|
2008/2009 Recommended Companies and OFS REC Index
The securities of the seven companies in the table below were recommended by Mr. Markowski in his article “Cyber Gains” which was published in Equities Magazine’s March 2008 issue. Mr. Markowski believes that the securities of each of these seven companies are well positioned to outperform the overall stock market least through the end of 2010. To track the performance of the recommendations being made on the OnlineFinancialSector.com’s web site the OFS REC Index was created.
The OFS REC index is comprised of the original seven companies in the Online Financial Sector which were recommended by Mr. Markowski in his article “Cyber Gains” which was published in Equities Magazine March 1, 2008 issue. The index is market cap weighted. Market cap weighted means that the company in the index with the largest market cap accounts for the largest percentage of the overall index. The same holds true for the company with the smallest market cap as it would account for the smallest percentage weighting of the index. The percentage weightings adjust daily as the market caps go up or down for the seven companies in the index. At the inception of the OFS REC index on March 3, 2008, the company with the largest market cap ($2.8 Billion) and weighting (31.7%) was Morningstar (MORN). The company with the smallest market cap ($42.6 million) and weighting (0.48%) was TheRetirementSolution.com (GISV). To understand why Mr. Markowski is recommending these seven companies and why he believes that the Online Financial Sector is a good investment opportunity we suggest that you read or review “Cyber Gains” an article on the Online Financial Sector that he wrote for the March 2008 issue of Equities Magazine. Also, you may want to review the 2008 Recommended Stocks Data. The following table lists the companies and their respective market caps and percentage weightings.
|
OFS REC Index Components at inception (March 03, 2008)
|
Symbol |
Company Name |
Date |
Price |
Market Cap |
|
RATE |
BANKRATE INC |
03/03/08 |
42.56 |
803,362,560 |
|
IDC |
INTERACTIVE DATA CORP |
03/03/08 |
29.01 |
2,733,119,130 |
|
TSCM |
THESTREET COM |
03/03/08 |
8.85 |
267,747,900 |
|
GISV |
GLOBAL INVESTOR SERVICE INC. |
03/03/08 |
0.18 |
42,612,480 |
|
SWIM* |
INVESTOOLS INC |
03/03/08 |
11.41 |
751,451,190 |
|
OXPS |
OPTIONSXPRESS HLDGS INC |
03/03/08 |
23 |
1,449,736,000 |
|
MORN |
MORNINGSTAR INC |
03/03/08 |
63.98 |
2,816,079,700 |
*TD Ameritrade completes thinkorswim acquisition (June 11, 2009)
OFS REC Index Components Addition (January 08, 2009)
|
Symbol |
Company Name |
Date |
Price |
Market Cap |
|
AMTD |
AMERITRADE HOLDINGS |
01/08/09 |
13.40 |
7,730.M |
OFS REC Index Components Addition (February 11, 2009)
|
Symbol |
Company Name |
Date |
Price |
Market Cap |
|
TRAD |
TRADE STATION |
02/11/09 |
5.90 |
258.M |
OFS REC Index Components Addition (March 09, 2009)
|
Symbol |
Company Name |
Date |
Price |
Market Cap |
|
JRJC |
CHINA FINANCIAL ONLINE CO., Ltd |
03/09/2009 |
7.85 |
173M |
OFS REC Index Components Addition (March 09, 2009)
|
Symbol |
Company Name |
Date |
Price |
Market Cap |
|
IBKR |
INTERACTIVE BROKERS GROUP, Inc.. |
03/09/2009 |
12.89 |
575M |
OFS REC Index Components Addition (June 19, 2009)
|
Symbol |
Company Name |
Date |
Price |
Market Cap |
|
ETFC |
E*TRADE Financial Corporation. |
06/19/2009 |
1.26 |
390M |
OFS REC Index Components Addition (July 01, 2009)
|
Symbol |
Company Name |
Date |
Price |
Market Cap |
|
EDGR |
EDGAR Online Inc. |
07/01/2009 |
1.33 |
1.4K |
|
1) Bankrate Inc.
11760 US Highway One
Suite 500
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
United States - Map
Phone: 561-630-2400
Fax: 561-625-4540
Web Site: http://www.bankrate.com
NASDAQ Symbol: RATE
BUSINESS SUMMARY
Bankrate, Inc. and its subsidiaries own and operate an Internet-based consumer banking and personal finance network. Its Web site, Bankrate.com aggregates information on mortgages, credit cards, automobile loans, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans, and online banking fees. The company operates in two segments, Online Publishing, and Print Publishing and Licensing. The Online Publishing segment sells advertising, sponsorships, and hyperlinks in connection with the company's Web sites, Bankrate.com, Interest.com, Insureme.com, Nationwidecardservices.com, Savingforcollege.com, Mortgage-calc.com, Bankrateselect.com, Feedisclosure.com, and Bankrate.com.cn. The Print Publishing and Licensing segment sells advertising in the mortgage guide, deposit, and CD guide rate tables; newsletter subscriptions; and licensing of research information. The company also provides financial applications and information to a network of online distribution partners, as well as through national, regional, and local publications. It reviews approximately 4,800 financial institutions in 575 markets in 50 states. Bankrate was founded in 1993.
NYSE Symbol: IDC
BUSINESS SUMMARY
Interactive Data Corporation provides financial market data, analytics, and related services to financial institutions, active traders, and individual investors worldwide. Its services are used to support portfolio management and valuation, research and analysis, trading, sales and marketing, and client service activities. The company operates in two segments, Institutional Services and Active Trader Services. The Institutional Services segment offers interactive data pricing and reference data; interactive data real-time services; and interactive data fixed income analytics. This segment primarily targets financial institutions, such as banks, brokerage firms, mutual fund companies, hedge funds, insurance companies, and money management firms, as well as financial information providers, information media companies, third-party redistributors, and outsourcing organizations. The Active Trader Services segment involves in eSignal business, which provides active traders, individual investors, and investment community professionals with real-time financial market information and access to decision-support tools to assist in their analysis of securities traded on major markets worldwide. This segment primarily targets active traders, individual investors, and investment community professionals. Interactive Data Corporation has operations primarily in the United States, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts. Interactive Data Corporation is a subsidiary of Pearson plc.
3)TheStreet.com, Inc.
14 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005
United States - Map
Phone: 212-321-5000
Fax: 212-321-5016
Web Site: http://www.thestreet.com
NASDAQ Symbol : TSCM
BUSINESS SUMMARY
TheStreet.com, Inc., together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, operates as a financial media company. Its flagship site, TheStreet.com, provides financial commentary, analysis, and news with financial coverage to individual investors. TheStreet.com also offers investigative journalism, commentary on market trends, specific stock and mutual fund analysis, and personal finance and lifestyle sections. The company also operates Stockpickr.com, which provides both financial content and social networking; BankingMyWay.com, a Web site that enables readers to find competitive rates locally and nationally for various banking products, including CDs, checking and money market accounts, savings accounts, mortgages, and home equity and auto loans; and MainStreet.com, a Web site that presents original entertainment and celebrity news articles that illustrate a relevant personal finance topic. In addition, it operates two subscription Web sites RealMoney, which provides real-time investing ideas, trading strategies, technical analysis, and market commentary; and RealMoney Silver, a compilation of three email subscription services and the commentary from RealMoney. Further, the company offers various free newsletters, such as daily and weekly market bulletins, and recaps from TheStreet.com TV. Additionally, it provides interactive marketing services through Promotions.com, a provider of online and mobile custom interactive solutions for advertisers, marketers, and content publishers. Promotions.com also creates and develops Web sites, digital commerce solutions, and implements interactive promotions. TheStreet.com, Inc. distributes its content through proprietary properties, including Web sites, email services, print publications, and video programming, as well as syndicates its content for distribution by other media companies. The company was founded in 1996 and is based in New York, New York.
Note: November 18, 2008, Announcing Name and Ticker Symbol Change from TheRetirementSolution.com, Inc., (TRES) to; Global Investor Services, Inc. (GISV)
OTCBB Symbol: GISV
BUSINESS SUMMARY
Global Investor Services Inc., is a provider of investor education products and services via it Investment Tools & Training (ITT) Division. The Company also provides subscribers financial information via its Razor data subsidiary and online portfolio recommendations through its relationship with StockDiagnostics.com, Inc. For detailed information on this company we suggest that you read February 26, 2008 shareholder letter and April 3, 2008 press release.
ITT’s (www.investview.com) goal is to equip students with financial knowledge, skills and investing habits through a diversified and personal education and training system that includes multiple delivery formats such as live webinars, recorded webisodes, training symposiums, coaching, mentoring, investor rooms and newsletters. RomSince mid January 2008, ITT via its partner marketing alliances has conducted twelve (12) fulfillment events in the US and Canada and importantly, ITT has delivered all investor education online. In the coming months ITT plans to move to two events per week with further expansion planned beyond the second quarter. In April, the company will launch its own brand, “InvestView”, under the ITT banner. ITT is staffed with qualified professionals who serve as instructors and advisors. These individuals include masters in adult learning, certified market technician, certified financial planner, chartered financial analyst, PhD of psychology and a published author.
Razor Data (www.razordata.com) provides complete turnkey solutions to its customers in the financial community that include stock market information and tools, the development of and management of comprehensive databases. Razor also distributes web hosting and network environments and complete e-Content creation and management
The Company also provides portfolios under the brand name “TheRetirementSolution.com” to subscribers via an exclusive relationship with StockDiagnostics.com, Inc. The small, mid and large cap investment portfolios consist of approximately 100 stocks at the minimum subscription entry level and up to 250 stocks at the premium subscription level. In addition to these Portfolio subscriptions and upcoming education content, the Company also provides its subscribers with access to the StockDiagnostics.com on-line analytical stock selection system tools and on-line updates, which include real-time changes to the portfolios.
5) Investools, Inc. / thinkorswim, Inc.
45 Rockefeller Plaza
Suite 2012
New York, NY 10111
United States - Map
Phone: 801-816-6918
Fax: 801-816-6003
Web Site: http://www.investools.com
NASDAQ Symbol: SWIM
BUSINESS SUMMARY
Investools, Inc. provides investor education, and brokerage and related financial products and services for self-directed investors in the United States. It operates in two segments, Investor Education and Brokerage Services. The Investor Education segment offers a range of investor education products and services that provide lifelong learning and support to self-directed investors. The company has approximately 337,000 graduates of its Foundation course and 102,800 paid subscribers to its Web sites. It offers investor education products and services in various learning formats with courses ranging from beginning to advanced, to address the needs of students on all investor levels. This segment's learning formats include Preview Event, a free event that introduces students to fundamental investing concepts; Workshops, which includes live, instructor-led investing workshops that cover topics ranging from fundamental investing principles to advanced strategies; Home Study/Online Courses; Coaching Services, such as interactive workshops, and on-demand and one-to-many coaching services; Ongoing Support and Tutorials; and thinkorswim paperMoney. Its course offerings comprise Investing Foundation Course, Basic Options, Advanced Technical Analysis, Advanced Options, Forex, and Advanced Forex. The Brokerage Services segment operates as an online brokerage firm. It focuses on providing services to self-directed options traders and retail investors. This segment offers a range of products, including equity securities, index products, exchange traded options, futures, mutual funds, bonds, and foreign exchange. It provides front-end trading platforms that allow its customers to trade electronically, as well as trading tools and analytics, including tools for implementing options strategies. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Note: TD Ameritrade completes thinkorswim acquisition (June 11, 2009)
6) OptionsXpress Holdings, Inc.
311 West Monroe Street
Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60606
United States - Map
Phone: 312-630-3300
Fax: 312-629-5256
Web Site: http://www.optionsxpress.com
NASDAQ Symbol: OXPS
BUSINESS SUMMARY
OptionsXpress Holdings, Inc. provides Internet-based options, stock, bond, mutual fund, and futures brokerage services to retail customers located in the United States and internationally. Its brokerage platform delivers various trading tools, which allow retail and professional investors to identify, analyze, and execute a range of investment strategies. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
7) Morningstar Inc.
225 West Wacker Drive
Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60606
United States - Map
Phone: 312-696-6000
Fax: 312-696-6001
Web Site: http://www.morningstar.com
NASDAQ Symbol: MORN
BUSINESS SUMMARY
Morningstar, Inc. provides independent investment research to investors worldwide. Its Individual segment provides Morningstar.com, a membership service and Internet advertising space; and Morningstar Equity Research that provides independent equity research on companies, as well as offers print and online publications on stocks, mutual funds, personal finance, and other investing topics. The company's Advisor segment provides Morningstar Advisor Workstation, a Web-based investment planning system; Principia, a CD-ROM-based investment research and planning software; and Morningstar Managed Portfolios, a discretionary asset management program for financial advisors. Its Institutional segment provides investment consulting on investment monitoring and asset allocation for funds of funds; Licensed Data, a set of investment data; Retirement Advice; Morningstar Direct, a Web-based institutional research platform that provides research and tools on securities; Morningstar Workstation, a desktop resource for analysis of fund performance; Licensed Tools and Content, online tools and editorial content designed for institutions; and Morningstar EnCorr, an asset allocation software package. This segment also offers Investment Profiles & Guides, which communicates investment information to individual investors; and financial information and data feeds on Australian stocks. The company also provides Hemscott Data comprising fundamental data on publicly listed companies; Hemscott Guru, an online research tool that contains financial data and directors' biographies; Hemscott Adviser Rankings Guide, a listing of approximately 1,800 providers of professional services; Hemscott India, a data collection center; and Hemscott Premium and Premium Plus, subscription-based investment research and data services; and Hemscott IR, online investor relations and corporate communications services. Morningstar was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
8) TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation
4211 South 102nd Street
Omaha, NE 68127
United States - Map
Phone: 402-331-7856
Fax: 402-597-7789
Web Site: http://www.ameritrade.com
BUSINESS SUMMARY
TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides securities brokerage services and technology-based financial services in the United States. The company provides common and preferred stocks, exchange-traded funds, option trades, mutual funds, fixed income, margin lending, and cash management services. Its client offerings include TD AMERITRADE for self-directed retail investors; TD AMERITRADE Institutional, a provider of brokerage and custody services to independent registered investment advisors and their clients; TD AMERITRADE Izone that serves self-directed traders; Amerivest, an online advisory service that develops a portfolio of exchange-traded funds to help long-term investors pursue their financial goals; TDAX Independence ETFs for investing options; and Ameritrade Corporate Services, which provides self-directed brokerage services to employees and executives of corporations. TD AMERITRADE Holding offers its services to retail investors and business partners through the Internet, a national branch network, and relationships with independent registered investment advisors. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.
Note: TD Ameritrade completes thinkorswim acquisition (June 11, 2009)
9) TradeStation Group Inc.
8050 SW 10th Street
Suite 4000
Plantation, FL 33324
United States - Map
Phone: 954-652-7000
Fax: 954-652-7300
Web Site: http://www.tradestation.com
BUSINESS SUMMARY
TradeStation Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an online broker-dealer, an introducing broker, a futures commission merchant, and a trading technology company. Its product/service includes electronic trading platform that enables traders to test and automate technical and fundamental trading strategies in various asset classes, such as equities, equity and index options, futures, and foreign currencies. The company’s TradeStation electronic trading platform integrates trading software tools, historical and streaming market data, electronic order-routing, and execution; offers automated and manual advanced order placement functions and capabilities, and charting and analytics features; and enables customers to design, test, optimize, and automate their custom trading strategies. It also offers personal support services by its registered trade-desk representatives who execute customers’ orders through electronic order execution systems. In addition, the company provides TradeStation electronic subscription service, which includes trading features and functions, streaming charts and quotes, streaming news, analytical charting, and various other features included in the TradeStation electronic trading platform other than trade order placement and other trading or brokerage-related features or services. It serves the active trader and institutional trader markets. The company has strategic relationships with Bear, Stearns Securities Corp. and R.J. O’Brien; Associates, Inc.; and GAIN Capital Group, Inc. TradeStation Group, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Plantation, Florida.
10) China Finance Online Co. Ltd.
9th Floor of Tower C
Corporate Square
Beijing, 100140
China - Map
Phone: 86 10 5832 5388
Fax: 86 10 5832 5300
Web Site: http://www.chinafinanceonline.com
BUSINESS SUMMARY
China Finance Online Co. Limited, through its subsidiaries, specializes in online financial, and listed company data and information operations in the People’s Republic of China. It offers securities market information, technical analysis, and fundamental analysis services. The company also offers subscription-based services on a single information platform that integrates data and information from various sources with features and functions, such as data and information search, retrieval, delivery, storage, and analysis. It collects, processes, and provides financial analysis tools, historical data, news, research reports, and online forums to its subscribers in one integrated information platform, which allows them to make informed investment decisions with respect to various listed company stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. In addition, the company engages in storing content; serving as an integral part of its information platform; serving as download platforms for its service offerings; and displaying online advertisements. It serves individual investors managing their own money; professional investors, such as institutional investors managing money on behalf of their clients and high net worth individuals; and other financial professionals, including investment bankers, stock analysts, financial reporters, and middle class individuals. The company markets service offerings through its Websites, as well as through customer support personnel at its telemarketing and customer service centers. China Finance Online Co. was founded in 1998 and is based in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China.
11) Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.
BUSINESS SUMMARY
Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. operates as an automated global electronic market maker and broker. It engages in routing orders, and executing and processing trades in securities, futures, and foreign exchange instruments in 70 electronic exchanges and trading venues worldwide. It provides bid and offer quotations on approximately 420,000 securities and futures products listed on electronic exchanges. The company offers order management, trade execution, and portfolio management platform to access financial markets, and trade in multiple asset classes, such as stocks, options, futures, foreign exchange, and bonds. It serves institutional and individual customers. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.
12) E*TRADE Financial Corporation
135 East 57th Street
New York, NY 10022
United States - Map
Phone: 646-521-4300
Fax: 212-826-2803
Web Site: http://www.etrade.com
BUSINESS SUMMARY
E*TRADE Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides online brokerage and related products and services primarily to individual retail investors, under the brand name of E*TRADE Financial worldwide. It offers various brokerage products and services, including automated order placement and execution of the U.S. and international equities, currencies, futures, options, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, and bonds. The company also provides quick transfer, wireless account access, extended hours trading, quotes, research, and advanced planning tools. Its banking products and services include checking, savings, sweep, money market, and certificates of deposit products. E*TRADE Financial primarily provides its services through its Web site at etrade.com, as well as through its network of customer service representatives, relationship managers, and investment advisors. The company was founded in 1982 and is based in New York, New York
13) EDGAR Online Inc.
BUSINESS SUMMARY
EDGAR Online, Inc. creates and distributes financial data and public filings for equities, mutual funds, and other publicly traded assets primarily in the United States. The company offers data that assists in the analysis of the financial, business, and ownership conditions of a company or investment vehicle. It provides its information products in the form of online end-user subscriptions, as well as through data licenses and data feeds. The company’s subscription services include I-Metrix and I-Metrix Professional, which offer a Web only service and allows users to do in-depth analysis via the Web and a Microsoft Excel add-in; EDGAR Pro that offers financial data, stock ownership, public offering data sets, and advanced search tools; and EDGAR Access, the company’s retail product that is available via single-seat and credit card purchase. Its data products comprise standardized and as-reported financial data, annual and quarterly financial statements, insider trades, institutional holdings, initial and secondary public offerings, Form 8-K disclosures, electronic prospectuses, and other investment instrument disclosure information. The company also engages in advertising and e-commerce activities. It sells its subscriptions and data feeds directly to end-users or embedded in other Web sites, and through various data redistributors. The company’s consumers include financial, corporate, and advisory professionals working in financial institutions, such as investment funds, asset management firms, insurance companies and banks, stock exchanges, and government agencies, as well as in accounting firms, law firms, corporations, and individual investors. It has strategic alliances with Microsoft, R.R. Donnelley & Sons, CNW group, ThomsonReuters, JustSystems, Zephyr, and NYSSA. The company was formerly known as Cybernet Data Systems, Inc. and changed its name to EDGAR Online, Inc. in January 1999. EDGAR Online was founded in 1995 and is based in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Disclosure: Michael Markowski, the founder of OnlineFinancialSector.com and/or immediate family members currently hold shares in the public companies recommended on the OnlineFinancialSector.com website and may buy or sell shares without notice.
|
