Investing in overseas assets? Read before taking a call

As part of this, he says, one can invest in property, equities, debt instruments and any other asset.

Also Read: Don't wait till 30; start investing now: Roongta Sec

"The risk per se is that you need to also manage with the foreign exchange risk. So, that's the downside that you have and you have to be careful," he explains.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview

Q: How can an individual invest overseas and what are the benefits as well as the risks associated with this?

A: Today, an individual can invest up to USD 200,000 in a financial year in any overseas asset. So, as part of this, you can invest in property, you can invest in equities, debt instruments and any other asset. In fact, you don't even need to go to RBI for approval before you make the investment.

There would be some bit of formalities when you do the funds transfer, some forms to be filled. You can also end up opening overseas bank accounts to be able to execute this process. The benefit of overseas investment is that it gives whole new set of assets for investors, it also gives you diversification. You have the US markets doing pretty well and many of us may have missed out on it so that is something that one could participate on.

Of course the risk per se is that you need to also manage with the foreign exchange risk. So, that's the downside that you have and you have to be careful. Today is a little better time with rupee having appreciated a little bit. This is a much better time to do it maybe than a month back.

Q: What about participating through some of the mutual funds who offer products where they invest abroad?

A: You can actually invest in any instrument so you can invest in mutual funds. Overseas, even the index funds are very popular so you could just be diversified in terms of the index. You can invest in blue-chips, you can do other emerging market investments, you can invest in the US. There are a whole lot of options that you can take advantage of.

Q: Investor can invest up to Rs 40,000 per month for about next 10 years. He has already have investments in properties, FDs, mutual funds and gold largely through demat. He has no liability except an EMI of Rs 15,000 for a second home. Can I invest overseas?

A: If you have taken care of your important needs like retirement, then maybe you can take a little bit off exposure to overseas investments. Otherwise, age profile wise I would rather be a little cautious. So hence, I would probably keep it a little limited to maybe 5% or even 8% of your overall portfolio. Indian debt instruments are good. You get good returns if you make deposits and bonds.

So, one could probably use blue-chip dividend yield stocks where some of the companies actually give you very attractive dividend yields overseas. You could probably invest in stocks like that. You would need to open a trading account. There are some Indian companies which have tie-ups with some of the global houses. You would have to have that platform to be able to then invest in some of these stocks. You could also look at index funds as one option.

Bear of the Day: Park Electrochemical (PKE) - Bear of ...

Park Electrochemical (PKE) recently reported its 3rd straight earnings miss thanks in large part to a -6% decline in net sales.

Analysts revised their estimates meaningfully lower for both 2014 and 2015 following the company's most recent earnings miss on June 26. This sent the stock to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) stock.

Despite this, shares currently trade at a premium on a forward P/E basis. Investors may want to avoid PKE until its earnings momentum turns around.

Park Electrochemical Corp. manufactures high-technology digital and RF/microwave printed circuit materials primarily for the telecommunications and internet infrastructure and high-end computing markets and advanced composite materials, parts and assemblies for the aerospace markets. Sales of printed circuit materials products account for approximately 85% of its total revenue.

First Quarter Results

Park Electrochemical reported somewhat disappointing first quarter fiscal 2014 results on June 26. Earnings per share came in at 25 cents, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4 cents. It was the company's third straight earnings miss.

The company continued to post lethargic top-line results. Net sales declined 6% to $43.4 million, which was well below the consensus of $47.0 million. Despite this, the operating profit margin expanded a solid 190 basis points which led to a 4% increase in net income.

Hot Medical Companies To Own For 2014

Estimates Fall

Following the Q1 earnings miss, analysts revised their estimates meaningfully lower for both 2014 and 2015. This sent the stock to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2014 is now $1.17, down from $1.26 before the Q1 release. The 2015 consensus is currently $1.25, down from $1.38 over the same period.

This continues the trend of negative earnings revisions over the last several months, as you can see in the company's 'Price! & Consensus' chart:

Premium Valuation

Despite the negative earnings momentum, shares of Park Electrochemical are still trading at a premium valuation on a forward P/E basis. Its 12-month forward P/E ratio of 21 is well above the industry median of 16x and its 10-year historical median of 18x.

Investors with a short-term time horizon that are still interested in the 'Electronics - Miscellaneous Components' industry may want to consider Nidec Corp (NJ) or Stoneridge (SRI) instead, which are both Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks.

The Bottom Line

With a string of negative earnings surprises, falling earnings estimates and premium valuation, investors should consider avoiding this Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) stock until its earnings momentum turns around.

Todd Bunton is the Growth & Income Stock Strategist for Zacks Investment Research and Editor of the Income Plus Investor service.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now

The economy continues to look down cast with various indicators coming out looking decidedly bearish. The IIP numbers, Purchasing Managers Index, Inflation, GDP number etc., leave much to be desired.

In the sea of misery, there is one redeeming ark the trade deficit has narrowed sharply, which is possibly the only good news. Another one the monsoon has been good and is expected to boost the rural incomes.

Stock markets have been buffeted by the falling rupee & the exit of money by FIIs. Equity markets have been affected & how! Among this, the mid and small cap stocks have seen massive erosions, some of them as high as 95%!!!

Consequently, mutual funds have also had their rough patch. They have fallen less due to diversification & fund manager actions, that inherently is one of the strong suits of MF schemes.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: OCZ Technology Group Inc(OCZ)

OCZ Technology Group, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes computer components for computing devices and systems worldwide. It primarily offers solid state drives, flash memory storage, memory modules, thermal management solutions, AC/DC switching power supply units, and computer gaming solutions. The company?s products are used in industrial equipment and computer systems; computer and computer gaming solutions; mission critical servers and high end workstations; personal computer (PC) upgrades to extend the useable life of existing PCs; high performance computing and scientific computing; video and music editing; home theatre PCs and digital home convergence products; and digital photography and digital image manipulation computers. OCZ Technology Group, Inc. offers its products to retailers, on-line retailers, original equipment manufacturers, systems integrators, and distributors. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Jose, Califo rnia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wyatt Research]

  The maker of solid state drives for computers reported revenue more than doubled and posted adjusted net income of 1 cent per share. It predicted a full-year revenue rise of at least 65 percent. The share price has jumped 210 percent in the past year.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Petroquest Energy Inc(PQ)

PetroQuest Energy, Inc. operates as an independent oil and gas company. It engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of oil and gas properties in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, as well as onshore and in the shallow waters offshore the Gulf Coast Basin. As of December 31, 2009, the company had estimated proved reserves of 1,931 thousand barrels of oil and 167,361 million cubic feet equivalent of natural gas. It owned working interests in 9 net producing oil wells and 277 net producing gas wells. PetroQuest Energy was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By SmallCap Investor]

  Shares traded sharply higher after the oil and gas explorer issued an operational update that revealed details of a discovery at its La Cantera site in Louisiana. Raymond James analysts bumped the stock rating to market perform based on the new findings and an improving balance sheet.

Top Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014: ATA Inc.(ATAI)

ATA Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides computer-based testing services in the People?s Republic of China. It offers services for the creation and delivery of computer-based tests utilizing its test delivery platform, proprietary testing technologies, and testing services; and provides logistical support services relating to test administration. The company?s computer-based testing services are used for professional licensure and certification tests in various industries, including information technology (IT) services, banking, securities, teaching, and insurance. Its e-testing platform integrates various aspects of the test delivery process for computer-based tests ranging from test form compilation to test scoring, and results analysis. ATA also provides career-oriented educational services, such as single course programs, degree major course programs, and pre-occupational training programs focusing on preparing students to pass IT and other vocational certification tests; test preparation and training programs and services to test candidates preparing to take professional certification tests in securities, futures, banking, insurance and teaching industries; online test preparation and training platform for the securities and banking industries; and test preparation software for the teaching industry. In addition, the company offers HR select employee assessment solution, an online system that utilizes its proprietary software and an inventory of test titles to help employers improve the efficiency and accuracy of their employee recruitment process. As of March 31, 2010, it had contractual relationships with 1,988 ATA authorized test centers. The company serves Chinese governmental agencies, professional associations, IT vendors, and Chinese educational institutions, as well as individual test preparation services. ATA Inc. was founded in 1999 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wyatt Research Staff]

  The Chinese-based educator spiked higher recently after it exceeded analysts' expectations. Revenue and adjusted earnings soared 78% and 269%, respectively. Its long-term annual growth rate is 15%.

  Analysts at Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares from "neutral" to "outperform". 

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Sky-mobi Limited(MOBI)

Sky-mobi Limited engages in the operation of a mobile application store in the People?s Republic of China. It works with handset companies to pre-install its Maopao mobile application store on handsets and with content developers to provide users with applications and content titles. The users of its Maopao store could browse, download, and purchase a range of applications and content, such as single-player games, mobile music, and books. The company?s Maopao store enables mobile applications and content to be downloaded and run on various mobile handsets with hardware and operating system configurations. It also operates a mobile social network community, the Maopao Community, where it offers localized mobile social games, as well as applications and content with social network functions to its registered members. The company owns proprietary mobile application technology in the cloud computing, the MRP format, and SDK development environment. As of March 31, 2011, it had entered into cooperation agreements with approximately 523 handset companies to pre-install Maopao. The company was formerly known as Profit Star Limited and changed its name to Sky-Mobi Limited in October 2010. Sky-mobi Limited was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Hangzhou, China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wyatt Research Staff]

  MOBI hit another 52-week high of $12.15 late last week. The stock continues to surge on increasing volume. The latest advance in share price came after Oppenheimer upgraded the stock to "Outperform".

  Last week, the China-based internet portal and gaming provider giant Sohu.com (Nasdaq: SOHU), announced an advertising agreement with MOBI.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Texas Instruments Incorporated(TXN)

Texas Instruments Incorporated engages in the design and sale of semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers worldwide. The company?s Analog segment offers high-performance analog products comprising standard analog semiconductors, such as amplifiers, data converters, and interface semiconductors; high-volume analog and logic products; and power management semiconductors and line-powered systems. Its Embedded Processing segment includes DSPs that perform mathematical computations to process and enhance digital data; and microcontrollers, which are designed to control a set of specific tasks for electronic equipment. The company?s Wireless segment designs, manufactures, and sells application processors and connectivity products. Its Other segment offers smaller semiconductor products, which include DLP products that are primarily used in projectors to create high-definition images; and application-specific integrated circuits. This segment also provides handhe ld graphing and scientific calculators, as well as licenses technologies to other electronic companies. The company serves the communications, computing, industrial, consumer electronics, automotive, and education sectors. Texas Instruments Incorporated sells its products through a direct sales force, distributors, and third-party sales representatives. It has collaboration agreements with PLX Technology Inc.; Neonode, Inc.; and Ubiquisys Ltd. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Goodwin]  

  How do they make their money? TXN makes the PA Duplexer Module and the CDMA PA that goes into every iPhone. With a PEG ratio of 0.2 reveals huge discount compared to peers. This is a cash rich company and one I feel will be a strong performer within the next year.

KS Bancorp, Inc. Announced 2nd Quarter 2013 Financial Results (OTCBB:KSBI, OTCMKTS:CLNO)

KS Bancorp, Inc. (KSBI)

Today, KSBI remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $7.50 thus far (ref. google finance 9:49AM EDT July 23, 2013).

KS Bancorp, Inc. previously reported unaudited net income available to common shareholders of $200,000, or $.15 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2013, compared to a net income available to common shareholders of $86,000, or $.07 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2012. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Company reported net income available to common shareholders of $325,000, or $.25 per diluted share, compared to $314,000, or $.24 per diluted share, for the six months ended June 30, 2012

KS Bancorp, Inc. (KSBI) 5 day chart:

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO)

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (OTCMKTS:CLNO) (www.cleantechtransit.net ) through its Discovery Carbon subsidiary, develops emissions offset strategies for companies, municipalities, and countries. Today, CLNO has surged (+6.19%) up +0.014 at $.240 with 201,039 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:47AM EDT July 23, 2013), but don't let this get you down.

CLNO's daily range is at ($.251 – $.226) thus far and currently at $.240 would be considered a (+21718.18%) gain above the 52 wk low of $.0011. The stock is up +0.24 ( +10809.09%) since the concerning dates of January 25, 2013 – July 22, 2013. +10809.09% is the 6 month high and rightly so.

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO ) 5 day chart:

DoubleLine Bucks Commodity Conventional Wisdom

Speaking with Jeff from DoubleLine Capital quickly gets intense. No, not CEO and CIO Jeff Gundlach (although he’s intense in his own right), rather Jeff Sherman, portfolio manager for the firm’s commodities-based strategies.

The first question is obvious—DoubleLine has a commodity play? The fixed-income powerhouse and star manager status of Gundlach make it easy to overlook. But Sherman’s laid back appearance and California attitude quickly fades when he gets talking, and it’s clear his expertise is there.

“We jumped on the Japan trade early,” Sherman begins. “We extrapolated that to the United States, but of course that means shorting the yen. We also shorted silver when it hit about $40, and we also shorted copper because we believe a global slowdown is expressed through copper.”

Taking specific aim at those that mention commodities as if it were a “monolithic asset class” that expresses the same level of volatility at any given time, he adds that in order to be successful, a manager has to dig deeper, and yes, time the market.

“It’s what we get paid to do,” Sherman (left) argues. “Each is subject to its own supply-and-demand characteristics. Therefore a long/short strategy like we run is necessary.”

He mentions and dismisses Goldman Sachs’ notion of a commodity super cycle, a term widely discussed lately.

“They talked about a super cycle and diversification in the same breath,” he scoffs, before adding he doesn’t want to pick on Goldman specifically. “They are antithetical terms. Either you have a super cycle where all commodities move together, or they move independently and are diverse. You can’t have both.”

Calling it an “outright industrial metal revolution,” rather than a super cycle, he notes everyone is now flocking to agriculture due to “adverse weather extremes brought on by global warming, for lack of a better term.”

“You have to be opportunistic, therefore, with commodities,” before reiterating, “they must be timed.”

The long/short strategy to which he referred is dollar neutral, but not market neutral, because “we don’t know what ‘the market’ is, but the commodities performed exactly to what we expected with zero correlation.”

Ultimately, the goal of commodity-based investing is the same as anything else; to find different sources of return.

“Over the long term, do commodities provide a premium? No,” he concludes. “Long/short is the way to do it. Everyone now says they’re backing out of their long-only positions. With commodities, we don’t know what that means. We’re on the other side of those trades. It’s what we do.”

Lakshmi Vilas Bank raises over Rs 250 crore Tier-II Bonds

The size of the issue was Rs. 250 crore including option to retain over subscription. The bonds with combination of tenures of 6 years and 10 years offered a coupon rate of 11.40%. The issue of bonds was made for augmenting Tier-II capital for improving the Capital Adequacy Ratio and enhancing the long-term resources of the Bank.

LVB has a rich track record of 85 years of time tested presence and growth. The Bank has a wide network of 277 branches spread across 15 states and 1 Union territory, supported by 502 ATMs. LVB announced its quarterly results for the quarter ended 31st December 2011 on the 2nd February 2012, reflecting an Y-on-Y growth of 34% on total business which stood at Rs 22625 Cr as at 31st December 2011. Total deposits grew to Rs 13281 Cr (33.43%), with retail deposit growth of 45.93% and gross credit at Rs 9344 Cr grew Y-o-Y by 35%. Net profit for the quarter 31st December 2011 was up 10.35% at Rs 28.35 Cr and for the 9 months was up 11.2% at Rs 82.06 Cr.

 

Yelp Expands in Czech Republic - Analyst Blog

Yelp Inc. (YELP) recently expanded its presence in Eastern Europe. The online information service provider announced the availability of Yelp in Czech Republic, where residents can create accounts on Yelp.cz to post their views about local businesses and services.

Yelp's free application for Google's (GOOG) Android and Apple's (AAPL) iOS devices will be available to the Czechs. The company announced that free Yelp for business owners will also be available to the thriving business community in the Czech Republic.

Currently, Yelp.cz is available in Czech, English, Danish, Dutch, French, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, and Turkish languages. We believe that its availability in so many languages will provide significant competitive edge to Yelp against local players.

The Czech Republic is currently stuck in recession. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects growth to remain weak throughout 2013. However, the country's budget deficit is expected to fall from 4.4% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012 to 2.8% this year.

Although we believe that the expansion into Czech Republic will boost Yelp's customer base, the current sluggish macro-economic condition will not boost top-line growth in the near term.

Nevertheless, Yelp will continue to expand in the rapidly growing markets of Eastern Europe and Asia. This will help the company to offset sluggish growth in the domestic market. In the first quarter of 2013, the U.S. contributed 94.0% of the revenues, while the remaining came from international markets.

Currently, Yelp has a presence in 41 international markets. The company expects to continue to invest heavily in sales and marketing (up 50.0% year-over-year) to grow domestically and internationally. Yelp also expects to spend significantly on product development (up 75.0% year-over-year) to expand its platform in mobile applications.

Although we believe that this incremental spending will hurt profita! bility in the near term, the expanding product platform will help Yelp to capitalize on the significant growth opportunity from higher ad spending going forward. According to research firm Forrester, ad spending on mobile devices will represent 29% of total online ad spending in the U.S. by 2018.

Yelp's increasing mobile penetration (approximately 45.0% of all Yelp searches were through mobile) will help the company to better monetize the platform going forward. Additionally, Yelp's partnerships with Apple and Facebook (FB) and continuing international expansion are other positives going forward.

Currently, Yelp has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Why It’s Time to Pay Attention to Europe Again

It has been almost a year since European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi brought temporary respite to Europe's debt crisis by pledging to do "whatever it takes" to save the euro.

Since then, the situation in Europe has improved. Draghi's efforts helped reduce the financial risks associated with a breakdown of the European banking system and a breakup of the euro. In addition, over the past year, European governments have made some progress in bringing their budgets in line and in achieving some modest structural reforms .

But while the region's situation is better than it was a year ago, Europe is not out of the woods. Much of the job of restructuring European economies remains unfinished, fiscal deficit targets have slipped and there has been little progress on broader supranational issues such as banking integration or the pooling of sovereign debt. In short, the ECB's actions were palliative and not a cure.

So what does this mean for global investors? Here are three reasons to pay attention to Europe now: 

1. Concerns over the region's financial situation can still disrupt global markets. This was evident during the March crisis in Cyprus and recent coalition government wobbles in Greece and Portugal have already, at least temporarily, pushed up European bond yields. Worsening political instability in these two countries, or elsewhere in the region, could still hurt the 2013 rally .

2. Europe is unlikely to help foster global growth in the near term. Growth in Europe continues to contract, albeit at a slower pace than a year ago, with unemployment around a record high. While I expect European growth to improve somewhat by year's end, a region representing roughly 20% of the global economy stuck in neutral means global growth will continue to be soft for the foreseeable future.

3. US growth – particularly for the export sector – will continue to be negatively impacted by Europe. One big reason why US manufacturing has ! been slow lately is that Europe is buying fewer US exports. Unfortunately, the European political calendar, including important German elections in September, suggests that few of the region's issues will be tackled this year .

And until Europe either turns the economic corner or addresses its lingering structural problems, I remain cautious on the region's stocks even though they are cheap by most metrics and offer some long-term value. For now, I believe there are better near-term investing opportunities in other developed markets such as the United States and Japan.



Russ Koesterich, CFA, is the iShares Global Chief Investment Strategist and a regular contributor to theiShares Blog.  You can find more of his posts here.

Integrys Upgraded to Outperform - Analyst Blog

On Jul 5, 2013, we upgraded our recommendation on Integrys Energy Inc. (TEG) to Outperform from Neutral based on high-quality acquisitions and investments in the lucrative compressed natural gas ("CNG") market. The diversified energy holding company currently holds a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Why the Upgrade?

The primary drivers include the company's diligent efforts to promote its sales and marketing business. We believe Integrys Energy's persistent focus on this segment will help counter competitive pressure.

5 Best Oil Stocks For 2014

The company is well positioned to witness favorable earnings yet again in the upcoming quarter following a solid first quarter performance, which beat our expectation.

The successful completion of the Fox Energy Center acquisition is expected to be another catalyst for Integrys Energy's future growth. This endeavor will complement its long-term utility contract win from the Chicago government and help spur returns.

Of late, Integrys Energy has been branching out its operations to enhance its revenue stream. The company in a move to make the most of rising fuel demand, owing to increased truck activities, announced plans to add CNG fuel stations across 29 states in the U.S. Moreover, its emphasis on rate-based investments for the next three years will enable Integrys Energy to offer consistent high-quality services to its customer.

We believe these factors will allow the company to achieve its increased earnings goal of $3.25-$3.60 per share for 2013 from the prior range of $3.05-$3.55 per share.

The expected long-term earnings growth rate for Integrys Energy is set at 5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2013 represents projected year-over-year growth of 5.4% to $3.44 per share from $3.26 in 2012.

Other Stocks to Consider

Other utility oper! ators looking good at the moment are Zacks Ranked #2 (Buy) ALLETE Inc. (ALE), Avista Corp. (AVA) and Calpine Corp. (CPN).

5 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now

In the following video, Fool contributor Matt Thalman discusses which casino operator he thinks will benefit the most from a stronger Las Vegas economy.

While Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS  ) and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN  ) are both major players in Macau, MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM  ) is making a big push to grow its base in the Chinese gambling mecca, while it also has a massive footprint in Las Vegas, and the other two have a much lower room count. MGM owns a good portion of the Las Vegas Strip, and as we continue to see average daily hotel room rates rise for the city and increased gaming revenue for the strip, we will see MGM greatly benefit from a recovering American tourist industry and a stronger Las Vegas.

In addition, while Las Vegas Sands and Wynn have the big head starts in Macau, MGM will experience massive revenue and profit increases when it begins opening more properties in that location, while LVS and Wynn will only experience the organic, and slower, profit growth.

5 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: MGM Resorts International(MGM)

MGM Resorts International, through its subsidiaries, primarily owns and operates casino resorts in the United States. The company?s resorts offer gaming, hotel, dining, entertainment, retail, and other resort amenities. It also owns and operates golf courses and a golf club. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned and operated 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan; and has 50% investments in 4 other casino resorts in Nevada, Illinois, and Macau. In addition, MGM Resorts International has an agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates a casino resort in Connecticut, to carry the ?MGM Grand? brand name. The company was formerly known as MGM MIRAGE and changed its name to MGM Resorts International in June 2010. MGM Resorts International was founded in 1986 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hawkinvest]

  MGM Resorts International (MGM) is one of the world's largest hotel and casino companies, based in Las Vegas. Since December, MGM shares have been trading in a range of about $9, to almost $15 per share. The stock is now at the upper limit of the recent trading range which means that the risk of holding or buying this stock right now, could be elevated. MGM shares have rallied with the markets but appear extended and vulnerable to a sell-off. The company has a heavy debt load and it has been reporting losses. The balance sheet has about $13.45 billion in debt and only about $1.97 billion in cash. MGM could be impacted by higher oil prices because many consumers could cut back on spending if they go to Las Vegas, and some might decide not to go at all, and instead opt for a "staycation." With MGM facing challenges and the shares near recent highs, it could make sen se to sell now and buy on dips later this year.

  Here are some key points for MGM:

  Current share price: $14.18

  The 52 week range is $7.40 to $16.05

  Earnings estimates for 2011: a loss of 53 cents per share

  Earnings estimates for 2012: a loss of 39 cents per share

  Annual dividend: none

5 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Wynn Resorts Limited(WYNN)

Wynn Resorts, Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, ownership, and operation of destination casino resorts. The company owns and operates Wynn Las Vegas casino resort in Las Vegas, which includes approximately 22 food and beverage outlets comprising 5 dining restaurants; 2 nightclubs; 1 spa and salon; 1 Ferrari and Maserati automobile dealership; wedding chapels; an 18-hole golf course; meeting space; and foot retail promenade featuring boutiques. Wynn Las Vegas casino resort also features approximately 147 table games, 1 baccarat salon, private VIP gaming rooms, 1 poker room, 1,842 slot machines, and 1 race and sports book. It also owns and operates an Encore at Wynn Las Vegas resort, a destination casino resort located adjacent to Wynn Las Vegas that features a 2,034 all-suite hotel, as well as a casino with 95 table games, 1 sky casino, 1 baccarat salon, private VIP gaming rooms, and 778 slot machines. In addition, the company operates Wyn n Macau casino resort located in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People?s Republic of China. Wynn Macau casino resort features approximately 595 hotel rooms and suites, 410 table games, 935 slot machines, 1 poker room, 1 sky casino, 6 restaurants, 1 spa and salon, lounges, meeting facilities, and retail space featuring boutiques. Further, it operates Encore at Wynn Macau resort located adjacent to Wynn Macau. Encore at Wynn Macau resort features approximately 410 luxury suites and 4 villas, as well as casino gaming space, including a sky casino consisting of 60 table games and 80 slot machines, 2 restaurants, 1 luxury spa, and retail space. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeanine Poggi]

  Wynn Resorts'(WYNN) run up of more than 55% this year has caused Wall Street to question its valuation.

  Currently, eight analysts have a buy rating on Wynn, 16 say hold, two rate it underperform rating and one says to sell the stock.

  "With little on the growth horizon in the intermediate term, new competition from Cotai coming in 2011 and 2012 ... and the unclear timing of a true recovery in Las Vegas, we see few catalysts not yet priced-in to pull valuation higher than current levels," Bain wrote in a note following its third-quarter earnings report.

  During the quarter, Wynn lost $33.5 million, or 27 cents a share, compared with a profit of $34.2 million, or 28 cents, in the year-ago period. The loss was attributed to charges related to servicing its debt. On an adjusted basis, Wynn actually earned 39 cents, matching Wall Street's outlook.

  Total Revenue grew to $1 billion from $773.1 million, better than the $990.8 million analysts predicted.

  In Macau, Wynn reported a 50% surge in revenue to $671.4 million, while EBITDA was $198 million, up 54.5% from $128.2 million in the third quarter of 2009. Earlier in the year the company opened its $600 million Wynn Encore Macau, which added 414 rooms to the market.

  Looking ahead, Wynn expects to break ground on its Cotai development in early 2011. The $2 billion to $3 billion project is slated to open in 2015, and management said it would provide additional details following its fourth-quarter earnings report.

  In Las Vegas, CEO Steve Wynn says the Strip is on the road to recovery. "I believe we have seen the bottom in Las Vegas," he said during the company's third-quarter conference call. "I don't know how fast it is going to get better but it isn't going to get any worse."

  Las Vegas revenue inched up 3.1% to $334.5 million during the three-month period, and EBITDA grew 9.3% to $76.5 million.

  Wynn also issued a cash dividend of $8 a share payable on Dec. 7 to sharehold! ers of record on Nov. 23.

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Watch For 2014: Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.(PNK)

Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. owns, develops, and operates casinos, and related hospitality and entertainment facilities in the United States. It operates casinos, such as L'Auberge du Lac in Lake Charles, Louisiana; River City Casino and Lumiere Place in St. Louis, Missouri; Boomtown New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana; Belterra Casino Resort in Vevay, Indiana; Boomtown Bossier City in Bossier City, Louisiana; and Boomtown Reno in Reno, Nevada. The company also operates River Downs racetrack in southeast Cincinnati, Ohio. As of May 26, 2011, it operated seven casinos and one racetrack. The company was formerly known as Hollywood Park, Inc. and changed its name to Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. in February 2000. Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. was founded in 1935 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeanine Poggi]

  Pinnacle Entertainment(PNK) was the great transition story of 2010, with shares spiking about 45% this year.

  The regional casino operator's most impressive story has been in its gross margins, as management, under the leadership of new CEO Anthony Sanfilippo, is in the process of increasing the company's operating efficiencies and prudently allocating capital. Analysts believe Pinnacle is in the early stages of this process, and will continue to drive revenue growth.

  In its third quarter, Pinnacle reported a surprise profit of 10 cents a share on an adjusted basis, better than consensus estimates of a loss of 7 cents. Revenue grew 15% to $287.8 million, while property-level margins reached 23.4%, also ahead of forecasts.

  Last month, Pinnacle purchased Cincinnati's River Downs Racetrack for $45 million. The deal includes 155 acres, 35 of which are still undeveloped. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2011.

  This deal could generate significant returns in the event that Ohio decides to legalize video lottery terminals at racetracks, Santarelli said.

  Pinnacle is also in the process of looking for a buyer of its oceanfront land in Atlantic City, where it originally intended to build a $1.5 billion casino, before squelching plans. The casino operator bought the land in 2006 for $270 million from groups affiliated with Carl Icahn and later added another piece of land for $70 million.

  While the land's currently value is $38 million, Pinnacle insists it will not sell it on the cheap, holding out for the best deal.

  Pinnacle currently has $228 million in cash and $375 million of availability under its revolver.

5 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: (XTRN)

Las Vegas Railway Express Inc. focuses to re-establish a conventional passenger train service between the Las Vegas and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. It plans to establish a ?Vegas-style? passenger train service. The company is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

5 Best Casino Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Penn National Gaming Inc.(PENN)

Penn National Gaming, Inc. and its subsidiaries own and manage gaming and pari-mutuel properties in the United States. It operates approximately 27,000 gaming machines; 500 table games; and 2,000 hotel rooms in 23 facilities in 16 jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. The company was formerly known as PNRC Corp. and changed its name to Penn National Gaming, Inc. in 1994. Penn National Gaming, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Quickel]

  Penn National Gaming(PENN) squeaked past its guidance through improved cost controls, and investors praised its efforts.

  But expectations were low, and its upbeat outlook shouldn't be viewed as a message that regional markets are recovering. "Going forward, we project soft regional gaming revenue results over the next three to six months, as we do not expect to see a significant increase in consumer spending patterns given the uncertain economic environment," J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff wrote in a note.

  Penn National raised its full-year earnings guidance to $1.18 from $1.13 a share, and up its revenue outlook by $26 million to $2.44 billion from $2.41 billion.

  During the second quarter, the company earned $9.2 million, or 9 cents a share, compared with $28.5 million, or 27 cents, in the year-ago period. Excluding items, Penn actually earned 29 cents a share, a penny higher than estimates.

  Revenue rose 3% to $598.3 million, higher than the $597.1 million Wall Street projected. The upside was driven by both better revenues and margins and was generally broad-based across many properties, especially larger venues in Charlestown, Lawrenceburg and Grantville, Pa.

  Penn National rolled out table games in West Virginia and Pennsylvania during the quarter, which should be a growth catalyst moving forward. The company also plans to open a slot facility in Maryland on Sept. 30 and expects its Toldeo, Ohio, location to open in the first-half of 2012. Its Columbus project is slated to open in the second-half of 2012.

  The company repurchased 409,000 shares during the quarter. "[This] sends a message to investors on the value of its equity, but perhaps indicating the lack of near-term acquisition opportunities," J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff wrote in a note.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2014

As most everyone knows, Apple (AAPL) increased its dividend and stock buyback program on April 23. The dividend went from $2.65 to $3.05 per quarter or $12.20 per year. The company increased its share buyback program from $10 billion to $60 billion and plans for it to be completed by December 2015. By December 2015 the company will have returned $100 billion to shareholders which was about 26% of its market cap at the time of the announcement.

It is worthwhile to calculate the yearly "Rate of Return" or the combination of dividend yield and the decrease in shares outstanding that this program could achieve. Calculating the dividend yield is easy. At the current share price of $457 the shares yield is 2.7%.

Buyback Impact to Share Count

To determine the buyback portion of the "Rate of Return" one needs to adjust for how much of it will be used to offset the RSUs or Restricted Stock Units that are awarded to employees.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2014: Fluor Corporation(FLR)

Fluor Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management services worldwide. Its Oil & Gas segment offers design, engineering, procurement, construction, and project management services to upstream oil and gas production, downstream refining, chemicals, and petrochemicals industries. This segment also provides consulting services comprising feasibility studies, process assessment, and project finance structuring and studies. The company?s Industrial & Infrastructure segment offers design, engineering, procurement, and construction services to the transportation, wind power, mining and metals, life sciences, manufacturing, commercial and institutional, telecommunications, microelectronics, and healthcare sectors. Its Government segment provides engineering, construction, logistics support, contingency response, management, and operations services to the United States government focusing on the Departme nt of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense. The company?s Global Services segment offers operations and maintenance, small capital project engineering and execution, site equipment and tool services, industrial fleet services, plant turnaround services, temporary staffing services, and supply chain solutions. Its Power segment provides engineering, procurement, construction, program management, start-up and commissioning, and operations and maintenance services to the gas fueled, solid fueled, plant betterment, renewables, nuclear, and power services markets. The company also offers unionized management and construction services in the United States and Canada. Fluor Corporation was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2014: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras(PBR)

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. primarily engages in oil and natural gas exploration and production, refining, trade, and transportation businesses. The company?s Exploration and Production segment involves in the exploration, production, development, and production of oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas in Brazil. This segment supplies its products to the refineries in Brazil, as well as sells surplus petroleum and byproducts in domestic and foreign markets. Its Supply segment engages in the refining, logistics, transportation, and trade of oil and oil products; export of ethanol; and extraction and processing of schist, as well as holds interests in companies of the petrochemical sector in Brazil. The Gas and Energy segment involves in the transportation and trade of natural gas produced in or imported into Brazil; transportation and trade of LNG; and generation and trade of electric power. In addition, the segment has interests in natural gas transportation and d istribution companies; and thermoelectric power stations in Brazil, as well engages in fertilizer business. The Distribution segment distributes oil products, ethanol, and compressed natural gas in Brazil. The International segment involves in the exploration and production of oil and gas, as well as in supplying, gas and energy, and distribution operations in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Further, the company involves in biofuel production business. Petroleo Brasileiro was founded in 1953 and is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dave Friedman]

  Institutional investors bought 78,663,680 shares and sold 101,125,380 shares, for a net of -22,461,700 shares. This net represents 0.23% of common shares outstanding. The number of shares outstanding is 9,872,826,100. The shares recently traded at $27.61 and the company’s market capitalization is $170,178,700,000.00. About the company: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras explores for and produces oil and natural gas. The Company refines, markets, and supplies oil products. Petrobras operates oil tankers, distribution pipelines, marine, river and lake terminals, thermal power plants, fertilizer plants, and petrochemical units. The Company operates in South America and elsewhere around the world.

Best Canadian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Under Armour Inc.(UA)

Under Armour, Inc. develops, markets, and distributes performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youth primarily in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers products made from moisture-wicking synthetic fabrics designed to regulate body temperature and enhance performance regardless of weather conditions. The company provides its products in three fit types: compression (tight fitting), fitted (athletic cut), and loose (relaxed) extending across the sporting goods, outdoor, and active lifestyle markets. Its footwear offerings comprise football, baseball, lacrosse, softball, and soccer cleats; slides; performance training footwear; and running footwear. The company also provides baseball batting, football, golf, and running gloves, as well as licenses bags, socks, headwear, custom-molded mouth guards, and eyewear that are designed to be used and worn before, during, and after competition. Under Armour sells its products through retai l stores, as well as directly to consumers through its own retail outlets and specialty stores, Website, and catalogs. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenn]  

  Current Price: $27.27 12-month target: $37

  I see potential in opportunities for new product adjacencies, and expanding distribution worldwide. Footwear growth will continue to increase. Revenues for these products have increased over 69% in 2009. Adding to this I still see growth in Under Armour’s apparel sales, which are up 8%. Under Armor had yet to even break into the international market, which offers a plethora of new opportunities for this growing brand. I believe sales will rise drastically in 2010 driven by international sales, new women’s clothing line, and expansion within their own footwear line.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In 2014: Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(The)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides investment banking, securities, and investment management services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. Its Investment Banking segment offers financial advisory, including advisory assignments with respect to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense, risk management, restructurings, and spin-offs; and underwriting securities, loans and other financial instruments, and derivative transactions. The company?s Institutional Client Services segment provides client execution activities, such as fixed income, currency, and commodities client execution related to making markets in interest rate products, credit products, mortgages, currencies, and commodities; and equities related to making markets in equity products, as well as commissions and fees from executing and clearing institutional client transactions on stock, options, and fu tures exchanges. This segment also engages in the securities services business providing financing, securities lending, and other prime brokerage services to institutional clients, including hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, and foundations. Its Investing and Lending segment invests in debt securities, loans, public and private equity securities, real estate, consolidated investment entities, and power generation facilities. This segment also involves in the origination of loans to provide financing to clients. The company?s Investment Management segment provides investment management services and investment products to institutional and individual clients. This segment also offers wealth advisory services, including portfolio management and financial counseling, and brokerage and other transaction services to high-net-worth individuals and families. In addition, it provides global investment research services. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

How mREITs Make Money (And 2 Keys for a Stable Dividend)

Over the past few months, popular mREITs -- mortgage real estate investment trusts, that is -- have been pummeled in the markets.

For these mREITS, the market has ignored the rebounding real estate market, the explicit backing of Fannie Mae  (NASDAQOTCBB: FNMA  ) and Freddie Mac  (NASDAQOTCBB: FMCC  ) by the U.S. government, strong performances from mortgage originators this year, and the impressive dividends offered by leading companies like American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC  ) , CYS Investments (NYSE: CYS  ) , and Hatteras Financial (NYSE: HTSI  ) . 

To understand what's driving this sector ever lower, Motley Fool contributor Jay Jenkins dives into the most basic question for mREITs: How do they actually make money?

The answer is fundamentally simple, but the nuance becomes complex when analyzing the future of these company's dividends.

Make no mistake, dividend stocks can make you rich. It's as simple as that. But only if they will pay out over the long term. As mREITs struggle to maintain earnings sufficient to pay the dividend, there are other opportunities in the market to grow your investment income portfolio. And with stability over the long term, the compounding effect of the quarterly payouts, as well as their growth, adds up faster than most investors imagine. With this in mind, our analysts sat down to identify the absolute best of the best when it comes to rock-solid dividend stocks, drawing up a list in this free report of nine that fit the bill. To discover the identities of these companies before the rest of the market catches on, you can download this valuable free report by simply clicking here now.

Top Companies To Buy Right Now

Kilroy Realty Maintains Dividend at $0.35

Real estate investment trust Kilroy Realty  (NYSE: KRC  )  announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.35 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2009.

The board of directors said the quarterly dividend is payable on July 17 to the holders of record at the close of business on June 28. The REIT has made a quarterly payout every year since 1997.

The board also declared dividends for its two classes of preferred shares. On the 6.875% Series G cumulative redeemable preferred stock it will pay a dividend of $0.4296875 per share. For the 6.375% Series H cumulative redeemable preferred stock Kilroy will pay a dividend of $0.3984375 per share. Both preferred dividends will be payable on August 15 to shareholders of record on July 31.

The regular dividend payment equates to a $1.40-per-share annual dividend, yielding 2.4% based on the closing price of Kilroy Realty's stock on May 23.

KRC Dividend data by YCharts

Top 5 Warren Buffett Companies To Watch In Right Now

Warren Buffett has been nothing short of a master dealmaker for the better part of five decades now. Through a disciplined approach that stresses the understanding of a company's fundamental business model, as well as buying and holding businesses, not stocks, over a very long period of time, Buffett has played Wall Street like a violin.

Dating back to 1970, Buffett's holding company, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) (NYSE: BRK-B  ) , has not once in 43 years had its five-year average gain in book value per share underperform the average five-year performance of the S&P 500. I can't even begin to describe how phenomenal that is, given the multiple recessions we've endured as a country.

It might just be safe to say that Warren Buffett knows a thing or two about investing and buying undervalued companies. Some of his latest purchases include railroad BNSF, which gives Berkshire exposure to consumer-goods and petroleum shipping, Heinz (through a partnered buyout with 3G Capital), which adds a strong consumer-condiments brand to Buffett's portfolio, and NV Energy, a Las Vegas energy provider that Buffett's energy subsidiary MidAmerican will probably use to expand its alternative-energy platform.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Companies To Watch In Right Now: ENDEAVOUR INTL CORP COM STK USD0.001(ENDV.L)

Endeavour International Corporation, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, development, exploration, and production of crude oil and natural gas. The company holds interest in the Alba, Bittern, and Enoch producing fields, as well as focuses on developing the Bacchus, Rochelle, and Columbus fields in the United Kingdom. It also has interests in various resource plays, including established areas, such as the Haynesville and Marcellus; and developing areas comprising Heath Shale oil play located in Montana, the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the company had estimated proved reserves of 22.7 million barrels of oil equivalent. Endeavour International Corporation was founded in 2000 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Companies To Watch In Right Now: Newport Corporation(NEWP)

Newport Corporation and its subsidiaries provide technology products and systems to scientific research, microelectronics, aerospace and defense/security, life and health sciences, and industrial markets in the United States, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. The company operates in three divisions: Photonics and Precision Technologies (PPT), Lasers, and Ophir. The PPT division provides photonics instruments and systems; vibration isolation systems and subsystems; precision positioning devices, systems, and subsystems; optics and optical hardware; opto-mechanical subassemblies and subsystems; and advanced manufacturing systems. It also offers automated systems for various applications in the manufacture of solar panels, and communications and electronic devices, including microwave, optical, radio frequency, and multi-chip modules. The Lasers division provides laser and laser-based system, such as ultrafast lasers and systems, diode-pumped solid state Q-switched lasers, diode-p umped solid state continuous wave (CW) and quasi-CW lasers, pulsed Nd:YAG and tunable lasers, and gas lasers. The Ophir division offers optics, photonics instruments, and three-dimensional non-contact measurement equipment and sensors. It also provides laser instrumentation, including laser power and energy meters, and laser beam profilers. This division serves the scientific research, microelectronics, aerospace, defense/security, life and health sciences, and industrial markets. The company offers its products under the ILX Lightwave, New Focus, Newport, Ophir, Optimet, Oriel Instruments, Richardson Gratings, Spiricon, and Spectra-Physics names. It sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and end-user customers through direct sales organizations, a network of independent distributors, and sales representatives, as well as through product catalogs and Web sites. Newport Corporation was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Best Medical Companies To Watch In Right Now: Dyesol Ltd(DYE.AX)

Dyesol Limited engages in the industrialization and commercialization of dye solar cell technology. The company offers a range of products and services comprising materials, consulting, research and development, collaborative product development, licensing, training, turnkey manufacturing, and laboratory solutions. It also provides manufacturing and testing equipment, such as test cell assembly machines, electrolyte filling machines, dye applicators, dye profiling machines, electrolyte sealers, universal photovoltaic test systems, and light soaking chambers. In addition, the company offers belt ovens, batch furnaces and dryers; laser cutting and scribing systems; and deposition systems, including screen printing, doctor blading, and roller printing. Further, it provides sensitising dyes, titania pastes and counter electrode pastes/solutions, electrolytes for outdoor and indoor applications, sealants for use in flexible and rigid devices, and components and substrates for r eproducibility. The company primarily operates in Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America. Dyesol Limited was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Queanbeyan, Australia.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Companies To Watch In Right Now: Heelys Inc.(HLYS)

Heelys, Inc., through its subsidiary, Heeling Sports Limited, designs, markets, and distributes action sports-inspired products under the HEELYS brand to the youth market. It primarily offers HEELYS-wheeled footwear, a dual-purpose footwear that incorporates a stealth and removable wheel in the heel, and allows the user to seamlessly transition from walking or running to rolling by shifting weight to the heel. The company also offers Nano inline footboard and branded accessories, such as replacement wheels. It distributes its products directly, as well as through international wholesale distributors to retail stores in the United States internationally. The company was formerly known as Heeling, Inc. and changed its name to Heelys, Inc. in August 2006. Heelys, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Companies To Watch In Right Now: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (MTU)

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFJ), incorporated on April 2, 2001, is a holding company for The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (BTMU), Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation (MUTB), Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings Co., Ltd. (MUSHD), Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd.( MUMSS), Mitsubishi UFJ NICOS Co., Ltd. (Mitsubishi UFJ NICOS) and other companies engaged in a range of financial businesses. Its services include commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, leasing and fields of financial services. In May 2010, the Company and Morgan Stanley formed two joint ventures in Japan by integrating our respective Japanese securities companies engaged in investment banking and securities businesses. The Company converted the wholesale and retail securities businesses conducted in Japan by the former MUS into one of the joint venture entities, which is named MUMSS. Morgan Stanley contributed the investment banking operations conducted in Japan by its formerly wholly owned subsidiary, Morgan Stanley Japan Securities Co., Ltd. (MSJS) into MUMSS and converted the sales and trading and capital markets businesses conducted in Japan by MSJS into a second joint venture entity called Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities, Co., Ltd.

Integrated Retail Banking Business Group

The Integrated Retail Banking Business Group covers all domestic retail businesses, including commercial banking, trust banking and securities businesses, and enables the Company to offer a range of banking products and services, including financial consulting services, to retail customers in Japan. This business group integrates the retail business of BTMU, MUTB and MUMSS, as well as retail product development, promotion and marketing in a single management structure. Many of its retail services are offered through its network of MUFG Plazas providing individual customers with access to its financial product offerings of integrated commercial b! anking, trust banking and securities services.

The Company offers a range of bank deposit products, including a non-interest-bearing deposit account that is redeemable on demand and intended for payment and settlement functions, and is insured without a maximum amount limitation. It also offers a variety of asset management and asset administration services to individuals, including savings instruments, such as current accounts, ordinary deposits, time deposits, deposits at notice and other deposit facilities. MUFJ also offers trust products, such as loan trusts and money trusts, and other investment products, such as investment trusts, performance-based money trusts and foreign currency deposits.

The Company creates portfolios by combining savings instruments and investment products. It also provide a range of asset management and asset administration products, as well as customized trust products for high-net-worth individuals, as well as advisory services relating to the purchase and disposal of real estate and effective land utilization, and testamentary trusts. The Company provides a varied line up of investment trust products allowing its customers to choose products according to their investment needs through BTMU, MUTB and MUMSS, as well as kabu.com Securities, which specializes in online financial services. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010, BTMU offered a total of five investment trusts. As of the end of March 2010, BTMU offered its clients a total of 73 investment trusts.

The Company offers securities, including publicly offered stocks, foreign and domestic investment trusts, Japanese government bonds, foreign bonds and various other products. The Company offers housing loans, card loans and other loans to individuals. With respect to housing loans, in addition to housing loans incorporating health insurance for seven major illnesses, BTMU began offering in June 2009 preferential interest rates under its Environmentally Friendly Support program ! to custom! ers who purchase environment-conscious houses (like houses with solar electric systems), which meet specific criteria in response to increasing public interest in environmental issues. In September 2009, BTMU launched housing loans with home mortgage insurance, which BTMU jointly developed with the Japan Housing Finance Agency, a governmental agency under the Japanese government�� economic stimulus measures, under which the agency indemnifies BTMU for losses from housing loans.

The Company offers products and services through a range of channels, including branches, automated teller machines (ATMs) (including convenience store ATMs shared by multiple banks), Mitsubishi-Tokyo UFJ Direct (telephone, Internet and mobile phone banking), the Video Counter and postal mail. It offers integrated financial services combining its banking, trust banking and securities services at MUFG Plazas. These Plazas provide retail customers with integrated and flexible suite of services at one-stop outlets. As of March 31 2010, the Company provided those services through 47 MUFG Plazas. The Company offers MUTB�� trust related products and advisory services through its trust agency system not only for MUTB customers but also for BTMU and MUMSS customers. As of March 31, 2010, BTMU engaged in eight businesses as the trust banking agent for MUTB: testamentary trusts, inheritance management, asset succession planning, inheritance management agency operations, business management financial consulting, lifetime gift trusts, share disposal trusts, and marketable securities administration trusts.

Integrated Corporate Banking Business Group

The Integrated Corporate Banking Business Group covers all domestic and overseas corporate businesses, including commercial banking, investment banking, trust banking and securities businesses, as well as UnionBanCal Corporation (UNBC). UNBC is a wholly owned subsidiary of BTMU and a US bank holding company with Union Bank being its primary subsidiary. T! he Compan! y provides various financial solutions, such as loans and fund management, remittance and foreign exchange services. It also helps its customers develop business strategies, such as inheritance-related business transfers and stock listings.

It offers advanced financial solutions to companies through corporate and investment banking services. Product specialists globally provide derivatives, securitization, syndicated loans, structured finance and other services. It also provides investment banking services, such as merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory, bond and equity underwriting. It provides online banking services that allow customers to make domestic and overseas remittances electronically. It also provides a global cash pooling/netting service, and the Treasury Station, a fund management system for a multi-company group. The Company�� global Corporate and Investment Banking business (Global CIB), primarily serves companies, financial institutions, and sovereign and multinational organizations with a set of solutions for their financing needs.

Integrated Trust Assets Business Group

The Integrated Trust Assets Business Group covers asset management and administration services for products, such as pension trusts and security trusts by integrating the trust banking expertise of MUTB and the international strengths of BTMU. The business group provides a range of services to corporate and pension funds, including stable and secure pension fund management and administration, advice on pension schemes, and payment of benefits to scheme members. Its Integrated Trust Assets Business Group combines MUTB�� trust assets business, comprising trust assets management services, asset administration and custodial services, and the businesses of Mitsubishi UFJ Global Custody S.A., Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co., Ltd. and KOKUSAI Asset Management Co., Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Mitsubishi UFJ Financial (NYSE:MTU) is a Japanese holding company mainly engaged in the banking business. Mitsubishi Financial has posted a gain of 11% since this time last year. MTU stock gets a “B” grade for operating margin growth, a “B” grade for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past months, and an “A” grade for cash flow.

Consolidated Communications Holdings Earnings Are on Deck

Consolidated Communications Holdings (Nasdaq: CNSL  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on May 9. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Consolidated Communications Holdings's revenues will increase 68.2% and EPS will wither -17.6%.

The average estimate for revenue is $157.1 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.14.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Consolidated Communications Holdings reported revenue of $160.1 million. GAAP reported sales were 71% higher than the prior-year quarter's $93.7 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Last quarter, non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.20. GAAP EPS of $0.03 for Q4 were 88% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.26 per share.

Top 10 Dividend Companies To Buy For 2014

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 61.4%, 80 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 13.8%, 300 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 0.9%, 750 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $621.3 million. The average EPS estimate is $0.68.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 68 members out of 78 rating the stock outperform, and 10 members rating it underperform. Among 20 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 19 give Consolidated Communications Holdings a green thumbs-up, and one give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Consolidated Communications Holdings is outperform, with an average price target of $17.00.

Can your portfolio provide you with enough income to last through retirement? You'll need more than Consolidated Communications Holdings. Learn how to maximize your investment income and "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks." Click here for instant access to this free report.

Add Consolidated Communications Holdings to My Watchlist.

Kimberly-Clark Reports First-Quarter Earnings

Consumer products manufacturer Kimberly-Clark  (NYSE: KMB  )  reported first-quarter earnings today that came in $0.02 short of consensus estimates while generally meeting top-line expectations.

Kimberly-Clark recorded revenues of $5.32 billion in the quarter that ended March 31, a 1.5% increase over last year's $5.24 billion, and pretty much in line with Wall Street's estimates of $5.36 billion. On the bottom line, the company generated $531 million, or $1.36 per share, up 15% from the year-ago figure but just shy of the $1.38-per-share estimate on a GAAP basis.

On an adjusted basis, however, excluding charges for costs related to its pulp and tissue restructuring actions, earnings per share were $1.48, a first-quarter record. Last year the company undertook changes to its consumer and professional businesses in western and central Europe where it will exit the diaper business while divesting or exiting some lower-margin businesses, mostly in the consumer tissue market. Italy's diaper business will remain unaffected.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now

Kimberly-Clark chairman and CEO Thomas J. Falk believes the consumer products company is off to a good start for the year, and noted, "As a result of our strong first quarter performance, we are raising our full-year outlook for adjusted earnings per share while we continue to invest for long-term success.  We are optimistic about our plans and believe that execution of our global business plan strategies will generate attractive returns to shareholders."

Kimberly-Clark now anticipates adjusted earnings for 2013 to be $5.60 to $5.75 per share, up 7% to 10% compared to adjusted earnings per share of $5.25 in 2012. It previously targeted adjusted per-share earnings of $5.50 to $5.65 for 2013.

In the first quarter, personal care segment sales rose 1% and were up 3% organically, while consumer tissue sales were up 4%. Both segments rose as a result of rising volumes and improved pricing, offset in part by the European changes noted above. Its K-C professional segment saw sales fall both here and abroad, and the health care division suffered a 2% decline in sales as higher manufacturing costs and increased expenses pushed the business lower.

link

Warren Buffett’s Purchase of The Washington Post Company

Top Low Price Stocks To Own For 2014