Friday, October 17, 2014

Top 5 High Tech Companies To Buy For 2014

By exploring Ryan Crowther's "discounted cash flow analysis" strategy, John Heinzl, of the Globe and Mail, maps out five potential stocks for you to consider for future growth.

You might call it Ryan Crowther's investing world according to GARP.

No, it's not a new John Irving novel. GARP, in this case, stands for growth at a reasonable price, and it's the principle that guides the stock-selection strategy of Mr. Crowther and his colleagues at Franklin Bissett Investment Management in Calgary.

"We are definitely looking for growth as part of the equation, so it's not strictly a dividend mandate,��says the co-lead manager of the Franklin Bissett Canadian Dividend Fund. ��e're approaching our valuation and the market in general through a long-term lens. We're not fixating...on where things are going today or next quarter.��/P>

As for the reasonable price part of GARP, Mr. Crowther and his team focus on discounted cash flow analysis. In basic terms, it involves projecting all of the future cash flows of a company and then discounting them back to a present value��hat is, determining what the cash would be worth in today's dollars. This is what's known as the stock's intrinsic value, and if the shares are trading below this number, it can indicate that the stock is cheap.

Hot Recreation Companies To Invest In 2015: Horizon Pharma Inc (HZNP)

Horizon Pharma, Inc. (Horizon), incorporated on March 23, 2010, is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes medicines to target unmet therapeutic needs in arthritis, pain and inflammatory diseases. On April 23, 2011, the United States Food and Drug Administration, approved DUEXIS (formerly HZT-501), a tablet formulation containing a fixed-dose combination of ibuprofen and famotidine in a single pill. The Company�� other product, LODOTRA (NP-01), is a programmed release formulation of low-dose prednisone that is marketed in Europe by the Company�� distribution partner, Mundipharma International Corporation Limited (Mundipharma). As of December 31, 2010, Horizon completed multiple Phase III clinical trials of LODOTRA. In addition to these product candidates, the Company has a pipeline of earlier-stage product candidates to treat pain-related diseases and chronic inflammation. On April 1, 2010, Horizon effected a recapitalization and acquisition pursuant to which Horizon Pharma, Inc. became a holding company, that operates through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Horizon Pharma USA, Inc. (formerly Horizon Therapeutics, Inc.) and Horizon Pharma AG (formerly Nitec Pharma AG (Nitec)).

DUEXIS

DUEXIS is a combination of 800 milligram ibuprofen and 26.6 milligram famotidine in a single pill and is indicated for the relief of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA), and to decrease the risk of developing upper gastrointestinal (GI), ulcers in patients who are taking ibuprofen for those indications. The Company has completed two Phase III clinical trials in a total of over 1,500 patients with mild to moderate pain or arthritis that demonstrated a significant reduction in the incidence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)-induced upper GI ulcers when treated with DUEXIS versus ibuprofen alone.

LODOTRA

LODOTRA is a programmed release formulation of low-dose prednisone, a well-established drug use! d to inhibit the production of various pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins associated with joint inflammation in RA. LODOTRA has received regulatory approval in Europe for the treatment of moderate to severe, active RA in adults when accompanied by morning stiffness. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had completed two pivotal Phase III clinical trials of LODOTRA in a total of over 600 patients with RA. The first pivotal Phase III trial supported the approval of LODOTRA in Europe in March 2009, where it is approved for marketing in 14 European countries. LODOTRA achieved significant results and met the primary endpoint in each of the two pivotal Phase III clinical trials. Its LODOTRA product was developed and is owned by Horizon Pharma AG. As of December 31, 2010, the Company markets LODOTRA in Europe through three separate agreements. Pursuant to two separate agreements, it granted Merck Serono GmbH and Merck GesmbH, an affiliate of Merck Serono, the rights to distribute and market LODOTRA in each of Germany and Austria, respectively, and pursuant to the third agreement, it granted Mundipharma rights to distribute and market LODOTRA in the rest of Europe. The Company also has a manufacturing and supply agreement with Jagotec AG under which Jagotec or its affiliates manufacture and supply LODOTRA to the Company as bulk tablets.

The Company competes with Pfizer Inc., Pozen Inc., Abbott Laboratories and Amgen Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Top losers in the sector included Horizon Pharma (NASDAQ: HZNP), off 9.5 percent, and Anacor Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ANAC), down 8.2 percent.

    Top Headline
    The Greenbrier Companies (NYSE: GBX) reported a 13% gain in its fiscal second-quarter earnings. Greenbrier's quarterly profit surged to $15.6 million, or $0.50 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $13.8 million, or $0.45 per share. Excluding one-time items, it earned $0.51 per share. Its revenue climbed 88% to $502.2 million. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.60 per share on revenue of $508.69 million.

Top 5 High Tech Companies To Buy For 2014: QC Holdings Inc.(QCCO)

QC Holdings, Inc. provides various retail consumer financial products and services in the United States. The company offers payday loans that provide cash to the customers in exchange for a promissory note with a maturity of two to three weeks. It also provides financial products and services, such as installment loans, credit services, check cashing services, title loans, money transfers, and money orders. In addition, QC Holdings operates as a credit services organization that arranges a third-party lender to make a loan to the consumer and for providing related services to the consumer, including a guarantee of the consumer?s obligation to the third-party lender. Further, the company sells used vehicles and earns finance charges from the related vehicle financing contracts; and provides reconditioning services on its inventory of vehicles, and repair services for its customers. As of As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 523 short-term lending branches in 24 sta tes; and 5 buy here, pay here lots located in Missouri and Kansas. QC Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    QC Holdings (NASDAQ: QCCO) shares tumbled 2.58% to reach a new 52-week low of $2.27. QC Holdings' trailing-twelve-month profit margin is 0.60%.

    NewLead Holdings (NASDAQ: NEWL) shares dipped 6.56% to touch a new 52-week low of $0.08 after the company completed the acquisition of titles in the Viking Mine located in Kentucky, USA.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    QC Holdings (NASDAQ: QCCO) shares tumbled 3.68% to reach a new 52-week low of $1.83. QC Holdings shares have dropped 42.60% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 31.67% in the same period.

Top 5 High Tech Companies To Buy For 2014: ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR)

ING Prime Rate Trust (the Trust) is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Trust seeks to provide a high a level of current income together with the preservation of capital. It invests least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in United States dollar-denominated, floating-rate secured senior loans. It also invests a substantial portion of its assets in below investment-grade senior loans and other below investment-grade assets.

The Trust invests in sectors, such as healthcare, education and childcare; cable; chemicals, plastics and rubber; utilities; printing and publishing; leisure, amusement and entertainment; oil and gas; retail stores; data and Internet services, and beverage, food and tobacco. The Trust�� investment advisor is ING Investments, LLC. ING Prime Rate Trust�� sub-advisor is ING Investment Management Co. and its administrator is ING Funds Services, LLC. ING Investments, LLC, ING Investment Management Co. and ING Funds Services, LLC are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of ING Groep N.V.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Aaron Levitt]

    The main reason why investors fled bounds during the taper tantrum is that bond prices have a negative correlation with rising interest rates. The ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR) avoids some of those problems.

  • [By John Dowdee]

    The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:

    BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut

Top 5 High Tech Companies To Buy For 2014: LHC Group Inc (LHCG)

LHC Group, Inc. (LHC Group), incorporated on January 1, 2005, provides post-acute health care services to patients through its home nursing agencies, hospices and long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). As of December 31, 2012, through the Company's wholly- and majority-owned subsidiaries, equity joint ventures and controlled affiliates, the Company operated in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington. The Company operates in two segments: home-based services and facility-based services. As of December 31, 2012, the Company owned and operated 274 home-based service locations, with 232 home nursing agency locations, 32 hospices, three specialty agencies and four private duty agencies. In February 2014, LHC Group Inc acquired two home health providers.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company also managed the operations of three home nursing agencies in which the Company does not have an ownership interest. The Company's facility-based services included six long-term acute care hospitals with nine locations, a pharmacy, and a family health center. The Company provides home-based post-acute health care services through its home nursing agencies and hospices. The Company's home nursing locations offer a wide range of services, including skilled nursing, medically-oriented social services and physical, occupational and speech therapy. The nurses, home health aides and therapists in the Company's home nursing agencies work closely with patients and their families to design and implement individualized treatments in accordance with a physician-prescribed plan of care.

The Company's hospices provide end-of-life care to patients with terminal illnesses through interdisciplinary teams of physicians, nurses, home health aides, counselors and volunteers. Of the 274 home-based services locations, 140 are wholly-owned by the Company, 124 ar! e majority-owned or controlled by the Company through joint ventures, seven are operated through license lease arrangements, and the Company manages the operations of three home nursing agencies in which the Company has no ownership interest.

The Company's LTACH locations provide services primarily to patients with complex medical conditions who have transitioned out of a hospital intensive care unit but whose conditions remain too severe for treatment in a non-acute setting. As of December 31, 2012, the Company's LTACHs had 220 licensed beds. Of the Company's 11 facility-based services locations, six are wholly-owned by the Company and five are majority-owned or controlled by the Company through joint ventures.

Home-Based Services

The Company�� registered and licensed practical nurses provide a range of medically necessary services to homebound patients who are suffering from acute or chronic illness, recovering from injury or surgery, or who otherwise require care, teaching or monitoring. These services include wound care and dressing changes; cardiac rehabilitation; infusion therapy; pain management; pharmaceutical administration; skilled observation and assessment, and patient education. It has also designed guidelines to treat chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, Alzheimer�� disease, low vision, spinal stenosis, Parkinson�� disease, osteoporosis, complex wound care and chronic pain. Its home health aides provide assistance with daily living activities, such as light housekeeping, simple meal preparation, medication management, bathing and walking. Through its medical social workers, it counsels patients and their families with regard to financial, personal and social concerns that arise from a patient�� health-related problems.

The Company provides skilled nursing, ventilator and tracheotomy services, extended care specialties, medication administration and management, and patient and family assistance an! d educati! on. It also provides management services to third-party home nursing agencies, often as an interim solution until proper state and regulatory approvals for an acquisition can be obtained. The Company�� physical, occupational and speech therapists provide therapy services to patients in their home. Its therapists coordinate multi-disciplinary treatment plans with physicians, nurses and social workers to restore basic mobility skills, such as getting out of bed and walking safely with crutches or a walker. Its therapists assist patients and their families with improving and maintaining a patient�� ability to perform functional activities of daily living, such as the ability to dress, cook, clean and manage other activities safely in the home environment. Its speech and language therapists provide corrective and rehabilitative treatment to patients who suffer from physical or cognitive deficits or disorders that create difficulty with verbal communication or swallowing.

All of the Company�� home nursing agencies offer 24-hour personal emergency response and support services through Philips Lifeline (Lifeline) for qualified patients who require close medical monitoring but who want to maintain an independent lifestyle. These services consist principally of a communicator that connects to the telephone line in the subscriber�� home and a personal help button that is worn or carried by the individual subscriber which, when activated, initiates a telephone call from the subscriber�� communicator to Lifeline�� central monitoring facilities. Lifeline�� trained personnel identify the nature and extent of the subscriber�� particular need and notify the subscriber�� family members, neighbors and/or emergency personnel, as needed.

The Company�� Medicare-certified hospice operations provide a range of hospice services designed to meet the individual physical, spiritual and psychosocial needs of terminally ill patients and their families. Its hospice services are primaril! y provide! d in a patient�� home but can also be provided in a nursing home, assisted living facility or hospital. Key services provided include pain and symptom management accompanied by palliative medication, emotional and spiritual support, spiritual counseling and family bereavement counseling, inpatient and respite care, homemaker services, dietary counseling and social worker visits for up to 13 months after a patient�� death.

Facility-Based Services

The Company�� LTACHs treat patients with severe medical conditions who require a care and frequent monitoring by physicians and other clinical personnel. Patients who receive its services in an LTACH are too medically unstable to be treated in a non-acute setting. It also treats patients diagnosed with musculoskeletal impairments that restrict their ability to perform normal activities of daily living. As part of its facility-based services, the Company operates an institutional pharmacy, which focuses on providing a full array of services to its long-term acute care hospitals. All coding, medical records, case management, utilization review and medical staff credentialing are provided at the hospital level. Centralized functions that are provided by the home office include payroll, accounting, financial reporting, billing, collections, regulatory and legal compliance, risk management, pharmacy, information technology and general clinical oversight accomplished by periodic on-site surveys.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    What: Shares of home health providers Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED  ) , Gentiva Health Services (NASDAQ: GTIV  ) , and�LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG  ) �swooned as much as 28%, 20%, and 15%, respectively, following a public proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, late yesterday that in-home health care reimbursements be cut by 1.5% in 2014.

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