The results are in and Consumer Reports has named�America's top appliance retailer. (Hint: It's Abt Electronics). But the winner's identity isn't the only thing coming out this month. In the course of describing what makes a retailer good or bad, CR also managed to "out" one of the biggest scams in retail: the extended warranty.
According to CR, you see, the level of a retailer's customer "service heavily influenced how satisfied subscribers were with major-appliance stores overall." Companies like Abt, which earned top marks for service, tended to perform well in the rankings. In contrast, companies that seemed more interested in milking their customers for every penny they were worth fared less well.
CR singled out one retailer in particular, P.C. Richard & Son, for opprobrium for being "among the pushiest" when pressuring customers to buy extended warranties. Not coincidentally, the company ranked dead last in the field of nine retailers ranked. Indianapolis-based hhgregg (NYSE: HGG ) and Abt neighbor Sears (NASDAQ: SHLD ) , which ranked Nos. 6 & 7, respectively, were also said to be "more likely than other retailers to push added coverage."
Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy For 2015: Hawaiian Holdings Inc.(HA)
Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., engages in the scheduled air transportation of passengers and cargo. It offers daily service on transpacific routes between Hawaii and Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington, as well as daily service on its inter island routes among the four islands of the State of Hawaii. The company also provides scheduled service on its Pacific routes between Hawaii and Pago Pago, American Samoa; Papeete, Tahiti; Sydney, Australia; Manila, Philippines; Tokyo, Japan; and Seoul, South Korea, as well as other ad hoc charters. As of December 31, 2010, its fleet consisted of 15 Boeing 717-200 aircraft for its interisland routes; 18 Boeing 767-300; and 3 Airbus A330-200 aircrafts for its transpacific, Pacific, and charter routes. Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
DeNardi also rates Alaska Air (ALK), Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and Allegiant Travel (ALGT) as Buys and Southwest, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) and Hawaiian Holdings (HA) as holds.
- [By Rich Smith]
Following up on January's announcement that Hawaiian Airlines (NASDAQ: HA ) is buying 16 new A321neo airliners from Airbus -- and optioning nine more -- airplane engine maker United Technologies (NYSE: UTX ) said Thursday that it will be supplying the engines for all 25 airplanes.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Last week Hawaiian Airlines (HA) announced they will suspend service from Honolulu to Fukuoka after two years of unprofitable service. Hawaiian stated the market was not profitable. Delta recently started flying Honolulu-Fukuoka (and they have hedged the Yen at 80); both US airlines were operating about half full. As a result of Hawaiian leaving the market, we expect Delta’s load factors to improve. Delta has been slowly overlaying a lot of competitor capacity on the West Coast, especially to / from Seattle…
Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own For 2014: China Digital TV Holding Co. Ltd.(STV)
China Digital TV Holding Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides conditional access (CA) systems to digital television markets in the People?s Republic of China. Its CA systems consist of smart cards and head-end software for television network operators, as well as terminal-end software for set-top box manufacturers, which enable digital television network operators to control the distribution of content and value-added services to their subscribers and block unauthorized access to their networks The company licenses its set-top box design to set-top box manufacturers and sells advanced digital television application software, such as electronic program guides and subscriber management systems to digital television network operators. It also provides system integration services for television network operators. China Digital TV Holding Co., Ltd. sells its CA systems and digital television application software to television network operators, including cable, satell ite, and terrestrial television network operators and enterprises that maintain private cable television networks within their facilities. As of December 31, 2009, it had installed CA systems at 244 digital television network operators in 27 provinces, autonomous regions, and centrally administered municipalities in the People's Republic of China. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
In trading on Friday, technology shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.63 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN), up 47 percent, and China Digital TV Holding Co (NYSE: STV), up 9 percent.
Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own For 2014: Atwood Oceanics Inc. (ATW)
Atwood Oceanics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in offshore drilling, and the completion of exploratory and developmental oil and gas wells. The company owns semisubmersible rigs, semisubmersible tender assist rigs, jack-up drilling rigs, and submersible drilling rigs. As of November 22, 2010, it operated nine mobile offshore drilling units located in offshore southeast Asia, offshore Africa, offshore Australia, offshore South America, and the Mediterranean Sea. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Alex Planes]
Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Atwood Oceanics (NYSE: ATW ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.
Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own For 2014: Synergetics USA Inc.(SURG)
Synergetics USA, Inc., a medical device company, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of microsurgical instruments and consumables primarily for ophthalmology and neurosurgery markets in the United States and internationally. The company?s product lines focus upon precision engineered, microsurgical, handheld devices, and the microscopic delivery of laser energy, ultrasound, electrosurgery, aspiration, illumination and irrigation that are delivered in multiple combinations. It offers retinal surgical items, including handheld disposable and reusable forceps and scissors, fiberoptics for illumination and photocoagulation, cannulas, scrapers, and other reusable and disposable surgical devices. The company also provides bipolar electrosurgical generators; lesion generators used for minimally invasive pain treatment; and directional laser probes, as well as offers gauge instrumentation to the vitreoretinal surgical market. It sells its products through direct sale s employees, distributors, and independent sales representatives. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in O?Fallon, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.01 million.
Team (NYSE: TISI) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.36 per share on revenue of $176.70 million.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.03 per share on revenue of $17.32 million.
Linear Technology (NASDAQ: LLTC) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.54 per share on revenue of $372.59 million.
- [By Monica Gerson]
Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) reported its FQ4 earnings of $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.9 million. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.05 per share on revenue of $17 million. Synergetics USA shares dipped 11.82% to $4.40 in the after-hours trading session.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Synergetics USA (SURG) has dropped 4.8% to $4.75 after the medical device company said it earned 6 cents a share, in line with analyst forecasts.
Team Inc.�(TISI) has dropped 11% after the company missed its earnings forecast and lowered guidance.
Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own For 2014: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited(AOSL)
Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited engages in the design, development, and supply of a range of power semiconductors worldwide. The company offers power discrete product line comprising trench MOSFETs, electrostatic discharge, protected MOSFETs, and SRFETs; and power ICs. Its products are used in notebooks, netbooks, flat panel displays, mobile phone battery packs, set-top boxes, portable media players, and power supplies. The company sells its products to distributors. Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Limited is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Melvin]
This split among industry segments has created some value opportunities as those companies with high exposure to PCs are very cheap. And while the move towards smart phones and tablets may continue, the PC is not dead — demand will pick up along with the economy.
Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOSL)Alpha and Omega Semiconductor (AOSL) is a designer, developer and global supplier of a broad portfolio of power semiconductors. The portfolio of power semiconductors includes more than 1,400 products, and has grown rapidly with 195 new products introduced last year alone. Its semiconductors are used in a wide range of products, including things like personal computers, flat panel TVs, LED lighting, smart phones, and telecommunications equipment.
Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own For 2014: EarthLink Inc.(ELNK)
EarthLink, Inc. provides communications services to individual and business customers in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Services and Business Services. The Consumer Services segment offers Internet access and related value-added services. It provides dial-up Internet and narrowband access, broadband access, and voice-over-Internet-protocol services, as well as value-added services that include products for protection, communication, and performance, such as security products, premium email only, home networking, email storage, and Internet call waiting. This segment offer its products and services primarily through its call centers, search engine marketing, affinity marketing partners, resellers, and marketing alliances. The Business Services segment offers integrated communications services, such as secure IP-based networks, virtual private networks, Internet access, local telephone and long distance services, enhanced services, access trunks, pr ivate line services, asynchronous transfer mode/frame relay services, and mobile data and voice services, as well as installation, managed network, remote access, and disaster recovery services. It also provides wholesale services comprising broadband transport services, including private line, Ethernet private line, and wavelength services; local communications and local dial tone communications services; live and automated operator, and directory assistance services; and dedicated Internet access services and direct connectivity. In addition, this segment leases server space and provides Web hosting services that enable customers to build and maintain an online presence, including domain names, storage, mailboxes, software tools to build Web sites, e-commerce applications, and 24/7 customer support. This segment offers its services through direct sales, and independent dealers and sales agents. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Geoff Gannon] nflation growth: Dun & Bradstreet (DNB)
路 Inflation plus population growth: CEC Entertainment (CEC)
路 Nominal GDP Growth: Village Supermarket (VLGEA)
Over the last 10 years ��population growth, inflation, and real output per person growth has been so low it�� hard to tell the difference between companies growing at the rate of inflation, along with the population, or along with the economy.
You have to squint really hard to see any difference in the revenue growth records of DNB, Chuck E. Cheese, and Village.
This will not be true in all countries and at all times.
A literally no growth company like Earthlink is actually shrinking. It just happens to look like it�� staying perfectly flat because inflation is hiding the company�� real decay rate. In real terms, the company has been shrinking by about 3% a year for the last 10 years. So, Earthlink is not a no growth company. It�� shrinking.
That�� a bad sign. And, frankly, I don�� know how to value Earthlink. You would need to evaluate it as a turnaround or something ��not as a business that�� simplly stuck in place. I don�� know how to do that.
So, Earhtlink goes into the ��oo hard��pile.
Dun & Bradstreet and CEC Entertainment are actual no growth businesses. This is hidden by their constant share buy backs. So, if you look at their earnings per share growth they look kind of like Peter Lynch�� idea of a ��low growth��company or even a ��talwart�� They aren��. They��e no growth businesses.
The same is pretty much true with Village Supermarket. Although this is complicated. The nature of their business ��high volume, low cost groceries ��means they can appear to be a no growth business when they are actually just keeping prices down and increasing volume. You would need to check their sales numbers more carefully. Grocery stores often discuss inflation in their annual reports. Village Supermarket always does t
Top 10 Penny Stocks To Own For 2014: China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd (NPD)
China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd. operates retail drugstores in the People?s Republic of China. The company?s drugstores provide pharmacy services and other merchandise, including prescription drugs; over-the-counter drugs; nutritional supplements, such as healthcare supplements, vitamins, minerals, and dietary products; herbal products, including drinkable herbal remedies and packages of assorted herbs for making soup; and private label products. Its stores also offer personal care products, such as skin care, hair care, and beauty products; family care products, including portable medical devices for family use, birth control products, and early pregnancy test products; and convenience products, such as soft drinks, packaged snacks, other consumables, cleaning agents, and stationeries, as well as seasonal and promotional items. The company operates its stores under the China Nepstar brand name. As of December 31, 2009, its store network comprised 2,479 retail drugstores located in approximately 71 cities in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Shandong, Hunan, Fujian, Sichuan, and Hubei provinces, as well as in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing municipalities of the People?s Republic of China. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
Non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares dropped around 0.20 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included K12 (NYSE: LRN), China Nepstar Chain Drugstore (NYSE: NPD), and Du Pont (NYSE: DD).
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