The oil-and-natural-gas-exploration-and-production company filed plans in September for an initial public offering of as much as $150 million in stock.

The company was formed to acquire Sanchez Energy Partners I LP’s unconventional-oil-and-natural-gas assets, which are being contributed by SEP Holdings III LLC. Sanchez Energy has about 39,000 net leasehold acres in the Eagle Ford Shale in south Texas, and plans to aggressively pursue additional leasehold and strategic acquisitions in the Eagle Ford Shale.

The Eagle Ford shale is a promising natural-gas-and-oil-bearing rock formation in south Texas.

Sanchez Energy plans to use the IPO proceeds as partial payment for its formation transactions and to fund capital expenditures and general corporate purposes, according to its regulatory filing.

For the nine months ended Sept. 30, Sanchez Energy reported a profit of $3.4 million on revenue of $9.9 million.

The company intends to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SEN.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sanchez-energy-to-sell-10-mln-shares-at-24-26-2011-11-25

Kenya Airways, which usually operates with Boeing Co. BA -3.06% aircraft, plans to acquire the jets to reduce the average age of its fleet from 8.3 years to 6.2 years and cut operational costs, Managing Director Titus Naikuni said last week at the signing of the contract in Nairobi.

Kenya Airways has the option to buy 16 more jets from Embraer, the weekly reports. But according to Embraer’s 2010 annual report, the manufacturer has an order backlog of about 157 E190 jets.

Naikuni said Kenya Airways is also looking at other manufacturers. “I am sure Embraer will not like the fact that we don’t propose to put all our eggs in one basket,” Naikuni is quoted as saying. He said Kenya Airways plans to acquire nine more Boeing aircraft.

Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM (AF.FR) holds 26% of Kenya Airways, which is listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange.

SPURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kenya-airways-to-buy-10-embraer-jets-report-2011-09-05

In plans filed last month, Nautilus said it would offer 6.9 million units, including overallotments, at a price of $10 each. Each unit is comprised of one common share and a warrant to buy a common share at $11.50.

The blank-check company was formed in November 2010 to acquire businesses in the international maritime shipping, offshore and related maritime services industries, though it hasn’t yet contacted any prospective target companies. Blank-check companies are formed as empty shells and raise money through an IPO that is used to finance a business purchase.

Nautilus will begin trading Friday on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol NMARU.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nautilus-marine-ipo-prices-at-10-2011-07-15

Nestle Waters initiated the price increases due to the cost of plastic used to make bottles rising more than 40% since October, Jeffery said on the sidelines of the Beverage Forum conference in New York. Bottled water prices have fallen about 35% over the past decade due to increasing competition.

Nestle Waters North America, part of Nestle SA (NESN.VX, NSRGY), is the largest bottled water company in North America with $4.2 billion in 2010 sales. Its brands, which include Nestle Pure Life, Poland Spring and S. Pellegrino, compete with water brands like PepsiCo Inc.’s (PPE) Aquafina and Coca-Cola Co.’s (KO) Dasani.

Nestle Waters also vies for market share with the broader beverage category. Jeffery said bottled water sales should continue to grow in the U.S. as consumers shift away from sugary sodas.

In some U.S. markets, bottled water is already outselling sodas in supermarkets, the company says.

“The U.S. is the only developed country where [sodas] outsell bottled water,” Jeffery said. “That would suggest that bottled water still has room to grow.”

Nestle Waters’ sales volume rose 6.5% in 2010, with growth in its lower-priced Pure Life brands, regional brands like Poland Spring and in premium brands. Jeffery said the company is putting more focus on expanding the distribution of the higher end brands like Perrier.

“We’re working very hard on them right now,” he said.

Nestle Waters is also branching out a bit from waters. This month, it bought the Sweet Leaf Tea Co., which makes the regional iced tea brands Sweet Leaf and Tradewinds. Combined, the brands had $53 million in 2010 sales.

Jeffery wouldn’t comment on possible future acquisitions but said the company is interest in building sales of iced tea, which, like bottled water, is deemed healthier than sodas.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nestle-raises-bottled-water-prices-nearly-10-2011-05-24

At a news conference in New York, Verizon  (VZ 35.32, -0.60, -1.67%)  said it will begin selling the iPhone on Feb. 10. The carrier’s existing customers will be able to preorder the device online from Feb. 3.

A launch at Verizon, which has 93 million customers, will greatly expand the iPhone’s potential audience in the U.S. market. Analysts believe Verizon can sell at least 5 million iPhones in the first quarter of this year. Tech market-research firm iSuppli said Tuesday that it expects Apple  (AAPL 341.63, -0.83, -0.24%)  to ship more than 12 million CDMA iPhones this year.

Shares of Apple were down slightly in midday trading Tuesday; the stock has rallied more than 40% over the past four months. Verizon shares slipped about 2%, and those of AT&T  (T 27.86, -0.48, -1.69%)  fell 1.5%.

“The announcement of a Verizon iPhone has been long anticipated,” wrote Toni Sacconaghi of Bernstein Research in a note Tuesday morning.

The iPhone 4 at Verizon will start at $199.99 for the 16GB version and $299.99 for the 32GB version.

Verizon executives declined to comment on the pricing of, or options for, different iPhone data plans.

It will run on Verizon’s CDMA network. The carrier is pushing its newest 4G LTE network this year, but no announcements were made Tuesday for an iPhone that can work on this network.

At the media event, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said designing the device for an LTE network would require design compromises the company didn’t want to make. He added that Apple decided to launch a phone for the 3G network because “Verizon customers told us they want the iPhone now.”

The CDMA network on Verizon did force some design tweaks on the device. The iPhone 4’s exterior antenna has been modified to run on the CDMA service, and Verizon users will be unable to use a data service like Web surfing while making a phone call, based on the limits of the technology.

However, the CDMA iPhone 4 will include a so-called personal hot-spot, capability to allow customers to connect as many as five WiFi-enabled devices to the Web though the iPhone.

Apple sold more than 31 million units of the iPhone in the first nine months of 2010, and analysts expect that the company moved at least 15 million units in the fourth quarter. The company will report results for the period next week.

AT&T has been the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the United States since the device was first introduced in 2007.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/verizon-to-begin-selling-iphone-4-in-february-2011-01-11

Here’s my list of 10 favorite dividend stocks divided into two categories: 1) Solid Dividend Performers – steady-as-she-goes equities likely to deliver moderate growth in 2011 and 2) Spec Dividend Picks – more volatile, but the higher risk will be somewhat offset by dividend yields.  They are ordered by yield, from big to biggest.

Solid Dividend Performers

1)  General Mills (GIS) – Dividend Yield: 3.0%, Forward P/E: 14.  Great household brands like Cheerios, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker.

2)  McDonald’s (MCD) – Dividend Yield: 3.3%, Forward P/E: 16.  Recent boosts in dividend rate bode well for future prospects, especially in their international markets.

3)  Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) – Dividend Yield: 3.4%, Forward P/E, 13.  Will benefit from spending in high-growth health care sector.

4)  Verizon (VZ) – Dividend Yield: 6.0%, Forward P/E: 14.  On everyone’s dividend stock list – including mine.

5)  CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) – Dividend Yield: 7.1%; Forward P/E: 12.  Largest rural telephone company in the U.S.

Spec Dividend Picks

1)  Freeport-McMoran (FCX) – Dividend Yield: 2.1%, Forward P/E: 11.  Just increased its dividend by 67%, plus will continue to benefit from rising copper prices.

2)  Progress Energy (PGN) – Dividend Yield: 5.5%, Forward P/E: 14.  A utility with potential.

3)  Kinder Morgan (KMP) – Dividend Yield: 6.3%, Forward P/E: 38.  One of the largest pipeline players has raised its dividend for 30 consecutive years, but has a high P/E.

4)  Mesabi Trust (MSB) – Dividend Yield: 8.65%, Forward P/E: 14.  Holds interests in iron ore properties in Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range.

5)  American Capital Agency Corp. (AGNC) – Dividend Yield: 20.1%, Forward P/E: 6.7.  As a REIT, must pay out 90% of profits, but higher yield comes with high risk due to interest rate exposure & risk of Fed raising rates, which would damage the payout.