Is there a bond bubble? Maybe. Treasury yields are near record lows. The iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond (NYSEMKT: HYG ) ETF yields 6.4%. There's little room for error. The big returns of the past are now almost certainly a thing of the past.
But the word "bubble" can be dangerous. It implies an imminent pop, which is never a sure thing. Investors thought Japanese bonds were in a bubble in the early 1990s. Twenty years later, interest rates are still stuck to the floor.
Last week I asked Charles Schwab chief investment strategist Liz Ann Sonders what she thought of the bond bubble talk. Here's what she had to say (transcript follows):
Sonders: The view from our fixed-income group has been lower for longer. Yes, you are probably well past the major, major tailwind of a 30-year decline in inflation and interest rates, but that doesn't necessarily mean it looks like a V on the upside, as long as we have the Fed in the position that it's in, which is not only keeping rates low on the short end, but buying on the long end and very little reason in the very near term why they should stop that.
Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Invest In 2015: Hubbell Inc (HUBB)
Hubbell Incorporated (Hubbell), incorporated in 1905, is engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of electrical and electronic products for a range of non-residential and residential construction, industrial and utility applications. Products are either sourced complete, manufactured or assembled by subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the People�� Republic of China, Italy, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Australia. Hubbell also participates in joint ventures in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and maintains sales offices in Singapore, China, Mexico, South Korea and countries in the Middle East. It operates in two segments: Electrical segment and the Power segment. The Electrical segment consists of electrical systems products and lighting products. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it acquired two product lines. The first product line acquired consists of grounding, bonding and cable management solutions with renewable energy applications, while the second product line consists of fire pump control panels. The Company has several operations located outside of the United States. These operations manufacture, assemble and/or market Hubbell products and service both the Electrical and Power segments.
Electrical Segment
The Electrical segment consists of businesses that sell stock and custom products, including standard and special application wiring device products, rough-in electrical products, connector and grounding products, lighting fixtures and controls, as well as other electrical equipment. The products are used in and around industrial, commercial and institutional facilities by electrical contractors, maintenance personnel, electricians and telecommunications companies. In addition, certain businesses design and manufacture a variety of high voltage test and measurement equipment, industrial controls and communication systems used in the non-residential and industrial markets. Many of these products are designed such that they can ! also be used in harsh and hazardous locations where a potential for fire and explosion exists due to the presence of flammable gasses and vapors. Harsh and hazardous products are primarily used in the oil and gas (onshore and offshore) and mining industries. Certain lighting fixtures, wiring devices and electrical products also have residential and utility applications.
These products are primarily sold through electrical and industrial distributors, home centers, retail and hardware outlets, and lighting showrooms. Special application products are sold primarily through wholesale distributors to contractors, industrial customers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). High voltage products are sold primarily by direct sales to customers through its sales engineers. Hubbell maintains a sales and marketing organization to assist users with the application of certain products to their specific requirements, and with architects, engineers, industrial designers, OEMs and electrical contractors for the design of electrical systems to meet the specific requirements of industrial, non-residential and residential users. Hubbell is also represented by sales agents for its lighting fixtures and controls, electrical wiring devices, rough-in electrical products and high voltage products lines.
Hubbell designs, manufactures and sells thousands of wiring and electrical products, which are supplied principally to industrial, non-residential and residential customers. These products include cable reels, cable glands and fittings, connectors and tooling, floor boxes, ground fault devices, wiring devices and accessories, switches and dimmers, pin and sleeve devices, electrical motor controls, and steel and plastic electrical enclosures. Its products also include junction boxes, plugs and receptacles, datacom connectivity and enclosures, speciality communications equipment high voltage test systems and mining communication and controls. These wiring and electrical products are sold under var! ious bran! ds and/or trademarks, including Hubbell, Kellems, Bryant, Burndy, Wejtap, Implo, Raco, Bell, Wiegmann, Killark, Hawke, Chalmit, Victor, GAI-Tronics, Gleason Reel, Haefely, Hipotronics and Austdac.
Hubbell manufactures and sells lighting fixtures and controls for indoor and outdoor applications. The markets served include residential, commercial, institutional and industrial. The Company has a range of light emitting diode (LED)-luminaire products within its portfolio. Hubbell�� variety of lighting products includes canopy light fixtures, emergency lighting/exit signs, specification grade LED fixtures, floodlights and poles, recessed, surface mounted and track fixtures, parking lot/parking garage fixtures, bollards, and bath/vanity fixtures and fans. Its products also include chandeliers, sconces, directionals, fixtures used to illuminate athletic/recreational fields, decorative landscaping fixtures, flourescent fixtures, ceiling fans, site and area lighting fixtures, and occupancy, dimming and daylight harvesting sensors.
These lighting products are sold under various brands and/or trademarks, including Kim Lighting, Sportsliter Solutions, Kurt Versen, Beacon Products, Architectural Area Lighting, Security Lighting Systems, Sterner Lighting, Prescolite, Precision-Paragon [P2], Hubbell Building Automation, Spaulding Lighting and Alera Lighting. Brands and/or trademarks also include Dual-Lite, Progress Lighting and Hubbell Outdoor Lighting.
Power Segment
The Power segment consists of operations that design and manufacture various distribution, transmission, substation and telecommunications products primarily used by the electrical utility industry. In addition, certain of these products are used in the civil construction and transportation industries. Products are sold to distributors and directly to users, such as electric utilities, telecommunication companies, pipeline and mining operations, industrial firms, construction and engineering firms. Pro! ducts inc! lude Arresters, Cutouts and fuse links, lineman tools, hoses and gloves, overhead and pad mounted switches, high voltage bushings, insulators, cable terminations and accessories, formed wire products and splices, taps and connectors. Its products also include grounding equipment, programmable reclosures, sectionalizers, pole line hardware and polymer concrete and fiberglass enclosures and equipment pads.
These products are sold under various brands and/or trademarks, including Ohio Brass, Fargo, Quazite, Electro Composites, Hot Box, Chance, Hubbell, Quadri*sil, USCO, PCORE and Anderson. Brands and/or trademarks also include Polycast, Comcore, CDR and Delmar.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Hubbell (NYSE: HUBB ) reported earnings on April 19. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Hubbell met expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share. - [By Seth Jayson]
Hubbell (NYSE: HUBB ) reported earnings on July 18. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Hubbell met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.
Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: Cardinal Health Inc. (CAH)
Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as a healthcare solutions company that provides health care products and services. The company operates in two segments, Pharmaceutical and Medical. The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, over-the-counter healthcare, specialty pharmaceutical, and consumer products to retail customers, hospitals, and alternate care providers in the United States and Puerto Rico. This segment also operates nuclear pharmacies and cyclotron facilities that prepare and deliver radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear imaging and other procedures in hospitals and clinics; offers third-party logistics support services; franchises retail pharmacies under the Medicine Shoppe and Medicap brands; and provides pharmacy and pharmaceutical repackaging services, as well as other services comprising distribution, inventory management, data/reporting, new product launch support, and contract and chargeback administration. The Medical segment distributes a range of medical, surgical, and laboratory products to hospitals, surgery centers, laboratories, physician offices, and other healthcare providers. This segment also develops, manufactures, and sources medical and surgical products, including sterile and non-sterile procedure kits; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparel; exam and surgical gloves; and fluid suction and collection systems. Its medical and surgical products are sold directly or through third-party distributors in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and the Asia/Pacific region. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Victor Selva]
The company has a very attractive current ratio of 33.03% which is higher than its comps: Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX), Cardinal Health Inc (CAH), Cooper Companies (COO) and Luxottica Group S.p.A. (LUX).
- [By Chad Fraser]
Big Moves Are Reshaping Baxter
Baxter shares have risen 6.8% year-to-date, below the S&P 500�� 7.6% gain. But even though the stock hasn�� caused a lot of buzz with investors, management has made a number of important moves in the past two years.
The first came in late 2012, when the company acquired Gambro AB for US$4.0 billion, marking the biggest acquisition in its 83-year history. Sweden-based Gambro makes dialysis products for patients with acute and chronic kidney disease. The company is the world�� second-largest manufacturer of dialysis machines, after Germany�� Fresenius.
Baxter already had a presence in the dialysis market but mainly focused on in-home equipment, while Gambro�� products are mostly used in clinics.
This is a large and growing market for the company: according to the Baxter, approximately two million people worldwide are on some form of dialysis, and that number is growing by more than 5% annually due to rising rates of diabetes and hypertension.
Another major move came in March, when Baxter announced that it would break itself into two separate firms along the lines of its current divisions; it aims to complete the split in mid-2015.
��he breakup makes sense because the two units have separate profiles, with the medical devices business being more defensive, while the biopharmaceuticals unit grows faster, albeit with greater risk,��wrote Springer.
One of those risks is rising competition. For example, Biogen Idec�� (NasdaqGS: BIIB) Eloctate hemophilia A therapy received FDA approval in June. Eloctate could become a significant competitor to Baxter�� Advate treatment, which controls about 35% of the market. But Advate has the advantage of being well established: it was approved more than a decade ago and is now used in 64 countries.
Eloctate is expected to cost roughly the same as Advate, but it requires fewer injections. Baxter is currently developing a longer- - [By Dividends4Life]
Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:
Company Description: Cardinal Health Inc. is one of the leading wholesale distributors of pharmaceuticals, medical/surgical supplies and related products to a broad range of health care customers.
Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: Biosev SA (BSEV3)
Biosev SA, formerly LDC Bioenergia SA, is a Brazil-based company active in the sugar and energy business. It is primarily engaged in the sugarcane processing. The Company produces sugar and ethanol, and supplies its products to domestic and international markets. Its refined sugar is sold under the Estrela brand name on the Brazilian retail market. The ethanol products comprise: hydrous ethanol, anhydrous ethanol and neutral ethanol. Other products from its plants include animal feed, dry yeast, molasses powder and bioelectricity from sugarcane bagasse. The Company�� customers include Nestle, Coca-Cola, AmBev, Kraft, Dori and Unilever, among others. The Company's production units are present in five Brazilian states: Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lucia Kassai]
Biosev SA (BSEV3), Louis Dreyfus Holding BV�� Brazil unit, tumbled in its debut after giving investors in its initial public offering a money-back guarantee.
Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Invest In 2014: Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund (JFR)
Nuveen Floating Rate Income Fund is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund invests primarily in senior loans whose interest rates float or adjust periodically based on a benchmark interest rate index. Under normal market circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its managed assets in adjustable rate secured senior loans and adjustable rate unsecured senior loans, which unsecured senior loans will be, at the time of investment, investment grade quality. In addition, at least 65% of the Funds assets will be invested in senior loans that are secured by claims on specific collateral. Nuveen Asset Management is the advisor of the Fund. The sectors covered by the portfolio include media, hotels, restaurants and leisure, healthcare providers and service, chemicals, United States of America, containers/packaging and other.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Dowdee]
The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:
BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut
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