wall street
PLEASE NOTE: Next week, Wall Street Stock Forecaster will reveal its #1 pick for 2015. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to profit. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP., $155.87, New York symbol IBM, reported better-than-expected earnings this week. But that’s mainly due to cost cuts, as demand for the company’s mainframes and computer services has weakened. In the three months ended December 31, 2014, IBM earned $5.8 billion, down 13.0% from $6.65 billion a year earlier. Per-share earnings fell 5.7%, to $5.81 from $6.16, on fewer shares outstanding....
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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J.P. MORGAN CHASE & CO., $55.93, New York symbol JPM, earned $4.9 billion, or $1.19 a share, in the three months ended December 31, 2014. That’s down 6.6% from $5.3 billion, or $1.30, a year earlier. The latest results included $990 million of legal costs as Morgan continues to settle lawsuits related to its role in the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. Without these expenses, it earned $1.54 a share in the latest quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.31. Revenue fell 2.8%, to $22.5 billion from $23.2 billion, missing the consensus estimate of $22.6 billion. Lower interest rates have cut the income Morgan earns on consumer and business loans. But the recent market volatility has raised its fee income from stock and bond trading....
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.
Newell uses oil to make its products, so it stands to gain from the almost 60% drop in crude prices since June 2014. And even when oil rebounds, it will continue to benefit from recent acquisitions and its high market share.
NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. (New York symbol NWL; www.newellrubbermaid.com) makes plastic storage bins, tools, window blinds, pens and many other household goods.
The company makes most of its products from oil-based resins, so it stands to gain from the recent drop in oil prices.
Newell continues to streamline its manufacturing and distribution operations, which should cut $270 million from its annual costs by mid-2015. The company now feels it can save an additional $200 million a year by the end of 2017.
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Newell uses oil to make its products, so it stands to gain from the almost 60% drop in crude prices since June 2014. And even when oil rebounds, it will continue to benefit from recent acquisitions and its high market share.
NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. (New York symbol NWL; www.newellrubbermaid.com) makes plastic storage bins, tools, window blinds, pens and many other household goods.
The company makes most of its products from oil-based resins, so it stands to gain from the recent drop in oil prices.
Newell continues to streamline its manufacturing and distribution operations, which should cut $270 million from its annual costs by mid-2015. The company now feels it can save an additional $200 million a year by the end of 2017.
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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.
C.R. BARD INC. (New York symbol BCR; www.crbard.com) makes over 15,000 medical devices in four main areas: oncology products that detect and treat various types of cancer (28% of 2013 sales); vascular products, like stents and catheters (27%); urology goods, such as drainage and incontinence devices (26%); and surgical tools (16%). Other medical products supply the remaining 3%.
The company’s products are typically only used once, so customers must continually buy new ones.
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C.R. BARD INC. (New York symbol BCR; www.crbard.com) makes over 15,000 medical devices in four main areas: oncology products that detect and treat various types of cancer (28% of 2013 sales); vascular products, like stents and catheters (27%); urology goods, such as drainage and incontinence devices (26%); and surgical tools (16%). Other medical products supply the remaining 3%.
The company’s products are typically only used once, so customers must continually buy new ones.
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Black Hills Corporation, $51.44, symbol BKH on New York (Shares outstanding: 44.7 million; Market cap: $2.3 billion; www.blackhillscorp.com), serves 777,000 natural gas and electric utility customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. It also produces natural gas, oil and coal. The shares haven’t risen along with those of many U.S. electricity producers over the last year (such as Ameren Corp., symbol AEE on New York, up 27%; or Alliant Energy, symbol LNT on New York, up 31%—both recommendations of Wall Street Stock Forecaster). In contrast, Black Hills is up just slightly. That’s because of its exposure to falling oil prices through its oil and gas production interests....
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.
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. (New York symbol GE; www.ge.com) recently agreed to form a major new alliance with France’s Alstom SA, a leading maker of electrical-transmission equipment and parts for power plants.
Under the deal, GE will form three 50/50 joint ventures with Alstom. One will combine the companies’ electrical grid operations, while a second will focus on products for renewable energy projects, like offshore wind farms. The third will hold Alstom’s nuclear-equipment division.
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GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. (New York symbol GE; www.ge.com) recently agreed to form a major new alliance with France’s Alstom SA, a leading maker of electrical-transmission equipment and parts for power plants.
Under the deal, GE will form three 50/50 joint ventures with Alstom. One will combine the companies’ electrical grid operations, while a second will focus on products for renewable energy projects, like offshore wind farms. The third will hold Alstom’s nuclear-equipment division.
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Every Monday we feature “A Stock to Sell” as our daily post. With every stock or investment we recommend as a sell, we give you a full explanation of why we advise against investing in it at this time.
Otter Tail Corporation (symbol OTTR on Nasdaq; www.ottertail.com) is the parent of Otter Tail Power Company, which supplies electricity to over 130,000 customers. Otter Tail Corporation also has manufacturing, plastics and construction operations.
Otter Tail Power Company’s customers are in a 50,000-square-mile area that covers parts of Minnesota (48% of electrical revenue), North Dakota (43%) and South Dakota (9%). Commercial and farm clients supply 37% of electrical revenue, followed by residential (33%), industrial (23%) and other (7%).
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Otter Tail Corporation (symbol OTTR on Nasdaq; www.ottertail.com) is the parent of Otter Tail Power Company, which supplies electricity to over 130,000 customers. Otter Tail Corporation also has manufacturing, plastics and construction operations.
Otter Tail Power Company’s customers are in a 50,000-square-mile area that covers parts of Minnesota (48% of electrical revenue), North Dakota (43%) and South Dakota (9%). Commercial and farm clients supply 37% of electrical revenue, followed by residential (33%), industrial (23%) and other (7%).
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PLEASE NOTE: This is our last Hotline for 2014. Our next Hotline will go out on Friday, January 9, 2015. CONAGRA FOODS INC., $36.86, New York symbol CAG, bought Ralcorp Holdings, the largest private-label food maker in the U.S., for $4.75 billion in January 2013. However, strong price competition is hurting this business’s sales and earnings. As a result, ConAgra wrote down its value by $247.0 million in its fiscal 2015 second quarter, which ended November 23, 2014. This charge is in addition to an earlier $602.2-million writedown....
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.
United Technologies fell slightly in late November, after Louis Chenevert, its chief executive for the past six years, retired suddenly. However, new CEO Gregory Hayes (who is also a former vice-president) will likely continue Chenevert’s focus on the company’s main aerospace and construction divisions.
These businesses operate in cyclical markets, but their outlook is bright. Airlines are replacing their aging fleets, increasing demand for jet engines and other parts, while developing countries’ ongoing urbanization fuels building-product sales.
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United Technologies fell slightly in late November, after Louis Chenevert, its chief executive for the past six years, retired suddenly. However, new CEO Gregory Hayes (who is also a former vice-president) will likely continue Chenevert’s focus on the company’s main aerospace and construction divisions.
These businesses operate in cyclical markets, but their outlook is bright. Airlines are replacing their aging fleets, increasing demand for jet engines and other parts, while developing countries’ ongoing urbanization fuels building-product sales.
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