U.S. stocks rose to successive records during the week and the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index traded above 1,600 for the first time, extending a 2013 rally fueled as individuals and professionals alike increased bullish bets.
The S&P 500 (SPX) climbed 2 percent to 1,614.42 for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) briefly surpassed 15,000 on May 3 and ended the week up 261.41 points, or 1.8 percent, to 14,973.96. Microsoft Corp., International Business Machines Corp. and Walt Disney Co. led the Dow�� advance during the week, gaining at least 4.7 percent.
Stocks advanced as U.S. employment picked up more than forecast, the European Central Bank cut interest rates and data on home sales and consumer confidence signaled the American economy gaining momentum. Investors have become more confident with hedge funds doubling bullish bets on the S&P 500 and individuals adding $66.5 billion to equity mutual funds in 2013.
��s we move through some of these psychological barriers, Dow 15,000 and S&P 500 1,600, that�� a reinforcing confidence factor for investors to say, ��ow, the market�� continuing to move up. The recovery�� intact. Maybe I need to increase my equity exposure,��� Darrell Cronk, the New York-based regional chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank, which oversees $170 billion, said by telephone.
Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: STMicroelectronics N.V.(STM)
STMicroelectronics N.V., an independent semiconductor company, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of a range of semiconductor integrated circuits and discrete devices. Its products include discrete and standard commodity components, application-specific integrated circuits, custom devices and semi-custom devices, and application-specific standard products for analog, digital, and mixed-signal applications. The company also offers subsystems and modules for the telecommunications, automotive, and industrial markets comprising mobile phone accessories, battery chargers, ISDN power supplies, and in-vehicle equipment for electronic toll payment, as well as provides Smartcard products. Its products are used in various microelectronic applications consisting of automotive products, computer peripherals, telecommunications systems, consumer products, industrial automation, and control systems. The company sells its products through distributors and ret ailers. STMicroelectronics N.V. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tyler Laundon]
Analog Devices (ADI) is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the motion-sensing space, with a market cap of $15.87 billion. STM Electronics (STM) is a slightly smaller manufacturer; its market cap is $7.6 billion.
- [By Vanina Egea]
Reed Elsevier NV (ENL) is a diversified publisher and information provider. It works on a wide range of market segments that include scientific, technical and medical (STM); legal; risks solutions and business information and exhibitions. The key of the company�� growth, however, lies almost exclusively in two brands: Elsevier and LexisNexis.
Hot European Companies To Own For 2014: Aegon NV(AEG)
AEGON N.V. provides life insurance, pensions, and asset management products and services worldwide. The company?s life insurance products include traditional, term, universal, whole, and other life insurance products sold as part of defined benefit pension plans, endowment policies, post-retirement annuity products, and group risk products; supplemental health insurance products comprise accidental death, other injury, critical illness, hospital indemnity, medicare supplement, and student health; specialty lines consists of travel, membership, and creditor products; and long term care insurance products for policyholders who require care due to a chronic illness or cognitive impairment. It also offers a range of savings and retirement products and services, including mutual funds, and fixed and variable annuities, savings accounts and investment contracts, segregated funds, guaranteed investment accounts, and single premium immediate annuities, as well as investment advice to individuals. In addition, the company offers employer solutions and pensions, such as retirement plans, pension plans, and pension-related products and services; investment products, including onshore and offshore bonds, and trusts; reinsurance products and solutions to life insurance and financial services companies; general insurance products comprising house, car, and fire insurance; and asset management products and services, including general account assets, unit-linked funds, and third party activities. AEGON N.V. markets its products through independent and career agents, financial planners, registered representatives, independent marketing organizations, banks, broker-dealers, benefit consulting firms, wirehouses, affinity groups, institutional partners, independent managing general agencies, and specialized financial advisors, as well as through online, direct, and worksite marketing. The company was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherl ands.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Will Ashworth]
Assuming it delivers on its outlook for 2014, its current free cash flow yield is a very enticing 20%. This isn�� a growth stock, but its brands still possess hidden value. As cheap stocks go, it�� very attractive.
Cheap Stocks to Buy: Aegon (AEG)It�� not often that you can buy a $19 billion market cap for under 10 bucks. Aegon�� a Dutch insurance company that�� had a rough ride over the past few years, and its stock�� suffered as a result. In the late ’90s AEG stock traded around $60 — it hasn�� been anywhere close since. However, it�� got some good assets that should bear fruit in the years to come. Aegon has 12,000 employees in the Americas doing business primarily under the Transamerica brand, which has been a part of AEG since 1999.
Hot European Companies To Own For 2014: TotalFinaElf S.A.(TOT)
TOTAL S.A., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated oil and gas company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemicals. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas. It also involves in the transportation, trade, and marketing of natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as in LNG re-gasification and natural gas storage operations. In addition, this segment engages in the shipping and trade of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); power generation from gas-fired power plants, nuclear, or renewable energies; production, trade, and marketing of coal, as well as in solar power systems and technology operations. As of December 31, 2010, it had combined proved reserves of 10,695 Mboe of oil and gas. The Downstream segment involves in refining, marketing, trading, and shipping crude oil and petroleum products. It also produces a range of specialty products, s uch as lubricants, LPG, jet fuel, special fluids, bitumen, marine fuels, and petrochemical feedstock. This segment holds interests in 24 refineries located in Europe, the United States, the French West Indies, Africa, and China, as well as operates a network of 17,490 service stations. The Chemicals segment produces base chemicals, including petrochemicals and fertilizers, as well as engages in rubber processing, resins, adhesives, and electroplating activities. TOTAL S.A. was founded in 1924 and is based in Paris, France.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
Twenty-thirteen opened with one of Royal Dutch Shell’s (NYSE: RDS-A) two Arctic drilling rigs breaking free from a tow ship and running aground off the coast of Alaska. Shell sent the two Arctic drilling rigs to Asia for extensive repairs. The accident prompted more calls for restrictions on oil exploration in the Arctic. Shell wants to try again in 2014, but Senate Democrats are asking for a delay in further Arctic oil exploration.
Nevertheless, oil companies rushed north to explore for oil. Norway awarded 24 oil and gas exploration licences to 29 companies, mostly in the Arctic Barents Sea. The licenses were scooped up by international majors like Shell, BP (NYSE: BP), ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Total (NYSE: TOT) and Statoil (NYSE: STO), in hopes of reviving Norway’s falling oil production.
Other Arctic nations are also pushing forward with plans for oil exploration in the Arctic. Russia has aggressively defended its interests there, seizing a Greenpeace ship and detaining its crew after the group attempted to interfere with Russia’s Arctic drilling.
- [By Sara Murphy]
HSBC�recently conducted an analysis of European oil majors' at-risk carbon reserves. The study found Norway's�Statoil� (NYSE: STO ) to be the worst affected, with approximately 17% of its market capitalization at risk. HSBC also calculated that 6% of�BP's (NYSE: BP ) reserves are at risk, along with 5% of�Total's (NYSE: TOT ) .
- [By Jayson Derrick]
Total (NYSE: TOT) is considering a sale of its TotalGAz liquefied petroleum gas marketing unit for approximately $1.04 billion. Shares lost 0.82 percent, closing at $64.39.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of French oil giant Total (TOT) have gained 1.9% t $58.27 this morning after Barclays�upgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Underweight.
Associated PressBarclays’�Lydia Rainforth and team explain their reasoning:
Total�� Capital Markets Day presentation did enough to convince us that it can�control capex more than we had previously anticipated. In doing so, it also set out a�more credible path to returning the company to cash flow neutrality post both capex and dividends potentially as soon as 2015. There remain challenges to delivering the 2017 operating cashflow aspiration, as evidenced by an implicit reduction in prior cashflow assumptions over the 2015-2017 period, but the coming 12 months should see Total show both improved production and cashflow with the start up of a number of key projects scheduled. It is this combination of improved operational momentum we forecast for Total together with much better visibility on capex and free cash flow, which drives our upgrade on the stock to Equal Weight…
Total’s strength comes as U.S oil majors have stalled today. Exxon Mobil (XOM) has ticked down 0.1% to $87.69 , Chevron (CVX) has fallen o.4% to $125.07 and�ConocoPhillips (COP) has dropped 0.3% to $70.35.
Hot European Companies To Own For 2014: British American Tobacco Industries p.l.c.(BTI)
British American Tobacco p.l.c., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of tobacco products. The company offers cigars, cigarettes, smokeless snus, roll-your-own, and pipe tobacco products under the Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Rothmans, Peter Stuyvesant, Benson & Hedges, and State Express 555 brand names. It has operations in the Asia-Pacific, the Americas, eastern and western Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. British American Tobacco p.l.c. operates independently of Remgro Ltd. as of November 03, 2008.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roland Head]
LONDON -- Tobacco giants�British American Tobacco� (LSE: BATS ) (NYSEMKT: BTI ) and�Imperial Tobacco Group� (LSE: IMT ) (NASDAQOTH: ITYBY ) sell more than 1 trillion cigarettes every year.
- [By Jon Wallis]
LONDON -- British American Tobacco� (LSE: BATS ) (NYSE: BTI) -- the world's second-biggest cigarette maker -- is currently up more than 2% following this morning's interim management statement for the first quarter of 2013, in which the company reported revenue growth of 5% (on a constant current basis) despite difficult market conditions.
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