New products introduced over the last week include a new small-cap dividend growth fund from WisdomTree and a new odd-lot fixed income pricing service from BondDesk and S&P Capital IQ. In addition, Direxion announced reverse and forward share splits for nine of its ETFs, and Allianz Global Investors said it will develop a global emerging market debt capability.
Here are the latest developments of interest to advisors:
1) WisdomTree Launches U.S. SmallCap Dividend Growth Fund
WisdomTree announced Thursday the launch of the WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Dividend Growth Fund (DGRS), designed to provide exposure to small-cap dividend-paying stocks with growth characteristics; it has an expense ratio of 0.38%.
DGRS seeks to offer a diversified basket of small-cap dividend-paying securities with growth characteristics; differentiated exposure from traditional dividend funds; greater exposure to cyclical sectors leveraged to an improving U.S. economy, versus more defensive sectors; having at annual index rebalance a single stock cap of 2% and a sector cap of 25%.
Top 5 Defense Companies To Own In Right Now: Bunge Limited(BG)
Bunge Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the agriculture and food businesses worldwide. Its Agribusiness segment is involved in purchasing, storing, transporting, processing, and selling agricultural commodities and commodity products, such as oilseeds and grains, primarily comprising soybeans, rapeseed or canola, sunflower seed, wheat, and corn. This segment serves animal feed manufacturers, wheat and corn millers, third party edible oil processing companies, and other oilseed processors, as well as livestock, poultry, and aquaculture producers. The company?s Sugar and Bioenergy segment produces and sells sugar and ethanol; generates electricity from burning sugarcane bagasse; and trades and merchandises sugar. As of December 31, 2011, this segment had a total installed capacity of approximately 144 megawatts; and sugarcane plantations of approximately 183,000 hectares under cultivation. Its Edible Oil Products segment offers packaged vegetable, including pack aged and bulk oils, shortenings, margarines, mayonnaise, and other products to baked goods companies, snack food producers, restaurant chains, foodservice distributors, and other food manufacturers. The company?s Milling Products segment produces and sells various wheat flours and bakery mixes; corn-based products; corn milling products primarily comprising dry milled corn meals, flours, and grits, as well as soy-fortified corn meal and corn-soy blend; and packaged milled rice. This segment serves industrial, bakery, and foodservice companies; and companies in food processing sector. Its Fertilizer segment produces, blends, and distributes nitrogen, phosphate, and potash formulations used for the cultivation of soybeans, corn, sugarcane, cotton, wheat, and coffee. This segment also produces single super phosphate; and ammonia, urea, and liquid fertilizers for the agriculture industry. Bunge Limited was founded in 1818 and is headquartered in White Plains, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Maxx Chatsko]
That missing production is a slight blow in the short term. SRN was only going to contribute 2,500 MT of oils by the end of 2014 and, if expanded further, only 25,000 MT. By contrast, Solazyme will capture much larger production volumes with its partner Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE: ADM ) and in its joint venture with Bunge (NYSE: BG )
- [By David Sterman]
He subsequently closed that position with a nice profit, and he should now check out rival Bunge (NYSE: BG), which in my view, holds better value. (I'll have more to say about Bunge in a separate column in coming weeks).
- [By Rich Duprey]
Now both Bunge (NYSE: BG ) and Cargill, the biggest U.S. grain exporter,�have said they will refuse to accept Syngenta's latest crop of GM corn for export because it will be rejected by China. Although the seeds containing the�Agrisure Duracade trait were approved for planting by the FDA last year, making this year's crop the first containing them, it hasn't been approved by Europe or China. In December, China refused�acceptance of 665,000 metric tons of corn and byproducts because it tested positive for the presence of MIR162, or Agrisure Viptera,�a genetically modified�insecticide not approved for import.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCAM)
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is an international automotive company. The Company is engaged in designing, engineering, manufacturing, distributing and selling vehicles and components and production systems. The Company operates in approximately 40 countries and its products are sold directly or through distributors and dealers in more than 150 countries. It designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes and sells vehicles for the mass market under the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia and Ram brands and the SRT performance vehicle designation. It operates in six segments: four regional mass-market vehicle segments, which include United States, Canada and Mexico (NAFTA), South and Central America, excluding Mexico (LATAM), Asia and Pacific countries (APAC) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), a global Luxury Brands segment, and a global Components segment.
The Company support its vehicle sales with after-sales services and products worldwide under the Mopar brand and, in certain markets, with retail and dealer financing, leasing and rental services, which it makes available through its subsidiaries, joint ventures and commercial arrangements. The Company designs, engineers, manufactures, distribute and sell luxury vehicles under the Ferrari and Maserati brands, which it support with financial services provided to dealers and retail customers. It also operates in the components and production systems sectors through the Magneti Marelli, Teksid and Comau brands.
The Company�� four regional mass-market vehicle reportable segments deal with the design, engineering, development, manufacturing, distribution and sale of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and related parts and services in specific geographic areas: NAFTA, LATAM, APAC and EMEA. It also operates on a global basis in the luxury vehicle and components sectors. In the luxury vehicle sector, it has the operating segments Ferrari and Maserati, while in the components se! ctor the Company has the operating segments Magneti Marelli, Teksid and Comau. The Company supports its mass-market vehicle sales with the sale of related service parts and accessories, as well as service contracts under the Mopar brand name.
The Company�� NAFTA operations supports distribution and sales of mass-market vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico, primarily through the Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram brands. Its LATAM operations support the distribution and sale of mass-market vehicles in South and Central America (excluding Mexico), primarily under the Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram brands, with the focus of its business in the LATAM segment in Brazil and Argentina. Its APAC operations supports the distribution and sale of mass-market vehicles in the Asia Pacific region (mostly in China, Japan, Australia, South Korea and India), primarily under the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Jeep brands. Its EMEA operations support the distribution and sale of mass-market vehicles in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, primarily under the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep and Lancia brand names. Its Luxury Brands designs, engineering��, develops, manufacturing, worldwide distribution and sale of luxury vehicles under the Ferrari and Maserati brands, management of the Ferrari racing team and supply of financial services offered in conjunction with the sale of Ferrari-branded vehicles. Its Components is engaged in production and sale of lighting components, engine control units, suspensions, shock absorbers, electronic systems, and exhaust systems and activities in powertrain (engine and transmissions) components, engine control units, plastic molding components and in the after-market carried out under the Magneti Marelli brand name; cast iron components for engines, gearboxes, transmissions and suspension systems, and aluminum cylinder heads under the Teksid brand name; and design and production of industrial automation systems ! and relat! ed products for the automotive industry under the Comau brand name.
The Company designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes and sells vehicles and service parts under 11 mass-market brands and designations. As of December 31, 2013, it has 50 parts distribution centers throughout the world to support its customer care efforts in each of its regions. The Company�� Mopar brand accessories allow its customers to customize their vehicles by including after-market sales of products from side steps and lift-kits, to graphics packages, such as racing stripes, and custom leather interiors. The Company sells mass-market vehicles in all segments of the passenger car and truck markets. Its passenger car product portfolio includes vehicles such as the iconic Fiat 500 (which has sold more than 1 million units globally since its launch in 2007), Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 200 and Lancia Ypsilon. Its light commercial vehicles include vans such as the Fiat Professional Doblo, Fiat Professional Ducato and Ram ProMaster, and light and heavy-duty pick-up trucks such as the Ram 1500 and 2500/3500. The Company also sells SUVs and CUVs in a number of vehicle segments, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, including expanding into the small SUV segment market with the recently-unveiled Jeep Renegade.
The Company sells components and production systems under Magneti Marelli, Teksid and Comau brands. Magneti Marelli is engaged in designs and productions of automotive systems and components. Through Magneti Marelli, it designs and manufactures automotive lighting systems, powertrain (engines and transmissions) components and engine control unit, electronic systems, suspension systems and exhaust systems, and plastic components and modules. The Teksid brand is engaged in the production of grey and nodular iron castings. Under the Teksid brand it produces engine blocks, cylinder heads, engine components, transmission parts, gearboxes and suspensions. Through Teksid Aluminum, it is also in! volved in! the production of aluminum cylinder heads and engine components.
Comau produces advanced manufacturing systems through an international network. Comau operates primarily in the field of integrated automation technology, delivering advanced turnkey systems to its customers. Through Comau, it develops and sells a range of industrial applications, including robotics, while it provides support service, including training to customers. Comau�� principal activities include powertrain machining (from raw material to final components); mechanical assembly systems and performance testing; body welding and assembly systems, and robotics (producing versatile naked or in line robots, aimed at improving efficiency of manufacturing and quality of products manufactured). Comau�� automation technology is used in a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, petrochemical, military, shipbuilding and energy efficiency consultancy. Comau also provides maintenance service for the Company and other customers in Brazil.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Valdes-Dapena]
There are Russian, French and Asian cars on the roads of Havana, she said, and they're usually much newer than and in better shape than these American models, but it's clearly General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler (FCAM) products for which people have the most affection.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: Powershares Dynamic Leisure And Entertainment Portfolio (PEJ)
PowerShares Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex Index (the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex). The Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex consists of stocks of 30 United States leisure and entertainment companies. These are companies that are principally engaged in the design, production or distribution of goods or services in the leisure and entertainment industries. These companies may include companies that provide goods or services, including television and radio broadcast or manufacture (including cable television); motion pictures and photography; recordings and musical instruments; publishing, including newspapers and magazines; sporting goods and camping and recreational equipment; toys and games, including video and other electronic games; amusement and theme parks; travel and travel-related services; leisure apparel or footwear, and owners and operators of sports arenas and gaming casinos, hotels and motels. Stocks are selected principally on the basis of their capital appreciation potential as identified by the AMEX (the Intellidex Provider) pursuant to its Intellidex methodology.
The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks of leisure companies and entertainment companies. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex. The Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex is adjusted quarterly, and the Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate the performance of the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex. The Fund generally will invest in all of the stocks comprising the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex in proportion to their weightings in the Leisure and Entertainment Intellidex. The Fund�� investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
The shares of small cap IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) have slipped more than 10% this week on growth concerns - meaning it might be a good idea to take a closer look at the stock plus its performance�verses other cinema stocks like Carmike Cinemas, Inc (NASDAQ: CKEC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) along with the PowerShares Dynamic Leisure & Entertainment ETF�(NYSEARCA: PEJ).
- [By Mary Anne & Pamela Aden]
So, for now, the US stock market is the best overall market. So continue holding the stocks you have, which are mostly doing very well. If you want to buy new positions and increase your stock allocation, the following ETFs are among the strongest ETFs, and we recommend them for purchase: SPDR KBW Bank (KBE)
Consumer Discretionary SPDR (XLY)
Merrill Lynch Retail HOLDRS (RTH)
iShares Dow Jones US Financial Service (IYG)
PowerShares Dynamic Leisure & Entertainment (PEJ)
Subscribe to The Aden Forecast here��/P>
- [By John Udovich]
Labor Day weekend is coming and if you have travel plans, you might be making a stop at a facility owned by small cap TravelCenters of America LLC (NYSE: TA) which is also worth taking a closer look at from an investment standpoint along with the PowerShares Dynamic Leisure and Entertainment ETF (NYSEARCA: PEJ) and iShares Dow Jones Transportation Average ETF (NYSEARCA: IYT).
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: Papa John's International Inc.(PZZA)
Papa John?s International, Inc. operates and franchises pizza delivery and carryout restaurants under the Papa John?s trademark worldwide. The company also operates dine-in and restaurant-based delivery restaurants in certain international markets. As of December 25, 2011, the company operated 3,883 Papa John?s restaurants consisting of 628 company-owned and 3,255 franchised restaurants in 50 states of the United States and 32 countries. Papa John?s International, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
AP It's OK to say that Pizza Hut is full of hot air when it comes to its latest marketing move. It almost certainly won't mind. Yum! Brands' (YUM) iconic Pizza Hut introduced a new crust for its hand-tossed pizzas on Thursday. Instead of stuffing crusts with various types of cheese or even pepperoni as it has done in the past, Pizza Hut is promoting the fact that its new hand-tossed pizzas now feature a more airy texture. Pumping more air into the dough is supposed to give the pies less of a cookie-cutter appearance, an unusual choice among chains that sell themselves on their consistency. Every snowflake is unique, but every chain order is supposed to be uniform across the various locations. It's what customers expect. However, just as the term "hand-tossed" conveys a personal touch, having a few more air pockets in the pizzas should generate some retro charm akin to an indie pizzeria. So Pizza Hut is proud of the "noticeable imperfections" of the new pies. It's not that big of a gamble. The rest of Pizza Hut's menu options will remain the same. If this move doesn't "pan" out, it can be quickly replaced with the next evolutionary step of crust stuffing in the pizza giant's playbook. Pizza Hut doesn't stand still, even if it's odd to find it stuffing its pies with air. Pizza Hut is Bigger Than You Think There are more than 14,000 Pizza Hut locations across 100 different countries, making the chain a major component of the Yum! Brands family that also includes Taco Bell and KFC. It could also use a boost. Comparable-store sales at domestic Pizza Hut locations slipped 1 percent in Yum! Brands' latest quarter. These are competitive times, and for Pizza Hut, the challenge now is about more than beefing up its delivery business to compete with Papa John's (PZZA) and Domino's (DPZ), which seem to always have some ridiculous price promotion going on. (This is a business that has become cutthroat enough that Pizza Hut even feels the need to explicitly offer f
- [By Sophia Yan]
Oher food chains have been caught up in the scandal, including Yum Brands (YUM), which operates KFC and Pizza Hut in China, Burger King (BKW), Papa John's (PZZA) and Starbucks (SBUX).
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: Stevia First Corp (STVF)
Stevia First Corp. , formerly Legend Mining Inc., incorporated on June 29, 2007, is a development-stage company. It is an agricultural biotechnology company. The Company is engaged in the cultivation and harvest of stevia leaf and the development of stevia products. As of March 31, 2012, the Company had not generated any revenues.
The Company focuses on the process of stevia production from plant breeding through propagation, planting, cultivation, and harvesting, and developing, marketing, and selling stevia products. It also focuses on developing operations that will include stevia tissue culture, laboratory propagation, farming, and cultivation of stevia leaf. Stevia, is a plant from the chrysanthemum family. Stevia is a sweetener in its raw, unprocessed form. The small green plant�� leaves have a taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar.
The Company competes with Cargill, Incorporated, PureCircle, Blue California, Corn Products International, GLG Life Tech Corp., McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, Sunwin USA, L.L.C., Sweet Green Fields L.L.C., Whole Earth Sweetener Co. L.L.C., Wisdom Natural Brands and &W Seed Company.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Glenwoods]
Cargill and Evolva are not the only companies developing stevia via a fermentation-based process. Stevia First Corp. (OTCMKTS:STVF), an early-stage agribusiness based in California's Central Valley, with its sights on being the first vertically integrated stevia company, has been developing its own stevia microbial fermentation-based process (through a license by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre of Canada).� Recently the company announced its "Beyond Reb A" research program, aimed at producing not only Reb A, but also Reb D and Reb X, two glycosides found in small amounts in the stevia leaves that have been identified as the next-generation of stevia sweeteners.� �
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: Saks Incorporated(SKS)
Saks Incorporated operates retail stores in the United States. Its stores offer an assortment of fashion apparel, shoes, accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, and gifts. The company operates stores under the brand name of Saks Fifth Avenue (SFA) that are principally free-standing stores in shopping destinations or anchor stores in upscale regional malls. It also operates Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH (OFF 5TH) stores, which are primarily located in upscale mixed-use and off-price centers. As of January 28, 2012, the company operated 46 SFA stores; and 60 OFF 5TH stores. Saks Incorporated also sells its products online at saks.com, as well as through catalogs. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tamara Rutter]
Canadian-based Hudson's Bay has announced that it will purchase luxury retailer Saks (NYSE: SKS ) for $16 per share in a deal valued at $2.9 billion. The appeal here for Hudson's Bay is interest in Saks' high-end real estate. In fact, the department store chain's Fifth Avenue Manhattan�address alone is worth an estimated $805 million, according to Deborah Weinswig of Citigroup.
- [By Paul Ausick]
The only earnings reports of note since last Friday came from Saks Inc. (NYSE: SKS) which is trading down 0.2% at $15.99.
Before markets open Tuesday morning we are scheduled to hear results from Perfect World Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN), Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) which announced a new video app today, Best Buy Co. Inc (NYSE: BBY) which is included in our preview of this week�� results from retailers, Dick�� Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS), Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP), and Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL).
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: Natural Grocers By Vitamin Cottage Inc (NGVC)
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., incorporated on April 9, 2012, is a specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements. The Company operates within the natural products retail industry. The Company offers products and brands, including a selection of natural and organic food, dietary supplements, body care products, pet care products and books.
The Company offers its customers an average of approximately 18,000 store-keeping units (SKUs) of natural and organic products per store, including an average of approximately 7,000 SKU of dietary supplements. As of June 30, 2012, the Company operated 55 stores in 11 states, including Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as a bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center in Colorado. The size of its stores varies from 5,000 selling square feet to 14,500 selling square feet, and a new store averages 9,500 selling square feet.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Small cap Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE: NGVC) and mid cap Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (NASDAQ: SFM) are taking aim at natural and organic foods supermarket giant Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM), but do either of these stocks have what it takes to take on the the king of organic retailing? Whole Foods Market was founded in Austin way back in 1978 by a�twenty-five year old college dropout and a twenty-one year old�at a time when there were only a handful of natural or organic�supermarkets in the country. Today, Whole Foods Market�has 364 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom���which are sometimes referred to as ��hole Wallet��r ��hole Paycheck��given how much it costs to shop there.
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