Not everyone has his billions, which allows the Oracle of Omaha to snatch up deals unavailable to most of us, like his 2009 purchase of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. But once again, his yearly missive to his shareholders shows how simple the keys to his success are.
Not that they are easy to implement. Diligence, grit and common sense are prerequisites to coming anywhere near a winning investment performance long term. He is doing something right, and consistently. According to Forbes, Buffett is the second-richest American, with an estimated net worth of $58.5 billion (Bill Gates is No. 1).
When a person starts with $100,000 dollars of capital, only $100 of which is his own, and turns it into a $309 billion empire nearly 50 years later, principally by investing, pay heed. Numerous biographies show how Buffett started early and stayed at it.
5 Best Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2015: Pain Therapeutics Inc (PTIE)
Pain Therapeutics, Inc., incorporated in May 1998, is a biopharmaceutical company that develops drugs. The Company has four drug candidates in clinical programs, including REMOXY, abuse-resistant hydromorphone, abuse-resistant hydrocodone and a radio-labeled monoclonal antibody to treat metastatic melanoma. It is also working on a new treatment for patients with hemophilia. The Company�� lead drug candidate is REMOXY, which is a painkiller. It has collaboration agreement with King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (King) develops and commercializes REMOXY and other opioid painkillers. The Company and King jointly managed a Phase III clinical program and New Drug Application (NDA) submission for REMOXY. It is also developing a pipeline of drug candidates in the area of oncology and hematology. It owns all commercial rights to its pipeline of drug candidates in oncology and hematology. As of December 31, 2010, the Company leased approximately 30,700 square feet of space in San Mateo, California and all of its operations are located in San Mateo.
REMOXY
REMOXY is a controlled-release oral capsule form of oxycodone in a highly viscous liquid formulation matrix that includes excipients. It is formulated to help address issues of abuse and misuse of time-release oxycodone tablets. REMOXY�� capsule dosage form provides therapeutic drug levels of oxycodone on a twice-daily dosing schedule, while resisting the rapid increases in plasma levels of oxycodone associated with common methods of abuse and misuse. Its formulation also resists delivery by unapproved routes of administration, such as injection, snorting or inhalation.
Metastatic Melanoma
The Company is developing a drug candidate called PTI-188 to treat metastatic melanoma, a form of skin cancer. PTI-188 is a monoclonal antibody linked to a radioisotope, intended to deliver doses of radiation lethal to melanoma tumors without harming normal tissue. In March 2010, the Company announced data from two open-label! , dose-escalating Phase I studies conducted in Israel to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, dosimetry and anti-tumor activity of PTI-188. During the year ended December 31, 2010, the second study was completed. The technology used in this program was developed at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM). It had licensed worldwide commercial rights to this technology from AECOM.
Hemophilia
The Company has a gene transfer program, initially developed at Stanford University, focused at correcting a genetic disorder in which patients are unable to stop bleeding. During 2010, it conducted a variety of pre-clinical studies with this technology. The Company has licensed worldwide commercial rights to the technology used in this program from Poetic Genetics, LLC (Poetic).
Other product candidates
The Company�� alliance with King includes development of three other abuse-resistant opioid product candidates: hydromorphone, hydrocodone and oxymorphone. Its abuse-resistant formulations of hydromorphone and hydrocodone have completed Phase I clinical trials. In January 2011, the Company announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had accepted its investigational IND, for abuse-resistant oxymorphone.
The Company competes with Roxane Laboratories, Purdue Pharma, King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Cephalon, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Elkins-Sinn, Watson Laboratories, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical and Forest Pharmaceuticals.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jessica Alling]
Elsewhere, Pfizer is evaluating its continued partnership on an experimental oxycodone capsule, Remoxy. The drug is an extended-release formula that is targeted at reducing abuse of the painkiller. After years of setbacks and postponements for FDA approval, Pfizer is weighing its options. Its partners for the drug, Pain Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PTIE ) and Durect, have both fallen heavily due to the news, with Pain Therapeutics falling more than 50% -- its largest decline ever.
- [By Sean Williams]
However, all isn't well when it comes to the future of abuse-resistant painkiller Remoxy, which was developed by Pain Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PTIE ) , using Durect's�special technology-based gel capsule to prevent abuse, and is licensed by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE ) . Remoxy has been rejected twice by the FDA -- the most recent coming in mid-2011 -- and Pfizer commented this morning that if it were to seek reapproval for the drug it wouldn't be for at least two more years. Given Pfizer's extensive product pipeline, losing Remoxy wouldn't be a big deal. For micro-cap clinical-stage companies like Pain Therapeutics and Durect, it'd be a gigantic blow. Fittingly, Pain Therapeutics and Durect shares imploded by 50% and 34%, respectively, on Friday.
Top 5 Railroad Companies To Watch For 2014: Metlife Inc (MET)
MetLife, Inc. (MetLife), incorporated on August 10, 1999, is a provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90 million customers in over 50 countries. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife operates in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. It is organized into six segments: Insurance Products, Retirement Products, Corporate Benefit Funding and Auto & Home (collectively, U.S. Business), and Japan and Other International Regions (collectively, International). In addition, the Company reports certain of its results of operations in Corporate & Other, which includes MetLife Bank, National Association (MetLife Bank) and other business activities. U.S. Business provides insurance and financial services products, including life, dental, disability, auto and homeowner insurance, guaranteed interest and stable value products, and annuities through independent retail distribution channels, as well as at the workplace. Outside the U.S., it operates in Japan and over 50 countries within Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. MetLife is the life insurer in Mexico and also holds positions in Japan, Poland, Chile and Korea. This business provides life insurance, accident and health insurance, credit insurance, annuities, endowment and retirement and savings products to both individuals and groups. In August 2012, it acquired Reynolds Plantation. In January 2013, the Company completed the sale of MetLife Bank, N.A.'s deposit business. Effective July 25, 2013, MetLife Inc acquired Broadstone Laurel Highlands, from Alliance Residential Fund I. In September 2013, MetLife Inc and Thayer Lodging Group acquired the 365-room Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in a joint venture.
Insurance Products
The Insurance Products segment offers a range of protection products and services aimed at serving the financial needs of its customers throughout their lives. These pro! ducts are sold to individuals and corporations, as well as other institutions and their respective employees. It is organized in three businesses: Group Life, Individual Life and Non-Medical Health.
The Group Life insurance products and services include variable life, universal life, and term life products. It offer group insurance products as employer-paid benefits or as voluntary benefits where all or a portion of the premiums are paid by the employee. These group products and services also include employee paid supplemental life and are offered as standard products or may be tailored to meet specific customer needs.
The Individual Life insurance products and services include variable life, universal life, term life and whole life products. Additionally, through its broker-dealer affiliates, it offers a full range of mutual funds and other securities products. The products within both Group Life and Individual Life include Variable Life, Universal Life, Term Life and Whole Life. Variable life products provide insurance coverage through a contract that gives the policyholder the policyholder flexibility in investment choices and, depending on the product, in premium payments and coverage amounts, with certain guarantees. With variable life products, premiums and account balances can be directed by the policyholder into a variety of separate account investment options or directed to the Company�� general account. In the separate account investment options, the policyholder bears the entire risk of the investment results.
Universal life products provide insurance coverage on the same basis as variable life, except that premiums, and the resulting accumulated balances, are allocated only to the Company�� general account. Universal life products may allow the insured to increase or decrease the amount of death benefit coverage over the term of the contract and the owner to adjust the frequency and amount of premium payments.
Term life products provid! e a guara! nteed benefit upon the death of the insured for a specified time period in return for the periodic payment of premiums. Specified coverage periods range from one year to 30 years, but in no event are they longer than the period over, which premiums are paid. Death benefits may be level over the period or decreasing. Decreasing coverage is used principally to provide for loan repayment in the event of death. Premiums may be guaranteed at a level amount for the coverage period or may be non-level and non-guaranteed. Term insurance products are sometimes referred to as pure protection products, in that there are typically no savings or investment elements. Term contracts expire without value at the end of the coverage period when the insured party is still living.
Whole life products provide a guaranteed benefit upon the death of the insured in return for the periodic payment of a fixed premium over a predetermined period. Premium payments may be required for the entire life of the contract period, to a specified age or period, and may be level or change in accordance with a predetermined schedule. Whole life insurance includes policies that provide a participation feature in the form of dividends. Policyholders may receive dividends in cash or apply them to increase death benefits, increase cash values available upon surrender or reduce the premiums required to maintain the contract in-force.
The Non-Medical Health products and services include dental insurance, group short- and long-term disability, individual disability income, long-term care (LTC), critical illness and accidental death & dismemberment coverage. Other products and services include employer-sponsored auto and homeowners insurance provided through the Auto & Home segment and prepaid legal plans. The Company also sells administrative services-only (ASO) arrangements to some employers. The products in this area are Dental, Disability and Long-term Care (LTC). Dental products provide insurance and ASO plans that ass! ist emplo! yees, retirees and their families in maintaining oral health while reducing out-of-pocket expenses and providing superior customer service. Dental plans include the Preferred Dentist Program and the Dental Health Maintenance Organization. Disability products provide a benefit in the event of the disability of the insured. This benefit is in the form of monthly income paid until the insured reaches age 65. In addition to income replacement, the product may be used to provide for the payment of business overhead expenses for disabled business owners or mortgage payment protection. This is offered on both a group and individual basis. LTC products provide protection against the potentially high costs of LTC services. They generally pay benefits to insureds that need assistance with activities of daily living or have a cognitive impairment.
Retirement Products
The Retirement products segment includes a variety of variable and fixed annuities that are primarily sold to individuals and employees of corporations and other institutions. The products in this area are Variable Annuities and Fixed Annuities. Variable annuities provide for both asset accumulation and asset distribution needs. Variable annuities allow the contract holder to make deposits into various investment options in a separate account, as determined by the contract holder. The risks associated with such investment options are borne entirely by the contract holder, except where guaranteed minimum benefits are involved.
Fixed annuities provide for both asset accumulation and asset distribution needs. Fixed annuities do not allow the same investment flexibility provided by variable annuities, but provide guarantees related to the preservation of principal and interest credited.
Corporate Benefit Funding
The Corporate Benefit Funding segment includes a range of annuity and investment products, including, guaranteed interest products and other stable value products, income annuitie! s, and se! parate account contracts for the investment management of defined benefit and defined contribution plan assets. This segment also includes certain products to fund postretirement benefits and company, bank or trust owned life insurance used to finance non-qualified benefit programs for executives. The products in this area are Stable Value Products, Pensions Closeouts, Torts and Settlements, Capital Markets Investment Products and other Corporate Benefit Funding Products and Services. The Company offers general account guaranteed interest contracts, separate account guaranteed interest contracts, and similar products used to support the stable value option of defined contribution plans. It also offers private floating rate funding agreements that are used for money market funds, securities lending cash collateral portfolios and short-term investment funds.
The Company offers general account and separate account annuity products, generally in connection with the termination of defined benefit pension plans, both in the United States and the United Kingdom. It also offers partial risk transfer solutions that allow for partial transfers of pension liabilities and annuity products that include single premium buyouts. It offers strategies for complex litigation settlements, primarily structured settlement annuities. Under the Capital Markets Investment Products, the products offered include funding agreements, Federal Home Loan Bank advances and funding agreement-backed commercial paper. Under the Other Corporate Benefit Funding Products and Services, it offers specialized insurance products designed specifically to provide solutions for non-qualified benefit and retiree benefit funding purposes.
Auto & Home
The Auto & Home segment includes personal lines property and casualty insurance offered directly to employees at their employer�� worksite, as well as to individuals through a variety of retail distribution channels, including independent agents, property and casu! alty spec! ialists, direct response marketing and the individual distribution sales group. Auto & Home primarily sells auto insurance, which represented 67% of Auto & Home�� total net earned premiums in 2011. Homeowners and other insurance represented 33% of Auto & Home�� total net earned premiums in 2011. The products in this area are Auto Coverages and Homeowners and Other Coverages. Auto insurance policies provide coverage for private passenger automobiles, utility automobiles and vans, motorcycles, motor homes, antique or classic automobiles and trailers. Auto & Home offers traditional coverage, such as liability, uninsured motorist, no fault or personal injury protection, as well as collision and comprehensive. Homeowners��insurance policies provide protection for homeowners, renters, condominium owners and residential landlords against losses arising out of damage to dwellings and contents from a variety of perils, as well as coverage for liability arising from ownership or occupancy. Other insurance includes personal excess liability (protection against losses in excess of amounts covered by other liability insurance policies), and coverage for recreational vehicles and boat owners. Most of Auto & Home�� homeowners��policies are traditional insurance policies for dwellings, providing protection for loss on a replacement cost basis. These policies also provide additional coverage for reasonable, normal living expenses incurred by policyholders that have been displaced from their homes.
International
International provides life insurance, accident and health insurance, credit insurance, annuities, endowment and retirement & savings products to both individuals and groups. The Company focuses on markets primarily within Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. It operates in international markets through subsidiaries and affiliates. The Company operates in 22 countries in Latin America, with operations in Mexico, Chile and Argentina. It operates in fou! r countri! es in Asia Pacific with operations in Korea, Hong Kong and Australia. It operates in 35 countries in Europe and the Middle East with operations in Poland, the United Kingdom, France, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as through a consolidated joint venture in India.
Corporate & Other
Corporate & Other contains the excess capital not allocated to the segments, which is invested to optimize investment spread and to fund company initiatives and various start-up and run-off entities. Mortgage products offered by MetLife Bank include forward and reverse residential mortgage loans. Residential mortgage loans are originated through MetLife Bank�� national sales force, mortgage brokers and mortgage correspondents. The residential mortgage banking activities include the origination and servicing of mortgage loans. Mortgage loans are held-for-investment or sold primarily into Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) or Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) securities. Deposit products include traditional savings accounts, money market savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and individual retirement accounts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jessica Alling]
In this video, Motley Fool contributor Jessica Alling discusses the basis of the speculation, how AIG's competitor MetLife (NYSE: MET ) comes into play, and what investors should expect.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Beyond mortgage insurance, not everything has gone well at Genworth. Its long-term care insurance business continues to struggle, with operating profits having fallen by more than 40% as Genworth struggles to get regulators to allow it to increase rates enough to make the business economically viable. Major competitors MetLife (NYSE: MET ) and Prudential (NYSE: PRU ) have already pulled back from long-term care, and Genworth might have to follow suit if it can't find other ways to make money from the segment. In addition, Genworth joined other insurers in settling claims that it and others failed to pay policy benefits to life-insurance customers, serving as a reminder that litigation risks continue to exist throughout the financial industry.
- [By Christina Rexrode]
Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc. (MMC) and MetLife Inc. (MET) have been rising since those companies reported earnings earlier this week.
Top 5 Railroad Companies To Watch For 2014: China BAK Battery Inc.(CBAK)
China BAK Battery, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, commercialization, and distribution of various standard and customized lithium ion rechargeable batteries. The company offers various products, including aluminum-case prismatic, cylindrical, lithium polymer, and high-power lithium battery cells. Its battery cells are the principal component of rechargeable batteries used to power cellular phones and smart phones; notebook computers, tablet computers, and e-book readers; portable consumer electronics, such as digital cameras, portable media players, portable gaming devices, personal digital assistants, camcorders, and Bluetooth headsets; and electric bicycles, light electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, cordless power tools, and uninterruptible power supplies. The company serves battery pack manufacturers, original equipment manufactures, and replacement battery manufacturers primarily in the People?s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hon g Kong, India, the United States, the Middle East, Italy, Germany, and Turkey. China BAK Battery, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is based in Shenzhen, China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bryan Murphy]
It's fun to be right, but there's such a thing as being a little too right, too fast. Such is the case with China BAK Battery Inc. (NASDAQ:CBAK) ... a stock yours truly was touting as a buy-worthy ticker just two days ago following news from Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) that it was getting into the battery-pack business so it could become its own supplier for its electric vehicle business (Tesla automobiles need a huge battery pack to run). If there was enough demand for a carmaker to get into the game, then surely it meant there was enough potential business for an established battery market to bear plenty of fruit for CBAK too.
Top 5 Railroad Companies To Watch For 2014: Avalon Rare Metals Inc (AVL)
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (Avalon) is a Canada-based mineral exploration and development company. The Company�� primary focus is on rare metals and minerals, including tin, lithium, tantalum, niobium, cesium, indium, gallium, zirconium and calcium feldspar. It is in the process of exploring or developing three of its six mineral resource properties. The Company�� active projects (Thor Lake Rare Metals Project (Thor Lake), Separation Rapids and East Kemptville) are rare minerals or rare metals properties that are at an advanced stage with identified mineral resources. Thor Lake is the Company�� leading project. The Thor Lake is located in the Mackenzie Mining District of the Northwest Territories, approximately five kilometers north of the Hearne Channel of Great Slave Lake and approximately 100 kilometers southeast of the city of Yellowknife. It comprises five contiguous mining leases totalling 10,449 acres (4,249 hectares) and three claims totalling 4,597 acres (1,869 hectares). Advisors' Opinion:- [By Doug Ehrman]
The broader comments are a boon for the industry, explaining why competitors like Avalon Rare Metals (NYSEMKT: AVL ) traded up nearly 10% and Rare Earth Elements (NYSEMKT: REE ) surged over 12% on the news. If industrial demand for rare-earth elements is stabilizing and beginning to build, then all three of these companies will benefit. High inventories in the hands of customers have been a major drag on prices for an extended period, and If this trend is reversing, Molycorp should see continuing strength in the later part of the year.
- [By James E. Brumley]
Back on September 24th I pointed out how Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (NYSEMKT:AVL) was a superior stock pick to Rare Element Resources Ltd (NYSEMKT:REE), even if only for short-term technical reasons. Either way, however, the rebound in the prices of most rare earth metals was going to be good for both REE and AVL. The one name conspicuously missing from the bunch, of course, was Molycorp Inc. (NYSE:MCP). Well, you can finally add MCP to the buy list as well. In fact, the different path it took to technical soundness may well make Molycorp the best pick of the bunch right now.
- [By James E. Brumley]
Rare Element Resources Ltd (NYSEMKT:REE) has been getting more than its fair share of attention of late.... bullish attention, to be precise. The stock's benefited from the attention too, with REE shares up 58% in the past two and a half weeks. As compelling as that move is, however, it's not the best rare earth bet at this point. If you like Rare Element Resources, you'll love Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (NYSEMKT:AVL). Unlike REE, AVL isn't already overbought. Indeed, it's just getting started.
First and foremost, it's worth noting that the undertow pushing Avalon Rare Metals and Rare Element Resources Ltd shares upward is doing the same for most rare earth metal miners. That undertow is simply a broad price improvement for rare earth elements. Since July's low, neodymium ("the biggie) prices have advanced from $75/kg to the current price of $103/kg, and are still going strong. Some observers have already suggested the proverbial bottom has been made, and their arguments actually hold up pretty well. That's why REE and AVL have been such - no pun intended - hot commodities of late... this rebound in rare element prices seems to be the real deal.
So what's wrong with Rare Element Resources Ltd that isn't wrong with Avalon Rare Metals? In simplest terms, AVL isn't overbought right now, while REE is.
With just a quick glance at the chart of Rare Element Resources Ltd we can see that shares had already been hot, gapping higher back on the 16th, yet never looking back. Now it's up huge, and on huge volume. In fact, today's big 11% pop will be the highest volume day we've seen in months.
On the surface it seems bullish, but this is one of those "too much of anything is still too much" situations. REE may be hot, but it's well overextended already, and today's extreme bullishness may be actually be a blowoff top.
AVL, on the flipside, isn't nearly as overextended right now. In fact, it appears to just be getting started. Though it to - [By Travis Hoium]
Not the time to bet on rare-earth materials
There's no question that the rare-earth mineral space has peaked, and that it has a lot of questions to surmount. Despite Wall Street's euphoria over the stock, I'd be cautious about Molycorp and would definitely stay away from speculative rare-earth plays Rare Element Resources (NYSEMKT: REE ) and Avalon Rare Metals (NYSEMKT: AVL ) , who don't even have the revenue Molycorp is generating.
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