January existing home sales fall

Existing home sales in January fell to the lowest level in 18 months as extreme winter weather continued to pummel the housing market.

Sales of existing homes declined 5.1% from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million, the National Association of Realtors said Friday.

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Analysts estimated that homes were sold at a 4.68 million annual pace last month. January sales also were down 5.1% from January 2013.

"Disruptive and prolonged winter weather patterns across the country are impacting a wide range of economic activity, and housing is no exception," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

Yet Yun also cited other obstacles, including tight credit, higher prices, higher mortgage rates and limited inventory. "These issues will hinder home sales activity" until stronger job growth bolsters demand and housing starts boosts supply, he said.

In January, housing inventories increased to a 4.9-month supply from a 4.6 month supply in December. A six-month supply is generally considered balanced.

Single-family home sales fell 5.8%. Condominium and co-op sales were unchanged.

The flagging sales suggest a deceleration from the momentum for much of 2013, when 5.09 million homes were sold, the most in seven years.

"Such a picture confirms that the U.S. housing market reached its peak at the end of 2013 and further reacceleration is unlikely near term," Annalisa Piazza of Newedge Strategy said in a research note.

Home building dipped 16% in January from December, the Commerce Department said this week. Signed contracts to buy homes plunged in December, foreshadowing the January drop-off, the Realtors said in a separate report.

The weather has kept would-be buyers from venturing to open houses, while construction crews have endured work stoppages.

But sales also declined in parts of the country where weather was less of a factor. This suggested that price pressures and tight inventories are als! o weighing on the real estate market.

Buying fell 7.3% in Western states, the region less affected by winter storms and where average prices are the highest. That decline was significantly larger than in the Northeast, South and Midwest.

Just 26% of sales last month were by first-time buyers. In a healthy market, that figure is closer to 40%. All cash-sales accounted for 33% of all purchases, evidence that investors continue to make up a sizable share of the sales.

Existing-home sales in a healthy market would approach 5.5 million, nearly 900,000 more than the January rate. Buying has slowed during the past six months.

Conn's Down 32% After 4Q Preliminary Results and 2015 Guidance

Related CONN Mid-Day Market Update: Tesla Surges On Upbeat Results; Conns Shares Drop Top Trending Tickers On StockTwits For February 20

Conn's (NASDAQ: CONN) is trading down 32 percent Thursday after releasing its 4Q14 results and also provided earning guidance for 2015.

The report highlighted same-store sales jumping 33.4 percent and preliminary retail segment net sales up 44.8 percent from last year's fourth quarter. However, fiscal 2015 guidance was revised to $3.40 - $3.70, down previously from $3.80 - $4.00 per diluted share. A contributing factor to the guidance includes bad debt from unexpected increase in delinquency rates between December and January and an underachieving increase in sales.

Theodore M. Wright, Conn's chairman and CEO commented on the negatives. "Credit segment performance did not keep pace and delinquency and charge-offs rose in December and January. Sales driven portfolio growth combined with seasonal portfolio increases placed pressure on our collections operation and execution deteriorated."

A couple downgrades have also been released in reaction to the movement. Stephens have downgraded CONN from Overweight to Equal-Weight. Oppenheimer downgraded CONN to Market Perform.

CONN closed Wednesday at $55.80 and opened Thursday $35.45, a plummet of 36 percent.

Posted-In: Analyst Color Earnings News Guidance Downgrades Markets Analyst Ratings

(c) 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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How China plans to go global

If anyone knows why China seems to be on the verge of eating America's lunch, Hesong Tang does.

Born into a family of bamboo cutters in rural Xiang Yang, China, Hesong Tang had never taken a shower or used a toilet before he was accepted into Tsinghua University, considered the Chinese MIT. And while that must have been a lot for a freshman-year roommate to deal with, Tang, who now oversees all corporate development at Baidu, China's version of Google, says "everything" has changed in China in the last two decades.

You probably haven't heard his name before. But this is the guy who controls the purse strings of China's largest Internet company. So it's best to listen up when one of the key minds running this $59 billion-valued company tells OZY six key takeaways about China, the Internet and the global economy.

1. Going global, fearlessly

OZY: How are Chinese companies like Baidu going to win the wider global race against companies like Google? There are plenty of odds against it.

HESONG TANG: China's Internet companies are more and more aggressively going global. Baidu has a presence in more than 10 countries outside of China: Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Tokyo, Egypt, Brazil, Japan … and we have a few other countries. Now companies like Tencent have local offices here. They are making acquisitions in the U.S. and promoting their user base in the U.S.

Another company is called UCWeb, a mobile browser company. The company has about 30 percent of market share in India and is operating in more than 10 countries with significant market share — in each case, more than 10 percent.

More from OZY.com:

Is this the new capital of Silicon Valley?

The "other" Internet

Widening the World Wide Web

2. Attn. American companies: Make decisions faster, stay later

OZY: Here's one quick hit — what do Chinese companies do better than American companies? You know both worlds, having worked at Microsoft in a heavily expat market.

HT: Decision-! making in many American companies is very slow. When I joined Baidu [from Microsoft], I found our decision-making very quick. One example [was] when Baidu acquired 91 Wireless — an Android application store — at $1.9 billion, which was the biggest-ever Internet acquisition in China. That was my deal. I was the person in charge of driving the whole thing. From the day of negotiating acquisition to signing the term sheet, it took between … eight and 10 days. That's unbelievable for a deal at $1.9 billion. When I was at Microsoft, I saw that for every deal, it took several months to make a decision. It's impossible to work like that. And that's why I think in China, many U.S. Internet companies have not done very well.

OZY: What else?

HT: Perfectionism.

In China, even in a big company like Baidu, on our campus — even at 8:00, 9:00 at night — the meeting rooms are overbooked. In China, there's a cultural thing — about perfectionism and entrepreneurship. And that's the key thing for the Internet business: Work fast.

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OZY: And hard.

3. Censorship: Kinda good for business

OZY: Elephant in the room. The word censorship is (metaphorically) flashing in big red lights above this whole conversation. Sorry for mixing metaphors. But let's focus on that question. What do the rules about Internet in China mean for your business?

HT: There is less competition from multinational companies. Facebook cannot be in China. Google is struggling in China, and so a low-cost search engine company like Baidu and others get a better chance.

But [meanwhile] there are other major factors stirring business opportunity outside of these things. Entrepreneurs — and I'm not an entrepreneur, I'm a corporate executive — but entrepreneurs are doing things that are incrementally good for the market. On the other hand, U.S. Internet companies … are pre! tty much ! a failure in the Chinese market. Google doesn't do well. Yahoo is not doing well. EBay is not doing well. MSN used to be great, but it's shrinking its market share.

4. Deregulation ahead

OZY: What don't we know about the state of the Chinese economy right now — and how will it affect innovation?

HT: The new Chinese government supports reform and deregulation. China used to be a centralized economy like the Soviet Union, but that was 30 years ago. Since then, it has become a market economy. Today, it's still a partial market economy — partial, because there are a lot of regulations over here.

But the government is very determined — and the whole society is determined — to get deregulated, to drive a more market-oriented economy. Which is very good.

5. Business models > tech innovation?

OZY: If China really does beat out the U.S. tech market, how would it happen?

HT: The U.S. is taking the lead in terms of innovation and technology advancement — a big lead. But China's innovation is in business models, thinking about how to get users.

Take WeChat — it's like WhatsApp in China. But as a feature, WeChat is much better, much more popular, much more user-friendly than WhatsApp. It has 600 million users, and the [number of] daily active users is 200 million. That's big. They even offered a very smart promotion to help them gain ground in the U.S. — users can connect their Google accounts and perhaps get a cash bonus. That's just one example of what China's doing in global markets.

6. Looking ahead?

OZY: Let's look to the future.

HT: The biggest challenge for China is the slowing down of the economy. Normally people talk about three driving factors for China's economy: export, investments and consumption. China's economy traditionally relied more on export and investment. Investment has meant government-planned projects, huge projects on infrastructure, on big state enterprise projects. That investment is not very efficient in te! rms of a ! return-on-investment point of view. So China's economy needs to improve on the consumption level.

Just a few decades ago, we didn't have showers. Or hot water. So 80 percent of China has made a jump from a very, very poor primitive culture society to being very advanced. And I'm not just talking about Shanghai, but the rural parts as well. Now, we have iPhones, we have personal cars, we have apartments, we have single-family houses, we have high-rise buildings. And Shanghai has more high-rise buildings than San Francisco and Chicago.

So, I think there is much that could surprise us in the next few decades, too.

Ozy.comis a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

First Take: When will unemployment hit 6%

With unemployment now under 7% for the first time since November 2008, we can turn attention to what may be the first happy question we've asked about the economy in, well, forever: How soon can unemployment hit 6%?

This isn't the most common question this morning, since the Labor Department's first estimate of December job creation is just 74,000, down from a revised 241,000 for November. The unemployment rate fell to 6.7% from 7% largely because the labor force shrank.

The jobs number is inconsistent with other fourth-quarter data pointing to accelerating growth, including a report Wednesday by payroll processor ADP that private employers hired 238,000 workers in December. Somebody is wrong, and upcoming data will show who that is.

News story: Big miss in December jobs report

For investors: Weak jobs report is not all bad

Still, the answer to the 6% question is, maybe sooner than you think. What will it take? That most things about the economy stay the same, one or two big things go right in 2014, and that the 1.3 million workers affected by Congress' decision to let extended unemployment benefits lapse last month act the way economists expect. Here's how it might work.

First, just keep going the way it's going. Even with today's poor number, the 12-month average for new job creation is 182,000 a month, similar to 2011 and 2012.

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It's well-established that this recent pace will bring down unemployment. The unemployment rate fell 0.7 percentage points in 2012, by 0.8 points in 2011 and even 0.6 points in 2010. This has happened with economic growth very shaky until recently, and with Washington staging growth-threatening budget showdowns in each of the past three years. It's also consistent with the 1980s Reagan recovery -- at a comparable stage in 1986, unemployment was 7.0% after peaking at 10.8% in 1982.

N! ext, pick up the pace a little. The economy has been growing about 2% a year, at least until a spate of strong fourth-quarter data began to come in, raising expectations for late-2013 growth. In an interview with Time magazine, Federal Reserve Chair-designate Janet Yellen said she hoped the economy would grow 3% next year. That would be likely to boost job creation at least a little.

One big boost that would help the economy get to 6% unemployment would be an acceleration in new home building. Forecasts vary, from a little over 1 million (which would be less than 10% better than 2013's expected pace) to as many as 1.3 million. Every new home built generates between 3 and 4.5 new jobs, depending on which economist's rule of thumb you use. Taking a guess near the middle of that range, another 200,000 homes and 700,000 jobs would, by itself, cut about 0.4 percentage points off the unemployment rate.

Third, watch what happens to the people who lost unemployment benefits.

Economists don't know much about exactly who lost their benefits beginning late last month. About 1.3 million people are affected. Speculation about how many of them will simply drop out of the labor force -- specifically, how many of them are older workers who will admit they are retired once they don't need to seek work to claim benefits -- is all over the lot. At the high end of estimates, Sterne Agee economist Lindsey Piegza thinks this effect (plus people taking jobs they would otherwise refuse) might shave 0.5 of a percentage point off the unemployment rate.

Add it up. If the economy keeps doing what it has done, unemployment gets to the low sixes in a year. If housing picks up, it gets a little lower, possibly to 6% by this December,

Federal Reserve policymakers predict 6.3% to 6.6% joblessness by late this year. There are no guarantees, especially if people who have left the labor force decide to return to job hunting. But this is how the way back to 6% looks, with a little luck and a statistical adjus! tment or ! two. One day of bad news may slow the pace -- a little -- but doesn't change the path.

The New Oil Majors

It takes time to build an empire. Both ExxonMobil and Chevron, the U.S. super-majors of today, trace their history back to the ultimate corporate empire: John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil,  - which was founded more than a century ago.

Unlike asset-light technology companies that can grow quickly, the oil industry is notoriously capital intensive. Because they require so much capital, oil companies generally grow at a slower rate. Most of the large oil fields that can turn wildcatters into giant oil companies overnight have also already been found. So how is it that a new generation of U.S. oil and gas companies are increasingly coming into their own?

The benefit of being nimble
$100 billion is about the cumulative market cap of Pioneer Natural Resources  (NYSE: PXD  ) , EOG Resources  (NYSE: EOG  ) , and Continental Resources  (NYSE: CLR  ) . $100 billion is also roughly half of what ExxonMobil spent on share buybacks over the past 10 years. 

While conventional wisdom is that big players are more efficient because they have economies of scale and lower costs of capital, it turns out that there are benefits to being small as well. What may seem like a small opportunity can become a large one given the right technological advances and a hospitable regulatory environment.

That is just what happened half a decade ago. It was uncertain how promising shale plays were, and because they had long timelines and needed big projects to move the needle, the super-majors didn't take advantage of the opportunity as aggressively as the smaller players. As luck would have it, those small projects turned out to be huge and turned small companies into the next generation of oil majors.

The shale producers' growth rates are astounding. EOG is growing revenues around 32% year over year. Continental Resources, the largest leaseholder in the Bakken, is growing revenue at an astounding 60% clip year over year . The company's proved reserves increased 38% year over year to 1.08 billion barrels of oil equivalent.  

Pioneer Natural Resources, which is growing revenue around 25% year over year, might be the most promising company of the group. The company is one of the leading leaseholders in what it estimates to be the second largest oil field in the world, the Spraberry Wolfcamp field. The field has yet to be fully developed and may contain as much as 50 billion barrels of recoverable oil.  

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The bottom line
There's still room for improvement. With pad drilling and other technological advances, the cost of oil production is still trending lower. And there are risks too, of course. Chief among the risks is increased government regulation; fracking is already banned in New York, andhas a chance of being banned in California. 

Some investors are still not convinced of the new oil majors, often using the argument that unconventional wells have faster depletion rates, making the production numbers misleading. While that is true, given the size of the total opportunity, shale oil production will more than likely continue to trend higher for the foreseeable future. Of all the projectionists, Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm may be the most optimistic. He believes that Bakken shale will eventually produce 2 million barrels/day, about twice what the play is producing now.  

After all, every empire begins with great ambition.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014

A high number of billionaire investors hold today�� featured apparel companies including American Eagle Outfitters (AEO), Urban Outfitters (URBN) and Body Central Corp. (BODY), as revealed by the GuruFocus 52-week low screener.

The three companies selected are popular youth-oriented or lifestyle brands. They are highlighted to show numerous billionaire investors, signifying possible deep value as the companies navigate through a 52-week low.

Sector Watch: Retail ��Apparel & Specialty

The apparel and specialty retail sector in the U.S. currently has 22 out of 180 companies on a 52-week low. The sector low ratio is 0.12.

Highlight: American Eagle Outfitters (AEO)

The AEO share price is currently $14.19 or 38.2% off the 52-week high of $22.97. Its yield is 2.50%.

Down 37% over 12 months, American Eagle Outfitters has a market cap of $2.74 billion and is traded at a P/B of 2.30.

Founded in 1977, American Eagle Outfitters offers a range of clothing, accessories and personal care products under the American Eagle Outfitters and ��erie��brands. In early 2013, the company operated 893 American Eagle Outfitters stores and 151 aerie stand-alone stores, as well as 49 franchised stores in 13 countries. The company also sells and ships merchandise to 81 countries worldwide through its e-commerce sites.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Rex Energy Corporation(REXX)

Rex Energy Corporation operates as an independent oil and gas company in the Appalachian Basin and the Illinois Basin. It focuses on the Marcellus Shale drilling projects, and Utica Shale and Upper Devonian Shale exploration activities in the Appalachian Basin. The company also holds interests in the Lawrence Field ASP Flood project, which is an oil recovery project located in Lawrence County, Illinois. As of December 31, 2011, it operated approximately 2,117 wells, including approximately 517 disposal and injection wells. The company had estimated proved reserves of 366.2 billions of cubic feet equivalent. Rex Energy Corporation was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Infrastructure additions also bode well for Gulfport Energy (NASDAQ: GPOR  ) , a company highly levered to the play. In fact, Gulfport is plowing the majority of its capital budget toward developing its Utica acreage, with quite impressive well results thus far. Improved infrastructure should also provide a boost to Rex Energy (NASDAQ: REXX  ) , which is allocating nearly a third of its roughly $255 million capital budget for the year toward developing its assets in the Utica.

• [By The Energy Report]

  Onshore, my favorite play is the Utica Shale, in which my top plays are Gulfport Energy Corp. (GPOR) and Rex Energy Corp. (REXX). Both companies have highly economic acreage, solid balance sheets and industry-leading production growth. I also like Rex Energy for its likely production upside. Another one of my favorite plays is the Eagle Ford Shale, in which my top plays are Penn Virginia Corp. (PVA) and Sanchez Energy Corp. (SN). Both have core acreage in the region, improving operating results and experienced management. Another favorite name of mine is Midstates Petroleum Co. Inc. (MPO). The company has assets in three solid plays and a management team with a long successful track record. Those are my favorite names at this time.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  These infrastructure additions are important for Gulfport Energy� (NASDAQ: GPOR  ) �which is pouring nearly all of its resources into developing the Utica's assets. If its wells provide the type of production it is expecting, this infrastructure build-out will prove critical to Gulfport's ability to deliver its product to market. The additions are also important for Rex Energy (NASDAQ: REXX  ) which is investing more than 30% of its more than $255 million 2013 capital budget to develop its acreage in the Utica.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: filtrona ord gbp0(FLTR.L)

Filtrona plc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the light manufacture and supply of specialty plastic, fiber, and foam products worldwide. The company?s Protection & Finishing Products segment provides protection and finishing solutions, as well as manufacturing and distributing plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip-moulded, and metal items, as well as pressure sensitive tapes. This segment?s products are used in protection and finishing applications in various industries, such as hydraulics, pneumatics, oil and gas, electrical controls, point of purchase, and tubular metal products. Its Porous Technologies segment is involved in the development and manufacture of custom fluid handling components, engineered from bonded fibre, polyurethane foam, and porous plastic technologies. This segment?s components are used in healthcare, consumer, and industrial applications, including medical diagnostics and wound care pads, inkjet printer cartridges, writing instruments, and a ir fresheners. The company?s Coated & Security Products segment produces self-adhesive tear tapes, as well as supplies labels, products, and technologies for the consumer packaging, identity, and valuable documents markets. This segment also engages in the plastic profile extrusion activities in the Netherlands. Its Filter Products segments supplies a range of cigarette filters to the cigarette industry, as well as provides packaging solutions and analytical laboratory services. Filtrona plc also distributes standard industrial components, including hardware, handles, clamps, and fasteners through catalogue; and designs, manufactures, and distributes engineered plastic and elastomeric solutions for fastening and cable management applications. Filtrona plc is based in Milton Keynes, the United Kingdom.

Top Asian Companies To Watch For 2015: Regional Express Holdings Ltd(REX.AX)

Regional Express Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of air transportation of passenger and freight in Australia. It also offers charter services to users who require air transport outside the scheduled timetable and/or scheduled routes. The company operates approximately 99 aircrafts. In addition, it operates a pilot academy to train cadets to be full fledged pilots. Regional Express Holdings Limited was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Mascot, Australia.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Enzo Biochem Inc. (ENZ)

Enzo Biochem, Inc., an integrated life sciences and biotechnology company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of diagnostic and research products based on genetic engineering, biotechnology, and molecular biology. The company operates in three segments: Clinical Labs, Life Sciences, and Therapeutics. The Clinical Labs segment offers routine and esoteric clinical laboratory tests or procedures used in general patient care by physicians to establish or support a diagnosis, monitor treatment or medication, and search for an otherwise undiagnosed condition. This segment operates a full-service clinical laboratory, a network of approximately 30 patient service centers, a laboratory, and a full-service phlebotomy and in-house logistics department. The Life Sciences segment manufactures, develops, and markets products and tools to life sciences, drug development, and clinical research customers. It provides proteins, antibodies, peptides, small molec ules, labeling probes, dyes, and kits, which offer tools for target identification/validation, high content analysis, gene expression analysis, nucleic acid detection, protein biochemistry and detection, and cellular analysis to life science researchers. This segment provides its products to scientific experts primarily in the field of cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, diabetes and obesity, endocrine disorders, infectious and autoimmune disease, hepatotoxicity, and renal injury. The Therapeutics segment researches and develops therapeutic drug candidates in the areas of gastrointestinal, infectious, ophthalmic, and metabolic diseases. The company sells its products through its direct sales force; and a network of distributors worldwide. Enzo Biochem, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Enzo Biochem Inc. (NYSE:ENZ) is a pioneer in molecular diagnostics, leading the convergence of clinical laboratories, life sciences and therapeutics through the development of unique diagnostic platform technologies that provide numerous advantages over previous standards.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Brazilian Real(BK)

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, a financial services company, provides various products and services worldwide. The company offers a range of equity, fixed income, cash, and alternative/overlay products, as well as distributes investment management products. It also provides investment management, wealth and estate planning, and private banking solutions to high-net-worth individuals and families, charitable gift programs, endowments and foundations, and related entities, as well as offers mutual funds, separate accounts, and annuities. In addition, the company provides global custody and fund, securities lending, investment manager outsourcing, performance and risk analytics, alternative investment, securities clearance, collateral management, corporate trust, broker-dealer, and employee investment plan services, as well as clearing services and global payment/working capital solutions to institutional clients. Further, it offers American and global depositary re ceipt programs, cash management solutions, payment services, liquidity services, foreign exchange, global clearing and execution, managed account services, and global prime brokerage solutions to corporations, public funds, government agencies, foundations, and endowments; global financial institutions, including banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, insurance companies and central banks; and financial intermediaries, independent registered investment advisors, and hedge fund managers. Additionally, the company provides credit-related services, and global markets and institutional banking services; engages in business exits, and corporate treasury activities; and leases financing portfolios. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation was founded in 1784 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Based on Moody’s updated views on US government support and standalone bank considerations, Moody’s lowered by one notch the senior holding company ratings of Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Bank of New York Mellon (BK).

• [By Rich Smith]

  According to the FDIC's figures, JPMorgan boasts a 36.9% market share in the state of New York. That's more than four times the share of the state's No. 2 bank, Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK  ) .

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Empire State Realty Trust Inc (ESRT)

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., incorporated on July 29, 2011, is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), which owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area. The Company operates in two segments: real estate and construction contracting. As of June 30, 2013, the Company owned 12 office properties (including one long-term ground leasehold interest) encompassing approximately 7.7 million rentable square feet of office space, which were approximately 83.5% leased (or 86.2% giving effect to leases signed but not yet commenced as of that date). Seven of these properties are located in the midtown Manhattan market and encompass in the aggregate approximately 5.9 million rentable square feet of office space, including the Empire State Building. Its Manhattan office properties also contain an aggregate of 440,615 rentable square feet of retail space on their ground floor and/or lower levels. Its remaining five office properties are located in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York, encompassing in the aggregate approximately 1.8 million rentable square feet.

The Company has entitled land at the Stamford Transportation Center in Stamford, Connecticut, adjacent to one of its office properties, that supports the development of an approximately 380,000 rentable square foot office building and garage, which refers to herein as Metro Tower. As of June 30, 2013, its portfolio also included four standalone retail properties located in Manhattan and two standalone retail properties located in the city center of Westport, Connecticut, encompassing 204,452 rentable square feet in the aggregate. As of June 30, 2013, its standalone retail properties were 100% leased in the aggregate. In addition, the Company has an option to acquire from affiliates of its predecessor two additional Manhattan office properties encompassing approximately 1.5 million rentable squar! e feet of office space and 153,209 rentable square feet of retail space at the base of the buildings.

The Empire State Building is the Company�� flagship property. The 102-story building consists of 2,701,938 rentable square feet of office space and 167,788 rentable square feet of retail space. The building also includes its observatory and broadcasting operations. The Company�� portfolio includes retail properties located in retail corridors in Manhattan and Westport, Connecticut. Tenants at 10 Union Square in Manhattan include Best Buy Mobile, Starbucks, A&P, Panera Bread, FedEx/Kinko��, Au Bon Pain, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and GameStop. In the greater New York metropolitan area, its portfolio includes high quality suburban office properties in densely populated metropolitan communities in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. tenants of the greater New York metropolitan area flagship Metro Center (at the Transportation Center in Stamford, Connecticut) include Thomson Reuters, Jefferies Group, Columbus Circle Investors, Torm Shipping, Olympus Partners, BP Energy, Tweedy, Browne Company and Susquehanna International.

The Company approximately has 242 million square feet of rentable space, which are contained within Midtown�� multi-tenant office buildings. Downtown Chicago and the Washington, D.C. CBD combine has a total of 230 million square feet of office space. Three-quarters 75.3% of Midtown�� office stock is classified as Class A with total square footage of 182 million square feet. The Company approximately has 43.9 million square feet of Midtown office space is counted as Class B stock, accounting for 18.2% of the total market. The remaining 6.5% of Midtown office space (15.8 million square feet) is categorized as Class C space. The Grand Central submarket is a office submarket in Midtown Manhattan with 44 million square feet and is located on the east side of Midtown Manhattan, to the north of Murray Hill and to the south of the Park ! Avenue co! rridor.

The West Side office submarket, located to the south and west of Central Park and including the area around Columbus Circle, consists of 25.8 million square feet of office space. Westchester County contains approximately 28.9 million square feet of office space and is split into six submarkets: White Plains CBD and non-CBD, Northern, Central, Eastern and Southern. The White Plains CBD is situated in south central Westchester County, along the Cross-Westchester Expressway (Interstate 287) corridor between the Sprain Brook Parkway and the Hutchinson River Parkway. The submarket consists of approximately 6.3 million square feet of office space and is defined to include the area south of Barker Avenue, north of Quinby Avenue, east of the Bronx River Parkway and west of South Broadway/Post Road. Westchester�� Eastern office submarket consists of 6.5 million square feet of space and is located to the east of White Plains, between New Rochelle and the Connecticut state border.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuters]

  John Moore/Getty Images NEW YORK -- Investors in the Empire State Building have filed a lawsuit accusing the real estate magnates who took it public of short-changing them $300 million by refusing to sell the iconic skyscraper at a premium price. According to a complaint filed Tuesday in a New York state court in Manhattan, Peter Malkin and his son Anthony put their own interests ahead of the building's investors by spurning all-cash offers of as much as $2.3 billion for the building and $1.4 billion for Empire State Building Associates, which held the title and master lease. Instead, the Malkins put the landmark building and 17 other properties into Empire State Realty Trust Inc., whose Oct. 1 IPO valued the property at just $1.89 billion and ESBA at just $1.1 billion, according to the complaint. The lawsuit by plaintiff Marc Postelnek seeks class-action status on behalf of more than 2,800 investors who hold shares in ESBA, which was created in 1961 and was supervised by a Malkin company, Malkin Holdings. It claimed the Malkins acted in bad faith by aborting a "bidding war" for the building, and instead enriched themselves by hundreds of millions of dollars through an IPO. "Given their positions of control and authority over the fate of the Empire State Building, the Malkins had a duty to act in the best interests of their investors," the plaintiffs' lawyer, John Rizio-Hamilton, a partner at Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, representing Postelnek, told Reuters. "By failing to properly consider offers to maximize the building's value, the Malkins breached that duty." The lawsuit seeks to recover profit that building investors allegedly lost because of the Malkins' refusal to sell. Empire State Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust, is a successor to Malkin Holdings. "These claims are wholly without merit and we will respond to them in court," a spokeswoman for the REIT said Thursday. ESBA had been created by Lawrence Wien, the father

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Azumah Resources Ltd (AZM.AX)

Azumah Resources Limited engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties. The company explores for gold and other mineral deposits. It primarily owns a 100% interest in the Wa Gold project that covers a land holding of 3,157 square kilometers located in northwest Ghana, west Africa. The company was incorporated in 2004 and is based in West Perth, Australia.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Central European Distribution Corp (CEDCQ.PK)

Central European Distribution Corporation (CEDC), incorporated on September 4, 1997, operates primarily in the alcohol beverage industry. CEDC is a producer of vodka and is Central and Eastern Europe�� integrated spirit beverages business. During the year ended December 31, 2011, as measured by total volume, the Company produced and distributed approximately 33.2 million nine-liter cases . The Company�� business primarily involves the production and sale of its own spirit brands (principally vodka), and the importation on a basis of a range of spirits, wines and beers. Its primary operations are conducted in Poland and Russia. In addition the Company also has operations in Hungary and Ukraine. CEDC has six manufacturing facilities located in Poland and Russia. On February 7, 2011, the Company completed purchasing of the remaining stake of the Whitehall Group.

CEDC is an importer of spirits, wines and beers in Poland, Russia and Hungary. The Company mai ntains import contracts for a number of internationally recognized brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Campari, Jagermeister, Remy Martin Cognac, Corona, Budweiser (Budvar), E&J Gallo wines, Carlo Rossi wines, Sutter Home wines, Metaxa Brandy, Sierra Tequila, Teacher�� Whisky, Cinzano, Old Smuggler, Grant�� Whisky and Concha y Toro wines. In addition to its operations in Poland, Russia, and Hungary the Company has Ukraine and distribution agreements for its vodka brands in a number of key export markets including the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the Baltics and the CIS for Green Mark, Zhuravli, Parliament and Zubrowka, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France for Zubrowka and many other Western European countries. In 2011, exports represented 11% of its sales by value.

Poland

In Poland, CEDC is the vodka producers with a brand portfolio that includes Absolwent, Zubrowka, Zubrowka Biala, Bols, Palace and Soplica brands, each of which it p roduces at its Polish distilleries. It produces and sells ! vo! dkas primarily in three vodka sectors: premium, mainstream, and economy. The Company owns two production sites in Poland: one in Oborniki and one in Bialystok. In the Oborniki distillery, it produces the Bols and Soplica vodka brands, among other spirit brands. In Bialystok it produces Absolwent and Zubrowka. Zubrowka is also exported out of Poland to many markets around the world, including the United States, England, Japan and also France. In addition to the Absolwent and Zubrowka brands, in Bialystok it produces the Zubrowka Biala brand. The Company has rights to import and distribute approximately 70 brands of spirits, wine and beer into Poland. It also provides marketing support to the suppliers. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 10.7 million nine-liter cases of vodka, wine and spirits through its Polish business during 2011 including both its own produced vodka brands as well as its exclusive agency import brands. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 1 91 thousand nine-liter cases of Zubrowka outside of Poland. During 2011, the Company�� Polish operations accounted for 26.3% of its revenue.

Russia

CEDC produces Green Mark in Russia and the sub-premium vodkas in Russia, Parliament and Zhuravli. During 2011 the Company introduced new brands to the Russian market Talka, Sotka and Silver Blend. The Company also produces Yamskaya, the economy vodka in Russia, and premixed alcohol drinks, or long drinks. The Company also owns Whitehall, which holds the exclusive rights to the import of such leading premium wine and spirit brands as Concha y Toro, Paul Masson, Robert Mondavi, DeKuyper, Jose Cuervo and Label 5. In addition to these import activities, Whitehall has distribution centers in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Rostov as well as a wine and spirits retail network located in Moscow. During 2011, the Company�� Russian operations accounted for 70.2% of its revenue. During 2011,the Company produced a nd sold approximately 16.6 million nine-liter cases of! vodka! t! hrough ! its Russian business in the main vodka segments in Russia: premium, sub-premium, mainstream, economy and cheap. In addition it produced and sold approximately 2.8 million nine-liter cases of long drinks.

Hungary

The Company sells Royal Vodka in Hungary through its Bols Hungary subsidiary. The imported brands to Hungary include Bols Vodka, Zubrowka, Royal Vodka, Campari, Cinzano, Jaegermeister, Bols Liqueurs, Cointreau, Carolans, Galliano, Irish Mist, Jose Cuervo, Calvados Boulard, Remy Martin, Metaxa, St Remy, Grant��, Glenfiddich, Tullamore Dew and Old Smuggler.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Redwood Trust Inc.(RWT)

Redwood Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust, together with its subsidiaries, engages in investing, financing, and managing real estate assets. The company?s investments include residential and commercial real estate loans; and securities backed by residential and commercial loans, including senior and subordinate securities. The senior securities are those interests in a securitization that have the first right to cash flows and are last to absorb losses; and subordinate securities are those interests in a securitization that have the last right to cash flows and are first in line to absorb losses. As of March 31, 2011, it had 77 real estate owned properties primarily in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, and Georgia. It would elect to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of net taxable income to its stockholders. Red wood Trust, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is based in Mill Valley, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  On the mortgage front, Two Harbors notes that it has acquired a passel of prime jumbo home loans, which it likely plans to securitize. The company's CEO, Tom Siering, also addresses this issue on the earnings call, where he states that the trust was involved in a $400 million securitization of prime jumbo loans. This puts Two Harbors in the company of mREIT Redwood Trust (NYSE: RWT  ) , which has nearly single-handedly brought back the jumbo-loan securitization market over the past two years. If Redwood's success is any indication -- it recently reported first-quarter net income�of $61 million, compared to the year-ago figure of $30 million -- Two Harbors is on the right track.

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Luxury market is doing just fine
  Jumbo loans are back, and these mortgages -- which start at $625,000 in some affluent areas -- are being given out like candy�to those with the wealth to back them up. Once considered risky because they are not backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, lenders are falling over themselves to make these loans, driven by a securitization market dominated by entities like Redwood Trust (NYSE: RWT  ) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) . Earlier this month, Redwood offered its seventh securitization backed by jumbos, and JPMorgan just recently announced�its second offering of the year, as well.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Real estate investment trust��Redwood Trust� (NYSE: RWT  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.28 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 12% from $0.25 per share.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: IRISH CONTINENTAL GROUP UNITS(COMP 1 ORD EUR0.65 & 3 RED SHS)

Irish Continental Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates a passenger and freight shipping service between Ireland and France. It engages in the transport of passengers and cars, roll on roll off freight, and container lift on lift off freight on routes between Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Continental Europe; and operates container terminals in the ports of Dublin and Belfast. The company operates in two segments, Ferries, and Container and Terminal. The Ferries segment engages in the operation and external charter of combined RoRo passenger ferries. The Container and Terminal segment offers door-to-door and feeder LoLo freight, stevedoring, and container storage services. Irish Continental Group plc also provides ferry travel and holiday packages primarily in France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Cr Artigiano(CRA.MI)

Credito Artigiano S.p.A. engages in the provision of banking and investment services in Italy. It offers loans, savings accounts, insurance, investments, pension funds, and credit card services. The company operates three product lines, including investment and bank insurance that provides savings products, and life and casualty insurance; transfer products; and financing products, such as mortgage, consumer, and business loans, as well as factoring services. It also offers online banking services. The company serves families, professionals, and small businesses. It operates a network of approximately 144 branches in the areas of London, Monza and Brianza, Pavia, Florence, Lawn, Piacenza, Pisa, Pistoia, Lucca, Rome, Lodi, and Cremona. The company, formerly known as Piccolo Credito Artigiano, was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy. Credito Artigiano S.p.A. is a subsidiary of Credito Valtellinese Soc Coop.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Guanwei Recycling Corp.(GPRC)

Guanwei Recycling Corp. engages in the manufacture and distribution of low density polyethylene (LDPE). It produces LDPE from plastic waste procured in Europe, which it recycles into recyclable LDPE for sales to approximately 200 manufacturers in China. The company also sells scrap materials, including plastic. It primarily serves building and construction industry, where there is an ongoing governmental push to promote the use of plastic in various products, such as water and sewage pipelines. The company sells its products to customers in a range of industries, including shoe manufacturing, architecture and engineering products, industrial equipment and supplies, and chemical and petrochemical manufacturing. Guanwei Recycling Corp. was founded in 2005 and is based in Fuqing City, the People?s Republic of China.

Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Own For 2014: Shell Refining Company (FED OF MALAYA)

Shell Refining Company (Federation of Malaya) Berhad is principally engaged in refining and manufacturing of petroleum products. The Company operates primarily in Malaysia. Its operations also include the gas to liquids (GTL) plant of its kind in Bintulu, Sarawak, and a refinery in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. Its upstream operations focus on the development and extraction of crude oil and natural gas offshore Sarawak and Sabah. In downstream its main activity is in refining, supply, trading and shipping of crude oil and petroleum products through the sales and marketing of transportation fuels, lubricants, specialty products and technical services. The Company is also a partner in two joint ventures that convert natural gas to liquefied natural gas. Royal Dutch Shell plc is its holding company.

Tuesday’s Dividend Changes: 10 Firms Raise Payouts (FUBC, RHO, XLNX, More)

After enduring volatility for most of the past month, markets were able to turn in a strong win on the day. That strong win was also accompanied by 10 companies announcing increases in their dividend payouts.

1st United Bancorp, Inc. Raises its Dividend 100%

1st United Bancorp, Inc. (FUBC) raised its quarterly dividend from $0.01 to $0.02 today. The new dividend will be paid on 3/7/2014 to shareholders on record as of 2/24/2014. The stock will go ex-dividend on 2/20/2014.

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks To Buy For 2015

NN, Inc. Raises its Dividend 16.7%

NN, Inc. (NNBR) raised its quarterly dividend from $0.06 to $0.07 today. The new dividend will be paid on 3/14/2014 to shareholders on record as of 2/28/2014. The stock will go ex-dividend on 2/26/2014.

Xilinx, Inc. Raises its Dividend 11.5%

Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX) raised its quarterly dividend from $0.26 to $0.29 today. The new dividend will be paid on 6/4/2014 to shareholders on record as of 5/14/2014. The stock will go ex-dividend on 3/12/2014.

Owens & Minor, Inc. Raises its Dividend 4.2%

Owens & Minor, Inc. (OMI) raised its quarterly dividend from $0.24 to $0.25 today. The new dividend will be paid on 3/31/2014 to shareholders on record as of 3/17/2014. The stock will go ex-dividend on 3/13/2014.

Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. Raises its Dividend 7.1%

Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. (GSM

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014

The spring was much kinder to Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI  ) than the winter was. After staying away in December, January, and February, guests are starting to trickle back into Olive Garden and Red Lobster locations.

This week, Darden reported traffic growth at its flagship restaurants for the first time in six months. Red Lobster notched a strong 6% boost in customers in March, after both brands endured a brutal February plunge.

At that time, Darden said rising gas prices and payroll taxes had hurt its customers' purchasing power. But the restaurants' troubles went further back than that:

Source: Darden Restaurants financial filings.

The difference this spring is that Darden made progress in getting its menu prices in line with what diners expect. The company decided to match promotions from rivals and to focus on what it called "aggressively addressing affordability on our core menu items." In other words, Darden cut its prices.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd (FO)

Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (Falcon) is an energy company engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring and developing petroleum and natural gas properties. The Company focuses on the acquisition, exploration and development of conventional and unconventional petroleum and natural gas projects in Central Europe (specifically Hungary), Australia and South Africa. Falcon holds 100% interest in 245,775 acres in a production license in the Mako Trough, southern Pannonian Basin in Hungary. Effective July 18, 2013, Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd raised its interest to 96.9% from 72.68%, by acquiring a further 24.22% interest in Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Ltd, from Sweetpea Petroleum Corp Pty Ltd, a unit of PetroHunter Energy Corp. Effective September 19, 2013, Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd acquired the remaining 3.1% stake, which it did not already own, in Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Ltd, a oil and gas exploration and production company.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP)

Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP) is engaged on the acquisition, development and production of onshore oils and natural gas properties in the United States. All of the Company's proved reserves are located in the Black Warrior Basin in Alabama, the Cherokee Basin in Kansas and Oklahoma, the Woodford Shale in the Arkoma Basin in Oklahoma and the Central Kansas Uplift in Kansas and Nebraska. The Company operates its oil and natural gases properties as one business segment: the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's total estimated proved reserves were approximately 201.3 billions of cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), approximately 76% of which were classified as proved developed, and 97% of which are natural gas and 3% of which are oil. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was the operator of approximately 88% of the 2,785 net wells in which the Company owned an interest. In March 2013, it announced sale of its Robinson's Bend Field assets, located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

Black Warrior Basin

The Black Warrior Basin is a coalbed methane basins in the country. The multi-seam vertical wells in the basin range from 500 to 3,700 feet deep, with coal seams averaging a total of 25 to 30 feet of net pay per well. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 100% working interest (an approximate 75% average net revenue interest) in its wells in the Black Warrior Basin, where the Company had 507 producing natural gas wells. The Black Warrior Basin is located in western Tuscaloosa County and Pickens County, Alabama, and encompasses a surface area of approximately 109 square miles. The field has been developed on 80-acre spacing. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was developing its properties in the field on both 40- and 80-acre spacing. The field has seven compressor stations with 800-1,200 horsepower compressors, approximately 170 miles of gas gathering lines (wells to header) and approximately 25 miles of trans! portation lines (header to compressor). In addition, there are approximately 152 miles of water gathering pipes and 28 miles of water transportation pipes. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Black Warrior Basin were approximately 84.9 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88% of which were classified as proved developed, and all of which are natural gas.

Cherokee Basin

The Cherokee Basin is located in the Mid-Continent region in southern Kansas, northern Oklahoma, and western Missouri. It covers approximately 26,500 square miles. The production is natural gas produced from coals and shales. There are multiple producing coal zones in the Cherokee Basin, including the Rowe, Riverton, Weir-Pitt, and Dawson zones. In addition, there are other productive shale zones, as well as conventional sandstone and limestone potential, which can add natural gas and oil production. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned approximately 2,261 net producing wells in the Cherokee Basin. The Company operates in excess of 20 booster compressors and stations to gets its natural gas to sales points owned by ONEOK Gas Transportation, L.L.C., Scissortail Energy, LLC, Enogex Gas Gathering & Processing, LLC, Enogex Inc., and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. The Company operates a substantial portion of its production in the Cherokee Basin. The Company also own a 50% working interest in wells operated by Bullseye Operating, L.L.C. (Bullseye) and a 50% interest in Bullseye itself. Bullseye operates approximately 500 gross wells in Washington and Nowata Counties in Oklahoma and sells its production through the Cotton Valley producers cooperative, Cotton Valley Compression, L.L.C. The Company's gross working interest in its Cherokee Basin properties is approximately 80%, with its average gross working interest in its operated properties being approximately 100% and its average gross working interest in its non-operated Cherokee Basin properties being a! pproximat! ely 50%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Cherokee Basin were approximately 110.7 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 66% of which were classified as proved developed, and 95% of which were natural gas and 5% of which were oil.

Woodford Shale

The Woodford Shale is located in the Arkoma Basin in southern Oklahoma. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 82 well bores, or approximately 9 net producing wells, located in Coal and Hughes counties. This area is gas-rich and is characterized by multiple productive zones. The production of natural gas in the Woodford Shale comes from shale rock that has been stimulated through fracturing jobs after a horizontal well has been drilled. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's 82 wells had an average gross working interest of 11.3% and an average net revenue interest of 9.1%. Approximately 90% of the wells are operated by affiliates of Devon Energy Corporation (Devon) and Newfield Exploration Mid-Continent, Inc. (Newfield), with the remaining wells operated by three additional companies. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Woodford Shale were approximately 5.2 billions of cubic feet equivalent.

Central Kansas Uplift

The Central Kansas Uplift is an oil prone region located in Kansas and southern Nebraska. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a gross acreage position of 4,345 acres, or approximately 1,050 net acres and the Company owned 39 gross wells, or approximately 8 net producing wells. Murfin Drilling Company, Inc., an oil producer in Kansas, operates all of the Company's wells in this region. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the average gross working interest in the wells is approximately 21% and the average net revenue interest is approximately 17%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's proved reserves in the Central Kansas Uplift were approximately 0.5 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88%! of which! were classified as proved developed and all of which were oil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The bulk of these awards came in the form of a single multiple-award, task-order contract to be shared among several energy companies:

  Constellation Energy Partners LLC's (NYSEMKT: CEP  ) Constellation NewEnergy subsidiary Privately held ECC Renewables LLC Enel Green Power North America, a subsidiary of Italy's Enel SpA LTC Federal LLC Siemens' (NYSE: SI  ) Government Technologies unit

  These five firms are now authorized to bid for individual task orders under an umbrella contract for the procurement of renewable and alternative energy from facilities that are designed, financed, constructed, operated and maintained by private companies on private land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. The ceiling value on this contract is $7 billion, thus accounting for 84% of the value of all Pentagon contracts awarded yesterday.

Top Retail Companies To Own In Right Now: Hong Kong and China Gas Co Ltd (0003.HK)

The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the production, distribution and marketing of gas, water and energy related activities in Hong Kong and mainland China. The Company is also engaged in property development and investment activities in Hong Kong. The Company�� portfolio on the mainland includes a total of over 100 projects in 21 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. It has 100 city-gas projects in mainland cities, spreading across 19 provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions. Its properties include residential and commercial properties. The Company�� subsidiaries include Apex Time Holdings Limited, Barnaby Assets Limited, Danetop Services Limited and others.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Total Nigeria PLC (TOTAL.LG)

Total Nigeria PLC is a Nigeria-based company engaged in the marketing of petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas. The Company operates in three business lines, namely White Products (Retail and General Trade), Lubricants & Special Products, and Aviation fuels. The Company�� products portfolio includes fuels, lubricants, gas, insecticides, car-care products and bitumen. (Nigeria) PLC operates through a network of 500 retail outlets, five LPG bottling plants and three lubricant blending plants. Total (Nigeria) PLC�� major shareholder is Total SA.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD)

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (Enterprise), incorporated on April 9, 1998, owns and operates natural gas liquids (NGLs) related businesses of Enterprise Products Company (EPCO). The Company is a North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined products and certain petrochemicals. Its midstream energy asset network links producers of natural gas, NGLs and crude oil from supply basins in the United States, Canada and the Gulf of Mexico with domestic consumers and international markets. Its midstream energy operations include natural gas gathering, treating, processing, transportation and storage; NGL transportation, fractionation, storage, and import and export terminals; crude oil gathering and transportation, storage and terminals; offshore production platforms; petrochemical and refined products transportation and services; and a marine transportation business that operates on the United States inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems and in the Gulf of Mexico. Its assets include approximately 50,000 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines; 200 million barrels of storage capacity for NGLs, petrochemicals, refined products and crude oil; and 14 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity. In addition, its asset portfolio includes 24 natural gas processing plants, 21 NGL and propylene fractionators, six offshore hub platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico, a butane isomerization complex, NGL import and export terminals, and octane isobutylene production facilities. The Company operates in five business segments: NGL Pipelines & Services; Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services; Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services; Offshore Pipelines & Services, and Petrochemical & Refined Products Services.

NGL Pipelines & Services

The Company�� NGL Pipelines & Services business segment includes its natural gas processing plants and related NGL marketing activities; approximately 16,700 miles of NGL pipel! ines; NGL and related product storage facilities; and 14 NGL fractionators. This segment also includes its import and export terminal operations. At the core of its natural gas processing business are 24 processing plants located across Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. Natural gas produced at the wellhead (especially in association with crude oil) contains varying amounts of NGLs. Once the mixed component NGLs are extracted by a natural gas processing plant, they are transported to a centralized fractionation facility for separation into purity NGL products. Once processed, this natural gas is available for sale through its natural gas marketing activities. Its NGL marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of NGLs it takes title to through its natural gas processing activities and open market and contract purchases from third parties. Its NGL marketing activities utilize a fleet of approximately 670 railcars, the majority of which are leased from third parties.

The Company�� NGL pipelines transport mixed NGLs and other hydrocarbons from natural gas processing facilities, refineries and import terminals to fractionation plants and storage facilities; distribute and collect NGL products to and from fractionation plants, storage and terminal facilities, petrochemical plants, export facilities and refineries, and deliver propane to customers along the Dixie Pipeline and certain sections of the Mid-America Pipeline System. Revenues from its NGL pipeline transportation agreements are based upon a fixed fee per gallon of liquids transported multiplied by the volume delivered. Certain of its NGL pipelines offer firm capacity reservation services. It collects storage revenues under its NGL and related product storage contracts based on the number of days a customer has volumes in storage multiplied by a storage fee. In addition, it charges customers throughput fees based on volumes delivered into and subsequently withdrawn from storage. Its ! principal! NGL pipelines include Mid-America Pipeline System, South Texas NGL Pipeline System, Seminole Pipeline, Dixie Pipeline, Chaparral NGL System, Louisiana Pipeline System, Skelly-Belvieu Pipeline, Promix NGL Gathering System, Houston Ship Channel pipeline, Rio Grande Pipeline, Panola Pipeline and Lou-Tex NGL Pipeline. It operates its NGL pipelines with the exception of the Tri-States pipeline.

The Company�� NGL operations include import and export facilities located on the Houston Ship Channel in southeast Texas. It owns an import and export facility located on land it leases from Oiltanking Houston LP. Its import facility can offload NGLs from tanker vessels at rates up to 14,000 barrels per hour depending on the product. During the year ended December 31, 2012, its average combined NGL import and export volumes were 132 thousand barrels per day. In addition to its Houston Ship Channel import/export terminal, it owns a barge dock also located on the Houston Ship Channel, which can load or offload two barges of NGLs or other products simultaneously at rates up to 5,000 barrels per hour.

The Company owns or have interests in 14 NGL fractionators located in Texas and Louisiana. NGL fractionators separate mixed NGL streams into purity NGL products. The primary sources of mixed NGLs fractionated in the United States are domestic natural gas processing plants, crude oil refineries and imports of butane and propane mixtures. Mixed NGLs sourced from domestic natural gas processing plants and crude oil refineries are transported by NGL pipelines and by railcar and truck to NGL fractionation facilities.

The Company�� NGL fractionation facilities process mixed NGL streams for third party customers and support its NGL marketing activities. It earns revenues from NGL fractionation under fee-based arrangements, including a level of demand-based fees. At its Norco facility in Louisiana, it performs fractionation services for certain customers under percent-of-liquids co! ntracts. ! Its fee-based fractionation customers retain title to the NGLs, which it processes for them. Its NGL fractionators include Mont Belvieu fractionator, Shoup and Armstrong fractionator, Hobbs NGL fractionator, Norco NGL fractionator, Promix NGL fractionators and BRF fractionators.

Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services

The Company�� Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services business segment includes approximately 19,900 miles of onshore natural gas pipeline systems, which provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. It leases salt dome natural gas storage facilities located in Texas and Louisiana and own a salt dome storage cavern in Texas, which are integral to its pipeline operations. This segment also includes its related natural gas marketing activities.

The Company�� onshore natural gas pipeline systems and storage facilities provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas from producing regions, such as the San Juan, Barnett Shale, Permian, Piceance, Greater Green River, Haynesville Shale and Eagle Ford Shale supply basins in the western United States. In addition, these systems receive natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico through coastal pipeline interconnects with offshore pipelines. Its onshore natural gas pipelines receive natural gas from producers, other pipelines or shippers at the wellhead or through system interconnects and redeliver the natural gas to processing facilities, local gas distribution companies, industrial or municipal customers, storage facilities or to other onshore pipelines.

Its onshore natural gas pipelines generates revenues from transportation agreements under which shippers are billed a fee per unit of volume transported multiplied by the volume gathered or delivered. Its onshore natural gas pipelines offer firm capacity reservation services whereby the shipper pays a contractually stated fee based on the level of through! put capac! ity reserved in its pipelines whether or not the shipper actually utilizes such capacity. Under its natural gas storage contracts, there are typically two components of revenues monthly demand payments, which are associated with a customer�� storage capacity reservation and paid regardless of actual usage, and storage fees per unit of volume stored at its facilities. The Company�� natural gas marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of natural gas obtained from third party well-head purchases, regional natural gas processing plants and the open market.

Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services

The Company�� Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services business segment includes approximately 5,100 miles of onshore crude oil pipelines, crude oil storage terminals located in Oklahoma and Texas, and its crude oil marketing activities. Its onshore crude oil pipeline systems gather and transport crude oil in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas to refineries, centralized storage terminals and connecting pipelines. Revenue from crude oil transportation is based upon a fixed fee per barrel transported multiplied by the volume delivered.

The Company owns crude oil terminal facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma and Midland, Texas, which are used to store crude oil volumes for it and its customers. Under its crude oil terminaling agreements, it charges customers for crude oil storage based on the number of days a customer has volumes in storage multiplied by a contractual storage fee. With respect to storage capacity reservation agreements, it collects a fee for reserving storage capacity for customers at its terminals. In addition, it charges its customers throughput (or pumpover) fees based on volumes withdrawn from its terminals. It provides fee-based trade documentation services whereby it documents the transfer of title for crude oil volumes transacted between buyers and sellers at its terminals. The Company�� crude oil marketing activities generate revenues! from the! sale and delivery of crude oil obtained from producers or on the open market.

Offshore Pipelines & Services

The Company�� Offshore Pipelines & Services business segment serves active drilling and development regions, including deepwater production fields, in the northern Gulf of Mexico offshore Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This segment includes approximately 2,300 miles of offshore natural gas and crude oil pipelines and six offshore hub platforms. Its offshore Gulf of Mexico pipelines provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas or crude oil. Revenue from its offshore pipelines is derived from fee-based agreements whereby the customer is charged a fee per unit of volume gathered or transported multiplied by the volume delivered. Poseidon Oil Pipeline Company, L.L.C. (Poseidon), in which it has a 36% equity method investment, purchases crude oil from producers and shippers at a receipt point (at a fixed or index-based price less a location differential) and then sells quantities of crude oil at onshore Louisiana locations (at the same fixed or index-based price, as applicable).

The Company�� offshore platforms are components of its pipeline operations. Platforms are used to interconnect the offshore pipeline network; provide means to perform pipeline maintenance; locate compression, separation and production handling equipment and similar assets, and conduct drilling operations during the initial development phase of an oil and natural gas property. Revenues from offshore platform services consist of demand fees and commodity charges. Revenue from commodity charges is based on a fixed-fee per unit of volume delivered to the platform multiplied by the total volume of each product delivered.

Petrochemical & Refined Products Services

The Company�� Petrochemical & Refined Products Services business segment consists of propylene fractionation plants, pipelines and related marketing activities; a butane isom! erization! facility and related pipeline system; octane enhancement and isobutylene production facilities; refined products pipelines, including its Products Pipeline System, and related marketing activities, and marine transportation and other services.

The Company�� propylene fractionation and related activities consist of seven propylene fractionation plants (six located in Mont Belvieu, Texas and a seventh in Baton Rouge, Louisiana), propylene pipeline systems aggregating approximately 680 miles in length and related petrochemical marketing activities. This business includes an export facility and associated above-ground polymer grade propylene storage spheres located in Seabrook, Texas. Results of operations for its polymer grade propylene plants are dependent upon toll processing arrangements and petrochemical marketing activities. The toll processing arrangements include a base-processing fee per gallon (or other unit of measurement). Its petrochemical marketing activities include the purchase and fractionation of refinery grade propylene obtained in the open market and generate revenues from the sale and delivery of products obtained through propylene fractionation. The revenues from its propylene pipelines are based upon a transportation fee per unit of volume multiplied by the volume delivered to the customer. As part of its petrochemical marketing activities, it has refinery grade propylene purchase and polymer grade propylene sales agreements. Its butane isomerization business includes three butamer reactor units and eight associated deisobutanizer units located in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which comprise the commercial isomerization facility in the United States.

The Company�� commercial isomerization units convert normal butane into mixed butane, which is fractionated into isobutane, isobutane and residual normal butane. The uses of isobutane are for the production of propylene oxide, isooctane, isobutylene and alkylate for motor gasoline. These processing arrangements inclu! de a base! -processing fee per gallon (or other unit of measurement). Its isomerization business also generates revenues from the sale of natural gasoline created as a by-product of the isomerization process. The Company owns and operates an octane enhancement production facility located in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which produces isooctane, isobutylene and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). The products produced by this facility are used in reformulated motor gasoline blends. The isobutane feedstocks consumed in the production of these products are supplied by its isomerization units. The Company owns a facility located on the Houston Ship Channel, which produces high purity isobutylene (HPIB). The feedstock for this plant is produced by its octane enhancement facility located at its Mont Belvieu complex. HPIB is used in the production of alkylated phenols used as antioxidants, lube oil additives, butyl rubber and resins.

Refined products pipelines and related activities consist of its Products Pipeline System, equity method investment in Centennial Pipeline LLC (Centennial) and refined products marketing activities. The Products Pipeline System transports refined products, and petrochemicals, such as ethylene and propylene and NGLs, such as propane and normal butane. These refined products are produced by refineries and include gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, kerosene, distillates and heating oil. Refined products also include blend stocks, such as raffinate and naphtha. Blend stocks are used to produce gasoline or as a feedstock for certain petrochemicals. The Centennial Pipeline intersects its Products Pipeline System near Creal Springs, Illinois, and loops the Products Pipeline System between Beaumont, Texas and south Illinois. In addition, it has refined products terminals located at Aberdeen, Mississippi and Boligee, Alabama adjacent to the Tombigbee River and on the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena, Texas. Its related marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of refin! ed produc! ts obtained from third parties on the open market.

The Company�� marine transportation business consists of tow boats and tank barges, which are used to transport refined products, crude oil, asphalt, condensate, heavy fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas and other petroleum products along inland and intracoastal the United States waterways. Its marine transportation assets service refinery and storage terminal customers along the Mississippi River, the intracoastal waterway between Texas and Florida and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway system. It owns a shipyard and repair facility located in Houma, Louisiana and marine fleeting facilities in Bourg, Louisiana and Channelview, Texas. Other services consist of the distribution of lubrication oils and specialty chemicals and the bulk transportation of fuels by truck, in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  There are several reasons shale drilling has taken off in the United States. One clear reason everyone can agree on is that the U.S. has one of the most complete energy infrastructures out there. While much of that infrastructure was built to deliver oil and gas from the Gulf of Mexico to destinations across the U.S., we we've taken that existing infrastructure and flipped it on its head. Pipeline reversals, such as the one on Enbridge's (NYSE: ENB  ) and Enterprise Products Partners' (NYSE: EPD  ) Seaway pipeline, provide an essential route to deliver resources from these emerging shale plays to the Gulf to be refined.�

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  That's one reason why I always make an effort to listen in to Enterprise Products Partners' (NYSE: EPD  ) annual investor day. The company's strategically positioned assets flow through all of our major resources' basins, which has enabled the company to see what others might miss. Among many other things, this has given the company a window into the future of natural gas demand.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  As an asset class, upstream oil and gas MLPs are faced with more�difficulty�in maintaining steady cash flow from quarter to quarter. Midstream MLPs like Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD  ) have a much easier task ��the majority of its cash flow is locked into fee-based contracts. In fact, 81% of Enterprise's gross operating margin is secured by long-term, fee-based contracts. Upstream MLPs try to replicate this income safety by hedging production for several years, but they are not always successful in locking in enough cash flow to cover the distribution from quarter to quarter.�

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  There is a real effort on the part of midstream companies to increase fee-based revenue. As I mentioned, this stabilizes cash flow and leads to a much more secure distribution which is something that's important to investors. Top midstream operator�Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD  ) , for example, boasts of fee-based margins of more than 80% this year. Enterprise has invested billions to steadily increase that number which just two years ago was just slightly over 70%. With more than 30 consecutive distribution increases, this has been money well spent. Atlas, on the other hand, has a long way to go to get its fee-based margins that high, but its heading in the right direction.�

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Caiterra International Energy Corp (CTI.V)

CaiTerra International Energy Corporation (Caiterra), formerly Cyterra Capital Corp., is a Canada-based company is engaged in the exploration and development of oil and gas properties. The Company�� project includes Faust, Amadou and Lac La Biche. On March 9, 2012, the Company completed its qualifying transaction with West Pacific Petroleum Inc. (WPP), pursuant to which the Company acquired all of WPP�� working interests in certain petroleum and natural gas leases and an oil sand lease in the Lac La Biche and Amadou Projects located in Alberta, Canada and certain other assets (the QT Oil and Gas Properties) from West Pacific Petroleum Inc. (WPP). On December 17, 2012 the Company acquired the Faust Property located just north of the Swan Hills oil field and south of the Town of Slave Lake.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Archer Ltd (ARCHER.OL)

Archer Ltd, formerly Seawell Limited is a Bermuda-based global oilfield service company. The Company provides drilling services, such as platform drilling, land drilling, modular rings, directional drilling, drill bits, tubular services, drilling and completion fluids, cementing tools, plugs and packers, underbalanced services, rentals and engineering. It specialises also in well services, such as wireline intervention, specialist intervention, frac valves, wireline logging, integrity diagnostics, imaging, production monitoring, coiled tubing, completion services and fishing. As of January 3, 2012, the Company's organizational structure centered on four geographic and strategic areas: North America (NAM), North Sea (NRS), Latin America (LAM) and Emerging Markets & Technologies (EMT). As of December 31, 2010, it was active through a number of subsidiaries, namely Seawell, Allis-Chalmers Energy, Gray Wireline, Rig Inspection Services and TecWel, among others.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA (HRTPY.PK)

HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA, formerly BN 16 Participacoes Ltda, is a Brazil-based holding company engaged in the oil and gas industry. The Company is primarily involved in the exploration and production (E&P) of oil and natural gas in Brazil and Namibia. Through its subsidiaries, it is active in the geophysical and geological research, exploration, development, production, import, export and sale of oil and natural gas, as well as in the provision of air logistics services in transporting people and equipment related to oil and gas activities in the exploratory campaign in the Solimoes Basin. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had seven subsidiaries, including Integrated Petroleum Expertise Company Servicos em Petroleo Ltda (IPEX), HRT O&G Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo Ltda, HRT Netherlands BV, HRT America Inc, HRT Africa, HRT Canada Inc and Air Amazonia Servicos Aereos Ltda.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Tesoro Petroleum Corporation(TSO)

Tesoro Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in refining and marketing petroleum products in the United States. It operates in two segments, Refining and Retail. The Refining segment refines crude oil and other feed stocks into transportation fuels, such as gasoline, gasoline blendstocks, jet fuel, and diesel fuel, as well as other products, including heavy fuel oils, liquefied petroleum gas, petroleum coke, and asphalt. This segment also sells refined products in the wholesale market primarily through independent unbranded distributors; and in the bulk market primarily to independent unbranded distributors, other refining and marketing companies, utilities, railroads, airlines and marine, and industrial end-users. It owns and operates 7 refineries with a combined crude oil capacity of 665 thousand barrels per day. The Retail segment sells gasoline, diesel fuel, and convenience store items through company-operated retail stations, and third-party branded dea lers and distributors in the western United States. As of December 31, 2011, this segment had 1,175 branded retail stations under the Tesoro, Shell, and USA Gasoline brands. The company was formerly known as Tesoro Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Tesoro Corporation in November 2004. Tesoro Corporation was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Energy stocks fell Wednesday as crude oil prices tumbled, with refiners going the opposite direction�on strength from Marathon Petroleum (MPC) gaining 3.6%, and Tesoro (TSO) up 3.7%.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Paradigm Oil and Gas Inc (PDGO)

Paradigm Oil And Gas, Inc.( Paradigm), incorporated on July 15, 2002, is engaged in the exploration, development, acquisition and operation of oil and gas properties. The Company participates in the oil and gas industry through the purchase of small interests in either producing wells or oil and gas exploration and development projects. As of December 31, 2010, the Company held 100% working interests in certain oil and gas leases along with certain Oil and Gas production equipment in the State of Texas, United States of America, and is engaged in the rework and development of those properties. As of December 31, 2010, Intergrated Oil and Gas Solutions Inc. is the 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. Effective August 5, 2013, Paradigm Oil & Gas Inc acquired a majority interest in CAM Trucking & Well Service, a trucking company, from A Feezel Corp.

The Company is an exploration company focused on developing North American oil and natural gas reserves. It focuses on the exploration of its land portfolio consists of working interests in prospective acreage in the State of Texas and in the Southern Alberta Foothills area in Canada; and North Central Alberta, Canada. On June 22, 2010, Intergrated Oil and Gas Solutions Inc. acquired the Corsicana lease. On June 25, 2010, Intergrated Oil and Gas Solutions Inc. acquired two additional Chilson leases, known as Chilson B.

The oil and gas properties are consists of four leases totaling approximately 934 net mineral acres, all located in the State of Texas, United States of America. Chilson Property covers 80 acres in the County of Wichita carry with a 87.5% net revenue interest. There are seven existing wells on the property that have previously produced. Approximately 69 new wells can be drilled to depths that vary between 800 to 5,000 feet. Lumpkin Property 692 acres in Kaufman County, carry a 80% Net Revenue Interest. This lease is considered an exploration field with existing production nearby. 17 new wells can be drilled to 9,000 ! feet. Lett Finley Property, Consists of two leases-40 acres located in the County of Wood, carry a 75% Net Revenue Interest, and 122.37 acres located in the County of Henderson carry a 81.25% Net Revenue Interest There are two existing wells on the properties that have previously produced. Two new offset wells can be drilled to 9,500 feet and another seven infield wells can be drilled.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Gastar Exploration Ltd (GST)

Gastar Exploration Ltd (Gastar) is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of natural gas and oil in the United States. The Company�� principal business activities include the identification, acquisition, and subsequent exploration and development of natural gas and oil properties with an emphasis on unconventional reserves, such as shale resource plays. As of December 31, 2011, it is pursuing the development of liquids-rich natural gas in the Marcellus Shale in the Appalachia area of West Virginia and, to a lesser extent, central and southwestern Pennsylvania. The Company also holds prospective acreage in the deep Bossier play in the Hilltop area of East Texas and conduct limited coal bed methane (CBM) development activities within the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. The Company is a holding company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Gastar Exploration (NYSE: GST) is another Aggressive Portfolio pick made on Dec. 11, and so far it has rallied quite aggressively, producing a three-week capital gain of 26 percent. It helped here too to catch the very bottom of the recent correction, but Gastar has continued to report strong test well results from the Hunton Limestone play it’s pioneering in Oklahoma.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: BMB Munai Inc (BMBM)

BMB Munai, Inc., incorporated in July 1981, focuses on oil and natural gas exploration and production in the Republic of Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan) through a wholly owned operating subsidiary, Emir Oil LLP, (Emir Oil). Emir Oil holds an exploration contract that allowed exploration drilling and oil production in the Mangistau Province in the southwestern region of Kazakhstan. On February 14, 2011 the Company entered into a Participation Interest Purchase Agreement (the Purchase Agreement) with MIE Holdings Corporation (MIE), and its subsidiary, Palaeontol B.V (Palaeontol), pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell all of its interest in Emir Oil to Palaeontol (the Sale). On September 19, 2011, the Company completed the sale of all of its interests in Emir Oil LLP to a subsidiary of MIE Holdings Corporation. The operations of Emir Oil LLP is classified as discontinued.

The initial distribution amount was determined after giving effect to the estimated closing adjustments, Escrow amount, repayment of the Convertible Senior Notes, and after providing for the payment of or reserve for other anticipated liabilities and transaction costs. In February 2012 the Company entered into a Management Services Agreement (Services Agreement) with Lakeview International, LLC (Lakeview). Pursuant to the Services Agreement, Lakeview is providing management, administrative and support personnel and services to the Company.

Hot Gas Companies To Watch For 2014: Abraxas Petroleum Corp (AXAS)

Abraxas Petroleum Corporation is an independent energy company primarily engaged in the acquisition, exploitation, development and production of oil and gas in the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� estimated net proved reserves were 29.0 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBoe), (including reserves attributable to its 34.7% equity interest in the proved reserves of Blue Eagle), of which 53% were classified as proved developed, 54% were oil and natural gas liquids (NGL��) and 94% by PV-10 were operated. Its daily net production during the year ended December 31, 2011, was 3,484 barrels of oil equivalent per day, of which 45% was oil or liquids. Its oil and gas assets are located in four operating regions in the United States, the Rocky Mountain, Mid-Continent, Permian Basin and onshore Gulf Coast, and in the province of Alberta, Canada.

The Company�� properties in the Rocky Mountain region are located in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana and in the Green River, Powder River and Unita Basins of Wyoming and Utah. In this region, its wells produce oil and gas from various reservoirs, including the Niobrara, Turner, Bakken and Three Forks formations. Well depths range from 7,000 feet down to 14,000 feet. The Company�� properties in the Mid-Continent region are primarily located in the Arkoma Basin and principally produce gas from the Hartshorne coals at 3,000 feet. Its properties in the Permian Basin region are primarily located in two sub-basins, the Delaware Basin and the Eastern Shelf. In the Delaware Basin, its wells are located in Pecos, Reeves, and Ward Counties, Texas and produce oil and gas from multiple stacked formations from the Bell Canyon at 5,000 feet down to the Ellenburger at 16,000 feet.

In the Eastern Shelf, its wells are principally located in Coke, Scurry, Midland, Mitchell and Nolan Counties, Texas and produce oil and gas from the Strawn Reef formation at 5,000 to 7,500 feet and oil from the shallower Clea! rfork formation at depths ranging from 2,300 to 3,300 feet. The Company�� properties in the onshore Gulf Coast region are located along the Edwards trend in DeWitt and Lavaca Counties, Texas and in the Portilla field in San Patricio County, Texas. In the Edwards trend, its wells produce gas from the Edwards formation at a depth of 14,000 feet and in the Portilla field, its wells produce oil and gas from the Frio sands and the deeper Vicksburg from depths of approximately 7,000 to 9,000 feet. In addition, the Company also owns a 34.7% equity interest in a joint venture targeting the Eagle Ford in South Texas. Its properties in the province of Alberta, Canada are located in the Pekisko fairway and the Nordegg/Tomahawk area of Central Alberta.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased approximately 20,835 net acres, primarily in counties located on the Nesson Anticline and in areas west, including Rough Rider and Lewis & Clark in North Dakota and in Sheridan County, Montana, which are prospective for the Bakken and Three Forks formations. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company drilled two operated wells and participated in an additional 19 gross (1.0 net) non-operated wells. In July 2011, Abraxas purchased a used Oilwell 2000 horsepower diesel electric drilling rig. In August 2010, the Company formed a joint venture, Blue Eagle, with Rock Oil to develop its acreage in the Eagle Ford Shale play. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 34.7% interest in Blue Eagle. During 2011, Blue Eagle drilled, completed or participated in three gross (2.4 net) wells and added approximately 3,800 net acres to its holdings, principally in McMullen County, Texas.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased a total of approximately 20,720 gross (17,800 net) acres in the southern Powder River Basin, of which 17,800 gross (15,700 net) acres were located in the Brooks Draw field of Converse and Niobrara Counties, Wyoming. In addition, it owns approximately 2,100 net acres in sout! hern Camp! bell County, Wyoming which are held by production and are near the Crossbow field operated by EOG Resources, Inc. and other recent horizontal activity. As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased 6,880 net acres in western Alberta. In 2011, it drilled or completed six gross (6 net) wells in the Twining area. In the emerging southern Alberta Basin Bakken play of Toole and Glacier Counties, Montana, the Company leased approximately 10,000 gross/net acres under long-term leases or direct mineral ownership. As of December 31, 2011, it leased approximately 5,600 gross/net acres in Nolan County, Texas. In 2011, the Company drilled three wells in the Spires Ranch offsetting the prolific Nena Lucia field.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  With steam coal prices continuing to be weak due to the inroads made by natural gas, Natural Resource Partners (NYSE: NRP  ) has decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. It announced Monday it is buying producing�oil and gas�properties located in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana from�Abraxas Petroleum (NASDAQ: AXAS  ) for $35.3 million in cash.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Friday
  The market is typically quiet on Friday, but that's certainly not the case during earnings season. Abraxas Petroleum (NASDAQ: AXAS  ) checks in with its latest quarterly results on Friday morning. The San Antonio-based crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company is expected to post breakeven results.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  In the energy world, it's never much of a surprise when an oil company picks up natural gas assets or vice versa. But a coal company getting into the oil business? Now that's a rarity. This week, Natural Resources Partners (NYSE: NRP  ) �did just that. The company announced that it's taking a working interest in some of Abraxas Petroleums (NASDAQ: AXAS  ) assets in the Bakken. While the $35 million purchase was not that large, it's a rare case where a coal company branches out into other natural resources.�

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Penn Virginia has gained 6.9% to $7.15 at 11:56 p.m. today, while Sanchez Energy (SN) has advanced 5.2% to $29.10, Abraxas Petroleum (AXAS) has risen 2.4% to $2.97 and Gulfport Energy (GPOR) is up 1.3% at $67.31.