After a relatively stable first half of fiscal year 2013, the Indian markets took a turn for the worse. The economy of the world's largest democracy has been facing severe headwinds in the form of widening current and capital account deficits, diminishing GDP growth, and a lack of investor-friendly policies.
Furthermore, the economy's growth has long been stunted by a failure to implement proactive policies and structural reforms.
New policy actions to the rescue
The central bank of the Indian economy, the Reserve Bank of India, has a new governor in Dr. Raghuram Rajan, who foresaw the 2008-2009 meltdown long before it occurred. Rajan recently announced a�slew of policies�that could well set in motion the structural reform needed to solve the long-term problems of the Indian economy.
As expected, Indian equities and the rupee registered huge gains�on the day of the announcement.
Competitive banking-sector policies
One of the most impressive developments has been the fact that policy aims to make the Indian banking sector more competitive by increasing the external (i.e., international) borrowing capacity of banks.
Top 5 Life Sciences Stocks To Buy For 2015: Wilshire Bancorp Inc.(WIBC)
Wilshire Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Wilshire State Bank that offers a range of financial products and services. It accepts various deposit products that include certificates of deposit, regular savings accounts, money market accounts, checking and negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, installment savings accounts, and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate and home mortgage loans, commercial business lending and trade finance, and small business administration lending, as well as consumer loans, including personal loans, auto loans, and other loans. It also provides trade finance services that include issuance and negotiation of letters of credit, handling of documentary collections, advising and negotiation of commercial letters of credit, transfer and issuance of back-to-back letters of credit, and trade finance lines of credit. In addition, the company offers Internet banking services, auto matic teller machines, and armored carrier services. It has 24 full-service branch offices in Southern California, Texas, New Jersey, and the greater New York City metropolitan area; and 6 loan production offices in Colorado, Georgia, Texas, New Jersey, and Virginia. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Los-Angeles, California-based bank holding company Wilshire Bancorp (WIBC) raised its quarterly dividend 67% to 5 cents per share, payable April 15 to shareholders of record as of March 31.
WIBC Dividend Yield: 1.77% - [By Rich Smith]
Los Angeles-based Wilshire Bancorp (NASDAQ: WIBC ) is acquiring some Korean banking customers... in New Jersey.
On Monday, Wilshire announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire�New Jersey's BankAsiana, a commercial bank�with three branches serving the Korean-American community in the New York/New Jersey market, boasting total assets of $207.3 million, total net loans of $161.2 million, and total deposits of $164.6 million.
Top International Companies To Watch For 2014: SL Green Realty Corporation(SLG)
SL Green Realty Corp. is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The firm engages in the property management, acquisitions, financing, development, construction, and leasing. It also provides tenant services to its clients. The firm invests in real estate markets of the United States. It primarily invests in commercial office and retail properties. SL Green Realty Corp. was founded in 1970 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Property management, financing and construction real estate investment trust (REIT) SL Green (SLG) raised its quarterly dividend 51.5% to 50 cents per share, payable on Jan. 15 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 31.
SLG Dividend Yield: 2.2%
Top International Companies To Watch For 2014: FCCC Inc (FCIC)
FCCC, Inc. (FCCC), incorporated on March 21, 1960, is focused on merger, acquisition, reverse merger or a business transaction opportunity with an operating business or other financial transaction. The Company has not restricted its search to any particular business, industry or geographical location.
As of March 31, 2013, the Company had no arrangements or understandings with respect to any merger, acquisition, reverse merger or business combination candidate. The Company has limited operations and is actively seeking merger, reverse merger, acquisition or business combination opportunities with an operating business or other financial transaction opportunities.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By The Science of Hitting]
After the financial crisis, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) was created to determine the root cause of the crisis; as part of that effort, the commission was required to make the ensuing interviews of hedge fund managers, bankers, and economists available to the public. One of the people interviewed was Warren Buffett, and as expected, he didn�� disappoint. During the interview, he was asked to discuss the difference between investment and speculation; here was his response (bold added for emphasis):
Top International Companies To Watch For 2014: Avanir Pharmaceuticals Inc(AVNR)
Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in acquiring, developing, and commercializing novel therapeutic products for the treatment of central nervous system disorders primarily in the United States. The company primarily offers NUEDEXTA, a unique proprietary combination of dextromethorphan and low-dose quinidine for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect. Its product line also comprises AVP-923 in Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of central neuropathic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis; and in Phase III trial for the treatment of patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. In addition, the company provides Docosanol 10% cream, an over-the-counter product for cold sores treatment. Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Joy Global Inc.(JOY), Costco Wholesale Corp.(COST) and Avanir Pharmaceuticals Inc.(AVNR)
- [By Sean Williams]
On Wednesday, Avanir Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AVNR ) received good news from the Food and Drug Administration, which OK'd an accelerated development pathway for pre-investigational neuropathic pain drug AVP-786. The accelerated approval was based on data from AVP-923 and will allow Avanir to conduct minimal preclinical testing before advancing onto human trials. This saves the company time and, more importantly, precious cash. I would, however, caution against getting too excited, as even this accelerated development puts this drug, which isn't even in clinical trials yet, years away from a possible approval.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Stocks on the move: Galena Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ: GALE) is down 15.4% at $1.93 after pricing a secondary offering of 17.5 million units at $2.00. Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY) is up 6.1% at $28.21, after an analyst�� upgrade which sent shares to a new 52-week high of $28.88 earlier. Avanir Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNR) is down 18.2% at $4.08.
Top International Companies To Watch For 2014: ICON plc(ICLR)
ICON Public Limited Company, a contract research organization, provides outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries in Ireland, the United States, and rest of Europe. It specializes in strategic development, management, and analysis of programs that support various stages of clinical development process from compound selection to Phase I to IV clinical studies. The company?s clinical research services include investigator recruitment, study monitoring and data collection, case report form preparation, patient safety monitoring, clinical data management, interactive voice response, electronic patient reported outcomes, medical reporting, patient registries, outcomes research, and health economics. Its clinical research services also comprise marker access and commercialization services, strategic analysis and data operation, clinical pharmacology, bioanalysis, immunoassay development, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynam ic analysis, study protocol preparation, regulatory consulting, product development planning, strategic consulting, medical imaging, contract staffing, and electronic endpoint adjudication. In addition, the company offers various laboratory services, such as sample analyses, safety testing, microbiology, custom flow cytometry, electronic transmission of test results, and biomarker development. ICON Public Limited Company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Louis Navellier]
European Stocks to Buy: ICON Public Limited (ICLR)
ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR) is a contract research organization, provides outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries in Ireland, the United States, and Europe. They provide management, and analysis of programs that support various stages of clinical development process from compound selection to Phase I to IV clinical studies as well as lab services for companies conducting trials. The company has posted triple digit earnings gains and posted four consecutive positive earnings surprises in the past year. Analysts have been raising their estimates for the Irish company and Portfolio Grader raised the stock to an A last month. The stock is a strong buy at today�� price.
Top International Companies To Watch For 2014: Safeway Inc.(SWY)
Safeway Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food and drug retailer in North America. The company operates stores that provide an array of grocery items, food, and general merchandise, as well as features specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral, and pharmacy, as well as coffee shops and fuel centers. It also offers SELECT line of products that include baked goods, sparkling ciders and lemonades, salsas, whole bean coffees, frozen pizzas and entrees, and fresh and dry pastas and sauces, as well as an array of ice creams, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts; O ORGANICS line, which comprises milk, chicken, salads, juices, and entrees; Lucerne line of dairy products; Eating Right line of better-for-you products; Bright Green line of home care products; Total Pet Care line of pet foods and pet care products; and Value Red line of value-priced paper goods. As of December 31, 2009, Safeway operated approximately 1,725 stores in California, Oregon, Wash ington, Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba/Saskatchewan. In addition, the company owns and operates GroceryWorks.com Operating Company, LLC, an online grocery channel, doing business under the names Safeway.com, Vons.com, and Genuardis.com; and Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., which provides third-party gift cards, prepaid cards, telecom cards, and sports and entertainment cards to North American retailers for sale to retail customers. Additionally, it engages in gift card businesses in the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, and Australia. Further, the company, through a 49% ownership interest in Casa Ley, S.A. de C.V. operates 156 food and general merchandise stores in Western Mexico. The company was formerly known as Safeway Stores, Incorporated and changed its name to Safeway Inc. in February 1990. Safeway was founded in 1915 and is based in Pleasanton, California. Advisors' Opinion:
- [By Sean Williams]
Finally -- and to keep with today's theme -- grocery store Safeway (NYSE: SWY ) advanced 6.8% after reporting its second-quarter results. Although the grocer's profits fell from the previous year, adjusted EPS of $0.51 topped expectations by $0.01. Revenue also fell 2%, hurt by lower fuel sales. The big boost appears to have come from the company's forward guidance, which calls for same-store sales growth of 1.5% to 2%, and full-year EPS to come in at the lower-end of its previous forecast of $2.25-$2.45. With the Street only expecting $2.27 in EPS for the year, Safeway's in-line estimates appear to suggest its store remodeling and focus on organic products is working.
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