Hot Railroad Stocks To Invest In 2015: FreightCar America Inc (RAIL)
FreightCar America, Inc. (America) is engaged in manufacturing of aluminum-bodied railcars in North America. America is also a manufacturer of coal cars. During the year ended December 31, 2011(2011), the Company was specialized in the production of coal cars, which represented 93% of its deliveries of railcars. The Company also refurbishes and rebuilds railcars and sells forged, cast and fabricated parts for all of the railcars it produces, as well as those manufactured by others. During 2011, its primary customers were railroads, shippers and financial institutions, which represented 83%, 2% and 1%, respectively, of its total sales attributable to each type of customer. During 2011, it delivered 6,188 railcars, including 4,500 aluminum-bodied coal cars. It offers railcar leasing and refurbishment alternatives to its customers. Through its newly formed subsidiary FreightCar Rail Services, LLC (FCRS), it provides railcar repair and maintenance, inspections, and railcar fleet management services for all types of freight railcars. Its railcar manufacturing facilities are located in Danville, Illinois and Roanoke, Virginia.
The Company also leases freight cars through its JAIX Leasing Company subsidiary. In addition, the Company manufactures coal cars for export to Latin America and manufactures intermodal railcars for export to the Middle East. With operations in Colorado, Indiana and Nebraska, it services freight cars and unit coal trains utilizing rail corridors in the Midwest and Western regions of the United States. The Company designs and manufactures aluminum-bodied and steel-bodied railcars that transport a range of various products. It manufactures two primary types of coal cars, such as gondolas and open-top hoppers. The BethGon is the aluminum-bodied coal gondola railcar segment, which is used in North America. Its aluminum bodied open-top hopper railcar, the AutoFlood, is a five-pocket coal car equipped with a bottom discharge gate mechanism. AutoFlood II and AutoFlood III design! incorporates the automatic rapid discharge system, the MegaFlo door system and a mechanism that uses an over-center locking design, enabling the cargo door to close with tension rather than by compression.
The Company also manufactures a range of other types of aluminum and steel-bodied coal cars, including triple hopper, hybrid aluminum/stainless steel hoppers and gondolas and flat bottom gondola railcars. The Company�� portfolio of other railcar types include the AVC Aluminum Vehicle Carrier design, which is used to transport commercial and light vehicles (automobiles and trucks) from assembly plants and ports to rail distribution centers; the Articulated Bulk Container railcar designed to carry dense bulk products, such as waste products in 20 foot containers; Intermodal Double Stack railcars, including a stand-alone, 40 foot well car and the DynaStack articulated, 5-unit, 40 foot and 3-unit, 53 foot well cars for transportation of containers; a Small Cube Covered Hopper railcar, which is used to transport products, such as roofing granules, fly ash, sand and cement; a Mill Gondola Railcar, which is used to transport steel products and scrap; Slab and Coil steel railcars, which is designed for transportation of steel slabs and coil steel products, respectively; Flat Railcars, Bulkhead Flat Railcars and Centerbeam Flat Railcars, which is designed to transport a range of products, including machinery and equipment, steel and structural steel components (including pipe), forest products and other bulky industrial products; a Woodchip Gondola Railcar, which is designed to haul woodchips and municipal waste, and a range of non-coal carrying open top hopper railcars designed to carry aggregates, iron ore, taconite pellets, petroleum coke and other bulk commodities.
The Company has established a licensing arrangement with a railcar manufacturer in Brazil pursuant to which its technology is used to produce various types of railcars in Brazil. In addition, it manufacture coal car! s for exp! ort to Latin America and have manufactured intermodal railcars for export to the Middle East. Railroads outside of North America have a range of track gauges that are sized differently than in North America, which requires it, in some cases, to alter manufacturing specifications for foreign sales. The Company has added 10 new or redesigned products to its portfolio in the last five years, including the AVC, slab and coil steel railcar, triple hopper and hybrid aluminum/stainless steel railcars, ore cars, ballast cars and aggregate cars. The Company�� manufacturing process involves four basic steps: fabrication, assembly, finishing and inspection. In its fabrication processes, it employ standard metal working tools, many of which are computer controlled. Each assembly line typically involves 15 to 20 manufacturing positions, depending on the complexity of the particular railcar design. It uses mechanical fastening in the fitting and assembly of its aluminum-bodied railcar parts, while it uses welding for the assembly of its steel-bodied railcars.
The Company competes with Trinity Industries, Inc., National Steel Car Limited, The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. and American Railcar Industries, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
FreightCar America (NASDAQ: RAIL ) has found an executive to lead its finance team. The company announced that it appointed Charles Avery as its CFO, vice president of finance, and treasurer, replacing Joseph McNeely. Avery will take up his position on Aug. 1.
Top 10 Rising Companies To Invest In Right Now: Blackrock Global (BOE)
BlackRock Global Opportunities Equity Trust is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc. The fund is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. It invests in the public equity markets across the globe. The fund invests in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It primarily invests in all cap companies. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P Global Broad Market Index. BlackRock Global Opportunities Equity Trust was formed on May 31, 2005 and is domiciled in the United States.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By idahansen]
Due to the impact of The Great Recession, stocks in the agricultural sector such as Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), The Mosiac Company (NYSE: MOS), and Potash of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) are trading well below highs. The exchange traded fund for the industry, DBA Power Shares, (NYSE: DBA), is down more than 17% for the last year. Despite this bearish trend, legendary investors such as Warren Buffett, George Soros, and Jim Rogers are very positive for the agriculture group. With the long term bullish outlook for the sector from the greatest investors in history, small cap stocks active in the fertilizer sector such as Sirius Minerals (LSE: SXX) and Americas Petrogas (TSX: BOE) are especially attractive.
- [By Robert Rapier]
Whiting Petroleum (WLL) is one of Continental's biggest competitors in the Bakken. Whiting is the second-largest oil producer in North Dakota, averaging 82,500 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) of production in 2012, across more than 700,000 acres of leased land.
Top 10 Rising Companies To Invest In Right Now: United Community Banks Inc. (UCBI)
United Community Banks, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for United Community Bank that provides retail and corporate banking services to individuals and small to mid-size businesses. It offers various deposit accounts, such as checking accounts, savings and time deposits, demand deposits, non-interest bearing deposits, NOW accounts, and money market accounts. The company�s loan portfolio comprises commercial loans secured by real estate, commercial and industrial loans, commercial construction loans, residential construction and mortgage loans, and consumer installment loans. It also offers wire transfers, brokerage services, and other financial services; and ATM, telephone, and online banking services. In addition, the company acts as an insurance agency, as well as provides retail brokerage services through an affiliation with a third party broker/dealer. As of March 25, 2013, it operated 103 banking offices in north Georgia, the Atlanta region, coastal Georgi a, western North Carolina, east Tennessee, and northwest South Carolina. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Blairsville, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Louis Navellier]
United Community Banks (UCBI) has 106 branches in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The bank has seen continual credit improvements and a recovering economy drive 100% earnings gains this year. The bank is one of the few seeing strong loan growth, and business is so good that UCBI paid back its TARP obligations without needing to issue new equity. This cheap stock was upgraded to an ����last July and at the current price. The P/E ratio right now is just 5.
Top 10 Rising Companies To Invest In Right Now: Fuel Systems Solutions Inc.(FSYS)
Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and supply of alternative fuel components and systems for use in the transportation, industrial, and power generation markets worldwide. Its components and systems control the pressure and flow of gaseous alternative fuels, such as propane and natural gas used in internal combustion engines. The company offers a range of fuel delivery components, including pressure regulators, fuel injectors, flow control valves, and other components to control the pressure, flow, and/or metering of gaseous fuels; electronic controls comprising solid-state components and proprietary software that monitor and optimize fuel pressure and flow for engine requirements; and gaseous fueled internal combustion engines that are integrated with its fuel delivery and electronic controls. It also provides systems integration support and engineering services to integrate the gaseous fuel storage, fuel delivery, and/or electronic control c omponents and sub-systems; auxiliary power systems for truck and diesel locomotives; and natural gas compressors and refueling systems for light and heavy duty refueling applications. In addition, the company designs, assembles, and markets ancillary components for systems operation on alternative fuels. It sells its transportation products primarily to automobile manufacturers, taxi companies, transit and shuttle bus companies, and delivery fleets; and industrial products principally to manufacturers of industrial mobile equipment and stationary engines through a network of distributors and dealers, as well as through a sales force that develops sales with distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and end-users. Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1958 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Fuel Systems Solutions (NASDAQ: FSYS) shares reached a new 52-week low of $10.735 after the company reported downbeat Q4 results.
China Ceramics Co (NASDAQ: CCCL) shares fell 2.40% to touch a new 52-week low of $1.63. China Ceramics shares have dropped 35.27% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 19.70% in the same period.
- [By David Goodboy]
Another top company in the alternative-to-gasoline space is Fuel Systems Solutions (Nasdaq: FSYS).
Fuel Systems specializes in components and system controls that manage the pressure of fuels such as propane and natural gas. Launched in 1958, the New York-based company is far from a startup. It boasts a $400 million plus market cap, a price-to-sales ratio of 1.0 and a price-to-book ratio of 1.3.
Top 10 Rising Companies To Invest In Right Now: Anhanguera Educacional Participacoes SA (AEDU3)
Anhanguera Educacional Participacoes SA, formerly Mehir Holdings SA, is a Brazil-based holding company engaged in the education sector. The Company provides higher graduate and postgraduate education through full time and distance learning programs. It is also engaged in the provision of preparatory courses for public competition and other specialization courses. The Company offers the academic programs, such as full time graduate, distance graduate and post-graduate courses. Additionally, the Company provides selected courses through the methodology of distance learning, including graduate, post-graduate and continuous education courses. Anhanguera Educacional Participacoes SA offers its services for working adults and operates in approximately 71 campuses and around 500 learning centers located throughout each of around the 26 Brazilian states. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ney Hayashi]
Anhanguera Educacional Participacoes SA (AEDU3) tumbled after Brazil�� antitrust regulator signaled it may limit the education company�� merger with competitor Kroton Educacional SA. (KROT3) Lojas Renner SA (LREN3) led retailers higher after a report showed Brazil�� industrial production expanded faster than expected in October, easing concern that growth is faltering.
Top 10 Rising Companies To Invest In Right Now: Oil States International Inc.(OIS)
Oil States International, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides specialty products and services to the oil and gas drilling and production companies worldwide. It operates in four segments: Accommodations, Offshore Products, Well Site Services, and Tubular Services. The Accommodations segment offers temporary and permanent work force accommodation services for people working in remote locations. The Offshore Products segment designs and manufactures flexible bearings and connector products; sub sea pipeline products; marine winches, mooring systems, and cranes and rig equipment; and conductor casing connections and pipes, as well as provides blowout preventer stack assembly, integration, testing, and repair services; and drilling riser and related repair services. The Well Site Services segment offers a range of products and services that are used to drill for, and establish and maintain the flow of oil and gas from a well throughout its lifecycle. This segment engages in the rental of wireline and coiled tubing pressure control equipment; wellhead isolation equipment; pipe recovery systems; thru-tubing fishing services; hydraulic chokes and manifolds; blow out preventers; well testing and flowback equipment; gravel pack operations on well bores; and surface control equipment and down-hole tools utilized by coiled tubing operators. This segment also provides land drilling services. The Tubular Services segment distributes a range of casing and tubing products; and offers threading, logistical, and inventory management services. The company serves national oil companies, independent oil and gas companies, onshore and offshore drilling companies, and other oilfield service and mining companies. Oil States International, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Michael J. Carr]
Einhorn selects investments with a traditional value approach, although he may not be as patient as a typical value investor. Einhorn took Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) to court in an effort to force the company to return cash to shareholders, and more recently challenged Oil States International (NYSE: OIS) to unlock shareholder value.
- [By Holly LaFon]
Another area that is intriguing to us is the North American energy sector which looks to have a number of interesting catalysts currently. While the energy sector is at present only a modest overweight in the portfolios, we have been encouraged by several trends taking place for a number of years. These positive developments are also having an impact that goes far beyond the energy sector itself. Many believe that the U.S. will become energy independent and possibly a net exporter of natural gas and oil (currently restricted by law) in the next decade. This opinion is based primarily on the development of new drilling techniques (i.e. horizontal drilling, and high pressure fracking) that have enabled companies to access oil and natural gas reserves in shale formations that were previously not economically viable. The ability to tap into this acreage is a game-changer in our view and is already having a tremendous impact on the economy. Employment rates in these mostly rural areas surrounding the shale basins are very high and companies thus find hiring extremely competitive. Strong labor markets tend to create strong local economies. Oil States International (OIS) has been able to capitalize on this trend by providing housing and other services to oil service workers that are in demand in the area. CST Brands (CST) operates gas stations in Texas, but it is increasingly looking to broaden its product offering beyond fuel. Rail companies like Union Pacific (UNP), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU) and Genesee and Wyoming (GWR) have also benefited substantially. Given that shale areas are rural and often lacking infrastructure, substantial investment must be made to support drilling and production activities. Without pipelines in place, railroads have been the primary takeaway mechanism for moving production to the various clusters of refining capacity around the United States. In order to serve this demand, massive investment in railcars has been nee
Top 10 Rising Companies To Invest In Right Now: iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC)
iShares Russell Microcap Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell Microcap Index (the Index). The Index measures the micro-cap sector of the United States equity market and consists of those securities having the highest historical trading volumes of that index. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index and includes companies ranging in total market capitalization from approximately $50 million to $550 million.
The Index represents approximately 3% of the market capitalization of listed United States equity securities. The Fund uses a representative sampling strategy in seeking to track the Index. iShares Russell Microcap Index Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mark Hulbert]
Fosback nevertheless favors the microcap category for the seasonal portfolio he recommends to clients, though not by buying and selling individual stocks. Instead, he prefers the iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC) �, with an expense ratio of 0.72%. The fund replicates the performance of the smallest 1,000 stocks in the Russell 2000 Index (RUT) �; the average market cap of the stocks it owns is $420 million.
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