells merchandise at its live events; provides sponsorships, such as various promotional vehicles, including Internet and print advertising, arena signage, on-air announcements, and pay-per-view sponsorships for advertisers; offers television rights; and markets and promotes the storylines associated with pay-per-view events. It also provides WWE Classics On Demand, a subscription video on demand service that offers classic television shows, pay-per-view events, specials, and original programmi ng. This segment distributes its programming in approximately 30 languages and in approximately 145 countries. Its merchandise consists of various WWE-branded products, such as T-shirts, caps, and other novelty items. The Consumer Products segment licenses and sells retail products, including toys, video games, home videos, apparel, and books; and publishes magazines comprising lifestyle publications with native language editions in the UK, Mexico, Greece, and Turkey. The Digital Media segment operates Web sites; provides advertising services; sells merchandise on its Web site at WWEShop Internet storefront; and offers broadband and mobile content. The WWE Studios segment is involved in the distribution of entertainment films. This segment focuses on creating a mix of filmed entertainment. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bloomberg]
To spark a bidding contest for World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE), all Vince McMahon needs to do is wave a "for sale" sign. McMahon, 68, controls the voting power of the $2.3 billion company that's been entertaining spectators with staged fights for decades. The stock is at a record after WWE launched its own subscription streaming network and became the subject of takeover speculation. Should McMahon ever decide he's ready to sell, companies from Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) to Madison Square Garden Co. (MSG) may line up with offers, Albert Fried & Co. and National Alliance Capital Markets said. "What is McMahon's succession plan and who will he pass the keys of the kingdom to?" Robert Routh, an analyst at National Alliance, said in a phone interview. "WWE would be very attractive to many different types of buyers. What they've built can't be recreated. But without McMahon's blessing, it doesn't matter how much somebody is willing to pay for the company." The franchise that thrust Hulk Hogan and The Rock into stardom owns the television shows "Raw" and "Smackdown," which have a dedicated following and command high cable-TV ratings, Vertical Group said. The company, which is hosting its annual WrestleMania event in three weeks, will post its best revenue and profit growth in more than a decade next year, according to analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Stock Surge The stock has climbed 35 percent this month, in part because of takeover speculation, to close at $30.94 last week. WWE isn't in merger talks, Chief Financial Officer George Barrios said in an interview March 6. A representative for the Stamford, Connecticut-based company, declined to comment last week beyond Barrios' earlier statement. WWE's programs, which air on Comcast's USA and SyFy cable networks, may find a new home by the end of April, Barrios said. He said the company is in discussions on future domestic TV distribution with "multiple parties." It has held distribution tal
- [By Monica Gerson]
World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) shares dropped 44.81% to $11.00 in pre-market trading following announcement of NBCUniveral deal on Thursday.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading DOWN
Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWE) were 42.50 percent to $11.46 following announcement of NBCUniveral deal on Thursday. Benchmark downgraded WWE from Buy to Hold. - [By Matt Egan]
WWE (WWE) revealed plans on Thursday to slash 7% of its workforce in an effort to save cash.
A WWE spokesman said the job cuts will impact all business units and locations. He said the pink slips will begin flying on Thursday.
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In 2014: Live Nation Entertainment Inc. (LYV)
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. operates as a live entertainment company. The company operates through Concerts, Ticketing, Artist Nation, and Sponsorship & Advertising segments. The Concerts segment engages in the promotion of live music events in its owned and/or operated venues, and in rented third-party venues; operation and management of music venues; and production of music festivals. The Ticketing segment operates an agency business that sells tickets for its events and third-party clients across various live event categories through its Websites, telephone services, and ticket outlets. This segment provides ticketing services for arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, music clubs, concert promoters, professional sports franchises and leagues, college sports teams, performing arts venues, museums, and theaters. The Artist Nation segment offers management services to music artists; sells merchandise associated with musical artists at live performances to retailers and dire ctly to consumers through the Internet; and provides other services to artists. The Sponsorship & Advertising segment offers online advertising services; and online sponsorship programs for corporate clients. As of December 31, 2012, the company owned, operated, or leased 93 entertainment venues and 100 other facilities in North America; and 22 entertainment venues and 82 other facilities internationally. The company was formerly known as Live Nation, Inc. and changed its name to Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. in January 2010. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images Los Angeles County's fabled Sunset Strip -- home to numerous legendary nightclubs -- is going corporate. Goodbye, Rat Pack and Guns N' Roses; hello, Marriott International (MAR). Gangsters and Guitarists Through a quirk of urban planning, the Strip -- a 1.6-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard -- was part of unincorporated land within Los Angeles city limits (these days, it belongs to the micro-city of West Hollywood). As such, it was overseen not by the L.A. Police Department, but by the more lax County Sheriff's department. Entrepreneurs took advantage of this, and in the early 20th century the Strip soon became the hottest entertainment destination in the L.A. area, home to clubs, bars and the occasional house of ill repute. In the 1940s and 1950s its nightclubs frequently hosted the top stars of the era. Many a band across the subsequent decades rose to prominence playing joints like The Roxy, Whisky A Go Go (still going strong at 50), and the Viper Room. Throughout the world, the Strip was nearly synonymous with nightlife. So much so that, according to some, its name was cribbed by the burgeoning city of Las Vegas to title the strategic section of its main thoroughfare. For many years now, the heart of Las Vegas Boulevard has been known simply as "The Strip." The City That Sometimes Sleeps The Strip is not the only game in town for visitors. Close by is the gay mecca of West Hollywood's "Boy's Town" neighborhood, while the tiny city's location in the kernel of L.A. makes it the perfect springboard for visiting Hollywood, L.A.'s beaches, and the neighboring Beverly Hills. Tourism is big business for West Hollywood. Twenty percent of the municipality's fiscal 2013 take came from the transient occupancy (i.e., lodging) taxes levied on those visitors. This brought in a cool $18 million that year -- 18 percent higher year over year, by the way -- making it WeHo's No. 2 revenue source. And there's more where that came from. Las
- [By Bloomberg]
To spark a bidding contest for World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE), all Vince McMahon needs to do is wave a "for sale" sign. McMahon, 68, controls the voting power of the $2.3 billion company that's been entertaining spectators with staged fights for decades. The stock is at a record after WWE launched its own subscription streaming network and became the subject of takeover speculation. Should McMahon ever decide he's ready to sell, companies from Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) to Madison Square Garden Co. (MSG) may line up with offers, Albert Fried & Co. and National Alliance Capital Markets said. "What is McMahon's succession plan and who will he pass the keys of the kingdom to?" Robert Routh, an analyst at National Alliance, said in a phone interview. "WWE would be very attractive to many different types of buyers. What they've built can't be recreated. But without McMahon's blessing, it doesn't matter how much somebody is willing to pay for the company." The franchise that thrust Hulk Hogan and The Rock into stardom owns the television shows "Raw" and "Smackdown," which have a dedicated following and command high cable-TV ratings, Vertical Group said. The company, which is hosting its annual WrestleMania event in three weeks, will post its best revenue and profit growth in more than a decade next year, according to analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Stock Surge The stock has climbed 35 percent this month, in part because of takeover speculation, to close at $30.94 last week. WWE isn't in merger talks, Chief Financial Officer George Barrios said in an interview March 6. A representative for the Stamford, Connecticut-based company, declined to comment last week beyond Barrios' earlier statement. WWE's programs, which air on Comcast's USA and SyFy cable networks, may find a new home by the end of April, Barrios said. He said the company is in discussions on future domestic TV distribution with "multiple parties." It has held distribution tal
Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In 2014: BV Financial Inc (BVFL)
BV Financial, Inc. (BV Financial), is a federally-chartered savings and loan holding company and the holding company for Bay-Vanguard Federal, a federally-chartered savings bank. BV Financial�� business activity is the ownership of the Bay-Vanguard Federal. The Company operates as a community-oriented financial institution offering traditional financial services to consumers and businesses in its market area. It attracts deposits from the general public and uses those funds to originate one- to four-family real estate, mobile home, construction, multi-family, commercial real estate, and consumer loans, which it hold for investment. The Company operates two branch offices in Baltimore City and two branch offices in Anne Arundel County. In June 2013, BV Financial Inc's Bay-Vanguard Federal Savings Bank acquired Vigilant Federal Savings Bank.
Lending Activities
The Company�� loan portfolio consists primarily of one- to four-family residential real estate loans. Its loan portfolio includes mobile home loans, construction loans, multi-family, commercial real estate loans, and consumer loans. As of June 30, 2009, Bay-Vanguard Federal had no loans that were held for sale. Its primary lending activity is the origination of mortgage loans to enable borrowers to purchase or refinance existing homes in its market area. It only offer fixed and adjustable rate mortgage loans and primarily with terms of 15, 20 or 30 years. The Company also offers adjustable-rate mortgage loans with interest rates and payments that adjust annually or every three years.
The Company originates mobile home loans directly and purchase mobile home loans from Forward National and Mainland Financial, which specialize in mobile home lending. As of June 30, 2009, 13.6% of its mobile home portfolio was originated by directly and 70.4% and 16% was purchased from Forward National and Mainland Financial, respectively. As of June 30, 2009, it had 340 mobile home loans, the average size of which was appr! oximately $34,000. Its mobile home loans, which are made primarily to borrowers in Maryland and Pennsylvania, have terms of up to 25 years and fixed interest rates. It originates loans to individuals and, to a lesser extent, builders to finance the construction of residential dwellings. It also make construction loans for commercial development projects, including condominiums, apartment buildings, mixed-use properties with residential units, as well as retail space and owner-occupied properties used for business.
The Company offers fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans secured by multi-family and commercial real estate. Its multi-family and commercial real estate loans are secured by condominiums, apartment buildings and mixed-use properties with residential units, as well as retail space. It originates multi-family and commercial real estate loans for terms up to 25 years. The Company�� other consumer loans are primarily loans secured by passbook or certificate accounts, automobile and boat loans and secured personal loans.
Investment Activities
The Company has legal authority to invest in various types of liquid assets, including the United States Treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies and municipal governments, deposits at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and certificates of deposit of federally insured institutions. As of June 30, 2009, its investment portfolio totaled $13.8 million and consisted primarily of the United States Treasury obligations and federal agency securities, mortgage-backed securities issued primarily by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, and a mutual fund that invests in adjustable-rate mortgages.
Deposit Activities and Other Sources of Funds
Deposits and loan repayments are the major sources of its funds for lending and other investment purposes. The Company�� deposits are attracted from within its market area through the offering of selection of deposit instruments,! includin! g checking accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) and money market accounts, passbook and savings accounts, and certificates of deposit. As of June 30, 2009, its core deposits, which consist of savings, NOW and money market accounts, consists 49% of its deposits.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, BVFL remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $6.52 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 3:05PM EDT September 4, 2013).
BV Financial, Inc. previously reported net income of $488,000, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the year ended June 30, 2013 compared to $1,073,000, or $0.46 per diluted share, for the year ended June 30, 2012. Results for 2013 were impacted by the acquisition of Vigilant Federal Savings Bank on May 31, 2013. As a result of the acquisition, BV Financial acquired $47.5 million in assets, $44.4 million in liabilities and created $119,000 in goodwill.
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