Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Best Services Companies To Own For 2014

As �lead designer behind every major product since the iMac, Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) Jony Ive, has undoubtedly played a crucial role in Apple's success. Now, with an expanded role that includes overseeing the iOS interface design, investors are hoping Ive can bring some of his magic to the software side of the business. Some�suggest that Ive will, indeed, use his position to overhaul iOS 7. It's definitely needed; both Google's�Android and Microsoft's�Windows Phone OS are gaining global market share far faster than iOS.

In the video below, Fool contributor Daniel Sparks explains what investors can expect from Ive in his expanded role.

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Top 5 Gold Companies To Buy For 2015: Hub Group Inc (HUBG)

Hub Group, Inc., incorporated on March 8, 1995, is an asset-light freight transportation management companies. The Company offers intermodal, truck brokerage and logistics services. The Company operates distinct business segments: Mode, which includes the acquired Mode business acquired by the Company on April 1, 2011, and Hub, which is all business other than Mode. Both segments offer intermodal, truck brokerage and logistics services. Hub operates through a network of operating centers throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Hub services a diversified customer base in a broad range of industries, including consumer products, retail and durable goods. Mode markets and operates its freight transportation services primarily through its network of independent business owners (IBOs) who enter into contracts with Mode. Mode's company managed operation includes a business arranging for the transportation of raw materials and finished products for a food producer and, to a lesser extent, other highway brokerage, intermodal and logistics operations.

Intermodal

As an intermodal marketing company (IMC), the Company arranges for the movement of its customers freight in containers and trailers, typically over long distances of 750 miles or more. The Company contracts with railroads to provide transportation for the long-haul portions of the shipment and with local trucking companies, known as drayage companies, for pickup and delivery. As part of the Company's intermodal services, the Company negotiates rail and drayage rates, electronically tracks shipments in transit, consolidate billing and handle claims for freight loss or damage on behalf of its customers.

The Company uses its network to access containers and trailers owned by leasing companies, railroads and steamship lines. The Company is able to track trailers and containers entering a service area and reuses that equipment to fulfill the customers' outbound shipping requirements. As of December 31, 2012, ! Hub had access to approximately 9,111 rail-owned containers for the Company's dedicated use on the Union Pacific (UP) and the Norfolk Southern (NS) rails. In addition to these rail-owned containers, as of December 31, 2012, the Company had a total of 14,756 53-inch private containers for use on the UP and NS. The Company financed 6,167 of these containers with operating leases and the Company owns 8,589 containers.

As of December 31, 2012, approximately 66% of the Company's drayage needs were met by its subsidiary, Comtrak Logistics, Inc. (Comtrak), which assists its customers. Comtrak has terminals in Atlanta, Birmingham, Charleston, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Dallas, Harrisburg, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Memphis, Nashville, Newark, Los Angeles, Perry (FL), Philadelphia, Savannah, Seattle, St. Louis, Stockton, and Titusville (FL). As of December 31, 2012, Comtrak owned 260 tractors, leased or owned 448 trailers, employed 296 drivers and contracted with 2,178 owner-operators.

Truck Brokerage (Highway Services)

The Company is a truck broker in the United States. As part of the truck brokerage services, the Company negotiates rates , track shipments in transit and handle claims for freights loss and damage on behalf of its customers.

Logistics and Other Services

Hub's logistics business operates under the name of Unyson Logistics. Unyson Logistics consists of a network of logistics professionals dedicated to developing, implementing and operating customized logistics solutions. Unyson offers a range of transportation management services and technology solutions, including shipment optimization, load consolidation, mode selection, carrier management, load planning and execution and Web-based shipment visibility. Unyson Logistics operates throughout North America, providing operations through its main operating location in St. Louis with additional support locations in Bosto! n, Chicag! o, Cleveland and Minneapolis. Certain Mode agents provide logistics services. The Company's multi-modal transportation capabilities through both the Hub and Mode segments include small parcel, heavyweight, expedited, less-than-truckload, truckload, intermodal and railcar.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Hub Group (NASDAQ: HUBG) surged 3.13% to $44.20. The volume of Hub Group shares traded was 388% higher than normal. Hub Group reported its Q1 earnings of $0.33 per share on revenue of $848.40 million. Longbow Research upgraded Hub Group from Neutral to Buy.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: Investors Title Company(ITIC)

Investors Title Company, through its subsidiaries, provides title insurance to residential, institutional, commercial, and industrial properties. It underwrites land title insurance for owners and mortgagees as a primary insurer; and offers the reinsurance of title insurance risks to other title insurance companies. The company also provides tax-deferred real property exchange services, as well as serves as an exchange accommodation titleholder and holds property for exchangers in reverse exchange transactions; offers investment management and trust services to individuals, companies, banks, and trusts; and provides consulting services to title insurance agencies. Investors Title Company serves various customers in the residential and commercial market sectors of the real estate industry. It issues title insurance policies primarily through approved attorneys from underwriting offices, as well as through independent issuing agents in 24 states and the District of Columbia, the United States. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    Investors Title Company (NASDAQ:ITIC), reported its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012. Net income increased 110.0% to $3,349,488, or $1.57 per diluted share, compared with $1,594,805, or $0.74 per diluted share, for the prior year quarter.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: ChemoCentryx Inc (CCXI)

ChemoCentryx is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing orally-administered therapeutics to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer. The Company targets the chemokine system, a network of molecules, including chemokine ligands and their associated receptors, as well as related chemo-attractant receptors, all of which are known to drive inflammation. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had four drug candidates in clinical development. Its drug candidates include Traficet-EN (CCX282, GSK'786 or vercirnon), CCX140, CCX354, CCX168, CCX872, CCX507 and CCX662. The Company is also advancing several additional independent drug candidates through preclinical development. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary is ChemoCentryx Limited.

The Company's drug candidate Traficet-EN (CCX282, GSK'786), is to control the inflammatory response underlying IBD by targeting the chemokine receptor known as CCR9. The Company has completed nine clinical trials with Traficet-EN in a total of 785 subjects, including five Phase I clinical trials (three in the United States and two in the United Kingdom), one thorough QT study in the United States (an assessment of cardiovascular safety which is required for regulatory approval), and three Phase II clinical trials (one in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, one in Finland and one (PROTECT-1) in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom). As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� Traficet-EN drug candidate is in four pivotal Phase III clinical trials being conducted by its partner Glaxo Group Limited (GSK).

The Company's independent drug candidate CCX140, targets the chemokine receptor known as CCR2. CCX140 is a potent and selective antagonist of CCR2 that is found on subsets of monocytes and macrophages, which are cells of th! e immune system. In January 2011, the Company completed a 159-patient randomized Phase II clinical trial, conducted in Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and New Zealand, to assess the safety and tolerability of CCX140 in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, CCX140 demonstrated biological activity through a dose-dependent decrease in fasting plasma glucose.

CCX354 targets the chemokine receptor known as CCR1. Synovial fluid from the joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients contains high levels of activated CCR1 chemokine ligands. The Company completed two Phase I clinical trials in a total of 84 healthy subjects, conducted in Switzerland followed by a Phase I/II clinical trial in 24 patients with stable RA, conducted in Belgium and Romania, and a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial in 160 patients with moderate-to-severe RA, conducted in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the Ukraine. GSK exercised its option to further develop and commercialize CCX354 in November 2011 and had an exclusive right to initiate a Phase II b clinical trial for CCX354 in RA.

CCX168 targets the chemo-attractant C5a receptor (C5aR), which binds to a biologically activated fragment of the complement protein known as C5. As of December 31, the Company completed a Phase I clinical trial for CCX168, conducted in Switzerland. The Company initiated a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial in AAV in the fourth quarter of 2011. Its CCX872 is an independent next generation CCR2 drug candidate for the treatment of metabolic diseases, its CCX507 is an independent drug candidate for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and CCX662 is an independent drug candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

The Company competes with Abbott Laboratories, Amgen Inc, AstraZeneca plc, Biogen Idec Inc, Bayer AG, Elan Corporation plc, Glaxo Group Limited, Merck & Co Inc, Merck Serono, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Novartis AG! , Pfizer ! Inc, Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi SA, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Incyte Corp and UCB Pharma.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    The last few weeks haven't been particularly encouraging for Crohn's disease sufferers. In August, GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) and ChemoCentryx (NASDAQ:CCXI) reported that a jointly-developed Crohn's drug, vercirnon, had failed to meet its late-stage trial endpoints. Though the in-development drug isn't dead in the water (GSK and CCXI could rework the drug, the testing regimen, or use it for other indications), it doesn't look good. Then this month - just a few days ago - Coronado Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:CNDO) reported that its Phase 3 trials of Crohn's disease drug TSO had also failed to meet its primary endpoints as well. Like vercirnon, CNDO isn't completely out of luck here with the treatment, but forging ahead with further development of the treatment is grasping at straws. Crohn's sufferers don't need to give up home just yet, however - TNI Biotech Inc. (OTCMKTS:TNIB) appears to have a Crohn's treatment that works, and should be able to sidestep the problems that plagued ChemoCentryx, GlaxoSmithKline, and Coronado Biosciences.

  • [By CRWE]

    ChemoCentryx, Inc. (Nasdaq:CCXI), reported that Thomas J. Schall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, will present at the BioCentury NewsMakers in the Biotech Industry Conference on Friday, September 7, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time at the Millennium Broadway Hotel & Conference Center in New York, NY.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: Abraxas Petroleum Corp (AXAS)

Abraxas Petroleum Corporation is an independent energy company primarily engaged in the acquisition, exploitation, development and production of oil and gas in the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� estimated net proved reserves were 29.0 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBoe), (including reserves attributable to its 34.7% equity interest in the proved reserves of Blue Eagle), of which 53% were classified as proved developed, 54% were oil and natural gas liquids (NGL��) and 94% by PV-10 were operated. Its daily net production during the year ended December 31, 2011, was 3,484 barrels of oil equivalent per day, of which 45% was oil or liquids. Its oil and gas assets are located in four operating regions in the United States, the Rocky Mountain, Mid-Continent, Permian Basin and onshore Gulf Coast, and in the province of Alberta, Canada.

The Company�� properties in the Rocky Mountain region are located in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana and in the Green River, Powder River and Unita Basins of Wyoming and Utah. In this region, its wells produce oil and gas from various reservoirs, including the Niobrara, Turner, Bakken and Three Forks formations. Well depths range from 7,000 feet down to 14,000 feet. The Company�� properties in the Mid-Continent region are primarily located in the Arkoma Basin and principally produce gas from the Hartshorne coals at 3,000 feet. Its properties in the Permian Basin region are primarily located in two sub-basins, the Delaware Basin and the Eastern Shelf. In the Delaware Basin, its wells are located in Pecos, Reeves, and Ward Counties, Texas and produce oil and gas from multiple stacked formations from the Bell Canyon at 5,000 feet down to the Ellenburger at 16,000 feet.

In the Eastern Shelf, its wells are principally located in Coke, Scurry, Midland, Mitchell and Nolan Counties, Texas and produce oil and gas from the Strawn Reef formation at 5,000 to 7,500 feet and oil from the shallower Clea! rfork formation at depths ranging from 2,300 to 3,300 feet. The Company�� properties in the onshore Gulf Coast region are located along the Edwards trend in DeWitt and Lavaca Counties, Texas and in the Portilla field in San Patricio County, Texas. In the Edwards trend, its wells produce gas from the Edwards formation at a depth of 14,000 feet and in the Portilla field, its wells produce oil and gas from the Frio sands and the deeper Vicksburg from depths of approximately 7,000 to 9,000 feet. In addition, the Company also owns a 34.7% equity interest in a joint venture targeting the Eagle Ford in South Texas. Its properties in the province of Alberta, Canada are located in the Pekisko fairway and the Nordegg/Tomahawk area of Central Alberta.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased approximately 20,835 net acres, primarily in counties located on the Nesson Anticline and in areas west, including Rough Rider and Lewis & Clark in North Dakota and in Sheridan County, Montana, which are prospective for the Bakken and Three Forks formations. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company drilled two operated wells and participated in an additional 19 gross (1.0 net) non-operated wells. In July 2011, Abraxas purchased a used Oilwell 2000 horsepower diesel electric drilling rig. In August 2010, the Company formed a joint venture, Blue Eagle, with Rock Oil to develop its acreage in the Eagle Ford Shale play. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 34.7% interest in Blue Eagle. During 2011, Blue Eagle drilled, completed or participated in three gross (2.4 net) wells and added approximately 3,800 net acres to its holdings, principally in McMullen County, Texas.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased a total of approximately 20,720 gross (17,800 net) acres in the southern Powder River Basin, of which 17,800 gross (15,700 net) acres were located in the Brooks Draw field of Converse and Niobrara Counties, Wyoming. In addition, it owns approximately 2,100 net acres in sout! hern Camp! bell County, Wyoming which are held by production and are near the Crossbow field operated by EOG Resources, Inc. and other recent horizontal activity. As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased 6,880 net acres in western Alberta. In 2011, it drilled or completed six gross (6 net) wells in the Twining area. In the emerging southern Alberta Basin Bakken play of Toole and Glacier Counties, Montana, the Company leased approximately 10,000 gross/net acres under long-term leases or direct mineral ownership. As of December 31, 2011, it leased approximately 5,600 gross/net acres in Nolan County, Texas. In 2011, the Company drilled three wells in the Spires Ranch offsetting the prolific Nena Lucia field.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Friday
    The market is typically quiet on Friday, but that's certainly not the case during earnings season. Abraxas Petroleum (NASDAQ: AXAS  ) checks in with its latest quarterly results on Friday morning. The San Antonio-based crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company is expected to post breakeven results.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: First Trust Global Wind Energy (FAN)

First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield, of an equity index called the ISE Global Wind Energy Index. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks that comprise the Index or in depositary receipts that may include American depositary receipts (ADRs), global depositary receipts (GDRs), European depositary receipts (EDRs) or other depositary receipts (collectively, Depositary Receipts) representing securities in the Index. The Fund invests in sectors, which include Consumer Discretionary, Energy, Industrials, Materials and Utilities. First Trust Advisors L.P. (First Trust) is the Investment Advisor of the Fund. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Small cap wind stock Broadwind Energy Inc (NASDAQ: BWEN) is up 203.7% since the start of the year, but investors might want to contain their excitement when they look closer at the�stock and�consider its�long term performance along with the performance of other wind investments like First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (NYSEARCA: FAN) and wind energy stocks Vestas Wind Systems (OTCMKTS: VWDRY) and China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd (NYSE: MY) to see whether BWEN is just blowing more hot air.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: Mast Therapeutics Inc (MSTX)

Mast Therapeutics, Inc., formerly ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated in December 1995, is a development-stage company biopharmaceutical company focused on developing product candidates. The Company's product candidate is ANX-188, a rheologic, antithrombotic and cytoprotective agent that improves microvascular blood flow and has application in treating a range of diseases and conditions, such as complications arising from sickle cell disease. As of December 31, 2011, the Company also is developing ANX-514, a detergent-free formulation of the chemotherapy drug docetaxel. The Company offers ANX-188 (purified poloxamer 188), ANX-514 (docetaxel for injectable emulsion) and Exelbine (vinorelbine injectable emulsion). In April 2011, the Company acquired SynthRx, Inc. In February 2014, Mast Therapeutics Inc completed its acquisition of Aires Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Aires became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mast Therapeutics.

ANX-188 (purified poloxamer 188)

ANX-188 is an aqueous solution of a purified form of poloxamer 188. Poloxamer 188 (P1880, is a nonionic, block copolymer that has been found to improve microvascular blood flow by reducing viscosity, particularly under low shear conditions, and by reducing adhesive frictional forces. The Company�� purified form of P188 (purified P188), which is the active ingredient in ANX-188, was designed to eliminate certain low molecular weight substances present in P188 (non-purified), which is primarily responsible for the moderate to moderately severe elevations in serum creatinine levels (acute renal dysfunction) observed in prior clinical studies of P188 (non-purified). Purified P188 has been evaluated in multiple clinical studies by a prior sponsor, including a 255-patient, phase III study.

ANX-514 (docetaxel for injectable emulsion)

ANX-514 is a detergent-free emulsion formulation of docetaxel, an intravenously-injected chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat solid tumors. Taxotere, a branded form! ulation of docetaxel, is approved to treat breast, non-small cell lung, prostate, gastric, and head and neck cancers. ANX-514 was designed to have clinically comparable release of docetaxel relative to Taxotere while eliminating the presence of polysorbate 80 and ethanol, both of which are used to solubilize docetaxel in the Taxotere formulation. The ANX-514 formulation solubilizes docetaxel using oil droplets consists of a combination of non-toxic excipients. Docetaxel is contained within these oil droplets and can be administered intravenously without using detergents as pharmaceutical vehicles. Once in central circulation, the emulsion is metabolized rapidly, leaving chemically-identical active ingredient to exert its cytotoxic effect. ANX-514 may reduce the incidence and severity of hypersensitivity reactions and delay the onset of fluid retention.

Exelbine (vinorelbine injectable emulsion)

Exelbine is an emulsion formulation of the chemotherapy drug vinorelbine. Navelbine, a branded formulation of vinorelbine, is approved in the United States to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer as a single agent or in combination with cisplatin, and approved in the European Union to treat non-small cell lung cancer and advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

In August 2011, the Company received a complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stating that it could not approve the Exelbine Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in its present form and that the bioequivalence study would need to be repeated because the authenticity of the drug products used in the bioequivalence trial could not be verified in accordance with FDA standards. However, the Company elected to discontinue independent development of Exelbine and as of December 31, 2011, the Company was seeking a partner or outside investor for the program to complete the necessary bioequivalence study.

The Company competes with GlaxoSmithKline, Provenge and Pfizer.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

     

    Mast Therapeutics (MSTX), a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing therapies for serious or life-threatening diseases. This stock closed up 2.1% 65 cents per share in Thursday's trading session.

     

    Thursday's Range: $0.63-$0.67

    52-Week Range: $0.40-$1.10

    Thursday's Volume: 1.11 million

    Three-Month Average Volume: 1.88 million

     

    From a technical perspective, MSTX spiked modestly higher here right above its 50-day moving average of 61 cents per share with decent upside volume. This stock has been trending sideways and consolidating for the last month, with shares moving between 60 cents on the downside and 72 cents on the upside. Shares of MSTX are now starting to push higher and into range of triggering a big breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern. That trade will hit if MSTX manages to clear some near-term overhead resistance levels at 68 to 72 cents per share with high volume.

     

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MSTX as long as it's trending above some key near-term support at 60 cents per share and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.88 million shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then MSTX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at 80 to 85 cents per share, or even 93 cents per share.

     

  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Mast Therapeutics Inc.(MSTX) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave orphan-drug designation to its MST-188 drug for the treatment of acute limb ischemia, providing a boost for the biopharmaceutical firm. Shares surged.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies For 2014: 7 Days Group Holdings Limited(SVN)

7 Days Group Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates a chain of limited service economy hotels under the brand name of 7 Days Inn in China. The company provides accommodations and services primarily to business and leisure travelers. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 568 hotels in operation, including 247 managed hotels, with 56,410 hotel rooms in 89 cities, as well as 197 hotels with 19,345 hotel rooms under conversion. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Guangzhou, China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Chinese economy hotel chain 7 Days Group (NYSE: SVN  ) announced today that the company's shareholders had approved the going-private proposal that was offered up on Feb. 28.�Approximately 88.3% of the hotel chain's shares voted on the proposal, and approximately 86% voted in favor of it.�

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