Like Frankenstein, too-big-to-fail banks didn't pop out of nowhere. We created them -- or, more specifically, financial lobbyists and our purported representatives in Washington did (to read about how this happened, read this article).
But aside from the sheer size of the nation's largest banks, one of the most startling facts is how quickly they consolidated power over the nation's financial assets. The chart below depicts just that. As you can see, starting in 1994 (the same year that Congress removed restrictions on interstate banking), the market share of big banks began an aggressive ascent that continues today, going from roughly 35% of industry assets to more than 80% at the end of last year.�
Lest there be any doubt, this is what the too-big-to-fail debate is all about. Do we want only a handful of lenders -- in this case, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM ) , Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) , Citigroup (NYSE: C ) , and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC ) -- to control the narrows, if you will, of American finance? Is that a threat to our savings? Our economy? Or even our financial freedom? Chime in on these questions in the comment section below.
Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014: ISTA Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ISTA)
ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and markets remedies for diseases and conditions of the eye in the United States. It offers products to treat allergy and serious disease of the eye; and therapies for ocular inflammation and pain, glaucoma, dry eye, and ocular and nasal allergies. The company provides BROMDAY for the treatment of postoperative inflammation and reduction of ocular pain in patients who have undergone cataract extractions; BEPREVE for ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis; ISTALOL for the treatment of glaucoma; and VITRASE for use as a spreading agent. Its products under development include T-Pred for steroid responsive inflammation and allergic conjunctivitis; Strong steroid for ocular inflammation; REMURA for the treatment of dry eye syndrome; and BROMDAY (lower concentration) for postoperative inflammation and reduction of ocular pain. The company?s products under development also comprise Bepotast ine nasal and Bepotastine nasal combination for allergic rhinitis. In addition, it is developing iganidipine to enhance ocular nerve blood flow; prostaglandin, a formulation of latanoprost, for the treatment of glaucoma; and ecabet sodium for dry eyes. ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. sells its products to drug wholesalers, retailers, and distributors, such as chain of drug stores, hospitals, clinics, and government agencies, as well as health maintenance organizations and other institutions. The company was formerly known as Advanced Corneal Systems, Inc. and changed its name to ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in March 2000. ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mark]
ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a commercial stage, multi-specialty pharmaceutical company developing, marketing and selling its own products in the United States. Its EPS forecast for the current year is 0.17 and next year is 0.54. According to consensus estimates, its topline is expected to grow 16.65% current year and 19.17% next year. It is trading at a forward P/E of 19.85. Out of three analysts covering the company, two are positive and have buy recommendations and the other has a hold rating.
Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014: ReachLocal Inc.(RLOC)
ReachLocal, Inc. provides a suite of online marketing and reporting solutions to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) primarily in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, India, the Netherlands, Germany, and Japan. The company?s products include ReachSearch, a search engine marketing product; ReachDisplay, a display advertising and remarketing product; ReachCast, a solution that builds and optimizes Web presence for the purpose of driving online search discovery, powering reputation management, and managing social media marketing; and remarketing and retargeting products. It also provides a suite of digital marketing solutions comprising TotalTrack, TotalLiveChat, TotalVideoNow, and TotalBannerNow to address specific marketing needs, such as lead optimization, online analytics, and digital creative solutions. The company serves clients in various industry verticals, such as home repair and improvement, automobile sales and repair, medical and health services, legal services, and retail and personal services. It delivers its solutions through a combination of its proprietary ReachLocal Platform and direct sales force of Internet marketing consultants, as well as through select third-party agencies and resellers. ReachLocal, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Woodland Hills, California.
Top Food Companies To Invest In 2014: World Energy Solutions Inc(DE)
World Energy Solutions, Inc. provides a range of energy management solutions to commercial and industrial businesses, institutions, utilities, and governments. It offers technology-enabled solutions, such as online audits of facilities to identify retrofit options and project management services for retrofit implementation, as well as cross-selling opportunities for commodity auctions. The company primarily focuses on retail and wholesale energy procurement clients via its online auction platforms, including the World Energy Exchange, the World Green Exchange, and the World DR Exchange. The World Energy Exchange enables energy consumers in North America to negotiate for the purchase or sale of electricity, natural gas, and other energy resources from energy suppliers who have agreed to participate on auction platform. The World Green Exchange enables buyers and sellers to negotiate for the purchase or sale of environmental commodities, such as renewable energy certificates , verified emissions reductions, and certified emissions reductions. The World DR Exchange enables curtailment service providers and energy consumers to negotiate in structured auction events designed to yield price transparency. The company was formerly known as World Energy Exchange, Inc. World Energy Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Sterman]
Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) is the world’s largest equipment manufacturer for the farming, construction and forestry industries, and a top producer of lawn and garden tractors for homeowners. It has a strong balance sheet and shares currently trade at a forward P/E of 9.6. Recently, Bill Gates purchased 7.5 million shares of Deer & Co., his biggest purchases in recent history.
Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014: Verizon Communications Inc.(VZ)
Verizon Communications Inc. provides communication services. The company operates through two segments, Domestic Wireless and Wireline. The Domestic Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data services; and sells equipment in the United States. The Wireline segment provides voice, Internet access, broadband video and data, Internet protocol network, network access, long distance, and other services in the United States and internationally. The company serves consumer, business, and government customers, as well as carriers. As of December 31, 2010, its network covered a population of approximately 292 million and provided service to a customer base of approximately 94.1 million. The company was formerly known as Bell Atlantic Corporation and changed its name to Verizon Communications Inc. in June 2000. Verizon Communications Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonas Elmerraji]
The sole downside setup we're looking at today is communications giant Verizon (VZ). Even though Verizon isn't a tech stock in the traditional sense, its exposure to mobile phone sales and its scale as an internet service provider means that its price action correlates highly with the rest of the tech sector. But more recently, that correlation has decoupled thanks to a topping pattern in shares.
Verizon is forming a head and shoulders top right now, a bearish pattern that indicates exhaustion among buyers. The head and shoulders is formed by two swing highs that top out around the same level (the shoulders), separated by a bigger peak called the head. A breakdown below the pattern's support level, called the neckline, triggers the sell signal for this stock. For Verizon, the sell signal comes in right at $41.50…
The head and shoulders may be a popular pattern, but it's also a potent one: a recent academic study conducted by the Reserve Board of New York found that the results of 10,000 computer-simulated head-and-shoulders trades resulted in “profits [that] would have been both statistically and economically significant.” That's a good reason to keep an eye on how this stock trades for the next week.
Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014: Smiths Group(SMIN.L)
Smiths Group plc engages in the development, manufacture, sale, and support of products and services for the threat and contraband detection, energy, medical devices, communications, and engineered components markets worldwide. The company offers security equipment, including trace detection, millimetre-wave, infrared, biological detection, and diagnostics that detect and identify explosives, narcotics, weapons, chemical agents, biohazards, nuclear and radioactive material, and contraband. It also provides mechanical seals, seal support systems, engineered bearings, power transmission couplings, specialist filtration systems, and other hardware products for the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, and mining sectors. In addition, the company offers medical devices aligned to specific therapies, primarily airway, pain and temperature management, infusion, needle protection, critical care monitoring, and vascular access. Further, it provides electronic and radio frequency products that connect, protect, and control critical systems for the wireless telecommunications, aerospace, defense, space, medical, rail, test, and industrial markets; and engineered components comprising ducting, hose assemblies, and heating elements that move and heat fluids and gases for the aerospace, medical, industrial, construction, and domestic markets. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014: MONDI PLC ORD EUR0.20 WI(MNDI.L)
Mondi plc operates as an international paper and packaging company worldwide. It principally engages in the manufacture and sale of packaging paper, converted packaging products, and uncoated fine paper (UFP) products. The company produces hardwood and softwood pulp; UFP under the Color Copy, MAESTRO, and IQ, as well as the Russian Snegurochka and South African ROTATRIM brands; virgin and recycled containerboards for corrugated packaging applications; and corrugated packaging products, including conventional boxes and trays, point-of-sale displays, and shelf-ready and heavy-duty packaging. It also provides kraft papers used in supermarket shelves, and specialized packaging and heavy-duty industrial applications; industrial bags used in packaging cement, chemicals, seeds, animal feed, flour, milk powder, automotive parts, and organic bio-waste; extrusion coating products, release liners, and consumer packaging products; newsprint and telephone directory paper products; and carbon neutral office paper. In addition, the company offers films and laminate products that consist of printed laminates and barrier materials, consumer films, industrial films, and biodegradable films; and consumer bags, such as pouches, reclosable bags, paper-based bags, labels, and microwaveable packaging products. Further, it provides application engineering services, consisting of pre and post-sales technical consultancy, and training services. Mondi plc serves automotive, building, and construction; chemicals and dangerous goods; farming and agriculture; food; industrial paper and packaging; medical and pharmaceutical; office and printing paper; pet food; photographic and graphic; and toiletries and hygiene industries. The company was founded in 1967 and is based in Addlestone, the United Kingdom.
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