After Bitcoin exploded onto the financial world last year, it immediately became enveloped in controversy, with just as many predicting its imminent doom as were declaring it a revolutionary form of money.
The Bitcoin news in 2014 will have less drama but will be far more important to the fate of the digital currency.
Last year Bitcoin prices endured not one but two crashes, in April and again in December, in gaining a reputation as an uncommonly volatile investment.
And Bitcoin shed some guilt by association when the U.S. government in October shut down the underground web site Silk Road, which allowed people to use Bitcoin to buy and sell illegal drugs.
While its growing pains are far from over, 2014's Bitcoin news will be mostly about the world coming to terms with the cryptocurrency as it gains wider acceptance.
Bitcoin News 2014: Five Predictions Bitcoin News Prediction No. 1: Merchant Acceptance Reaches Critical MassWe saw several prominent merchants announce in 2013 that they would accept Bitcoin as payment: online retailer Overstock.com Inc. (Nasdaq: OSTK), game company Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), dating website OKCupid, and blogging platform WordPress. In 2014, that trickle will become a flood as merchants realize the benefits of Bitcoin, such as more affluent techie customers as well as lower transaction fees compared to credit cards. Once the trend starts to accelerate, no one will want to be left behind.
Hot Tech Companies To Own For 2015: The Providence Service Corporation(PRSC)
The Providence Service Corporation provides and manages government sponsored social services and non-emergency transportation services. It offers home and community based counseling, foster care and therapeutic foster care, and provider management services. The company?s home and community based counseling services include home based and intensive home based counseling, substance abuse treatment, school support services, correctional services, and workforce development. Its not-for-profit managed services comprise administrative support, information technology, and accounting and payroll services; intake, assessment, and referral services; monitoring services; and case management. The company also provides non-emergency transportation management services to state Medicaid programs, local government agencies, hospital systems, and health maintenance organizations, as well as to individuals with limited mobility, people with limited means of transportation, people with disa bilities, and Medicaid members; and school transportation services to special needs students who are physically fragile, or mentally ill children. The Providence Service Corporation offers its services in the United States and the District of Columbia; and British Columbia, Canada. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in Tucson, Arizona.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Providence Service (NASDAQ: PRSC) shares rose 6.58% to $40.50. The volume of Providence Service shares traded was 1483% higher than normal. On Tuesday, Providence Service agreed to acquire Ingeus for $58 million.
Hot Stocks To Own For 2014: SeaWorld Entertainment Inc (SEAS)
SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., incorporated on October 2, 2009, is a theme park and entertainment company. The Company is engaged in delivering personal, interactive and educational experiences that blend imagination with nature and enable its customers to celebrate, connect with and care for the natural world. The Company own or license a portfolio of globally recognized brands including SeaWorld, Shamu and Busch Gardens. The Company has built a diversified portfolio of 11 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States. Its theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests. In addition to its theme parks, it has recently begun to leverage its brands into media, entertainment and consumer products.
The Company generates revenue primarily from selling admission to its theme parks and from purchases of food, merchandise and other spending. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it hosted more than 24 million guests in its theme parks, including approximately 3.5 million international guests from over 55 countries and six continents. In 2012, the Company opened new attractions in seven of its theme parks. In November 2012, the Company acquired Knott�� Soak City, a standalone Southern California water park, from an affiliate of Cedar Fair L.P. The Company�� products and services include Admission Tickets, Theme Park Operations, Culinary Offerings , Merchandise , Licensing and Consumer Products , Group Events and Conventions and Corporate Sponsorships and Strategic Alliances.
Admission Tickets, which generate most of its revenue from selling admission to its theme parks. The Company also offers a Fun Card at select theme parks that allows additional visits throughout that calendar year. In addition, visitors can purchase vacation packages with preferred hotels, behind-the-scenes tours, specialt! y dining packages and front of the line access to enhance their experience. Theme Park Operations delivers a level of service, safety and security at its theme parks. It comprised of rides, shows and attractions operations, safety, security, environmental, water park and guest arrival services (including parking, tolls, admissions, guest relations, entry and exit), the theme park operations team manages the planning and execution of the overall theme park experience on a daily basis.
Culinary Offerings delivers a variety of high quality, creative and memorable culinary experiences to its guests. Culinary operations are strategically organized into five key guest-oriented disciplines designed to drive in-park per capita spending: restaurants, catering, carts and kiosks, specialty snacks and vending. The Company�� culinary team focuses on providing creative menu offerings that appeal to our diverse guest base. Merchandise offers guests the opportunity to capture memories through its products and services, including through traditional retail shops, game venues and customized photos and videos. It focuses on effort to leverage the emotional connection of the theme park experiences, capitalize on trends and optimize brand alignment with its merchandise product offerings.
Licensing and Consumer Products capitalize on its brands, it has begun to leverage its intellectual property and content through media and consumer strategic licensing arrangements. It extended the reach of its brands through outbound media licensing in areas such as films, television programs and digital e-books, as well as its first-ever multi-platform mobile app game, TurtleTrek, which launched on iTunes in November 2012. Group Events and Conventions host a variety of different group events, meetings and conventions at its theme parks both during the day and at night. Its venues offer indoor and outdoor space for meetings, special events, entertainment shows, picnics, teambuilding events, group tours and spec! ial group! ticket packages. Park buy-outs allow groups to enjoy exclusive itineraries, including meetings and shows, up-close encounters with animals and behind the scenes tours. Corporate Sponsorships and Strategic Alliances seek to secure long-term corporate sponsorships and strategic alliances with companies and brands that share its core values, deliver brand marketing value and influence and drive mutual business gains. Its current corporate sponsors include, among others, Southwest Airlines, which has been a sponsor for over 20 years, and The Coca-Cola Company.
SeaWorld.
SeaWorld is recognized as the marine-life theme park brand in the world. Its SeaWorld theme parks, located in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego, each rank among the most highly attended theme parks in the industry and offer up-close interactive experiences and a variety of live performances, including shows featuring Shamu in specially designed amphitheaters. It offers its guests numerous animal encounters, including the opportunity to work with trainers and feed marine animals, as well as themed thrill rides and theatrical shows that creatively incorporate its animal collection.
Busch Gardens
Its Busch Gardens theme parks are family-oriented destinations designed to immerse guests in foreign geographic settings. They are renowned for their beauty and landscaping and gardens and allow its guests to discover the natural side of fun by offering a family experience featuring a range of attractions and rollercoasters in a richly-themed environment. Busch Gardens Tampa presents its collection of animals from Africa, Asia and Australia.
Aquatica
Its Aquatica branded water parks are premium, family-oriented destinations that are based in a South Seas-themed tropical setting. Aquatica water parks build on the aquatic theme of its SeaWorld brand and feature high-energy rides, water attractions, white-sand beaches ande entertaining presentation of marine and terrestrial an! imals. Th! e Company positions its Aquatica water parks as companion water parks to its SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando and San Diego and it has an Aquatica water park situated within its SeaWorld San Antonio theme park.
Discovery Cove
Discovery Cove is a reservations only, all-inclusive, marine-life day resort adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando. Discovery Cove offers guests personal, signature experiences, including the opportunity to swim and interact with dolphins, take an underwater walking reef tour and enjoy pristine white-sand beaches and landscaped private cabanas. Discovery Cove presently limits its attendance to approximately 1,300 guests per day and features premium culinary offerings in order to provide guests with a more relaxed, intimate and high-end luxury resort experience.
Sesame Place
Sesame Place is the only United States theme park based entirely on the television show Sesame Street. It is located between Philadelphia and New York City, Sesame Place is a destination where parents and children can share in the spirit of imagination and experience Sesame Street together through whirling rides, water slides, colorful shows and furry friends. In addition, it has introduced Sesame Street brands in its other theme parks through Sesame Street-themed rides, shows, children�� play areas and merchandise.
The Company competes with The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Six Flags, Cedar Fair, Merlin Entertainments and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Shares of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. (SEAS) �rose 0.6% to $29.50 after an initial decline as the theme-park operator posted weaker than expected results on lower attendance numbers.
- [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
Getty Images/Orlando Sentinel/MCT/Joshua C. Cruey SeaWorld Entertainment (SEAS) may not have a lot of fans among the growing number of people who have watched the scathing documentary "Blackfish," but it's hard to say that protestors are leaving much of a dent. The marine life park operator posted another period of revenue growth during the holiday quarter, and it's targeting positive growth for 2014. It seems as if SeaWorld has survived the worst of the fallout behind last year's documentary, which took it to task for keeping killer whales in captivity. The Splash Zone Includes Losing Some Performers During last week's earning's announcement, SeaWorld reported that revenue climbed 3 percent during the fourth quarter as well as for all of 2013. Attendance fell 4.1 percent last year, but revenue is growing because those that are showing up are spending more to get in and spending more once they are inside. However, if one would think SeaWorld's attendance would deteriorate as more people were exposed to "Blackfish," reality has painted a different picture. Attendance across its empire of theme, amusement, and water parks dipped just 1.4 percent during the period -- and actually increased at its SeaWorld-branded parks. This is a welcome surprise. This is, after all, the first full quarter since "Blackfish" was broadcast on CNN and became a streaming entry on Netflix (NFLX). The furor against keeping orcas in captivity to entertain park guests should be growing, but the numbers don't bear that out. Successful grassroots campaigns forced many musical acts to bow out of an annual SeaWorld music festival, and a California lawmaker is proposing a bill that would ban killer whales from being held in captivity. There are two sides to every story, and just because the "Blackfish" documentary filmmakers went first doesn't mean that they will have the final say on public perception. SeaWorld has refuted many of the claims made in the movie. Diving Into a New Year an
Hot Stocks To Own For 2014: Sirona Dental Systems Inc (SIRO)
Sirona Dental Systems, Inc. (Sirona), incorporated on April 25, 1997, and its subsidiaries is a manufacturer of dental equipment, and is focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing solutions for dentists around the world. The Company operates in four segments: Dental CAD/CAM Systems, Imaging Systems, Treatment Centers and Instruments. The Company markets its products globally to dental practices, clinics and laboratories through an international network of distributors. The dental distributors supply both dental equipment and consumables, and have regular contact with the ultimate end-users. In addition, the Company also distributes its products through its own sales and services infrastructure.
Dental CAD / CAM Systems
Dental CAD/CAM Systems address the dental restorations, which includes several types of restorations, such as inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns, bridges, copings and bridge frameworks made from ceramic, metal or composite blocks. Sirona's CEramic REConstruction (CEREC) system is an in-office application that enables dentists to produce high quality restorations from ceramic material and insert them into the patient's mouth during a single appointment. The CEREC system consists of an imaging unit and a milling unit. The imaging unit scans the damaged area, captures the image of the tooth or teeth requiring restoration and proposes the specifications for the restoration. The milling unit then mills the ceramic restoration to the required specifications based upon the captured image and the dentist's design specifications.
Sirona offers a service contract on its CEREC product, which includes software updates and upgrades and maintenance on software-related hardware. In addition to CEREC, Sirona also offers CAD/CAM products for dental laboratories, including the inLab restoration fabrication system and the extra-oral inEos scanner. These products are designed to improve efficiency and reduce costs for the dental lab. The inLab system scans the ! models received from the dentists and then mills ceramic or composite block restorations, such as crown copings and bridge frameworks to the specifications of the captured image.
Imaging Systems
Imaging Systems comprise a broad range of systems for diagnostic imaging in the dental practice. Sirona has developed a comprehensive range of imaging systems for two dimensional (2D) or three dimensional (3D), panoramic and intra-oral applications. Intra-oral x-ray systems use image-capture sensor devices, which are inserted into the mouth behind the diagnostic area, and take images of one or two teeth. Panoramic x-ray systems produce images of the entire jaw structure by means of an x-ray tube and an image capture device, which rotates around the head.
Treatment Centers
Treatment Centers consists of a range of products from basic dentist chairs to chair-based units with integrated diagnostic, hygiene and ergonomic functionalities, as well as specialist centers used in preventative treatment and for training purposes. Sirona offers specifically configured products to meet the preferences of dentists within each region in which it operates. Sirona's treatment center configurations and system integration are designed to enhance productivity by creating a seamless workflow within the dental practice.
Instruments
Sirona offers a range of instruments, including handheld and power-operated handpieces for cavity preparation, endodontics, periodontology and prophylaxis, which are regularly updated and improved. The instruments are supplemented by multi-function tips, supply and suction hoses, as well as care and hygiene systems for instrument preparation. Sirona's instruments are often sold as packages in combination with treatment centers.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, small cap dental stock BIOLASE Inc (NASDAQ: BIOL) surged 17.69% after announcing it had received a license from the Health Canada-Medical Device Bureau to sell its EPIC dental soft-tissue diode laser systems throughout Canada, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of mid cap dental stocks like Sirona Dental Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: SIRO), DENTSPLY International Inc (NASDAQ: XRAY) and Align Technology, Inc (NASDAQ: ALGN).
- [By Todd Campbell]
Dentists may find that patients are more willing to spend on restorative procedures now that the job market is recovering and consumer sentiment is heading higher. That offers new opportunities for providers of dentistry equipment, such as Sirona Dental Systems (NASDAQ: SIRO ) , a company that was spun out of Siemens in 1997 and brought public in 2006.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Align have surged 24% to $57 at 12:37 p.m. Sirona Dental Systems (SIRO) has risen 0.8% to $69.61, Dentsply International (XRAY) is up 0.1% at $45.44, Integra Lifesciences (IART) has� gained 0.4% to $44.23 and Danaher (DHR) has fallen 0.3% to $72.13.
Hot Stocks To Own For 2014: China HGS Real Estate Inc.(HGSH)
China HGS Real Estate Inc., through its subsidiary, Shaanxi Guangsha Investment and Development Group Co., Ltd., engages in the real estate development in the People?s Republic of China. It is involved in the construction and sale of residential apartments, parking lots, and commercial properties. The company develops multi-layer, sub-high-rise, and high-rise apartment buildings, as well as office buildings. China HGS Real Estate Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Hanzhong City, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Top losers in the sector included China HGS Real Estate (NASDAQ: HGSH), off 4.8 percent, and China Life Insurance Co (NYSE: LFC), down 4 percent.
Hot Stocks To Own For 2014: Tokyo Electron Ltd (TOELY.PK)
Tokyo Electron Limited is a company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of electronic products for industrial uses. The Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, Flat-panel Display (FPD) and Photovoltaic Cell (PV) Manufacturing Equipment segment provides coaters and developers for wafer processing, plasma etching equipment, thermal processing systems, single wafer deposition systems, cleaning systems, coaters and developers for FPD manufacturing, ashing devices and plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) devices. The Electronic Component and Information Communication Equipment segment designs, develops, purchases and sells semiconductor products such as integrated circuits (ICs), computer and network equipment and software. The Others segment involves in logistics, facility management and insurance businesses. On April 1, 2013, it merged with two subsidiaries. In January 2014, the Company established TEL-Applied Holdings B.V. and a Japan-based company. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]
Ultratech isn't the only game in town, though, and there are multiple technologies and process steps that are going to play significant roles in the production of FinFETs and 3D circuits. With that, I would take a look at Mattson Technologies (MTSN), as this company has already accomplished the not-so-easy task of gaining meaningful share in the dry strip, rapid thermal processing (RTP), and etch markets despite competing with giants like Lam Research (LRCX), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Tokyo Electron (TOELY.PK).
Hot Stocks To Own For 2014: American Water Works(AWK)
American Water Works Company, Inc. provides water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, industrial, public, and other customers in the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2010, the company served approximately 15 million people with drinking water, wastewater, and other water-related services in approximately 30 states and 2 Canadian provinces. It owned approximately 90 surface water treatment plants, 600 groundwater treatment plants, 1,200 groundwater wells, 60 wastewater treatment facilities, 1,300 treated water storage facilities, 1,300 pumping stations and 100 dams, and 49,000 miles of mains and collection pipes. American Water Works Company also enters into public/private partnerships, including operation and maintenance contracts; and design, build, and operate contracts for the provision of services to water and wastewater facilities for municipalities and the United States military. In addition, it enters into contracts to operate and maintai n water and wastewater facilities for the United States military, municipalities, the food and beverage industry, and other customers; and provides services to domestic homeowners to protect against the cost of repairing broken or leaking pipes inside and outside their homes. Further, the company provides biosolids management, transport, and disposal services to municipal and industrial customers. Additionally, it offers granular carbon technologies and products for cleansing water and wastewater, wastewater residuals management services, and water and wastewater facility engineering services. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in Voorhees, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Dittman]
Note that water utilities and UF Portfolio Holdings American Water Works Co Inc (NYSE: AWK), Aqua America Inc (NYSE: WTR) and Connecticut Water Service Inc (NSDQ: CTWS) posted 2013 total returns of 16.1 percent, 18.8 percent and 23.1 percent, respectively, underperforming the broader S&P 500 but besting the traditional safe-haven subgroups.
- [By Sean Williams]
Today, I plan to introduce the eighth of 10 selections to the Basic Needs Portfolio: American Water Works (NYSE: AWK ) .
How it fits with our theme
Whereas Ford may have been the biggest stretch for an addition to this basic needs portfolio, there is absolutely no one that's going to deny the importance of water in our lives. We need water to survive. Period! Water is essential for us to drink, is used in countless foods, and helps keep us clean via showers and baths. Don't even get me started on what kind of trouble we'd be in without water for our toilets! - [By David Dittman]
Question: I’ve been trying to buy American Water Works Inc (NYSE: AWK) at a level that would provide me a 3 percent dividend yield. Do you think this is possible? I’ve been waiting awhile.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Strategist Andrew Garthwaite and team explain why companies like Sprint (S),� American Water Works (AWK), Volcano (VOLC), Southern (SO) and Level 3 Communications�(LVLT) could get hit by the taper:
No comments:
Post a Comment