The governments of both China and India recently raised the price of natural gas in their respective countries. Both countries saw the need for increased revenue in order to develop internal natural gas reserves. It is hoped that the higher prices will help fund investment and reverse declining domestic output, helping both countries reduce hefty energy import costs.
China's approach is to raise natural gas prices for both commercial and industrial users while sparing residential users from any increase. It represents the first major increase in price to natural gas consumers in the past three years. The country still picks up most of the tab when it comes to its natural gas costs, which is depressing the price domestic producers get for gas.
It's a similar story in India, which is why the country announced that it was doubling natural gas prices. This time retail consumers are not being spared as the country is hoping that the increased price will help fund investment in exploration, which would reverse declining domestic output. That's forced the country to import about three-fourths of its energy needs, which isn't sustainable.
Top 10 International Stocks To Buy For 2015: Whole Foods Market Inc.(WFM)
Whole Foods Market, Inc. engages in the ownership and operation of natural and organic food supermarkets. The company offers produce, seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods and catering, coffee and tea, nutritional supplements, and vitamins. It also provides specialty products, such as beer, wine, and cheese; body care and educational products, such as books; and floral, pet, and household products. As of February 9, 2011, the company operated 302 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Steve Symington]
Over the past two decades, organic grocer Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM ) �has quietly proven itself to be one of the most incredible growth stories our stock market has to offer.
- [By John Udovich]
Large cap natural and organic foods supermarket giant Whole Foods Market, Inc (NASDAQ: WFM), otherwise known as ��hole Wallet��r ��hole Paycheck,��is not the only player in the natural or organics supermarket space for consumers and investors alike as mid cap Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (NASDAQ: SFM) and small caps Fairway Group Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: FWM) and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc (NYSE: NGVC) are also players in the space. It should be mentioned that Whole Foods Market is down 15.7% since the start of the year and has a downward trending technical chart, but�shares are�still up 13% over the past year, up 426.3% over the past five years and up 3,108.6% since January 1992.
Top Companies To Watch In Right Now: iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF (ERUS)
iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI Russia Capped Index Fund,, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the MSCI Russia 25/50 Index (the Underlying Index). The Underlying Index is a free-float adjusted market capitalization weighted index designed to measure the performance of equity securities in the top 85% by market capitalization of equity securities listed on stock exchanges in Russia. The Underlying Index is a customized variation of the MSCI Russia Index, designed to cap certain weightings to take into account the investment diversification requirement applicable to regulated investment companies. The Fund�� investment advisor is BlackRock Fund Advisor. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Barbara Kollmeyer]
As for U.S. investor exposure, the pain was there for all to see as the week wound down. Among exchange-traded funds, the iShares MSCI Russia ETF (ERUS) �and the SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL) �each fell more than 6% for the week, contrasting with a 0.1% gain for the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) .
- [By Charles Sizemore]
But what exactly are you buying when you buy Russian stocks? Let�� take a look under the hood at the ETFs that track the Russian market: the Market Vectors Russia ETF (RSX), the iShares MSCI Russia Capped Index (ERUS) and the SPDR S&P Russia (RBL).
Top Companies To Watch In Right Now: Nikon Corp (NINOY)
NIKON CORPORATION is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of optical products. The Company is active in four business segments. The Precision Apparatus segment offers semiconductor exposure apparatus and liquid crystal (LC) exposure apparatus. The image segment provides digital cameras, film cameras and interchangeable lens. The Instruments segment offers microscopes, measuring machines and semiconductor inspection equipment. The Others segment provides glass materials, telescopes, glasses and survey airplanes.
As of August 19, 2009, the Company held a 92.17% stake in Metis NV. The Company has 65 subsidiaries and 10 associated companies in the country and overseas markets.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Carroll]
Unfortunately, the yen's impact on stocks has blurred the lines on investments. Look no further than down-on-its-luck camera maker Nikon (NASDAQOTH: NINOY ) . Nikon's shares gained more than 8% over the past week due to the yen's weakness, as the company rakes in more than a quarter of its sales in Europe. Still, the stock's lost more than 43% year to date.
Top Companies To Watch In Right Now: Tesoro Petroleum Corporation(TSO)
Tesoro Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in refining and marketing petroleum products in the United States. It operates in two segments, Refining and Retail. The Refining segment refines crude oil and other feed stocks into transportation fuels, such as gasoline, gasoline blendstocks, jet fuel, and diesel fuel, as well as other products, including heavy fuel oils, liquefied petroleum gas, petroleum coke, and asphalt. This segment also sells refined products in the wholesale market primarily through independent unbranded distributors; and in the bulk market primarily to independent unbranded distributors, other refining and marketing companies, utilities, railroads, airlines and marine, and industrial end-users. It owns and operates 7 refineries with a combined crude oil capacity of 665 thousand barrels per day. The Retail segment sells gasoline, diesel fuel, and convenience store items through company-operated retail stations, and third-party branded dea lers and distributors in the western United States. As of December 31, 2011, this segment had 1,175 branded retail stations under the Tesoro, Shell, and USA Gasoline brands. The company was formerly known as Tesoro Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Tesoro Corporation in November 2004. Tesoro Corporation was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Divine]
Tesoro (NYSE: TSO ) , which won't present investors with the opportunity to be disappointed until August 1, slumped 3.8% today. The oil refiner also fell big time on Tuesday after its peer, Marathon Petroleum, gave its investors a heads-up that second-quarter financial results weren't going to be quite as peachy as expected. The announcement sparked fears that Marathon's warning would translate to a difficult quarter for Tesoro, as well. Keeping in mind that Tesoro's shares are more than twice as volatile as the larger market, today's 3.8% losses look more like a commonplace occurrence than a fundamental setback.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Yesterday, Tesoro Corp. (TSO) sold a bunch of assets to Tesoro Logistics (TLLP) for $650 million, the second “drop-down,” or sale of assets by a parent company to a partnership.
ReutersThe Wall Street Journal has the details:
Tesoro Logistics LP, a company spun off in 2011 by oil refiner Tesoro Corp., agreed to pay its former parent $650 million to acquire Los Angeles assets that include two marine terminals and a pipeline system.
The company, which expects to close on the deal in the current quarter, said it will fund the deal using mostly cash, as well as about $65 million in equity. In a separate statement Monday, Tesoro Logistics said it was offering at least 6.3 million common units, with proceeds to be used to fund the deal.
Cowen’s�Sam Margolin assesses where Tesoro Corp. is now and its other drop-down opportunists:
Operationally, TSO continues to benefit from wide Bakken crude discounts, with the Clearbrook hub currently priced at a $14/bbl discount to WTI. During 3Q, TSO realized a gross refining margin of $21/bbl in its mid-con segment, vs refineries with Cushing price exposure in the $11/bbl-$15/bbl range. We expect similar outperformance in the current
period…The completion of the Vancouver, WA rail terminal in 1Q14 should provide additional drop down opportunities early next year. Comped to the metrics of the Anacortes rail terminal drop, the 125,000 Vancouver terminal could realize a drop down price of over $450MM, with upside in an expansion scenario. We expect TSO to remain a regular provider of cash catalysts through its capital project backlog and aggressive utilization of the TLLP vehicle.
Shares of Tesoro have gained 1.9% to $56.42, besting Phillips 66′s (PSX) 1.5% rise to $68.22, Hollyfrontier’s (HFC) 0.1% drop to $46.19 and Valero Energy’s (VLO) 0.,1% dip to $42.86. Tesoro Logistics has dropped 6% to $49.82.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Yesterday, refining stocks like Valero Energy (VLO), Marathon Petroleum (MPC), Tesoro (TSO) and�PBF Energy (PBF) got hammered after the U.S. government said it would allow two oil companies to export ultra-light crude oil for the first time.
Top Companies To Watch In Right Now: Korian SA (KORI)
Korian SA is a France-based company that operates healthcare facilities and medical establishments. The Company's holdings include residential centers for the elderly (EHPAD), offering permanent social care and medical support; follow-up care and rehabilitation centers, including general and specialized centers. Korian SA's establishments are located in France, Italy and Germany via its subsidiaries, Segesta S.p.A., Phonix GmBH, Reacti Malt SAS, Sas La Normandie, Sa La Bastide de la tourne, Sas Mapadex La Roseraie, among others. In March 8, 2013, it finalized the acquisition of Curanum AG by Korian SA's Korian Deutschland AG. In February 2014, it announced the acquisition of a clinic in Florence and the sale of the psychiatry division in France comprising seven clinics and two nursing homes. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Corinne Gretler]
Korian (KORI) declined 3.8 percent to 24.35 euros. The merger with Medica will create the largest French operator of nursing homes. Medica holders will receive Korian stock valued at about 23.01 euros a share, the companies said in a statement today. That�� 15 percent above Medica�� closing price on Nov. 15. Medica shares added 2.4 percent to 20.50 euros.
Top Companies To Watch In Right Now: The NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.(NDAQ)
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. provides trading, clearing, exchange technology, securities listing, and public company services worldwide. It offers trading across various asset classes, including cash equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products, and exchange traded funds; capital formation solutions; financial services and exchanges technology; market data products; and financial indexes, as well as clearing, settlement, and depository services. The company also provides broker services comprising technology and customized securities administration solutions, such as back-office systems to financial participants. In addition, it offers global listing services; technology solutions for trading, clearing, settlement, and information dissemination; and facility management integration, surveillance solutions, and advisory services, as well as develops and licenses NASDAQ OMX branded indexes, associated derivatives, and financial products. As of December 31, 2010 , a total of 2,778 companies listed securities on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The NASDAQ OMX Group supports the operations of approximately 70 exchanges, clearing organizations, and central securities depositories. The company was formerly known as The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. and changed its name to The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. in February 2008. The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. was founded in 1971 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matt Egan]
IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), which owns NYSE, didn't get much of a bump from the news. Its shares were slightly higher. Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ)actually rose more than 1% despite losing out on Alibaba.
Top Companies To Watch In Right Now: Walgreen Co (WAG)
Walgreen Co. (Walgreens), incorporated on February 15, 1909, together with its subsidiaries, operates the drugstore chain in the United States. The Company provides its customers with access to consumer goods and services, pharmacy, and health and wellness services in communities across America. The Company offers its products and services through drugstores, as well as through mails, by telephone and online. The Company sells prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as general merchandises, including household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy. On August 2, 2012, it acquired 45% interest in Alliance Boots GmbH (Alliance Boots). In September 2012, the Company completed the purchase of a regional drugstore chain in the mid-South region of the United States that included 144 stores operated under the USA Drug, Super D Drug, May��, Med-X and Drug Warehouse names. In September 2012, WP Carey & Co LLC acquired five retail stores leased to Walgreen Co. In December 2012, the Company completed a transaction giving company a ownership stake in Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pharmacy LLC.
The Company's pharmacy, health and wellness services include retail, specialty, infusion and respiratory services, mail service, convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers. These services help improve health outcomes and manage costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The Company's Take Care Health Systems subsidiary is a manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the United States.
As of August 31, 2012, Walgreens operated 8,385 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. In 2012, the Company opened or acquired 266 locations for a net increase of 175 locations after relocations and closings. As of August 31, 2012, the Com! pany had 7,930 of Drugstores, 366 of Worksite Health and Wellness Centers, 76 of Infusion and Respiratory Services Facilities, 11 of Specialty Pharmacies and two of Mail Service Facilities. The Company's drugstores are engaged in the retail sale of prescription and non-prescription drugs and general merchandise. General merchandise includes, among other things, household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy.
The Company offers specialty pharmacy services that provide customers nationwide access to a variety of medications, services and programs for managing complex and chronic health conditions. In addition, the Company offers its customers infusion therapy services, including the administration of intravenous (IV) medications for cancer treatments, chronic pain, heart failure, and other infections and disorders which must be treated by IV. Walgreens provides these infusion services at home, at the workplace, in a physician's office or at a Walgreens alternate treatment site. The Company also provides clinical services, such as laboratory monitoring, medication profile review, nutritional assessments and patient and caregiver education.
Customers can also access the Company's e-commerce solutions, which extend the convenience to purchase most products available within its drugstores, as well as additional products sold exclusively online through its walgreens.com and drugstore.com Websites, including beauty.com and visiondirect.com. The Company's Websites allow consumers to purchase general merchandise including beauty, personal care, home medical equipment, contact lenses, vitamins and supplements and other health and wellness solutions. The Company's mobile applications also allow customers to refill prescriptions through their mobile device, download weekly promotions and find the nearest Walgreens drugstore. The Company also offers services through Take Care Health Systems, which manages its Take Care Clinics at select Wa! lgreens d! rugstores throughout the country.
Alliance Boots is a pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution business. As of March 31, 2012, its fiscal year end, Alliance Boots had, together with its associates and joint ventures, pharmacy-led health and beauty retail businesses in 11 countries and operated more than 3,330 health and beauty retail stores, of which over 3,200 had a pharmacy. In addition, Alliance Boots had approximately 625 optical practices, approximately 185 of which operated on a franchise basis. Its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution businesses, including its associates and joint ventures, supplied medicines, other healthcare products and related services to more than 170,000 pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals from over 370 distribution centers in 21 countries.
Alliance Boots�� stores located in the United Kingdom, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Thailand and Lithuania and through its associates and joint ventures in Switzerland, China, Italy, Russia and Croatia. In addition, as of March 31, 2012, there were 58 Boots stores operated in the Middle East on a franchised basis. In its Health & Beauty Division, Alliance Boots has product brands such as No7, Soltan and Botanics, together with other brands, such as Boots Pharmaceuticals and Boots Laboratories. Through its Pharmaceutical Wholesale Division and several of its associates, Alliance Boots sells Almus, its line of generic medicines, in five countries and Alvita, its line of patient care products, in six countries.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
In response to the outrage at highlighting a terrorist instead of his victims, including 26-year-old MIT cop Sean Collier, who was killed in the shootout between the Tsarnaev brothers and the police, and 8-year-old Martin Richard, who was standing next to one of the bombs when it detonated, retailers including CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS ) , which operates 7,300 stores nationwide, Walgreen (NYSE: WAG ) , with more than 8,500 stores, and Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD ) chain Kmart have all decided not to sell the new issue of the magazine.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Walgreens (NYSE: WAG ) has reported its April metrics. For the month, the company's sales came in at $5.98 billion, a rise of nearly 4% over the $5.76 billion the company posted in the same month in April 2012. Overall front-end (i.e., non-pharmacy goods) sales fell by 2.9% over that time, while pharmacy sales were 7.3% higher.
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