The following video is from Wednesday's installment of The Motley Fool's�Weekly Tech Review, in which host Chris Hill, and analysts Eric Bleeker and Lyons George take a look at the biggest stories driving the tech sector this week.
In this segment, Eric and Lyons look at the recent news surrounding�Zynga� (NASDAQ: ZNGA ) and its hiring of�Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT ) Xbox division head Don Mattrick as its new CEO. Investors greeted the news by sending Zynga shares soaring over 20% since the news broke.�
Seeing a stock that's fallen out of favor soar on the news of an executive departure isn't uncommon. For example,�Groupon� (NASDAQ: GRPN ) has more than�doubled�since the departure of CEO Andrew Mason in late February of this year. However, in the case of Zynga, Eric warns that the key problem with the company has been its products, and Mark Pincus is staying onboard as the head of Zynga's products. More so, he's a notorious micromanager who hasn't worked well with high-level executives brought in during the past couple of years. Investors hoping that Mattrick's hiring could solve the woes that have brought Zynga's stock back to earth could be disappointed.�
Top 5 Warren Buffett Companies To Watch In Right Now: Rex Energy Corporation(REXX)
Rex Energy Corporation operates as an independent oil and gas company in the Appalachian Basin and the Illinois Basin. It focuses on the Marcellus Shale drilling projects, and Utica Shale and Upper Devonian Shale exploration activities in the Appalachian Basin. The company also holds interests in the Lawrence Field ASP Flood project, which is an oil recovery project located in Lawrence County, Illinois. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 2,117 wells, including approximately 517 disposal and injection wells. The company had estimated proved reserves of 366.2 billions of cubic feet equivalent. Rex Energy Corporation was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bret Jensen]
Rex Energy Corporation (REXX) produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. The company focuses on the Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale, and Upper Devonian Shale.
- [By Matt DiLallo]
The company has also shifted some of its attention to next-door neighbor Ohio's Utica Shale. It's not the only Marcellus driller to look to the higher profit potential in the liquids-rich Utica. Smaller drillers like Rex Energy (NASDAQ: REXX ) are also looking west to the Utica in an effort to grow liquids production. The company reported positive results at three recently drilled wells at its Warrior South project. While all this attention is great for the Utica, Pennsylvania would rather have drillers investing that drilling capital within its borders to add more jobs and tax revenue. �
- [By Matt DiLallo]
These infrastructure additions are important for Gulfport Energy� (NASDAQ: GPOR ) �which is pouring nearly all of its resources into developing the Utica's assets. If its wells provide the type of production it is expecting, this infrastructure build-out will prove critical to Gulfport's ability to deliver its product to market. The additions are also important for Rex Energy (NASDAQ: REXX ) which is investing more than 30% of its more than $255 million 2013 capital budget to develop its acreage in the Utica.
Hot Managed Healthcare Companies To Invest In 2014: Midway Gold Corporation(MDW)
Midway Gold Corp., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in North America. Its principal properties include the Spring Valley, Midway, Pan, and Gold Rock gold and silver mineral properties located in Nevada; and the Golden Eagle gold mineral property located in Washington. The company was formerly known as Red Emerald Resource Corp. and changed its name to Midway Gold Corp. in July 2002. Midway Gold Corp. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Midway Gold (NYSE: MDW) shares fell 3.90% to reach a new 52-week low of $0.74. Midway Gold's trailing-twelve-month ROA is -11.16%.
Posted-In: 52-Week LowsNews Movers & Shakers Intraday Update Markets
Hot Managed Healthcare Companies To Invest In 2014: Winnebago Industries Inc.(WGO)
Winnebago Industries, Inc. manufactures and sells recreation vehicles primarily for leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The company offers motor homes, which are self-propelled mobile dwellings that provide living accommodations for approximately seven persons and include kitchen, dining, sleeping, and bath areas, as well as a lounge; and optional equipment accessories, such as generators, home theater systems, king-size beds, upholstery, and interior equipment. It manufactures motor homes constructed directly on medium- and heavy-duty truck chassis, which include engine and drivetrain components; and on van-type chassis onto which the motor home manufacturer constructs a living area with access to the driver's compartment under the Winnebago and Itasca brand names, as well as panel-type vans with sleeping, kitchen, and/or toilet facilities under the Era brand name. The company also produces original equipment manufacturing parts, including extruded aluminum and other component products for other manufacturers and commercial vehicles. Winnebago Industries markets its motor homes through independent dealers primarily in the United States and Canada. The company was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Forest City, Iowa.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Grace L. Williams]
Recreational vehicle maker Winnebago Industries (WGO), which makes, you know, Winnebagos, is trucking today after reporting strong revenue and increased demand in its fourth quarter.
APFor the period ended Aug. 31, Winnebago reported profit of $10.6 million, or 38 cents a share, down from $40.9 million, or $1.41 a share, a year earlier, while sales rose to $214.2 million in the quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters recently predicted earnings of 28 cents a share and sales of $206 million.
Looking at the solid quarter and optimistic forecasts, Citigroup analyst Gregory Badishkanian raised estimates after noting several positive factors at the company including the current backlogs, which more than doubled, and dealer inventories, which were up 38%. He writes:
The company highlighted two issues that appear to be diminishing: 1) towables division was dilutive for the year, but headed in the right direction with a breakeven quarter 2) shortage in Class A Gas chassis, though the issue should be resolved by mid-winter…
Given strong margin and retail demand trends, we��e raising our 2014 and 2015 estimates by 26 cents each. We introduce our 2016 estimate of $ 1.60.
Shares of Winnebago have gained 4.4% to $28.47 today at 3pm. Thor Industries (THO), which also makes recreational vehicles, has ticked up 0.1% to $57.56, Drew Industries (DW) has risen 0.3% to $48.74, Arctic Cat (ACAT) has advanced 1% to $59.87 and Polaris Industries (PII) has fallen 0.3% to $132.08.
Hot Managed Healthcare Companies To Invest In 2014: SLM Corporation(SLM)
SLM Corporation, through its subsidiaries, originates, acquires, finances, and services private education loans in the United States. It offers processing capabilities to educational institutions, 529 college-savings plan program management services, and a consumer savings network. The company also provides servicing, loan default aversion, and defaulted loan collection services for loans owned by the Department of Education (ED), Guarantors of FFELP Loans, and other institutions. In addition, SLM Corporation offers campus solutions, which comprise electronic billing, collection, payment and refund, and tuition payment plan administration services. The company promotes its products through the financial aid offices on campuses, as well as through direct marketing to students and their families. SLM Corporation was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Newark, Delaware.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Gerald Herber/AP Student loans have become an increasingly large portion of the debt burden that Americans face. During the past six years, consumers have paid down their outstanding balances on most forms of debt, including mortgages, credit cards and auto loans, according to the New York Federal Reserve. But student loan balances have continued to increase. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau noted earlier this year that outstanding student debt would shortly hit the $1.2 trillion mark. Most of the loans that students take are federal government loans, with various features that can include subsidies for interest payments while you're in school, fixed interest rates throughout the life of your loan, and opportunities for deferments, forbearance, and even outright loan forgiveness under certain circumstances. But even though private student loans represent a small portion of the overall loan market -- about 14 percent, according to figures from the CFPB -- the lenders that offer private loans have gotten a number of complaints from borrowers citing various problems. Let's take a look at the CFPB report that goes through types of trouble borrowers have had recently with their student lenders to find some key conclusions. 1. Lenders Want Your Business. For the most part, few borrowers cited any problems with actually a private student loan. Just 4 percent of the complaints to the CFPB had to do with obtaining loans, strongly suggesting that most of those who need financing aren't having banks turn them away. Lenders have good reasons to prefer student loans. Unlike most other forms of debt, student loans give creditors protection against discharge in bankruptcy, meaning that borrowers often have to repay their student debt even if they go bankrupt and have other debts wiped out. 2. Competition Is Limited. Looking at which lenders got the most complaints, Sallie Mae (SLM) was the winner by far, with nearly 800 complaints representing almost 40 percent
Hot Managed Healthcare Companies To Invest In 2014: PRGX Global Inc.(PRGX)
PRGX Global, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides recovery audit, healthcare claims recovery audit, and analytics and advisory services. The company?s recovery audit services are based on the mining and auditing of clients? purchasing data for overpayments to suppliers; and healthcare claims recovery audit services consist of identification of overpayments and underpayments made to healthcare providers, such as hospitals and physicians? practices. Its analytics and advisory services focuses on client functional and process areas and provides services to senior finance executives to optimize working capital, reduce enterprise costs, transform the finance function, and enhance corporate performance. The company serves retailers, such as discount, department, specialty, grocery, and drug stores; business enterprises, including manufacturers, financial services firms, and pharmaceutical companies; private sector health insurance companies, and state and federal go vernment payers consisting of the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and federal and state government agencies. It has operations in the United States, Canada, rest of Latin America, Europe, Asia, and rest of the Pacific region. The company was formerly known as PRG-Schultz International, Inc. and changed its name to PRGX Global, Inc. in January 2010. PRGX Global, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on PRGX Global (Nasdaq: PRGX ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Hot Managed Healthcare Companies To Invest In 2014: Verint Systems Inc (VRNT)
Verint Systems Inc. (Verint), incorporated in February 1994, is engaged in Actionable Intelligence solutions and value-added services. More than 10,000 organizations use Verint Actionable Intelligence solutions to capture, distill, and analyze complex and underused information sources, such as voice, video, and unstructured text. In the security intelligence market, it offers communications and cyber intelligence, video and situation intelligence, and public safety solutions help government and commercial organizations to protect people and property. On March 30, 2011, the Company acquired Rontal Engineering Applications Ltd. On August 2, 2011, the Company acquired a privately held provider of communications intelligence solutions, data retention services, and network performance management, based in the Americas region. On August 4, 2011, the Company acquired Vovici Corporation (Vovici). On October 7, 2011, the completed the acquisition of Global Management Technologies (GMT). On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired certain technology and other assets for use in its Communications Intelligence operating segment. On November 10, 2011, the Company acquired certain technology and other assets for use in its Enterprise Intelligence operating segment in a transaction. On January 5, 2012, the Company acquired a privately held provider of Web intelligence technology, based in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. In February 2014, Verint Systems Inc has completed its acquisition of KANA Software, Inc, a portfolio company of Accel-KKR.
The Enterprise Intelligence Solutions Segment
The Company is a provider of enterprise intelligence software and services. Its solutions enable organizations to extract and analyze information from customer interactions and related operational data. It markets these solutions under the Impact 360 brand to contact center, back-office, and branch and remote office operations, to other customer-facing departments, such as sale! s and marketing. These solutions comprise a range of enterprise workforce optimization and voice of the customer solutions and services, which include Internet protocol (IP) and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) voice recording, quality monitoring, voice of the customer analytics (speech, text, and enterprise feedback management), workforce management, e-Learning and coaching, performance management, and desktop and process analytics. These solutions can be deployed stand-alone or in an integrated fashion.
The Company�� Impact 360 is an unified portfolio of workforce optimization and voice of the customer solutions. Its portfolio of Enterprise Intelligence Solutions include Quality Monitoring, Full-Time and Compliance Recording, Workforce Management, Voice of the Customer Analytics (Speech, Text, and Enterprise Feedback Management), Performance Management, e-Learning and Coaching, Desktop and Process Analytics, Workforce Optimization and Voice of the Customer for Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses and Public Safety. Quality Monitoring records multimedia interactions based on user-defined business rules and provides interaction assessment functionality, including intelligent evaluation forms and automatic delivery of calls for evaluation according to quotas or contact-related criteria. Its Full-Time and Compliance Recording provides contact center recording for compliance, sales verification, and monitoring in IP, traditional TDM, and mixed telephony environments. It includes encryption capabilities to help support the payment card industry data security standard and other regulatory requirements for protecting sensitive data. Workforce Management Helps enterprises forecast staffing requirements, deploy the appropriate level of resources, and evaluate the productivity of their customer service staff. It also includes optional strategic planning capabilities. Its speech analytics solutions analyze call content for the purpose of identifying business trends, building containment and customer s! ervice st! rategies, and quality monitoring programs. Its text analytics analyze structured and unstructured data in multiple text sources include e-mail, chat sessions, blogs, contact center notes, white mail, survey comments, and social media channels. Its enterprise feedback management solutions provide enterprise-wide customer feedback capabilities through surveys and online communities to centralize and simplify survey management, deployment, and analysis across survey platforms, including interactive voice response, e-mail, social media, and mobile devices. Performance Management Provides a view of key performance indicators (KPIs), with performance scorecards and reports on customer interactions, customer experience trends, and contact center, back-office, branch, remote office, and customer service staff performance. e-Learning and Coaching Enables enterprises to deliver Web-based training to customer service staff desktops, including learning clips created from recordings and other customized materials to staff needs and competencies. Desktop and Process Analytics Captures information from customer service employee interactions with their desktop applications to provide insights into productivity, training issues, process adherence, and bottlenecks. Workforce Optimization and Voice of the Customer for Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses is designed for smaller companies (with contact centers), which face the same business requirements as their larger competitors. Public Safety includes quality assurance, forecasting and scheduling, speech analytics, performance scorecards, citizen surveys, incident investigation and analytics, and full-time and compliance recording solutions under the brand Impact 360 for Public Safety Powered by Audiolog. Its public safety solution allows first responders (police, fire departments, emergency medical services, etc.) in the security intelligence market to deploy workforce optimization solutions to record, manage, and act on incoming assistance requests and related data.
! The Company competes with Aspect Software, Inc., HP company, Genesys Telecommunications, NICE Systems Ltd. (NICE).
The Video and Situation Intelligence Solutions Segment
The Company is a provider of networked IP video solutions and a provider of situation intelligence solutions to optimize security and enhance operations. Its solutions, marketed under the Nextiva brand, include IP video management software and services, edge devices for capturing, digitizing, and transmitting video over different types of wired and wireless networks, video analytics, network video recorders, and physical security information management. Its networked IP video portfolio enables organizations to deploy an end-to-end IP video solution with analytics or evolve to IP video solutions. Its situation intelligence solutions enable organizations to view, correlate, and analyze information from various stand-alone systems and sensors. It is engaged in the networked IP video market with Nextiva, an end-to-end, networked IP video solution portfolio. Its IP Video Management Software simplifies management of video and geographically dispersed video surveillance operations, with a suite of applications, which includes automated system health monitoring, policy-based video distribution, networked video viewing, and investigation management. It is designed for use with industry-standard servers and storage solutions and for interoperability with other enterprise systems. Edge Devices captures, digitizes, and transmits video across enterprise networks. It includes IP cameras, bandwidth-efficient video encoders to convert analog images to IP video for transmission over IP networks, and wireless devices, which perform both video encoding and wireless IP transmission. Video Analytics Analyzes video content to detect anomalies and activities of interest, such as perimeter intrusion, unattended objects, camera tampering, and vehicles moving in the wrong direction. It also includes industry-specific analytics applicati! ons. Netw! ork Video Recorders Performs networked video recording utilizing secure, embedded operating systems and market-specific data integrations for applications, which require local storage, as well as remote networking.
The Company�� Physical Security Information Management (Situation Intelligence) captures and integrates information from various stand-alone security and public safety systems, such as access control, video, intrusion, fire and public safety, first responder, and other mobile device systems. Its Video Intelligence solutions are deployed across a range of industries, including banking, retail, critical infrastructure, government, corporate campuses, education, airports, seaports, public transportation, and homeland security. Its video solutions include video analytics and data integrations.
The Company competes with 3VR, Tyco, Genetec Inc., March Networks Corporation, Milestone Systems A/S, NICE and Schneider Electric Limited.
The Communications and Cyber Intelligence Solutions Segment
The Company is a provider of communications intelligence solutions and a developer of cyber intelligence solutions, which help law enforcement, national security, intelligence, and civilian government agencies detect, investigate, and neutralize criminal and terrorist threats and detect and thwart cyber-attacks. Its portfolio includes solutions for communications interception, service provider compliance, mobile location tracking, open source Web intelligence, cyber intelligence and tactical communications intelligence. These solutions can be deployed stand-alone or collectively. The Company is engaged in the market for communications intelligence solutions and a developer of cyber intelligence solutions, which are marketed under the RELIANT, VANTAGE, STAR-GATE, ENGAGE, FOCALINFO, and CYBERVISION brand names. Its Communications Interception enables the interception, monitoring, and analysis of information collected from a range of communications networks, inc! luding fi! xed and mobile networks, IP networks, and the Internet. It includes lawful interception solutions designed to intercept specific target communications pursuant to legal warrants and mass interception solutions for investigating and proactively addressing criminal and terrorist threats. Communications Service Provider Compliance enables communication service providers to collect and deliver to government agencies specific call-related and call-content information in compliance with Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and other compliance regulations and standards. It includes a scalable warrant and subpoena management system. Its Mobile Location Tracking tracks the location of mobile network devices for intelligence and evidence gathering, with analytics and workflow designed to support investigative activities. It provides real-time tracking of multiple targets, real-time alerts, and investigative capabilities, such as geospatial fencing and events correlation. Its Open Source Web Intelligence features advanced data collection, text analysis, data enrichment and analytics. Tactical Communications Intelligence provides portable communications interception and location tracking capabilities for local use or integration with centralized monitoring systems, to support tactical field operations. Its Cyber Intelligence designed to provide network-based cyber security, including malware detection capabilities for high-speed networks, for national cyber protection organizations.
The Company competes with Bosch Security Systems, Cisco Systems, Inc., United Technologies Corp., Honeywell International Inc., Aqsacom Inc., BAE Systems, JSI Telecom, NICE, Pen-Link, Ltd., RCS S.R.L., Rohde & Schwarz, Trovicor, SS8 Networks, Inc. and Sophos, Plc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Verint Systems (NASDAQ: VRNT) was also up, gaining 4.33 percent to $48.96 after the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and issued a strong full-year forecast. Verint reported its adjusted earnings of $0.91 per share on revenue of $257.1 million.
- [By Lee Jackson]
Verint Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: VRNT) is a global leader in actionable intelligence solutions. Its portfolio of Enterprise Intelligence Solutions and Security Intelligence Solutions helps organizations make Big Data actionable through the ability to capture, analyze and act on large volumes of rich, complex and often underused information sources — such as voice, video and unstructured text. With Verint solutions and value-added services, organizations of all sizes can make more timely and effective decisions. More than 10,000 organizations in over 150 countries, including more than 80% of the Fortune 100, count on Verint solutions to improve enterprise performance. The J.P. Morgan price target is $51, and consensus estimate is inline at $51.29. Verint closed Tuesday at $47.12.
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