Why the Upgrade?
The product and service provider to the oil and gas exploration industry delivered positive earnings surprises in three out of the last four quarters with an average beat of 3.8%.
With the international drilling market heating up, Newpark Resources has succeeded in winning quite a few contracts, thanks to its quality of products and services. In Jun 2013, Newpark Resources opened a state-of-the-art Laboratory Facility in Katy, Texas which will further ensure the supply of technically advanced products to its clients.
The company is scheduled to release its second quarter earnings in the latter half of this month. Newpark Resources��performance during the quarter indicates that it will again beat expectations this quarter.
In Apr 2013, Newpark Resources received a two-year contract from a unit of TOTAL S.A. (TOT) to provide drilling fluids and related services for a series of wells planned in the Campos Basin. The company won another contract from an oil major to supply drilling fluids and related services for a series of wells to be drilled in the Black Sea.
Hot Recreation Stocks To Own For 2016: Energen Corporation (EGN)
Energen Corporation, an energy holding company, engages in the development, acquisition, exploration, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the continental United States. The company is also involved in the purchase, distribution, and sale of natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers, as well as to other end-users of natural gas in central and north Alabama. In addition, it provides gas transportation services to industrial and commercial customers located on its distribution system. As of December 31, 2012, the company had approximately 750 million barrels of oil-equivalent proved, probable, and possible reserves. Energen Corporation was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Smaller producers appear to agree, with Whiting Petroleum (WLL) noting that its production growth would be unchanged at oil prices of around $75 while an average oil price in the low $80s would not affect Energen�� (EGN) production plans.
Top 10 International Companies For 2015: Nektar Therapeutics(NKTR)
Nektar Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in developing a pipeline of drug candidates that utilize its PEGylation and polymer conjugate technology platforms. The company?s product pipeline consists of drug candidates across various therapeutic areas, including oncology, pain, anti-infectives, anti-viral, and immunology. Its research and development activities involve small molecule drugs, peptides, and other potential biologic drug candidates. The company?s proprietary drug candidates in clinical development comprise NKTR-118, a peripheral opioid antagonist, which has completed Phase II clinical trail for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation; BAY41-6551 that has completed Phase II clinical trail to treat gram-negative pneumonias; NKTR-102, a topoisomerase I inhibitor-polymer conjugate, which is in Phase II clinical trail for multiple cancer indications, including breast, ovarian, and colorectal; and NKTR-105 that is in Phase I clinica l trail to treat solid tumors. Its preclinical products consists of NKTR-119 (Opioid/NKTR-118 combinations) for the treatment of pain; NKTR-181 (abuse deterrent, tamper-resistant opioid) to treat pain; NKTR-194 (non-scheduled opioid) for the treatment of mild to moderate pain; NKTR-171 (tricyclic antidepressant) to treat neuropathic pain; and NKTR-140 (protease inhibitor candidate) to treat HIV. The company has collaboration with Bayer Healthcare LLC to develop BAY41-6551 (NKTR-061, Amikacin Inhale), which is an inhaled solution of amikacin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic; and a license agreement with AstraZeneca AB for the development and commercialization of Oral NKTR-118 and NKTR-119. In addition, Nektar Therapeutics has various license, manufacturing, and supply agreements for its technology with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, such as Affymax, Amgen, Baxter, Roche, Merck, Pfizer, and UCB Pharma. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in San Franc isco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Keith Speights]
How sweet it is
Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR ) shareholders saw sweet gains this week. The stock climbed 18% on positive clinical study results. - [By John McCamant]
Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) is expected to get FDA approval this year for its lead drug naloxegol, a once-a-day pill for opioid-induced constipation (OIC). The drug is licensed to AstraZeneca. NKTR will receive up to $245 million in milestone payments, plus royalties.
- [By Jay Silverman]
Steve Halpern: Another stock you follow closely is Nektar (NKTR). What do you see happening there?
Jay Silverman: Yes, Nektar is another platform company at the MTSL and they are about to release data on one of their compounds that is a pain reliever-unlike the very severe side effects of OxyContin, the opioid pain relievers that are out there, which have caused severe health and addictive concerns, leading to very, very troublesome side effects and death in some cases.
- [By Sean Williams]
This is particularly intriguing now both to Allergan, which purchased MAP Pharmaceuticals earlier this year for $958 million, and to�Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR ) , which would gain royalties from the sale of Levadex due to its intellectual property contribution to the making of the drug.
Top 10 International Companies For 2015: Select Sector Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF)
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Financial Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes financial service firms with diversified business lines ranging from investment management to commercial and investment banking.
The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing investment approach to invest in a portfolio of stocks that seek to replicate the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sital S. Patel]
Stock react: Shares are trading at $45.68, down 12% year-to-date and 17% below their 52-week high. Shares have lagged the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) , which tracks financial stocks in the S&P 500 (SPX) and is down 2.7% year-to-date. Analysts have an average price target of $58.06, according to FactSet. Rival J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) �shares fell 3.7% after it reported earnings Friday.
Top 10 International Companies For 2015: Newpark Resources Inc (NR)
Newpark Resources, Inc., incorporated on June 3, 1988, is a diversified oil and gas supplier providing products and services primarily to the oil and gases exploration (E&P) industry. The Company operates in three segments: fluids systems and engineering, mats and integrated services, and environmental services. The Company's Fluids Systems and Engineering segment provides customized drilling fluids solutions to E&P customers globally, operating through four geographic regions: North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America, and Asia Pacific. The Company's Mats and Integrated Services segment provides composite mat rentals, well site construction and related site services to oil and gas customers at well, production, transportation and refinery locations in the United States. The Company's Environmental Services segment processes and disposes of waste generated by E&P and industrial activity, primarily along the United States Gulf Coast. On December 31, 2012, it acquired operations of Alliance Drilling Fluids, LLC
Fluids Systems and Engineering
The Company's Fluids Systems and Engineering business offers customized solutions, including technical drilling projects involving complex subsurface conditions, such as horizontal, directional, geologically deep or deep water drilling. These projects require increased monitoring and critical engineering support of the fluids system during the drilling process. The Company provides drilling fluids products and technical services to markets in North America, EMEA, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific region. The Company also provides completion services and equipment rental to customers in Oklahoma and Texas. The Company has industrial mineral grinding operations for barite. The Company grinds barite and other industrial minerals at facilities in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas, New Iberia, Louisiana and Dyersburg, Tennessee. The Company uses the resulting products in its drilling fluids business, and also sell! s them to third party users, including other drilling fluids companies. The Company also sells a variety of other minerals, principally to third party industrial (non oil and gas) markets, from its main plant in Houston, Texas and from the plant in Dyersburg, Tennessee.
Mats and Integrated Services
The Company provides mat rentals, location construction and related well sites services to E&P customers in the Northeast United States, onshore United States Gulf Coast, and Rocky Mountain regions, and mat rentals to the petrochemical industry in the United States and the utility industry in the United Kingdom. These mats provide environmental protection and ensure all-weather access to sites with unstable soil conditions. The Company manufactures its DuraBase Advanced Composite Mats for sales, as well as for uses in its domestic and international rental operations. The Company's marketing efforts for this product remain focused in principal oil and gas industry markets which include the Asia Pacific, Latin America, EMEA, as well as markets outside the E&P sector in the United States and Europe.
Environmental Services
The Company processes and disposes of waste generated by its oil and gas customers. Primary revenue sources include onshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico drilling waste management, as well as reclamation services. Additionally, the Company provides disposal services in the West Texas market. The Company operates six receiving and transfers facilities located along the United States Gulf Coast. E&P waste is collected at the transfer facilities from drilling and production operations located offshore, onshore and within inland waters. Waste is accumulated at the transfer facilities and moved by barge through the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway to the Company's processing and transfer facility at Port Arthur, Texas, and, if not recycled, is trucked to injection disposal facilities. Any remaining material is injected, after further processing, into envir! onmentall! y secure geologic formations. Under permits from Texas state regulatory agencies, the Company operates waste disposal facilities in Jefferson County, Texas (Fannett and Big Hill). The Fannett site is the Company's primary facility for disposing of E&P waste. Utilizing this same technology, the Company also receives and disposes of non-hazardous industrial waste at the Big Hill facility, principally from generators in the United States Gulf Coast market, including refiners, manufacturers, service companies and industrial municipalities that produce waste. These non-hazardous waste streams are injected into a separate well utilizing the same low-pressure injection technology. The Company also disposes of non-hazardous industrial waste.
The Company competes with Schlumberger, Halliburton and Baker Hughes.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of energy service provider Newpark Resources (NYSE: NR ) jumped 17% today after the company released earnings.
So what: Revenue was up 7.7%, to $283 million in the first quarter, and net income jumped 11.1%, to $17.4 million, or $0.18 per share. Analysts only expected $278 million in revenue, and earnings of $0.17 per share, and the slight beat was enough to send shares higher. It didn't hurt that the report was accompanied by a $50 million share repurchase plan, which indicates that management is bullish on the company's long-term future.�
Top 10 International Companies For 2015: Old Republic International Corporation(ORI)
Old Republic International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various insurance and mortgage guaranty products in North America. The company operates in three segments: General Insurance, Mortgage Guaranty, and Title Insurance. The General Insurance segment provides liability insurance coverages to businesses, government, and other institutions in commercial construction, forest products, energy, general manufacturing, and financial services industries; and transportation, including trucking and general aviation industries. It provides various insurance products, such as automobile extended warranty, aviation, commercial automobile insurance, general liability, home warranty, inland marine, travel accident, and workers? compensation, as well as liability coverage for claims arising from the acts of owners or employees, and protection for the physical assets of businesses. This segment also offers financial indemnity products, such as consumer credit indemnity , errors and omissions/directors and officers, guaranteed asset protection, and surety, as well as bonds that cover the exposures for losses of monies, or debt and equity securities due to acts of employee dishonesty. The Mortgage Guaranty segment insures first mortgage loans, primarily on residential properties incorporating one-to-four family dwelling units to mortgage bankers, brokers, commercial banks, and savings institutions. The Title Insurance segment provides lenders' and owners' title insurance policies to real estate purchasers and investors based upon searches of the public records. It also provides escrow closing and construction disbursement services; and real estate information products, national default management services, and services related to real estate transfers and loan transactions. Old Republic International Corporation markets its products directly, as well as through insurance agents and brokers. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Chi cago, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Fredrik Arnold]
Ten Champion dogs that promised the biggest dividend yields into July included firms representing five of nine market sectors. The top stocks were three of five from the financial sector: Universal Health Realty Trust (UHT); Mercury General Corp. (MCY); Old Republic Int'l (ORI). The other two financial firms, HCP Inc., and United Bankshares Inc. (UBSI), placed sixth and eighth.
- [By Holly LaFon]
Prem Watsa is renowned for his long track record of outstanding returns using Buffett-style value investing through his worldwide insurance and reinsurance company, Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings. His five-year cumulative is 176.4%, compared to 12.2% for the S&P 500. Most recently, he made headlines for making a large contrarian bet on Research In Motion (RIMM) and joining its board in his first activist investing foray. In the fourth quarter, he added to this position. He also added to his positions in Citigroup Inc. (C), Old Republic Corp. (ORI) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and dramatically reduced one of his largest holdings, Dell (DELL). As a Ben Graham devotee, Watsa looks past short-term fluctuations in price to the underlying strength of a business. His stance on the economy, as of September and October 2011, was that he believed the U.S. was showing Depression-level interest rates and deficits, but he still liked some stocks and would hedge his exposure, he told CFA Institute Magazine.
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
The part I like the most is that WGL sells energy credits and carbon offsets to retail customers. The company makes good money on these elements, selling to customers who just like to feel good about how they are ��elping the environment�� WGL has a long history as an energy company and has paid a dividend for 37 years. It currently pays 4.3% annually.
Old Republic International (ORI)The next of our dividend stocks is one you may have heard of: Old Republic International (ORI). Old Republic started back in 1887 and is an insurance company that offers a huge array of products. A lot of insurance products are very high margin, and Old Republic has mastered the art of selling these. Extended Automobile Warranty, Home Warranty an Travel Accident Insurance are great segments to be playing in.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Its big day has also boosted other insurers. Radian Group (RDN) has risen 7.2% to $14.39, while Old Republic International (ORI) has advanced 2.1% to $15.24, Genworth Financial (GNW) is up 3.6% at $13.41 and MBIA Inc. (MBI) has jumped 4.3% to $10.76.
Top 10 International Companies For 2015: SGOCO Group Ltd(SGOC)
SGOCO Group, Ltd. designs, manufactures, and distributes liquid crystal display (LCD) consumer products in the People?s Republic of China and internationally. Its products include LCD personal computer monitors, LCD televisions, light emitting diode back-light modules, and application-specific LCD systems. The company also provides custom manufacturing services for application-specific LCD monitors, such as rotating screens, CCTV monitors for security systems, billboard monitors for advertising and public notice systems, and touch screens for non-keyed entries. SGOCO Group, Ltd. sells its products under the SGOCO, Edge 10, POVIZON, and No. 10 brands through a network of independent retail outlets operating under the ?SGOCO Image? name. The company offers its products to industry clients, such as medical centers, educational institutions, government complexes, public emergency response systems, and corporate offices, as well as to retail customers. As of December 31, 201 0, it had 603 retail stores covering 14 provinces and municipalities in the People?s Republic of China. The company, formerly known as SGOCO Technology, Ltd., was founded in 2006 and is based in Beijing, China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Large cap glass and ceramics technology stock Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) has put in a good performance since announcing a deal with Samsung back in October, meaning its probably time to take a closer look at the stock along with the performance of�potential peers (either upstream or downstream on the OLED and liquid crystal display side of the glass business) like�small cap players like Daktronics, Inc (NASDAQ: DAKT), SGOCO Group Ltd (NASDAQ: SGOC) and Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ: OLED). I should note that we have recently added Corning Incorporated to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio because we believe the�company�� position as it relates to�glass and ceramics puts it in�a sweet spot�for the�next generation flexible screens and mobile wearables. But that�� not all there is to like about this stock.
- [By John Udovich]
On Tuesday, large cap�LCD glass maker�Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) began surging some 20% in after hours trading after announcing that it will take over an existing joint venture (Samsung Corning Precision Materials) with Samsung���meaning it might be worth taking a closer look at some small cap peers like Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ: OLED), Daktronics, Inc (NASDAQ: DAKT) and SGOCO Group Ltd (NASDAQ: SGOC) who also have a piece of the LCD glass or related flat panel display action. Specifically, the deal involves a series of transactions to�give Corning Incorporated full ownership of Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. (SCP), which manufactures LCD glass in Korea and it should be noted that Corning already relies on sales of LCD-TV glass for the bulk of its profit. In addition, Corning Incorporated���board of directors has authorized an additional $2 billion of share repurchases through Dec. 31, 2015, dependent upon the transaction closing. Wendell P. Weeks, the chairman, CEO and president of Corning Incorporated was quoted in the press release announcing the deal as saying:
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap flat panel display stock�Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ: OLED) was hit by bearish news in late November and the trend lines on its technical�charts appear to be confused as to what direction the stock will head, meaning its probably time to take a closer look at the situation along with the stock�� performance verses that of flat panel display peers like large cap Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW)�and small cap players like Daktronics, Inc (NASDAQ: DAKT) and SGOCO Group Ltd (NASDAQ: SGOC)
Top 10 International Companies For 2015: BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.(BMRN)
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. develops and commercializes biopharmaceuticals for serious diseases and medical conditions in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and rest of the world. The company?s commercial products include Naglazyme, a recombinant form of N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfatase enzyme used for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) VI; Kuvan, a proprietary synthetic oral form of 6R-BH4 used to treat patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disease; Aldurazyme used for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis I, a genetic disease; and Firdapse used to treat Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome, an autoimmune disease. It develops GALNS, an enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of MPS IVA, a lysosomal storage disorder; PEG-PAL, an enzyme substitution therapy that is under Phase II clinical trial to treat PKU; BMN-673, a Phase I/II clinical trial product for the treatment of cancer; BMN-701, an enzyme replacement therapy, which is under Phase I/II clinical trials for Pompe disease, a glycogen storage disorder; and BMN-111, a peptide therapeutic that is under Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of achondroplasia. The company sells its Naglazyme, Kuvan, and Firdapse products to specialty pharmacies and end-users, such as hospitals and foreign government agencies, which act as retailers; and Naglazyme products to distributors and pharmaceutical wholesalers. It has a collaboration agreement with Genzyme Corporation for the manufacture of Aldurazyme; and an agreement with Merck Serono S.A. for the further development and commercialization of Kuvan and other products containing 6R-BH4 and PEG-PAL for PKU. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Novato, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Somaiya and team named Gilead and�Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) their top picks, hile putting Buy ratings on Celgene, Biogen Idec, Alexion (ALXN), Incyte (INCY), Pharmacyclics (PCYC) and Synageva (GEVA). BioMarin (BMRN), Infinity Pharmaceuticals (INFI) and Amgen (AMGN) earned Neutral ratings.
- [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
There is no crystal ball that's 100% accurate when experimental drugs are concerned, but here are some telling questions that can narrow your search.
Questions to Answer Before You Buy In Does the drug fulfill an unmet need?
Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ALXN) Soliris (eculizumab) is the only drug approved to treat paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), an extremely rare, lethal blood disorder. It is also the only therapy approved to treat atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), a genetic condition that can result in sudden and progressive damage to vital organs, leading to stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure. Five years ago, ALXN shares were selling for about $18.50. They recently hit a high of $180.51 - thanks to Soliris, and Soliris alone. Is it a "breakthrough" drug?
A "Breakthrough Therapy" (BT) is actually a designation awarded by the FDA for a drug that "...is intended alone or in combination with one or more other drugs to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and [has] preliminary clinical evidence [that] indicates the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development." In 2012, the FDA granted Roche/Genetech's Gasyva a BT designation and then approved it for marketing in 2013. It treats chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and is expected to be a big blockbuster - as are the other three breakthrough therapies that were approved last year. Can its market produce blockbuster income?
This can mean a huge market, such as patients with high cholesterol - think Pfizer Inc.'s (NYSE: PFE) Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium), the bestselling drug of all time - or a small market that will pay for highly priced orphan drugs for rare diseases. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRN), a company that specializes in the - [By Ben Levisohn]
Sure Intercept Pharmaceuticals (ICPT) might feel like the only biotech stock that matters today, but there are others. For instance, Incyte (INCY) and� BioMarin (BMRN) are on the move after Barclays changed its ratings on the pair.
- [By Brian Orelli]
Clovis isn't the only one developing a PARP inhibitor, though. BioMarin Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BMRN ) presented data at ASCO for BMN673, where 82% of patients with BRCA mutations had a clinical benefit. There were 28 patients in that part of the trial, so the data could be more reproducible than rucaparib's seven out of seven. BioMarin also has solid data for breast tumors with BRCA mutations. Shares of BioMarin actually fell a little today, but I think the data were widely expected to be positive, so there's likely a little "sell the news" going on.
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