Monday, December 29, 2014

Top Services Stocks For 2014

Tim Hortons (NYSE: THI  ) will have a new nameplate on the door of its chief executive's office starting this summer. The company announced that it has named Marc Caira as CEO, effective July 2. He succeeds Paul House, who will remain in his post as chairman of the board.

Caira, a 59-year-old Canadian national, is a food industry veteran. He most recently served as global CEO of Nestle unit Nestle Professional. He also held a seat on Nestle's executive board.

Tim Hortons quoted House, the man Caira is replacing, as saying that the incoming CEO "is an accomplished executive with exceptional knowledge of the North American and global foodservices industry. His knowledge of the out-of-home hot and cold beverage and food sectors is second to none."

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5 Best Life Sciences Stocks To Buy Right Now: Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG.PK)

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions, incorporated on December 1, 2005, is a provider of integrated supply and distribution technology. The Company�� Seed-to-Sale (S2S) integrated solution is a management and compliance technology for growers, caregivers and dispensaries in the market. The Company also works with public officials and government agencies to expand the acceptance of medicinal cannabis, and the adoption of a legal framework where maximum market expansion is possible. The Company solves the fragmentation problem by identifying tools that are important to dispensaries, and customizing those tools specifically catered to the industry. The Company's solutions include Spark, Ghost and S2S.

Spark

The Company�� SPARK Hosted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provides customers with enterprise-class hosted phone systems customized to fit customers��needs. SPARK's service is a fully-managed, cloud-based system. The Company offers the convenience of an online Internet Protocol (IP)-based telecommunications system while still delivering substantial savings to customers bottom line.

Ghost

By offering customers a customized, tailored mobile solution, the Company's Ghost Mobile Apps give a marketing tool with a texting and e-mail solution, keeping customers in constant contact with patients and clients. The Company creates an optimized experience in context to each device or screen size.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Alan Brochstein]

    Not too surprisingly, supply is starting to increase. We have seen some companies enter the space by expanding their own businesses, but there have been some reverse mergers lately too. I had mentioned Refill Energy (REFG.PK) recently (soon to be Medical Cannabis Financial Group), but earlier this month Promap (PMAP.OB) acquired 94% of Advanced Cannabis Solutions (link to 8-K). As an aside, I think that this company is worth considering given the management team and the business model. Investors should keep in the back of their mind that there are many companies that are quietly developing their business models and could become public over time, especially as the regulatory and legal landscapes improve.

Top Services Stocks For 2014: Kirkland's Inc.(KIRK)

Kirkland?s, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer of home decor and gifts in the United States. Its stores offer various merchandise, including framed art, mirrors, wall decor, candles and related items, lamps, decorative accessories, accent furniture, textiles, garden-related accessories, and artificial floral products. The company?s stores also provide an assortment of holiday merchandise during seasonal periods, as well as items suitable for gift-giving. It operates stores under the Kirkland?s, Kirkland?s Home, Kirkland?s Home Outlet, and Kirkland?s Outlet names. The company operates its stores in enclosed malls and various off-mall venues, including lifestyle centers, power strip centers, outlet centers, and freestanding locations. Kirkland?s, Inc. also sells its products through its Web site kirklands.com. As of March 08, 2012, it operated 299 stores in 30 states. The company was founded in 1966 and is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Teresa Rivas]

    Other home furnishings retailers, including Bed, Bath & Beyond (BBBY), Restoration Hardware (RH) and Kirkland�� (KIRK) were trading down in afternoon trading.

  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Margins matter. The more Kirkland's (Nasdaq: KIRK  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Kirkland's competitive position could be.

  • [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 Kirkland's (Nasdaq: KIRK  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Thursday

    Earnings Expected From: AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVEO), Kirkland��, Inc (NASDAQ: KIRK), Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), Stein Mart, Inc. (SMRT: NASDAQ), Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: MRFM), SeaWorld Entertainment (NYSE: SEAS), Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE: EGY) Economic Releases Expected: Chinese retail sales, French CPI, Brazilian retail sales, US retail sales, Japanese industrial production

    Friday

Top Services Stocks For 2014: Ocado Group PLC (OCDO)

Ocado Group plc is a United Kingdom-based holding company. The Company�� principal activities are the retailing, logistics and distribution of grocery and consumer goods and the development and monetisation of intellectual property and technology for the online retailing, logistics and distribution of these goods. The Company is an online grocery retailer. The Company�� subsidiaries include Ocado Holdings Limited, Ocado Limited, Ocado Information Technology Limited, Last Mile Developments Limited and Last Mile Developments Limited. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sarah Jones]

    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.

Top Services Stocks For 2014: Macy’s Inc (M)

Macy�s, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates stores and Internet Websites in the United States. Its retail stores and Internet Web sites sell a range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories for men, women, and children; cosmetics; home furnishings; and other consumer goods. The company also operates Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores that offer a range of apparel and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, handbags, and intimate apparel products. As of January 28, 2012, it operated approximately 840 stores under the names of Macy�s and Bloomingdale�s; and 7 Bloomingdale�s Outlet stores, as well as macys.com and bloomingdales.com. The company was formerly known as Federated Department Stores, Inc. and changed its name to Macy�s, Inc. in June 2007. Macy�s, Inc. was founded in 1820 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) stock skyrocketed last week after news leaked that�Soros Fund Management had taken a big stake in the struggling retailer. And yes, with Penney selling today for close to book value, and a price-to-sales ratio less than half what rivals Kohl's (NYSE: KSS  ) and Macy's (NYSE: M  ) charge, you can see what might have attracted George Soros' attention.

  • [By Ryan Guenette]

    Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT  ) , Macy's (NYSE: M  ) , J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP  ) , and Kohl's (NYSE: KSS  ) all stressed one underlying aspect when they reported quarterly results recently: lower to middle-income Americans are holding onto the money they have, which will have implications across the retail industry.

  • [By Rich Bieglmeier]

    [Related -Macy's, Inc. (M): The One Department Store Stock You Can Trust]

    Upside earnings surprises are what Macy's management has delivered 12 of the last 13 quarterly checkups. On average, the retailer earned 19.85% more than the consensus estimate.

Top Services Stocks For 2014: Post Holdings Inc (POST)

Post Holdings, Inc., incorporated on September 22, 2011, is a holding company. The Company is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded ready-to-eat cereals in the United States and Canada. The Company�� portfolio of brands includes Honey Bunches of Oats, Pebbles, Great Grains, Grape-Nuts, Shredded Wheat, Raisin Bran, Golden Crisp, Alpha-Bits and Honeycomb. It markets and sells ready-to-eat cereal products in three different categories: sweetened, balanced and unsweetened. Its sweetened products include Pebbles, Honeycomb, Golden Crisp, Alpha-Bits and Waffle Crisp. Its balanced products include Honey Bunches of Oats, Post Selects, Great Grains and Shreddies. The Company�� unsweetened products include Post Shredded Wheat, Post Raisin Bran and Grape-Nuts. Effective January 1, 2014, the Company announced it has completed the acquisition of private label pasta manufacturer Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc. Effective January 2, 2014, Post Holdings Inc acquired Agricore United Holdings Inc from Viterra Inc, a unit of Glencore Xstrata PLC, and the transaction also included Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc. Effective January 1, 2014, Post Holdings Inc acquired Dymatize Enterprises LLC, a Farmers Branch-based manufacturer and wholesaler of nutrition supplement. Effective January 1, 2014, it acquired Dymatize Enterprises LLC and Golden Boy Foods Ltd.

Honey Bunches of Oats is in the ready-to-eat cereal market. The Company�� Pebbles brands include Cocoa and Fruity Pebbles. The products are manufactured through a flexible production platform consisting of four owned primary facilities and sold through a variety of channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and drug stores.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another potential earnings short-squeeze trade idea is diversified foods player Post Holdings (POST), which is set to release its numbers on next Monday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Post Holdings to report revenue $980.04 million on earnings of 7 cents per share.

    The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Post Holdings is extremely high at 24.9%. That means that out of the 44.14 million shares in the tradable float, 10.87 million shares are sold short by the bears. This is a large short interest on a stock with a relatively low tradable float. Any bullish earnings news could easily trigger a large short-covering rally for shares of POST after earnings are announced.

    From a technical perspective, POST is currently trending above its 50-day moving average and well below its 200-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has just started to bounce right off some near-term support at $35 and off its 50-day moving average of $35.18 a share. That bounce is starting to push shares of POST within range of triggering a major breakout trade post-earnings.

    If you're in the bull camp on POST, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $38 to $38.80 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 771,663 shares. If that breakout kicks off post-earnings, then POST will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone from August that started at $45 a share.

    I would simply avoid POST or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some near-term support at around $35 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then POST will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support level at its 52-week low of $30.94 a share.

Top Services Stocks For 2014: ZAGG Incorporated(ZAGG)

ZAGG Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and distributes protective coverings, audio accessories, and power solutions for consumer electronics and hand-held devices under the invisibleSHIELD, ZAGGskins, ZAGGbuds, ZAGGsparq, and ZAGGmate brand names, primarily in the United States and Europe. Its invisibleSHIELD is a protective film covering designed for iPods, iPads, laptops, cell phones, digital cameras, watch faces, global positioning systems, personal digital assistants, MP3 players, watch faces, global positioning systems, gaming devices, and rotary blades of military helicopters. The company?s ZAGGaudio brand of electronics accessories and products primarily comprise ZAGGsmartbuds, a water resistant ear bud; ZAGGskins brand consists of high-resolution images with the scratch protection of ZAGG?s invisibleSHIELD; ZAGGsparq is a portable battery that recharges various USB-charged devices, including the Apple iPads and iPhones, cell phone s, handheld gaming systems, and digital cameras; ZAGG LEATHERskins are thin, pliable cases for personal electronics; and ZAGGmate products are protective cases for the Apple iPad. ZAGG Incorporated offers approximately 5,000 precision pre-cut designs of its products through online channels, big-box retailers, electronics specialty stores, resellers, college bookstores, Mac stores, and mall kiosks. The company is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By CRWE]

    ZAGG Inc (NASDAQ:ZAGG), a leading mobile device accessories and technology company, reported that ZAGG Intellectual Property Holding Co., Inc. has been awarded patent number D659,139 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, issued on May 8, 2012.

Top Services Stocks For 2014: Carmike Cinemas Inc.(CKEC)

Carmike Cinemas, Inc. operates as a digital cinema and 3D motion picture exhibitor in the United States. It operates theatres that show films on a first-run basis; and discount theatres. The company serves small to mid-size non-urban markets. As of December 31, 2011, it owned, operated, or had an interest in 237 theatres with 2,254 screens located in 35 states. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Columbus, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Erin McCarthy]

    Carmike Cinemas Inc.(CKEC), the nation’s fourth-largest movie theater chain, said Thursday it is acquiring Digital Cinema Destinations Corp.(DCIN), a smaller rival that does business as Digiplex.

  • [By Chad Fraser] Christmas is a time for good cheer, reflection and spending time with friends and family. Here are four stocks that reflect the season, ranging from Christmas tree providers to toymakers and beyond:

    Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY): Some little-known Christmas tree facts: there are 25 million to 30 million sold in the U.S. every year, with about 350 million currently growing in the country. It takes an average of seven years to grow a Christmas tree to its proper height.

    Most Christmas tree farms are privately owned, but they need to get good seedlings from somewhere, so many turn to timber company Weyerhaeuser, which grows the most popular species—including balsam fir, Douglas fir, Scotch pine and white pine.

    Weyerhaeuser controls about 6 million acres of timberland, with about a third of that in the Pacific Northwest, which is America’s most prolific lumber-producing region thanks to its cool, damp climate and considerable rainfall.

    “The fact that it’s the largest timber producer in the Pacific Northwest makes Weyerhaeuser extremely attractive, because the company’s location gives it easy export access to China,” wrote Investing Daily analyst Benjamin Shepherd in a December 13 article. “This location also leaves it well-placed to pick up the supply slack created by lower production caps in Canada, which is typically a key Chinese supplier.”

    Mattel (NYSE: MAT) is proving that the most traditional toys you can think of—dolls—still have a place under the tree, even in the digital age. As we reported on October 16, Mattel’s doll lineup was the main reason why its third-quarter earnings surged past Wall Street estimates.

    The company’s strength is centered on its ability to come up with popular new dolls while reimagining the tried-and-true. Right now, its Monster High franchise, which it rolled out in 2010, is stealing the show: the brand’s p
  • [By Michael Lewis]

    With the $175 million Iron Man 3 opening weekend just passed, it may be hard to remember that the first quarter of this year was a rough one for the movie business. Weak theater attendance and a lack of big-draw films made it an ugly quarter for studios and theaters alike. Carmike Cinemas (NASDAQ: CKEC  ) was no exception. Especially frustrating was that this year's weak quarter follows Carmike's record first quarter from 2012. Long term, though, this is a growing company that is well managed and holds a lucrative niche spot in the competitive, low-margin theater business. Here's what you need to know about Carmike Cinemas.

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