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.
5 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: Acxiom Corporation(ACXM)
Acxiom Corporation provides marketing technology and services that enable marketers to manage audience, personalize consumer experiences, and create customer relationships. It operates in two segments, Information Services and Information Products. The Information Services segment offers customer data integration, multichannel marketing services, infrastructure management services, and consulting services. This segment also develops, sells, and delivers industry-tailored solutions, including the design and creation of marketing databases and data warehouses; data integration and customer-recognition systems; marketing applications; list processing; and information technology services. The Information Products segment develops and sells various data products, including segmentation products and domestic fraud and risk mitigation products, as well as online advertising products. This segment provides InfoBase-Xa, a customer-centric foundation for various marketing needs with a collection of the United States consumer information available in one source; PersonicXa, a household segmentation and visualization system; and Acxiom Relevance-Xa, an online advertising network that lets marketers reach the consumers interested in their particular product or service. The company serves clients in financial services, insurance, information services, direct marketing, media, retail, consumer packaged goods, technology, automotive, healthcare, travel, and telecommunications industries. It offers its products and services in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sally Jones]
Acxiom Corporation (ACXM): ReducedUp 47% over 12 months, Acxiom Corporation has a market cap of $1.84 billion; its shares were traded at around $24.98 with a P/E ratio of 33.40 and a P/B of 3.00.
5 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: Houston Wire & Cable Co (HWCC)
Houston Wire & Cable Company, incorporated in 1997, provides wire and cable and related services to the United States market. The Company offers its customers with a single-source solution for wire and cable, hardware and related services. The Company offers products in categories of wire and cable, including continuous and interlocked armor cable, control and power cable, electronic wire and cable, flexible and portable cords, instrumentation and thermocouple cable, lead and high temperature cable, medium voltage cable, premise and category wire and cable, wire rope and wire rope slings, as well as nylon slings, chain, shackles and other related hardware. It also offers private branded products, including its brand LifeGuard, a low-smoke, zero-halogen cable. On January 1, 2011, the acquired companies were merged into HWC Wire & Cable Company.
The Company�� products are used in repair and replacement, also known as maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), and related projects, larger-scale projects in the utility, industrial and infrastructure markets and a diverse range of industrial applications, including communications, energy, engineering and construction, general manufacturing, mining, construction, oilfield services, infrastructure, petrochemical, transportation, utility, wastewater treatment, marine construction and marine transportation. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company served approximately 6,000 customers.
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 Houston Wire & Cable (Nasdaq: HWCC ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Hot Beverage Companies For 2015: Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited(AEM)
Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Finland, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as silver, copper, zinc, and lead. Its flagship property includes the LaRonde mine located in the southern portion of the Abitibi volcanic belt, Canada. The company was founded in 1953 and is based in Toronto, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sally Jones]
The once-troubled Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM) is hitting a new record for gold production in the third quarter at 315,828 ounces, according to the Financial Post, and the company�� executives are buying. Here�� a third quarter company update and a look at billionaire stakeholders of AEM, a stock that spiked 23.66% over the past five days.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Dudas and Jain call Buy-rated Newmont their “favorite large-cap North American gold equity,” topping the likes of Hold-rated Barrick Gold (ABX) and Buy-rated Agnico-Eagle Mines (AEM).
5 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: Medical Properties Trust Inc (MPW)
Medical Properties Trust, Inc., incorporated on August 27, 2003, is a self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing in and owning net-leased healthcare facilities. The Company conducts substantially all of its business through MPT Operating Partnership, L.P. The Company acquires and develops healthcare facilities and leases the facilities to healthcare operating companies under long-term net leases, which require the tenant to bear the costs associated with the property. The Company also makes mortgage loans to healthcare operators collateralized by their real estate assets. In addition, the Company selectively makes loans to certain of its operators through its taxable REIT subsidiaries. In September 2013, Medical Properties Trust Inc completed the acquisition of the real estate of three acute care hospitals operated by IASIS Healthcare LLC.
As of February 18, 2013, the Company's portfolio consists of 82 properties: 69 facilities (of the 74 facilities that the Company owns) are leased to 23 tenants, five are under development, and the remainder are in the form of mortgage loans to three operators. The Company's owned facilities consist of 27 general acute care hospitals, 24 long-term acute care hospitals, 15 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, two medical office buildings, and six wellness centers. The non-owned facilities on which the Company has made mortgage loans consist of three general acute care facilities, two long-term acute care hospitals, and three inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. At December 31, 2012, no one property accounted for more than 5% of the Company's total assets.
At December 31, 2012, the Company had leases with 22 hospital operating companies, eight mortgaged loans, six under development, and one property under re-development covering 82 facilities. Ernest leased 12 of these facilities pursuant to a master lease agreement. The master lease agreement has a 20-year term with three five-year extension options and provides for ! an initial rental rate of 9%, with consumer price-indexed increases, limited to a 2% floor and 5% ceiling annually thereafter. At December 31, 2012, these facilities had an average remaining lease term of approximately 19 years. In addition to the master lease, the Company holds a mortgage loan on four facilities owned by affiliates of Ernest.
Affiliates of Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. (Prime) leased 11 facilities pursuant to master lease agreements. The master leases are for 10 years commencing July 3, 2012 and contain two renewal options of five years each. The initial lease rate is generally consistent with the blended average rate of the prior lease agreements. However, the annual escalators, which in the prior leases were limited, have been increased to reflect 100% of CPI increases, along with a 2% minimum floor. The master leases include repurchase options substantially similar to those in the prior leases, including provisions establishing minimum repurchase prices equal to the Company's total investment. In addition to leases, the Company holds mortgage loans on three facilities owned by affiliates of Prime.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Volkman]
It was an impressive quarter for Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW ) . In its Q1 report, revenues amounted to $58 million, up 42% from the $41 million in the same period the previous year. Attributable net profit advanced much more strongly, growing 148% to $26 million ($0.18 per diluted share) from Q1 2012's figure of $11 million ($0.08). Funds from operations -- a key metric for real estate investment trusts -- came in at $35 million ($0.25 per diluted share) on a normalized basis, compared with $22 million ($0.18) in the year-ago quarter.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Real estate investment trust�Medical Properties Trust� (NYSE: MPW ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.20 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2008.
- [By Brad Thomas]
A Bank of America (BOA) downgrade sends Medical Properties Trust (MPW) tumbling. The bank cut the shares to Underperform from Neutral citing the REIT's YTD outperformance relative to the sector overall (it has outpaced healthcare REITs two to one). Put simply, funds from operations "multiple expansion has exceeded fundamental trends." SA contributor Brad Thomas claims MPW is an example of mispriced risk.
5 Best Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: Primco Management Inc (PMCM)
Primco Management Inc., incorporated on October 14, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company focuses on offering estate management services for its clients and retention on a range of properties including class A office space, industrial, manufacturing, and warehousing facilities as well as data centers and retail outlets for real estate users. In addition, it also focuses on offering consulting services, including site selection, feasibility studies, exit strategies, market forecasts, strategic planning, and research services. In February 2013, the Company announced that ESMG, Inc. took controlling interest in the Company through the acquisition of more than 80% interest of the Company. In February 2013, it purchased the music catalog of D&B Music. In May 2013, the Company acquired Top Sail Productions.
As of December 31, 2010, the Company did not have any operations. During the year ended December 31, 2010, it did not generate any revenues.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
The marijuana field keeps sprouting small cap marijuana stocks like Primco Management Inc (OTCBB: PMCM), Medifirst Solutions Inc (OTCMKTS: MFST) and Modern Mobility Aids, Inc (OTCMKTS: MDRM) which are all trying to seek a high by playing up their connections (no matter how tenuous�� to what many consider to be the next high flying sector. But are these small cap marijuana stocks just blowing smoke at investors? Here is a quick reality check:
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