Poor Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) . After seeing its share price rise spectacularly in the week prior to its first-quarter earnings report, the stock took a real drubbing immediately after that report was issued. Today, it is getting beat up anew, and I think it is still feeling the consternation of investors about its less-than-sparkly earnings announcement.
Was the report really that bad? Sure, there were weak points, such as mortgage banking malaise, as well as continuing legal hassles in regards to its Countrywide smudge pot of stinky legacy loans. But there were bright spots, too: The streamlining process is working, and B of A has reduced nonperforming assets by $5 billion year over year. Plus, its Bank of America Merrill Lynch division is kicking butt, bringing home the bacon to the tune of $3.68 billion�-- a 7% boost from the year-ago quarter's $3.44 billion.
Best Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now: Geodex Minerals Ltd.(GXM.V)
Geodex Minerals Ltd., a mineral resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. The company focuses on exploring tungsten, molybdenum, indium, rare earth metals, copper, lead, zinc, silver, tin, and gold deposits. Its principal property includes the Sisson Brook property, an open-pittable tungsten-molybdenum deposit located in New Brunswick, Canada. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Best Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now: CACI International Inc. (CACI)
CACI International Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides information solutions and services to the U.S. federal government and commercial markets in North America and internationally. The company offers enterprise information technology (IT) solutions and services for the design, development, integration, deployment, operations and management, sustainment, and security of clients� infrastructure; information solutions and services that automate the knowledge management lifecycle; and enterprise-level system solutions in the domain of procurement, financial, human capital, logistics, and supply chain management. It also offers intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions; command and control solutions to support military, homeland security, law enforcement, border security, emergency response, and disaster relief missions; and develops and manages logistics information systems, and simulation and modeling toolsets, as well as provides logistics engineering se rvices. In addition, the company offers cyber security services that support preparing for, protecting against, detecting, reacting, and responding to the cyber threats; integrated security solutions and services for mitigating and countering the effects of natural, technological, and man-made hazards; geospatial solutions relating to defense, intelligence, homeland security, and commercial applications; and government investigation and litigation support solutions. Further, it provides healthcare IT solutions; identity management solutions; program management, and system engineering and technical assistance services to government program offices; mobility solutions and services; and planning, design, implementation, and management solutions that resolve technical or business needs for commercial and government clients in the telecommunications, education, financial services, healthcare services, and transportation sectors. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartere d in Arlington, Virginia.
Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014: First Commonwealth Financial Corporation(FCF)
First Commonwealth Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for First Commonwealth Bank that provides consumer and commercial banking services to individuals and small and mid-sized businesses in central and western Pennsylvania. The company offers personal checking accounts, interest-earning checking accounts, savings accounts, health savings accounts, insured money market accounts, debit cards, investment certificates, fixed and variable rate certificates of deposit, and IRA accounts. It also provides secured and unsecured installment loans, construction and mortgage loans, safe deposit facilities, credit lines with overdraft checking protection, and student loans, as well as Internet and telephone banking, and automated teller machine services. In addition, the company offers commercial banking services, including commercial lending, small and high-volume business checking accounts, on-line account management services, ACH origination, payroll direct deposi t, commercial cash management services, and repurchase agreements. Further, it provides various trust and asset management services, as well as a complement of auto, home, business, and term life insurance. Additionally, the company offers annuities, mutual funds, stock, and bond brokerage services through an arrangement with a broker-dealer and insurance brokers. It operates 115 community banking offices in western Pennsylvania and 2 loan production offices in downtown Pittsburgh and State College, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Philip]
Shares First Commonwealth Financial Corp.(FCF) of Indiana, Pa., closed at $4.75 Friday, declining 31% year-to-date. Based on a consensus price target of $6.46, the shares have 36% upside potential.
Based on a quarterly payout of three cents, the shares have a dividend yield of 2.53%.
First Commonwealth had $5.7 billion in total assets as of Sept. 30, operating 112 First Commonwealth Bank offices in 15 counties in western and central Pennsylvania.
The company reported third-quarter earnings of $8.3 million, or 8 cents a share, increasing from $7.4 million, or 7 cents a share, during the second quarter, but declining from $10.6 million, or 11 cents a share, in the third quarter of 2010.
The year-over-year earnings decline reflected an 8% decline in net interest income to a tax-adjusted $48.8 million in the third quarter, as the company saw an 8% decline in its loan portfolio, "as the result of more disciplined underwriting guidelines concerning geography and size for commercial loans, the managing down of large credit relationships over $15 million," and weak loan demand.
The net interest margin declined to 3.81%, increasing from 3.76% the previous quarter, but declining from 3.90% a year earlier.
Earnings were also affected by a $7.0 million third-quarter provision for loan losses, which was down from $9.1 million the previous quarter, but up from $4.5 million a year earlier.
First Commonwealth's nonperforming assets ratio was 3.45%, increasing from 3.22% the previous quarter and 2.70% a year earlier, with one commercial credit relationship in Pennsylvania representing $32.8 million, or 17% of the company's $195.2 million in nonperforming assets.
The third-quarter net charge-off ratio was 1.00% and reserves covered 1.81% of total loans as of September 30.
Following First Commonwealth's earnings announcement, Sterne Agee analyst Mike Shafir reiterated his Buy rating on the shares, with a price target of $6.50, and said that "W! hile NPAs rose during the quarter, the company exhibited positive trends with a higher net interest margin, lower expenses, and a reduction in the pace of loan decline."
The shares trade for 11.3 times the consensus 2012 EPS estimate of 42 cents, and 0.8 times their Sept. 30 tangible book value of $5.77, according to SNL Financial.
Six out of nine analysts covering First Commonwealth rate the shares a buy, while the remaining analysts all have neutral ratings
Best Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now: First Interstate BancSystem Inc.(FIBK)
First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for First Interstate Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking services. Its deposit products include checking, savings, time, and demand deposits; and repurchase agreements primarily for commercial and municipal depositors. The company?s loan portfolio consists of a mix of real estate, consumer, commercial, agricultural, and other loans, including fixed and variable rate loans. Its real estate loans comprise commercial real estate, construction, residential, agricultural, and other real estate loans. The company also provides a range of trust, employee benefit, investment management, insurance, agency, and custodial services to individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. These services include the administration of estates and personal trusts; management of investment accounts for individuals, employee benefit plans, and charitable foundations; and insurance planning. It serves indi viduals, businesses, municipalities, and other entities in various industries, including energy, healthcare and professional services, education and governmental services, construction, mining, agriculture, retail and wholesale trade, and tourism. The company operates 72 banking offices in 42 communities located in Montana, Wyoming, and western South Dakota. First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Billings, Montana.
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