Until recently, I would have avoided regional banks. However, the green shoots of the U.S. recovery are now sturdy enough that select financial institutions are showing highly bullish charts backed by strong fundamentals. Both the technicals and fundamentals tell me there is a good trading opportunity at hand.
According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), the number of bank failures has dropped dramatically since June 2011. At this time two years ago, 48 banks had entered receivership. By this time in 2012, the number dropped to 31. So far this year, only 16 banks have failed -- one-third the number of failures compared with 2011.
Moreover, revenue and earnings prospects for select regional banks should continue to improve. For starters, the Federal Reserve's pledge to keep interest rates near record lows means low-cost loans for consumers, and that translates to strong loan demand at banks. According to Reuters, demand for commercial and industrial loans is on the rise. Continued economic growth should spur consumer spending and further increase demand for loans.
Hot Dow Dividend Stocks For 2015: Ituran Location and Control Ltd (ITRN)
Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (Ituran), incorporated in February 1994, is engaged in the provision of location-based services and machine-to-machine wireless communications products for use in stolen vehicle recovery, fleet management and other applications. The Company operates in two segments: location-based services and wireless communication products. During the year ended December 31, 2012, 76.2% of its revenues were attributable to its location-based services. As of December 31, 2012, Ituran provided its services in Israel, Brazil, Argentina and the United States to approximately 276,000, 238,000, 131,000 and 22,000 subscribers, respectively. In 2012, 23.8% of its revenues were attributable to the sale of its wireless communications products.
Location-Based Services
The Company�� stolen vehicle recovery and tracking services, which it refer to as SVR services, enable it to locate, track and recover stolen vehicles for its subscribers. The Company�� customers include both individual vehicle owners who subscribe to its services directly and insurance companies that either require their customers to install a security system or offer their customers financial incentives to subscribe to SVR services, such as its. In certain countries, insurance companies directly subscribe to its SVR services and purchase automatic vehicle location (AVL) products supporting these SVR services from us on behalf of their customers. The Company�� fleet management services enable corporate customers to track and manage their vehicle. It markets and sells its services to a range of vehicle fleet operators in different geographic locations and industries. As of December 31, 2012, the Company provided its services to approximately 81,000 end-users through 21,000 corporate customers in Israel, Brazil, Argentina and the United States.
Personal locator services, which it offers allow customers to protect merchandise and equipment. In addition, through a call center it provides ! 24-hour round the clock on-demand navigation guidance, information and assistance to its customers. As of December 31, 2012, the Company provided personal locator services in Israel, Brazil and Argentina and, as of December 31, 2012, it had approximately 7,500 subscribers to this service. The Company�� call center services include the provision of traffic reports, help with directions and information on the location gas stations, car repair shops, post offices, hospitals and other facilities. The Company provides its concierge services to its subscribers in Israel, Argentina and Brazil. As of December 31, 2012, it had approximately 128,000 subscribers to its concierge service
Wireless Communications Products
The Company�� wireless communications products employ short- and medium-range communication between two-way wireless modems and are used for various applications, including AVL. Its AVL products enable the location and tracking of vehicles, as well as assets and persons, and are used by it primarily to provide SVR and fleet management services to its customers. Each subscriber to its SVR services has its AVL end-unit installed in his or her vehicle. Subscribers to services for locating equipment and merchandise will use its SMART products. The Company�� wireless communications products for AVL applications include: Base Site, Control Center, global positioning systems/ beneral packet radio service (GPS/GPRS)-based products and SMART. Base Site is a radio receiver, which includes a processor and a data computation unit to collect and send data to and from transponders and send that data to control centers as part of the terrestrial infrastructure of the location system. Control Center is a center, which consists of software used to collect data from various base sites, conduct location calculations and transmit location data to various customers and law enforcement agencies.
Global positioning systems/ beneral packet radio service (GPS/GPRS)-based products! include ! navigation and tracking devices installed in vehicles. SMART is a portable transmitter installed in vehicles (including motorcycles) that sends a signal to the base site, enabling the location of vehicles, equipment or an individual. The Company maintains 103 base stations in Israel. The provides radio frequency (RF) based products and services only in the metropolitan areas of Sao Paulo, Campinas, Americans and Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. It operates throughout Brazil in providing GPS/GPRS based products and services. The Company operates only in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires with the RF technology, in Argentina. The Company operates throughout Argentina in providing GPS/GPRS based products and services for fleet management. It provides GPS/GPRS products and services throughout the United States.
The Company competes with Eden Telecom Ltd. (Pointer), Skylock Ltd, LoJack Corporation, Car System, Megatrans, Pointer Localizacion y Asistencia S.A, OnStar Corporation, Sky Link Corporation, Spireon, Air Cept Corporation, SysLocate, GoldStar, PassTime, Guide Point, Sky Patrol, Sky Guard, I-Metrik, GPS Insight, Trimble, Network Fleet, Street Eagle, FleetMatics , Navtrack, Teletrac, Trim Track, FleetBoss, Sascar, Omnilink and Hawk Corporation.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matthew Indyke and Brian Zen]
Four of Klarman�� stocks include PDLBioPharma (PDLI), Ituran Location and Control (ITRN), BP (BP), and Microsoft (MSFT). What these companies have in common are annually increasing total revenues, annually increasing cash flows, and gradually decreasing operating expenses and debt. Additionally, they show a clear value focus with P/E ratios no greater than 15. And even when stocks like these go through a troubling period brought on by a sagging economy or major scandal, they have an ability to bounce back.
Top 5 Regional Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: MercadoLibre Inc.(MELI)
MercadoLibre, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, hosts online commerce and payments platforms in Latin America. Its services are designed to provide its users with mechanisms to buy, sell, pay for, and collect on e-commerce transactions. The company principally offers MercadoLibre marketplace, an automated online commerce service, which permits businesses and individuals to list items and conduct their sales and purchases online in a fixed-price or auction-based format. Its MercadoLibre marketplace enables registered users to list and purchase motor vehicles, vessels, aircraft, real estate, and other services through online classified listings; and Internet users to browse through various products and services that are listed on its Website and to register with MercadoLibre to list, bid for, and purchase items and services. The company also provides MercadoPago, an integrated online payments solution to facilitate transactions on and off the MercadoLibre marketplace by providing a mechanism that allows its users to send and receive payments online. In addition, it offers MercadoClics advertising program that allows businesses to promote their products and services on the Internet. This program enables users and advertisers to place, display, and/or text advertisements on its Web pages to promote their brands and offerings. Further, the company provides MercadoShops on-line stores solution, a software-as-a-service, which allows users to set-up, manage, and promote their own on-line Webstores. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated online commerce platforms directed towards Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela; online payments solutions directed towards Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, and Colombia; and a real estate classified platform that covers various areas in Florida. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ali Berri]
Mercadolibre (NASDAQ: MELI) shares shot up 14.43 percent to $105.78 after the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results.
Shares of Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) got a boost, shooting up 11.86 percent to $59.50 on upbeat quarterly results.
- [By Paul Goodwin]
Paul Goodwin: Well, one stock I kind of like right now is called Mercado Libre (MELI), it's essentially the eBay of Latin America, and its stock has been in an uptrend for awhile, and I think there is great opportunity in Latin America.
- [By Michael A. Robinson]
Most people, for example, haven't heard of Buenos Aires-based Mercadolibre Inc. (NasdaqGS: MELI), a company I detailed last week.
But they'd be better off if they had...
- [By Luke Jacobi]
Mercadolibre (NASDAQ: MELI) shares shot up 14.5 percent to $105.85 after the company reported stronger than expected quarterly results.
Shares of Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) saw a boost, shooting up 12.5 percent to $59.81 on upbeat quarterly results.
Top 5 Regional Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Burger King Worldwide Inc (BKW)
Burger King Worldwide, Inc., incorporated on April 2, 2012, is a fast food hamburger restaurant, under the Burger King brand. The Company generates revenues from three sources: franchise revenues, consisting primarily of royalties based on a percentage of sales reported by franchise restaurants and fees paid by franchisees; property income from properties that it leases or subleases to franchisees, and retail sales at Company restaurants. In September 2012, it sold 41 Company-owned BURGER KING restaurants in Singapore to Rancak Selera Sdn Bhd. As of December 31, 2012, it owned or franchised a total of 12,997 restaurants in 86 countries and United States territories. In April 2013, it announced the sale of Burger King Restaurants of Canada (BKRC), including 94 Company owned BURGER KING restaurants in the Canada market to Redberry Investments Corp.
The Company operates in the FFHR category of the quick service restaurant (QSR), segment of the restaurant industry. In the United States, the QSR segment is the segment of the restaurant industry and has demonstrated steady growth over a long period of time. The Company launched four new menu platforms (salads, wraps, smoothies and desserts) and expanded its chicken, coffee and ancillary menu platforms. It has established a data driven marketing process, which is focused on driving restaurant sales and traffic, while targeting a broader consumer base with more inclusive messaging to reach women, parties with children and seniors.
United States and Canada (U.S. and Canada)
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 7,293 franchise restaurants and 183 Company restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company refranchised 752 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, bringing the region to 98% franchised. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it also continued to implement its Four Pillars strategy to improve comparable sales growth and franchise profitability by enhancing its Menu, Marke! ting Communications, Image, and Operations.
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 2,989 franchise restaurants and 132 Company restaurants in EMEA. While in Germany continues with 684 restaurants as of December 31, 2012, Turkey and Russia are two of its growing markets with net openings of 78 restaurants and 47 restaurants, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2012.
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 1,290 franchise and 100 Company restaurants in LAC. In 2011, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Vinci Partners for Brazil and granted franchise and development rights to the joint venture. The Company received a minority stake and board seats in the joint venture without deploying its own capital.
Asia Pacific (APAC)
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 1,007 franchise and 3 Company restaurants in APAC. As of December 31, 2012,the Company had 357 restaurants in Australia. It contributed 44 Company restaurants in China. In September 2012, the Company sold 38restaurants to Rancak Selera, the Burger King franchisee in Malaysia.
The Company competes with McDonald�� Corporation, Wendy�� Company, Carl�� Jr., Jack in the Box and Sonic.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James O'Toole]
In Congress, a group of 53 lawmakers sent letters Wednesday expressing support for higher wages to McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500), Wendy's (WEN), Domino's Pizza (DPZ), Burger King (BKW) and Yum! Brands (YUM, Fortune 500), which operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images Don't let the recent weakness at McDonald's (MCD) lead you to the conclusion that all burger flippers are struggling. It's just not true, and Burger King (BKW) proved that in its latest quarter. McDonald's longtime nemesis posted better than expected profitability during the first three months of the year, fueled by marginally positive comparable-restaurant sales for the period. It may not seem like much of a victory. Burger King's worldwide comps rose 2 percent, with its U.S. and Canada locations clocking in with a meager 0.1 percent increase. However, even that baby step up is better than the 1.7 percent decline at McDonald's. Unlike Ronald McDonald, Burger King isn't clowning around. The Whopper Beats the Big Mac? This would be an opportune time for Burger King to break away from the larger chain that it's been copying for years. We've seen Burger King offer up items that are blatantly similar to McCafe smoothies, Chicken McBites, Big Macs, Egg McMuffins, and even the cult fave McRibs. However, now that McDonald's is in a rut -- having posted three consecutive quarters of negative comparable-restaurant sales in this country -- it appears Burger King is ready to carve its own path. "We started off 2014 strong by generating comparable sales growth across all four regions during the first quarter," Burger King Worldwide CEO Daniel Schwartz explained in the fast food giant's earnings release. "Despite severe winter weather in the U.S. and Canada, our commitment to launching fewer, more impactful products and simplifying in-restaurant operations helped drive improved performance." If there's one thing in that statement that should stand out as a sharp contrast to the current strategy at McDonald's it's that Burger King is rolling out "fewer" products as it is "simplifying" operations. That's an entirely different strategy than the one being used by McDonald's, which seems to involve rolling out a lot of new menu ite
- [By Nicole Seghetti]
Interestingly, Chipotle's selling, general, and administrative expenses (which include advertising spend) come in at less than 7% of revenues. Compare that with a whopping 26% for Burger King Worldwide (NYSE: BKW ) , 12% for Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN ) , 11% for Yum! Brands, and 8% for McDonald's. Chipotle proves that a trimmed-down SG&A as a percentage of revenues can be quite effective, especially when you boast a competitive advantage like differentiation through focus on quality.
- [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
Alamy Fried chicken and waffles is a staple menu item at countless soul food and comfort food restaurants, but that's not stopping Burger King (BKW) from trying to give the meal a fast-food spin. Burger King is testing a new sandwich in the Northeast that takes the breaded chicken patty used in its Classic Crispy Chicken Sandwich from its King Deals Value Menu and replaces the bun with a split waffle. Burger King's Chicken & Waffle Sandwich isn't as hearty as the meal that it's based on. It's selling for as little as $2.29. But the chain's latest attempt to turn heads with a unique menu item will at least attract curious nibblers if it does decide to broaden the offering across the country. Waffling About Burger King isn't the first popular chain to attempt to reinvent this classic dish. As Nation's Restaurant News points out, last summer, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (PLKI) offered Chicken Waffle Tenders -- consisting of chicken tenders dipped in a vanilla maple-scented waffle batter, served with a honey maple dipping sauce. DineEquity's (DIN) IHOP did it three years ago by combining its chicken strips with Belgian waffle quarters. Yum! Brands (YUM) tried to breathe new life into its breakfast business last summer by testing a Waffle Taco -- an egg, sausage, and waffle breakfast sandwich. Even if it doesn't succeed -- and some of the early taste tests haven't been very flattering to the chain's new sandwich -- it's at least comforting to see that Burger King isn't just copying McDonald's (MCD) the way that it has for the past couple of years. Burger King followed McDonald's in offering fancy coffee drinks, fresh fruit smoothies, and popcorn chicken. It has gone on to roll out doppelgangers of the Egg McMuffin and McRib sandwiches. In November, it introduced the Big King, which any patron will quickly recognize as a body double to the Big Mac. Then again, it's not as if following McDonald's lead is such a clever idea right now. The world's largest re
Top 5 Regional Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Ford Motor Credit Company(F)
Ford Motor Company primarily develops, manufactures, distributes, and services vehicles and parts worldwide. It operates in two sectors, Automotive and Financial Services. The Automotive sector offers vehicles primarily under the Ford and Lincoln brand names. This sector markets cars, trucks, and parts through retail dealers in North America, and through distributors and dealers outside of North America. It also sells cars and trucks to dealers for sale to fleet customers, including daily rental car companies, commercial fleet customers, leasing companies, and governments. In addition, this sector provides retail customers with a range of after-sale vehicle services and products in the areas, such as maintenance and light repair, heavy repair, collision repair, vehicle accessories, and extended service contracts under the Ford Service, Lincoln Service, Ford Custom Accessories, Ford Extended Service Plan, and Motorcraft brand names. The Financial Services sector offers vari ous automotive financing products to and through automotive dealers. It offers retail financing, which includes retail installment contracts for new and used vehicles; direct financing leases; wholesale financing products that comprise loans to dealers to finance the purchase of vehicle inventory; loans to dealers to finance working capital, purchase real estate dealership, and/or make improvements to dealership facilities; and other financing products, as well as provides insurance services. Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 and is based in Dearborn, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Daniel Miller]
Ford's (NYSE: F ) F-Series truck has been America's best-selling truck for 36 straight years and isn't looking back at the competition anytime soon. With the average age of trucks hitting 13 years, and with the gradual U.S. housing industry rebound causing demand for full-size trucks to surge, it's no surprise that Ford is�benefiting in sales and profits.
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