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Stocks to Watch – Spartech Corporation (Public, NYSE: SEH)
Spartech Corporation (Spartech) is an intermediary processor of engineered thermoplastics, polymeric compounds and concentrates. It was established on April 23, 1968. The Company, together with its subsidiaries converts base polymers or resins bought from commodity suppliers into extruded plastic sheet and rollstock, thermoformed packaging, specialty film laminates, acrylic products, specialty plastic alloys, color concentrates and blended resin compounds.
The Company’s activities are carried out through its three segments:
- Custom Sheet and Rollstock
- Packaging Technologies
- Color and Specialty Compounds.
During the fiscal year that ended October 30, 2010 (fiscal 2010), Spartech changed its organizational reporting and management responsibilities of two businesses previously included in its Color and Specialty Compounds segment to its Custom Sheet and Rollstock segment.
Custom Sheet and Rollstock
This segment is engaged in the manufacture of plastic sheet, custom rollstock, calendared film, laminates and cell cast acrylic. The Custom Sheet and Rollstock segment markets sheet and rollstock products through its own sales force but also make use of a number of independent sales representatives.
The products are distributed from facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. These finished products are formed by customers that use plastic components in their products. They are also used in many end markets like packaging, transportation, building and construction, recreation and leisure, electronics and appliances, sign and advertising, aerospace and numerous other end markets.
Packaging Technologies
This segment creates custom-designed plastic packages and custom rollstock utilized in the food and consumer product markets. The Packaging Technologies markets packaging products through its own sales force and are distributed from facilities in the United States. The Company’s products are used in the food, medical and consumer packaging and sign and advertising end markets.
Color and Specialty Compounds
This segment manufactures custom-designed plastic alloys, compounds and color concentrates for use by a group of manufacturing customers servicing the transportation (mostly automotive), building and construction, packaging, agriculture, lawn and garden, electronics and appliances, and numerous other end markets. The Color and Specialty Compounds produces and distributes also from facilities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and France.
Spartech Corporation (Public, NYSE: SEH) 52 week 2.75 – 9.08 Mkt cap 172.97M Shares 30.83M
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Stocks to Watch – Reliv International Inc. (Public, NASDAQ: RELV)
Reliv International, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets a line of nutritional supplements addressing basic nutrition, specific wellness needs, weight management and sports nutrition. It offers ready-to-drink products, encapsulated product and a line of skin care and food products. These are distributed through the Company’s international network marketing system.
Reliv’s product line includes the following:
Nutritional supplements that address basic nutrition
Specific wellness needs
Weight management
Sports nutrition
Basic Nutrition Supplements
Reliv has four basic nutrition supplements which provide consumers with essential nutrients. Reliv Classic is a nutritional supplement with several vitamins and minerals, soy and other protein sources and various herbs. This is a vegetarian product without any animal compounds, artificial preservatives, artificial flavors or added simple sugars.
Another supplement is the Reliv NOW which contains vitamins and minerals, soy and other protein sources and various herbs. NOW for Kids is available to balance nutritional supplements of children. Reliv Delight on the other hand is a powdered nutritional supplement which is sold as a milk replacement.
Specific Wellness Supplements
The Company has specific wellness supplements for certain conditions and promotion of health.
ReversAge by the name itself slows down the effects of aging process.
SoySentials contains soy, as well as other vitamins, minerals and herbs for women to promote women’s health and ease the symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
CardioSentials
Arthaffect contains Arthred.
FibRestore contains fiber, vitamins, minerals and herbs
GlucAffect
24K
Weight Management Supplements
This product combines weight loss promoting complexes with scientifically balanced nutrition and health enhancing soy protein. Slimplicity meal replacement incorporates new products into an overall program which involves diet and exercise. Next are the Slimplicity accelerator capsules. Reliv Ultrim-Plus is a meal replacement (for a maximum of two meals per day) for use in a weight loss program.
Sports Nutrition Supplements
Innergize! is a sports supplement containing vitamins and minerals. The second is ProVantage, which is nutritional supplement containing soy.
Relivables
This consists of nutritionally sound skin care and food products. The men’s r collection includes a body wash, shave lotion and after shave moisturizer with sun protection factor (SPF) 15. The women’s collection includes a cleansing facial wash, eye cream, daytime facial moisturizer with SPF 15, a nighttime facial moisturizer, and a body lotion.
Reliv International Inc. (Public, NASDAQ: RELV) 52 week 1.14 – 2.50 Mkt cap 15.51M Shares 12.41M
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Stocks to Watch – Access National Corp. (Public, NASDAQ: ANCX)
Access National Corporation (ANCX) is a bank holding company that operates through its two fully owned subsidiaries:
- Access National Bank (the Bank)
- Access National Capital Trust II.
Access National Bank is the primary operating business of ANC. The Bank ensures the provision of credit, deposit and mortgage services to middle market commercial businesses and associated professionals. Its target market is located mainly in the Metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. It offers several financial services and products. It serves credit, depository and cash management needs of businesses and associated professionals. The services are accounts receivable lines of credit, collection accounts, growth capital term loans, business acquisition financing, checking accounts, money market accounts, sweep accounts, personal checking accounts, savings /money market accounts, online baking and certificates of deposit.
The Bank operates in 5 centers located in Chantilly, Tysons Corner, Reston, Leesburg and Manassas, Virginia and online at www.accessnationalbank.com.
Lending Activities
Its lending activities include commercial real estate loans, residential mortgage loans, commercial loans, commercial and residential real estate construction loans, home equity loans, and consumer loans.
44.4 % of the loan portfolio is primarily consisted of the Bank’s commercial mortgages. These loans can actually fall into one of three situations:
- Loans supporting an owner occupied commercial property
- Properties used by non-profit organizations, such as churches or schools where repayment is dependent upon the cash flow of the non-profit organizations
- Loans supporting a commercial property leased to third parties for investment.
Its residential real estate loans category includes loans secured by first or second mortgages on one to four family residential properties, extended to the Bank clients. Commercial loans on the other hand, loans are to businesses or individuals within its market for business purposes.
Investment Activities
This is consisted of the United States Treasury securities, the United States Government Agency securities, municipal securities, Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) mutual fund, and mortgage backed securities issued by the United States Government sponsored agencies.
Sources of Funds
By December 31, 2010, the Bank’s deposits reached approximately $627.8 million consisting noninterest-bearing demand deposits, savings and interest-bearing deposits and time deposits. The Company participates in the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS) wherein customers can obtain FDIC insurance of up to $50 million. It has lines of credit with Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) and Federal Reserve Bank (FRB). The borrowed funds totaled $123.6 million.
Access National Corp. (Public, NASDAQ: ANCX) 52 week 6.77 – 9.49 Mkt cap 94.32M Shares 10.20M
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Stocks to Watch – Scientific Brain Training SA (Public, EPA: MLSBT)
Scientific Brain Training (SBT) SA specializes in cognitive engineering as well as in the development of products to test the users in the areas of cognitive psychology and neuropsychology. The Company is based in France on August 31, 2000.
The Company’s tests are done through Internet and mobile phone technology, as well as printed materials, among others. SBT primarily conducts its activities in two distinct market sectors:
- Human Resources
- Preventive Healthcare
First, is the Human Resources sector wherein activities are developed for the evaluation of the cognitive potential of individuals for companies and specialist agencies. Second segment is the Preventive Healthcare Sector wherein stimulation tools for medical practitioners like psychologists and neurologists, or insurance-type organizations, retirement funds and pharmaceutical laboratories are provided. The Company also provides products for older adults who would like to maintain their mental alertness as well as tools for children’s cognitive skills development.
The Company combines the latest developments in cognitive sciences, educational sciences, and technology in the development of its line of products, programs and services. Its goal is to entertain, test, and train the cognitive abilities.
It makes use of the CD-ROM, internet, and mobile technology, as well as print format to provide the environment for each individual. SBT serves consumer, B2B, healthcare, and education markets. The Company has an office at Vancouver, Canada for business development in the North American, European, and Japanese markets.
Because of innovations like these in Science and technology, the life expectancy of adults is higher (over 75) and is also continuing to increase in developed countries. It is vivid that the decrease in human mental ability needs treatment and prevention or delaying of this normal physiologic process should be immediately addressed.
By the time the Company was founded, there were no tools available to meet this challenge, either in France or in any other developed country.
SBT acquired the company Symetrix, a specialist in the fields of e-learning and serious games. The company thus grasps the opportunity to expand its offer in the Human Resources sector by combining an assessment service (Arnava) and a customized e-learning service (Symetrix).
Scientific Brain Training SA (Public, EPA: MLSBT) 52 week 1.92 – 4.50 Mkt cap 8.33M Shares 1.85M
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Stocks to Watch - Radian Group Inc. (Public, NYSE: RDN)
Radian Group Inc. (Radian Group) is a credit enhancement company. It operates in three business segments: Mortgage insurance; financial guaranty and financial services.
Mortgage Insurance Business
This business provides credit protection for mortgage lenders and other financial services companies on residential mortgage assets. This also provides credit-related insurance coverage through private mortgage insurance and risk management services to lending institutions.
The mortgage activities are done primarily through its fully owned subsidiaries Radian Guaranty Inc., Amerin Guaranty Corporation, and Radian Insurance Inc. (which it refers to as Radian Guaranty, Amerin Guaranty, and Radian Insurance, respectively). It protects mortgage lenders from default-related losses as well as facilitates the sale of these loans in the secondary mortgage market. Radian group is providing this insurance through a flow basis (which is loan-by-loan) and structured basis (in which it insures a group of individual loans).
Financial Guaranty Business
The financial guaranty business provides insurance and reinsurance of municipal bonds, structured finance transactions and other credit-based risks. This typically provides an unconditional and permanent guaranty to the holder. Financial Guaranty Insurance can be issued at the beginning of an insured obligation.
In this financial guaranty business, the issuer of an insured obligation pays the premiums for its insurance either in these following cases.
- In the case of most public finance transactions
- In full at the inception of the policy
- In the case of most non-synthetic structured finance transactions
- In regular monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual installments from the cash flow of the related collateral.
Premiums for synthetic CDS are generally paid in periodic installments (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually) directly from its counterparty.
Financial Services Business
The Company sold to Sherman all of its remaining 28.7% equity interest in the latter. Sherman is a consumer asset and servicing firm specializing in charged-off and bankruptcy plan consumer assets.
The Company’s competitors are CMG Mortgage Insurance Company, Essent Guaranty, Genworth Financial Inc., Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), PMI Mortgage Insurance Co., Republic Mortgage Insurance Company, and United Guaranty Corporation.
Radian Group Inc. (Public, NYSE: RDN) 52 week 1.80 – 8.20 Mkt cap 395.60M Shares 133.20M
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