Pfizer (PFE) is one of the biopharmaceutical companies hardest hit by drugs losing patent exclusivity. Other big pharmaceutical companies affected by loss of patent protection include Merck (MRK), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Novartis (NVS) and Sanofi (SNY). Apart from battling with the loss of revenue due to loss of marketing exclusivity of their drugs, these companies are also packing drug pipelines to offset imminent patent expirations.
While many investors may not have considered investing in Pfizer after the company lost its patent protection for its blockbuster drug, Lipitor, yet Pfizer has preserved its bottom line despite the patent cliff, exceeded analysts��estimates in three of the last four quarters and the company is currently showing signs of growth that should not be ignored by value investors. Here are a few key reasons to long the biopharmaceutical giant.
Pfizer�� Net Income Growth Is Increasing Leading to Increase in Its Operating Margins
Net incomes and operating margins of a company give some insights into its financial health. Pfizer�� net income growth has accelerated this year. In fact, when compared with its direct competitors like Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi, the rate of increase of net income growth trailing twelve months (TTM) is greatest at Pfizer with $10.68 billion followed by Novartis with $9.37 billion while Merck and Sanofi lagged behind with $4.53 billion and $4.05 billion respectively. Really, rather than increasing, there has been a decrease in Merck�� and Sanofi�� net incomes this year which should be a source of concern for investors. A healthy operating margin shows that a company is earning more per dollar of sales and, hence, able to pay for its fixed costs including interest on debt.
10 Best Heal Care Stocks To Own Right Now: Esco Technologies Inc (ESE)
ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESCO), incorporated in August 1990, is a producer of engineered products and systems sold to customers worldwide, primarily for utility, industrial, aerospace and commercial applications. ESCO operates in three segments: Utility Solutions Group (Utility Solutions), RF Shielding and Test (Test) and Filtration/Fluid Flow (Filtration). On July 31, 2010, the Company acquired the capital stock of Crissair, Inc. On September 3, 2010, the Company acquired the capital stock of Xtensible Solutions, Inc. its subsidiaries include Aclara Power-Line Systems Inc. (Aclara PLS), Aclara RF Systems Inc. (Aclara RF), Aclara Software Inc., Doble Engineering Company, Doble Lemke AG, Doble Lemke GmbH, Doble PowerTest Limited, Doble TransiNor AS, Crissair, Inc., PTI Technologies Inc., TekPackaging LLC, VACCO Industries, Beijing Lindgren ElectronMagnetic Technology Co., Ltd., ETS-Lindgren L.P., ETS-Lindgren OY, ETS Lindgren Limited and ETS Lindgren Japan, Inc. In January 2013, the Company acquired the assets of Metrum Technologies LLC. In June 2013, ESCO Technologies Inc announced that it has acquired Canyon Engineering Products Inc.
UTILITY SOLUTIONS
The Utility Solutions segment accounted for approximately 57% of the Company�� total revenue during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 (fiscal 2010). Aclara PLS is a manufacturer of two-way power line communication systems for the electric utility industry (the TWACS systems), which are composed of equipment (meter modules and equipment for central stations and substations), software and support services. The TWACS systems provide electric utilities with a communication technology for automatic meter reading, load control, interval data, outage assessment/restoration monitoring, remote service disconnect/connect, time-of-use data for critical peak pricing, tamper/theft detection and pre-paid metering. Revenue from the TWACS systems accounted for approximately 22% of the Company�� total revenue in fiscal 2010. Aclara R! F provides, through its STAR network, wireless radio frequency (RF) data communications systems to gas, water and electric utilities for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) applications. In fiscal 2010, total revenue received by the Company from PG&E for all sales was 9.2% of the Company�� consolidated revenue. Revenue from STAR network products, accounted for approximately 17%, of the Company�� total revenue in fiscal 2010.
Aclara Software Inc. provides utilities with software systems for energy and water information, delivering a scalable meter data management system (MDMS), AMI/meter device records and asset management, business applications addressing areas, such as revenue assurance and distribution asset analysis. Aclara�� analytics-based software applications are used by over 100 energy organizations worldwide. Doble provides electric utility customers with products and services to achieve the reliability and sustainability of electric power infrastructure. It combines three elements for customers: diagnostic test instruments, expert consulting and testing services. Revenue from Doble�� products and services, accounted for approximately 15%, of the Company�� total revenue in fiscal 2010.
TEST
The Test segment accounted for approximately 23% of the Company�� total revenue in fiscal 2010. ETS-Lindgren designs and manufactures products to measure and contain magnetic, electromagnetic and acoustic energy. It supplies customers with a range of isolated environments including RF test enclosures, acoustic test enclosures, RF and magnetically shielded rooms, secure communication facilities and broadcast and recording studios. these facilities include shielded doors and windows. ETS-Lindgren also provides the design, program management, installation and integration services required to complete these types of facilities. ETS-Lindgren also supplies customers with a range of components, including RF absorptive materials, RF filters, active compensatio! n systems! , antennas, antenna masts, turntables and electric and magnetic probes, RF test cells, measurement software and other test accessories required to perform a variety of tests. ETS-Lindgren also offers a variety of services, including calibration for antennas and field probes, chamber certification, field surveys, customer training and a variety of product tests.
FILTRATION
The Filtration segment accounted for approximately 20%, of the Company�� total revenue in fiscal 2010. PTI is a supplier of filtration products serving the commercial aerospace, military aerospace and various industrial markets. The industrial markets include chemical processing, automotive and mobile equipment. Products include filter elements, assemblies, modules, indicators and other related components. VACCO supplies flow control products, valves and filters to the space, defense and commercial industries for use in aircraft, satellite propulsion systems, satellite launch vehicles and other space transportation systems, such as the Space Shuttle and its successor. VACCO also uses its etched disc technology to produce quiet valves and manifolds for the United States Navy applications. Crissair, Inc. supplies a variety of custom and standard valves and other various components to the aerospace, defense and commercial industries. Platform applications include fixed and rotary wing aircraft, air transport and business jets, and defense systems. TekPackaging LLC produces thermoformed products and packaging materials for medical, retail, food and electronic applications.
The Company competes with Itron, Inc., Silver Spring Networks, Landis+Gyr, Cannon Technologies Inc., Sensus Metering Systems Inc., Trilliant Inc., Elster Electricity, L.L.C., Comverge, Inc., Neptune Technology Group, e-Meter Corporation, Oracle Corporation, APOGEE Interactive Inc., Opower, Inc., Ecologic Analytics, LLC, SmartSynch, Inc.,Tantalus Systems Corp, OMICRON Electronics Corp. USA, OMICRON, Megger Group Limited, EM shiel! ding mark! et, TDK RF Solutions Inc., Albatross GmbH, IMEDCO AG, Cuming Corporation, Pall Corporation, Moog, Inc., SoFrance and Clarcor Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of engineered product maker ESCO Technologies (NYSE: ESE ) dropped 10% today after a disappointing earnings report.
So what: Net sales dropped 4.4% in the fiscal second quarter to $166.2 million, short of the $170.5 million estimate. Earnings per share after adjusting for non-operating charges were $0.28, still below the $0.34 estimate. �
- [By James Miller Phd]
Pall Corporation (PLL) is a supplier of filtration, separation and purification technologies, principally made by the company, for the removal of solid, liquid and gaseous contaminants from a range of liquids and gases. The company serves customers through two businesses globally: Life Sciences and Industrial. While Pall competes with many companies in the Life Sciences markets and Industrial, few companies operate in both, like ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE) and Danaher Corp. (DHR).
Best Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: PerkinElmer Inc.(PKI)
PerkinElmer, Inc. provides technology, services, and solutions to the diagnostics, research, environmental, industrial, and laboratory services markets worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Human Health and Environmental Health. The Human Health segment develops diagnostics, tools, and applications to help detect diseases earlier, as well as accelerate the discovery and development of critical new therapies. This segment provides early detection for genetic disorders from pre-conception to early childhood, as well as digital x-ray flat panel detectors and infectious disease testing for the diagnostics market. It also provides a suite of solutions, including instrumentation for automation and detection solutions, in vitro and in vivo imaging and analysis hardware and software, and a portfolio of consumable products, such as drug discovery and research reagents that enable researchers to enhance the drug discovery process. The Environmental Health segment offers t echnologies and applications to facilitate the creation of safer food and consumer products, secure surroundings, and efficient energy resources. This segment provides analytical technologies that address the quality of environment, sustainable energy development, and ensure safer food and consumer products; analytical instrumentation for the industrial market, which includes the semiconductor, chemical, petrochemical, lubricant, construction, office equipment, and quality assurance industries; and laboratory services. The company markets its products and services directly through its own sales forces and distributors for customers, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, laboratories, academic and research institutions, public health authorities, private healthcare organizations, doctors, and government agencies. PerkinElmer, Inc. was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
The market erased early-morning losses after strong service-sector data confirmed that the US economy has managed to keep-on keeping-on, no matter what has happened overseas. PerkinElmer (PKI), Boeing (BA), and Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR) have gained, while Plug Power (PLUG) and Tyson Foods (TSN) have dropped.
- [By Rich Smith]
The Department of Defense awarded a dozen separate contracts Thursday, worth more than $225 million in aggregate. Notable winners (among publicly traded companies) included:
- [By David Goodboy]
In other bullish news, TrovaGene entered into a material agreement with multibillion-dollar diagnostics technology leader PerkinElmer (NYSE: PKI) to jointly develop a test to determine a person's risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The terms have not been disclosed, but PerkinElmer will make milestone payments to TrovaGene.
Best Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: Ishares S&P Midcap 400 Index Fund (IJH)
iShares S&P MidCap 400 Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poor�� MidCap 400 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization sector of the United States equity market. The Index serves as the underlying index for the S&P 400/Citigroup Growth and Value Index series. The components stocks are weighted according to the total float-adjusted market value of their outstanding shares. The component stocks have a market capitalization between $1 billion and $4 billion (which may fluctuate depending on the overall level of the equity markets), and are selected for liquidity and industry group representation.
The Index is adjusted to reflect changes in capitalization resulting from mergers, acquisitions, stock rights, substitutions and other capital events. 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 John Udovich]
Moreover,�my guess is that the switch will be a wash for investors as funds and ETFs that track the S&P 500 will dump their positions in Advanced Micro Devices and SAIC Inc while those that track the S&P Mid Cap 400 will be obligated to take up positions in both. A quick look at the performance of the iShares S&P 500 Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IVV) verses the iShares Core S&P Mid Cap ETF (NYSEARCA: IJH) reveals the following:
Best Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc.(AFOP)
Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of a range of fiber optic components and integrated modules incorporating these components to communications equipment manufacturers and service providers in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company offers interconnect devices that are used to connect optical fibers and components; couplers and splitters that are used to divide and combine optical power; and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) devices that separate and combine multiple specific wavelengths. Its connectivity products include connectivity modules; optical connectors, adapters, and cable assemblies; fused and planar fiber optical splitters and couplers; optical tap couplers and ultra low polarization dependent loss tap couplers; amplifier wave division multiplexing (WDM) couplers; optical fixed attenuators; and fused fiber WDM couplers. The company?s optical passive products comprise filter WDMs, amplifier fil ter WDMs, DWDMs, coarse WDMs, compact coarse WDMs, add/drop DWDM filters, optical isolators, optical bypass switches, and automatic variable optical attenuators. Its products are deployed in long-haul networks that connect cities; metropolitan networks that connect areas within cities; last mile access networks that connect to individual businesses and homes; and enterprise networks within businesses. The company sells its products to communications equipment manufacturers who incorporate its products into their systems and sell them to network service providers, as well as to other component manufacturers for resale or inclusion in their products. Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By alicet236]
Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (AFOP): Chairman, President and CEO Peter C. Chang sold 200,000 Shares
Chairman, President and CEO of Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (AFOP) Peter C. Chang sold 200,000 shares on 05/01/2014 at an average price of $20.02. Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. was incorporated in California in December 1995 and was reincorporated in Delaware in October 2000. Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. has a market cap of $322.665 million; its shares were traded at around $17.51 with a P/E ratio of 17.50 and P/S ratio of 4.32. The dividend yield of Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. stocks is 0.86%. Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. had an annual average earnings growth of 56.70% over the past five years.
- [By Michael A. Robinson]
Enter Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (Nasdaq: AFOP). Basically, Alliance helps make fiber-optic technology possible for homes and businesses.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Alliance Fiber Optic Products (NASDAQ: AFOP) shares rose 7.21% to $21.70. The volume of Alliance Fiber Optic Products shares traded was 397% higher than normal. Alliance Fiber Optic lifted its Q3 revenue outlook.
Best Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: Siemens AG (SI)
Siemens AG (Siemens), incorporated on August 28, 1996, is a globally operating technology company with core activities in the fields of energy, healthcare, industry and infrastructure. Siemens business activities focus on four sectors, Energy, Healthcare, Industry and Infrastructure & Cities. These sectors form four of Siemens reportable segments. In addition to the four sectors, Siemens has two additional reportable segments: Equity Investments and Siemens Financial Services (SFS). The Energy sector comprises four divisions: Power Generation, Wind Power, Power Transmission and Energy Service. The Healthcare Sector includes four divisions: Imaging & Therapy Systems, Clinical Products, Diagnostics and Customer Solutions; and one sector-led Business Unit, Audiology Solutions. The Industry sector consists of three divisions: Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services; and one sector-led Business Unit, Metals Technologies. The Infrastructure & Cities sector consists of five divisions: Rail Systems, Mobility and Logistics, Low and Medium Voltage, Smart Grid, and Building Technologies. In July 2013 Siemens sold its stake in the Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) joint venture to Nokia and OSRAM Licht AG was spun off from Siemens.
Industry
The Industry Sector offers a broad spectrum of products, solutions and services that help customers use resources and energy. The Sector�� integrated technologies and holistic solutions primarily address industrial customers, particularly those in the process and manufacturing industries. The portfolio spans industry automation, industrial software, drive products and services, system integration, and solutions for industrial plant businesses. The Industry Sector consists of three Divisions: Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services. The Sector also includes a sector-led Business Unit, Metals Technologies. In addition to its Sector-level financial results, Industry also breaks out financial results for the Indust! ry Automation Division and the Drive Technologies Division. The Industry Automation Division offers a range of standard products and system solutions for automation technologies used in the manufacturing and process industries. The Division�� offerings include automation systems and software, motor controls, machine-to- machine communication products, sensors, product and production lifecycle management products, and software for simulating and testing mechatronic systems. The Drive Technologies Division offers products and comprehensive systems across the entire drive train. These offerings are customized to the respective application and include numerical control systems, inverters, converters, motors (geared and gearless), drives and couplings. In addition, Drive Technologies supplies integrated automation systems for machine tools and production machines. The Division also offers integrated lifecycle solutions and services for industries such as shipbuilding, cement, mining, and pulp and paper. The Customer Services Division offers a comprehensive portfolio of services and supports industrial customers.
Energy
The Energy Sector offers a spectrum of products, solutions and services for generating and transmitting power, and for extracting, converting and transporting oil and gas. The Fossil Power Generation Division offers products and solutions for fossil-based power generation. The Division concentrates on products and solutions for gas and steam turbines, turbo generators, heat recovery steam generators including control systems, with an emphasis on combined-cycle power plants. It also develops solutions for instrumentation and control systems for all types of power plants and for use in power generation. The Wind Power Division manufactures wind turbines for onshore and offshore applications, including both geared turbines and direct drive machines. The product portfolio is based on four product platforms, two for each of the onshore and offshore applications. The Oil ! & Gas Div! ision has a comprehensive portfolio of rotating machinery (gas turbines, steam turbines, compressors with associated equipment) and electrical, instrumentation and telecommunication (EIT) solutions. The Power Transmission Division provides customers with turnkey power transmission solutions as well as discrete products, systems and related engineering and services. It covers high-voltage transmission solutions, power and distribution transformers, high-voltage switching and non-switching products and systems, and alternating and direct current transmission systems. The Energy Service Division offers comprehensive services for products, solutions and technologies, covering performance enhancements, maintenance services, customer trainings and consulting services for the Divisions Fossil Power Generation, Wind Power and Oil & Gas. The Wind Power Division is active in both the onshore and the offshore market segments globally. Power Transmission Division is expanding infrastructure in emerging countries, equipment replacement and modernization in mature economies, and integration of renewable energies.
Healthcare
The Healthcare Sector offers customers a comprehensive portfolio of medical solutions across the treatment chain-ranging from medical imaging to in-vitro diagnostics to interventional systems and clinical information technology systems-all from a single source. In addition, the Sector provides technical maintenance, professional and consulting services, and, together with Financial Services (SFS), financing to assist customers in purchasing the Sector�� products. The Healthcare Sector includes four Divisions: Imaging & Therapy Systems, Clinical Products, Diagnostics and Customer Solutions. The Sector also includes one sector-led Business Unit, Audiology Solutions. In addition to its Sector-level financial results, Healthcare also separately breaks out financial results for the Diagnostics Division.
The Imaging & Therapy Systems Division provides large-scale! medical ! devices for diagnostic imaging and for image-guided therapies. Imaging equipment includes computed tomographs, magnetic resonance imaging equipment, angiography systems for diagnostics, and positron emission tomography. The Clinical Products Division mainly comprises the business with ultrasound and X-ray equipment including mammography. The Diagnostics Division offers products and services in the area of in-vitro diagnostics. The Division�� product portfolio represents a comprehensive range of diagnostic testing systems and consumables, including offerings for clinical chemistry and immunodiagnostics, molecular diagnostics, hematology, hemostasis, microbiology, point-of-care testing and clinical laboratory automation solutions. The Customer Solutions Division provides healthcare information technology (HIT) systems. It is responsible for the Sector�� service business and customer relationship management on a global level.
Equity Investments
The Equity Investments comprises equity stakes held by Siemens that are accounted for by the equity method, at cost or as current available-for-sale financial assets and for strategic reasons are not allocated to a Sector, SFS, Centrally managed portfolio activities, Siemens Real Estate (SRE), Corporate items or Corporate Treasury. Its main investments within Equity Investments are its stake of 50% in BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgerate GmbH (BSH), its stake of 17% in OSRAM Licht AG (OSRAM) as well as its 49% stake in Enterprise Networks Holdings B.V. (EN).
Financial Services
Financial Services provides a variety of financial services and products to other Siemens units and their customers and to third parties. SFS has three strategic pillars: supporting Siemens units with finance solutions for their customers, managing financial risks of Siemens and offering third-party finance services and products. SFS��business can be divided into capital business and fee business. The Commercial Finance Business Unit offers! a compre! hensive range of solutions for equipment financing, leasing, rental and related financing for equipment supplied by Siemens or third-party providers. The Venture Capital Business Segment�� main task, together with Siemens��Sectors, is to identify and finance young companies worldwide. The Treasury Business Unit operates the global Corporate Treasury of the Siemens Group, with SFS employee�� thereby managing liquidity, cash and financial risks (interest, foreign exchange, commodities) on behalf of Corporate Treasury. The Financing & Investment Management Business Unit manages fee-based receivables and offers investment management services. The Insurance Business Unit acts primarily as an insurance broker for Siemens and external customers.
Infrastructure & Cities
The Infrastructure & Cities Sector offers a range of technologies for the sustainability of metropolitan centers and urban infrastructures worldwide, such as integrated mobility solutions, building and security systems, power distribution equipment, smart grid applications and low and medium-voltage products. The Sector consists of five Divisions: Rail Systems; Mobility and Logistics; Low and Medium Voltage; Smart Grid; and Building Technologies. The Rail Systems Division comprises Siemens��rail vehicle business, encompassing the entire spectrum of rolling stock-including high-speed trains, commuter trains, passenger coaches, metros, people movers, light rail vehicles, locomotives, bogies, traction systems and rail-related services. The Mobility and Logistics Division primarily provides products, solutions (including IT solutions) and services for rail transportation operating systems, such as central control systems, interlockings and automated controls. The Division also provides offerings for road traffic, including traffic detection, information and guidance systems.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Cheryl Kaften]
To remain relevant and competitive, current smart grid vendors -- among them ABB (NYSE: ABB ) , General Electric (NYSE: GE ) �, IBM� (NYSE: IBM ) , �and�Siemens� (NYSE: SI ) --�may have to make market adjustments, including partnerships, acquisitions, and advances of their own.
- [By Rich Smith]
The bulk of these awards came in the form of a single multiple-award, task-order contract to be shared among several energy companies:
Constellation Energy Partners LLC's (NYSEMKT: CEP ) Constellation NewEnergy subsidiary Privately held ECC Renewables LLC Enel Green Power North America, a subsidiary of Italy's Enel SpA LTC Federal LLC Siemens' (NYSE: SI ) Government Technologies unitThese five firms are now authorized to bid for individual task orders under an umbrella contract for the procurement of renewable and alternative energy from facilities that are designed, financed, constructed, operated and maintained by private companies on private land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. The ceiling value on this contract is $7 billion, thus accounting for 84% of the value of all Pentagon contracts awarded yesterday.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Elop�� main contributions to Nokia have been the original deal with Microsoft, the cost-cutting at Nokia, and the buyout of Nokia Siemens Networks from joint venture partner Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) for $2.2 billion. Not a lot of those achievements have a lot to do with selling smartphones, unless you consider that the company started with zero smartphone sales when Elop arrived.
- [By Keith Speights]
On the medical equipment front, GE Healthcare has a handful of major rivals. Philips (NYSE: PHG ) and Siemens (NYSE: SI ) stand out as two of the leading competitors. Both, like GE, are conglomerates that boast large health care business segments. Both Philips and Siemens market many of the same types of medical imaging equipment that GE does. �
Best Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: Official Payments Holdings Inc (OPAY)
Official Payments Holdings, Inc., formerly Tier Technologies, Inc., incorporated in 1991, is a provider of biller direct electronic payment solutions, through its primary brand Official Payments. These solutions provide payment services via multiple channels, including the Internet, automated Interactive Voice Response (IVR), call center and point-of-sale (POS), environments. Its solutions include multiple enhanced payment services, including convenience fee payments, absorbed payments, payment reminder and automated payment scheduling. It also offers its clients a range of payment choices, including credit and debit cards, electronic checks, cash and money orders, and emerging payment methods to meet the needs of their customers. Its segments include Electronic Payment Solutions (EPS) and Wind-down operations.
The Company offers its clients a front-end platform designed for the biller direct market with a single source solution that simplifies the management of electronic payments. Its verticals include Federal, State and Local, Property Tax, Utility, Education and Others. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 (fiscal 2010), it also provided services in one business area which is in the process of winding-down.
ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
The business consists of the Company�� biller direct solutions, which is called EPS. It offers services using several pricing options, such as transaction fee, convenience fee, flat fee, or client absorbed fee (fees paid directly by the client, in lieu of those charges being paid by the constituent using the service), which can be billed as a percentage fee, a fixed fee, or some combination of both. It provides services and solutions in several different verticals. Its client base includes the Unites States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 27 states, the District of Columbia and nearly 4,600 additional clients, consisting of local governments and other public sector clients and approximately 100 private sector cli! ents. As of September 30, 2010, it offered nearly 9,200 payment types.
The Company provides businesses and individuals the opportunity to pay certain federal income and business tax obligations electronically via credit or debit cards. Payment options include all credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa and all debit cards including some regional automated teller machine (ATM) card networks. Payment channels include Internet, IVR, and agent (a third-party provider who accepts payments on behalf of its client). In fiscal 2010, it provided payment services for 23 types of tax forms for the IRS. Revenues from Federal vertical represented 20.5% of EPS revenues for fiscal year 2010. Its contract with the IRS to provide payment services for federal tax payments contributed 17.1% of EPS revenue for fiscal year 2010.
The Company offers a variety of electronic payment solutions to state and local governments for electronic payments for personal income taxes and business taxes. For fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 8.5% of EPS revenue.
Within the Utility vertical, the Company allows its customers and constituents of various companies and municipalities to pay their utility obligations electronically using all credit cards, debit card, e-check, cash or money order. The utility company customers can utilize the Internet, IVR, POS, agent, walk-up locations or kiosks to make these payments. For fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 15.3% of EPS revenue.
The Company�� solutions within the education vertical service post-secondary education institutions. Solutions it provides to these clients include electronic payment options for tuition and fee payments, housing and alumni donations. During fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 13.6% of EPS revenue.
Other vertical consists of state and local courts and citations, rent payments and insurance payments for various entities, electronic payment options for meal a! nd fee pa! yments for K-12 educational institutions, plus personal property tax payments. During fiscal year 2010, this vertical represented 14.8% of EPS revenues.
WIND-DOWN OPERATIONS
As of September 30, 2010, the Company�� Wind-down operations consisted of its VSA business from its former GBPO segment. In fiscal 2010, it serviced over 100 customers within this business.
The Company competes with Link2Gov, RBS WorldPay, SallieMae Business Office Solutions, TouchNet Information Systems, Inc, CheckFree, Bill Matrix, Oracle and Online Resources.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Official Payments Holdings (NASDAQ: OPAY) shares surged 0.23% to touch a new 52-week high of $8.65. Official Payments shares have jumped 87.61% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.68% in the same period.
Best Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: China HGS Real Estate Inc.(HGSH)
China HGS Real Estate Inc., through its subsidiary, Shaanxi Guangsha Investment and Development Group Co., Ltd., engages in the real estate development in the People?s Republic of China. It is involved in the construction and sale of residential apartments, parking lots, and commercial properties. The company develops multi-layer, sub-high-rise, and high-rise apartment buildings, as well as office buildings. China HGS Real Estate Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Hanzhong City, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Top losers in the sector included China HGS Real Estate (NASDAQ: HGSH), off 4.8 percent, and China Life Insurance Co (NYSE: LFC), down 4 percent.
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