Back on April 2nd, esteemed Seeking Alpha contributor Hawkinvest penned a piece wherein he posited there were five reasons why General Electric (GE) shares could have potentially significant downside risks from current levels. His reasons are as follows: 1) GE's relative underperformance over the past month or so 2) GE's decline during the financial crisis means it is not worthy of the "blue chip" moniker it covets 3) GE's dependence upon a booming global economy 4) GE's debt load 5) GE's payout ratio. Now, I won't go through his points in depth as you can read them for yourself but I've captured the essence of his arguments above. I intend to use this article to express my variant view on the author's theses and to counter them with bullish arguments.
Before I begin, I'd like to mention that I have a tremendous amount of respect for Hawkinvest and his work; I don't intend to be harsh or overly critical here, I just wanted to bring a differing viewpoint to the discussion.
Top 5 Healthcare Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: Apple Inc.(AAPL)
Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Nicole Seghetti]
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL )
While Apple retains a desirable position in smartphones and tablets, the company's market share has declined in recent quarters. Despite the harsh reality of an increased competitive environment, the iDevice maker's ability to produce and sell wildly sought-after products to its cult-like customer base, coupled with its strong financial position, set the company up nicely for potential future success. Roughly 1.8% of Fisher's fund is invested in Apple stock. - [By Jayson Derrick]
According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) will merge Beats Music with iTunes. Shares hit new 52-week highs of $105.49 before closing the day at $105.22, up 0.37 percent.
Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)
Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Procter & Gamble have dropped 3.2% during the past 12 months, lagging Unilever’s (UL) 2.5% rise, Colgate-Palmolive’s (CL) 8.7% advance and Kimberly-Clark’s (KMB) 3.1% gain.
- [By Sean Williams]
But, have you ever stopped to consider which toothpaste is America's favorite? If you've walked down the toothpaste aisle in the grocery store you've probably noticed that it goes on forever, which can make choosing a toothpaste a chore. Well, here's a big hint toward the answer: America's favorite toothpaste comes down to either Colgate, which is made by Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL ) , or Crest made by Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG ) .
- [By Ong Kang Wei]
Another example of such a product is Colgate-Palmolive (CL)'s Colgate toothpaste. I do not think I have to elaborate much here. Toothpaste is needed in our everyday life, and we will definitely have to buy more toothpaste after we have finished using a packet of it, ensuring that Colgate gets more and more sales over the years.
Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Reuters]
Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images NEW YORK -- Walgreen is moving 120,000 employees to a private health insurance exchange from coverage provided directly from carriers, the company will announce Wednesday. The pharmacy chain will join 17 other large employers on the Aon Hewitt Corporate Health Exchange as part of a growing movement to offer employees fixed dollar amounts to purchase their own plans on such exchanges. The end-cost to employees depends on the plan chosen, but they typically get more options than under traditional arrangements. Private exchanges mimic the coverage mandated as part of the Affordable Care Act. Enrollment in the public exchanges starts Oct. 1. "What happens to employer contributions over time? Will they put in as much as they put in the past? These are unanswered questions but potential negatives," says Paul Fronstin, a senior research associate with the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The benefit to Walgreen and other employers is unknown at this point, as their cost-savings aren't clear. Of the 180,000 Walgreen (WAG) employees eligible for health care insurance, 120,000 opted for coverage for themselves and 40,000 family members. Another 60,000 employees, many of them working part-time, weren't eligible for health insurance. Aon Hewitt (AON) says other participants in its program include retailer Sears Holding (SHLD) and Darden Restaurants (DRI). These new additions raise enrollment to 330,000 from 100,000 last year, and Aon Hewitt estimates enrollment will jump to 600,000 next year, a fivefold increase from 2012. By 2017, nearly 20 percent of employees nationwide could get their health insurance through a private exchange, according to Accenture Research (ACN). A recent report by the National Business Group on Health said that 30 percent of large employers are considering moving active employees to exchanges by 2015. Other major providers of private exchanges include Mercer, a division of Marsh & Mc
- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images College students use Apple (AAPL), Facebook (FB) and Google (GOOG) products every day, so it's not much of a surprise that those companies are high on their lists of potential employers. But a new survey also shows Boeing (BA), the National Institutes of Health and Disney (DIS) at the top. The annual survey by Universum, an international consulting and brand marketing firm, asked 50,000 students for their top choices -- undergraduates in business, engineering, computer sciences, natural sciences and humanities plus those working on their master's of business administration. Google placed first in three categories and in the top six in all of them. "It is perception-based, so a lot of these companies have really strong brand recognition," said Kortney Kutsop, senior account director at Universum. "We're trying to understand what makes students tick, what they're looking for in a career." Government Agencies Do Well Students were given 230 potential employers to choose from. NASA, the Department of Energy, the CIA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Defense Department, the FBI and the Air Force all ranked in the top 40 for engineering students. Kutsop says this is partly because of the desire among students to "give back and be part of the greater good." Oil and gas companies have also climbed in the rankings among engineering students. Exxon Mobil (XOM) came in No. 6, while Shell Oil (RDS-A), Chevron (CVX) and BP (BP) all made the top 25. "This generation is looking for employers that provide development, training and mentorship," said Kutsop. "They want to become leaders of the world." She says they also want jobs that offer some flexibility, work-life balance and job security. She says there's a perception about millennials that they like to change jobs frequently, but in fact many are seeking job security. "They may stay if they see the opportunity to grow and advance." Potential employers are working h
- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Most of the swings this week were related to fears about global growth and not about the fundamentals.
The turmoil has not been limited to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Bonds, overseas stock markets and commodities prices have all had big moves this week. "Most of the swings this week were related to fears about global growth and not about the fundamentals of this market," said James Liu, global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds. The VIX, a measure of how much volatility investors expect in stocks, has risen from 12 in mid-September to as high as 31 this week, above its historical average of around 20. That's still far below the readings of 80 it had at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. "This volatility, in a way, is purely psychological. This is the market returning to a more normalized behavior," Liu said. The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) advanced 263.17 points, or 1.6 percent, to 16,380.41 Friday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) rose 24 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,886.76 and the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) rose 41.05 points, or 1 percent, to 4,258.44. On Friday, investors rallied behind a group of corporate earnings results. General Electric (GE) rose 2.4 percent after the company reported third-quarter earnings that beat analysts' forecasts, citing improved performance in its aviation and oil and gas divisions. GE has a broad range of businesses that cover so many parts of the economy, from banking to building nuclear reactors, that investors see its results as a bellwether for how U.S. industry is doing. GE rose 57 cents to $24.82. Textron (TXT), another industrial conglomerate, had the second-biggest gain in the S&P 500 index after its own earnings came in far ahead of what analysts were expecting. Textron rose $2.99, or 9 percent, to $36.65. Overall, the S&P 500's industrial sector rose nearly 2 percent, making it the best performing part of the market. Next week will be one of the busiest periods
Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Chevron Corporation(CVX)
Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
Big oil companies and refiners ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM ) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) will both report earnings in the next two days, and they'll likely face the same challenges as Phillips 66. The difference is that they have much more exposure to oil exploration, which is doing quite well on rising oil prices. This is one of the advantages of investing in big oil companies: They have exposure to both the good and the bad in the market.
Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Visa Inc.(V)
Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]
During the quarter, Visa (V) reported strong year-颅��ver-颅��ear growth with earnings up 14%, as the business continues to operate at a superior level ��very much in-颅��ine with the past several years. Visa has been a core holding for our clients since October 2008 and rarely has a year gone by without the Company and its partners having to contend with lawsuits and legislation aimed at limiting pricing power and 4 distribution. 2014 is no exception, though most of the news has been favorable, with a ruling for "no change" to Visa's exclusivity for high-颅��alue signature transactions. We continue to see Visa's pricing power as being derived from VisaNet's superior value proposition relative to substitutes, particularly paper-颅��based payments, automated clearinghouse (ACH), and more recently, "cryptocurrencies" (e.g. Bitcoin). While these emerging payment platforms, including PayPal and Square, represent very legitimate substitutes to traditional interchange, in our view they are not quite "good enough," as evidenced by merchant acceptance that is largely sequestered to small businesses. While we have been net sellers of Visa over the past 18 months, it has been solely due to valuation ��our primary tool for risk management at Wedgewood. We believe Visa will continue to maintain its superior competitive positioning, as competitors find it difficult to achieve the network-颅��ffect benefits that have compounded the value proposition of VisaNet, particularly as acceptance and issuance of the Visa brand continues to expand.From David Rolfe (Trades, Portfolio)'s Wedgewood Partners first quarter 2014 commentary.
Also check out: David Rolfe Undervalued Stocks David Rolfe Top Growth Companies David Rolfe High Yield stocks, and Stocks that David Rolfe keeps buying
Currently 0.00/512345Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes)
- [By Wallace Witkowski]
This will be a ��ow-a-day��week of quarterly results with Merck & Co. (MRK) �on Monday, Pfizer Inc. (PFE) �on Tuesday, Visa Inc. (V) �on Wednesday, Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) �on Thursday, and Chevron Corp. (CVX) �on Friday.
- [By Kyial Robinson]
What will they do next?
(Photo Credit) Visa Previous 1/6 Next Visa (NYSE: V) is also taking action in France, reducing cash-machine fees and cutting credit card processing fees for transactions. - [By Selena Maranjian]
Visa (NYSE: V ) saw its global brand value surge 46%, to $56 billion. The company is extremely global, operating in more than 200 nations, and it's poised to profit as more and more people and businesses shift from cash transactions to electronic ones. Its presence in emerging markets is also a good thing to see among stock picks, as such economies are growing rapidly -- and for Visa, that means more people beginning to use plastic for purchases. Meanwhile, our recovering economy is leading to an uptick in credit payments. The fast-growing company's forward P/E is 21, well below its five-year average of 41. Visa is far bigger than its rivals, although�MasterCard�is doing particularly well globally.
Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)
Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonas Elmerraji]
As the world's second largest tobacco company, Philip Morris International (PM) is the prototypical sin stock. It boasts recognizable brands, a sticky customer base, and a hefty dividend payout -- and the payout looks due for a dividend hike. As I write, Philip Morris International currently pays out a 85 cents each quarter, adding up to a 4.05% yield.
Philip Morris owns almost 30% of the world's tobacco market. And much of that success is thanks to a single iconic brand: Marlboro. The firm has owned Marlboro (as well as second-tier names such as L&M and Parliament) internationally ever since Altria (MO) split up its international and domestic operations. Between the two markets, PM owns the more attractive franchise by far. After all, the international market is the only one that's actually growing.
While the U.S. market for tobacco products is rife with regulation and demographic shifts are turning away from smoking, international tobacco sales are up -- especially in emerging markets. Premium positioning in markets like India, China and Indonesia translates into substantial cash flows for PM investors. And while the strength of the dollar has been a challenge post-2008, the potential for a Fed taper could strengthen this stock's payout in 2013.
- [By Albert Alfonso]
Altria's anticipated EPS growth rate is important to determine the level of its next dividend increase. Altria aims to increase its dividend in line with EPS growth. Since its 2008 spin-off of Philip Morris International (PM), Altria's dividend increases have averaged a CAGR of 8.7%. Also during this timeframe, Altria has averaged a dividend payout ratio of 80%. Altria has a long history of dividend increases, and has increased its dividend 46 times in the past 44 years.
- [By Rupert Hargreaves]
After a�record�first half, tobacco stocks are now starting to pull back as the high-yield sector of the market is sold-off. During the first six and a half months of the year, Altria (NYSE: MO ) matched the S&P 500 with gains of 17.5%, while�Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI ) �climbed 24% and Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM ) �advanced�7.3%, all excluding dividends (the S&P 500 gained 18% over the same period). However, since the recent sell-off began, all three companies have wiped out most of their gains so far this year.��
- [By GuruFocus]
The decade low yield of tobacco stocks can be clearly seen from our new interactive charts, which are embedded below. The chart shows the dividend yield of three tobacco stocks: Reynolds American (RAI), Philip Morris International (PM) and British American Tobacco (BTI).
Top 10 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)
McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Top Headline
McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.McDonald's quarterly earnings rose to $1.397 billion, or $1.40 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $1.396 billion, or $1.38 per share.
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