LONDON -- Alliance Trust (LSE: ATST ) , a self-managed investment firm, has just had its best first-quarter performance in 15 years. Shares are up 1.7% late in London trading.
Alliance announced today that the shareholder return for the quarter ending in March was 15.2%, while its net asset value increased 13.6%. These results, it says, owed to strong performance from global equities.
The company said that over the quarter, the best-performing sectors were health care, with a 22.3% increase; consumer staples, up 19.5%; and consumer discretionary, lifting 16.4%. Alliance said the weakening of the sterling had a positive impact on its portfolio.
Alliance said its portfolio activity in the quarter was a reflection of management's decision to increase exposure to equities. There have been a number of significant changes to the equity portfolio over the first quarter: Notable new additions (140 million pounds of the 220 million pounds initiated last quarter) include positions in Walt Disney, Zurich Insurance, Barclays, and Infineon Technology.
Best Performing Companies To Own For 2014: Vecima Networks In Com Npv (VCM.TO)
Vecima Networks Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of products that enable broadband access to cable, wireless, and telephony networks in the United States, Canada, Thailand, and internationally. The company�s hardware products incorporate embedded software to meet the requirements of next generation high-speed digital networks. The company offers its products for converged wired solutions and broadband wireless markets. Its products for converged wired solutions market includes a family of upconverters and modulators that process data from routers and convert it to higher frequencies for transmission over cable to subscribers; and gigabit network edge devices, EdgeQAM modulators, and transmodulators, which accepts high bit rate video streams from central servers and transmit them to subscribers. The company�s products for converged wired solutions market also comprise return path demodulators for processing communications between subscribers and the digit al cable infrastructure; and the Terrace family of last-mile gateway products to deliver premium and tailored content, as well as to preserve traditional analog services. Its products for Broadband Wireless market include transmitters and transceivers that process data from routers, switches, and modems for communicating to subscribers over a wireless environment. The company sells its products directly and through distributors to original equipment manufacturers, system integrators, multiple systems operators, cable operators, and other service providers. Vecima Networks Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Victoria, Canada.
Best Performing Companies To Own For 2014: Renaissance Minerals Limited(RNS.AX)
Renaissance Minerals Limited operates as a gold exploration company in Australia. It primarily explores for gold, nickel sulphide, and copper-zinc deposits. The company principally holds interests in Cambodian Gold Project located in the eastern region of Cambodia; Eastern Goldfields Project located in Western Australia; and Quicksilver Project located in Alaska. Renaissance Minerals Limited was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Subiaco, Australia.
5 Best Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: Petroquest Energy Inc(PQ)
PetroQuest Energy, Inc. operates as an independent oil and gas company. It engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of oil and gas properties in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, as well as onshore and in the shallow waters offshore the Gulf Coast Basin. As of December 31, 2009, the company had estimated proved reserves of 1,931 thousand barrels of oil and 167,361 million cubic feet equivalent of natural gas. It owned working interests in 9 net producing oil wells and 277 net producing gas wells. PetroQuest Energy was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By SmallCap Investor]
Shares traded sharply higher after the oil and gas explorer issued an operational update that revealed details of a discovery at its La Cantera site in Louisiana. Raymond James analysts bumped the stock rating to market perform based on the new findings and an improving balance sheet.
Best Performing Companies To Own For 2014: Wind Hydrogen Ltd(WHN.AX)
WHL Energy Limited, together with its subsidiary SEYCO Energy Pty Ltd, holds interests in a petroleum exploration asset in the Republic of the Seychelles, renewable energy projects and prospects in Europe, and onshore oil and gas producing and exploration holdings in the United States. It primarily holds 96% interest in 35 oil and gas exploration blocks covering 20,700 square kilometres off the southern coast of the Seychelles. The company also holds a patent for hydrogen-based technology that is complementary to wind power generation. The company was formerly known as Wind Hydrogen Limited and changed its name to WHL Energy Limited in June 2008. WHL Energy Limited was founded in 1994 and is based in West Perth, Australia.
Best Performing Companies To Own For 2014: New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.(EDU)
New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. provides private educational services primarily in the People?s Republic of China. It offers a range of educational programs, services, and products consisting primarily of English and other foreign language training; test preparation courses for admissions and assessment tests; primary and secondary school education; development and distribution of educational content; software and other technology; and online education. The company?s language training courses primarily consist of various types of English language training courses, and other foreign languages, including German, Japanese, French, Korean, and Spanish. It offers test preparation courses for language and entrance exams used by educational institutions in the United States, the People?s Republic of China, and commonwealth countries. The company also operates primary and secondary schools in Yangzhou. In addition, New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. deve lops and edits content for educational materials for language training and test preparation, such as books, software, CD-ROMs, magazines, and other periodicals. It distributes these materials through various distribution channels consisting of own classrooms and bookstores, as well as third-party distributors. Further, the company offers various online education programs on its Web site, koolearn.com. Additionally, it provides consulting services to help students through the application and admission process for overseas educational institutions, as well as post-secondary educational programs to help students seek career opportunities; and operates two pre-schools. The company offers educational services under the ?New Oriental? brand name. As of May 31, 2010, it offered education programs, services, and products through a network of 48 schools, 319 learning centers, and 25 bookstores. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James K. Glassman]
52-Week High: $29.19
52-Week Low: $9.41
Annual Revenue: $841 million
Projected 2013 Earnings Growth: 30.4%
New Oriental Education & Technology Group (symbol: EDU), which I recommended for 2010, gained a lovely 48% over the following 12 months. For the past year, however, New Oriental -- which dominates the market for private educational services in China (55 schools and 726 learning centers) -- has taken a dive, as have many Chinese stocks. It's now close to its early-2010 price, even though revenues have doubled. - [By Robert Hsu]
The company will change the ratio of its shares on August 18—essentially the same thing as a four-for-one split. So, if EDU is trading at $120, shareholders will receive four shares worth $30 each.
As I’ve mentioned, I think the stock split is bullish for stock performance, because more small retail investors may be interested in purchasing EDU stock at the lower price.
A good example of this stock split effect is Baidu. Baidu did a 10-for-1 split last year when the share price was around $800. Since then, Baidu’s price has almost doubled! EDU is a buy.
- [By James K. Glassman]
New Oriental Education & Technology Group (symbol: EDU), which I recommended for 2010, gained a lovely 48% over the following 12 months. For the past year, however, New Oriental -- which dominates the market for private educational services in China (55 schools and 726 learning centers) -- has taken a dive, as have many Chinese stocks. It's now close to its early-2010 price, even though revenues have doubled.
Best Performing Companies To Own For 2014: International Bethlehem Mining (IBC.V)
International Bethlehem Mining Corp. engages in the identification, exploration, and development of mineral resources primarily in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada. It primarily explores for rare earth metals. International Bethlehem Mining Corp. was incorporated in 1995 and based in West Vancouver, Canada.
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