Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified [link opens in PDF] Congress Wednesday of a planned "foreign military sale" of logistics support, equipment, parts, and training to an international consortium of NATO allies. According to DSCA, the value of the contract, if it is permitted to proceed, could reach $300 million. Boeing (NYSE: BA  ) would perform it.

DSCA coordinates military sales contracts between the U.S. and its allies and must get Congress' OK on such sales before they can proceed.

The consortium in question was not detailed in DSCA's notification to Congress, but was said to include allies in NATO and also Sweden and Finland. This consortium is seeking support under the NATO Airlift Management Program, which maintains and operates NATO-owned C-17s in support of NATO missions.

DSCA advises that providing this support "will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the military capabilities of NATO and furthering weapon system standardization and interoperability with U.S. forces."

Hot Semiconductor Companies To Invest In 2015: Euronet Worldwide Inc.(EEFT)

Euronet Worldwide, Inc. provides payment and transaction processing and distribution solutions to financial institutions, retailers, service providers, and individual consumers. The company operates in three segments: EFT Processing, epay, and Money Transfer. The EFT Processing segment provides electronic payment solutions consisting of automated teller machine (ATM) network participation, outsourced ATM and point-of-sale (POS) management solutions, credit and debit card outsourcing, card issuing, and merchant acquiring services; advertising, customer relationship management, currency conversion, mobile top-up, bill payment, fraud management, and foreign remittance payout services; and integrated software solutions for electronic payments and transaction delivery systems. As of December 31, 2011, it processed transactions for a network of 14,224 ATMs and approximately 57,000 POS terminals in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. The epay segment engages in the ele ctronic distribution of prepaid mobile airtime and other electronic payment products, and provides collection services for various payment products, cards, and services. This segment operates a network of approximately 615,000 POS terminals to enable electronic processing of prepaid mobile airtime top-up services and other electronic payment products in Europe, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, North America, and South America, as well as distributes vouchers and physical gifts in Europe. The Money Transfer segment provides consumer-to-consumer money transfer services through a network of sending agents and company-owned stores in North America and Europe; customers bill payment services; payment alternatives, such as money orders and prepaid debit cards; check cashing services for various issued checks; and foreign currency exchange services. The company serves customers in approximately 150 countries worldwide. Euronet Worldwide, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquarte red in Leawood, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap money transfer stock Euronet Worldwide, Inc (NASDAQ: EEFT) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc (NYSE: WMT) have announced an exclusive money transfer service called "Walmart-2-Walmart,��meaning its time to take a closer look at the stock along with the performance of peers like Moneygram International Inc (NASDAQ: MGI), Xoom Corp (NASDAQ: XOOM) and The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) which fell 17.68%, 4.32% and 4.98%, respectively.

Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now: Frontier Communications Company(FTR)

Frontier Communications Corporation, a communications company, provides regulated and unregulated voice, data, and video services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in the United States. It offers local and long distance voice services, including basic telephone wireline services to residential and business customers; switched access services that allow other carriers to use the facilities to originate and terminate their long distance voice and data traffic; and directory services that provide white and yellow page directories for residential and business listings. The company also provides data and Internet services, which include residential services comprising high-speed Internet, dial up Internet, portal and e-mail products, and hard drive back-up services; and commercial and carriers services, such as metro Ethernet; dedicated Internet; Internet protocol, optical, multiprotocol label switching, and TDM data transport services. In addition, it offers di rect broadcast satellite services and fiber optic video services, as well as provides online access to video content, entertainment, and news available on the worldwide Web through its Web site myfitv.com. The company was formerly known as Citizens Communications Company and changed its name to Frontier Communications Corporation in July 2008. Frontier Communications Corporation was founded in 1927 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Frontier Communications (FTR) is a four buck stock with a 8% dividend yield. It’s not supposed to move that much from day to day.

  Getty Images

  But today isn’t any other day. Frontier Communications has gained more than 4%, a big gain for just about any stock, let alone one with a beta of just 0.56. And it’s not as if Frontier’s results were all that good. It reported a non-GAAP profit of six cents a share, in line with analyst estimates, on sales of $1.2 billion, also near forecasts, give or take.

  So what gives? Nomura’s Adam Ilkowitz and Donald Chen say it’s all about the free cash flow:

  Despite the weaker financial results, free cash flow was ahead of our estimate due to timing on cash tax payments. More importantly, management maintained 2013 FCF guidance of $825-925mn, implying a strong 4Q13 outlook. Frontier also reiterated the ability to use free cash flow and cash on hand to meet all obligations in the coming years, supporting our positive outlook on the shares as a sustainable dividend payer with an attractive yield.

  We continue to view the dividend as the main attraction for Frontier shares, supported by FCF stability and limited near-term debt maturities. While the copper-based telephone business is largely in decline, there is a significant growth opportunity to increase share in acquired Verizon properties that Frontier management appears to have begun monetizing. Our target price implies 5.7x 2014E EBITDA and an 8% dividend yield, which we find attractive versus CenturyLink (CTL) at 5.5x with a 6.5% yield.

  So yes, Frontier Communications can keep paying it’s dividend–at least for the time being–and that’s reason enough for it to jump 4.7% to $4.70 today at 2:51 p.m., while CenturyLink has gained 1.1% to $33.75. Verizon (VZ) has advanced 1.1% to $50.64 and AT&T (T) is up 0.9% at $35.86.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Frontier Communications (NASDAQ: FTR) got a boost, shooting up 9.09 percent to $4.80 after AT&T (NYSE: T) announced its plans to sell its Wireline Residential and Business Services and associated assets in Connecticut to Frontier for $2 billion in cash.

• [By WilliamBriat]

  Frontier Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: FTR) provides phone, Internet, and satellite TV (through a partnership with DISH Network) services to more than 25 states. The company provides an annual dividend of 9.3% and reaffirmed its full-year guidance.

Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now: GSI Group Inc.(GSIG)

GSI Group Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells laser-based solutions, laser scanning devices, and precision motion and optical control technologies worldwide. The company?s Laser Products segment provides lasers and laser-based systems for photonics-based applications, such as cutting, welding, marking, engraving, micro-machining, and scientific research. Its Precision Motion and Technologies segment designs, manufactures, and markets air bearing spindles, encoders, thermal printers, laser scanning devices, and light and color measurement systems to original equipment manufacturers. The company?s Semiconductor Systems segment offers laser based production systems for semiconductor, microelectronics, and electronics manufacturing. This segment?s products comprise WaferRepair for dynamic random access memory, flash memory chips, and LCDs; WaferMark for silicon suppliers and integrated circuit factories; and WaferTrim and Circuit Trim for analog and mixed signal sensor and chip resistor devices, as well as for resistor devices. The company sells its products primarily through direct sales force, resellers, distributors, and system integrators. It serves industrial, electronics, automotive, medical, packaging, aerospace, scientific, semiconductor, lighting, military, and motion picture markets. The company was formerly known as GSI Lumonics Inc. and changed its name to GSI Group Inc. in 2005. GSI Group Inc. was founded in 1970 and is based in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Electro Scientific Industries (NASDAQ: ESIO  ) has a new division under its corporate wing. The company has inked a definitive agreement to purchase the semiconductor systems unit of GSI Group (NASDAQ: GSIG  ) . The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now: Education Realty Trust Inc. (EDR)

Education Realty Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), develops, acquires, owns, and manages student housing communities located near university campuses in the United States. It also provides third-party management services, including residence life and student development, marketing, leasing administration, strategic relationships, information systems, and accounting services for student housing communities owned by educational institutions and charitable foundations. In addition, the company offers third-party development consulting services, such as market analysis and evaluation of housing needs and options; co-operation with university in architectural design; negotiation of ground lease, development agreement, construction contract, architectural contract, and bond documents; oversight of architectural design process; co-ordination of governmental and university plan approvals; oversight of construction process; design, purchase, and installation of fu rniture; pre-opening marketing to students; and obtaining final approvals of construction. It provides its third-party development consulting services primarily to universities seeking to modernize their on-campus student housing communities, as well as to other third-party investors. As of December 31, 2009, the company owned 40 student housing communities located in 19 states containing 25,454 beds in 7,813 apartment units located near 35 universities. It also provided third-party management services for 20 student housing communities located in 9 states containing 10,186 beds in 3,272 apartment units at 16 universities. The company qualifies as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal corporate income tax if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1964 and is based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Education Realty Trust (EDR)
  
  Over the past week two insiders made some buys. Both the CEO as well as the company�� CFO made these buys.

  Executive VP, CFO and Treasurer Randall Brown bought 5,500 shares at $9.04 per share. This cost him a total of $49,720. The price per share has increased 1.44% since then. Brown now holds on to 99,346 shares of company stock.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  College dorm room operator�Education Realty Trust (NYSE: EDR  ) announced today its second-quarter dividend of $0.11 per share, a 10% hike in the payout of $0.10 per share that it made last quarter.

Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now: Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. (ED)

Consolidated Edison, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides electric, gas, and steam utility services in the United States. It provides electric service to approximately 3.3 million customers and gas service to approximately 1.1 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, as well as provides steam service to office buildings and apartment houses in parts of Manhattan. The company also provides electric service to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and in adjacent areas of northern New Jersey, and northeastern Pennsylvania; and gas service to approximately 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York and adjacent areas of northeastern Pennsylvania. In addition, Consolidated Edison involves in the sale and related hedging of electricity to wholesale and retail customers; operation of generating plants; participation in other infrastructure projects; and provision of energy-efficiency services, including the design and installation of lighting retrofits, high-efficiency heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, and other energy saving technologies to government and commercial customers. It serves residential, industrial, and large commercial customers. The company was founded in 1884 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) is an electric and gas utility holding company that serves parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1885 and has increased its dividend payments for 40 consecutive years. Yield: 3.2%

• [By John Maxfield]

  Morgan cited a number of examples to support his case. Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED  ) , a utility stock that pays one of the best yields on the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) , had returned 50% in the two preceding years. And shares of Altria (NYSE: MO  ) were up by roughly the same degree despite a "string of dismal earnings reports as smoking rates decline."

• [By David Dittman]

  The primary risk facing Consolidated Edison Inc (NYSE: ED) right now is an ongoing review of the regulatory regime in its primary market, New York.

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Early on Wednesday, analysts at Goldman Sachs upgraded utility company Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED), noting that rate case concerns are already priced into the stock’s current valuation.

  The analysts upgraded ED from “Sell” to “Neutral” and see shares reaching $57, up from the previous target of $55. This new price target suggests a slight upside to the stock’s Tuesday closing price of $55.28.

  “While ED faces a challenging rate case in New York, we see this risk as well understood by the market now,” Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Lapides said.

  Con Edison shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Wednesday. The stock is down a fraction year-to-date.

Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now: China Distance Education Holdings Ltd (DL)

China Distance Education Holdings Limited (CDEL), incorporated on January 11, 2008, offers a range of online education and test preparation courses and other related services and products. The Company operates and manages its business in the provision of online and offline education services and selling of related products. The Company�� online courses are designed to help professionals and other course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and certifications necessary to pursue careers in China in the areas of accounting, law, healthcare, construction engineering and other industries. In addition, the Company also offers online foreign language courses. As of September 30, 2012, the Company operated 17 websites, including its main Website www.cdeledu.com and 16 other websites. The Company�� online courses feature audio-video lectures delivered through the Internet using streaming media and other Internet-based technologies, and are supplemented by textbooks, tutoring, online assignments and exercises, mock examinations, and other forms of learning activities and course-related support.

The Company sell books and reference materials through third-party bookstores and distributors across China, and, to a lesser extent, through its online bookstore and its offices in Beijing. In addition, it also offers offline business start-up training courses and in-person accounting and healthcare professional training to accounting firms and the general public. The Company provides course production services and platform production services for certain customers at their request.

Online Education Services

The Company offers online courses through its websites designed to help course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and certifications necessary to pursue their careers and professions in China. Its online professional education courses cover a range of industries, including accounting, law, healthcare, construction engineering and! others. It also offers online test preparation courses to self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees and to secondary school and college students for various academic and entrance exams. Additionally, the Company offers online foreign language courses.

The Company�� courses feature audio-video lectures by experienced lecturers or practitioners within their respective fields delivered through a multimedia and interactive Web interface using streaming media and other Internet-based technologies. Its online lectures are supplemented by textbooks, tutoring, online assignments, exercises, mock examinations, and other forms of learning activities and course-related support. Course participants using different platforms, including smart phones, tablets or regular computers, are able to access its courses through the Internet at times and places convenient for them.

The Web page also provides hyperlinks allowing course participants to access other useful functions during the lecture. It also provides its course lectures in the form of downloadable media files that allow course participants to save copies of the lectures onto their own personal computers and to play them offline. The Company utilizes digital rights management, or digital rights management (DRM), technology to restrict the transfer and viewing of downloadable media files.

Professional Course Offerings

The Company�� professional course offerings include accounting Courses, legal courses, healthcare courses, construction engineering courses, online information technology courses and other professional education courses. The Company offer courses relating to China�� important nationwide legal examination, the National Judicial Examination. It offers courses relating to three nationwide healthcare exams: the National Practicing Medical Doctor Qualification Examination, the Healthcare Professional Technical Qualification Examination jointly administered by the Ministry! of Healt! h and the MOP and the National Pharmacist Qualification Examination administered by the MOP and the State Administration of Drug Supervision. It offers courses mainly relating to exams: Associate Constructor and Constructor Qualification Examinations, Construction Supervisor Qualification Examination, Construction Pricing Engineer Qualification Examination, Certified Safety Engineer Qualification Examination, Consulting Engineer Qualification Examination and Real Estate Appraiser Qualification Examination. The Company provides professional education courses in the areas of information technology, securities and various civil service positions.

Higher Education for Self-Taught Learners

The Company through its Website www.zikao365.com offers courses targeted at self-taught learners pursuing associate diplomas or bachelor�� degrees in various academic areas. They complete their self study and obtain government accredited diplomas or degrees by passing the Higher Education Examination for Self-Taught Learners administered by the MOE without having to enroll in and physically attend a traditional college or university. It offer test preparatory courses to help self-taught learners pass the requisite exams.

Academic Exam Preparation and Foreign Language Courses Study Courses

The Company through its Website www.cnedu.cn Website, the Company offer test preparation courses targeted at university students intending to take nationwide graduate school entrance exams in various disciplines administered by the MOE. It also operates websites focused on the secondary and college education market, foreign language study and other subjects. Its secondary education courses are designed to provide an online resource for secondary school course participants to prepare for these exams.

Other Products and Services

The Company sells books and reference materials relating to various professional courses and exam s! ubjects. ! To promote the use of its online courses, the Company also sells books and reference materials related to its courses such as the Elementary Level and Intermediate Level Accounting Professional Qualification Examination, the CPA Qualification Examination, the Registered Tax Agent Qualification Examination, the Certified Asset Appraiser Qualification Examination, the Accounting Professional Qualification Examination, accounting continuing education, the National Judicial Examination, the National Practicing Medical Doctor Qualification Examination, the Construction Supervisor Qualification Examination, the Constructor Qualification Examination, the Construction Pricing Engineer Qualification Examination, and the Intermediate Economist Qualification Examination.

The Company provides primary and secondary school supplementary tutoring services to students in a range of subject areas, such as Chinese, math and science. Students may attend offline courses taught by its in-person lecturers or view pre-recorded video courses on its Website at www.g12e.com. Its offline classes are available in Beijing and are subscribed during winter and summer breaks. It also provides course production services to certain customers on a contractual basis.

Regular, Premium and Elite Classes

The Company offer regular, premium and elite classes, which include foundation classes, intensified focus classes, exam Questions analysis classes and crash-course classes. It offers elite classes to legal practitioners, self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees, and professionals in the healthcare, construction engineering and other industries. Its foundation classes contain detailed instructions and content to provide course participants with a broad and comprehensive knowledge base relating to a specific subject area. Its intensified focus classes are designed to provide more intensive instructions focused on important topics in a specific subject area at a more! advanced! pace to course participants who already have basic knowledge of the subject area. Its exam questions analysis classes contain materials and instructions tailored specifically to preparation for the actual exams and the types of questions and topics that come up in each exam. Its crash-course classes are designed to provide a quick review of critical topic areas for specific exam subjects to enable course participants to make final preparations in the weeks prior to an exam. Its exam simulation system offers a wealth of mock test questions developed based on real tests, closely conforms to the syllabus and test requirements, and fully covers various key examination points.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  ABTL stock was upgraded to an “A” in Portfolio Grader back in July, and remains a “strong buy” as we head into the end of the year.

  ‘Best of the Best’ Stock Picks #2: China Distance Education Holdings (DL)

  China Distance Education Holdings (DL) provides education services in China.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Industrials sector surged 0.85 percent, saw Arrowhead Research (NASDAQ: ARWR) as the top gainer. Meanwhile, other gainers in the sector included ION Geophysical (NYSE: IO), with shares up 6.1 percent, and China Distance Education Holdings (NYSE: DL), with shares up 5 percent. In trading on Wednesday, technology shares gained by just 0.28 percent.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  NDZ returned to profit this year, and huge earnings increases are expected next year. The rapid improvement in fundamentals was noticed by Portfolio Grader back in September and the stock was upgraded to an ��.��NDZ stock is a ��trong buy��at the current price.

  Great International Stocks: China Distance Education (DL)

  China Distance Education (DL) provides education services in the China. Its online courses are designed to help professionals and other course participants to obtain and maintain the skills, licenses, and certifications necessary to pursue careers in fields like accounting, law and engineering.

Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now: PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio (PBW)

PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio (the Fund) is based on the WilderHill Clean Energy Index and seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield (before the Fund�� fees and expenses) of that equity index. The sectors covered by the Fund include Energy-Alternate Sources, Semiconductors, Electrical Components and Equipment, Chemicals, Electric, Electronics, Computers, Auto Parts and Equipment, Biotechnology and Agriculture. PowerShares Capital Management LLC is the Fund's investment adviser.

PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio�� top 10 holdings include SunPower Corp., Class A, Echelon Corp., Cypress Semiconductor Corp., Cree, Inc., First Solar, Inc., OM Group, Inc., Universal Display Corp., KYOCERA Corp. ADR (Japan), Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. ADR (Cayman Islands) and Applied Materials, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  A lack of profits and the reliance on government subsidies have made most stocks in the renewable energy category pretty poor performers over the years. Just check out the performance of the broad PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW). It has lost about 7.5% annually since its inception in 2005.

• [By Wall Street Sector Selector]

  Another ETF which invests in the solar sector is the PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW). Although its holdings are not limited to the solar sector, its most significant holding is SunPower Corporation at 4.96% of the weight. Its number three holding is MEMC Electronic Materials at 3.42% of the weight. PBW's average trading volume is robust at over 400,000 shares per day. Its market cap is $135 million.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you'd like to add some clean-energy-related stocks to your portfolio, the PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio ETF (NYSEMKT: PBW  ) could save you a lot of trouble. Instead of trying to figure out which companies will perform best, you can use this ETF to invest in lots of them simultaneously.
  
  The basics
  ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. The PowerShares ETF's expense ratio -- its annual fee -- is 0.70%. The fund is fairly small, too, so if you're thinking of buying, beware of possibly large spreads between its bid and ask prices. Consider using a limit order if you want to buy in.