Sunday, December 21, 2014

5 Best Japanese Stocks For 2014

The world of cars as its stands today will undergo a sea change in the next 20 years, and only those automakers that are able to turn this change into opportunity will survive. Oil and gas major BP's "Energy Outlook 2035" and other studies throw up some pretty amazing predictions:

Hybrids would rule the market by 2035, constituting 67%�of sales. Plug-in-hybrids and electric vehicles, or EVs, will take around 7% of the market share in 2035. Sales of conventional vehicles will decline by around 75%. Low-emission vehicle market will expand by 30.3% between 2012 and 2017.�

These facts indicate that green cars could be the future of the auto industry, and it's difficult to think about eco-freindly cars without thinking of Toyota (NYSE: TM  ) . The Japanese auto major was the first to mass produce a hybrid, the Prius, back in 1997, and is a leader in the field. It has a fleet of electric vehicles, and is pioneering fuel cell vehicle technology. Let's take a look at Toyota's playbook.

Top Logistics Stocks To Own Right Now: Nuveen Select Maturities Municipal Fund (NIM)

Nuveen Select Maturities Municipal Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is managed by Nuveen Asset Management. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund invests primarily in municipal securities rated Baa/BBB or better. It invests in securities that provide income exempt from federal income tax. The fund employs fundamental analysis with bottom-up stock picking approach to create its portfolio. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P Intermediate Municipal Bond Index and the S&P National Municipal Bond Index. Nuveen Select Maturities Municipal Fund was formed on September 18, 1992 and is domiciled in the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ning Jia]

    Net interest margin (NIM): The NIM is calculated by dividing net interest income by average earning
    assets. The NIM can vary with the particular business mix and risk taken.

5 Best Japanese Stocks For 2014: Zoltek Companies Inc (ZOLT)

Zoltek Companies, Inc. is a holding company, which operates through wholly owned subsidiaries, Zoltek Corporation, Zoltek Zrt., Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV, Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV, Engineering Technology Corporation (Entec Composite Machines), Zoltek Properties, Inc., and Zoltek Automotive, LLC. Zoltek Corporation (Zoltek) develops, manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers in the United States. The Company is an applied technology and advanced materials company. It commercialization of carbon fiber through composites used in a range of commercial products, which it sells under the Panex trade name. In addition to manufacturing carbon fiber, it produces an intermediate product, a stabilized and oxidized acrylic fiber used in flame- and heat-resistant applications, which it sells under the Pyron trade name. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), its net sales to Vestas Wind Systems, a wind turbine manufacturer represented % of its net sales. In October 2011, Zoltek purchased a building in St. Peters, Missouri to house its prepreg operations.

Zoltek Zrt. is a Hungarian subsidiary that manufactures and markets carbon fibers and technical fibers and manufactures acrylic fiber precursor raw material used in production of carbon fibers and technical fibers. Zoltek de Mexico SA de CV and Zoltek de Occidente SA de CV are Mexican subsidiaries that manufacture carbon fiber and precursor raw material. Entec Composite Machines manufactures and markets filament winding and pultrusion equipment used in the production composite parts. The Company�� sales markets are in Europe and the United States. The Company has manufacturing plants in Nyergesujfalu, Hungary, Guadalajara, Mexico, Abilene, Texas and St. Charles, Missouri. Its Texas plant houses carbon fiber manufacturing lines and value-added processing capabilities. Its Missouri plant is engaged in the production of technical fibers for aircraft brake and other friction applications and also produces limited! amounts of carbon fibers. In addition, it has facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah where it designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and produce resin pre-impregnated carbon fibers, called prepregs. It performs certain downstream processing, such as weaving, knitting, blending with other fibers, chopping and milling and preparation of pre-form, pre-cut stacks of fabric. In addition, its Salt Lake City-based Entec Composite Machines subsidiary designs and builds composite manufacturing equipment and markets the equipment along with manufacturing technology and materials. It also provides composite design and engineering for development of applications for carbon fiber reinforced composites.

The Company competes with Hexcel Corporation, Cytec Industries, Toray Group, Toho Tenax, Mitsubishi Chemical and SGL Carbon.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Maxx Chatsko]

    Shares of world-leading carbon fiber manufacturer�Zoltek� (NASDAQ: ZOLT  ) �have been pushed to new highs after a frantic attempt by Quinpario Partners to acquire a large position in the company. Despite being turned away by management, the fund does make valid points about the company's general lack of progress given its global scope and potential. Investors in this business built around a game-changing material may be worrying whether shares are about to fall back to earth. In the following video, Fool.com contributor Maxx Chatsko gives at least one reason for investors to think that shares can hold their current levels -- or even trek higher.

  • [By Maxx Chatsko]

    3. Zoltek (NASDAQ: ZOLT  )
    Zoltek was an interesting investment at the beginning of the year for futurist investors. The company is one of the largest manufacturers of carbon fiber in the world. In fact, its lightweight and high-strength carbon fiber is used almost exclusively in the largest wind turbine blades around the world and played a major role in America's 20-fold improvement in breezy energy capacity since 2000. This material of the future has many other uses and potential uses as well, but Zoltek has never really gained the confidence of the market in any big way: Its market cap was hovering near $300 million at the start of the year.

5 Best Japanese Stocks For 2014: Tredegar Corporation(TG)

Tredegar Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells plastic films and aluminum extrusions worldwide. The company offers apertured film and nonwoven materials for use in feminine hygiene products, baby diapers, and adult incontinence products under the SoftQuilt, ComfortAire, SoftAire, and FreshFeel names; breathable, embossed, and elastic materials for use as components for baby diapers, adult incontinence products, and feminine hygiene products under the ExtraFlex, FabriFlex, StretchTab, FlexAire, and FlexFeel names; and absorbent transfer layers for baby diapers and adult incontinence products under the AquiDry and AquiSoft names. It also provides single and multi-layer surface protection films under the UltraMask and ForceField names for protecting components of flat panel displays; a line of packaging films for food packaging and industrial applications; and apertured films, breathable barrier films, and laminates that regulate fluid or vapor transmi ssion. In addition, the company offers soft-alloy aluminum extrusions primarily for building and construction, distribution, transportation, electrical, consumer durables, and machinery and equipment markets; and manufactures mill, anodized, and painted aluminum extrusions for fabricators and distributors to produce curtain walls, storefronts, windows and doors, hurricane shutters, tub and shower enclosures, heatsinks and components for light emitting diode (LED) lighting, and automotive and light truck aftermarket parts. Further, it develops and produces microstructure-based optical films for the LED and fluorescent lighting markets; and develops, owns, and operates mitigation banks. Tredegar Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    It's certainly not as big as Berry Plastics Group Inc. (NYSE:BERY). It's not even as big as Tredegar Corporation (NYSE:TG). There's one big way AEP Industries (NASDAQ:AEPI) can certainly compete head-on with BERY and TG right now, however... as an investment opportunity. Thanks to the bullish bump AEPI gave us last week, a long-standing selloff has been revered, and there's a whole lot of ground to make up.

5 Best Japanese Stocks For 2014: Agrium Inc.(AGU)

Agrium Inc., together with its subsidiaries, produces and markets agricultural nutrients, industrial products, and specialty products worldwide, as well as involves in the retail supply of agricultural products and services in North and South Americas. The company?s Retail segment markets crop nutrient products, including nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulphur, and micronutrients; crop protection products, such as herbicides, fungicides, adjuvants, and insecticides; and seeds. This segment also offers agronomic services, as well as product application, soil and leaf tissue testing and analysis, and crop scouting services. This segment operates 1,192 outlets in the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. The company?s Wholesale segment produces, markets, and distributes nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulphate, and other crop nutrient products for agricultural and industrial customers. This segment also owns and operates facilities that upgrade ammonia t o other nitrogen products, such as urea, nitric acid, and ammonium nitrate, as well as provides Rainbow plant food products. Agrium?s Advanced Technologies segment produces and markets controlled-release crop nutrients and micronutrients for the agriculture, specialty agriculture, professional turf, horticulture, and consumer lawn and garden markets. The company was formerly known as Cominco Fertilizers Ltd. and changed its name to Agrium Inc. in 1995. Agrium Inc. was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Taylor Muckerman]

    Drought and malnutrition can wreak havoc on a farmer's crop production. That's why fertilizers, such as potash, are so vital, especially as available, arable land continues to decline. Potash does more than just aid in water retention and enhance a plants ability to withstand extreme climates. It also contributes mightily to the revenue and profits of companies like PotashCorp (NYSE: POT  ) and Agrium (NYSE: AGU  ) .�

  • [By Russ Krull]

    Agrium (NYSE: AGU  ) funded some seeds for future growth with 10- and 30-year paper totaling $1 billion. According to the company's press release, the money will be used to fund planned capital expenditures. No specifics for the capex were provided.

  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    Gains are being seen elsewhere as well, except in shares of The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS). Agrium�Inc. (NYSE: AGU) was up almost 3% at $91.95 in late Monday trading, although this one held up much better in the destructive news phase when the alarming news roiled these stocks. The big winner is Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE: IPI), with a gain of 7% to $16.20 in late-Monday trading.

  • [By Matt DiLallo]

    The reason Monsanto and its peers even exist is to help farmers produce more crops from less land in order to feed the world's growing population. There are other ways to invest in a solution to these agricultural issues; some investors might find a more palpable investment opportunity with fertilizer makers Agrium (NYSE: AGU  ) or PotashCorp (NYSE: POT  ) .

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