The so-called "lost decade" between 1998 and 2008, when U.S. stocks actually declined 0.6%, created particularly strong skepticism. If stocks - or equities, as they're often called on Wall Street - are such a smart investment, how does this happen?
Determining the real merit of an asset class requires a sense of perspective. Going back to the early 1900s, slumps of this duration are actually quite rare. Plus, over that time, stocks have averaged much stronger returns than bonds or even precious metals. So, for investors who can afford to ride out the inevitable dips along the way, stocks really are the best way to increase the growth potential of their nest egg.
10 Best Up And Coming Stocks To Own For 2015: ServiceNow Inc (NOW)
ServiceNow, Inc., incorporated in June 2004, is a provider of cloud-based services to automate enterprise information technology (IT) operations. The Company�� service includes a suite of applications built on its platform that automates workflow and integrates related business processes. It focuses on transforming enterprise IT by automating and standardizing business processes and consolidating IT across the global enterprise. Organizations deploy its service to create a single system of record for enterprise IT. It helps transform IT organizations from reactive, manual and task-oriented, to pro-active, automated and service-oriented organizations. Its on-demand service enables organizations to define their IT strategy, design the systems and infrastructure. It provides a set of integrated applications that are configurable and can be implemented and upgraded. In July 2013, ServiceNow Inc announced that it has acquired Mirror42.
The Company offers its service under a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), business model. Its suite of applications was developed to address core ITIL processes, as well as additional business processes, and runs on a single extensible platform. Its platform includes workflow automation, notification, assignment and escalation, third-party integration capabilities, reporting and administration capabilities. Its cloud-based service is designed to be deployed in a modular fashion, allowing customers to solve immediate business needs and access new application functionality as needs evolve. Its service automates the documentation, categorization, prioritization, assignment, notification and escalation of IT and other business processes. Additionally, its service automates routine and repeatable data center operations, such as rebooting a server, cloning a database or deploying a virtualized environment.
The Company�� services include core ITIL applications and extended IT applications. Its incident management manages the process of restoring a failed se! rvice to an operational state; problem management manages the process of resolving the root cause of recurring service outages or issues affecting multiple users; change management manages the proposal and approval process for changes to be made to the IT infrastructure; release management assigns, manages and monitors the various tasks comprising the actual implementation or execution of a proposed change; configuration management database (CMDB), serves as the inventory repository of all hardware, software and network equipment comprising the IT infrastructure; service catalog displays the various goods and services an IT department makes available to the rest of the organization; knowledge management stores and displays knowledge articles or documents for use by the IT staff or broader supported employee base; service portfolio management presents business services offered to the enterprise by the IT organization in consumer-oriented fashion, and service level agreement management monitors and manages progress being made by IT staff on the completion of assigned tasks which have specific due dates.
The Company�� project and portfolio Management tracks and manages projects planned or being worked on by the IT staff. IT Cost Management tracks and monitors staff work time, project-related expenses and labor costs. IT Asset and Contract Management tracks the financial elements of IT infrastructure. Software development lifecycle Management tracks and manages new features and functions to be developed in upgrades or new software applications. Field Service Management manages the process of dispatching field based technicians and routing of field-based spare parts to a customer location. Social IT provides users with a collaboration capability to interact with a set of users to enable IT self-service, as well as a chat functionality for one-to-one online communication with IT staff. Discovery discovers the various hardware and software assets comprising the IT infrastructure, as well as mapp! ing the o! perational dependencies between those assets, and then populates and maintains that inventory in the CMDB application. Runbook Automation is designed to execute routine and repeatable projects in the datacenter.
The Company provides technical training and implementation services to customers through its professional services and through a network of certified partners. Its professional services include customer guidance on implementation, as well as integration and implementation projects, and can include the development of custom applications.
The Company competes with BMC Software, Inc., CA, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company and International Business Machines Corporation.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Service Now (NYSE: NOW) shares fell gradually on Thursday's session, giving up 11.38 percent to $54.30 after the CEO sold 120 thousand shares of the company's stock.
- [By Rob DeFrancesco]
Steve Halpern: Okay. Next on your list is a company called ServiceNow (NOW). What's the attraction there?
Rob DeFrancesco: ServiceNow is disrupting the IT management space. They're cloud-based. They're going against legacy vendors like BMC (BMC). And ServiceNow, that's another strong revenue grower, up 50% expected for this year, 38% for next year.
- [By Tom Taulli]
Workday stock suffered from a big selloff over the past few months, as have most other cloud companies like ServiceNow (NOW), Veeva Systems (VEEV) and Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD). After reaching an all-time high of $115 in late February, WDAY quickly tumbled to a low of $59.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE: NOW) was started as Buy with a $55 price target at Canaccord Genuity.
Siemens A.G. (NYSE: SI) was raised Buy from Hold in overseas coverage by Societe Generale.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Akzo Nobel NV (AKZOY)
Akzo Nobel N.V. (AkzoNobel) is a global paints and coatings company and a producer of specialty chemicals. The Company operates in three segments: Decorative Paints, Performance Coatings and Specialty Chemicals. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company two distributors in Continental Europe. During 2009, it also acquired SABA, Kronospan and Dow Powder Coatings assets. During 2009, it also divested Chemcraft Brazil and the non-stick businesses. In January 2009, the Company completed the acquisition of LII Europe. In June 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of the Dow Chemical company's powder coatings activities. In June 2010, the Company announced the sale of its National Starch business to Corn Products International. In June 2010, the Company announced the sale of its National Starch business to Corn Products International. In September 2010, the Company acquired Changzhou Prime Automotive Paint Co. In October 2010, Corn Products International, Inc. acquired National Starch, the specialty starches business of the Company.
Decorative Paints
The Decorative Paints segment supplies a range of interior and exterior decoration and protection products for both the professional and do-it-yourself markets. Its products include paints, lacquers and varnishes, as well as products for surface preparation (pre-deco products). Its architectural coatings include interior and exterior wall paints and trim paints (lacquers) for consumers and professionals. The wood care and specialty products include lacquers and varnishes for wood protection and decoration, and specialty coatings for metal, concrete and other critical building materials. Its pre-deco products include fillers, wall treatments, sealants and putties for consumers and professionals. Its building adhesives include tile and floor adhesives and floor leveling compounds used in the building and renovation industry; supplied for professional workers, such as tile, floor and parquet, layers, interior decorators ! and painters, and direct to medium-sized enterprises, wholesalers, specialized retailers.
Performance Coatings
The Company�� Performance Coatings segment serves a range of customers, including ship and yacht builders and architects, consumer electronics and appliance companies, steel manufacturers, the construction industry, furniture makers, aircraft, bus and truck producers, body shops and can makers. The Company offers metal and plastic coatings for a range of applications from huge industrial equipment to the mobile phones and music players, computers, espresso machines and sporting goods. It also offers corrosion and fire protection across a range of industries, including upstream and downstream oil and gas facilities, chemical and petrochemical installations, high value infrastructure, such as airports and stadia and power generation stations. The Company provides coatings for small and large aircraft. It also offers coatings for marine vessels, including commercial tankers, ferries and leisure craft, and act as a salt water barrier and to minimize the build-up of organic material.
Specialty Chemicals
The Company�� Specialty Chemicals products are used in a range of everyday products, such as ice cream, soups, disinfectants, plastics, soaps, detergents, cosmetics, paper and asphalt. Its Industrial Chemicals business mines salt through vacuum extraction. It�� used as a raw material for its own activities, as well as being an end product found in grocery stores under brand names, such as Jozo and Nezo. The Company offers products, such as chlorine (Industrial Chemicals) or chlorate (Pulp and Paper Chemicals). Its major products include cellulosic additives, chelates, additives, ethylene amines, salt specialties and sulfur derivatives.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Victor Selva]
The company has a current ratio of 17.8% which is higher than the industry mean of 6.55%. Also, it's higher than the one registered by Akzo Nobel NV (AKZOY), Cabot Corporation (CBT) and Olin Corporation (OLN). For investors looking for a higher ROE, PPG Industries Inc. (PPG) could be the option.
- [By Rich Duprey]
In a move designed to strengthen the performance of its German decorative paints business,�Netherlands-based paint giant AkzoNobel (NASDAQOTH: AKZOY ) announced today that it is divesting to independent distributors that country's�paints stores for professionals.
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
VAL stock trades at about 18�timesFY14 estimates of $4.08. Even accounting for the 1.4% yield, it�� a tad bit pricey at 14% long-term EPS growth. But let�� look at competitors. PPG Industries (PPG) trades at 21�times�earnings on 11% long-term growth. Sherwin-Williams (SHW) trades at 24x earnings on 14.6% long-term growth. Akzo Nobel (AKZOY) trades at 16 times earnings on 11% growth.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Industrias CH SAB de CV (ICHB)
Industrias CH SAB de CV (ICH) is a Mexico-based holding company engaged, together with its subsidiaries, in the steel industry. The Company's activities include the production, processing and distribution of special bar quality (SBQ) steel products; coated and uncoated seamed pipes; structural steel products, such as beams, channels, flat bars and angles; light structurals, such as angles, flat and merchant bars; as well as reinforced and corrugated steel bars. The Company�� facilities include production and processing plants in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Julia Leite]
The IPC rose 2.5 percent to 40,623.30 at the close in Mexico City. The index gained 6.8 percent on the week, the most since July 2009. Steelmaker Industrias CH SAB (ICHB) was the biggest gainer today, while homebuilders Desarrolladora Homex SAB, Urbi Desarrollos Urbanos SAB, and Corp. Geo SAB were the week�� best performers.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Alkaline Water Company Inc (WTER)
The Alkaline Water Company Inc., formerly Global Lines Inc, incorporated on June 6, 2011, is a developer of electrolysis beverage process, packaged and branded as Alkaline84. Alkaline84 is the Company's flagship product designed to encourage daily consumption of Alkaline Water through a consumer oriented bulk delivery system. The Company is engaged in the development of a national retail bulk distribution network delivering Electrochemically Activated Water (ECA) to consumers everywhere. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing the retail sale of its packaged Alkaline84 branded beverage products.
Alkaline84 is available in two sizes: three liters and one gallon. Alkaline84 is a pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with 84 trace minerals and electrolytes. Alkaline84 is available for consumer sales at a number of major retail locations across the southwestern United States.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, WTER has shed (-4.26%) down -0.020 at $.450 with 2,336,294 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:28PM EDT September 17, 2013).
The Alkaline Water Company Inc. previously reported that Ms. Brande Roderick has agreed to join the Company’s Advisory Board and will undertake an active role in upcoming public relations and awareness campaigns.
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap OTC drinking water stocks Glacier Water Services, Inc (OTCMKTS: GWSV), AWG International Water Corp (OTCBB: AWGI) and Alkaline Water Company Inc (OTCBB: WTER) all offer a product that many consumer, investors and traders alike might take for granted, but everyone needs to have. However, you can build a better mouse trap when it comes to drinking water or at least that what these three small caps are attempting to do with their own unique strategies:
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: China Distance Education Holdings Ltd (DL)
China Distance Education Holdings Limited (CDEL), incorporated on January 11, 2008, offers a range of online education and test preparation courses and other related services and products. The Company operates and manages its business in the provision of online and offline education services and selling of related products. The Company�� online courses are designed to help professionals and other course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and certifications necessary to pursue careers in China in the areas of accounting, law, healthcare, construction engineering and other industries. In addition, the Company also offers online foreign language courses. As of September 30, 2012, the Company operated 17 websites, including its main Website www.cdeledu.com and 16 other websites. The Company�� online courses feature audio-video lectures delivered through the Internet using streaming media and other Internet-based technologies, and are supplemented by textbooks, tutoring, online assignments and exercises, mock examinations, and other forms of learning activities and course-related support.
The Company sell books and reference materials through third-party bookstores and distributors across China, and, to a lesser extent, through its online bookstore and its offices in Beijing. In addition, it also offers offline business start-up training courses and in-person accounting and healthcare professional training to accounting firms and the general public. The Company provides course production services and platform production services for certain customers at their request.
Online Education Services
The Company offers online courses through its websites designed to help course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and certifications necessary to pursue their careers and professions in China. Its online professional education courses cover a range of industries, including accounting, law, healthcare, construction engineering and! others. It also offers online test preparation courses to self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees and to secondary school and college students for various academic and entrance exams. Additionally, the Company offers online foreign language courses.
The Company�� courses feature audio-video lectures by experienced lecturers or practitioners within their respective fields delivered through a multimedia and interactive Web interface using streaming media and other Internet-based technologies. Its online lectures are supplemented by textbooks, tutoring, online assignments, exercises, mock examinations, and other forms of learning activities and course-related support. Course participants using different platforms, including smart phones, tablets or regular computers, are able to access its courses through the Internet at times and places convenient for them.
The Web page also provides hyperlinks allowing course participants to access other useful functions during the lecture. It also provides its course lectures in the form of downloadable media files that allow course participants to save copies of the lectures onto their own personal computers and to play them offline. The Company utilizes digital rights management, or digital rights management (DRM), technology to restrict the transfer and viewing of downloadable media files.
Professional Course Offerings
The Company�� professional course offerings include accounting Courses, legal courses, healthcare courses, construction engineering courses, online information technology courses and other professional education courses. The Company offer courses relating to China�� important nationwide legal examination, the National Judicial Examination. It offers courses relating to three nationwide healthcare exams: the National Practicing Medical Doctor Qualification Examination, the Healthcare Professional Technical Qualification Examination jointly administered by the Ministry! of Healt! h and the MOP and the National Pharmacist Qualification Examination administered by the MOP and the State Administration of Drug Supervision. It offers courses mainly relating to exams: Associate Constructor and Constructor Qualification Examinations, Construction Supervisor Qualification Examination, Construction Pricing Engineer Qualification Examination, Certified Safety Engineer Qualification Examination, Consulting Engineer Qualification Examination and Real Estate Appraiser Qualification Examination. The Company provides professional education courses in the areas of information technology, securities and various civil service positions.
Higher Education for Self-Taught Learners
The Company through its Website www.zikao365.com offers courses targeted at self-taught learners pursuing associate diplomas or bachelor�� degrees in various academic areas. They complete their self study and obtain government accredited diplomas or degrees by passing the Higher Education Examination for Self-Taught Learners administered by the MOE without having to enroll in and physically attend a traditional college or university. It offer test preparatory courses to help self-taught learners pass the requisite exams.
Academic Exam Preparation and Foreign Language Courses Study Courses
The Company through its Website www.cnedu.cn Website, the Company offer test preparation courses targeted at university students intending to take nationwide graduate school entrance exams in various disciplines administered by the MOE. It also operates websites focused on the secondary and college education market, foreign language study and other subjects. Its secondary education courses are designed to provide an online resource for secondary school course participants to prepare for these exams.
Other Products and Services
The Company sells books and reference materials relating to various professional courses and exam s! ubjects. ! To promote the use of its online courses, the Company also sells books and reference materials related to its courses such as the Elementary Level and Intermediate Level Accounting Professional Qualification Examination, the CPA Qualification Examination, the Registered Tax Agent Qualification Examination, the Certified Asset Appraiser Qualification Examination, the Accounting Professional Qualification Examination, accounting continuing education, the National Judicial Examination, the National Practicing Medical Doctor Qualification Examination, the Construction Supervisor Qualification Examination, the Constructor Qualification Examination, the Construction Pricing Engineer Qualification Examination, and the Intermediate Economist Qualification Examination.
The Company provides primary and secondary school supplementary tutoring services to students in a range of subject areas, such as Chinese, math and science. Students may attend offline courses taught by its in-person lecturers or view pre-recorded video courses on its Website at www.g12e.com. Its offline classes are available in Beijing and are subscribed during winter and summer breaks. It also provides course production services to certain customers on a contractual basis.
Regular, Premium and Elite Classes
The Company offer regular, premium and elite classes, which include foundation classes, intensified focus classes, exam Questions analysis classes and crash-course classes. It offers elite classes to legal practitioners, self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees, and professionals in the healthcare, construction engineering and other industries. Its foundation classes contain detailed instructions and content to provide course participants with a broad and comprehensive knowledge base relating to a specific subject area. Its intensified focus classes are designed to provide more intensive instructions focused on important topics in a specific subject area at a more! advanced! pace to course participants who already have basic knowledge of the subject area. Its exam questions analysis classes contain materials and instructions tailored specifically to preparation for the actual exams and the types of questions and topics that come up in each exam. Its crash-course classes are designed to provide a quick review of critical topic areas for specific exam subjects to enable course participants to make final preparations in the weeks prior to an exam. Its exam simulation system offers a wealth of mock test questions developed based on real tests, closely conforms to the syllabus and test requirements, and fully covers various key examination points.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Louis Navellier]
NDZ returned to profit this year, and huge earnings increases are expected next year. The rapid improvement in fundamentals was noticed by Portfolio Grader back in September and the stock was upgraded to an ��.��NDZ stock is a ��trong buy��at the current price.
Great International Stocks: China Distance Education (DL)China Distance Education (DL) provides education services in the China. Its online courses are designed to help professionals and other course participants to obtain and maintain the skills, licenses, and certifications necessary to pursue careers in fields like accounting, law and engineering.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Leading and Lagging Sectors
Industrials sector surged 0.85 percent, saw Arrowhead Research (NASDAQ: ARWR) as the top gainer. Meanwhile, other gainers in the sector included ION Geophysical (NYSE: IO), with shares up 6.1 percent, and China Distance Education Holdings (NYSE: DL), with shares up 5 percent. In trading on Wednesday, technology shares gained by just 0.28 percent. - [By Louis Navellier]
ABTL stock was upgraded to an “A” in Portfolio Grader back in July, and remains a “strong buy” as we head into the end of the year.
‘Best of the Best’ Stock Picks #2: China Distance Education Holdings (DL)China Distance Education Holdings (DL) provides education services in China.
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC (RBS)
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (RBS), incorporated on March 25, 1968, is a holding company of a global banking and financial services group. The Company operates in the United Kingdom, the United States and internationally through its two principal subsidiaries: The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (the Royal Bank) and National Westminster Bank Plc (NatWest). Both the Royal Bank and NatWest are clearing banks. In the United States, the Company�� subsidiary Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (Citizens) is a commercial banking organization. The Company�� business segment include UK Retail, UK Corporate, Wealth, Global Transaction Services, Ulster Bank, US Retail & Commercial, Global Banking & Markets (GBM), RBS Insurance, Central items, Non-Core Division and Business Services. In February 2012, Ensign Group, Inc. acquired $21.5 million seven-year term loan from RBS Asset Finance, Inc., an affiliate of the Company. In May 2012, The Paragon Group of Companies PLC announced the acquisition of further unsecured consumer loans, through its Idem Capital Securities subsidiary, from the Company.
In September 2011, the Company sold Hilton Glasgow City hotel to Topland Group. In October 2011, Paragon Group of Companies PLC acquired a portfolio of unsecured consumer loans from Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc. In December 2011, the Company sold its tenanted pub business to Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company (Management) Limited (S&NPC), a subsidiary of Heineken N.V.
As of December 31, 2011, the Royal Bank and NatWest had 627 and 1,493 retail branches, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Ulster Bank has a foot print of 236 branches and a network of business banking offices across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. US Retail & Commercial had 1,519 retail banking offices (including in-store branches) covering Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
UK Retail
The Company offers a range of banking products and related financial services to the personal market. It serves customers through the RBS and NatWest networks of branches and automated teller machines (ATMs) in the United Kingdom, telephony, online and mobile.
UK Corporate
The Company is a provider of banking, finance, and risk management services to the corporate and small and medium enterprises (SME) sector in the United Kingdom. It offers a range of banking products and related financial services through a nationwide network of relationship managers, and also through telephone and Internet channels. The product range includes asset finance through the Lombard brand.
Wealth
The Company provides private banking and investment services in the United Kingdom through Coutts & Co and Adam & Company. It also offers offshore banking through RBS International, NatWest Offshore and Isle of Man Bank, and international private banking through Coutts & Co Ltd.
Global Transaction Services
The Company offers global payments, cash and liquidity management, and trade finance and commercial card products and services. Through the network and partner bank agreements, GTS is able to support and connect customers across 128 countries.
Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank is retail and business bank in Northern Ireland. It provides a range of financial services. As of December 31, 2011, the Retail Markets division, which had a network of 236 branches, operated in the personal and financial planning sectors. The Corporate Markets division provides services to SME business customers, corporates and institutional markets.
US Retail and Commercial
The Company provides financial services through the Citizens and Charter One brands. US Retail & Commercial is engaged in retail and corporate banking activities through its branch network in 12 states in the United States and through non-branch offices in othe! r states.!
Global Banking and Markets
The Company is a banking partner to corporations and financial institutions globally, providing a range of debt and equity financing, risk management and investment services to its customers. The division is organized along six principal business lines: money markets, rates flow trading, currencies, equities, credit and mortgage markets, and portfolio management and origination.
RBS Insurance
The Company provides a range of general insurance products to consumers through a range of brands, including Direct Line, Churchill and Privilege. It also provides insurance services for third party brands through its UKI Partnerships business. In the commercial sector, its NIG and Direct Line for Business operations provide insurance products for businesses through brokers or direct respectively. Through its international division, RBS Insurance sells general insurance, mainly motor, in Germany and Italy. In addition to insurance services, RBS Insurance continues to provide support and reassurance to millions of the United Kingdom motorists through its Green Flag breakdown recovery service and Tracker stolen vehicle recovery and telematics business. On 15 February 2012, a new corporate brand, Direct Line Group, was announced.
Central Functions
Central Functions consist of corporate functions, such as treasury, funding and finance, risk management, legal, communications and human resources. The Centre manages the Company�� capital resources and regulatory projects and provides services to the operating divisions.
Non-Core Division
Non-Core Division manages separately assets, which the Company intends to run off or dispose of. The division contains a range of businesses and asset portfolios from the GBM division, higher risk profile asset portfolios, including excess risk concentrations, and other illiquid portfolios. It also includes a range of other portfolios and businesses, inclu! ding regi! onal markets businesses.
Business Services
Business Services supports the customer-facing businesses and provides operational technology, customer support in telephony, account management, lending and money transmission, global purchasing, property and other services. It also leverages its purchasing power and is the Company's center for managing large-scale and complex change.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Inyoung Hwang]
RBS (RBS) sank 3.3 percent to 322.5 pence. Britain�� biggest publicly owned lender said Ross McEwan will replace Stephen Hester as CEO on Oct. 1. First-half net income was 535 million pounds ($808 million), compared with a 2 billion-pound loss a year earlier. That missed the 605 million-pound estimate of Mark Phin, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Ltd.
- [By Sarah Jones]
HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA) slid 1.8 percent to 700 pence and Standard Chartered Plc lost 3.3 percent to 1,448 pence. Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS) fell 3.5 percent to 316.9 pence as Chief Executive Officer Stephen Hester told the Irish Independent that the lender has no plans to sell Ulster Bank.
- [By Royston Wild]
Today I am looking at�Royal Bank of Scotland� (LSE: RBS ) (NYSE: RBS ) to see how it measures up.
What are�Royal Bank of Scotland's earnings expected to do?
Top 10 Stocks To Own For 2014: IMAX Corp (IMAX)
IMAX Corporation, incorporated on January 1, 2002, together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, is an entertainment technology companies, specializing in motion picture technologies and presentations. The Company�� customers who purchase lease or otherwise acquire the IMAX theatre systems are theatre exhibitors, which operate commercial theatres, museums, science centers, and destination entertainment sites. IMAX theatre systems combine the Company�� digital re-mastering movie conversion technology (IMAX DMR), projectors with equipment and automated theatre control systems, sound system components, screens, theatre geometry, and theatre acoustics.
The Company�� principal business is the design, manufacture and delivery of theater systems (IMAX theater systems). The Company�� customers who purchase, lease or otherwise acquire the IMAX theater systems through joint revenue sharing arrangements are theater exhibitors that operate commercial theaters (particularly multiplexes), museums, science centers, or destination entertainment sites. The Company does not own IMAX theaters, but licenses the use of its trademarks along with the sale, lease or contribution of the IMAX theater system.
IMAX Systems, Theater System Maintenance and Joint Revenue Sharing Arrangements
The Company provides IMAX theater systems to customers on a sales or long-term lease basis with an initial 10-year term. These agreements consist of initial fees and ongoing fees (which can include a fixed minimum amount per annum and contingent fees in excess of the minimum payments) and maintenance and extended warranty fees. The initial fees vary depending on the system configuration and location of the theater and generally are paid to the Company in installments between the time of system signing and the time of system installation. Ongoing fees are paid over the term of the contract, commencing after the theater system has been installed and are generally equal to the greater of a fixed minimu! m amount per annum or a percentage of boxoffice receipts. The Company also provides IMAX theater systems to customers under joint revenue sharing arrangements, pursuant to which the Company provides the IMAX theater system in return for a portion of the customer�� IMAX box-office receipts, and in some cases concession revenues and/or a small upfront or initial payment. As at December 31, 2012, the Company had 316 theaters in operation under joint revenue sharing arrangements.
Production and Digital Re-Mastering (IMAX DMR)
The Company�� technology digitally re-masters Hollywood films into IMAX digital cinema package format or 15/70-format film. IMAX DMR digitally enhances the image resolution of motion picture films for projection on IMAX screens while maintaining or enhancing the visual clarity and sound quality to levels for which The IMAX Experience is known. This technology enabled the IMAX theater network to release Hollywood films simultaneously with domestic release. In a typical IMAX DMR film arrangement, the Company will receive a percentage of net box-office receipts of any commercial films released in the IMAX network, which is generally 10-15%, from a film studio for the conversion of the film to the IMAX DMR format and access to its distribution platform. During the year ended December 31, 2012, 35 films converted through the IMAX DMR process were released to theaters within the IMAX network. As of December 31, 2012, the Company released 23 IMAX DMR titles to theaters within the IMAX network. During 2012, five local language IMAX DMR films were released, including one French film, Houba! On the Trail of the Marsupilami: The IMAX Experience and four Chinese IMAX DMR titles: Tai Chi 0: An IMAX 3D Experience, Tai Chi Hero: An IMAX 3D Experience, Back to 1942: The IMAX Experience and CZ12: The IMAX Experience.
Film Distribution and Post-Production
The Company is also a distributor of large-format films, primarily catering to its institution! al theate! r partners. The Company generally distributes films, which it produces or for which it has acquired distribution rights from independent producers. The Company generally receives a percentage of the theater box-office receipts as a distribution fee. Films produced by the Company are typically financed through third parties, whereby the Company will generally receive a film production fee in exchange for producing the film and a distribution fee for distributing the film. The Company utilizes third-party funding for the majority of original films it produces and distributes. In 2012, the Company, along with Warner Bros. Pictures (WB) and MacGillivray Freeman Films (MFF) released an original title, To the Artic 3D: An IMAX 3D Experience.
The Company derives a small portion of its revenues from other sources. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had four owned and operated theaters. In addition, the Company has a commercial arrangement with one theater resulting in the sharing of profits and losses and provides management services to two theaters. The Company also rents its two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) large-format film and digital cameras to third party production companies. The Company maintains cameras and other film equipment and also offers production advice and technical assistance to both documentary and Hollywood filmmakers. Additionally, the Company generates revenues from the sale of after-market parts and 3D glasses. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 54.2% of IMAX systems in operation were located in the United States and Canada. As at December 31, 2012, approximately 45.8% of IMAX systems in operation were located within international markets (other than the United States and Canada).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Widescreen movie maker IMAX� (NYSE: IMAX ) �announced�this morning that Eileen�Campbell�would be appointed the company's new chief marketing officer on July 15, filling a void created by the departure of previous CMO Marc de Grandpre, who left the company last August for a position as head of marketing for�whole nut and fruit bar maker KIND.
- [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From an ill-conceived entry into the crowded tablet market to the leading online retailer jacking up its minimum order size for free shipping, here's a rundown of the week's best and worst moves in the business world. Zynga (ZNGA) -- Winner Zynga has a long way to go to regain its former status as a market darling, but the casual and social gaming giant is doing its best to claw its way back. Zynga turned heads by posting a narrower loss than analysts were forecasting on Thursday night. Zynga also announced that it was hiring a former marketing manager from Electronic Arts (EA) to help beef up the presence of its mobile games. Bookings have fallen sharply at Zynga, but investors may rediscover the once hot stock with London-based King -- the company behind the wildly popular Candy Crush Saga -- getting ready to go public. Tablet Tuesday -- Loser It was supposed to be a great day for tablets. Tuesday treated gadget buffs to Nokia (NOK) announcing its first tablet, Microsoft (MSFT) starting to sell its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 tablets, and Apple (AAPL) unveiling its latest line of iPads. The morning kicked off with Nokia introducing a Lumia-branded tablet. The problem is that it runs Windows RT, the operating system that's so unpopular that Microsoft took a $900 million inventory charge earlier this year to write off the weak-selling Surface RT. Then came Microsoft tablets arriving at retailers, including the Surface 2 that happens to run, yes, on Windows RT. Apple's event went far better, but the stock sold off after the presentation. One concern is that the new iPad mini is getting an increase in price. Apple has never boosted the price of next-gen iPads, but now it's doing so with the smaller iPad mini. That may not go over so well in a market where competing tablets have only gotten cheaper over time. IMAX (IMAX) -- Winner They say that the
