Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC)
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Smith & Wesson), incorporated on June 17, 1991, is a manufacturer of firearms. The Company manufactures a range of handguns, modern sporting rifles, hunting rifles, black powder firearms, handcuffs, and firearm-related products and accessories for sale to a range of customers, including gun enthusiasts, collectors, hunters, sportsmen, competitive shooters, individuals desiring home and personal protection, law enforcement and security agencies and officers, and military agencies in the United States and globally. It sell its products under the Smith & Wesson brand, the M&P brand, the Thompson/Center brand, and the Walther brand. The Company manufactures its firearm products at its facilities in Springfield, Massachusetts and Houlton, Maine. On July 26, 2012, it sold all of the assets of Smith & Wesson Security Solutions, Inc.
Firearms
During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company introduced multiple new handgun and modern sporting rifle models, and one new bolt action rifle platform. The Company's rifle introductions included the addition of the M&P15 300 Whisper to the Company's line of modern sporting rifles. As of April 30, 2012, the Company participated in three categories of the long-gun market and both core categories of the handgun market.
Handguns
The Company manufactures an variety of handgun models that include revolvers and pistols. A revolver is a handgun with a cylinder that holds the ammunition in a series of rotating chambers that are successively aligned with the barrel of the firearm during each firing cycle. There are two general types of revolvers: single-action and double-action. The Company's small-frame revolvers have been carried by law enforcement personnel and personal defense-minded citizens. The Company's revolvers are available in a variety of models and calibers, with applications in virtually all professional and personal markets.
The Company�� M! &P15 Series of modern sporting rifles are designed to satisfy the functionality and reliability needs of global military, law enforcement, and security personnel. These rifles are also popular as sporting target rifles and are sold to consumers through the Company's sporting good distributors, retailers, and dealers. The Company has a range of product portfolio of modern sporting rifles, which includes a lower price-point, sport model, a .22 caliber model, and a fully automatic model designed for the exclusive use of military and law enforcement agencies throughout the world.
Hunting Firearms
The Company manufactures three lines of bolt-action rifles under its Thompson/Center brand consisting of several models in each line. The Company's hunting rifles are offered in 16 different calibers. Bolt-action rifles operate by the cycling of a bolt handle that allows for both the loading and unloading of rounds through a magazine fed system.
During fiscal 2012, the Company introduced the Dimension bolt action rifle platform. Under the Company's Thompson/Center brand, the Company also offers seven models of American-made single shot black powder, or muzzle loader, firearms. The Company offers eight models of interchangeable, single shot firearm systems that deliver numerous gun, barrel, caliber configurations, and finishes. These systems can be configured as a center-fire rifle, rim-fire rifle, shotgun, black powder firearm, or single-shot handgun for use across the entire range of big- and small-game hunting.
Handcuffs
The Company manufactures handcuffs and restraints in the United States. The Company fabricates these products from the carbon or stainless steel.
Smith & Wesson Academy
Through the Smith & Wesson Academy, the Company offers instruction designed to meet the training needs of law enforcement and security customers worldwide. Classes are conducted at the Company's facility in Springfield, Massachusetts or o! n locatio! n around the world.
Specialty Services
The Company's services include forging, heat treating, finishing, and plating. It provides services to third-party customers.
The Company competes with Ruger,Taurus, Beretta, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory, Bushmaster, Rock River, Stag Arms, DPMS, Browning, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Savage, Weatherby, CVA, Traditions, and Winchester.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWHC ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and investors have been a bit on edge lately about the company's performance. After topping out earlier this year, Smith & Wesson stock has topped out, and the gunmaker is seen producing weaker growth than rival Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR ) as well as stun-gun specialist TASER (NASDAQ: TASR ) . Should shareholders be worried about its coming quarterly announcement?
- [By Rich Smith]
This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature gun makers Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR ) and Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWHC ) -- both recipients of new buy ratings this morning. But the news isn't all good, everywhere. Before we get to those two, let's take a quick look at why ...
- [By Rich Duprey]
Even the big guns in gunmaking, Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR ) and�Smith & Wesson Holding (NASDAQ: SWHC ) , are taking hardcore stands on the issue. Ruger will be making its first major expansion in 25 years not in Connecticut, where it's been located since 1949, but in North Carolina, and both Ruger and Smith & Wesson will stop selling semiautomatic weapons because of that state's newly enacted law requiring "microstamping," the�embedding of a unique code on a gun's firing pin that gets "stamped" on a bullet casing when fired.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Peabody Energy Corporation(BTU)
Peabody Energy Corporation engages in the mining of coal. It mines, prepares, and sells thermal coal to electric utilities and metallurgical coal to industrial customers. The company owns interests in 30 coal mining operations located in the United States and Australia, as well as owns joint venture interest in a Venezuela mine. It is also involved in marketing, brokering, and trading coal. In addition, the company develops a mine-mouth coal-fueled generating plant; and Btu Conversion projects that are designed to convert coal to natural gas or transportation fuels; and clean coal technologies. As of December 31, 2011, it had 9 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. The company was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Divine]
Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU ) , which both mines and brokers coal, saw shares sink 4.3% Tuesday, as the U.S Interior Department addressed what it believes to be a consistent undervaluation of federally owned coal resources. The claims, that coal miners leasing federal land to mine the resource aren't paying fair prices for the right to do so, have obvious negative implications for companies like Peabody, which could see costs rise.�
- [By Rich Duprey]
Even so,�coal stocks plummeted�following Obama's speech with�Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU ) �and Alpha Natural Resources� (NYSE: ANR ) �dropping 8% and�Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI ) �down more than 6%. Using an end-run around Congress to implement�overreaching regulations through executive order are a worrisome possibility even if they'll have minimal impact on carbon emissions. Why? Because China doesn't care a whit about it and they'll continue burning coal regardless of presidential platitudes.
- [By Robert Rapier]
For years the coal industry has suggested that carbon capture and storage technologies would come along to save the day. But this year the Norwegian government abandoned support for a project that was supposed to demonstrate carbon capture and storage on commercial scale. Thus, coal in the US appears to be on the way out.
US coal producers have been battered as a result. Leading suppliers Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) and Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI) saw their share prices decline by another 30 percent and 40 percent, respectively, in 2013. This was on top of steep declines in 2011 and 2012, so that the total market capitalization of BTU and ACI has declined by 71 percent and 87 percent over the last three years.
No country in the world has decreased coal consumption as much in recent years as has the US. This explains the declining fortunes of coal companies with significant operations in the US. But no country has increased coal consumption as much as China. In fact, were it not for China, global consumption of coal would have decreased over the past five years. Instead, the world continues to set new records for coal consumption.
- [By Matt DiLallo]
Not only do coal exports benefit coal producing states, but they are a big economic driver and job creator for states that export coal globally. Consider Virginia, which has a major coal export facility in Norfolk operated by the Dominion Terminal Associates. That entity, which is owned Alpha Natural Resources, Peabody (NYSE: BTU ) , and Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI ) , as well as others like it, help to contribute more than 19,000 jobs to the state as well as $2.5 billion in economic value. It's really a win-win situation, as coal producers have a market for their coal while the states gain high-paying jobs.
Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Buy For 2015: Select Sector Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF)
Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Financial Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes financial service firms with diversified business lines ranging from investment management to commercial and investment banking.
The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing investment approach to invest in a portfolio of stocks that seek to replicate the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Bank of America have gained 1% to $14.47 today, while JPMorgan Chase (JPM)� has risen 0.7% to $53.66, Citigroup (C) has ticked up 0.3% to $51.01 and Wells Fargo (WFC) is up 0.3% to $43.13. The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) has gained 0.5% to $20.16.
- [By Markus Aarnio]
The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) was trading as low as $5.88 in March 2009. The index is currently trading at $20.03 or 240.6% above the low made in March 2009.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Reinsurance Group of America Inc (RGA)
Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA) is an insurance holding company. RGA is engaged in the reinsurance of individual and group coverages for traditional life and health, longevity, disability income, annuity and critical illness products, and financial reinsurance. During the year ended December 31, 2011, approximately 65.8% of the Company�� net premiums were from its operations in North America, represented by its United States and Canada segments. Its subsidiaries include RGA Reinsurance Company (RGA Reinsurance), Reinsurance Company of Missouri, Incorporated (RCM), RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. (RGA Barbados), RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (RGA Americas), RGA Atlantic Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (RGA Atlantic), RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada (RGA Canada), RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia, Limited (RGA Australia) and RGA International Reinsurance Company (RGA International). The Company has five geographic-based operational segments: United States, Canada, Europe & South Africa, Asia Pacific and Corporate and Other. On January 1, 2012, it dissolved its United Kingdom reinsurance subsidiary and transferred its business to RGA International, the Company�� Ireland-based subsidiary, to better manage capital resources.
As of December 31, 2011, the Company has operation in Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, People�� Republic of China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The Company provides reinsurance products to the life insurance companies worldwide. The Company obtains its revenues through reinsurance agreements, which cover a portfolio of life and health insurance products, including term life, credit life, universal life, whole life, group life and health, joint and last survivor insurance, critical illness, disability income, as well as annuities and financial reinsurance.
!United States Operations
During 2011, the United States operations represented 54.4% of the Company�� net premiums. The United States operations market traditional life and health reinsurance, reinsurance of asset-intensive products, and financial reinsurance, primarily to the United States life insurance companies. The United States Traditional sub-segment provides life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a range of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. Premiums vary for smokers and non-smokers, males and females, and may include a preferred underwriting class discount. Reinsurance premiums are paid in accordance with the treaty. Automatic reinsurance treaty provides that the ceding company will cede risks to a reinsurer on specified blocks of policies where the underlying policies meet the ceding company�� underwriting criteria. The United States facultative reinsurance operation involves the assessment of the risks inherent in multiple impairments, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes; cases involving policy face amounts, and financial risk cases, which include cases involving policies disproportionately in relation to the financial characteristics of the proposed insured. During 2011, approximately 20.4% of the United States gross premiums were written on a facultative basis.
Canada Operations
During 2011, the Canada operations represented 11.4% of the Company�� net premiums. During 2011, approximately 85.2% of the recurring new business was written on an automatic basis. The Company operates in Canada through RGA Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary. RGA Canada is a life reinsurer in Canada, based on new individual life insurance production. It assists clients with capital management and mortality and morbidity risk management and is primarily engaged in traditional individual life reinsurance, as well as creditor, group life and health, critical illness, and longev! ity reins! urance. Creditor insurance covers the outstanding balance on personal, mortgage or commercial loans in the event of death, disability or critical illness and is shorter in duration than traditional life insurance. Clients include the life insurers in Canada.
Europe & South Africa Operations
During 2011, the Europe & South Africa operations represented 16.3% of the Company�� net premiums. This segment serves clients from subsidiaries, licensed branch offices and/or representative offices located in France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. These offices operate primarily through the Company�� subsidiaries RGA International and RGA South Africa. The principal types of reinsurance for this segment include life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, the reinsurance of critical illness coverage, which provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and the reinsurance of longevity risk related to payout annuities. The reinsurance agreements of critical illness coverage may be either facultative or automatic agreements. Premiums earned from critical illness coverage represented 20.5% of the total net premiums for this segment during 2011. During 2011, the United Kingdom operations generated approximately 62.9% of the segment�� gross premiums.
Asia Pacific Operations
During 2011, the Asia Pacific operations represented 17.8% of the Company�� net premiums. The Company has a presence in the Asia Pacific region with licensed branch offices and/or representative offices in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Labuan (Malaysia) and the People�� Republic of China. The principal types of reinsurance for this segment include life, critical illness, health, disability income, superannuation, and financial reinsurance. Superannuation is the Australian government mandated c! ompulsory! retirement savings program. Superannuation funds accumulate retirement funds for employees, and in addition, offer life and disability insurance coverage. Reinsurance agreements may be either facultative or automatic agreements covering primarily individual risks and, in some markets, group risks. During 2011, the Australian operations generated approximately 52.3% of the total gross premiums for the Asia Pacific operations. The Hong Kong, Labuan, Japan, Taiwan, China and South Korea offices provide full reinsurance services and are supported by the Company�� United States and International Division Sydney office.
Corporate and Other
Corporate and Other operations include investment income from invested assets not allocated to support segment operations and undeployed proceeds from the Company�� capital raising efforts, in addition to unallocated investment related gains or losses. Corporate expenses consist of the offset to capital charges allocated to the operating segments within the policy acquisition costs and other insurance expenses line item, unallocated overhead and executive costs, and interest expense related to debt. In additionally, Corporate and Other includes results from, among others, RGA Technology Partners, Inc. (RTP), a wholly owned subsidiary that develops and markets technology solutions for the insurance industry and the investment income and expense associated with the Company�� collateral finance facilities.
The Company competes with Munich Re, Swiss Re, Hannover Re, SCOR Global Re, Berkshire Hathaway and Generali.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Brian Pacampara]
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, life and health reinsurer Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
- [By Selena Maranjian]
The biggest new holdings are Philip Morris International and Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA ) . Other new holdings of interest include Radian Group (NYSE: RDN ) . To say that mortgage insurer Radian had a good past year would be an understatement, as the stock more than tripled. That's partly due to expectations of a boom in business as the housing market picks up, with tighter lending rules probably leading to greater need for the coverage. The stock recently got an upgrade, with an analyst expecting a possibly bumpy 2013 because of a high level of delinquent loans, but much smoother sailing in following years.
- [By David Sterman]
My favorite insurers: AIG (NYSE: AIG) (which I discussed a few months ago), Protective Life (NYSE: PL) and Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA).
- [By Brian Pacampara]
What: Shares of life and health reinsurer Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA ) sank 10% today after its quarterly results disappointed Wall Street.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Empresas Ica Soc Contrladora (ICA)
Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V., through its subsidiaries, engages in the construction and related activities in Mexico. The company?s Civil Construction segment focuses on infrastructure projects that include the construction of roads, highways, mass transit systems, bridges, dams, hydroelectric plants, tunnels, canals, and airports; and on the construction, development, and remodeling of multi-storied urban buildings, such as office buildings, hotels, multiple-dwelling housing developments, and shopping centers. This segment also engages in demolition, clearing, excavation, de-watering, drainage, embankment fill, structural concrete construction, concrete and asphalt paving, and tunneling activities. Its Industrial Construction segment focuses on the engineering, procurement, construction, design, and commissioning of manufacturing facilities comprising power plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, fertilizer plants, pharmaceutical plants, steel mills, paper mills, d rilling platforms, and automobile and cement factories. Empresas ICA?s Rodio Kronsa segment engages in sub-soil construction involving the construction of tunnels, underpasses, and retaining walls. The company?s Housing Development segment engages in the development, trading, ownership, sale, assistance, operation, and administration activities. Its Infrastructure segment involves in the operation and maintenance of concessioned airports, highways, bridges and tunnels, water supply systems, and waste treatment systems. The company also provides a range of services that include feasibility studies, conceptual design, engineering, procurement, project and construction management, construction, maintenance, technical site evaluation, and other consulting services. It serves public and private sector clients. Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. was founded in 1947 and is based in Mexico.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
Empresas ICA (ICA) is engaged in a range of construction and related activities, including the construction of infrastructure facilities as well as industrial, urban and housing construction. This stock closed up 6.2% to $8.12 in Tuesday's trading session.
Tuesday's Range: $7.66-$8.24
52-Week Range: $6.14-$13.73
Tuesday's Volume: 965,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 719,832From a technical perspective, ICA ripped higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $7.48 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $6.14 to its intraday high of $8.24. During that move, shares of ICA have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of ICA into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $7.93 to $8.08.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ICA as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $7.48 and then once it sustains a move or close above Tuesday's high of $8.24 with volume that hits near or above 719,832 shares. If we get that move soon, then ICA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $9 to its 200-day moving average at $10.05. Any high-volume move above its 200-day will then put $11 to $11.77 into range for shares of ICA.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
One under-$10 name that's starting to trend within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Empresas ICA SA (ICA), which is engaged in construction and related activities, including the construction of infrastructure facilities as well as industrial, urban and housing construction. This stock is off to a decent start in 2013, with shares up 11.8%.
If you take a look at the chart for Empresas ICA SA, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation chart pattern for the last two months, with shares moving between $7.94 on the downside and $9.73 on the upside. Shares of ICA are now starting to push back above its 50-day moving average of $8.75 a share, and the stock is quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if ICA manages to take out the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ICA if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $9.34 to $9.73 a share and then once it clears its 200-day moving average at $9.94 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 527,965 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ICA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $11.50 to $12 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels could then put its 52-week high at $13.73 into focus for shares of ICA.
Traders can look to buy ICA off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $8 a share, or around $7.94 a share. One can also buy ICA off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: XOMA Ltd.(XOMA)
XOMA Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and manufacture of therapeutic antibodies to treat autoimmune, infectious, inflammatory, and oncological diseases. Its products under development include gevokizumab, an anti-inflammatory monoclonal antibody that inhibits interleukin-1 beta and has completed Phase 2 development stage for the treatment of Behcet?s uveitis, as well as is in Phase 2b clinical trail for Type 2 diabetes with cardiovascular biomarkers; XOMA 3AB, a biodefense anti-botulism product candidate comprising a combination or cocktail of antibodies for the treatment of botulism poisoning; and preclinical antibody discovery programs in various indications, including autoimmune, cardio-metabolic, inflammatory, and oncological diseases. The company, through its collaboration agreement with Novartis AG, is also developing HCD122, a human anti-CD40 antagonist antibody that is in Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of B-cell mediated diseases, including malignancies and autoimmune diseases; and LFA102, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of hematologic tumors and other undisclosed diseases. In addition, it licenses proprietary technologies relating to bacterial expression of recombinant pharmaceutical products to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. The company has collaboration agreements with Les Laboratoires Servier; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; SRI International; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Novartis AG; Arana Therapeutics Limited; Kaketsuken; Genentech, Inc.; and UCB Celltech. XOMA Ltd. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Berkeley, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
XOMA (NASDAQ: XOMA) shares reached a new 52-week high of $8.61. XOMA shares have jumped 196.09% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 25.27% in the same period.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Vipshop Holdings Ltd (VIPS)
Vipshop Holdings Limited (Vipshop Holdings), incorporated on August 27, 2010, is a holding company. Vipshop Holdings conducts its business through its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entity in the People's Republic of China. The Company is engaged in the online discount retailer for various brands. It offers branded products to consumers in China through flash sales on its vipshop.com Website. As of February 17, 2012, it had the rights to sell selective products from over 360 brands. As of December 31, 2011, it had offered diversified product offerings from over 1,900 popular domestic and international brands on its Website, including Aimer, A-life, Bossini, Disney, FOX, Harry Potter, Kappa, KUHLE, Lily, Limi, Mentholatum, Metersbonwe, MEXICAN, Ochirly and Pepsi. As of December 31, 2011, it owned seven registered trademarks, copyrights to six software programs developed by the Company, and four registered domain names, such as vipshop.com, vipshop.com.cn, vipshop.cn and vipshop.net.
In February 2014, the Company announced that it has acquired a 75 % interest in Lefeng.com Limited from Ovation Entertainment Limited.
The Company�� business model provides an online shopping for its customers. It offers new sales events with a selection of popular branded products at discounted prices in limited quantities during limited time periods. As of February 17, 2012, its total number of customers were 0.9 million, representing 60.6% of the total number of its customers. The Company offers a curated selection of apparel, fashion goods, cosmetics, home goods and lifestyle products from popular domestic and international brands. Its Product Category include womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories, handbags, children, sportswear and sporting goods, cosmetics, home goods and other, lifestyle products, luxury goods and gifts and miscellaneous.
The Company competes with B2C e-commerce, Taobao Mall, 360Buy and Dangdang.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
Shares of Vipshop (NYSE: VIPS ) tumbled 13% on Tuesday. It wasn't necessarily the legislative concerns that knocked the online clothing discounter down. There was a Deutsche Bank downgrade on Monday, and Vipshop also responded to a bearish attack that had used data for traffic tracker Alexa.com to suggest bogus financials.
- [By Wallace Witkowski]
U.S. shares of Vipshop Holdings Ltd. (VIPS) �jumped 23% to $157 on moderate volume after the Chinese online discount retailer reported adjusted fourth-quarter earnings of 49 cents a share on revenue of $651 million. Analysts expected 38 cents a share on revenue of $589 million.
- [By Belinda Cao]
Web clothing retailer Vipshop Holdings Ltd. (VIPS) surged 27 percent to $60 last week, rallying the most since the week ended Feb. 8. E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc. jumped 11 percent in the steepest climb in six weeks to $9.84.
- [By Paul Goodwin]
Vipshop Holdings (VIPS) offers fashionable merchandise, including clothing, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, and more, all at discounted prices.
But what really makes Vipshop special is that sales are all discounted, online, flash sales. That means limited amounts of each product are offered for limited amounts of time, and at a significant discount to full retail, usually 50% to 70% below original retail.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: TASER International Inc.(TASR)
TASER International, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells electronic control devices (ECD) for use in the law enforcement, military, corrections, private security, and personal defense markets. ECDs transmit electrical pulses along the wires and into the body affecting the sensory and motor functions of the peripheral nervous system. Its products for the law enforcement, military, corrections, and professional security market include the TASER X26 product line, which consists of TASER X26, various cartridges, a digital power magazine, data download software and equipment, extended warranties, and a range of holstering options and accessories; TASER X3, a multi-shot ECD that would engage three separate targets; and ADVANCED TASER M26 product line comprising the ADVANCED TASER M26, various cartridges, rechargeable batteries, a battery charging system, data download software and equipment, extended warranties, and various holstering options and accessories. The company also provides TASER XREP, a self-contained, wireless ECD that deploys from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun; and TASER Shockwave security system for safety and stand-off capability during hostile situations. In addition, it manufactures TASER C2, TASER X26C, and ADVANCED TASER M26C devices for the personal defense market, as well as provides various cartridges and other accessories. The company sells its products worldwide through its direct sales force, distribution partners, online store, and third-party resellers. TASER International, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
TASER International (NASDAQ: TASR ) has landed another large order of its eponymous stun guns. On Tuesday, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based weapons maker announced that the San Diego Sheriff's Department has ordered 1,200 upgraded X2 "Smart Weapons."
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWHC ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and investors have been a bit on edge lately about the company's performance. After topping out earlier this year, Smith & Wesson stock has topped out, and the gunmaker is seen producing weaker growth than rival Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR ) as well as stun-gun specialist TASER (NASDAQ: TASR ) . Should shareholders be worried about its coming quarterly announcement?
- [By Rich Smith]
TASER International's (NASDAQ: TASR ) eponymous stun guns continue to rake in sales. On Tuesday, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based weapons maker announced four orders of significant size, and several more of smaller orders of magnitude. The big four sales reported today included:
- [By Dan Caplinger]
At least for now, competition doesn't seem to be weighing against Smith & Wesson. TASER (NASDAQ: TASR ) has seen a ramp-up in growth prospects, but it's drawing at least as much of its business from law enforcement and other government purchases rather than private sales. An interesting competitive threat comes from the potential to use 3-D printers to produce firearms, but with the State Department having clamped down on one such gun maker, such efforts won't be large enough in scale for the foreseeable future.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Western Refining Inc.(WNR)
Western Refining, Inc. operates as an independent crude oil refiner and marketer of refined products. The company operates in three segments Refining Group, Wholesale Group, and Retail Group. The Refining Group segment operates two refineries in Texas and Mexico; two stand-alone refined product distribution terminals in New Mexico; and four asphalt terminals in Texas, as well as operates crude oil transportation and gathering pipeline system in New Mexico. It refines various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and other products from crude oil, other feedstocks, and blending components; and acquires refined products through exchange agreements and from various third-party suppliers. This segment sells its products through its wholesale group and service stations, independent wholesalers and retailers, commercial accounts, and sales and exchanges with oil companies. The Wholesale Group segment distributes commercial wholesale petroleum products primarily in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah for retail fuel distributors, as well as for the mining, construction, utility, manufacturing, transportation, aviation, and agricultural industries. The Retail Group segment operates service stations, which include convenience stores or kiosks that sell various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, general merchandise, and beverage and food products to the general public. As of February 24, 2012, it operated 210 service stations with convenience stores or kiosks located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in El Paso, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
On Tuesday, the Department of Defense awarded some $2.3 billion worth of contracts for "aviation turbine fuel." Most of the major oil and refining companies came away with contracts, including:
Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A ) subsidiary Equilon Enterprises, which claimed the largest award at an estimated $474.1 million in maximum value. Valero (NYSE: VLO ) , winner of a nearly as large contract valued at up to $456.4 million. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM ) , winner of a $405.1 million contract. Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) , which won $391.4 million. Western Refining (NYSE: WNR ) , awarded a $268.7 million supply contract.In addition, four other, smaller companies also won contracts. All nine contracts state June 30, 2014, as the deadline for delivery.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ARIA)
ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of small-molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer. The company?s lead cancer product, ridaforolimus is being studied in multiple clinical trials in patients with various types of cancers, including metastatic sarcomas, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. Its product pipeline also includes ponatinib, a pan BCR-ABL inhibitor in phase 2 clinical trial for applications in various hematological cancers and solid tumors; and AP26113, an anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor in preclinical studies for the treatment of various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, lymphoma, and neuroblastoma. In addition, the company focuses on a drug discovery program centered on small-molecule therapies that are molecularly targeted to cell-signaling pathways implicated in cancer. Further, it licenses its ARGENT cell-sign aling regulation technologies to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop and commercialize therapeutic products, and to conduct drug discovery research. The company has collaboration and license agreements with Merck & Co., Inc. for the development, manufacture, and commercialization of ridaforolimus; and license agreements with Medinol Ltd. and ICON Medical Corp. to develop and commercialize stents and other medical devices to deliver ridaforolimus to prevent restenosis of injured vessels. ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARIA) shares tumbled 6.52 percent to $5.45 Barclays downgraded the stock from Overweight to Underweight and lowered the target price from $25 to $4.�Bank of America also downgraded the stock from Buy to Neutral.�
- [By Paul Ausick]
Stocks on the Move: Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) is up 35.7% at $5.13. Camtek Inc. (NASDAQ: CAMT) is up 71.7% at $4.55 after saying that a 3D printer is coming next year from the company. Sungy Mobile Ltd. (NASDAQ: GOMO) is up 28.8% at $17.19 after last Friday�� IPO. InterCloud Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ICLD) is down 28.2% at $9.20.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Stocks on the Move: Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) is down 21.4% at $4.25. SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) is up 23% at $47.16 on a higher forecast for 2014. Amarin Corp. plc (NASDAQ: AMRN) is down 20.1% at $5.09.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: EMC Corporation(EMC)
EMC Corporation develops, delivers, and supports the information and virtual infrastructure technologies and solutions. The company offers enterprise storage systems and software, which are deployed in storage area networks (SAN), networked attached storage (NAS), unified storage combining NAS and SAN, object storage, and/or direct attached storage environments, as well as provides backup and recovery, and disaster recovery and archiving solutions. It also offers information security solutions in various areas, such as enterprise governance, risk and compliance, data loss prevention, security information management, continuous network monitoring, fraud protection, identity assurance and access control, and encryption and key management. In addition, the company provides information intelligence software, solutions, and services, including EMC Captiva for intelligent enterprise capture; EMC Document Sciences for customer communications management; EMC Kazeon for e-discovery ; EMC Documentum xCP for building business solutions and an action engine for big data; and the EMC Documentum platform for managing and delivering enterprise information. Further, it offers virtual and cloud infrastructure products, such as virtualization and virtualization-based cloud infrastructure solutions that address a range of IT problems, as well as facilitate access to cloud computing capacity, business continuity, software lifecycle management, and corporate end-user computing device management In addition, the company provides consulting, technology deployment, managed, customer support, and training and certification services. EMC Corporation markets its products through direct sales and through multiple distribution channels in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, and the Asia Pacific region. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mani]
EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) would publish its third-quarter 2013 financial results on October 22, 2013. The company is also expected to hold a conference call for investors on the same day at�8:30 a.m. ET�on to review the results.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Zep Inc.(ZEP)
Zep Inc. produces and markets cleaning and maintenance chemicals, and related products and services for commercial, industrial, institutional and consumer applications. Its products include anti-bacterial and industrial hand care products, cleaners, degreasers, deodorizers, disinfectants, floor finishes, sanitizers, pest- and weed-control products, air-care products and delivery systems, and various automotive maintenance chemicals. The company markets its products and services under various brands, such as Zep, Selig, ArmorAll, Niagara, Enforcer, Zep Commercial, RedMax Pro, Rubbermaid Commercial, Original Bike Spirits, Country Vet, Zep Professional, Microbemax, Misty, TimeMist, i-Chem, TimeWick, and Next Dimension brands, as well as private label and original equipment manufacturer private brands. It serves customers in industrial maintenance, janitorial/sanitation, and automotive markets; transportation, food processing, industrial manufacturing, and food service industr ies; and contractors, small business owners, and homeowners in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Brian Pacampara]
What: Shares of chemical maker Zep (NYSE: ZEP ) plunged 17% today after its quarterly results missed Wall Street expectations.
So what: The stock has rallied nicely in 2013 on steadily improving fundamentals, but a wide third-quarter miss -- EPS of $0.28 on revenue of $186 million versus the consensus of $0.42 and $197 million -- is forcing analysts to recalibrate their growth estimates. While management said that its diversification and expansion initiatives are right on track, weak demand and higher costs are weighing heavily on profitability.
- [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 Zep (NYSE: ZEP ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Wallace Witkowski]
Zep Inc. (ZEP) �is estimated to report fiscal first-quarter earnings of 15 cents a share on revenue of $160.3 million.
- [By Seth Jayson]
Basic guidelines
In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Zep (NYSE: ZEP ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Zep doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, not so great. Trailing-12-month revenue increased 3.5%, and inventory increased 11.8%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue grew 7.7%, and inventory grew 11.8%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks OK but not great. Revenue grew 3.4%, and inventory grew 4.7%.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: News Corporation(NWSA)
News Corporation operates as a diversified media company worldwide. Its Cable Network Programming segment produces and licenses news, business news, sports, general entertainment, and movie programming for distribution through cable television systems and direct broadcast satellite operators primarily in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment produces and acquires live-action and animated motion pictures for distribution and licensing in entertainment media, as well as produces and licenses television programming worldwide. Its Television segment operates 27 broadcast television stations in the United States. The company?s Direct Broadcast Satellite Television segment distributes programming services via satellite and broadband directly to subscribers in Italy. Its Publishing segment provides newspapers and information services, such as publishing national newspapers in the United Kingdom, approximately 146 newspapers in Australia, and a metropolitan and a national newspaper in the United States; book publishing services, including the publishing of English language books worldwide; and integrated marketing services comprising the publishing of free-standing inserts, which are marketing booklets containing coupons, rebates, and other consumer offers, as well as provides in-store marketing products and services, primarily to consumer packaged goods manufacturers in the United States and Canada. The company also sells advertising, sponsorships, and subscription services on the company?s various digital media properties and outdoor advertising space on various media primarily in Russia and eastern Europe; and provides data systems and professional services that enable teachers to use data to assess student progress and deliver individualized instructions. News Corporation was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jon Friedman]
The new News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA ) has a lot to prove as a stand-alone company.
This News Corp. is the product of a split between the former media conglomerate also known as News Corp., which then consisted of one company containing ample entertainment, broadcasting, and print-media assets. When the old News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch chose to divide it into two separate companies, with trading commencing on July 1, the new News Corp. inherited the print-journalism assets, including The Wall Street Journal and the�perennially money-bleeding�New York Post, as well as book publisher HarperCollins and Dow Jones (for which I worked, as a media columnist at MarketWatch, from 2007 till early this year).
- [By John Emerson]
At the time, NDS Group was 80% owned by News Corp (NWSA) and they were providing the smart cards for all Direct TV (DTV) receivers. Further, they were one of only three smart card providers and one of their competitors, Canal Plus a Vivendi subsidiary, was struggling with maintaining the security of their smart card systems which they were providing to non-News Corp television companies throughout Europe. It seems that the access codes on their systems were turning up on the internet and bootleggers were stealing the signals. EcoStar, which would later be spun off by DISH, was making the same claims back in the 1990s. Both companies maintained that News Corp, acting through its subsidiary NDS Group, was the culprit. To make a long story short, Canal Plus filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against News Corp and later on EcoStar would follow suit.
- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]
News Corp. is a media and information services company that has recently spun-off of its very profitable entertainment segment. The company’s�Chief Executive Lex Fenwick,�has left the company after two years in the job. The stock has been trading sideways over the last couple of months and is currently pulling back. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been on the rise. However, investors have had mixed feelings about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, News Corp. has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what News Corp. does this quarter.
Top Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Quanta Services Inc.(PWR)
Quanta Services, Inc. provides specialty contracting services primarily in North America. The company?s Electric Power Infrastructure Services segment designs, installs, upgrades, repairs, and maintains electric power transmission and distribution networks, and substation facilities; renewable energy generation facilities; and offers emergency restoration services, including repairing infrastructure to the electric power industry. Its Natural Gas and Pipeline Infrastructure Services segment designs, installs, repairs, and maintains natural gas and oil transmission and distribution systems, compressor and pump stations, and gas gathering systems, as well as offers related trenching, directional boring, and automatic welding services; and pipeline protection, integrity testing, rehabilitation and replacement, and fabrication of pipeline support systems, and related structures and facilities. This segment also provides airport fueling systems, and water and sewer infrastruct ure. It services customers engaged in the transportation of natural gas, oil, and other pipeline products. The company?s Telecommunications Infrastructure Services segment designs, installs, repairs, and maintains fiber optic, copper, and coaxial cable networks for video, data and voice transmission; and designs, installs, and upgrades wireless communications networks, including towers, switching systems, and backhaul links, as well as offers emergency restoration services. This segment serves customers in the wireline and wireless telecommunications, and cable television industries. Its Fiber Optic Licensing segment designs, procures, constructs, owns, and maintains fiber optic telecommunications infrastructure; and markets and licenses the right to use these point-to-point fiber optic telecommunications facilities. It provides its services to enterprise, education, carrier, financial services, and healthcare customers. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Chad Tracy]
TransCanada is not the only company that stands to profit from the possible Keystone XL approval. Refiners such as Valero and LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE: LYB), as well as construction companies Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) and Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR) all stand to gain if Keystone XL gets the green light.
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