Sunday, May 10, 2015

Hot Promising Companies To Invest In 2014

As long as you're throwing out the bums in Congress ��you are, right? ��why not throw out some of your old, poorly performing mutual funds? Once you've done that, you can look at new funds, some of which are extremely promising.

Most mutual funds preach the virtues of long-term investing, despite the fact that most actively managed funds trade stocks at a frenetic rate. The average large-company blend fund, for example, replaces about 64% of its portfolio each year, according to Morningstar.

STOCKS: Can nothing stop the 'Teflon Bull' market?

But there's no particular need to hang on to a badly performing actively managed fund. Typically, a fund company judges a manager on his three-year record. There's no reason you shouldn't, either.

At least by the three-year test, there are plenty of large, poorly performing funds. The three funds with assets of more than $1 billion that have lagged their peers the past three years:

5 Best Stocks To Own For 2015: Swedbank AB (SWDBY.PK)

Swedbank AB is the parent company of Swedbank. Swedbank consists of subsidiaries, associates and a joint venture. The Company operates in six business areas: Swedish Banking, Baltic Banking, International Banking, Swedbank Markets, Asset Management and Ektornet. On January 20, 2009, Swedbank Robur AB acquired Banco Fonder AB from Alfred Berg. In February 2010, the Company acquired a 15% equity stake in OAO Swedbank from European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). During the year ended December 31, 2009, Swedbank sold four branches to Sparbanken Nord, three branches to Sparbanken Dalsland, two branches to Sparbanken Rekarne, one branch to Tidaholms Sparbank and one branch to Sparbanken 1826.

Swedish Banking

Swedish Banking is engaged in offering a range of financial products and services to private customers, corporates, organisations and municipalities through close to 400 branches, as well as the telephone bank and Internet bank in Sweden. Swedbank�� products are also sold through the cooperating savings banks, which account for another 275 branches. The subsidiary in Luxembourg, with a representative office in Spain is included in the business area as well.

Baltic Banking

Baltic Banking offers a range of financial products and services to private and corporate customers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It offers its services through 226 branches, as well as the telephone bank and Internet bank.

International Banking

International Banking consists of operations outside Swedbank�� home markets, primarily the banking operations in Ukraine and Russia. In addition to Ukraine and Russia, the business area includes the branches in Denmark, Norway, the United States and China, as well as the representative office in Japan. The branch network in Ukraine, consists of 156 branches, serves both private and corporate customers. The Nordic branches offer corporate customers, mainly Swedish customers with operations in! the Nordic markets, a range of financial products and services.

Swedbank Markets

Swedbank Markets has operations in equity, fixed income and currency trading, corporate finance, as well as project, export and acquisition financing. In addition to its operations in Swedbank�� home markets, the business area includes the subsidiaries First Securities ASA in Norway and Swedbank First Securities LLC in New York.

Asset Management

Asset Management, which consists of the subsidiary Swedbank Robur Group, offers services in fund management, institutional and discretionary asset management in all of Swedbank�� home markets. Its customers include private customers, as well as institutions, foundations, municipalities, county councils and other investors. Its products are sold and distributed primarily by Swedish Banking and Baltic Banking and the savings banks in Sweden.

Ektornet

Ektornet is an independent subsidiary of Swedbank AB. It focuses on managing the Company�� repossessed assets and developing them over time. Most of the collateral consists of real estate, the part of which will be in the Baltic countries, though also in the Nordic region and the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By David Hunkar]

    Current Dividend Yield: 5.16%
    Sector: Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
    Country: France

    Company: Swedbank AB (SWDBY.PK)

    Current Dividend Yield: 6.50%
    Sector: Banking
    Country: Sweden

Hot Promising Companies To Invest In 2014: Independent Bank Group Inc (IBTX)

Independent Bank Group, Inc., incorporated on September 20, 2002, is bank holding company. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Independent Bank (Bank), a state chartered bank, the Company provides a range of commercial banking products and services for businesses, professionals and individuals. Commercial lending products includes owner-occupied commercial real estate loans, interim construction loans, commercial loans (such as Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans, business term loans, equipment financing and lines of credit) to a diversified mix of small and midsized businesses, and loans to professionals, particularly medical practices. Retail lending products include residential first and second mortgage loans, and consumer installment loans such as loans to purchase cars, boats and other recreational vehicles. On April 1, 2012, it acquired I Bank Holding Company and its bank subsidiary, and on October 1, 2012, it acquired The Community Group and its bank subsidiary. As of March 18, 2013, it operated 30 banking offices in 26 communities in two market regions located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and in the greater Austin area. Independent Bank operates 30 banking offices throughout North and Central Texas. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Collin Bank, Plano, Texas. In January 2014, Independent Bank Group, Inc. acquired Live Oak Financial Corp. and its subsidiary, Live Oak State Bank.

Lending Activities

Its loans are primarily real estate secured loans spread among a variety of types of borrowers, including owner occupied offices for small businesses, medical practices and offices, retail operations, and multi-family properties. Its loans are diversified geographically throughout its Dallas/North Texas region (approximately 55%) and its Austin/Central Texas region (approximately 45%). As of December 31, 2012, it had total loans of approximately $1.4 billion

The Company is primarily a real es! tate secured lender. It originates real estate loans to finance commercial property that is owner-occupied, as well as commercial property owned by real estate investors. The total amount of owner-occupied commercial real estate loans outstanding as of December 31, 2012, was $353.5 million, or 25.6% of its loan portfolio. The total amount of commercial real estate loans outstanding as of December 31, 2012, excluding owner-occupied properties, was $295 million, or 21.4% of its loan portfolio. The real estate securing its existing commercial real estate loans includes a variety of property types, such as owner-occupied offices/warehouses/production facilities, office buildings, healthcare facilities, hotels, mixed-use residential/commercial, retail centers, multifamily properties, restaurants, churches and assisted living facilities.

The Company�� construction portfolio includes loans to small and midsized businesses to construct owner-user properties, and, to a much lesser extent, loans to developers of commercial real estate investment properties and residential developments. These loans are typically disbursed as construction progresses and carry interest rates that vary with the prime rate. As of December 31, 2012, the outstanding balance of its construction loans was $97.3 million, or 7.1% of its total loan portfolio. It offers first and second mortgage loans to its individual customers primarily for the purchase of primary and secondary residences. As of December 31, 2012, the outstanding balance of one-to four-family real estate secured loans, including home equity loans, represented $315.3 million, or 22.9%, of its total loan portfolio. Residential real estate loans held for sale of $9.2 million at December 31, 2012, were also included in this category.

The Company makes single-family interim construction loans to home builders and individuals to fund the construction of single family residences. Such loans are secured by the real property being built and are made based! on its a! ssessment of the value of the property on an as-completed basis. As of December 31, 2012, the outstanding balance of its single-family interim construction loans was $67.9 million, or 4.9% of its total loan portfolio. The Company originates commercial loans to small businesses and professionals, in particular, medical practices, located in its market areas. These loans are primarily term loans to purchase capital equipment and small loans for working capital and operational purposes. As of December 31, 2012, it had outstanding commercial loans, of $169.9 million, or 12.3% of its total loan portfolio.

The Company�� agricultural loan portfolio primarily includes loans secured by real property used for agricultural purposes. It provides loans for the acquisition of farm and ranch land, as well as the construction of buildings upon agricultural real estate. On a more limited basis, it offers agricultural equipment financing and crop production loans which are secured by crops, equipment, and crop insurance. The total amount of agricultural loans outstanding at December 31, 2012, was $40.1 million, or 2.9% of its total loan portfolio. The Company offers a variety of consumer loans, such as installment loans to purchase cars, boats and other recreational vehicles. Its consumer loans typically are part of an overall customer relationship designed to support the individual consumer borrowing needs of its commercial loan and deposit customers. As of December 31, 2012, it had outstanding $39.5 million of consumer loans, or 2.9% of its total loan portfolio. The Company also engages in the origination of residential loans sold into the secondary market. Its mortgage originations were $177.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2012. It sells all of the originated mortgages to institutional purchasers shortly after closing.

Investment Activities

The types and maturities of securities purchased are primarily based on its liquidity and interest rate sensitivity position! s. As of ! December 31, 2012, investment securities held were United States Treasury securities, government agency securities, obligations of state and municipal subdivisions, Residential mortgage backed securities, and corporate bonds.

Sources of Funds

Deposits are the Company�� principal source of funds for use in lending and other general banking purposes. The Company provides a range of deposit products and services, including a variety of checking and savings accounts, debit cards, online banking, mobile banking, eStatements and bank-by-mail and direct deposit services. It also offers business accounts and management services, including analyzed business checking, business savings, and treasury management services. As of December 31, 2012, it had total deposits of approximately $1.4 billion. In addition to deposits, it utilizes Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) advances either as a short-term funding source or a longer-term funding source and to manage its interest rate risks on its loan portfolio. The maximum amount of short-term FHLB advances it had outstanding at any month end during the year ended December 31, 2012, was $16.0 million. The Company�� FHLB borrowings totaled $164.6 million as of December 31, 2012. Its FHLB advances are collateralized by assets, including a blanket pledge of certain loans with a carrying value of $524.8 million and FHLB stock. As of December 31, 2012, it had $92.7 million in undisbursed advance commitments (letters of credit) with the FHLB.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Markus Aarnio]

    2. Independent Bank Group (IBTX) operates as a bank holding company for Independent Bank that provides commercial banking products and services for small to medium size businesses, professionals, and individuals in North and Central Texas.

Hot Promising Companies To Invest In 2014: STAAR Surgical Company(STAA)

STAAR Surgical Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of implantable lenses for the cataracts and refractive surgery. It offers intraocular lenses (IOL) that include silicone Toric IOL, which is used in cataract surgery to treat preexisting astigmatism; Preloaded Injector, a three-piece silicone or acrylic IOL preloaded into a single-use disposable injector; Aspheric IOLs that provide a clearer image than traditional spherical IOLs; and nanoFLEX IOL, a single-piece collamer aspheric IOL. The company also provides implantable collamer lenses (ICL) comprising VISIAN ICL and VISIAN Toric ICL to treat refractive disorders, such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. In addition, it sells surgical products and other related instruments, as well as manufactures AquaFlow device for the treatment of glaucoma. The company markets its products to health care providers, including surgical centers, hospitals, managed care pro viders, health maintenance organizations, group purchasing organizations, and government facilities primarily under the STAAR, Visian, Collamer, nanoFLEX, nanoPOINT, CentraFLOW, AquaPORT, Epiphany, and AquaFlow names. It distributes its products through directly employed representatives, independent sales representatives, and local distributors in the United States and internationally. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Monrovia, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Leading and Lagging Sectors
    Monday morning, the healthcare sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT) and STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA). In trading on Monday, basic materials shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.45 percent.

Hot Promising Companies To Invest In 2014: WebMD Health Corp (WBMD)

WebMD Health Corp. provides health information services to consumers, physicians and other healthcare professionals, employers, and health plans through its public and private online portals, mobile platforms, and health-focused publications in the United States. The company?s public portals enable consumers to obtain health and wellness information, including information on specific diseases or conditions; check symptoms; locate physicians; store individual healthcare information; receive periodic e-newsletters on topics of individual interest; and participate in online communities with peers and experts. Its public portals for physicians and healthcare professionals provide access to clinical reference sources; stay abreast of the latest clinical information; learn about new treatment options; earn continuing medical education credit; and communicate with peers. The company also provides mobile health information applications for use by consumers and physicians. In addit ion, WebMD Health Corp. offers e-detailing promotion and physician recruitment services, content syndication and distribution, and information services, as well as print services, including the advertisements in WebMD the Magazine, a consumer magazine distributed to physician office waiting rooms. The public portals? sponsors and advertisers include pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and consumer products companies. The company?s private portals enable employers and health plans to provide their employees and members with access to personalized health and benefit information and decision support technology that helps them to make more informed benefit, treatment, and provider decisions. Further, it offers telephonic health coaching services on a per participant basis across an employee or plan population for clients of its private portals. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    A comparison to WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ:WBMD) is conjured up almost immediately, but it's not a comparison an investor or patient would want to make. WBMD is primarily aimed at individuals who don't have a medical background, and are looking more for tips than for science. The CollabRx site is exclusively built for doctors (oncologists in particular) and diagnostic laboratories that need detailed information parsed out of a sea of data that could be overwhelming were it not curated and focused. Indeed, unlike WebMD or the kind of websites that Bridgeline Digital is going to provide for its new client, the information that's going to be found via CollabRx may be little more than gibberish to a layperson, but it will be highly instructive to doctors and caregivers.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Leading and Lagging Sectors
    In trading on Monday, technology shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.18 percent. Among the leading sector stocks, gains came from WebMD Health (NASDAQ: WBMD) and 21Vianet Group (NASDAQ: VNET). Telecommunications services shares gained by just 0.35 percent in the US market today.

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