When things go bad for high-profile Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) , it can get ugly. The discount retailer has hit another public relations speed bump given its guilty plea to charges of improper disposal of hazardous waste, with pollutants having gone down sanitation drains in California. The company will pay a pretty penny: an $81 million fine, which also covers related allegations in Missouri.
In its press release, Wal-Mart explained that the charges stem from activities that took place years ago, that regulators did not allege specific environmental impact, and that it now has comprehensive environmental programs in place. It gave examples of its more responsible methods for disposing of such waste after it began implementing stringent environmental measures in 2006, some of which the EPA�says go above and beyond regulatory laws.
Hazard pay and hazard payback
Regardless, the idea of costs -- both financial and reputational -- comes at an interesting time given a pending shareholder proposal. The resolution asks that Wal-Mart disclose utilization of its existing clawback policy to recoup compensation from executives that have indulged in unethical behavior or acts considered detrimental to the company. Investors will vote on the measure at the company's annual meeting on June 7.
Top 5 Value Stocks To Own Right Now: Flexsteel Industries Inc.(FLXS)
Flexsteel Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, import, and market of residential and commercial upholstered and wooden furniture products in the United States. Its upholstered and wooden furniture products include sofas, loveseats, chairs, reclining and rocker-reclining chairs, swivel rockers, sofa beds, convertible bedding units, occasional tables, desks, dining tables and chairs, and bedroom furniture. The company distributes its products for use in home, office, hotel, and other commercial applications through its sales force and various independent representatives, as well as to various national and regional chains. Flexsteel Industries, Inc. was founded in 1929 and is based in Dubuque, Iowa.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Flexsteel Industries (Nasdaq: FLXS ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of La-Z-Boy have gained 11% to $27.02 at 1:54 p.m. today. Its performance is also giving other furniture stocks a boost. Flexsteel (FLXS) has risen 1% to $27.60, Hooker Furniture (HOFT) has jumped 1.6% to $17.12 and Ethan Allen International (ETH) has advanced 1.2% to $29.20. Haverty Furniture (HVT) has dipped 0.3% to $27.87.
Top 10 Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Synergetics USA Inc.(SURG)
Synergetics USA, Inc., a medical device company, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of microsurgical instruments and consumables primarily for ophthalmology and neurosurgery markets in the United States and internationally. The company?s product lines focus upon precision engineered, microsurgical, handheld devices, and the microscopic delivery of laser energy, ultrasound, electrosurgery, aspiration, illumination and irrigation that are delivered in multiple combinations. It offers retinal surgical items, including handheld disposable and reusable forceps and scissors, fiberoptics for illumination and photocoagulation, cannulas, scrapers, and other reusable and disposable surgical devices. The company also provides bipolar electrosurgical generators; lesion generators used for minimally invasive pain treatment; and directional laser probes, as well as offers gauge instrumentation to the vitreoretinal surgical market. It sells its products through direct sale s employees, distributors, and independent sales representatives. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in O?Fallon, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Synergetics USA (SURG) has dropped 4.8% to $4.75 after the medical device company said it earned 6 cents a share, in line with analyst forecasts.
Team Inc.�(TISI) has dropped 11% after the company missed its earnings forecast and lowered guidance.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) reported its FQ4 earnings of $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.9 million. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.05 per share on revenue of $17 million. Synergetics USA shares dipped 11.82% to $4.40 in the after-hours trading session.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.01 million.
Team (NYSE: TISI) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.36 per share on revenue of $176.70 million.
Top 10 Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Chimera Investment Corporation (CIM)
Chimera Investment Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. The company, through its subsidiaries, invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), residential mortgage loans, commercial mortgage loans, real estate-related securities, and other asset classes. Its targeted asset classes include agency or non-agency RMBS; prime, jumbo prime, and Alt-A mortgage loans; first or second lien loans secured by multifamily properties, mixed residential or other commercial properties, retail properties, office properties, or industrial properties; and asset-based securities (ABS), including commercial mortgage-backed securities, debt and equity tranches of collateralized debt obligations, and consumer and non-consumer ABS. The company has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and would not be subject to income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its share holders. Chimera Inve stment Corporation was founded in 2007 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Selena Maranjian]
Appaloosa Management reduced its stake in companies such as Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM ) and Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO ) . Mortgage REIT Chimera Investment recently yielded 10.9%, but it may become less attractive if Congress cancels favorable tax treatment for REITs. Chimera has taken on more risk than many of its brethren, and has had some trouble filing reports on time. Some still like its prospects, though, while others question its hefty management fees.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Berkshire isn't the only company where book value plays an important role. In the mortgage REIT realm, the value of the investment portfolio for a given mortgage REIT reduced by the REIT's outstanding debt, sometimes referred to as net asset value rather than book value, gives valuable information about its relative valuation. Industry leader Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY ) currently sports a price-to-book ratio of 0.96 based on its most recently provided figures, reflecting in part investor skepticism about whether the REIT's agency-issued mortgage-backed securities will hold their value once the Federal Reserve stops making extensive bond purchases as part of its quantitative easing program. By contrast, Annaly's non-agency-issued counterpart, Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM ) , sports a price-to-book ratio of nearly 1.1, indicating a significant premium to the REIT's stated net asset value that could be due to the fact that the Fed hasn't focused its efforts on the alternative securities that Chimera tends to choose for its portfolio.
- [By John Maxfield]
"Nepotism has never been unknown in American banking," Martin Mayer wrote in The Greatest-Ever Bank Robbery, his 1990 book about the savings-and-loan crisis. While Mayer was referring to American Continental, the notoriously corrupt holding company run into the ground by the infamous Charles Keating in the 1980s, his point rings true today in the case of Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY ) and its publicly traded portfolio company Chimera Investment (NYSE: CIM ) .
Top 10 Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Luna Innovations Incorporated(LUNA)
Luna Innovations Incorporated engages in the research, development, and commercialization of technologies in the areas of sensing and instrumentation products, and health care products primarily in the United States. The company?s Product and Licensing segment offers test and measurement products to monitor the integrity of fiber optic network and sub-assemblies. This segment provides Optical Vector Analyzer platform, a device for single-measurement, all-parameter analysis of fiber optic components and assemblies up to 150 meters in length; Optical Backscatter Reflectometer, a sensitive diagnostic device, for data and telecommunications companies, and service providers who maintain their own fiber optic networks; and Phoenix laser, a MEMs-based external cavity laser, that offers low noise and precise tuning capability over the C-band. It also offers distributed sensing systems, which comprise multiple sensors whose input is integrated through a fiber optic network and soft ware to detect distributed strain, shape, and temperature; and tunable lasers. In addition, this segment provides health care products, including medical devices for minimally invasive diagnostics, surgery, and therapy; non-invasive monitoring and diagnosis medical devices consisting of emboli detection and classification QUANTIFIER, a non-invasive medical device, that uses quantitative ultrasound technology to count emboli in ex-vivo blood circuit; and nanomaterial-based medical products comprising Trimetasphere nanomaterials. The company?s Technology Development segment provides contract research services to universities, government entities, and corporations. Luna Innovations Incorporated offers its services to energy, telecommunications, life sciences, and defense industries .The company was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
Shares of microcap fiber optic test and measurement sensor-maker Luna Innovations (NASDAQ: LUNA ) surged as much as 85% in Monday trading before finally settling down to book a 41% gain for the day. The catalyst: The company announced that it had extended its multiyear agreement to develop and supply "high-speed shape-sensing technology" to robotic surgery giant Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG ) for use in its da Vinci surgical robots.
Top 10 Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Sparton Corporation(SPA)
Sparton Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, offers electronic manufacturing services primarily for medical device, defense and security systems, and electronic manufacturing services industries worldwide. The company?s Medical segment engages in the contract development, design, production, and distribution of medical related electromechanical devices for the medical OEM and ET customers primarily in the vitro diagnostic and therapeutic device areas. Its EMS segment involves in the contract manufacturing, assembly, design, preproduction, prototyping, and/or box building assemblies, such as flight control systems and fuel control systems for the aerospace, medical diagnostics systems, security systems, detection systems, lighting, and defense. The company?s DSS segment engages in the design, development, and production of electromechanical equipment, such as sonobuoys, an anti-submarine warfare device used by the United States Navy and foreign governments; and perf orms an engineering development function for the United States military and prime defense contractors on advanced technologies for defense products, and replacement of current systems. It also offers non-sonobuoy related manufacturing and services. Sparton Corporation was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Sparton (NYSE: SPA ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Emma O��rien]
Futures (SPA) on the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index fell and the yen climbed against the dollar as U.S. lawmakers continued to scrap over raising the debt limit and the government shutdown. Crude oil declined while gold rallied.
Top 10 Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: USA Technologies Inc.(USAT)
USA Technologies, Inc. supplies cashless, remote management, reporting, and energy management solutions for the unattended point of sale market primarily in the United States. The company offers networked devices and associated services that enable the owners and operators of stand-alone distributed assets, such as vending machines, kiosks, personal computers, photocopiers, and laundry equipment the ability to remotely monitor, control, and report on the results of these distributed assets, as well as the ability to offer their customers cashless payment options. Its products include Intelligent Vending, an ePort connect solution for the vending industry; Kiosk, an ePort solution that offers an electronic payment option and Web-based remote monitoring and management for various kiosk types; eSuds, a solution for the commercial laundry industry; Business Express, which provides self-service business center solutions to the hotel and motel industry; and ePort Transact soluti on for the self-service business center devices, such as printers and copy machines. The company also manufactures and sells energy conservation products comprising VendingMiser, CoolerMiser, VM2IQ and CM2IQ, SnackMiser, and PlugMiser for various existing equipment, including refrigerated vending machines and glass front coolers. USA Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
USA Technologies (NASDAQ: USAT) is estimated to report its Q4 earnings at $0.02 per share on revenue of $9.89 million.
Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN) is projected to post a Q4 loss at $1.71 per share on revenue of $117.82 million.
- [By Monica Gerson]
USA Technologies (NASDAQ: USAT) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.00 per share on revenue of $10.63 million.
P&F Industries (NASDAQ: PFIN) is expected to report its quarterly results.
Top 10 Penny Companies To Buy For 2014: Cleco Corporation (CNL)
Cleco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in Louisiana. As of December 31, 2009, it had ownership interest in 3 steam electric generating stations and 1 gas turbine with a combined name plate capacity of 1,359 megawatts, and a combined electric net generating capacity of 1,318 megawatts. The company served approximately 277,000 customers in 107 communities in the central and southeastern Louisiana. It also owns and operates a natural gas-fired merchant power plant, as well as has a 50% interest in another natural gas-fired merchant power plant located in Louisiana. Cleco Corporation was founded in 1934 and is based in Pineville, Louisiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Dittman]
Answer: I like NextEra Energy, which has significant renewables exposure and operates in a region with solid economic fundamentals. I also like smaller utes that operate in smaller footprints with solid long-term fundamentals, including Cleco (NYSE: CNL), Pinnacle West, Vectren (NYSE: VVC) and SCANA (NYSE: SCG).
- [By Marc Bastow]
Pineville, Louisiana-based utility holding company CLECO (CNL) raised its quarterly dividend 10.3% to 40 cents per share payable on May 15. No record or ex-dividend date for the payment was released.
CNL Dividend Yield: 3.13% - [By Garrett Cook]
Utilities sector was the top gainer in the US market on Thursday. Top gainers in the sector included Cleco (NYSE: CNL), Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP), and Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP).
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