As the debate continues over what's causing health-care cost growth to slow -- Obamacare or the poor economy -- we're seeing another catalyst have a big impact: the patent cliff.
Drug spending fell for the first time in 55 years, but not because Americans are living healthier. Simply put, some�high-profile drugs just got a lot cheaper.
This video discuses why the patent cliff, while a huge threat to the pharmaceutical industry, is a huge opportunity to decrease costs for one of the largest drivers of the national debt. Our health-care analyst takes a look at why generic-drug makers aren't the obvious home-run investment they would appear, despite strong industry tailwinds.
Obamacare will undoubtedly have far-reaching effects. The Motley Fool's new free report, "Everything You Need to Know About Obamacare," lets you know how your health insurance, your taxes, and your portfolio will be affected. Click here to read more.�
Follow David on Twitter:�@MotleyDavid.
Best Recreation Companies To Own In Right Now: Celanese Corporation (CE)
Celanese Corporation, a technology and specialty materials company, engages in manufacture and sale of value-added chemicals, thermoplastic polymers, and other chemical-based products. It operates through four business segments: Advanced Engineered Materials, Consumer Specialties, Industrial Specialties, and Acetyl Intermediates. The Advanced Engineered Materials segment offers specialty polymers for application in automotive, medical, and electronics products, as well as other consumer and industrial applications. The Consumer Specialties segment provides cellulose acetate flake, film, and tow that are primarily used in filter products applications; Sunett, a sweetener; and food protection ingredients, such as sorbates and sorbic acid for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. The Industrial Specialties segment produces emulsions and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) performance polymers. Its emulsions products are used in applications, such as paints and coatings, adhesives, construction, glass fiber, textiles, and paper; and EVA performance polymers are used in flexible packaging films, lamination film products, hot melt adhesives, medical products, automotive, carpeting and photovoltaic cells. The Acetyl Intermediates segment offers acetyl products, including acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer, acetic anhydride, and acetate esters for use as starting materials for colorants, paints, adhesives, coatings, and medicines. It also provides organic solvents and intermediates for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and chemical products. The company offers its products directly, as well as through distributors and electronic marketplaces in North America, Europe, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and South America. Celanese Corporation was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
Celanese (NYSE: CE ) will have to pony up a significantly higher amount of money for its shareholder payouts. The company has declared a common stock dividend of $0.18 per share, to be paid on August 15 to shareholders of record as of August 5. That amount is exactly double the company's previous distribution of $0.09.
Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch For 2014: Royale Energy Inc.(ROYL)
Royale Energy, Inc. operates as an independent oil and natural gas producer in the United States. It engages in the production and sale of oil and natural gas; acquisition of oil and gas lease interests and proved reserves; drilling of exploratory and development wells; and sale of working interests in wells to be drilled. The company also owns wells and leases located principally in the Sacramento Basin and San Joaquin Basin in California, as well as in Utah, Texas, and Louisiana. In addition, it holds proved developed producing reserves of oil and natural gas in Texas and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2009, Royale Energy operated 52 natural gas wells in California; owned and operated 7 natural gas wells in Utah; and had non operating interests in 17 oil and gas wells in Texas, 3 in Oklahoma, 1 in California, and 2 in Louisiana. It also had proved developed reserves of 4,563 MMcf and total proved reserves of 4,617 MMcf of natural gas; and proved developed oil reserves of 16 Mbbl and total proved oil reserves of 16 Mbbl. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in San Diego, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James E. Brumley]
Does the name Royale Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROYL) ring a bell? If you're a regular reader of the Small Cap Network site or newsletter, it might. Back on February 3rd, yours truly penned some bullish thoughts on the way ROYL was acting at the time. Given what we had seen up until that time, though Royale Energy had not yet begun to rally, the stock was getting within reach of a monster-sized breakout. Well, that breakout may be underway as of today.
- [By James E. Brumley]
With nothing more than a passing glance at Royale Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROYL), it would be easy to dismiss it as just another volatile small caps... one of many small cap stocks that gets a little squirrelly every now and then. The longer you study the chart of ROYL, however, the clearer it becomes... this chart looks like it's coming out of a slightly bearish lull and working its way into an uptrends.
Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch For 2014: Allied World Assurance Company Holdings AG (AWH)
Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG operates as a specialty insurance and reinsurance company in Bermuda, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It offers casualty insurance products that provide coverage for specialty type risks, such as professional liability, environmental liability, product liability, inland marine liability, healthcare liability risks, and commercial general liability products, as well as professional liability products, including policies covering directors and officers, employment practices, and fiduciary liability insurance. The company also provides a mix of errors and omissions liability coverages for various service providers comprising law firms, technology companies, insurance companies, insurance agents and brokers, and municipalities; primary and excess liability, and other casualty coverages to the healthcare industry, including hospitals and hospital systems, managed care organization s, and medical facilities, such as home care providers, specialized surgery and rehabilitation centers, and outpatient clinics; and general casualty products for a range of industries consisting of construction, real estate, public entities, retailers, manufacturing, transportation, and finance and insurance services, as well as workers compensation insurance products. In addition, it offers property insurance products covering physical property and business interruption for commercial property risks; and general property products covering risks for retail chains, real estate, manufacturers, hotels and casinos, and municipalities. Further, the company provides the reinsurance of property, general casualty, professional liability, specialty lines, property catastrophe, accident and health, and marine and aviation coverages. Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Specialty insurance provider�Allied World Assurance (NYSE: AWH ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.50 per share, a 33% increase from the payout it made last quarter of $0.375 per share, as approved by shareholders at the annual meeting last month.
- [By , Zacks Investment Research]
Here are five�stocks that made it through this week’s screen:
AmTrust Financial (AFSI) Allied World Assurance (AWH) Chatham Lodging Trust (CLDT) Federated National Holding Co. (FNHC) Whitewave Foods (WWAV)Get the rest of the stocks on this list and start screening for these companies on your own.
Top 5 Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch For 2014: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated(HBAN)
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated operates as the holding company for The Huntington National Bank that provides commercial, small business, and consumer banking services. The company?s Retail and Business Banking segment offers various financial products and services, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, consumer loans, and small business loans and leases; and investments, insurance, interest rate risk protection, foreign exchange hedging, and treasury management services to consumer and small business customers. Its Regional and Commercial Banking segment provides commercial lending; depository and liquidity management products; treasury management solutions; equipment and technology leasing; international services; and capital markets services, such as interest rate risk protection, foreign exchange hedging and sales, trading of securities, mezzanine investment capabilities, and employee benefit programs to government, not-f or-profit, health-care, and publicly traded entities. The company?s Automobile Finance and Commercial Real Estate segment offers financing for the purchase of automobiles, and new and used vehicle inventory by automotive dealerships; and financing for land, buildings, and other commercial real estate owned or constructed by real estate developers, automobile dealerships, or other customers. Its Wealth Advisors, Government Finance, and Home Lending segment provides investment management; investment servicing; custody, and corporate trust and retirement plan services; and administrative and operational support to fund to high net worth customers. It also offers online, mobile, and telephone banking services; and operates approximately 1,300 automated teller machines. As of December 31, 2011, the company had 652 branches located in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Huntington Bancshares Incorporated was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Amanda Alix]
Mortgages down, but commercial loans are up
Like its peer Huntington Bancshares� (NASDAQ: HBAN ) , New York Community saw a slowdown in residential mortgage refinancing�activity due to higher interest rates. But, like Huntington and KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY ) , the bank was able to improve in other areas. New York Community enjoyed higher mortgage servicing income�in the second quarter, for example -- an area in which KeyCorp is also expanding, having recently acquired $110 billion in commercial loan servicing rights�from Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) earlier this year. - [By David Hanson]
However, some regional banks are posting more impressive numbers and flying under the radar. In this video, Motley Fool banking analyst David Hanson discusses recent results from PNC Financials Services (NYSE: PNC ) , KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY ) , and Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN ) .
- [By Amanda Alix]
Large regional banks have been getting in on the act, too. KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY ) , Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN ) , and Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB ) all boosted their commercial loan portfolios last year between 18% and 20%.
- [By Tim Melvin]
We are starting to see bank merger activity accelerate as banks like Huntington Bancorp (HBAN) and� First Merchants (FRME) looking to expand and growth their asset base in the aftermath of the credit crisis. Banks with below-average capital and returns could quickly become buyout targets.
No comments:
Post a Comment