Why Underperform?
Financial Advisory Revenues contributed substantially to Lazard�� total revenue comprising about 42% in first-quarter 2013. It is anticipated that Lazard will continue to rely on financial advisory fees for a substantial portion of its revenue for the foreseeable future, and a decline in advisory engagements or the market for advisory services would adversely affect its business, financial condition and result of operations. Notably, in first-quarter 2013, these revenues dropped 39% year over year.
Though operating expenses declined in first-quarter 2013 taking into account the ongoing cost-savings initiatives, it remained at elevated levels. Notably, operating expenses were significantly up on a year-over-year basis in 2012, primary contributors being a fourth-quarter 2012 charge aggregating $100 million related to the cost saving initiatives and higher levels of compensation and benefits expenses (up 16%). The continuation of such a trend is expected to affect the margin level of the company.
Hot Growth Stocks To Watch For 2015: Ellington Financial LLC (EFC)
Ellington Financial LLC (EFC) is a specialty finance company, which specializes in acquiring and managing mortgage-related assets. As of December 31, 2011, its targeted assets included residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), backed by prime jumbo, Alternative A-paper (Alt-A), manufactured housing and subprime residential mortgage loans (non-Agency RMBS); RMBS for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by a United States Government agency or a United States Government-sponsored entity (Agency RMBS); mortgage-related derivatives; commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), commercial mortgage loans and other commercial real estate debt, and corporate debt and equity securities and derivatives. It also acquires and manages other types of mortgage-related assets and financial assets, such as residential whole mortgage loans, asset-backed securities (ABS), backed by consumer and commercial assets, non-mortgage-related derivatives and real property.
Non-Agency RMBS
The Company acquires non-Agency RMBS backed by prime jumbo, Alt-A, manufactured housing and subprime residential mortgage loans. Its non-Agency RMBS holdings include investment-grade and non-investment grade classes. Non-Agency RMBS are debt obligations issued by private originators of or investors in residential mortgage loans. Non-Agency RMBS are issued as CMOs and are backed by pools of whole mortgage loans or by mortgage pass-through certificates. Non-Agency RMBS are securitized in senior/subordinated structures, or in excess spread/over-collateralization structures. In senior/subordinated structures, the subordinated tranches absorb all losses on the underlying mortgage loans before any losses are borne by the senior tranches.
Agency RMBS
The Company�� assets in this asset class consist of whole pool pass-through certificates, the principal and interest of which are guaranteed by Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Cor! poration (Freddie Mac), or Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), and which are backed by adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), hybrid ARMs or fixed-rate mortgages. Mortgage pass-through certificates are securities representing undivided interests in pools of mortgage loans secured by real property where payments of both interest and principal, plus pre-paid principal, on the securities are made monthly to holders of the security, in effect passing through monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on the mortgage loans that underlie the securities, net of fees paid to the issuer/guarantor and servicers of the securities. Whole pool pass-through certificates are mortgage pass-through certificates that represent the entire ownership of a pool of mortgage loans.
In addition to investing in specific pools of Agency RMBS, the Company utilizes forward-settling purchases and sales of Agency RMBS where the underlying pools of mortgage loans are to be announced mortgage-backed securities (MBS) (TBAs). Pursuant to these TBA transactions, it agrees to purchase or sell, for future delivery, Agency RMBS with certain principal and interest terms and certain types of underlying collateral. It uses TBAs for hedging purposes. It engages in TBA transactions for purposes of managing certain risks associated with its long Agency RMBS and its non-Agency RMBS.
Mortgage-Related Derivatives
The Company takes long and short positions in various mortgage-related derivative instruments, including credit default swaps. A credit default swap is a credit derivative contract in which one party (the protection buyer) pays an ongoing periodic premium (and often an upfront payment as well) to another party (the protection seller) in return for compensation for default (or similar credit event) by a reference entity. In this case, the reference entity can be an individual MBS or an index of several MBS, such as an ABX Index, PrimeX or a CMBX Index.
CMBS
CMBS ar! e mortgage-backed securities collateralized by loans on commercial properties. CMBS issued are fixed rate securities backed by fixed rate loans made to multiple borrowers on a range of property types, though single-borrower CMBS and floating-rate CMBS have also been issued. Commercial mortgage loans are loans secured by liens on commercial properties, including retail, office, industrial, hotel and multifamily properties. Commercial real estate loans may also be structured into more complicated senior/subordinate structures, including those providing for multiple B-Note or multiple mezzanine loan senior/subordinate components.Corporate Debt and Equity Securities and Derivatives
For hedging purposes, the Company takes short positions in corporate debt and equity (including indices on corporate debt and equity) by entering into derivative contracts, such as credit default swaps, total return swaps and options. These hedges reference corporations (such as financial institutions that have substantial mortgage-related exposure) or indices whose performance has a degree of correlation with the performance of its portfolio. Given this correlation, a short position with respect to such corporations or indices provides a hedge to its portfolio of MBS as a whole.
Other Assets
The Company from time to time acquires other mortgage-related and financial assets, which include residential whole mortgage loans, ABS backed by consumer and commercial assets and real property. It also acquires real property interests, such as single family and multifamily residential properties.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Luke Jacobi]
Ellington Financial LLC (NYSE: EFC) was down, falling 4.4 percent to $23.53 after the company priced 8 million shares at $23.92 per share.
CommoditiesAlthough equities have been flat, the same cannot be said for the commodity market. Crude futures shot higher Wednesday, following yesterday’s sharp sell off. At last check, WTI futures were up 2.7 percent to $95.37 and Brent futures gained 2.1 percent to $102.45.
Top Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Gyrodyne Company of America Inc.(GYRO)
Gyrodyne Company of America, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the investment, acquisition, ownership, and management of a portfolio of medical office and industrial properties in the northeast region of the United States. The company also involves in the development of industrial and residential properties. It focuses on acquiring, developing, owning, leasing, and managing medical, commercial, and industrial real estate. The company has elected to be taxed as REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal income tax purposes, provided that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in St. James, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Gyrodyne Co. of America (NASDAQ: GYRO) shares dipped 8.66% to reach a new 52-week low of $10.86. Gyrodyne Co. of America's trailing-twelve-month ROA is -5.29%.
- [By Sally Jones]
Highlight: Gyrodyne Company of America (GYRO)
The GYRO share price is currently $73.85 or 35.7% off the 52-week high of $114.80. The company does not pay a dividend.
Top Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Guggenheim Enhanced Equity Income Fund (GPM)
Old Mutual/Claymore Long-Short Fund (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� primary investment objective is to provide a high level of current income and current gains. The Fund�� secondary investment objective is to provide long-term capital appreciation. The Fund invests in a portfolio of equity securities and by selling securities short in the S&P 500 Index that it believes will under perform relative to the average stock in the S&P 500. The Fund will also write (sell) call options on equity indexes and, to a lesser extent, on individual securities held in the Fund�� portfolio.
The Fund�� investment adviser is Claymore Advisors, LLC. Analytic Investors, Inc. (Analytic) is the Fund�� sub-adviser. It invests in various sectors, including financials, information technology, industrials, healthcare, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, materials, utilities and telecommunications.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Chuck Carnevale]
Next, I turned to an evaluation of gross profit margin (gpm), net profit margin (npm), return on assets (roa), return on equity (roe) and return on invested capital (roi). The example below only includes gross and net profit margin, however, I review data on all the metrics stated above.
Top Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Powershares Aerospace & Defense Portfolio (PPA)
The PowerShares Aerospace & Defense Portfolio (Fund) seeks to replicate, before fees and expenses, the SPADE Defense Index. The SPADE Defense Index is designed to identify a group of companies involved in the development, manufacturing, operations and support of United States defense, homeland security and aerospace operations.
With a portfolio defined by the underlying SPADE Defense Index, constituents represent a diversified offering of large, mid and small cap companies. The constituents also enables the Fund to capture current and future spending in areas, such as armor for vehicles and soldiers, night vision systems, border security and secure communications.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mark Salzinger]
This industry's two largest ETFs��Shares Aerospace and Defense (ITA) and PowerShares Aerospace and Defense (PPA)��ained more than 50% last year.
- [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
That's why I think investors would do well to take a good look at PowerShares Aerospace & Defense (NYSE: PPA). This is a cost-effective ETF made up of 80% defense and aerospace stocks from companies who are proven leaders.
Top Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Gladstone Commercial Corporation(GOOD)
Gladstone Commercial Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. It engages in investing in and owning net leased industrial and commercial real properties, and making long-term industrial and commercial mortgage loans. The company leases its real estate properties to small businesses, as well as to large public companies. As of December 31, 2009, it owned 64 properties, and held 1 mortgage loan. The company qualifies as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal tax to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in McLean, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
Gladstone Commercial Corporation (GOOD) operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States.Yield: 7.9%
Main Street Capital Corporation (MAIN) is a business development company specializing in long- term equity, equity related, and debt investments in small and lower middle market companies. Yield: 6.3%
Top Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE)
Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Energy Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes companies that primarily develop and produce crude oil and natural gas, and provide drilling and other energy-related services.
The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing investment approach to invest in a portfolio of stocks that seek to replicate the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Claudia Assis]
The SPDR Energy Select Sector (XLE) , an exchange-traded fund focused on energy names, gained 0.3%.
- [By Claudia Assis]
The SPDR Energy Select Sector (XLE) , an exchange-traded fund focused on energy names, rose 0.6%.
- [By David G. Dietze, JD, CFA, CFP]
Many ETFs are based on a highly specialized index representing a tiny slice of the market. That can make them quite volatile, and often unduly buffeted by the fate of just one or two stocks. For example, the Energy Select Sector Fund ETF (XLE) has over 35% of its assets in just two stocks, Exxon (XOM) and Chevron (CVX). If you like those stocks simply buy them and skip that ETF. And if you don�� like those stocks you won�� want to have an ETF with 35% of its assets in them.
Bottom line, indexing is a sound strategy, but is best pursued using conventional index funds, not ETFs. - [By Claudia Assis]
The SPDR Energy Select Sector (XLE) , an exchange-traded fund focused on energy names, rose 0.7%.
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