Top Railroad Companies To Watch For 2014

On this day in economic and business history ...

The Panic of 1893 reached its frenzied apex on May 5, 1893. This event, and the depression that followed it, represent a major turning point in the economic growth of the United States. Let's take a good look at what happened that day, and how it changed the country.

The signs were not always obvious, but by the spring of 1893 it was increasingly apparent that the American economy was slowing. Construction of all sorts had been in decline for the past year. Consumption and production trends fell across a broad range of materials (cotton, rubber, iron, coal, crude oil, and so on) throughout the early months of 1893. Vicious cycles of overproduction and weather-diminished poor harvests had ground all prosperity out of agriculture. Railroad shares, which had driven a huge investment boom through the decade's early years, were starting to wobble, as many shaky business models became apparent throughout the sector.

Top Railroad Companies To Watch For 2014: Frontier Communications Company(FTR)

Frontier Communications Corporation, a communications company, provides regulated and unregulated voice, data, and video services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in the United States. It offers local and long distance voice services, including basic telephone wireline services to residential and business customers; switched access services that allow other carriers to use the facilities to originate and terminate their long distance voice and data traffic; and directory services that provide white and yellow page directories for residential and business listings. The company also provides data and Internet services, which include residential services comprising high-speed Internet, dial up Internet, portal and e-mail products, and hard drive back-up services; and commercial and carriers services, such as metro Ethernet; dedicated Internet; Internet protocol, optical, multiprotocol label switching, and TDM data transport services. In addition, it offers di rect broadcast satellite services and fiber optic video services, as well as provides online access to video content, entertainment, and news available on the worldwide Web through its Web site myfitv.com. The company was formerly known as Citizens Communications Company and changed its name to Frontier Communications Corporation in July 2008. Frontier Communications Corporation was founded in 1927 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vita]

  Frontier Communications Corporation (FTR) a communications company, provides regulated and unregulated voice, data, and video services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in the United States. Between 2004 and 2010 the company paid a quarterly dividend of 25 cents/share. Last year however it cut the distribution rate by 25% to 18.75 cents/share. The company has been unable to cover its dividend out of earnings since 2006. More than two-thirds of its distributions are non-taxable as they are essentially a return of capital. Yield: 9.40%.

• [By Harding]

  CLO; EVP Reg & Gov't Affairs of Frontier Communications, Kathleen Q Abernathy, bought 40,000 shares on 09/09/2011 at an average price of $7.11. Frontier Communications Corp., formerly Citizens Communications Company, is a full-service communications provider and one of the largest rural local exchange telephone companies in the country. Frontier Communications has a market cap of $7.08 billion; its shares were traded at around $7.11 with a P/E ratio of 28.4 and P/S ratio of 1.8. The dividend yield of Frontier Communications stocks is 10.5%.
  
  On August 3, Frontier Communications Corporation reported second-quarter 2011 revenue of $1,322.3 million, operating income of $238.3 million and net income attributable to common shareholders of Frontier of $32.3 million, or $0.03 per share. After excluding $20.3 million for acquisition and integration costs, $11.0 million for severance and early retirement costs and $10.5 million for a discrete tax item, net income attributable to common shareholders of Frontier for the second quarter of 2011 would have been $62.2 million, or $0.06 per share.
  
  Frontier Communications is in the portfolios of Prem Watsa, Jean-Marie Eveillard, and NWQ Managers.
  
  In September, Director Edward Fraioli and CLO; EVP Reg & Gov't Affairs Kathleen Q Abernathy bought shares of FTR stock. Director Jeri B Finard and Director James S Kahan bought shares in August.

Top Railroad Companies To Watch For 2014: NV Energy Inc(NVE)

NV Energy, Inc., through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, and distributes electric energy in Nevada. The company generates electricity from its gas, oil, and coal generating units. As of December 31, 2010, the company served approximately 830,000 electric customers primarily in Las Vegas, north Las Vegas, and Henderson and adjoining areas, including Nellis Air Force Base and the Department of Energy?s Nevada Test Site in Nye County. It also provides electricity in western, central, and northeastern Nevada comprising the cities of Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and Elko. In addition, the company distributes gas to approximately 151,000 customers in an area of approximately 800 square miles in Nevada?s Reno/Sparks area. It offers its services to residential and commercial customers, as well as to industries, including gaming/recreation, mining, warehousing/manufacturing, and other governmental entities. The company, formerly known as Sierra Pacific Resources, was founde d in 1906 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Best Paper Stocks For 2014: Pan Orient Energy Corp (POE.V)

Pan Orient Energy Corp. operates as a junior oil and natural gas company. The company holds interests in four partially developed concessions located on-shore Thailand; and four production sharing contracts onshore Indonesia. It also has interests in contiguous sections of heavy oil sands leases in the Sawn Lake Property within the central Alberta Peace River Oil Sands area. As of December 31, 2011, the company had proved plus probable reserves of 19 million barrels in Thailand. Pan Orient Energy Corp. is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.