Yet nearly five years after the Great Recession ended, more people are coming to the painful realization that they're no longer part of it.
They are former professionals now stocking shelves at grocery stores, retirees struggling with rising costs and people working part-time jobs but desperate for full-time pay. Such setbacks have emerged in economic statistics for several years. Now they're affecting how Americans think of themselves.
Since 2008, the number of Americans who call themselves middle class has fallen by nearly a fifth, according to a survey in January by the Pew Research Center, from 53% to 44%. Forty percent now identify as either lower-middle or lower class compared with just 25% in February 2008.
Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Own Right Now: CRB Futures Index(CR)
Crane Co. manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in five segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Engineered Materials, Merchandising Systems, Fluid Handling, and Controls. The Aerospace & Electronics segment offers pressure, fuel flow, and position sensors and subsystems; brake control systems; coolant, lube and fuel pumps; and seat actuation products. This segment also provides power supplies and custom microelectronics for aerospace, defense, medical, and other applications; and electrical power components, power management products, electronic radio frequency, and microwave frequency components and subsystems for the defense, space, and military communications markets. The Engineered Materials segment manufactures fiberglass-reinforced plastic panels for the truck trailer and recreational vehicle markets, industrial markets, and the commercial construction industry. The Merchandising Systems segmen t offers vending solutions, such as food, snack, and beverage vending machines; and vending machine software and online solutions, as well as payment solutions, including coin accepters and dispensers, coin hoppers, coin recyclers, bill validators, and bill recyclers. The Fluid Handling segment manufactures and sells various industrial and commercial valves and actuators; provides valve testing, parts, and services; manufactures and sells pumps and water purification solutions; distributes pipe, pipe fittings, couplings, and connectors; and designs, manufactures, and sells corrosion-resistant plastic-lined pipes and fittings. The Controls segment produces ride-leveling, air-suspension control valves for heavy trucks and trailers; pressure, temperature, and level sensors; ultra-rugged computers, measurement and control systems, and intelligent data acquisition products; and water treatment equipment. Crane Co. was founded in 1855 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Howard Gold]
In recent years, Congress has passed continuing resolutions (CR) instead of formal budgets to fund the government. The latest runs out on October 1, which is when fiscal year 2014 begins. Without that funding, the government would begin shutting down.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Engineered industrial products manufacturer Crane (NYSE: CR ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.30 per share, a 7% increase in the payout it made to investors of $0.28 per share.�
- [By Seth Jayson]
Basic guidelines
In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Crane (NYSE: CR ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Crane doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, OK, it seems. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 0.6%, and inventory decreased 2.4%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue dropped 2.8%, and inventory contracted 2.4%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks OK but not great. Revenue dropped 0.4%, and inventory grew 2.0%. - [By CRWE]
Crane Co. (NYSE:CR) reported that Andrew L. Krawitt, Vice President, Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer, will be speaking at the 2012 Citi Global Industrials Conference in Boston on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 from 2:00 PM to 2:40 PM.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Buy For 2014: Ten Peaks Coffee Company Inc (TPK)
Ten Peaks Coffee Company Inc. (Ten Peaks) is a Canada-based company. It operates its business through its subsidiary, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company Inc. (SWDCC), which is a green coffee decaffeinator located in Burnaby, British Columbia. It also owns and operates Seaforth Supply Chain Solutions Inc. (Seaforth), a green coffee handling and warehousing business located in Metro Vancouver. SWDCC is engaged in the coffee decaffeination business utilizing the branded Swiss Water Process of 100% chemical free green coffee decaffeination. SWDCC has two subsidiaries, which include Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Co. USA, Inc, and Swiss Water Process Marketing Services Inc. On November 18, 2011, a subsidiary of Ten Peaks, Seaforth Supply Chain Solutions Inc., was incorporated. On January 1, 2011, in response to changes to the legislation governing the taxation of income trusts which made the income trust form of structure less advantageous, the Fund converted to a corporation. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Inyoung Hwang]
Travis Perkins Plc (TPK) lost 1.6 percent to 1,749 pence. The builders��merchant said its consumer division failed to grow on a comparable basis in the third quarter, slipping from an 8.6 percent increase in the two months ended June.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Buy For 2014: AEP Industries Inc.(AEPI)
AEP Industries Inc. engages in the production, manufacture, and distribution of plastic packaging products in the United States and Canada. The company offers a line of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene flexible packaging products for consumer, industrial, and agricultural applications. Its products include custom films for industrial applications, including sheeting, tubing, and bags; films that protect items stored outdoors or in transit, such as boats and cars; a range of shrink films, barrier films, and overwrap films; stretch film products for hand wrap and rotary applications; and pre stretch and high performance products for commodity and specialty uses. The company also provides food wraps products, including blown plastic film fold-top bags, twist-tie bags, and food containers under the Seal Wrap brand for the supermarket and industrial markets; a range of coextruded polyolefin films and monolayer films for food, pharmaceutical, and medical appli cations; and canliners product line comprising trash bags and institutional bags. In addition, it offers printed rollstock to the food and beverage industries, and manufacturing and distributing companies; and unplasticized polyvinyl chloride films for use in battery labels, twist films, and credit card laminates; and various film products with agricultural applications, such as silage, smooth mulch films, and fumigation films. Further, the company provides disposable consumer and institutional plastic products, which include table covers and skirts, aisle runners, aprons, bibs, gloves, boots, freezer/storage bags, saddle pack bags, locker wrap and custom imprint designs for the food service, party supply, and school/collegiate markets under the Sta-Dri brand. AEP Industries Inc. markets its products directly to end-users, as well as through distributors. The company was founded in 1970 and is based in South Hackensack, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
AEP Industries (NASDAQ: AEPI) shares touched a new 52-week low of $34.20. AEP shares have dropped 56.11% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 15.91% in the same period.
- [By Bryan Murphy]
It's certainly not as big as Berry Plastics Group Inc. (NYSE:BERY). It's not even as big as Tredegar Corporation (NYSE:TG). There's one big way AEP Industries (NASDAQ:AEPI) can certainly compete head-on with BERY and TG right now, however... as an investment opportunity. Thanks to the bullish bump AEPI gave us last week, a long-standing selloff has been revered, and there's a whole lot of ground to make up.
- [By Brian Pacampara]
What: Shares of plastic packaging manufacturer AEP Industries (NASDAQ: AEPI ) sank 14% today after its quarterly results and outlook disappointed Wall Street.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Buy For 2014: Beazer Homes USA Inc. (BZH)
Beazer Homes USA, Inc. designs, builds, and sells single-family and multi-family homes. The company offers homes for entry-level, move-up, or retirement-oriented buyers. It also engages in rental of previously owned homes that are purchased and improved by the company. The company sells its homes through commissioned new home sales counselors and independent brokers. It operates in 16 states, including Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Beazer Homes USA, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jacob Roche]
Sherwin-Williams, along with some other home-improvement stocks, benefits from being part of that rare breed of stocks that do well when times are good, and still do well when times are bad. If the housing market is good, new homes get built en masse, and those homes need to be painted and floored. Hence, with U.S. housing starts up nearly 90% over the past couple of years, homebuilders KB Homes (NYSE: KBH ) and Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH ) have seen revenues finally starting to recover, and companies such as Sherwin-Williams and Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL ) are being pulled along for the ride.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
One sign of strength recently has come from Toll Brothers' resilience even in the face of higher interest rates. In its July quarter, Toll Brothers managed to see net new signed contracts rise at a 26% pace, more than doubling rival D.R. Horton's (NYSE: DHI ) pace of growth. What's perhaps most impressive about those gains is that they defied big drops in order volumes at PulteGroup and Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH ) , both of which saw double-digit percentage decreases in orders during the same period.
- [By Federico Zaldua]
Beazer Homes USA (BZH), the diversified home-builder which is held by Mario Gabelli from GAMCO Investors, is my top play among single-family and multi-family home builders. While I believe higher interest rates should slow the pace of margin expansion for Beazer, I also believe higher top line growth will more than compensate interest rate effects on net earnings. As a matter of fact, I think gross margins are going to go north of 17.5% by the end of 2014 while top-line should keep on growing at a rate of 25%.
- [By Sean Williams]
The other factor that'll weigh on Trulia's success or failure is whether or not the homebuilding market is cooperating. Luckily for Trulia, we're seeing continued signs of success across the board with the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index coming in at a seven-year high yesterday. KB Home (NYSE: KBH ) , for instance, which focuses on middle-and-upper income first-time and trade-up buyers, saw revenue increase 59% in the first-quarter from the year-ago period as its average selling price vaulted higher by 24%. Even struggling homebuilder Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH ) , which tends to market toward lower- to middle-income first-time buyers and retired persons, saw its revenue leap 51% as average selling prices added nearly 13% in the second quarter. The point is that low inventory levels are leading to higher home prices and renewed interest in owning a home.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Buy For 2014: SolarWorld AG (SRWRY)
SolarWorld AG is a Germany-based company, operating in the crystalline solar power sector. The Company's core business activity is the production and distribution of solar power applications and ready-to-assembly solar kits for roof installation and large-scale solar power plants. The Company operates in the area of on-grid and off-grid technology. It also provides recycling services. The Company divides its activities into four operational segments: Production Germany, which deals with wafer production; Production U.S., which deals with mono-crystalline modules production; Trade, which deals with products distribution; as well as Other, which deals with research and development. The Company operates through its subsidiaries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's subsidiaries included SolarWorld Innovations GmbH, Sunicon GmbH, Deutsche Solar GmbH, SolarFactory GmbH, SolarWorld Industries America Inc, SolarWorld Americas LLC, among others. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bruce Kennedy]
(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Around the Web, We're Loving... Learn to Use Trading Platforms Like Hedge Fund Traders do Rumsfeld: Denial of Benefits to Fallen Soldiers' Families 'Inexcusable' Come See How the Pro's Trade in this Exclusive Webinar Facebook, Baidu Lead Big Caps Beating Shutdown What Should You Know About AMZN? Most Popular Official iPad Mini And iPad 4 Price Cuts Coming From Apple Rumor: Apple Selects iWatch, 12-Inch iPad Supplier Wii U Sales Hurt By Retailer Confusion, Misinformation Low-Cost iMac and a Scary Chart Top Apple's Weekend News Teradata Lowers Guidance for 2013; APJ revenue down 21% ; R - [By Bruce Kennedy]
On Monday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced indictments against five officers in China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) for ��erious cybersecurity breaches��against six American firms: Westinghouse Electric, a division of Toshiba (OTC: TOSBF) , Alcoa (NYSE: AA),�Allegheny Technologies (NYSE: ATI), U.S. Steel (NYSE: X), the United Steelworkers Union and SolarWorld (OTC: SRWRY).
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