Monday, September 8, 2014

Hot Defensive Companies To Own For 2014

LONDON -- I'm a big fan of Diageo (LSE: DGE  ) (NYSE: DEO  ) . The world's largest producer of premium spirits is a core holding in my portfolio, though I've done a little profit-taking as the stock has powered ahead -- up a third over the past 12 months.

I'm less familiar with South African-based SABMiller (LSE: SAB  ) (NASDAQOTH: SBMRY  ) , though its market cap is slightly larger than Diageo after its shares are up 50% over the year. I think of it as expensive, but a quick check on my data provider shows the two shares equally rated with prospective price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios of 19.7 and yields of 2.3% for Diageo and 2.2% for SABMiller. So maybe it's time to do a little portfolio rebalancing.

Hangover
First of all, what's so good about Diageo? It ticks a lot of boxes: defensive sector, strong brands, global footprint, and emerging market growth. I like stocks that are plays on emerging market consumers. While the West is suffering a hangover from a decade of overspending, millions of people in emerging markets are acquiring a disposable income for the first time.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch Right Now: REX American Resources Corp (REX)

Rex American Resources Corporation (REX), incorporated in 1984, is a holding company to succeed to the entire ownership of three affiliated corporations, Rex Radio and Television, Inc., Stereo Town, Inc. and Kelly & Cohen Appliances, Inc. As of January 31, 2012, the Company had lease agreements, as landlord, for six owned former retail stores and had 16 vacant former retail properties. The Company also owns one former distribution center that is partially leased, partially occupied by its corporate office personnel and partially vacant. The Company is marketing these vacant properties to lease or sell. As of January 31, 2012, the Company invested in five ethanol production entities, two of which the Company has a majority ownership interest in. These properties include One Earth Energy, LLC, NuGen Energy, LLC, Patriot Renewable Fuels, LLC, Levelland Hockley County Ethanol, LLC, and one group consisting of Big River Resources, LLC-W Burlington, Big River Resources, LLC-Galva and Big River United Energy, LLC. It operates through two business segments: alternative energy and real estate.

On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired an additional 50% equity interest in NuGen Energy, LLC. In December 2011, Big River acquired a 100% interest in an ethanol production facility located in Boyceville, Wisconsin.

Alternative Energy

As of January 31, 2012, all of the entities the Company is invested in are operating except for Levelland Hockley County Ethanol, LLC (Levelland Hockley). As of January 31, 2011, the Company held a 74% interest in One Earth Energy, LLC. The plant has an annual nameplate capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 320,000 tons of dried distillers grains (DDG). The Company owns a 23% interest in Patriot Renewable Fuels, LLC (Patriot). The plant is located in Annawan, Illinois and has a nameplate capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 320,000 tons of DDG per year.

As of January 31, 2012, all of the entities the Company is in! vested in are operating except for Levelland Hockley County Ethanol, LLC (Levelland Hockley). As of January 31, 2011, the Company held a 74% interest in One Earth Energy, LLC. The plant has an annual nameplate capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 320,000 tons of dried distillers grains (DDG). The Company owns a 23% interest in Patriot Renewable Fuels, LLC (Patriot). The plant is located in Annawan, Illinois and has a nameplate capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol and 320,000 tons of DDG per year.

Levelland Hockley is located in Levelland, Texas. The plant has a nameplate capacity of 40 million gallons of ethanol and 135,000 tons of dried distillers grains (DDG) per year. The plant was shut down in January 2011. On January 31, 2011, the Company sold 814,000 of its membership units to Levelland Hockley, reducing its ownership interest in Levelland Hockley to 49%. As a result, it no longer has a controlling financial interest in Levelland Hockley.

Real Estate Operations

As of January 31, 2011, the Company had lease agreements, as landlord, for all or parts of eight owned former retail stores (88,000 square feet leased and 10,000 square feet vacant). It had 22 owned former retail stores (281,000 square feet) that were vacant as of January 31, 2011. The Company is marketing these vacant properties to lease or sell. In addition, one former distribution center is partially leased (266,000 square feet), partially occupied by its corporate office personnel (10,000 square feet) and partially vacant (190,000 square feet). A typical lease agreement has an initial term of five to twenty years with renewal options. Most of its lessees are responsible for a portion of maintenance, taxes and other executory costs.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tristan R. Brown]

    Three months ago I wrote that the stock performance YTD of independent ethanol producer Pacific Ethanol (PEIX) was an "aberration", especially in light of the performance of its industry peers' shares. The discrepancy between Pacific Ethanol's share price and those of its peers has only grown more pronounced since July (see figure). Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) and REX American Resources (REX) have continued to greatly outperform the S&P 500. Even Biofuel Energy, which fell behind on its interest and debt payments over the summer and is facing a shareholder-ruining liquidation, has seen its share price perform significantly better than Pacific Ethanol's in 2013. The oddest part about the stock's performance over the last three months, however, is that the period has been marked by multiple positive announcements from the company. It late July it reported its first positive EPS in almost two years for Q2 (0.07). Its Q2 EBITDA of $3.8 million was its highest since Q4 2011. Its current ratio is well above its previous lows, its ratio of total assets to total liabilities is increasing, and its total shareholders' equity is at a 3-year high. Despite these improvements, the company's price/book ratio is a mere 0.77.

Hot Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc.(AEGR)

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat debilitating and fatal rare diseases. The company focuses on therapeutics to treat severe inherited lipid disorders. Lipids are naturally occurring molecules, such as cholesterol and triglycerides that are transported in the blood. Its lead product, lomitapide has completed pivotal Phase III clinical trial to treat patients with a rare inherited lipid disorder called homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. The company also plans to develop lomitapide for the treatment of adult patients with a severe genetic form of hypertriglyceridemia called familial chylomicronemia. Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Brian Orelli]

    According to an abstract posted at Forbes, Amgen's PCSK9 inhibitor was able to help some patients with a rare genetic disease that causes extremely high levels of cholesterol. For some patients, the drug, dubbed AMG 145, seems to work as well as Aegerion's (NASDAQ: AEGR  ) Juxtapid�or Kynamro from Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ISIS  ) and Sanofi, without the side effects. In addition to taking some sales from Juxtapid and Kynamro, AMG145 looks poised to treat patients with less severe cholesterol problems given the clean side effect profile.

  • [By Brian Orelli]

    An orphan investment opportunity
    Aegerion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AEGR  ) sold just $1.2 million worth of Juxtapid, its treatment for a rare genetic disease called homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH, which causes extremely high cholesterol levels.

  • [By Ernie Tremblay, Biosciences Specialist, Money Morning | January 17, 2014 · ]

    Back in August 2012, I noticed that a tiny biotech called Aegerion Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: AEGR) was about to present lomitapide, the one and only drug in its pipeline, to an FDA AdCom (Advisory Committee). AdComs are catalysts, key points in the drug development regulatory process that can make a company's stock soar - or nosedive.

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Wednesday morning, the healthcare sector proved to be a source of strength for the market. Leading the sector was strength from ZELTIQ Aesthetics (NASDAQ: ZLTQ) and Aegerion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AEGR).

Hot Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: Gamestop Corporation (GME)

GameStop Corp. operates as a retailer of video game products and personal computer (PC) entertainment software. It sells new and used video game hardware; video game software; used video game products; and video game accessories, which primarily consist of controllers, memory cards, and other add-ons, as well as strategy guides and trading cards. The company also offers PC entertainment and other software across various genres, including sports, action, strategy, adventure/role playing, and simulation, as well as products that relate to the digital category comprising network point cards, prepaid digital and online timecards, and digitally downloadable software. GameStop Corp. sells its products through stores, as well as through its electronic commerce Web sites, including gamestop.com, ebgames.com.au, gamestop.ca, gamestop.it, gamestop.es, gamestop.ie, gamestop.de, and micromania.fr. As of July 12, 2011, its retail network and family of brands included 6,573 company-oper ated stores in 17 countries worldwide. The company also publishes Game Informer, a video game magazine in the United States; and operates the online video gaming Web sites kongregate.com and joltonline.com. GameStop Corp. was founded in 1994 and is based in Grapevine, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Stephen Quickel]

    Owning GameStop (GME) is, essentially, a bet that it has the business model, financial strength, and management savvy, to continue the underlying growth that took it from $16 in mid-2012 to a November 2013 peak of $58.

  • [By John Divine]

    Video game retailer GameStop (NYSE: GME  ) slumped 4.8% Monday, on the heels of Friday's massive 6.2% gain. Shareholders had bid up the stock after Microsoft announced used games would still function on the new Xbox One console. Still, the broader market's skepticism with the future of physical, used games remains visible: Last week, GameStop shares were the second-most shorted in the entire 500-stock index.�

Hot Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: Silver Wheaton Corp(SLW)

Silver Wheaton Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a silver streaming company worldwide. The company has 14 long-term silver purchase agreements and 2 long-term precious metal purchase agreements whereby it acquires silver and gold production from the counterparties located in Mexico, the United States, Canada, Greece, Sweden, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Portugal. Silver Wheaton Corp. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Trefis]

    Silver Wheaton (SLW) will announce its second-quarter results on August 14. Companies in the precious metals and mining sector are under intense scrutiny right now given the steep fall in gold and silver prices this year. Although Silver Wheaton is not a mining company, its business model makes it very vulnerable to volatility in the prices of precious metals. Silver prices in the second quarter were much lower on year-over-year and sequential bases. This is likely to have a significant negative impact on its year-over-year and sequential revenue figures because the company doesn’t hedge itself against market prices of silver. On the other hand, Silver Wheaton’s exposure to gold has been increasing. Gold generates higher revenues but lower profit margins for the company as compared to silver [Silver Price Chart, Kitco].

Hot Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: Actuant Corp (ATU)

Actuant Corporation, incorporated on October 26, 1910, is a global diversified company that designs, manufactures and distributes a range of industrial products and systems to various end markets. The Company operates four business segments: Industrial, Energy, Electrical and Engineered Solutions. The Industrial segment is primarily involved in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded hydraulic and mechanical tools to the maintenance, industrial, infrastructure and production automation markets. The Energy segment provides joint integrity products and services, as well as rope and cable solutions to the global oil and gas, power generation and other energy markets. The Electrical segment is primarily involved in the design, manufacture and distribution of a range of electrical products to the retail DIY, wholesale, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), solar, utility, marine and other harsh environment markets. The Engineered Solutions segment provides engineered position and motion control systems to OEMs in various on and off-highway vehicle markets, as well as, a range of other products to the industrial and agricultural markets. In August 2013, the Company announced the completion of its acquisition of Viking SeaTech (Viking).

Industrial

The Industrial segment is a global supplier of branded hydraulic and mechanical tools to a broad array of end markets, including general maintenance and repair, industrial, infrastructure and production automation. The Company's primary products include hydraulic tools, engineered heavy lifting solutions, workholding (production automation) solutions and concrete stressing products. These hydraulic and mechanical tools are marketed primarily through the Company's Enerpac, Simplex, Precision Sure-Lock and Milwaukee Cylinder brand names. The high-force hydraulic and mechanical tools, including cylinders, pumps, valves, specialty tools and presses.

The Company's hydraulic tools operate at high pressures of approxim! ately 5,000 to 12,000 pounds per square inch and are generally sold by a diverse group of industrial and specialty fluid power distributors to customers in the infrastructure, mining, steel mill, cement, rail, oil and gas and general maintenance industries. Key industrial distributors include W.W. Grainger, Applied Industrial Technologies and MSC. In addition to providing a line of industrial tools, the segment also provides hydraulic systems (integrated solutions) to meet customer specific requirements for safe and precise control of movement and positioning. These customized heavy lifting solutions, which combine hydraulics, steel fabrication and electronic controls with engineering and application knowledge, are typically utilized in major infrastructure projects (bridges, stadiums, tunnels and offshore platforms) for heavy lifting, launching & skidding or synchronous lifting applications.

The Industrial segment has leveraged production and engineering capabilities to also offer a range of workholding products (work supports, swing cylinders and system components) that are marketed through distributors to the automotive, machine tool and fixture design markets. In addition, the segment designs, manufactures and distributes concrete pre- and post-tensioning products (chucks and wedges, stressing jacks and anchors) which are used by concrete tensioning system designers, fabricators and installers for the residential and commercial construction, railroad, bridge, infrastructure and mining markets.

Energy

The Energy segment provides technical products and services to the global energy markets, where safety, security, reliability and productivity are key value drivers. Products include joint integrity tools and connectors for oil & gas and power generation installations, as well as rope and cable solutions. In addition to these products, the Energy segment also provides manpower services, including machining, engineering and maintenance activities. The products and ! services ! of the Energy segment are distributed and marketed under various brand names (principally Hydratight, D.L. Ricci, Morgrip, Cortland, FibronBX, Puget Sound Rope, Biach, Selantic and Jeyco) to OEMs, maintenance and service organizations and energy producers in emerging and developed countries.

Joint integrity products include hydraulic torque wrenches, bolt tensioners and portable machining equipment. These products are used in the maintenance of bolted joints on oil rigs and platforms, wind turbines, refineries and pipelines, petrochemical installations, as well as fossil fuel and nuclear power plants. The Energy segment also provides rope and cable solutions that maximize performance, safety and efficiency for customers in various markets, including oil and gas, heavy marine, subsea, ROV and seismic. With its global design and manufacturing capabilities the Cortland business is able to provide customized synthetic ropes, heavy lift slings, specialized mooring, rigging and towing systems, electro-optical-mechanical cables and umbilicals to customers, including firms, such as CGG Veritas, Expro and Sercel. These products are utilized in critical applications, often deployed in harsh operating conditions (sub-sea oil & gas production, maintenance and exploration) and are required to meet robust safety standards. In addition custom designed products are also sold into a range of other niche markets including medical, security, aerospace and defense.

Electrical

The Electrical segment is involved in the design, manufacture and distribution of a broad range of electrical products to the retail DIY, OEM, electrical distribution, power transformation and harsh environment electrical markets. The Electrical segment sells its products through a combination of distributors, direct sales personnel and manufacturers' representatives. The Electrical segment provides the retail DIY market with a range of electrical tools and consumables, such as wire strippers, electrical meters,! connecto! rs, terminals, cable ties, staples and other wire management products and conduit bending equipment under the Gardner Bender, Del City and A.W. Sperry brands. These products are sold to retailers, such as Lowe's, The Home Depot, Menards, True Value and Ace Hardware, as well as numerous electrical distributors and OEM's.

The Electrical segment sells power transformation products in North America, including low voltage, single-phase dry type transformers and custom toroidal transformers under the Acme Electric brand name and high voltage switches under the Turner Electric brand name. These transformers are sold through electrical wholesale distributors, as well as directly to OEMs, such as Rockwell Automation, Eaton, Yaskawa and General Electric. Product offerings also include electrical components and systems for the harsh environment and marine markets under the Ancor, Marinco, Guest, Mastervolt and B.E.P Marine brand names. These products are primarily sold to various customers in the industrial, marine, power generation, industrial and retail markets, including West Marine, Applied Materials and Kohler. Solar products (primarily high efficiency solar inverters for residential and small commercial applications) are sold through local distributors and installers.

Engineered Solutions

The Engineered Solutions segment is a global designer and assembler of customized position and motion control systems and other industrial products to various transportation and other niche markets. This segment focuses on providing technical and engineered products, including actuation systems, mechanical power transmission products, engine air flow management solutions and rugged electronic instrumentation. Products in the Engineered Solutions segment are primarily marketed directly to OEMs through a technical sales organization. Approximately 55% of this segment's revenue comes from the vehicle systems product line (Power-Packer, Gits and Power Gear brands), which is sold to the t! ruck, aut! omotive, off-highway and specialty vehicle markets. Products include hydraulic cab-tilt and latching systems, which are sold to global heavy duty truck OEMs, such as Volvo, Iveco, Scania, Paccar-DAF and CNHTC and electro-hydraulic convertible top latching and actuation systems. The automotive convertible top actuation systems are utilized on both retractable soft and hard top vehicles manufactured by OEMs, such as Daimler, Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot, BMW, Volvo and Nissan.

The Company's diesel engine air flow solutions, such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems, are used by diesel engine and turbocharger manufacturers to reduce emissions, improve fuel efficiency and horsepower. Primary end markets include heavy duty truck and off-highway equipment serving customers, such as Caterpillar, Cummins, Honeywell and Borg Warner. It also sells actuation systems to various specialty vehicle OEMs (principally in the defense, recreational vehicle and off-highway markets), such as Oshkosh and Fleetwood.

The Maxima Technologies tuck-in acquisitions of Turotest Medidores Ltda and CrossControl AB, along with the fiscal 2011 acquisition of Weasler Engineering have further diversified the geographic presence, technologies and end markets of the Engineered Solutions segment. The range of products, technologies and engineered solutions of Weasler Engineering, Maxima Technologies, Elliott Manufacturing, Sanlo and Nielsen Sessions comprise the other product line within the segment. Products include severe-duty electronic instrumentation (including displays and clusters, machine controls and sensors), power transmission products (engineered power transmission components, including drive shafts, torque limiters, gearboxes, torsional dampers and flexible shafts), and a comprehensive line of case, container and industrial hardware. These products are sold to a range of niche markets, including agricultural implement, lawn & turf, construction, forestry, industrial, aerospace, material handling! and secu! rity.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    General Electric’s earnings could also be a good sign for Actuant (ATU), United Technologies (UTX) and Honeywell International (HON), Dray says.

  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Wednesday

    Earnings Expected: Actuant Corporation (NYSE: ATU), FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX), Jabil Circuit, Inc. (NYSE: JBL) Economic Releases Expected:  New Zealand’s GDP, US current account

    Thursday

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Analysts expect Actuant (NYSE: ATU) to report its Q4 earnings at $0.50 per share on revenue of $328.79 million. Actuant shares fell 0.21% to $38.76 in after-hours trading.

Hot Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: Capital City Bank Group(CCBG)

Capital City Bank Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Capital City Bank that provides commercial and retail banking products and services. Its deposit products include negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market accounts, checking and savings accounts, and time deposits. The company offers financing for commercial business properties, equipment, inventories, and accounts receivable, as well as commercial leasing and letters of credit; commercial and residential real estate lending; retail credit products, including personal loans, automobile loans, boat/recreational vehicle loans, home equity loans, and credit card programs; and tax-exempt loans, lines of credit, and term loans. It also provides treasury management services, merchant credit card transaction processing services, automated teller machines (ATMs), debit/credit cards, night deposit services, safe deposit facilities, PC/Internet banking, and mobile banking services. In addition, the c ompany offers asset management, trust, mortgage banking, merchant services, and data processing services, as well as securities brokerage services, including U.S. government bonds, tax-free municipal bonds, stocks, mutual funds, unit investment trusts, annuities, life insurance, and long-term health care. It serves individuals, corporations, and other business clients, including commercial developers and investors, residential builders and developers, community developers, state and local governments, public schools and colleges, charities, and membership and not-for-profit associations. As of January 27, 2012, the company operated 70 banking offices and 79 ATMs in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Capital City Bank Group, Inc. was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [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

    CTBI is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 53.5% premium to its calculated fair value of $29.43. CTBI 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%

    CTBI earned one Star in this section for 1.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1988 and has increased its dividend payments for 33 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 CTBI would be less than a similar amount invested in MMA earning a 20-year average rate of 3.41%. If CTBI grows its dividend at 1.5% per year, it will never equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.41%.

    Memberships and Peers: CTBI is, a member of the Broad Dividend Achieve

Hot Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: J. W. Mays Inc.(MAYS)

J.W. Mays, Inc. owns and operates commercial real estate properties in the United States. Its properties are located in Brooklyn, Jamaica, Levittown, Massapequa, and Fishkill, New York, as well as in Circleville, Ohio. The company was founded in 1924 and is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Geoff Gannon] is trading around book value your next step is to figure out how book value is calculated.

    The reason a company trading below book value is interesting has to do with accounting. In the U.S., you don�� mark up the book value of land and many other potentially valuable assets just because you have evidence ��like an appraisal, comparable sale, etc. ��that the market value is now higher than your original cost.

    So, there will be situations where knowing how a company accounts for its assets and knowing the stock trades for less than book value can help direct you to companies selling for less than they are worth.

    DreamWorks is a movie studio. So it is using a rather subjective estimate of the ultimate revenue a movie will produce. It is then amortizing the cost of the movie as revenue comes in to the company in proportion to the percentage of revenue this represents relative to expected total revenue the movie will produce.

    For very old movies, it�� actually a little different. And for flops it�� different. DreamWorks can write off flops. And it can�� expect the ultimate revenue for a movie to be higher to the extent such revenue comes more than 10 years after the film�� release.

    In other words, DreamWorks has to fully amortize a movie within 10 years and disregard the value an 11-year-old movie might have.

    This is explained in a note to the company�� 10-K. It is very important for Ben Graham-type investors to read all these notes carefully ��but especially the notes on depreciation and amortization:

    Once a film, television special/series or live performance is released, capitalized productions costs are amortized and participations and residual costs are accrued on an individual title basis in the proportion that the revenue during the period for each title (��urrent Revenue�� bears to the estimated remaining total revenue to be recognized from all sources for each title (��ltimate Revenue��. The amo

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