Tuesday, July 1, 2014

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014

Shares of V.F. Corporation (VFC) touched a new 52-week high of $200.55 on Friday, Jul 12, 2013 and eventually closed trade at $199.56. The stock has gained momentum since the company announced its 5-year initiatives and strategies to boost shareholder returns. This global apparel retailer has amassed a year-to-date return of 34.1%.

Average volume of shares traded over the last 3 months was approximately 512K. Moreover, the company currently trades at a forward P/E of 18.4x, a 1.9% premium to the peer group average of 18.05x. The last traded price is 0.6% above the Zacks Consensus average analyst price target of $198.43. Additionally, the company�� long-term estimated EPS growth rate is 11.7%.

Investors became more optimistic on this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock after the company outlined its key financial targets through 2017 at an investor meet held on Jun 11. Its announced goals are aimed at driving strong cash flow, and consequently funding acquisitions, dividends and share repurchases.

10 Best Defense Stocks To Own Right Now: Standard Motor Products Inc (SMP)

Standard Motor Products, Inc. (Standard Motor Products) is an independent manufacturer and distributor of replacement parts for motor vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry, with a focus on the original equipment service market. The Company operates in two segments: Engine Management Segment and Temperature Control Segment. The Engine Management Segment manufactures ignition and emission parts, ignition wires, battery cables and fuel system parts. The Temperature Control Segment manufactures and remanufactures air conditioning compressors, air conditioning and heating parts, engine cooling system parts, power window accessories, and windshield washer system parts. In January 2014, the Company acquired the assets of Pensacola Fuel Injection, a privately-held company.

The Company�� customers consist of warehouse distributors, such as CARQUEST Corporation and NAPA Auto Parts, as well as auto parts retail chains, such as Advance Auto Parts, Inc., AutoZone, Inc., O��eilly Automotive, Inc., Canadian Tire Corporation and Pep Boys. Its customers also include national program distribution groups, such as Federated Auto Parts, Inc., All Pro/Bumper to Bumper (Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.), Automotive Distribution Network and The National Pronto Association, and specialty market distributors. The Company distributes parts under its own brand names, such as Standard, BWD, Intermotor, GP Sorensen, TechSmart, OEM, Four Seasons, Factory Air, EVERCO, ACi, Imperial and Hayden and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, O��eilly Import Direct and Master Pro, NAPA Echlin, NAPA Temp Products and NAPA Belden.

Engine Management Segment

The Company manufacture a line of engine management replacement parts including, electronic ignition control modules, fuel injectors, ignition wires, voltage regulators, coils, switches, emission sensors, EGR valves, distributor caps and rotors and other engine management components primarily under its brand names Standard, BWD! , Intermotor, OEM, TechSmart and GP Sorensen, and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, O��eilly Import Direct and Master Pro, NAPA Echlin and NAPA Belden. In its Engine Management Segment, replacement parts for ignition, emission control and fuel systems accounted for approximately 60% of the Company�� revenues during the year ended December 31, 2011.

Vehicles are factory-equipped with computer-controlled engine management systems to control ignition, emission and fuel injection systems. The on-board computers monitor inputs from many types of sensors located throughout the vehicle, and control a myriad of valves, injectors, switches and motors to manage engine and vehicle performance. Electronic ignition systems enable the engine to operate with improved fuel efficiency and reduced level of hazardous fumes in exhaust gases. Wire and cable parts accounted for approximately 12% of the Company�� revenues during 2011. These products include ignition (spark plug) wires, battery cables and a range of electrical wire, terminals, connectors and tools for servicing an automobile�� electrical system. The component of this product line is the sale of ignition wire sets.

Temperature Control Segment

The Company manufactures, remanufactures and markets a line of replacement parts for automotive temperature control (air conditioning (AC) and heating) systems, engine cooling systems, power window accessories and windshield washer systems, primarily under its brand names of Four Seasons, EVERCO, ACi, Hayden, Factory Air and Imperial, and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, NAPA Temp Products and Murray.

The product groups sold by its Temperature Control Segment are new and remanufactured compressors, clutch assemblies, blower and radiator fan motors, filter dryers, evaporators, accumulators, hose assemblies, expansion valves, heater valves, AC service tools and chemicals, fan assemblies, fan clutches, engine oil coolers, transmission coolers, wind! ow lift m! otors, motor/regulator assemblies and windshield washer pumps. The Company�� temperature control products accounted for approximately 27% of the Company�� revenues during 2011.''

The Company competes with ACDelco, Delphi Automotive PLC, Denso Corporation, Robert Bosch Corporation, Visteon Corporation, NGK/NTK, General Cable, Prestolite, United Components, Inc, ACDelco, Delphi Automotive PLC, Denso Corporation, Sanden International, Inc., Continental AG and Vista-Pro Automotive, LLC.

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 Standard Motor Products (NYSE: SMP  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By Jeremy Bowman]

    What: Shares of Standard Motor Products (NYSE: SMP  ) weren't looking up to snuff today, falling as much as 10% today after Goldman Sachs downgraded the entire U.S. auto sector and lowered its rating on Standard form "neutral" to "sell."

  • [By , Zacks Investment Research]

    Standard Motor Products (SMP) makes�replacement parts for motor vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry with an increasing focus on the original equipment service market. It has a market cap of $959 million.

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: First Merchants Corporation(FRME)

First Merchants Corporation, a financial holding company, provides financial and banking products and services. Its deposit products include demand deposits, savings deposits, and certificates and other time deposits. The company?s loan products portfolio comprises commercial and industrial loans; agricultural production financing and other loans to farmers; real estate loans, including construction, commercial and farmland, and residential loans; individuals? loans for household and other personal expenditures; tax-exempt loans; lease financing; consumer loans; and other loans. It also rents safe deposit facilities; and provides personal and corporate trust services, brokerage services, and other corporate services, as well as letters of credit and repurchase agreements. The company operates through 79 banking locations in 23 Indiana and 2 Ohio counties, as well as through ATMs, check cards, interactive voice response systems, and Internet technology. In addition, First Merchants Corporation operates as a property, casualty, personal lines, and employee benefit insurance agency; and involves in life reinsurance business. The company was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Muncie, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tim Melvin]

    The year ahead should be a great one for the smaller bank stocks. Larger regionals like Huntington Bancorp (HBAN) and Capital Ban Financial (CBF) have made it clear they intend to grow by acquisition in the years ahead. Banks like First Merit (FMER) and First Merchants (FRME) have done deals in the past year and are open to doing more to increase their market share and footprints. This should be the year the floodgates open and we see the first wave of merger activity in small banks.

  • [By Tim Melvin]

    We are starting to see bank merger activity accelerate as banks like Huntington Bancorp (HBAN) and� First Merchants (FRME) looking to expand and growth their asset base in the aftermath of the credit crisis. Banks with below-average capital and returns could quickly become buyout targets.

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: Nicor Inc. (GAS)

Nicor Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in natural gas distribution business in the United States. The company distributes natural gas to approximately 2.2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in northern Illinois. It also provides natural gas storage and transmission-related services to marketers and other gas distribution companies. The company?s gas distribution, transmission, and storage network includes approximately 34,000 miles of steel, plastic, and cast iron main; approximately 2.0 million steel, plastic/aluminum composite, plastic, and copper services connecting the mains to customers? premises; and 8 underground storage fields. In addition, Nicor offers shipping services, including the transportation of containerized freight between Florida, the eastern coast of Canada, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean region. It transports building materials, and food and other necessities for developers, manufacturers, and residents in the Caribbean an d the Bahamas; tourist-related shipments intended for use in hotels and resorts, and on cruise ships; and interisland shipments and northbound shipments of apparel and agricultural products, as well as provides inland transportation and cargo insurance services. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated a fleet of 11 owned vessels and 4 chartered vessels with a container capacity totaling approximately 5,270 Twenty-foot equivalent units. Further, it owns and/or leases containers, container-handling equipment, chassis, and other equipment. Additionally, Nicor involves in the marketing of energy-related products and services, including warranty and maintenance contracts, as well as repair and installation services of heating, air conditioning and indoor air-quality equipment, and customer move connection services for other utilities; and wholesale marketing of natural gas supply services. The company was founded in 1953 and is based in Naperville, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Vanin Aegea]

    Investors are very often turned off by a cyclical business. Nonetheless, such behavior gives investors the chance to take a position in a profitable business model at a low entry price. With a recent boom in the U.S. market, prices are not expected to be in the low end. Let us look at AGL Resources (GAS) and Suburban Propane (SPH) to see whether any of them offer a profitable business model at a low entry price.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Energy services holding company AGL Resources (GAS) raised its quarterly dividend 4.3% to 49 cents per share, payable on Mar. 1 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14.
    GAS Dividend Yield: 4.23%

  • [By Victor Selva]

    AGL Resources Inc. (GAS) is an Atlanta-based energy services holding company with operations in natural gas distribution, retail operations, wholesale services, midstream operations and cargo shipping. Let's take a look at this company and try to explain to investors the reasons this is an apparently appealing investment.

  • [By Corinne Gretler]

    Gas Natural SDG SA (GAS), Spain�� biggest gas supplier, advanced 4 percent to 15.45 euros and Enagas SA, the operator of the nation�� natural-gas pipelines, gained 1.1 percent to 18.24 euros. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised both stocks to buy from neutral, citing the impending review of gas regulation in Spain as positive for both companies.

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: Melrose Industries PLC (MLSPF)

Melrose Industries PLC acquires manufacturing businesses and improves them. The Company operates in four divisions: Energy, Lifting, Other Industrial and Elster. The Energy division is a supplier of turbogenerators, other electricity generating machinery, switchgear, transformers and power infrastructure equipment. Its products consist of power management and excitation systems; power and system transformers, and aftermarket servicing. Lifting division is a supplier of lifting fittings, blocks and custom engineered material handling products and supplier for wire and wire rope. Other Industrial division has manufacturing businesses across the housing, construction and scrap processing sectors. Elster is a provider of gas control equipment and related communications, gas, electricity and water meters and software solutions. In January 2014, the Company disposed Harris Waste Management Group, Inc. to Avis Industrial Corporation. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roland Head]

    Today, I'm going to take a look at�Melrose Industries� (LSE: MRO  ) (NASDAQOTH: MLSPF  ) , an unusual company which specialises in turning around manufacturing businesses, before selling them on. Melrose's current portfolio of businesses contains German utility meter maker Elster, Brush Turbo Generators and Marelli Motori, which make electric motors and generators, and Bridon, which makes rope and wire products used in the oil and gas industry.

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