Popular Posts: 7 Biotechnology Stocks to Buy Now17 Oil and Gas Stocks to Sell Now4 Pharmaceutical Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: 5 Worst Sectors to Avoid This Week 5 Stocks With Ugly Earnings Growth ��KWK GNK SOL CRK LM 3 Building Products Stocks to Buy Now View All Posts
This week, these five stocks have the worst ratings in Earnings Growth, one of the eight Fundamental Categories on Portfolio Grader.
Quicksilver Resources (NYSE:) is involved in the acquisition, development, exploration, production, and sale of natural gas and crude oil. KWK also gets F’s in Earnings Momentum, Cash Flow, Operating Margin Growth, and Sales Growth. Since January 1, KWK has fallen 32.4%. This is worse than the S&P 500, which has seen a 12.1% increase over the same period. .
El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. engages in the ownership and operation of natural gas transportation pipelines and storage assets in the United States. The company holds a 100% interest in Wyoming Interstate Company, Ltd. (WIC), an interstate pipeline transportation company located in Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. It operates approximately 800-mile WIC interstate natural gas pipeline system with a design capacity of approximately 3.5 billion cubic feet per day. The company also owns a 58% general partner interest in Colorado Interstate Gas Company, which operates an interstate natural gas pipeline system with approximately 4,300 miles of pipeline with a design capacity of approximately 4.6 billion cubic feet per day; and associated storage facilities with 37 billion cubic feet of underground working natural gas storage capacity. In addition, it owns a 60% general partner interest in Southern Natural Gas Company that operates an interstate natural gas pipeline system with ap proximately 7,600 miles of pipeline with a design capacity of approximately 3.7 billion cubic feet per day; and associated storage facilities with a total of approximately 60 billion cubic feet of underground working natural gas storage capacity. Further, the company owns interests in Elba Express Company, L.L.C., which operates an approximately 200-mile pipeline with a design capacity of 945 million cubic feet per day; and Southern LNG Company, L.L.C. that owns a liquefied natural gas receiving terminal with a storage capacity of 11.5 equivalent billion cubic feet. It serves natural gas distribution and industrial companies, electric generation companies, natural gas producers, other natural gas pipeline companies, and natural gas marketing and trading companies. El Paso Pipeline GP Company, L.L.C. serves as the general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Houston, Texas. El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. is a subsidiary of El Paso Pipeline LP Holdings, L.L.C.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Paul Ausick]
Initial speculation about a coming disaster swirled around El Paso Pipeline Partners LP (NYSE: EPB). The company, now controlled by Kinder Morgan Inc. (NYSE: KMI), got a $3 million investment from CEO Richard Kinder and that ended the speculation about El Paso being the next to go.
- [By Aaron Levitt]
So aside from its wholly owned energy logistics assets, KMI receives plenty of direct dividends and IDRs from El Paso Pipeline Partners (EPB) and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP). So if something goes wrong at one of these firms, it can affect KMI�� bottom line as well.
- [By Dimitra DeFotis]
Kinder Morgan’s corporate structure is convoluted.�Kinder Morgan� is the general partner, which reaps distributions from underlying businesses. It pays a 4.2% yield. �Kinder Morgan Energy Partners,�the main pipeline MLP enterprise, �pays a 6.5% yield in the form of a cash distribution like most MLPs. �Kinder Morgan Management�(KMR) was created to pay distributions in shares given the tax-and-accounting headaches of MLPs. But KMR still offers tax deferrals. Following an acquisition, Kinder also controls�El Paso Pipeline Partners�(EPB), whose yield is 5.7%. Kinder’s chief financial officer said that the enterprises could be combined at some point. Post from the industry’s biggest conference in May�here.
- [By WilliamBriat]
On September 17, Magellan Midstream Partners L.P. (NYSE: MMP) and El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. (NYSE: EPB) touched three-month lows while oil was still spiking near a two-year high.
Top Building Product Stocks To Own For 2014: Crown Media Holdings Inc.(CRWN)
Crown Media Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, Crown Media United States, LLC, owns, operates, and distributes pay television networks for adults and families primarily in the United States. The company operates and distributes Hallmark Channel network to approximately 87 million subscribers through approximately 5,369 cable, satellite, and other pay television distribution systems; and Hallmark Movie Channel network to approximately 45 million subscribers through approximately 2,680 cable, satellite, and other pay television distribution systems. Its networks offers a range of entertainment programming, including television series, movies, miniseries, theatricals, romances, literary classics, and contemporary stories. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Studio City, California.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Equities Lab]
The stocks that currently pass the stock screen in order of market cap are Frontier Communications Corp , Crown Media Holdings (CRWN), Vonage Holding (VG), MCG Capital Corp (MCGC), 1-800-FLOWERS.COM (FLWS), MTR Gaming Corporation (MNTG), Alaska Communications (ALSK), and Enzon Pharmaceuticals (ENZN).
Top Building Product Stocks To Own For 2014: American Electric Power Company Inc (AEP)
American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP), incorporated on December 20, 1906, is a utility holding company that owns, directly or indirectly, all of the outstanding common stock of its public utility subsidiaries and varying percentages of other subsidiaries. The service areas of AEP�� public utility subsidiaries cover portions of the states of Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. The generating and transmission facilities of AEP�� public utility subsidiaries are interconnected and their operations are coordinated. Transmission networks are interconnected with distribution facilities in the territories served. The public utility subsidiaries of AEP have provided electric service, consisting of generation, transmission and distribution, on an integrated basis to their retail customers. On December 31, 2011, Columbus Southern Power Company (CSPCo) merged with and into Ohio Power Company (OPCo) with OPCo being the surviving entity. In March 2012, the Company�� subsidiary, AEP Retail Energy acquired BlueStar Energy Holdings Inc. and its independent retail electric supplier BlueStar Energy Solutions.
Appalachian Power Company (APCo) is engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power to approximately 960,000 retail customers in the southwestern portion of Virginia and southern West Virginia, and in supplying and marketing electric power at wholesale to other electric utility companies, municipalities and other market participants. Among the principal industries served by APCo are paper, rubber, coal mining, textile mill products and stone, clay and glass products. In addition to its AEP System interconnections, APCo is interconnected with nonaffiliated utility companies: Carolina Power & Light Company, Duke Carolina and Virginia Electric and Power Company. APCo has several points of interconnection with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and has entered into agreements with TVA under whic! h APCo and TVA interchange and transfer electric power over portions of their respective systems. APCo is a member of Pennsylvania - New Jersey - Maryland regional transmission organization (PJM).
Indiana Michigan Power Company (I&M) is engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power to approximately 582,000 retail customers in northern and eastern Indiana and southwestern Michigan, and in supplying and marketing electric power at wholesale to other electric utility companies, rural electric cooperatives, municipalities and other market participants. Among the principal industries served are primary metals, transportation equipment, electrical and electronic machinery, fabricated metal products, rubber and chemicals and allied products, rubber products and transportation equipment. In addition to its AEP System interconnections, I&M is interconnected with nonaffiliated utility companies: Central Illinois Public Service Company, Duke Ohio, Commonwealth Edison Company, Consumers Energy Company, Illinois Power Company, Indianapolis Power & Light Company, Louisville Gas and Electric Company, Northern Indiana Public Service Company, Duke Indiana and Richmond Power & Light Company. I&M is a member of PJM.
Kentucky Power Company (KPCo) is engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power to approximately 173,000 retail customers in an area in eastern Kentucky, and in supplying and marketing electric power at wholesale to other electric utility companies, municipalities and other market participants. Among the principal industries served are petroleum refining, coal mining and chemical production. In addition to its AEP System interconnections, KPCo is interconnected with nonaffiliated utility companies: Kentucky Utilities Company and East Kentucky Power Cooperative Inc. KPCo is also interconnected with TVA. KPCo is a member of PJM. Kingsport Power Company (KGPCo) provides electric service to approximately 47,000 retail customers in K! ingsport ! and eight neighboring communities in northeastern Tennessee. KGPCo does not own any generating facilities and is a member of PJM. It purchases electric power from APCo for distribution to its customers.
OPCo is engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power to approximately 1,460,000 retail customers in Ohio, and in supplying and marketing electric power at wholesale to other electric utility companies, municipalities and other market participants. Among the principal industries served by OPCo are primary metals, chemicals and allied products, health services, electronic machinery, petroleum refining, and rubber and plastic products. In addition to its AEP System interconnections, OPCo is interconnected with nonaffiliated utility companies: Duke Ohio, The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, Dayton Power and Light Company, Duquesne Light Company, Kentucky Utilities Company, Monongahela Power Company, Ohio Edison Company, The Toledo Edison Company and West Penn Power Company. OPCo is a member of PJM.
Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) is engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power to approximately 532,000 retail customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma, and in supplying and marketing electric power at wholesale to other electric utility companies, municipalities, rural electric cooperatives and other market participants. Among the principal industries served by PSO are paper manufacturing and timber products, natural gas and oil extraction, transportation, non-metallic mineral production, oil refining and steel processing. In addition to its AEP System interconnections, PSO is interconnected with Empire District Electric Company, Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company, Southwestern Public Service Company and Westar Energy, Inc. PSO is a member of Southwest Power Pool regional transmission organization (SPP).
Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCo) is engaged in the generation, transmission an! d distrib! ution of electric power to approximately 521,000 retail customers in northeastern and panhandle of Texas, northwestern Louisiana and western Arkansas and in supplying and marketing electric power at wholesale to other electric utility companies, municipalities, rural electric cooperatives and other market participants. Among the principal industries served by SWEPCo are natural gas and oil production, petroleum refining, manufacturing of pulp and paper, chemicals, food processing, and metal refining. The territory served by SWEPCo also includes several military installations, colleges and universities. SWEPCo also owns and operates a lignite coal mining operation. In addition to its AEP System interconnections, SWEPCo is interconnected with Central Louisiana Electric Company (CLECO), Empire District Electric Company, Entergy Corp. and Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company. SWEPCo is a member of SPP.
AEP Texas Central Company (TCC) is engaged in the transmission and distribution of electric power to approximately 787,000 retail customers through REPs in southern Texas. TCC has sold all of its generation assets. Among the principal industries served by TCC are chemical and petroleum refining, chemicals and allied products, oil and gas extraction, food processing, metal refining, plastics and machinery equipment. In addition to its AEP System interconnections, TCC is a member of Electric Reliability Council of Texas regional transmission organization (ERCOT). AEP Texas North Company (TNC) is engaged in the transmission and distribution of electric power to approximately 186,000 retail customers through REPs in west and central Texas. TNC�� generating capacity has been transferred to an affiliate at TNC�� cost pursuant to an agreement effective through 2027. Among the principal industries served by TNC are petroleum refining, agriculture and the manufacturing or processing of cotton seed products, oil products, precision and consumer metal products, meat products and gypsum products. The territor! y served ! by TNC also includes several military installations and correctional facilities. In addition to its AEP System interconnections, TNC is a member of ERCOT.
Wheeling Power Company (WPCo) provides electric service to approximately 41,000 retail customers in northern West Virginia. WPCo does not own any generating facilities. WPCo is a member of PJM. It purchases electric power from OPCo for distribution to its customers. AEP Generating Company (AEGCo) is an electric generating company. AEGCo sells power at wholesale to OPCo, I&M and KPCo. AEP also owns a service company subsidiary, American Electric Power Service Corporation (AEPSC).
Utility Operations
Utility operations constitute most of AEP�� business operations. Utility operations include the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power to retail customers and the supplying and marketing of electric power at wholesale (through the electric generation function) to other electric utility companies, municipalities and other market participants. AEPSC, as agent for AEP�� public utility subsidiaries, performs marketing, generation dispatch, fuel procurement and power-related risk management and trading activities.
Electric Generation
As of December 31, 2011, AEP�� public utility subsidiaries owned or leased approximately 37,000 MW of domestic generation. AEP�� public utility subsidiaries procure coal and lignite under a combination of purchasing arrangements including long-term contracts, affiliate operations and spot agreements with various producers and coal trading firms. Through its public utility subsidiaries, as of December 31, 2011, AEP owned, leased or controlled more than 7,600 railcars, 634 barges, 16 towboats and a coal handling terminal with 18 million tons of annual capacity to move and store coal for use in its generating facilities. Through its public utility subsidiaries, AEP consumed nearly 167 billion cubic feet of natural gas, during the year ended Dec! ember 31,! 2011, for generating power. The Unit Power Agreement between AEGCo and I&M provides for the sale by AEGCo to I&M of all the capacity (and the energy associated therewith) available to AEGCo at the Rockport Plant. The Unit Power Agreement between AEGCo and OPCo provides for the sale by AEGCo to OPCo of all the capacity and associated unit contingent energy and ancillary services available to OPCo from the Lawrenceburg Plant.
Electric Transmission and Distribution
AEP�� public utility subsidiaries (other than AEGCo) own and operate transmission and distribution lines and other facilities to deliver electric power. Most of the transmission and distribution services are sold, in combination with electric power, to retail customers of AEP�� public utility subsidiaries in their service territories. AEP�� public utility subsidiaries (other than AEGCo) hold franchises or other rights to provide electric service in various municipalities and regions in their service areas. In some cases, these franchises provide the utility with the right to provide electric service. In addition to providing transmission services in connection with their own power sales, AEP�� public utility subsidiaries through RTOs also provide transmission services for non-affiliated companies. AEP�� System Transmission Integration Agreement provides for the integration and coordination of the planning, operation and maintenance of the transmission facilities of AEP East and AEP West companies.
Transmission Operations
AEP Transmission Company, LLC (AEP Transco), a subsidiary of AEP, has seven wholly-owned transmission companies, geographically aligned with its existing operating companies. These transmission companies will develop and own new transmission assets that are physically connected to AEP�� system. The transmission companies have been approved in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Oklahoma. AEPSC and other AEP subsidiaries provide services to the transmission companies throug! h service! agreements. The Company has established joint ventures with other incumbent electric utility companies for the purpose of developing, building and owning Extra High Voltage (EHV) transmission lines in North America. Its joint venture, Electric Transmission Texas, LLC (ETT), was established to construct, fund, own and operate electric transmission assets within ERCOT, including transmission projects in the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ). Business services for the joint ventures are provided by AEPSC and the joint venture partner entity.
AEP River Operations
The Company�� AEP River Operations Segment transports coal and dry bulk commodities primarily on the Ohio, Illinois and lower Mississippi rivers. Almost all of its customers are nonaffiliated third parties who obtain the transport of coal and dry bulk commodities for various uses. AEP�� affiliated utility customers procure the transport of coal for use as fuel in their respective generating plants. AEP River Operations includes approximately 2,600 barges, 45 towboats and 25 harbor boats that it owns or leases.
Generation and Marketing
The Company�� Generation and Marketing Segment consists of non-utility generating assets and a power supply and energy trading and marketing business. It enters into short and long-term transactions to buy or sell capacity, energy and ancillary services primarily in the ERCOT market, and to a lesser extent Ohio in PJM and MISO. As of December 31, 2011, the assets utilized in this segment included approximately 310 megawatt of Company-owned domestic wind power facilities, 177 megawatt of domestic wind power from long-term purchase power agreements and 377 megawatt of coal-fired capacity which was obtained through an agreement effective through 2027 that transfers TNC�� interest in the Oklaunion power station to AEP Energy Partners, Inc. The power obtained from the Oklaunion power station is marketed and sold in ERCOT.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Aaron Levitt]
In order to reduce the amount toxic output, utilities are going to have to use a process called carbon capture and storage (CCS) — a process that is very expensive hasn’t yet been used on a commercial scale. American Electric Power (AEP) recently shut down tests on a CCS projects due to cost overruns, while Southern�� (SO) first large-scale CCS plant under construction is facing local opposition and nearly $1 billion in cost overruns.
- [By The Outsider]
As usual within the utilities sector, Southern Company (SO) offers an attractive dividend yield of 4.8%, which may represent a good opportunity for income investors. Southern Company is one of the largest electric power companies in the U.S., and its main competitors are other large electric power companies, such as Duke Energy (DUK), Exelon Corporation (EXC), or American Electric Power (AEP). It has a market capitalization of $36 billion and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
- [By Justin Loiseau]
In the eyes of Obama, all coal is not created equal, either. "Clean coal" got a shout out from the POTUS, putting innovative coal companies like AEP (NYSE: AEP ) and Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK ) in the clean energy clear. AEP was recently awarded the Edison Electric Institute's 2013 Edison Award�for its $1.7 billion 600 MW "clean coal" facility, capable of squeezing 39% efficiency out of low-sulfur coal with its "advanced ultra-supercritical steam cycle technology." Likewise, Duke just rolled out the red carpet on a 618 MW "clean coal" facility touted as "one the world's cleanest coal-fired power generating facilities." The new plant replaced an older coal-fired facility, and is capable of producing 10 times the power with 70% fewer emissions.
- [By Justin Loiseau]
American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP ) reported earnings last week, the first of the big utilities (read "dividend stocks") to run its Q2 numbers. While AEP missed slightly on both top- and bottom=line expectations, there's more to this dividend stock's story that you need to know. Let's take a look.
Top Building Product Stocks To Own For 2014: Chesapeake Energy Corporation(CHK)
Chesapeake Energy Corporation engages in the acquisition, development, exploration, and production of natural gas and oil properties in the United States. It also provides marketing and other midstream services. The company?s properties are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. As of December 31, 2010, it had interests in approximately 45,800 gross productive wells. The company?s proved reserves include 17.096 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent. Chesapeake Energy Corporation was founded in 1989 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Ben Levisohn]
That was certainly the case this morning, when shares of Anadarko Petroleum dropped as much as 1.8%. Since then, they’ve rallied with the stock market and have gained 0.1% to $81.76, besting the performance of its peers. EOG Resources�(EOG), for one, is little changed at $175.06, while Noble Energy�(NBL) has dropped 0.5% to $66.23, Chesapeake Energy�(CHK) has fallen 0.4% to $24.65 and Apache (APA) has declined 2.4% after reporting results and announcing its exit from Argentina.
- [By Matt DiLallo]
Overall, hedging has helped both LINN and Legacy to keep distribution payments to investors stable during the financial crisis when many companies were slashing payouts. That's one reason why it matters much more to these MLP's than it would for an E&P company like Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK ) . That being said, Chesapeake is very well hedged this year because it needs to ensure its cash flow in order to fund its growth.
Top Building Product Stocks To Own For 2014: XO Group Inc (XOXO)
XO Group Inc. (XO Group), formerly The Knot, Inc., is a media and technology company. The Company is engaged in the business of weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the information, products and advice to guide them through the transformative events of their lives. Its family of brands began with the wedding brand, The Knot, and it also include WeddingChannel.com, The Nest, The Bump and Ijie.com. XO Group has its presence in all media from the Web to social media and mobile, magazines and books, and video - and social platforms. XO Group has businesses in online sponsorship and advertising, registry services, ecommerce and publishing.
The Company has a network of Websites under several different brands, TheKnot.com, the wedding Website, WeddingChannel.com, the wedding registry site and wedding vendor review site with nearly 350,000 reviews, TheNest.com, a site for newlyweds and new couples, and TheBump.com, a pre-natal and pregnancy Website. These sites offer content and services tailored to the engaged, newly married, and pregnant audiences. Weddings, nesting, and first-time pregnancy are information-intensive events requiring research, planning, and decision-making.
The sites provides future brides and grooms with databases that draw on thousands of articles about weddings, including planning advice, etiquette, Q&As, real wedding stories, tips on getting engaged, fashion, beauty, grooms, the wedding party, and honeymoons. TheNest.com offers information and resources on merging bank accounts and making dinner, with searchable databases for recipes, home decor, and real estate. For couples who are getting ready for a baby, the same urgent need for information surfaces, which the Company provides at TheBump.com with baby naming tools, nursery decor ideas, and a host of health and development-related information. Each of the content areas offers articles, ideas, hundreds of photo slideshows, and videos, all covering a wide range of styles,! perspectives, budgets, traditions, lifestyles and ethnicities.
Active Community Participation and Social Networking
The community areas on XO Group websites generate member involvement through message boards, blogs, and personalized interactive services. Women who are planning their weddings actively seek forums to exchange ideas and ask questions. The community areas feature 24-hour activity.
User-Generated Content
Through blogs, message boards, and photo-posting features, all XO Group sites feature many forms of user-generated content related to the particular interests of its audience. Recent brides post wedding photos, vendor reviews, and their own wedding advice for future brides. Recent home purchasers post home-buying stories, before and after photos, and photos of their own home decor ideas. Pregnant women post chronicles of their pregnancies, reviews of their doctors, photos of their nurseries, and stories of their newborns at key developmental stages.
Interactive Tools
TheKnot.com offers, personalized wedding planning tools, including checklists, budgeters, guest list managers, calendars, and reminder services. An online scrapbook gives users the ability to save favorite dresses, articles, photos, vendors, honeymoons, wedding supplies, and other planning information. After a couple�� wedding day, these personalized tools are automatically converted to its newlywed Website, TheNest.com, to help them organize their new life as a married couple. The guest list manager is used to track thank-you notes, and couples receive an entirely new checklist and budgeter to help them organize their newlywed to-dos and finances. On TheBump.com, it offers checklists, budget tools, a baby name tool, and tools to track everything from ovulation to breastfeeding. These tools are also available on mobile platforms, which provide its users the ability to modify budgets and check off tasks from the convenience of their mobile phones. !
The Company offers personal pregnancy and baby websites through TheBump.com. XO Group Websites offers tools to assist with shopping for key elements of a wedding. Its wedding planning sites highlight a searchable bridal gown database with more than 5,000 gown images from over 200 designers, plus searchable databases for bridesmaid, mother-of-the-bride, and flower girl dresses, bridal accessories, engagement and wedding rings and tuxedos. The sites also offer search tools for honeymoon resorts, jewelry, and tabletop products. Local Resource Listings
The local resource areas on XO Group websites provide access to the local wedding market through online regional guides that host nearly 21,000 local vendors who display over 28,000 profiles, highlighting offerings for reception halls, bands, florists, caterers and other wedding-related products and services across 85 local markets in North America.
One-Stop Registry Shopping Service
WeddingChannel.com is the registry site online. Its patented registry aggregation service offers couples and their guests one place to view all their gift registries via a registry system that searches approximately 4.5 million registries from many retail partners, including Macy��, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Amazon.com, Tiffany & Co., JCPenney and others. TheBump.com uses the same patented registry aggregation service to focus on baby registries, including Target, Buy Buy Baby, Diapers.com, Pottery Barn Kids and more.
The Company integrates informative content with online shops that feature an array of attendant gifts, favors, and supplies that relate to the wedding itself, as well as apparel, toys, gifts, and other goods for babies. It sells directly to consumers through its integrated shopping destinations, The Knot Wedding Shop, the WeddingChannel Store and The Bump Baby Shop. These online stores offer over 4,000 products, including cocktail napkins, wedding bubbles and bells, candy! and cook! ies, ring pillows, toasting flutes, reception decorations, table centerpieces, goblets and glasses, garters, and unity candles.
Broadband Video Content
The Knot TV is a continuous video stream that includes a range of wedding content, including shows about choosing a creative cake, hiring the videographer, planning dream honeymoons and learning about real weddings across the country. It produces video on demand content for The Knot, The Nest, and The Bump brands, covering everything from wedding fashion to home tours to mommy advice. The Knot TV On Demand provides video content from bridal fashion runway shows for brides to watch when they want, including programs on the trends in dresses, silhouettes, necklines, and accessories. Its video content is also distributed to MSN.com video, YouTube, and Sling Media. The Knot TV also features live programming with limited runs of The Knot LIVE, a weekly magazine format show.
Informative E-mail
Members of XO Group Websites subscribe to newsletters and e-mail updates, many of which are targeted with information for members in a specific stage of the wedding planning process. Other newsletters and e-mails are focused on specific topics, including honeymoon deals and personalized e-mails containing relevant local information or offers, such as bridal events or dress sample sales. E-mails are also sent to members of The Nest and The Bump with sponsored promotions and information about their stage of pregnancy or the age of their newborn.
Niche Website Network and Sister Sites
The Company also owns and operates a network of targeted websites that offer services of interest to its core audience of engaged couples. These include niche weddings sites such as ChineseWeddingsbyTheKnot.com, BeachWeddingsbyTheKnot.com, GayWeddingsbyTheKnot.com and over 300 other sites tailored to the searched-for wedding destinations and themes. The sites features local listings, forums, real wedding photos an! d local p! lanning advice.
The Company sells both the national and local editions of The Knot Weddings magazines through newsstands, bookstores, and on its Website, and it distributes local editions of The Bump pregnancy guide to doctors��offices across the country. It also offers a library of books complementing the content on its lifestages websites.
The Knot Weddings National Magazine
It publishes The Knot Weddings magazine four times a year. It features hundreds of dresses from the industry�� top designers. Also featured is an array of photos of wedding party attire and accessories, including bridesmaid, mother-of-the-bride, and flower girl dresses, as well as veils, shoes, and tuxedos.
The Knot Weddings Local Magazines
It publishes regional wedding magazines semi-annually in 17 markets in the United States. The Knot�� regional magazines combine national editorial content with up-to-date, region-specific information, including sections featuring real weddings within the market, making these publications a must-have wedding planning companion for engaged couples.
The Bump Magazine
A pocketbook-sized magazine for first-time moms, The Bump magazine features local resources and modern advice from its editors and nationally-recognized experts.
The Company sells both the national and local editions of The Knot Weddings magazines through newsstands, bookstores, and on its Website, and it distributes local editions of The Bump pregnancy guide to doctors��offices across the country. It also offers a library of books complementing the content on its lifestages Websites. It publishes The Knot Weddings magazine four times a year.
The Company publishes regional wedding magazines semi-annually in 17 markets in the United States. The Knot�� regional magazines combine national editorial content with up-to-date, region-specific information, including sections featuring real weddings within the ! market, m! aking these publications a must-have wedding planning companion for engaged couples.
A pocketbook-sized magazine for first-time moms, The Bump magazine features local resources and modern advice from our editors and nationally-recognized experts. Distributed at no charge through OB/GYN offices in 20 markets nationwide, The Bump magazine is specifically designed to connect first-time parents with the information and resources they need to prepare for a baby. It publishes The Bump magazine semi-annually.
The Company offers a library of up-to-date wedding books authored by itsChief Content Officer Carley Roney and published by divisions of Random House and Chronicle Books. Its first three-book wedding planning series published by Random House�� Broadway Books includes The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner, The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World, and The Knot Guide to Wedding Vows and Traditions. These books feature information on everything a bride and groom need to know when planning their wedding and includes worksheets, checklists, etiquette, and answers to frequently asked questions. Its gift book series published by Chronicle Books includes The Knot Book of Wedding Gowns, The Knot Book of Wedding Flowers, The Knot Guide for the Mother of the Bride, and The Knot Guide for the Groom. Its second planning series, published by Random House�� Clarkson Potter, includes The Knot Guide to Destination Weddings, The Knot Book of Wedding Lists and The Knot Bridesmaid Handbook.
The Company offers a series of books for The Nest brand published by Clarkson Potter. The first book in the series, The Nest Newlywed Handbook, goes on the topics of interest to the newlywed, from changing its name to deciding how to divide up the daily chores. The second title, The Nest Home Design Handbook, is a four-color, photo-filled book on home decoration and design.
The Company competes with Brides magazine (published by Conde Nast), Bridal Guide (published by RFP LLC) ! and Marth! a Stewart Weddings.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Leading and Lagging Sectors
Non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares climbed around 0.22 percent in trading on Friday. Leading the sector was strength from American Public Education (NASDAQ: APEI) and XO Group (NASDAQ: XOXO). In trading on Friday, telecommunications services shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.41 percent.
- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Shares of XO Group Inc. (XOXO) fell 16% to $10 on light volume after the weddings and pregnancy website operator reported adjusted earnings of 2 cents a share on revenue of $32.6 million, and appointed current president Michael Steib as the new chief executive, replacing David Liu, who will continue on as chairman.
