dividends paid
INTUITIVE SURGICAL $510 (Nasdaq symbol ISRG; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (515-507-5000; www.intuitivesurgical.com; Shares outstanding: 40.2 million; Market cap: $20.5 billion; No dividends paid) makes the da Vinci, a computerized surgical system.
Guided by a miniature camera connected to a 3-D monitor, surgeons use the da Vinci to operate by remotely manipulating tiny robotic arms. This process is safer and much less invasive than regular surgery. It helps cut patient recovery time and post-operative discomfort. It also reduces scarring and infection risk.
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, Intuitive earned $188.9 million, or $4.56 a share. That’s up 31.6% from $143.5 million, or $3.50 a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 23.5%, to $611.4 million from $495.2 million. Intuitive is debt-free and holds cash of $3.1 billion, or $77.51 a share.
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Guided by a miniature camera connected to a 3-D monitor, surgeons use the da Vinci to operate by remotely manipulating tiny robotic arms. This process is safer and much less invasive than regular surgery. It helps cut patient recovery time and post-operative discomfort. It also reduces scarring and infection risk.
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, Intuitive earned $188.9 million, or $4.56 a share. That’s up 31.6% from $143.5 million, or $3.50 a share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 23.5%, to $611.4 million from $495.2 million. Intuitive is debt-free and holds cash of $3.1 billion, or $77.51 a share.
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AMAZON.COM $278.16 (Nasdaq symbol AMZN; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (206- 266-1000; www.amazon.com; Shares outstanding: 455.2 million; Market cap: $128.3 billion; No dividends paid) has invested heavily in cloud computing. This is now paying off with some big contracts: earlier this year, it won a $600-million deal with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to build a cloud-computing service.
The CIA has traditionally awarded many of its big computing contracts to IBM (New York symbol IBM), a recommendation of our Wall Street Stock Forecaster newsletter.
IBM has protested the awarding of this deal to Amazon, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office recently recommended that the CIA reopen negotiations. The CIA now has 60 days to say whether it will follow this recommendation.
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The CIA has traditionally awarded many of its big computing contracts to IBM (New York symbol IBM), a recommendation of our Wall Street Stock Forecaster newsletter.
IBM has protested the awarding of this deal to Amazon, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office recently recommended that the CIA reopen negotiations. The CIA now has 60 days to say whether it will follow this recommendation.
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FIRSTSERVICE CORP. $31.20 (Toronto symbol FSV; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (416-960-9500; www.firstservice.com; Shares outstanding: 28.9 million; Market cap: $1.0 billion; No dividends paid) is expanding further into Western Europe through its Colliers International commercial real estate sales division. Colliers has just acquired controlling interests in two firms in Germany and one in the Netherlands. All are leaders in their respective markets.
European real estate markets have weakened along with the region’s economies, and now is a good time to make acquisitions.
FirstService is a hold....
European real estate markets have weakened along with the region’s economies, and now is a good time to make acquisitions.
FirstService is a hold....
BIRCHCLIFF ENERGY $8.34 (Toronto symbol BIR; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-261-6401; www.birchcliffenergy.com; Units outstanding: 142.2 million; Market cap: $1.2 billion; No dividends paid) develops, produces and explores for oil and natural gas, mainly in the Peace River Arch area near the Alberta/B.C. border.
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, the company produced an average of 26,108 barrels of oil equivalent a day (82% gas and 18% oil). That was up 24.0% from 21,061 barrels a year earlier. The production increase pushed up Birchcliff’s cash flow per share by 33.3%, to $0.28 from $0.21.
Last year, Birchcliff completed Phase III of its gas plant expansion in Pouce Coupe, Alberta. This project doubled the facility’s capacity and is helping the company bring the additional gas it is producing to market.
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In the three months ended March 31, 2013, the company produced an average of 26,108 barrels of oil equivalent a day (82% gas and 18% oil). That was up 24.0% from 21,061 barrels a year earlier. The production increase pushed up Birchcliff’s cash flow per share by 33.3%, to $0.28 from $0.21.
Last year, Birchcliff completed Phase III of its gas plant expansion in Pouce Coupe, Alberta. This project doubled the facility’s capacity and is helping the company bring the additional gas it is producing to market.
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ADOBE SYSTEMS $45.78 (Nasdaq symbol ADBE; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (408-536 -6000; www.adobe.com; Shares outstanding: 501.9 million; Market cap: $21.8 billion; No dividends paid) has paid an undisclosed sum for Ideacodes. This privately held firm helps businesses make their mobile software, or apps, and other online content look and perform better.
Ideacodes’ technology will enhance Adobe’s new Creative Cloud suite of publishing and photo-editing programs. Adobe has switched from selling packaged software on CDs to offering ongoing subscriptions online.
Ideacodes’ founders, Emily Chang and Max Kiesler, will join Adobe as Creative Cloud’s new creative directors.
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Ideacodes’ technology will enhance Adobe’s new Creative Cloud suite of publishing and photo-editing programs. Adobe has switched from selling packaged software on CDs to offering ongoing subscriptions online.
Ideacodes’ founders, Emily Chang and Max Kiesler, will join Adobe as Creative Cloud’s new creative directors.
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ACI WORLDWIDE $44.92 (Nasdaq symbol ACIW; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (402-334-5101; www.tsainc.com; Shares outstanding: 39.8 million; Market cap: $1.8 billion; No dividends paid) makes software for processing transactions involving credit cards, debit cards, automated teller machines, point-of-sale terminals and interbank payments. Its products also help cut fraud.
In mid-February 2012, ACI completed its $540- million purchase of S1 Corp. This acquisition has been a good fit: S1 sells transaction software for banks, credit unions, retailers and other payment processors. It has over 3,000 clients worldwide.
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, ACI’s revenue rose 17.7%, to $162.0 million from $137.6 million a year earlier. The rise was partly because S1 contributed for the full quarter, compared to half of the 2012 first quarter.
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In mid-February 2012, ACI completed its $540- million purchase of S1 Corp. This acquisition has been a good fit: S1 sells transaction software for banks, credit unions, retailers and other payment processors. It has over 3,000 clients worldwide.
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, ACI’s revenue rose 17.7%, to $162.0 million from $137.6 million a year earlier. The rise was partly because S1 contributed for the full quarter, compared to half of the 2012 first quarter.
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AEROPOSTALE INC.$13.75 (New York symbol ARO; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (646-485-5410; www.aeropostale.com; Shares outstanding: 78.5 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; No dividends paid) saw its sales fall 9.0% in the three months ended May 4, 2013, to $452.3 million from $497.2 million a year earlier. Samestore sales declined 14%.
The teen-clothing retailer lost $0.16 a share, compared to a year-ago profit of $0.13 a share. Aeropostale had to spend heavily on promotions and marketing to clear out inventory from the preceding quarter.
The company will likely be able to repeat its past success at attracting customers, but its sales may remain weak in the near term.
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The teen-clothing retailer lost $0.16 a share, compared to a year-ago profit of $0.13 a share. Aeropostale had to spend heavily on promotions and marketing to clear out inventory from the preceding quarter.
The company will likely be able to repeat its past success at attracting customers, but its sales may remain weak in the near term.
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NEW GOLD $6.63 (Toronto symbol NGD; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (888-315-9715; www.newgold.com; Shares outstanding: 476.9 million; Market cap: $3.2 billion; No dividends paid) has just agreed to buy Rainy River Resources (Toronto symbol RR) in a friendly takeover for $381.9 million.
Rainy River’s project in northwestern Ontario could hold as much as 4.0 million ounces of gold. The company has already completed a feasibility study that projects a mine producing 225,000 ounces annually for 16 years. Production could start as early as 2016.
New Gold produced 411,892 ounces of gold in 2012. That could top 1 million ounces within six years, even without Rainy River.
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Rainy River’s project in northwestern Ontario could hold as much as 4.0 million ounces of gold. The company has already completed a feasibility study that projects a mine producing 225,000 ounces annually for 16 years. Production could start as early as 2016.
New Gold produced 411,892 ounces of gold in 2012. That could top 1 million ounces within six years, even without Rainy River.
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GOOGLE INC. $868 (Nasdaq symbol GOOG; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 331.8 million; Market cap: $288.0 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 5.5; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.google.com) now sells Internet and TV services through its own fibreoptic networks in Kansas City, Missouri, Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah....
These two companies have had erratic histories since their parent firms spun them off. Agilent is up 13% since it was established as a separate company, while Teradata has gained 112%. We like the longterm outlook for both, but we only see Agilent as a buy right now.
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC....
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC....