According to a recent Deloitte survey focused on U.S. consumers and their pantries, name brand loyalty has declined for the third consecutive year. An astounding nine out of 10 consumers are still trading down to private-label brands, despite improvements in the economy. This survey suggests that consumers have not only grown more mindful of their spending habits, but also learned along the way that in-store alternative brands are often comparable. Motley Fool contributor Steve Heller believes that the trend of continued frugality is likely to persist, putting Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFM ) and Costco (NASDAQ: COST ) in great position to benefit to boost their margins. Check out the video below to hear his thoughts on the issue.
Costco's low prices haven't just benefited customers -- shareholders have walloped the market, returning 11,000% over the past two decades. However, with prices near all-time highs, is the ride over for Costco investors? To answer that and more, The Motley Fool's compiled a premium research report with in-depth analysis on Costco.�Simply click here now to gain instant access to this valuable investor's resource.
Top 5 Media Companies To Buy For 2015: Hi Crush Partners LP (HCLP)
Hi Crush Partners LP, formerly Hi-Crush Partners LP, is a domestic producer of monocrystalline sand, a specialized mineral that is used as a proppant to enhance the recovery rates of hydrocarbons from oil and natural gas wells. The Company reserves consist of Northern White sand, a resource existing in Wisconsin and limited portions of the upper Midwest region of the United States. It owns, operates and develops sand reserves and related excavation and processing facilities and will seek to acquire or develop additional facilities. The Company's 561-acre facility with integrated rail infrastructure, located near Wyeville, Wisconsin, enables it to process and deliver approximately 1,600,000 tons of frac sand per year. In June 2013, Hi Crush Partners LP announced the completion of its acquisition of D&I Silica, LLC (D&I).
The Company�� frac sand production is sold to investment grade-rated pressure pumping service providers under long-term, contracts that require its customers to pay a specified price for a specified volume of frac sand each month. The Company owns and operates the Wyeville facility, which is located in Monroe County, Wisconsin and, as of December 31, 2011, contained 48.4 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves of mesh sizes it has contracted to sell. From the Wyeville in-service date to March 31, 2012, it had processed and sold 555,250 tons of frac sand.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
MLPs that specialize in sand for hydraulic fracturing, like�Hi-Crush Partners�(NYSE: HCLP) and�Emerge Energy Services�(NYSE: EMES), �have shown outstanding performance since their IPOs, but if there is any slowdown in business each could be in for a sharp correction.
- [By Dan Burrows]
It sounds like a soft-drink company, but Hi-Crush Partners (HCLP) is racking up profits through the revolution in oil extraction.
This tiny company with a market cap of just $917 million makes the sand used in fracking — and as anyone in an oil-boom state like North Dakota can tell you, business is good.
Top 10 Low Price Stocks For 2014: USell.com Inc (USEL)
usell.com, Inc. (uSel), formerly known as Upstream Worldwide, Inc., incorporated on November 18, 2003, is a technology-based company. The Company focuses on creating an online marketplace where individuals interested in selling small consumer electronics.
The Company through its wholly owned subsidiaries helps individuals monetize household items. Household items, such as small consumer electronics that they no longer using.
The Company competes with eBay.com, craigslist.com and BestBuy, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By EquityOptionsGuru]
Over the past decade, online marketplaces have been springing up at a rapid fire pace.� Consumers continue to seek new outlets to both buy and sell products at reasonable prices with high efficiency.� This need can be seen in the re-commerce industry, which represents an annual market of $57 billion.� Although eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) has been the dominant player for the better part of a decade, it is facing increasing pressure from other marketplaces for cost and convenience reasons.� One such marketplace, uSell.com (OTC PINK: USEL), appears poised to rival eBay for years to come.
Top 10 Low Price Stocks For 2014: Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (JFR)
Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund invests primarily in senior loans whose interest rates float or adjust periodically based on a benchmark interest rate index. Under normal market circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its managed assets in adjustable rate secured senior loans and adjustable rate unsecured senior loans, which unsecured senior loans will be, at the time of investment, investment grade quality. In addition, at least 65% of the Funds assets will be invested in senior loans that are secured by claims on specific collateral. Nuveen Asset Management is the advisor of the Fund. The sectors covered by the portfolio include media, hotels, restaurants and leisure, healthcare providers and service, chemicals, United States of America, containers/packaging and other.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Dowdee]
The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:
BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut
Top 10 Low Price Stocks For 2014: HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. (HCC)
HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. underwrites non-correlated specialty insurance products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: U.S. Property & Casualty, Professional Liability, Accident & Health, U.S. Surety & Credit, and International. The U.S. Property & Casualty segment provides aviation, small account errors and omissions liability (E&O), public risk, contingency, disability, residual value, employment practices liability (EPLI), technical property, primary and excess casualty, and brown water marine insurance products, as well as title and mortgage reinsurance products in the United States. The Professional Liability segment offers directors� and officers� (D&O) liability, large account E&O liability, fiduciary liability, fidelity and bankers blanket bonds, and EPLI for the United States and International-based policyholders. The Accident & Health segment provides medical stop-loss, short-term domestic and international medical, HMO reinsurance, and medical excess coverages in the United States. The U.S. Surety & Credit segment offers contract surety bonds, commercial surety bonds, and bail bonds; credit insurance policies for export trade transactions and structured trade transactions; and political risk and letters of credit insurance products. The International segment provides energy, property treaty, liability, surety, credit, direct and facultative property, ocean marine, accident and health, and other smaller product lines for international customers. The company markets its products directly to consumers, as well as through a network of independent agents and brokers, producers, and managing general agents. HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. (HCC) underwrites non-correlated specialty insurance products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: U.S. Property and Casualty, Professional Liability, Accident and Health, U.S. Aug. 21, the company increased its quarterly dividend 36% to $0.225 per share. The dividend is payable October 1, 2013 and will be paid on or about Oct. 15, 2013. The yield based on the new payout is 2.1%.
Top 10 Low Price Stocks For 2014: Service Corporation International (SVC)
Service International Corp., formerly Service Corporation International, incorporated in July 1962, is a provider of deathcare products and services, with a network of funeral service locations and cemeteries primarily operating in the United States and Canada. Its operations consist of funeral service locations, cemeteries, funeral service/cemetery combination locations, crematoria, and related businesses. The Company operates in two segments: funeral and cemetery operations. At December 31, 2011, it operated 1,423 funeral service locations and 374 cemeteries (including 214 funeral service/cemetery combination locations) in North America, which are geographically diversified across 43 states, eight Canadian provinces, and the District of Columbia. Its funeral service and cemetery operations consist of funeral service locations, cemeteries, funeral service/cemetery combination locations, crematoria, and related businesses. The Company sells cemetery property and funeral and cemetery products and services at the time of need and on a preneed basis. In December 2013, the Company announced that it completed its acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. In May 2014, Carriage Services, Inc. acquired six businesses in New Orleans and Alexandria, Virginia from Service Corporation International.
The Company�� funeral service and cemetery operations consist of funeral service locations, cemeteries, funeral service/cemetery combination locations, crematoria, and related businesses. The Company provides all professional services relating to funerals and cremations, including the use of funeral facilities and motor vehicles and preparation and embalming services. Funeral-related merchandise, including caskets, casket memorialization products, burial vaults, cremation receptacles, cremation memorial products, flowers, and other ancillary products and services, is sold at funeral service locations. Its cemeteries provide cemetery property interment rights, including mausoleum spaces, lots, and lawn cr! ypts, and sell cemetery-related merchandise and services, including stone and bronze memorials, markers, merchandise installations, and burial openings and closings. The Company also sells preneed funeral and cemetery products and services whereby a customer contractually agrees to the terms of certain products and services to be delivered and performed in the future.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, its operations in the United States and Canada were organized into 29 major markets, 47 metro markets, and 78 main street markets. At December 31, 2011, it owned approximately 89% of the real estate and buildings used at its facilities, and the remainder of the facilities were leased. At December 31, 2011, its 374 cemeteries contained a total of approximately 26,540 acres, of which approximately 60% was developed.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
From a struggling department store chain delivering better than expected financial results to a popular photo-printing services provider botched a mass mailing, here's a rundown of the week's smartest moves and biggest blunders in the business world. Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR) -- Winner Coca-Cola (KO) is apparently a coffee addict. The world's leading beverage company turned heads earlier this year when it paid $1.25 billion for a 10 percent stake in Keurig Green Mountain. This week it announced that it's bumping its stake to 16 percent, paying a much higher price for the new shares. Keurig Green Mountain is the company behind the country's most popular single-serve coffee maker. In a few months it plans to enter the carbonated beverage market with Keurig Cold. Coca-Cola is on board to provide soft drink flavors for the machine, and now the company has a greater stake in seeing that Keurig Cold is successful. Shutterfly (SFLY) -- Loser "There's nothing more amazing than bringing a new life into the world," begins a promotion that Shutterfly mailed out this week. "As a new parent you're going to find more to love, more to give and more to share -- we're here to help you every step of the way." Shutterfly intended for the mailing to go out to customers who had recently ordered birth announcements, reminding them that matching thank you cards are now in order for the family and friends who provided gifts for the new baby. The problem here is that the marketing email went out to a far wider base of Shutterfly registered users. Twitter and Facebook were alive with folks joking or complaining about the mishap. It was an amusing blunder for most recipients, but it's easy to see how this kind of missive could hit hard to others. Netflix (NFLX) -- Winner We're apparently a nation of Netflix addicts. Online trend watcher Sandvine (SVC) reports that the streaming video service accounted for 34.2 percent of the North America's peak downstream Internet traffic durin
Top 10 Low Price Stocks For 2014: Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp (PEGFF.PK)
Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp. (Pacific Rubiales) is a producerand seller of natural gas and heavy crude oil. The Company also purchases crude oil from third parties to be used as diluents and for trading purposes. The Company owns Meta Petroleum Corp. (Meta), an oil branch which operates the Rubiales/Piriri and Quifa oil fields in the Llanos Basin in association with Ecopetrol; and Pacific Stratus Energy Colombia Corp. (Pacific Stratus), which operates the wholly owned La Creciente gas field in the northern part of Colombia and other light and medium oil fields. In addition to its production assets, it has investment in oil pipelines in Colombia, including the Oleoducto de los Llanos S.A. Pipeline and the new Oleoducto Bicentenario de Colombia pipeline, under construction. In November 2013, Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp acquired Petrominerales Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Value Digger]
Apart from the momentum traders, the growth seekers have to check it out too. Manitok Energy is another growth company with a non-existent coverage from the online publications, although it has been growing by leaps and bounds during the last couple of years. I really enjoy uncovering such companies. In fact, by discovering under-followed growth companies with very attractive valuations is how I started my articles with SeekingAlpha one year ago. It was when I uncovered C&C Energia. I recommended this debt-free South American producer at ~$5.7 in August 2012. C&C Energia was bought out by Pacific Rubiales (PEGFF.PK) a couple of months later at $9.81. My article is here.
Top 10 Low Price Stocks For 2014: Banco Bradesco SA (BBD)
Banco Bradesco S.A. (the Bank), incorporated on November 5, 1943, is commercial bank. The Bank offers a range of banking and financial products and services in Brazil and abroad to individuals, large, midsized and small companies and local and international corporations and institutions. It operates in two segments: the banking, and the insurance, pension and capitalization bonds. Its products and services encompass banking operations, such as loans and advances and deposittaking, credit card issuance, purchasing consortiums, insurance, leasing, payment collection and processing, pension plans, asset management and brokerage services. The main services it offers through Bradesco Expresso are receipt and submission of account applications; receipt and submission of account applications; Social Security National Service (INSS) benefit payments; checking and savings account deposits, and receipt of consumption bills, bank charges and taxes. In May, 2011, the Bank acquired Banco do Estado do Rio de Janeiro S.A. (BERJ).
Banking
The Banking segment includes deposit-taking with clients, including checking accounts, savings accounts and time deposits; loans and advances (individuals and companies, real estate financing, microcredit, onlending BNDES funds, rural credit, leasing, among others); credit cards, debit cards and pre-paid cards; management of receipts and payments; asset management; services related to capital markets and investment banking activities; intermediation and trading services; custody, depositary and controllership services; international banking services, and purchasing consortiums.
The Bank offers a variety of deposit products and services to our customers through its branches, including Non-interest bearing checking accounts, such as Easy Account, Click Account, Academic Account and Cell Phone Bonus Account; traditional savings accounts; time deposits, and deposits from financial institutions. As of December 31, 2011, it had 43.4 million savings a! ccounts. It offers its customers certain additional services, such as identified deposits and real-time banking transfers. Its loans and advances to customers, consumer credit, corporate and agricultural-sector loans, totaled R$263.5 billion as of December 31, 2011.
The Bank�� loan portfolio consists of short-term loans, vehicle financings and overdraft loans on checking accounts. It also provides revolving credit facilities and traditional term loans. As of December 31, 2011, it had outstanding advances, vehicle financings, consumer loans and revolving credit totaling R$58.0 billion, or 22.0% of its portfolio of loans and advances. Banco Bradesco Financiamentos (Bradesco Financiamentos) offers direct-to-consumer credit and leasing for the acquisition of vehicles and payroll-deductible loans to the public and private sectors 'in Brazil. Supported by BF Promotora de Vendas Ltda. (BF Promotora), and using the Bradesco Financiamentos brand, the Bank operates through its network of correspondents in Brazil, consisting of retailers and dealers selling light vehicles, trucks and motorcycles, to offer financing and/or leasing for vehicles. Through Bradesco Promotora brand, it offer payroll-deductible loans to social security retirees and pensioners, public-sector employees, military personnel and private-sector companies sponsoring plans, and other aggregated products (insurance, capitalization bonds, cards, purchasing consortiums, and others).
As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had 63,156 outstanding real estate loans. As of December 31, 2011, the aggregate outstanding amount of its real estate loans amounted to R$15.9 billion, representing 6% of its portfolio of loans and advances. As of December 31, 2011, it had 69,491 microcredit loans outstanding, totaling R$62.8 million. Its BNDES onlending portfolio totaled R$35.4 billion as of December 31, 2011.
The Bank provides traditional loans for the ongoing needs of its corporate customers. It had R$85.8 billion of outstand! ing other! local commercial loans, accounting for 32.5% of its portfolio of loans and advances as of December 31, 2011. It offers a range of loans to its Brazilian corporate customers, including short-term loans of 29 days or less; guaranteed checking accounts and corporate overdraft loans; discounting trade receivables, promissory notes, checks, credit card and supplier receivables, and a number of other receivables; financing for purchase and sale of goods and services; corporate real estate financing, and investment lines for acquisition of assets and machinery. As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had R$11 billion in outstanding rural loans, representing 4.2% of its portfolio of loans and advances. The Bank conducts its leasing operations through its primary leasing subsidiary, Bradesco Leasing and also through Bradesco Financiamentos.
The Bank offers electronic solutions for receipt and payment management solutions, which include collection and payment services and online resource management enabling its customers to pay suppliers, salaries, and taxes and other levies to governmental or public entities. The global cash management concept provides solutions for multinationals in Brazil and/or domestic companies operating abroad. It manages third-party assets through mutual funds; individual and corporate investment portfolios; pension funds, including assets guaranteeing the technical provisions of Bradesco Vida e Previdencia, and insurance companies, including assets guaranteeing the technical provisions of Bradesco Seguros.
The Bank�� subsidiaries Bradesco S.A. CTVM and Agora S.A. CTVM (or Bradesco Corretora and Agora Corretora, respectively) trade stocks, options, stock lending, public offerings and forwards. They also offer a range of products, such as Brazilian government securities (under the Tesouro Direto program), BM&F trading, investor clubs and investment funds.
The Bank offers a range of international services, such as foreign exchange transactions, foreign tr! ade finan! ce, lines of credit and banking. As of December 31, 2011, its international banking services included New York City, a branch and Bradesco Securities Inc., its subsidiary brokerage firm, or Bradesco Securities United States, and its subsidiary Bradesco North America LLC, or Bradesco North America; London, Bradesco Securities U.K., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Securities U.K.; Cayman Islands, two Bradesco branches and its subsidiary, Cidade Capital Markets Ltd., or Cidade Capital Markets; Argentina, Banco Bradesco Argentina S.A., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Argentina; Banco Bradesco Luxemburgo S.A. its subsidiary, or Bradesco Europe; Japan, Bradesco Services Co. Ltd., its subsidiary, or Bradesco Services Japan; in Hong Kong, its subsidiary Bradesco Trade Services Ltd, or Bradesco Trade, and in Mexico, its subsidiary Ibi Services, Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, or Ibi Mexico.
The Bank�� Brazilian foreign-trade related business consists of export and import finance. In addition to import and export finance, its customers have access to a range of services and foreign exchange products, such as purchasing and selling travelers checks and foreign currency paper money; cross border money transfers; advance payment for exports; accounts abroad in foreign currency; cash holding in other countries; collecting import and export receivables; repaid cards with foreign currency (individual), and structured foreign currency transactions through its foreign units.
Insurance, pension plans and capitalization bonds
The Bank offers insurance products through a number of different entities, which it refers to collectively as Grupo Bradesco Seguros. It offers life, personal accident and random events insurance through its subsidiary Bradesco Vida e Previdencia. It offers health insurance policies through Bradesco Saude and its subsidiaries for small, medium or large companies. It provides automobile, property/casualty and liability products through its subsidiary Bradesco Auto! /RE. It a! lso offers certain automobile, health, and property/casualty insurance products directly through its Website.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Banco Bradesco S.A. (NYSE: BBD) is one of the key banks and financial services companies in Brazil. A Yahoo! Finance reference showed that the 2012 figures were as follows: 4,686 branches; 34,859 ATMs; 12,975 shared ATMs under the Banco24Horas brand; and 5,237 special points of banking services. At $11.65, the 52-week trading range is $11.29 to $17.79. This ADR is down 7% so far in 2014.
- [By Charles Sizemore]
And speaking of top dividend stocks with high capital gains potential, next on the list of are Brazilian banking groups Banco Bradesco (BBD) and Banco Itau (ITUB) — two monthly dividend stocks you must consider.
No comments:
Post a Comment