The recent spike in stock market volatility has put the financial advice community into scramble mode, with a lot of advisers fielding calls from nervous clients while simultaneously embracing defensive investment strategies.
“I'm telling my clients, first of all, we saw the potential for this kind of market pullback and that's why they already have a hedge in [their] portfolio. I'm also telling them if we get to a fork in the road, we're taking the more conservative path,” said Robert Isbitts, founder and chief investment strategist at Sungarden Investment Research.
With the Dow Jones Industrial Average down nearly 7% from the start of the year following a stretch of eight down trading days over the past two weeks, Mr. Isbitts is preparing clients for a downturn of between 10% and 20%.
Best Forestry Companies To Watch In Right Now: Orthofix International N.V.(OFIX)
Orthofix International N.V., a medical device company, designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes medical equipment used principally by musculoskeletal medical specialists for orthopedic applications. The company offers spinal implant products, and related human cellular and tissue based products used in surgical procedures; non-invasive regenerative stimulation products for use in bone growth and spinal fusions, and to treat non-union fractures; external and internal fixation devices for use in fracture repair, limb lengthening, and bone reconstruction; and bracing products for use in ligament injury prevention, pain management, and protection of surgical repair. Its products also include a device for cold therapy and bone cement, as well as devices for the removal of bone cement used to fix artificial implants. The company provides its products for the spine, orthopedics, and sports medicine market sectors serving independent third parties, including hospi tals, doctors, healthcare providers, and third-party payors, as well as patients. It distributes its products in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, Brazil, and Puerto Rico through direct sales representatives and independent distributors. Orthofix International N.V. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Curacao, the Netherlands Antilles.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Orthofix International (NASDAQ: OFIX ) , a medical device company specializing in spinal and orthopedic applications, shed as much as 21% of their value after the company reported its first-quarter results and received four analyst downgrades.
Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: CryoPort Inc (CYRX)
Cryoport, Inc. (CryoPort), incorporated on May 25, 1990, provides frozen shipping logistics solutions to the biotechnology and life science industries. The Company�� solutions are disruptive to old technologies and provide reliable, economic alternatives to existing products and services utilized for frozen shipping in biotechnology and life sciences including stem cells, cell lines, vaccines, diagnostic materials, semen and embryos for in-vitro fertilization, cord blood, bio-pharmaceuticals, infectious substances and other items that require continuous exposure to frozen or cryogenic temperatures.
The Company offer its solutions to companies in the biotechnology and life sciences industries and specific verticals including manufacturers of stem cells and cell lines, diagnostic laboratories, bio-pharmaceuticals, contract research organizations, in-vitro fertilization, cord blood, vaccines, tissue, animal husbandry, and other producers of commodities requiring reliable frozen solutions for logistics problems.
The CryoPort Express System
Cryoport Express Solutions include a cloud-based logistics management software branded as the Cryoportal. The Cryoportal supports the management of the entire shipment process through a single interface which includes initial order input, document preparation, customs clearance, courier management, shipment tracking, issue resolution, and delivery. Cryoport�� total turnkey logistics solutions offer reliability, cost effectiveness, and convenience, while the use of recyclable and reusable components provides green, environmentally friendly solutions. The Cryoportal provides an array of information dashboards and validation documentation for every shipment.
Cryoport Express Solutions include recording and retaining a fully documented chain-of-custody and, at the client�� option, chain-of-condition for every shipment, helping ensure that safety, efficacy, and stability of shipped commodities are maintained. This re! corded and archived information allows its customers to meet the exacting requirements necessary for scientific work and for regulatory purposes. Cryoport Express Solutions can be used by customers, as a turnkey solution, through direct access to the cloud-based Cryoportal, or by contacting Cryoport Client Care for order entry tasks. Cryoport provides 24/7/365 logistics services through its Client Care team and also provides complete training and process management services to support each client�� specific requirements.
The CryoPort Express System
The CryoPort Express System consists of the CryoPort Express Portal, which programmatically manages order entry and all aspects of shipping operations, CryoPort Express Shippers, the CryoPort Express Smart Pak data logger, and CryoPort Express Analytics, which monitors shipment performance metrics and evaluates temperature-monitoring data collected by the data logger during shipment. In addition, the Company provides a containment bag, which is used in connection with the shipment of infectious or dangerous goods using the CryoPort Express Shipper and other accessories used in the shipment of biological and pharmaceutical specimens.
CryoPort Express Portal
The CryoPort Express Portal is used by CryoPort, the Company�� customers and its business partners to automate the entry of orders, prepare customs documentation and to facilitate status and location monitoring of shipped orders while in transit it is used by CryoPort to manage shipping operations. It is also used to support the high level of customer service. The CryoPort Express Portal also serves as the communications nerve center for the management, collection and analysis of Smart Pak data collected from Smart Pak data loggers in the field.
The CryoPort Express Shippers
The Company�� CryoPort Express Shippers are cryogenic dry vapor shippers capable of maintaining cryogenic temperatures of minus 150掳 Celsius or below f! or a peri! od of 10 or more days. A dry cryogenic shipper is a device that uses liquid nitrogen contained inside a vacuum insulated bottle, which serves as a refrigerant to provide stable storage temperatures below minus 150掳 Celsius. It has developed a retention system to ensure that liquid nitrogen stays inside the vacuum container, which allows the shipper to be designated as a dry shipper meeting International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements. The Company is offering two sizes of dry vapor shippers, the CryoPort Express Standard Shipper with a storage capacity of up to 75 0.2 milliliter vials and the CryoPort Express High Volume Shipper, which was introduced, in January of 2012 with a capacity of up to 500 0.2 milliliter vials.
The CryoPort Express Standard Shipper
The Standard CryoPort Express Shippers are lightweight, re-usable dry vapor liquid nitrogen storage containers. A Standard CryoPort Express Shipper is composed of an aluminum metallic dewar flask, with a well for holding the biological material in the inner chamber.
The CryoPort Express High Volume Shippers
The Cryoport Express High Volume Shipper also uses a dry vapor liquid nitrogen (LN2) technology to maintain below -150掳 C temperatures with a dynamic shipping endurance of 10 days. The CryoPort Express High Volume dry shipper uses a dry vapor liquid nitrogen (LN2) technology to maintain below -150掳 Celsius temperatures. The High Volume dry shipper has a storage capacity of up to 500 0.2 milliliter vials.
The CryoPort Express Smart Pak
Phase II of the Company�� Smart Pak System, which is a self-contained automated data logger capable of recording the internal and external temperatures of samples shipped in its CryoPort Express Shipper is used in every shipment. Phase III of its Smart Pak System consists of developing and rolling out a chip with wireless connectivity to enable its customers to monitor a shipper�� location, specimen temperature and over! all state! of health via its Web portal. The Company is developing the requirements for Phase III.
Cryoport Express Analytics
The Cryoportal is an important information technology element of its business strategy and has been designed to support planned future features to allow for an expansion of its solutions offering. Analytics is a term used by IT professionals to refer to performance benchmarks or Key Performance Indicators (KPI��) that management utilizes to measure performance against desired standards. Examples for analytics tracked through the Cryoportal include time-based metrics for order processing time and on-time deliveries by its shipping partners, as well as profiling shipping lanes to determine average transit times and predicting potential shipping exceptions based on historical metrics.
Biological Material Holders
The Company has developed a containment bag, which is used in connection with the shipment of infectious or dangerous goods using the CryoPort Express Shipper. Up to five vials, watertight primary receptacles are placed onto aluminum holders and up to fifteen holders (75 vials) are placed into an absorbent pouch, which is designed to absorb the entire contents of all the vials in the event of leakage. This pouch containing up to 75 vials is then placed in a watertight secondary packaging Tyvek bag capable of withstanding cryogenic temperatures, and then sealed. This bag is then placed into the well of the cryogenic shipper.
The Company competes with MVE/Chart Industries, Taylor Wharton and Air Liquide, Marathon Products Inc., Kodiak Thermal Technologies, Inc, BioStorage Technologies and BioMatrica, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, CYRX has shed (-10.00%) down -0.050 at $.450 with�179,695 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:35PM EDT October 4, 2013).
Cryoport, Inc. and OCASA, Inc. have previously entered into a master services agreement to provide global cold chain logistics solutions for life science and biotech commodities requiring cryogenic temperatures. OCASA will have access to Cryoport�� full range of cryogenic business solution capabilities including its proprietary Cryoport Express庐 Shippers and cloud-based logistics management software platform, the CryoportalTM. Cryoport will leverage OCASA�� global logistics network to provide more complete global services to its customers. In conjunction with Cryoport and OCASA providing each other with logistics solutions, the Companies will engage in co-marketing, joint sales activities, and a wide range of customer-driven support requirements to provide comprehensive and seamless solutions to the life sciences and biotech industries
Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: EZchip Semiconductor Limited(EZCH)
EZchip, a fabless semiconductor company, engages in the development and marketing of Ethernet network processors for networking equipment. Its products include network processor chips, evaluation boards and network-processor based systems, and development software toolkits. The company offers network processors for use in forming the silicon core of networking equipment, such as switches and routers; and for voice, video and data integration in various applications. Its network processors are single-chip solutions, which enable its customers to design multi-port line cards, such as processing and classification engines, traffic managers, media access controllers, as well as a range of specialized hardware blocks that accelerate various functions. The company offers Evaluation systems which enable customers to test NPU-based systems; and toolkits that assist customers in creating, verifying, and implementing solutions based on its network processors. It provides a library f eaturing data plane code for a range of applications, which include Metro Ethernet protocols, Multi-Protocol Label Switching, IPv4 and IPv6 routing, Access Control Lists, GPON/EPON OLT functionality, Network Address Translation, and Server Load Balancing. The company sells its products directly, and through contract manufacturers and distributors to network equipment vendors. It markets its products in Israel, China, Hong Kong, the Far East, Canada, the United States, and Europe. The company was formerly known as LanOptics Ltd. and changed its name to EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. in July 2008. EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. was founded in 1989 and is based in Yokneam, Israel.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
EZchip Semiconductor (NASDAQ: EZCH) shares climbed 5.80% to $23.53. The volume of EZchip Semiconductor shares traded was 635% higher than normal. EZchip Semiconductor's PEG ratio is 1.57.
- [By Paul McWilliams]
Paul McWilliams: Oh, absolutely. Another company that most investors probably have never heard of is a tiny little Israeli semiconductor company named EZChip (EZCH).
- [By Lisa Levin]
EZchip Semiconductor (NASDAQ: EZCH) surged 9.38% to $26.13. The volume of EZchip Semiconductor shares traded 407% higher than normal. EZchip Semiconductor reported better-than-expected Q1 results.
- [By Evan Niu, CFA]
What: Shares of EZchip (NASDAQ: EZCH ) have jumped today by as much as 13% after the company reported first-quarter earnings.
So what: Revenue in the first quarter totaled $15.3 million, topping the Street's forecast of $15.1 million. Non-GAAP net income per share came in at $0.23, which was right on target with expectations.
Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Aircastle Ltd (AYR)
Aircastle Limited (Aircastle), incorporated on October 29, 2004, is a global company that acquires, leases, and sells high-utility commercial jet aircraft to customers throughout the world. As of December 31, 2012, the Company's aircraft portfolio consisted of 159 aircraft that were leased to 69 lessees located in 36 countries. The Company manages its fleet through offices in the United States, Ireland and Singapore. The Company invests in aircraft that the Company places on operating or finances leases. The Company also makes investments in other aviation assets, including debt investments secured by commercial jet aircraft. The Company operates in single segment being Aircraft leases. The Company owned 133 passenger aircraft, representing approximately 71% of the net book value of flight equipment, while its 26 freighter aircraft account for 29% of its portfolio value. Effective July 12, 2013, Marubeni Corp acquired a 15.25% interest in the Company.
The Company leases its aircraft on an operating lease basis. Under an operating lease, the Company retains the benefit, and bear the risk, of re-leasing and of the residual values of the aircraft upon expiration or early termination of the lease. Under the Company's leases, the lessees agree to lease the aircraft for a fixed term, although certain of its operating leases allow the lessee the option to extend the lease for an additional term or, in rare cases, terminate the lease prior to its expiration. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company's three customers, Martinair , including its affiliates, KLM, Transavia and Transavia France, U.S. Airways, Inc., and Hainan Airlines Company, accounted for 9%, 6% and 6% of the Company�� revenues.
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 19 aircraft having scheduled lease expirations in 2013 and the Company has lease or leases extension commitments for two of these aircraft. The remaining 17 aircraft with scheduled expiries in 2013. The Company entered into early termination! agreements for two Boeing Model 737-700 aircraft, one Airbus model A330-200 aircraft, one Boeing Model 767-300ER aircraft and one Airbus Model A319-100 aircraft, which the Company is marketing for sale or leases.
The Company competes with GE Commercial Aviation Services, International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), AerCap Holdings NV, Air Lease Corporation, Aviation Capital Group, CIT Aerospace, AWAS, SMBC Aviation Capital (formerly RBS Aviation Capital), BOC Aviation, FLY Leasing, Ltd., Avolon, Guggenheim Aviation Partners, Volito, Deucalion, Oak Hill Aviation and AerSale
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 Aircastle LTD (NYSE: AYR ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By John Udovich]
Yesterday around midday,�Netherlands based aviation leasing stock�AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE: AER) began surging on rumors and closed up 11.6%, meaning its probably time to take a closer look at those rumors along with aviation leasing peers like small caps or mid caps�Aircastle Limited (NYSE: AYR), Air Lease Corp (NYSE: AL), Fly Leasing Ltd (NYSE: FLY) and AeroCentury Corp (NYSEMKT: ACY).
- [By Roberto Pedone]
One commercial leasing player that insiders are active in here is Aircastle (AYR), which acquires, leases and sells high-utility commercial jet aircraft to passenger and cargo airlines throughout the world. Insiders are buying this stock into notable strength, since shares are up sharply by 52% in 2013.
Aircastle has a market cap of $1.5 billion and an enterprise value of $4.8 billion. This stock trades at a premium valuation, with a trailing price-to-earnings of 124.68. This is not a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $238.15 million and its total debt is $3.48 billion. This stock currently sports a dividend yield of 4.2%.
A director just bought 30,000 shares, or about $563,000 worth of stock, at $18.79 per share.
From a technical perspective, AYR is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last five months, with shares moving higher from its low of $15.84 to its recent high of $19.50 a share. During that uptrend, shares of AYR have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of AYR within range of triggering a big breakout trade.
If you're bullish on AYR, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above its 50-day at $18.67 or above more support near $18, and then once it breaks out above its 52-week high at $19.50 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 430,032 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then AYR will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $25 to $30 a share.
Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Multimedia Games Holding Company Inc.(MGAM)
Multimedia Games Holding Company, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, distribution, and maintenance of gaming machines, video lottery terminals, and associated systems and equipment. The company provides a range of networked gaming systems that control and operate Class II gaming machines, video lottery terminals, and bingo terminals at Native American and commercial gaming facilities. It offers various classic 3-reel and 5-reel mechanical reel games, which provide players with a slot gaming experience; Side Action series of slot games; Maximum Lockdown, a hybrid mechanical reel game; Treasure Top series, a range of 3-reel mechanical games that includes LED lights and a video spinning wheel; TournEvent, a slot tournament system, which allow operators to switch from in-revenue gaming to out-of-revenue tournaments; and High Rise Games. The company also offers back-office accounting and slot management systems that are used to manage the floor operations; and server-based centrally-linked player terminals, which are placed and sold in Class II, video lottery terminal, and bingo settings, as well as standalone player terminals that are placed and sold in Class III settings. It provides its gaming systems to Native American and commercial casino operators in North America; domestic and selected international lottery operators; and charity and commercial bingo gaming facility operators. The company was formerly known as Multimedia Games, Inc and changed its name to Multimedia Games Holding Company, Inc. in April 2011. Multimedia Games Holding Company, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Austin, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
In the following video, longtime Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz takes a question from a Fool reader, who asks: "Multimedia Games�[ (NASDAQ: MGAM ) ] is going up, up, and away. What's making the stock take off?"
- [By Brian Pacampara]
What: Shares of gaming machine manufacturer Multimedia Games (NASDAQ: MGAM ) surged 19% today after its quarterly results and guidance easily topped Wall Street expectations.
- [By Rick Munarriz]
Multimedia Games (NASDAQ: MGAM ) is a provider of casino games, growing at a healthier rate than its larger rivals. Another thing it does is make analysts look like perpetual underachievers. If analysts say that the company posted a profit of $0.24 a share in its latest quarter, I'll argue that it held up better than that. History's on my side!
Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Brookfield Asset Management Inc (BAM)
Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries the firm invests in the property, power, and infrastructure sectors. Its property business include owning and managing office properties, developing master planned residential communities, and offering clients bridge and mezzanine lending; alternative assets funds; and financial and advisory services. Through its power generation business the firm operates hydroelectric power facilities, interconnections and transmission facilities in Northeast North America, and development of wind power in Canada. Through its funds and private capital business the firm invests in specialty funds including private equity and makes direct investments in real estate, energy, and resource assets. It also makes investments in privately held investment management and equity and fixed income mutual funds. The firm was formerly known as Brascan Corp. Brookfield Asset Management is base d in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mike Arnold]
Brookfield is a recent spin-off (April 2013) from Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) ("BAM"), who has a history of spinning out businesses which subsequently outperform. For a case study, one might take a look at Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP) as part of their due diligence procedures, which has significantly outperformed the S&P 500 since its listing.
- [By Monica Wolfe]
Brookfield Asset Management (BAM)
Ashton�� fifth largest increase of the quarter came from Brookfield Asset Management where he upped his stake by 33.33%. The guru purchased 15,000 shares in the price range of $34.31 to $39.12. Since then the price per share has dropped about -4.2% from the quarterly estimated average price of $36.58 per share.
Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Adams Golf Inc.(ADGF)
Adams Golf, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, assembles, markets, and distributes golf clubs for various skill levels primarily in the United States and internationally. Its products comprise Speedline Fast 12 drivers, Fast 12 LS drivers, Speedline Fast 12 fairway woods, Idea a12 OS irons and hybrids, Idea a12 hybrids, Idea Pro a12 irons and hybrids, Idea Tech V3 irons and hybrids, Redline irons, Idea a7 and a7 OS irons and hybrids, and Speedline 9088 UL drivers. It also develops products under the Yes! Putters, Women's Golf Unlimited, Lady Fairway, and Square 2 brands. In addition, it offers a range of golf bags, hats, and other accessories. The company sells its products to on- and off- course golf shops, sporting goods retailers, and mass merchants, as well as to international distributors. Adams Golf, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Plano, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Geoff Gannon]
Adams Golf (ADGF) was a net-net. It got bought out by Adidas. By the way, it�� not the only net-net to get bought out this year. Swank (SNKI) was also a net-net that looks like it�� going to be bought out. Last I heard, they received an alternative proposal during their ��o shop��period and haven�� acted on it. The Ben Graham: Net-Net Newsletter�� model portfolio doesn�� own either stock. Though we do own another net-net where a company in the same industry bought a block of shares. Who knows what that means. But clearly net-nets sometimes attract control buyers.
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