Morgan Stanley (MS) is in the market today with a new preferred stock issue.
Morgan Stanley, a bank holding company, provides diversified financial services on a worldwide basis. The Company operates a global securities business which serves individual and institutional investors and investment banking clients. Morgan Stanley also operates a global asset management business.
The details are (from the prospectus):
IssuerMorgan Stanley Size$250,000,000 Series/TickerSeries E - MSPrE (expected) RatingBa3/BB+/BB/BBB (Moody's/S&P/Fitch/DBRS)- expected Rate TypeFixed to float Rate7% plus (closer to 7.25%). Floats after 10/15/2023 at 3mo LIBOR + MaturityPerpetual Optional Redemption10/15/2023 CumulativeNO Tax TreatmentDRD/QDIIn order to discern if there is value (and pricing) a look at their existing preferreds is in order:
Best Tech Companies To Own For 2015: Alliance Capital Management Holding L.P. (AB)
AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. provides investment management and related services in the United States and internationally. It offers institutional services, including separately-managed accounts, sub-advisory relationships, structured products, collective investment trusts, mutual funds, hedge funds, and other investment vehicles to unaffiliated corporate and public employee pension funds, endowment funds, domestic and foreign institutions, and governments. The company also provides retail services comprising retail mutual funds, sub-advisory relationships with mutual funds sponsored by third parties, and separately managed account programs sponsored by various financial intermediaries and other investment vehicles. In addition, it provides separately managed accounts, hedge funds, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles for private clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts and estates, charitable foundations, partnerships, and private and family corporat ions. Further, AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. offers research services to institutional investors through research, portfolio analysis, and brokerage-related services; and equity capital markets services to issuers of publicly-traded securities. Additionally, it provides distribution, shareholder servicing, and administrative services to its sponsored mutual funds. AllianceBernstein Corporation serves as the general partner of the company. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. was founded in 1987 and is based in New York, New York. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. operates as a subsidiary of AXA.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By J. Royden Ward]
AllianceBernstein LP (AB), a master limited partnership, is one of the largest US investment advisors. It actively manages stock and bond accounts for institutions, mutual funds, and well-heeled clients.
- [By J. Royden Ward]
AllianceBernstein Holding LP (AB) offers high quality research and diversified investment services to institutional investors and private clients in major global markets. The company is one of the largest US investment advisors, with assets under management totaling $445 billion, as of January 31.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
In the following video, Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning, goes through a few situations where an IRA rollover might not be ideal. Dan notes that Franklin Templeton (NYSE: BEN ) , AllianceBernstein (NYSE: AB ) , Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) , and other companies often offer cheaper class of mutual funds that would otherwise carry sales loads or higher fees outside a 401(k). Dan also talks about company stock and the special rules for 401(k)s that own it, as well as the importance of looking at overall fees to decide if your 401(k) is the best place to invest or whether an IRA rollover will help you more.
Top Financial Stocks For 2014: Agree Realty Corp (ADC)
Agree Realty Corporation, incorporated in December 1993, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company�� operations are conducted through, directly or indirectly, Agree Limited Partnership (Operating Partnership), of which the Company is the sole general partner, and in which it 96.59% interest as of December 31, 2011. The Company is focused primarily on the ownership, development, acquisition and management of retail properties net leased to national tenants. It specializes in acquiring and developing single tenant net leased retail properties for industry retail tenants. As of December 31, 2011, approximately 96% of its annualized base rent was derived from national tenants and regional tenants. At December 31, 2011, its portfolio consisted of 87 properties, located in 21 states containing an aggregate of approximately 3.6 million square feet of gross leasable area (GLA). At December 31, 2011, its portfolio included 75 freestanding single tenant net leased properties and 12 community shopping centers that were 92.7% leased. All of its freestanding property tenants and the majority of its community shopping center tenants have triple-net leases, which require the tenant to be responsible for property operating expenses, including property taxes, insurance and maintenance. In December 2012, the Company acquired LA Fitness and an AutoZone. In January 2013, the Company acquired 317 South State Street for redevelopment. In December 2012, the Company acquired a portfolio of four Applebee's restaurants, as well as an Advance Auto Parts. In Jnauary 2013, the Company sold Walgreens on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti , Michigan. In January 2013, it acquired Dick's Sporting Goods and Petsmart in St. Joseph, Missouri. In March 2013, it acquired three single tenant assets leased to retailers. In May 2013, the Company acquired two single tenant assets leased to Petsmart and Starbucks. In June 2013, Agree Realty Corp announced that it has acquired two single tenant assets ! leased to Wal-Mart Stores and AutoZone. In August 2013, Agree Realty Corporation acquired four single tenant assets leased to industry retailers. In September 2013, Agree Realty Corporation acquired an 112,230 square foot BJ's Wholesale Club located on Airport Road South in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In November 2013, Agree Realty Corp acquired two assets net leased to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Mattress Firm, Inc. In January 2014, the Company acquired Cannon Station in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. In February 2014, the Company announced the acquisition of two net lease properties and sale of Ironwood Commons shopping center.
In January 2011, the Company acquired a retail property net leased to AT&T located at the northwest corner of New Centre Drive and South College Road in Wilmington, North Carolina. In October 2011, it acquired a retail property leased on a long-term basis to Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. in Salt Lake City, Utah. In December 2011, the Company acquired Wawa convenience store and fuel station in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as a Walgreens pharmacy in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and a CVS pharmacy in Leawood, Kansas. In May 2012, the Company acquired a 133,000 square foot retail property ground leased to Lowe's Home Improvement in Portland, Oregon. In June 2012, the Company sold the Charlevoix Commons shopping center in Charlevoix. In June 2012, the Company acquired a store leased to Dollar General Market in Cochran, Georgia, as well as the fee interest in the land underlying its Walgreens store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In July 2012, the Company acquired a portfolio of three Wawa convenience and fuel stores. The stores are located in Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania, Newark, Delaware and Vineland, New Jersey and are master leased by Wawa. In July 2012, it acquired auto service store in Fort Mill, South Carolina leased to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. In August 2012, the Company closed on the acquisition of a parcel of land in Pinellas County, Florida. In August 2012,! the Comp! any sold Plymouth Commons shopping center and the Shawano Plaza shopping center. In September 2012, it acquired a Family Dollar store in Spartanburg, South Carolina, a USAA Financial Services Center in Jacksonville, North Carolina and an AutoZone store in Springfield, Illinois. In September 2012, it disposed its remaining assets that were formerly leased to Borders. In September 2012, the Company acquired a a parcel of land in Casselberry, Florida for the development of gas and convenience retailing. In November 2012, the Company acquired a Harris Teeter supermarket in Charlotte, North Carolina. In November 2012, the Company acquired a Big Lots store and a Dollar General Market.
Freestanding Properties
At December 31, 2011, the Company's 75 operating freestanding properties were leased to Walgreens (30), Rite Aid (7), CVS (6), Kmart (2), JP Morgan Chase (3), Los Tres Amigos (1), Dick�� Sporting Goods (1), Lake Lansing RA Associates, LLC (1), Meijer (1), Wal-Mart (Sam�� Club) (1), Kohl�� (2), PNC Bank (1), Lowe�� (1), Off Broadway Shoes (1), Wawa (1), Simply Amish (1), Advance Auto (1), Aldi (1), Natural Grocers (1), AT&T (1), TBC Tire stores (2), Books-A-Million (1), and vacant (8). Its freestanding properties provided $23,953,036, or approximately 70.4%, of its annualized base rent as of December 31, 2011, at an average base rent per square foot of $14.10. These properties contain, in the aggregate, 1,697,953 square feet of GLA or approximately 48% of its total GLA as of December 31, 2011. Of its 75 operating freestanding properties, 47 were developed by the Company. Its freestanding properties had a weighted average remaining lease term of 14.8 years as of December 31, 2011. The Company�� freestanding properties range in size from range in size from 3,215 to 170,393 square feet of GLA and are located in Arizona (one), California (one), Connecticut (one), Florida (one), Georgia (two), Illinois (four), Indiana (two), Kansas (four), Maryland (three), Michigan (36), Neb! raska (tw! o), New Jersey (one), New York (two), North Carolina (two), Ohio (two), Oklahoma (one), Pennsylvania (one), Texas (one), and Utah (one).
Community Shopping Centers
The Company�� 12 community shopping centers range in size from 20,000 to 241,458 square feet of GLA. The community shopping centers are located in five states: Florida (one), Illinois (one), Kentucky (one), Michigan (six) and Wisconsin (three). The Company�� community shopping centers are located in high traffic centers, in which customers of its tenants purchase day-to-day necessities. The Company�� community shopping centers are anchored by national tenants.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
The position vacated by Salix in the S&P SmallCap 600 will be filled by Agree Realty (NYSE: ADC ) . Elsewhere on that index, DXP Enterprises (NASDAQ: DXPE ) �will replace True Religion Apparel (NASDAQ: TRLG ) . As with Gardner Denver in the S&P MidCap 400, True Religion Apparel is being acquired, in this case by private equity firm TowerBrook Capital Partners.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Agree Realty (NYSE: ADC ) this week declared a second-quarter distribution of $0.41 per share to be paid on July 9 to shareholders of record as of June 28.
Top Financial Stocks For 2014: The NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.(NDAQ)
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. provides trading, clearing, exchange technology, securities listing, and public company services worldwide. It offers trading across various asset classes, including cash equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products, and exchange traded funds; capital formation solutions; financial services and exchanges technology; market data products; and financial indexes, as well as clearing, settlement, and depository services. The company also provides broker services comprising technology and customized securities administration solutions, such as back-office systems to financial participants. In addition, it offers global listing services; technology solutions for trading, clearing, settlement, and information dissemination; and facility management integration, surveillance solutions, and advisory services, as well as develops and licenses NASDAQ OMX branded indexes, associated derivatives, and financial products. As of December 31, 2010 , a total of 2,778 companies listed securities on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The NASDAQ OMX Group supports the operations of approximately 70 exchanges, clearing organizations, and central securities depositories. The company was formerly known as The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. and changed its name to The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. in February 2008. The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. was founded in 1971 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matt Egan]
IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), which owns NYSE, didn't get much of a bump from the news. Its shares were slightly higher. Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ)actually rose more than 1% despite losing out on Alibaba.
Top Financial Stocks For 2014: Fifth Third Bancorp (FFH)
Fifth Third Bancorp (the Bancorp), incorporated on October 7, 1974, is a diversified financial services company. As of December 31, 2011, the Bancorp had $117 billion in assets, operated 15 affiliates with 1,316 full-service Banking Centers, including 104 Bank Mart locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores, and 2,425 automated teller machines (ATMs) in 12 states throughout the Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States. The Bancorp operates in four business segments: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Investment Advisors. The Bancorp also has a 49% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC.
Commercial Banking
Commercial Banking offers credit intermediation, cash management and financial services to large and middle-market businesses and government and professional customers. In addition to the traditional lending and depository offerings, Commercial Banking products and services include global cash management, foreign exchange and international trade finance, derivatives and capital markets services, asset-based lending, real estate finance, public finance, commercial leasing and syndicated finance.
Branch Banking
Branch Banking provides a range of deposit and loan and lease products to individuals and small businesses through 1,316 full-service Banking Centers. Branch Banking offers depository and loan products, such as checking and savings accounts, home equity loans and lines of credit, credit cards and loans for automobiles and other personal financing needs, as well as products designed to meet the specific needs of small businesses, including cash management services.
Consumer Lending
Consumer Lending includes the Bancorp�� mortgage, home equity, automobile and other indirect lending activities. Mortgage and home equity lending activities include the origination, retention and servicing of mortgage and home equity loans or lines of credit, sales and securitizations of t! hose loans, pools of loans or lines of credit, and all associated hedging activities. Indirect lending activities include loans to consumers through mortgage brokers and automobile dealers.
Investment Advisors
Investment Advisors provides a range of investment alternatives for individuals, companies and not-for-profit organizations. Investment Advisors is made up of four main businesses: Fifth Third Securities (FTS), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Bancorp; Fifth Third Asset Management, Inc. (FTAM), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Bancorp; Fifth Third Private Bank; and Fifth Third Institutional Services. FTS offers full service retail brokerage services to individual clients and broker dealer services to the institutional marketplace. FTAM provides asset management services and also advises the Bancorp�� family of mutual funds. Fifth Third Private Bank offers holistic strategies to affluent clients in wealth planning, investing, insurance and wealth protection. Fifth Third Institutional Services provide advisory services for institutional clients including states and municipalities.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By gurufocus]
Prem Watsa, highly regarded CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. (FFH), wrote in March that ��e continue to fully hedge our common stock portfolios as our concerns about the United States��� You would think he has been wrong with the hedging as he is losing money with them. But the last time he was losing with hedging was during the last bull market from 2004 to 2006. He then made a killing with the hedges in 2007 and 2008.
Top Financial Stocks For 2014: Astoria Financial Corp (AF)
Astoria Financial Corporation, incorporated on June, 14, 1993, is the unitary savings and loan association holding company of Astoria Federal Savings and Loan Association (Astoria Federal). The Company�� principal business is the operation of its wholly owned subsidiary, Astoria Federal. Astoria Federal�� primary business is attracting retail deposits from the general public and investing those deposits, together with funds generated from operations, principal repayments on loans and securities and borrowings, primarily in one- to four-family mortgage loans, multi-family mortgage loans, commercial real estate loans and mortgage-backed securities. Astoria Federal also invests in consumer and other loans, the United States Government, government agency and government-sponsored enterprise (GSE), securities and other investments.
Lending Activities
The Company�� loan portfolio consists primarily of mortgage loans. As of December 31, 2012, 74% of its total loan portfolio was secured by residential properties and 24% was secured by multi-family properties and commercial real estate. The remainder of the loan portfolio consists of a variety of consumer and other loans, including commercial and industrial loans originated in 2012 through its business banking initiatives. As of December 31, 2012, its net loan portfolio totaled $13.08 billion, or 79% of total assets. The Company originates mortgage loans either directly through its banking and loan production offices in New York or indirectly through brokers and its third party loan origination program. It also originates mortgage loans for sale. The Company�� primary lending focus is on the origination and purchase of first mortgage loans secured by one- to four-family properties that serve as the primary residence of the owner.
The Company also originates multi-family and commercial real estate loans. As of December 31, 2012, multi-family mortgage loans totaled $2.41 billion, or 18% of its total loan portfolio,! and commercial real estate loans totaled $773.9 million, or 6% of its total loan portfolio. At December 31, 2012, $264.1 million, or 2%, of the Company�� total loan portfolio consisted of consumer and other loans which were primarily home equity lines of credit. The Company also offers overdraft protection, lines of credit, commercial loans and passbook loans. Consumer and other loans, with the exception of home equity and commercial lines of credit, are offered primarily on a fixed rate, short-term basis.
Investment Activities
At December 31, 2012, the Company�� securities portfolio totaled $2.04 billion, or 12%, of total assets. The Company does not use derivatives for trading purposes. Its securities portfolio consists primarily of mortgage-backed securities. At December 31, 2012, its mortgage-backed securities totaled $1.94 billion, or 95%, of total securities, of which $1.92 billion, or 94%, of total securities, were real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMIC) and collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) securities, substantially all of which had fixed rates. Of the REMIC and CMO securities portfolio, $2.35 billion, or 98.7%, are guaranteed by Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) or Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) as issuer. At December 31, 2012, its securities available-for-sale totaled $336.3 million and its securities held-to-maturity totaled $1.7 billion. At December 31, 2012, it had no investments in repurchase agreements and federal funds sold.
Sources of Funds
The Company�� primary source of funds is the cash flow provided by its investing activities, including principal and interest payments on loans and securities. Its other sources of funds are provided by operating activities and financing activities, including deposits and borrowings. The Company offers a variety of deposit accounts with a range of interest rates and terms. It offers ! passbook ! and statement savings accounts, money market accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) and demand deposit accounts, liquid certificates of deposit (Liquid CDs), and certificates of deposit, which include all time deposits other than Liquid CDs. Liquid CDs have maturities of three months, require the maintenance of a minimum balance and allow depositors the ability to make periodic deposits to and withdrawals from their account. At December 31, 2012, its deposits totaled $10.44 billion. Of the total deposit balance, $1.28 billion, or 12%, represented individual retirement accounts during the year ended December 31, 2012. It held no brokered deposits at December 31, 2012. Core deposits represented 53.3% of total deposits at December 31, 2011. Reverse repurchase agreements are accounted for as borrowings and are secured by the securities sold under the agreements. At December 31, 2012, borrowings totaled $4.37 billion. It also obtains advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLB-NY).
Subsidiary Activities
In addition to Astoria Federal, the Company has two other subsidiaries, AF Insurance Agency, Inc. and Astoria Capital Trust I. AF Insurance Agency, Inc. is a life insurance agency. Through contractual agreements with various third parties, AF Insurance Agency, Inc. makes insurance products available primarily to the customers of Astoria Federal. Astoria Federal�� wholly owned subsidiaries include AF Agency, Inc., Astoria Federal Savings and Loan Association Revocable Grantor Trust, Astoria Federal Mortgage Corp. (AF Mortgage), Fidata Service Corp. (Fidata), Marcus I Inc. and Suffco Service Corporation (Suffco). AF Agency, Inc. makes various annuity products available to the customers of Astoria Federal through an unaffiliated third party vendor. AF Mortgage is an operating subsidiary through which Astoria Federal engages in lending activities outside the State of New York through its third party loan origination program. Fidata mortgage loans totaled $5.09 bi! llion at ! December 31, 2012. Suffco serves as document custodian for the loans of Astoria Federal and Fidata and certain loans being serviced for Fannie Mae and other investors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Morgan]
Air France-KLM Group (AF), Europe�� second-biggest airline by sales, retreated 2.8 percent. Mediaset SpA climbed 2.8 percent after Credit Suisse Group AG raised its price target on the Italian broadcaster. Serco Group Plc added 2.7 percent after predicting that its revenue growth in the first half will exceed its previous estimates.
- [By Namitha Jagadeesh]
International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) and Air France-KLM (AF) Group rose with as a gauge of travel stocks as oil prices fell after Iran�� accord. PSA Peugeot Citroen gained 3.7 percent after people familiar with the matter said its chief executive officer plans to step down next year. Fresenius Medical Care AG surged the most in five years after U.S. regulators scrapped a plan to cut Medicare payments next year.
Top Financial Stocks For 2014: MarketAxess Holdings Inc (MKTX)
MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (MarketAxess), incorporated on April 11, 2000, operates an electronic trading platform that allows investment industry professionals to trade corporate bonds and other types of fixed-income instruments. The Company�� over 1000 active institutional investor clients (firms that executed at least one trade in the United States or European fixed-income securities through its electronic trading platform, during the year ended December 31, 2012) include investment advisers, mutual funds, insurance companies, public and private pension funds, bank portfolios, broker-dealers and hedge funds. The Company�� 87 broker-dealer, market-maker clients provide liquidity on the platform and include most of the broker-dealers in global fixed-income trading. Through its Corporate BondTicker service, MarketAxess provides fixed-income market data, analytics and compliance tools that help its clients make trading decisions. In addition, it provides Financial Information eXchange (FIX) message management tools, connectivity solutions and ancillary technology services that facilitate the electronic communication of order information between trading counterparties. The Company�� revenues are primarily generated from the trading of the United States high-grade corporate bonds. In March 2013, it announced acquisition of Xtrakter Limited.
The majority of the Company's revenues are derived from monthly distribution fees and commissions for trades executed on its platform that are billed to its broker-dealer clients on a monthly basis. The Company also derives revenues from technology products and services, information and user access fees, investment income and other income. During 2012, the Company�� broker-dealer clients accounted for approximately 95% of the underwriting of newly-issued United States corporate bonds and approximately 72% of the underwriting of newly issued European corporate bonds. MarketAxess�� electronic trading platform provides access to the liquidity provide! d through the participation on its platform of 87 broker-dealer market making clients, including all of the broker-dealers in global fixed-income trading, and over 1000 active institutional investor firms. In addition to services directly related to the execution of trades, the Company offers its clients several other services, including information services, straight-through processing, and technology products and services. MarketAxess offers Application Programming Interface (API) services to its broker-dealer clients for pre-trade, trade negotiation and post-trade services.
The United States High-Grade Corporate Bonds
The United States corporate bond market consists of three categories of securities: investment-grade debt (so-called high-grade); debt rated below investment-grade (so-called high-yield), and debt convertible into equity (so-called convertible debt). The Company�� United States high-grade corporate bond business consists of the United States dollar-denominated, investment-grade debt issued by corporations for distribution in the United States. Both domestic and foreign institutional investors have access to the United States high-grade corporate bond trading on its electronic trading platform. During 2012, its broker-dealer clients accounted for approximately 95% of the underwriting of newly-issued the United States corporate bonds. The Company offers its institutional investor clients access to a range of inventory of the United States high-grade corporate bonds, which is provided and updated daily by its broker-dealer clients.
Eurobonds
The European high-grade corporate bond market consists of a range of products, issuers and currencies. MarketAxess Europe Limited, its wholly owned subsidiary, offers European secondary trading functionality in the United States dollar- and Euro-denominated European corporate bonds to its broker-dealer and institutional investor clients. The Company also offers its clients to trade in other European! high-gra! de corporate bonds, including bonds issued in Pounds Sterling, floating rate notes, European government bonds and bonds denominated in non-core currencies. In the Eurobond credit market, defined as including European high-grade, high yield and government bonds, 23 broker-dealers utilize the Company�� platform.
Emerging Markets Bonds
Emerging markets bond market includes the United States dollar, Euro or local currency denominated bonds issued by sovereign entities or corporations domiciled in a developing country. These issuers are located in Latin America, Asia, or Central and Eastern Europe. The agency bond market includes debt issued by a United States government-sponsored enterprise. 59 of the Company�� United States broker-dealer clients use its platform to trade emerging markets bonds. During 2011, 414 institutional investor clients utilized its electronic trading platform to trade emerging markets bonds. These institutional investor clients are located in the United States and Europe. MarketAxess also allows its institutional investor clients to transact Euroclear-eligible local currency denominated bonds issued by sovereign entities or corporations in countries that include Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
Crossover and High-Yield Bonds
59 of the Company�� United States broker-dealer clients use its platform to trade crossover and high-yield bonds. Trading in crossover and high-yield bonds uses many of the same features available in its United States high-grade corporate bond offering.
Agency Bonds
41 of the Company�� United States broker-dealer clients use its platform to trade agency bonds. Trading in agency bonds uses many of the same features available in the Company�� United States high-grade corporate bond offering.
Credit Default Swaps
MarketAxess offers trading on its platform for CDS indices and single-names in both the United States and Europe through its traditional RFQ proto! col. Nine! of the Company�� broker-dealer clients are providing streaming, executable CDS index prices. In addition, it incorporated the request-for-market protocol and the streaming markets/click-to-trade protocol into an updated single-screen user interface, giving clients their means of execution.
Asset-Backed Securities
12 of its United States broker-dealer clients use its platform to trade asset-backed securities. Trading in asset-backed securities uses many of the same features available in the Company�� United States high-grade corporate bond offering.
Preferred Securities
17 of the Company�� United States broker-dealer clients use its platform to trade preferred securities. Trading in preferred securities uses many of the same features available in its United States high-grade corporate bond offering.
Corporate BondTicker
Corporate BondTicker provides TRACE data and enhances it with MarketAxess trade data and analytical tools to provide professional market participants with a set of corporate bond price information. The data include trade time and sales information, including execution prices, as well as MarketAxess-estimated, spread-to-Treasuries, for trades disseminated by the TRACE system. The data also include actual execution prices and spread-to-Treasury levels for United States high-grade corporate bond trades executed on the MarketAxess platform. Corporate BondTicker is integrated directly into the MarketAxess electronic trading platform and can be accessed, either when viewing securities inventory or when launching an inquiry. Corporate BondTicker is also available through the Internet for non-trading professional market participants, including, among others, research analysts and rating agencies, who can log in and access the information via an easy-to-use browser-based interface.
The Company provides Corporate BondTicker as an ancillary service to its trading clients and also to other industry parti! cipants. ! It derives revenues from its Corporate BondTicker service by charging for seat licenses per user at its broker-dealer and institutional investor clients, through distribution agreements with other information service providers and through bulk data sales to third parties. The Company also offers a set of reports designed to review and monitor credit trading activity for institutional investor clients. Its compliance product provides a printed history of each inquiry submitted through the MarketAxess trading platform.
Technology Services
Through MarketAxess�� Greenline Financial Technologies, Inc. (Greenline) subsidiary, it provides integration, testing and management solutions for FIX-related products and services. The FIX protocol is a messaging standard developed for the electronic exchange of securities transaction information. It also provides technology consulting and customized development services to its clients. In addition, the Company provides gateway adapters to connect order management and trading systems to fixed-income trading venues.
The Company competes with Thomson TradeWeb, Bloomberg and The New York Stock Exchange
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Alex Dumortier, CFA]
MarketAxess (NASDAQ: MKTX ) published its third-quarter results�(link opens a PDF) this morning, and as the following table shows, the numbers were disappointing -- by Wall Street's standards. The fixed-income trading platform missed on both revenues and earnings per share. Those misses have short-term investors spooked today, and shares are down around 5.5%. Long-term investors, on the other hand, ought to be a little more sanguine. I don't see any signs that the business franchise is impaired, and, although investors will need to continue monitoring potential competitors and, particularly, structural developments in the bond markets, the latest set of results are well within the bounds of normal business fluctuations.
Top Financial Stocks For 2014: National Health Partners Inc (NHPR)
National Health Partners, Inc., incorporated on March 10, 1989, is a national healthcare membership organization that was formed to address the need for affordable healthcare nationwide. The Company creates, markets and sells membership programs targeted toward underserved markets in the healthcare industry through a national healthcare savings network called CARExpress. CARExpress is a network of over 1,000,000 participating hospitals, doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare providers that have agreed to render their services and products to the Company's members at discounted prices. CARExpress enables the Company's members to engage in point-of-service transactions directly with participating healthcare providers and pay discounted prices.
The Company has designed membership programs that range from its traditional health discount programs that provide access to networks of providers that have agreed to provide its members with a reduced rate for services, to membership programs that include limited liability insurance benefits. The Company offers two families of CARExpress membership programs to its members, its CARExpress health discount programs, and its CARExpress Plus membership programs.
The Company's CARExpress health discount programs consists of healthcare, including physicians, hospitals, ancillary services, dentists, prescription drugs, vision care, hearing aids, chiropractic services, alternative care, 24-hour nurseline, medical supplies and equipment, and long-term care facilities, which include skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, respite care and home health care. The Company provides its members with access to over 1,000,000 healthcare providers through its agreements with CareMark, Aetna, Optum, Outlook Vision, Integrated Health, Three Rivers, International Med-Care and HealthFi International.
The Company's CARExpress Plus programs are membership programs consists of the Company's CARExpress health discount progr! ams and limited liability insurance benefits underwritten by United States.The limited liability insurance benefits included in these programs are accidental death and dismemberment coverage (AD&D), accident medical expense coverage (AME), accident disability coverage, a daily hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) benefit, doctor visit benefits, inpatient/outpatient surgical visit benefits, as well as emergency room and ambulance benefits. With CARExpress Plus, the Company's health discount programs provide its members with a point of service discount on their healthcare expenses at the time of service. The Company offers three standard CARExpress Plus programs, which include CARExpress Plus Platinum Program, CARExpress Plus Gold Program and CARExpress Plus Silver Program.
The Company competes with Alliance HealthCard, Inc., AmeriPlan, Best Benefits, Careington International, Family Care, Full Access Medical, International Association of Businesses, New Benefits, Inc. and People's Benefit Services.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Last Friday, small cap stocks National Health Partners, Inc (OTCMKTS: NHPR) surged 816.7% while Timios National Corp (OTCMKTS: HOMS) and Medical Care Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS: MDCE) sank 32.28% and 25%, respectively. So what will these three small caps do for investors and traders this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide on a trading strategy:
National Health Partners, Inc (OTCMKTS: NHPR) Surged 816.7% On FridaySmall cap National Health Partners is a national healthcare savings organization that provides discount healthcare membership programs to uninsured and underinsured people through a national healthcare savings network called "CARExpress." On Friday, National Health Partners surged 816.7% to $0.044 for a market cap of $107,933 plus NHPR is down 78% over the past year and up 923.3% since June 2012 according to Google Finance.
