In the past month, the budget tablet segment experienced a new round of price cuts by major manufacturers. Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS ) initiated this new price war as the company dramatically slashed the prices of its soon-to-be-discontinued Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets to clear inventory. Other vendors such as Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN ) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ) have followed suit with more modest price reductions.
Margins are already very thin for tablets, with the exception of Apple's iPad. The most recent round of price cuts could mean that the vendors are selling these tablets at a loss to gain market share.
At some point, investors could reasonably wonder whether there is any point to competing in this market. The non-Apple tablet market has already become fully commoditized, with relatively unknown Chinese vendors offering tablets with specifications equal to the top Android tablets at very low price points. There may be strategic reasons for major American tech companies to keep selling budget Android tablets. However, as an investor, I'm skeptical about the benefits of this strategy in light of the difficulty of merely breaking even in the low-cost tablet market.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Banca Milano(PMII.MI)
Banca Popolare di Milano Societa Cooperativa a r.l. provides banking and financial services primarily in Italy, Europe, the United States, and Asia. The company offers current and savings accounts, mortgage and personal loans, credit cards, finance leases, and factoring services. It also provides commercial, corporate, and investment banking services; treasury services; financial advisory services; brokerage services; bancassurance products; collective and individual portfolio management services; and open and close-ended mutual funds, and hedge funds. As of 30 June 2011, the company operated a network of 770 retail branches, 4 corporate branches, 10 SME units, and 17 private banking centers, as well as 3 direct branches and 28 financial shops. It also offers telephone and Internet banking services. The company was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: North Valley Bancorp(NOVB)
North Valley Bancorp operates as a bank holding company North Valley Bank that provides commercial and retail banking services to businesses and middle income individuals in California. The company accepts various deposit products, including demand deposits, interest bearing demand deposits, regular savings, money market deposit accounts, non-interest bearing deposits, and time deposits. It also provides various loan products comprising commercial loans; real estate commercial, construction, and mortgage loans; installment loans; consumer loans; and home equity loans. In addition, the company issues cashier?s checks and money orders; and sells travelers checks, as well as offers safe deposit boxes and other customary banking services. It operates 25 commercial banking offices in Shasta, Trinity, Humboldt, Del Norte, Yolo, Sonoma, Placer, and Mendocino counties. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Redding, California.
10 Best Stocks To Buy For 2014: Verifone Systems Inc.(PAY)
Verifone Systems, Inc. designs, markets, and services electronic payment solutions in North America and internationally. It provides system solutions, including countertop electronic payment systems that accepts magnetic, smart card, contactless/ radio frequency identification(RFID) cards, and near field communication(NFC) enabled mobile phones; secure PIN pads that support credit and debit transactions; and wireless system solutions that support Internet protocol-based code division multiple access, general packet radio service, bluetooth, and wireless fidelity technologies. The company also offers products for consumer-activated functionality at the point of sale; contactless/NFC payment solutions consisting of contactless readers primarily for consumer-activated transactions with contactless cards, tokens, and NFC-enabled mobile phones; and Gemstone family of products comprising integrated electronic payment systems for petroleum companies. In addition, it provides serv er-based payment processing software and middleware; unattended and self-service payments hardware and software integration modules, such as vending machines, ATMs, ticketing kiosks, petroleum dispensers, public transportation turnstiles and buses, self-checkout, bill payment, and photo finishing kiosks; retail bank branch solutions; mass transportation solutions; and network access solutions. Further, the company offers client services, customized application development, advertising publishing, taxi payments and advertising, cardholder data security, annual software maintenance program, and repair services. It serves financial institutions, payment processors, petroleum companies, large retailers, taxi fleets, government organizations, healthcare companies, independent sales organizations, and advertisers. The company was formerly known as VeriFone Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to VeriFone Systems, Inc in May 2010. VeriFone Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: BB&T Corp (BBT)
BB&T Corporation (BB&T) is a financial holding company. BB&T conducts its business operations primarily through its commercial bank subsidiary, Branch Banking and Trust Company (Branch Bank), which has offices in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Alabama, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Washington D.C and Indiana. In addition, BB&T�� operations consist of a federally chartered thrift institution, BB&T Financial, FSB (BB&T FSB), and a number of nonbank subsidiaries, which offer financial services products. BB&T�� operations are divided into six business segments: Community Banking, Residential Mortgage Banking, Dealer Financial Services, Specialized Lending, Insurance Services, and Financial Services. Branch Bank provides a range of banking and trust services for retail and commercial clients in its geographic markets, including small and mid-size businesses, public agencies, local Governments and individuals, through 1,779 offices as of December 31, 2011. During the year ended December 31, 2011, BB&T announced the acquisitions of Liberty Benefit Insurance Services, Atlantic Risk Management Corporation and the Precept Group. In April 2012, it acquired the life and property and casualty insurance operating divisions of Roseland, New Jersey - based Crump Group Inc. On July 31, 2012, it acquired BankAtlantic.
As of December 31, 2011, the principal operating subsidiaries of BB&T included Branch Banking and Trust Company, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; BB&T Financial, FSB, Columbus, Georgia; Scott & Stringfellow, LLC, Richmond, Virginia; Clearview Correspondent Services, LLC, Richmond, Virginia; Regional Acceptance Corporation, Greenville, North Carolina; American Coastal Insurance Company, Davie, Florida, and Sterling Capital Management, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina. Branch Bank�� principal operating subsidiaries include BB&T Equipment Finance Corporation, BB&T Investment Services, Inc., BB&T Insurance Services, Inc., Stanley, Hunt, DuPree! & Rhine (a division of Branch Bank), Prime Rate Premium Finance Corporation, Inc., Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC, Lendmark Financial Services, Inc., CRC Insurance Services, Inc. and McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc.
Community Banking
BB&T�� Community Banking serves individual and business clients by offering a range of loan and deposit products and other financial services. As of December 31, 2011, Community Banking had a network of 1,779 banking.
Residential Mortgage Banking
Residential Mortgage Banking segment retains and services mortgage loans originated by Community Banking, as well as those purchased from various correspondent originators. Mortgage loan products include fixed and adjustable rate Government and conventional loans for the purpose of constructing, purchasing or refinancing residential properties. Substantially all of the properties are owner occupied. BB&T retains the servicing rights to all loans sold. Residential Mortgage Banking earns interest on loans held in the warehouse and portfolio, fee income from the origination and servicing of mortgage loans and recognizes gains or losses from the sale of mortgage loans. BB&T�� mortgage originations totaled $23.7 billion in 2011. BB&T�� residential mortgage servicing portfolio, which includes both retained loans and loans serviced for third parties, totaled $91.6 billion in 2011.
Dealer Financial Services
Dealer Financial Services originates loans to consumers on a prime and nonprime basis for the purchase of automobiles. Such loans are originated on an indirect basis through approved franchised and independent automobile dealers throughout the BB&T market area and nationally through Regional Acceptance Corporation. This segment also originates loans for the purchase of boats and recreational vehicles originated through dealers in BB&T�� market area. In addition, financing and servicing to dealers for their inventories is provided through a ! joint rel! ationship between Dealer Financial Services and Community Banking.
Specialized Lending
BB&T�� Specialized Lending consists of eight business units that provide specialty finance products to consumers and businesses. The internal business units include Commercial Finance that contains commercial finance and mortgage warehouse lending; and, Governmental Finance that is responsible for tax-exempt Government finance. Operating subsidiaries include BB&T Equipment Finance which provides equipment leasing within BB&T�� banking footprint; Sheffield Financial, a division of FSB Financial, a dealer-based financer of equipment for both small businesses and consumers; Lendmark Financial Services, a direct consumer finance lending company; Prime Rate Premium Finance Corporation, which includes AFCO and CAFO, insurance premium finance business units that provide funding to businesses in the United States and Canada and to consumers in certain markets within BB&T�� banking footprint, and Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, a commercial mortgage banking lender providing loans on a national basis.
Insurance Services
BB&T Insurance Services provides property and casualty, life and health insurance to businesses and individuals. It also provides small business and corporate products, such as workers compensation and professional liability, as well as surety coverage and title insurance. In addition, Insurance Services also underwrites a limited amount of property and casualty coverage.
Financial Services
Financial Services provides personal trust administration, estate planning, investment counseling, wealth management, asset management, employee benefits services, corporate banking and corporate trust services to individuals, corporations, institutions, foundations and Government entities. Financial Services also offers clients investment alternatives, including discount brokerage services, equities, fixed-rate and variable-rate annuiti! es, mutua! l funds and governmental and municipal bonds through BB&T Investment Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Branch Bank. Financial Services includes Scott & Stringfellow, LLC, a brokerage and investment banking firm. Scott & Stringfellow provides services in retail brokerage, equity and debt underwriting, investment advice, corporate finance and equity research and facilitates the origination, trading and distribution of fixed-income securities and equity products in both the public and private capital markets. Scott & Stringfellow also has a public finance department that provides investment banking services, financial advisory services and municipal bond financing. Scott & Stringfellow�� investment banking and corporate and public finance areas conduct business as BB&T Capital Markets. This segment includes BB&T Capital Partners that is a group of BB&T-sponsored private equity and mezzanine investment funds that invest in privately owned middle-market operating companies. Financial Services also includes the Corporate Banking Division that originates and services corporate relationships, syndicated lending relationships and client derivatives.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Elissa]
BB&T Corporation is a full-range financial company that provides commercial and retail services. Unlike other banks, BB&T is organized by community banks, and each group has a regional president. This enables simple changes that affect clients in a local area.
- [By Michael Brush]
BB&T (BBT) has a dividend yield of 2.5%
The regional bank has 1,800 branches in the Southeast and Washington, D.C. Even during the worst of the credit meltdown, BB&T was profitable. The company used its financial clout to attract customers from competitors and purchase the assets of a failed bank in Florida from regulators.
As the economy improves and loan business grows, Wordell believes the bank could see annual earnings as high as $3.50 a share, from $1.21 recently. Wordell expects the bank to raise dividends as earnings and loan quality improves.
- [By Louis Navellier]
BB&T (NYSE:BBT) owns the commercial banking subsidiary, Branch Banking and Trust Company, and has posted a gain of 16% since last March. BB&T stock gets an “A” grade for operating margin growth, an “A” grade for earnings growth, a “B” grade for earnings momentum, an “A” grade for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past months, and a “B” grade for cash flow.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Questar Corporation(STR)
Questar Corporation operates as an integrated natural gas holding company. The company develops and produces natural gas and crude oil from its properties located in the Rocky Mountain region, primarily in the Pinedale, Moxa Arch, Vermillion, and Uinta producing areas. It also provides interstate natural gas-transportation and underground-storage services in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado; and wellhead automation and measurement services for Rockies oil and gas producers. The company owns and operates approximately 2,568 miles of interstate pipeline with total firm-capacity commitments of 4,983 Mdth per day transporting natural gas from Rocky Mountain producing areas to other pipeline systems, distribution systems, and other utility systems; the Overthrust Pipeline in southwestern Wyoming and the eastern segment of Southern Trails Pipeline, a 487-mile line that extends from the Blanco hub in the San Juan Basin to just inside the California state line near the Arizona border; the White River Hub facilities that connect with 6 interstate-pipeline systems and a processing plant near Meeker, Colorado; the Clay Basin storage facility, an underground-storage reservoir in the Rocky Mountain region; and gathering lines and processing facilities, which provide gas-processing services for third parties near Price, Utah. In addition, it distributes natural gas as a public utility in Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and a small portion of southeastern Idaho. Questar Corporation was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Leeds]
A growing population (7 billion), and an increasingly sophisticated diet among China and other developing nations have led to rapidly increasing demand for food around the world. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data, China's per capita intake of calories, protein, and fat were below the world average in 1975, but are now well above the world average. Expect this trend to accelerate in China, as well as India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and other developing nations.
The problem is that there's not even close to enough food, while challenging agricultural environments routinely wipe out crops.
That's where Monsanto (MON 0.00%) comes in. It enables more food to be produced on smaller parcels of land with less water usage and limited crop loss. Global demand for MON's products and services just keeps growing. I am expecting its $20 billion in assets and constant net earnings ($1.6 billion in 2011) to translate into further gains in the share price. My price outlook: $94.
- [By Peter Leeds]
Libya without Ghadafi, much like Iraq after the removal of Hussein, will be much less stable. A power vacuum will cause Libya's already divided tribal nation to fragment into warring factions, set on competing for power and settling old scores. Meanwhile, America, Russia, and China will jostle for influence in this oil-rich flashpoint.
This will create higher oil prices, greater volatility, and a higher risk premium built into costs of the commodity. Due to less reliable overseas oil supplies, America will look to further increase exploration and production from friendlier sources, such as Canada.
I am expecting Questar (STR 0.00%) to be a big beneficiary of this trend. It is a leading producer and distributor of natural gas to the American domestic market. It is profitable ($36 million in Q3), and had strong 33% growth in third quarter earnings per share, year over year. It also sports a nice 3% dividend. My price outlook: $31.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Bassett Furniture Industries Incorporated(BSET)
Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, marketing, import, and retail of branded home furnishings in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Wholesale, Retail, and Investments and Real Estate. The Wholesale segment engages in the design, manufacture, sourcing, sale, and distribution of furniture products and accessories to a network of 89 Bassett Home Furnishings stores, including independently-owned and company-owned retail stores; and independent furniture retailers. This segment is also involved in wood and upholstery operations. The Retail segment operates 39 licensee-owned stores and 49 company-owned and operated stores in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The Investments a nd Real Estate segment consists of retail real estate related to licensee stores; equity investments in Zenith Freight Lines, LLC; and investments in marketable securities; investment in the Fortress Value Recovery Fund I, LLC. Bassett Furniture Industries, Incorporated was founded in 1902 and is based in Bassett, Virginia.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: MHI Hospitality Corporation(MDH)
MHI Hospitality Corporation, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the ownership and operation of upper upscale and midscale hotels in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States. As of March 15, 2006, the company operated seven upper upscale and midscale hotels with 1,673 rooms under the brand names ?Hilton? and ?Holiday Inn?. It also owns leasehold interests in the commercial spaces of the Shell Island Resort, a condominium resort property. The company has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal income tax, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. MHI Hospitality has strategic alliance agreement with MHI Hotels Services LLC. The company was founded in 1957 and is based in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Focus Metals Inc (FMS.V)
Focus Graphite Inc., mid-tier junior mining company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Quebec, Canada. It focuses on producing technology graphite for clean energy applications. The company principally holds a 100% interest in the Lac Knife graphite property that consists of 57 mining claims covering an area of approximately 3,000 hectares located to the south of Fermont, Quebec. It also has interests in the Kwyjibo rare earth elements and copper project, located to the north of Lac Manitou; and the Romer & Labrador Trough project for the discovery of gold, platinum, palladium, copper, zinc, and nickel in northern Quebec. In addition, the company, through its investment in Grafoid Inc., focuses on producing commercialized graphene for industrial, infrastructural, medical, military, and other sectoral applications. The company was formerly known as Focus Metals Inc. and changed its name to Focus Graphite Inc. on May 24, 2012. Focus Graphite Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is based in Ottawa, Canada. The company operates as a subsidiary of 360House.com, Inc.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Fresenius Medical Care Corporation (FMS)
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, a dialysis company, provides products and services for patients with chronic kidney diseases. As of May 12, 2011, it provided dialysis care services to 216,942 patients through its network of 2,769 dialysis clinics primarily in North America, Europe, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, and Africa. The company also develops and manufactures various dialysis products, including hemodialysis machines, dialyzers, hemofilters, dialysis fluid filters, tubing systems, fistula needles, dialysis related equipment, acute hemodialysis machines, plasma filters, acute tubing systems and cassettes, catheters, and related disposable products for chronic hemodialysis, acute therapy, home therapy, and therapeutic apheresis, as well as dialysis drugs. In addition, it provides laboratory services. Fresenius Medical sells its products through distributors. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Bad Homburg, Germany.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Buy Right Now: Forsys Metals Corp Com Npv(FSY.TO)
Forsys Metals Corp., an exploration stage company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Namibia. The company primarily explores for uranium and gold ores. Its flagship project is the Valencia Uranium project that covers an area of approximately 735.6 hectares located south-west of the town of Usakos in central-west Namibia. The company was formerly known as Forsys Technologies Inc. and changed its name to Forsys Metals Corp. in June 2005. Forsys Metals Corp. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
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