Source: Norfolk Southern.
Shares of railroad giant Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC ) have performed extremely well lately, climbing toward all-time record highs as investors get more confident about the railroad industry's future. In particular, even though Norfolk Southern has more exposure to some of the toughest segments in the railroad sector than peers like Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP ) , its most recent earnings report showed just how well the company is adapting to changing conditions.
A quarter full of records for Norfolk SouthernNorfolk Southern's second-quarter results read like a page from the record books, as the railroad managed to set new high-water marks in a number of key measures of its financial performance. Operating revenues from its railways climbed 9% to $3 billion, and operating income jumped 22% to climb above the $1 billion mark. That sent net income to a new record of $562 million, or $1.79 per share, easily eclipsing the $1.46 per share that the company posted in the year-ago quarter.
Top Stocks To Invest In 2015: Mitek Systems Inc (MITK)
Mitek Systems, Inc. (Mitek), incorporated in 1986, is engaged in the development, sale and service of software solutions related to mobile imaging applications and intelligent recognition software. Mitek is applying its technology and in image correction, optical character recognition and intelligent data extraction to mobile devices. Using Mitek Mobile Apps, camera-equipped smartphone users can deposit checks, pay bills, save receipts and fax documents. Users simply take a picture of the document and its products corrects image distortion, extracting relevant data, routing images to their desired location, and processing transactions through users��financial institutions. It has developed and deployed Mobile Deposit, a software application that allows users to deposit a check using their smartphone camera. It has developed and deployed Mobile Receipt, a receipt archival and expense report application, and Mobile Phax, a mobile document faxing application. Its Mobile Photo Bill Pay, a mobile bill paying application that allows users to pay their bills using their smartphone camera. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 (fiscal 2010), it had one operating segment based on its product and service offerings.
IMagePROVE Technology Products
Using IMagePROVE, the Company has a suite of business productivity applications for camera-equipped smartphones, including the iPhone and selected BlackBerry, Android and Windows Mobile handsets. It has four products that use its IMagePROVE technology Mobile Deposit, Mobile Receipt, Mobile Phax and Mobile Photo Bill Pay. Its products are used in the financial services industry. It has secured sales partnerships with system integrators for the financial services industry, including Fiserv, FIS, NCR, Jack Henry, Wausau, BankServ, RDM, J&B Software and Bluepoint Solutions.
The Company�� Mobile Deposit is the smartphone application allows banks to accept check deposits through photos of checks taken with camera-equipped smart! phones. Mobile Deposit allows users to make deposits by photographing the front and back of a check and submitting the item electronically to their bank from their smartphone. Its Mobile Receipt is designed to convert the photo of a receipt taken with a smartphone into an image and with a single touch, converts the data into a professional looking expense report. Mobile Phax allows user to take a photo of any letter sized document or page and send it as a portable document format (PDF) file to any e-mail address or fax machine.
The Company�� Mobile Photo Bill Pay allows users to take pictures of their bills with their smartphone cameras and its Mobile Photo Bill Pay product correct image distortion, reading relevant data and processing the transactions through the users��banks. The payment is made electronically by debiting the users checking account and using existing online bill pay systems. With Mobile Photo Bill Pay, users can submit electronic payments from their smartphones without having to write checks, lick stamps, visit a payment location or even use their personal computers.
ImageNet Intelligent Character Recognition Toolkits
The Company�� ImageNet products are designed to provide remittance processing, proof of deposit and lock box processing applications. Its products are used to reduce manual labor by automatically extracting amounts and routing information from checks and distinguishing between common document types, such as personal and business checks, substitute checks, pre-authorized drafts and other document types specified by customers. It sells ImageNet suite of products to its channel partners, who resell them as integrated components of their solutions and services. Its ImageNet suite of products includes ImageNet Prep & ID, ImageNet Payments, ImageNet Data Capture and ImageNet Signatures.
ImageNet Prep & ID is a software toolkit that is designed to provide automatic form information document (ID), form registration and fo! rm/templa! te removal. Image Net Prep & ID reduces the image size by removing information, such as pre-printed text, lines, and boxes; leaving only the filled-in data. ImageNet Payments allows for the automatic reading of machine and hand print information found on scanned documents and forms from any structured form, as well as bank documents, such as checks, deposit slips, and remittance coupons. ImageNet Payments integrates technology components from the CheckReader product that it licenses from a vendor that is designed to read rates of the currency and legal amounts of checks drawn on the United States and Canadian financial institutions.
ImageNet Data Capture is a software toolkit that captures data from types of unstructured business documents. ImageNet Data Capture is used in data capture applications where data must be found and extracted from documents that have no pre-determined format or layout, but share common data elements. ImageNet Data Capture is designed to locate this data on documents using contextual, positional, format and keyword specific information. It has supplied ImageNet Data Capture as a stand alone application programming interface (API) to several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the document processing field. ImageNet Signatures is a software toolkit that locates, extracts and verifies signatures in any document. It encodes each signature and compares it with encoded reference examples rather than comparing actual images. Its image analytics encode 60 characteristics of each signature, which allows for accurate signature fraud detection.
FraudProtect Systems
The Company�� FraudProtect System is an automated software application designed to allow banks to detect check fraud from forged signatures and counterfeit checks, as well as the detection of pre-authorized drafts and payee name alterations. Its FraudProtect suite of products includes FraudProtect SDK, PADsafe and PayeeFind. Its FraudProtect SDK is a toolkit designed to detect c! heck frau! d and forgery using image analytics to uncover inconsistencies and alterations in checks as they are processed by banks. These products are sold to OEMs and system integrators and can detect forged or illegally modified checks. Its PADsafe product detects fraudulent preauthorized drafts (PADs). PADsafe automatically identifies PADs from checks, and then notifies the user of fraudulent transactions, reducing and preventing the unauthorized withdrawal of funds. Its PayeeFind product is designed to prevent payee-altered checks from clearing.
ImageScore
ImageScore is the Company�� Check 21 readiness solution for any financial institution that truncates or uses check images in an accounts receivables conversion environment. Integrated solution providers for financial institutions can also buy ImageScore to enhance their products. ImageScore is designed to analyze check images to provide the usability and information needed to help financial institutions act in accordance with regulatory and industry mandates.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
Mitek Systems (NASDAQ: MITK ) is hoping to widen its capital base. The company announced it is floating nearly 2.86 million shares of its common stock in an underwritten public flotation, at a price of $5.25 per share. Additionally, the company's underwriters have been granted a 30-day option to purchase up to 428,571 shares to cover overallotments, if any.
- [By James E. Brumley]
Anybody who was lucky enough to get into a Recon Technology, Ltd. (NASDAQ:RCON) position before October 7th, then congratulations - you're up big-time. Now get out. Instead, a better use of that capital is Mitek Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MITK). While RCON is overbought and ripe for a pullback, MITK is itching to stage a breakout.
- [By U.S. News]
In at least one Texas bank and one Ohio credit union, 3D video banking is currently undergoing testing, according to TheFinancialBrand.com, a website for bank and credit union marketing executives. Three-dimensional video banking is similar to a consumer video conference with a bank representative –- only in this case, the executive looks like a living, breathing person sitting across from you. Thanks to theater surround sound, the representative also sounds as if they're in the same room. And since the consumer is interacting with a real person and not an automated hologram, the experience apparently isn't much different than the real thing. Banking and managing money isn't what it used to be. The 1970s and 1980s brought us the rise of the ATM. Consumers became acquainted with online banking during the 1990s and the first decade of the 2000s. The 2010s are shaping up as the era of mobile banking. That was underscored Sept. 10-11 in New York City when Mitek Systems Inc. (MITK), a San Diego-based technology company, debuted its Mobile Photo Account Opening product at Finovate, a trade show where banking tech products are often unveiled. The product allows consumers to open a bank account within 60 seconds. If you have your bank's app, you can use your smartphone's camera to take a photo of the front and back of your driver's license, and presto, your new checking, savings or credit card account is open. Here's a look at other financial products and services personal financial experts think we'll be using in the future. Within 10 years. "The economic payments system will begin to 'know us,' either through biometrics, optical sensor or facial recognition," says Joshua Siegel, managing principal of StoneCastle Partners, a New York-based asset management firm that invests in banks. That's already happening to some extent with smartphones –- the new Apple (AAPL) iPhone 5S, for example, uses fingerprint scanning to unlock the phone. Meanwhile, some fi
Best Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014: L Brands Inc (LTD)
L Brands, Inc., formerly Limited Brands, Inc, incorporated on March 16, 1982, operates in the specialty retail business. The Company is a specialty retailer of women�� intimate and other apparel, beauty and personal care products and accessories. The Company operates in two segments: Victoria�� Secret and Bath & Body Works. It sells its merchandise through Company-owned specialty retail stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, which are primarily mall-based, and through Websites, catalogue and international franchise, license and wholesale partners. The Company operates in brands, such as Victoria�� Secret, Victoria�� Secret Pink, Bath & Body Works, La Senza, and Henri Bendel. The Company�� business for both the Victoria�� Secret and Bath & Body Works segments is principally conducted from office, distribution and shipping facilities located in the Columbus, Ohio area.
As of February 2, 2013, it operated 255 retail stores located in leased facilities, primarily in malls and shopping centers, throughout the Canadian provinces. As of February 2, 2013, it operated two retail stores in London. As of February 2, 2013, it operated 2,619 retail stores located in leased facilities, primarily in malls and shopping centers, throughout the United States. As of February 2, 2013, it also had 339 licensed La Senza stores in 32 countries; 38 franchised Bath & Body Works stores in nine countries; three franchised Victoria's Secret stores in two Middle Eastern countries, and 108 independently owned Victoria�� Secret Beauty and Accessories stores and various small-format locations in over 50 countries.
Victoria�� Secret, including Victoria�� Secret Pink, is a specialty retailer of women�� intimate and other apparel with fragrances and cosmetics, supermodels and runway shows. The Company sells its Victoria�� Secret products at more than 1,000 Victoria�� Secret stores in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and through the Victoria�� Secret catal! ogue and online at www.VictoriasSecret.com. Additionally, Victoria�� Secret brand products are also sold in stores operated by partners under a franchise or wholesale model throughout the world.
Bath & Body Works is a specialty retailer of home fragrance and personal care products, including shower gels, lotions, soaps and sanitizers. The Company sells its Bath & Body Works products at more than 1,600 Bath & Body Works stores in the United States and Canada and online at www.BathandBodyWorks.com. Additionally, Bath & Body Works brand products are available at franchise locations throughout the world.
La Senza is a specialty retailer of women�� intimate apparel. The Company sells its La Senza products at more than 150 La Senza stores in Canada and online at www.LaSenza.com. Additionally, La Senza has more than 330 stores in 32 countries operating under franchise and licensing arrangements. Henri Bendel sells upscale accessory products through its New York flagship and 28 other stores, as well as online at www.HenriBendel.com.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
L Brands Inc.(LTD) expects its fiscal third-quarter earnings to come in at the high end of its previous guidance as the retailer posted stronger-than-expected same-store sales for October. Shares edged up 1.3% to $63.85 premarket.
- [By Michael Lewis]
Not only is management wisely targeting the Internet as a growth node, but it is putting the pedal down on a new outlet division. Similar to its former parent L Brands (NYSE: LTD ) , Express looks to take advantage of the ongoing expansion of outlet malls and their value proposition to customers. Real estate trusts such as Simon Property Group have used outlet malls as a primary source of expansion in recent years, driven by customers' desire to own luxury brands at discount prices.
- [By Jonas Elmerraji]
Retail stocks have turned out some strong performance so far this year, and L Brands (LTD) has been no exception -- the $17 billion specialty retail name is up more than 26% since the calendar flipped over to January. But that's all in the past. Now, LTD looks "toppy."
L Brands is currently forming a double top, a price setup that's formed by two swing highs that peak at the same level. Those two tops happened in early August and then again in the middle of this month. A move through $56 is the signal that it's time to be a seller in LTD.
Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of those buyers and sellers. Double tops, triangles, and other pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.
That support level at $75 is a price where there had been an excess of demand of shares; in other words, it's a place where buyers were more eager to step in and buy shares at a lower price than sellers were to sell. That's what makes a breakdown below $75 so significant -- the move would indicate that sellers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess demand above that price level. That's why it makes sense to wait for that indication before you sell.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of the Gap have jumped 8.9% to $41.12, while L Brands (LTD) has gained 1.6% to $62.77, Urban Outfitters (URBN) has risen 2.1% to $39.27 and Ann (ANN) has advanced 1.5% to $35.47.
Best Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014: Macy’s Inc (M)
Macy�s, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates stores and Internet Websites in the United States. Its retail stores and Internet Web sites sell a range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. The company also operates Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores that offer a range of apparel and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, handbags, and intimate apparel products. As of January 28, 2012, it operated approximately 840 stores under the names of Macy�s and Bloomingdale�s; and 7 Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores, as well as macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The company was formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Macy�s, Inc. in June 2007. Macy�s, Inc. was founded in 1820 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James Miller Phd]
Macy麓s (M) is operating about 850 stores under the names Macy's and Bloomingdale's. Its P/E ratio indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued. So now let's take a look at the intrinsic value of this company and try to explain to investors the reasons why it is a good buy or not.
- [By Alex Planes]
This graph represents the "purchase consideration" of Men's Wearhouse against some of its largest suit-selling competitors, listed as Jos. A. Bank (NASDAQ: JOSB ) , Macy's (NYSE: M ) , and Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN ) , among others. The industry average has been pretty steady, but Men's Wearhouse appears to be wearing thin among millennials (and among male consumers on the bubble between the millennial generation and Generation X). If that's so, then why did Men's Wearhouse report a nice spike in profits in its latest report? Well, older consumers still like the way they look in a Zimmer-promoted suit:
- [By Jayson Derrick]
Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus maintained a Buy rating on Macy's (NYSE: M) with a price target raised to $70 from a previous $64. Shares hit new 52-week highs of $62.09 before closing the day at $61.77.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Yet the service does set Kmart apart from some of its top rivals, such as Target (NYSE: TGT ) , which offers only a standard free shipping option if you use your Target credit card for the purchase. Macy's (NYSE: M ) doesn't offer it at all.
Best Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014: Hittite Microwave Corporation(HITT)
Hittite Microwave Corporation designs, develops, and sells integrated circuits (ICs), modules, subsystems, and instrumentation products for radio frequency (RF) microwave and millimeterwave applications worldwide. The company?s IC products include amplifiers, digital and voltage variable attenuators, broadband time delays, automatic gain control products, clocks and timing products, comparators, cross point switches, data converters, direct current power conditioning and power management products, dielectric resonator oscillators, frequency dividers and detectors, frequency multipliers, digital logic products, intermediate frequency signal processing products, interface, and limiting amplifiers. Its IC products also comprise mixers and converters, modulators and demodulators, multiplexers/demultiplexers, optical modulator drivers, passives, phase lock loops, phase lock loops with integrated voltage controlled oscillators, phase shifters, power detectors, sensors, switches , Successive detection logarithmic video amplifiers, transimpedance amplifiers, tunable filters, variable gain amplifiers, and voltage controlled and phase locked oscillators. In addition, the company provides signal generators/instrumentation products for engineering, production, and screening applications; connectorized modules for use in test and measurement equipment; RF, microwave, and millimeterwave receivers and synthesizers that are used in military communication, targeting, guidance, and countermeasure systems; and phase locked oscillator modules, which are used in fiber optic test systems. Further, it outsources wafer manufacturing to multiple third party fabricators and foundries. The company sells its products through direct sales force and applications engineering staff, sales representatives, and distributors, as well as through its Web site. Hittite Microwave Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Harsh Chauhan]
It is not just auto companies that are benefiting from this growth. Even chipmakers have cashed in on this trend as vehicles get more advanced and are equipped with more technology. Analog Devices (NASDAQ: ADI ) is one such semiconductor company which has trained its sights on the resurgent auto market. It recently announced the acquisition of Hittite Microwave (NASDAQ: HITT ) to bolster its position in automotive, along with other verticals.�
Best Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014: Aviv REIT Inc (AVIV)
Aviv REIT, Inc., incorporated on July 30, 2010, is a self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT) , specializing in the ownership and triple-net leasing of post-acute and long-term cares skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The Company generates its cash rental stream by triple-net leasing its properties to third-party operators , including for all operating costs and expenses related to the property, maintenance and repair obligations and other required capital expenditures. The Company owns 316 properties that are triple-net leased to 38 operators in 28 states.
In May 2014, the Company acquired eight post-acute and long-term care skilled nursing facilities in California and Texas. In June 2014, Aviv REIT Inc acquired a post-acute and long-term care skilled nursing facility (SNF) in Kentucky. In July 2014, Aviv REIT Inc acquired two assisted living facilities (ALFs) and one post-acute and long-term care skilled nursing facility (SNF). Effective September 03, 2014, Aviv REIT Inc acquired four nursing facilities.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jayson Derrick]
Aviv REIT (NYSE: AVIV) has agreed to sell itself to Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) for $3 billion, or $34.97 per share. Omega Healthcare expects the deal to be accretive to its FFO and FAD in 2015. Shares of Aviv REIT hit new 52-week highs of $34.71 before closing the day at $33.73, up 12.06 percent. Shares of Omega Healthcare lost 1.78 percent, closinga t $38.16.
Best Railroad Stocks To Buy For 2014: WisdomTree Europe SmallCap Dividend Fund (DFE)
WisdomTree Europe SmallCap Dividend 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 Europe SmallCap Dividend Index.
The WisdomTree Europe SmallCap Dividend Index is a fundamentally weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization segment of the European dividend-paying market. The Index is comprised of the companies that compose the bottom 25% of the market capitalization of the WisdomTree Europe Dividend Index.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matthew McCall]
The European equity rebound continues and within the region the small cap stocks have been quietly performing very well. The WisdomTree Europe Small Cap Dividend ETF (NYSE: DFE) focuses on small cap stocks that pay high dividends.
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