Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of RealD (NYSE: RLD ) plunged for real today, down by 17% at the low, after the company announced disappointing box office sales for June.
So what: The company said that box office sales in June for RealD-enabled screens was approximately $291 million, of which $158 million was domestic and $133 million was international. Revenue for the fiscal quarter should be around $838 million, of which $431 million was domestic and $407 million was international.
Now what: The June sales were down sequentially from $345 million in May, which bodes poorly considering how important the summer is for Hollywood. Consumer interest in 3-D movies may be waning, as consumers may be becoming pickier about what they watch in the format since the prices are higher. RealD received a handful of analyst downgrades today following the figures.
Top 5 International Stocks For 2015: Clicksoftware Technologies Ltd (CKSW)
ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (ClickSoftware), incorporated in 1979, is a provider of software products and solutions for workforce management and optimization for the service sector. The Company derives revenues from the licensing of its software products and the provision of consulting and support services. It also generates revenues from Cloud-based solutions. under software as a service (SaaS) model. ClickSoftware�� solutions are grouped into four main suites which together comprise its Service Optimization Suite: Field Service Daily Suite, Mobility Suite, Roster (Shift Planning) Suite and Forecasting and Planning Suite. Additionally, it offers variations of its products for certain vertical markets, including Mid-Market Package - Installation, Maintenance and Repair Services (ClickIMRS) and Service Tycoon. Its products include: ClickSchedule, ClickAnalyze, ClickLocate, ClickContact, ClickRoster, ClickPlan, and ClickForecast. In March 2014, the Company acquired Xora Inc., a cloud-based mobile workforce management.
Field Service Daily Suite covers automatic decision making and optimization support to manage field service operations: commencing from appointment booking and scheduling during the period around the day of service, followed by real time scheduling and optimization during the day of service and culminating with reports and business metrics analytics after the day of service. Roster (Shift Planning) Suite covers shift planning needs for both the manager, as well as the employee to optimize the balance between staffing levels needed for serving customers and managing labor costs, and employee preferences. This suite is offered in several configurations for different industry verticals ranging from police forces to contact centers, and more. Mobility Suite covers the needs of the mobile individual and back-office staff for field data communication, such as sending jobs from the back office to the person�� hand-held device, and the person�� ability to accept/decline the ! job, report on progress and job completion, as well as capturing customers��signatures, or sending the person�� own time sheet to the back office. Geography support, such as travel guidance and information about underground equipment are also covered.
ClickSchedule optimizes service scheduling and routing to improve workforce productivity by balancing customer, service and asset resources, and organizational preferences, including contractual commitments, priority, drive time, skills, and service and asset resources availability. ClickAnalyze provides reporting, monitoring and service business analytics for workforce performance measurement and strategic decision support. It enables analysis of key performance indicators, including resource productivity, operational costs, and responsiveness to customers.
ClickLocate (LBS) captures the location information of a field service engineer and/or his or her vehicle obtained via GPS or other technology and integrates it with ClickSchedule for use in optimized scheduling. LBS then enables service organizations to improve their service operations by allowing them to make decisions and take actions based on location information, including near real-time engineer locations. ClickContact is a customer interaction management solution that enables self-service appointment booking, order updating, automatic customer notifications and customer satisfaction surveying. From scheduling the initial appointment through enabling a post-service follow-up survey, ClickContact provides customer interaction management throughout the service lifecycle.
ClickRoster provides interactive and automated workforce shift planning based on forecasted workload by quantities and skill requirements, rules and regulations, working contracts, engineer skills, calendar and preferences. ClickPlan provides interactive and automated workforce planning for staffing and deployment of the field workforce based on forecasted workload. It is designed ! to enable! service organizations to resolve workforce shortages and surpluses weeks and months in advance. ClickForecast provides field service workload forecasting to enable companies to project workforce capacity. It enables service managers, marketing, and sales to determine the demand levels of customers, and to create multiple forecast scenarios, each with different business assumptions. (ClickIMRS) is a pre-configured package that has been tailored to the needs of small and mid-sized companies. ClickIMRS features pre-configured scheduling and reporting that reduces the expense, time and effort required to custom-design and program schedules and reports. In addition, the ready-to-use reports provide insight into service operations and streamline decision-making on the part of both service management and dispatchers.
ClickSoftware Cloud Services include two Web-based offerings of its complete Service Optimization Suite. ClickCloud offers medium and market enterprise customers an alternative to on-premises deployment of the Service Optimization Suite. ClickCloud also enables a hybrid information technology (IT) model, which is a solution comprised of a mix of Cloud and on-premises deployment ClickExpress offers the customers to be up and running within a relatively short period of time, with its products.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Evan Niu, CFA]
What: Shares of ClickSoftware (NASDAQ: CKSW ) have plunged today by as much as 13% after the company warned that second-quarter results would fall short of expectations.
- [By Sean Williams]
Optimize your buying
Software companies these days are being judged not just by how many new contracts they gained during the current quarter, but by how well they're prepared to deal with the transition to cloud platforms. Supply-chain and workforce-optimization software developer ClickSoftware Technologies (NASDAQ: CKSW ) looks well poised to take advantage of these trends and has no business, in my opinion, being anywhere near a 52-week low.
Top 5 International Stocks For 2015: Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings(LH)
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as an independent clinical laboratory company in the United States. The company offers a range of testing services used by the medical profession in routine testing, patient diagnosis, and in the monitoring and treatment of disease, as well as specialty testing services. Its routine tests include blood chemistry analyses, urinalyses, blood cell counts, thyroid tests, Pap tests, HIV tests, microbiology cultures and procedures, and alcohol and other substance-abuse tests. The company?s specialty tests and related services comprise viral load measurements, genotyping and phenotyping, and host genetic factors for managing and treating HIV infections; cytogenetic, molecular cytogenetic, biochemical, and molecular genetic tests for diagnostic genetics; oncology tests for diagnosing and monitoring certain cancers and treatments; clinical trials testing for pharmaceutical companies, which conducts clinical research trials on diag nostic assays; forensic identity testing used in criminal proceedings and parentage evaluation services, as well as testing services in reconstruction cases; allergy testing; and occupational testing for the detection of drug and alcohol abuse. Its customers include independent physicians and physician groups, hospitals, managed care organizations, governmental agencies, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and other independent clinical laboratories. The company operates a network of 51 primary laboratories and approximately 1,700 patient service centers. In addition, it delivers a co-branded electronic health records Lite solution for physician practices. The company works with university, hospital, and academic institutions, such as Duke University, The Johns Hopkins University, the University of Minnesota, and Yale University to license and commercialize new diagnostic tests. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Burlingto n, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Wolfe]
Over the past week Chris Davis (Trades, Portfolio) of Davis Selected Advisers added to his holdings in Laboratory Corporation of America (LH).� The guru upped his stake 21.11% by purchasing 1,666,957 shares of the company�� stock.� He bought these shares at an average price of $91.37 per share, and since then the price per share is up about 1% to $92.57 per share.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (NYSE: LH ) reported earnings on July 19. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings met expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share. - [By Daniel Lauchheimer]
EXAS began their pivotal DeeP-C trial earlier this year, with 10,000 patients enrolled around the USA. Success in this trial formed a pivotal fulcrum for EXAS -- success would mean commercialization, and revenue, but failure means, well failure. In April, EXAS submitted the final module of this trial, and it reported significantly worse results than expected causing the company to sink 40%. Additionally, as reported in a detailed five part series, Seeking Alpha Contributor Alpha Exposure reported on the inflated numbers both in terms of scientific research data and market projections -- yet another reason to give investors pause before they decide to invest in EXAS. Additionally, EXAS has not formed a meaningful partnership with other molecular diagnostic companies. True, it formed a partnership with LabCorp (LH), but this partnership doesn't focus on the heart of EXAS product (and thus provide it with a measure of validation), but on a commercialization post approval.
Top Insurance Stocks For 2015: Travelzoo Inc(TZOO)
Travelzoo Inc., an Internet media company, together with its subsidiaries, publishes travel and entertainment deals from travel and entertainment companies, and local businesses in North America and Europe. Its publications and products include the Travelzoo Websites, such as travelzoo.com, travelzoo.ca, travelzoo.co.uk, travelzoo.de, www.travelzoo.es, and travelzoo.fr; the Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter; and the Newsflash e-mail alert service. The company also operates SuperSearch, a pay-per-click travel search tool; Travelzoo Network, a network of third-party Websites that list deals published by Travelzoo; and Fly.com, a travel search engine that allows users to find the best prices on flights from various airlines and online travel agencies. In addition, it provides Local Deals and Getaways services that allow its subscribers to purchase vouchers for deals from local businesses, such as spas, hotels, and restaurants through the Travelzoo Website. As of December 31, 2011, the company?s advertiser base included approximately 2,000 travel companies, entertainment companies, and local businesses, including airlines, hotels, cruise lines, vacations packagers, tour operators, destinations, car rental companies, travel agents, theater and performing arts groups, restaurants, spas, and activity companies. Travelzoo Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
If you are a Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO ) shareholder but own fewer than 25 shares, management would really appreciate it if you would just go away.
Top 5 International Stocks For 2015: SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY)
SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate the price and yield of the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index (the Index). The Index is designed to measure the performance of 50 highest dividend yielding S&P Composite 1500 constituents that have followed a managed-dividends policy of consistently increasing dividends every year for at least 25 years. These stocks have both capital growth and dividend income characteristics.
The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing approach and attempts to approximate the investment performance of its benchmark index, by investing in a portfolio of stocks intended to replicate the Index. SSgA Funds Management, Inc. acts as the Adviser of the Fund.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
So if two single people each earned $200,000, they wouldn't be subject to the Obamacare tax at all. But if they got married, then $150,000 of their total income of $400,000 would get taxed, with an additional tax liability of $1,350. Similar situations with investment income could lead to a much larger marriage penalty, as the investment tax rate is more than quadruple the rate for wages.�Investors in dividend-oriented ETFs Vanguard High Dividend Yield (NYSEMKT: VYM ) , SPDR S&P Dividend (NYSEMKT: SDY ) , and iShares DJ Select Dividend (NYSEMKT: DVY ) should therefore take care to consider tax-favored investment vehicles for their investments.
- [By John Maxfield]
So what does this mean for investors? To me, this chart reveals the roadmap for a successful investment strategy. Assuming GDP grows at 2% to 3%, your investment portfolio could as well, simply by investing in the SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEMKT: SPY ) ETF. Want to juice those returns? Go instead for the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (NYSEMKT: SDY ) , which tracks the S&P High-Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index. And in purchasing these, to control for the variations, it'd be prudent to use dollar-cost averaging -- that is, buying the same dollar amount of the index each month or year come rain or shine.
- [By Todd Rosenbluth, Senior Director, S&P Capital IQ]
The SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) is the largest of the four. It owns companies that have increased dividends every year for at least 20 years. Its portfolio has 83 individual stocks with a median market capitalization of $13 billion.
- [By Vaughan Scully]
Investors who would like to gain exposure to the Aristocrats may want to consider the ProShares S&P 500 Aristocrats ETF (NOBL), which tracks the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index. The fund has attracted almost $12.5 billion in assets since launching in October, 2013. Also, State Street's SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) tracks the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats index.
Top 5 International Stocks For 2015: Con-way Inc (CNW)
Con-way Inc. (Con-way), incorporated in 1958, provides transportation, logistics and supply-chain management services for a wide range of manufacturing, industrial and retail customers. Con-way�� business units operate in regional and transcontinental less-than-truckload and full-truckload freight transportation, contract logistics and supply-chain management, multimodal freight brokerage, and trailer manufacturing. Con-way is divided into four segments: Freight, Logistics, Truckload, and Other. At December 31, 2011, Con-way Freight operated 286 freight service centers, of which 144 were owned and 142 were leased. At December 31, 2011, Con-way Freight owned and operated approximately 9,200 tractors and 26,400 trailers, including tractors held under capital lease agreements.
Freight
The Freight segment consists of the operating results of the Con-way Freight business unit. Con-way Freight is a less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carrier that utilizes a network of freight service centers to provide day-definite regional, inter-regional and transcontinental less-than-truckload freight services throughout North America. LTL carriers transport shipments from multiple shippers utilizing a network of freight service centers combined with a fleet of line-haul and pickup-and-delivery tractors and trailers. Freight is picked up from customers and consolidated for shipment at the originating service center. Freight is consolidated for transportation to the destination service centers or freight assembly centers. At Freight assembly centers, freight from various service centers can be reconsolidated for transportation to other freight assembly centers or destination service centers. From the destination service center, the freight is delivered to the customer. Typically, LTL shipments weigh between 100 and 15,000 pounds. In 2011, Con-way Freight�� average weight per shipment was 1,305 pounds.
Logistics
The Logistics segment consists of the operating results o! f the Menlo Worldwide Logistics business unit. Menlo Worldwide Logistics develops contract-logistics solutions, which can include managing complex distribution networks, and providing supply-chain engineering and consulting, and multimodal freight brokerage services. Menlo Worldwide Logistics��supply-chain management offerings are primarily related to transportation-management and contract-warehousing services. Transportation management refers to the management of asset-based carriers and third-party transportation providers for customers��inbound and outbound supply-chain needs through the use of logistics management systems to consolidate, book and track shipments. Contract warehousing refers to the optimization and operation of warehouses for customers using technology and warehouse-management systems to reduce inventory carrying costs and supply-chain cycle times. For several customers, contract-warehousing operations include light assembly or kitting operations.
Menlo Worldwide Logistics provides its services using a customer- or project-based approach when the supply-chain solution requires customer-specific transportation management, single-client warehouses, and/or single-customer technological solutions. However, Menlo Worldwide Logistics also utilizes a shared-resource, process-based approach that leverages a centralized transportation-management group, multi-client warehouses and technology to provide scalable solutions to multiple customers. Additionally, Menlo Worldwide Logistics segments its business based on customer type. At December 31, 2011, Menlo Worldwide Logistics operated 76 warehouses in North America, of which 55 were leased by Menlo Worldwide Logistics and 21 were leased or owned by clients of Menlo Worldwide Logistics. Outside of North America, Menlo Worldwide Logistics operated an additional 63 warehouses, of which 48 were leased by Menlo Worldwide Logistics and 15 were leased or owned by clients. Menlo Worldwide Logistics owns and operates a small fleet of tr! actors an! d trailers to support its operations, but primarily utilizes third-party transportation providers for the movement of customer shipments.
Truckload
The Truckload segment consists of the operating results of the Con-way Truckload business unit. Con-way Truckload is a full-truckload motor carrier that utilizes a fleet of tractors and trailers to provide short- and long-haul, asset-based transportation services throughout North America. Con-way Truckload provides dry-van transportation services to manufacturing, industrial and retail customers while using single drivers as well as two-person driver teams over long-haul routes, with each trailer containing only one customer�� goods. This origin-to-destination freight movement limits intermediate handling and is not dependent on the same network of locations utilized by LTL carriers. On average, Con-way Truckload transports shipments more than 800 miles from origin to destination. Under its regional service offering, Con-way Truckload transports truckload shipments of less than 600 miles, including local-area service for truckload shipments of less than 100 miles.
Con-way Truckload offers through-trailer service into and out of Mexico through all major gateways in Texas, Arizona and California. For a shipment with an origin or destination in Mexico, Con-way Truckload provides transportation for the domestic portion of the freight move, and a Mexican carrier provides the pick-up, linehaul and delivery services within Mexico. At December 31, 2011, Con-way Truckload operated five owned terminals with bulk fuel, tractor and trailer parking, and in some cases, equipment maintenance and washing facilities. In addition, Con-way Truckload also utilizes various drop yards for temporary trailer storage throughout the United States. At December 31, 2011, Con-way Truckload owned and operated approximately 2,700 tractors and 8,000 trailers, including tractors held under capital lease agreements.
Other
! The Other! reporting segment consists of the operating results of Road Systems, a trailer manufacturer, and certain corporate activities for which the related income or expense has not been allocated to other reporting segments, including results related to corporate re-insurance activities and corporate properties. Road Systems primarily manufactures and refurbishes trailers for Con-way Freight and Con-way Truckload.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Navistar hasn't been entirely locked out of the trucking market, though. The company won several contracts from the Defense Department in support of its military vehicles, including its MaxxPro mine-resistant, ambush-protected armored vehicle. On the commercial front, Navistar won part of an order in May from trucking company Con-Way (NYSE: CNW ) , which purchased 200 ProStar vehicles from the company. Still, the fact that rival Paccar (NASDAQ: PCAR ) got an even bigger portion of the Con-Way order is just one more sign of the ongoing struggles Navistar faces.
- [By Rich Smith]
Con-Way (NYSE: CNW ) announced that after polling its drivers for feedback on various truck manufacturers and models, it has decided to refresh its truck fleet with 525 new tractors -- 325 Kenworth T680s from Paccar, and another 200 Navistar ProStars.
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