Playboy Enterprises may be synonymous with Hugh Hefner, but the company’s brand is becoming more and more at risk of becoming synonymous with “vanishing” and other terms of disappearance. A new research report downgrades the corporate credit ratings of the Playboy companies. While there is no formal prediction for bankruptcy or liquidation, the verbiage is rather alarming, and we cannot help but wonder if Playboy is on the verge of joining our list of brands that could disappear. Standard & Poor’s downgraded the corporate credit ratings of Playboy Enterprises Inc. to CCC+ based on weak operating performance, and its outlook of “Developing” indicates more downgrade risk ahead.
S&P signaled that Playboy has performed under its expectations, and it believes that the company is now at risk of violating its leverage and interest coverage covenants in the third or fourth quarter of 2013. S&P warns that this risk could potentially jeopardize its access to its revolving credit facility.
Top 5 China Stocks To Invest In 2015: Vanguard Idx Fund (VTI)
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (the Fund), formerly known as Vanguard Total Stock Market VIPERs, seeks to track the performance of an index that measures the investment return of the overall stock market. The Fund seeks to track the performance of Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) US Broad Market Index (the Index), which includes large, mid and small-cap equity stocks diversified across growth and value styles.
The Fund employs a passive management or indexing investment approach in seeking to track the Index. The Index represents 99.5% or more of the capitalization of the United States common stocks regularly traded on the New York and American Stock Exchanges, and the NASDAQ over-the-counter market. The Fund invests all, or substantially all, of its assets in a representative sample of the stocks that make up the Index.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
With ETFs, on the other hand, your broker will charge you a standard commission every time you buy or sell shares. Some brokers waive their commissions for certain ETFs, making them a lot more economical to use, especially if you make frequent transactions. ETFs also have ongoing annual management fees that can vary greatly. For instance, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI ) charges just 0.05% in annual fees, while some other ETFs charge 1% or more per year.
- [By Dan Newman]
WisdomTree� (NASDAQ: WETF ) , the fifth-largest ETF provider, has grown its average assets under management from less than $1 billion in 2006 to more than $23 billion this year, with an average ETF fee of 0.53%. The low-cost leader, Vanguard, keeps putting the pressure on competitors with extremely low expense ratios. For the�Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF� (NYSEMKT: VTI ) , the annual fee amounts to a paltry 0.05%.
Top US Companies To Invest In 2014: Ishares Msci Italy Index Fund (EWI)
iShares MSCI Italy Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the Italian market, as measured by the MSCI Italy Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the Italian equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly.
The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger and Mike Klesta]
In the following video, Fool markets analyst Mike Klesta talks with Fool contributor Dan Caplinger about three countries with particularly high unemployment rates. As Dan notes, even though the employment picture in Europe is ugly, one of these three countries has made some progress toward getting unemployment under control. Dan also weighs in with some investment ideas for those seeking to bet on a turnaround in Europe, with thoughts for both ETF investors and those who prefer individual stocks (NYSEMKT: EWI ) .
- [By Tom Aspray]
This is quite a bit better than the 9.2% gain of the iShares MSCI Italy (EWI) or the 8.9% rise in the iShares MSCI Austria (EWO). All three have done significantly better than the Spyder Trust (SPY), which is up 3.6%. The French and German country ETFs have not yet moved above their late 2013 highs.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
4. Italy
Some developed markets have also outperformed the Dow Jones Industrials. Italy's market is up 14%, and even the euro's weakness has given U.S. investors in iShares MSCI Italy (NYSEMKT: EWI ) a 12% gain. Europe has made progress toward emerging from recession, and Italy has recovered more than some of its economically healthier peers because of the close brush with sovereign-debt issues that cut confidence in the Mediterranean nation's stock market substantially. As long as the government can keep debt under control, Italy could keep outperforming the Dow.
Top US Companies To Invest In 2014: Massive Dynamics Inc (MSSD)
Massive Dynamics, Inc., incorporated on March 15, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company is providing services to communication tower operators. On August 20, 2012, Kylemore Corp. (Kylemore) approximately 90% of the Company. On April 16, 2013, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Real-View 3D (RV3D). With the Company's acquisition of the assets of RV3D, the Company is providing engineering and compliance to communications tower operators to three dimension (3D) imaging. RV3D is an image capture product company that has developed and is committed to design, patent, manufacture and market 3D imaging Z-axis capture products for the consumer computer peripherals market.
The Company has developed technology around an imaging technology known as structured light, which allows for the rapid capture and processing of the digital signal capture 3D images of objects or real time 3D video of a desired target. A structured light image is a calibrated grid of lines that is projected on the subject. These projected lines deviate as they fall over the subject. An image of these lines is captured. Real View 3D software can extract Z-axis data from these line deviations and a topographical map is created. To image a complete subject, the subject is rotated 360 degrees for the image and then another 360 degree rotation for capturing the structured light for the Z axis map information. The resulting Z axis map and the image are then fused into a 360 degree renderable image. This image can then be exported into many other formats for viewing. The Company's primary business will be to develop and market 3D scanning, capture, rendering, and printing products to four markets: consumer, commercial, industrial, and medical.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
The problem with that, of course, is that competition is beginning to emerge in machine selling, as small companies with names such as ExOne (NASDAQ: XONE ) and Massive Dynamics (NASDAQOTH: MSSD ) begin to horn in on the printer biz. Competition will probably arise even faster in the selling of printing composites, as Hewlett-Packard discovered to its detriment, when printer ink cartridge "refillers" began stealing away its lucrative ink business.
Top US Companies To Invest In 2014: Diamondcorp PLC (DCP)
DiamondCorp plc is a United Kingdom-based diamond producer. The Company�� 74%-owned Lace diamond mine is located 200 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg in the Free State Province of South Africa. The project comprises the Lace kimberlite. Approximately 33 million tons of kimberlite have been outlined in the main Lace pipe between the 240 meter and the 855 meter level, containing an estimated 13.3 million carats of diamonds at an average estimated grade of 40 carats per hundred tons (cpht). Its subsidiaries include Diamondcorp Holdings Limited, Botswana Diamondcorp Limited, Lace Diamond Mine (Pty) Limited, which is engaged in diamond exploration, Soapstone Investments (Pty) Limited and DCP Exploration (Pty) Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Aimee Duffy]
Winners
Buckeye Partners (NYSE: BPL ) �trounced analyst expectations on the top and bottom lines, and recorded a distribution coverage ratio of 1.21 times payouts, allowing the partnership to boost its distribution. DCP Midstream Partners' (NYSE: DCP ) �distributable cash flow popped 40% year over year, and the partnership completed its Eagle Ford dropdown transaction with parent company DCP Midstream, boosting its stake in the lucrative South Texas shale play. Boardwalk Energy Partners' (NYSE: BWP ) �operating revenue and net income increased 5% and 10% year over year. More importantly, distributable cash flow popped 24%, though the partnership elected to hold the distribution flat quarter over quarter. Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP ) �had no distribution increase either, but things are looking better than they have in a while. Production in the Eagle Ford Shale is driving growth at ETP, and the partnership is reorganizing into an operation that is stronger and more diverse than ever before.
Given the current state of U.S. energy production, most midstream companies are winners these days. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP ) got things started off on the right foot, reporting in mid-April and beating expectations on revenue and EPS. Here are some highlights from around the industry:Very strong results here, now let's take a look at some midstream companies that didn't perform as well.
- [By Tyler Crowe]
Perhaps bigger players like Occidental were able to hog the limited takeaway capacity, but this won't be a good reason for slowed production very soon. Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE: MMP ) and DCP Midstream (NYSE: DCP ) both have pipelines coming on line within the next couple of months that will have takeaway capacity of 225,000 and 350,000 barrels per day, respectively. Once these pipelines come on line, there should be much more room for LINN's production.�
Top US Companies To Invest In 2014: iShares 1-3 Year Credit Bond ETF (CSJ)
iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Credit Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the investment-grade credit sector of the United States bond market as defined by the Lehman Brothers 1-3 Year U.S. Credit Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of investment-grade United States credit securities, corporate debt and sovereign, local authority and non-United States agency bonds that are United States dollar denominated.
The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. The Index includes investment grade United States credit securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to one year and less than three years, and have more than $250 million or more of outstanding face value. Barclays Global Fund Advisors serves as an advisor to the Fund.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
In addition to individual stocks several funds pay a monthly dividend. Below is a sampling of these:
Monthly Bond Funds- iShares Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond (CSJ) | Yield: 1.29%
- Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (BSV) | Yield: 1.25%
- Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF (BIV) | Yield: 2.96%
- Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) | Yield: 4.42%
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