Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-B) and Warren Buffett disclosed their full equity holdings this week. The first thing we noticed was that there was a total equity value of $92.035 billion at the end of September, versus $89.03 billion at the end of June. What stood out was that there were really only about five transactions that really mattered . Still, they offer great insight and opportunity.
24/7 Wall St. wanted to identify the most important Buffett transactions of the past quarter. We wanted to see what the expected value is ahead for individual investors who may want to copy the Oracle of Omaha’s strategy. We also wanted to get inside Mr. Buffett’s head to see what he was thinking and how our readers can benefit.
The most important change was one we have called for endlessly, and we joked that Buffett finally took our suggestion. This was a new stake of Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) with almost 40.1 million shares. We just outlined the 10 reasons he took such a big stake, and we would say that it seems likely that Team Buffett would only grow this stake through time. Shares were up yet another 1% on Friday trading to above $94.00, and the consensus analyst price target is $95.54. Note that some analysts see it rising to well over $100 in the year, or years, ahead. Buffett even made a statement in favor of Exxon, because he substantially lowered his stake in ConocoPhillips.
Top 5 Retail Companies To Buy For 2016: Chesapeake Utilities Corp (CPK)
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (Chesapeake), incorporated in 1947, is a utility company engaged in energy and other businesses. The Company operates in three segments: Regulated Energy, Unregulated Energy and Other. The Company operates regulated energy businesses through its natural gas distribution divisions in Delaware, Maryland and Florida, natural gas and electric distribution operations in Florida through Florida Public Utilities Company (FPU), and natural gas transmission operations on the Delmarva Peninsula and Florida through its subsidiaries, Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company (Eastern Shore) and Peninsula Pipeline Company, Inc. (Peninsula Pipeline), respectively. Its unregulated businesses include its natural gas marketing operation through Peninsula Energy Services Company, Inc. (PESCO); propane distribution operations through Sharp Energy, Inc. and its subsidiary Sharpgas, Inc. (collectively Sharp) and FPU�� propane distribution subsidiary, Flo-Gas Corporation; and its propane wholesale marketing operation through Xeron, Inc. (Xeron). It also has an advanced information services subsidiary, BravePoint, Inc. (BravePoint). In February 2013, Florida Public Utilities Company, a a subsidiary of the Company announced that its propane subsidiary, Flo-Gas Corporation, purchased the propane operating assets of Glades Gas Company. In June 2013, the Company acquired Eastern Shore Gas Company (ESG) and Eastern Shore Propane Company (ESP). In June 2013, Chesapeake Utilities Corp announced that it has acquired the operating assets of Austin Cox Home Services, Inc.
Regulated Energy
The Company�� regulated energy segment provides natural gas distribution service in Delaware, Maryland and Florida, electric distribution service in Florida and natural gas transmission service in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida. As of December 31, 2011, its Delaware and Maryland natural gas distribution divisions serve 53,851 residential and commercial customers and 97 industrial ! customers in central and southern Delaware and on Maryland�� eastern shore. Its Florida natural gas distribution operation consists of Chesapeake�� Florida division and FPU�� natural gas operation. As of December 31, 2011, its Florida electric distribution operation distributed electricity to 30,986 customers in four counties in northeast and northwest Florida. Eastern Shore operates a 402-mile interstate pipeline system, which transports natural gas from various points in Pennsylvania to its Delaware and Maryland natural gas distribution divisions, as well as to other utilities and industrial customers in southern Pennsylvania, Delaware and on the eastern shore of Maryland. Eastern Shore also provides swing transportation service and contract storage services. Peninsula Pipeline provides natural gas transportation service to a customer for a period of 20 years. This service is provided at a fixed monthly charge, through Peninsula Pipeline�� eight-mile pipeline located in Suwanee County, Florida.
The Company�� Delaware and Maryland natural gas distribution divisions have both firm and interruptible transportation service contracts with five interstate open access pipeline companies, including the Eastern Shore pipeline. These divisions are directly interconnected with the Eastern Shore pipeline, and have contracts with interstate pipelines upstream of Eastern Shore, including Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC (Transco), Columbia Gas Transmission LLC (Columbia), Columbia Gulf Transmission Company (Gulf) and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (TETLP). The Transco, Columbia and TETLP pipelines are directly interconnected with the Eastern Shore pipeline. The Gulf pipeline is directly interconnected with the Columbia pipeline and indirectly interconnected with the Eastern Shore pipeline.
Chesapeake�� Florida natural gas distribution division has firm transportation service contracts with Florida Gas Transmission Company (FGT) and Gulfstream Natural Gas System, LLC ! (Gulfstre! am). Eastern Shore has three contracts with Transco for a total of 7,292 dekatherms of firm peak day storage entitlements and total storage capacity of 288,003 dekatherms. Its electric distribution operation through FPU purchases all of its wholesale electricity from two suppliers: Gulf Power Company (Gulf Power) and JEA (formerly known as Jacksonville Electric Authority). The JEA contract provides generation, transmission and distribution service to northeast Florida. The Gulf Power contract provides generation, transmission and distribution service to northwest Florida.
Unregulated Energy
The Company�� unregulated energy segment provides natural gas marketing, propane distribution and propane wholesale marketing services to customers. As of December 31, 2011, its natural gas marketing subsidiary, PESCO, provided natural gas supply and supply management services to 3,080 customers in Florida and 16 customers on the Delmarva Peninsula. The gas, which PESCO sells, is delivered to retail customers through affiliated and non-affiliated local distribution company systems and transmission pipelines. PESCO bills its customers through the billing services of the regulated utilities that deliver the gas, or directly, through its own billing capabilities. As of December 31, 2011, Sharp, its propane distribution subsidiary, served 34,317 customers throughout Delaware, the eastern shore of Maryland and Virginia, and southeastern Pennsylvania. Its Florida propane distribution subsidiary provides propane distribution service to 14,507 customers in parts of Florida. Xeron, its propane wholesale marketing subsidiary, markets propane to petrochemical companies, resellers and retail propane companies in the southeastern United States. Its propane distribution operations purchase propane from suppliers, including oil companies, independent producers of natural gas liquids and from Xeron. In current markets, supplies of propane from these and other sources are readily available for purchase. It! s propane! distribution operations use trucks and railroad cars to transport propane from refineries, natural gas processing plants or pipeline terminals to its bulk storage facilities.
Other
The other segment consists of its advanced information services subsidiary, other unregulated subsidiaries, which own real estate leased to Chesapeake and its subsidiaries. Its advanced information services subsidiary, BravePoint, provides domestic and a range of international clients with information technology services and solutions for both enterprise and e-business applications. Skipjack, Inc. and Eastern Shore Real Estate, Inc. own and lease office buildings in Delaware and Maryland to affiliates of Chesapeake. Chesapeake Investment Company is an affiliated investment company.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Natural gas and propane utility operator Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE: CPK ) announced yesterday that as of May 31�it had completed the acquisition of Eastern Shore Gas (ESG) along with its affiliate Eastern Shore Propane (ESP), both indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Energy Equity Partners�that provide propane gas to residents of Worcester County, Md.
Top 10 High Tech Companies To Watch For 2015: NK Lukoil OAO (LUKOY)
LUKOIL is a Russia-based integrated oil and gas company. The Company is engaged in the business of oil exploration, production, refining, marketing and distribution. The Company's exploration and production activity is located in Russia, and its main resource base is in Western Siberia. It owns modern refineries, gas processing and petrochemical plants located in Russia, Eastern and Western Europe. The Company�� petroleum products are sold in Russia, Eastern and Western Europe and United States. The Company operates in four business segments: exploration and production, refining, marketing and distribution, and chemicals and other business.
In January 2009, the Company acquired a 100% interest in Energoaktiv ZAO. In March 2009, the Company established a subsidiary, LUKOIL Overseas Holding GmbH. In Addition, in March 2009, LUKoil OAO increased its stake in TGK-8 OAO up to 60.21% from 31.38% previously held. In December 2009, the Company sold its 99.99% stake in Agentstvo LUKOM-A OOO. In February 2010, the Company established a research center, LUKOIL-Engineering OOO, which would be responsible for the research and engineering complex of the exploration and production business segment. The main production region of the Company is Western Siberia. LUKOIL is carrying out international exploration and production projects in Kazakhstan, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Venezuela, Cote d��voire, Ghana and Iraq.
LUKOIL owns oil refining capacity both in Russia and abroad. In Russia the Company owns four large refineries at Perm, Volgograd, Ukhta and Nizhny Novgorod. Total capacity of LUKOIL facilities in Russia is 44.7 million tons of oil per year. LUKOIL also has refineries in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, and a 49% stake in ISAB refining complex (island of Sicily, Italy), with total capacity of 21.8 million tons per year.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Charles Sizemore]
Next on the list is French oil major Total SA (TOT). Total raised some eyebrows last month as discussions progressed to develop Russia�� massive shale fields in partnership with Lukoil (LUKOY). It appears that, despite the ongoing threat of sanctions from the United States, business is going on as usual in the real world.
- [By James E. Brumley]
To be fair, it might be years before PROP really starts to worry the likes of Denbury Resources and Halliburton Company. That doesn't dampen the size of the opportunity for Propell Technologies Group Inc. in the meantime, though. In fact, considering major oil players like Miller Energy Resources Inc. (NYSE:MILL), LUKOIL (OTCMKTS:LUKOY), and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) have already utilized this plasma-boring service and liked the results, PROP may grow into a real threat to the sol-called "majors" before anyone realizes it's happening, ultimately spurring an acquisition of the company. When the provisionally-patented technology is this good, we can't rule out any rewarding outcome for the stock.
- [By Dividend Growth Investor]
ConocoPhillips (COP) explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and natural gas liquids on a worldwide basis. I am attracted to the above average yield on ConocoPhillips, in comparison to Exxon and Chevron. Unfortunately Chevron is already one of my highest weighted positions, which is why ConocoPhillips was the second US oil choice. I am building my position in the stock with this purchase. The company is extremely well run, has a history of disposing out of non-core assets such as Lukoil stock (LUKOY) and Kashagan Project, and sending cash to shareholders in the process. The company has increased dividends for 13 years in a row, and has managed to boost them by 15.10%/year over the past decade. Currently, the stock trades at 10.70 times earnings and yields 4.20%. Check my analysis of ConocoPhillips.
Top 10 High Tech Companies To Watch For 2015: H&Q Life Sciences Investors (HQL)
H&Q Life Sciences Investors (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is long-term capital appreciation through investment in life science companies (including biotechnology, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, managed healthcare and medical equipment, hospitals, healthcare information technology and services, devices and supplies) agriculture and environmental management. The Fund invests primarily in securities of public and private companies.
The Fund may invest in venture capital and other restricted securities if these securities would comprise 40% or less of net assets. The Fund may purchase and sell (or write) put or call options on any security in which it is permitted to invest. It may purchase and sell (write) options on stock indices (index options). H&Q Life Sciences Investors��investment advisor is Hambrecht & Quist Capital Management, LLC.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Nate Pile]
This recommended fund��ambrecht & Quist Life Sciences Fund (HQL)��as also our top pick last year, and the fund rose 44% in 2013.
In addition to rising in value, the fund has a dividend policy of paying out 2% of its net asset value of each quarter.
- [By Harry Domash, Publisher, DividendDetective and Winning Investing]
Harry Domash: Yeah, in fact, H&Q Life Sciences, ticker (HQL), is actually a closed-end fund, but it invests entirely in biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and if you look around the world, the investing stocks right now—besides the social media stocks—that's really the one area that has had a lot of recent growth and we expect that to continue.
I think the closed-end fund, and we'll get into that maybe a little bit later, but closed-end funds are a good way to cover it, when you're talking about a sector like that.
Johnson & Johnson is an interesting case, because, as you know, Johnson & Johnson is a big company that invests, and that owns a lot of different companies itself in the medical field.
You know, it owns hundreds of operating companies and it's primarily in the pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, and in consumer products, but Johnson & Johnson was a mismanaged company for a while and they were really underperforming their peers.
In fact, some of their factories were closed, their pharmaceutical production factories were forcibly closed by the government because they didn't meet standards, but they were taken over by a new CEO a few years ago, two or three years ago, and now things are improving, so Johnson & Johnson is kind of coming from down and out to being a leading company again.
They've got a lot of products, cancer-type products, and things on the pipeline and it just seems like things are going very well so we have hopes that Johnson & Johnson has reported the last two quarters are the first ones that have really been decent, they really showed growth, and then we expect that to accelerate so we're pretty hot on Johnson & Johnson now.
Steve Halpern: One particularly interesting portfolio that you maintain that I haven't seen anywhere else is based on closed-end funds that pay monthly dividends&mdash
Top 10 High Tech Companies To Watch For 2015: Caribou Coffee Company Inc.(CBOU)
Caribou Coffee Company, Inc. owns and operates coffeehouses. The company offers premium coffee and espresso-based beverages, as well as specialty teas, handcrafted beverages, foods, coffee lifestyle items, branded merchandise, and related products. It also sells whole bean and ground coffee to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, office coffee providers, airlines, hotels, sports and entertainment venues, college campuses, and online customers. In addition, the company sells blended coffees and licenses its Caribou Coffee brand to Keurig, Inc. for sale and use in its K-Cup single serve line of business. Further, Caribou Coffee Company franchises its brand to partners to operate Caribou Coffee branded kiosks and coffeehouses, as well as sells Caribou Coffee branded products to partners for resale in these franchised locations. As of July 3, 2011, it operated 407 company-owned coffeehouses located in 16 states and the District of Columbia; and 147 franchised coffeehouses in th e United States and international markets. The company was founded in 1992 and is based in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon] ou Coffee is a gourmet coffee company that owns the second-largest number of coffeehouses in the U.S. After rising significantly in the second quarter of 2011, its stock price dropped in the fourth quarter, when Joel Greenblatt purchased it. He bought 52,794 shares at an average price of $13.27.
The company has increased revenue and EBITDA almost every year since 2005, reaching $284 million and $22.4 million, respectively, in 2010. Its return on equity and return on assets also turned positive in 2009 and increased in 2010; return on assets increased from 10.1 percent in 2009 to 15 percent in 2010, and return on assets increased 6 percent to 9.2 percent in 2010. Free cash flow, which Greenblatt typically considers highly important, has been positive only two years since 2005, in 2008 and 2009.
Cofeehouse sales have increased for the last eight quarters, including 4.1 percent in the quarter ended Oct. 2, 2011. Much of the company�� sales growth has come because it has begun selling food.
The outlook for Caribou�� growth is also positive. Daily coffee consumption increased to 40 percent of 18-24 year olds in 2011 from 31 percent of the age group in 2010, returning to its 2009 level, according to the National Coffee Drinking Study from the National Coffee Association. Caribou recently began growing as well. In the third quarter of 2011, it opened three company-owned stores, its first in over three years, and in the fourth quarter, it opened five more. For 2012, it plans to open 55 to 70 new locations and issued fiscal year 2012 net sales growth guidance of 10 percent.
Caribou�� P/E, P/S and P/B ratios:
CBOU pe,ps,pb Interactive Chart
See Joel Greenblatt�� portfolio here and also check out the Undervalued Stocks, Top Growth Companies, and High Yield stocks of Joel Greenblatt.
Top 10 High Tech Companies To Watch For 2015: Zix Corporation(ZIXI)
Zix Corporation provides Internet-based applications in software as a service model that enables the use of secure email for sensitive information exchange primarily in the healthcare, financial services, insurance, and government sectors in the United States. It offers email encryption service, a secure messaging service, which allows an enterprise to use policy-driven rules to determine which emails should be sent securely to comply with regulations or policies. The company also provides a solution that analyzes and encrypts email communications. Its services offer users the ability to deliver encrypted email to any email user at any email address by using the ZixCorp Best Method of Delivery protocol that automatically determines the direct and appropriate means of delivery, based on the sender?s and recipient?s communications environment and preferences. Zix Corporation sells its services through a direct sales force, and a network of resellers and other distribution partners. The company was formerly known as ZixIt Corporation and changed its name to Zix Corporation in 2002. Zix Corporation was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Zix (NASDAQ: ZIXI) shares reached a new 52-week high of $4.82. ZixCorp's trailing-twelve-month profit margin is 18.08%.
Official Payments Holdings (NASDAQ: OPAY) shares surged 0.23% to touch a new 52-week high of $8.65. Official Payments shares have jumped 87.61% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.68% in the same period.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Zix (Nasdaq: ZIXI ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on April 23. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Zix's revenues will expand 15.0% and EPS will wither 0.0%. - [By Lisa Levin]
Zix (NASDAQ: ZIXI) shares tumbled 10.82% to touch a new 52-week low of $3.46 after the company reported Q1 earnings of $0.03 per share on revenue of $12.20 million.
Top 10 High Tech Companies To Watch For 2015: Liquidmetal Technologies Inc (LQMT)
Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (Liquidmetal Technologies), incorporated in 1987, is materials technology company that develops and commercializes products made from amorphous alloys. The Company's Liquidmetal family of alloys consists of a variety of bulk alloys and composites that utilize the advantages offered by amorphous alloy technology. The Company designs develop and sell products and components from bulk amorphous alloys to customers in various industries. The Company also partners with third-party manufacturers and licensees to develop and commercialize Liquidmetal alloy products. The Company focused to commercializes its Liquidmetal alloys on three identified product areas, such as Components for Non-Consumer Electronic Products, Sporting Goods and Leisure Products and Medical Devices. On December 1, 2011, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with LMTK Holdings, Inc. (LMTK Holdings) to sell its former Korean subsidiary and manufacturing facility, Liquidmetal Technologies Korea (LMTK). Under the Share Purchase Agreement, the Company sold all of LMTK�� shares of common stock to LMTK Holdings.
The Company designs, develops and produces components for non-consumer electronic devices utilizing its bulk Liquidmetal alloys. The product categories in the non-consumer electronics field include, but are not limited to, parts for high end printers, commercial imaging devices, aerospace components, medical devices and industrial machines. The Company is also developing a variety of applications for Liquidmetal alloys in the sporting goods and leisure products area.
The Company develops a variety of applications for Liquidmetal alloys in the sporting goods and leisure products area. In the sporting goods industry the Company focuses on products that meet its design criteria. The Company has produced prototype rings made from an amorphous Liquidmetal platinum alloy that is harder, in the leisure products category. The Company emphasis on surgical instrument appl! ications for Liquidmetal alloys. These include, but are not limited to, specialized blades, orthopedic instruments utilized for implant surgery procedures, dental devices and general surgery devices
The Company is engaged in product development efforts relating to various medical devices that could be made from bulk Liquidmetal alloys. The properties of bulk Liquidmetal alloys provide a combination of performance that makes them a replacement to incumbent materials, such as stainless steel and titanium.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, LQMT�has shed (-6.60%) down -0.01 at $.13 with 950,168 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:45PM�EDT October 14, 2013).
Liquidmetal Technologies previously reported delivery of its customized induction melt system, developed to adapt standard plastic injection molding machines to manufacture Liquidmetal components.
After extensive revisions and trials with the current Liquidmetal system, Liquidmetal Technologies and Engel Austria GmbH (Engel), a Certified Liquidmetal Partner, have agreed to a configuration that can be commercially supplied and supported by Engel. The Liquidmetal-designed system has been shipped to Engel to be installed as part of a standard injection-molding machine.
- [By James E. Brumley]
Looking for a couple of near-term trades that have a decent shot at rallying even if the broad market feels like it might pull back? Then take a look at Liquidmetal Technologies Inc. (OTCBB:LQMT) and NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (OTCMKTS:NTEK). Although both LQMT and NTEK will be dismissed by some traders simply because they're OTC-listed stocks, for those traders willing to look past the exchange and appreciate the opportunity, the risk-versus-reward ratio is actually quite compelling.
Top 10 High Tech Companies To Watch For 2015: Denison Mines Corp (DNN)
Denison Mines Corp. (Denison) is engaged in uranium exploration, development, mining and milling with uranium mining projects in both the United States and Canada and development projects in Canada, the United States, Zambia and Mongolia. Denison�� assets include an interest in two of the four licensed conventional uranium mills in North America, with its 100% interest of the White Mesa mill in Utah and its 22.5% interest of the McClean Lake mill in Saskatchewan. Denison also produces vanadium as a co-product from some of its mines in Colorado and Utah and recycles uranium-bearing waste materials, referred to as alternate feed materials, for the recovery of uranium, alone or in combination with other metals, at its White Mesa mill. In January 2014, the Company announced the closing of the acquisition of Rockgate by Denison Mines Corp. Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Since the start of the week, small cap nuclear fuel stock USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) more than doubled for investors, something that has not happened for investors in uranium stocks like Uranium Resources, Inc (NASDAQ: URRE), Denison Mines Corp (NYSEMKT: DNN), Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT: URG) and Uranerz Energy Corp (NYSEMKT: URZ). To recap: USEC Inc closed at the $6 level on Friday, but then it surged to the $15 level on Monday only to open at the $10 level on Tuesday when it ultimately closed at $12.46. So what in the world is going on with USEC Inc and is it time to revisit nuclear fuel and uranium stocks?
- [By The Energy Report]
DS: It's certainly good news. Elimination of the non-resident ownership policy [NROP] will permit European Union-based companies to own a majority stake in an operating uranium mine. That opens the door for companies like Rio Tinto Plc (RIO) and AREVA SA (ARVCF) [AREVA:EPA] to push forward with development of existing deposits or to buy more uranium assets in Canada. Accordingly, it increases takeover potential for companies like Denison Mines Corp. (DNN).
