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Top Performing Companies To Buy For 2015: Chesapeake Utilities Corp (CPK)
Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (Chesapeake), incorporated in 1947, is a utility company engaged in energy and other businesses. The Company operates in three segments: Regulated Energy, Unregulated Energy and Other. The Company operates regulated energy businesses through its natural gas distribution divisions in Delaware, Maryland and Florida, natural gas and electric distribution operations in Florida through Florida Public Utilities Company (FPU), and natural gas transmission operations on the Delmarva Peninsula and Florida through its subsidiaries, Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company (Eastern Shore) and Peninsula Pipeline Company, Inc. (Peninsula Pipeline), respectively. Its unregulated businesses include its natural gas marketing operation through Peninsula Energy Services Company, Inc. (PESCO); propane distribution operations through Sharp Energy, Inc. and its subsidiary Sharpgas, Inc. (collectively Sharp) and FPU�� propane distribution subsidiary, Flo-Gas Corporation; and its propane wholesale marketing operation through Xeron, Inc. (Xeron). It also has an advanced information services subsidiary, BravePoint, Inc. (BravePoint). In February 2013, Florida Public Utilities Company, a a subsidiary of the Company announced that its propane subsidiary, Flo-Gas Corporation, purchased the propane operating assets of Glades Gas Company. In June 2013, the Company acquired Eastern Shore Gas Company (ESG) and Eastern Shore Propane Company (ESP). In June 2013, Chesapeake Utilities Corp announced that it has acquired the operating assets of Austin Cox Home Services, Inc.
Regulated Energy
The Company�� regulated energy segment provides natural gas distribution service in Delaware, Maryland and Florida, electric distribution service in Florida and natural gas transmission service in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida. As of December 31, 2011, its Delaware and Maryland natural gas distribution divisions serve 53,851 residential and commercial customers and 97 industrial ! customers in central and southern Delaware and on Maryland�� eastern shore. Its Florida natural gas distribution operation consists of Chesapeake�� Florida division and FPU�� natural gas operation. As of December 31, 2011, its Florida electric distribution operation distributed electricity to 30,986 customers in four counties in northeast and northwest Florida. Eastern Shore operates a 402-mile interstate pipeline system, which transports natural gas from various points in Pennsylvania to its Delaware and Maryland natural gas distribution divisions, as well as to other utilities and industrial customers in southern Pennsylvania, Delaware and on the eastern shore of Maryland. Eastern Shore also provides swing transportation service and contract storage services. Peninsula Pipeline provides natural gas transportation service to a customer for a period of 20 years. This service is provided at a fixed monthly charge, through Peninsula Pipeline�� eight-mile pipeline located in Suwanee County, Florida.
The Company�� Delaware and Maryland natural gas distribution divisions have both firm and interruptible transportation service contracts with five interstate open access pipeline companies, including the Eastern Shore pipeline. These divisions are directly interconnected with the Eastern Shore pipeline, and have contracts with interstate pipelines upstream of Eastern Shore, including Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC (Transco), Columbia Gas Transmission LLC (Columbia), Columbia Gulf Transmission Company (Gulf) and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (TETLP). The Transco, Columbia and TETLP pipelines are directly interconnected with the Eastern Shore pipeline. The Gulf pipeline is directly interconnected with the Columbia pipeline and indirectly interconnected with the Eastern Shore pipeline.
Chesapeake�� Florida natural gas distribution division has firm transportation service contracts with Florida Gas Transmission Company (FGT) and Gulfstream Natural Gas System, LLC ! (Gulfstre! am). Eastern Shore has three contracts with Transco for a total of 7,292 dekatherms of firm peak day storage entitlements and total storage capacity of 288,003 dekatherms. Its electric distribution operation through FPU purchases all of its wholesale electricity from two suppliers: Gulf Power Company (Gulf Power) and JEA (formerly known as Jacksonville Electric Authority). The JEA contract provides generation, transmission and distribution service to northeast Florida. The Gulf Power contract provides generation, transmission and distribution service to northwest Florida.
Unregulated Energy
The Company�� unregulated energy segment provides natural gas marketing, propane distribution and propane wholesale marketing services to customers. As of December 31, 2011, its natural gas marketing subsidiary, PESCO, provided natural gas supply and supply management services to 3,080 customers in Florida and 16 customers on the Delmarva Peninsula. The gas, which PESCO sells, is delivered to retail customers through affiliated and non-affiliated local distribution company systems and transmission pipelines. PESCO bills its customers through the billing services of the regulated utilities that deliver the gas, or directly, through its own billing capabilities. As of December 31, 2011, Sharp, its propane distribution subsidiary, served 34,317 customers throughout Delaware, the eastern shore of Maryland and Virginia, and southeastern Pennsylvania. Its Florida propane distribution subsidiary provides propane distribution service to 14,507 customers in parts of Florida. Xeron, its propane wholesale marketing subsidiary, markets propane to petrochemical companies, resellers and retail propane companies in the southeastern United States. Its propane distribution operations purchase propane from suppliers, including oil companies, independent producers of natural gas liquids and from Xeron. In current markets, supplies of propane from these and other sources are readily available for purchase. It! s propane! distribution operations use trucks and railroad cars to transport propane from refineries, natural gas processing plants or pipeline terminals to its bulk storage facilities.
Other
The other segment consists of its advanced information services subsidiary, other unregulated subsidiaries, which own real estate leased to Chesapeake and its subsidiaries. Its advanced information services subsidiary, BravePoint, provides domestic and a range of international clients with information technology services and solutions for both enterprise and e-business applications. Skipjack, Inc. and Eastern Shore Real Estate, Inc. own and lease office buildings in Delaware and Maryland to affiliates of Chesapeake. Chesapeake Investment Company is an affiliated investment company.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Chesapeake Utilities� (NYSE: CPK ) �has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.385 per share, a 5.5% increase over its previous payout of $0.365 per share. The dividend will be paid on July 5 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 17.�The increase raises the annualized dividend�$0.08�per share, from�$1.46, to�$1.54�per share.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Natural gas and propane utility operator Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE: CPK ) announced yesterday that as of May 31�it had completed the acquisition of Eastern Shore Gas (ESG) along with its affiliate Eastern Shore Propane (ESP), both indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Energy Equity Partners�that provide propane gas to residents of Worcester County, Md.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE: CPK) announced a three-for-two stock split of its outstanding common stock. Chesapeake Utilities shares fell 2.18% to close at $70.91 yesterday.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Watch For 2014: LNB Bancorp Inc.(LNBB)
LNB Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for The Lorain National Bank that provides commercial and retail banking, investment management, and trust services to individual, municipal, and corporate customers in Ohio. It offers various transaction and time deposit accounts, including demand deposits, interest-bearing checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, consumer time deposits, public time deposits, and brokered time deposits, as well as cash management services. The company also provides commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate loans, construction and equipment loans, letters of credit, revolving lines of credit, small business administration loans, and government guaranteed loans; and residential mortgages, direct and indirect automobile loans, personal loans, second mortgages, and home equity lines of credit. In addition, it offers safe deposit boxes, night depository, U.S. savings bonds, travelers? checks, money orders, cash iers checks, automated teller machines (ATMs), debit cards, wire transfers, electronic funds transfers, and foreign drafts, as well as foreign currency, phone and Internet banking, and lockbox services. Further, the company provides bank-owned life insurance, as well as title insurance. It operates through 20 retail-banking locations and 30 ATMs in Lorain, Erie, Cuyahoga, and Summit counties in the Ohio communities of Lorain, Elyria, Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, LaGrange, North Ridgeville, Oberlin, Olmsted Township, Vermilion, Westlake, and Hudson, as well as a business development office in Cuyahoga County. The company was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Lorain, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Wolfe]
LNB Bancorp (LNBB)
Over the past week there were three directors making four buys of LNB Bancorp stock. These three directors made their buys at the price of $10.30 per share.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Commercial banking concern�LNB Bancorp� (NASDAQ: LNBB ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of a penny per share, the same rate it's paid since 2009, when it cut the payout from $0.09.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Watch For 2014: Hansen Medical Inc.(HNSN)
Hansen Medical, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells medical robotics designed for positioning, manipulation, and control of catheters and catheter-based technologies. The company?s products comprise the Sensei Robotic Catheter System and its related Artisan and Lynx catheters. It offers Sensei Robotic Catheter systems and Artisan catheters for manipulation, positioning, and control of mapping catheters during electrophysiology procedures. The company also provides robotic platforms consisting of the Magellan Robotic System and the NorthStar Robotic Catheter for the treatment of vascular disease. In addition, it offers CoHesion 3D Visualization Module, a software interface that provide physicians with 3D visualization to augment their ability to move a catheter throughout the heart, as well as control the placement of the catheter in specific locations. The company sells its products through direct sales force in the United States; and through direct sales force and dis tributors primarily in the European Union and internationally. It has a joint development agreement and co-marketing agreement with St. Jude Medical, Inc. for the development of CoHesion 3D Visualization Module; and a collaboration agreement with Philips Medical Systems Nederland B.V. to co-develop integrated products for use in the diagnosing and treatment of arrhythmias. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, small cap medical robotics stock MAKO Surgical Corp (NASDAQ: MAKO) soared 82.19% after it was announced that Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK) would acquire it���meaning it might be time to take a closer look at large cap medical robotics leader Intuitive Surgical, Inc (NASDAQ: ISRG) along with small caps Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) and Hansen Medical, Inc (NASDAQ: HNSN). MAKO Surgical Corp�markets both its RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System and proprietary RESTORIS family of implants to surgeons for a procedure called MAKOplastythat provides a less invasive method for knee resurfacing and a new procedure for Total Hip Arthroplasty.�Stryker Corporation, whose medical technologies include reconstructive, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine products, agreed to pay $1.65 billion or $30 a share for a massive 86%�premium for MAKO Surgical Corp. That�� sounds great for investors unless you are an investor who go in the stock back in 2011 and early 2012 when shares hit as high as the�$43 level.
- [By Rich Smith]
While billed as a rival to America's Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG ) , Mazor actually bears closer resemblance to tiny Hansen Medical (NASDAQ: HNSN ) . Lacking profits despite raking in nearly $15 million in revenues last year, Mazor doesn't generate positive free cash flow like Intuitive does. Instead, it burns it like Hansen does (albeit more slowly). Last year, negative free cash flows amounted to $2.1 million, which suggests that Wallachbeth's endorsement may be a bit premature.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Watch For 2014: Envivio Inc (ENVI)
Envivio, Inc., incorporated on January 5, 2000, is a provider of Internet protocol (IP) video processing and distribution solutions, which enable the delivery of video to consumers. The Company�� solution is designed to enable service providers and content providers to offer video anytime, anywhere across a range of video formats, networks, consumer devices and operating systems. Its software-based solution runs on industry-standard hardware and includes encoders, transcoders, network media processors all controlled through its network management system. It enables service providers and content providers to deliver linear broadcast and on-demand video services to their customers through multiple screens, such as tablets, mobile handsets, netbooks, laptops, personal computers (PCs) and televisions. Its customers include mobile and wireline telecommunications service providers, cable multiple system operators (MSOs), direct broadcast satellite service providers (DBSs), and content providers, which includes broadcasters and content publishers, owners, aggregators and licensees.
Core Technologies
The Company�� software platform includes core technologies: modular software architecture and multi-core video compression. The Company�� core competencies are in developing advanced media compression and video over IP technologies, where it delivers a carrier grade, multi-screen solution. Its modular software architecture provides a common platform of capabilities and features, which allows its products to perform critical video processing and distribution functions, including ingestion, processing, packaging, protection and encryption, network optimizations and monitoring. In addition, its software-based architecture allows customers to enable features or add capacity through the input of a simple security or license key.
The Company Multi-core video compression has a set of video processing and compression algorithms designed to optimize performance on industry-stan! dard, multi-core hardware chipsets. These algorithms are central to all of its encoder and transcoder products.
Products
The Company�� unified video headend solution and unified delivery infrastructure for live and on-demand multi-screen video delivery are built on its encoding, transcoding and video distribution products. Its suite of products consists of Envivio 4Caster, Muse, Halo and 4Manager. Its 4Caster product delivers video to mobile, PC and television from a single platform. It has designed 4Caster to optimize live and on-demand workflows for video delivery commensurate with the characteristics of both legacy and current network infrastructures by encoding video input in multiple codecs, resolutions, bit rates and formats. 4Caster utilizes pre-processing techniques to clean and optimize video sources before encoding.
Envivio Muse is its new multi-screen software architecture designed for live or file-based video transcoding and distribution to multiple devices. Muse is available on industry-standard blade servers or its 4Caster appliances and enables service providers running large-scale operations to leverage their existing datacenter infrastructure to deliver enhanced video services. Muse also enables advanced functionality, such as ad-insertion and content protection for mobile devices that facilitates service monetization.
The Company�� Halo Network Media Processor performs final content adaptation for consumer devices, including protected adaptive bitrate streams compatible with Apple iOS, Android 3 and Microsoft Smooth Streaming enabled consumer devices. Its 4Manager network management system is specifically engineered to manage next generation video headends for mobile television, over-the-top (OTT) and Internet protocol television (IPTV), while continuing to support traditional broadcast distribution networks. 4Manager allows service providers to monitor and control all headend appliances. 4Manager is designed to maximize video he! adend ava! ilability and reliability by reporting system malfunctions and can automatically switch away from a defective unit, minimizing service disruption.
Services
The Company offers a range of services in support of its products, including on-site project assessment, systems integration, on-site delivery and operational and customer support. On-site project assessment include complete review of content sources, existing systems and middleware to determine the proper interface and adaptation equipment necessary for its customer to deliver an optimized consumer quality of experience. Systems integration configures all the equipment with its solution according to network design and plan. On-site delivery install all equipment and test the operational environment, including redundancy and system monitoring, as well as administer technical training to validate predefined use cases in an operational environment. Operational and customer support provides different grades of service level agreements and support contracts according to requirements.
The Company competes with Harmonic Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., Elemental Technologies, RGB Networks, Inc., Google Inc. and Ericsson AB.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Leading and Lagging Sectors
Technology stocks gained Thursday, with Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Envivio (NASDAQ: ENVI), with shares up 2.8 percent, and Adept Technology (NASDAQ: ADEP), with shares up 4.3 percent. - [By John Udovich]
Small cap video technology stocks Envivio Inc (NASDAQ: ENVI), Ku6 Media Co Ltd (NASDAQ: KUTV) and Tremor Video Inc (NYSE: TRMR) made some interesting moves today and in recent days or months���meaning its worth taking a closer look at all three to see if there might be opportunities for traders and investors alike:
Top 10 Promising Companies To Watch For 2014: Masimo Corporation(MASI)
Masimo Corporation, a medical technology company, develops, manufactures, and markets noninvasive patient monitoring products worldwide. The company offers Masimo Signal Extraction Technology (SET), which provides the capabilities of measure-through motion and low perfusion pulse oximetry to address the primary limitations of conventional pulse oximetry; and Masimo rainbow SET products that monitor multiple blood measurements, including oxygen content, carboxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin, hemoglobin, pleth variability index, respiration rate, Halo Index, and In Vivo Adjustment. It develops, manufactures, and markets a family of patient monitoring solutions comprising circuit boards, monitors and devices, sensors, and cables; Masimo SafetyNet, a remote monitoring and clinician notification system; and software for Rainbow measurements, as well as other future measurements or features. The company sells its products to hospitals and the emergency medical response organizations through its direct sales force and distributors, as well as to original equipment manufacturer partners in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, Canada, and Australia. Masimo Corporation was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
There's no foolproof way to know the future for Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI ) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Watch For 2014: Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE)
Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. produces, distributes, and markets non-alcoholic beverages in Europe. It provides a range of beverage categories, including energy drinks, still and sparkling waters, juices, sports drinks, fruit drinks, coffee-based beverages, and teas. The company primarily offers its products under Coca-Cola, Diet Coke/Coke light, Fanta, Coca-Cola Zero, Capri Sun, Schweppes, Sprite, Chaudfontaine, MinuteMaid, and Dr. Pepper brands. It provides its products to customers and consumers through licensed territory agreements in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By L.A. Little]
Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE) � is a consumer staple and has a lot less volatility than most stocks. As seen below, it has broken over multiple swing points on the short-term time frame.
Top 10 Promising Companies To Watch For 2014: SourcingLink.net Inc (SNET)
SourcingLink.net, Inc., incorporated in 1994, was involved in developing and deploying merchandise-sourcing solutions for the retail industry prior to its operating assets sale in March 2004. The Company's Internet-based, hosted solutions for the pre-order phase of business-to-business merchandise procurement enabled retailers to organize, automate and reduce the cost of their merchandise-sourcing activities by locating and connecting directly with their retail merchandise suppliers around the globe. Its solution, branded MySourcingCenter, provided an online location for search, display and comparison functions, and linked and managed the data and communications between retailers and merchandise suppliers in industry-specific private environments, organizing and automating sourcing or pre-order merchandise procurement activities over the Internet. The majority of the Company's revenue through the fiscal years ended March 31, 2001 (fiscal 2001) to 2003 (fiscal 2003) was generated from a contract entered into, in March 2000, with Carrefour S.A. After completion of the Carrefour agreement, SourcingLink.net, Inc. was unable to procure additional contracts to replace the revenue generated by the Carrefour agreement.
SourcingLink.net sold its operating assets and intellectual property, and its two customer contracts in two separate transactions, in March 2004, (collectively, the operating assets sale), and ceased its operating business at that time. Its fixed assets, software, intellectual property and customer contracts related to Internet-based merchandise sourcing solution were sold to a third party in Europe. The Company's list of potential customers and certain Lotus Notes templates related to its professional services business were sold to a separate foreign company.
Prior to the operating assets sale in March 2004, the Company also performed professional services that accounted for the majority of its revenue since fiscal 2001. Its professional services enabled customers to ! implement Internet-based electronic negotiations (eSourcing) solutions. SourcingLink.net's service offering was buyer auction programs, which encompassed assessment, savings delivery and training aimed at optimizing auction processes within the buying organization.
MySourcingCenter is an online sourcing solution for finding, displaying, comparing and negotiating the purchase of products. The Company provided customers with a turnkey solution, including project management for buyer rollout and both online and global helpdesk support for buyers and suppliers. Reporting and forms were standardized for suppliers and standard forms were also available for retailers. In addition, SourcingLink.net mapped standard supplier data to any forms specification the retailer may have had, providing a customized display to meet retailer requirements. All of the underlying software resided outside of customer firewalls in a third party co-location facility.
The Company's only customer for MySourcingCenter was the international purchasing department of France-based Leroy Merlin. It also signed a contract with a United States-based customer, for which initial planning had occurred prior to the operating assets sale in March 2004.
SourcingLink.net provided professional services in the area of Internet-based, pre-order merchandise procurement. It assisted retailers in the conduct of online real-time negotiation events and trained buying organizations to become autonomous in conducting such events. Related to the Company's Internet solution, it provided project management for retailer implementations of MySourcingCenter. SourcingLink.net provided services to Carrefour, from April 2000, through mid-fiscal 2004, under a three-year contract. This contract provided the majority of the Company's revenues during the prior three fiscal years. It also provided services to the WorldWide Retail Exchange and certain of its members. One such contract provided about one-third of its services revenue ! during fi! scal year 2004. The Company's professional services customers included Carrefour, under the Carrefour contract, and members of several industry exchanges, including the WorldWide Retail Exchange, a retail industry exchange with 60 members around the globe, and CPGmarkets, an exchange for manufacturers of consumer packaged goods, whose members are in Europe.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks IDGlobal Corp (OTCMKTS: IDGC), Embarr Downs Inc (OTCMKTS: EMBR) and SourcingLink.net, Inc (OTCMKTS: SNET) have been getting some extra attention in various investment newsletters or investor alerts lately as at least two of these stocks have been the subject of paid promotions or other types of investor relations activities. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed promotions or investor relations activities. But just how hot are these two small cap stocks? Here is a closer look and a quick reality check:
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