Investopedia: Piedmont's Total Return Prospects Look Middling

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Utilities are predictable businesses, but not entirely risk free. That's especially true in the case of a company like Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE:PNY) where a lot of the company's future growth is predicated on customers switching over to gas. While Piedmont does enjoy a constructive regulatory environment and has been a very consistent dividend payer, buying the shares with a yield below 4% doesn't seem to make all that much sense.

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Investopedia: When Will Genworth's Turnaround Come?

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There's still ample economic wreckage from the housing bubble and crash, but many participants have clawed their way back and are starting to see signs of normalization. Major mortgage issuers like Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) are back to paying dividends and thinking about long-term growth strategies, while insurance companies like MetLife (NYSE:MET) are largely secure from a capital standpoint (even if U.S. regulators don't completely agree).
Genworth (NYSE:GNW) is a different case. While the stock and company are clearly back from the brink of complete ruin (the stock traded for less than 90 cents just over three years ago), the company is not exactly strong or thriving again. The resignation of the company's CEO may facilitate a better turnaround strategy, but investors considering these shares are going to have to have patience to see the investment work out.

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Investopedia: Argo Group Is A Confounding, But Potentially Undervalued, Stock

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The world of insurance stocks can be simultaneously quite simple and quite complex. Actuarial science is by no means easy, and it can be difficult-to-impossible to really evaluate a company's underwriting risks or investment strategy from outside of the company. On the other hand, watching metrics like book value growth, return on equity, premium growth, combined ratio and prior year development can usually point investors towards successful insurance stock picks.

Argo Group (Nasdaq:AGII) stands out as something of a challenging case. Book value growth and return on equity have both been unimpressive, but the company's low valuation may represent a real bargain if the company can improve its operating results.

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Investopedia: Nokia Moves Around The Deck Chairs One More Time

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At this point, the agonizing pace of Nokia's (NYSE:NOK) never-ending turnaround is starting to evoke the idea of a band-aid being pulled off incredibly slowly. Once again the company is looking to take charge and fire workers, but nothing in the proposed changes are likely to boost the company's share against Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL) or Samsung. Absent a hardware-software duo that can seriously challenge the top players, Nokia's slide toward irrelevance seems likely to continue.

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Investopedia: Once Again, Rails Suggest Summer Slowdown Isn't That Bad

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This summer is starting to feel a lot like last year. Europe seems to be coming apart at the seems, volatility is tracking up, and investors are on the hunt for proof that the economy is sliding back toward recession. Like last year, though, the data from the Class 1 North American railroads just doesn't support a panic scenario. Yes, business activity is leveling off, but that's what usually happens in the summer and there doesn't seem to be a compelling reason to hit the big red button just yet.

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Investopedia: Everest Re Trying To Balance Risk And Opportunity

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Plenty has been written over the last few months about the hardening market in many insurance markets. With companies forced to pay out for major disasters across the globe, including major earthquakes and floods, companies are now pushing through policy price increases for the first time in quite a while.

When it comes to Everest Re (NYSE:RE), though, there appears to be some limit to how much this hardening market will help. Everest Re is a quality insurance company, and one with substantial property reinsurance exposure, but the company's decision to prudently manage its risk exposure could limit some of the growth potential from these market developments.

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Investopedia: Smithfield's Miss May Be An Opportunity

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Companies that operate in commodity markets often require a bit of reverse psychology when it comes to their stocks. Invest in protein producers like Tyson (NYSE:TSN) or Smithfield (NYSE:SFD) when times are great, and you are likely to be buying into a peak. With that in mind, the lackluster performance of Smithfield in its fiscal fourth quarter, combined with some iffy market fundamentals, might make this a stock worth watching.

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