It's been a long time coming for both natural gas and solar as viable sources of energy in the United States. Both have been struggling with a lack of consumer and industrial buy-in, but both could be right around the corner. Is either one standing out at the moment?
The debate is on
In the following video, Motley Fool analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman each weigh in on how natural gas and solar have been performing lately and which companies are taking the lead. Both options have made progress recently, with Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ: CLNE ) building out its "America's Natural Gas Highway" initiative and SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR ) producing more efficient solar panels.
Has Clean Energy Fuels solved the "chicken-or-the-egg" debate?
The movement toward alternative energy is gaining momentum. One potential opportunity in this field is Clean Energy Fuels, which focuses its natural gas efforts primarily on trucking and fleets. It's poised to make a big impact on an essential industry. Learn everything you need to know about Clean Energy Fuels in The Motley Fool's premium research report on the company. Just click here now to claim your copy today.
Hot Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: YPF Sociedad Anonima(YPF)
YPF SOCIEDAD ANONIMA, an energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Argentina. The company also involves in refining, marketing, transportation, and distribution of oil and a range of petroleum products, petroleum derivatives, petrochemicals, LPG, and bio-fuels; and gas separation and natural gas distribution operations. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved reserves of approximately 531 million barrels of oil and 2,533 billion cubic feet of gas; and retail distribution network of 1,622 YPF-branded service stations for automotive petroleum products. The company?s crude oil transportation network includes approximately 2,700 kilometers of crude oil pipelines with approximately 640,000 barrels of aggregate daily transportation capacity of refined products; crude oil tankage of approximately 7 million barrels; and terminal facilities at 5 Argentine ports. In addition, it participates in 3 power stations with an aggregate installed capacity of 1,622 megawatts. The company was founded in 1977 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. YPF SOCIEDAD ANONIMA is a subsidiary of Repsol YPF, S.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matt DiLallo]
After lots of speculation, oil and gas giant Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) has finally come to terms on a joint development agreement with Argentine national oil company YPF (NYSE: YPF ) . The $1.24 billion deal will help further the development of oil and gas at Argentina's Vaca Muerta formation. Vaca Muerta, which in Spanish means "dead cow," holds more hope for both Chevron and Argentina than that name might imply, as it's estimated to hold 27 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil.
- [By fedezaldua]
Last year, the Argentinean government nationalized 51% of YPF (YPF) from Madrid based Repsol (REPYY), which still holds a 12.4% stake in Argentina's biggest oil and gas company. When the nationalization happened, Argentina's government argued that the Spanish group had not been investing enough in the country. Hence, the lack of investments had left Argentina without its very much appreciated external surplus in oil and gas. Even when its true that YPF's Capex investments were kept at a minimum level from 2003 to 2011, its also true that low Capex was a direct result of Argentina's (very) poor and unsustainable energy policies.
- [By Dan Carroll]
That's all Chevron's stock has done today, however, falling along with the broader energy sector. Strangely, Chevron's stock is on the downswing despite a release of good news. The Supreme Court of Argentina unfroze Chevron's assets in the South American nation, lifting an earlier embargo that had gone on for months. Chevron is looking to team up with Argentinian state-run energy firm YPF (NYSE: YPF ) in developing the Vaca Muerta shale field, the world's second-largest shale-oil basin.
Top 10 Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc.(PEET)
Peet?s Coffee & Tea, Inc. operates as a specialty coffee roaster and marketer of fresh roasted whole bean coffee and tea in the United States. It offers whole bean coffee and related products consisting of products for home brewing, tea, and packaged foods; and beverages and pastries. The company also provides brewing equipment for coffee and tea; paper filters and brewing accessories; and branded and non-branded cups, saucers, travel mugs, and serve ware. Peet?s sells its products through various channels of distribution, including grocery stores; home delivery, office, restaurant, and foodservice accounts; and company-owned and operated stores. As of January 2, 2011, it operated 192 retail stores in California, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Washington. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Emeryville, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Chris Hill]
In 2012, the Germany-based�Benckiser Group�spent $1.3B to buy Peet's Coffee & Tea, as well as Caribou Coffee. On Friday, Benckiser announced that it's buying European coffee maker Master Blenders for�around�$10 billion. In the United States, Benckiser is closing 15% of Caribou locations, and�converting 20% of the stores into Peet's (NASDAQ: PEET ) . In this installment of Motley Fool Money, our analysts discuss whether Benckiser's big bet on coffee poses a threat to Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX ) .
Top 10 Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: FutureFuel Corp. (FF)
FutureFuel Corp., through its subsidiary, FutureFuel Chemical Company, engages in the manufacture and sale of specialty chemicals and bio-based products primarily in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Chemicals and Biofuels. The Chemicals segment provides custom chemical manufacturing services for specific customers, such as bleach activators for detergent and consumer products manufacturers; proprietary herbicide and intermediates for life sciences companies; agrochemicals; and industrial and consumer products, such as cosmetics and personal care products, ink colorants, adhesion promoters, polymer additives, polymer and specialty dyes, specialty polymers, photographic and imaging chemicals, and food additives. This segment also manufactures and sells a range of performance chemicals, including a family of polymer (nylon) modifiers and small-volume specialty chemicals for various applications; a family of acetal-based solvents, consisting of diethoxy methane, dimethoxymethane, dibutoxymethane, and glycerol formal; and phenol sulfonic acid that build on sulfonations technology. Its chemical products are used in various markets and end uses, including detergents, agrochemicals, automotive, photographic imaging, coatings, nutrition, and polymer additives. The Biofuels segment produces and sells biodiesel, as well as petrodiesel in blends with or without biodiesel. This segment also operates a granary in central Arkansas that involves in the purchase and sale of agricultural commodities, primarily soybeans, rice, and corn. This segment markets its biodiesel products by truck and rail directly to customers. FutureFuel Corp. was formerly known as Viceroy Acquisition Corporation and changed its name to FutureFuel Corp. in 2006. FutureFuel Corp. was incorporated in 2005 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Maxx Chatsko]
3. Focus on efficiency
A combination of factors plays a role in efficiently producing biodiesel. FutureFuel (NYSE: FF ) , which owns an annual capacity of 59 million gallons to complement its niche chemical business, relies heavily on location. The company's two biorefineries don't have a nationwide infrastructure to aid in getting product to the market and are dependent on rail and barge access. Despite the FutureFuel's amazing progress is improving its process -- annual capacity jumped from just 35 million gallons in 2011 to 59 million gallons today -- the company admits that its relatively small operations may cease to exist given changes in feedstock prices, government mandates, and tax credits. �
Top 10 Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: CTS Corporation (CTS)
CTS Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, assembly, and sale of electronic components and sensors, as well as the provision of electronics manufacturing services. It offers automotive sensors and actuators used in commercial or consumer vehicles; electronic components used in communications infrastructure and computer markets; components used in computer and other high-speed applications, switches, resistor networks, and potentiometers; and fabricated piezoelectric materials and substrates used primarily in medical, industrial, defense and aerospace, and computer markets. The company markets and sells its products through its sales engineers, independent manufacturers� representatives, and distributors. It has operations in China, Japan, Scotland, Singapore, India, Taiwan, and the United States. CTS Corporation was founded in 1896 and is based in Elkhart, Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
CTS (NYSE: CTS ) reported earnings on July 22. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), CTS missed estimates on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.
Top 10 Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: Arkema SA (AKE)
Arkema SA is a France-based company which specializes in the manufacture and marketing of chemical products. The Company operates through its two business segments: Industrial Chemicals and Performance Products. The Industrial Chemicals division offers the production of acrylics, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), hydrogen peroxide, fluorochemicals and thiochemicals, and includes such brands as Forane, Albone, Norsocryl, Altuglas and Sarbio. The Performance Products include the production of technical polymers, specialty chemicals and functional additives. The Company's products are used in the construction, automotive and transportation, health, electrical and electronics, agricultural and packaging industries, among others. In April 2013, it acquired a majority stake in AEC Polymers. In October 2013, it inaugurated the new Sumitomo Seika superabsorbent plant on the Carling site, which makes the overall superabsorbent production capacity of the Carling facility up to 47,000 ton/year. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Inyoung Hwang]
Arkema SA (AKE) added 4.7 percent to 83.93 euros. UBS AG raised its rating on the French chemicals maker to a buy from neutral, saying the stock is undervalued. The firm also boosted its price target to 100 euros from 80 euros.
Top 10 Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp(CIDM)
Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. provides technology solutions, financial advice and guidance, and software services to content owners and distributors, and movie exhibitors in the United States. The company engages in the ownership and licensing of digital systems to theatrical exhibitors; and provides monitoring, billing, collection, verification, and other management services to the company?s Phase I Deployment and Phase II Deployment, as well as to exhibitors, who purchase their own equipment. It also develops and licenses software to the theatrical distribution and exhibition industries; and provides applications service provider service, and software enhancements and consulting services. In addition, the company distributes movie features, trailers, and other alternative content to movie theaters and other venues with digital cinema equipment through satellite, hard drives, and broadband; and provides non-theatrical satellite based distribution of content into various out of home networks and other channels. Further, it provides content marketing and distribution services to alternative and theatrical content owners, and theatrical exhibitors, as well as offers in-theatre advertising services. The company was formerly known as Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. in October 2009. Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) slipped 14.87% to $2.69 after the company announced a proposed public offering of common stock.
Walter Energy (NYSE: WLT) shares tumbled 12.98% to $7.91 after the company priced $200 million of 9.5% Senior Secured Notes and $350 million of Senior Secured Second Lien PIK Toggle Notes.
Top 10 Trucking Companies To Own For 2014: GulfMark Offshore Inc.(GLF)
GulfMark Offshore, Inc. provides offshore marine services primarily to companies involved in the offshore exploration and production of oil and natural gas. The company?s vessels provide various services supporting the construction, positioning, and ongoing operation of offshore oil and natural gas drilling rigs and platforms, and related infrastructure. Its vessels transport drilling materials, supplies, and personnel to offshore facilities, as well as move and position drilling structures, and provide anchor handling and towing services. The company?s fleet includes anchor handling, towing, and supply vessels; fast supply vessels; platform supply vessels; specialty vessels, including towing and oil response; and small anchor handling, towing, and supply vessels. GulfMark also offers management services to other vessel owners. As of April 27, 2011, its active fleet included 74 owned vessels and 15 managed vessels. It primarily serves integrated oil and natural gas compani es, large independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies working in international markets, and foreign government-owned or controlled oil and natural gas companies, as well as companies that provide logistics, construction, and other services to such oil and natural gas companies and foreign government organizations. The company primarily operates in the North Sea, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. GulfMark Offshore, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
Houston-based GulfMark Offshore (NYSE: GLF ) has a new CFO.
On Monday, the marine transport company announced that when current Chief Financial Officer Quintin Kneen takes office as president and CEO on Tuesday, James (Jay) M. Mitchell will become the company's new executive vice president and CFO.
- [By Traders Reserve]
For investors who want a piece of this developing trend, Transocean and Seadrill are two of the bigger players in this arena. Other offshore drillers/rig operators are Noble (NE) and Ensco (ESV). Companies that provide services to offshore drillers and benefit from increases in exploration and drilling activity are Gulfmark Offshore (GLF), Hornbeck (HOS), Seacor (CKH) and Tidewater (TDW).
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