The investment universe is expanding for many IRA owners. Some uses of the accounts that are becoming more frequent are: investing in a small business, either your own or that of a friend or relative; becoming a mortgage lender; buying real estate; and investing in gold, among many other investment options.
Your IRA doesn’t have to be invested in publicly-traded stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Most IRA sponsors restrict you to these options, because that is what they are geared up to hold. But the law allows many other investments in IRAs.
For your IRA to own any of these other investments, you have to find an IRA custodian or trustee that allows a true self-directed IRA, one that allows you to invest in any asset permitted by law. (In fact, some let you invest in assets not permitted by the law. It’s up to you to know the rules and be responsible for any penalties the IRS imposes.) You can find these custodians and trustees by going to your favorite Internet search engine and searching for “self-directed IRA.” The firm that appears to have done this the longest is The Entrust Group, though I haven’t dealt with it.
Best Defensive Companies To Own In Right Now: Wisdomtree International Energy Sector Fund (GNAT)
WisdomTree International Energy Sector Fund (The Fund) is a non-diversified fund. It seeks investment results that closely correspond to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree International Energy Sector Index (The Index). The Fund is managed by WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc.
The Index is derived from WisdomTree Index of Europe, Far East Asia and Australasia (DEFA) Fund. It measures the performance of dividend-paying companies in developed markets outside of the United States and Canada within the international energy sector. The companies are weighted in the Index based on regular cash dividends paid. The Index includes companies from oil and gas producers, oil and gas services, pipelines, alternative energy sources, and coal industries.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]
Unusual volume (at least 5X ADV): Market Vectors Gaming ETF (NYSE: BJK), Guggenheim Timber ETF (NYSE: CUT), WisdomTree Global Natural Resources ETF (NYSE: GNAT), iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners (NYSE: RING) and the Global X Social Media Index ETF (NASDAQ: SOCL).
10 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: National Bank of Greece SA (NBG)
National Bank of Greece S.A. (the Bank), incorporated on March 30, 1841, is a Greece-based financial institution. It offers a range of integrated financial services, including corporate and investment banking, retail banking (including mortgage lending), leasing, stock brokerage, asset management and venture capital, insurance, real estate and consulting services. In addition, the Company is involved in various other businesses, including hotel and property management, real estate and information technology (IT) consulting. On May 19, 2009, the Bank established Ethniki Factors S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary. On June 8, 2009, Finansbank A.S. established Finans Faktoring Hizmetleri A.S. (Finans Factoring), a wholly owned subsidiary. On June 30, 2009, NBG Luxemburg Holding S.A. and NBG Luxfinance Holding S.A. were merged to NBG Asset Management Luxemburg S.A. On January 18, 2010, the Bank acquired 35% of the share capital of AKTOR FM. On October 16, 2009, United Bulgarian Bank A.D. (UBB) established UBB Factoring E.O.O.D., a wholly owned subsidiary of UBB. On September 15, 2009, the Bank disposed of its investment in Phosphoric Fertilizers Industry S.A.
At December 31, 2009, the Bank operated in Greece through 575 branches, one private banking unit, one unit for financial institutions and 10 specialized banking units that deal exclusively with troubled and non-performing loans. At December 31, 2009, the Bank had over 1500 automated teller machines (ATMs).
Retail Banking
The Bank offers retail customers a number of different types of deposit and investment products, as well as a range of services and products. The Bank offers a range of mortgage products, with floating, fixed, or a combination of fixed and floating interest rates. In February 2009, the Bank introduced a new floating rate product, the ESTIA MIKTO with flexible payment terms. In addition to fire and earthquake property insurance, the Bank offers an optional life insurance plan together with mortgage! s.
The Small Business Lending Unit (SBL Unit) a part of the Bank's retail banking division consists of three credit centers situated in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patrastail. The SBL Unit offers term loans geared towards medium and long-term working capital needs for the financing of asset purchases.
Corporate and Investment Banking
The Bank offers corporate accounts with overdraft facilities, foreign currency loans, variable rate loans, and currency swaps and options for corporate customers. The Bank's commercial loan portfolio in Greece comprises approximately 50,000 corporate clients, including small and medium sized enterprises. It offers the corporate clients a range of products and services, including financial and investment advisory services, deposit accounts, loans denominated in euro and other currencies, foreign exchange services, insurance products, custody arrangements and trade finance services. The Bank lends primarily in the form of credit lines, which are generally at variable rates of interest with payment terms of up to 12 months. In addition, the Bank provides letters of credit and guarantees for its clients.
The Bank�� shipping finance and syndicated loan portfolio consists of first-tier shipping groups involved in diversified shipping activities. The Bank provided project finance advisory services to the Hellenic Republic on two infrastructure projects: the new Attica Motorway and Kasteli International Airport.
Global Markets & Asset Management
The treasury activities provided by the Bank and its subsidiaries include
Greek and other sovereign securities trading, foreign exchange trading, interbank lending and borrowing in euro and other currency placements/ deposits, forward rate agreement trading, repurchase agreements, corporate bonds, and derivative products, such as options and interest rate and currency swaps. The Bank also conducts a portion of its treasury activities through its subsidia! ry CPT. A! s at December 31, 2009; CPT's portfolio comprised Greek government bonds and corporate bonds, with a total value of EUR 1.8 billion.
The Bank offers its private banking services both domestically and internationally from its international private banking units in London. The Bank offers custodian services to its foreign and domestic institutional clients who hold equity securities listed on the ATHEX or listed Greek State debt, as well as remote settlement and custody services on the Cyprus Stock Exchange. The Bank offers trade settlements, safekeeping of securities, corporate action processing, income collection, proxy voting, tax reclamation, brokerage services, customized reporting, regular market flashes and information services. The Bank also acts as global custodian to its domestic institutional clients who invest in securities outside of Greece.
The domestic fund management business is operated by NBG Asset Management, which is wholly owned by the Group. NBG Asset Management manages funds that are made available to customers through the Bank's extensive branch network. As at December 31, 2009, NBG Asset Management's total assets under management were EUR 1.9 billion.
National Securities S.A offers a range of investment services to both individual and institutional customers. In September 2009, National Securities S.A. opened a branch in Nicosia, Cyprus, to provide brokerage services to local private investors.
Turkish Operations
The Bank�� Turkish operations include the Finansbank group of companies and NBG Bank (Malta) Ltd. Finansbank's group of companies includes Finans Invest, Finans Leasing, Finans Portfolio Management, Finans Investment Trust, Finans Factoring, IBTech, Finans Pension, and Finans Consumer Finance. As at December 31, 2009, Finansbank operated through a network of 461 branches in 60 cities.
Finansbank Corporate Banking serves corporations through its eight branches in the four cities in Turkey.! Finansba! nk Commercial Banking serves medium-sized companies located in 23 cities in Turkey through its head office, four regional offices (three in Istanbul and one in Ankara) and a distribution network, which includes 61 branches.
Finansbank Investment Banking consists of project finance, corporate finance and technical consulting. Investment Banking acts as a client relations specialist while providing medium to long-term loans and other products. Finansbank Private Banking has been providing investment products and asset management services to individuals through eight private banking centers and 28 private banking corners located in Finansbank's branches in the cities throughout Turkey.
International
The Bank's international operations include the Bank's branches in Albania, Egypt and Cyprus, as well as banking subsidiaries in six countries: NBG Cyprus; Stopanska Banka A.D. in FYROM; United Bulgarian Bank A.D. in Bulgaria; Banca Romaneasca S.A., in Romania; Vojvodjanska in Serbia; and the South African Bank of Athens, as well as other subsidiaries, primarily in the leasing sector. As at December 31, 2009, the Bank had foreign branches in four countries, including one in the United Kingdom, 30 in Albania, one in Cyprus, 15 in Egypt and one in Guernsey (which closed early in 2010).
Insurance
The Bank provides insurance services to individuals and companies through the wholly owned subsidiary Ethniki Insurance Group (EI) and Finans Pension. EI offers a range of products such as life, accident and health insurance for individuals and groups, fire, catastrophe, credit, motor, marine hull and cargo insurance, and general third party liability. EI operates through a network of 2,850 tied agents and 2,620 independent insurance brokers, in addition to selling bancassurance products through the Bank's network. EI provides bancassurance products through our insurance brokerage subsidiary NBG Bancassurance S.A. (NBGB), which assumes no insurance underwr! iting ris! k, and the Bank's extensive network in Greece.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
National Bank of Greece (NBG) is engaged in providing financial services, including retail and commercial banking, global investment management, investment banking, insurance, investment activities and securities trading. This stock closed up 2.5% to $3.61 in Tuesday's trading session.
Tuesday's Range: $3.49-$3.70
52-Week Range: $2.85-$32.50
Tuesday's Volume: 3.59 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 3.59 millionFrom a technical perspective, NBG bounced modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $3.20 with solid upside volume. This stock has been crushed over the last two months, with shares drooping from over $8 to its low of $2.85. Since that drop, the stock has started to stabilize and it's now moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if NBG manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $3.88 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NBG as long as it's trending above $3.20 and then once it sustains a move or close above $3.88 with volume that hits near or above 3.59 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then NBG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.47 to $5.63
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Moody’s raised the rating of Greece’s government bonds to Caa3�with a “stable” outlook. Now we have five Greek banks being given credit rating upgrades as well. The one upgrade that ADR investors will want to watch is the rating on the National Bank of Greece S.A. (NYSE: NBG). Moody’s signaled that the upgrade reflects NBG’s more favorable asset-quality, funding profile and earnings than local peers. It also is based upon an expectation of further capital enhancements to address its weaker capital base.
- [By Bryan Murphy]
There's just one problem with the big runups from Elephant Talk Communications, WidePoint Corporation, and CytRx Corporation. That problem? Before the surges, it was very unlikely any of them were on very many traders' radars. In fact, it's very likely most traders had never even heard of at least one of them (if not two). The trick to creating success as a speculator of small cap stocks is spotting a big winner before the runup starts to materialize, since (to be blunt, but honest), most small cap stock picks aren't all that rewarding. Enter the National Bank of Greece (NYSE:NBG). The National Bank of Greece is also one of the small caps that has gone ballistic of late? No, it hasn't - that's just it. NBG hasn't gone anywhere of late. If the very subtle clues are on target though, then this stock has a good shot at becoming the next WYY, ETAK, or CYTR, and you know about it before it actually happens.
10 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ACAD)
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on drug discovery and clinical development of novel treatments for central nervous system disorders. The company has a portfolio of four product candidates, including pimavanserin, which is in Phase III clinical development as a treatment for Parkinson's disease psychosis. It is also developing AGN-XX/YY, a product candidate in Phase II for chronic pain; and AC-262271, a product candidate in Phase I for glaucoma in collaboration with Allergan, as well as AM-831, a product candidate in IND-track development in collaboration with Meiji Seika Kaisha, Ltd. In addition, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. is developing two preclinical programs in the area of Parkinson?s disease. The product candidates in the company?s pipeline emanate from discoveries made using its proprietary drug discovery platform. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
Tuesday
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD ) checks in on Tuesday. The biotech company's lead candidate is pimavanserin, a promising drug that's in the third and final phase of clinical development as a treatment for Parkinson's disease psychosis. Naturally, investors see red ink here, but analysts do see the quarterly deficit narrowing this time around.
10 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: RCM Technologies Inc.(RCMT)
RCM Technologies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, and delivery of business and technology solutions for commercial and government sectors in North America. It operates through three segments: Information Technology (IT), Engineering, and Commercial Services. The IT segment provides enterprise business solutions, application services, infrastructure solutions, competitive advantage and productivity solutions, and life sciences solutions. The Engineering segment offers engineering and design, engineering analysis, engineer-procure-construct, configuration management, hardware/software validation and verification, quality assurance, technical writing and publications, manufacturing process planning and improvement, reliability centered maintenance, component and equipment testing, and risk management engineering services. The Commercial Services segment provides long-term and short-term staffing, executive search, and placement servic es in various fields, including rehabilitation, nursing, managed care, allied health care, health care management, and medical office support, as well as offers in-patient, outpatient, sub-acute and acute care, multilingual speech pathology, rehabilitation, geriatric, pediatric, and adult day care services to hospitals, long-term care facilities, schools, sports medicine facilities, and private practices. This segment also offers contract and temporary services, and permanent placement services for full-time and part-time personnel in various functional areas, including office, clerical, data entry, secretarial, light industrial, shipping, receiving, and general warehousing. The company offers its services to aerospace/defense, energy, financial services, life sciences, manufacturing and distribution, public sector, and technology industries. RCM Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1971 and is based in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
RCM Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:RCMT) reported that primarily due to unexpected and extended client procedural delays in awarding certain engagements under an existing contract with a major North American utility, the Company’s second quarter revenues and operating income will fall short of its expectations.
10 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Physicians Realty Trust (DOC)
Physicians Realty Trust, incorporated on April 9, 2013, is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is a self-managed healthcare real estate company. The Company is engaged in acquiring, developing, owning and managing healthcare properties that are leased to physicians, hospitals and healthcare delivery systems. The Company invests in real estate that is integral to providing healthcare services. The Company�� properties are located on a campus with a hospital or other healthcare facilities or strategically located and affiliated with a hospital or other healthcare facilities. The Company�� principal investments will include medical office buildings, outpatient treatment facilities, acute and post-acute care hospitals, as well as other real estate integral to healthcare providers. The Company�� initial portfolio will consist of 19 medical office buildings located in 10 states with approximately 528,048 net leasable square feet. Effective August 27, 2013, Physicians Realty Trust acquired an undisclosed hospital, located in Plano, Texas, an owner and operator of hospital. In September 2013, Physicians Realty Trust completion of the sale-leaseback of the surgical hospital and adjacent medical office building occupied by the Foundation Surgical Hospital of El Paso, L.L.C. In October 2013, Physicians Realty Trust announced the completion of the acquisition of the Foundation Outpatient Care Building located in Oklahoma City, OK. Effective January 8, 2014, Physicians Realty Trust acquired an undisclosed ambulatory surgery center, located in Great Falls, Montana. In February 2014, the Company's operating partnership, Physicians Realty L.P., closed on the purchase and leaseback of four medical office buildings to an Atlanta, Georgia-based family medical practice.
The Company�� Surgical Hospital-New Orleans, Louisiana property is a 57,000 square foot, 42-bed acute care surgical hospital with six operating rooms. The hospital specializes in ortho/neuro spine surgery, orthopedics, ! weight loss surgery and other scheduled general surgery procedures. Surgical Hospital and Medical Office Building-El Paso, Texas property is a 77,000 square foot, 40-bed acute care hospital with six operating rooms. The Company's initial portfolio was acquired or developed by healthcare real estate funds managed by B.C. Ziegler & Company (Ziegler), a specialty investment banking firm focused on the healthcare industry, and another subsidiary of The Ziegler Companies, Inc. As part of its formation transactions, the Ziegler Funds will contribute their ownership interests in these properties to its operating partnership.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Healthcare REIT Physicians Realty Trust (DOC) was right up their with Ford in raising its quarterly dividend 25%, to 22.5 cents per share, payable Feb. 7 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 24.
DOC Stock Dividend Yield: 7.02%
10 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Direxion Daily FTSE China Bear 3X Shares ETF (YANG)
Direxion Daily China Bear 3x Shares (the Fund) seeks daily investment results of 300% of the inverse (or opposite) of the price performance of the BNY China Select ADR Index (the China Index). The China Index is a free float-adjusted capitalization-weighted index designed by the Bank of New York to track the performance of a basket of companies who have their primary equity listing on a stock exchange in China and which also have depositary receipts that trade on a United States exchange or on the National Association of Securities and Dealers Automated Quotation. Under normal circumstances, it focuses on creating short positions, by investing at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities that comprise its underlying index and/or futures contracts; options on securities, indices and futures contracts; equity caps, collars and floors; forward contracts; repurchase agreements, and reverse repurchase agreements. The Fund�� investment adviser is Rafferty Asset Management LLC. Advisors' Opinion:- [By pamatlarge]
Three short ETFs are designed to profit from China�� economic downward slide. The ProShares Short FTSE China 25 (YXI), an unleveraged ETF, holds shares in iShares FTSE China Large-Cap (FXI) swaps. Investors looking to magnify their returns can choose from two leveraged short ETFs: ProShares Ultra Short FTSE China 25 (FXP) and Direxion Daily China Bear 3x Shares (YANG). Both ProShares Ultra Short and Direxion Daily hold shares that increase in value three times faster than an unleveraged ETF. The downside is that the per share price of these leveraged ETFs also drops three times faster.
10 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: pSivida Corp.(PSDV)
pSivida Corp., together with its subsidiaries, develops drug delivery products for treatment of back-of-the-eye diseases that are administered by implantation, injection, or insertion. The company?s lead product candidate includes Iluvien, which is in Phase III clinical trials and delivers fluocinolone acetonide (FA) for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), a cause of vision loss. It is also conducting Phase II clinical trials with Iluvien for the treatment of wet and dry form of age-related macular degeneration, and retinal vein occlusion. In addition, the company?s products include Retisert for the treatment of posterior uveitis, an autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation of the posterior of the eye that can cause sudden or gradual vision loss; and Vitrasert for cytomegalovirus retinitis, a blinding eye disease that occurs in individuals with advanced AIDS. It is developing the Latanoprost product, an injectable, bioerodible drug delivery implant i n Phase I/II dose-escalating study for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension; the Posterior Uveitis product candidate in a Phase I/II study for the treatment of posterior uveitis; BioSilicon technology system, which is nano-structured porous silicon designed for use as a drug delivery platform and to deliver smaller molecules; and Tethadur, which utilizes BioSilicon to deliver large biologic molecules, including peptides and proteins. It has strategic collaborations with Bausch & Lomb Incorporated; Alimera Sciences, Inc.; Pfizer, Inc.; and Intrinsiq Materials Cayman Limited. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Kell]
Specialty pharmaceutical firm pSivida Corp.(PSDV) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn’t approve a treatment for an eye disease found in patients with diabetes. The company’s stock tumbled 47% to $2 premarket, while shares of Alimera Sciences Inc.(ALIM) were down 39% to $1.66, as the treatment is licensed and sold by Alimera in other markets.
- [By Smith On Stocks]
This note focuses on the implications of the complete response letter (CRL) received by Alimera (ALIM) for Iluvien. This product was developed by pSivida (PSDV) but was partnered with Alimera. This report deals only with the investment significance for pSivida.
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