Investors got a little good news heading into the weekend, a welcome sight to cap off a week of mixed economic reports. The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index, a gauge of 10 indicators, rose 0.6% to 95% in April, signaling better days ahead. The University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters Consumer Sentiment Index jumped to 83.7 in May from 76.4 a month ago, the best reading since July of 2007. These data points have the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI ) moving 0.75% higher and the S&P 500 (INDEX: ^GSPC ) up 0.95% with a half-hour left in trading.
JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM ) is one of the Dow's leaders today, climbing 2.5% in late trading. Reuters reported earlier today that merger and acquisition activity will pick up later this year and into next year as the stock market rallies and buyers fear they'll miss out on a long bull run.
Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Own For 2015: Level 3 Communications Inc.(LVLT)
Level 3 Communications, Inc. engages in the communications business in North America and Europe. It offers network and Internet services, including transport services, high speed Internet protocol services, dedicated Internet access, virtual private network services, and dark fiber services, as well as managed modem, an outsourced, turn-key infrastructure solution; and colocation services. The company also provides various media services, comprising Vyvx services that provide audio and video feeds over fiber or satellite; content delivery network services; media delivery services to customers seeking to manage, protect, and monetize content delivered over the Internet; a range of local and long distance voice services, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and traditional circuit-switch based services; and VoIP Enhanced Local, a VoIP service that enables broadband cable operators, IXCs, VoIP providers, and other companies operating their own switching infrastructure to launch IP-based local and long-distance voice services through a broadband connection. Level 3 Communications? media services also consist of SIP Trunking, a VoIP-based local phone service; Local Inbound service that terminates traditional telephone network originated calls to Internet Protocol termination points; Primary Rate Interface, a TDM local phone service that could be configured in various ways; Long Distance services portfolio comprising local and long distance transport and termination services; and Toll Free services portfolio, which terminate toll free calls that are originated on the traditional telephone network. As of December 31, 2010, its network encompassed approximately 68,000 intercity route miles in North America and an intercity network covering approximately 13,000 miles across Europe. Further, it sells coal primarily through long-term contracts with public utilities. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT )
We're taught in school that two negatives, when multiplied, equal a positive. Unfortunately, combining two bad companies in real life only leaves you with one really bad company! Thus is the plight of Level 3 Communications, which in 2011 bought Global Crossing for $3 billion, merging two integrated telecommunication companies that haven't turned a profit. As of the first quarter, Level 3 had an accumulated deficit of $12.93 billion. - [By Jesse Solomon]
The latest deals include medical device maker Medtronic's (MDT) $42.9 billion acquisition of rival Coviden (COV), telecom giant Level 3 Communications' (LVLT) $5.7 billion purchase of tw telecom (TWTC), Williams Companies (WMB)' $6 billion controlling stake in natural gas driller Access Midstream Partners (ACMP), and SanDisk's (SNDK) $1.1 billion takeover of flash technology company Fusion-io (FIO).
- [By Holly LaFon]
Company Dell Inc. (DELL) Chesapeake Energy (CHK) DirecTV (DTV) Loews (L) Walt Disney (DIS) Aon Plc (AON) The Travelers Companies (TRV) Level 3 Communications (LVLT) FedEx (FDX) Bank of New York Mellon (BK)
Learn more about Mason and his views on the present economy in his second-quarter letter here. See his portfolio here.
10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own For 2014: Northern Tier Energy LP (NTI)
Northern Tier Energy LP, formerly Northern Tier Energy, Inc., incorporated in October 21, 2011, is an independent downstream energy company with refining, retail, and pipeline operations that serves the PADD II region of the United States. The Company operates its assets in two business segments: the refining business and the retail business. The Company owns three pipelines. The Company's operations will be conducted through, and its operating assets will be owned by, its wholly owned subsidiary, Northern Tier Energy LLC, and its subsidiaries. Effective November 12, 2013, Western Refining Inc acquired a 38.681% interest in Northern Tier Energy LP.
Refining Business
The Company�� refining business primarily consists of a 74,000 barrels per calendar day (84,500 barrels per stream day) refinery located in St. Paul Park, Minnesota. Its location allows it to distribute its refined products throughout the midwestern United States. The Company�� refinery produces a slate of refined products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and asphalt, which are then marketed to resellers and consumers primarily in the PADD II region. It also owns various storage and transportation assets, including a light products terminal, a heavy products terminal, storage tanks, rail loading/unloading facilities and a Mississippi river dock. The Company�� refining business also includes its 17% interest in the Minnesota Pipe Line Company, which owns and operates the Minnesota Pipeline, a 455,000 barrels per calendar day crude oil pipeline system that transports crude oil (primarily from Western Canada and North Dakota) for approximately 300 miles from the Enbridge pipeline hub at Clearbrook, Minnesota to its refinery.
As of March 31, 2012, the Company's storage assets included 84 hydrocarbon storage tanks with a total capacity of 3.7 million barrels (156 million gallons), 0.8 million barrels of crude oil storage and 2.9 million barrels of feedstock and product storage. The Company�� r! efinery supplies all of the gasoline and diesel sold in its company-operated and franchised convenience stores, as well as all of the gasoline and diesel sold in 90 independently owned and operated Marathon branded stores in its marketing area. The Minnesota Pipe Line Company owns the Minnesota Pipeline, a crude oil pipeline system in Minnesota that transports crude oil to the St. Paul area. The Minnesota Pipeline system has multiple lines that run approximately 300 miles from Clearbrook in Clearwater County, Minnesota to Dakota County, Minnesota, transporting crude oil received through the Enbridge pipeline connections at Clearbrook from Western Canada and North Dakota to our refinery and Koch Industries�� Flint Hills Resources refinery in Minnesota.
Retail Business
As of March 31, 2012, the Company�� retail business operated 166 convenience stores under the SuperAmerica brand and also supported 67 franchised convenience stores, which are also operated under the SuperAmerica brand. These convenience stores are located primarily in Minnesota and Wisconsin and sell various grades of gasoline and diesel, tobacco products and immediately consumable items, such as non-alcoholic beverages, beer, prepared food and a range of snacks and prepackaged items. It also owns and operates SuperMom�� Bakery, which prepares and distributes baked goods and other prepared food items for sale in its company-operated and franchised convenience stores and other third party locations.
The Company has a retail-marketing network of 233 convenience stores, as of March 31, 2012, located throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota, of which it operates 166 stores and support 67 franchised stores. All of its company-operated and franchised convenience stores are operated under the SuperAmerica brand. It also owns and operates SuperMom�� Bakery, which prepares and distributes baked goods and other prepared items for sale in its retail outlets and for other third parties. Its refine! ry suppli! es all of the gasoline and diesel sold in its company-operated and franchised convenience stores. The Company has retail customers, which primarily include retail end-users, motorists and commercial drivers. It had a retail-marketing network of 233 convenience stores, as of March 31, 2012, located throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota, of which it operated 166 stores and support 67 franchised stores.
The Company competes with Koch Industries��Flint Hills Resources Refinery, Holiday, Kwik Trip and Wal-Mart.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
Northern Tier Energy (NYSE: NTI) will report earnings this week. The partnership closed last week down less than 1 percent, but interested investors should find a cheaper entry point this week as earnings will undoubtedly be disappointing.
- [By Stoyan Bojinov]
The Connecticut-based petroleum refiner, Northern Tier Energy LP (NTI), announced on Tuesday that it has entered into an agreement that would sell it off to Western Refining Inc. in a deal reportedly worth $775 million.
Northern Tier Energy said that its private equity sponsors, ACON Investments and TPG, have struck a definitive agreement that would sell all of their interests in the East Coast refining company to Texas-based Western Refining. According to sources, the deal also includes the distribution on the common shares acquired with respect to the last quarter ending on 9/30/2013; as a result, Western Refining now owns the general partner in its entirety along with a 38.7% stake in Northern Tier Energy.
Western Refining will be acquiring a refinery in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the company commented that this transaction, which was signed and closed today, would immediately be reflected in its earnings and cash flow.
Northern Tier Energy LP shares rallied higher today, gaining 3.35% as the closing bell rang.
10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own For 2014: Wausau Paper Corp. (WPP)
Wausau Paper Corp. manufactures, converts, and sells paper and paper products in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Tissue and Paper. The Tissue segment produces and sells paper towel and tissue products for the ?away-from-home? market, including washroom roll and folded towels, windshield folded towels, industrial wipers, dairy towels, household roll towels, and various towel, tissue, and soap dispensers, as well as other premium towel and tissue products to paper and sanitary supply distributors under the DublSoft, EcoSoft, OptiCore, Revolution, Dubl-Nature, and Dubl-Tough names. The Paper segment focuses on four core markets comprising food, industrial and tape, coated and liner, and print and color. This segment manufactures products for food processing, food packaging, and foodservice, such as products used for baking applications, microwave popcorn, and other cheese and meat processing products; products for interleaving, saturating, coating, unsaturated crepe base, and a range of micro markets; specialty liners, and siliconized release papers for use in pressure sensitive tapes, specialty label applications, the production of fiber composite applications, and casting sheets used in the production of solar cells; and uncoated printing, writing, text, cover, and board grades for commercial printers, in-plant print shops, quick printers, copy centers, and office supply and mass merchandisers under the Wausau Paper, EcoSelect, ExperTec, DuraTec, InvenTec, ProGard, ProRedi, ProPly, ProTec, Astrobrights, Royal, Exact, Professional Series, Intrigue, and Creative Collection names. This segment also produces a range of custom color products, which include matte board, end leaf, and luxury packaging applications. Wausau Paper Corp. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Mosinee, Wisconsin.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Morgan]
WPP Plc (WPP), the world�� biggest advertising company, advanced 3.6 percent to 1,210 pence in London trading.
LSE advanced 7.4 percent to 1,590 pence, the highest price since February 2008, as the operator of Europe�� oldest independent bourse reported a 39 percent increase in first-quarter revenue.
- [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 Wausau Paper (NYSE: WPP ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Holly LaFon]
In the second half of the year, Crescent established new positions in a few companies that have more such global footprints. We initiated investments in Google (GOOG), as well as the advertising agencies Interpublic (IPG) and WPP (WPP). The fortunes of all three are tied directly to the level of global advertising spend, and they all saw their shares prices decline due to concerns of a recession-related slowdown. At our purchase price, we believe we were buying each at roughly 11-13x our estimated earnings for 2012 should the fears of a macroeconomic slowdown prove correct. This strikes us as a very reasonable multiple to pay for asset-light global businesses that generate strong free cash flow across the business cycle and have the capability to grow earnings greater than GDP in a normal economic environment.
10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own For 2014: Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (BSV)
Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (the Fund) seeks to track the performance of a market-weighted bond index with a short-term, dollar-weighted average maturity. The Fund employs a passive management or indexing strategy designed to track the performance of the Barclays Capital U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (the Index). The Index includes all medium and larger issues of the United States Government, investment-grade corporate, and investment-grade international dollar-denominated bonds that have maturities of between 1 and 5 years and are publicly issued. The Fund invests by sampling the Index, meaning that it holds a range of securities that, in the aggregate, approximates the full Index in terms of key risk factors and other characteristics. All of the Fund�� investments will be selected through the sampling process, and at least 80% of its assets will be invested in bonds held in the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is The Vanguard Group, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
In addition to individual stocks several funds pay a monthly dividend. Below is a sampling of these:
Monthly Bond Funds- iShares Barclays 1-3 Year Credit Bond (CSJ) | Yield: 1.29%
- Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (BSV) | Yield: 1.25%
- Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF (BIV) | Yield: 2.96%
- Vanguard Long-Term Bond ETF (BLV) | Yield: 4.42%
10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own For 2014: Spartan Stores Inc.(SPTN)
Spartan Stores, Inc. operates as a grocery distributor and retailer principally in Michigan and Indiana. The company operates in two segments, Distribution and Retail. The Distribution segment provides approximately 43,000 stock-keeping units, including dry groceries, produce, dairy products, meat, deli, bakery, frozen food, seafood, floral products, general merchandise, pharmacy, and health and beauty care items to approximately 375 independent grocery stores and 96 corporate-owned stores, as well as offers approximately 3,600 private brand grocery and general merchandise items. It also provides value-added services, including site identification and market analyses; store planning and development; marketing, promotion, advertising; technology and information; accounting and tax preparation; human resource; coupon redemption; product reclamation; printing; category management; real estate; and construction management services. The Retail segment operates 97 retail superma rkets in Michigan under the Glen?s Markets, Family Fare Supermarkets, D&W Fresh Markets, VG?s Food and Pharmacy, and Valu Land names; and 25 fuel centers/convenience stores that offers refueling facilities, as well as immediately consumable products under the Glen?s Quick Stop, Family Fare Quick Stop, D&W Fresh Markets Quick Stop, and VG?s Quick Stop names. Its retail supermarkets offer dry groceries, produce, dairy products, meat, frozen food, seafood, floral products, general merchandise, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty care products, delicatessen items, and bakery goods, as well as pharmacy services. This segment also provides private brand items, including its Spartan brand; Fresh Selections; Top Care, a health and beauty care brand; Valu Time, a value brand; Full Circle, a natural and organic brand; and Paws, a pet supplies brand. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Margins matter. The more Spartan Stores (Nasdaq: SPTN ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Spartan Stores's competitive position could be.
- [By GURUFOCUS]
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
SYY is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 37.5% premium to its calculated fair value of $26.26. SYY 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%
SYY earned two Stars in this section for 2.) and 3.) above. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. SYY earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1970 and has increased its dividend payments for 43 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 NPV MMA Diff. of the $282 is below the $500 target I look for in a stock that has increased dividends as long as SYY has. If SYY grows its dividend at 3.6% per year, it will take 3 years to equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.41%. SYY earned a check for the Key Metric 'Years to >MMA' since its 3 years is le
10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own For 2014: Marriott International Inc (MAR)
Marriott International, Inc., incorporated on September 19, 1997, is a diversified hospitality company. It is a lodging company with more than 3,700 properties in 73 countries and territories. It operates in four business segments: North American Full-Service Lodging, which includes the Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Conference Centers, JW Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, Renaissance ClubSport, and Autograph Collection properties located in the United States and Canada; North American Limited-Service Lodging, which includes the Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, and Marriott ExecuStay properties located in the United States and Canada; International Lodging, which includes the Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, Autograph Collection, Courtyard, AC Hotels by Marriott, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Residence Inn, and Marriott Executive Apartments properties located outside the United States and Canada, and Luxury Lodging, which includes The Ritz-Carlton, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, and EDITION properties worldwide (together with residential properties associated with some Ritz-Carlton hotels). In January 2014, the Company announced that it has sold its leasehold interests in the Renaissance Barcelona Hotel to an affiliate of the Qatar Armed Forces Investment Portfolio (QAFIP).
On November 21, 2011 (the spin-off date), the Company completed a spin-off of its timeshare operations and timeshare development business. Under license agreements with the Company, Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (MVW) is the developer and operator of timeshare, fractional, and related products under the Marriott brand and the developer of fractional and related products under The Ritz-Carlton brand. The Company receives license fees under these licensing agreements. In April 2012, it opened the Renaissance Barcelona Hotel. In September 2012, its JW Marriott hotel brand has opened JW Marriott Essex House New York in New York City.
The Company is a worldwide operator, franchisor, and licensor of hotels, corporate housing properties, and timeshare properties under a number of brand names. The Company also operates, markets, and develops residential properties and provides services to home/condominium owner associations. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated, franchised or licensed 3,718 lodging properties worldwide, with 643,196 rooms inclusive of 32 home and condominium products (3,838 units) for which it manages the related owners��associations. As of December 31, 2011, the Company provided 2,166 furnished corporate housing rental units. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 1,104 properties (284,868 rooms) under long-term management agreements with property owners, 45 properties (10,957 rooms) under long-term lease agreements with property owners, and five properties (986 rooms) as owned. During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company bought one land parcel for hotel development and one hotel, and sold two limited-service properties, one full-service property and one land parcel. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had 24671 franchised properties (332,636 rooms), 85 unconsolidated joint venture properties (8,721 rooms), and 64 timeshare, fractional and related properties (12,800 units).
North American Full-Service Segment, North American Limited-Service Segment, International Segment Lodging Products
Marriott Hotels & Resorts is the Company�� global flagship brand, serving business and leisure upper-upscale travelers and meeting groups. Marriott Hotels & Resorts properties are located in downtown, urban, and suburban areas, near airports, and at resort locations. As of December 31, 2011, there were 492 Marriott Hotels & Resorts properties (178,854 rooms), excluding JW Marriott and Marriott Conference Centers. As of December 31, 2011, there were 10 Marriott Conference Centers (2,915 rooms) throughout the United States. JW Marriott is a global luxury brand made up of a collection o! f propert! ies and resorts. As of December 31, 2011, there were 53 properties (23,826 rooms) primarily located in gateway cities and upscale locations globally. Renaissance Hotels properties are located in downtown locations of major cities, in suburban office parks, near gateway airports, and in destination resorts. As of December 31, 2011, there were 154 Renaissance Hotels properties (52,966 rooms), including two Renaissance ClubSport properties (349 rooms).
The Autograph Collection consists of upper-upscale and luxury, independent hotels located in major cites. As of December 31, 2011, there were 27 Autograph Collection properties (6,105 rooms) operating in the United States.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company entered into joint ventures with AC Hotels of Spain to create the AC Hotels by Marriott co-brand. AC Hotels typically contain 50 to 150 rooms and are located in destination, downtown, and suburban markets. As of December 31, 2011, there were 80 AC Hotels by Marriott properties (8,371 rooms) in Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Courtyard is the Company�� select-service hotel product for the upper-moderate price tier. The hotels typically contain 90 to 150 rooms in suburban locales and 140 to 340 rooms in downtown domestic and international locales. As of December 31, 2011, there were 913 Courtyards (134,719 rooms) operating in 37 countries and territories.
Fairfield Inn & Suites offers a range of amenities, including free in-room high-speed Internet access and free wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access in the lobby, on-site business services (copying, faxing, and printing), a business center/lobby computer with Internet access and print capability, continental breakfast buffet, The Market, exercise facilities, and a swimming pool. In addition, suite rooms provide guests with separate areas for sleeping, working, and relaxing, as well as in-room amenities, including a microwave and refrigerator. As of December 31, 2011, there were 431 Fairfield Inn & Suites propert! ies and 2! 49 Fairfield Inn properties operating in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. SpringHill Suites properties typically have 90 to 165 suites. The brand offers a broad range of amenities, including free in-room high-speed Internet access and free Wi-Fi access in the lobby, The Market (a self-serve food store open 24 hours a day), complimentary hot breakfast buffet, lobby computer and on-site business services (copying, faxing, and printing), exercise facilities, and a swimming pool. As of December 31, 2011, there were 285 properties (33,466 rooms) located in the United States and 2 properties (299 rooms) in Canada.
Residence Inn is North America�� hotel brand designed for business and leisure travelers staying five or more nights. As of December 31, 2011, there were 617 Residence Inn properties (74,867 rooms) located in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, United Kingdom, and Germany. As of December 31, 2011, 193 TownePlace Suites properties (20,048 rooms) were located in 42 states. Marriott ExecuStay provides furnished corporate apartments for long-term stays nationwide. As of December 31, 2011, Marriott leased approximately 2,200 apartments and its 11 franchisees leased approximately 2,500 apartments. Apartments are located in 43 different markets in the United States, of which 34 are franchised. Marriott Executive Apartments provides temporary housing for business executives and others who need accommodations outside their home country, usually for 30 or more days. As of December 31, 2011, 20 Marriott Executive Apartments and two other Serviced Apartments properties (3,700 rooms total) were located in 16 countries and territories. All Marriott Executive Apartments are located outside the United States.
Luxury Segment Lodging Products
The Ritz-Carlton is a global luxury lifestyle brand, which consists of hotels and resorts. The Ritz-Carlton properties include spa and wellness facilities, restaurants, championship golf courses, and The Ritz-Carlton Club Level! . Through! a joint venture with jeweler and luxury goods designer Bulgari SpA, the Company operates the luxury hotel properties in prime locations under the name Bulgari Hotels & Resorts. As of December 31, 2011, it operated the Bulgari Milano Hotel (58 rooms), in Milan, Italy, and the Bulgari Bali Resort, which features 59 private villas, two restaurants, and comprehensive spa facilities. It also operates two restaurants in Tokyo, Japan, which are co-located with two Bulgari retail stores. The EDITION brand offers a lodging experience on a global scale.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Another big beneficiary would be hotels such as Marriott International (NYSE: MAR ) . Hotels that cater to a middle-class and upper-income individual are less likely to see a big fluctuation in hotel demand during the summer months. Some of the budget hotel chains could struggle a bit this summer as payroll taxes eat into consumers' disposable income, but Marriott looks poised to do just fine.
- [By Jim Royal]
Second, Ryman lowered its earnings projection for the year and won't be able to realize as quickly the synergies from its deal with Marriott (NYSE: MAR ) . That's not great, but it's mitigated now almost completely by the price you're paying. Even at the low end of management's 2013 guidance, the stock is trading at less than 9 times adjusted FFO. At the high end, it's a shade over 8 times. That's extraordinarily cheap for such premier assets.
- [By Bradley Seth McNew]
With over 4,000 properties worldwide, and 2013 gross revenue of over $13 billion, Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR ) is one hotel company worth watching now. With 18 brands including Marriott Hotels, Ritz Carlton, and others in both the luxury and mass-market segments, the company has been aggressively expanding in the past five years, and its growth in number of properties has helped to spur its growth in profits and share value. But even after the incredible run-up in the company stock over the past year, it still doesn't look very expensive in the industry, especially compared with competitors such as Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT ) .�
- [By Matt Thalman]
In the following video, Fool contributor Matt Thalman discusses a few different metrics and areas investors should focus their attention on when looking at Marriott's (NYSE: MAR ) upcoming earnings report.
10 Best Sliver Stocks To Own For 2014: LMI Aerospace Inc.(LMIA)
LMI Aerospace, Inc. provides design engineering services, structural assemblies, kits, and components to the aerospace, defense, and technology markets primarily in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Aerostructures and Engineering Services. The Aerostructures segment fabricates, machines, finishes, integrates, assembles, and kits formed close tolerance aluminum, specialty alloy, and composite components, as well as higher level assemblies. Its aerospace products include wing slats and flapskins; winglet leading edges and related wing modification kits; fuselage and wing skins; helicopter cabin, aft section, and pylon components and assemblies; door surrounds, components, assemblies, and floorbeams; thrust reversers and engine nacelles/cowlings; cockpit window frames and landing light lens assemblies; interior components; structural sheet metal and extruded components; tailcone assemblies; and housings and assemblies. This segment also offers value-add ed services related to the design, production, assembly, and distribution of aerospace components. The Engineering Services segment provides design, engineering, and program management services, such as structural design and analysis, systems design and integration, tool design and fabrication, certification planning support, risk mitigation and producibility trade studies, and the development of program schedules and resource planning. Its services include wing/wingbox, fixed and moveable leading edges/trailing edges, fuselage, empennage, and tailcone design; winglet/wing mod design; nacelle, engine cowl, and thrust reverser design; weight improvement engineering; helicopter fuselage, cockpit, cabin frames, skins, longerons, and beams; aircraft modification engineering; aviation training system; aviation maintenance engineering; manufacturing engineering; and aviation system software engineering. The company was founded in 1948 and is based in St. Charles, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sally Jones] % over 12 months, Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) has a market cap of $45.06 billion. The current share price is $140.67, and trades with a P/E of 15.00. The dividend yield is 3.30%.
Lockheed Martin Corporation was formed in 1995 by combining the businesses of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta Corporation. Lockheed Martin operates in four principal business segments: Aeronautics, Electronic Systems, Information Systems & Global Services and Space Systems.
Guru Action: As of Sept. 30, 2012, Jim Simons bought a new holding of 145,800 shares at an average price of $121.40 for a gain of 15.9%.
Guru Ray Dalio sold out his LMT after 16 quarters of high gains. In the third quarter of 2013, he sold 10,176 shares at an average price of $121.40 for a gain of 15.9%.
Numerous gurus traded LMT in third quarter.
There is recent insider selling.
Historical share pricing, revenue and net income tracking:
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B/E Aerospace Inc. (BEAV)
Up 93% over 12 months, B/E Aerospace Inc. has a market cap of $9.05 billion.
The current share price is $86.28, and trades with a P/E of 25.60. The company does not pay a dividend.
B/E Aerospace Inc. is a global manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products and a distributor of aerospace fasteners and consumables.
Guru Action: As of Sept. 30, 2012, Guru Ken Fisher is one of four gurus making a new buy. Fisher bought a new holding of 21,800 shares at an average price of $70.20 for a gain of 23%.
Guru Larry Robbins was one of two gurus selling out in the third quarter. Robbins sold 341,692 shares at an average price of $70.20 for a gain of 22.9%.
Here�� a lot more guru action and recent insider selling.
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GuruFocus "Real Time Picks" reports the stock purchases and sales that Gurus have made within the prior 2 weeks. The report time lag can be as short as 2 days after the date of the transaction. This feature
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