Richard Drew/AP WASHINGTON -- Regulators have approved the proposed $8 billion sale of the venerable New York Stock Exchange to a much younger futures exchange. The deal is a symbol of how financial markets are being increasingly reshaped by high technology. The Securities and Exchange Commission disclosed Friday that it's authorized the takeover of the two-centuries-old NYSE's parent by Atlanta-based IntercontinentalExchange, or ICE. The rival acquiring company, founded in 2000, has expanded rapidly through acquisitions during the past decade. The SEC said in a filing that it's determined that the merger of the exchanges would comply with securities laws and regulations. The merger also must be approved by regulators in Europe. The NYSE's parent is NYSE Euronext, which includes stock exchanges in Europe. The European Commission, the executive body of the 28-nation European Union, gave its approval in June. The deal is expected to close in the fall. For each share of NYSE Euronext stock they own, shareholders would be able to choose either $33.12 in cash, about a quarter-share of ICE, or a combination of $11.27 in cash and around one-sixth of a share of ICE. ICE's offer was valued at $8 billion when it was announced in December. Based on ICE's current share price, the deal would be worth about $10 billion. ICE (ICE) shares were up $1.12 at $181.47 in trading Friday. NYSE Euronext (NYX) shares rose 22 cents to $42.07. "We welcome the [SEC] decision," NYSE Euronext spokesman Rich Adamonis said. ICE representatives didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. ICE has said that little would change for the NYSE trading floor -- known as the Big Board -- at the corner of Wall and Broad streets in Manhattan's financial district. But the NYSE'S clout has been eroded by the rapid advance of technological and regulatory changes. Its importance today is mostly symbolic. While brokerage fees for stock trading have declined, futures exchanges like ICE have retained solid profit margins. Futures contracts are written by exchanges and must be bought and sold in the same place -- unlike stocks, which can be traded on any exchange. Buyers of futures contract commit to buy something at a specified date and price. Futures can be used to lock in prices as a hedge against future price movements. They're also used by traders to speculate on prices.
Best Energy Companies To Watch For 2015: Automatic Data Processing Inc.(ADP)
Automatic Data Processing, Inc. provides technology-based outsourcing solutions to employers, and vehicle retailers and manufacturers worldwide. It operates in three segments: Employer Services, Professional Employer Organization Services, and Dealer Services. The Employer Services segment offers a range of human resource (HR)information, payroll processing, and tax and benefits administration solutions and services, including traditional and Web-based outsourcing solutions. Its solutions enable employers to staff, manage, pay, and retain their employees. The Professional Employer Organization Services segment provides employment administration outsourcing solutions, including payroll, payroll tax filing, HR guidance, 401(k) plan administration, benefits administration, compliance services, health and workers? compensation coverage, and other supplemental benefits for employees. The Dealer Services segment offers integrated dealer management systems (DMS) and other busines s management solutions to automotive, truck, motorcycle, marine, recreational vehicle, and heavy machinery retailers. This segment also provides a suite of additional integrated applications to address department and functional area of the dealership, including customer relationship management applications, front-end sales and marketing/advertising solutions, and an IP Telephony phone system integrated into the DMS to help dealerships drive sales processes and business development initiatives, as well as offers computer hardware, hardware maintenance services, software support, system design, and network consulting services. In addition, it designs, establishes, and maintains communications networks for its dealership clients that allow interactive communications among various site locations, as well as links between franchised dealers and their vehicle manufacturer franchisors. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
With Latin America representing one of the fastest-growing labor market opportunities, payroll processor ADP (NASDAQ: ADP ) has acquired Payroll, SA, a Chilean�provider of payroll, human resource, and benefits services, the company announced yesterday.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Automatic Data Processing (Nasdaq: ADP ) reported earnings on May 3. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q3), Automatic Data Processing met expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.
5 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2014: Acorn Energy Inc.(ACFN)
Acorn Energy, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides technology driven solutions for energy infrastructure asset management worldwide. It offers sonar and acoustic related solutions for energy, defense, and commercial markets with a focus on underwater site security for strategic energy installations and other acoustic systems, as well as develops and produces real-time embedded hardware and software. The company also develops and markets remote monitoring systems to electric utilities and industrial facilities, which are used in a range of utility applications, including outage management, power quality monitoring, system planning, trouble shooting and proactive maintenance, and condition monitoring; and provides the intelligence to transmission and distribution network operators. In addition, it develops and produces fiber optic sensing systems for the energy, commercial security, and defense markets. The company?s patented ultra-high sensitivity fiber optic sensors a re designed to replace electronic sensors with fiber optic sensors. Further, it engages in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sale of wireless remote systems that monitor standby power generation, backup power generators, remote powered equipment, cellular towers, emergency towered communications, and remote tower sites; cathodic protection products to monitor pipeline integrity; and other wireless remote systems. Acorn Energy, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Montchanin, Delaware.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
A technology stock that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Acorn Energy (ACFN), which provides digital solutions for energy infrastructure asset management. This stock has been hit hard by the sellers in 2013, with shares off sharply by 48%.
If you take a look at the chart for Acorn Energy, you'll notice that this stock has started to spike higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $3.66 a share. This stock has also found significant buying interest over the last two months, each time it has pulled back to around $3.50 to $3.20 a share. Shares of ACFN are now quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade above some key near-term overhead resistance levels.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ACFN if it manages to break out above some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.24 to $4.64 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 344,835 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ACFN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $5.50 to $6 a share. Any high-volume move above $6 will then put its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $6.35 to $6.68 a share into range for shares of ACFN.
Traders can look to buy ACFN off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day at $3.66 a share, or right around some major support at $3.21 a share. One could also buy ACFN off strength once it starts to clear those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
- [By Bryan Murphy]
Neither Acorn Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:ACFN) nor Cardica, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRDC) may look all that compelling with just a passing glance. The longer one examines CRDC and ACFN, however - and really gets a grasp of their underlying stories - the more compelling each one becomes. In fact, newcomers may want to go ahead and put both budding stocks on their watchlists, if not in their portfolios.
5 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2014: Rudolph Technologies Inc.(RTEC)
Rudolph Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells process control defect inspection, metrology, and process control software systems to microelectronics device manufacturers. The company provides yield management solutions for use in wafer processing and final manufacturing through a range of standalone systems for macro-defect inspection, test systems, and transparent and opaque thin film measurements. It also offers a range of process control software solutions for semiconductor, solar, and LED manufacturing. It provides products for various applications in the areas of macro-defect detection and classification, diffusion, etch, lithography, CVD, PVD, and CMP. The company sells its products and solutions to logic, memory, data storage, and application-specific integrated circuit device manufacturers. It sells its products in the United States, Taiwan, China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and Europe. The company was founded in 1940 and is based in Fla nders, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Emerson]
In case you are wondering, I only made peanuts on what should have been a monumental success. You see I never sold a share of Camtek until the autumn of 2008. I exchanged them for shares in their arch rivals Orbitech (OBRK) and Rudolph (RTEC) which had become large net/net propositions (more on those purchases of ORBK and RTEC later in the series).
- [By Seth Jayson]
Basic guidelines
In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Rudolph Technologies (Nasdaq: RTEC ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Rudolph Technologies doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, not so great. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 17.6%, and inventory increased 32.2%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks potentially problematic. Revenue dropped 8.9%, and inventory grew 32.2%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks worrisome. Revenue dropped 23.3%, and inventory grew 10.8%.
5 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2014: Camtek Ltd (CAMT)
Camtek Ltd. (Camtek), incorporated in 1987, designs, develops, manufactures and markets automated solutions dedicated for enhancing production processes and yield for the semiconductor manufacturing and packaging and the printed circuit board (PCB) and integrated circuit (IC) substrate industries. Camtek also designs, develops, manufactures and markets automated optical inspection (AOI), systems and related products. The Company�� AOI systems are used to enhance both production processes and yields for manufacturers in the semiconductor manufacturing and packaging industry and PCB and IC Substrate industry. Through the acquisition of Printar's assets, it also engaged in developing, manufacturing, sale and marketing of direct digital material deposition systems and inks for the PCB industry, with two major fields of activity: Solder Mask and Legend. In addition, through the acquisition of Sela, it is also engaged in the development, manufacturing and marketing of automated scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) sample preparation equipment, primarily for the semiconductor industry.
As of December 31, 2011, the Company had sold more than 2,500 AOI systems in 34 countries worldwide. The Company's PCB customer base includes the majority of the 100 PCB manufacturers worldwide. As of December 31, 2011, it had sold over 300 Falcon systems to more than 25 semiconductor manufacturers, among them outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT), integrated device manufacturers (IDM) and wafer level packaging subcontractors, including eight out of the top 10 semiconductors companies.
Camtek�� AOI systems consist of an electro-optical assembly unit, either movable or fixed, which consists of a video camera, precision optics and illumination sources. The electro-optical unit captures the image of the inspected product; a precise, either movable or fixed table, that holds the inspected product, and an electronic hardware unit, which operates the! entire system and includes embedded components that process and analyze the captured image by using its algorithms. Its systems can also compile and communicate statistical reports of inspection findings through the customer�� factory information system. The Company offers a range of systems for automated optical inspection of semiconductor wafers, IC substrates and PCBs. These systems are used to enhance production yields and assist in controlling manufacturing processes at wafer fabrication, test and assembly houses, and PCB plants worldwide.
The Company�� Falcon systems are designed for the back end market of the semiconductor industry. The Falcon�� advanced algorithms and inspection capabilities enable its dedicated models to detect defects in the die, which, if left undetected, may cause failure. The Condor is designed to meet the current and future inspection needs of the semiconductor industry. The Condor, through algorithms and advanced hardware configuration, is designed to enhance two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) detection abilities and increased throughput. The Condor family includes models for: 3D and 2D metrology and inspection of bumped-wafer prepared for packaging in the flip-chip technology; 2D metrology and inspection of finished wafers at the end of their manufacturing process and in test houses; Post-dicing inspection of frame-mounted wafers at assembly and packaging facilities, where it adds the value of detecting dicing-related damage, and inspection and metrology of micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) and other special applications.
Condor 5LED is an AOI system designed to provide solutions to a range of requirements that are to light emitting diode (LED) semiconductor manufacturers. The LED market�� special inspection requirements are characterized by 3-6 inch wafers, each of which may contain between 100 to over 200 thousand LED devices per wafer. Typically, the wafer is made of a translucent compound semiconductor, such as g! allium ar! senide, gallium phosphide and/or indium phosphide. The Gannet system is designed for the front end market of the semiconductor industry.
The Company�� AOI products for this industry consist of five product lines: the Phoenix, Dragon and Orion for the inspection of inner and outer layers of PCB panels and ultra-fine-line IC substrate; large area masks (LAM) dedicated for inspection of artwork; and the Pegasus for final inspection (AFI) of IC substrates and high density interconnect (HDI) panels. The Phoenix product family, introduced in November 2011, is designed to support a range of the demanding PCB and IC substrate applications, while keeping in pace with the dynamic technology changes in the industry. The Phoenix product family is enhanced with Spark - Camtek's and detection engine providing high detection capabilities, while minimizing false calls.
Dragon systems are high-throughput, automation-ready systems for inspection of all PCB types in a mass production environment. Dragon models are optimized for specific PCB technology ranges - from mainstream circuits of typically 100 (microns) conductor line width, up to high density substrates having 12 (microns) wide conductive lines. All Dragon models are designed to interface with automated material handling mechanisms provided by the Company or other automation suppliers. Orion systems are stand-alone AOI systems for high volume inspection of all PCB types designed to operate in inspectify mode of operation. Inspectify is a mode of operation enabling the operator to perform verification immediately after inspection on the same system, thus saving time and eliminating handling-related defects.
LAM is specially designed for main-stream LAM inspection. It offers unparalleled detection ability on LAM with down to 25 (microns) line/space width technology. The LAM incorporates advanced technology innovations to ensure the level of detection that these masks require at this critical production stage. Camtek offers! various ! stand-alone verification systems that enable verification of panels after inspection. The Pegasus line includes systems for automated inspection of finished IC substrates that are subsequently used in packaging of ball grid array (BGA) and Chip Scale Package (CSP) devices. The Pegasus inspects both sides of the substrate, detecting process and mechanical defects, in particular in the gold-plated areas, where the substrate will interconnect with the silicon die or the PCB, and in the solder-mask areas. Pegasus models handle substrates in strip format in magazines.
GreenJet is a SM digital printing system aimed to replace the conventional SM application lines for prototypes and high mix low volume production. The GreenJet system offers manufacturers flexible and digital SM printing technology solution. The LGP system incorporates PCB digital legend printing technologies with specially developed heat curable ink, resulting in output and system performance. Camtek has developed the inks for both LGP and GreenJet, which involves different chemicals mixed together in order to reach the required ink characterization.
The Company competes with Rudolph Technologies Inc., KLA-Tencor Corporation, Topcon Corporation, Toray Industries, Inc., Hitachi Ltd., Nidec Tosok Corporation., FEI Company, SII Nanotechnology Japan, Carl Zeiss, Inc., Orbotech Ltd., Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Company, Lloyd-Doyle Limited, Gigavis Co. Ltd., ATI Electronics Pty Ltd., Shirai Electronics Industrial Co. Ltd., First EIE SA and MicroCraft K.K.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Emerson]
As noted previously, I rode the elevator up and then back down on Camtek (CAMT), a tiny Israeli automated optical inspection (AOI) company. By late 2008 the company had fallen to below $1 per share. Both of Camtek�� larger rivals, RTEC and ORBK, had dropped to absurdly low levels by November 2008. I used the opportunity to switch out of CAMT and some of my other losing propositions in favor of these superior companies. In the process, I created a large amount of tax loss carry-forwards which would allow me to minimize my future taxation when I decided to sell these cyclical entities.
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