I had the opportunity to hear advisor coach George Hartman speak this year at the annual Million Dollor Round Table meeting in Toronto. While many presenters I've heard lately focus on the clients to maximize their success rate, Hartman went in another direction. He said advisors need to look in the mirror, first, to figure out if they're doing things right and maximizing their potential.
He asked the audience to raise their hands if they believed they were doing the things they needed to be top-performing advisors. Hands shot up. Hartman didn't shake his head. "In fact, I am willing to bet that most of you are already performing at a high level in many aspects of your business. You wouldn’t have qualified to attend this meeting without having done many of the right things and done them well. . . Don't worry, I won't be wasting your time. Even the highest-performing advisors rarely do everything perfectly."
What the best advisors have learned to do, according to Hartman, is to "recognize their strengths and weaknesses and then work to capitalize on the first and eliminate the second. They have also come to understand that, in the dynamic world of financial advice, perfection is an elusive goal."
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Watch For 2015: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)
Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes) is engaged in the oilfield services industry. Baker Hughes is a supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. It also provides industrial and other products and services to the downstream refining, and the process and pipeline industries. The Company may conduct its operations through subsidiaries, affiliates, ventures and alliances. It operates in more than 80 countries worldwide. The Company operates in five segments. Four of these segments represent its oilfield operations and their geographic organization: North America (U.S. Land, Gulf of Mexico and Canada), Latin America, Europe/Africa/Russia Caspian and Middle East/Asia Pacific. Its Industrial Services and Other segment includes downstream chemicals, process and pipeline services, and the reservoir development services group.
The geographic organization supports its oilfield operations and is responsible for sales, field operations and well site execution. Western Hemisphere operations consist of four regions - Canada, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, and the United States Land, Gulf of Mexico and Latin America regions. Eastern Hemisphere operations consist of five regions - Europe, England; Africa, France; Russia Caspian, Russia; Middle East, United Arab Emirates, and Asia Pacific, Malaysia.
Oilfield Operations
The Company offers a suite of products and services to its customers worldwide. Its oilfield products and services fall into one of two groups, Drilling and Evaluation or Completion and Production. The Drilling and Evaluation group consists of Drill Bits, Drilling Services, Wireline Services, and Drilling and Completion Fluids. Drill Bits includes Tricone and PDC or diamond drill bits used for performance drilling, hole enlargement and coring. Drilling Services includes conventional and rotary steerable systems used to drill wells directionally and horizontally; measurement-while-drilling and! logging-while-drilling systems used to perform reservoir navigation services; drilling optimization services; tools for coil tubing drilling and wellbore re-entry systems; coring drilling systems, and surface logging.
Wireline Services includes tools for both open hole and cased hole well logging used to gather data to perform petrophysical and geophysical analysis; reservoir evaluation coring; casing perforation; fluid characterization; production logging; well integrity testing; pipe recovery, and seismic and microseismic services. Drilling and Completion Fluids includes emulsion and water-based drilling fluids systems; reservoir drill-in fluids, and fluids environmental services.
The Completion and Production group consists of Completion Systems, Wellbore Intervention, Intelligent Production Systems, Artificial Lift, Tubular Services, Upstream Chemicals and Pressure Pumping. Completion Systems includes products and services used to control the flow of hydrocarbons within a wellbore, including sand control systems; liner hangers; wellbore isolation; expandable tubulars; multilaterals; safety systems; packers and flow control, and tubing conveyed perforating. Wellbore Intervention includes products and services used in existing wellbores to improve their performance, including thru-tubing fishing; thru-tubing inflatables; conventional fishing; casing exit systems; production injection packers; remedial and stimulation tools, and wellbore cleanup.
Intelligent Production Systems includes products and services used to monitor and dynamically control the production from individual wells or fields, including production decisions services; chemical injection services; well monitoring services; intelligent well systems, and artificial lift monitoring. Artificial Lift includes electric submersible pump systems; progressing cavity pump systems; gas lift systems, and surface horizontal pumping systems used to lift large volumes of oil and water when a reservoir is no long! er able t! o flow on its own. Tubular Services includes hammer services; tubular running systems, and completion assembly systems. Upstream Chemicals includes chemicals and chemical application systems to provide flow assurance, integrity management and production management for upstream hydrocarbon production. Pressure Pumping includes cementing, stimulation, including hydraulic fracturing, and coil tubing services used in the completion of new oil and natural gas wells and in remedial work on existing wells, both onshore and offshore.
The Company competes with Schlumberger, Halliburton, Weatherford, National Oilwell Varco, Champion Technologies, Ecolab, Newpark Resources, and Frac Tech Services.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Banyan�� Pavlik said he�� more interested in how oil-field services companies are doing this season seeing that firms like Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI) �topped earnings expectations recently.
- [By Robert Mitkowski]
Long-term investors and contrarians might wish to take advantage of the recent weakness in oil prices to pick up shares that have backed off in sympathy. In addition to Exxon, stocks fitting that theme include oil major Chevron (CVX ��Free Chevron Stock Report), large-cap independent Anadarko (APC), and oilfield services provider Baker Hughes (BHI).
- [By Dimitra DeFotis]
The market seems to be showing fatigue particularly with positive onshore oil service data points that may no�longer seem incremental. Investors have become especially focused on potential issues and macro concerns. We believe this phase�of enhanced risk perceptions will pass and still recommend owning selective stocks based on attractive valuations and healthy�fundamentals. Of the 16 oilfield services companies having reported their quarters to date, the share price changes have at times�been difficult to tie to specific results. �… Five of the 12 companies who have beaten earnings expectations have seen their share prices drop on the day, including Basic Energy Services (BAS) (-9.0%), Baker Hughes (BHI) (-2.5%), National Oilwell Varco (NOV) (-1.5%), Oceaneering (OII) (-4.2%), and Schlumberger (SLB) (-2.0%). Other stocks beating expectations have traded higher as expected, including Cameron International (CAM) (+4.1%), FMC Technologies (FTI) (+3.1%), Mitcham Industries (MIND) (+3.8%), Nabors Industries (NBR) (+1.2%), Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) (+1.8%), RPC (RES) (+8.4%), and Weatherford International (WFT) (+2.3%). Companies which have missed have universally seen their share prices decline, including Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO) (-4.3%), Gulfmark Offshore (GLF) (-0.1%), and Hercules Offshore (HERO) (-6.9%). Halliburton (HAL) was in line and flat on the day.
- [By Dimitra DeFotis]
Among energy stocks rising today: Producers of gas and gas liquids were higherm, including Devon (DVN) and�Consol Energy (CNX) rose about 2% each, while drillers�Nabors Industries (NBR) and�Rowan Companies (RDC) jumped more than 3% apiece. Oilfield services names Halliburton (HAL) and Baker Hughes (BHI) each rose nearly 2%.
Top Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co Ltd (CCSC)
Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd. (CSC Cayman), incorporated on August 14, 2007, is a quick service restaurant chain in China. The Company offers delicious, everyday Chinese food. The Company conducts all of its restaurant operations through CSC China and its subsidiaries. As of June 30, 2012, it had 256 restaurants, including 124 restaurants in Chongqing municipality and 85 restaurants in Sichuan province.
Chongqing municipality and Sichuan province cover a region of 110 million people in Southwest China. CSC Cayman directly operates all of its restaurants. Its standard menu features its main dishes prepared in the Sichuan style, as well as a selection of other dishes, appetizers, desserts and beverages. The Company periodically offers new dishes and seasonal menu selections.
The Company competes with McDonald��, KFC and Yoshinoya.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd (NYSE:CCSC), a fast-growing quick service restaurant chain in China, plans to release its unaudited second quarter 2012 financial results on Tuesday, August 14, 2012, after the market closes.
Top Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Gruppa LSR OAO (LSRG)
Gruppa LSR OAO (LSR Group OJSC) is a Russia-based company involved in the real estate development and construction. It is also engaged in the production of various building materials, such as ceramic bricks, crushed granite, concrete and reinforced concrete products, ready-mix concrete and aerated concrete segments. The Company�� services comprise the development of residential, office and commercial buildings, as well as tower cranes and hoisting machinery services for use in real estate construction. It is also involved in the investment operations. Gruppa LSR OAO acts as a general and sub-contractor for the Russian Federation Government, Saint Petersburg Government, and as a general and sub-contractor for other developers, among pile-driving services. The Company operates through numerous subsidiaries located domestically, as well as one representative office in Moscow. In December 2013, it acquired a 100 % stake in OOO Gazstroy, an owner of Ryabovsky brick plant. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Zahra Hankir]
Russian stocks declined to the lowest level in a month as builder LSR Group (LSRG) and power company OAO Inter RAO UES dropped after MSCI Inc. cut them from an index tracked by investors. The Borsa Istanbul National 100 Index tumbled 2.5 percent, the most in two months, as Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS led losses in lenders. Benchmark gauges in the Czech Republic and Poland retreated at least 0.7 percent.
Top Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Pozen Inc.(POZN)
POZEN Inc., a pharmaceutical company, develops products for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, and other pain-related conditions in the United States. Its products include Treximet for acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura in adults; and VIMOVO for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, as well as to decrease the risk of developing gastric ulcers in patients at risk of developing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)-associated gastric ulcers. The company also develops PA32540, a product candidate, which is under 2 pivotal Phase 3 trials for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients at risk for gastric ulcers. It has collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline for the development and commercialization of proprietary combinations of a triptan and a long-acting NSAID; and with AstraZeneca AB for the development and commercialization of proprietary fixed dose combi nations of the proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole magnesium with the NSAID naproxen. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James E. Brumley]
At first glance, POZEN Inc. (NASDAQ:POZN) doesn't look like anything more than a volatile mover and shaker, currently overbought, and due for a dip. And truth be told, POZN is overbought and due for a pullback (and will be even more so, given this morning's bullish pre-market activity). When you take a step back and look at the much-bigger-picture though, you'll find that POZEN Inc. is only at the beginning of what could be a sizeable move for investors willing to give it some time.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Healthcare shares dropped by 0.34 percent in the US market on Wednesday. Top losers in the sector included POZEN (NASDAQ: POZN), down 7.2 percent, and Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: LGND), off 5.5 percent.
- [By Monica Gerson]
POZEN (NASDAQ: POZN) shares fell 18.96% to $7.82 in the pre-market trading. POZEN's trailing-twelve-month ROE is -25.44%.
The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) dipped 1.63% to $74.99 in the pre-market session. Disney's trailing-twelve-month profit margin is 13.62%.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Healthcare shares dropped by 0.34 percent in the US market on Wednesday. Top losers in the sector included POZEN (NASDAQ: POZN), down 7.57 percent, and Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: LGND), off 6.77 percent.
Top Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Kirby Corp (KEX)
Kirby Corporation, incorporated on January 31, 1969, is a domestic tank barge operator, transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and along all three United States coasts and in Alaska and Hawaii. The Company transports petrochemicals, black oil products, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals by tank barge. The Company, through its subsidiaries, conducts operations in two business segments: marine transportation and diesel engine services. Through the diesel engine services segment, the Company provides after-market service for diesel engines and reduction gears used in marine and power generation applications. The Company also distributes and services diesel engines and transmissions, pumps and compression products, and manufactures oilfield service equipment, including hydraulic fracturing equipment, for land-based pressure pumping and oilfield service markets. The Company, through its marine transportation segment, is a provider of marine transportation services, operating tank barges and towing vessels transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and along all three United States coasts and in Alaska and Hawaii. On December 15, 2011, the Company completed the purchase of the coastal tank barge fleet of Seaboats, Inc. and affiliated companies (Seaboats). On July 1, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of K-Sea Transportation Partners L.P. (K-Sea). On April 15, 2011, the Company purchased United Holdings LLC (United), a distributor and service provider of engine and transmission related products for the oil and gas services, power generation and on-highway transportation industries, and manufacturer of oilfield service equipment. On February 24, 2011, the Company acquired 21 inland and offshore tank barges and 15 inland towboats and offshore tugboats from Enterprise Marine Services LLC (Enterprise). On February 9, 2011, the Company acquired from ! Kinder Morgan Petcoke, L.P. (Kinder Morgan).
The Company transports petrochemicals, black oil products, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemicals by tank barge. The Company also owns and operates fits offshore dry-bulk barges and tugboats engaged in the coastal transportation of dry-bulk cargoes. It is a provider of transportation services for its customers. The Company, through its diesel engine services segment, sells replacement parts, provides service mechanics to overhaul and repair diesel engines, transmissions, reduction gears, pumps and compression products, maintains facilities to rebuild component parts or diesel engines, transmissions and reduction gears, and manufactures oilfield service equipment, including hydraulic fracturing equipment. The Company services the marine, power generation, oilfield service, and land-based oil and gas operator and producer markets.
Marine Transportation
The marine transportation segment is a provider of transportation services by tank barge for the inland and coastal markets. As of February 22, 2012, the equipment owned or operated by the marine transportation segment consisted of 819 inland tank barges, 236 inland towboats, 59 coastal tank barges, 65 coastal tugboats, fits offshore dry-cargo barges, fits offshore tugboats and one docking tugboat. The 236 inland towboats, 65 coastal tugboats, fits offshore tugboats and one docking tugboat provide the power source and the 819 inland tank barges, 59 coastal tank barges and fits offshore dry-cargo barges provide the freight capacity for the marine transportation segment. The Company�� coastal and offshore tows consist of one tugboat and one tank barge or dry-cargo barge.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company�� inland marine transportation operation moved over 50 million tons of liquid cargo on the United States inland waterway system. Products transported for its customers along the inland waterway system consisted of petrochemi! cals, bla! ck oil products, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals. Bulk liquid petrochemicals transported include, such products as benzene, styrene, methanol, acrylonitrile, xylene and caustic soda, all consumed in the production of paper, fibers and plastics. During 2011, the transportation of petrochemical products represented 59% of the segment�� revenues. Customers shipping these products are refining and petrochemical companies. Black oil products transported include products, such as asphalt, residual fuel oil, No. 6 fuel oil, coker feedstock, vacuum gas oil, carbon black feedstock, crude oil and ship bunkers (engine fuel). During 2011, such products represented 20% of the segment�� revenues. During 2011, refined petroleum products transported include the various blends of finished gasoline, gasoline blendstocks, jet fuel, No. 2 oil, naphtha, heating oil and diesel fuel, and represented 16% of the segment�� revenues. The Company also classifies ethanol in the refined petroleum product category. Customers are oil and refining companies, marketers and ethanol producers.
During 2011, agricultural chemicals transported represented 5% of the segment�� revenues. They include anhydrous ammonia and nitrogen-based liquid fertilizer, as well as industrial ammonia. Agricultural chemical customers consist of domestic and foreign producers of such products. As of December 31, 2011, the marine transportation segment operated a fleet of 819 inland tank barges and 236 inland towboats, as well as 59 coastal tank barges and 65 coastal tugboats. The segment also owns and operates fits offshore barge and tug units transporting dry-bulk commodities in coastal trade. As of December 31, 2011, the marine transportation segment operated a fleet of 819 inland tank barges and 236 inland towboats, as well as 59 coastal tank barges and 65 coastal tugboats. The segment also owns and operates fits offshore barge and tug units transporting dry-bulk commodities in coastal trade.
The Canal ! fleet tra! nsports petrochemical feedstocks, processed chemicals, pressurized products, black oil products and refined petroleum products along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, the Mississippi River below Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Houston Ship Channel. The Linehaul fleet transports petrochemical feedstocks, chemicals, agricultural chemicals and lube oils along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Mississippi River and the Illinois and Ohio Rivers. Loaded tank barges are staged in the Baton Rouge area from Gulf Coast refineries and petrochemical plants, and are transported from Baton Rouge to waterfront terminals and plants on the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio Rivers, and along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The River fleet transports petrochemical feedstocks, chemicals, refined petroleum products, agricultural chemicals and black oil products along the Mississippi River System above Baton Rouge. Petrochemical feedstocks and processed chemicals are transported to waterfront petrochemical and chemical plants, while black oil products, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals are transported to waterfront terminals.
The marine transportation inland operation moves and handles a range of cargoes. As of December 21, 2011, of the 819 inland tank barges operated, 618 were petrochemical and refined products barges, 123 were black oil barges, 63 were pressure barges, 10 were refrigerated anhydrous ammonia barges and five were specialty barges. Marine transportation services for inland movements are conducted under long-term contracts, ranging from one to five years. Kirby Inland Marine, LP (Kirby Inland Marine) operates commercial tank barge fleeting service (temporary barge storage facilities) in ports, including Houston, Corpus Christi and Freeport, Texas, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana and other locations on the Mississippi River. Included in the fleeting service is a 51% interest and management control of a shifting operation and fleeting service for dry cargo barges and tank barges ! on the Ho! uston Ship Channel. Kirby Inland Marine provides service for its own barges, as well as outside customers, transferring barges within the areas noted, as well as fleeting barges.
Kirby Logistics Management (KLM) is a division of Kirby Inland Marine providing shore-based tankerman and support services to the Company and third parties. Services provided by KLM include barge tankermen, marine terminal, refinery and chemical plant dock operators, and terminal management services. KLM�� services to the Company and third parties cover the Gulf Coast, mid-Mississippi Valley, and the Ohio River Valley. The Company owns a 66% interest in Osprey Line, L.L.C. (Osprey), which transports project cargoes and cargo containers by barge on the United States inland waterway system. The segment�� coastal operations are conducted through wholly owned subsidiaries, K-Sea Transportation Partners LLC and Kirby Ocean Transport Company (Kirby Ocean Transport). K-Sea provides marine transportation of refined petroleum products and black oil products in each coastal region of the United States. The coastal operations consist of the Atlantic, New York, Pacific and Hawaii Divisions. The Atlantic Division operates along the eastern seaboard of the United States and along the Gulf Coast. The Atlantic Division vessels call on coastal states from Maine to Texas, servicing refineries, storage terminals and power plants. The Atlantic Division also operates equipment on the Great Lakes, in the Caribbean, and in Venezuela and the Eastern Canadian provinces.
The New York Division operates in the New York Harbor, close to container terminals, cruise piers, refineries and petroleum storage facilities. The New York Division also performs coastal voyages between Maine and Norfork, Virginia and manages operations in Philadelphia. The New York Division�� fleet consists of tank barges in the 10,000 to 89,000 barrel capacity range and tugboats in the 1800 to 3400 horsepower range, transporting refined petroleum produ! cts for l! ocal and regional customers, black oil products to power generation customers and the delivery of bunker fuel to ships. The Pacific Division operates along the Pacific coast of the United States, servicing refineries and storage terminals from Southern California to Washington State, throughout Alaska, including Dutch Harbor, Cook Inlet and the Alaska River Systems, and from California to Hawaii. The Pacific Division�� fleet consists of tank barges in the 13,000 to 185,000 barrel capacity range and tugboats in the 1000 to 11800 horsepower range, transporting refined petroleum products.
The Hawaii Division services local petroleum retailers and oil companies distributing refined petroleum products and black oil products between the Hawaiian islands and provides other services to the local maritime community. As of December 31, 2011, the Hawaii Division�� fleet consisted of tank barges in the 52,000 to 86,000 barrel capacity range and tugboats in the 1200 to 7200 horsepower range, transporting refined petroleum products for local and regional customers, black oil products to power generation customers, and the delivery of bunker fuel to ships. The Hawaii Division also provides service docking, standby tug assistance and line handling to vessels using the Single Point Mooring installation at Barbers Point, Oahu, a facility for tankers to load and discharge their cargos through an offshore buoy and submerged pipeline without entering the port. As of December 31, 2011, the coastal fleet consisted of 59 tank barges, 56 of which were double hull and three of which were single hull, with 3.8 million barrels of capacity, transporting refined petroleum products and black oil products. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 65 Company-owned coastal tugboats ranging from 1000 to 11800 horsepower. Tugboats in the 1800 to 3400 horsepower classes provide power for barges used in the New York Division. Tugboats in the 1000 to 11800 horsepower classes provide power for barges used in the Atlantic! , Pacific! and Hawaii Divisions. Kirby Ocean Transport owns and operates a fleet of fits offshore dry-bulk barges, fits offshore tugboats and one docking tugboat. Kirby Ocean Transport also has a contract with Holcim (US) Inc. (Holcim) to transport Holcim�� limestone requirements from a facility adjacent to the PEF facility at Crystal River to Holcim�� plant in Theodore, Alabama. Kirby Ocean Transport is also engaged in the transportation of coal, fertilizer and other bulk cargoes on a short-term basis between domestic ports and occasionally the transportation of grain from domestic ports to ports primarily in the Caribbean Basin.
Diesel Engines
The Company, through wholly owned subsidiary Kirby Engines Systems, Inc. (Kirby Engine Systems), is engaged in the overhaul and repair of medium-speed and high-speed diesel engines and reduction gears, and related parts sales used in marine and power generation applications, and distributes and services high-speed diesel engines and transmissions, pumps and compression products, and manufactures oilfield service equipment, including hydraulic fracturing equipment, used in land-based pressure pumping, oilfield service, power generation and transportation applications.
For the marine market, the Company sells Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) replacement parts, provides service mechanics to overhaul and repair engines and reduction gears, and maintains facilities to rebuild component parts or entire engines and reduction gears. For the power generation market, the Company provides service and parts capabilities and safety-related products to power generation operators and to the nuclear industry, and manufactures engine generator and pump sets for the power generation operators and municipalities. The Company expanded its diesel engine services operation with the purchase of United, a manufacturer, diesel engine and transmission distributor and service provider for the land-based oil and gas services market, oil and gas operat! ors and p! roducers, compression companies, power generation companies, on-highway transportation companies and agricultural markets. United�� principal businesses are the distribution and service of diesel engines, pumps and transmissions, the manufacture and remanufacture of oilfield service equipment, including hydraulic fracturing equipment, and the manufacture of compression equipment for natural gas transmission and for natural gas fired power generation plants.
The Company is engaged in the overhaul and repair of medium-speed and high-speed diesel engines and reduction gears, line boring, block welding services and related parts sales for customers in the marine industry. The Company services medium-speed and high-speed diesel engines utilized in the inland and offshore barge industries. It also services marine equipment and offshore drilling equipment used in the offshore petroleum exploration and oil service industry, marine equipment used in the offshore commercial fishing industry and vessels owned by the United States government. The Company has marine operations throughout the United States providing in-house and in-field repair capabilities and related parts sales. The medium-speed operations are located in Houma, Louisiana, Chesapeake, Virginia, Paducah, Kentucky, Seattle, Washington and Tampa, Florida. The operations based in Chesapeake, Virginia and Tampa, Florida are authorized distributors for 17 eastern states and the Caribbean for Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. (EMD). The marine operations based in Houma, Louisiana, Paducah, Kentucky and Seattle, Washington are nonexclusive authorized service centers for EMD providing service and related parts sales. The Houma, Louisiana operation concentrates on the inland and offshore barge and oil services industries. The Tampa, Florida operation concentrates on Gulf of Mexico offshore dry-bulk, tank barge and harbor docking operators. The Paducah, Kentucky operation concentrates on the inland river towboat and barge operators and the Great Lake! s carrier! s. The Seattle, Washington operation concentrates on the offshore commercial fishing industry, tugboat and barge industry, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Navy, and other customers in Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific Rim. The high-speed operations are located in Houma, Baton Rouge, Belle Chasse and New Iberia, Louisiana, Paducah, Kentucky, Mobile, Alabama and Houston, Texas. The Company serves as a factory-authorized marine dealer for Caterpillar diesel engines in Alabama, Kentucky and Louisiana. The Company also operates factory-authorized full service marine dealerships for Cummins, Detroit Diesel and John Deere diesel engines, as well as Allison transmissions and Twin Disk marine gears.
During 2011, the Company was engaged in the overhaul and repair of diesel engines and reduction gears, line boring, block welding service and related parts sales for power generation customers, which represented 9% of the segment�� revenues. The Company is also engaged in the sale and distribution of parts for diesel engines and governors to the nuclear industry. The Company services users of diesel engines, which provides standby, peak and base load power generation, as well as users of industrial reduction gears, such as the cement, paper and mining industries. The Company provides in-house and in-field repair capabilities and safety-related products to power generation operators from its Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Paducah, Kentucky and Seattle, Washington locations. The Rocky Mount operation is also the distributor of EMD products to the nuclear industry, the global distributor for Woodward Governor products to the nuclear industry, the global distributor of Cooper Energy Services, Inc. products to the nuclear industry, and owns the assets and technology necessary to support the Nordberg medium-speed diesel engines used in nuclear applications. In addition, the Rocky Mount operation is a distributor for Honeywell International Incorporated industrial measurement and control products to the ! nuclear i! ndustry, an distributor for Norlake Manufacturing Company transformer products to the nuclear industry and a non-exclusive distributor of analog Weschler Instruments metering products and distributor of digital Weschler metering products to the nuclear industry. The Paducah, Kentucky operation provides in-house and in-field repair services for Falk industrial reduction gears in the Midwest. The Seattle, Washington operation provides in-house and in-field repair services for Alco engines located on the West Coast and the Pacific Rim.
The Company�� power generation customers are domestic utilities and the global nuclear power industry. The Company is engaged in the distribution and service of diesel engines, pumps and transmissions, the manufacture and remanufacture of oilfield service equipment and the manufacture of compression equipment for natural gas transmission and for natural gas fired power generation plants. The Company offers a range of custom fabricated oilfield service equipment, fully tested and field ready. The Company manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and marketed under the purchasing company�� brand name. The Company distributes, sells parts and services diesel engines and transmissions for on and off-highway use, and provide in-house and in-field service capabilities. The Company is also the exclusive distributor for Daimler for engines and related equipment in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. The Company manufactures and re-manufacturers oilfield service equipment, including hydraulic fracturing equipment, pressure pumping units, nitrogen pumping units, cementers, hydration equipment, mud pumps and blenders. The Company also manufactures and packages custom compressor systems, including electric motor driven systems, natural gas driven systems and industrial air systems, and manufactures natural gas General Motors and Isuzu diesel-powered engines for a range of applications from 40 to 500 horsepower. The Company is a dealer of Thermo K! ing refri! gerated systems for trucks, railroad cars and other land transportation markets in south and central Texas. The Company�� land-based customers include oilfield service providers, oil and gas operators and producers, compression companies, domestic utilities, on-highway transportation companies and companies associated with the agricultural markets.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Aimee Duffy]
The role of the barge can't be underestimated. Barge receipts increased more than two percentage points year over year, and this is a great place for investors to look for opportunity. Companies with maritime resources benefit from this trend, as well as growth in exports. Three such companies that are worth a look are:
Kirby Corporation (NYSE: KEX ) , which operates 30% of the coastal tank barges in the U.S.� Oiltanking Partners (NYSE: OILT ) , which has storage capacity of 12.1 million barrels and six deepwater docks on the Houston Ship Channel Martin Midstream Partners (NASDAQ: MMLP ) , which operates a large fleet of inland barges and controls 31 marine terminals�These companies won't be the only winners, but they are a good place to start your research.
Top Performing Stocks To Buy Right Now: Westmoreland Coal Company(WLB)
Westmoreland Coal Company operates as an energy company in the United States. The company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the production and sale of sub-bituminous coal and lignite to electricity generating plants; and the ownership of power plants in North Carolina. It owns 5 surface coal mines in Montana, North Dakota, and Texas; and 2 coal-fired power generating units with a capacity of approximately 230 megawatts in Weldon, North Carolina. As of December 31, 2010, Westmoreland Coal Company had estimated proven and probable coal reserves of 389.9 million tons. The company was founded in 1854 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Leading and Lagging Sectors
In trading on Tuesday, energy shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.41 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Stone Energy (NYSE: SGY), up 9 percent, and Westmoreland Coal Co (NYSE: WLB), up 7.8 percent. Industrials services shares gained by just 0.02 percent in Tuesday's trading. - [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Leading and Lagging Sectors
In trading on Tuesday, energy shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.41 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Stone Energy (NYSE: SGY), up 9 percent, and Westmoreland Coal Co (NYSE: WLB), up 7.8 percent. Industrials services shares gained by just 0.02 percent in Tuesday's trading. - [By John Udovich]
Obama�� war on coal has claimed another victim as James River Coal Company (NASDAQ: JRCC) files for Chapter 11, but coal stocks Westmoreland Coal Company (NASDAQ: WLB), Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ: ARLP) and Hallador Energy Co (NASDAQ: HNRG) have still managed to put in a decent performance for investors���despite the industry headwinds coming from the White House. Just consider this: By 2025, 300 of America�� coal plants will close due to EPA policies for a total of 44,000 megawatts of generating capacity in 33 states to be taken off line. Moreover, Democrats have been putting up roadblocks to stop coal exports���one potential industry bright spot as the US�has the largest coal repository in the world.
Corbis