This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature an upgrade for Thomson Reuters Reuters (NYSE: TRI ) , a new buy rating for Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX ) -- but for Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP ) , a downgrade. Let's get that bad news out of the way first.
Union Pacific derailed
Two weeks after railroad operator Union Pacific reported Q3 earnings that topped analyst estimates�by a penny, the stock got its reward today: a downgrade at the hands of investment banker R.W. Baird.
Coming on top of the 4% slide the stock has experienced since reporting its "beat", Baird's recommendation seems a bit harsh -- like adding insult to the injury that Union Pacific shareholders have seen inflicted on their portfolios. And yet, when you look at the numbers, it's apparent that Baird's making the right call in downgrading to neutral.
Priced at 16.5 times earnings, Union Pacific shares sell for a valuation right in the middle of the pack�of North America's bigger railroad operators, where Canadian National Railway, for example, costs more than 18 times earnings -- but CSX sells for just a hair over 14 times.
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Service Corporation International(SCI)
Service Corporation International provides deathcare products and services in the United States, Canada, and Germany. Its funeral service and cemetery operations consist of funeral service locations, cemeteries, funeral service/cemetery combination locations, crematoria, and related businesses. The company provides various professional services relating to funerals and cremations, including the use of funeral facilities and motor vehicles, and preparation and embalming services. It also sells funeral related merchandise, including caskets, burial vaults, cremation receptacles, cremation memorial products, flowers, and other ancillary products and services at funeral service locations. The company?s cemeteries provide cemetery property interment rights, including mausoleum spaces, lots, and lawn crypts; and sell cemetery related merchandise and services comprising stone and bronze memorials, markers, merchandise installations, and burial openings and closings. It also sells preneed funeral and cemetery products and services whereby a customer contractually agrees to the terms of certain products and services to be delivered and performed in the future. As of December 31, 2009, Service Corporation operated 1,254 funeral service locations and 372 cemeteries, including 208 combination locations, covering 43 states in the United States, 8 Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as 12 funeral homes in Germany. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Deathcare services and products provider Services Corporation (SCI) raised its quarterly dividend 14% to 8 cents per share, payable March 28 to shareholders of record as of March 15.
SCI Dividend Yield: 1.73% - [By Rich Duprey]
In what is seemingly becoming a more acrimonious set of negotiations, the Teamsters representing directors and drivers accused management of Service Corp International� (NYSE: SCI ) of trying to force a strike vote by rejecting the union's "last and best" offer.
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: PostRock Energy Corporation(PSTR)
PostRock Energy Corporation, an integrated independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and transportation of oil and natural gas in the United States. It operates in two segments, Oil and Gas Production, and Natural Gas Pipelines. The Oil and Gas Production segment primarily focuses on the development of coal bed methane in the Cherokee basin and the Marcellus Shale in Appalachian Basin, as well as has oil properties in Central Oklahoma. As of December 31, 2009, it had approximately 51.9 billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe) of estimated net proved reserves; development rights to approximately 516,184 net acres; and operated approximately 2,849 gross wells in the Cherokee Basin. It also had approximately 44,507 net acres of oil and natural gas producing properties with estimated proved reserves of 18.9 Bcfe and approximately 498 gross wells in Appalachian Basin; and had 65 gross wells, development rights to approximately 1,4 80 net acres, and estimated net proved reserves, 3.9 Bcfe in Central Oklahoma. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment involves in transporting, gathering, treating, and processing natural gas. It owns and operates a natural gas gathering pipeline networks of approximately 2,173 miles in the Cherokee Basin and 183 miles in the Appalachian Basin; and a 1,120 mile interstate natural gas pipeline, which transports natural gas from northern Oklahoma and western Kansas to the metropolitan Wichita and Kansas City markets. The company is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
LeBlanc is a veteran energy industry CFO. He has filled that role at East Resources -- now a unit of Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A ) -- as well as�PostRock Energy (NASDAQ: PSTR ) , and Range Resources, among others.
Hot Regional Bank Companies To Own In Right Now: Westell Technologies Inc.(WSTL)
Westell Technologies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, distribution, marketing, and servicing a range of broadband, digital transmission, remote monitoring, power distribution, and demarcation products used by telephone companies and other telecommunications service providers. It operates in three segments: Customer Networking Systems (CNS) equipment, Outside Plant Systems (OSP) equipment, and ConferencePlus services. The CNS equipment segment provides networking and high-speed transmissions products, such as modems, routers, versatile gateway devices, and wireless broadband home routers that allow service providers to deliver broadband services over existing copper, fiber, coax, or wireless infrastructures. The OSP segment offers next generation outdoor cabinets; enclosures; power distribution; fiber, Ethernet, and coax edge connectors; remote monitoring equipment; and DS1 and DS3 transmission plugs. This segment also markets and sells power distribu tion and remote monitoring solutions. The ConferencePlus services segment provides audio, Web, and video conferencing services to businesses and individuals. This segment sells its services directly to Fortune 1000 companies, and indirectly through its private reseller programs. The company offers its products through field sales organizations and selected distributors in the United States, as well as in Canada and Europe. Westell Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Geoff Gannon]
1. Steel Excel (SXCL)
2. FormFactor (FORM)
3. Imation (IMN)
4. Tuesday Morning (TUES)
5. Pacific Biosciences (PACB)
6. Maxygen (MAXY)
7. Westell (WSTL)
8. Volt Information Sciences (VISI)
9. Yasheng Group (YHGG) - [By Rich Smith]
On Friday, the diversified manufacturer named Brian S. Cooper�to replace interim CFO Braden Waverley on May 28. Waverly will remain acting CFO until Cooper joins the company next month. Cooper comes to Federal Signal by way of smaller telecommunications equipment maker Westell Technologies (NASDAQ: WSTL ) , where he has served as CFO since 2009.
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited(CNR)
China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the development and operation of agricultural logistics and trade centers in northeast China. It also involves in purchasing, processing, assembling, merchandising, and distributing pearls and jewelry products. The company markets its pearls and jewelry products to wholesale distributors and mass merchandisers in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, and other parts of Asia. In addition, it develops, sells, and leases residential and commercial properties in Hong Kong and the People?s Republic of China. The company is based in Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Katie Brennan]
Canadian National Railway Co. (CNR) added 0.9 percent to C$104.93 and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. rose 1.7 percent to C$131.73.
Niko Resources surged 3.4 percent to $8.64 after the company entered an agreement for a $60 million loan that will be funded by a group of institutional investors. Net proceeds from the loan will be used to fund working capital requirements.
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Gamestop Corporation (GME)
GameStop Corp. operates as a retailer of video game products and personal computer (PC) entertainment software. It sells new and used video game hardware; video game software; used video game products; and video game accessories, which primarily consist of controllers, memory cards, and other add-ons, as well as strategy guides and trading cards. The company also offers PC entertainment and other software across various genres, including sports, action, strategy, adventure/role playing, and simulation, as well as products that relate to the digital category comprising network point cards, prepaid digital and online timecards, and digitally downloadable software. GameStop Corp. sells its products through stores, as well as through its electronic commerce Web sites, including gamestop.com, ebgames.com.au, gamestop.ca, gamestop.it, gamestop.es, gamestop.ie, gamestop.de, and micromania.fr. As of July 12, 2011, its retail network and family of brands included 6,573 company-oper ated stores in 17 countries worldwide. The company also publishes Game Informer, a video game magazine in the United States; and operates the online video gaming Web sites kongregate.com and joltonline.com. GameStop Corp. was founded in 1994 and is based in Grapevine, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Moskowitz]
GameStop (NYSE: GME ) is about to enter an interesting and telling phase. What you see from GameStop over the next year will likely indicate the company's long-term potential. This is solely based on an upcoming event that hasn't taken place in six years.�
- [By Rick Munarriz]
GameStop (NYSE: GME ) shares rallied -- sending the shares 8% higher on Tuesday -- before giving back nearly half of those gains on Wednesday. GameStop is the biggest beneficiary of a vibrant used-game market, and Sony's news was sweet.
- [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]
Shares of GameStop (NYSE: GME ) have doubled since hitting a 52-week low near $15 last summer. However, GameStop stock dropped precipitously last week, from more than $39 on Monday to $32.35 by early Friday afternoon.
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Lexington Realty Trust (LXP)
Lexington Corporate Properties Trust operates as a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT). The company acquires, owns, and manages a portfolio of office, industrial, and retail properties net-leased to corporate tenants in the United States. It also provides investment advisory and asset management services to institutional investors in the net lease area. As of June 30, 2005, the company operated 185 properties and managed 2 properties. Lexington Corporate Properties Trust has elected to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be taxed on the portion of its income, which is distributed to shareholders, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in New York City.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE: LXP ) is acting like a relaxed landlord that doesn't want or need to modify the rent. The company is maintaining its dividend policy by declaring a $0.15-per-share distribution for its current quarter, to be paid on or about July 15 to shareholders of record as of June 28. That amount matches the firm's previous three distributions, the most recent of which was paid in April. Prior to that, the real estate investment trust dispensed $0.125 per share.
- [By Brad Thomas]
Compared with the public REIT peers, I believe that Chambers Street will compare favorably to W.P. Carey (WPC) and Lexington Realty Trust (LXP). Both of these REITs own larger box assets and they both have conservative and well-positioned balance sheets. Here is a snapshot of Chambers Street's capitalization:
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Enstar Group Limited (ESGR)
Enstar Group Limited, through its subsidiaries, acquires and manages insurance and reinsurance companies in run-off. The company settles insurance and reinsurance claims. It also offers management and consultancy, claims inspection, and reinsurance collection services to its affiliates and third-party clients. The company operates in the United States, Bermuda, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. Enstar Group Limited was formerly known as Castlewood Holdings Limited and changed its name to Enstar Group Limited. Enstar Group Limited was founded in 2001 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson]
In this segment from Thursday's Where the Money Is, Motley Fool financial analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson discuss Matt's stock pitch of the week, Enstar Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESGR ) . In the insurance world, insurers can start an insurance business, or a line of insurance, that ends up performing poorly. This can force the insurer to then put that line of insurance, or the entire business, into what is known as run-off. This means they are no longer selling policies, and will only continue to manage the existing policies for the life of those policies. That is where Enstar comes in.
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.(ACTC)
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on the development and commercialization of human embryonic and adult stem cell technology in the field of regenerative medicine. Its embryonic stem cell research programs include cellular reprogramming, reduced complexity program, and stem cell differentiation research programs. The company?s cellular reprogramming involves in the development of therapies based on the use of genetically identical pluripotent stem cells generated by its cellular reprogramming technologies. Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. also generates stable cell lines with particular focus on blood lineage and vascular epithelial cell lines from hemangioblast cells. In addition, it is developing an autologous myoblast transplantation therapy to restore cardiac function in patients with advanced heart disease. The company?s stem cell-based therapy would provide treatment for a range of acute and chronic degenerative diseases. Further, it deve lops adult stem cell-based products that are specifically targeted at therapies for heart and other cardiovascular diseases. The company is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, ACTC surged (+1.96%) up +0.0014 at $.0730 with 1,679,139 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:31PM EDT July 26, 2013).
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. previously reported the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB), an independent group of medical experts closely monitoring the company�� three ongoing clinical trials, has authorized the company to move forward with enrollment and treatment of remaining two patients in the third cohort of each of the three clinical trials. The decision follows an interim review by the DSMB six weeks after the first patient was treated in the third cohort of each trial. ACT will proceed with screening and enrollment for the patients who, in keeping with trial protocol, will be injected with 150,000 retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).
- [By John Udovich]
As the the year comes to end, there is still a steady flow of interesting news coming from small cap biotech stocks like Organovo Holdings Inc (NYSEMKT: ONVO), Advanced Cell Technology, Inc (OTCMKTS: ACTC) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB)�plus still largely private biotech companies like Genocea Biosciences (NASDAQ: GNCA), Retrophin (OTCMKTS: RTRX), Auspex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ASPX) and GlycoMimetics (NASDAQ: GLYC) who have filed to become the next potentially hot biotech IPOs���presumably some time early�next year. Just consider the following biotech news:
- [By John Udovich]
Summer and the slow news for the market that usually comes with it�is over with and both stem cell researchers or small� cap stem cell stocks like Advanced Cell Technology, Inc (OTCBB: ACTC), Neuralstem, Inc (NYSEMKT: CUR), NeoStem Inc (NASDAQ: NBS), International Stem Cell Corp (OTCMKTS: ISCO)�and BioRestorative Therapies (OTCBB: BRTX) having news for investors and traders alike. Consider the following:
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Nicholas Financial Inc.(NICK)
Nicholas Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialized consumer finance company. The company engages in acquiring and servicing contracts for purchases of new and used automobiles and light trucks. It also makes direct loans and sells consumer-finance related products. In addition, the company engages in developing, marketing, supporting, and updating industry-specific computer application software for small businesses located primarily in the Southeast United States. As of April 5, 2011, it operated 56 branch locations in 14 Southeastern and Midwestern states. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
Prospect Capital Corp.(PSEC) said it agreed to buy Nicholas Financial Inc.(NICK) in a stock deal valued at about $199 million that the investment firm expects will expand its presence in the car-loan industry. Prospect Capital is offering $16 a share for Nicholas, a 4.5% premium over Tuesday’s closing price. Nicholas Financial shares edged up 2.8% to $15.70 premarket.
10 Best Penny Stocks To Own Right Now: Rowan Companies Inc.(RDC)
Rowan Companies, Inc. provides onshore and offshore oil and gas contract drilling services in the United States and internationally. The company offers its contract drilling services through its fleet of 28 self-elevating mobile offshore drilling platforms and 30 deep-well land drilling rigs. The company was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dimitra DeFotis]
Among energy stocks rising today: Producers of gas and gas liquids were higherm, including Devon (DVN) and�Consol Energy (CNX) rose about 2% each, while drillers�Nabors Industries (NBR) and�Rowan Companies (RDC) jumped more than 3% apiece. Oilfield services names Halliburton (HAL) and Baker Hughes (BHI) each rose nearly 2%.
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