This company was founded in 1837 and it continues to stick by their commitment to integrity, quality, and commitment to change, to meet the needs of the global economy, explains Russ Kaplan, editor of Heartland Advisor.
John Deere Company (DE) was founded by a blacksmith and inventor by the same name. This was around the time the wooden plow was being replaced by Deere's stainless steel plow, which could allow farmers to cut better rows for their crops.
There have been many innovations since then, from combines, to planters, to lawn mowers, and much more; and Deere has always kept up with, or developed and implemented these many changes.
They have grown to the point where they have dealers throughout the world, spanning Africa, Asia, Middle East, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, Central /South America, and North America.
Over the past 175+ years, Deere has branched out into such areas as farm equipment, lawn and grounds-keeping equipment, forestry equipment, and even toys.
Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: International Rectifier Corporation (IRF)
International Rectifier Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets power management semiconductors worldwide. The company operates through six segments: Power Management Devices, Energy Saving Products, Automotive Products, Enterprise Power, HiRel, and Intellectual Property. The Power Management Devices segment provides power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), FETKYs, and DirectFETs for power supply, data processing, telecommunications, industrial, and commercial battery-powered systems. The Energy Saving Products segment provides analog high voltage integrated circuits (HVICs), insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) platforms, digital control ICs, and IRAM integrated power modules for motor control appliances, industrial automation, lighting and display, audio, and video applications. The Automotive Products segment offers HVICs, intelligent power switch ICs, power MOSFETs, IGBTs, diodes, and advanced power modules for various automotive applications. The Enterprise Power segment offers DirectFET discrete products, digital PWM controllers, power monitoring products, voltage regulators, low voltage ICs, and PowIRstages primarily for applications in servers, storage, routers, switches, infrastructure equipment, notebooks, graphic cards, and gaming consoles. The HiRel segment provides RAD-hard discretes, RAD-hard ICs, power management modules, DC-DC converters, and high temperature converters for satellites and space exploration vehicles, military hardware, and other high reliability applications. The Intellectual Property segment sells and licenses technologies and manufacturing process know-how. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in El Segundo, California.
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 International Rectifier (NYSE: IRF ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: Westinghouse Solar Inc.(WEST)
Westinghouse Solar, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, integration, and installation of solar power systems under the Westinghouse name. It offers its solar power systems for residential and commercial customers. The company also designs and distributes solar panels with integrated micro inverters (called as AC solar panels). The company sells its AC solar panels to solar installers, trade workers, and do-it-yourself customers through distribution partnerships, dealer network, and retail outlets. It has a strategic partnership with Real Goods Solar, whereby Real Goods Solar operates as an authorized dealer for westinghouse solar power systems for sale to its customers in California and Colorado markets. The company was formerly known as Akeena Solar, Inc. and changed its name to Westinghouse Solar, Inc. on Apr 14, 2011. Westinghouse Solar, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Campbell, California.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By John Udovich]
Small cap solar stock Andalay Solar Inc (OTCMKTS: WEST) has largely cratered for investors�verses solar stock peers Real Goods Solar, Inc (NASDAQ: RSOL) and SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ: SCTY), but is the company finally turning itself around after a failed deal to be acquired?
10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2015: GUESS? Inc (GES)
Guess?, Inc. (GUESS?) designs, markets, distributes and licenses apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company operates in five: Europe, North American Retail, Asia, North American Wholesale and Licensing. The Company�� products are sold through retail, wholesale, e-commerce and licensing distribution channels. The lines include full collections of clothing, including jeans, pants, skirts, dresses, shorts, blouses, shirts, jackets, knitwear and intimate apparel. It also grant licenses to manufactures and distributes a range of products, including eyewear, watches, handbags, footwear, kids' and infants' apparel, leather apparel, swimwear, fragrance, jewelry and other fashion accessories. In fiscal 2012, the Company, along with its distributors and licensees, opened 224 stores in all concepts combined outside of the United Sates and Canada, which consisted of 120 stores in Europe and the Middle East, 89 stores in Asia and 15 stores in the combined area of Central and South America.
As of January 28, 2012, the Company directly operated a total of 504 stores in the United Sates and Canada and 251 stores outside of the United Sates and Canada, and in addition, 230 smaller-sized concessions in Asia and Europe. As of January 28, 2012, its international licensees and distributors operated 804 stores located outside the United Sates and Canada, and 119 smaller-sized licensee operated concessions located in Asia. As of January 28, 2012, it operated retail Websites in the United Sates, Canada, Europe and South Korea. As of January 28, 2012, it had e-commerce available to 26 countries, and in 6 languages around the world. The Company and its network of licensee partners sell its products around the world primarily through six different store concepts, namely its flagship GUESS? retail stores, its GUESS? factory outlet stores, its GUESS by MARCIANO stores, its G by GUESS stores, its GUESS? Accessories stores and its GUESS? Kids stores. The Company also has a small number of footwe! ar, Gc watch and underwear concept stores.
Europe Segment
In the Company�� Europe segment, GUESS? sells its products in 63 countries throughout Europe and the Middle East through wholesale, retail and e-commerce channels. In fiscal 2012, its Europe segment accounted for approximately 37.6% of its revenues. The Company�� European wholesale business generally relies on a large number of smaller regional distributors and agents to distribute its products primarily to smaller independent multi-brand boutiques. The Company�� products are also sold directly to department stores like Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and El Corte Ingles. As of January 28, 2012, GUESS? had showrooms in Barcelona, Dusseldorf, Munich, London, Paris, Florence and Lugano. It sells both its apparel and certain accessories products under the Company�� GUESS? and GUESS by MARCIANO brand concepts through its wholesale channel, operating primarily through two seasons, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter.
The Company�� European retail network consists of a mix of directly operated and licensee operated GUESS? and GUESS by MARCIANO retail and outlet stores, GUESS? Accessories stores, GUESS? Footwear stores and GUESS? Kids stores. As of January 28, 2012, it had 179 directly operated stores and 382 licensee stores, excluding 17 smaller-sized concessions in Europe. During fiscal 2012, the Company opened 45 new directly operated stores, 75 licensee stores and 5 concessions. The Company�� GUESS? Accessories stores average approximately 800 square feet, GUESS by MARCIANO stores average approximately 1,300 square feet and full-price GUESS? stores generally average 2,300 square feet.
North American Retail Segment
In the Company�� North American Retail segment, it sells its products through a network of directly operated retail and factory outlet stores in North America and through its on-line stores. In fiscal 2012, the Company�� North American Retail segment accounted for ap! proximate! ly 41.6% of its revenue. As of January 28, 2012, it also directly operated 25 GUESS? branded stores in Mexico through a majority-owned joint venture. The Company�� the United Sates and Canada GUESS? retail stores carry an assortment of men's and women's GUESS? merchandise, including most of its licensed product categories. As of January 28, 2012, these stores occupied approximately 1,025,000 square feet and ranged in size from approximately 2,500 to 13,500 square feet, with most stores between 4,000 and 6,000 square feet. In fiscal 2012, it opened nine new retail stores and GUESS? closed four stores.
The Company�� the United Sates and Canada factory outlet stores are located primarily in outlet malls generally operating outside the shopping radius of its wholesale customers and its retail stores. These stores sell selected styles of men's and women's GUESS? apparel and licensed products. As of January 28, 2012, its the United Sates and Canada factory outlet stores occupied approximately 717,000 square feet and ranged in size from approximately 2,000 to 11,000 square feet, with most stores between 4,500 and 6,500 square feet. In fiscal 2012, it opened 10 new factory stores. The Company�� G by GUESS store carries apparel for both men and women and a line of accessories and footwear. As of January 28, 2012, its G by GUESS stores occupied approximately 317,000 square feet and ranged in size from approximately 4,000 to 10,000 square feet, with most stores between 4,000 and 5,500 square feet. In fiscal 2012, the Company opened 12 new G by GUESS stores and it closed three stores.Its GUESS? Accessories store concept sells GUESS? and GUESS by MARCIANO labeled accessory products.
As of January 28, 2012, the Company�� GUESS? Accessories concept stores occupied approximately 122,000 square feet and ranged in size from approximately 1,000 to 4,000 square feet, with most stores between 1,500 and 2,500 square feet. In fiscal 2012, GUESS? opened four new GUESS? Accessories stores and i! t closed ! three stores. The Company�� GUESS by MARCIANO stores in the United Sates and Canada offer a women's collection designed for the stylish, trend-setting woman. As of January 28, 2012, its GUESS by MARCIANO stores occupied approximately 156,000 square feet and ranged in size from approximately 2,000 to 6,500 square feet, with most stores between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet. In fiscal 2012, it opened two new GUESS by MARCIANO stores and the Company closed four stores. The Company�� North American Retail segment also includes its the United Sates and Canada retail Websites, including www.guess.com, www.gbyguess.com, www.guessbymarciano.com, www.guesskids.com, www.guess.ca and www.guessbymarciano.ca. These Websites operates as virtual storefronts that both sell its products and promotes its brands.
Asia Segment
In the Company�� Asia segment, GUESS? sells its products through wholesale, retail and e-commerce channels throughout Asia. In fiscal 2012, its Asia segment accounted for approximately 9.3% of its revenue. Its Asia retail business includes both licensee and the Company operated stores, including GUESS?, G by GUESS, GUESS by MARCIANO, Gc, GUESS? Accessories and GUESS? Underwear stores. During fiscal 2012, it and its partners opened 89 new stores in Asia, as of January 28, 2012, it had 423 stores, 47 of which it operated directly and 376 of which were operated by licensees or distributors. The Company and its partners opened flagship stores in cities, such as Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei and Beijing and have partnered with licensees to develop its business in the second tier cities in this region.
North American Wholesale Segment
In the Company�� North American Wholesale segment, it sells its products through wholesale channels in North America and to third party distributors based in Central and South America. In fiscal 2012, its North American Wholesale segment accounted for approximately 7.0% of its revenue. As of January 28, 20! 12, its p! roducts were sold to consumers through 1,005 major doors in the United Sates and Canada. These locations include 345 shop-in-shops, a selling area within a department store that offers an array of its products and incorporates GUESS? signage and fixture designs. The Company has sales representatives in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. During fiscal 2012, Macy's, Inc. was its largest domestic wholesale customer, accounting for approximately 2.7% of its consolidated net revenue.
Licensing Segment
The Company�� licensing segment includes the worldwide licensing operations of the Company. In fiscal 2012, its licensing segment royalties accounted for approximately 4.5% of its revenue. As of January 28, 2012, GUESS? had 19 domestic and international licenses that included eyewear, watches, handbags, footwear, kids' and infants' apparel, leather outerwear, fragrance, jewelry and other fashion accessories; and included licenses for the manufacture of GUESS? branded products in markets, which include Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, Central America, North America and South America.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Corinne Gretler]
Verizon Communications Inc. added 2.7 percent as Vodafone Group Plc said the companies are in talks over their Verizon Wireless venture. Guess? Inc. (GES) rallied 13 percent after the apparel maker reported second-quarter profit that exceeded analysts��estimates. Exxon Mobil Corp. lost 1.8 percent as oil futures fell from a two-year high.
- [By Sue Chang]
After Wednesday�� closing bell, Guess Inc. (GES) �said its fourth-quarter profit fell to $69.6 million, or 82 cents a share, from $72.5 million, or 85 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue also declined to $768.4 million from $815.1 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected Guess to earn 78 cents a share. The Los Angeles-based apparel retailer said it expects to report a first-quarter loss of between 5 cents and 9 cents a share. Shares of Guess tumbled 6.9% in after-hours trading.
Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: Grupo Simec S.A. de C.V. (SIM)
Grupo Simec, S.A.B. de C.V., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, processing, and distribution of special bar quality (SBQ) steel and structural products primarily in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Its steel products include I-beams; channels; structural and commercial angles; hot rolled bars, such as round, square, and hexagonal rods; flat bars; rebars; cold finished bars; wire rods; semi-finished tube rounds; and other semi-finished trade products. The company�s SBQ products are used in various engineered end-user applications, including axles, hubs, and crankshafts for automobiles and light trucks, machine tools, and off-highway equipment; and structural steel products are used in the non-residential construction market and other construction applications, as well as automotive industries. It also operates in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico. Grupo Simec, S.A.B. d e C.V. is a subsidiary of Industrias CH, S.A.B. de C.V.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Daniel Cross]
Grupo Simec (NYSE: SIM) is a relatively obscure company with a $1.7 billion market cap that makes special bar-quality steel for North American markets. The company has significant downside protection in the form of its cash and cash equivalents of $623 million and total liabilities of just $665 million. Simec is also aggressively buying back stock. On a technical level, the relative strength index is hovering around 31, signaling that the stock may be oversold.
Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: Two Harbors Investment Corp (TWO)
Two Harbors Investment Corp. (Two Harbors), incorporated on May 21, 2009, operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is focused on investing in, financing and managing residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), residential mortgage loans, residential real properties, and other financial assets. The Company focuses on security selection and implements a relative value investment approach across various sectors within the residential mortgage market. Its target assets include Agency RMBS, Non-Agency RMBS, residential mortgage loans, residential real properties and other financial assets comprising approximately 5% to 10% of the portfolio. The Company has designated certain of its subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries (TRSs). Capitol Acquisition Corp. (Capitol) is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Two Harbors. The Company is externally managed and advised by PRCM Advisers LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pine River Capital Management L.P. (Pine River).
The Company invests primarily in mortgage pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations and other residential mortgage-backed securities representing interests in or obligations backed by pools of mortgage loans issued by Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) (collectively GSEs). The Company also invests in residential mortgage-backed securities that are not issued by the GSEs (non-Agency RMBS) and United States Treasuries. At December 31, 2011, the Company had total assets of approximately $8.1 billion, of which $6.2 billion, or 77.1%, represented its RMBS portfolio. At December 31, 2011, $5.1 billion, or 80.9%, of its RMBS portfolio was comprised of Agency RMBS, $0.9 billion, or 14.9%, of its RMBS portfolio was comprised of senior non-Agency RMBS, and the remaining $0.2 billion, or 4.2%, was comprised of other non-Agency RMBS. The remaining $1.9 billion of assets consisted p! rimarily of United States Treasuries classified as trading instruments, cash, restricted cash, mortgage loans held-for-sale, receivables, derivative assets and prepaid assets.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By David Hanson]
This week at the Barclays Capital Global Financials Conference, droves of CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs trotted on stage to address a room full of eager analysts. One of the lone mREITs represented was Two Harbors (NYSE: TWO ) . CEO Tom Siering and CIO Bill Roth weighed in on the current environment.�
- [By Amanda Alix]
It didn't take hybrid mortgage REIT Two Harbors Investment (NYSE: TWO ) long to spring back -- with vigor -- after the spectacularly lousy earnings reports from agency-only player American Capital Agency (NASDAQ: AGNC ) and its hybrid buddy American Capital Mortgage. Its own first-quarter report�was to die for, and the stock has risen over 6% on the day following that announcement.
Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: Southern Pacific Resource Corp (STPJF.PK)
Southern Pacific Resource Corp. (Southern Pacific) is engaged in the acquisition and development of heavy oil and bitumen producing properties, with a focus on thermal extraction in-situ oil sands projects in the Western Canadian sedimentary basin. Southern Pacific has two principal assets STP-McKay and STP-Senlac. The Company also holds additional oil sands leases in the McMurray and Peace River sub-basins in northeastern Alberta. The Company has 100% working interest in approximately 37,760 acres, of oil sands leases in McKay Block. Southern Pacific has its 100% working interest SAGD thermal heavy oil asset near Unity, Saskatchewan, STP-Senlac. In September 2013, the Company announced the closing of a disposition of non-core assets related to its Leismer property.
Advisors' Opinion: Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: SPDR DB International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF (WIP)
SPDR DB International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the DB Global Government ex-US Inflation-Linked Bond Capped Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the inflation-linked government bond markets of developed and emerging market countries outside of the United States. Inflation protected public obligations of the inflation-linked government bond markets of developed and emerging market countries, commonly known in the United States as treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), are securities issued by such governments that are designed to provide inflation protection to investors. The Fund uses a passive management strategy to track the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Richard Stavros]
With respect to inflation protected bonds, though TIPS should be a part of every portfolio. However, we believe the SPDR DB International Government Inflation-Protected Bond (WIP) offers greater protection than TIPS.
Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)
Eastman Chemical Company, a chemical company, engages in the manufacture and sale of chemicals, plastics, and fibers in the United States and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Coatings, Adhesives, Specialty Polymers, and Inks (CASPI); Fibers; Performance Chemicals and Intermediates (PCI); and Specialty Plastics. The CASPI segment manufactures resins, specialty polymers, and solvents that are used in the production of paints and coatings, inks, adhesives, and other formulated products. The Fibers segment offers Estron acetate tow and Estrobond triacetin plasticizers used in cigarette filters; Estron natural and Chromspun solution-dyed acetate yarns for use in apparel, home furnishings, and industrial fabrics; and cellulose acetate flake and acetyl raw materials for acetate fiber producers. The PCI segment offers intermediates; performance chemicals; and complex organic molecules, such as diketene derivatives, specialty ketones, and specialty anhydrides for medical, pharmaceutical, fiber, and food and beverage ingredients, which are used in specialty market applications. This segment?s products are used in various markets and end uses, including agriculture, transportation, beverages, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, coatings, medical devices, toys, adhesives, household products, polymers, textiles, and consumer and industrial products, as well as used for health and wellness uses. The Specialty Plastics segment primarily offers engineering and specialty polymers, specialty film and sheet products, and packaging film and fiber products. This segment?s products include specialty copolyesters and cellulosic plastics, which are used in specialty packaging, in-store fixtures and displays, consumer and durable goods, medical goods, personal care and consumer packaging, photographic film, optical film, fibers/nonwovens, tapes/labels, and LCD?s. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Seth Jayson]
Eastman Chemical (NYSE: EMN ) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 29. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Eastman Chemical's revenues will increase 29.2% and EPS will expand 17.1%.
Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: Magnum Hunter Resources Corp (MHR)
Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation (Magnum Hunter), incorporated in June 1997, is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the exploration for and the exploitation, acquisition, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, primarily in the states of West Virginia, Ohio, Texas, Kentucky and North Dakota and in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company is also engaged in midstream operations, including the gathering of natural gas through its ownership and operation of a gas gathering system in West Virginia and Ohio, named as its Eureka Hunter Pipeline System. The Company�� portfolio includes Marcellus/Utica Shales in West Virginia and Ohio, the Eagle Ford Shale in south Texas, and the Williston Basin/Bakken Shale in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada. As of December 31, 2011, its proved reserves were 44.9 million barrels of oil equivalent and were approximately 48% oil. In August 2012, the Company closed on the acquisition of 1,885 net mineral acres located in Atascosa County, Texas. With this acquisition, the Company has approximately 7,278 gross acres and 5,212 net acres located in Atascosa County, Texas.
On May 3, 2011, it acquired NuLoch Resources Inc. In April 2011, Triad Hunter, its wholly owned subsidiary, acquired certain Marcellus Shale oil and gas properties located in Wetzel County, West Virginia. On April 13, 2011, it acquired NGAS Resources, Inc. In February 2012, Triad Hunter acquired leasehold mineral interests located primarily in Noble County, Ohio.
Eagle Ford Shale Properties
Eagle Ford Shale is located in Gonzales, Lavaca, Atascosa and Fayette Counties, Texas. The Eagle Ford Shale properties are held primarily by its wholly owned subsidiary, Eagle Ford Hunter, Inc. As of February 27, 2012, the Company�� Eagle Ford Shale properties included approximately 54,000 gross (24,000 net) acres primarily targeting the Eagle Ford Shale oil window, principally in Gonzales and Lavaca Counties, Texas. As of December 31! , 2011, proved reserves attributable to the Eagle Ford Shale properties were 5.4 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which 94% were oil and 24% were classified as proved developed producing, and 5.4 million barrels of oil equivalent. As of February 27, 2012, its Eagle Ford Shale properties included 18 gross (10 net) productive wells, of which it operated 14.
Williston Basin Properties
The Williston Basin is spread across North Dakota, Montana and parts of southern Canada. The basin produces oil and natural gas from a range of producing horizons, including the Madison, Bakken, Three Forks/Sanish and Red River formations. As of February 27, 2012, the Company�� Williston Basin properties included approximately 413,003 gross (122,561 net) acres. As of December 31, 2011, proved reserves attributable to the Williston Basin properties were 8.9 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which 94% were oil and 42% were classified as proved developed producing, and 8.8 million barrels of oil equivalent. As of February 27, 2012, the Williston Basin properties included approximately 288 gross (98.9 net) productive wells.
The Williston Hunter United States property acreage is located in Divide and Burke Counties, North Dakota, with its primary production from the Bakken Shale and Three Forks/Sanish formations. As of February 27, 2012, its Williston Hunter United States properties included approximately 36,355 net acres in the Williston Basin in North Dakota. As of February 27, 2012, the Williston Hunter United States properties included approximately 105 gross (9.5 net) productive wells. The Company�� Williston Hunter Canada property is located primarily in Enchant, near Vauxhall, Alberta, Canada, at Balsam near Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada and at Tableland, near Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada. As of February 27 2012, the Williston Hunter Canada properties included approximately 107,270 gross acres (79,693 net acres). At December 31, 2011, the Williston Hunter Canada prope! rties inc! luded approximately 65 gross productive wells. As of December 31, 2011, Williston Hunter Canada had 41,797 gross (32,944 net) acres of land that is prospective for Bakken and Three Forks/Sanish oil in the Tableland field. The Enchant property consists of 10,720 acres. As of December 31, 2011, 48 wells (44.1 net) were producing on this acreage. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned approximately 43% average interest in 15 fields located in the Williston Basin in North Dakota consisting of 151 wells, and approximately 15,000 gross (6,450 net) acres.
Appalachian Basin Properties
The properties acquired in the NGAS acquisition are held by its wholly owned subsidiary, Magnum Hunter Production, Inc. As of February 27, 2012, its Appalachian Basin properties included a total of approximately 484,412 gross (412,323 net) acres, located primarily in the Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale and southern Appalachian Basin. At December 31, 2011, proved reserves attributable to its Appalachian Basin properties were 29.9 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which 27% were oil and 59% were classified as proved developed producing, and 30.2 million barrels of oil equivalent. As of February 27, 2012, the Appalachian Basin properties included approximately 3,112 gross (2,257 net) productive wells, of which we operated approximately 88%.
As of February 27, 2012, it had approximately 58,426 net acres in the Marcellus Shale area of West Virginia and Ohio. The Company�� Marcellus Shale property is located principally in Tyler, Pleasants, Doddridge, Wetzel and Lewis Counties, West Virginia and in Washington, Monroe and Noble Counties, Ohio. As of February 27, 2012, the Company operated 33 vertical Marcellus Shale wells and 16 horizontal Marcellus Shale wells. As of February 27, 2012, approximately 63% of its leases in the Marcellus Shale area were held by production.
Other Properties
The Company�� East Chalkley field is located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.! The fiel! d consists of approximately 714 gross acres (443 net acres). This developmental project is an exploitation of bypassed oil reserves remaining in a natural gas field located at depths between 9,300 and 9,400 feet. As of February 27, 2012, the Company operated the East Chalkley field and owned an approximately 62% working interest and an approximately 42.7% net revenue interest in the field. Other properties of the Company are located in Nacogdoches, Colorado, Lavaca, Bee, Fayette and Wharton Counties, Texas and Desoto Parish, Louisiana. As of February 27, 2012, these properties consisted of an aggregate of approximately 7,050 gross (1,188 net) acres.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Matt DiLallo]
It's been a tough year for investors of Magnum Hunter Resources (NYSE: MHR ) . As I write this, shares are down about 18% on the year, though shares had been down by more than 37% after the company�announced that it was ditching its auditor. While the stock has slowly recovered, the company has three major action items to accomplish if it wants to win back investors.
- [By Matt DiLallo]
Magnum Hunter Resources (NYSE: MHR )
The last company I'll be watching this quarter is Magnum Hunter, which will finally be delivering its first quarter results on July 9. The company has been behind in providing investors with results this year after it fired its auditors, which caused its annual report, and subsequent first-quarter report, to be delayed.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Magnum Hunter Resources (NYSE: MHR ) is officially no longer a presence in certain parts of Texas' massive Eagle Ford Shale play. The company announced it has closed the sale of its stakes in properties located in Gonzales and Lavaca counties to a subsidiary of Penn Virginia (NYSE: PVA ) .
Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2015: Jacksonville Bancorp Inc. (JXSB)
Jacksonville Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Jacksonville Savings Bank that provides various banking products and services in Illinois. Its deposit products include interest-bearing and non interest-bearing checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, term certificate accounts, individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio comprises one-to four-family mortgage loans; commercial and agricultural real estate, and multi-family residential real estate loans; commercial and agricultural business loans; and consumer loans, such as home equity loans and lines of credit, and automobile loans. It operates through its main office, as well as through six branches located in Jacksonville, Virden, Litchfield, Chapin, and Concord, Illinois. The company was founded in 1916 and is based in Jacksonville, Illinois. Jacksonville Bancorp, Inc. is a subsidiary of Jacksonville Bancorp, MHC.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Traders Reserve]
Jacksonville Bancorp (JXSB), based in Illinois, owns a loan portfolio comprised of one-to four-family residential real estate; commercial and agricultural real estate; multi-family residential real estate loans; commercial and agricultural business loans; home equity loans and lines of credit.
Hointer/APA woman demonstrates shopping technology at a store called Hointer in Seattle. NEW YORK -- When it comes to shopping, more Americans are skipping the stores and pulling out their smartphones and tablets. Still, there's more on the horizon for shopping than just point-and-clicking. No one thinks physical stores are going away permanently. But because of the frenetic pace of advances in technology and online shopping, the stores that remain will likely offer amenities and services that are more about experiences and less about selling a product. Think: Apple's (AAPL) stores. Among the things industry watchers are envisioning are holograms in dressing rooms that will allow shoppers to try on clothes without getting undressed. Their homes will be equipped with smart technology that will order light bulbs before they go dark. And they'll be able to print out a full version of coffee cups and other products using 3-D technology in stores. "Physical shopping will become a lot more fun because it's going to have to be," retail futurist Doug Stephens says. More Services Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru says stores of the future will be more about services, like day care, veterinary services and beauty services. Services that connect online and offline shopping could increase as well, with more drive-thru pickup and order-online, pick-up-in-store services. Checkout also will be self-service or with cashiers using computer tablets. Some stores are taking self-service further: A store in Seattle called Hointer displays clothing not in piles or on racks but as one piece hanging at a time, like a gallery. Shoppers just touch their smartphones to a coded tag on the item and then select a color and size on their phone. Technology in the store keeps track of the items, and by the time a shopper is ready to try them on, they're already at the dressing room. If the shopper doesn't like an item, he tosses it down a chute, which automatically removes the item from the shopper's online shopping cart. The shopper keeps the items that he or she wants, which are purchased automatically when leaving the store, no checkout involved. Nadia Shouraboura, Hointer's CEO, says once shoppers get used to the process, they're hooked. On-Demand Coupons Some stores, including British retailer Tesco and drugstore Duane Reade, now are testing beacons, Bluetooth-enabled devices that can communicate directly with your cellphone to offer discounts, direct you to a desired product in a store or enable you to pay remotely. For example, you can walk into a drugstore where you normally buy face cream. The beacon would recognize your smartphone, connect it with past purchasing history and send you a text or email with a coupon for the cream. "The more we know about customers ... you can use promotions on not a macro level but a micro level," says Kasey Lobaugh, chief retail innovation officer at Deloitte Consulting. A store could offer a mother 20 percent off on Mother's Day, for example, or offer frequent buyers of paper towels a discount on bulk purchases. 3-D Printing Within 10 years, 3-D printing could make a major disruption in retail, Deloitte's Lobaugh predicts. Take a simple item like a coffee cup. Instead of producing one in China, transporting it and distributing it to retail stores, you could just download the code for the coffee cup and 3-D print it at a retail outlet or in your own home. "That starts a dramatic change in terms of the structure of retail," Lobaugh said. And while 3-D printing today is primarily plastic, Lobaugh says there are tests at places like MIT Media Lab and elsewhere with other materials, including fabric. Right now a few stores offer rudimentary 3-D-printing services, but they are very limited. He predicts the shift will come in 10 to 20 years. Order Yourself Steve Yankovich, head of innovation for eBay (EBAY), thinks someday buying household supplies won't take any effort at all. He says someday a connected home could be able to use previous customer history and real-time data the house records to sense when a light bulb burns out, for example, and order a new one automatically. Or a washing machine will order more detergent when it runs low. "A box could show up on porch with this disparate set of 10 things the connected home and eBay determined you needed to keep things running smoothly," he says. "It's called zero-effort commerce." Holograms EBay recently bought PhiSix, a company working on creating life-size 3-D models of clothing that can be used in dressing rooms to instantly try on different colors of clothing or different styles. You can see 30 or 40 items of clothing realistically without physically trying them on. EBay's Yankovich says the technology can be used in a virtual dressing room as well, showing what the clothes look like when you are, say, walking down the street or hitting a golf club. Some companies have been testing this already. British digital agency Engage created a Virtual Style Pod that scanned shoppers and created a life-size image onto which luxury clothing from brands like Alexander McQueen and DKNY were projected. The Pod was displayed in shopping centers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
AFP/Getty Images 
