"We are truly defining the quality of life for our children," Christina Figueres, the U.N.'s executive secretary for climate, told USA TODAY on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "We have to do everything we can because there is no plan B because there is no planet B," she said.
"I fully intend my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be able to live on this planet. This job is a sacred responsibility," Figueres said.
Figueres' comments to USA TODAY come as assembled leaders in the Swiss ski resort are being urged to invest more extensively in cleaner energy sources in order to obviate the most pernicious affects of climate change.
Top 10 Retail Stocks To Own For 2015: Allstate Corp (ALS)
The Allstate Corporation (Allstate), November 5, 1992, is a holding company for Allstate Insurance Company. The Company�� business is conducted principally through Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Life Insurance Company and their affiliates. It is engaged, principally in the United States, in the property-liability insurance, life insurance, retirement and investment product business. Allstate's primary business is the sale of private passenger auto and homeowners insurance. The Company also sells several other personal property and casualty insurance products, select commercial property and casualty coverages, life insurance, annuities, voluntary accident and health insurance and funding agreements. Allstate primarily distributes its products through exclusive agencies, financial specialists, independent agencies, call centers and the Internet. It conducts its business primarily in the United States. Allstate has four business segments: Allstate Protection, Allstate Financial, Discontinued Lines and Coverages and Corporate and Other. The Company is a personal lines insurer in the United States. Customers can access Allstate products and services, such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through nearly 12,000 exclusive Allstate agencies and financial representatives in the United States and Canada. In October 2011, the Company acquired Esurance and Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group.
ALLSTATE PROTECTION SEGMENT
In this segment, the Company principally sells private passenger auto and homeowners insurance through agencies and directly through call centers and the Internet. These products are marketed under the Allstate, Encompass and Esurance brand names. The Allstate Protection segment also includes a separate organization called Emerging Businesses, which comprises Business Insurance (commercial products for small business owners), Consumer Household (specialty products including motorcycle, boat, renters and condominium insurance policies), A! llstate Dealer Services (insurance and non-insurance products sold primarily to auto dealers), Allstate Roadside Services (retail and wholesale roadside assistance products) and Ivantage (insurance agency). The Company also participates in the involuntary or shared private passenger auto insurance business in order to maintain its licenses to do business in many states. In some states, Allstate exclusive agencies offer non-proprietary property insurance products. Allstate brand auto and homeowners insurance products are sold primarily through Allstate exclusive agencies and serve customers who prefer local personal advice and service and are brand-sensitive. In most states, customers can also purchase certain Allstate brand personal insurance products, and obtain service, directly through call centers and the Internet.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, total Allstate Protection premiums written were $25.98 billion. Its broad-based network of approximately 10,000 Allstate exclusive agencies in approximately 9,700 locations in the United States produced approximately 86% of the Allstate Protection segment's written premiums in 2011. It provides personal property and casualty insurance products through independent agencies in the United States. Additionally, Allstate distribution, through brokering arrangements, offers non-proprietary products to consumers when an Allstate product is not available.
ALLSTATE FINANCIAL SEGMENT
Allstate Financial segment provides life insurance, retirement and investment products, and voluntary accident and health insurance products. Its principal products are interest-sensitive, traditional and variable life insurance; fixed annuities, including deferred and immediate; and voluntary accident and health insurance. Its institutional products consist of funding agreements sold to unaffiliated trusts that use them to back medium-term notes issued to institutional and individual investors. Banking products and services were offered to! customer! s through the Allstate Bank through September 2011. In 2011, after receiving regulatory approval to voluntarily dissolve, Allstate Bank ceased operations.
The Company sells Allstate Financial products to individuals through multiple intermediary distribution channels, including Allstate exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists, independent agents, specialized structured settlement brokers and directly through call centers and the Internet. The Company sells products through independent agents affiliated with approximately 125 master brokerage agencies. Independent workplace enrolling agents and Allstate exclusive agencies also sell its voluntary accident and health insurance products primarily to employees of unaffiliated businesses. Its mortgage loan portfolio, which is primarily held in the Allstate Financial portfolio, totaled $7.14 billion as of December 31, 2011
Allstate Financial, through several companies, is authorized to sell life insurance and retirement products in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States, Virgin Islands and Guam. Allstate Financial distributes its products to individuals through multiple distribution channels, including Allstate exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists, independent agents (including master brokerage agencies and workplace enrolling agents), specialized structured settlement brokers and directly through call centers and the Internet.
OTHER BUSINESS SEGMENTS
The Company�� Corporate and Other segment consistsof holding company activities and certain non-insurance operations. It�� Discontinued Lines and Coverages segment includes results from insurance coverage that it no longer writes and results for certain commercial and other businesses in run-off. Its exposure to asbestos, environmental and other discontinued lines claims is presented in the segment. The segment also includes the historical results of the commercial and reinsurance businesses ! sold in 1! 996.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Adrian Day]
Adrian Day: Yes, yes, I like the concept of looking up the secondary plays. I mean, you know we own Altius (ALS) for example, rather than Alderon (ADV). Altius owns 30% of Alderon, that is more diversified, has a better balance sheet. If Alderon succeeds, Atius will succeed.
Top 5 Quality Companies To Invest In Right Now: Group 1 Automotive Inc. (GPI)
Group 1 Automotive, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the marketing and sale of automotive products and services. It sells new and used cars, light trucks, and vehicle parts. The company also provides vehicle financing services; service and insurance contract services; and automotive maintenance and repair services. The company has operations located in metropolitan areas in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas in the United States; and in the towns of Brighton, Hailsham, and Worthing in the United Kingdom. As of October 25, 2012, it owned and operated 121 automotive dealerships, 158 franchises, and 30 collision centers in the United States and the United Kingdom that offer 32 brands of automobiles. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ning Jia]
In 2001, Advance Auto Parts acquires Carport Auto Parts, a regional retail chain with 29 stores in Alabama and Mississippi. The combination of Advance and Carport locations establishes Advance Auto Parts as the market leader in Alabama and Mississippi. In November of 2011, Advance acquires 671 Discount Auto Parts, Inc., a regional auto parts chain in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana. The acquisition strengthens the company's position as the market leader in Florida. Upon completion of this merger, Advance Auto Parts becomes a publicly traded company, listed as a common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AAP. After the Company went public in 2001, AAP continued to expand both organically and through acquisition. On October 16th 2013, Advance Auto Parts entered into a definitive agreement to acquire General Parts International, Inc. (GPI), a leading privately held distributor and supplier of original equipment and aftermarket replacement products for commercial markets operating under the CARQUEST and WORLDPAC brands, in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of $2.04 billion. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors for both companies. The deal creates the largest automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America, with annual sales of more than $9.2 billion and more than 70,000 employees.
Top 5 Quality Companies To Invest In Right Now: China Distance Education Holdings Ltd (DL)
China Distance Education Holdings Limited (CDEL), incorporated on January 11, 2008, offers a range of online education and test preparation courses and other related services and products. The Company operates and manages its business in the provision of online and offline education services and selling of related products. The Company�� online courses are designed to help professionals and other course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and certifications necessary to pursue careers in China in the areas of accounting, law, healthcare, construction engineering and other industries. In addition, the Company also offers online foreign language courses. As of September 30, 2012, the Company operated 17 websites, including its main Website www.cdeledu.com and 16 other websites. The Company�� online courses feature audio-video lectures delivered through the Internet using streaming media and other Internet-based technologies, and are supplemented by textbooks, tutoring, online assignments and exercises, mock examinations, and other forms of learning activities and course-related support.
The Company sell books and reference materials through third-party bookstores and distributors across China, and, to a lesser extent, through its online bookstore and its offices in Beijing. In addition, it also offers offline business start-up training courses and in-person accounting and healthcare professional training to accounting firms and the general public. The Company provides course production services and platform production services for certain customers at their request.
Online Education Services
The Company offers online courses through its websites designed to help course participants obtain and maintain the skills, licenses and certifications necessary to pursue their careers and professions in China. Its online professional education courses cover a range of industries, including accounting, law, healthcare, construction engineering and! others. It also offers online test preparation courses to self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees and to secondary school and college students for various academic and entrance exams. Additionally, the Company offers online foreign language courses.
The Company�� courses feature audio-video lectures by experienced lecturers or practitioners within their respective fields delivered through a multimedia and interactive Web interface using streaming media and other Internet-based technologies. Its online lectures are supplemented by textbooks, tutoring, online assignments, exercises, mock examinations, and other forms of learning activities and course-related support. Course participants using different platforms, including smart phones, tablets or regular computers, are able to access its courses through the Internet at times and places convenient for them.
The Web page also provides hyperlinks allowing course participants to access other useful functions during the lecture. It also provides its course lectures in the form of downloadable media files that allow course participants to save copies of the lectures onto their own personal computers and to play them offline. The Company utilizes digital rights management, or digital rights management (DRM), technology to restrict the transfer and viewing of downloadable media files.
Professional Course Offerings
The Company�� professional course offerings include accounting Courses, legal courses, healthcare courses, construction engineering courses, online information technology courses and other professional education courses. The Company offer courses relating to China�� important nationwide legal examination, the National Judicial Examination. It offers courses relating to three nationwide healthcare exams: the National Practicing Medical Doctor Qualification Examination, the Healthcare Professional Technical Qualification Examination jointly administered by the Ministry! of Healt! h and the MOP and the National Pharmacist Qualification Examination administered by the MOP and the State Administration of Drug Supervision. It offers courses mainly relating to exams: Associate Constructor and Constructor Qualification Examinations, Construction Supervisor Qualification Examination, Construction Pricing Engineer Qualification Examination, Certified Safety Engineer Qualification Examination, Consulting Engineer Qualification Examination and Real Estate Appraiser Qualification Examination. The Company provides professional education courses in the areas of information technology, securities and various civil service positions.
Higher Education for Self-Taught Learners
The Company through its Website www.zikao365.com offers courses targeted at self-taught learners pursuing associate diplomas or bachelor�� degrees in various academic areas. They complete their self study and obtain government accredited diplomas or degrees by passing the Higher Education Examination for Self-Taught Learners administered by the MOE without having to enroll in and physically attend a traditional college or university. It offer test preparatory courses to help self-taught learners pass the requisite exams.
Academic Exam Preparation and Foreign Language Courses Study Courses
The Company through its Website www.cnedu.cn Website, the Company offer test preparation courses targeted at university students intending to take nationwide graduate school entrance exams in various disciplines administered by the MOE. It also operates websites focused on the secondary and college education market, foreign language study and other subjects. Its secondary education courses are designed to provide an online resource for secondary school course participants to prepare for these exams.
Other Products and Services
The Company sells books and reference materials relating to various professional courses and exam s! ubjects. ! To promote the use of its online courses, the Company also sells books and reference materials related to its courses such as the Elementary Level and Intermediate Level Accounting Professional Qualification Examination, the CPA Qualification Examination, the Registered Tax Agent Qualification Examination, the Certified Asset Appraiser Qualification Examination, the Accounting Professional Qualification Examination, accounting continuing education, the National Judicial Examination, the National Practicing Medical Doctor Qualification Examination, the Construction Supervisor Qualification Examination, the Constructor Qualification Examination, the Construction Pricing Engineer Qualification Examination, and the Intermediate Economist Qualification Examination.
The Company provides primary and secondary school supplementary tutoring services to students in a range of subject areas, such as Chinese, math and science. Students may attend offline courses taught by its in-person lecturers or view pre-recorded video courses on its Website at www.g12e.com. Its offline classes are available in Beijing and are subscribed during winter and summer breaks. It also provides course production services to certain customers on a contractual basis.
Regular, Premium and Elite Classes
The Company offer regular, premium and elite classes, which include foundation classes, intensified focus classes, exam Questions analysis classes and crash-course classes. It offers elite classes to legal practitioners, self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees, and professionals in the healthcare, construction engineering and other industries. Its foundation classes contain detailed instructions and content to provide course participants with a broad and comprehensive knowledge base relating to a specific subject area. Its intensified focus classes are designed to provide more intensive instructions focused on important topics in a specific subject area at a more! advanced! pace to course participants who already have basic knowledge of the subject area. Its exam questions analysis classes contain materials and instructions tailored specifically to preparation for the actual exams and the types of questions and topics that come up in each exam. Its crash-course classes are designed to provide a quick review of critical topic areas for specific exam subjects to enable course participants to make final preparations in the weeks prior to an exam. Its exam simulation system offers a wealth of mock test questions developed based on real tests, closely conforms to the syllabus and test requirements, and fully covers various key examination points.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Louis Navellier]
NDZ returned to profit this year, and huge earnings increases are expected next year. The rapid improvement in fundamentals was noticed by Portfolio Grader back in September and the stock was upgraded to an ��.��NDZ stock is a ��trong buy��at the current price.
Great International Stocks: China Distance Education (DL)China Distance Education (DL) provides education services in the China. Its online courses are designed to help professionals and other course participants to obtain and maintain the skills, licenses, and certifications necessary to pursue careers in fields like accounting, law and engineering.
Top 5 Quality Companies To Invest In Right Now: Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation(AP)
Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation and its subsidiaries manufacture and sell custom-engineered equipment in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Forged and Cast Rolls, and Air and Liquid Processing. The Forged and Cast Rolls segment produces forged hardened steel rolls used in cold rolling for the producers of steel, aluminum, and other metals; and cast iron and steel rolls for hot and cold strip mills, medium/heavy section mills, and plate mills. The Air and Liquid Processing segment manufactures finned tube and plate finned heat exchange coils for the commercial and industrial construction, as well as for process and utility industries; custom air handling systems used in commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings; and a line of centrifugal pumps for the refrigeration, power generation, and marine defense industries. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Gary Stoller]
Taxis wait in lines for customers outside the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai.(Photo: AP)
Keep valuables next to you or in your lap rather than in a less-accessible area of a taxi. Ask the driver to remove the bags from the trunk before you get out of the taxi and before you pay, so the driver cannot drive away with your luggage.
- [By Andrea Kay]
In this picture provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis engages with his audience, speaking with a child during his three-hour visit Dec. 21, 2013, to Bambino Gesu' pediatric hospital in Rome.(Photo: AP)
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