If there's one thing to take away from Mary Meeker's annual "Internet Trends" report, it's that things change quickly in the tech industry. While the competitive advantages for older industries, such as industrials, allow market leaders to continuously outshine smaller competitors, the moats of Internet companies are easily crossed by upstarts with user bases that flock quickly from one service to another.
In this high tech, photo-sharing, mobile-advertising, social-gaming, and disruptive high-tech world, what are the best investment strategies for companies that can lose their appeal overnight?
Swift changes
First, if you haven't yet scanned Meeker's report, take a look. Here are just a few examples of how things have changed in a few short years:
What to look for when investing
A dynamic industry calls for several characteristics if a company is to survive and prosper.
Top 10 Paper Companies To Watch For 2015: Middlesex Water Co (MSEX)
Middlesex Water Company (Middlesex), incorporated in 1897, is a water utility company. The Company owns and operates regulated water utility and wastewater systems in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Middlesex also operates water and wastewater systems under contract on behalf of municipal and private clients in New Jersey and Delaware. It operates in two segments: Regulated and Non-Regulated. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its Regulated segment contributed approximately 90% of total revenues. The Regulated segment consists of collecting, treating and distributing water on a retail and wholesale basis to residential, commercial, industrial and fire protection customers in parts of New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. This segment also includes regulated wastewater systems in New Jersey and Delaware. The Non-Regulated segment consists of non-regulated contract services for the operation and maintenance of municipal and private water and wastewater systems in New Jersey and Delaware.
The Company�� subsidiaries include Tidewater Utilities, Inc. (Tidewater) and Tidewater�� wholly owned subsidiaries, Southern Shores Water Company, LLC (Southern Shores) and White Marsh Environmental Systems, Inc. (White Marsh). Its other subsidiaries are Pinelands Water Company (Pinelands Water) and Pinelands Wastewater Company (Pinelands Wastewater) (collectively, Pinelands), Utility Service Affiliates, Inc. (USA), Utility Service Affiliates (Perth Amboy) Inc., (USA-PA), Tidewater Environmental Services, Inc. (TESI) and Twin Lakes Utilities, Inc. (Twin Lakes).
Middlesex System
The Middlesex System in New Jersey provides water services to approximately 60,000 retail customers, primarily in eastern Middlesex County, New Jersey and provides water under wholesale contracts to the City of Rahway, Townships of Edison and Marlboro, the Boroughs of Highland Park and Sayreville and the Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority. The Middlesex System treats, stores and dis! tributes water for residential, commercial, industrial and fire prevention purposes. The Middlesex System also provides water treatment and pumping services to the Township of East Brunswick under contract. The Middlesex System produced approximately 64% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues.
The Middlesex System�� retail customers are located in an area of approximately 55 square miles in Woodbridge Township, the City of South Amboy, the Boroughs of Metuchen and Carteret, portions of the Township of Edison and the Borough of South Plainfield in Middlesex County and, to a minor extent, a portion of the Township of Clark in Union County. Retail customers include a mix of residential customers, industrial concerns and commercial and light industrial facilities.
The contract customers of the Middlesex System comprise an area of approximately 146 square miles with a population of approximately 303,000. Contract sales to Edison, Sayreville, Old Bridge, Marlboro and Rahway are supplemental to the existing water systems of these customers. The Middlesex System provides treated surface water under long-term agreements to East Brunswick, Marlboro, Old Bridge and Sayreville. Middlesex provides water service to approximately 300 customers in Cumberland County, New Jersey. Its Middlesex System, which produced approximately 15.6 billion gallons in 2011, obtains water from surface sources and wells, or groundwater sources.
Tidewater System
Tidewater, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, Southern Shores, provides water services to approximately 36,000 retail customers for domestic, commercial and fire protection purposes in over 300 separate community water systems in New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties, Delaware. White Marsh is an additional wholly owned subsidiary that is unregulated as to rates and operates water and wastewater systems under contract for approximately 4,700 residential customers. White Marsh also owns the office buildings that Tid! ewater us! es as its central business office campus. The Tidewater System produced approximately 25% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues. Its Tidewater System produced approximately 2 billion gallons in 2011 from 159 wells.
Utility Service Affiliates-Perth Amboy
Utility Service Affiliates-Perth Amboy (USA-PA) operates the City of Perth Amboy, New Jersey�� water and wastewater systems under a 20-year agreement, which expires in 2018. USA-PA serves approximately 11,000 homes and businesses, most of which are served by both the water and wastewater systems. USA-PA produced approximately 9% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues.
Pinelands System
Pinelands Water provides water services to approximately 2,500 residential customers in Burlington County, New Jersey. Pinelands Water produced less than 1% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues. Pinelands Water is not physically interconnected with the Middlesex System. Pinelands Wastewater provides wastewater services to approximately 2,400 residential customers. Under contract, it also services one municipal wastewater system in Burlington County, New Jersey with approximately 200 residential customers. Water supply to its Pinelands System is derived from four wells, which produced approximately 159.1 million gallons in 2011.
Utility Service Affiliates, Inc.
Utility Service Affiliates, Inc. (USA) offers residential customers in New Jersey and Delaware water service line and sewer lateral maintenance programs (LineCare). USA produced less than 1% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues.
TESI System
TESI provides wastewater services to approximately 2,200 residential retail customers in Delaware. TESI produced approximately 1% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues. The TESI System treated approximately 76.8 million gallons in 2011. The TESI System consists of seven wastewater treatment systems in Southern Delaware.
Twin Lakes Sys! tem
Twin Lakes provides water services to approximately 120 residential customers in Shohola, Pennsylvania. Twin Lakes produced less than 1% of its 2011 consolidated operating revenues. Water supply to Twin Lakes��customers is derived from two wells, which delivered approximately 26.6 million gallons in 2011.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lawrence Meyers]
WGL serves about 170,000 customers in the Mid-Atlantic. So as you can see, it�� a broadly diversified dividend stock, and that�� one reason it has paid a dividend for 37 years. The dividend yield for WGL stock is presently at 4.4%.
Middlesex Water Company (MSEX)Dividend yield: 3.7%
- [By Marc Bastow]
Utility operator Middlesex Water (MSEX) raised its quarterly dividend 1.3% to 18 cents per share, payable on Dec. 2 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 15. The increase marks the 41st consecutive annual dividend increase.
MSEX Dividend Yield:�3.53%
Hot Defensive Stocks To Watch For 2014: Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX)
Barrick Gold Corporation engages in the production and sale of gold, as well as related activities, such as exploration and mine development. The company has a portfolio of 25 operating mines and a pipeline of projects located in North America, South America, the Australia Pacific region, and Africa. It also produces copper and holds interests in oil and gas properties located in Canada. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Toronto, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Hebba Investments]
Even with rising Q2 costs, GG still has lower true all-in costs than many of its larger competitors' Q1FY13 costs. Compared to Q1FY13 numbers of competitors such as Yamana Gold (AUY) (costs just over $1300), Kinross Gold (KGC) (costs above $1350), Silvercrest Mines (SVLC) (costs below $1100), Newmont Gold (NEM) (costs around $1300) Agnico-Eagle (AEM) (costs around $1400) and Barrick Gold (ABX) (costs around $1200).
Hot Defensive Stocks To Watch For 2014: Aviat Networks Inc.(AVNW)
Aviat Networks, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of a range of wireless networking products, solutions, and services worldwide. It offers point-to-point and point-to-multipoint digital microwave transmission systems for first/last mile access, middle mile/backhaul, and long distance trunking applications. The company?s products include broadband wireless access base stations and customer premises equipment for fixed and mobile; point-to-point digital microwave radio systems for access, backhaul, trunking, and license-exempt applications; and supporting network deployments, network expansion, and capacity upgrades. It also provides network management software solutions to enable operators to deploy, monitor, and manage its systems, as well as third party equipment, such as antennas, routers, and multiplexers to build and deploy a wireless transmission network and a suite of turnkey support services. In addition, the company offers professional services, su ch as network planning and design, site surveys and builds, systems integration, installation, maintenance, network monitoring, training, and customer services. It serves mobile and fixed communications service providers, original equipment manufacturers, private network operators, government agencies, transportation and utility companies, system integrators, public safety agencies, and broadcast system operators, as well as pipeline, railroad, and other industrial enterprises that operate wireless networks. The company was formerly known as Harris Stratex Networks, Inc. and changed its name to Aviat Networks, Inc. in January 2010. Aviat Networks, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
The third quarter 2014�earnings report for network communication platform maker�Ubiquiti Networks Inc (NASDAQ: UBNT), a peer of small cap stocks�Aviat Networks Inc (NASDAQ: AVNW), Ceragon Networks Ltd (NASDAQ: CRNT) and�DragonWave, Inc (NASDAQ: DRWI), is due out after the market closes on Thursday with shares already trending upwards as they closed 4.08% higher on Tuesday. Aside from the Ubiquiti Networks earnings report, it should be said that Aviat Networks Inc reported earnings yesterday after the market closed (shares were sinking hard in after hours trading); Ceragon Networks Ltd will report earnings before the market opens on Thursday; and DragonWave, Inc is scheduled to report after the market closes next Wednesday. So it�� a busy week for network communications stocks.
- [By John Kell]
Aviat Networks Inc.(AVNW) cut its fiscal second-quarter revenue forecast, citing lower-than-expected customer orders in Africa. The microwave networking company said it is working on a plan to lower expenses, with cost savings expected to come in part from consolidating Aviat’s supply chain and locations. Shares dropped 1.4% to $2.20 premarket.
Hot Defensive Stocks To Watch For 2014: iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI)
iShares Lehman 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the intermediate-term sector of the United States Treasury market as defined by the Lehman Brothers 3-7 Year U.S. Treasury Index (the Index). The Index includes all publicly issued the United States Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to three years and less than seven years, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. In addition, the securities must be denominated in United States dollars, and must be fixed-rate and non-convertible securities. Excluded from the Index are certain special issues, such as flower bonds, targeted investor notes, and state and local government series bonds, and coupon issues that have been stripped from assets that are already included in the Index.
The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisor.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Donald van Deventer]
Shorter-duration Treasury Exchange-Traded Funds: (SHY), (SHV), (IEI), (BIL), (TUZ), (FIVZ), (DTUL), (VGSH), (DTUS), (DFVS), (DFVL), (SST), (ISTB), (TBZ).
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