That's according to a new survey, commissioned by Choice Hotels International, that looked at the preferences and practices of business travelers.
Among the 529 travelers polled, 73% said hotel location mattered most when picking where they stay on the road, while 61% said the quality of the room was most critical.
Though free Wi-Fi came in third with 55%, Robert McDowell, Choice Hotels' senior vice president of global distribution, says complimentary Internet access remains "an important amenity for the business traveler ... More and more people are using multiple devices when they travel, and I think the expectation is, whether they're in a hotel room or on an airline, you can access free Wi-Fi most anywhere you go.''
Top High Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Unisys Corporation (UIS)
Unisys Corporation provides information technology (IT) services, software, and technology that solve mission-critical problems for clients worldwide. It operates in two segments, Services and Technology. The Services segment provides outsourcing services, including management of customers� data centers, computer servers, and end-user computing environments, as well as specific business processes; systems integration and consulting services, such as assessing the security and cost effectiveness of clients� IT systems and enabling them to design, integrate, and modernize mission-critical applications; infrastructure services consisting of design, warranty, and support services for its customers� IT infrastructure, such as networks, desktops, servers, and mobile and wireless devices; and maintenance services. The Technology segment designs and develops servers and related products consisting of enterprise-class servers, which comprise the ClearPath family of servers and t he ES7000 family of Intel-based servers, as well as operating system software and middleware; and provides data center, infrastructure management, and cloud computing offerings for clients to virtualize and automate their data-center environments. The company serves public sector; financial services; and other commercial markets comprising communications and transportation. Unisys Corporation markets its products and services primarily through direct sales force, as well as through distributors and alliance partners. Unisys Corporation was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Holders of�Unisys' (NYSE: UIS ) Series A�6.25% mandatory convertible preferred stock will receive a dividend of�$1.5625�per share. The dividend is payable on June 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 15, the company announced this week.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Finally, outside the Dow, Unisys (NYSE: UIS ) saw its shares lose nearly a quarter of their value after announcing a substantial loss. Although much of the hit to earnings came from Venezuela's recent devaluation of its currency and additional pension expense, weakness in its systems-integration and technology divisions led to a big drop in revenue. As much larger competitors start to concentrate more on IT services, Unisys will struggle to find a niche it can rely on to reawaken its growth prospects.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
Unisys Corp.(UIS) narrowed its loss in the third quarter as a decrease in costs partially offset a decline in revenue. Shares of the company, which provides information-technology services and software for commercial and government clients, fell 8.1% to $23.99 in premarket trading as its earnings and revenue came in below analysts’ expectations.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Unisys (NYSE: UIS) shares tumbled 12.12 percent to $25.42 on Q1 results. Unisys reported a quarterly loss of $0.74 per share on revenue of $762.0 million.
Top 10 Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Fibria Celulose SA (FIBR3)
Fibria Celulose SA, formerly Votorantim Celulose e Papel SA, is a Brazil-based company involved in the production and sale of short fiber pulp. The Company operates pulp manufacturing plants in Aracruz (Espirito Santo), Tres Lagoas (Mato Grosso do Sul), Jacarei (Sao Paulo) and Veracel (Bahia). Additionally, the Company is engaged in the cultivation of eucalyptus. It has plantations in the Brazilian states of Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso do Sul, Bahia and Espirito Santo. In 2011, the Company sold a business unit active in paper production. The Company has a number of subsidiaries in Brazil and abroad, including Normus Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda, Fibria Overseas Finance Ltd and Fibria Celulose (USA) Inc, among others. On October, 2013, the Company announced merger by incorporation of Normus Empreendimentos e Participacoes Ltda, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, in order to simplify the corporate structure. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Harry Suhartono]
The Ibovespa dropped 1.8 percent as iron-ore producer Vale SA (VALE5), whose main export market is China, snapped a two-day gain. Pulp producer Fibria Celulose SA (FIBR3) retreated after posting quarterly earnings that trailed analysts��estimates. Brazil plans to sell dollar bonds due in 2025, creating a new benchmark security in international markets, and buy back notes maturing in as little as four years.
- [By Julia Leite]
Fibria Celulose SA (FIBR3), the world�� largest pulp producer, climbed after settling a tax dispute with Brazil over profits at its foreign units. Iron-ore producer Vale SA (VALE5) gained before a report due this weekend forecast to show manufacturing is still expanding in China, the company�� main export market.
Top 10 Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Marquee Energy Ltd (MQL)
Marquee Energy Ltd. (Marquee), formerly Marquee Petroleum Ltd., is a junior oil and gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas reserves in Western Canada. The Company is focused on the Cardium play of West Central Alberta in the Wilesden Green, Carrot Creek and South Pembina areas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a total of approximately 174,420 gross acres (147,875 net acres) of oil and natural gas leases. In December 2013, it acquired all of the Western Canadian assets of Sonde Resources Corp. (Sonde), including all of its Southern Alberta properties. The Assets are primarily located in Marquee's core area at Michichi, Alberta immediately offsetting Marquee's lands and production. In March 2014, Marquee Energy Ltd completed the acquisition of strategic assets in its oil focused Michichi core area. Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich] Sonde Resources Corp. An oil and gas exploration and production company based in Calgary, Alberta, Sonde Resources Corp held a global portfolio of high potential energy assets including producing oil and natural gas assets in Western Canada and offshore exploration property in North Africa.�Specifically, Sonde Resources Corp had�226,119 gross undeveloped acres in Western Canada and 750,000 acres in a Libya/Tunisia offshore licence. However and last November,�an agreement between Sonde Resources Corp and�Marquee Energy Ltd (CVE: MQL) was announced whereby�the latter�will acquire substantially all of the former���Western Canadian assets, including all of its Southern Alberta properties. These assets�are primarily located in Marquee's core area at Michichi, Alberta, immediately offsetting Marquee's lands and production. Under the deal which concluded at the end of last year, Sonde Resources Corp received 21,182,492 common shares of Marquee Energy Ltd plus $15 million cash with the�shares�being distributed to Sonde Resources Corp's shareholders and Sonde itself retaining the cash�received. In addition, Sonde Resources Corp will retain ownership of about 100,000 net acres of Western Canada exploration assets, split approximately equally between its Eaglesham area Wabamun play and west central Alberta Duvernay play.�Moreover, the company will continue to seek strategic alternatives for this Western Canada exploration acreage, including cash sales, farm-outs, other forms of merger, or other options. Otherwise, Sonde Resources Corp�� business�will focus on�the development of the Zarat field and exploration of the Joint Oil Block in North Africa. On Tuesday, small cap Sonde Resources Corp fell 1.83% to $0.530 (SOQ has a 52 week trading range of $0.51 to $2.11 a share) for a market cap of $29.72 million plus the stock is down 70.5% over the past year and down 55.8% over the past five years.
Top 10 Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Adams Golf Inc.(ADGF)
Adams Golf, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, assembles, markets, and distributes golf clubs for various skill levels primarily in the United States and internationally. Its products comprise Speedline Fast 12 drivers, Fast 12 LS drivers, Speedline Fast 12 fairway woods, Idea a12 OS irons and hybrids, Idea a12 hybrids, Idea Pro a12 irons and hybrids, Idea Tech V3 irons and hybrids, Redline irons, Idea a7 and a7 OS irons and hybrids, and Speedline 9088 UL drivers. It also develops products under the Yes! Putters, Women's Golf Unlimited, Lady Fairway, and Square 2 brands. In addition, it offers a range of golf bags, hats, and other accessories. The company sells its products to on- and off- course golf shops, sporting goods retailers, and mass merchants, as well as to international distributors. Adams Golf, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Plano, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Geoff Gannon]
Adams Golf (ADGF) was a net-net. It got bought out by Adidas. By the way, it�� not the only net-net to get bought out this year. Swank (SNKI) was also a net-net that looks like it�� going to be bought out. Last I heard, they received an alternative proposal during their ��o shop��period and haven�� acted on it. The Ben Graham: Net-Net Newsletter�� model portfolio doesn�� own either stock. Though we do own another net-net where a company in the same industry bought a block of shares. Who knows what that means. But clearly net-nets sometimes attract control buyers.
Top 10 Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Bell AG (BELL)
Bell AG is a Switzerland-based company that is primarily engaged in the production and distribution of meat. The Company has seven product groups. The Fresh Meat product group is involved in the supply of self-service meat products for the retail trade and products for the restaurant trade, as well as Vaudois specialties. The Charcuterie (own and purchased) product groups offer ready-cooked products, both under the Bell brand and under a number of customers' own brands. The Poultry product group offers various poultry products, as well as specialty meats, such as rabbit, game, ostrich and kangaroo. The Convenience product group offers ready-cooked seasonal convenience products, such as domestic and imported fish. Within the Seafood product group, the Company offers fresh and frozen seafood. Bell AG�� brands include Abraham, Zimbo and Polette, among others. The Company operates subsidiaries in Switzerland, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Hungary and other countries. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tannor Pilatzke]
Investment ideas are scarce and hard to come by at times. People constantly ask me about companies they work for (Bell) or businesses they purchase a lot of product from (P&G or Coca-Cola), and what I think about the prospects/valuation. When it is not the blue chips in the limelight it certainly is the Netflix��,Tesla's, 3-D printing, and other companies I would classify as speculative. It is not that I am a Grinch, but I do not like giving out investment ideas. Rather, I attempt to give lessons. As Maimonides said, ��ive a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.��/p>
Top 10 Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Ameren Corp (AEE)
Ameren Corporation (Ameren), incorporated on August 7, 1995, is a utility holding company. The Company�� principal subsidiaries are Union Electric Company (Ameren Missouri) and Ameren Illinois Company (Ameren Illinois). The Company's segments include Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois. Ameren Missouri operates a rate-regulated electric generation, transmission and distribution business, and a rate-regulated natural gas transmission and distribution business in Missouri. Ameren Illinois operates a rate-regulated electric and natural gas transmission and distribution business in Illinois. AER consists of non-rate-regulated operations, including Ameren Energy Generating Company (Genco), AmerenEnergy Resources Generating Company (AERG) and Ameren Energy Marketing Company (Marketing Company). In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the divestiture of its merchant generation business, formerly known as Ameren Energy Resources Company, LLC (AER).
Ameren Missouri supplies electric and natural gas service to a 24,000-square-mile area in central and eastern Missouri. This area has an estimated population of 2.8 million and includes the Greater St. Louis area. Ameren Missouri supplies electric service to 1.2 million customers and natural gas service to 127,000 customers. Ameren Illinois supplies electric and natural gas utility service to portions of central and southern Illinois having an estimated population of 3.1 million in an area of 40,000 square miles. Ameren Illinois supplies electric service to 1.2 million customers and natural gas service to 806,000 customers. Ameren has other subsidiaries responsible for activities, such as the provision of shared services. Ameren owns an integrated transmission system that consists of the transmission assets of Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois and ATXI.
Ameren operates two balancing authority areas, AMMO (which includes Ameren Missouri), and AMIL (which includes Ameren Illinois, ATXI, AERG, and Genco excluding EEI an! d Genco�� Elgin CT energy center). During the year ended December 31, 2012, the peak demand was 8,868 megawatts in AMMO and 9,720 megawatts in AMIL. The Ameren transmission system directly connects with 15 other balancing authority areas for the exchange of electric energy. Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois and ATXI are transmission-owning members of MISO. EEI operates its own balancing authority area and its own transmission facilities in southern Illinois. The EEI transmission system is directly connected to the transmission systems of MISO, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and Louisville Gas and Electric Company. EEI�� energy centers are dispatched separately from those of Ameren Missouri, Genco and AERG.
Ameren�� portfolio of natural gas supply resources includes firm transportation capacity and firm no-notice storage capacity leased from interstate pipelines. Ameren Missouri primarily use the interstate pipeline systems of Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, Trunkline Gas Company, Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, and Mississippi River Transmission Corporation to transport natural gas to energy centers. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois develop and manage a portfolio supply under term agreements with producers, interstate and intrastate firm transportation capacity, firm storage capacity leased from interstate pipelines, and on-system storage facilities to maintain natural gas deliveries to customers throughout the year and especially during peak demand periods. Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois primarily use Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, Trunkline Gas Company, Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, Mississippi River Transmission Corporation, Northern Border Pipeline Company, and Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation interstate pipeline systems to transport natural gas to their systems.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Dominion Resources (NYSE: D ) agreed just last month to sell interests in three power plants to private equity, while Ameren (NYSE: AEE ) is unloading five coal-fired plants to Dynegy.
- [By Bram de Haas]
Dynegy Inc (DYN) emerged from bankruptcy last year. The share price didn't really go anywhere. In the meantime 2013 free cash flow guidance is being revised upward to $190 million - $215 million and a deal to take over capacity from Ameren Corp (AEE) is likely to be finalized in the 4th quarter. On the basis of current cash flow, the company is fairly valued. If the Ameren facilities are added in, the cash flow of the combined facilities is greatly undervalued.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Yet one area of huge potential for EnerSys is in its OptiGrid service, which seeks to help utilities and other power-grid users stabilize their grids and improve efficiency. In April, the company said it expects to see a commercial system ready for purchase orders within the next 12 to 14 months. The passage of an Illinois bill earlier this week that will allow Exelon (NYSE: EXC ) , Ameren (NYSE: AEE ) , and other area utilities to pass on part of the costs they incur in improving and modernizing the power grid to incorporate smart-grid technology, demand for the OptiGrid product should be strong when it's available.
Top 10 Quality Companies To Invest In 2014: Sandridge Mississippian Trust II (SDR)
SandRidge Mississippian Trust II is a statutory trust formed to own overriding royalty interests to be conveyed to the trust by SandRidge Energy, Inc. (SandRidge) in 67 producing horizontal wells, including 13 wells, which are awaiting completion (the Producing Wells), in the Mississippian formation in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas, and overriding royalty interests in 206 horizontal development wells (The Development Wells) to be drilled in the Mississippian formation (the Development Wells) on properties within an Area of Mutual Interest (the AMI). SandRidge is an independent oil and natural gas company engaged in the development and production activities related to the exploitation of its holdings in West Texas and the Mid-Continent area of Oklahoma and Kansas. The AMI, which is limited to the Mississippian formation, consists of approximately 81,200 gross acres (53,000 net acres) held by SandRidge. The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. is trustee (the Trustee), and The Corporation Trust Company is a Delaware Trustee (the Delaware Trustee).
The Mississippian formation is encountered at depths between approximately 4,000 feet and 7,000 feet and lies between the Pennsylvanian-aged Morrow formation and the Devonian-aged Woodford Shale formation. Effective as of January 1, 2012, the royalty interests was conveyed from SandRidge's interest in the Producing Wells and the Development Wells. The royalty interest in the Producing Wells (the PDP Royalty Interest) entitles the trust to receive 80% of the proceeds from the sale of production of oil and natural gas attributable to SandRidge's net revenue interest in the Producing Wells. The royalty interest in the Development Wells (the Development Royalty Interest) entitles the trust to receive 70% of the proceeds from the sale of oil and natural gas production attributable to SandRidge's net revenue interest in the Development Wells.
As of December 31, 2011, the total proved reserves estimated to be attributable to t! he trust were 26.1 million barrels of oil equivalent. This amount includes 10.2 million barrels of oil equivalent attributable to the PDP Royalty Interest and 15.9 million barrels of oil equivalent attributable to the Development Royalty Interest. The proved reserves consist of 46.8% oil and 53.2% natural gas. In addition, as of December 31, 2011, there were 9.8 million barrels of oil equivalent of probable reserves estimated to be attributable to the trust, all of which were attributable to the Development Royalty Interest. The probable reserves consist of 46.9% oil and 53.1% natural gas.
SandRidge will retain 20% of the proceeds from the sale of oil and natural gas attributable to its net revenue interest in the Producing Wells, as well as 30% of the proceeds from the sale of future production attributable to its net revenue interest in the Development Wells. SandRidge initially will own 48.2% of the trust units. SandRidge operates 79% of the Producing Wells. The completed Producing Wells and 121 other Mississippian wells outside of the AMI that have been completed by SandRidge have an average perforated length of approximately 4,200 feet. SandRidge Exploration and Production, LLC (SandRidge E&P), a wholly owned subsidiary of SandRidge, will grant to the trust a lien on its interests in the AMI.
The Underlying Properties are located in Noble, Kay, Alfalfa, Grant and Woods counties in northern Oklahoma and Harper, Comanche, Sumner and Barber counties in southern Kansas in the Mississippian formation, which is an expansive carbonate hydrocarbon system located on the Anadarko Shelf. The Mississippian formation can reach 1,000 feet in gross thickness and the targeted porosity zone is between 50 and 100 feet in thickness. As of December 31, 2011, there were approximately 43 horizontal rigs drilling in the formation, with 19 of those rigs drilling for SandRidge. As of December 31, 2011, SandRidge had approximately 1.5 million net acres leased in the Mississippian formation in north! ern Oklah! oma and Kansas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jim Royal]
Oscar Wilde once said that experience is the name we give to our mistakes. My investment in Sandridge Mississippian Trust II (NYSE: SDR ) has been the greatest experience of my Special Situations portfolio. But in investing, as in life, to be successful you must make the next right decision, rather than foolishly holding to a past commitment that has been proven wrong. So I've decided to sell my shares in this troubled royalty trust and move on to find a good investment. (I've got a good one here.)
- [By Alexis Xydias]
Schroders Plc (SDR) rose 1.3 percent to 2,183 pence after BNP raised its recommendation on Europe�� biggest independent money manager to outperform, similar to buy, from neutral. Exane cited Schroders��broad product range and ��trong ability to gain from any rotation into equities��as reasons for the upgrade.
- [By Matt DiLallo]
The problem here is that SandRidge has been�dependent�on asset sales and its running out of assets to sell. In addition to the Permian sale, SandRidge has now taken three royalty trusts public. One consisting of Permian Basin assets, SandRidge Permian Trust (NYSE: PER ) and two consisting of Mississippian assets, SandRidge Mississippian Trust I (NYSE: SDT ) and SandRidge Mississippian Trust II (NYSE: SDR ) . While SandRidge still owns a portion of each trust, it likely will continue to sell off its ownership stake in each trust as well as other assets it still owns. At some point SandRidge will need to live within its oil and gas cash flows, otherwise, its not worth owning.�
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