Consider the ominous-sounding Research Institute for Mathematical Machines where, in 1988, researchers Eduard Kucera and Pavel Baudis toiled while Czechoslovakia was a satellite of the Soviet Union.
Kucera had no future in physics because he refused to join the Communist Party. Baudis was no better off, examining strange code on a floppy disk that turned out to be the Vienna virus.
"I was prohibited by the Communists to study physics, so I did (information technology)," Kucera says from a penthouse office overlooking Prague. "It was the reason for our success. With Communism, there are no successful companies."
Little did Kucera and Baudis realize that a quarter-century later, their modest cooperative ��then called ALWIL ��would blossom into Avast Software, a full-fledged international phenomenon. With nearly 200 million customers in 43 languages ��a staggering 1 million users in 38 different countries ��it is used by more people than rivals AVG Technologies, Symantec and McAfee combined.
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.(WWE)
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., an integrated media and entertainment company, engages in the sports entertainment business. The company develops content centered around its talent, and presents at its live and televised events featuring World Wrestling Entertainment. It operates through four segments: Live and Televised Entertainment, Consumer Products, Digital Media, and WWE Studios. The Live and Televised Entertainment segment conducts live events; produces television shows; sells merchandise at its live events; provides sponsorships, such as various promotional vehicles, including Internet and print advertising, arena signage, on-air announcements, and pay-per-view sponsorships for advertisers; offers television rights; and markets and promotes the storylines associated with pay-per-view events. It also provides WWE Classics On Demand, a subscription video on demand service that offers classic television shows, pay-per-view events, specials, and original programmi ng. This segment distributes its programming in approximately 30 languages and in approximately 145 countries. Its merchandise consists of various WWE-branded products, such as T-shirts, caps, and other novelty items. The Consumer Products segment licenses and sells retail products, including toys, video games, home videos, apparel, and books; and publishes magazines comprising lifestyle publications with native language editions in the UK, Mexico, Greece, and Turkey. The Digital Media segment operates Web sites; provides advertising services; sells merchandise on its Web site at WWEShop Internet storefront; and offers broadband and mobile content. The WWE Studios segment is involved in the distribution of entertainment films. This segment focuses on creating a mix of filmed entertainment. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Vince McMahon has built World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) into global wrestling empire over the years. The company recently launched the WWE Network. The network, which had 667,000 as of April, seems well on its way to reaching its stated goal of 1 million subscribers by the end of this year. Despite some concerns about a shift to online viewing and away from live events and pay-per-view, WWE has managed to steadily grow its revenues. Sales were $508 million in 2013, versus $478 million in 2010. The WWE Network is expected to grow revenues to $581 million in 2014 and to nearly $800 million in 2015. In addition to the network, WWE also hosts Wrestlemania ��the professional wrestling's equivalent of the Super Bowl. Its investors currently receive a 2.8% dividend yield.
- [By Alex Planes]
Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does WWE (NYSE: WWE ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: JTH Holding Inc (TAX)
JTH Holding, Inc. (JTH Holding), incorporated in September 2010, is a holding company engaged through its subsidiaries as a franchisor and operator of a system of income tax preparation offices located in the United States and Canada. The Company is a retail preparer of individual tax returns. JTH Holding's principal operations are conducted through its subsidiary, JTH Tax, Inc. (JTH Tax). Through this system of income tax preparation offices, JTH Holding also facilitates to its customer refund-based tax settlement financial products, such as refund anticipation loans, electronic refund checks, and personal income tax refund discounting. On September 30, 2010, JTH Tax entered into an Agreement of Merger and Plan of Reorganization with JTH Holding. At the closing of the merger on September 30, 2010, JTH Tax merged with and became a wholly owned subsidiary of JTH Holding.
As of September 2, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company had 3,900 tax offices and the number of United States tax returns prepared in its offices is approximately 1.7 million. The Company provides its customers with value-added federal and state tax preparation services and related financial products both in retail offices and online. During fiscal 2011, the Company and its franchisees operated 3,590 offices in the United States in tax season. Approximately 63% of its revenue for fiscal 2011 was derived from franchise fees, royalties and advertising fees. During fiscal 2011, during tax season its online customers prepared approximately 98,000 tax returns using its online tax offering, eSmartTax.
The Company earns franchisee fees from its franchisees and advertisements (Ads). The Company offers its franchisees structures and financing options for franchise fees and royalty payments. The Company earns royalty revenue from its franchisees. Its franchise agreement requires franchisees to pay the Company a base royalty equal to 14% of the franchisee's tax preparation revenue, subject to certain specified minimums. Fran! chisees acquiring territories under its no franchise fee alternative will be required to pay it franchise royalties of 25% through their first five tax seasons, and thereafter 14% of their tax preparation revenue. The Company earns advertising fee revenue from its franchisees. Its franchise agreement requires all franchisees to pay the Company an advertising fee of 5% of the franchisee's tax preparation revenue.
The Company offers two types of financial products: refund transfer products, such as electronic refund checks (ERCs), which involve providing a means by which a customer may receive his or her refund, and refund-based loans, such as refund anticipation loans (RALs) and instant cash advances (ICAs). The Company earns fees from the use of these financial products. The Company also earns tax preparation revenue directly from both the operation of company-owned offices and the provision of tax preparation services through its eSmartTax online product.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
April 15th is tax day and tax preparer stocks like small cap�JTH Holding Inc (NASDAQ: TAX), mid cap�H & R Block Inc (NYSE: HRB) and large cap�Intuit Inc (NASDAQ: INTU) help millions of Americans to figure out just how much they owe to ��ig brother.��But which of these tax preparation stocks is the best investment for investors looking for a way to offset that tax bite? First, here is a quick overview of�each tax preparer:
- [By Dan Caplinger]
H&R Block (NYSE: HRB ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and as you'd expect outside of tax season, the tax-preparation company will almost certainly post a sizable loss. But the bigger question investors want answered is whether H&R Block can meet the long-term threat of Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU ) and its TurboTax software on one end, as well as the live tax-preparation competition of JTH Holdings' (NASDAQ: TAX ) and its Liberty Tax Service chain.
10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Watch For 2015: Southern Copper Corporation(SCCO)
Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, producing, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, and Chile. It is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce anode copper; and refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes, as well as refined silver. The company operates Toquepala and Cuajone mines in the Andes Mountains located southeast of the city of Lima, Peru, as well as a smelter and refinery in the coastal city of Ilo, Peru. It also operates La Caridad and Buenavista copper mines, and smelting and refining plants in Mexico. In addition, the company operates five underground mines that produce zinc, copper, lead, silver, and gold; a coal mine which produces coal and coke; and a zinc refinery. Further, it has 145,064 hectares of mineral rights in Peru; 176,250 hectares of exploration concessions in Mexico; 1,068 hectares of exploration concessions in Argentina; 35,958 hectares exploration concessions in Chile; and 2,544 hectares of exploration concessions in Ecuador. The company was founded in 1952 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Southern Copper Corporation is a subsidiary of Americas Mining Corporation.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Zacks Investment Research]
In particular, gold and silver miners have seen weakness in this environment, falling by well over 45%, as represented by the Gold Mining ETF (GDX), since the start of 2013. Yet, while many investors have been laser-focused on the precious metal market, there has been significant weakness in the base metal world as well. Companies in this space have been hit hard by the same issues of a strong dollar and sluggish international demand, and could thus be ones to avoid as well. One firm in particular that could struggle in this environment is Southern Copper (SCCO).
- [By Taylor Muckerman and Joel South]
We have evidence in the form of second-quarter results from Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU ) , Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (NYSE: FCX ) and Southern Copper (NYSE: SCCO ) , all three of which hinted at where they believe the two industries are headed. Going over the conference calls, Motley Fool analyst Taylor Muckerman gathered a few interesting tidbits and discusses them with fellow analyst Joel South in the following video.�
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NBY)
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, engages in the development of various product candidates for the therapeutic needs of the anti-infective market. Its products include Aganocide compounds comprising NVC-422 that are synthetic molecules for the treatment of impetigo and adenoviral conjunctivitis, as well as for reducing the incidence of urinary catheter blockage and encrustation, and the associated urinary tract infections. The company is also involved in developing NeutroPhase, a solution for cleansing and debriding wounds. It has collaboration and license agreement with Galderma S.A. to develop and commercialize its Aganocide compounds, which covers acne, impetigo, and other dermatological conditions. The company was formerly known as NovaCal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in February 2007. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Emeryville, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
NovaBay(r) Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amex:NBY), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its first-in-class, anti-infective Aganocide(r) compounds for the local non-systemic treatment and prevention of infections, reported that Tom Paulson, Chief Financial Officer, will present at the Rodman & Renshaw 14th Annual Healthcare Conference held September 9-11, 2012, in New York, NY.
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Motorola Solutions Inc (MSI)
Motorola Solutions, Inc. (Motorola Solutions), incorporated March 9, 1973, provides communication infrastructure, devices, software and services. The Company provides these products and services for enterprise and government customers worldwide. The Company operates in two segments: Government and Enterprise. The Government segment includes sales of public safety communications systems, commercial two-way radio systems and devices, software and services. The Enterprise segment includes sales of rugged and enterprise-grade mobile computers and tablets, laser/imaging/RFID-based data capture products, wireless local area network (WLAN) and integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN) infrastructure, software and services. In January 2014, the Company announced that it has acquired Twisted Pair Solutions, a provider of push-to-talk over broadband applications for secure, real-time communication anywhere, on any device.
Government
The Government segment designs, manufactures, sells, and provides services around voice and data communications systems, devices, security products and applications. These products and services are sold to a range of customers, including government, public safety and first responder agencies, as well as commercial customers who operate private communications networks and manage a mobile workforce.
The Company offer a portfolio of network infrastructure, devices, applications and services, based on Association for Public Safety Communications Officials 25 (APCO), terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA), and digital mobile radio (DMR) standards, as well as broadband technologies (Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and WiFi). Its products and services are sold stand alone, as well as part of an integrated system. In addition, Motorola Solutions offer critical applications in the public safety command center, including voice, computer aided dispatch and multimedia/video. The Company�� service offering includes mobility consulting, system design and installatio! n, network and device management and product support.
The Company competes with Cassidian/EADS, Harris, Hytera, Kenwood, Sepura and Tait.
Enterprise
The Enterprise segment designs, manufactures, sells and provides services around WLAN infrastructure, rugged and enterprise-grade advanced data capture and mobile computing devices, security products and applications. These are sold to a range of enterprise customers, including those in retail and hospitality, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, energy and utilities, education and healthcare. Motorola Solutions offers a portfolio of devices, infrastructure, applications and services, which include rugged and enterprise-grade mobile computers and tablets, laser/imager/RFID based data capture devices and kiosks, WLAN switches/controllers and access points, network and device management software, network and device security software, voice-based devices and software, and systems based iDEN technology.
The Company competes with Apple, Aruba, Bluebird, Cisco, Datalogic, Honeywell, Hewlett Packard, Intermec, Psion, Panasonic and Samsung.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lauren Pollock]
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Caterpillar Inc.(CAT), Boeing Co.(BA) and Motorola Solutions Inc.(MSI)
- [By Steve Symington]
To its credit, GTAT did announce this week that Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI ) has chosen GT Crystal Systems as the exclusive supplier of 24-square-inch sapphire scan windows for Motorola's new MP6000 multi-plane bioptic imagers (think barcode scanners at the grocery store). That's certainly a suitable place for GTAT's scratch-resistant sapphire to find a home, but it's not exactly the big win investors were hoping for.�
- [By Lauren Pollock]
Motorola Solutions Inc.(MSI) said its fourth-quarter earnings climbed 2.1% as its government services segment returned to growth. But the company gave a sharply disappointing outlook for its first quarter, sending shares down 8.3% to $61.55 premarket.
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Euro/Swiss(RF)
Regions Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Regions Bank that provides a range of commercial, retail, and mortgage banking services in the United States. It offers various deposit products, including savings and transaction accounts; demand deposit accounts; money market accounts; and time deposits, such as certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial loans, such as commercial and industrial, and owner occupied commercial real estate mortgage and construction loans; investor real estate loans, including commercial real estate mortgage and construction loans; and consumer loans, which consist of residential first mortgage, home equity, indirect, consumer credit card, and other consumer loans. Regions Financial Corporation, through other subsidiaries, also provides regional brokerage and investment banking products and services, such as securities brokerage, trust, asset management, finan cial planning, mutual funds, securities underwriting, sales and trading, and investment banking services for individual and institutional investors; and insurance brokerage services for various lines of personal and commercial insurance comprising property, casualty, life, health, and accident. In addition, the company offers credit-related insurance, including title, term life, credit life, environmental, crop, and mortgage insurance; debt cancellation products; and equipment financing products primary for commercial clients. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 2,100 ATMs and 1,726 banking offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matthew Smith]
We also think that Regions Financial (RF) should be bought on the weakness in their share price right now. The shares trade roughly $1/share below their 52-week high right now but with what we see happening in the financial space over the next few months and few years we think that this name is a deal under $10/share. Like the discount brokers, as the yield curve steepens the company's profits shall increase and with that taking place and the continued improvement in the company's balance sheet we think share buybacks and dividends will be carried out and even raised.
- [By FinanceGuru]
Radio frequency (RF) chip manufacturer Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) has had some bad luck this year, because despite three straight quarters of solid results, the company's shares have appreciated only 10% while the NASDAQ is up 21%. In the past, the company's performance was directly linked to Apple's (AAPL) performance, as it derived 29% of its 2012 revenue from the smartphone maker. Thus, any negative news regarding the iPhone manufacturer was not well received by investors.
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Orkla ASA (ORK)
Orkla ASA is a Norway-based company active in various sectors. The Company�� operations are structured into two segments: Branded Consumer Goods and Other Businesses. The Branded Consumer Goods segment is divided into five units: Orkla Foods, which comprises the Company�� food businesses in the Nordic region and the Baltics; Orkla Confectionery, which comprises five branded consumer goods businesses which serve the Nordic region and the Baltics as their home markets; Orkls Home & Personal consists of five branded consumer goods businesses, including Lilleborg, Lilleborg Profesjonell, the Axellus Group, Pierre Robert Group and House Care; Orkla Food Ingredients cover product categories, including margarine, marzipan, bread improvers and mixes, and yeast, and Orkla International includes branded consumer goods companies outside the Nordic region and the Baltics. The Other Businesses segment covers the Company�� operation in aluminum, real estate and hydropower sectors, among others. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Morgan]
Orkla ASA (ORK), the Norwegian industrial conglomerate transforming itself into a consumer-goods producer, slumped 11 percent to 46.78 kroner, the largest drop since November 2011. The company reported second-quarter pretax profit of 514 million kroner ($86 million), missing estimates of 965 million kroner in a Bloomberg survey of analysts.
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. (AXL)
American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, engineering, design, and validation of driveline and drivetrain systems, and related components and chassis modules for automotive industry in the United States. The company?s driveline and drivetrain systems comprise components that transfer power from the transmission and deliver it to the drive wheels. These products include axles, chassis modules, driveshafts, power transfer units, transfer cases, chassis and steering components, driving heads, crankshafts, transmission parts, and metal-formed products. It offers products for light trucks, sport utility vehicles, passenger cars, crossover vehicles, and commercial vehicles. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sue Chang]
American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. (AXL) �is projected to report earnings of 56 cents a share in the third quarter.
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: NGL Energy Partners LP (NGL)
NGL Energy Partners LP is a limited partnership company formed to own and operate a vertically-integrated propane business. The Company operates in three segments: retail propane; wholesale supply and marketing; and midstream. Its retail propane business sells propane to end users consisting of residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial customers. The Company�� wholesale supply and marketing business supplies propane and other natural gas liquids and provides related storage to retailers, wholesalers and refiners. Its midstream business, which consists of its propane terminaling business, takes delivery of propane from pipelines or trucks at its propane terminals and transfers the propane to third-party transport trucks for delivery to retailers, wholesalers or other consumers. The Company�� general partner is NGL Energy Holdings LLC (the General Partner). On October 14, 2010, it executed a series of transactions (the Combination) with NGL Supply, Inc. (NGL Supply). In February 2012, the Company acquired all of the assets comprising the propane and distillate operations of North American Propane. In May 2012, the Company acquired Downeast Energy Corporation. The assets contributed by Downeast are located in Maine and New Hampshire. In November 2012, the Company acquired limited liability company membership interests in Pecos Gathering & Marketing LLC and its affiliated companies (Pecos). In July 2013, NGL Energy Partners LP announced the acquisition of the assets of Crescent Terminals, LLC. Effective July 8, 2013, NGL Energy Partners LP acquired High Roller Wells Big Lake SWD No 1 LP. In August 2013, NGL Energy Partners LP acquired the water disposal and hauling business of Oilfield Water Lines LP. In September 2013, NGL Energy Partners LP acquired the water disposal business of Coastal Plains Disposal #1, LLC owned by WinCo Development, LLC. In November 2013, the Company announced acquisition of all of the equity interests of Gavilon, LLC.
Retail Propane
The Co! mpany�� retail propane business consists of the retail marketing, sale and distribution of propane, including the sale and lease of propane tanks, equipment and supplies, to more than 56,000 residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial customers. It markets retail propane primarily in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana and Kansas through its customer service locations. The Company owns or leases 44 customer service locations and 37 satellite distribution locations, with aggregate above-ground propane storage capacity of approximately four million gallons. It also owns a fleet of bulk delivery trucks and service vehicles.
Wholesale Supply and Marketing
The Company�� wholesale supply and marketing business provides propane procurement, storage, transportation and supply services to customers, through assets owned by it and by third parties. Its wholesale supply and marketing business also obtains the majority of the propane supply for its retail propane business. The Company procures propane from refiners, gas processing plants, producers and other resellers for delivery to leased storage, common carrier pipelines, rail car terminals and direct to certain customers. It has the right to utilize 100% of the ConocoPhillips Blue Line pipeline, which runs from Borger, Texas, to its propane terminals in East St. Louis, Illinois and Jefferson City, Missouri. The Company leases approximately 67 million gallons of propane storage space in various locations to accommodate the supply requirements and contractual needs of its retail and wholesale customers.
Midstream
The Company�� midstream business, which consists of its propane terminaling business, takes delivery of propane from a pipeline or truck at its propane terminals and transfers the propane to third party trucks for delivery to propane retailers, wholesalers or other customers. The Company�� midstream assets consist of its three propane terminals in East St. Louis, Illinois; Jefferson City, Missou! ri, and S! t. Catharines, Ontario. The Company is a service provider at each of its terminals, which have a combined annual throughput in excess of 170 million gallons of propane.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
The four propane-focused MLPs are AmeriGas Partners (NYSE: APU), Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE: SPH), NGL Energy Partners (NYSE: NGL), and Ferrellgas Partners (NYSE: FGP).
10 Best Information Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Darden Restaurants Inc (DRI)
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (Darden), incorporated in March 1995, is a company owned and full-service restaurant company. As of May 27, 2012, the Company operated through subsidiaries 1,994 restaurants in the United States and Canada. In the United States, it operated 1,961 restaurants in all 50 states, including 677 Red Lobster, 786 Olive Garden, 386 LongHorn Steakhouse, 46 The Capital Grille, 30 Bahama Breeze, 23 Seasons 52, eight Eddie V's Prime Seafood and three Wildfish Seafood Grille restaurants, and two test synergy restaurants, which house both a Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurant in the same building. In Canada, the Company operated 33 restaurants, including 27 Red Lobster and six Olive Garden restaurants. Through subsidiaries, it owns and operates all of its restaurants in the United States and Canada, except for three restaurants located in Central Florida that is owned by joint ventures it manages. On November 14, 2011, it acquired eight Eddie V's Prime Seafood restaurants and three Wildfish Seafood Grille restaurants.
As of May 27, 2012, the Company had 28 restaurants outside the United States and Canada operated by independent third parties pursuant to area development and franchise agreements, including five LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants in Puerto Rico, 22 Red Lobster restaurants in Japan, and one Red Lobster restaurant in Dubai. During fiscal year ended May 27, 2012, it opened 89 net new restaurants in the United States and Canada.
Red Lobster
Red Lobster is a full-service dining seafood specialty restaurant operator in the United States. It offers a menu featuring fresh fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops and other seafood. The menu includes a variety of specialty seafood and non-seafood entrees, appetizers and desserts. Red Lobster maintains different lunch and dinner menus and different menus across its trade areas.
Olive Garden
Olive Garden is a full service dining Italian restaurant operator in the United Stat! es. Olive Garden�� menu includes a range of authentic Italian foods featuring fresh ingredients and a wine list that includes a selection of wines imported from Italy. The menu includes flatbreads and other appetizers, soups, salad and garlic bread sticks, baked pastas, sauted specialties with chicken, seafood and fresh vegetables, grilled meats, and a variety of desserts. Olive Garden also uses coffee imported from Italy for its espresso and cappuccino.
LongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants are full-service establishments serving both lunch and dinner. With locations in 35 states, primarily in the Eastern half of the United States, LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants feature a range of menu items, including signature fresh steaks, as well as salmon, shrimp, chicken, ribs, pork chops, burgers and prime rib.
The Capital Grille
The Capital Grille has locations in metropolitan cities in the United States. The Capital Grille offers seafood flown in daily and culinary specials created by its chefs. The restaurants feature a wine list offering over 350 selections, personalized service, and private dining rooms.
Bahama Breeze
Bahama Breeze restaurants bring guests the feeling of a Caribbean escape, offering the food, drinks and atmosphere found in the islands. The menu features Caribbean-inspired seafood, chicken and steaks, as well as signature specialty drinks. During fiscal 2012, it opened four Bahama Breeze restaurant.
Seasons 52
Seasons 52 is a grill and wine bar with seasonally inspired menus offering ingredients to meals that are lower in calories than comparable restaurant meals. It offers a wine list of more than 90 wines with approximately 60 available by the glass. As of May 27, 2012, there were 23 Seasons 52 restaurants in the United States.
Synergy restaurant
Synergy restaurant houses both a Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurant in the same building, but ! with sepa! rate front doors, dining rooms and brand-specific menus. It opened a second synergy test location during fiscal 2012.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jack Kramer and Nick Martell]
If you're like most of Wall Street, you're off crushing last-minute gift shopping (just get us some design-your-own custom whiskey). Because just after the market's biggest performance in months, the Dow� (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) eked out only a small 11-point gain Thursday as weekly jobless claims ticked up again.
1. Facebook shares slide after Zuckerberg stock dump
Cha-ching! Mark Zuckerberg took home $2.3 billion in cash Thursday after selling a small percentage of his stock in his blue online baby, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB ) . The company announced that $4 billion of shares would be sold in the public market, with the majority coming from the CEO himself. The stock slipped 1% because to investors, if Zuck thinks it's a good time to sell, why shouldn't they? #WhatWouldZuckDo� � $55/share is a good price to sell at and it's way better than $30 (fo' sho'). The company had earlier announced the stock sale in 2012, but postponed the plans due to the poor-performing stock. Remember back when FB was embarrassingly far below its $38 IPO price for months? A stock sale of this size would have been worse than mom catching glimpses of your buried "Sloppy Sophomores" photo album. � After a resurgence in online ad sales (particularly on mobile), investors trust FB again, boosting the stock up 105% in the past year. Zuckerberg will gain cash in exchange for losing some control of the voting shares of the company. But whether or not your sick of his hoodie, know that the future of the 'Book is firmly in his control since he will retain 62.8% of the voting power.
2. Red Lobster might get sold as sales plummet
Didn't order the bottomless uber-fried shrimp last night? Neither did most Americans. That's the problem for the owner of Red Lobster, Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI ) , which dropped 3.6% Thursday after a brutal tasting earnings report. Consumer traffic at Red Lobster was down 7.7% last quarter and sales have fallen - [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
Brinker International Casual dining stocks aren't dead as an investment category. Investors just need to know where the tasty treats can be found on the menu. Chili's Grill & Bar parent Brinker International (EAT) moved higher on Wednesday after reporting better than expected quarterly results. Company sales climbed higher, fueled by a 0.3 percent increase in comparable-restaurant sales. Its international locations fared even better. Some casual dining chains that are bucking the general downward trend and posting positive comps are doing so by discounting aggressively to keep patrons coming. But that's not Chili's game at all. Net margins actually expanded nicely at Brinker, with adjusted earnings per share climbing 18 percent during its fiscal second quarter. The 1,557-unit Chili's chain is doing just fine. But the same can't be said about its competition. Red Ink, Ruby Ink Seeing shares of Brinker open 8 percent higher after posting better than expected quarterly results may be painful for investors in Ruby Tuesday (RT) or Red Lobster parent Darden Restaurants (DRI). Those two stocks took a hit the last time they offered up fresh financials. Ruby Tuesday and Red Lobster are falling out of favor with the hungry, with comps plunging 7.8 percent and 4.5 percent respectively in their latest quarters. Both companies have fallen short of Wall Street profit targets in each of their past three quarters. Brinker, on the other hand, has now surpassed bottom-line expectations in three of the past four quarters. With Ruby Tuesday's profits turning to losses and Darden so disillusioned with Red Lobster that it's looking to sell it or spin it off, it's easy to see why savvy investors looking at the casual dining sector are turning to Brinker. The stock hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday, and this could be just the beginning. Tech is the Secret Ingredient Why is Chili's succeeding at a time when profits at many of its peers are receding? Barron's argued earl
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