Friday, November 21, 2014

Top 5 Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014

Given that you clicked on this article, it seems safe to assume you either own stock in SVB Financial (NASDAQ: SIVB  ) or are considering buying shares in the near future. If so, then you've come to the right place. The table below reveals the nine most critical numbers that investors need to know about SVB Financial stock before deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold it.

SVB Financial is not your typical bank. Located in Northern California, it's the holding company for Silicon Valley Bank, a niche lender that focuses almost exclusively on companies in the technology, life sciences, and winery space. Think venture capital. "For nearly three decades," its website reads, "SVB Financial Group and its subsidiaries, including Silicon Valley Bank, have been dedicated to helping entrepreneurs succeed." And if its share-price performance is any indication, this model has succeeded. Over the past 10 years, the total return to shareholders has been 273%. For context, only a handful of banks exceeded the 100% mark over this same time period -- including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and PNC Financial -- and roughly half of the 100-plus banks I examined actually declined in value over the same time period.

Top 5 Casino Companies For 2015: Markel Corp (MKL)

Markel Corporation is a financial holding company serving a range of markets. The Company markets and underwrites specialty insurance products. The Company operates in three segments: the Excess and Surplus Lines, the Specialty Admitted, and the London markets. It also owns interests in industrial and service businesses, which operate outside of the specialty insurance marketplace. On January 1, 2012, the Company acquired Thompson Insurance Enterprises, LLC (THOMCO). On July 13, 2011, the Company acquired PartnerMD, LLC. On October 19, 2011, the Company acquired an 83% interest in WI Holdings Inc. (Weldship). In April 2012, its subsidiary, Markel Ventures, acquired a majority interest in Havco WP LLC. In July 2012, Markel Corporation announced that Ellicott Dredge Enterprises, LLC, through its subsidiary Rohr International Dredge Holdings, Inc., acquired IDRECO GmbH. In January 2013, OneBeacon Insurance Group Ltd sold Essentia Insurance Company to the Company. In May 2013, it announced that it has completed its acquisition of Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd.

Excess and Surplus Lines Segment

Business in the Excess and Surplus Lines segment is written through two distribution channels, professional surplus lines general agents who have limited quoting and binding authority and wholesale brokers. The business produced by this segment is written on a surplus lines basis through either Essex Insurance Company or Evanston Insurance Company. During the year ended December 31, 2011, in the Excess and Surplus Lines segment, it wrote business through regional underwriting offices, which include Markel Northeast (Red Bank, NJ), Markel Southeast (Glen Allen, VA), Markel Midwest (Deerfield, IL), Markel Mid South (Plano, TX) and Markel West (Woodland Hills, CA and Scottsdale, AZ). Product offerings within the Excess and Surplus Lines segment fall within the product groupings, which include Property and Casualty, Professional Liability, and Other Product Lines. Property coverages consist of f! ire, allied lines (including windstorm, hail and water damage) and other specialized property coverages, including catastrophe-exposed property risks, such as earthquake and wind on both a primary and excess basis. Its property risks range from small, single-location accounts to multi-state, multi-location accounts. Casualty product offerings include a range of liability coverages targeting apartments and office buildings, retail stores, contractors and recreational and hospitality businesses. It also offers products liability coverages on either an occurrence or claims-made basis to manufacturers, distributors, importers and re-packagers of manufactured products.

Professional liability coverages include solutions for specialized professions, including architects and engineers, lawyers, agents and brokers, service technicians and computer consultants. It offers claims-made medical malpractice coverage for doctors, dentists and podiatrists; claims-made professional liability coverage to individual healthcare providers, such as therapists, pharmacists, physician assistants and nurse anesthetists, and coverages for medical facilities and other allied healthcare risks, such as clinics, laboratories, medical spas, home health agencies, small hospitals, pharmacies and nursing homes. This product line also includes for-profit and not-for profit management liability coverage, which can be bundled or written mono-line and include employment practices liability, directors��and officers��liability and fiduciary liability coverages. In addition, it offers a data privacy and security product, which provides coverage for data breach and privacy liability, data breach loss to insureds and electronic media coverage.

Other product lines within the Excess and Surplus Lines segment include excess and umbrella products, which provide coverage over approved underlying insurance carriers on either an occurrence or claims-made basis; environmental products, which include environmental consultants! ��profe! ssional liability, contractors��pollution liability and site-specific environmental impairment liability coverages; transportation-related products, which provide auto physical damage coverage for automobiles, as well as all types of specialty commercial vehicles, dealers��open lot and garagekeeper legal liability coverages, vehicular liability and physical damage coverages for local and intermediate haul commercial trucks and liability coverage to operators of small to medium-sized owned and operated taxicab fleets, non-emergency ambulances and multi-line specialty products designed for the characteristics of the garage industry; inland marine products, which provide a range of specialty coverages for risks, such as motor truck cargo coverage for damage to third party cargo while in transit, warehouseman�� legal liability coverage for damage to third party goods in storage, contractors��equipment coverage for first party property damage and builder�� risk coverage; ocean marine products, which provide general liability, professional liability, property and cargo coverages for marine artisan contractors, boat dealers and marina owners, including hull physical damage, protection and indemnity and third party property coverages for ocean cargo; casualty facultative reinsurance written for individual casualty risks focusing on general liability, products liability, automobile liability and certain classes of professional liability and targeting classes, which include general liability risks; railroad-related products, which provide first and third party coverages for short-line and regional railroads, scenic and tourist railroads, commuter and light rail trains and railroad equipment, and public entity insurance and reinsurance programs, which provide coverage for government entities including counties, municipalities, schools and community colleges.

Specialty Admitted Segment

The business in the Specialty Admitted segment is written by retail insurance agents who have v! ery limit! ed underwriting authority. Products and programs are marketed directly to consumers or distributed through wholesale producers. Personal lines coverages included in this segment are marketed directly to the consumer using direct mail, Internet and telephone promotions, as well as relationships with various motorcycle and boat manufacturers, dealers and associations. The business produced by this segment is written on an admitted basis either through Markel Insurance Company (MIC), Markel American Insurance Company (MAIC) and FirstComp Insurance Company (FCIC).

The Markel Specialty unit focuses on providing total insurance programs for businesses engaged in specialized activities. The Markel Specialty unit is organized into product areas, which concentrate on particular markets and customer groups, including youth and recreation oriented organizations, social service organizations, amateur sports organizations and horse and farm operations. The Markel American Specialty Personal and Commercial Lines unit offers its insurance products focuses its underwriting on marine, recreational vehicle, property and other personal and commercial line coverages. The FirstComp unit provides workers��compensation insurance and related services, to small businesses. The FirstComp unit distributes its products through independent insurance agencies.

Product offerings within the Specialty Admitted segment fall within product groupings, which include Workers��Compensation, Property and Casualty, Personal Lines, Accident and Health, and Other Product Lines. Workers��compensation products provide wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment and target main-street, service and artisan contractor businesses, retail stores and restaurants. Property and casualty products included in this segment are offered on a monoline or package basis and target commercial markets and customer groups. Targeted groups include youth and recreation oriented organizations,! social s! ervice organizations, museums and historic homes, performing arts organizations, bed and breakfast inns, outfitters and guides, hunting and fishing lodges, dude ranches and rod and gun clubs. Personal lines products provide first and third party coverages for a range of personal watercrafts, including older boats, boats and yachts, as well as for recreational vehicles, including motorcycles, snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs). In addition, property coverages are offered for mobile homes, dwellings and homeowners that do not qualify for standard homeowner�� coverage. Other products offered include special event protection, supplemental natural disaster coverage, renters��protection coverage, excess flood coverage and collector vehicle coverage. Accident and health products offer liability and accident insurance for amateur sports organizations, accident and medical insurance for academic institutions, monoline accident and medical coverage for various markets, short-term medical insurance, pet health insurance, stop-loss insurance for self-insured medical plans and medical excess reinsurance coverage.

Other product lines within the Specialty Admitted segment include coverages for equine-related risks, such as horse mortality, theft, infertility, transit and specified perils, as well as property and liability coverages for farms and boarding, breeding and training facilities; first and third party coverages for auto repair garages, gas stations and convenience stores and used car dealers; general agent programs, which use managing general agents to offer single source admitted and non-admitted programs for a specific class or line of business; first and third party coverages for small fishing ventures, charters, utility boats and boat rentals, and professional liability coverages, which it designs and administers on behalf of other insurance carriers and ultimately assume on a reinsurance basis.

London Insurance Market Segment

This segment is consisted o! f Markel ! International. Markel International writes specialty property, casualty, professional liability, equine, marine, energy and trade credit insurance on a direct and reinsurance basis. Business is written worldwide through either Markel International Insurance Company Limited (MIICL) or Markel Syndicate 3000 with approximately 15% of writings coming from the United States. Product offerings within the London Insurance Market segment fall within the product groupings, which include Marine and Energy, Professional and General Liability, Reinsurance, Property, and Other Product Lines.

Marine and energy products include a portfolio of coverages for cargo, energy, hull, liability, war, terrorism and specie risks. The cargo account is an international transit-based book covering a range of cargo. Energy coverage includes all aspects of oil and gas activities. The hull account covers physical damage to ocean-going tonnage, yachts and mortgagee�� interest. Liability coverage provides for a range of energy liabilities, as well as marine exposures, including charterers, terminal operators and ship repairers. The war account covers the hulls of ships and aircraft, and other related interests, against war and associated perils. Terrorism coverage provides for property damage and business interruption related to political violence, including war and civil war. The specie account includes coverage for fine art on exhibition and in private collections, securities, bullion, precious metals, cash in transit and jewelry.

Professional and general liability products include professional indemnity, directors��and officers��liability, intellectual property, some defense costs, incidental commercial crime, general and products liability coverages targeting consultants, construction professionals, financial service professionals, professional practices, social welfare organizations and medical products. Professional and general liability products are written on a global basis. Reinsurance products ! include p! roperty and casualty treaty reinsurance. Property treaty products are offered on an excess of loss and proportional basis for per risk and catastrophe exposures. A portion of the excess of loss catastrophe and per risk property treaty business comes from the United States with the remainder coming from international property treaties. Casualty treaty reinsurance is offered on an excess of loss basis and targets specialist writers of motor products in the United Kingdom and Europe. Excess of loss casualty treaty reinsurance also is offered for select writers of employers��and products liability coverages.

Property products target a range of insureds, providing coverage ranging from fire to catastrophe perils, such as earthquake and windstorm. Business is written either in the open market or on a delegated authority basis for direct and facultative risks. Open market business is written mainly on a global basis by its underwriters to London brokers, with each risk being considered on its own merits. The Company provides property coverage for small to medium-sized commercial risks on both a stand-alone and package basis through its branch offices. Other product lines within the London Insurance Market segment include crime coverage targeting financial institutions and providing protection for bankers��blanket bond, computer crime and commercial fidelity; contingency coverage, including event cancellation, non-appearance and prize indemnity; accident and health coverage for affinity groups and schemes, risks accounts and sports groups; coverage for equine-related risks, such as horse mortality, theft, infertility, transit and specified perils; specialty coverages include mortality risks for farms, zoos, animal theme parks and safari parks; short-term trade credit coverage for commercial risks, including insolvency and protracted default, as well as political risks coverage in conjunction with commercial risks for currency inconvertibility, government action, import/export license cancellati! on, publi! c buyer default and war, and products liability, excess and umbrella and environmental liability coverages.

The Company purchases reinsurance. It purchases catastrophe reinsurance coverage for its catastrophe-exposed policies. In addition, certain foreign reinsurers for its United States insurance operations must provide collateral equal to 100% of recoverable, with the exception of reinsurers who have been granted authorized status by an insurance company�� state of domicile. When appropriate, it pursues reinsurance commutations, which involve the termination of ceded reinsurance contracts. Reinsurance treaties are purchased on an annual basis.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Steve Symington]

    Last December, Markel (NYSE: MKL  ) shocked the market by announcing a $3.1 billion deal to acquire fellow insurer Alterra Capital.

    (NYSE: MKL  ) The deal not only unsettled investors by employing a combination of cash and stock, but it was also significantly larger than the typically small acquisitions that President and CIO Tom Gayner pursues through his Markel Ventures subsidiary. The market immediately punished shares of Markel by driving them down as much as 10% that day.

  • [By Steve Symington]

    Shares of insurance specialist Markel (NYSE: MKL  ) shot up more than 4% yesterday after the company beat estimates with its strong first-quarter 2013 earnings report.

  • [By John Reeves]

    In the following video, Motley Fool contributor John Reeves takes investors through three stocks he just added to his own portfolio. He discusses the long-term healthy eating trend that led him to Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFM  ) , how LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD  ) is completely transforming the job-search market, and how the specialty insurer Markel (NYSE: MKL  ) , and its similar business model to Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) make it an attractive buy today.

Top 5 Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014: Hutchinson Technology Inc (HTCH)

Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (HTI), incorporated on October 29, 1965, is a global technology manufacturer. The Company is a supplier of suspension assemblies for hard disk drives. The Company operates in two segments: the Disk Drive Components Division and the BioMeasurement Division. The Company manufactures suspension assemblies for all sizes and types of hard disk drives. Suspension assemblies are components of disk drives that hold the read/write heads in position above the spinning magnetic disks.

The Company categorize its products as either suspension assemblies or other revenue, which consists primarily of revenue outside of the disk drive industry for precision component manufacturing, tool design, tool build and metrology, suspension assembly components, reimbursement for disk drive industry-related engineering services and specific disk drive program capacity and biomeasurement products. During the year ended September 29, 2013, the Company shipped 404 million suspension assemblies of all types, supplying all manufacturers of disk drives and head-gimbal assemblers.

The Company competes with Nihon Hatsujo Kabusikigaisha, Magnecomp Precision Technology Public Company Limited, NAT Peripheral (H.K.) Co., Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation and Dai Nippon Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another under-$10 electronic component player that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Hutchinson Technology (HTCH), which is a technology manufacturer that creates value by developing solutions to critical customer problems. This stock has been on fire during 2013, with shares up a whopping 75%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Hutchinson Technology, you'll notice that this stock has been finding significant buying interest over the last two months, whenever it has pulled back to around $3.30 to $3.20 a share. This pattern could be signaling that shares of HTCH are forming a major bottoming chart pattern if those levels can hold as support. Shares of HTCH are now starting to flirt with its 50-day moving average at $3.56 a share. That move is starting to push the stock within range of triggering a big breakout trade above a key downtrend line.

    Market players should now look for long-biased trades in HTCH if it manages to break out above its 200-day moving average of $3.65 a share and then once it clears more overhead resistance levels at $3.89 to $4.13 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average volume of 392,134 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HTCH will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.75 to $5.50 a share, or even $6 a share.

    Traders can look to buy HTCH off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $3.37 or at $3.17 a share. One can also buy HTCH off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Top 5 Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014: VizStar Inc (VIZS)

VizStar, Inc. (VizStar), formerly Easy CD Yearbook, Inc., incorporated on June 27, 2006, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses to market software, which enables schools, clubs and organizations to produce their own multimedia yearbook. On June 11, 2010, Celestial Jets, Inc. (Celestial Jets) merged with the Company. Celestial Jets merged (the merger) with and into the Company�� wholly owned subsidiary, Celestial Acquisition Corp. Upon the merger, the name of Celestial Acquisition Corp. became Celestial Jets, Inc. In December 2012, the Company acquired Kimberly Parry Corporation.

A multimedia yearbook is a compact disc (CD)/ digital versatile disc (DVD), which contains video, photos, audio and text that is personal computer (PC) and Mac compatible. As of May 31, 2010, the Company had no revenues.

The Company competes with Yeardisk, Digital Journey LLC and Interactive Software Designs.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks VizStar Inc (OTCMKTS: VIZS), SOHM Inc (OTCMKTS: SHMN) and American Soil Technologies, Inc (OTCMKTS: SOYL) have been getting some attention in various investment newsletters with two out of three of these stocks being the subject of paid promotions. However, there is nothing wrong with some paid for attention so long as everything is properly disclosed, but its going to be up to investors and traders alike to ultimately decide whether any of these stocks have what it takes to be the next hot stock. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about all three small cap stocks:

Top 5 Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014: KeyCorp (KEY)

KeyCorp is a bank holding company for KeyBank National Association (KeyBank). Through KeyBank and certain other subsidiaries, the Company provides a range of retail and commercial banking, commercial leasing, investment management, consumer finance and investment banking products and services to individual, corporate and institutional clients through two business segments: Key Community Bank and Key Corporate Bank. As of December 31, 2011, these services were provided through KeyBank�� 1,058 full-service retail banking branches in 14 states, additional offices, a telephone banking call center services group and a network of 1,579 automated teller machines (ATMs) in 15 states. On January 17, 2012, the Company opened another national bank subsidiary.

In addition to the banking services of accepting deposits and making loans, the Bank and trust company subsidiaries offer personal and corporate trust services, personal financial services, access to mutual funds, cash management services, investment banking and capital markets products, and international banking services. Through its bank, trust company and investment adviser subsidiaries, the Company provides investment management services to clients that include corporate and public retirement plans, foundations and endowments, individuals and trust funds. The Company provides other financial services - both within and outside of its primary banking markets - through various nonbank subsidiaries. These services include community development financing, securities underwriting and brokerage. It is also an equity participant in a joint venture that provides merchant services to businesses.

Lending Activities

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� Commercial, Financial and Agricultural loans, also referred to as Commercial and Industrial, represented 39% of its total loan portfolio. As of December 31, 2011, commercial real estate loans represented approximately 19% of its total loan portfolio. These loans include bo! th owner and nonowner-occupied properties and constitute approximately 27% of its commercial loan portfolio. Its commercial real estate lending business is conducted through two primary sources: its 14-state banking franchise, and Real Estate Capital and Corporate Banking Services. The Company conducts financing arrangements through its equipment finance line of business. Commercial lease financing receivables represented 17% of commercial loans at December 31, 2011. The home equity portfolio is the largest segment of its consumer loan portfolio.

Investment Activities

The Company�� securities portfolio totaled $18 billion at December 31, 2011. Available-for-sale securities were $16 billion at December 31, 2011. Held-to-maturity securities were $2.1 billion at December 31, 2011. At December 31, 2011, it had $2.1 billion in collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) in its held-to-maturity securities portfolio. At December 31, 2011, the Company had $15.9 billion invested in CMOs and other mortgage-backed securities in the available-for-sale portfolio. Federal Agency CMOs constitute most of its held-to-maturity securities along with foreign bonds and preferred equity securities. The investments in equity and mezzanine instruments made by its principal investing unit represented 61% of other investments at December 31, 2011. They include direct investments (investments made in a particular company), as well as indirect investments (investments made through funds that include other investors).

Sources of Funds

Domestic deposits are the Company�� primary source of funding. During the year ended December 31, 2011, these deposits averaged $58.5 billion and represented 80% of the funds it used to support loans and other earning assets. Wholesale funds, consisting of deposits in its foreign office and short-term borrowings, averaged $3.4 billion during 2011. At December 31, 2011, the Company had $4.7 billion in time deposits of $100,000 or more.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By E.S. Browning]

    ��e are looking to take advantage of it if it drives turmoil in the markets,��said Bruce McCain, who helps oversee more than $20 billion as chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank, an arm of KeyCorp(KEY) in Cleveland.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Don’t look for big banks to soften the blow today, however. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) has fallen 0.5% to $51.84, Wells Fargo (WFC) has declined 0.9% to $42.06 and KeyCorp (KEY) is off 1% at $12.54. Citigroup (C) has gained 0.2% to $48.71.

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