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Stocks to Watch – American Reprographics Company (NYSE: ARC)
American Reprographics Company (ARC) is a Company focused in reprographics. It is headquartered in the United States and provides business-to-business document management services primarily to the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry via its network of service centers.
The Company’s reprographics services include business-to-business services such as document management, document distribution and logistics, and print-on-demand. By the year 2010, the Company operated the following:
- 239 reprographics service centers
- 225 reprographics service centers in 198 cities in 42 states throughout the United States and in the District of Columbia
- 7 reprographics service centers in Canada
- 1 in the United Kingdom
The Company is also involved in providing services on-site in about 5,800 of its customers’ offices. It serves several clients and businesses outside the AEC industry in need of document management services similar to the Company’s core AEC offerings. These services are offered to AEC customers, as well as to its non-AEC customers that have similar document management and production requirements. Their customers work with large volumes of format construction plans and small-format specification documents that are technical, complex, constantly changing and frequently confidential.
On the other hand, the non-AEC customers require services that can be utilized in:
- Black and white format documents
- Color small format documents
- Promotional documents of all sizes
- Digital distribution of document files to multiple locations for a variety of print-on-demand needs such as short-run digital publishing
It also has a business in People’s Republic of China with four locations, and two startup locations in India. Its document management services include storing, tracking and providing authorized access to documents it maintain on its customers behalf. This is done by the Company through its own digital database management as documents enter its digital infrastructure and are maintained on its production workstations, servers and networks.
The Company’s document distribution and logistics services includes transferring digital documents throughout its local and wide-area computer networks, and over the Internet, as well as the pickup, delivery and shipping of hardcopy documents to and from locations worldwide. Lastly, the Company’s print-on-demand includes a quick-turnaround digital printing in black and white and color, and in a range of sizes and formats.
American Reprographics Company (NYSE: ARC) 52 week: 3.08 – 9.39 Mkt cap: 274.58M Shares: 46.23M
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Stocks to Watch – AmeriServ Financial Inc. (NASDAQ: ASRV)
AmeriServ Financial, Inc. is a bank holding company of AmeriServ Financial Bank (the Bank). It also has other fully owned subsidiaries such as AmeriServ Trust and Financial Services Company (the Trust Company) and AmeriServ Life Insurance Company (AmeriServ Life). Its main activities include owning and operating its three wholly owned subsidiary entities. They get all their income from banking and bank-related services.
AmeriServ Financial Bank
The Company serves 18 locations namely: Allegheny, Cambria, Centre, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties, Pennsylvania. The Bank conducts its general banking business to these locations. It is a full service Bank which offers these services:
- Retail banking services, such as demand, savings and time deposits, money market accounts, secured and unsecured loans, mortgage loans, safe deposit boxes, holiday club accounts, money orders, and traveler’s check
- Lending, depository and related financial services to commercial, industrial, financial, and governmental customers.
The Company may offers lending services such as real estate-mortgage loans, short and medium-term loans, revolving credit arrangements, lines of credit, inventory and accounts receivable financing, real estate-construction loans, business savings accounts, certificates of deposit, wire transfers, night depository, and lock box services.
The Bank operates 22 automated bank teller machines (ATMs) through its 24-Hour Banking Network. This is linked with NYCE, a regional ATM network and CIRRUS, a national ATM network. Its commercial category includes credit extensions to commercial and industrial borrowers.
The Bank also generates loans secured by real estate such as various types of loans, including acquisition and construction of investment property, owner-occupied property and operating property. Its real estate mortgage includes those which are secured by residential property.
AmeriServ Trust and Financial Services Company
The Company provides trust and investment management products and services between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, AmeriServ Trust and Financial Services Company is committed to delivering personalized, professional service to its clients. This concentrates on wealth management. Wealth management involves personal trust products and services such as personal portfolio investment management, estate planning and administration, custodial services and pre-need trusts.
The Company also offers institutional trust products and services, such as 401(k) plans, defined benefit and defined contribution employee benefit plans, and individual retirement accounts are included in this segment.
AmeriServ Life
This is considered as a captive insurance company. This engages in underwriting as reinsurer of credit life and disability insurance within the Company’s market area.
AmeriServ Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASRV) 52 week: 1.55 – 2.91 Mkt cap: 57.13M Shares: 20.48M
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Stocks to Watch – American Pacific Corporation (NASDAQ: APFC)
American Pacific Corporation (AmPac) is engaged in manufacturing fine chemicals, specialty chemicals and propulsion products within its focused markets. The Company was established in December 1980. Moreover, it operates under four business segments namely:
- Fine Chemicals
- Specialty Chemicals
- Aerospace Equipment
- Other Businesses
APFC also supplies pharmaceutical ingredients and other registered intermediates in the pharmaceutical industry. On the other hand, it also offers specialty chemical for the aerospace and defense industry. These are used in solid rocket motors such as space launch and military missiles. The Company is involved in designing and manufacturing liquid propulsion systems, valves and structures for space and missile defense applications.
Moreover, it engages in producing clean agent chemicals intended for the fire protection and electro-chemical equipment for the water treatment industry. It produces ammonium perchlorate (AP). The Company has a European-based equipment operation that is responsible for the design, development and manufacturing of liquid propulsion thrusters, valves, pressure regulators, cold-gas propulsion systems, and precision structures for space applications, in the European space market.
Fine Chemicals
This is a custom manufacturer segment and registered intermediates. It manufactures pharmaceutical ingredients utilized by customers in drugs primarily for three areas:
- Anti-viral
- Oncology
- Central nervous system
The Company generates these chemical sales from the manufacture of chemical compounds. It also performs chiral separations using commercial-scale simulated moving bed (SMB) technology and own and operates two SMB machines. The Company develops and produces pharmaceutical products like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related and influenza-combating drugs.
Specialty Chemicals
Under this segment, the Company produces perchlorates, which include several grades of ammonium perchlorate, sodium perchlorate and potassium perchlorate. By 2011, perchlorate represented 89% of the segment’s revenues.
It also produces and markets sodium azide which is used in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and Halotron, a series of clean fire extinguishing agents used in fire extinguishing products ranging from portable fire extinguishers to total flooding systems.
Aerospace Equipment
It is the United States and European manufacturer of mono-propellant and bipropellant liquid propulsion thrusters, valves, structures and propulsion systems. These products are utilized in:
- Commercial satellites
- Launch vehicles
- Targets
- Interceptors
- Deep space probes.
American Pacific Corporation (NASDAQ: APFC) 52 week: 6.00 – 9.97 Mkt cap: 59.07M Shares: 7.61M
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Stocks to Watch – American Lorain Corporation (NYSEAMEX: ALN)
American Lorain Corporation (ALN) is a Company focused in manufacturing food. It was established on February 4, 1986. It is involved in the development, manufacturing and sales of food products under these segments:
- Chestnut products
- Convenience foods
- Frozen food products
The Company produced 230 products in the year 2009. This already included 19 new products under the convenience foods segment. These products are marketed in 26 provinces of and administrative regions of China. Moreover, the Company supplies the foods in 42 countries all over the world.
It also has fully owned subsidiaries namely:
- International Lorain Holding, Inc. (ILH)
- Luotian Green Foodstuff Co., Ltd.
- Junan Hongrun Foodstuff Co., Ltd.
Chestnut Products
The Company has already developed brand equity for this segment. These products are primarily marketed in:
Under this segment, the Company produces:
- Arated open-bottom chestnuts packaged with nitrogen
- Sweetheart chestnuts, or sweet preserved chestnuts
- Chestnuts in syrup
- Golden chestnut kernels
The Company takes pride in these products because they do not contain chemical preservatives. They are all natural and are combinations of oil and complex carbohydrates. These are usually steamed, boiled, sugar stir-fried, roasted or added into dishes or desserts as an ingredient.
Convenience Foods
Under this segment, the Company produces:
- Ready-to-cook, or RTC, food products
- Ready-to-eat, or RTE, food products
- Meals ready-to-eat, or MRE, food products
Moreover, RTCs are served in few easy cooking procedures. With this, customers will just put the food in a heated microwave or perhaps boil it. On the other hand, RTEs can be served without any cooking. This involves pickled product, spiced belt fish, cherry tomato, spicy pork fillet, pork and egg roll, pears and pineapples. Lastly, MREs are meal kits that have built-in self-heating devices. These are usually utilized by the military and civilian uses, such as camping, traveling and other cases wherein someone does not have access to traditional cooking supplies and equipment.
Frozen Food Products
The Company produces frozen products like frozen vegetables, frozen fruits, frozen fish, and frozen meats. By the year 2009, the Company produced 61 frozen food products including frozen asparagus and frozen corn.
American Lorain Corporation (NYSEAMEX: ALN) 52 week: 1.10 – 2.43 Mkt cap: 46.70M Shares: 34.51M
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Stocks to Watch – American Independence Corp. (NASDAQ: AMIC)
American Independence Corp. (AMIC) is a leading holding company focused in health insurance and reinsurance. The Company is a provider of specialized health coverage and similar services to customers. It is has a wholly owned subsidiary, Independence American Insurance Company (Independence American. This is responsible for marketing the products through AMIC’s managing general underwriter and agency subsidiaries. This process is done through the Company’s independent brokers, producers and agents.
The Company operates two underwriter subsidiaries:
- Marlton Risk Group LLC (Marlton)
- Risk Assessment Strategies, Inc. (RAS)
The Company also owns a minority investment in Majestic Underwriters LLC (Majestic). By the year 2010, the Company also owned and operated another managing general underwriters which are the IndependenceCare Underwriting Services Minneapolis, L.L.C. (IndependenceCare) and Marlton, IndependenceCare and RAS. These are known as MGUs. These are involved in marketing and underwriting medical stop-loss business.
Marlton engages in marketing and underwriting employer medical stop-loss and group life for the following:
- Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York (Standard Security Life)
- Independence American
- Two other carriers
On the other hand, the RAS engages in the marketing and underwriting medical stop-loss and group life for the following companies:
- Standard Security Life
- Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. (Madison National Life)
- Independence American
- One other carrier
Independence Holding Company fully owns Standard Security Life and Madison National Life. This is based in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and is involved in marketing employer medical stop-loss and group life for Independence American and one other carrier.
Medical Stop-Loss
This is a self-insured group major medical plans which allow employers with flexibility of designing employee health coverages at a price lesser than those taken from other health care plans offered by insurers or managed care organizations.
Fully Insured Health
The Company is involved in writing fully insured health business such as consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs).
Short-term Statutory Disability
The Company reinsures 20% of Standard Security Life’s short-term statutory disability benefit product in New York State (DBL).Majority of companies with more than one employee in New York State are entailed to offer DBL insurance for their employees.
Reinsurance
This service is an arrangement wherein an insurance company will agree to indemnify another insurance company.
American Independence Corp. (NASDAQ: AMIC) 52 week: 3.40 – 6.20 Mkt cap: 37.64M Shares: 8.27M
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