H&R Block (NYSE: HRB ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and as you'd expect outside of tax season, the tax-preparation company will almost certainly post a sizable loss. But the bigger question investors want answered is whether H&R Block can meet the long-term threat of Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU ) and its TurboTax software on one end, as well as the live tax-preparation competition of JTH Holdings' (NASDAQ: TAX ) and its Liberty Tax Service chain.
H&R Block has a long history of providing tax-preparation services, and it has recognized the need to go beyond live preparation to offer tax software of its own. Yet TurboTax remains the most popular tax software in the market by a wide margin, forcing H&R Block to try to use its bricks-and-mortar offices as weapons in its competitive fight. Yet now, JTH Holdings has entered the field, with its ownership of Liberty Tax Service and the leadership of John Hewitt, co-founder of Jackson Hewitt. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with H&R Block over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its report.
Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own For 2015: WisdomTree SmallCap Earnings Fund (EES)
WisdomTree SmallCap Earnings Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the WisdomTree SmallCap Earnings Index (the Index). The Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of earnings-generating companies within the small-capitalization segment of the United States stock market. The Index consists of the companies in the bottom 25% of the market capitalization of the WisdomTree Earnings Index after the 500 largest companies have been removed. Companies must be incorporated and listed in the United States, and must have generated positive cumulative earnings over their most recent four fiscal quarters prior to the Index measurement date. The Index is earnings-weighted in December to reflect the proportionate share of the aggregate earnings each component company has generated. Companies with greater earnings generally have larger weights in the Index. Its investment advisor is WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Philip Springer]
WisdomTree SmallCap Earnings Fund (EES) follows earnings generated by companies in the small-cap universe of the US stock market.
Furthermore, the fund looks to weight by earnings, giving bigger weights to firms that earn more, irrespective of market capitalization.
Top Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: SWS Group Inc.(SWS)
SWS Group, Inc., a diversified financial services holding company, provides a range of investment and commercial banking, and related financial services to individual, corporate, and institutional investors, as well as broker/dealers, governmental entities, and financial intermediaries in the United States. It operates in four segments: Clearing, Retail, Institutional, and Banking. The Clearing segment provides clearing and execution services for general securities broker/dealers, bank affiliated firms, and firms specializing in high volume trading. The Retail segment offers retail securities products and services, such as equities, mutual funds, and fixed income products; insurance products; and managed accounts. The Institutional segment provides securities lending, investment banking and public finance, fixed income sales and trading, proprietary trading, and agency execution services to institutional customers. The Banking segment offers various banking products and se rvices, including certificates of deposit, money market accounts, interest-bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, federal home loan bank advances, federal funds purchased, and non interest-bearing demand accounts, as well as one to four family residential loans and construction loans, lot and land development loans, commercial real estate loans, multi family loans, commercial loans, and consumer loans. SWS Group, Inc. was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Melvin]
SWS Group (SWS) also catches my eye at the current valuation. The Dallas-based company is in the brokerage, investment banking and banking business in the Southwest. They struggled with losses at the banking subsidiary and eventually had to find a capital infusion. They ended up borrowing $100 million from noted investors Gerald Ford and Robert Bass. The core brokerage and investment banking business are well positioned and should do well over the next few years. I wouldn�� be shocked if this firm was eventually sold off, with Mr. Ford keeping the banking assets and selling the brokerage and I-Bank units to a larger firm. With the stock trading at just 65% of book value, the long-term potential is very high for this stock.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
Hilltop Holdings Inc.(HTH) offered to buy the rest of SWS Group Inc.(SWS) that it doesn’t already own, valuing the financial-services company at about $231 million. Hilltop, a regional banking and insurance company, offered $7 a share, a 16% premium over Thursday’s close. SWS surged 19% to $7.20 premarket,�topping the offer price.
Top Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Innoprise Plantations Bhd (INNO)
Innoprise Plantations Berhad is a Malaysia-based company engaged in investment holding and provision of management services to its subsidiary. The Company, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in the principal activities of log extraction contractor and operation of oil palm plantations, producer and supplier of renewable energy. The Company operates in three segments: Plantation, Timber and Corporate. The Plantation segment includes cultivation of oil palm. The Timber segment includes log extraction services. The Corporate segment includes group level corporate services, treasury functions and investment in marketable securities. The Company�� subsidiaries include Serijaya Industri Sdn. Bhd. and IPB Bio Energy Sdn. Bhd. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks Rising India Inc (OTCMKTS: RSII), Innocap, Inc (OTCBB: INNO) and Amplitech Group Inc (OTCBB: AMPG) have all been the subject of recent paid for promotions or investor relation campaigns. And while there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed promotions, investors who aren�� traders and are looking for a long term investment need to be careful. With that said, do these three small caps have what it takes to succeed for the long haul? Here is a quick reality check before you jump in:
- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks Respect Your Universe Inc (OTCMKTS: RYUN), Global Gaming Network (OTCMKTS: GBGM) and Innocap, Inc (OTCBB: INNO) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters thanks in part to paid promotions or investor relations activities. Of course there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed paid promotions or investor relations type of activities, but they can come back and bite unwary traders or investors. So what should you do with these three small cap stocks? Here is a quick reality check:
Top Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Location Based Technologies Inc (LBAS)
Location Based Technologies, Inc. (LBT), incorporated on April 20, 2006, designs, develops, and sells personal, pet, and vehicle locator devices and services including PocketFinder People, PocketFinder Pets and PocketFinder Vehicles. The Company markets and sells consumer and commercial location devices and services. Its devices utilize Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technologies in conjunction with its technologies designed to enhance the families to interact and stay connected around the world. The Company is a developer of the PocketFinder family of products and the PocketFinder Network. The PocketFinder family of products includes the PocketFinder People, PocketFinder Vehicle, PocketFinder Pets, PocketFinder Luggage, PocketFinder Mobile and PocketFinder Fleet. The PocketFinder is a small location device that enables a user to locate a device, person, or pet, at anytime from almost anywhere. PocketFinder personal locator devices are wireless.
The Company generate revenue by selling its products and charging customers an ongoing service fee, for which it offers monthly and annual subscription plans. The Company�� product, PocketFinder, is a small, waterproof and wireless location device that enables users to locate anyone or anything they care about, from a computer or Web-enabled device. Its products deliver critical information to users, such as: device location, longitude, latitude, heading speed and 60 days of location history. This information can be viewed passively through a user�� account or can be sent to a user via email or push notification if the user sets an alert. The target markets for the PocketFinder include: young children, seniors, people with special needs and people who need to track valuable assets such as luggage or sporting equipment. In addition to the PocketFinder, it also sell the PocketFinder Pet and the PocketFinder Vehicle products. The PocketFinder Pet is designed for pets weighing 15 pounds or more,! and it markets the PocketFinder Vehicle to families with new drivers, car enthusiasts, motorcycle owners, watercraft owners and business fleets. The PocketFinder Vehicle attaches directly to a battery or fuse box, so it has a constant supply of power. All PocketFinder products operate on the same user interface, which enables its customers receive the same features, functionality and user-experience, regardless of which product they own. To access their account or locate their devices, users can logon to the Company�� Website at www.pocketfinder.com or use its native iPhone, iPad or Android Apps.
The Company�� products are sold through various brick-and-mortar and online retailers and through its Website. It provides customer service and support in the United States through existing call centers owned by Affinitas. It provides wireless location based solutions for global positioning products along with its friendly user interface software system. PocketFinder and PocketFinder Vehicle devices are being sold in the United States and in Canada through the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Stores. PocketFinder devices for Pets are available for purchase on its Website.
The Company competes with Geospatial Platform Providers, Application Developers, Garmin�� GTU-10, Qualcomm�� Tagg, Lo-Jack, SpotLight, Fleetmatics, NetworkFleet, and Qualcomm.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, LBAS surged (+10.27%) up +0.015 at $.160 with�39,780 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:41AM EDT July 5, 2013).
Location Based Technologies, Inc. and EE, Ltd., the U.K.�� most advanced communications company, have previously entered into a purchase agreement which will allow LBT to embed EE SIM technology into LBT�� world�� best GPS products for immediate purchase throughout Europe and in additional areas around the world.
EE�� relationship with LBT continues to grow. The companies began their relationship earlier this year when EE launched PocketFinder Personal GPS Locators in their London flagship stores (https://explore.ee.co.uk/pocket-finder). With this latest agreement, LBT now has the capability to sell devices into Europe using a local SIM, thereby greatly reducing the monthly service fee charged to customers.
Top Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Commercial Vehicle Group Inc. (CVGI)
Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in supplying various cab related products and systems for the commercial vehicle markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries. The company provides seats and seating systems, including heavy truck seats, construction and other commercial vehicle seats, and office seating products. It also offers electronic wire harness assemblies that function as current carrying devices used to provide electrical interconnections for gauges, lights, control functions, power circuits, powertrain and transmission sensors, emissions systems, and other electronic applications on a commercial vehicle; and panel assemblies and cabinets. In addition, the company offers trim systems and components for the interior cabs of commercial vehicles comprising A-pillars, B-pillars, door panels, and interior trim panels; instrument panels; body panels; storage systems; floor covering systems; sleeper bunks; gr ab handles and armrests; privacy curtains; and plastics decorating and finishing products. Further, it provides cab structures, sleeper boxes, bumper fascias and fender liners, and structural components; mirrors and related hardware products; windshield wiper systems and components; and controls and control systems for window lifts, door locks, and electric switch products. The company offers its products for original equipment manufacturers for various end market vehicle applications, such as local and long-haul commercial trucking, bus, construction, mining, agricultural, military, general industrial, marine, municipal, recreational, and specialty vehicles. Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in New Albany, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Auto Parts Wholesale: This industry moved up 1.46% by 10:40 am. The top performer in this industry was Commercial Vehicle Group (NASDAQ: CVGI), which gained 2.3%. Commercial Vehicle Group shares have jumped 39.58% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 22.24% in the same period.
Top Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Industrias Bachoco S.A. de C.V. (IBA)
Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V., through its subsidiaries, operates as a poultry producer in Mexico. It engages in breeding, processing, and marketing of poultry products, such as chicken and table eggs; and balanced animal feed comprising swine and other products. The company also offers turkey and value-added beef and pork products. It sells its products to wholesalers, retailers, supermarkets, rosticer Advisors' Opinion:
- [By John Udovich]
Thanksgiving is around the corner�meaning investors might want to take a closer look at turkey stocks�like Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), Seaboard Corporation (NYSEMKT: SEB) and Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: IBA)���the last major�publicly traded turkey stocks available for investors. Moreover, the Wall Street Journal has pointed out that corn prices are the lowest in more than three years and fewer birds are in production as some producers cut back on their flocks this year due to weaker turkey commodity prices.�Feed prices, which make up about 70% of the cost of a turkey, had soared with the price of corn which hit the $8 a bushel level but a recent�bumper crop has sent corn prices plunging to about the $4 a bushel level.
- [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 Industrias Bachoco (NYSE: IBA ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Top Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Nishat Power Ltd (NPL)
Nishat Power Limited (NPL) is a Pakistan-based company engaged in the electric utilities industry. The principal activity of the Company is to build, own, operate and maintain a fuel fired power station having gross capacity of 200 megawatt in Jamber Kalan, Tehsil Pattoki, District Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan. It has an installed annual capacity (based on 8,784 hours) of 1,715,559 megawatt hour. The Company�� customer is National Transmission and Dispatch Company Ltd (NTDC). During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, its actual energy delivered was 1,062,644 megawatt hour. The Company is a subsidiary of Nishat Mills Limited. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Federico Zaldua]
Despite growing expenses, in local currency terms, the bank's net income improved 16% year-over-year (yoy) while Non-Performing-Loans (NPL) have been kept below 4%. Hence, through Galicia, you can invest in an operationally healthy bank that shall behave in line with government bonds. Trading at 3 times P/E and 75% book value I think Galicia is good bet within the space.
High Exposure to Public Debt
Banco Macro (BMA) has been one of the highest growing banks during the last two decades. One interesting thing about Banco Macro is that the bank owns approximately $400 million of government related securities when the bank's total market capitalization is now just above $1 billion. On the other hand, Banco Macro is growing earnings aggressively at a 39% year over year rate in local currency terms with a very low (and stable) 1.6% NPL rate. Banco Macro is slightly more expensive than Galicia trading at 80% its book value and 3.2 times P/E.
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