Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Why You Should Close Your Savings Account
Friday, February 21, 2014
SEC's Mary Jo White's top priority: uniform fiduciary standard
Bloomberg News Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Jo White said Friday that she is pushing the commission to make a decision on whether to propose a regulation that would raise investment advice standards for brokers.
"We will intensify our consideration of the question of the role and duties of investment advisers and broker-dealers, with the goal of enhancing investor protection," Ms. White said at the SEC Speaks conference in Washington sponsored by the Practising Law Institute.
In a meeting with reporters after her remarks, Ms. White said that she wants the five SEC commissioners to come to a conclusion on whether to implement a uniform fiduciary standard for investment advice and to decide whether to harmonize regulations that govern investment advisers and brokers.
The Dodd-Frank financial reform law gave the SEC the authority to promulgate a regulation that would require that brokers who provide retail investment advice must always act in the best interests of a client — the standard that investment advisers already meet. Brokers are held to a suitability standard when they sell investment products.
The SEC is conducting a cost-benefit analysis of a potential uniform-fiduciary-duty rule but has not indicated whether it will advance a proposal.
"The threshold issue is whether to proceed and what to proceed with, if so," Ms. White told reporters after her speech. "It's a primary, immediate focus."
Ms. White declined to reveal her own position on a uniform fiduciary standard.
"I'm not going to comment on that here," Ms. White said. "I have said, and I firmly believe, that it's a very high priority to make that decision, and it's something I have given a high priority to within the agency."
Three of the five SEC commissioners would have to support a rule proposal for it to move forward for public comment.
In her speech, Ms. White said that the SEC also will increase its oversight of broker-dealers "with initiatives that will strengthen and enhance their capital and liquidity, as well as providing more robust protections and safeguards for customer assets."
This year, the SEC also will step up its monitoring of asset management companies for potential risks they pose to the financial markets.
"I asked the [Division of Investment Management] staff for an action plan to enhance our asset manager risk management oversight program," Ms. White said in her speech. "Among the initiatives under near-term consideration are expanded stress testing, more-robust data reporting, and increased oversight of the largest asset management firms. To be an effective 21st-century regulator, the SEC is using 21st- century tools to address the range of 21st-century risks.”
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Average 30-year mortgage rate up to 4.33%
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate for the 30-year loan increased to 4.33% from 4.28% last week. The average for the 15-year mortgage edged up to 3.35% from 3.33%.
Mortgage rates have risen about a full percentage point since hitting record lows roughly a year ago. The increase was driven by speculation that the Federal Reserve would reduce its $85 billion-a-month bond purchases. Deeming the economy to be gaining strength, the Fed proceeded last month with planned reductions of its bond purchases, which have helped keep long-term interest rates low.
STOCKS THURSDAY: How markets are doing
The housing market is expected to deliver another year of solid gains, helped by an improving economy. Most economists expect home sales and prices to keep rising this year, but at a slower pace. They forecast that both will likely rise by about 5%, down from double-digit gains in 2013.
Government data released Wednesday showed that U.S. home construction fell in January for a second straight month, but the weakness in both months reflected severe winter weather in many parts of the country.
In a similar vein, U.S. homebuilders' confidence in the housing market declined sharply this month as the rough weather battering much of the nation keeps many would-be buyers at home, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index issued Tuesday.
Top 10 Integrated Utility Companies To Buy For 2015
To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country between Monday and Wednesday each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1% of the loan amount.
The average fee for a 30-year mort! gage was unchanged at 0.7 point. The fee for a 15-year loan also remained at 0.7 point.
The average rate on a one-year adjustable-rate mortgage rose to 2.57% from 2.55%. The average fee declined to 0.3 point from 0.4 point.
The average rate on a five-year adjustable mortgage increased to 3.08% from 3.05%. The fee held at 0.5 point.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Garmin Navigates to Growth, Plans Dividend Hike
Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2013 results before markets opened Wednesday. For the quarter, the GPS equipment maker posted adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.76 on revenues of $759.7 million. In the same period a year ago, the company reported EPS of $0.68 on revenues of $768.5 million. The quarterly results also compare to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimates for EPS of $0.62 and $712.78 million in revenues.
For the full year, Garmin posted EPS of $2.62 on revenues of $2.63 billion, compared with EPS of $2.85 and revenues of $2.72 billion in 2012. The consensus estimates called for EPS of $2.47 on revenues of $2.59 billion.
The company posted double-digit revenue growth for the quarter in its fitness, aviation and marine segments, offsetting a 12% decline in its auto and mobile segment. The firm’s outdoor segment also posted revenue growth of 7%, posting quarterly revenue of $410 million, more than half the firm’s total.
For 2014, Garmin guides revenue in a range of $2.6 to $2.7 billion and EPS at $2.50 to $2.60. Overall gross margin is forecast at 54% to 55%, and operating margin is estimated at approximately 21%.
The company’s CEO said:
In the fourth quarter, we also achieved operating income growth in all five segments. This success serves as a solid starting point for 2014 and highlights the strength of our diversified product portfolio.
Garmin will recommend at its June annual meeting an increase in its yearly dividend from $1.80 to $1.92. If approved, the new dividend rate would be payable beginning in the second quarter of this year.
Garmin shares were up more than 5% early Wednesday, at $49.57 in a 52-week range of $32.52 to $52.72. Thomson Reuters had a consensus analyst price target of around $50.00 before this report.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now
Yamana�� earnings estimates are falling like the price of gold:
Of the ten analysts covering Yamana, six have cut their profit estimate over the past 60 days. The consensus outlook for 2013 earnings per share has declined from $0.85 to $0.68 or 20% over the same period. Furthermore, the most accurate forecaster of earnings for Yamana is more pessimistic than the consensus looking for 2013 earnings per share at $0.49, which is about 28% below the consensus view of $0.68. This raises the prospect for a downside earnings surprise. The weak trend in earnings estimates bodes poorly for Yamana which has already missed profit estimate four of the past five quarters. A firm dollar, higher treasury yields, strong equity returns, and talk of the Federal Reserve tapering its asset purchase program have created a bearish cocktail for the gold market and a headwind to the outlook for Yamana�� profits. Furthermore, India has historically been a large buyer of gold, but the weakness in the Indian rupee has hurt the purchasing power of the Indian consumer. The Indian government has implemented measures to restrict gold imports in order to reduce India�� current account deficit and the Central Bank of India has curbed the use of credit cards for the purchase of gold items, including jewelry. Investor distaste for gold may be seen in the liquidation of gold held by the SPDR Gold ETF (GLD). Gold holdings have declined by almost 389 tonnes or 28.7% since the end of 2012. At 962 tonnes, holdings are at their lowest level since February 2009.
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Plains All American Pipeline L.P.(PAA)
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., through its subsidiaries, engages in the transportation, storage, terminalling, and marketing of crude oil, refined products, and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) products in the United States and Canada. The company operates in three segments: Transportation, Facilities, and Supply and Logistics. The Transportation segment transports crude oil and refined products on pipelines, gathering systems, trucks, and barges. As of December 31, 2011, this segment owned and leased 16,000 miles of active crude oil and refined products pipelines and gathering systems; 23 million barrels of above-ground tank capacity used primarily to facilitate pipeline throughput; 67 trucks and 382 trailers; and 82 transport and storage barges, and 44 transport tugs. The Facilities segment provides storage, terminalling, and throughput services for crude oil, refined products, and LPG and natural gas, as well as offers LPG fractionation and isomerization, and natural gas processing services. The Supply and Logistics segment purchases crude oil at the wellhead, and pipeline and terminal facilities; waterborne cargoes at their load port and various other locations in transit; and LPG from producers, refiners, and other marketers. This segment also resells or exchanges crude oil and LPG; and transports oil and LPG on trucks, barges, railcars, pipelines, and ocean-going vessels to various delivery points. It has 622 trucks and 731 trailers, and 2,453 railcars. The company also owns and operates natural gas storage facilities. Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE: PAA ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: PPL Corporation(PPL)
PPL Corporation, an energy and utility holding company, generates and sells electricity; and delivers natural gas to approximately 5.3 million utility customers primarily in the northeastern and northwestern U.S. The company operates in four segments: Kentucky Regulated, International Regulated, Pennsylvania Regulated, and Supply. The Kentucky Regulated segment engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity; and the distribution and sale of natural gas to approximately 1.3 million customers in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The International Regulated segment owns and operates electricity distribution businesses in the United Kingdom that deliver electricity to 7.7 million customers. The Pennsylvania Regulated segment delivers electricity to approximately 1.4 million customers in eastern and central Pennsylvania. The Supply segment owns and operates power plants to generate electricity using coal, uranium, natural gas, oil, and water res ources; markets and trades electricity and other purchased power to wholesale and retail markets; and acquires and develops domestic generation projects. It controls or owns a portfolio of generation assets of approximately 11,000 megawatts in Montana and Pennsylvania. As of December 31, 2010, the company?s distribution system included 649 substations with a capacity of 25 million kVA, 28,838 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 24,131 cable miles of underground conductors in the United Kingdom. It also operated 377 substations with a capacity of 31 million kVA, 33,122 circuit miles of overhead lines, and 7,368 cable miles of underground conductors in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Justin Loiseau]
Oil continues to prove less and less useful for generation as prices head higher, and hydro represents a calculated decision to focus its energy portfolio elsewhere. PPL (NYSE: PPL ) announced this week that it has successfully completed a $209 million hydroelectric expansion project, increasing output 70% to 60 MW.
Top Asian Companies To Watch For 2015: Piper Jaffray Companies(PJC)
Piper Jaffray Companies provides investment banking, institutional brokerage, asset management, and related financial services to corporations, private equity groups, public entities, non-profit entities, and institutional investors in the United States, Asia, and Europe. The company raises capital through equity financings; provides advisory services, primarily relating to mergers and acquisitions for its corporate clients; underwrites debt issuances; and offers financial advisory and interest rate risk management services. Its public finance investment banking capabilities focus on state and local governments, as well as healthcare, higher education, housing, hospitality, transportation, and commercial real estate industries, as well as operates in business and financial services, clean technology and renewables, consumer, and industrial growth, as well as media, telecommunications, and technology industries. The company also offers equity and fixed income advisory and t rade execution services for institutional investors, and government and non-profit entities; and is involved in proprietary trading, as well as has equity sales and trading relationships with institutional investors. In addition, it provides asset management services to separately managed accounts, private funds or partnerships, and open-end and closed-end registered investment companies or funds; and offers an array of investment products comprising small and mid-cap value equity, and master limited partnerships focused on the energy industry, as well as fixed income. Further, the company engages in merchant banking activities, which comprises proprietary debt or equity investments in late stage private companies, and investments in private equity and venture capital funds, as well as other firm investments and forfeiture of stock-based compensation. Piper Jaffray Companies was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
Investment banker Piper Jaffray (NYSE: PJC ) expanded its municipal debt business Wednesday, when it purchased Seattle-Northwest Securities in a transaction valued at approximately $21 million.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Piper Jaffray Companies (NYSE: PJC) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.52 per share on revenue of $117.55 million.
W.W. Grainger (NYSE: GWW) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $3.03 per share on revenue of $2.42 billion.
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Transcananda Pipelines Ltd.(TRP)
Transcanada Corporation operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. The company operates in three segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, Oil Pipelines, and Energy. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment develops and operates energy infrastructure, including natural gas pipelines and regulated gas storage facilities. Its network of natural gas pipelines extends approximately 60,000 km tapping into gas supply basins in North America. The Oil Pipelines segment operates Keystone crude oil pipeline system, which includes completed 3,467 km Wood River/Patoka and Cushing Extension phases, and the proposed 2,673 km U.S. Gulf Coast Expansion. The Energy segment engages in the acquisition, development, construction, ownership, and operation of electrical power generation plants; the purchase and marketing of electricity; the provision of electricity account services to energy and industrial customers; and the development, construction, ownership, and operation of non-regulat ed natural gas storage in Alberta. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Chad Tracy]
The most obvious is TransCanada (NYSE: TRP), the company that has submitted the proposal for the expansion.
TransCanada's cash flow is derived from natural gas (62%), oil/liquids (16%), and energy (22%), which includes natural gas storage.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Start scratching names off the asset list of Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ ) . The company announced that it has closed the sale of Brockville 1, a 10 megawatt AC solar power plant. The buyer is TransCanada (NYSE: TRP ) , and the plant is one of nine that TransCanada will ultimately take over from its national peer. All told, the nine plants have a combined capacity of 86 megawatts.
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Everest Re Group Ltd.(RE)
Everest Re Group, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, underwrites reinsurance and insurance in the United States (the U.S.), Bermuda, and international markets. The company operates in five segments: U.S. Reinsurance, U.S. Insurance, Specialty Underwriting, International, and Bermuda. The U.S. Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance, on both a treaty and facultative basis, through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies within the United States. The U.S. Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance primarily through general agents, brokers, and surplus lines brokers in the U.S. The Specialty Underwriting segment writes accident and health, marine, aviation, and surety business within the U.S. and worldwide through brokers and directly with ceding companies. The International segment offers non-U.S. property and casualty reinsurance. The Bermuda segment provides reinsurance and insurance to worldwide property and cas ualty markets and reinsurance to life insurers through brokers and directly with ceding companies, as well as offers reinsurance to the United Kingdom and European markets. The company was founded in 1973 and is based in Liberty Corner, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Emerson]
Last August, I purchased Everest Re (RE) when it fell within the value parameters outlined in today's article. I wrote an article about the stock titled: Everest Re: Low Risk High Reward http://www.gurufocus.com/news/143388/everest-re-low-risk-high-reward
- [By Marc Bastow]
Reinsurance and insurance underwriters Everest Re Group (RE) raised its dividend 56% to 75 cents per share, payable on Dec. 18 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 4.
RE Dividend Yield: 1.92%
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Assisted Living Concepts Inc. New (ALC)
Assisted Living Concepts, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates senior living residences in the United States. It offers general services, such as meals, activities, laundry, and housekeeping; support services, including assistance with medication, monitoring health status, co-ordination of transportation, and co-ordination with physician offices; and personal care services, such as dressing, grooming, and bathing. The company also arranges access to additional services from third-party providers, including physical, occupational, and respiratory therapy; home health; hospice; and pharmacy services. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 211 senior living residences comprising 9,325 units in 20 states. Assisted Living Concepts, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Mechel Steel Group OAO (MTL)
Mechel OAO, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and steel businesses in the Russian Federation, other CIS countries, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Mining, Steel, Ferroalloys, and Power. The Mining segment engages in the production and sale of metallurgical and steam coal, coke, iron ore, and limestone, as well as chemical products, such as coal tar, naphthalene, and other compounds. The Steel segment produces and sells semi-finished steel products, carbon and special long products, and carbon and stainless flat products, as well as metal products, including wire products, forgings, and stampings. The Ferroalloys segment is involved in the production and sale of nickel ore, low-ferrous ferronickel, ferrochrome, and ferrosilicon. The Power segment engages in the generation and sale of electricity and heat energy from steam coal; and power distribution activities. The company, f ormerly known as Mechel Steel Group OAO, was founded in 2003 and is based in Moscow, the Russian Federation.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Fede Zaldua]
According Citigroup's analysts its about time to start accumulating Mechel's (MTL) shares. The reason for the sharp upgrade (from sell to buy) was Mechel's recent deal with some of its creditors to ease part of the company's huge debt burden. More specifically, the Russian metals and mining company managed to seal a deal with the state controlled VTB Group through which it managed to get covenant holidays and a debt restructuring. That said, I don�� think Mechel is out from the woods and I do not think its time to buy the company's shares, even when the are down by 67% year-to-date (ytd).
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Sensata Technologies Holding N.V.(ST)
Sensata Technologies Holding N.V., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells sensors and controls primarily in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, and Europe. It operates in two segments, Sensors and Controls. The Sensors segment offers pressure sensors, force sensors, temperature sensors, speed sensors, position sensors, motor protectors, and thermal and magnetic-hydraulic circuit breakers and switches. Its sensors are used in various applications, such as automotive air-conditioning, braking, transmission, air bag, heavy vehicle off-road, industrial, aerospace, defense, and data/telecom applications, as well as heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) applications. The Controls segment provides bimetal electromechanical controls, thermal and magnetic-hydraulic circuit breakers, power inverters, and interconnection products. This segment also offers application-specific products, including motor and compressor protectors, circuit breakers, semicondu ctor burn-in test sockets, electrical HVAC controls, power inverters, precision switches, and thermostats. Its products are used in heating and air-conditioning systems, refrigerators, aircraft, automobiles, and light industrial system applications in industrial, aerospace, military, commercial, and residential markets. The company offers its products primarily under the Sensata, Klixon, Airpax, and Dimensions brand names. It serves original equipment manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive, industrial, and commercial end-markets; and industrial and commercial manufacturers and suppliers in the climate control, appliance, semiconductor, datacomm, telecommunications, and aerospace industries, as well as motor and compressor suppliers. The company was founded in 1916 and is based in Almelo, the Netherlands. Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. is a subsidiary of Sensata Investment Company S.C.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Toshiro Hasegawa]
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) fell 1.1 percent to A$73.73. Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST) retreated 1.1 percent to S$3.78 today after posting earnings.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Sensata Technologies Holding (NYSE: ST ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: EMC Corporation(EMC)
EMC Corporation develops, delivers, and supports the information and virtual infrastructure technologies and solutions. The company offers enterprise storage systems and software, which are deployed in storage area networks (SAN), networked attached storage (NAS), unified storage combining NAS and SAN, object storage, and/or direct attached storage environments, as well as provides backup and recovery, and disaster recovery and archiving solutions. It also offers information security solutions in various areas, such as enterprise governance, risk and compliance, data loss prevention, security information management, continuous network monitoring, fraud protection, identity assurance and access control, and encryption and key management. In addition, the company provides information intelligence software, solutions, and services, including EMC Captiva for intelligent enterprise capture; EMC Document Sciences for customer communications management; EMC Kazeon for e-discovery ; EMC Documentum xCP for building business solutions and an action engine for big data; and the EMC Documentum platform for managing and delivering enterprise information. Further, it offers virtual and cloud infrastructure products, such as virtualization and virtualization-based cloud infrastructure solutions that address a range of IT problems, as well as facilitate access to cloud computing capacity, business continuity, software lifecycle management, and corporate end-user computing device management In addition, the company provides consulting, technology deployment, managed, customer support, and training and certification services. EMC Corporation markets its products through direct sales and through multiple distribution channels in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, and the Asia Pacific region. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Fusion-io (NYSE: FIO ) will release its quarterly report on Wednesday, and investors are nervous about the expected plunge in revenue that they expect to result in the data-storage specialist's year-ago profit turning into a loss. Yet even in the face of much larger competitors EMC (NYSE: EMC ) and Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC ) , many still hold out hope that Fusion-io earnings will eventually recover and help the share price gain back some of its long-term losses.
- [By Brian Pacampara]
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, data-storage specialist EMC (NYSE: EMC ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
- [By Keith Speights]
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ) looks to be one of those beneficiaries. Amazon Web Services could be worth $19 billion if it were a stand-alone business. Another technology winner from health care's move to the cloud is EMC (NYSE: EMC ) . With cloud service providers buying its data storage devices, plus its 80% stake in VMWare (NYSE: VMW ) , EMC looks to profit in two different ways.
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: UniSource Energy Corporation(UNS)
UniSource Energy Corporation engages in the electric generation and energy delivery businesses. The company?s TEP segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 403,000 retail electric customers, including residential, commercial, industrial, and public sector customers in southeastern Arizona. It also sells electricity to other utilities and power marketing entities. As of December 31, 2010, this segment owned or leased 2,245 MW of net generating capacity, as well as owned or participated in electric transmission and distribution system consisting of 512 circuit-miles of 500-kV lines; 1,087 circuit-miles of 345-kV lines; 379 circuit-miles of 138-kV lines; 478 circuit-miles of 46-kV lines; and 2,621 circuit-miles of lower voltage primary lines. TEP segment generates electricity from coal, gas, oil, and solar sources. The company?s UNS Gas segment distributes gas to approximately 146,500 retail customers in Mohave, Yavapai, Coconino, and Navajo c ounties in northern Arizona, as well as Santa Cruz County in southeastern Arizona. As of December 31, 2010, this segment?s transmission and distribution system consisted of approximately 30 miles of steel transmission mains, 4,211 miles of steel and plastic distribution piping, and 136,439 customer service lines. The company?s UNS Electric segment transmits and distributes electricity to approximately 91,000 retail customers consisting of residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Mohave and Santa Cruz counties. As of December 31, 2010, UNS Electric?s transmission and distribution system consisted of approximately 56 circuit-miles of 115-kV transmission lines, 271 circuit-miles of 69-kV transmission lines, and 3,599 circuit-miles of underground and overhead distribution lines. This segment also owns the 65 MW Valencia plant, as well as 39 substations having an installed capacity of 1,788,050 kilovolt amperes. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in Tucson, Arizona.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Dittman]
And with its December 2013 offer to buy Arizona-based UNS Energy Corp (NYSE: UNS) for $2.5 billion in cash St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador-based Fortis Inc (TSX: FTS, OTC: FRTSF), making its second foray in the US in two years, signaled its interest in regulated utility assets in states with favorable population and economic trends as a means of driving its growth going forward.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
Fortis Inc.(FTS.T) agreed to acquire UNS Energy Corp.(UNS) for about $2.5 billion, as the Canadian utility moves to boost exposure within the U.S. by acquiring a firm with a presence in the U.S. southwest. Shares of UNS jumped 30% to $59.02 premarket.
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Equities Trading UP
UNS Energy (NYSE: UNS) shot up 27.75 percent to $58.56 after the company agreed to be acquired by Fortis Utility Group for $60.25 per share in cash.
10 Best Canadian Stocks To Own Right Now: Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.(CMG)
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. develops and operates fast-casual, fresh Mexican food restaurants in the United States, Canada, and England. Its restaurants primarily offer burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 1,230 restaurants, which includes 1 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is based in Denver, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG ) turned in a stellar performance in Q4, recovering from a weak start to 2013. Total revenue increased more than 20% for the quarter and 17.7% for the full year. Meanwhile, comparable restaurant sales rose 9.3% last quarter and 5.6% for all of 2013.
- [By Hibah Yousuf]
Last year, many investors thought Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) would be the first stock in the S&P 500 to hit $1,000. Shares rose above $700 in September 2012 before pulling back. But now, Mastercard (MA, Fortune 500), The Washington Post Co (WPO). and Chipotle (CMG) are all closer to $1,000 than Apple is.
- [By Sean Williams]
The head honcho was fresh-Mex restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG ) , which added 3.5% after receiving an upgrade to "buy" from Argus Research with a $430 price target, implying upside of almost 16% from yesterday's close. The move by Argus comes with the forecast that Chipotle will be able to grow same-store sales by 2.5%. I, however, have a far different view on Chipotle. The company was only able to muster 1% same-store sales growth in the first-quarter while margins fell because of higher food input costs and its unwillingness to raise its menu prices for fear of driving customers to its peers. At 30 times forward earnings this appears to me to be a dangerous and frothy valuation.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now
With economic data taking a backseat to a slew of better-than-expected earnings reports, the broad-based S&P 500 continues to knock off one all-time record close after another. For skeptics like me, that's an opportunity to see whether companies have earned their current valuations.
Keep in mind that some companies�deserve�their current valuations. Take railroad operator Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP ) for example. Union Pacific grew profit by 11% in its most recent quarter as it was able to offset demand weakness in coal with higher prices. With many railroad operators predicting a pickup in shipments in the second half of the year, Union Pacific certainly looks to be in great shape moving forward.
Still, other companies might deserve a kick in the pants. Here's a look at three companies that could be worth selling.
Raise the yellow caution flag
In spite of trucking company YRC Worldwide's (NASDAQ: YRCW ) share price doubling last week following the company's first quarterly profit in six years (that's right...�six years), shares are still down a mind-boggling 99.9928% over the past decade. Somehow avoiding bankruptcy a few years back by diluting existing shareholders into oblivion, YRC has investors now thinking the company may be on the mend. However, its history makes me�believe otherwise.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Peoples Educational Holdings Inc.(PEDH)
Peoples Educational Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, Peoples Education, Inc., develops and sells print and digital education products. It offers state-customized print and digital test preparation and assessment materials that enable teachers prepare students for school and for required state proficiency tests for grades 1-12; and state-customized print worktexts, and print and Web-based assessments for grades 1-8. The company also distributes and publishes instructional materials for high school honors, college preparation, and Advanced Placement courses; distributes high school material; and publishes proprietary college preparation supplements and ancillary materials. In addition, it distributes supplemental literacy materials for K-8, including a range of leveled reading materials; high-interest, engaging resources for striving readers; series that integrates reading, science, and social studies; and selections and strategies for students, who are in the process of learning English. The company sells its products through independent sales representatives, telemarketing, direct mail, and catalogs. Peoples Educational Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is based in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Sourcefire Inc.(FIRE)
Sourcefire, Inc. provides intelligent Cybersecurity technologies to commercial enterprises and government agencies worldwide. The company?s network security products include Sourcefire appliances for detecting, blocking, and analyzing network traffic; Sourcefire IPS to examine network packets for threats; Sourcefire NGIPS to discover the characteristics and vulnerabilities of computing devices communicating on a network; Sourcefire NGIPS with Application Control to provide granular control of applications; Sourcefire NGFW that includes application control and firewall capabilities; and Sourcefire SSL Appliance, which decrypts SSL traffic for inspection by network security appliances. It also offers FireAMP, a malware protection solution that uses data analytics to discover, understand, and block malware outbreaks; and Sourcefire Defense Center that provides application programming interfaces to interoperate third-party systems, such as firewalls, routers, log management, security information event management, trouble ticketing, patch management systems, and other technologies. In addition, the company provides Sourcefire Virtual Appliance, an application to inspect communications between different virtual machines; Sourcefire Virtual Defense Center, which provides central management, event analysis, and reporting services; Snort, a traffic inspection engine used in intrusion prevention system; ClamAV, an open source anti-malware product; and Razorback, an open-source project that addresses threat detection and protection. Further, it provides customer support, professional, and education and certification services. The company serves financial institutions, defense contractors, health care providers, IT companies, telecommunication companies, and retailers, as well as national, state, and local government agencies. Sourcefire, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Sourcefire (Nasdaq: FIRE ) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 29. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Sourcefire's revenues will increase 22.6% and EPS will shrink -6.3%. - [By John Udovich]
On Tuesday, small cap security software stock Sourcefire, Inc (NASDAQ: FIRE) surged after Cisco Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced it would acquire the company in a deal worth $2.7 billion, pretty much leaving mid cap stocks Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE: PANW) and Fortinet Inc (NASDAQ: FTNT) left for investors or acquirers in the IT or cybersecurity space. Sourcefire itself is a top maker of next-generation intrusion prevention software, firewalls and malware protection for companies and government agencies. The deal puts Cisco even deeper into the key network security field with observers saying it could foreshadow other acquisitions in the space by other large cap IT players. Moreover, Christopher Young, senior vice president of Cisco's security group, was quoted in Investors Business Daily as saying:
10 Best Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: GoConnect Ltd (GCN.AX)
GoConnect Limited, a media communications company, primarily engages in the online delivery of interactive audio/video content through its proprietary technologies. Its activities include the development and growth of video infotainment and entertainment portals with own content productions and third party content; music production and artist management; sale of advertising space on its own online properties, third party Websites, and multiple Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) platforms; and provision of technical services on IPTV platforms and online music talent competitions. The company�s properties comprise PLW Entertainment that offers artist development and management; and Undercover.fm, a music news and information online portal. It also provides Uctv.fm, an on-demand IPTV channel that enables users to stream live entertainment on their TVs, PCs, or smart phones; Soundcheck.com.au, an online talent competition portal; and The Business Show, an investor relations solution designed to assist companies communicate with current and prospective investors. GoConnect Limited was founded in 1999 and is based in Melbourne, Australia.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Thor Explorations Ltd (THX)
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: National American University Holdings Inc.(NAUH)
National American University Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, Dlorah, Inc., engages in the ownership and operation of National American University that provides post-secondary education services primarily to working adults and other non-traditional students in the United States. It provides associate?s, bachelor?s, and master?s degrees programs in business-related disciplines, such as accounting, applied management, and business administration, as well as information technology; and healthcare-related disciplines, such as nursing and healthcare management. The company also offers diploma programs consisting of a series of courses focused on a particular area of study, for students who seek to enhance their skills and knowledge in the areas of healthcare coding, practical nursing, therapeutic massage, and veterinary assisting. National American University Holdings offers its courses through educational sites, as well as online. As of May 31, 2010, the company had enr olled approximately 3,565 students in online programs, 3,742 students on-campus, and 1,451 students in hybrid learning centers. In addition, it manages apartment units, as well as develops and sells multi family residential real estate in the Rapid City, South Dakota area. The company was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: PowerShares Dynamic Financial Sector Portfolio (PFI)
PowerShares Dynamic Financial Sector Portfolio (Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the Dynamic Financial Sector Intellidex Index (the Index). The Index consists of stocks of 60 United States financial services companies. These companies are principally engaged in the business of providing services and products, including banking, investment services, insurance and real estate finance services. Stocks are selected principally on the basis of their capital appreciation potential as identified by the AMEX (the Intellidex Provider) pursuant to an Intellidex methodology.
The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in common stocks of financial services companies. It will invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise the Index. The Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate the performance of the Index. The Fund generally will invest in all of the stocks comprising the Index in proportion to their weightings in the Index.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Lindsay Corp (LNN)
Lindsay Corporation incorporated on January 7, 1974, is a provider of range of water management and road infrastructure products and services. The Company operates in two segments: Irrigation and Infrastructure. The Company�� irrigation segment includes the manufacture and marketing of center pivot, lateral move, and hose reel irrigation systems, which are used principally in the agricultural industry. The irrigation segment also manufactures and markets repair and replacement parts for its irrigation systems and controls, and designs, manufactures and services water pumping stations and controls for the agriculture, golf, landscape and municipal markets. The Company�� infrastructure segment includes the manufacture and marketing of moveable barriers, specialty barriers, crash cushions and end terminals, road marking and road safety equipment, large diameter steel tubing, railroad signals and structures, and outsourced manufacturing services. The Company�� principal infrastructure manufacturing facilities are located in Rio Vista, California, Milan, Italy, and Omaha, Nebraska. In August 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Claude Laval Corp.
Irrigation Segment
The Company manufactures and markets its center pivot and lateral move irrigation systems in the United States and internationally under its Zimmatic brand. The Company also manufactures and markets separate lines of center pivot and lateral move irrigation equipment for use on smaller fields under its Greenfield and hose reel travelers under the Perrot and Greenfield brands in Europe and South Africa. The Company also produces or markets irrigation controls, chemical injection systems and remote monitoring and control systems, which it sells under its GrowSmart brand. In addition to whole systems, the Company manufactures and markets repair and replacement parts for its irrigation systems and controls. The Company also designs, manufactures and services water pumping stations and! controls for the agriculture, golf, landscape and municipal markets.
The Company�� irrigation systems are primarily of the standard sized center pivot type, with a small portion of its products consisting of the lateral move type. Both are automatic, continuous move systems consisting of sprinklers mounted on a water carrying pipeline, which is supported approximately 11 feet off the ground by a truss system suspended between moving towers. The Company also manufactures and distributes mini-pivots and hose reel travelers. The Company also markets pivot monitoring and control systems, which include remote telemetry and a Web or personal computer-hosted data acquisition and monitoring application. These systems allow growers to monitor their pivot system, accumulate data on the operation of the system, and control the pivot from a remote location by logging onto an Internet Website. The pivot monitoring and control systems are marketed under the GrowSmart brand and product name FieldNET.
In the United States, the Company sells its irrigation systems, including Zimmatic, to over 200 independent dealer locations, who resell to their customer, the farmer. Dealers assess their customer�� requirements, assemble and erect the system in the field, and provide additional system components, primarily relating to water supply (wells, pumps, pipes) and electrical supply (on-site generation or hook-up to power lines). Lindsay dealers generally are local agribusinesses, many of which also deal in related products, such as well drilling and water pump equipment, farm implements, grain handling and storage systems, and farm structures. The Company has production and sales operations in France, Brazil and China, as well as distribution and sales operations in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and sales operations in Central America and the Middle East serving the European, South American, Chinese, African, Australian, New Zealand, Central American and Middle Eastern markets, respect! ively.
Infrastructure Segment
The Company�� Quickchange Moveable Barrier (QMB) system consists of three parts: T-shaped concrete barriers that are connected to form a continuous wall; a Barrier Transfer Machine (BTM), capable of moving the barrier laterally across the pavement, and the variable length barriers necessary for accommodating curves. The BTM employs an inverted S-shaped conveyor mechanism that lifts the barrier, moving it laterally before setting it back on the roadway surface. The QMB system is useful in busy commuter corridors and at choke points, such as bridges and tunnels. QMB systems can also be deployed at roadway or roadside construction. The Company offers a range of equipment lease options for QMB systems and BTM equipment used in construction applications.
The Company offers a line of redirective and non-redirective crash cushions, which are at locations, such as toll booths, freeway off-ramps, medians and roadside barrier ends, bridge supports, utility poles and other fixed roadway hazards. The Company�� primary crash cushion products cover a range of lengths, widths, speed capacities and application accessories and include brand names, such as TAU, Universal TAU-II, TAU-B_NR, ABSORB 350 and Walt. In addition to these products the Company also offers guardrail end terminal products such as the X-Tension and TESI systems. The Company also offers specialty barrier products, such as the SAB, ArmorGuard, PaveGuard and DR46 portable barrier and/or barrier gate systems. The gates are generally used to create openings in barrier walls of various types for both construction and incident management purposes. The DR46 is an energy absorbing barrier to shield motorcyclists from impacting guardrail posts.
The Company offers preformed tape and a line of road safety accessory products. The preformed tape is used primarily in temporary applications, such as markings for work zones, street crossings, and road center lines or boundaries. The road s! afety equ! ipment consists of plastic and rubber products used for delineation, slowing traffic, and signaling. The Company also manages a testing laboratory, Safe Technologies, Inc., that performs testing of safety products. The Company�� Diversified Manufacturing and Tubing business unit (Diversified Manufacturing) manufactures and markets large diameter steel tubing and railroad signals and structures, and provides outsourced manufacturing and production services for other companies. The Company�� customer base includes certain industrial companies and railroads. The Company�� primary infrastructure market includes moveable concrete barriers, delineation systems, guardrails and similar protective equipment. The United States roadway infrastructure market includes projects, such as new roadway construction, bridges, tunnels, maintenance and resurfacing, and the purchase of rights-of-way for roadway expansion and development of technologies for relief of roadway congestion.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mike the PhD]
Historically the stock prices of Deere (DE) and other agricultural equipment firms and retailers like Case-New Holland (CNH), Titan Machinery (TITN), AGCO (AGCO), Tractor Supply (TSCO), Valmont (VAL), and Lindsay (LNN) have tended to closely track the price of corn. When corn prices go up, farmers tend to make more money, and they spend that money on new equipment from Deere and other firms. This relationship is especially strong for Deere and Corn, but it holds true for all of the stocks above to some extent. (Correlation coefficients between all of the stock prices above and corn are statistically significant to at least the 5% level, see my blog here for more details.)
- [By Always Bullish]
Lindsay Corporation (LNN) is a company that sells irrigation systems that are primarily used in the agricultural industry. The purpose of these irrigation systems is to maintain or increase crop production while saving resources such as water, energy, and labor. It also offers various infrastructure products such as barriers, railroad signals, and diameter steel tubing. The company, founded back in 1954, is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska and has 1,082 full time employees.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Rye Patch Gold Corp (RPM.V)
Rye Patch Gold Corp., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in Nevada, the United States. The company primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. It holds interests in the Wilco, Lincoln Hill/Gold Ridge, Jessup, Patty, Garden Gate Pass, and South Coal Canyon projects covering an area of approximately 175 square kilometers located in Nevada. Rye Patch Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.(NBIX)
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders in the United States. It develops drugs for endometriosis, stress-related disorders, pain, tardive dyskinesia, uterine fibroids, diabetes, insomnia, and other neurological and endocrine-related diseases and disorders. The company?s products in clinical development include Elagolix, a Phase II drug for endometriosis; Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 Inhibitor (VMAT2), a Phase II drug for movement disorders; CRF2 Peptide Agonist, a Phase II drug for cardiovascular diseases; CRF1 Antagonist, a Phase II drug for stress-related disorders; and Elagolix, a Phase II drug for uterine fibroids. Its research programs comprise G Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) for type II diabetes; VMAT2 for schizophrenia; GnRH Antagonists for men?s and women?s health, and oncology; Antiepileptic Drugs for epilepsy, essential tremor, and pain; and G Protein-Coupled Receptors for other conditions. The company has collaborations with GlaxoSmithKline to develop and commercialize CRF antagonists for psychiatric, neurological, and gastrointestinal diseases; Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd. to develop and commercialize Indiplon in Japan; Abbott International Luxembourg S.�r.l. to develop and commercialize elagolix and GnRH antagonists for women?s and men?s health indications; and Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule GPR119 agonists for the treatment of type II diabetes and other indications. Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Somaiya and team named Gilead and�Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) their top picks, hile putting Buy ratings on Celgene, Biogen Idec, Alexion (ALXN), Incyte (INCY), Pharmacyclics (PCYC) and Synageva (GEVA). BioMarin (BMRN), Infinity Pharmaceuticals (INFI) and Amgen (AMGN) earned Neutral ratings.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Cml Microsystems(CML.L)
CML Microsystems Plc, through its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets a range of semiconductor products, primarily for the communications and data storage markets worldwide. It provides flash controller integrated circuits (ICs) for solid state drive products and removable memory cards; and RISC/DSP processor ICs for industrial networking, automation, security, and biometrics and building automation markets. The company also offers ICs that cover voice, data, signaling, and radio frequency for military communications, professional radio, marine radio, leisure radio, paging, and voice security applications. In addition, it provides voice, data, and signaling ICs for wired telephony and gateway applications. The company offers its products for industrial, professional, and consumer applications within wireless and wireline communications, storage, and networking market areas in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Americas, and the Far East. CML Microsystems Plc was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Maldon, the United Kingdom.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Primoris Services Corporation(PRIM)
Primoris Services Corporation, a specialty contractor and infrastructure company, provides a range of construction, fabrication, maintenance, replacement, water and wastewater, and product engineering services in the United States and internationally. It offers construction services, including installation of underground pipeline, cable, and conduits for entities in the petroleum, petrochemical, and water industries; installation and maintenance of industrial facilities for petroleum, petrochemical, and water industries; installation of commercial and industrial cast-in-place structures; and construction of highways, as well as industrial and environmental constructions. The company also engages in designing, supplying, and installing high-performance furnaces, heaters, burner management systems, and related combustion and process technologies for clients in the oil refining, petrochemical, and power generation industries, as well as furnishes turnkey project management se rvices and delivers custom engineering solutions. It serves public utilities, petrochemical companies, energy companies, municipalities, state departments of transportation, and other customers. Primoris Services Corporation is based in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon] ris is a contractor and infrastructure company founded in 1946. It provides services related to construction fabrication, maintenance, replacement, water and wastewater and engineering to clients that are typically major public utilities, petrochemical companies, energy companies, municipalities and others. It doubled its size in 2009 and 2010 when it purchased the James Construction Group and Rockford Corporation, respectively. Primoris��predecessor company, Rhapsody acquisition Corp., had its IPO in 2006, and Primoris merged with Rhapsody in 2008.
Joel Greenblatt bought 59,076 shares at an average price of $13.56 in the fourth quarter. After being relatively flat since its IPO, Primoris��stock price began to rise dramatically in 2011, and Greenblatt bought on a dip in the fourth quarter. In the last year it has appreciated 87 percent.
Primoris��free cash flow and revenue in 2010 bounced back from a down year in 2009 and EBITDA grew each year in the same span of time. Return on equity and return on assets have both declined over the three years, but in the third quarter of 2011 came back strongly. ROE increased to 29.3 percent from 16.1 at year-end 2010, and ROA has increased to 11.4 percent from 4.8 percent at year-end 2010.
The third quarter was good in other ways. The company reached its highest revenue and net income in its 60-year history. However, fluctuations in revenue and earnings may occur over the next several quarters as it completes several major projects. On November 30, it announced $181 million in new contracts.
Primoris��P/E, P/S and P/B ratios:
PRIM pe,ps,pb Interactive Chart
Caribou Coffee (CBOU)
Caribou Coffee is a gourmet coffee company that owns the second-largest number of coffeehouses in the U.S. After rising significantly in the second quarter of 2011, its stock price dropped in the fourth quarter, when Joel Greenblatt purchased it. He bought 52,794 shares at an average price of $13.27.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Eldorado Gold Corp(EGO)
Eldorado Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the discovery, exploration, development, production, and reclamation of gold properties in Brazil, the People?s Republic of China, Greece, and Turkey. It operates the Kisladag gold mine in Turkey; the Jinfeng, Tanjianshan, and White Mountain gold mines in the People?s Republic of China; and the Vila Nova iron ore mine in Brazil. The company?s development projects include the Efemcukuru gold mine in Turkey, the Eastern Dragon gold mine in the People?s Republic of China, the Perama Hill gold project in Greece, and the Tocantinzinho gold project in Brazil. As of December 31, 2010, Eldorado Gold Corporation had 18.7 million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves. The company was formerly known as Eldorado Corporation Ltd. and changed its name to Eldorado Gold Corporation in April 1996. Eldorado Gold Corporation was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jack Adamo, Editor, Jack Adamo's Insiders Plus]
Quarterly results are a real crap-shoot. With that in mind, let's examine the good and bad points at Eldorado Gold Corp. Ltd. (EGO).
Eldorado has mines in Greece, Turkey, Brazil, China, and Romania. However, as of year-end 2012, 53% of production came from Turkey and 45% from China.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Capita Grp(CPI.L)
Capita PLC provides business process outsourcing and professional services in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company operates in five divisions: Life and Pensions Services; Integrated Services; Insurance and Investor Services; Professional Services; and ICT, Health, and Business Services. The Life and Pensions Services division provides life and pensions outsourced administration services comprising open and closed books of individual life and pensions policies and occupational pension schemes. The Integrated Services division offers central government contracts, property consultancy, contact centers, and portfolio of human resources (HR) services consisting of resourcing business, integrated HR solutions, HR and payroll administration, learning and development, and outplacement services. The Insurance and Investor Services division provides financial services to corporate and consumer markets, which include share registration, fund administration and insurance policy and claims administration, financial advisory and treasury services, insurance services for motor, and household and pet insurance products, as well as trust administration and fiduciary services across a range of tax jurisdictions. The Professional Services division offers children services; outsourced administration services; strategic advice and interim support services; and information and communications technology (ICT), and software solutions and support. The ICT, Health, and Business Services division provides health, business travel administration, hotel booking, meetings management, conferences, and consulting services. It also offers radio network services, communication systems to the emergency services and to central and local governments, and customer services management to clients related to customer contact administration and fulfillment activities. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord(TM)
Toyota Motor Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, assembly, and sale of passenger cars, minivans, and commercial vehicles. It offers conventional engine vehicles, including subcompact and compact cars under the Corolla, Yaris, micropremium iQ, Passo, Ractis, Vitz, and Etios brand names; mini-vehicles, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and auto parts under Toyota brand name; mid-size cars under the Camry, REIZ, Avensis, and Mark X brand names; luxury cars under the Lexus and Crown brands; Century limousine; sports cars under the Scion tC and Lexus brands; sport-utility vehicles under the Sequoia, 4Runner, RAV4, Highlander, FJ Cruiser, and Land Cruiser brands; pickup trucks under the Tacoma and Tundra brands; minivans under the Alphard, Vellfire, Corolla Verso, Wish, Hiace, Regius Ace, Estima, Noah, Voxy, Sienta, Isis, Passo Sette, and the Sienna brands; cabwagons; large, medium, and small trucks; and large, small, and micro-buses. The company also provides hybrid cars under Prius and Crown brands. In addition, it offers a range of financial services comprising retail financing, retail leasing, wholesale financing, and insurance; and credit cards and housing loans. Further, the company designs and manufactures prefabricated housing, as well as involves in the information technology related businesses, such as an e-commerce marketplace known as GAZOO.com; and sales promotions for KDDI communication related products, primarily the au brand. It sells its vehicles in approximately 170 countries and regions, including Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Toyota City, Japan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Rosevear]
If you have a short commute, you might only buy gas a few times a year. But for longer drives, you'll need to fill up more often -- just as you would with the plug-in versions of Toyota's (NYSE: TM ) Prius or Ford's (NYSE: F ) Fusion hybrids.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of General Motors have gained 1.5% to $35.72 today at 12:33 p.m., while Ford Motor (F) has risen 0.7% to %15.18, Toyota Motor (TM) has dropped 0.5% to $115.63 and Honda Motor (HMC) has fallen 0.4% to $36.88.
Top 5 Trucking Companies To Own In Right Now: Forent Energy Inc (FEN.V)
Forent Energy Ltd. engages in the exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas reserves in Nova Scotia and western Canada. It owns a 100% working interest in the 29 contiguous sections of the Montgomery exploration lands located to the west of Claresholm in southern Alberta; the Alton Block located in Nova Scotia; and the Mervin property located near Lloydminster, Saskatchewan in Canada. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Where's the debt ceiling now?
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Lawmakers are poised to again suspend the debt ceiling -- at a level that's now about $512 billion higher than it was last fall. On Tuesday, the Treasury Department reported that the nation's borrowing limit automatically reset to roughly $17.2 trillion, after the last suspension expired on Friday.
Here's why: Suspensions have become lawmakers' favorite way of "raising" the debt ceiling. They let Treasury borrow as needed to pay the bills and avert default. And when the suspension ends, the debt limit resets to the old cap plus whatever Treasury borrowed during the suspension period.
In other words, a suspension doesn't technically raise the debt ceiling, but that's the net effect.
The beauty for Congress is that lawmakers don't have to go on record as voting for a formal increase by a specific dollar amount.
The reset to $17,211,558,177,668.77 marks the fifth effective increase in the debt ceiling since August 1, 2011, when it was $14.3 trillion.
Treasury last week announced that it had begun to use special accounting maneuvers to make sure the country doesn't breach the limit, something it was forced to do because Congress has yet to raise or extend the borrowing limit as needed.
But House Republicans on Tuesday said they would drop their demands for concessions tied to a debt limit extension. So House Speaker John Boehner brought a "clean" debt ceiling bill to the floor for a vote, and it passed Tuesday evening with just 28 Republicans backing the measure.
It is now set to move to the Senate, where it is expected to pass as well. But if there are any delays there, chances are lawmakers won't take up the bill until the week of February 24, after they return from their President's Day recess.
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has warned that he doesn't think the extraordinary measures at his disposal will last longer than February 27.
Budget experts say the debt ceiling is a flawed concept since the decision to raise it is almost always divorced from the decision to pass spending and tax policies that obligate Treasury to borrow more in the future. 
Monday, February 10, 2014
Top 10 Value Stocks To Invest In 2015
BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- So much for the stock market free-for-all that was supposed to come with the Fed's plan's not to taper. Yesterday, stocks closed down for a fifth straight day, quite a streak in 2013.
To be fair, the market hasn't exactly been moving straight down. But since Bernanke and company announced that they'd continue their buying programs, the S&P 500 has actually lost 1.9% of its value.
Heh, if the market had priced in the taper -- as so many argued it had -- then you could make a case that stocks are actually pretty cheap right now.
All of this week's drama from the financial wires and Capitol Hill and aside, we're still in a vey tradable market right now. That's especially true in a handful of the biggest names on Wall Street. That's why we're taking a closer technical look at five of them today.
If you're new to technical analysis, here's the executive summary.
Technicals are a study of the market itself. Since the market is ultimately the only mechanism that determines a stock's price, technical analysis is a valuable tool even in the roughest of trading conditions. Technical charts are used every day by proprietary trading floors, Wall Street's biggest financial firms, and individual investors to get an edge on the market. And research shows that skilled technical traders can bank gains as much as 90% of the time.
Top 10 Value Stocks To Invest In 2015: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)
Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Maxfield]
If you're anything like me, two things went through your head when you saw this. First, you regret that you missed out on the investment opportunity. Since the end of 2009, shares in all three of these companies, led by Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR ) , have simply trounced the broader market. Even the worst performer of the bunch, Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO ) , beat it by nearly a factor of two.
Top 10 Value Stocks To Invest In 2015: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)
Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
Tupperware Brands (NYSE: TUP ) is reaching into its corporate bowl for a fresh payout to shareholders. The company has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.62 per share. This will be paid on July 8 to stockholders of record as of June 19. That amount matches the firm's previous distribution, which was paid in early April. Prior to that, Tupperware Brands was rather less generous, handing out $0.36 per share.
- [By Johanna Bennett]
Corporate earnings took a back seat today to the Fed�� latest policy decision. Still, quarterly financial results, and other news sent shares of McCormick & Co. (MKC) and Tupperware (TUP), falling during regular market hours�Here�� a rundown of several of today�� moves:
Top 10 Stocks For 2015: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)
Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Blake Bos]
In the video below, Motley Fool industrials analyst Blake Bos takes a question posted on Facebook about Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) from a Motley Fool reader, who writes: "What's the two year outlook? I am so confused about where their revenue comes from. They make truck engines, locomotives, mining, agriculture, they have too many competitors for me to understand where they are strong, weak, improving or falling behind. What do I do with my CAT? Move the dollars to my mutual fund? It is all in a Roth IRA."
- [By Dan Caplinger]
For the Dow to make another run higher of nearly 7% to get to 16,000, it'll need support from the same stocks that led it higher today. Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) soared 3.5%, the top gainer in the Dow, as investors applauded the prospects of stronger economic activity in the company's key U.S. market. Yet, even with today's gains, Caterpillar remains more than 10% below its recent highs, reflecting anxiety about the company's other key market: China. Fellow industrial component Alcoa (NYSE: AA ) , which climbed almost 2% today, faces the same general issue, as sluggishness in the Chinese economy has contributed to weak aluminum prices industrywide that have held down profits.
- [By Matt Thalman]
Despite having recently been upgraded by Longbow Research from "neutral" to "buy," shares of�Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) are down 0.35% today. The main reason shares are falling today is the poor earnings report released by Cummins (NYSE: CMI ) this morning. The company reported that sales dropped 19% in the company's engine and turbine unit. Cummins also blamed the poor results on weak oil, gas, and mining demand -- areas in which Caterpillar also operates.�
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Finally, Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) continued its poor performance, falling another 1.5% and coming closer to flirting with a new multi-year low. A minor bounce in precious metals prices has helped to reverse a small part of gold's big decline from earlier this year, bringing some hope that mining activity might rise and increase demand for Caterpillar's mining equipment. Yet, even amid signs of relative strength in the U.S., the economies of the rest of the world don't look nearly as perky, and that should keep a lid over Caterpillar's prospects until the trend reverses itself.
Top 10 Value Stocks To Invest In 2015: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)
Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Matt DiLallo]
Investors may wonder if peers like�Halliburton� (NYSE: HAL ) �and�Schlumberger� (NYSE: SLB ) �were pressured this quarter as well. Both companies have waded through the sluggish North American market by relying on growth overseas. If that trend continues, it should continue to mute some of the weakness Nabors experienced.
- [By Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy]
About 1% of all drilling operations are powered by natural gas. By shifting all drilling operations over to natural gas, the industry could save as much as $1.6 billion a year. The idea has such appeal that both Haliburton (NYSE: HAL ) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB ) have said that they would be willing to test sites with Apache for free. In this video, Fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe talks about how the industry could convert to natural-gas-powered operations, and highlights companies to look out for that could benefit from this movement.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Is a mini correction over already for stocks?
On Monday, the Dow Jones industrial average looked like it was in big trouble, seemingly on the verge of its first major breakdown since the summer of 2011, when it fell hard after the USA was stripped of its triple-A credit rating. It kicked off this week with a 326-point downdraft, its biggest drop in seven months. It was staring at a year-to-date loss of 7.3%. It appeared to be crumbling under the weight of turbulence in emerging markets, signs of a manufacturing slowdown at home, and a growing feeling that the bullish vibe that's been in place since 2009 and which turned giddy in 2013 was fading fast.
By Friday, after back-to-back days of triple-digit point gains totaling 354 points, the Dow had regained some of its swagger. It erased all of Monday's losses and slashed its 2014 loss to 4.7%. It also shrugged off a second straight month of weaker-than-expected job gains.
The rebound was so swift and so surprising that it had Wall Street suddenly asking if the lousy start to 2014 was finally winding down?
The jury is still out on whether the worst is over for stocks.
Where the bulls and bears collide is on the question of whether the U.S. economy will continue to heal and provide enough of a tailwind for a stock market that is no longer undervalued after posting its best year in 2013 since the late 1990s.
Hot Performing Stocks To Watch Right Now
"The correction is correcting itself, thanks to investor confidence in the strength of the U.S. economy," says Joe Quinlan, chief market strategist at U.S. Trust. "The big move down in the U.S. is behind us."
Even though the U.S. economy only generated 113,000 jobs in January, well below the 180,000 or so expected, Wall Street bulls are still betting that once the wintry weather exits, the U.S. economy will fare just fine.
With much of the emerging market angst already priced ! into stock prices and U.S. corporate earnings holding up fine, bulls point to the continued health of the services component of the economy, and the fact that the unemployment rate, now 6.6%, and the number of folks filing for unemployment benefits for the first-time continue to fall.
No so fast, says hedge fund manager Todd Schoenberger, managing partner at LandColt Capital.
Recent signs of a manufacturing slowdown and job market weakness are indications of trouble, he says, adding that investors are betting on the Federal Reserve bailing out markets yet again.
"Is the correction over? Absolutely not! (This) is a sucker's rally," says Schoenberger. "Markets are rallying on false hope that the economy and future earnings reports will be strong enough to sustain a 2014 bull market. The key takeaway here: Buyer beware!"
If anything, the market already appears to be in a bottoming process, adds Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management. Stocks have been refreshed by the sell-off, as price-to-earnings ratios have come down by a full point, bond yields are lower and investor optimism has cooled, he says.
"I think the basic force ending the sell-off is evidence that economic momentum in the U.S. economy remains OK," says Paulsen.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Mega Millions Lottery Jumps to $550 Million: What to Do If You Win
The Mega Millions lottery drawing for the whopping $425 million produced no winners for the huge jackpot on Friday night. Friday the 13th did not get to shed its superstitious image of bad luck. The winning numbers of 19 – 24 – 26 – 27 – 70 – 12 were simply not matched. Now the new jackpot will rise up to a massive $550 million.
The last two jumps were up from $400 million and $344 million prior to that. Amazingly, this new $550 million lotto is still just the second largest jackpot ever for the Mega Millions lotto. If a winner for the full amount hits, then they will have the opportunity to take a lump sum cash payment of $295 million, or they can take 30 annual payments of roughly $18.3 million.
24/7 Wall St. wants to remind our readers that winning a vast fortune of this magnitude also brings the need for great responsibility. We have created a simple plan of what instant winners should (and should not do) in twelve steps if they happen to be lucky enough to win a vast fortune such as this.
There are some serious pitfalls for many lotto winners. In fact, it seems ironic to think that problems can arise after winning hundreds of millions of dollars. Can you imagine ending up bankrupt in a few short years? Believe it or not, many lotto winners have lost most of their money or even gone bankrupt just a few years after winning.
The record for the Mega Millions is up at $656 million. That jackpot on March 30, 2012, was split by three winning tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.
We cannot emphasize enough how important it is for lotto winners to take action and be mindful of pitfalls. Our own 12-step program for lotto winners is intended to be the first-step guide on how to protect your newly won empire. This pertains also to people who unexpectedly inherit large sums of money, win lawsuits with huge judgments, or who come into fortunes in short periods of time. We have evaluated what to do for tax purposes and financial and personal security, as well as what not go splurge on, and many other things.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
J.P. Penney at Multi-Decade Lows: Buying Opportunity or Decaying Company?
J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP ) fell below $5 per share on Tuesday after the company's latest financial update disappointed investors. The stock hasn't been at these levels since 1982, so contrarian investors may feel tempted to consider a long position in the company at discounted prices. However, things could easily continue getting worse before they become any better for J.C. Penney.
Too little, too late
The company announced a 3.1% increase in comparable sales during the nine weeks covering the key months of November and December. Comparable sales during the complete quarter grew by 2% versus the prior year, and this was the first time since the second quarter of 2011 that J.C. Penney reported rising comparable sales.
Management highlighted the fact that the company is delivering improvements even in spite of the challenges affecting the industry over the past few months:
While 2013 brought a lot of change and challenges to J.C. Penney, the steady improvements in our business show that the company's turnaround is on track. In spite of the significant headwinds facing all retailers this season, including unprecedented harsh weather conditions in many parts of the country, we delivered on our promise to generate positive comparable store sales growth in the fourth quarter.
The company also announced that it now has more than $2 billion in excess liquidity, which is a positive sign when it comes to financial sustainability in the middle term.
On the other hand, Wall Street analysts think the company´s sales improvement is too small and comes too late: J.C. Penney received negative comments from Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, and Sterne Agee on Tuesday, and the stock fell by almost 17% after the announcement.
The company has been facing stagnant sales and negative margins over the past few years. Management has implemented aggressive promotions to reinvigorate revenues lately, so profit margins most likely remained under heavy pressure during the holiday period. The company doesn't have much to show in terms of sales improvement, either, so things aren't looking good for J.C. Penney.
A dreaded competitive environment
Department stores are facing enormous challenges. Consumers are keeping their wallets closed, online retailers are rapidly gaining market share against bricks-and-mortar stores, and big discounts are becoming a necessity for those that want to protect their share of the pie under such conditions.
Sears Holdings' (NASDAQ: SHLD ) Sears stores have faced declining sales and falling profit margins in recent years, so the company´s problems can't be entirely blamed on industry conditions. However, Sears reported dismal sales performance during the holiday quarter, with comparable-store sales declining by a worrisome 7.4% versus the prior year.
Sears has turned to cost-cutting and inventory reductions to protect cash flows, but this seems to be hurting the shopping experience even more and aggravating problems on the sales front.
Kohl's (NYSE: KSS ) hasn't provided specific information regarding performance during the holiday period. However, the company reported a 1.6% decline in comparable-store sales for the quarter ended on Nov. 2. Management is expecting comparable sales for the current quarter to be between flat and a 2% decline, so Kohl's isn't offering many reasons for optimism regarding the possibility of improving conditions for department stores.
Macy's (NYSE: M ) is a different story, though: The company announced a better-than-expected performance during the holiday period, with comparable sales rising by 4.3% during November and December combined.
Management still made references to the questionable "macroeconomic environment with challenging weather in multiple states" affecting the sector, but the company seems to be sailing through the storm in a remarkably good shape. Macy's is most likely the exception that proves the rule, since most companies in the retail sector seem to be facing some truly heavy economic headwinds.
Turnarounds are always tough, and when the economic context isn't helping, they can become a challenge of enormous proportions. In that light, an investment in J.C. Penney is a materially risky proposition, considering the company's situation and competitive landscape.
Bottom line
A falling stock price doesn't necessarily mean an undervalued company, as the price needs to be compared against the company's fundamentals and business prospects to make sound investment decisions. J.C. Penney isn't showing signs of a sustainable turnaround at this stage, so an investment in the company seems to me like too much risk and uncertainty.
The future of retail
To learn about two retailers with especially good prospects, take a look at The Motley Fool's special free report: "The Death of Wal-Mart: The Real Cash Kings Changing the Face of Retail." In it, you'll see how these two cash kings are able to consistently outperform and how they're planning to ride the waves of retail's changing tide. You can access it by clicking here.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Hot Undervalued Companies To Own For 2015
"[T]he act of trading is 20% intellectual and 80% psychological," wrote seasoned trader�Michael Martin in The Inner Voice of Trading. Most veteran investors, whether they are day traders or long-term investors, would probably agree. Not surprisingly, Daniel Kahneman, widely credited as the father of behavioral economics, has specifically addressed psychology's impact on investment decisions on many occasions. Notably, there are valuable lessons for investors in his book,�Thinking, Fast and Slow. Here is some of his best investment advice.
Don't listen to your gut
Recounting a tale of a "chief investment officer of a large financial firm," Kahneman highlights the blinded intuition that often guides even professional investors. The chief investment officer, or CIO, insisted that a particular stock was worthy of an investment in the tens of millions of dollars, simply because he had a gut feeling -- after attending an automobile show -- that the company would succeed.
In other words, the CIO made the investment simply because he liked the cars the company was producing, Kahneman explains. In doing so, he avoided answering the question every investor should ask: Is this stock undervalued?
Hot Undervalued Companies To Own For 2015: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)
Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Arie Goren]
After running this screen on May 21, 2013, before the markets' open, I discovered the following eight stocks: Sunoco Logistics Partners LP (SXL), Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG), Copa Holdings SA (CPA), RPC Inc. (RES), Tupperware Brands Corp. (TUP), Herbalife Ltd. (HLF), John Wiley & Sons Inc. (JW.A) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW).
- [By John Udovich]
Everyone is familiar with�the Tupperware brand from�consumer products stock Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) and you are probably familiar with the brands�of mid cap stock Jarden Corp (NYSE: JAH) along with small cap stocks Libbey Inc (NYSEMKT: LBY) and Lifetime Brands Inc (NASDAQ: LCUT); but what about the stocks themselves? Chances are, their brands or products are right under your nose at home and you probably don�� know anything about the mid cap or small cap stock behind them.
- [By Johanna Bennett]
Corporate earnings took a back seat today to the Fed�� latest policy decision. Still, quarterly financial results, and other news sent shares of McCormick & Co. (MKC) and Tupperware (TUP), falling during regular market hours�Here�� a rundown of several of today�� moves:
Hot Undervalued Companies To Own For 2015: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)
Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Terri Stridsberg]
Dollar Tree (DLTR), has had a banner 2013, gaining 45.3% year-to-date, and tagging a new record high of $59.68. Nevertheless, short interest skyrocketed by close to 398% over the most recent reporting period, and now accounts for a healthy 6.7% of the equity's available float.
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
As a convenience store, it doesn’t have direct competition from�Dollar Tree (DLTR) or Family Dollar (FDO) because these dollar stores aren�� exclusively focused on food (and they have no gasoline or cigarette sales), and they��e targeted at the folks who are trying to save money over convenience, not vice versa. The convenience angle is another reason why�Walmart (WMT) and Costco (COST)�aren’t competitors, since those behemoths are about a total shopping experience.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Big Earnings Movers: Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) is down 3.5% at $64.19. Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) is down 2.9% at $59.93 on a wider loss and tepid outlook. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) is up 14.1% at $70.57 indicating that investors liked the results posted after markets closed on Wednesday. Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) is down 4.5% at $56.28. Abercrombie & Fitch Inc. (NYSE: ANF) is down 0.1% at $34.97.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Dollar General�� share price is up less than 6% in the past 12 months, but since the beginning of the year shares have risen more than 22%. And even then, Dollar General�trails Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) in share price growth since January 1. Dollar Tree stock is up 30%.
Hot Oil Stocks To Own For 2015: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)
Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tyler Crowe]
When it comes to Canadian oil sands, there has been one direction that many a company has followed: toward the exit. Tough economics, as well as a lack of sufficient takeaway capacity, has made oil sands production difficult for oil companies. But where so many other companies see peril, ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM ) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB ) see opportunity. Exxon has held the course on its major Kearl oil sands project and expects it to be up and running in 2015. Also, Schlumberger has just acquired a Canadian company that provides geochemical and fluid analysis to oil sands producers.
Hot Undervalued Companies To Own For 2015: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)
Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
Another Dow stock sinking is Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) , also down 1.9% after it was put on notice by short-seller James S. Chanos, who said he was shorting the stock because Caterpillar faces a lot of headwinds relating to the commodities market, where miners generate demand. If commodities demand drops in China, it will hit Caterpillar's sales and profit. The stock still pays a considerable 2.8% dividend yield and trades at just 12 times trailing earnings, but demand can swing wildly, and eventually China will have to stop its stimulus-fueled growth, which could have a big impact on demand. A short-seller's call isn't reason to dump the stock, but it may be a reminder to look at the macro picture and re-evaluate Caterpillar's prospects. �
- [By Brian Stoffel]
4. Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) , P/E of 11.7
Caterpillar's low price tag has everything to do with slow global demand. The company recently cut its full-year forecast, as the world's mining industry doesn't seem to need so many Caterpillar machines as investors hoped for. - [By Dan Caplinger]
On one hand, the obvious negative news for the Dow came from Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) , which announced lower profit, reduced capital expenditures, and guidance for future earnings that came in at the lower end of its previous range. In particular, mining-equipment sales were a sore spot for the company, as falling prices for commodities have left miners in a much more precarious financial position that won't support as many large equipment purchases. Yet with all the news from China and elsewhere in recent months pointing toward a slowdown in industrial activity, Caterpillar's news wasn't surprising, even though the stock dropped nearly 1% after initially posting gains near the open.