Friday, October 31, 2014

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now

Alamy More U.S. banks may soon give free FICO credit scores to millions of card customers along with their monthly bills as Discover Financial Services (DFS) extends the offering to all of its cardholders. FICO (FICO), formerly known as Fair Isaac Corp., is negotiating with some of the largest credit-card issuers, Anthony Sprauve, the San Jose, California-based firm's senior consumer-credit specialist, said in a phone interview, declining to identify the banks. Discover, which began providing the scores to some clients in November, will now furnish them to all consumer cardholders, the lender said in an e-mailed statement. 'Jammed Space' on Statements "It really does come down to the technology-implementation challenges," Sprauve said. "You're talking about millions of customers, a tremendous amount of data, and how do you squeeze more data in an already jammed space" on monthly statements, he said. FICO scores are used in lending decisions, such as for issuing credit cards or setting interest rates on home loans, and are the most widely used credit-scoring formula in the U.S. They previously were available at a cost or through online trial subscriptions.

Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: La-Z-Boy In (LZB)

La-Z-Boy Incorporated, incorporated on May 1, 1941, is a global producer of reclining chairs. The Company manufactures, markets, imports, distributes and retails upholstery products, accessories and casegoods (wood) furniture products. The Company sells its products, primarily in the United States and Canada, to furniture retailers and directly to consumers through Company-owned stores. The Company operates in three segments: Upholstery Group, Casegoods Group and Retail Group. As of April 27, 2013, the Company had network of 313 La-Z-Boy furniture galleries stores and 565 Comfort Studios, and it owned 94 of the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores. The Kincaid, England and Lea operating units also have in-store gallery programs.

Upholstery Group

The Company�� operating units in the Upholstery Group are England and Bauhaus. It manufactures and sells upholstered furniture to furniture retailers and stores. Upholstered furniture includes recliners and motion furniture, sofas, loveseats, chairs, sectionals, modulars, ottomans and sleeper sofas. It sells directly to La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores, operators of Comfort Studios locations, major dealers and other independent retailers.

The Company competes with Ashley, Bassett Furniture, Bernhardt, Ethan Allen, Flexsteel, Furniture Brands International, Klaussner, and Natuzzi.

Casegoods Group

The Casegoods Group is an importer, marketer, manufacturer and distributor of casegoods (wood) furniture, such as bedroom sets, dining room sets, entertainment centers, and accent pieces, as well as some coordinated upholstered furniture. The operating units in the Casegoods Group consist of two groups, one including American Drew, Lea and Hammary, and the second being Kincaid. The Casegoods segment primarily sells to dealers and other independent retailers.

The Company competes with Ashley, Bassett Furniture, Bernhardt, Ethan Allen, Flexsteel, Furniture Brands International, Klaussner, a! nd Natuzzi.

Retail Group

The Retail Group consists of 94 Company-owned La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores located in 11 markets ranging from the Midwest to the East Coast of the United States and also, including Southeastern Florida and southern California. The Retail Group sells upholstered furniture, as well as casegoods and other accessories to end consumers through the retail network.

The Company competes with Arhaus, Ashley, Bassett Furniture Direct, Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen, Restoration Hardware, Thomasville Home Furnishings Stores, Costco, Home Depot, IKEA, Sam�� Club, Target, Wal-Mart and Williams Sonoma.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Tuesday

    Earnings Expected: Home Depot, Elizabeth Arden (NASDAQ: RDEN), La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB) Economic Releases Expected: Japanese trade balance, U.S. redbook, U.S. housing starts, U.S. CPI, British CPI, British PPI, eurozone current account

    Wednesday

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB) was down, falling 4.43 percent to $25.91 on weaker-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results.

    Commodities
    In commodity news, oil traded up 0.29 percent to $102.73, while gold traded down 0.34 percent to $1,319.90.

  • [By Peter Graham]

    The Q4 2014 earnings report for La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE: LZB), a potential peer of other furniture stocks like Hooker Furniture Corporation (NASDAQ: HOFT) and Flexsteel Industries, Inc (NASDAQ: FLXS), is due out after the market closes on Tuesday. Aside from the La-Z-Boy Incorporated earnings report, it should be said that Hooker Furniture Corporation reported Q1 2015 on June 5th (they reported a double-digit income rise on higher sales in first quarter) and Flexsteel Industries, Inc reported Q3 2014 earnings on April 16th (they record net sales and net income). However and the last time around, investors did not like it when La-Z-Boy Incorporated reported quarterly profit of 32 cents a share that missed forecasts calling for a profit of 35 cents a share and they really did not like revenue�missing expectations by 7.7%. The company is also doing some restructuring.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Wolseley PLC (WOS)

Wolseley plc is a specialist trade distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors and a supplier of building materials in North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. The Company operates in seven segments: USA, UK, Canada, Nordic, France, Central and Eastern Europe, and Group. On September 1 2009, the Company acquired Decorative Product Source, Inc, a company engaged in the distribution and supply of construction materials and services. On January 8, 2010, the Company disposed of 100% of Wolseley Ireland Holdings Limited, which comprised all the Company's businesses in the Republic of Ireland and the Brooks business in Northern Ireland. In November 2011, the Company announced that it had completed the sale of its remaining interest in Stock Building Supply to The Gores Group. In April 2012, the Company sold its Brossette, the French Plumbing and Heating business to Saint Gobain. In October 2012, the Company acquired Davis & Warshow, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Wolseley Plc (WOS) added 3.1 percent to 3,296 pence, its largest gain in more than five weeks. The world�� biggest distributor of plumbing and heating products said so-called trading profit in the 12 months through July climbed to 725 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from 665 million pounds a year earlier. Analysts had predicted earnings of 704 million pounds, according to the average of 20 estimates compiled by the company. Wolseley proposed a special dividend payout of 300 million pounds.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: PHI Inc.(PHII)

PHI, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides helicopter transportation services to the integrated energy, and independent exploration and production companies primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Oil and Gas, Air Medical, and Technical Services. The Oil and Gas segment provides helicopter services to oil and gas exploration and production companies, and other offshore oil service companies primarily for routine transportation of personnel and equipment; transportation of personnel during medical and safety emergencies; and evacuation of personnel during the threat of hurricanes and other adverse weather conditions. The Air Medical segment provides air medical transportation services for hospitals and emergency service agencies in 17 states. The Technical Services segment offers helicopter repair and overhaul services for existing flight operations customers. It also operates 5 aircrafts for the National Science Foundation in Antarctica. As of December 31, 2011, it owned or operated 259 aircrafts, including 167 aircrafts by Oil and Gas segment, 86 aircrafts by Air Medical segment, and 6 for other operations. The company was formerly known as Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. and changed its name to PHI, Inc. in December 2005. PHI, Inc. was founded in 1949 and is based in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    PHI (NASDAQ: PHII) shares jumped 97.46% to reach a new 52-week high of $80.96. PHI shares have jumped 26.08% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 15.37% in the same period.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Concur Technologies Inc.(CNQR)

Concur Technologies, Inc. provides integrated travel and expense management solutions for companies of various industries, sizes, and geographies. It offers the Concur Connect platform, a cloud computing software solution primarily on a subscription basis, which enables customers, partners, suppliers, and third-party developers to connect. The company provides various solutions to streamline the travel procurement, itinerary management, expense management, and invoice management processes. Its solutions include online travel procurement solutions, which automate corporate travel booking and processing; itinerary management solutions that enable individual business travelers and their organizations to manage and share travel itinerary information; and automated expense management solutions, which simplify the expense reporting process. The company also offers other value-added and extended services that leverage its integrated cloud offerings, including expense reimbursemen t; expense report auditing services to streamline the process of managing and substantiating expense receipts; business intelligence that enable customers to use captured data to analyze trends, influence budget decisions, improve forecasting, and monitor for fraudulent activity; and invoice management solutions to automate, simplify, and reduce the costs associated with the process of entering, approving, and managing the payment of vendor invoices. In addition, it provides consulting; and various extended services, such as site administration, audit and compliance services, advanced analytics, and customized integration in connection with its integrated travel and expense management solutions. Concur markets and sells its solutions worldwide through direct sales organizations; and indirect distribution channels, such as strategic resellers and referral partners, as well as through its Website. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Luke Jacobi]

    Shares of Concur Technologies (NASDAQ: CNQR) got a boost, shooting up 8.6 percent to $109.60 following a Bloomberg TV report that the company may be exploring a possible sale.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lawrence Meyers]

    As a convenience store, it doesn’t have direct competition from�Dollar Tree (DLTR) or Family Dollar (FDO) because these dollar stores aren�� exclusively focused on food (and they have no gasoline or cigarette sales), and they��e targeted at the folks who are trying to save money over convenience, not vice versa. The convenience angle is another reason why�Walmart (WMT) and Costco (COST)�aren’t competitors, since those behemoths are about a total shopping experience.

  • [By Ted Cooper]

    Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO  ) reported sales growth even as earnings per share fell amid a tough operating environment and ongoing merger preparations. The company expects to close on a takeover offer proposed by Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR  ) within the next few quarters. The merger-related restructuring charges and fees hurt the company's bottom line, but earnings fell even after adding back those expenses. Here's what it could mean for shareholders.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Dollar General�� share price is up less than 6% in the past 12 months, but since the beginning of the year shares have risen more than 22%. And even then, Dollar General�trails Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) in share price growth since January 1. Dollar Tree stock is up 30%.

  • [By Teresa Rivas]

    Dollar General (DG) ended up on news it may bid for Family Dollar (FDO), which also logged gains at the expense of its current suitor, Dollar Tree (DLTR). Walgreen (WAG) gave up earlier gains on its July sales update to end the day in the red

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Micrel Incorporated(MCRL)

Micrel Incorporated, doing business as Micrel Semiconductor, designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high-performance analog power, mixed-signal, and digital integrated circuits (ICs) primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. It offers power management products, including cloud, single-board, and enterprise servers; network switches and routers; storage area networks; and wireless base stations for the networking and communications infrastructure markets. The company also provides power management standard products for industrial, consumer, defense, and automotive electronics markets. In addition, it manufactures custom analog and mixed-signal circuits; and provides wafer foundry services for the customers who produce electronic systems for communications, consumer, and military applications. Further, the company offers general linear parts; power analog circuits; high speed physical media devices and interface ICs; and Ethernet products, which comprise physical l ayer transceivers, media access controllers, switches, and system-on-chip devices. Additionally, it provides radio frequency (RF) data communications products, including QwikRadio family of RF receivers and transmitters, which include garage door openers, lighting and fan controls, automotive keyless entry, and remote controls; and RadioWire transceivers for applications, such as remote metering, security systems, and factory automation. The company?s products address a range of end markets, including cellular handsets, portable computing, enterprise and home networking, wide area and metropolitan area networks, digital televisions, and industrial equipment. Micrel Incorporated sells its products through a network of independent sales representatives, independent distributors, and stocking representative firms, as well as through a direct sales staff. The company was founded in 1978 and is based in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Evan Niu, CFA]

    What: Shares of Micrel (NASDAQ: MCRL  ) jumped temporarily this morning, up by as much as 10% before giving back nearly all of those gains, following first-quarter earnings.

  • [By gurujx]

    Micrel (MCRL): CFO/VP Finance/HR Ray Wallin Sold 59,701 Shares

    CFO/VP Finance/HR of Micrel, Inc. (MCRL) Ray Wallin sold 59,701 shares during the past week at an average price of $9.56.

10 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: W.W. Grainger Inc. (GWW)

W.W. Grainger, Inc. and its subsidiaries distribute facilities maintenance and other related products and services in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, India, Puerto Rico, China, Colombia, and Panama. The company offers maintenance, repair, and operating supplies; and other related products and services through local branches, catalogs, and the Internet. Its products include material handling equipment, safety and security supplies, lighting and electrical products, power and hand tools, pumps and plumbing supplies, cleaning and maintenance supplies, forestry and agriculture equipment, building and home inspection supplies, vehicle and fleet components, and various other items for facilities maintenance market, as well as services comprise inventory management and energy efficiency solutions. The company also distributes tools, fasteners, safety supplies, instruments, welding and shop equipment, and other items. It serves small and medium-sized businesses to large corporations, government entities, and other institutions. W.W. Grainger, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is based in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dividends4Life]

    Related Articles:
    - Universal HealthRealty Income Trust (UHT) Dividend Stock Analysis
    - Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) Dividend Stock Analysis
    - W.W. Grainger, Inc. (GWW) Dividend Stock Analysis
    - The Clorox Company (CLX) Dividend Stock Analysis
    - More Stock Analysis

  • [By Teresa Rivas]

    A better-than-expected first quarter from Bank of America (BAC) (although the stock �turned negative) and a rosy industrial production reading helped markets shrug off weaker housing starts that marked a sluggish start to the spring selling season and slowing growth data from China. �PNC Financial Services�(PNC)�and W.W. Grainger�(GWW)�were both climbing after beating earnings expectations as well.

No comments:

Post a Comment