News from the Japanese trademark office that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) has applied to trademark "iWatch" is a strong indication that the product will ultimately come to fruition. While the release of a new device in a new product segment has the potential to be a win for Apple, there are concerns that investors should understand. As rumors continue to circulate, and anticipation builds, the stakes for Cupertino are likely on the rise.
In the video below, Fool.com contributor Doug Ehrman discusses the pros and cons of the iWatch, and how it positions Apple relative to Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) in the wearable tech space.
It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.
Top 5 Defense Companies To Own In Right Now: Makism 3D Corp (MDDD)
Makism 3D Corp., incorporated on May 4 2010, is a three dimensional (3D) printer manufacturing company. The Company produces consumer and professional grade 3D printers. The Company�� flagship product, branded as the Wideboy family of printers, offers packaging designed to fit any office or professional space.
Its 3D printers utilize British and German engineered components. Its printers are assembled in Cambridge (United Kingdom).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
We are two trading weeks into the new year and the 3D printing sector along with 3D printer stocks like ExOne Co (NASDAQ: XONE), Stratasys, Ltd (NASDAQ: SSYS),�3D Systems Corporation (NYSE: DDD) and Makism 3D Corp (OTCBB: MDDD) have been printing their share of red ink for investors���despite the fact that 3D printing got� plenty of attention at�last week's�Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas while the�broader stock market rally has largely held up. With that in mind, here is the latest 3D printer stock or sector news you need to be aware of:
- [By James E. Brumley]
All well and good, but for veteran traders, there's something uneasy about the recent swelling of interest in these names... there's too much hype, and not enough substance. Enter another small cap name in the 3D printing race - Makism 3D Corp. (OTCBB:MDDD). It's not throwing any parties for itself, and it's not congratulating itself for achievements that may be a solution to a problem that doesn't actually exist. MDDD is simply on the verge of making a high-quality 3D printer at a very practical price that will appeal to individual consumers as well as businesses.
- [By John Udovich]
Although the subject of a recent market correction,�3D printing and 3D printer stocks like�3D Systems Corporation (NYSE: DDD), Stratasys, Ltd. (NASDAQ: SSYS), ExOne Co (NASDAQ: XONE)�and Makism 3D Corp. (OTCBB: MDDD) largely remain hot, but what strategy should investors and/or traders alike take moving forward? Just consider the following latest news about the 3D printing industry or�3D printer stocks:
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: Shionogi & Co Ltd (SGIOF.PK)
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. is a Japan-based pharmaceutical company. It is engaged in the research, development, purchase, manufacture and sale of pharmaceuticals, as well as pharmaceutical-related businesses. The Company mainly provides vitamin preparations, analgesic antipyretics, eye care products, cold and sinus medicine, digestive medicine, dermatologic preparations, antiphlogistic analgetics, antihypercholesterolemic agents, test paper for glucose in urine and artificial teeth-related products. As of March 31, 2013, the Company had 32 consolidated subsidiaries and six associated companies. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jason Melehani]
ViiV Healthcare, a collaborative HIV focused venture established by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Pfizer (PFE) and Shionogi & Co (SGIOF.PK), is seeking approval from the FDA and the European Union for dolutegravir, an integrase inhibitor used for the treatment of HIV. Integrase inhibitors act by preventing the reverse transcribed viral DNA from integrating into the human T cell DNA.
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: PBF Energy Inc (PBF)
PBF Energy Inc. (PBF Energy), incorporated on November 7, 2011, is an independent petroleum refiners and suppliers of unbranded transportation fuels, heating oils, petrochemical feedstocks, lubricants and other petroleum products in the United States. The Company produces a range of products at each of its refineries, including gasoline, ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD), heating oil, jet fuel, lubricants, petrochemicals and asphalt. The Company sells its products throughout the Northeast and Midwest of the United States, as well as in other regions of the United States and Canada, and are able to ship products to other international destinations. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned and operated three domestic oil refineries and related assets. The Company's refineries have a combined processing capacity of approximately 540,000 thousand barrels per day. The Company's three refineries are located in Toledo, Ohio, Delaware City, Delaware and Paulsboro, New Jersey.
The Company's Midcontinent refinery at Toledo processes light, sweet crude, has a throughput capacity of 170,000 thousand barrels per day and a Nelson Complexity Index of 9.2. Toledo's West Texas Intermediate (WTI) based crude is delivered through pipelines, which originate in both Canada and the United States. The Company's East Coast refineries at Delaware City and Paulsboro have a combined refining capacity of 370,000 thousand barrels per day and Nelson Complexity Indices of 11.3 and 13.2, respectively. These refineries process medium and heavy and sour crudes.
Delaware City Refinery
The Delaware City refinery is located on a 5,000-acre site, with access to waterborne cargoes and a distribution network of pipelines, barges and tankers, truck and rail. Delaware City is a fully integrated operation, which receives crude through rail at the crude unloading facility, or ship or barge at its docks located on the Delaware River. The crude and other feedstocks are transported, through pipes, to a tank! farm where they are stored until processing. In addition, there is a 17-bay, 50,000 thousand barrels per day capacity truck loading rack located adjacent to the refinery and a 23-mile interstate pipeline that are used to distribute clean products.
The Delaware City refinery has a throughput capacity of 190,000 thousand barrels per day and a Nelson Complexity Index of 11.3. The Delaware City refinery processes a range of medium to heavy, sour crude oils. The refinery has conversion capacity with its 82,000 thousand barrels per day fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, 47,000 thousand barrels per day fluid coking unit (FCU) and 18,000 thousand barrels per day hydro cracking unit with vacuum distillation. Hydrogen is provided through the refinery's steam methane reformer and continuous catalytic reformer. The Delaware City refinery has total storage capacity of approximately 10 million barrels.
Paulsboro Refinery
Paulsboro has a throughput capacity of 180,000 thousand barrels per day and a Nelson Complexity Index of 13.2. The Paulsboro refinery is located on approximately 950 acres on the Delaware River in Paulsboro, New Jersey, just south of Philadelphia and approximately 30 miles away from Delaware City. Paulsboro receives crude and feedstocks through its marine terminal on the Delaware River. Paulsboro is one of two operating refineries on the East Coast with coking capacity, the other being Delaware City. Units at the Paulsboro refinery include crude distillation units, vacuum distillation units, an FCC unit, a delayed coking unit, a lube oil processing unit and a propane de-asphalting unit. The Paulsboro refinery processes a range of medium and heavy, sour crude oils. The Paulsboro refinery produces gasoline, heating oil and jet fuel and also manufactures Group I base oils or lubricants. In addition to its finished clean products slate, Paulsboro produces asphalt and petroleum coke. In addition, separate from the Company's agreement with Statoil the Company ha! s a long-! term contract with Saudi Aramco. The Paulsboro refinery has total storage capacity of approximately 7.5 million barrels. Of the total, approximately 2.1 million barrels are dedicated to crude oil storage with the remaining 5.4 million barrels allocated to finished products, intermediates and other products.
Toledo Refinery
Toledo has a throughput capacity of approximately 170,000 thousand barrels per day and a Nelson Complexity Index of 9.2. Toledo processes a slate of light, sweet crudes from Canada, the Midcontinent, the Bakken region and the United States Gulf Coast. Toledo produces a high percentage of finished products, including gasoline and ULSD, in addition to a range of petrochemicals, including nonene, xylene, tetramer and toluene. The Toledo refinery is located on a 282-acre site near Toledo, Ohio, approximately 60 miles from Detroit. Units at the Toledo refinery include an FCC unit, a hydrocracker, an alkylation unit and a UDEX unit. Crude is delivered to the Toledo refinery through three primary pipelines: Enbridge from the north, Capline from the south and Mid-Valley from the south. Crude is also delivered to a nearby terminal by rail and from local sources by truck to a truck unloading facility within the refinery.
Toledo is connected through pipelines, to a distribution network throughout Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The finished products are transported on pipelines owned by Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. and Buckeye Partners.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Aimee Duffy]
I've been following refining outfit PBF Energy (NYSE: PBF ) pretty closely since its IPO in December. I'll be very honest: I like this company. However, its fourth-quarter earnings were an incomplete picture, given it had spent all of two weeks as a public company, and I've been waiting for its first-quarter results to see how public status is treating PBF, and how it is faring in the market overall. Today I'll look at how things panned out, and whether or not this refiner is all it's cracked up to be. (There will be no more refining puns.)
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: AutoNation Inc (AN)
AutoNation, Inc. (AutoNation), incorporated on May 30, 1991, is an automotive retailer in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had three operating segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. As of December 31, 2011, it owned and operated 258 new vehicle franchises from 215 stores located in the United States, predominantly in metropolitan markets in the Sunbelt region. Its stores sell 32 different brands of new vehicles. The core brands of vehicles that it sells, representing approximately 90% of the new vehicles that it sold during the year ended December 31, 2011, was manufactured by Ford, Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Chrysler. The Company offers a diversified range of automotive products and services, including new vehicles, used vehicles, parts and automotive repair and maintenance services , and automotive finance and insurance products, which includes the arranging of financing for vehicle purchases through third-party finance sources. The Company retailed approximately 400,000 new and used vehicles through its stores in 2011. It acquired one automotive retail franchise and related assets during 2011.
Domestic segment consists of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured by General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Its Import segment is comprised of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured primarily by Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. Its Premium Luxury segment is consists of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured primarily by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus. The franchises in each segment also sells used vehicles, parts and automotive repair and maintenance services, and automotive finance and insurance products. For the year ended December 31, 2011, Domestic revenue represented 34% of total revenue, Import revenue represented 37% of total revenue, and Premium Luxury revenue represented 28% of total revenue. Corporate and other is consist of its other businesses, incl! uding collision centers, e-commerce activities, and an auction operation, each of which generates revenues, as well as unallocated corporate overhead expenses and retrospective commissions for certain financing and insurance transactions that it arranges under agreements with third parties.
The Company�� stores acquires vehicles for retail sale either directly from the applicable automotive manufacturer or distributor or through dealer trades with other stores of the same franchise. it acquires used vehicles from customer trade-ins, auctions, lease terminations, and other sources. It recondition used vehicles acquired for retail sale at its stores��service facilities and capitalize costs related thereto as used vehicle inventory. Through its VVOs, which are located on existing store facilities, it sells vehicles that it would have traditionally wholesaled with an average retail price lower than that of used vehicles it typically retail. Used vehicles that the Company do not sell at its stores or VVOs generally are sold at wholesale prices through auctions.
The Company offers a variety of automotive finance and insurance products to its customers. The Company arranges for its customers to finance vehicles through installment loans or leases with third-party lenders, including the vehicle manufacturers��and distributors��captive finance subsidiaries, in exchange for a commission payable to the Company. It also offers its customers various vehicle protection products, including extended service contracts, maintenance programs, guaranteed auto protection (GAP, this protection covers the shortfall between a customer�� loan balance and insurance payoff in the event of a casualty), tire and wheel protection, and theft protection products. The vehicle protection products that its stores offers to customers are underwritten and administered by independent third parties, including the vehicle manufacturers��and distributors��captive finance subsidiaries. The Company sells t! he produc! ts on a straight commission basis; however, it also participate in future underwriting profit for certain products pursuant to retrospective commission arrangements. Commissions that it receives from these third-party providers may be subject to chargeback, in full or in part, if products that it sells, such as extended service contracts, are cancelled. Its stores also provide a range of vehicle maintenance, repair, paint, and collision repair services, including warranty work that can be performed only at franchised dealerships and customer-pay service work. The Company has entered into framework agreements with vehicle manufacturers and distributors. It operates each of its new vehicle stores under a franchise agreement with a vehicle manufacturer or distributor.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
AutoNation (NYSE: AN ) reported earnings on April 18. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), AutoNation beat slightly on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share. - [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Wall Street had another rising day, with the Dow Industrials and the S&P 500 reaching new record highs. But one tech stock tanked and the momentum took a bunch of others in the sector down with it. The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) closed 25 points higher, the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) added 8 points, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) was up 3 points. One of the top gainers on the S&P 500 was used car giant CarMax (KMX). Its share price zoomed higher by 16.5 percent with revenue and profits hitting record levels. The still lackluster economic recovery is causing many to drive off lots in used cars instead of new vehicles. And the hottest model over the past two years? The Nissan Altima. Automotive retailer AutoNation (AN), which runs new and used dealerships, also got a boost, rising more than 5 percent. It was a different story for software giant Oracle (ORCL), which was one of the S&P 500's biggest losers. Its stock fell 4 percent on sagging earnings. Social media stocks fell too. Pandora (P) was down 1.5 percent as was Groupon (GRPN), LinkedIn (LNKD) lost almost 1 percent and Amazon (AMZN) fell less than 1 percent two days after unveiling its first smartphone. But poor Radioshack (RSH). Its stock hit a new low, trading below a dollar a share for the first time after falling almost 10 percent. Since the beginning of the year the stock is down 64 percent. One analyst has a price target of zero on the stock. Ouch. (We hope you don't have that one in your portfolio.) And Darden's (DRI) earnings weren't very appetizing. Profits came in much lower than expected and guidance was weak. The stock fell 4 percent. It is selling its Red Lobster chain and trying to focus on revamping Olive Garden. Solar stocks had a bright day, though. Shares of SunEdison (SUNE) shone brightly rising 1.5 percent on news it was acquiring some solar farms in Massachusetts. Other solar stocks also basked on the day. Canadian Solar gained 6 percent, and
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: iShares Global Tech ETF (IXN)
iShares S&P Global Technology Sector Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poor�� Global Information Technology Sector Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the Standard & Poor�� Global 1200 Index, and measures the performance of companies that Standard & Poor�� deems to be part of the information technology sector. Component companies include those involved in the development and production of technology products, including computer hardware and software, telecommunications equipment, microcomputer components, integrated computer circuits and office equipment utilizing technology.
The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Russ Koesterich]
The list above is based on my team's analysis of whether sector valuations appropriately price in each sector's expected earnings growth, profitability and risk. Based on these factors, I have a preference for the energy and informational technology sectors, accessible through the iShares S&P Global Energy Sector Fund (IXC) and the iShares S&P Global Technology Sector Fund (IXN). And as I write in my new Investment Directions commentary piece, if it turns out that we do see more investors rotating out of defensives and into more attractively priced cyclicals, these two sectors are poised to especially benefit.
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA)
Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) is a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) chartered by the United States Congress to support liquidity and stability in the secondary mortgage market, where mortgage-related assets are purchased and sold. The Company�� activities include providing market liquidity by securitizing mortgage loans originated by lenders in the primary mortgage market into Fannie Mae mortgage-backed securities (Fannie Mae MBS), and purchasing mortgage loans and mortgage-related securities in the secondary market for its mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae operates in three business segments: Single-Family business, Multifamily Business (formerly Housing and Community Development (HCD)) and Capital Markets group. Its Single-Family Credit Guaranty and Multifamily businesses work with its lender customers to purchase and securitize mortgage loans customers deliver to the Company into Fannie Mae MBS.
The Company obtains funds to support its business activities by issuing a variety of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Fannie Mae acquires funds to purchase mortgage-related assets for its mortgage portfolio by issuing a variety of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. It also makes other investments. Fannie Mae conducts its business in the United States residential mortgage market and the global securities market. It conducts business in the United States residential mortgage market and the global securities market. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company��
Single-Family Business
Single-Family business includes mortgage securitizations, mortgage acquisitions, credit risk management and credit loss management. Single-Family business works with the Company�� lender customers to provide funds to the mortgage market by securitizing single-family mortgage loans into Fannie Mae MBS. Its Single-Family business also works with its Capital Markets group to facilitate the pu! rchase of single-family mortgage loans for the Company�� mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae�� Single-Family business prices and manages the credit risk on its single-family guaranty book of business, which consists of single-family mortgage loans underlying Fannie Mae MBS and single-family loans held in its mortgage portfolio. Single-Family business and Capital Markets group securitize and purchase primarily single-family fixed-rate or adjustable-rate, first lien mortgage loans, or mortgage-related securities backed by these types of loans.
The Company securitizes or purchases loans insured by Federal Housing Administration (FHA), loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and loans guaranteed by the Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Program of the Department of Agriculture, manufactured housing loans, reverse mortgage loans, multifamily mortgage loans, subordinate lien mortgage loans and other mortgage-related securities. Its Single-Family business securitizes single-family mortgage loans and issues single-class Fannie Mae MBS. Fannie Mae�� Single-Family business securitizes loans solely in lender swap transactions, in which lenders deliver pools of mortgage loans to the Company, which are placed immediately in a trust, in exchange for Fannie Mae MBS backed by these loans. Generally, the servicing of the mortgage loans held in its mortgage portfolio or that backs its Fannie Mae MBS is performed by mortgage servicers on the Company�� behalf. Lenders who sell single-family mortgage loans to Fannie Mae service these loans for the Company. For loans it owns or guarantees, the lender or servicer must obtain its approval before selling servicing rights to another servicer.
Fannie Mae�� mortgage servicers collect and deliver principal and interest payments, administer escrow accounts, monitor and report delinquencies, perform default prevention activities, evaluate transfers of ownership interests, respond to requests for partial releases of s! ecurity, ! and handle proceeds from casualty and condemnation losses. Its mortgage servicers are the primary point of contact for borrowers and perform implementation of its homeownership assistance initiatives, negotiation of workouts of troubled loans, and loss mitigation activities. Mortgage servicers also inspect and preserve properties and process foreclosures and bankruptcies.
Multifamily Mortgage Business
Multifamily business works with the Company�� lender customers to provide funds to the mortgage market by securitizing multifamily mortgage loans into Fannie Mae MBS. Through its Multifamily business, Fannie Mae provides liquidity and support to the United States multifamily housing market principally by purchasing or securitizing loans that finance multifamily rental housing properties. It also provides some limited debt financing for other acquisition, development, construction and rehabilitation activity related to projects that complement this business. Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business also works with its Capital Markets group to facilitate the purchase and securitization of multifamily mortgage loans and securities for Fannie Mae�� portfolio, as well as to facilitate portfolio securitization and resecuritization activities.
The Company�� multifamily guaranty book of business consists of multifamily mortgage loans underlying Fannie Mae MBS and multifamily loans and securities held in Fannie Mae�� mortgage portfolio. Revenues for Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business are derived from a variety of sources, including guaranty fees received as compensation for assuming the credit risk on the mortgage loans underlying multifamily Fannie Mae MBS and on the multifamily mortgage loans held in its portfolio and on other mortgage-related securities; transaction fees associated with the multifamily business, and other bond credit enhancement related fees. As with the servicing of single-family mortgages, multifamily mortgage servicing is performed by the lenders who! sell the! mortgages to the Company. Fannie Mae�� Multifamily business is organized and operated as an integrated commercial real estate finance business.
Capital Markets
Capital Markets group's primary business activities include mortgage and other investments, mortgage securitizations, structured mortgage securitizations and other customer services, and interest rate risk management. Capital Markets group manages the Company�� investment activity in mortgage-related assets and other interest-earning, non-mortgage investments. It funds its investments primarily through proceeds the Company receives from the issuance of debt securities in the domestic and international capital markets. Its business activity is focused on making short-term use of its balance sheet rather than long-term investments. Activities Fannie Mae is undertaking to provide liquidity to the mortgage market include whole loan conduit, early funding, real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMICs) and other structured securitizations and dollar roll transactions. Whole loan conduit activities include its purchase of both single-family and multifamily loans principally for the purpose of securitizing them. During the year ended December 31, 2010, it was engaged in dollar roll activity. A dollar roll transaction is a commitment to purchase a mortgage-related security with a concurrent agreement to re-sell a similar security at a later date or vice versa.
Fannie Mae�� Capital Markets group is engaged in issuing both single-class and multi-class Fannie Mae MBS through both portfolio securitizations and structured securitizations involving third party assets. Its Capital Markets group creates single-class and multi-class Fannie Mae MBS from mortgage-related assets held in its mortgage portfolio. Fannie Mae�� Capital Markets group may sell these Fannie Mae MBS into the secondary market or may retain the Fannie Mae MBS in its investment portfolio. The Company�� Capital Markets group creates single-clas! s and mul! ti-class structured Fannie Mae MBS, for its lender customers or securities dealer customers, in exchange for a transaction fee. The Company�� Capital Markets group provides its lender customers and their affiliates with services that include offering to purchase a range of mortgage assets, including non-standard mortgage loan products; segregating customer portfolios to obtain optimal pricing for their mortgage loans, and assisting customers with hedging their mortgage business.
Although the Company�� Capital Markets group�� business activities are focused on short-term financing and investing, revenue from its Capital Markets group is derived primarily from the difference, or spread, between the interests it earns on its mortgage and non-mortgage investments and the interest it incurs on the debt the Company issues to fund these assets. Its Capital Markets revenues are primarily derived from the Company�� mortgage asset portfolio. Capital Markets group funds its investments primarily through the issuance of a variety of debt securities in a range of maturities in the domestic and international capital markets. Investors in the Company�� debt securities include commercial bank portfolios and trust departments, investment fund managers, insurance companies, pension funds, state and local governments, and central banks.
The Company competes with Freddie Mac, FHA and Ginnie Mae.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dimitra DeFotis]
Investor Bill Ackman, who knows a thing or two about real estate, just made the case for reforming Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) but keeping them independent of government control.
- [By Lisa Abramowicz]
Mortgage financiers Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) were placed into government conservatorship, insurer American International Group Inc. agreed to a U.S. takeover to avert collapse, Merrill Lynch & Co. was compelled to sell itself to Bank of America Corp. and automaker General Motors Corp. faced insolvency.
- [By Holly LaFon]
Our focused income strategy is proving successful. Today, 62% of the Fund's net assets are in cash and cash equivalents. Sears (SHLD) bonds maturing in 2018 are the Fund's largest non-cash holding, at 23% of net assets, followed by the preferred stock of Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac, at 6% of net assets, and J.C. Penney (JCP) bonds maturing between 2015 and 2017, at 4% of net assets. MBIA bonds were sold in the period, resulting in an above average return.
- [By George Putnam]
For example, American International Group (AIG), one of the poster children for the 2008 financial collapse, accounts for roughly 40% of the fund�� holdings. Troubled government-sponsored mortgage lender Fannie Mae (FNMA) is another big holding.
Top 10 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: KKR Financial Holdings LLC (KFN)
KKR Financial Holdings LLC, incorporated on January 17, 2007, is a specialty finance company focused on a range of asset classes. The Company�� holdings primarily consist of below investment grade syndicated corporate loans, also known as leveraged loans, high yield debt securities, private equity, interests in joint ventures and partnerships, and working and royalty interests in oil and gas properties. It operates in three segments: Credit, Natural resources, and other. The Credit segment includes primarily below investment grade corporate debt comprised of senior secured and unsecured loans, mezzanine loans, private and public equity investments, high yield bonds, and distressed and stressed debt securities. The Natural Resources segment consists of non-operated working and overriding royalty interests in oil and natural gas properties. Natural Resources segment excludes private equity focused on the oil and gas sector. The Other segment includes all other portfolio holdings, including commercial real estate.
The Company�� majority of holdings consist of corporate loans and high yield debt securities held in collateralized loan obligation (CLO) transactions that are structured as on-balance sheet securitizations and are used as long term financing for its investments in corporate debt. The Company is externally managed and advised by KKR Financial Advisors LLC. The Company�� collateralized loan obligation (CLO) consist of seven CLO transactions, KKR Financial CLO 2005-1, Ltd. (CLO 2005-1), KKR Financial CLO 2005-2, Ltd. (CLO 2005-2), KKR Financial CLO 2006-1, Ltd. (CLO 2006-1), KKR Financial CLO 2007-1, Ltd. (CLO 2007-1), KKR Financial CLO 2007-A, Ltd. (CLO 2007-A), KKR Financial CLO 2011-1, Ltd. (CLO 2011-1) and KKR Financial CLO 2012-1, Ltd. (CLO 2012-1) (collectively the Cash Flow CLOs). The Company�� objective is to provide long-term value for its shareholders by generating an attractive total return through cash distributions and increased enterprise value.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
KKR Financial Holdings LLC (NYSE: KFN) shot up 28.47 percent to $12.14 after the company agreed to be acquired by KKR & Co (NYSE: KKR) for $2.6 billion. - [By Lauren Pollock]
KKR(KKR) & Co. said it reached a deal to acquire KKR Financial Holdings LLC(KFN), bringing under its roof the separate, specialty-finance company managed by the private-equity firm that pursues debt investments and other bets. KKR, known for large debt-fueled corporate takeovers, signed an agreement to take over the sister firm in a $2.6 billion all-stock deal, the New York company said. Shares of KKR Financial jumped 28% to $12.12 in premarket trading.
- [By Tim Melvin]
At current prices, AINV yields 9.55% and would be a good fit for most income portfolios.
KKR Financial Holdings (KFN)KKR Financial is a subsidiary of Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts (KKR) that invests in high-yield bonds, direct lending, equity investments, oil and gas royalty interests and commercial real estate. KFN also occasionally joins KKR in private equity deals. KKR Financial is structured as a publicly traded partnership and passes most of its income to shareholders.
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