Monday, August 11, 2014

10 Best Quality Stocks To Own For 2014

This year started so badly for Seadrill (SDRL), Transocean (RIG) and Rowan (RDC) and other offshore drillers that it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some investors are seeing value in their beaten down shares. The folks at Raymond James, however, see conditions at offshore drillers getting worse before they get better.

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Raymond James analyst Praveen Narra and team explain why offshore drillers still aren’t cheap:

On the surface, offshore drilling stocks appear inexpensive with multiples at the low end of historical ranges and many stocks trading below book values. While contrarian and deep value players are beginning to nibble, we believe the offshore floating rig companies are still in the early innings of a cyclical downturn in utilization and dayrates. After a decade of good times, the deepwater drilling rig market is facing a multiyear down-cycle. Historically, most offshore drilling cycles have been short-lived as there have usually been sudden demand shocks that tend to self correct relatively quickly. This time, it is more of a new rig supply problem compounded by a moderation in offshore spending from the suddenly ��eturn driven��multinational major oil companies. That means this down-cycle should be more drawn out than usual. Specifically, we think the downturn will take about three years to play out with average floater day-rates falling about 25% with over 60 floating rigs needing to be stacked (either warm stacked or cold stacked). More importantly for investors, we think consensus 2016 floater estimates (on average) are still about 25% too high. Put another way, earnings multiples are not as attractive as some now think, in our view. Obviously, the lower-end, older floating assets will be hit the hardest. While everyone loses in this environment, we are more comfortable in owning companies with higher-quality assets that also carry higher floater contract coverage, as we expect this to provide relative safety during this downturn. Specifically, we relatively favor Ocean Rig UDW (ORIG), Pacific Drilling (PACD), and Rowan, given their high-specification exposure. Of course, this downturn is not limited to the floater side of the offshore arena. Next week, we will detail our expectations for the timing and magnitude of the utilization and dayrate declines for the offshore jackup space.

5 Best Food Stocks To Wa! tch For 2015: Dun & Bradstreet Corp (DNB)

The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation (D&B), incorporated on April 25, 2000, is the source of commercial information and insight on businesses, enabling customers to Decide with Confidence. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� global commercial database contained more than 220 million business records. The database is enhanced by its DUNSRight Quality Process, which transforms commercial data into valuable insight which is the foundation of its global solutions. Customers use D&B Risk Management Solutions to mitigate credit and supplier risk, increase cash flow and drive profitability; D&B Sales & Marketing Solutions to provide data management capabilities that provide marketing solutions to increase revenue from new and existing customers, and D&B Internet Solutions to convert prospects into clients by enabling business professionals to research companies, executives and industries.

The Company operates in three segments: North America (which consists of its operations in the United States and Canada); Asia Pacific (which primarily consists of its operations in Australia, Greater China, India and Asia Pacific Worldwide Network), and Europe and other International Markets (which primarily consists of its operations in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Latin America and its European Worldwide Network). The Company conducts its business internationally through its wholly owned subsidiaries, majority-owned joint ventures, independent correspondents, strategic relationships through its D&B Worldwide Network and minority equity investments.

Risk Management Solutions

The Company provides traditional, value-added and supply management solutions. The Company�� Traditional Risk Management Solutions, which primarily includes its core DNBi product line, as well as reports from its database which are used primarily for making decisions about new credit applications, constituted 74% of its Risk Management Solutions revenue and 47% of its total revenue for the ye! ar ended December 31, 2012. Its Value-Added Risk Management Solutions, which constituted 20% of its Risk Management Solutions revenue and 12% of its total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2012, generally support automated decision-making and portfolio management through the use of scoring and integrated software solutions. The Company�� Supply Management Solutions, which can help companies understand the financial risk of their supply chain, constituted 6% of its Risk Management Solutions revenue and 4% of its total revenue in 2012. Risk Management Solutions accounted for 63% of its total revenue in 2012.

Effective January 1, 2013, the Company began managing and reporting its North America Risk Management Solutions business as DNBi subscription plans, Non-DNBi subscription plans, and projects and other risk management solutions.

The Company�� principal Risk Management Solutions are DNBi, various business information reports, eRAM, and D&B Direct. DNBi is the Company�� interactive, customizable online application that offers customers a subscription based real time access to its complete and up-to-date global DUNSRight information, comprehensive monitoring and portfolio analysis. It is also focused on helping more customers protect their business from risk through additions of DNBi products: DNBi Corporate, offering flexible pricing options allowing credit departments of all sizes to get data and options they need and Portfolio Risk Manager for DNBi, a module which allows DNBi users to create strategic one -click analytic reports to see risk and opportunity across their customer base. Various business information reports include Business Information Report, its Comprehensive Report, and its International Report that are consumed in a transactional manner across multiple platforms, such as DNB.com. eRAM is an enterprise solution for large global and domestic customers for automated decisioning and portfolio analytics. D&B Direct is a software application programming inter! face (API! ) that enables data integration inside enterprise applications, such as ERP, and enables master data management.

Sales & Marketing Solutions

The Company�� Sales & Marketing Solutions is a customer solution set, which accounted 29% of its total revenue in 2012. Within this customer solution set, it offers traditional and value-added solutions. Its Traditional Sales & Marketing Solutions generally consist of its marketing lists and labels used by the Company�� customers in direct mail and marketing activities, its education business and its electronic licensing solutions. These solutions constituted 30% of its Sales & Marketing Solutions revenue and 9% of its total revenue in 2012. Effective January 1, 2013, The Company began managing and reporting its Internet Solutions business as part of its Traditional Sales & Marketing Solutions set. Its Value-Added Sales & Marketing Solutions generally include decision-making and customer information management solutions, including data management solutions like Optimizer (its solution to cleanse, identify and enrich its customers' client portfolios) and products introduced as part of its Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) Strategy, which integrates the Company�� data directly into the applications and platforms that its customers use every day. The Value-Added Sales & Marketing Solutions constituted 70% of Sales & Marketing Solutions revenue and 20% of its total revenue in 2012

Internet Solutions

The Company�� Internet Solutions business provides organized and easy-to-use products that address the online sales and marketing needs of professionals and businesses, including information on companies, industries and executives. Internet Solutions, primarily representing the results of its Hoover's business, accounted for 7% of its total revenue in 2012. Effective January 1, 2013, the Company began managing and reporting its Internet Solutions business as part of its Traditional Sales & Marketing Solutions set.

T! he Company competes with Equifax, Inc., Experian Information Solutions, Inc., infoGROUP, Graydon, and Sinotrust.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Geoff Gannon] ly doesn�� need working capital even when it grows say 3% a year or so. And some companies always need a ton of working capital like Lakeland (LAKE) or ADDvantage (AEY). How you feel about how those companies use working capital has a lot to do with whether or not you like those stocks long-term.

    Then there are companies that have increased working capital very, very fast over the last decade or so ��but they��e also increased sales at a startling clip.

    That�� Carbo.

    Let�� look at where the difference between EBITDA and operating cash flow is coming from.

    Cash flow from others as shown on GuruFocus�� 10-year financials page for Carbo ��I��l use this as a proxy for working capital changes ��was positive in only two years. And not by much. Usually, it�� been negative. Over the 10 years, that single line has added up to a negative $173 million. Wow.

    Okay. Then there�� the difference between free cash flow and owner earnings. Owner earnings as you��l remember is Warren Buffett�� calculation of what a business could pay out to owners in cash at the end of the year ��if it stopped growing. But didn�� shrink. More on that later. For now, let�� look at the difference between Carbo�� depreciation and Carbo�� spending on property, plant and equipment.

    Over the last 10 years, cap-ex has been: $546 million (or $425 million if you allow cap-ex to provide cash flow in certain years, this is a weird issue I don�� want to touch right now)

    And over the last 10 years, depreciation has been: $201.52 million

    That�� a big gap. We��e got some combination of Carbo underreporting economic depreciation by anywhere from $225 million to $350 million or so ��or we��e got Carbo investing something like $225 million to $350 million in growth.

    Which is it?

    Let�� check the growth angle first.

    Over the last 10 years, Carbo has grown total sales by just under 18% a year. Now, I happen to

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE: DNB) was down, falling 9.16 percent to $96.71 after the company reported downbeat Q4 earnings.

    Commodities
    In commodity news, oil traded up 0.80 percent to $97.20, while gold traded down 0.41 percent to $1,254.50.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Own For 2014: United States Steel Corporation(X)

United States Steel Corporation produces and sells steel mill products in North America and Central Europe. It operates in three segments: Flat-rolled Products (Flat-rolled), U. S. Steel Europe (USSE), and Tubular Products (Tubular). The Flat-rolled segment offers slabs, rounds, strip mill plates, sheets, and tin mill products, as well as iron ore and coke. This segment serves service center, conversion, transportation, construction, container, and appliance and electrical markets in North America. The USSE segment offers slabs, sheets, strip mill plates, tin mill products, and spiral welded pipes, as well as heating radiators and refractory ceramic materials. This segment serves the European construction, service center, conversion, container, transportation, and appliance and electrical, as well as and oil, gas, and petrochemical markets. The Tubular segment offers seamless and electric resistance welded steel casing and tubing; and standard, and line pipe and mechanical tubing. It primarily serves customers in the oil, gas, and petrochemical markets. The company also provides transportation services, including railroad and barge operations. In addition, it owns, develops, and manages various real estate assets, which include approximately 200,000 acres of surface rights primarily in Alabama, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania; participates in joint ventures that are developing real estate projects in Alabama, Maryland, and Illinois; and owns approximately 4,000 acres of land in Ontario, Canada. The company was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Steeling yourself for further declines?
    A similar argument exists for other low-price-to-book stocks, including Cliffs Natural (NYSE: CLF  ) , Alcoa (NYSE: AA  ) , and U.S. Steel (NYSE: X  ) . Each of these three companies has a highly capital-intensive business involved in processing raw materials and producing either ingredients for fabricated metal production or the metals themselves. When you look at their balance sheets, all of these companies have substantial amounts of assets locked up in plants and equipment, much of which hasn't been subject to depreciation yet.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Own For 2014: Five Prime Therapeutics Inc (FPRX)

Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc., incorporated on December 20, 2001, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing protein therapeutics. Protein therapeutics is antibodies or drugs developed from extracellular proteins or protein fragments that block disease processes, including cancer and inflammatory diseases. The Company�� advanced product candidates include FP-1039/GSK3052230 (FP-1039), FPA008 and FPA144. FP-1039 is a protein therapeutic that traps and neutralizes cancer-promoting fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), involved in cancer cell proliferation and new blood vessel formation. FPA008 is an antibody that inhibits colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R), and is being developed to treat patients with inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). FPA144 is an antibody that inhibits FGF receptor 2b (FGFR2b), and is being developed to treat patients with gastric cancer and potentially other solid tumors.

FP-1039

FP-1039 is a protein therapeutic, which includes the extracellular part of FGFR1. FP-1039 acts as an inhibitor of FGFs, because the FGFR1 portion of the molecule binds to FGFs and prevents them from binding to FGFR1 on tumor and blood vessel cells. Because FGF proteins circulating in the blood are called ligands, FP-1039 is called a ligand trap. FP-1039 also includes a portion of an antibody called the Fc region. In preclinical testing, it observed inhibition of tumor growth with single-agent FP-1039, particularly in tumors withFGFR1 gene amplification, including squamous NSCLC and SCLC.

FPA008

FPA008 is an antibody that inhibits CSF1R and is being developed to treat patients with RA. FPA008 also has the potential to treat patients with other inflammatory diseases, including lupus nephritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. These are chronic, incurable disorders with serious medical complications and disability for ! which better therapies with novel mechanisms of action are needed. FPA008 is an anti-CSF1R antibody, which it designed to block the ability of IL-34 and CSF1 to bind to and activate CSF1R. FPA008 reduces the numbers and activity of monocytes and macrophages that cause disease, and prevents the production and release of inflammatory factors. The Company and others has demonstrated that both IL-34 and CSF1 are present at increased levels in the inflamed joints of patients with RA.

FPA144

FPA144 is a monoclonal antibody directed against a form of FGFR2, or FGFR2b. When the FGFR2 gene is amplified by cancer cells, the FGFR2b protein is expressed at abnormally high levels on the tumor�� surface. This occurs in some patients with gastric and lower esophageal cancers. The tumor cells that have too much FGFR2b protein on their surface can be identified by special staining tests performed on the tumor. Because FGFR2b is the target for FPA144, patients��tumors can be screened for this protein, helping to identify the patients most likely to respond to FPA144 treatment.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Kell and Tess Stynes var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); p]

    Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Keurig Green Mountain Inc.(GMCR), JA Solar Holdings Co.(JASO) and Five Prime Therapeutics Inc.(FPRX)

10 Best Quality Stocks To Own For 2014: Eaton Corporation(ETN)

Eaton Corporation operates as a power management company worldwide. It provides electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution, and control; hydraulics components, systems, and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics, and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain, and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy, and safety. The company also manufactures screw-in cartridge valves, custom-engineered hydraulic valves, and manifold systems; and electrical and electromechanical systems. In addition, it designs, manufactures, and distributes intake and exhaust valves for diesel and gasoline engines; supplies electrical components for commercial and residential building applications and industrial controls for industrial equipment applications; and manufactures human machine interfaces, programmable logic controllers, and input/output devices. Further, the company also operates a s a provider of customized enclosures, rack systems, and air-flow management systems to store, power, and secure mission-critical IT data center electronics; and manufacturer, distributor, and service provider of single-phase and three-phase uninterruptible power supply systems. Eaton Corporation was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rex Moore]

    IPC believes its technology can disrupt traditional products offered by ABB (NYSE: ABB  ) and Eaton (NYSE: ETN  ) . Our roving reporter Rex Moore caught up with IPC CEO Paul Bundschuh at the conference, and chatted about electric vehicles, and combining grid storage with photovoltaic technology.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Own For 2014: Adams Golf Inc.(ADGF)

Adams Golf, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, assembles, markets, and distributes golf clubs for various skill levels primarily in the United States and internationally. Its products comprise Speedline Fast 12 drivers, Fast 12 LS drivers, Speedline Fast 12 fairway woods, Idea a12 OS irons and hybrids, Idea a12 hybrids, Idea Pro a12 irons and hybrids, Idea Tech V3 irons and hybrids, Redline irons, Idea a7 and a7 OS irons and hybrids, and Speedline 9088 UL drivers. It also develops products under the Yes! Putters, Women's Golf Unlimited, Lady Fairway, and Square 2 brands. In addition, it offers a range of golf bags, hats, and other accessories. The company sells its products to on- and off- course golf shops, sporting goods retailers, and mass merchants, as well as to international distributors. Adams Golf, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Plano, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Geoff Gannon]

    Adams Golf (ADGF) was a net-net. It got bought out by Adidas. By the way, it�� not the only net-net to get bought out this year. Swank (SNKI) was also a net-net that looks like it�� going to be bought out. Last I heard, they received an alternative proposal during their ��o shop��period and haven�� acted on it. The Ben Graham: Net-Net Newsletter�� model portfolio doesn�� own either stock. Though we do own another net-net where a company in the same industry bought a block of shares. Who knows what that means. But clearly net-nets sometimes attract control buyers.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Own For 2014: Credicorp Ltd (BAP)

Credicorp Ltd. (Credicorp), incorporated on October 20, 1995, is a financial services holding company. The Company is organized in four operating segments: Banking, Insurance, Pension funds and Brokerage and other. Credicorp is engaged principally in banking (including commercial and investment banking), insurance (including commercial property, transportation and marine hull, automobile, life, health and underwriting insurance), pension funds (including private pension fund management services), and brokerage and other (including the structuring and placement of primary market securities issues and the execution and trading of secondary market transactions.). Its four operating subsidiaries are : Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP), Atlantic Security Bank (ASB), El Pacifico-Peruano Suiza Compania de Seguros y Reaseguros, and Prima AFP.

Banking segment

Banking includes handling loans, credit facilities, deposits and current accounts, and providing investment banking services, including corporate finance, both for corporate and institutional customers. Banking also includes handling deposits consumer loans and credit cards facilities for individual customers. The Company conducts banking activities in Bolivia through BCP Bolivia, a service commercial bank. Its banking business is organized into wholesale banking activities, which are carried out by BCP�� wholesale banking group (which includes the corporate banking operations of ASB), and retail banking activities, which are carried out by BCP's retail banking group. Its deposit-taking operations are managed by BCP'�� retail banking group and and ASB's private banking group.

Insurance

Credicorp�� insurance segment includes commercial property, transportation and marine hull, automobile, life, health and pension fund underwriting insurance. Private hospital services are also included under this operating segment. The Company conducts its insurance operations Grupo Pacifico and its subsidiaries, whic! h provide a broad range of insurance products. Grupo Pacifico property and casualty insurance through Pacifico Seguros, life and pension insurance through Pacifico Vida, and health care insurance through Pacificosalud EPS.. Grupo Pacifico sells its products both directly and through independent brokers and agents.

Pension funds

Credicorp�� pension funds segment provides private pension fund management services to customers. Credicorp conducts all of its pension fund activities through its private pension fund administrator Prima AFP. Credicorp through its subsidiary Prima AFP, focuses mainly on obtaining new affiliates, by providing permanent information and diverse channels of communication.

Brokerage and other

The Company�� brokerage and others segment includes the structuring and placement of primary market issues and the execution and trading of secondary market transactions. This segment also includes offers of local securitization structuring to corporate entities, management of mutual funds and other services. The majority of its trading and brokerage activities are conducted through BCP, ASB and Credicorp Securities Inc. Its asset management business is carried out by BCP in Peru, through its subsidiary Credifondo, and by ASB. It offers Brokerage and other services through BCP and ASB. BCP offers clients a range of such products and services, such as brokerage, mutual funds and custody services through its branch network in Lima and throughout the rest of Peru. In addition, ASB also offers brokerage and other services.

The Company competes with BCP, BBVA Banco Continental, Scotiabank Peru, Interbank and Banco Interamericano de Finanzas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chuck Carnevale]

    Credit Corp. Limited (BAP)

    My first featured aggressive financial candidate is Credit Corp. Limited, a Bermuda-based financial services holding company, and the largest financial holding company in Peru. Although the company is headquartered in Bermuda and operates in Peru, its long-term track record is exceptional. Once again, I will let the F.A.S.T. Graphs��speak for themselves, other than to say in addition to a great track record, this ADR is expected to offer above-average growth and appears to be very attractively valued at today�� levels.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Own For 2014: Vulcan Materials Company(VMC)

Vulcan Materials Company engages in the production and sale of construction aggregates, as well as asphalt mix, ready-mixed concrete, and cement primarily in the United States. The company operates in four segments: Aggregates, Concrete, Asphalt Mix, and Cement. The Aggregates segment produces construction aggregates, which principally include crushed stone, sand, and gravel. Its aggregates are used in public and private sector construction projects, including highways, airports, water and sewer systems, industrial manufacturing facilities, and residential and nonresidential buildings, as well as railroad track ballast. The Concrete segment produces and sells ready-mixed concrete in California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia; and block and pre-cast beams, as well as resells purchased building materials for use with ready-mixed concrete and concrete block. The Asphalt Mix segment produces and sells asphalt mix in Arizona, Californi a, and Texas. The Cement segment produces and sells Portland and masonry cement in bulk and bags to the concrete products industry. This segment also imports cement, clinker, and slag to resell and export, as well as to blend, bag, or reprocess into specialty cements. In addition, this segment mines, produces, and sells calcium products for the animal feed, paint, plastics, water treatment, and joint compound industries. The company was formerly known as Virginia Holdco, Inc. and changed its name to Vulcan Materials Company in November 2007. Vulcan Materials Company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    Vulcan Materials (NYSE: VMC  ) -- up 400%
    Although its dividend boost came on none other than Valentine's Day, Vulcan's new $0.05 payout, a 400% increase over the $0.01 it had been paying out previously, still has a long way to go before it even gets remotely close to its pre-recession payout of $1.96 per year.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Shares of Vulcan Materials (VMC) have surged today after the sand and gravel maker reported better-than-forecast earnings driven by sales of concrete and cement.

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    Shares of Vulcan have gained 7.6%, and given a lift to other cement makers today, including Martin Marietta Materials (MLM), which has risen 4.9% and reports earnings on Thursday, Cemex (CX), which has advanced 1.5%, and Texas Industries (TXI), which is up 4.9%.

    The Associated Press has the details on Vulcan’s earnings beat:

    For the three months ended Sept. 30, Vulcan Materials Co. earned $41.4 million, or 31 cents per share. Last year, it earned $14.3 million, or 11 cents per share.

    The 2012 third quarter was weighed down by some restructuring charges and exchange offer costs. The recent quarter did not have any of these charges or costs.

    The latest quarter also benefited from a bigger gain on the sale of property, equipment and other items than a year ago.

    Earnings from continuing operations were 32 cents per share for the recent quarter.

    Revenue increased 13 percent to $775.2 million from $687.6 million.

    Analysts, on average, expected earnings of 26 cents per share on revenue of $750.7 million, according to FactSet.

    Sterne Agee’s Todd Vencil and�Kevin Bennett hone in on pricing:

    Pricing wasn�� quite as strong as management had guided, but we don�� think that is an indication of negative demand trends…

    We’re not concerned that the relative softness in price growth represents a negative indicator for demand. A number of factors, including shifts in geographic and product mix, could easily account for the change…

    And by the looks of things, neither are investors.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    The S&P 500 gained 0.4% today, just missing a new all-time high. The benchmark was boosted by the likes of Vulcan Materials (VMC), which rose 7.7% after beating earnings estimates, Newmont Mining (NEM), which rose 5.2% after getting upgraded, and base-metal producers like Alcoa (AA),which rose 7%, and Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF), which finished up 5%.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Vulcan Materials (NYSE: VMC  ) has elected to maintain its dividend. The company declared a quarterly common stock distribution of $0.01 per share, to be paid on Sept. 10 to shareholders of record as of Aug. 28. That amount matches each of the company's disbursements stretching back to December 2011.

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