diversification
What is diversification?
Diversification involves the planned distribution of investments across various securities to minimize the risk exposure to a specific industry or geographic segment. However, the risk of over-diversification exists, in which an investor can at best expect to mirror the market returns, minus any brokerage fees or management expenses.
What is diversification?
Guggenheim Solar ETF, $42.37, symbol TAN on New York (Units outstanding: 9.0 million; Market cap: $381.3 million; www.guggenheiminvestments.com), aims to match the performance of the Melvin and Company (MAC) Global Solar Energy Index, which includes 30 companies listed on exchanges in developed countries. The ETF’s top holdings are SunEdison, SolarCity, First Solar, GCL-Poly Energy Holdings, Hanergy Solar Group, SunPower, TerraForm Power, Canadian Solar, Meyer Burger Technology AG, Trina Solar and Xinyi Solar Holdings. The Guggenheim Solar ETF’s MER is 0.70%. It yields 1.5%....
We think conservative investors could hold up to 10% of their portfolios in foreign stocks. One way to do that is to buy carefully chosen exchange traded funds (ETFs) that have an overseas focus. The best ETFs offer very low management fees and well-diversified, tax-efficient portfolios of highquality stocks. Here’s a look at six international ETFs:...
Every Thursday we bring you one of our best U.S. stock picks. You get our specific recommendation on the stocks we profile, with a full explanation of how we arrived at our opinion. You will read about stocks making moves you should know about, most often from coverage in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster.
AT&T INC. (New York symbol T; www.att.com) is the largest wireless provider in the U.S., with 120.6 million subscribers. Wireless accounts for 55% of AT&T’s revenue and 75% of its earnings.
The remaining 45% of revenue and 25% of earnings comes from its wireline division, which sells phone services, television packages and high-speed Internet access to 34.4 million customers.
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AT&T INC. (New York symbol T; www.att.com) is the largest wireless provider in the U.S., with 120.6 million subscribers. Wireless accounts for 55% of AT&T’s revenue and 75% of its earnings.
The remaining 45% of revenue and 25% of earnings comes from its wireline division, which sells phone services, television packages and high-speed Internet access to 34.4 million customers.
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Every Thursday we bring you one of our best U.S. stock picks. You get our specific recommendation on the stocks we profile, with a full explanation of how we arrived at our opinion. You will read about stocks making moves you should know about, most often from coverage in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to bring in new rules forcing power plants to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
Alliant is upgrading its facilities in response. Regulators will probably let it pass along most of the extra costs to customers in the form of higher rates. We feel Alliant is in a good position to handle the new regulations.
ALLIANT ENERGY CORP. (New York symbol LNT; www.alliantenergy.com) sells electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
The company has earmarked $5.2 billion for plant upgrades and replacing older transmission lines and pipelines between 2014 and 2018. These funds include $750 million for a gas-fired plant that should replace some of its older coal facilities (coal accounts for about half of Alliant’s electricity production).
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to bring in new rules forcing power plants to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
Alliant is upgrading its facilities in response. Regulators will probably let it pass along most of the extra costs to customers in the form of higher rates. We feel Alliant is in a good position to handle the new regulations.
ALLIANT ENERGY CORP. (New York symbol LNT; www.alliantenergy.com) sells electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
The company has earmarked $5.2 billion for plant upgrades and replacing older transmission lines and pipelines between 2014 and 2018. These funds include $750 million for a gas-fired plant that should replace some of its older coal facilities (coal accounts for about half of Alliant’s electricity production).
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; buy or sell through brokers) aims to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
Its geographic breakdown includes China, 21.8%; South Korea, 14.4%; Taiwan, 12.7%; Brazil, 8.3%; South Africa, 8.1%; India, 7.5%; Mexico, 4.8%; Russia, 3.7%; Malaysia, 3.6%; Indonesia, 2.7%; Thailand, 2.4%; and Turkey, 1.7%.
The fund’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.4%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.0%; Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 2.3%; China Mobile, 2.1%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 1.5%; China Construction Bank, 1.5%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.4%; and Itau Unibanco Holding (Brazil: banking), 0.9%.
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Its geographic breakdown includes China, 21.8%; South Korea, 14.4%; Taiwan, 12.7%; Brazil, 8.3%; South Africa, 8.1%; India, 7.5%; Mexico, 4.8%; Russia, 3.7%; Malaysia, 3.6%; Indonesia, 2.7%; Thailand, 2.4%; and Turkey, 1.7%.
The fund’s top holdings are Samsung Electronics (South Korea), 3.4%; Taiwan Semiconductor (computer chips), 3.0%; Tencent Holdings (China: Internet), 2.3%; China Mobile, 2.1%; Naspers (South Africa: media and Internet), 1.5%; China Construction Bank, 1.5%; Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, 1.4%; and Itau Unibanco Holding (Brazil: banking), 0.9%.
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Every Thursday we bring you one of our best U.S. stock picks. You get our specific recommendation on the stocks we profile, with a full explanation of how we arrived at our opinion. You will read about stocks making moves you should know about, most often from coverage in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster.
CINTAS CORP. (Nasdaq symbol CTAS; www.cintas.com) provides a range of products and services to over one million businesses, mainly in North America.
The company gets 71% of its revenue by renting uniforms that it makes and cleans. This business also rents a variety of related products, such as mats, towels, mops and cleaning supplies. Cintas gets a further 10% of its revenue by selling uniforms.
In addition, the company sells first aid kits, fire extinguishers, sprinklers and emergency-exit lights (11%). It also shreds corporate documents (8%). In April 2014, it merged its shredding operations with Shred-it International. In exchange, Cintas received 42% of the combined company, which uses the Shred-it brand, plus $180 million in cash.
Cintas used the proceeds from the deal to pay a special dividend of $0.85 a share. It also increased its regular annual dividend by 10.4%, to $0.85 a share from $0.77. The new rate yields 1.1%. The company has now raised the payout annually for the past 31 years.
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CINTAS CORP. (Nasdaq symbol CTAS; www.cintas.com) provides a range of products and services to over one million businesses, mainly in North America.
The company gets 71% of its revenue by renting uniforms that it makes and cleans. This business also rents a variety of related products, such as mats, towels, mops and cleaning supplies. Cintas gets a further 10% of its revenue by selling uniforms.
In addition, the company sells first aid kits, fire extinguishers, sprinklers and emergency-exit lights (11%). It also shreds corporate documents (8%). In April 2014, it merged its shredding operations with Shred-it International. In exchange, Cintas received 42% of the combined company, which uses the Shred-it brand, plus $180 million in cash.
Cintas used the proceeds from the deal to pay a special dividend of $0.85 a share. It also increased its regular annual dividend by 10.4%, to $0.85 a share from $0.77. The new rate yields 1.1%. The company has now raised the payout annually for the past 31 years.
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ALLIED PROPERTIES REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $39.54 (Toronto symbol AP.UN; Units outstanding: 74.7 million; Market cap: $3.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 3.7%; www.alliedreit.com) owns 138 office buildings, mostly in major Canadian cities. These mainly Class I properties contain over 9.9 million square feet of leasable area. Class I refers to 19th- and early-20th-century light industrial buildings that have been converted to retail space. They usually feature exposed beams, interior brick and hardwood floors. Allied bought $400 million of properties in 2012 and $182.4 million in 2013. In the first three quarters of 2014, it added seven more for $210.0 million....
Every Thursday we bring you one of our best U.S. stock picks. You get our specific recommendation on the stocks we profile, with a full explanation of how we arrived at our opinion. You will read about stocks making moves you should know about, most often from coverage in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster. This week’s U.S. pick comes from our advisory for more aggressive investors, Stock Pickers Digest.
BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS (New York symbol BR; www.broadridge.com) serves the investment industry in three main areas: investor communications, securities processing and transaction clearing. The company processes 90% of all proxy votes in the U.S. and Canada.
Broadridge began trading on April 2, 2007, after former parent Automatic Data Processing handed out Broadridge stock to its own investors as a special dividend.
Without one-time items, Broadridge earned $37.0 million, or $0.30 a share, in its fiscal 2015 first quarter, which ended September 30, 2014. That’s down 22.9% from $48.0 million, or $0.39 a share, a year earlier.
The company paid employees higher commissions on new sales and performance bonuses. It also expanded its sales and marketing capabilities.
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BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS (New York symbol BR; www.broadridge.com) serves the investment industry in three main areas: investor communications, securities processing and transaction clearing. The company processes 90% of all proxy votes in the U.S. and Canada.
Broadridge began trading on April 2, 2007, after former parent Automatic Data Processing handed out Broadridge stock to its own investors as a special dividend.
Without one-time items, Broadridge earned $37.0 million, or $0.30 a share, in its fiscal 2015 first quarter, which ended September 30, 2014. That’s down 22.9% from $48.0 million, or $0.39 a share, a year earlier.
The company paid employees higher commissions on new sales and performance bonuses. It also expanded its sales and marketing capabilities.
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Every Thursday we bring you one of our best U.S. stock picks. You get our specific recommendation on the stocks we profile, with a full explanation of how we arrived at our opinion. You will read about stocks making moves you should know about, most often from coverage in our newsletter on U.S. investing, Wall Street Stock Forecaster.
In August 2014, Gannett announced it would split into two companies. One will focus on newspapers and their associated websites, and the other will hold its TV stations and stand-alone websites.
The stock is down 11% since the spinoff announcement, mainly because investors are worried about falling advertising revenue.
Still, studies have shown that after the first few months, spinoffs tend to outperform groups of comparable stocks for several years. That’s mainly because companies will only take on the costs of a spinoff when they have reason to believe it will boost the value of both the new and remaining businesses.
GANNETT CO., INC. (New York symbol GCI; www.gannett.com) is the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S., with 82 dailies, including USAToday, its flagship paper.
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In August 2014, Gannett announced it would split into two companies. One will focus on newspapers and their associated websites, and the other will hold its TV stations and stand-alone websites.
The stock is down 11% since the spinoff announcement, mainly because investors are worried about falling advertising revenue.
Still, studies have shown that after the first few months, spinoffs tend to outperform groups of comparable stocks for several years. That’s mainly because companies will only take on the costs of a spinoff when they have reason to believe it will boost the value of both the new and remaining businesses.
GANNETT CO., INC. (New York symbol GCI; www.gannett.com) is the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S., with 82 dailies, including USAToday, its flagship paper.
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CANADIAN REIT $48.21 (Toronto symbol REF.UN; Units outstanding: 72.4 million; Market cap: $3.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 3.6%; www.creit.ca) owns 198 properties, including retail, industrial and office buildings, across Canada and in Chicago. These holdings contain 24.6 million square feet of leasable area. The trust’s occupancy rate is 95.3%.
In the three months ended September 30, 2014, Canadian REIT’s revenue rose 1.5%, to $100.8 million from $99.3 million a year earlier. Cash flow per unit gained 2.8%, to $0.74 from $0.72.
Canadian REIT added $191.1 million worth of buildings in 2013. That followed $401.9 million of purchases in 2012, including 50% of Calgary Place, a 575,000-square-foot office and retail complex, for $156.0 million. So far this year, it has made one acquisition: a 261,000-square-foot industrial property near Toronto’s Pearson International Airport for $29.3 million.
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In the three months ended September 30, 2014, Canadian REIT’s revenue rose 1.5%, to $100.8 million from $99.3 million a year earlier. Cash flow per unit gained 2.8%, to $0.74 from $0.72.
Canadian REIT added $191.1 million worth of buildings in 2013. That followed $401.9 million of purchases in 2012, including 50% of Calgary Place, a 575,000-square-foot office and retail complex, for $156.0 million. So far this year, it has made one acquisition: a 261,000-square-foot industrial property near Toronto’s Pearson International Airport for $29.3 million.
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