Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What:�Shares of Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ: OLED ) plunged 10% Monday following reports Samsung� (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF ) has abandoned plans to build a next-gen OLED television manufacturing facility.
So what:�Samsung is currently producing a small number of large OLED panels at an existing facility in its Tanjeong Industrial Complex, and had previously planned to invest in a more expansive facility to expand production by the end of 2014. According to a report from Nikkei Asian Review today, however, Samsung has decided not to move forward with those plans, primarily because of stubbornly low production yields.�
Low yields are preventing Samsung from aggressively reducing prices on its large-screen OLED televisions, the 55-inch version of which currently has a suggested retail price just shy of $10,000.�
Top European Stocks To Own Right Now: Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd (ENH)
Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. underwrites specialty lines of personal and commercial property and casualty insurance and reinsurance worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment provides agriculture insurance covering traditional multi-peril crop insurance, crop hail, livestock risk protection, and other agriculture risk management products; and professional lines of insurance products, including directors� and officers� liability, errors and omissions, employment practices liability, environmental liability, and pension trust liability insurance. This segment also offers casualty and other specialty insurance products for third party liability; hospital medical professional liability; contract and commercial surety; and workers� compensation, as well as property insurance primarily for earthquake and flood coverage. The Reinsurance segment provides catastrophe reinsurance for catastrophic perils primarily for pro perty and workers� compensation business; property reinsurance for property insurance policies; and casualty reinsurance for third party liability exposures, such as automobile, professional, directors� and officers�, and umbrella liabilities, as well as for workers� compensation. This segment also offers aerospace reinsurance covering hull, aircraft liability, and aircraft products; marine reinsurance of bluewater and brownwater hull, and cargo risks; surety reinsurance for contract and commercial surety, and fidelity insurers; agriculture reinsurance for risks associated with the production of food and fiber; and personal accident and terrorism reinsurance products. The company distributes its products through independent agents, and insurance and reinsurance brokers. Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. was founded in 2001 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
Aspen Insurance Holdings (NYSE: AHL) shares shot up 11.33 percent to $43.83 after Endurance Specialty Holdings (NYSE: ENH) offered to buy Aspen Insurance for $47.50 per share in a cash and stock deal. - [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
Aspen Insurance Holdings (NYSE: AHL) shares shot up 11.05 percent to $43.72 after Endurance Specialty Holdings (NYSE: ENH) offered to buy Aspen Insurance for $47.50 per share in a cash and stock deal.
5 Best Asian Stocks To Watch Right Now: Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP)
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Consumer Staples Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes companies that are primarily involved in the development and production of consumer products that cover food and drug retailing, beverages, food products, tobacco, household products and personal products.
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 Ben Levisohn]
The exception to the strong defensive performance: consumer staples. The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR (XLP) has dropped 2.9% this year, making it the worst-performing sector in the S&P 500. Barclays’ Barry Knappexplains what’s gone wrong:
- [By Chris Ciovacco]
We can learn much about the market's conviction during an advance by scanning the sector leadership lists. If Wednesday's pop in stocks was led by defensive consumer staples (XLP), utilities (XLU) and healthcare (XLV), it would have cast serious doubt on the sustainability of the rally. That is not what we saw. The sectors providing leadership after the debt deal was announced were economically sensitive energy (XLE) and financials (XLF). Some big-name investors have mentioned valuations as a driver of interest in energy stocks. From Forbes:
5 Best Asian Stocks To Watch Right Now: Official Payments Holdings Inc (OPAY)
Official Payments Holdings, Inc., formerly Tier Technologies, Inc., incorporated in 1991, is a provider of biller direct electronic payment solutions, through its primary brand Official Payments. These solutions provide payment services via multiple channels, including the Internet, automated Interactive Voice Response (IVR), call center and point-of-sale (POS), environments. Its solutions include multiple enhanced payment services, including convenience fee payments, absorbed payments, payment reminder and automated payment scheduling. It also offers its clients a range of payment choices, including credit and debit cards, electronic checks, cash and money orders, and emerging payment methods to meet the needs of their customers. Its segments include Electronic Payment Solutions (EPS) and Wind-down operations.
The Company offers its clients a front-end platform designed for the biller direct market with a single source solution that simplifies the management of electronic payments. Its verticals include Federal, State and Local, Property Tax, Utility, Education and Others. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 (fiscal 2010), it also provided services in one business area which is in the process of winding-down.
ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
The business consists of the Company�� biller direct solutions, which is called EPS. It offers services using several pricing options, such as transaction fee, convenience fee, flat fee, or client absorbed fee (fees paid directly by the client, in lieu of those charges being paid by the constituent using the service), which can be billed as a percentage fee, a fixed fee, or some combination of both. It provides services and solutions in several different verticals. Its client base includes the Unites States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 27 states, the District of Columbia and nearly 4,600 additional clients, consisting of local governments and other public sector clients and approximately 100 private sector cli! ents. As of September 30, 2010, it offered nearly 9,200 payment types.
The Company provides businesses and individuals the opportunity to pay certain federal income and business tax obligations electronically via credit or debit cards. Payment options include all credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa and all debit cards including some regional automated teller machine (ATM) card networks. Payment channels include Internet, IVR, and agent (a third-party provider who accepts payments on behalf of its client). In fiscal 2010, it provided payment services for 23 types of tax forms for the IRS. Revenues from Federal vertical represented 20.5% of EPS revenues for fiscal year 2010. Its contract with the IRS to provide payment services for federal tax payments contributed 17.1% of EPS revenue for fiscal year 2010.
The Company offers a variety of electronic payment solutions to state and local governments for electronic payments for personal income taxes and business taxes. For fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 8.5% of EPS revenue.
Within the Utility vertical, the Company allows its customers and constituents of various companies and municipalities to pay their utility obligations electronically using all credit cards, debit card, e-check, cash or money order. The utility company customers can utilize the Internet, IVR, POS, agent, walk-up locations or kiosks to make these payments. For fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 15.3% of EPS revenue.
The Company�� solutions within the education vertical service post-secondary education institutions. Solutions it provides to these clients include electronic payment options for tuition and fee payments, housing and alumni donations. During fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 13.6% of EPS revenue.
Other vertical consists of state and local courts and citations, rent payments and insurance payments for various entities, electronic payment options for meal a! nd fee pa! yments for K-12 educational institutions, plus personal property tax payments. During fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 14.8% of EPS revenues.
WIND-DOWN OPERATIONS
As of September 30, 2010, the Company�� Wind-down operations consisted of its VSA business from its former GBPO segment. In fiscal 2010, it serviced over 100 customers within this business.
The Company competes with Link2Gov, RBS WorldPay, SallieMae Business Office Solutions, TouchNet Information Systems, Inc, CheckFree, Bill Matrix, Oracle and Online Resources.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Official Payments Holdings (NASDAQ: OPAY) shares surged 0.23% to touch a new 52-week high of $8.65. Official Payments shares have jumped 87.61% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.68% in the same period.
5 Best Asian Stocks To Watch Right Now: Maxim Integrated Products Inc.(MXIM)
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. engages in designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing various linear and mixed-signal integrated circuits worldwide. The company also provides various high-frequency process technologies and capabilities for use in custom designs. It primarily serves industrial, communications, consumer, and computing markets. The company markets its products through a direct-sales and applications organization, as well as through its own and other unaffiliated distribution channels. Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By rusticnomad]
Maxim Integrated (MXIM) didn't do very well last quarter as its revenue declined. This decline was anticipated by management, as its consumer business was facing seasonal weakness. However, the gains from the initial ramp of a new smartphone at its largest customer arrested the decline.
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