The serial entrepreneur, who had better opportunities growing up with India's schools, sees a U.S. education system lacking to deliver programmers. He wants to change that.
Gupta and others formed Play-i, a startup focused on programmable robots aimed at children as young as five. Their idea is to make learning how to program robots easy.
"The question was, how can we make something that's fun, that's extremely inviting, and gets parents and kids into the magical world of programming at a young age?" says Gupta.
Mountain View, Calif.-based Playi 's two robots, named Bo and Yana, allow kids to manipulate their bright-colored orbs that make sounds, flash lights and move.
Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Invest In 2015: Spartan Stores Inc.(SPTN)
Spartan Stores, Inc. operates as a grocery distributor and retailer principally in Michigan and Indiana. The company operates in two segments, Distribution and Retail. The Distribution segment provides approximately 43,000 stock-keeping units, including dry groceries, produce, dairy products, meat, deli, bakery, frozen food, seafood, floral products, general merchandise, pharmacy, and health and beauty care items to approximately 375 independent grocery stores and 96 corporate-owned stores, as well as offers approximately 3,600 private brand grocery and general merchandise items. It also provides value-added services, including site identification and market analyses; store planning and development; marketing, promotion, advertising; technology and information; accounting and tax preparation; human resource; coupon redemption; product reclamation; printing; category management; real estate; and construction management services. The Retail segment operates 97 retail superma rkets in Michigan under the Glen?s Markets, Family Fare Supermarkets, D&W Fresh Markets, VG?s Food and Pharmacy, and Valu Land names; and 25 fuel centers/convenience stores that offers refueling facilities, as well as immediately consumable products under the Glen?s Quick Stop, Family Fare Quick Stop, D&W Fresh Markets Quick Stop, and VG?s Quick Stop names. Its retail supermarkets offer dry groceries, produce, dairy products, meat, frozen food, seafood, floral products, general merchandise, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty care products, delicatessen items, and bakery goods, as well as pharmacy services. This segment also provides private brand items, including its Spartan brand; Fresh Selections; Top Care, a health and beauty care brand; Valu Time, a value brand; Full Circle, a natural and organic brand; and Paws, a pet supplies brand. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Margins matter. The more Spartan Stores (Nasdaq: SPTN ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Spartan Stores's competitive position could be.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Spartan Stores (Nasdaq: SPTN ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Jeremy Bowman]
What: Shares of Nash-Finch (NASDAQ: NAFC ) and Spartan Stores (NASDAQ: SPTN ) jumped as much as 16% and 15%, respectively, after Spartan said it would buy Nash-Finch, primarily for its military stores.
Top 10 Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Watch Right Now: Trans World Entertainment Corp.(TWMC)
Trans World Entertainment Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of entertainment software products, including music, video, video games, and other related products through its retail stores and e-commerce sites in the United States. The company?s other related products include electronics, accessories, and trend items. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 376 mall-based stores under the For Your Entertainment (f.y.e.), Suncoast Motion Pictures, and Saturday Matinee brand names in regional shopping malls; 84 freestanding stores under the f.y.e. brand name; and 3 retail Websites, including fye.com, wherehouse.com, and secondspin.com. The company operates retail stores in the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Trans World Entertainment Corporation was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Albany, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Melvin]
The safe and cheap undervalued stocks will go right up, but your chances of being destroyed when the party is over are diminished. Stocks like Richardson Electronics (RELL) and Transworld Entertainment (TWMC) have the ability to go up as the market bubbles higher but their asset value will act as sort of a floor in a decline.
Top 10 Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Watch Right Now: Gevo Inc (GEVO)
Gevo, Inc., incorporated in June 2005, is a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company. The Company is focused on the development and commercialization of alternatives to petroleum-based products. The Company operates in two segments: Gevo, Inc. Segment and Gevo Development/Agri-Energy Segment. Gevo, Inc. Segment is responsible for all research and development activities related to the future production of isobutanol, maintaining and protecting its intellectual property portfolio, developing future markets for its isobutanol and providing corporate oversight services. Its Gevo Development/Agri-Energy Segment is responsible for the production of ethanol and related products. In September 2010, the Company acquired a 22 MGPY ethanol production facility in Luverne, Minnesota that the Company intends to retrofit to produce isobutanol.
The Company�� isobutanol can also be converted by its customers into a range of hydrocarbons, which form the basis for the production of many products, including plastics, fibers, rubber and other polymers and hydrocarbon fuels, including jet and diesel fuel. Its technology platform consists of biocatalysts and a isobutanol separation unit. Together these technologies form the Gevo Integrated Fermentation Technology (GIFT). GIFT is designed to allow relatively low capital expenditure retrofits of existing ethanol facilities, enabling isobutanol production from a range of renewable feedstocks. The Company�� biocatalysts are microorganisms that have been designed to metabolize sugars to produce isobutanol.
GIFT consists of two components, biocatalysts which convert sugars derived from multiple renewable feedstocks into isobutanol through fermentation, and a separation unit which is designed to continuously separate isobutanol from water during the fermentation process. The Company developed its technology platform to be compatible with the existing approximately 20 BGPY of global operating ethanol production capacity, as estimated by the R! enewable Fuels Association (RFA).
The Company competes with Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC (Butamax), BP p.l.c. (BP), E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Butalco GmbH, Cathay Industrial Biotech Ltd., METabolic EXplorer S.A., TetraVitae Bioscience, Inc., Cobalt Technologies, Inc., Green Biologics Ltd. Shell Oil Products US (Shell Oil), BP, DuPont-Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC, Abengoa Bioenergy, S.A., POET, LLC, ICM, Mascoma, Range Fuels, Inbicon A/S, INEOS New Planet BioEnergy LLC, Coskata, Archer Daniels Midland Company, BlueFire Ethanol, Inc., KL Energy Corporation, ZeaChem Inc., Iogen Corporation, Qteros, Inc., and AE Biofuels, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dallas Salazar]
Gevo Inc (GEVO), the worlds only commercial producer of bio based isobutanol, has made incredible strides over the last two quarters in the way of improving the fundamentals of their company. Essentially, GEVO has had to do a complete rebuild of the foundation of their company along with learn an entirely new operating process. They have successfully been able to do both along with begin commercial production, expand production to a second production train, and begin supplying the US Coast Guard with isobutanol. They have made all of these fundamental improvements to the company while the stock has remained largely unchanged since before production. This is what makes Q3/2013 so important.
- [By Robert Rapier]
KiOR (Nasdaq: KIOR) is one of three advanced biofuel companies that venture capitalist Vinod Khosla took public in 2011. The other two were Amyris (Nasdaq: AMRS) and Gevo (Nasdaq: GEVO). Each of these companies has seen its share price drop sharply since the IPO. While KiOR is one of the few companies to have produced advanced biofuel for sale, the volumes have consistently come in below company guidance, and I expect production costs to remain above the sales price for the foreseeable future.
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap biofuel or synthetic fuel stocks Gevo, Inc (NASDAQ: GEVO), KiOR Inc (NASDAQ: KIOR), Solazyme Inc (NASDAQ: SZYM) and Syntroleum Corp (NASDAQ: SYNM) all seem to have been seeing some trading action in recent days���meaning its worth taking a closer look at all four�before taking a look at their rather dismal�long term performance while noting that none are yet profitable:
- [By Maxx Chatsko]
Dozens of companies with the capacity to produce next-generation renewable fuel -- fuels may or may not be the primary focus of each -- have answered the call. The latest comes from industrial biotech company Gevo (NASDAQ: GEVO ) , which has begun supplying the U.S. Coast Guard with initial quantities of renewable isobutanol-blended gasoline for maritime vessels. This comes after an earlier collaboration with the U.S. Air Force in 2011, an extension of which calls for an additional 45,000 gallons of isobutanol-derived jet fuel to be supplied by the end of October. What do these partnerships with Uncle Sam mean for the future of the company?
Top 10 Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Watch Right Now: Provident New York Bancorp(PBNY)
Provident New York Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Provident Bank that provides commercial, community business, and retail banking products and services to businesses, individuals, and municipalities in New York and New Jersey. It offers various deposit products, such as savings accounts, NOW accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, club accounts, certificates of deposit, commercial checking accounts, IRAs, and other qualified plan accounts. The company?s loan portfolio includes commercial real estate, commercial business, and one-to four-family real estate loans; acquisition, development, and construction loans; and consumer loans, including homeowner, home equity lines of credit, new and used automobile loans, and personal unsecured loans, such as fixed-rate installment loans and variable lines of credit. In addition, it provides services, including cash management, sweep accounts, insurance agency, investment advisory, asset and investment m anagement, and Internet banking services. As of September 30, 2011, Provident New York Bancorp operated 30 retail branches and 7 commercial banking centers in the Hudson Valley region. The company was formerly known as Provident Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to Provident New York Bancorp in June 2005. Provident New York Bancorp was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Montebello, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
The M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB) and Hudson City Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: HCBK) transaction is the only pending deal of 2012 vintage due to various regulatory concerns. MTB currently has 9% short interest outstanding and PACW 15%. Another merger covered is the deal between Provident New York Bancorp (NASDAQ: PBNY) and Sterling Bancorp (NYSE: STL), and the balance are simply too small for us to warrant effort.
Top 10 Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Watch Right Now: Xcel Energy Inc.(XEL)
Xcel Energy Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers, as well as to public authorities in the United States. The company generates electricity using coal, nuclear, natural gas, hydro, wood, diesel, and wind energy. It also engages in the purchase, transportation, distribution, and sale of natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company serves customers in portions of Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. As of December 31, 2010, it provided electricity services to 3,391,611 customers; and natural gas services to 1,893,250 customers. Xcel Energy, through its joint venture interests in WYCO Development LLC, develops and leases natural gas pipeline, storage, and compression facilities. The company was founded in 1909 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Another risk factor that can often be overlooked is that electricity price increases aren't a guarantee. In fact, power price increase rulings are often determined by state regulatory energy commissions which have a duty to look out not for these companies, but also for the best interests of consumers. Last summer, for instance, Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL ) was denied a $100 million rate increase (about $2 each month per customer) by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission after failing to sufficiently demonstrate how not raising these rates would adversely impact the company.�
- [By Dimitra DeFotis]
Apartment Invest & Management (AIV)
Ameriprise (AMP)
Edison International (EIX)
Host Hotels & Resorts (HST)
Kimco Realty (KIM)
Kroger (KR)
Lincoln National (LNC)
Newfield Exploration (NFX)
Republic Services (RSG)
UnitedHealth (UNH)
Verizon (VZ)
Wells Fargo (WFC)
WellPoint (WLP)
Wyndham Worldwide (WYN)
Xcel Energy Utilities (XEL) - [By Shauna O'Brien]
Jefferies announced on Wednesday that it has raised its rating on Xcel Energy Inc (XEL).
The firm has upgraded XEL from “Hold” to “Buy,” and has raised the company’s price target from $31 to $32.50. This new price target suggests a 15% upside from the stock’s current price of $27.72.
Analyst Paul B. Fremont commented: “The stock is currently trading at an 8% P/E discount to our 2015E group average multiple.”
“Despite a difficult political environment in Minnesota the company was able to achieve a reasonable outcome in its NSP-Minnesota rate case,” the analyst added.
Looking forward, the firm has increased its FY2014 outlook from $1.95 to $2.00 per share.
Xcel Energy shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock has been mostly flat YTD.
- [By Rich Smith]
Schadenfreude's in season
Not everyone's opposed to the law, necessarily. For example, Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL ) is already working to expand its portfolio of wind-generated power in the state, and two years ago, it put into operation a 19-megawatt solar farm in cooperation with SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR ) . As a so-called "investor-owned utility," Xcel is already subject to a target of 30% renewables use by 2020 -- so a law making its rural rivals hit a 20% target probably didn't upset Xcel all that much.
Top 10 Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Watch Right Now: Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA (MB)
Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario SpA is an Italy-based bank. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company's activities are divided into three main segments: Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB), Principal Investing (PI) and Retail and Private Banking (RPB). In the CIB segment, the Bank is engaged in the investment banking activities, leasing services and trading investments. The PI segment comprises the Bank�� shareholdings in companies involved in the insurance sector, multimedia publishing activities and telecommunication services, as well as stakes acquired as part of merchant banking activity and investments in private equity funds. The RPB consists of financial products and services provided to retail customers, including consumer credit products, mortgages, deposit accounts, private banking and fiduciary activities. In September 2013, the Company launched the sale of its investment in Telco. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bloomberg]
Mattel (MAT), the world's largest toymaker, agreed to buy Mega Brands (MB) for $460 million, acquiring the biggest challenger to Lego A/S in the construction-toy market. Mattel is offering C$17.75 ($16) a share, according to a statement today, a 36 percent premium over yesterday's closing price. The board of Montreal-based Mega Brands unanimously approved the transaction, and investors holding 39 percent of the stock, including Chief Executive Officer Marc Bertrand and Fairfax Financial Holdings (FFH), agreed to the deal. The purchase of Mega Brands, the world's second-largest maker of snap-together blocks, will fill a product hole for Mattel. It doesn't have its own construction line, locking it out of a $4 billion market in the U.S. and Europe. The category also is a bright spot in a toy industry that has seen growth stall in the U.S. Mattel considered starting its own construction line, then opted instead to buy Mega Brands because it would be faster and less risky, Mattel CEO Bryan G. Stockton said on a call with reporters. Mattel got its first taste of construction in 2012 when it debuted blocks for its Barbie brand through a licensing deal with Mega Brands. Mattel realized that replicating this kind of expertise would take years, Stockton said. 'About Growth' "This acquisition is all about growth," Stockton said. "We see an opportunity to expand our brands in this category across boys, girls and preschool." Mattel shares rose 0.8 percent to $37.44 at 10:34 a.m. in New York. They had declined 9 percent over the past year through yesterday. Shares of Montreal-based Mega Brands surged 36 percent to C$17.73 today in Toronto. Mattel is coming off a lackluster holiday season, with sales sinking 6.3 percent -- the biggest quarterly drop since 2009. The El Segundo, California-based toymaker has looked to acquisitions to boost sales in the past. In February of 2012, it paid $680 million to buy HIT Entertainment, owner of Thomas the Tank Engine. It also acq
Top 10 Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Watch Right Now: I.D. Systems Inc.(IDSY)
I.D. Systems, Inc. develops, markets, and sells wireless solutions for managing and securing enterprise assets, including industrial vehicles, such as forklifts, airport ground support equipment, rental vehicles, and transportation assets primarily in North America. The company offers integrated wireless solutions that enable customers to control, monitor, track, and analyze their enterprise assets. Its campus-based fleet management products include On-Asset Hardware, which provides an autonomous means of asset control and monitoring; Wireless Asset Managers that link mobile assets being monitored with customer?s computer network or to a remotely hosted server; Server Software, which manages data communications between the system?s database and either the Wireless Asset Managers or On-Asset Hardware; and Client Software, which restricts access and limits corruption of system information, as well as minimizes network bandwidth usage. The company?s remote asset management products comprise On-Asset Hardware, which addresses various remote asset types, such as dry van trailers, refrigerated trailers, domestic containers, and railcars, as well as customer-specific requirements; and VeriWise Intelligence Portal, a hosted Website that provides Internet access to client asset information. The company also offers direct feed of the data to customer through XML or Web services. In addition, it provides maintenance, customer support, and consulting services. I.D. Systems markets and sells its wireless solutions to a range of customers in the commercial and government sectors operating in various markets, such as automotive manufacturing, retailers, shippers, freight transportation companies, heavy industry, retail and wholesale distribution, aerospace and defense, homeland security, and vehicle rental directly, as well as through indirect sales channels, such as industrial equipment dealers. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Wo odcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, small cap identity protection stock Lifelock Inc (NYSE: LOCK) surged 15.64% after reporting better-than-expected third quarter earnings thanks in part to playing on the security fears of consumers, meaning its probably time to take a look at it along with two other security stocks, I.D. Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: IDSY) and View Systems Inc (OTCBB: VSYM), which can also play up the fear factor:�
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