Gurus Hold Five-Year Lows in Biotech, Utilities

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Sep 20, 2013
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A rapid-research tool, the GuruFocus Five-Year Low Value Screen currently highlights three diverse U.S. companies on a five-year low, two of them held by billionaire investors, and two with high yields. Here are the company updates and trading highlights, as of June 30, 2013.

Sequenom Inc. (SQNM, Financial)

Down 28% over 12 months, Sequenom Inc. has a market cap of $325.32 million, and trades with a P/S of 2.50.

The current share price is around $2.82, or 90.3% off the five-year high of $29.14. The yield is 0.00%.

Incorporated in 1994, Sequenom Inc. is a life sciences company providing genetic analysis solutions to improve healthcare through its two operating segments of molecular diagnostics and genetic analysis. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets innovative technology, instrumentation and tests that target and serve discovery and clinical research, and clinical molecular diagnostics markets. Applications include translational research, oncology, agricultural genomics and in vitro diagnostics for prenatal and retinal disorders.

For the second quarter of 2013, the company reported revenues of $34.9 million, a 91% increase from the same period a year ago. Sequenom showed a net loss of$31.0 million for the quarter, translating to $0.27 per share. In the second quarter of 2012, the company had a net loss of $29.6 million, or $0.26 per share.

In a company press release, Sequenom's CFO Paul V. Maier, commented on his company's second quarter: “We are disappointed by the delay in the collection of diagnostic segment revenues during the second quarter, as pressure associated with coding and billing policies on the national level are slowing the timing of reimbursement. We are in the process of working through these challenges and expect to see improvements in collections during the second half of 2013.”

Guru Action: As of June 30, 2013, there are two guru stakeholders and no recent insider trading to report.

The top Guru stakeholder is Steven Cohen with 4,051,119 shares or 3.51% of shares outstanding. In second quarter he who reduced his position by 8.16%, selling 360,000 shares at an average price of $4.00 per share, for a loss of 29.5%. In the same quarter Cohen made a call option on 400,000 shares.

In five years of holding SQNM, Cohen took a double-digit loss in every quarter. Cohen has averaged a loss of 41% on 7,116,823 shares bought at an average price of $4.80 per share. He has averaged a loss of 57% on 3,065,704 shares sold at an average price of $6.55 per share.

After six losing quarters, Louis Moore Bacon sold out his holding, unloading 300,000 shares at an average price of $4.00 per share, for a loss of 29.5%.

Track share pricing, revenue and net income:

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FirstEnergy Corp. (FE, Financial)

Down 14% over 12 months, First Energy Corp. has a market cap of $15.85 billion, and trades with a P/E of 51.50 and a P/B of 1.20.

The current share price is around $37.04, or 48.6% off the five-year high of $72.10. The yield is 5.90%.

Organized in 1996, FirstEnergy Corp.’s main business is the holding of all of the outstanding common stock of its principal subsidiaries. The company includes one of the nation's investor-owned electric systems and a diverse generating fleet with a total capacity of nearly 23,000 megawatts. FirstEnergy's 10 regulated distribution companies comprise one of the nation's investor-owned electric systems, based on serving 6 million customers in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.

The company reported a major drop for the first six months of 2013, with a net income of $32 million and revenue of $7.2 billion, compared to a net income of $494 million and revenue of $7.7 billion in the same period a year ago. For the first half 2013, the company reported earnings of $0.08 per basic and diluted share of common stock, compared to basic and diluted earnings of $1.18 per share in the first six months of 2012.

Guru Action: As of June 30, 2013, there are nine guru stakeholders and insiders trading.

In the second quarter three billionaire investors increased their positions and two made new buys.

Ray Dalio made a new buy of 237,406 shares at an average price of $42.06, for a loss of 9.9%. Paul Tudor Jones made a new buy of 31,100 at the same price, for the same loss of 9.9%.

Two gurus, Jim Simons and Arnold Schneider sold out their positions.

Track share pricing, revenue and net income:

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First Robinson Financial Corporation (FRFC, Financial)

Down 1% over 12 months, First Robinson Financial Corporation has a market cap of $13.23 million, and trades with a P/S of 1.39.

The current share price is around $31.00, or 13.9% off the five-year high of $36.00. The yield is 3.20%.

Incorporated in 1997, First Robinson Financial Corporation is a holding company whose main activity is the ownership and management of its wholly-owned subsidiary, First Robinson Savings Bank, N.A. The bank provides a range of banking and financial services to individual and corporate customers in Illinois and Indiana.

Guru Action: As of June 30, 2013, there are no guru stakeholders or recent insider trading. Many insider buys took place in 2012.

Track share pricing, revenue and net income:

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