Monday, August 4, 2014

Best Long Term Companies For 2014

Of the different investment strategies and behaviors that an investor or fund manager can adopt, some notable ones include active investing, passive investing and the "ostrich effect."

Active investing involves constantly buying and selling securities to profit from short-term changes in the stock market. This strategy is often very beneficial when the market is doing particularly well. Passive investing is the opposite of active investing: it employs a buy-and-hold strategy to profit from long-term trends in the stock market and is used by investors who want to avoid risks. Both active and passive investors may exhibit the ostrich effect, or a tendency to ignore bad news in the market. There is a close relationship between passive investing and the ostrich effect, which we will explore here.

What Is Passive Investing?
Passive investing is a long-term strategy that involves restricted buying and selling of securities. A passive investor buys securities to hold long term, because he or she believes that stocks will rise in the long run.

10 Best Regional Bank Stocks For 2015: LRR Energy LP (LRE)

LRR Energy, L.P (LRR Energy) is a limited partnership formed by affiliates of Lime Rock Resources to operate, acquire, exploit and develop producing oil and natural gas properties in North America. The Company�� properties are located in the Permian Basin region in West Texas and southeast New Mexico, the Mid-Continent region in Oklahoma and East Texas and the Gulf Coast region in Texas. As of March 31, 2011, the Company�� total estimated proved reserves were approximately 30.3 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBoe), of which approximately 84% were proved developed reserves. During the year ended December 31, 2010, approximately 55% of its pro forma revenues were from oil and natural gas liquids (NGLs) and approximately 37% of its total estimated proved reserves were oil and NGLs. As of March 31, 2011, the Company operated 93% of its proved reserves. Based on its pro forma average net production of 6,503 barrels of oil equivalent per day (Boe/d) for December 31, 2010, the Company�� total estimated proved reserves as of March 31, 2011 had a reserve-to-production ratio of approximately 12.8 years. In January 2013, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Mid-Continent region in Oklahoma from its sponsor, Lime Rock Resources. In April 2013, it announced that it closed its acquisition of oil and natural gas properties in the Mid-Continent region in Oklahoma.

The Company�� general partner, LRE GP, LLC, is controlled by Lime Rock Management LP. The Company�� general partner has sole responsibility for conducting its business and for managing its operations. The Company�� properties consist of mature, low-risk onshore oil and natural gas reservoirs with long-lived, predictable production profiles located across three diverse producing regions: the permian basin region in west texas and southeast new mexico, the mid-continent region in oklahoma and east texas, and the gulf coast region in texas. As of March 31, 2011, the Company�� estimated proved developed non-! producing reserves included 192 gross (158 net) recompletion, refracture stimulation and workover projects. In addition, as of March 31, 2011, the Company�� proved undeveloped reserves included 213 gross (140 net) identified drilling locations.

As of March 31, 2011, approximately 55% of the Company�� estimated proved reserves and approximately 44% of its pro forma average daily net production for the three months ended December 31, 2010, were located in the Permian Basin region. Approximately 60% of the Company�� estimated net proved reserves in the Permian Basin region are oil and NGLs. The Permian Basin is one of the oil and natural gas producing basins in the United States, extending over 100,000 square miles in West Texas and southeast New Mexico, and has produced over 24 billion barrels of oil. The Company owns an 83% average working interest across 665 gross (552 net) wells and operates approximately 92% of its properties in the Permian Basin. The Company�� estimated proved reserves for its Permian Basin properties as of March 31, 2011 totaled 16.6 MMBoe and had a standardized measure of $237.7 million, which represented 69% of the total standardized measure for all of its estimated proved reserves.

The Company�� properties in the Red Lake area is an oil-weighted field located in Eddy County, New Mexico. The Red Lake properties have produced approximately 4.9 MMBoe. The primary producing formations are the San Andres and Yeso at a depth of approximately 2,000 to 5,000 feet. The Company operates approximately 99% of its proved reserves in the Red Lake area, including 157 gross (144 net) producing wells in the field with an average working interest of 92%, and own a non-operated working interest in 10 gross (3 net) additional wells in the area with an average working interest of 31%. The Company�� properties in the field contained 9.6 MMBoe of estimated net proved reserves as of March 31, 2011, approximately 86% of which are oil and NGLs, and generated average n! et produc! tion of 1,410 Boe/d for December 31, 2010. These properties represented 32% of its total estimated proved reserves as of March 31, 2011 and 22% of the Company�� pro forma average net production for December 31, 2010. In addition, these properties had a standardized measure of $163.3 million as of March 31, 2011, which represented 48% of the total standardized measure for all of the Company�� estimated proved reserves.

The Company�� properties in the Pecos Slope area is a gas-weighted field located in Eddy, Chaves, Lea and Roosevelt Counties, New Mexico. The Company operates approximately 100% of its proved reserves in the Pecos Slope area, including 434 gross (382 net) producing wells in the field with an average working interest of 88%. The Company�� Willow Lake field is an oil-weighted field located in Eddy County, New Mexico. There are 41 gross (8 net) producing wells in this area with an average non-operated working interest of 19%. The Cowden Ranch area is an oil-weighted field located in Crane County, Texas. The Company operate s100% of its proved reserves in the Cowden Ranch area, including 8 gross (approximately 5 net) producing wells in the field with an average working interest of 71%. The Company�� properties in the Corbin and Vacuum have produced approximately 3.0 MMBoe. The Company operates 100% of its proved reserves in the Corbin and Vacuum areas, including 8 gross (8 net) producing wells with an average working interest of 100%.

As of December 31, 2010, approximately 33% of the Company�� estimated proved reserves and approximately 38% of its pro forma average daily net production for December 31, 2010 were located in the Mid-Continent region. The Company�� Potato Hills Area is an Arkoma Basin natural gas property located in Latimer and Pushmataha Counties in Southeast Oklahoma. The Company�� Reklaw properties have produced approximately 5.6 MMBoe. The Company operates 100% of its proved reserves in the Reklaw area, including 63 gross (61 net) pro! ducing we! lls in the field with an average working interest of 97%. Its properties in the Black Bayou-Doyle Creek area is a natural gas-weighted field located in Angelina, Cherokee and Nacogdoches Counties, Texas, in close proximity to the Reklaw area. The Company�� non-operated interest in 43 gross (approximately 12 net) producing wells in the field with an average non-operated working interest of 26%.

As of March 31, 2011, approximately 12% of the Company�� estimated proved reserves and approximately 18% of its pro forma average daily net production for December 31, 2010 were located in the Gulf Coast region. Approximately 31% of the Company�� estimated net proved reserves in the Gulf Coast region are oil and NGLs. The Company owns an 82% average working interest across 42 gross (35 net) wells and operates 100% of its properties in the Gulf Coast region. The Company�� property New Years Ridge area is a natural gas-weighted field located in DeWitt County, Texas. The Company�� George West-Stratton areas consist of natural gas-weighted fields located in Live Oak and Hidalgo Counties, Texas. The Company�� operates 100% of its proved reserves in the George West-Stratton areas, including 23 gross (17 net) producing wells in the George West-Stratton areas with an average working interest of 73%.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of LRR Energy (NYSE: LRE  ) dropped as much as 10% today after the company released earnings.

    So what: Revenue dropped nearly 50%, to $15.8 million, and the company swung to a loss of $7.5 million, or $0.32 per share. Analysts had expected $28.4 million in revenue, and earnings of $0.13 per share.�

Best Long Term Companies For 2014: Transmontaigne Partners L.P. (TLP)

TransMontaigne Partners L.P. operates as a terminaling and transportation company. It provides integrated terminaling, storage, transportation, and related services for customers engaged in the distribution and marketing of light refined petroleum products, heavy refined petroleum products, crude oil, chemicals, fertilizers, and other liquid products. The company operates along the Gulf Coast, in the Midwest, in Brownsville, Texas, along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and in the southeastern United States. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 7 refined product terminals in Florida with an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 7.1 million barrels; a 67-mile interstate refined products pipeline between Missouri and Arkansas and 3 refined product terminals with approximately 0.6 million barrels of aggregate active storage capacity; 2 refined product terminals located in Mt. Vernon, Missouri, as well as Rogers, Arkansas with an aggregate active storage capacity of appr oximately 407,000 barrels; and 1 refined product terminal in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with an aggregate active storage capacity of approximately 158,000 barrels. The company also operated 1 refined product terminal in Brownsville, Texas with an aggregate active storage capacity of approximately 2.2 million barrels; 1 refined product terminal located in Matamoros, Mexico with an aggregate active LPG storage capacity of approximately 7,000 barrels; a pipeline from Brownsville facilities to its terminal in Matamoros, Mexico; 12 refined product terminals along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers with an aggregate active storage capacity of approximately 2.5 million barrels, as well as a dock facility; and 22 refined product terminals along the Colonial and Plantation pipelines with an aggregate active storage capacity of approximately 9.3 million barrels. TransMontaigne GP L.L.C. serves as the general partner of the company. TransMontaigne Partners L.P. was founded in 2005 and is bas ed in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Transmontaigne Partners (NYSE: TLP  ) is expected to report Q2 earnings around July 16. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

    The 10-second takeaway
    Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Transmontaigne Partners's revenues will increase 5.5% and EPS will compress -23.9%.

  • [By Anna Prior]

    NGL Energy Partners LP(NGL), which bought oil-storage company TransMontaigne Inc. from Morgan Stanley (MS) (MS) last week, said it is offering to buy the outstanding units of TransMontaigne Partners LP(TLP) (TLP) in a one-for-one exchange of common units.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    TransMontaigne Partners (NYSE: TLP  ) is about to ship a bigger load of dividend to its unit holders. The company has declared a new distribution of $0.65 per unit, to be dispensed on Aug. 8 to holders of record as of July 31.That amount is $0.01, or 1.6%, higher than the company's previous payout of $0.64. It had distributed this amount in each of the preceding four quarters.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    TransMontaigne Partners (NYSE: TLP  ) is drilling into the market to raise in the neighborhood of $60 million. The company has floated 1.45 million of its common units in an underwritten public offering priced at $43.32 per unit. The company's underwriters have also been granted a 30-day purchase option for up to an additional 217,500 units.

Best Long Term Companies For 2014: Interactive Brokers Group Inc (IBKR)

Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBG, Inc.) is a holding company. The Company is an automated global electronic broker and market maker specializing in routing orders and executing and processing trades in securities, futures, foreign exchange instruments, bonds and mutual funds on more than 100 electronic exchanges and trading venues worldwide. In the United States, it conducts its business in Greenwich, Connecticut, Chicago, Illinois and Jersey City, New Jersey. Abroad, the Company conducts business through offices located in Canada, England, Switzerland, Hong Kong, India, Australia and Japan. It operates in two segments: electronic brokerage and market making. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 11.5% in IBG LLC, the holding company for its businesses. The Company is the sole managing member of IBG LLC.

As a direct market access broker, the Company serves the customers of both traditional brokers and prime brokers. It provides its customers with order management, trade execution and portfolio management platform. Its customers can simultaneously access different financial markets worldwide and trade across multiple asset classes (stocks, options, futures, foreign exchange (forex), bonds and mutual funds) denominated in 17 different currencies, on one screen, from a single account based in any currency. Its bank and broker-dealer customers may white label its trading interface (make its trading interface available to their customers without referencing its name), or can select from among its modular functionalities, such as order routing, trade reporting or clearing on specific products or exchanges. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company introduced the Interactive Brokers Information System (IBIS). IBIS is a market information workspace, which provides subscribers with real-time market data, research, analytics, stock scanners, charts and alerts. As a market maker, the Company provides continuous bid and offer quotations on over 867,000 securities and futures produ! cts listed on electronic exchanges worldwide.

Electronic Brokerage-Interactive Brokers

During 2011, Electronic brokerage represented 50% of net revenues from electronic brokerage and market making combined. It conducts its electronic brokerage business through its Interactive Brokers (IB) subsidiaries. As an electronic broker, it executes, clears and settles trades worldwide for both institutional and individual customers.

The Company competes with TD Ameritrade, The Charles Schwab Corporation, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

Market Making-Timber Hill

During 2011, Market making represented 50% of net revenues from electronic brokerage and market making combined. The Company conducts its market making business through its Timber Hill (TH) subsidiaries. It provides liquidity by offering bid/offer spreads over a base of over 867,000 tradable, exchange-listed products, including equity derivative products, equity index derivative products, equity securities and futures. Together with its electronic brokerage customers, in 2011 it accounted for approximately 9.9% of exchange-listed equity options traded worldwide and approximately 10.1% of exchange-listed equity options volume traded on those markets in which it actively trades. The Company�� United States market making activities are conducted through Timber Hill LLC (TH LLC), a securities broker-dealer that conducts market making in equity derivative products, equity index derivative products and equity securities.

TH LLC is a member of the Boston Options Exchange, BATS exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Trade, International Securities Exchange, NYSE AMEX Options Exchange, NYSE Arca, OneChicago, NASDAQ OMX PHLX and the New York Mercantile Exchange. TH LLC also conducts market making activities in Mexico at the MEXDER and the Mexican Stock Exchange and in Brazil! at the S! ao Paulo Stock Exchange and the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange. The Company conducts market making activities in Canada through its Canadian subsidiary, Timber Hill Canada Company (THC) at the Toronto Stock Exchange and Montreal Exchange. In addition, it participates in stock trading at the Electronic Communications Networks (ECNs) in both the United States and Canada.

The Company�� European, Asian, and Australian market making subsidiaries, primarily Timber Hill Europe AG (THE), conducts operations in 20 countries, comprising the securities markets in these regions. Its other European operations are conducted on the London Stock Exchange; the Weiner Borse AG; the Copenhagen Stock Exchange; the Helsinki Stock Exchange; the NYSE Euronext exchanges in Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels and London; NASDAQ OMX Nordic in Sweden, Finland and Denmark; the Swedish Stock Exchange; the MEFF and Bolsa de Valores Madrid in Spain; the IDEM and Borsa Valori de Milano in Milan, and the OTOB in Vienna.

The Company competes with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Citigroup, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citadel, Susquehanna, Wolverine Trading, Group One Trading, Peak6 and Getco.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By victorselva]

    The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is a savings and loan holding company. The company is engaged, through its subsidiaries, in securities brokerage, banking, money management, and financial advisory services. Its subsidiaries include Charles Schwab & Co. (a leading discount broker-dealer), Charles Schwab Investment Management (a mutual fund investment advisor) and Charles Schwab Bank.In this article, let's take a look at this brokerage firm and try to explain to investors the reasons this is an apparently appealing investment opportunity.The FocusThe company provides financial services to individuals and institutional clients through two segments: Investor Services and Institutional Services. The Investor Services segment provides retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors. The Institutional Services segment provides custodial, trading, and support services to independent investment advisors. The Institutional Services segment also provides retirement plan services, specialty brokerage services, and mutual fund clearing services. The company seeks to meet the financial services needs of investors, advisers and employers. It focuses on building client loyalty with the goal of attracting new clients and serving them. Additionally, Schwab麓s strengths through shared core processes and technology advances which help create services that are scalable and consistent with the business.Interest Rates, Capital Structure and Debt-to-Capital RatioThe results are dependent on short-term interest rates, as 37% of its top line came from net interest income in the first quarter of 2014.The broker has been making significant efforts to become less dependent on interest rates, which we expect Federal Reserve will raise them in late 2014 or 2015. Also, the company麓s plan is to reach a low-cost capital structure and targets a long-term debt-to-total financial capital ratio of less than 30%.Lucrative Derivatives Trading In 2011, the company acquired Compl

Best Long Term Companies For 2014: Triangle Petroleum Corporation (TPLM)

Triangle Petroleum Corporation engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of unconventional shale oil and natural gas resources in the Bakken Shale and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana. As of January 31, 2013, the company held leasehold interests in approximately 86,000 net acres in McKenzie and Williams Counties of North Dakota, and Roosevelt and Sheridan Counties of Montana. It also holds an 87% working interest in approximately 412,924 net acres of oil and natural gas leases in the Windsor Sub-Basin of the Maritimes Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. In addition, the company offers hydraulic pressure pumping and complementary well completion services to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana. The company was formerly known as Peloton Resources Inc. and changed its name to Triangle Petroleum Corporation in May 2005. Triangle Petroleum Corporation was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bret Jensen]

    Triangle Petroleum (TPLM) came within pennies of doubling since I profiled it at $5.40 a share back in June on Friday. This was twenty months before my prediction that the fast growing concern could achieve those levels. Triangle shows there can quite a bit a value still left among the smaller Bakken players. I view these small E&P firms almost like biotechs and use the same form of "shotgun investing" I do with that sector. Here are two small Bakken producers which could award aggressive growth investors in the future.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of Triangle Petroleum� (NYSEMKT: TPLM  ) �jumped 10% today after the company released earnings.

    So what: Revenue rose 17% in the quarter to $34.3 million, above the $31.5 million estimate. On the bottom line, the company went from a $3 million loss a year ago to a $5.2 million profit, or $0.10 per share, double what Wall Street estimated. �

  • [By John Udovich]

    Small cap Triangle Petroleum Corporation (NYSEMKT: TPLM), just like its peers Emerald Oil Inc (NYSEMKT: EOX) and Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp (NYSE: KOG), is focused on the Williston Basin�� Bakken and Three Forks formations and the company is scheduled to release second quarter fiscal year 2014 financial results after the close of trading�next Monday.�And the last time earnings were reported, shares jumped around 10% plus management gave some rosy commentary for investors. With that in mind, should investors in Triangle Petroleum Corporation be ready for another earnings report that excites the bulls?

  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    Despite the fact that Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG  ) has decided to be acquired by Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL  ) for slightly less than market value for similar deals recently, Wall Street seems to love the transaction. Both Kodiak and Whiting have seen shares climb by 10.1% and 10.4%, respectively, following the announcement, which suggests there might have been something bigger to the deal. Let's take a look at what has changed recently for Kodiak and how that could impact other smaller players in the Bakken such as Oasis Petroleum (NYSE: OAS  ) and Triangle Petroleum (NYSEMKT: TPLM  ) .

Best Long Term Companies For 2014: Burberry Group PLC (BURBY)

Burberry Group plc (Burberry) is a holding company. The Company designs and sources luxury apparel and accessories, selling through a diversified network of retail (including digital), wholesale and licensing channels worldwide. The Company�� Retail/wholesale channel is engaged in the sale of luxury goods through Burberry mainline stores, concessions, outlets and digital commerce, as well as Burberry franchisees, prestige department stores globally and multi-brand specialty accounts. The Company�� retail channel includes approximately 206 mainline stores, 214 concessions within department stores, digital commerce and 49 outlets. The Company�� wholesale channel includes sales to department stores, multi-brand specialty accounts, Travel Retail and franchisees who operates approximately 65 Burberry stores. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Reuters]

    Peter Foley/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBurberry Group CEO Angela Ahrendts. LONDON -- Christopher Bailey, the designer credited with restoring the cachet to fashion brand Burberry, is to become chief executive next year when long-standing boss Angela Ahrendts will move to Apple. The 157-year-old British fashion house, famous for its camel, red and black check pattern, said Tuesday that Ahrendts would step down by mid-2014 after which Bailey would combine his role as chief creative officer with chief executive. News the 42-year-old Yorkshireman would hold both positions sparked concern among some analysts that he might be taking on too much, and sent shares in the group down 6 percent in early trading, valuing the business at 6.6 billion pounds. "There will undoubtedly be relief that Mr. Bailey, the driving force behind the brand for the last 12 years, is staying," Morgan Stanley (MS) said in a note to clients. "But we anticipate some investor concern about combining the chief creative officer and CEO roles, which are both time consuming and require very different skill sets." Ahrendts, who has been Burberry (BURBY) boss for eight years, during which time its share price has soared about 250 percent, will take up a newly created position at Apple as a senior vice president with oversight of retail and online stores. She will report directly to CEO Tim Cook. Ahrendts will be looking to do better than the last chief executive of a British company who left London to join Apple (AAPL) -- John Browett who quit Dixons to lead the iPad and iPhone maker's global retail expansion in 2012. He left six months later. Bailey joined Burberry in 2001 and has held the major creative role for six years, helping to rebuild the group after it became a victim of its own success in the 1990s when its trademark pattern was embraced by the mass market, losing its appeal to its core wealthy clientele. Under Ahrendts and Bailey, the group has refocused on the luxury market, inc

Best Long Term Companies For 2014: Windstream Corporation(WIN)

Windstream Corporation provides communications and technology solutions in the United States. The company offers various solutions, including IP-based voice and data services, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networking, data center and managed services, hosting services, and communications systems to businesses and government agencies. It also provides high-speed Internet, voice, and digital television services to residential customers primarily located in rural areas. The company?s data services include data center and managed hosting, MPLS networking, and dedicated access, as well as high-speed Internet to business customers; integrated solutions consist of multiple voice and data services delivered over an IP connection; voice services comprise local and long distance, call waiting, caller identification, and voicemail; and special access services include point-to-point switching arrangements for voice and data traffic. In addition, it provides wholesale services, which primarily include voice and data services on a wholesale basis to other carriers; usage sensitive services to long distance companies; and other local exchange carriers for access to the network in connection with the completion of long-distance calls, as well as reciprocal compensation received from wireless and other local connecting carriers for the use of its facilities. As of June 30, 2011, the company served approximately 3.3 million access lines, 1.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and operated approximately 60,000 fiber route miles. Windstream Corporation is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By David Dittman]

    Question: What about Windstream Holdings Inc (NYSE: WIN)?

    Answer: I sold Windstream from the UF Income Portfolio and the PF Income Portfolio after the stock showed significant weakness ahead of management’s dividend declaration in early February. Windstream held its quarterly dividend rate at $0.25 per share.

  • [By Anders Bylund]

    So even after all the hacking and slashing, France Telecom's yield is orders of magnitude richer than American contemporaries AT&T (NYSE: T  ) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ  ) . It's fully comparable to the high-yield payouts of rural American telecoms such as CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL  ) and Windstream (NASDAQ: WIN  ) , but with the added bonus of growth plans in emerging markets. The French stock strikes a unique balance between generous yields, large-scale operations, and vibrant growth plans.

  • [By David Dittman]

    Question: Windstream Holdings Inc (NYSE: WIN) has moved up significantly since your ��ell��recommendation. What is the reason? Short covering? The company continues to support the dividend. What is your expectation?

Best Long Term Companies For 2014: Volkswagen AG (VLKAY)

Volkswagen AG is a Germany-based automobile manufacturer. The Company develops vehicles and components, and also produces and sells vehicles, in particular Volkswagen brand passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The Company consists of two divisions: Automotive and Financial Services division. The Automotive division is responsible for the development of vehicles and engines, the production and sale of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and buses, and the genuine parts business. The Financial services division's portfolio of services includes dealer and customer services in the field of financing, leasing, directbank, insurance and fleet business. The Company's brands include Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Skoda, Scania and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and each brand offers a product range from low-consumption small cars to luxury class vehicles, as well as pick ups, busses and heavy trucks in the commercial vehicle sector.

During 2009, the Company introduced two additions to the Audi5 model series: Audi A5 Cabriolet and the Audi A5 Sportback. In addition, Audi A4 allroad Quattro, Audi TT RS, Audi RS Spyder and the Audi 8 were introduced. During 2009, Audi brand delivered 950 thousand vehicles to customers worldwide. The SEAT launched the Exeo in the B segment. This sporty midsized saloon marks the arrival of the Spanish brands. Bentley introduced the Bentley Mulsanne. This saloon includes proportioned interiors. It also introduced GTC Speed and the Bentley Continental Supersports.

The Company has various delivery centers, including Western Europe, China, Brazil, United States and Mexico. During 2009, deliveries of vehicles were 6336222 worldwide.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Rosevear]

    Akerson, echoing recent comments from Ford (NYSE: F  ) executives, told Bild that "in a few years time" Russia's new-car market could be bigger than Germany's, currently Europe's largest. That's why GM, like its global-minded rivals Ford and Volkswagen (NASDAQOTH: VLKAY  ) , is looking to establish a strong foothold in Russia while the market is still in its early growth stages.

  • [By John Rosevear]

    One of the things he saw was a company that was too dependent on the U.S. pickup truck market. Another thing he saw was rival Volkswagen (NASDAQOTH: VLKAY  ) . VW's profits dwarf GM's -- and nearly half of those fat profits come from VW's successful luxury brand, Audi.

  • [By John Rosevear]

    Those investments are offsetting the very good sales gains that Ford is already making in places like China. Ford got a late start in China relative to competitors like GM and Volkswagen (NASDAQOTH: VLKAY  ) , but it's making up for lost time.

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