Monday, December 29, 2014

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Buy For 2014

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, alternative fuel technologist Westport Innovations (NASDAQ: WPRT  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Westport and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Westport facts

Headquarters (founded)

Vancouver, Canada (1995)

Market Cap

$1.7 billion

Industry

Construction and farm machinery and heavy trucks

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

Hot Defense Stocks To Watch For 2015: Petroleo Brasileiro Petrobras SA (PBR.A)

Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras (Petrobras) is a Brazilian integrated oil and gas company. It operates in five segments: exploration and production; refining, commercialization and transport of oil and natural gas; petrochemicals; distribution of derivatives, electrical energy, biofuels and other renewable energy sources. Directly or through its subsidiaries, Petrobras is engaged in the research, extraction, refining, processing, commercialization and transport of oil from wells, shales and other rocks, its derivatives, natural gas and other liquid hydrocarbons, as well as in activities related to energy, promoting research, development, production, transport, distribution and commercialization of all forms of energy. As of December 31, 2010, it had 132 production platforms, 16 refineries, 291 vessels, 29,398 kilometers of pipelines, six biofuel plants, 16 thermoelectric plants, one pilot wind farm, 8,477 service stations and two fertilizer plants, as well as presence in 30 countries.

Exploration and Production

The domestic oil and gas exploration and production efforts are focused on the three basins offshore in Southeastern Brazil: Campos, Espirito Santo and Santos. The Campos Basin, which covers approximately 115,000 square kilometers (28.4 million acres) is the oil and gas basin in Brazil. At December 31, 2009, the Company was producing from 41 fields at an average rate of 1,693.6 mbbl/d of oil and held proved crude oil reserves representing 90% of the total proved crude oil reserves in Brazil. At December 31, 2009, the Company held proved natural gas reserves in the Campos Basin representing 53% of the total proved natural gas reserves in Brazil. It operated 38 floating production systems, 14 fixed platforms and 5,472 kilometers (3,400.3 miles) of pipeline and flexible pipes in water depths from 80 to 1,886 meters (262 to 6,188 feet). At December 31, 2009, the Company held exploration rights to 21 blocks in the Campos Basin, comprising 5884 square kilometers (1.4 millio! n acres)..

Petrobras have made discoveries of light oil and natural gas in the Espirito Santo Basin, which covers approximately 75000 square kilometers (18.5 million acres) offshore and 14,000 square kilometers (3.5 million acres) onshore. At December 31, 2009, the Company was producing from 46 fields at an average rate of 40.9 thousand barrels per day (mbbl/d) and held proved crude oil reserves, representing 1% of the total proved crude oil reserves in Brazil. On December 31, 2009, the Company held exploration rights to 23 blocks, six onshore and 17 offshore, comprising 8623 square kilometers (2.1 million acres).

The Santos Basin covers approximately 348,900 square kilometers (86 million acres) off the city of Santos, in the State of Sao Paulo. At December 31, 2009, the Company produced oil from two fields and one exploration area at an average rate of 14.4 mbbl/d and held proved crude oil reserves representing 1% of the total proved crude oil reserves in Brazil. It produces hydrocarbons and hold exploration acreage in eight other basins in Brazil.

Refining, Transportation and Marketing

As of December 31, 2009, the Company operated 92% of Brazil�� total refining capacity and supplied almost all of the refined product needs of third-party wholesalers, exporters and petrochemical companies. As of December 31, 2009, the Company owned and operated 11 refineries in Brazil, with a total net distillation capacity of 1,942 mbbl/d. It operates an infrastructure of pipelines and terminals and a shipping fleet to transport oil products and crude oil to domestic and export markets. The refineries are located near the crude oil pipelines, storage, facilities, refined product pipelines and petrochemical facilities, facilitating access to crude oil supplies and other users.The segment also includes petrochemical and fertilizer operations. As at December 31, 2009, the refining capacity in Brazil was 1,942 mbbl/d and the average throughput was 1,791 mbbl/d.

T! he Company owns and operates a network of crude oil and oil products pipelines in Brazil that connect the terminals, refineries and other primary distribution points. On December 31, 2009, the onshore and offshore, crude oil and oil products pipelines extended 13,996 kilometers (8,698 miles). It operates 27 marine storage terminals and 20 other tank farms with nominal aggregate storage capacity of 65 million barrels. The marine terminals handle an average 10,000 tankers annually.

The Company operates a fleet of owned and chartered vessels. It provides shuttle services between the producing basins offshore Brazil and the Brazilian mainland, domestic shipping and international shipping to other parts of South America, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, Europe, West Africa and the Middle East. The fleet includes double-hulled vessels and single-hulled vessels, which operate in South America and Africa only.

Distribution

The distribution segment sells oil products, which are produced by the supply operations. At December 31, 2009, the BR network included 7,221 service stations, or 19.2% of the stations in Brazil. The Company supplies and operates Petrobras Distribuidora S.A., which accounts for 38% of the total Brazilian distribution market. BR distributes oil products, ethanol and biodiesel, and vehicular natural gas to retail, commercial and industrial customers. In 2009, BR sold the equivalent of 767.4 mbbl/d of oil products and other fuels to wholesale and retail customers.

The Company also distributes oil products and biofuels under the BR brand to commercial and industrial customers. The customers include aviation, transportation and industrial companies, as well as utilities and government entities. It also sells oil products produced by the Supply operations to other retailers and to wholesalers.

Gas and Power

The natural gas business includes four activities: transportation (building and operating natural gas pipel! ine netwo! rks in Brazil), acquisition and regasification of LNG, equity participation in distribution companies, which sell natural gas to the users, and commercialization (purchase and resale). In January 2009, the Company completed construction of two LNG terminals, one in Rio de Janeiro with a send-out capacity of 20 mmm3 /d (706 mmcf/d).

International

The Company have operations in 24 countries outside Brazil, which encompasses all phases of the energy business. It is focusing the international upstream activities in the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa. During 2009, the Company conducted exploration and production activities in 21 countries outside Brazil (Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, India, Iran, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Senegal, Tanzania, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela). At December 31, 2009, the total assets of the International Segment represented 7.4% of the Company�� total assets.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rudy Martin]

    In addition, we recommend buying shares in Brazilian energy giant Petroleo Brasileiro Petrobras S.A. (PBR.A).

    Despite a gradual rise in crude oil prices, problems with Brazil's economy, compounded by obstacles in Petrobras's scramble to finance significant on-shore and off-shore hydrocarbon discoveries, have ganged up to erode PBR.A's stock price this year.

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Buy For 2014: Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.(VNDA)

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of products for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. Its lead product includes Fanapt for the acute treatment of schizophrenia in adults. The company is also developing Tasimelteon, an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of sleep and mood disorders, including non-24 hour sleep/wake disorder in blind individuals without light perception. It also intends to initiate a Phase IIb/III clinical trial of tasimelteon in patients with major depressive disorder; and conduct additional clinical trials to support the use of tasimelteon as a circadian regulator. The company was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By C.R. Jackson]

    On April 18, 2013, Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA) stock reached a 52-week high. Why?

    Until recently, many investors had given up on the Washington, DC-based pharmaceutical company. The reason was Fanapt (iloperidone), an atypical antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia, that not only had a rocky regulatory history, but was a big dud at the sales counter.

  • [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

    The FDA Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee (AdCom) met last November to review Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (Nasdaq: VNDA) New Drug Application (NDA) for tasimelteon, an experimental drug for the treatment of a serious condition among blind people that radically affects their sleeping patterns: non-24-hour disorder. The panel voted overwhelmingly in favor of tasimelteon. Vanda's stock share price rocketed upward 115%.

    In January 2014, FDA's Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee voted 16 to 1 in favor of approval for Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd.'s (Nasdaq: CHTP) pipeline drug Northera (droxidopa), designed to prevent dizziness and fainting among patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Chelsea's share price immediately soared 150%.

  • [By John Udovich]

    Small cap biopharmaceutical stock�Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: VNDA) surged 14.02% after announcing a settlement agreement with Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) related to ongoing license arbitration proceedings for Fanapt, a schizophrenia treatment drug���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with large caps Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE: BMY) which also have important schizophrenia drugs in their portfolios.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    It was the night before the ECB–and two before US payrolls–and all through the market nothing was stirring, not even…Alright. Some things were stirring, like the shares of Protective Life (PL), Travelers Companies (TRV), Under Armour (UA), Broadcom (BRCM) and Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA).

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Buy For 2014: Baxter International Inc. (BAX)

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and markets products for people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. It operates in three segments: BioScience, Medication Delivery, and Renal. The BioScience segment processes recombinant and plasma-based proteins to treat hemophilia and other bleeding disorders; plasma-based therapies to treat immune deficiencies, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, burns and shock, and other chronic and acute blood-related conditions; products for regenerative medicine, such as biosurgery products; and vaccines. The Medication Delivery segment manufactures intravenous solutions and administration sets; premixed drugs and drug-reconstitution systems; pre-filled vials and syringes for injectable drugs; intravenous nutrition products; infusion pumps; and inhalation anesthetics. It also offers products and services related to pha rmacy compounding, drug formulation, and packaging technologies. The Renal segment provides products to treat end-stage renal disease or irreversible kidney failure. It manufactures solutions and other products for peritoneal dialysis, a home-based therapy; and distributes product for hemodialysis, which is conducted in a hospital or clinic. It markets its products to hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors? offices, clinical and medical research laboratories, and patients at home under physician supervision. The company was founded in 1931 and is based in Deerfield, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Nathalie Tadena]

    Baxter International Inc.(BAX) and Cell Therapeutics Inc. unveiled an exclusive licensing agreement to develop and commercialize pacritinib, which is currently in Phase III development to treat a chronic bone marrow disorder. Shares climbed 21% to $2.12 premarket.

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Buy For 2014: Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund (JQC)

Nuveen Multi-Strategy Income & Growth Fund 2 (the Fund), formerly Nuveen Preferred and Convertible Income Fund 2, is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund intends to invest in a portfolio of preferred securities, securities and, to a lesser degree, high yield securities. The Fund may also invest in other debt instruments and common stocks acquired upon conversion of a convertible security.

On January 1, 2005, Nuveen Institutional Advisory Corp. (NIAC), the Funds' previous adviser, and its affiliate, Nuveen Advisory Corp. (NAC), were merged into Nuveen Asset Management (NAM), each wholly owned subsidiaries of Nuveen Investments, Inc. (Nuveen). As a result of the merger, NAM is the Adviser to all funds previously advised by either NIAC or NAC. The investment portfolio of the Fund includes JPMorgan Chase & Company, ING Group NV, Union Planters Corporation, HBSC Holdings Public Limited Company, Wachovia Corporation, Omnicare Capital Trust II, Hanover Compressor Capital Trust and CIT Group Incorporated.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Dowdee]

    The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:

    BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Buy For 2014: Quanta Services Inc.(PWR)

Quanta Services, Inc. provides specialty contracting services primarily in North America. The company?s Electric Power Infrastructure Services segment designs, installs, upgrades, repairs, and maintains electric power transmission and distribution networks, and substation facilities; renewable energy generation facilities; and offers emergency restoration services, including repairing infrastructure to the electric power industry. Its Natural Gas and Pipeline Infrastructure Services segment designs, installs, repairs, and maintains natural gas and oil transmission and distribution systems, compressor and pump stations, and gas gathering systems, as well as offers related trenching, directional boring, and automatic welding services; and pipeline protection, integrity testing, rehabilitation and replacement, and fabrication of pipeline support systems, and related structures and facilities. This segment also provides airport fueling systems, and water and sewer infrastruct ure. It services customers engaged in the transportation of natural gas, oil, and other pipeline products. The company?s Telecommunications Infrastructure Services segment designs, installs, repairs, and maintains fiber optic, copper, and coaxial cable networks for video, data and voice transmission; and designs, installs, and upgrades wireless communications networks, including towers, switching systems, and backhaul links, as well as offers emergency restoration services. This segment serves customers in the wireline and wireless telecommunications, and cable television industries. Its Fiber Optic Licensing segment designs, procures, constructs, owns, and maintains fiber optic telecommunications infrastructure; and markets and licenses the right to use these point-to-point fiber optic telecommunications facilities. It provides its services to enterprise, education, carrier, financial services, and healthcare customers. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Calling all cash flows
    When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By Chad Tracy]

    TransCanada is not the only company that stands to profit from the possible Keystone XL approval. Refiners such as Valero and LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE: LYB), as well as construction companies Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) and Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR) all stand to gain if Keystone XL gets the green light.

Hot Gas Utility Companies To Buy For 2014: TriQuint Semiconductor Inc.(TQNT)

TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. provides radio frequency (RF) solutions and technology for communications, defense, and aerospace companies worldwide. The company designs, develops, and manufactures RF solutions with gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride, bipolar high electron mobility transistor, surface acoustic wave (SAW), temperature compensated surface acoustic wave, bulk acoustic wave (BAW), copper flip, and wafer level packaging technologies. The company offers an array of filtering, switching, and amplification products for RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave applications. It sells electronic components for mobile phones, including transmit modules, RF filters, power amplifiers and power amplifier modules, duplexers, switches, other RF devices, and integrated products to mobile device manufacturers. The company also offers signal amplification and filtering products, including a portfolio of GaAs microwave monolithic integrated circuits and transistors, and SAW and BAW filter components that support the transfer of voice, data, and video across wireless or wired infrastructure. Its network products comprise millimeter wave power amplifiers, frequency converters, and voltage controlled oscillators. In addition, the company provides defense and aerospace devices, including packaged products, die-level integrated circuits (ICs), microwave monolithic ICs, and multi-chip modules to military contractors serving the U.S. government for use in various communications and phased array radar programs, such as ship-based, airborne, and battlefield systems, as well as sat-com, electronic warfare, and guidance applications. Further, TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. offers foundry services. The company sells its products through independent manufacturers? representatives, independent distributors, and direct sales staff. TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Alex Planes]

    According to Credit Suisse, LTE handset volumes will double to 537 million units this year, and will grow by another 33% per year for the next several years, which is clearly a monster opportunity for Skyworks -- and for its rivals TriQuint (NASDAQ: TQNT  ) and RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ: RFMD  ) . These competitors recently agreed on a merger to secure more business from mobile top dogs Apple and Samsung. Apple and Samsung together accounted for nearly half of Skyworks' revenue in fiscal 2013, so this is clearly a threat that could diminish its otherwise-sterling growth prospects.

  • [By Volcano Steve]

    Other companies such as TriQuint (TQNT) and Broadcom (BRCM) are reporting results with "strong mobile demand" and "higher-than-anticipated sales of cellular system-on-chip (SOC) and touch controllers." More famously, Apple (AAPL) has announced record sales for its ARM-inside iPhone 5S model introduced last month. Investors and analysts already knew that ARM reports royalty revenue a quarter in arrears, so any gains from iPhone 5S sales will not start to be seen until ARM´s next quarterly report and were not expected to be a factor in this report.

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