price to sales ratio
GANNETT CO., INC. $14 (New York symbol GCI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector: Shares outstanding: 115.4 million; Market cap: $1.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.6; Dividend yield: 4.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.gannett.com) publishes daily newspapers in 92 U.S. markets, including its flagship paper, USAToday, and 19 dailies in the U.K. The company recently agreed to buy Journal Media Group (New York symbol JMG), which publishes 15 dailies and 18 weeklies in nine states. The purchase price is $280 million, which includes Journal’s cash holdings. Gannett expects to close the deal in the first quarter of 2016. The purchase will add $0.10 to $0.15 a share to Gannett’s earnings in the first year; the company will likely earn $1.66 a share in 2016, and the stock trades at 8.4 times that estimate. Savings from combining printing plants and other operations should increase Gannett’s earnings by $0.20 to $0.25 a share in the second year. The $0.64 dividend seems secure and yields 4.6%....
FEDEX CORP. $128 (New York symbol FDX; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 275.6 million; Market cap: $35.3 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.fedex.com) has received approval from U.S. and European regulators for its $4.6-billion purchase of TNT Express NV, a Netherlands-based courier that operates throughout Europe. The deal makes FedEx the second-largest courier in Europe, with 22% of the market. That’s just behind leader United Parcel Services, which has 25%. Regulators in other countries, including China and Brazil, must approve the deal. However, FedEx expects to complete it by June 30, 2016....
CHEVRON CORP. $83 (New York symbol CVX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $157.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 5.2%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.chevron.com) recently signed deals to sell 1.5 million metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year to clients in China. These deals will add to the prospects of its Gorgon LNG project off northwestern Australia, which will start up in the next few months. Chevron owns 47.3% of Gorgon and operates the project. It cost $54 billion to build; Chevron’s share of the costs is $25.5 billion. The recent drop in gas prices will hurt Gorgon’s initial profitability. However, it should become a major supplier of gas to Japan, South Korea, India and China. Moreover, its reserves should last at least 40 years....
ALLIANT ENERGY CORP. $62 (New York symbol LNT; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 113.4 million; Market cap: $7.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 3.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.alliantenergy.com) sells power and natural gas to 1.4 million clients in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. The company has raised its quarterly dividend by 6.8% with the February 2016 payment, to $0.5875 from $0.55. The new annual rate of $2.35 yields 3.8%. Alliant has paid quarterly dividends since 1946 and has raised the annual rate each year since 2004. Alliant Energy is a buy....
ALLIANT ENERGY CORP. $62 (New York symbol LNT; Income Portfolio, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 113.4 million; Market cap: $7.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 3.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.alliantenergy.com) sells power and natural gas to 1.4 million clients in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. The company has raised its quarterly dividend by 6.8% with the February 2016 payment, to $0.5875 from $0.55. The new annual rate of $2.35 yields 3.8%. Alliant has paid quarterly dividends since 1946 and has raised the annual rate each year since 2004. Alliant Energy is a buy.
WELLS FARGO & CO. $49 (New York symbol WFC; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 5.1 billion; Market cap: $249.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.9; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.wellsfargo .com) earned $21.6 billion in 2015, down 1.0% from $21.8 billion in 2014. However, earnings per share rose 1.2%, to $4.15 from $4.10, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue gained 2.0%, to $86.1 billion from $84.3 billion. Low interest rates continue to spur demand for residential mortgages, business and car loans while encouraging consumers to make more credit card purchases. The bank also recently bought the commercial lending and leasing operations of General Electric (see page 18). Those businesses offer loans to help manufacturers boost their inventory, as well as other forms of financing. However, Wells Fargo is earning less interest income on its loans, which hurts its earnings. Higher salaries and federal deposit insurance premiums also slowed its profit growth....
WELLS FARGO & CO. $49 (New York symbol WFC; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 5.1 billion; Market cap: $249.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.9; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.wellsfargo .com) earned $21.6 billion in 2015, down 1.0% from $21.8 billion in 2014. However, earnings per share rose 1.2%, to $4.15 from $4.10, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue gained 2.0%, to $86.1 billion from $84.3 billion. Low interest rates continue to spur demand for residential mortgages, business and car loans while encouraging consumers to make more credit card purchases. The bank also recently bought the commercial lending and leasing operations of General Electric (see page 18). Those businesses offer loans to help manufacturers boost their inventory, as well as other forms of financing. However, Wells Fargo is earning less interest income on its loans, which hurts its earnings. Higher salaries and federal deposit insurance premiums also slowed its profit growth....
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $28 (New York symbol GE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 10.1 billion; Market cap: $282.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ge.com) has agreed to sell $157 billion in assets of its GE Capital financing division. So far, it has completed transactions equalling $104 billion. These sales are part of GE’s plan to focus on its industrial businesses, including jet engines, power plant equipment, medical gear and locomotives.
Shrinking GE Capital cuts risk
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GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $28 (New York symbol GE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 10.1 billion; Market cap: $282.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ge.com) has agreed to sell $157 billion in assets of its GE Capital financing division. So far, it has completed transactions equalling $104 billion. These sales are part of GE’s plan to focus on its industrial businesses, including jet engines, power plant equipment, medical gear and locomotives.
Shrinking GE Capital cuts risk
...
We’re still positive on the long-term outlook for stocks. But in a time of rising market volatility, plunging commodity prices and international tension, it’s more important than ever to diversify, rather than focus on a single stock of the year. Moreover, we find lots of attractive long-term buys among stocks we cover. With that in mind, we’ve chosen to highlight one pick from each of our portfolios (Conservative, Aggressive and Income) for 2016. All three of these high-quality stocks offer strong growth prospects and trade at reasonable multiples to earnings. CAE INC. $15 (Toronto symbol CAE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 269.2 million; Market cap: $4.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.8; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cae.com) is the world’s leading maker of flight simulators, which help teach airline and military pilots how to take off, land and handle a variety of emergency situations....