I have never advised my readers to invest in Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A).
And it's not because a single share of the Class A stock costs $164,690 or because I think it is overvalued, or any of the other usual reasons for that matter.
It's because Warren Buffett has vowed time and time again to never pay Berkshire shareholders a cent in dividends.
Consider this: In the most recent quarter, Berkshire Hathaway collected more than $1.35 billion in dividend and interest income from its holdings.
Yet none of that money made its way back to shareholders.
Granted, Buffett's style is to try to turn that money into more money. But for me, I'd rather collect a steady stream of cash that I can do with what I please.
Hot Consumer Service Stocks To Watch For 2015: FNB United Corp.(FNBN)
FNB United Corp. operates as the bank holding company for CommunityONE Bank, National Association that provides consumer, mortgage, and business banking services to individual and business customers in North Carolina. Its deposit products include checking accounts, interest checking accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan products portfolio comprises commercial and agricultural loans, real estate construction loans, real estate residential loans, and consumer loans. It also offers debit cards, credit cards, online and mobile banking, cash management, investment management, and trust services, as well as operates automated teller machines. In addition, it originates, underwrites, and closes loans for sale into the secondary market. FNB United operates through 45 offices. The company was formerly known as FNB Corp. and changed its name to FNB United Corp. in April 2006. FNB United Cor p. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Asheboro, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon]
The second stock, FNB United Corp. (FNBN), is 95.4% off of its three-year high, but it has also had a stock split in that time. It has also seen greater insider activity. Five unique insiders bought shares of the company, for a total number of six insider buy transactions in the past month.
Best Sliver Stocks For 2014: Freescale Semiconductor Inc (FSL)
Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. provides embedded processing solutions for automotive, networking, industrial, and consumer markets worldwide. The company�s embedded processor products comprise microcontrollers, such as ultra low power, low end 8-bit, and 32-bit products with on-board flash memory, which provide the digital logic or intelligence for electronic applications; single-and multi-core microprocessors; and applications processors with embedded memory, and special purpose hardware and software for multimedia applications. It also offers wireless connectivity products for low power wireless communications functionality; communications processors that perform tasks related to control and management of digital data, and network interfaces; and radio frequency (RF) devices, which consist of power transistors, amplifiers, receivers, and tuners for amplifying RF signals. In addition, the company provides analog, mixed-signal, and power management integrated circuits (ICs ) that include switches, power management devices, battery and motor control devices, CAN/LIN network transceivers, and signal conditioners that perform audio processing, backlight management/control, power management, and charging functions; sensors comprising pressure, inertial, magnetic, and proximity sensors, which act as an interface between an embedded system and external environment; and cellular products consisting of baseband processors, power management ICs, and RF subsystems. It sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, original design manufacturers, and contract manufacturers through its direct sales force and distributors. The company was formerly known as Freescale Semiconductor Holdings I, Ltd. and changed its name to Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. in April 2012. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. is a subsidiary of Freescale Holdings L.P.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Evan Niu, CFA]
What: Shares of Freescale (NYSE: FSL ) have skyrocketed today by upwards of 12% after the semiconductor specialist posted first-quarter earnings results.
- [By Lee Jackson]
Freescale Semiconductor Ltd. (NYSE: FSL) also has a less than 10% exposure in sales to Cisco. With a large percentage of sales, totaling close to 30% to the growing automotive sector, Freescale may be able to dodge lower orders for its digital networking chips. The consensus price target for the stock is $19.
Best Sliver Stocks For 2014: Fifth Street Finance Corp (FSC)
Fifth Street Finance Corp. is a specialty finance company that lends to and invests in small and mid-sized companies in connection with investments by private equity sponsors. The Company�� investment objective is to maximize its portfolio's total return by generating current income from its debt investments and capital appreciation from its equity investments. As of September 30, 2011, 90.9% of its portfolio consisted of debt investments that were secured by first or second priority liens on the assets of its portfolio companies. As of September 30, 2011, it held equity investments consisting of common stock, preferred stock or other equity interests in 27 out of 65 portfolio companies. It is managed and advised by Fifth Street Management LLC. In June 2013, Fifth Street Finance Corp. announced that it has closed its portfolio company acquisition of Healthcare Finance Group, LLC (HFG).
Investments
The Company tailors the terms of its debt investments to the facts and circumstances of the transaction and prospective portfolio company. As of September 30, 2011, it directly originated a majority of its debt investments. It is focusing its origination efforts on first lien, second lien and subordinated loans. Its first lien loans have terms of four to six years, provide for a variable or fixed interest rate, contain prepayment penalties and are secured by a first priority security interest in all existing and future assets of the borrower. Its first lien loans may take many forms, including revolving lines of credit, term loans and acquisition lines of credit. Its second lien loans have terms of four to six years, provide for a fixed interest rate, contain prepayment penalties and are secured by a second priority security interest in all existing and future assets of the borrower. Its second lien loans often include payment-in-kind (PIK), interest, which represents contractual interest accrued and added to the principal that generally becomes due at maturity. Its unsecured inve! stments have terms of five to six years and provide for a fixed interest rate. It may make unsecured investments on a stand-alone basis, or in connection with a senior secured loan, a junior secured loan or a one-stop financing. Its unsecured investments may include payment-in-kind (PIK), interest, which represents contractual interest accrued and added to the principal that becomes due at maturity, and an equity component, such as warrants to purchase common stock in the portfolio company.
In addition, the Company from time to time non-control, equity co-investments in connection with private equity sponsors. It structures equity investments, such as direct equity co-investments, to provide the Company with minority rights provisions and event-driven put rights. The Company make investments in the private equity funds of certain of its equity sponsors. It makes these investments where it has a long term relationship and is comfortable with the sponsor�� business model and investment strategy. As of September 30, 2011, it had investments in six private equity funds, which represented less than 1% of the fair value of its assets as of such date.
Portfolio Management
As a business development company, the Company offers managerial assistance to its portfolio companies and to provide it if requested. It monitors the financial trends of each portfolio company to assess the appropriate course of action for each company and to evaluate overall portfolio quality. It has several methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance of its investments, which includes review of monthly and quarterly financial statements and financial projections for portfolio companies; periodic and regular contact with portfolio company management; attendance at board meetings; periodic formal update interviews with portfolio company management, and assessment of business development, including product development, profitability and the portfolio company�� overall adherence to its busine! ss plan.
In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, the Company uses an investment rating system to characterize and monitor the credit profile and expected level of returns on each investment in itd portfolio. It uses a five-level numeric rating scale. In the event that it determines that an investment is underperforming, or circumstances suggest that the risk associated with a particular investment has significantly increased, it monitors the effected portfolio company.
Valuation of Portfolio Investments
As a business development company, the Company invests in illiquid securities, including debt and equity investments of small and mid-sized companies. The Company perform valuations of its debt and equity investments on an individual basis, using market, income, and bond yield approaches as appropriate. Under the market approach, it estimates the enterprise value of the portfolio companies, in which it invests. To estimate the enterprise value of a portfolio company, it analyze various factors, including the portfolio company�� historical and projected financial results. It requires portfolio companies to provide annual audited and quarterly and monthly unaudited financial statements, as well as annual projections for the upcoming fiscal year.
Under the income approach, the Company prepares and analyze discounted cash flow models based on projections of the future free cash flows of the business. Under the bond yield approach, it uses bond yield models to determine the present value of the future cash flow streams of its debt investments. It reviews various sources of transactional data, including private mergers and acquisitions involving debt investments with similar characteristics, and assess the information in the valuation process.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eddie Staley]
Fifth Street Finance (NASDAQ: FSC) shares were also up, gaining 0.70 percent to $10.04 after the company lifted its monthly dividend by 10% to 9.17 cents per share versus 8.33 cents per share.
Best Sliver Stocks For 2014: Peabody Energy Corporation(BTU)
Peabody Energy Corporation engages in the mining of coal. It mines, prepares, and sells thermal coal to electric utilities and metallurgical coal to industrial customers. The company owns interests in 30 coal mining operations located in the United States and Australia, as well as owns joint venture interest in a Venezuela mine. It is also involved in marketing, brokering, and trading coal. In addition, the company develops a mine-mouth coal-fueled generating plant; and Btu Conversion projects that are designed to convert coal to natural gas or transportation fuels; and clean coal technologies. As of December 31, 2011, it had 9 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. The company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Mehta and Joshi also maintained their Sell rating on Arch Coal (ACI) and see the most upside in Buy-rates SunCoke Energy (SXC), which they see hitting $26, and Peabody Energy (BTU), which could hit $21.
- [By Claudia Assis]
Top gainers among energy companies with the S&P 500 index were coal producer Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU) , with shares up 3.1%, and WPX Energy Inc. (WPX) , which rose 2.7%.
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