Is the burden of compliance high on the list of your complaints?
If so, then financial advisors — most typically small-business owners — will find they have much in common with small-business owners as varied as painters, math tutors and DJs, who ranked the ease of regulatory compliance as the No. 1 issue across some dozen metrics in rating their state and city’s business friendliness.
The third annual Thumbtack.com Small Business Friendliness Survey, which purports to be the largest small-business survey of its kind, asked 12,632 small-business owners to rate their state and metropolitan area’s responsiveness on the issues of greatest importance to them.
Regulatory issues such as the ease of meeting professional licensing requirements consistently ranked highest, notably above tax rates, which most survey respondents did not overly lament, saying rather that they were paying their “fair share.”
The survey, conducted in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, drew its audience from businesses providing services on the Thumbtack site, which seeks to match consumers with professionals that can perform their desired projects.
Top 5 Growth Companies For 2015: Home Loan Servicing Solutions Ltd (HLSS)
Home Loan Servicing Solutions, Ltd, incorporated on December 1, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is formed to acquire mortgage servicing assets, primarily subprime and Alt-A mortgage servicing rights and associated servicing advances. The Company will engage residential mortgage loan servicers to service the pools of mortgage loans underlying the mortgage servicing rights. The Company acquire and therefore do not intend to develop its own mortgage servicing platform.
The Company is focused to enter into the subservicing agreement to provide for the servicing of the initial mortgage servicing rights for an initial term of seven years. As of December 31, 2010, The Company had neither purchased nor contracted to purchase any mortgage servicing assets, including mortgage servicing rights and related servicing advances.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Sterman]
Although shares of Boulder Brands (Nasdaq: BDBD) are up more than 60% since then, Home Loan Servicing (Nasdaq: HLSS) has merely treaded water while Swift Energy has continued its downward ascent.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Home Loan Servicing Solutions (NASDAQ: HLSS ) is servicing its capital base with a new share offering that should total nearly $300 million. The company is floating 13 million shares of its stock in an underwritten public issue at a price of $23 per share. All told, the gross proceeds of the offering should amount to roughly $299 million.
Top Consumer Stocks To Own Right Now: Hillshire Brands Co (HSH)
The Hillshire Brands Company, incorporated on September 4, 1941, is a manufacturer and marketer of food products. The Company�� portfolio includes brands, such as Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, State Fair, Sara Lee frozen bakery and Chef Pierre pies, as well as artisanal brands Aidells and Gallo Salame. The Company operates in two segments: Retail and Foodservice/Other. Retail sells a variety of packaged meat and frozen bakery products to retail customers in North America. Foodservice/other sells a variety of meat and bakery products to foodservice customers in North America. On February 4, 2013, the Company completed the sale of its Australian bakery business.
Retail
Products in the retail segments include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, breakfast convenience items, including breakfast sandwiches and bowls, dinner sausages, deli and luncheon meats and cooked hams, as well as frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes and other desserts. The Company�� brands include Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farm, State Fair and Sara Lee, as well as artisanal brands Aidells and Gallo Salame. The sales of the Retail business are generated in the United States Sales are made in the retail channel to supermarkets, warehouse clubs and national chains. Retail�� business accounted for 74% of the Company�� sales during the fiscal year ended June 29, 2013 (fiscal 2013).
Foodservice/Other
Products in the foodservice/other segment include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages and sandwiches, dinner sausages, deli and luncheon meats, ham, beef and turkey, as well as a variety of bakery products, including pastries, muffins, frozen pies, cakes and cheesecakes. Sales are made in the foodservice channel to distributors, restaurants, hospitals and other large institutions. Foodservice/Other�� business accounted for 26% of the Company�� sales in fiscal 2013.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jeremy Bowman]
Elsewhere, Hillshire Brands� (NYSE: HSH ) �jumped 5% as Tyson Foods� (NYSE: TSN ) �appears to have won its bidding war with Pilgrim's Pride�for the parent of Jimmy Dean sausages, as Pilgrim's Pride withdrew its proposal following Tyson's latest offer. The nation's No. 1 poultry producer said it will pay $7.7 billion for Hillshire, or $63 a share. Hillshire has not formally accepted the bid, but the acquisition seems inevitable given that Tyson is the only remaining suitor. Notably, Tyson shares fell 6.5%, a sign that investors believe the poultry-maker is overpaying for the parent of Ball Park franks. Hillshire shares, meanwhile, have gained nearly 70% since offering to buy Pinnacle Foods, which sparked the bidding war between Pilgrim's and Tyson to acquire it.
- [By Matt Thalman]
And finally, Hormel. The stock fell after the CEO of Hillshire Brands (NYSE: HSH ) said that his company will look to make some acquisitions in the coming year and focus more on chicken products as consumers begin to demand healthier options. It is clear that the competition will continue to intensify for Hormel in the coming months and years and, as Hillshire is still a smaller company, it could change very quickly if the acquisition-happy CEO goes on a shopping spree. With many of these food brands, it is all about shelf space and location within a store and, more times than not, the bigger the player, the better the location. Hormel investors shouldn't be overly concerned today, but need to watch how things play out in the future. �
Top Consumer Stocks To Own Right Now: Physicians Formula Holdings Inc.(FACE)
Physicians Formula Holdings, Inc. develops, markets, and sells cosmetic and skin care products for the mass market channel. Its cosmetic products include face powders, bronzers, concealers, blushes, foundations, eye shadows, eyeliners, mascaras, and brow makeup; and skin care products comprise cleansers, moisturizers, and treatments. Physicians Formula Holdings, Inc. sells its products to various retailers in the food retail, drug chain, mass volume, specialty retail, and wholesale channels in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, El Salvador, and Panama. The company, formerly known as PFI Holdings Corp., was founded in 2003 and is based in Azusa, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Physicians Formula Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:FACE) reported that it has received an unsolicited, nonbinding proposal to acquire all its outstanding shares of common stock at a price of $4.90 per share, subject to several conditions, including the completion of due diligence and securing of financing commitments by the third party who submitted the proposal and the negotiation of a mutually acceptable definitive agreement
Top Consumer Stocks To Own Right Now: Stanley Furniture Company Inc.(STLY)
Stanley Furniture Company, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and imports wood furniture products for the residential market. It offers a line of adult furniture products comprising dining, bedroom, home office, home entertainment, and accent items under the Stanley Furniture brand name; and children?s furniture product line under the brand name of Young America. The company provides its products under various design categories, including traditional, continental, contemporary, transitional, and cottage designs. Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. sells its furniture products through independent sales representatives to independent furniture stores, interior designers, smaller specialty retailers, regional furniture chains, buying clubs, and e-tailers in the United States. Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is based in High Point, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Stanley Furniture Co (NASDAQ: STLY) is estimated to post a Q3 loss at $0.11 per share on revenue of $25.32 million.
Posted-In: Earnings scheduleEarnings News Pre-Market Outlook Markets
- [By Laura Brodbeck]
Monday
Earnings Releases Expected: Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: STLY), Wintrust Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: WTFC) Economic Releases Expected: Swiss PPI, eurozone industrial productionTuesday
- [By Anna Prior]
Stanley Furniture Co.(STLY) said it will close a North Carolina factory that manufactures its Young America brand, shifting operations to its growing Stanley line. The move will delay the company’s first-quarter report until after the market closes on April 30 as the company evaluates restructuring charges. Shares dropped 4.8% to $2.60 premarket.
- [By Tom Bemis]
Few major companies are reporting after Monday�� bell. Results are expected from Destiny Media Technologies (DSNY) �, Stanley Furniture Co. (STLY) � and Peregrine Pharmaceuticals. (PPHM) �.
Top Consumer Stocks To Own Right Now: Montalvo Spirits Inc (TQLA)
Montalvo Spirits Inc., incorporated on November 18, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company develops, markets and distributes alcoholic beverages with initial offering being the Montalvo Tequila, primarily in the United States. The Company sells its products through a network of spirits distributors, who are licensed to distribute alcoholic beverages throughout the United States. The Company intends to focus on growing the market share of its initial products, the ultra-premium Montalvo line of tequilas, whose expressions include Plata, Reposado, Anejo and Extra-Anejo. The Company owns the Montalvo brand trademark and have exclusive worldwide master distribution rights to the brands.
The Company�� portfolio of alcoholic beverage brands includes additional spirits categories, as well as beer and wine, through additional importation and distribution contracts of existing brands. In addition, the Company may choose to develop new brands or acquire existing companies with their own brand portfolios. The Company�� subsidiary, Casa Montalvo, has an exclusive worldwide distribution agreement with Destilidora Huerta Real, S.A. de C.V., the producers of Montalvo Tequila. Montalvo, an ultra-premium tequila brand, is a handcrafted, formulated tequila produced from blue agave plants from the Lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Montalvo is available in four expressions: Plata, Reposado, Anejo and Extra-Anejo.
The Company competes with Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A., Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Beam Inc., Remy Cointreau S.A. and Constellation Brands, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, TQLA surged (+10.80%) up +0.042 at $.431 with 1,344,844 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:09PM EDT� September 24, 2013).
Montalvo Spirits, Inc. previously reported they have entered into a sales and marketing agreement with Prestige International Exports, LLC (“Prestige”). Prestige will represent the Montalvo Spirits portfolio brands in certain international markets, as well as provide sales and marketing support for Montalvo Tequila and Broken Heart Gin throughout the state of California, and will assist the Company in attempting to secure distribution in additional markets in the U.S.
Top Consumer Stocks To Own Right Now: AptarGroup Inc. (ATR)
AptarGroup, Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of consumer product dispensing systems in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. The company operates in three segments: Beauty + Home, Pharma, and Food + Beverage. The Beauty + Home segment primarily sells pumps, closures, aerosol valves, and accessories to the personal care and household markets, as well as pumps and decorative components to the fragrance/cosmetic market; and fragrance/cosmetic and personal care fine mist spray pumps, personal care lotion pumps, and continuous spray aerosol valves. The Pharma segment provides pumps for nasal allergy treatments; and metered dose inhaler valves for respiratory ailments in pharmaceutical market. The Food + Beverage segment offers dispensing and non-dispensing closures, spray pumps, and aerosol valves to the food and beverage markets. AptarGroup, Inc. sells its products through sales force, independent representatives, and distributors. The c ompany was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
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 AptarGroup (NYSE: ATR ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Seth Jayson]
When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to AptarGroup (NYSE: ATR ) .
Top Consumer Stocks To Own Right Now: Kellogg Co (K)
Kellogg Company (Kellogg), incorporated in 1922, is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of ready-to-eat cereal and convenience foods. Kellogg�� principal products are ready-to-eat cereals and convenience foods, such as cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles and veggie foods. As of February 28, 2012, these products were, manufactured by the Company in 17 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries. It also markets cookies, crackers, and other convenience foods, under brands, such as Kellogg��, Keebler, Cheez-It, Murray, Austin and Famous Amos, to supermarkets in the United States. Its cereal products are generally marketed under the Kellogg�� name and are sold principally to the grocery trade through direct sales forces for resale to consumers. Effective June 1, 2012, Procter & Gamble Co announced that it has completed the sale of its Pringles business to Kellogg.
As of February 28, 2012, Kellogg operated manufacturing plants and distribution and warehousing facilities totaling more than 30 million square feet of building area in the United States and other countries. Its manufacturing facilities in the United States include four cereal plants and warehouses located in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Memphis, Tennessee; Omaha, Nebraska and other plants or facilities in San Jose, California; Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, and Rome, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Seelyville, Indiana; Kansas City, Kansas; Florence, Louisville, and Pikeville, Kentucky; Grand Rapids and Wyoming, Michigan; Blue Anchor, New Jersey; Cary and Charlotte, North Carolina; Cincinnati, West Jefferson, and Zanesville, Ohio; Muncy, Pennsylvania; Rossville, Tennessee; Clearfield, Utah; and Allyn, Washington. As of February 28, 2012, outside the United States, the Company had, additional manufacturing locations, some with warehousing facilities, in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Great Britain, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, S! outh Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand and Venezuela.
The Company�� trademarks include Kellogg�� for cereals, convenience foods and its other products, and the brand names of certain ready-to-eat cereals, including All-Bran, Apple Jacks, Bran Buds, Cinnamon Crunch Crispix, Choco Zucaritas, Cocoa Krispies, Complete, Kellogg�� Corn Flakes, Corn Pops, Cracklin��Oat Bran, Crispix, Cruncheroos, Crunchmania, Crunchy Nut, Eggo, Kellogg�� FiberPlus, Froot Loops, Kellogg�� Frosted Flakes, Kellogg�� Krave, Frosted Krispies, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Fruit Harvest, Just Right, Kellogg�� Low Fat Granola, Mueslix, Pops, Product 19, Kellogg�� Raisin Bran, Raisin Bran Crunch, Rice Krispies, Rice Krispies Treats, Smacks/Honey Smacks, Smart Start, Kellogg�� Smorz, Special K, Special K Red Berries and Zucaritas in the United States and elsewhere; Crusli, Sucrilhos, Vector, Musli, NutriDia, and Choco Krispis for cereals in Latin America. Vive and Vector are brands in Canada; Coco Pops, Chocos, Frosties, Fruit�� Fibre, Kellogg�� Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes, Honey Loops, Kellogg�� Extra, Sustain, Muslix, Country Store, Ricicles, Smacks, Start, Pops, Optima and Tresor for cereals in Europe; and Cerola, Sultana Bran, Chex, Frosties, Goldies, Rice Bubbles, Nutri-Grain, Kellogg�� Iron Man Food, and BeBig for cereals in Asia and Australia. In additional, the Company trademarks are the names of certain combinations of ready-to-eat Kellogg�� cereals, including Fun Pak, Jumbo, and Variety.
Other Company brand names include Kellogg�� Corn Flake Crumbs; All-Bran, Choco Krispis, Froot Loops, Special K, NutriDia, Kuadri-Krispis, Zucaritas and Crusli for cereal bars, Komplete for biscuits; and Kaos for snacks in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America; Pop-Tarts and Pop-Tarts Ice Cream Shoppe for toaster pastries; Pop-Tarts Mini Crisps for crackers; Eggo, Eggo FiberPlus and Nutri-Grain for frozen waffles and pancakes; Rice Krispies Treats for baked snacks and convenience foods; Special K! and Spec! ial K2O for flavored protein water mixes and protein shakes, and Nutri-Grain cereal bars, Nutri-Grain yogurt bars, for convenience foods in the United States and elsewhere. Brands like K-Time, Rice Bubbles, Day Dawn, Be Natural, Sunibrite and LCMs for convenience foods in Asia and Australia; Nutri-Grain Squares, Nutri-Grain Elevenses, and Rice Krispies Squares for convenience foods in Europe; Kashi and GoLean for certain cereals, nutrition bars, and mixes; TLC for granola and cereal bars, crackers and cookies; Special K and Vector for meal replacement products; Bear Naked for granola cereal, bars and trail mix and Morningstar Farms, Loma Linda, Natural Touch, Gardenburger and Worthington for certain meat and egg alternatives. It also markets convenience foods under trademarks and trade names, which include Keebler, Austin, Keebler Baker�� Treasures, Cheez-It, Chips Deluxe, Club, E. L. Fudge, Famous Amos, Fudge Shoppe, Kellogg�� FiberPlus, Gripz, Jack��, Jackson��, Krispy, Mother��, Murray, Murray Sugar Free, Ready Crust, Right Bites, Sandies, Special K, Soft Batch, Stretch Island, Sunshine, Toasteds, Town House, Vienna Creams, Vienna Fingers, Wheatables and Zesta.
The Company�� trademarks also include logos and depictions of certain animated characters in conjunction with its products, including Snap!Crackle!Pop! for Cocoa Krispies and Rice Krispies cereals and Rice Krispies Treats convenience foods; Tony the Tiger for Kellogg�� Frosted Flakes, Zucaritas, Sucrilhos and Frosties cereals and convenience foods, and Ernie Keebler for cookies, convenience foods and other products. It also includes the Hollow Tree logo for certain convenience foods; Toucan Sam for Froot Loops cereal; Dig ��m for Smacks/Honey Smacks cereal; Sunny for Kellogg�� Raisin Bran and Raisin Bran Crunch cereals, Coco the Monkey for Coco Pops cereal; Cornelius for Kellogg�� Corn Flakes; Melvin the Elephant for certain cereal and convenience foods, and Chocos the Bear, Sammy the Seal (aka Smaxey the Seal! ) for cer! tain cereal products.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Paul Ausick]
Big Earnings Movers: Kellogg Co. (NYSE: K) is up 0.7% at $62.72 after announcing a restructuring program. CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CME) is down 1.2% at $73.77 after reporting earnings this morning. Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is up 7.7% at $43.79.
- [By Suravi Thacker]
Food industry is one of the safest options to invest in since food can never be out of vogue. Moreover, even snack making industry is quite a lucrative one with some of the prominent players being Kellogg (K), Mondelez International (MDLZ) and J&J Snack Foods (JJSF). However, it is important to understand which among these will be the best pick for any investor.
- [By Pratik Thacker]
The food industry is going through an innovative phase where new and healthy products are taking the place of older ones. This is especially true for affluent consumers who have been shifting to healthier breakfast options such as smoothies and Greek yogurt. This change in preference has affected cereal retailers such as General Mills (NYSE: GIS ) and Kellogg (NYSE: K ) .
- [By Dividends4Life]
Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. Avg. High Yield Price
2. 20-Year DCF Price
3. Avg. P/E Price
4. Graham Number
NUE is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 85.8% premium to its calculated fair value of $28.51. NUE did not earn any Stars in this section.
Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. Free Cash Flow Payout
2. Debt To Total Capital
3. Key Metrics
4. Dividend Growth Rate
5. Years of Div. Growth
6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%
NUE earned one Star in this section for 2.) above. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1973 and has increased its dividend payments for 40 consecutive years.
Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. NPV MMA Diff.
2. Years to > MMA
The negative NPV MMA Diff. means that on a NPV basis the dividend earnings from an investment in NUE would be less than a similar amount invested in MMA earning a 20-year average rate of 3.68%. If NUE grows its dividend at 0.7% per year, it will never equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.68%.
Memberships and Peers: NUE is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers
No comments:
Post a Comment