Best Consumer Service Companies To Own For 2014

U.K. stocks fell for the first time in four days, led by a selloff in mining companies, as base metals declined and U.S. economic growth trailed forecasts.

Rio Tinto Group and Anglo American Plc (AAL) retreated more than 2.5 percent as copper and lead declined. Eurasian Natural Resources Corp. (ENRC) sank 6.8 percent as analysts downgraded the shares. Standard Life Plc slipped 1.2 percent as Chief Financial Officer Jackie Hunt resigned to move to a rival insurer. Ocado Group Plc (OCDO) fell for the first day this week as the online grocer ruled out a takeover by William Morrison Supermarkets Plc.

The FTSE 100 (UKX) Index lost 16.17 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,426.42 at the close in London. The benchmark gauge is still up 2.2 percent this week, the biggest advance since Jan. 4, amid speculation the European Central Bank will cut interest rates next week. The broader FTSE All-Share Index fell 0.3 percent today, and Ireland�� ISEQ Index slid 1 percent.

�� am a little bit cautious in the short term,��said Ian Williams, a market strategist at Peel Hunt LLP in London. �� am not surprised we have see a bit of a flattening out in the market. Next week, the macro calender is packed. There are quite a few banana skins, so I would be pulling back on some of the more bullish positions.��

Top 10 Recreation Stocks To Watch For 2015: Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL)

Woodside Petroleum Ltd (Woodside) is an Australia-based oil and gas company. Woodside, along with its subsidiaries is engaged in hydrocarbon exploration, evaluation, development, production and marketing. As of December 31, 2011, the Company produced around 700,000 barrels of oil equivalent each day from a portfolio of facilities, which it operates on behalf of some of the major oil and gas companies. It operating facilities include six liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains, five offshore platforms and four oil floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. It is one of the non-government operators LNG plants. The Company operates six segments: North West Shelf Business Unit, Australia Oil Business Unit, Pluto Business Unit, Browse Business Unit, United States Business Unit and Other. In September 2012, it sold a minority portion of its equity in the proposed Browse LNG Development to Japan Australia LNG (MIMI Browse) Pty Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Haigh]

  Energy producers advanced as crude oil prices rallied after the ousting of Egypt�� president fanned concern unrest will disrupt Middle East oil supply. Cnooc gained 2.1 percent to HK$12.80 in Hong Kong. China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., the nation�� largest refiner, rose 2.5 percent to HK$5.25. Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (WPL), Australia�� No. 2 energy producer, added 3 percent to A$35.64.

Best Consumer Service Companies To Own For 2014: Prestige Brand Holdings Inc.(PBH)

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in marketing, selling, and distributing over-the-counter healthcare and household cleaning products primarily in North America. The company?s Over-The-Counter Healthcare segment offers a portfolio of OTC products under nine core OTC brands, including Chloraseptic sore throat remedies, Clear Eyes eye drops, Compound W wart removers, Dramamine motion sickness products, Efferdent and Effergrip denture products, Little Remedies pediatric healthcare products, Luden's cough drops, PediaCare pediatric healthcare products, and The Doctor?s brand of oral care products. This segment also provides other significant brands that include Dermoplast first-aid products, Murine eye and ear care products, NasalCrom allergy relief product, New-Skin liquid bandage, and Wartner wart removers. Its Household Cleaning segment markets household cleaning products, such as abrasive and non-abrasive tub and tile cleaner, scrubb ing pads and sponges, dilutables, anti-bacterial hard surface spray for counter tops, and glass cleaners under the Comet, Chore Boy, and Spic and Span brands. Prestige Brands Holdings distributes its products through various retail channels, including drug, food, dollar, and club stores, as well as supermarkets and mass merchandisers. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Irvington, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 Prestige Brands Holdings (NYSE: PBH  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Prestige Brands (NYSE: PBH  ) , a marketer of over-the-counter health care and household cleaning products, jumped as much as 14% after it announced the acquisition of Australia's Care Pharmaceuticals.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Castor believes the cash has disappeared into working capital, which has grown from 23% to more than 50% since 2008. Comparable company Prestige�Brand (PBH) uses 11%; Unilever�(UL) and Colgate-Palmolive�(CL) far less.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Prestige Brands (NYSE: PBH  ) is reaching to the other side of the world for its latest acquisition. The company announced that it has purchased the privately held Care Pharmaceuticals, based in New South Wales, Australia. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, although Prestige Brands did admit that it would be funded by monies drawn from an existing credit facility combined with cash on hand.

Best Consumer Service Companies To Own For 2014: AVX Corp (AVX)

AVX Corporation (AVX), incorporated on September 19, 1989, is a manufacturer and supplier of a broad line of passive electronic components and related products. All types of electronic devices use AVX�� passive component products to store, filter or regulate electric energy. The Company�� passive electronic component products include ceramic and tantalum capacitors, film capacitors, varistors, filters and other components manufactured in its facilities throughout the world and passive components manufactured by Kyocera Corporation of Japan (Kyocera). It also manufactures and sells electronic connectors and inter-connect systems and distribute and sell certain electronic connectors manufactured by Kyocera. It is organized by product line with five main product groups. AVX operates in three segments: Passive Components, Kyocera Electronic Devices (KED Resale) and Interconnect. On February 6, 2013, it acquired tantalum solid electrolytic capacitor related businesses from NICHICON CORP.

through manufacturing representatives and independent electronic component distributors. The Passive Components segment consists primarily of surface mount and leaded ceramic capacitors, radio frequency (RF) thick and thin film components, tantalum capacitors, film capacitors, ceramic and film power capacitors, super capacitors, electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters, thick and thin film packages, varistors, thermistors, inductors and resistive products. The KED Resale segment consists primarily of ceramic capacitors, frequency control devices, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, sensor products, RF modules, actuators, acoustic devices and connectors produced by Kyocera, and resold by AVX. The Interconnect segment consists primarily of AVX Interconnect (formerly Elco) automotive, telecom and memory connectors manufactured by AVX.

Passive Components

AVX manufactures a range of multi-layered ceramic and solid tantalum capacitors in many different sizes and configurations. The C! ompany also offers a line of advanced passive component products to fill the special needs of the customers. Its family of passive components also includes film capacitors, high energy/voltage power capacitors, and varistors. Its advanced products engineers work with some customers' in-house technical staffs to design, produce, and manufacture customized products to meet the specifications of particular applications. Sales of advanced products accounted for approximately 41% of passive component net sales during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 (fiscal 2013).

KED Resale

AVX has a non-exclusive license to distribute and sell certain Kyocera manufactured electronic component and connector products to certain customers and in certain territories outside of Japan. The Company�� distribution and sale of certain Kyocera products broadens its range of products and further facilitates its ability to offer one-stop shopping for the customers' electronic components needs. The Kyocera KDP and KKC electronic components it sells include ceramic capacitors, RF modules, frequency control devices, SAW devices, sensor products, actuators, and acoustic devices. Resale product sales also include connectors manufactured by Kyocera. Sales of these products accounted for approximately 31% of net sales in fiscal 2013.

Interconnect

AVX manufactures and sells electronic connectors and interconnect systems for use in the telecommunications, information technology hardware, automotive electronics, medical device, defense and aerospace industries. The Company�� product lines include a range of industry-standard connectors, as well as products designed specifically for the customers' applications. It produces fine pitch connectors used in portable devices, such as smart phones, other cell phones, notebook computers, global positioning system (GPS), and other hand held devices. In addition, it offers specialty connectors designed to address customer specific applications! across a! range of products and end markets. Approximately 33% of combined Interconnect and KEC Resale Connector net sales in fiscal 2013 consisted of connectors manufactured by Kyocera.

The Company competes with Murata Manufacturing Company Ltd, TDK Corporation, KEMET Corporation, NEC Corporation, Yageo Corporation, Taiyo Yuden Co. Ltd., Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., Tyco Electronics, Amphenol, Molex Incorporated, FCI and Erni Electronics.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Competitor AVX Corp. (AVX) has gained 1.1% to $12.96, while Molex (MOLX) has dropped 0.2% to $29.28 and Amphenol (APH) has ticked up 0.3% to $76.32.

Best Consumer Service Companies To Own For 2014: Yongye International Inc.(YONG)

Yongye International, Inc. engages in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of fulvic acid based crop and animal nutrient products for the agriculture and stock farming industry in the People?s Republic of China. It provides liquid crop nutrient products that consist of fulvic acid compound base and nutrients for the health of crops; and powder animal nutrient products, which include fulvic acid compound base and additional nutrients, and Chinese herbs that reduce inflammation for dairy cows The company markets its products under the Shengmingsu trade name through a network of county-level distributors and independently owned branded retailers. Yongye International, Inc. is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Yongye International Inc.(YONG) said its shareholders rejected a go-private deal with Full Alliance International Ltd. that values the Chinese fertilizer company at $339 million. Shares declined 13% to $5.68 premarket.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Yongye International (NASDAQ: YONG) shares touched a new 52-week high of $6.97 after the company accepted a revised go private bid at $7.10 per share.

Best Consumer Service Companies To Own For 2014: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (TEVA)

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a pharmaceutical company, develops, produces, and markets generic drugs; and proprietary branded pharmaceuticals in various therapeutic categories and active pharmaceutical ingredients worldwide. The company?s provides generic drug portfolio of approximately 1,450 molecules and a direct presence in 60 countries. It offers generic pharmaceutical products in a range of dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, ointments, creams, liquids, injectables, and inhalants. The company sells its generic injectable products to hospitals, clinics, and other institutional channels, primarily in the United States and Europe, as well as in Latin America and eastern Europe. Its branded products include Copaxone to treat multiple sclerosis; and Azilect to treat Parkinson?s disease, as well as biosimilars, respiratory, and women?s health products. The company was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Petach Tikva, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at Morgan Stanley maintained an Equal-Weight rating on Teva Pharmaceutical (NYSE: TEVA) with a price target raised to $61 from a previous $57. Shares hit new 52-week highs of $57.10 before closing the day at $56.48, up 0.02 percent.

• [By Alex Planes]

  The major pharmaceutical companies haven't generated a massive amount of revenue out of all this societal change, though. The American market for oral contraceptives totals accounts for less than $4 billion per year in sales, and only Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) commands significant branded market share through the sales of Ortho-branded�contraceptive pills. Since the basic formulations have been around for so long, most oral contraceptives now exist in generic form. That's an opportunity for generic-focused drugmaker Teva Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: TEVA  ) , which acquired the women's health subsidiary drugmaker known as Theramex at the start of 2011.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) was listed as another acquirer. The generic and branded company has been somewhat lost despite a strong balance sheet. The company is called as being committed to expanding in emerging markets by making acquisitions of local companies in markets where the company does not have the right presence or critical mass. For generics, Merrill Lynch thinks it will seek opportunities to expand its global footprint in emerging markets — including Brazil and China – but these deals could also include licensing transactions. Teva was shown to have closed some 18 deals in the past 10 years worth some $32 billion. Teva’s market cap is now only almost $37 billion, but this stock has lost one-third of its value from its peak in 2010.