Headlines Hide the Good News in Earnings
Despite some headline grabbing disappointments, earnings season is actually off to a good start. About one-fifth of the companies in the S&P 500 index have reported earnings, and 66.4% have beaten estimates. Over the past four quarters, 64.6% of companies have beaten estimates on average. We are still weeks away from knowing what the number will ultimately be for this quarter, but it is a promising start.
Headlines have been focused on the companies that have come in below expectations. That list includes Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). INTC fell 3.6% for the week, MSFT was down 12%, and GOOG was off 2.9%. These losses weighed down PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: QQQ), which lost 0.9% last week.
Other than tech stocks, the broad market did well as SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) gained 1% last week. Investors have been buying about $1 billion worth of SPY a day so far this month. They have actually been buying almost all equity ETFs, with money flowing into funds four times faster than average.
5 Best India Stocks To Buy Right Now: PIMCO Global StocksPLUS & Income Fund (PGP)
PIMCO Global StocksPLUS & Income Fund (the Fund) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund invests in equity index derivative instruments relating to United States and non-United States markets, backed by a low-duration (1 to 3 year) debt portfolio with an average credit quality that is investment grade. The Fund's investment manager is Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC, which is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Allianz Global.
The Fund intends to gain substantially all of its equity index exposure by investing in equity index derivatives based on the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index), and the Morgan Stanley Capital International Europe, Australasia, Far East Index (the MSCI EAFE Index). Substantially all of the Fund's assets will be invested in a portfolio of income producing debt securities and debt-related derivative securities.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
Note that the partnerships that have chosen to pay taxes as corporations are almost exclusively engaged in marine transportation. Outside of this category, the only publicly traded partnership that has chosen corporate taxation is Plains GP Holding (NYSE: PGP), the general partner for Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE: PAA).
10 Best US Stocks To Invest In 2014: Kohl's Corporation(KSS)
Kohl?s Corporation operates department stores in the United States. The company?s stores offer private and exclusive, as well as national branded apparel, footwear, and accessories for women, men, and children; soft home products, such as sheets and pillows; and housewares primarily to middle-income customers. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 1,089 stores in 49 states. The company also offers on-line shopping on its Web site at Kohls.com. Kohl?s Corporation was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP ) stock skyrocketed last week after news leaked that�Soros Fund Management had taken a big stake in the struggling retailer. And yes, with Penney selling today for close to book value, and a price-to-sales ratio less than half what rivals Kohl's (NYSE: KSS ) and Macy's (NYSE: M ) charge, you can see what might have attracted George Soros' attention.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
On a relatively quiet day for retailer, shares of J.C. Penney have fallen 3.8% to $6.77, but are still above their recent lows. Kohl���(KSS), meanwhile, has edged up 0.1% to $54.93,�Macy���(M) has risen 0.4% to $44.72 and�Sears Holdings�(SHLD) has gained 0.6% to $55.97.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), Macy�� Inc. (NYSE: M), Kohl�� Corp. (NYSE: KSS), and Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) have all already reported poor quarterly results that barely met expectations in most cases. There�� no reason to expect anything substantially different this week, except perhaps from Home Depot, which has history of being cautious with its estimates.
- [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
Alamy You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From the release of a new video game console to an earnings report out of the world's largest retailer, here are some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Host in the Machine: Most Internet users take web-hosting for granted, but leading websites and apps wouldn't be available if it wasn't for the growing fleet of servers manned by companies specializing in getting websites up and running. Rackspace (RAX) is a market darling among web hosts, and on Monday it will serve up its latest financials. This has become a competitive market as providers aim to host websites and cloud computing solutions. The end result is that analysts see Rackspace growing its revenue by a hearty 15 percent, but they also see profitability declining during the quarter. Tuesday -- KFC in China: Yum! Brands (YUM) is the parent company behind the fast food team of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. A surprisingly large portion of Yum! Brands' business in recent years has come from expanding its chicken chain in China. But the market has been challenging lately. Same-store sales for Chinese KFC locations plunged 14 percent in its latest quarter. As a result of its poor performance in the world's most populous nation, Yum! Brands is temporarily offering monthly same-store sales updates. It will offer an update on how October went on Tuesday after the market close. Wednesday -- Panic at the Cisco: It may seem like a long time ago, but there was a brief moment in time -- just before the dot-com bubble popped -- that Cisco (CSCO) commanded the largest market capitalization in the country. The Internet was all the rage with investors, and Cisco was the leading provider of routers, switches, and other networking gear that kept the whole web connected. The past few years have been volatile for Cisco, with the tech bellwet
10 Best US Stocks To Invest In 2014: US Ecology Inc.(ECOL)
US Ecology, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste treatment, disposal, recycling, and transportation services to commercial and government entities in the United States. The company offers treatment and disposal services for radioactive, hazardous, polychlorinated biphenyl, and non-hazardous industrial wastes. Its customers include oil refineries, chemical production facilities, manufacturers, electric utilities, steel mills, biotechnology companies, military installations, waste brokers/aggregators, and medical and academic institutions. The company was formerly known as American Ecology Corporation and changed its name to US Ecology, Inc. in February 2010. US Ecology, Inc. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
US Ecology (Nasdaq: ECOL ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on April 25. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict US Ecology's revenues will increase 20.4% and EPS will grow 19.0%. - [By Damian Illia]
As we can see, the firm has a higher ROE than Amrep Corporation (AXR) but is well below the one registered by US Ecology Inc. (ECOL) and Cintas Corporation (CTAS).
- [By Lauren Pollock]
Among the stocks to watch in Monday’s session are US Ecology Inc.(ECOL), Akamai, and Dow Chemical Co.(DOW)
US Ecology again raised its earnings guidance for the year, pointing to strong volumes and accelerated project shipments, but warned its results for next year may take a hit as a result. The company, which provides waste- management and recycling services, also outlined plans to offer about $100 million in stock. Shares dropped 10% to $34.51 premarket.
10 Best US Stocks To Invest In 2014: Dollar General Corporation(DG)
Dollar General Corporation operates as a discount retailer of general merchandise in the southern, southwestern, midwestern, and eastern United States. The company offers consumables, including paper towels, bath tissue, paper dinnerware, trash and storage bags, laundry, and other home cleaning supplies; packaged food and perishables; beverages and snacks, such as candies, cookies, crackers, salty snacks, and carbonated beverages; over-the-counter medicines and personal care products; and pet supplies and pet food products. It also provides seasonal products consisting of decorations, toys, batteries, small electronics, greeting cards, stationery, prepaid cell phones and accessories, gardening supplies, hardware, and automotive and home office supplies; home products comprising kitchen supplies, cookware, small appliances, light bulbs, storage containers, frames, candles, craft supplies, and bed and bath soft goods; and apparel products, such as casual everyday apparel for infants, toddlers, girls, boys, women and men, as well as offers socks, underwear, disposable diapers, shoes, and accessories. In addition, the company holds a license to Bobbie Brooks clothing, as well as the Fisher Price brand for various items of children's clothing. As of May 25, 2011, it operates approximately 9,500 stores in 35 states. The company was formerly known as J.L. Turner & Son, Inc. and changed its name to Dollar General Corporation in 1968. Dollar General Corporation was founded in 1939 and is based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Chulak]
Haven�� you ever wanted to know whether Warren Buffett shops at Walmart (WMT) and Dollar General (DG) or whether he uses Geico insurance? I know a great new product is coming to the market, but has Bill Gates been using an iPhone? Does Michael Dell use Dell (DELL) products? Does Exxon (XOM) CEO Rex Tillerson wear a ski mask if he�� low on gas and has to pull into a Shell (RDS.A) oil gas station? Does anyone in the Walton family actually shop at Walmart? Do they ever go into a Whole Foods (WFM) or Kroger (KR)? These questions, as slightly humorous as they may be, may actually be more important to know than some of the nonsense that gets delivered to us through Wall Street.
- [By Rick Munarriz]
Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) shares took a 9% hit the day it reported uninspiring quarterly results last week. The deep discounter lowered its guidance for the balance of the fiscal year. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) and Target (NYSE: TGT ) disappointed investors last month, surprising the market with negative same-store sales for the period.
- [By Reuters]
Joshua Lott/Getty Images NEW YORK -- Several major U.S. retailers posted disappointing sales for November after cautious shoppers pinched their pennies at the start of a shorter holiday season. Some of the companies that reported sales gains ramped up bargains to bring in shoppers who appeared hesitant to splurge. Costco Wholesale (COST) said Thursday that sales at stores open at least a year rose 2 percent, below the 3.3 percent increase analysts were looking for, according to Thomson Reuters. The warehouse club chain said consumer electronics sales fell. Same-store sales at L Brands (LTD), owner of the Victoria's Secret lingerie chain, also came in below expectations. Its drop of 5.5 percent was far deeper than the 1.1 percent decline analysts were projecting. Wall Street analysts are expecting 11 top retailers to report a 2.7 percent increase in same-store sales for November, according to Thomson Reuters. Excluding drugstore operators, which get two-thirds of revenue from prescriptions, that gain is estimated at 2.3 percent. Gap (GPS) will report its November sales after U.S. markets close. Retailers have been contending with low consumer confidence and the need to prod shoppers with bargains this holiday season, which has six fewer days because of a late Thanksgiving. The National Retail Federation on Sunday said U.S. shoppers had spent 2.9 percent less this year over the Thanksgiving weekend, the kickoff to the holiday season. The Conference Board, an industry group, said last week that U.S. consumer confidence fell in November after a sharp drop in October as Americans worried about their future jobs and earnings prospects. Earlier this week, J.C. Penney (JCP) reported a 10.1 percent comparable sales increase, partially reversing a disastrous decline in 2012, but the department store chain had to resort to aggressive bargains. The "environment will remain as competitive" through the holiday season, Chief Executive Officer Myron Ullman said. I
- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Murray Close, Warner Bros./AP From a major banking institution kicking off the new earnings season to the most-anticipated theme park debut of the year staging its grand opening, here are some things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Food for Thought The market's going to get off to a slow start on the news front. That's not a surprise given that it was closed Friday for Independence Day. One company that will be in the news on Monday is food and industrial products maker Penford (PENX). Penford's wide range of products include food ingredients, pet and animal products, sustainable bioproducts, starches for paper and packaging products and biofuels. Analysts see Penford earning 21 cents a share, but keep in mind that it has come up short against Wall Street expectations in each of the three previous quarters. Tuesday -- Harry Potter Central Florida will be a bit busier than usual on Tuesday when Comcast's (CMCSK) Universal Orlando has its grand opening of the new Diagon Alley expansion to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's been a rough start. July 8 wasn't the opening date that the park originally wanted, judging by the fact that it had "The Tonight Show" and "Today" run weeklong tie-ins a few weeks ago. Conveniently for Comcast, it owns both the Universal theme parks and NBC. However, with the expansion's indoor coaster proving unreliable -- and even Universal pass holders being denied early access to attractions outside of the new Hogwarts Express train ride -- it could be an interesting debut. The crowds should be huge, the expectations lofty. Wednesday -- Mopping Up WD-40 (WDFC) reports on Wednesday afternoon. This is the company behind the multi-use lubricant. It also offers industrial cleaners, toilet sanitizers and other compounds. WD-40 didn't work out for its shareholders last time out. It posted better than expected 9 percent growth in revenue, but earnings fell just short of expectations. WD-4
10 Best US Stocks To Invest In 2014: Weir Group PLC (WEIR)
The Weir Group PLC is engaged in engineering businesses. It operates in three segments: Minerals, Oil and Gas, and Power and Industrial. The Minerals segment provides slurry handling equipment and associated aftermarket support for abrasive high wear applications used in the mining and oil sands markets. The Oil & Gas segment provides products and service solutions to upstream, production, transportation, refining and related industries. The Power & Industrial segment designs and manufactures valves, pumps and turbines as well as providing specialist support services to the global power generation, industrial and oil and gas sectors. The Company�� subsidiaries include American Hydro Corporation, EnviroTech Pumpsystems Inc, Gema Industrigummi AB, Linatex Rubber Products Sdn Bhd and Mesa Manufacturing Inc. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Inyoung Hwang]
Weir Group Plc (WEIR) added 1.6 percent to 2,239 pence, the highest price in almost two months. The U.K.�� largest supplier of pressure pumps was raised to buy from hold at Berenberg Bank.
10 Best US Stocks To Invest In 2014: SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF (XES)
SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Exchange Traded Fund (The Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before expenses, the performance of an index derived from the oil and gas equipment and services segment of a United States total market composite index. The Fund uses a passive management strategy designed to track the total return performance of the S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Select Industry Index (the Oil & Gas Equipment Index).
The Oil & Gas Equipment Index represents the oil and gas equipment and services sub-industry portion of the S&P Total Market Index (TMI). The S&P TMI tracks all the United States common stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), American Stock Exchange (AMEX), National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (NASDAQ) National Market and NASDAQ Small Cap exchanges.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dr. Kent Moors]
I have periodically recommended to Energy Advantageand Energy Inner Circlemembers two standouts in this sector - the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment and Services ETF (NYSEArca: XES) and the Market Vectors Oil Service Holders ETF (NYSE MKT: OIH).
10 Best US Stocks To Invest In 2014: Platinum Group Metals Ltd (PLG)
Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (Platinum Group) is a platinum focused exploration and development company conducting work on mineral properties it has staked or acquired by way of option agreements in the Republic of South Africa and in Canada. The Company conducts its South African exploration and development work through its wholly owned direct subsidiary, Platinum Group Metals (RSA) (Proprietary) Limited (PTM RSA). PTM RSA holds the Company�� interests in the Project 1 platinum mine (Project 1) and Project 3. PTM RSA also holds 100% of Wesplats Holding (Proprietary) Limited (Wesplats), and a 37% interest in Wildebeest Platinum (Pty) Limited (Wildebeest), a company set up to hold prospecting rights for the exploration joint venture between the Company and Sable Platinum Mining (Pty) Ltd. (Sable) and Umnotho NREF Joint Venture. In September 2011, it purchased the Providence Copper-Nickel-Cobalt-Platinum Group Metals (Cu-Ni-Co-PGM) property from Arctic Star Exploration (Arctic Star). Advisors' Opinion:- [By Zacks Investment Research]
Investors hoping for a turnaround in precious metals prices and looking for exposure to precious metals miners could consider Platinum Group Metals (PLG), currently ranked #2 (Buy) by Zacks.
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