Firearms Stocks

Because of the news that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-to-4 decision that citizens have a constitutional right to keep guns for self-defense, investors have been taking a closer look at the stocks of firearms manufacturers. It is interesting to note that firearms have been used to sell houses [as gifts, not as threats]. A real estate agent offered free guns to real estate buyers. Here are some firearms and weapons companies that may be worth investigating to see if they are worth pulling the trigger on.

One of the two major gun and firearms manufacturers in the United States is Sturm Ruger & Co. Inc. (RGR), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange. This Connecticut based company has been manufacturing rifles, shotguns, pistols and revolvers since 1948. The stock has a P/E is 42, and a price sales ratio of 0.99.

The other major American firearms manufacturer is the NASDAQ traded Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (SWHC), a famous name in firearms which has been around since 1856. The company was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson, after selling out their first company, Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, to Oliver Winchester. The company manufactures and sells revolvers, pistols, rifles, hand cuffs, and clothing. They also own law enforcement training facilities. The stock has a PE of 24 and a Price Earnings to Growth Ratio of 0.79.

TASER International Inc. (TASR) maker of the famous TASER guns which are electroshock weapons that use electro-muscular disruption technology to cause neuromuscular incapacitation, which are sold to law enforcement, private security, military, corrections, and personal defense markets. The stock has a PE of 21 and a PEG of 1.06.

Although a small part of their business, General Dynamics Corp. (GD) makes guns and ammunition, although their primary business is combat vehicles, battle tanks, armor and other protection systems, along with aerospace products. The stock has a P/E of 16, a PEG of 1.48. The company pays a yield of 1.7%.

Stinger Systems Inc. (STIY.OB) manufactures electro-stuns and related products, such as including Ice Shield, an electrified riot shield and Bandit, a remote controlled or movement controlled electrified wrap used for controlling detainees in public situations, to professional security, law enforcement, correctional facilities, and military sectors. The stock recently generated negative earnings of 79 cents per share. This is an extremely low cap stock and should be considered extremely speculative.

Metal Storm Ltd. (MTSX) is an Australian company which manufactures 40mm weapons and munitions, including their 3GL, Redback, ammunition, MAUL, and Firestorm ROWS. The stock recently generated negative earnings of 32.5 cents per share. This is an extremely low cap stock and should be considered extremely speculative.

Other related industries include Defense and Aerospace Stocks and the Crime Fighting Stocks.

Author owns RGR.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Methane Stocks: On Fire or Hot Air?

Methane is a greenhouse gas with global warming potential; however, it is one of the cleanest burning fuels, as it is the purest form of natural gas and is much cleaner than burning coal. The sources of methane gas are natural gas fields, decaying organic wastes of solid waste landfills, such as manure, wastewater sludge, municipal solid waste and landfills, and coal deposits from coal bed methane extraction.

Coalbed methane generally consists of at least 95% methane unlike natural gas, which has methane plus significant quantities of ethane, propane, butane, and pentane, as well as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. The heavy hydrocarbons need to be extracted before the natural gas is distributed, but methane can be used as fuel right away. Methane from coalbed reservoirs can be recovered economically, since it resides in coal seams at shallow depths

CNX Gas (CXG) is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based producer of coalbed methane [CBM], and owns coalbed methane rights for 4.5 billion tons of proven coal reserves in Appalachia, the Illinois Basin, and other areas. The stock has a PE of 41 and a PEG of 1.27.

Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU) produces coalbed methane, mines for coal, and develops mine-mouth coal-fueled generating plants. In addition, they convert coal to natural gas and other fuels. The stock has a PE of 96, a PEG of 1.86, and a yield of 0.3%.

CONSOL Energy (CNX), one of the methane gas pioneers, produces coalbed methane gas from its coal properties in the Northern and the Central Appalachian basin which it resells to wholesalers, and also develops oil and gas from properties in the Appalachian and Illinois Basins. They are also involved in the mining of steam coal and metallurgical coal. The stock has a PE of 90, a PEG of 1.63, and a yield of 0.4%.

Range Resources Corp. (RRC), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, produces coal bed methane, and oil and gas in the eastern portion of the United States. The stock has a PE of 62, a PEG of 1.68, and a yield of 0.3%.

Big Cat Energy Corporation (BCTE.OB) has patented technology, known as the ARID Tool, which is an aquifer recharge injection device, that allows coal bed methane extractors to re-inject water produced from producing coal seams. The stock recently generated negative earnings of 16 cents per share. This is an extremely low cap stock and should therefore be considered extremely speculative.

Far East Energy Corporation (FEEC.OB) is a Houston, Texas based company which explores for, develops, and markets coalbed methane gas in the Shanxi Province in northern China and in the Yunnan Province in southern China. The stock recently generated negative earnings of 11 cents per share. This is an extremely low cap stock and should therefore be considered extremely speculative.

Gastar Exploration, Ltd. (GST) explores for and develops coal bed methane property in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. They also explore and develop oil and gas properties in North America and Australia. The stock has a forward PE of 42. The stock trades on the American Stock Exchange.

Quest Resource Corporation (QRCP) develops coal bed methane in the Cherokee Basin, which includes 15 counties in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma. They also have a natural gas pipelines division. The stock has a forward PE of 18.

Storm Cat Energy Corporation (SCU) explores for coal bed methane in central Alberta. They also explore and develop unconventional gas reserves from fractured shales, coal beds, and tight sand formations, including coalbed methane gas, as well as oil properties in Canada, Mongolia, and the United States. The stock has a forward PE of23. This is a very low cap stock that trades on the American Stock Exchange and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Waste Management Inc. (WMI), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is the largest waste services company in the United States. They are planning on spending approximately $400 million over the next five years to build methane gas to electricity plants at 60 landfills. Their facilities will be built in Colorado, New York, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin. The stock has a PE of 16, a PEG of 1.52, and a yield of 2.9%.

Climate Exchange PLC (CXCHF.PK) owns the Chicago Climate Exchange, Inc., which trades in the emissions of six gasses including methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, perfluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons, and the European Climate Exchange, which provides futures contracts and options contracts of emissions, known as Carbon Financial Instruments. Goldman Sachs has taken a major position in this company. Net profit margin was down 15.89%.

If you like methane gas stocks, you should also look at natural gas utility stocks and other green stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

How Much Would You Pay for Lunch with Warren Buffett?

On a recent eBay (EBAY) charity auction, lunch with Warren Buffett went for an amazingly high $2 million. Proceeds went to support the Glide Foundation, which provides services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco.

eBay Wedding Sponsor Auction Won by Dr Pepper Snapple

Who would have thought that Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (DPS) would be getting in on the wedding sponsor business. A woman in Virginia Beach held an eBay (EBAY) auction to find a sponsor for her wedding and Dr Pepper Snapple was the successful bidder at $10,000.

Book Review: The Protege (The Protégé)

Most of the fiction I read relates to investing and the stock market. I just finished reading The Protégé: A Novel (The Protege). This novel is an incredible, fast-paced thriller / mystery book which gives a glimpse into the private equity business. This book has so many plots, sub-plots, and micro plots, that it was hard to keep up, which was fine with me because it kept my interest going.

The book includes an executive accidentaly killing a woman at a sexclub, nanotechnology, Las Vegas, huge equity buyouts, the Mafia, a new upwardly moble female member of the firm, and much, much more.

If you want a great read, check out The Protégé .

Top Monthly Dividend Stocks for June

This choppy market is causing more investors to take a closer look at high dividend stocks, especially the ones that pay monthly, since monthly payments help reduce the volatility of the stock and accelerate the return of capital. Retirees are also looking for stocks that pay dividends monthly. The following are some of the top 49 monthly dividend payers, condensed from the list of over 350 monthly dividend stocks. For purposes of this article, closed end funds [CEF’s], REIT’s, and oil income trusts are considered stocks.

One of the highest yielding monthly dividend stocks is Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGH), which trades on the New York Stock Exchange and yields 13.6%. Pengrowth is a Canadian Oil Income Trust, which owns and manages interests in and royalties from petroleum and natural gas wells in Canada. Pengrowth has a a PE of 14 and has paid dividends since July 2004.

One of the highest yielding monthly dividend CEF is Cohen and Steers Global Income Builder (INB) , a closed end fund which invests in global large-cap dividend-paying stocks, global real estate securities, global utilities securities, global preferred securities and closed-end funds. It has a yield of 12.5%. They have a market cap of $381 million.

Provident Energy Trust (PVX) is another monthly dividend paying oil royalty income trust, which yields 12.7%. They acquire, develop, and produce crude oil and natural gas in both the United States and Canada. The stock has a PE of 132 and has been paying dividends since March of 2002.

One of the highest yielding private equity funds is Gladstone Investment Corporation (GAIN) which specializes in buyouts and recapitalizations through both equity investments and loans. They trade on NASDAQ and yield 12.4%. They have a forward P/E of 8 and a PEG of 1.59. They have been paying dividends since July 2005. The stock has a market cap of only $166 million and should therefore be considered speculative.

You can download an Excel list of the top 49 monthly dividend paying stocks which can be added to, sorted, and changed, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com. There are also plenty of monthly dividend stocks which pay a tax-free yield.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Book Review: Full of Bull

I just finished reading Full of Bull: Do What Wall Street Does, Not What It Says, To Make Money in the Market by Steve McClellan, investment analyst for 32 years, and what a refreshing read it was. This is by far one of the best books I've read in a long time about common sense ways of choosing stocks. The book is very easy to understand, great for beginning investors, and enlightening for those who have been investing for a long time. The biggest takeaway for the book is the book's sub-title: 'Do What Wall Street Does, Not What It Says'.

McClellan goes into interesting detail about he became a Wall Street research analyst and how changes in investment research took place over the years. He gives lists of numerous things to watch out for, both positive and negative, when looking for a stock to invest in.

I agree with almost 100% of what he advises, only disagreeing with him in one area (he likes New York Stock Exchange stocks, I like NASDAQ stocks). He explains ways of looking at the executives, not only listening to what they say but how they say it, and what they do, at work and outside of work. He shows how this can be very important information to prospective investors.

McClellan also covers how to look at analyst rankings, and what it means when there is a change up or down. In addition, he talks about how companies release news, both good and bad, and how to understand not only what that news means, but what is not said, how much news is released, and how management responds to questions.

If you want a book on investing that is different and much better than the typical 'get rich' book, then Full of Bull is the one for you. By the way, I also like the title.

Disclosure: Steve McClellan and I are both fellow collectors of antique stock certificates.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Dividend Basics and Who's Going Ex in Early July

I've received questions recently about all the stock dividend dates, so I thought I would clarify them for you. In addition, for those who are interested in 'buying dividends', I have listed the stocks going ex-dividend during the first two weeks of July. Here's what each of the dividend dates mean.

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Record date: the day when you must be on the company's books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Here are a list of stocks going ex-dividend during the first two weeks of July.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) 7/1/2008 3.93% PE: 10.4263 PEG: 1.203 .

SYSCO Corporation (SYY) 7/1/2008 2.99% PE: 16.8408 PEG: 1.2955 .

Tate & Lyle PLC (TATYY) 7/1/2008 3.32% PE: 17.991 PEG: 2.9018 .

Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) 7/2/2008 6.22% PE: 19.4786 PEG: 2.0873 .

Gentex Corporation (GNTX) 7/3/2008 2.60% PE: 18.9321 PEG: 1.0716 .

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) 7/7/2008 3.58% PE: 12.1352 PEG: 1.2575 .

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (ETH) 7/8/2008 3.29% PE: 12.02 PEG: 1.1181 .

Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) 7/8/2008 3.34% PE: 11.0073 PEG: 1.1007 .

Progress Energy, Inc. (PGN) 7/8/2008 5.74% PE: 15.8925 PEG: 2.6695 .

Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) 7/8/2008 4.71% PE: 18.6114 PEG: 2.1128 .

West Coast Bancorp (WCBO) 7/9/2008 5.42% PE: 14.9482 PEG: 1.3548 .

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (WFMI) 7/9/2008 3.01% PE: 23.0432 PEG: 1.2602 .

Gevity HR, Inc. (GVHR) 7/11/2008 3.44% PE: 24.4908 PEG: 2.7212 .

Lithia Motors, Inc. (LAD) 7/11/2008 9.21% PE: 7.8222 PEG: 0.6902 .

Oxford Industries, Inc. (OXM) 7/11/2008 3.27% PE: 13.0653 PEG: 1.0594 .

Shaw Communications Inc. (SJR) 7/11/2008 3.61% PE: 22.4132 PEG: 1.293 .

Abbott Laboratories (ABT) 7/11/2008 2.66% PE: 21.9705 PEG: 1.8529 .

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (BONT) 7/11/2008 3.13% PE: 19.9036 PEG: 1.1058 .

Corus Entertainment Inc. (CJR) 7/11/2008 3.14% PE: 13.1121 PEG: 0.9043 .

McGrath RentCorp (MGRC) 7/14/2008 3.13% PE: 14.8498 PEG: 0.9281 .

Quaker Chemical Corporation (KWR) 7/15/2008 3.02% PE: 18.1866 PEG: 1.0104 .

CBRL Group, Inc. (CBRL) 7/16/2008 2.70% PE: 8.8124 PEG: 0.8474 .

Author doesn't own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

One More Screaming Buy with a Hidden Gem

A couple days ago, I wrote about several stocks which I called 'Screaming Buys with Hidden Gems', which are stocks that have a a division, business, or product which may be overlooked. Here is one more that I didn't include that is worth further research.

Safeway Inc. (SWY) is the third largest supermarket chain in North America and the the tenth-largest retailer in the United States, with over 1750 stores. Last month, the company increased its dividend and raised the stock repurchase program by $1 billion to a total of $5 billion.

The company's hidden gem is Blackhawk Network Holdings, the subsidiary that provides third-party gift cards, prepaid cards, telecom cards and entertainment cards, in their own stores and to other retailers. If you have ever walked into a Safeway, you would see kiosks of gift cards at every checkout stand. However, if you go to one of their competitors, you would would be lucky (no pun intended) to find any gift cards. This is a huge business, and brings in a substantial amount of revenues near the end of calendar years.

With Safeway being in a recession resistant business, and with shoppers switching from name brands to Safeway generic brands which can provide higher profit margins, it makes Safeway an interesting story. The stock has a PE of 15, a PEG of 1.21, and a yield of 1.1%.

Check out the list of all the Screaming Buys with Hidden Gems.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Screaming Buys with Hidden Gems

First, a clarification. Because I called these ‘screaming buys’, doesn’t mean that I recommend these stocks, as I never make recommendations, but as strong suggestions for further research.

Second, let’s get the disclosures out of the way. I don’t want to make the mistake I made last year on March 8, 2007, when I wrote the article ‘Why Amazon.com Stock could be Up Substantially by Year End’. The article listed twelve reasons why Amazon.com (AMZN) looked extremely favorable. The stock started shooting up in April and within three months, the stock had doubled. That’s great for the investors who bought it, but not for me, since I didn’t own any of their shares. So I want to let you know that I own the first three of following stocks.

One of the things that all the following stocks have in common is that they have what I call a ‘hidden gem’, which is a division, business, or product which may be overlooked.

At the top of the list is, yes again, Amazon.com (AMZN). The hidden gem? The Kindle! The Kindle is the electronic book reading device that Amazon released in November 2007 and sold out in five and a half hours. It now provides 6 percent of the company’s unit sales of books in both paper and electronic formats. I think the growth of sales of both the Kindle and the e-books that can be read on them is in its infancy.

Imagine if you are going on a cruise and you want to bring four or five books with you. Why bring a bunch of heavy books when you can quickly download them and bring them all on a Kindle. Have trouble reading the small print on a paperback? Just download the book on a Kindle, adjust the font size and the background. I’ve had the Kindle recommended to me by senior citizens, which is a big market for the Kindles. What other electronic products have been recommended to you by senior citizens?

Amazon also has another hidden gem, imdb.com, also known as Internet Movie Database. IMDb has an incredibly high number of viewers and very high search engine result placements. Type in just about any actor or actress in Yahoo or Google, and an IMBb reference will show up in first five listings. Amazon has a PE of 68 and a PEG of 2.5.

Another screamer is eBay (EBAY), and the hidden gem is Paypal. Paypal has over 164 million accounts and is growing faster than the eBay Marketplace business. Net revenues from Paypal grew by 32% for the latest quarter versus the same quarter last year, almost double the growth of the ‘eBay’ business. eBay has a PE of 89 and a PEG of 1.0. The company is debt free.

Apple (AAPL) has an unusual hidden gem, $ 9 billion in cash, plus $10.4 billion in short term investments, so in essence, $19.4 billion in cash. When you consider that the company has no debt, that makes the cash a stronger gem. Everyone seems to talk about the iPhones and iPods; did everyone forget that Apple makes computers? Does anyone know that sales of their desktops for their latest quarter grew by 48% over the same quarter last year, and laptops by 58%? The company is on a roll. The stock has a PE of 36 and a PEG of 1.46.

Google (GOOG) is another stock with a hidden gem: YouTube, which get over a billion views a day. The number of unique viewers for YouTube is growing faster than Google. In April, 11 billion videos were viewed online with 37.9 % viewed on Google/YouTube, grossly outperforming the second highest, Fox Interactive Media, with only 5.1%. Once YouTube starts to really monetize, the revenues should take off. Google has a PE of 38 and a PEG of 0.99.

Now for a stock that is non-tech related. The hidden gem of Sears Holdings Corporation (SHLD) is the clothing business, Land’s End, which I wrote about extensively a year ago. Edward Lampert, the Chairman of Sears, has consistently mentioned the profitability of Land’s End in his letters to investors for the last couple years. Most recently, he reported that Land’s End increased its revenues by 12%, and said it was one of three major successes for 2007.

I still think that Land’s End should be spun off. Sears holdings continues to pay down debt, increase share repurchasing, and generated $1.6 billion of operating cash flow in 2007. The stock has a PE of 19 and a PEG of 2.98. The stock, which sold for over $190 a share last year, is currently selling for less than $75 a share.

Author owns AMZN, EBAY, and AAPL.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Baby Teeth, Stem Cells, and Stocks

What do baby teeth, stem cells and stocks have in common? The National Institute of Health has discovered that strong stem cells can be found in baby teeth, and there are stocks of several companies involved in stem cell research. Last month, a dental practice management company in Houston announced that they will offer a service of storing stem cells from baby teeth. Extensive research is being done to utilize stem cells for gene therapy and the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and many other medical conditions.

Another source of stem cells is cord blood, the blood from an umbilical cord. The saving and storing of cord blood has become a fast growing business. Richard Branson, founder and head of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways, set up a cord blood bank. Even Stem Cell Bonds were issued by the state of California last year.

Here are several stocks which are pure plays or semi-pure plays in the stem cell business. All but one of these have market caps over $300 million.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) is a Connecticut based company with a $2.4 billion market cap that is involved in the development of biologic therapeutic products for the treatment of hematologic and cardiovascular disorders, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. The stock has a forward PE of 49.6.

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals (ARIA) is a Massachusetts based company, with a $179 million market cap, that is involved in the development of treatments for cancer by using small molecules to regulate cell signaling. Their cancer products are used to treat solid tumors, sarcomas, hormone refractory prostate cancer, and endometrial cancer. The stock has generated negative earnings of 88 cents per share. It is a low cap stock and should be considered speculative.

Celera Group (CRA) is a New York Stock Exchange company that was founded in 1937. It is involved in the research of new diagnostic markers, using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery procedures and diagnostic products. Some of their products are used for the detection of HIV, hepatitis C, and cystic fibrosis .They are in collaboration with Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Genentech (DNA), and General Electric (GE). The stock has a forward P/E of 92, and a PEG of 42.8.

Cellgene (CELG) is a New Jersey company involved in the discovery and production, of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. One of their main products is Thalomid, which is used for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum, a complication of leprosy. Last year, the company received patent on placental stem cell recovery. The stock has a forward P/E of 26, and a PEG of 0.98.

Dendreon Corporation (DNDN) This $650 million market cap company is involved in the discovery, development, and sales of active immunotherapies, monoclonal antibodies, and small molecule product candidates to treat cancer. They also manufacture the DACSÒSC stem cell enrichment device. The stock has had negative earnings of 1.06 per share.

Geron (GERN) is a Menlo Park, California based $310 million market cap company which develops cell-based therapies derived from human embryonic stem cells used for the treatment of various diseases and medical conditions such as spinal cord damage, heart failure, and diabetes. The stock has had negative earnings of 76 cents per share.

Integra Lifesciences Holdings (IART) is a New Jersey based $1.2 billion market cap company that develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, implants, biomaterials, and instruments to the stem cell, surgery, and soft tissue repair markets. Their P/E is 40, and the PEG is 1.01.

Invitrogen Corporation (IVGN) is a California based $3.3 billion market cap company which sells products and services to research institutions, pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies, including tools for gene acquisition, gene cloning, and gene analysis techniques. The stock has a P/E of 21, and a PEG of 1.24.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

I Just Paid $5 a Gallon for Gas

It was just on May 1 that I wrote an article about having to pay over $4 a gallon for regular gasoline, as a matter of fact, it was $4.10 per gallon. Then on June 6, I wrote that $4 a gallon for regular was everywhere, and the gas station owner predicted $9.50 a gallon near term. Now I just ended up paying $5 a gallon for regular gas [technically it was $4.999] at a Shell (RDS-B) station in California, and it wasn't the gas station in Redwood City that was in the news recently for charging $5 to 'make a statement'. This is a 21% increase in only a month and a half. Talk about a sharp increase in prices. The manager at this station said that the price is going to $6 or $7 by the end of the summer.

Stocks Going Ex-Dividend in the Next Couple Weeks

For investors who are interested in buying dividends, there are a lot of stocks going ex-dividend in the next couple weeks. The following are stocks that are going ex through July 4. All have yields above 2.6%, PE ratios below 20, and PEG's below 2.8. Shown below is the ex-dividend date for each stock.

PremierWest Bancorp ( PRWT ) 6/23/2008 Yield: 3.3% P/E: 10 PEG: 0.79
Xcel Energy Inc. ( XEL ) 6/24/2008 Yield: 4.5% P/E: 15 PEG: 2.79
Alliance Financial Corporation ( ALNC ) 6/24/2008 Yield: 4.2% P/E: 12 PEG: 1.69
First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. ( FMBI ) 6/25/2008 Yield: 5.3% P/E: 15 PEG: 2.22
Pzena Investment Management, Inc. ( PZN ) 6/25/2008 Yield: 3.8% P/E: 8 PEG: 0.55
B&G Foods, Inc. ( BGS ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 8.6% P/E: 18 PEG: 2.77
Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. ( JTX ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 5.5% P/E: 11 PEG: 1.11
Nam Tai Electronics, Inc. ( NTE ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 6.6% P/E: 6 PEG: 0.43
PAB Bankshares, Inc. ( PABK ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 5.7% P/E: 11 PEG: 1.07
Post Properties, Inc. ( PPS ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 5.3% P/E: 15 PEG: 1.98
Sterling Financial Corporation ( STSA ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 6.4% P/E: 4 PEG: 0.36
TransCanada Corporation (USA) ( TRP ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 3.8% P/E: 15 PEG: 2.25
UCBH Holdings, Inc. ( UCBH ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 5.1% P/E: 4 PEG: 0.35
Willis Group Holdings Limited ( WSH ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 2.9% P/E: 12 PEG: 0.94
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ( AJG ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 4.9% P/E: 16 PEG: 1.44
Banner Corporation ( BANR ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 5.6% P/E: 7 PEG: 0.64
The Dow Chemical Company ( DOW ) 6/26/2008 Yield: 4.4% P/E: 13 PEG: 1.33
OfficeMax Incorporated ( OMX ) 6/27/2008 Yield: 3.3% P/E: 7 PEG: 0.56
The Bank of Nova Scotia (USA) ( BNS ) 6/30/2008 Yield: 3.8% P/E: 13 PEG: 1.59
JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( JPM ) 7/1/2008 Yield: 4.0% P/E: 10 PEG: 1.18
SYSCO Corporation ( SYY ) 7/1/2008 Yield: 3.0% P/E: 17 PEG: 1.31
Bristol Myers Squibb Co. ( BMY ) 7/2/2008 Yield: 6.3% P/E: 19 PEG: 2.06
Gentex Corporation ( GNTX ) 7/3/2008 Yield: 2.7% P/E: 19 PEG: 1.05

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of 'buying dividends', you should check out the Buying Dividends article.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Cogeneration Stocks: the Forgotten Green Power

One of the alternative energy green stocks that is rarely discussed in the press is cogeneration. Cogeneration is the generation of two or more sources of power, such as electricity, heat, and steam, from one source of fuel. Even cooling can be another byproduct of cogeneration plants though the use of absorption chillers with moderate heat.

Cogeneration plants come in all sizes from those for individual homes to those for large utilities. Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) is the largest cogenerator in the world with seven cogeneration plants which produce 30 billion pounds of steam to Manhattan every year. All of the following stocks have market caps over $230 million and most trade either on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ.

Ballard Power Systems Inc. (BLDP) is a British Columbia based manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cells for materials handling, residential cogeneration systems, and back-up power. The stock has a PE of 12.

Constellation Energy Group (CEG) designs, constructs and operates renewable energy, and cogeneration facilities for commercial, industrial and governmental customers. This company, founded in 1906, is an electrical generating company which owns and operates generating plants and fuel processing facilities utilizing various types of fuel including nuclear, coal, natural gas, oil, solar, geothermal, hydro and biomass. The P/E is 20 and the PEG is 1.03. The yield is 2.2%.

Capstone Turbine Corp. (CPST) is involved in the development, manufacture, marketing, and servicing of microturbine technology solutions used in stationary distributed power generation applications for cogeneration power. The company recently generated negative earnings of 24 cents per share for the recent quarter.

Husky Energy (HUSKF.PK) is a Canadian integrated energy company which maintains interests in two cogeneration plants, a 215-megawatt natural gas-fired electricity Meridian cogeneration facility and a 90-megawatt natural gas-fired cogeneration facility adjacent to its Rainbow Lake Gas Processing Plant. The stock has a PE of 12.

Veolia Environnement SA (VE) is a Paris, France based company which trades on the New York Stock Exchange. They provide environmental management services, such as cogeneration services, to governmental agencies, individuals, and industrial and commercial customers. The stock has a PE of 18, a PEG of 1.42, and a yield of 4.7%.

Plug Power Inc. (PLUG) designs and makes fuel cell systems. The company is in partnership with Honda to develop home co-generation of heating, power and hydrogen. The stock generated negative earnings of 80 cents per share for the quarter.

If you like green stocks check out the following:

Solar energy
Fuel cells
Wind power
Ethanol
Geothermal
Flywheels
Wave power

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Top High Yielding Green Stocks

If you are looking for alternative energy oriented 'green' stocks, but you like high yields, you can actually find a combination of both. The following are a group of stocks involved in alternative energy in some way, such as wind power or solar energy or ethanol. They all pay dividends.

PG&E Corp. (PCG) This California-based electric and gas utility serves 5 million customers. Their electrical generation comes from natural gas, nuclear, hydro, coal, geothermal, wind, and several other types of renewable sources. The P/E is 15 and the PEG is 1.91. The stock yields 4%.

IdaCorp, Inc. (IDA) This holding company owns Idaho Power Company, which is involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy primarily in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Their electrical generation comes from hydroelectric, natural gas, diesel, coal, and geothermal plants. Geothermal is now considered a hot source energy. The P/E is 18 and the PEG is 2.58. The stock yields 3.8%.

Otter Tail Corp. (OTTR) is an electric utility which also manufacturers and markets wind towers. They have a PE of 23 , a PEG of 2.81 and pays a yield of 3.1% .

Avista Corporation (AVA) This Spokane, Washington company was founded in 1889. They generate and distribute energy throughout the United States and Canada. The company also sells its patented fuel cells. Their patent covers any type of fuel cell system that utilizes multiple fuel cell modules. It has a P/E of 23, a PEG of 3.25, and generates a relatively high yield of 3%.

Cabot Corporation (CBT) This is a is a specialty chemicals and performance materials company. They also develop and manufacture advanced fuel cell electrocatalysts for PEM and DMFC fuel cells. This is another fuel cell dividend generator traded on the New York Stock Exchange that yields 1.5%. The P/E is 21, the PEG is 1.32, and the yield is 2.3%.

Constellation Energy Group (CEG). This company, founded in 1906, is an electrical generating company which owns and operates generating plants and fuel processing facilities utilizing various types of fuel including nuclear, coal, natural gas, oil, solar, geothermal, hydro and biomass. The P/E is 21 and the PEG is 2.03. Yield is 2.2%.

United Technologies (UTX) This NYSE company produces technology products and services to the building systems and aerospace industries. They also produce fuel cells for commercial, transportation, and space applications. P/E is 15, a PEG of 1.17 and the yield is 1.9%.

Air Products (APD) developed and continues to operate a hydrogen production facility, a fuel cell power plant and a fueling station which dispenses hydrogen and hydrogen blended fuels to a fleet of light duty vehicles in Las Vegas. They also supply Honda Motor Company with high pressure gas and two hydrogen fuelers for their Fuel Cell Vehicle Program with the city of Los Angeles. The stock has a P/E of 19, a PEG of 1.52, and is one of the few fuel cell related stocks that pays a dividend, generating a yield of 1.7%.

Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) is a Canadian based asset management holding company which has a division that develops wind power throughout Canada, along with the operation of hydroelectric power facilities, interconnections, and transmission facilities throughout North America. The stock has a market cap of over $19 billion. They have a PE of 28, a PEG of 3.34 and pays a yield of 1.5% .

Praxair Inc (PX) This NYSE company is involved in the production and distribution of industrial gases around the world. Praxair provides its customers with hydrogen supply for fuel cells. P/E is 25, P/S is 2.85, PEG of 1.85 and the yield is 1.5%.

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is involved in the production of corn and oilseeds processing used to make ethanol. The stock has a P/E of 10, a PEG of 1.09, and a yield of 1.4%.

The Andersons (ANDE) is involved in the management of ethanol production facilities and grain and ethanol trading. The stock has a P/E of 10, a PEG of 1.8, and a yield of 0.8%.

Trinity Industries Inc. (TRN) is a Dallas, Texas based company which has an Energy Equipment division which manufactures structural wind towers. The company has a market cap of $3 billion. They have a PE of 10 , a PEG of 1.11 and pays a yield of 0.8% .

Ormat Technologies Inc. (ORA) is a Nevada based company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, was founded in 1965. It owns and operates geothermal power plants, selling electricity in the United States, Guatemala, Kenya, Nicaragua, and the Philippines. They also provide products and services to other geothermal power generators. The P/E is 48, the PEG is 2.15, and the yield is 0.4%.

Author owns OTTR.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Highest Yielding Stocks Under $5 a Share

Many investors think that the perfect stock is one that sells for a low price and pays a high yield. It may be hard to believe but there are actually several stocks, including closed end funds or CEF's, that sell for less than $5 a share and pay a dividend, with five of the stocks with yields in excess of 6%.

All of the following stocks pay quarterly unless otherwise specified. Also, all of the following have market caps above $265 million. Just remember that the yields are based on historical payments, and the dividends can be adjusted or terminated at any time.

Zweig Fund ( ZF ) is a CEF with an objective of capital appreciation primarily through investment in equity securities. The stock has a PE of 12. The stock has a yield of 10.4 %.

Zweig Total Return Fund ( ZTR ) is a CEF with an objective of capital appreciation and current income, with equity investments in technology, energy, industrials, consumer staples, and financials. The stock has a PE of 13. The stock has a yield of 10.3 %.

Dreyfus High Yield Strategies Fund ( DHF ) is a CEF which invests in fixed-income securities which are generally below investment grade credit quality. The stock has a PE of 12. The stock has a yield of 9.1 %.

Qwest Communications International ( Q ) is a provider of wireline and wireless voice, data, Internet, and video services. The stock has a PE of 3 , and a PEG of 4.66 . The stock has a yield of 6.8 %.

Colonial Bancgroup Inc ( CNB ) is a commercial bank holding company which serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Texas. The stock has a PE of 5 , and a PEG of 1.21 . The stock has a yield of 6.4 %.

United Microelectronics Corp ( UMC ) is a Taiwan based semiconductor manufacturer. It pays dividends annually. The stock has a PE of 19 , and a PEG of 1.8 . The stock has a yield of 3.2 %.

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. ( MTE ) is an India based provider of fixed line telecommunications services in Delhi and Mumbai. I pays dividends semi-annually. The stock has a PE of 6 , and a PEG of 5.01 . The stock has a yield of 5.6 %.

Quest Capital Corp ( QCC ) is a Canadian real estate mortgage financing company. They recently announced a dividend of $0.045 per share which is an 80% increase over the previous dividend. The stock has a PE of 13. The stock has a yield of 5.1 %.

UCBH Holdings Inc. ( UCBH ) is a San Francisco bank holding company which owns United Commercial Bank. The stock has a PE of 5 , and a PEG of 0.67 . The stock has a yield of 3.7 %.

Transportadora de Gas Del Sur S.A. ( TGS ) is an Argentina based transporter and marketer of natural gas. The stock has a PE of 12. The stock has a yield of 0.9 %.

If you like high yield stocks, you should review high yield electric utility stocks, high yield gas utilities, and oil royalty trusts that have high yields.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Are High Yield Telephone Stocks Calling?

If you are looking for an industry that has been depressed, in a 'relatively stable' industry, provides steady dividends, and pays a high yield, you might want to take a look at the telecommunications industry. Many of these companies provides services to small towns and rural areas. All of the following companies have market caps greater than $400 million, PE ratios less than 40, and PEG ratios less than 9 [for some reason, PEGs are much higher on telecom stocks than other industries], and pay dividends. The huge telecom companies, such as Verizon (VZ) and Sprint Nextel (S) have been excluded from this list.

Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc. (CNSL) provides telecommunications services to customers in Illinois, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The stock has a PE of 39 , a PEG of 3.57 , and pays a yield of 10.3% .

Citizens Communications Co. (CZN), based in Stamford, Connecticut, provides telecommunications services to small and medium-sized towns and to rural areas. The stock has a PE of 19 , a PEG of 4.54 , and pays a yield of 8.7% .

Iowa Telecommunications Services Inc. (IWA) provides telecommunications services to both residential and business customers throughout rural Iowa. The stock has a PE of 24 , a PEG of 6.54 , and pays a yield of 8.4% .

Windstream Corporation (WIN) provides local telephone, high speed Internet, long distance, network access, video and wireless to rural communities. The stock has a PE of 7 , a PEG of 4.1 , and pays a yield of 7.6% .

Alaska Communications Systems Group Inc. (ALSK) provides wireline and wireless integrated telecommunications services in the state of Alaska. The stock has a PE of 4 , a PEG of 8.55 , and pays a yield of 6.9% .

Qwest Communications International Inc. (Q) is a Denver, Colorado based provider of voice, data, Internet, and video services. The stock has a PE of 3 , a PEG of 4.8 , and pays a yield of 6.7% .

Embarq Corp. (EQ) is a Kansas based company that provides provides local and long distance voice telephone services, high-speed Internet, satellite video, and wireless services. They have 1.3 million Internet subscribers. The stock has a PE of 10 , a PEG of 4.64 , and pays a yield of 5.8% .

NTELOS Holdings Corp. (NTLS) provides wireless and wireline telecommunications products and services to customers in Virginia, West Virginia, and nearby states. The stock has a PE of 38 , a PEG of 1.58 , and pays a yield of 2.9% .

Centurytel Inc. (CTL) is a Monroe, Louisiana based provider of local and long distance voice, Internet access, and broadband services. The stock has a PE of 9 , a PEG of 1.97 , and pays a yield of 0.8% .

If you are looking for other high yield stocks with relatively steady dividends, you might want to check out high yield electric utility stocks, and top yielding gas utilities. There are also the oil royalty trusts that have high yields.

Disclosure: Author has owned WIN for a while in a retirement plan.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

$9.50 a Gallon for Regular at the Pump

Today, oil set a one day price gain record for the second consecutive trading day, closing above $138 per barrel. Heating oil traded limit up today. Last month, I wrote about how surprised I was to see the price of gas selling for over $4 a gallon at the pump. Subsequently, about a week ago, I wrote that $4 plus a gallon for regular was now all over the place. A couple days ago, I pulled into a gas station and had the pleasure of paying $4.33 per gallon, and while I was there, I struck up a conversation with the owner of the station. I asked him if he thought gas was going to $5 a gallon in the near future, and he told me that it is going far above $5, and expects it to go to $9.50 per gallon.

More iPhone Tips, Especially for Stock Traders

Here are some more tips relating to the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone, a couple of which are related to the stock quotes. These may be useful to those who have just bought an iPhone and maybe iPhone owners who have had their iPhone for a while but didn't realize these techniques were available.

1. If you are typing in Notes or typing a message in an email, and you need to type a period, instead of clicking the .?123 key then clicking the period, just double-click on the Space Bar and it will automatically put in a period and a space.

2. Need to quickly get to your favorite phone numbers in order to make a phone call, no matter what you are currently looking at (stocks, maps, weather, clock, etc., instead of pressing the Home button (the big indentation at the bottom of your screen), then pressing the Phone icon, then clicking on the Favorites button, you can just double-click on the Home button and it will immediately bring you to the Phone Favorites.

3. When you look at your list of stocks, does it show percentage increase/decrease or points increase/decrease? It really doesn't matter, since there are a couple of easy ways to switch back and forth. First the slow way: click on the 'i' in the lower right corner, at the bottom of the screen, click on either % or numbers, which ever you prefer, then click Done.

4. Now the easy way to switch back and forth between stock quote points versus percentage. Click on one of the green (hopefully) or red (hopefully not) numbers on the right side of the stock list and the entire list will switch from percentage to points and back.

5. Don't like the order of the stocks on you list? First, click on the 'i' in the lower right corner, press on the three grey bars to the right of the stock you want to move up or down, then slide it up or down. When done, click the Done button.

6. You don't have to know the stock symbol of the stock you want to add to your list, just part of the name. To add a stock, click on the 'i' in the lower right corner, click on the + in the upper left corner, type the first word of the company name (e.g. Apple), click Search, wait a few seconds, choose the stock you want by clicking on it (e.g. Apple Inc., Applera Corp., Nicholas Applegate, etc.), then click Done.

If you are looking for other iPhone tips and tricks, don't forget to check out the following:
Top 18 Apple iPhone Tips
No Service iPhone Tip
#%*+=|~ iPhone Tips
Toss Your iPhone Cookies

Author owns AAPL.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Top 19 Stocks Going Ex-Dividend Next Three Weeks

Many of the readers of my previous articles about buying dividends were concerned that they didn't have enough time to look at the stocks going ex-dividend for the following week. So for this article, I'm listing the stocks that are going ex-dividend for the next three weeks.

All of the following nineteen stocks that are going ex-dividend have yields greater than 3%, P/E ratios of 18 or less, and PEG ratios less than 1.9%.

Quest Capital Corp. ( QCC ) 6/11/2008 4.81% P/E: 13 PEG: 1.06

United Bankshares, Inc. ( UBSI ) 6/11/2008 4.14% P/E: 13 PEG: 1.62

Worthington Industries, Inc. ( WOR ) 6/11/2008 3.48% P/E: 18 PEG: 1.19

C&F Financial Corporation ( CFFI ) 6/11/2008 4.44% P/E: 11 PEG: 1.38

Corus Entertainment Inc. ( CJR ) 6/11/2008 3.13% P/E: 13 PEG: 0.91

Comerica Incorporated ( CMA ) 6/11/2008 7.07% P/E: 9 PEG: 1.83

Knoll, Inc. ( KNL ) 6/12/2008 3.59% P/E: 9 PEG: 0.66

National Financial Partners Corp. ( NFP ) 6/12/2008 3.42% P/E: 18 PEG: 1.12

Ares Capital Corporation ( ARCC ) 6/12/2008 13.63% P/E: 11 PEG: 1.32

First M & F Corporation ( FMFC ) 6/13/2008 3.75% P/E: 9 PEG: 1.06

Portland General Electric Company ( POR ) 6/23/2008 3.91% P/E: 13 PEG: 1.79

MCG Capital Corporation ( MCGC ) 6/26/2008 28.95% P/E: 7 PEG: 0.83

Nam Tai Electronics, Inc. ( NTE ) 6/26/2008 7.97% P/E: 5 PEG: 0.39

PAB Bankshares, Inc. ( PABK ) 6/26/2008 5.26% P/E: 12 PEG: 1.16

Sterling Financial Corporation ( STSA ) 6/26/2008 3.94% P/E: 7 PEG: 0.58

Anthracite Capital Inc. ( AHR ) 6/26/2008 13.03% P/E: 6 PEG: 1.24

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ( AJG ) 6/26/2008 5.07% P/E: 16 PEG: 1.53

Banner Corporation ( BANR ) 6/26/2008 4.22% P/E: 9 PEG: 0.85

The Dow Chemical Company ( DOW ) 6/26/2008 4.04% P/E: 14 PEG: 1.03

If you want more information about purchasing stocks before they go ex-dividend, take a look at the 'buying dividends' article.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Highest Yielding Cigarette Stocks

Are you looking for a stock that is recession proof, generates worldwide sales, and pays a high yield, you may be just looking for a cigarette stock. About 5.5 trillion cigarettes are produced annually and smoked by over one sixth of the world's population. Here are some cigarette companies that have dividends that are smokin'.

Vector Group Ltd. (VGR) is a Florida based company that has numerous brands of cigarettes of Liggett, Grand Prix, Eve, Pyramid, USA and nicotine-free Quest. The stock has a PE of 17.576 a PEG of 1.54 , and pays a yield of 9 %.

Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) makes and markets cigarettes and other tobacco products including the Camel, Kool, Pall Mall, Doral, Winston, Salem, Misty, Capri, Dunhill, State Express 555, and Natural American Spirit brands. The stock has a PE of 10.901 a PEG of 1.99 , and pays a yield of 6.2 %.

Altria Group Inc. (MO) is a Virginia based company that makes and markets cigarettes, cigars, and beer. It is the largest cigarette company by market cap in the US. The stock has a PE of 4.969 a PEG of 1.33 , and pays a yield of 5.2 %.

British American Tobacco plc (BTI) is a London based company that markets cigarettes and cigars under the Dunhill, Kent, Kool, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Vogue, Viceroy, and Peter Stuyvesant brands. It is one of the largest cigarette companies in the world by market cap. The stock has a PE of 17.287 a PEG of 1.31 , and pays a yield of 4.8 %.

Carolina Group (CG) is a New York based manufacturer and marketer of cigarettes under the Kent, Newport, Maverick, True, and Old Gold brand names The stock has a PE of 15.077 a PEG of 1.76 , and pays a yield of 2.5 %.

If you like high yield stocks, you might want to consider REITs, electric utilities, monthly dividend stocks, Canadian income trusts, and high yield U.S. income partnerships.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

Slot Machine Manufacturers

With the proliferation of casinos all across the United States, especially on Native American reservations, there may be an opportunity in the manufacturers of the slot machines, video poker machines, and bingo machines. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, because of the growth of and increasing popularity of Indian casinos and racinos [a racetrack with a casino], employment in gaming services occupations is projected to grow by 23 percent between 2006 and 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

You will have to decide if any of the following stocks are worth betting on.

International Game Technology (IGT) makes and sells computerized slot, video poker slot, and other gaming equipment and network systems, including big better tracking. The stock has a PE of 26 and a PEG of 1.77 and pays a yield of 1.6%.

Bally Technologies, Inc. (BYI) makes and markets slot and other gaming machines and computerized monitoring systems for the casino industry. They also have player tracking technology. The stock has a PE of 27 and a PEG of 0.8 .

WMS Industries Inc. (WMS) makes and sells gaming machines and video lottery terminals for casinos around the world.They are also expanding into networked gaming machines. The stock has a PE of 35 and a PEG of 1.58 .

Scientific Games Corp. (SGMS) provides gaming related technology products including server-based gaming machines, video lottery terminals, pari-mutuel racing wagering systems, and sports betting systems. The stock has a PE of 51 and a PEG of 1.37 .

Multimedia Games, Inc. (MGAM) is a provider of technology and equipment to casinos. They market server-based gaming systems, interactive electronic games, player terminals, video lottery terminals, electronic scratch ticket systems, electronic instant lottery systems, and slot management systems. The stock has a PE of 40 and a PEG of 3.28 . This is a low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

Shuffle Master Inc. (SHFL) makes and sells gaming technology products, including automatic card shufflers, chip sorting machines, and PC-based video slot machines. The stock has a PE of 17 and a PEG of 1.15 . This is a low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

GameTech International Inc. (GMTC) manufactures and markets portable and fixed based electronic bingo systems. The stock has a PE of 17 and a PEG of 0.57 . This is a low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

FortuNet, Inc (FNET) makes and sells multi-game server-based gaming platforms for bingo gaming markets, and can also be adapted to keno, poker, and slot machines. The stock has a PE of 20 and a PEG of 2.65 . This is a low cap stock and should therefore be considered very speculative.

The related industry to the slot manufacturers is of course the gambling stocks.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Fred Fuld at Stockerblog.com

$4 a Gallon Gas Now Ubiquitous

This weekend, I had the privilege of driving around the San Francisco Bay Area. I didn't see one gas station that was selling regular gas for less that $4 a gallon. Even the so-called 'cheap' stations were selling gas for $4.29 a gallon. Diesel wasn't selling for less than $5 a gallon anywhere. It was only on May 1, only one month ago, that I thought that gas above $4 a gallon was shocking and may have just been an aberration. Now it seems that $4 a gallon gas, at least in California, is now ubiquitous. [This word is now becoming ubiquitous, so I will stop using it for a while.]