BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- As the S&P 500 enters another corrective week, it's time to turn defensive with your portfolio. And one of the best ways to do that is by turning to a life of sin. Let me explain.
>>4 Big Stocks to Trade (or Not)
For an investor, the best defense is a good defense. And the best offense is a good defense too. That's not just some investing platitude. It's backed up by stock market research. According to data collected by Cambria Investment Management CIO Mebane Faber, missing both the best and worst days of the year with a defensive market posture actually outperforms a buy-and-hold approach.
That's a pretty ringing endorsement for putting defensive names in your portfolio. But contrary to popular belief, defensive stocks don't have to be boring. Sin stocks offer an interesting mix of downside protection, income generation and, well, fun
Don't let the name fool you; sin stock companies aren't in the business of burning down old folks' homes. Instead, alcohol, tobacco, gambling and weapons firms are all classical examples of sin stocks. So what makes sin stocks so attractive when anxiety ratchets higher?
Top 5 Information Technology Companies To Own For 2016: Societe B I C SA (BB)
Societe B I C SA is a France-based company specialized in the manufacturing of stationery products, lighters and shavers. The Company's portfolio of trademark brands belong: BIC, Sheaffer, BIC Kids, Wite-out, Pimaco and Tipp-ex, among others. Channels of distribution include stationery stores, office product companies, mass-merchandisers, convenience stores, wholesalers and cash and carry outlets. It operates worldwide through numerous subsidiaries in Europe, Middle East, Africa Northern America, Latin America, Asia and Oceania. In addition, the Company provides, via BIC Graphic and Norwood PP, advertising and promotional products for marketing purposes to companies around the world, as well as a range of windsurfing boards, kayaks and others, under the brand BIC Sport. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Eric Lam]
Trilogy Energy Corp. soared 11 percent after providing an update on its operations in Alberta. Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI/B) slipped at least 1 percent after an analyst with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce lowered his price targets for the nation�� largest wireless carriers due to regulatory risks. BlackBerry (BB) Ltd. increased 0.7 percent to snap three days of losses after reporting second-quarter earnings.
Hot Defensive Companies To Buy For 2015: AOL Inc (AOL)
AOL Inc. (AOL) is a global Web services company with a range of brands and offerings, and a global audience. The Company�� business spans online content, products and services, which it offers to consumers, publishers and advertisers. Its business operations are focused on AOL Properties and Third Party Network. AOL Properties include its owned and operated content, products and services in the Content, Local, Paid Services and Consumer Applications strategy areas in addition to its AOL Ventures offerings. AOL Properties also include co-branded Websites owned by third parties. It generates advertising revenues from AOL Properties through the sale of display advertising and search and contextual advertising. It offers a range of display advertising, including text and banner advertising, mobile, video and rich media advertising, sponsorship of content offerings, and local and classified advertising. It also generates revenues through its subscription access service. It also generates revenues from subscriptions to other products and services. It also generates advertising revenues through the sale of advertising on third-party Websites, which it refers to as the Third Party Network. It markets its offerings to advertisers on both AOL Properties and the Third Party Network under the brand AOL Advertising. It markets its offerings to publishers on the Third Party Network under the brand Advertising.com and also market offerings as video advertisements distributed through goviral A/S (goviral) and 5 Minutes Ltd (5min Media).
On January 22, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of StudioNow, Inc. On September 28, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of 5min Media. On September 28, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of Thing Labs, Inc. On September 29, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of TechCrunch, Inc. On December 15, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of Pictela, Inc. On December 20, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of About.me, Inc. On! January 31, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of goviral A/S. On February 26, 2010, the Company sold buy.at to Digital Window Limited. On June 16, 2010, the Company sold Bebo, Inc. On July 8, 2010, the Company completed the sale of ICQ operations (ICQ). During the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company sold its investments in Kayak Software Corporation and Brightcove, Inc.
AOL Properties
AOL Media offerings include original content produced through its network of content creators, which includes professional journalists from media, freelance writers and bloggers, content, which it licenses from third parties and aggregations of user-generated content. Its content offerings are made available to audiences through sites, such as the AOL.com homepage, as well as to audiences branded properties, such as Engadget, TechCrunch, PopEater, Moviefone, AOL Shopping, AOL Autos, AOL Travel, AOL Real Estate, MapQuest and StyleList. Its Seed.com platform allows writers and photographers to submit original content for its editors to review and publish on AOL Properties or on third party sites.
The Company has developed and acquired platforms, which are designed to facilitate the production, aggregation, distribution and consumption of local content. This local content includes professional editorial content, user-generated content and business listings. Its local offerings include Patch, which is a community-specific news and information platform dedicated to providing local coverage for individual towns and communities; MapQuest, which is an online mapping and directions service, and City�� Best, which provides local entertainment information for metropolitan areas. It offers a range of consumer applications, including a range of communications products and services. Its consumer applications offerings include AOL Mail, which is an e-mail services in the United States; AIM, which is an instant messaging service in the United States; and a range of mobile offerin! gs, which! extend its content, products and services to a range of digital devices.
The Company offers AOL Search on AOL Properties. It provides its consumers with a general, Internet-based search experience, which utilizes Google�� organic Web search results and additional links on the search results and third-party content and information, as well as provides a range of search-related features, such as suggesting related searches to help users refine their search queries. It also provides consumers with relevant paid text-based search advertising through its relationship with Google, in which it provides consumers sponsored link ads in response to their search queries. It offers vertical search services and mobile search services on AOL Properties.
The Company offers contextually relevant advertising, which is generated based on the content of the AOL Properties Webpage the consumer is viewing. It also offers MapQuest, a service, which provides maps, turn by turn driving directions and other location-based information for consumers globally. During 2010, it launched a new MapQuest platform, which simplified the user interface and included enhanced features. In addition, it provides local directory listings through its AOL Yellow Pages product, which listings are provided by a third party and from which AOL receives a revenue share. The Company�� subscription service has been its subscription access service, including narrow-band (telephone dial-up) access to the Internet. Computer tools and maintenance services, online technical support, anti-virus software, identity theft protection, online and social media privacy and reputation monitoring services, diet fitness services, online learning and other lifestyle services are offered on a subscription basis. Content, products and services on AOL Properties are available to online consumers.
The Company�� AOL-brand subscription access service, which it offers to consumers in the United States for a monthly fee, is a val! uable dis! tribution channel for AOL Properties. As of December 31, 2010, it had 3.9 million AOL-brand access subscribers in the United States. In addition to its content, products and services, which are available to all online consumers, an AOL-brand access subscription provides members with dial-up access to the Internet. It offers Internet access services under the CompuServe and Netscape brands. Its access service partners are Level 3 Communications, LLC and MCI Communications Services, Inc., who provides it with modem networks and related services for a substantial portion of its subscription access service.
The Company also distributes AOL Properties through a range of other channels, including agreements with manufacturers of digital devices and other consumer electronics, broadband access providers and mobile carriers. AOL also distributes its content, products and services directly to consumers on the open Web and through the Apple Apps Store. Additional distribution channels include toolbars, widgets, co-branded portals and Websites, and third-party Websites and social networks that link to AOL Properties. It also utilizes search engine marketing and search engine optimization as distribution methods. In addition, it makes available open standards and protocols for use by third-party developers. It generates advertising revenues from AOL Properties through the sale of display advertising and search and contextual advertising.
Third Party Network
The Company generates advertising revenues through the sale of advertising on third party Websites. Its advertising offerings on the Third Party Network consists of the sale of display advertising and also includes search and contextual advertising. It markets its offerings to publishers on the Third Party Network under the brand Advertising.com and also market offerings as video advertisements distributed through goviral and 5 Minutes Ltd. Its revenues in the Third Party Network are generated from the advertising invent! ory acqui! red from publishers. The Third Party Network includes a display advertising interface, which gives advertisers the ability to target and control the delivery of their advertisements and provides advertisers and agencies with relevant display analytics and measurement tools. It focuses to utilize self-service systems. For its publishers, inclusion in the Third Party Network offers a range of tools and technologies. It aims to develop its relationships with publishers and advertisers.
The Company utilizes a scheduling, optimization and delivery technology, which optimize advertisement placements across the Third Party Network and the available inventory on AOL Properties. AdLearn allows performance to be analyzed and advertisement placement to be optimized based on specific objectives, including click-through rate, conversion rate, sales volume and other metrics. In addition to advertising and subscription revenues, it also generates fee, license and other revenues. It generates fees from its consumer applications associated with mobile e-mail and instant messaging functionality from mobile carriers. Through MapQuest�� business-to-business services, it generates licensing revenue from third-party customers. It also generates revenues by licensing its ad serving technology to third parties, through its subsidiary, ADTECH AG.
The Company competes with Yahoo! Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corporation�� MSN, IAC/Interactive Corp., Facebook, Inc., Twitter, Inc., News Corporation, WPP plc and ValueClick, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Douglas A. McIntyre]
Facebook’s (NASDAQ: FB) growth has put it in a place just behind the top portals, with a November unique visitor count of 140.7. AOL (NYSE: AOL), the third portal ranked fifth among all sites at 118.9 million unique visitors.
- [By Steven Russolillo]
WATCH FOR: First-Quarter Productivity (8:30 a.m. Eastern Time): seen -1.1%; previously +1.8%. First-Quarter Unit Labor Costs (8:30): seen +2.8%; previously -0.1%. March Consumer Credit (3:00): seen +$16.1 B; previously $16.5B. Allergan(AGN), AOL(AOL), Avis Budget(CAR), CenturyLink, Chesapeake Energy(CHK), CF Industries(CF), Devon Energy(DVN), Duke Energy(DUK), Dynergy, Hertz, Humana, Keurig Green Mountain(GMCR), Lamar Advertising(LAMR), Molson Coors/Miller, Mondelez, Prudential, SolarCity(SCTY), Sotheby's(BID), Tesla Motors(TSLA), Transocean and 21st Century Fox are among companies scheduled to report quarterly results.
Hot Defensive Companies To Buy For 2015: Mastercard Incorporated(MA)
MasterCard Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides transaction processing and related services to customers principally in support of their credit, deposit access, electronic cash and automated teller machine payment card programs, and travelers? cheque programs. Its payment solutions include payment programs, marketing, product development, technology, processing, and consulting and information services. The company provides transaction processing services comprising transaction switching, which include authorization, clearing, and settlement; connectivity services, such as network access, equipment, and the transmission of authorization and settlement messages; and other payment-related services consisting of products used to prevent or detect fraudulent transactions, cardholder services, professional consulting and research services, compliance and penalty, account and transaction enhancement services, holograms, and publication services. MasterCard Incor porated manages and licenses payment card brands, including MasterCard, MasterCard Electronic, Maestro, and Cirrus. The company?s payment programs, which are facilitated through its brands, include consumer credit, debit and prepaid programs, commercial payment solutions, and contactless payment solutions. It serves approximately 22,000 financial institutions. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Plus, more than 120 companies on the S&P 500 report next week with notable releases from Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) �on Monday; Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) �and Allergan Inc. (AGN) �on Tuesday; Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) �, General Motors Co. (GM) , and Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) �on Wednesday; along with MasterCard Inc. (MA) �and ConocoPhillips (COP) �on Thursday.
- [By Editor , Zacks Investment Research]
On Dec 10, Mastercard (MA) announced it would split its $763 a share stock 10-for-1. It also announced it would increase its dividend 83% and would initiate a $3.5 billion share repurchase program.
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
First, this information tells us that consumers are using their credit cards at increasing rates. Consequently, the no-brainer stocks to buy are credit card stocks. I personally prefer Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA), because they both have the largest market shares.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
MasterCard Inc.'s(MA) board approved a series of shareholder-friendly actions including an 83% boost to its dividend and an authorization to repurchase as much as $3.5 billion of its shares. Shares climbed 4.2% to $795.90 premarket.
Hot Defensive Companies To Buy For 2015: Silvercorp Metals Inc(SVM)
Silvercorp Metals Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of silver mineral properties in China and Canada. The company holds interests in four silver, lead, and zinc mines, including the Ying Project, the HPG Project, the TLP Project, and the LM Project at the Ying Mining Camp in the Henan Province of China. It also holds interests in the GC Project, a silver, lead, and zinc mine in the Guangdong Province; and the BYP gold, lead, and zinc mine project in Hunan province, as well as the Silvertip silver, lead, and zinc mine project in northern British Columbia, Canada. The company was formerly known as SKN Resources Ltd. and changed its name to Silvercorp Metals Inc. in May 2005. Silvercorp Metals Inc. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Silvercorp Metals (NYSE: SVM) shares fell 1.30% to touch a new 52-week low of $2.19. Silvercorp's PEG ratio is 5.18.
Bancolombia SA (NYSE: CIB) shares touched a new 52-week low of $47.94. Bancolombia's trailing-twelve-month ROA is 1.45%.
Hot Defensive Companies To Buy For 2015: Universal American Corp (UAM)
Universal American Corp., incorporated on December 22, 2010, through its health insurance and managed care subsidiaries, primarily serves the growing Medicare population by providing Medicare Advantage products. It provides a variety of healthcare services, including case management and care coordination, clinical quality and utilization review and behavioral health services to Medicaid agencies and other third parties. The Company�� business segments include Senior Managed Care, which provides Medicare Advantage segment reflects its Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO and PFFS businesses, and Traditional Insurance segment reflects its insurance products not offered through government programs, which includes Medicare supplement, other senior health insurance, specialty health insurance and life insurance. The Company provides medical management services, information and analysis, and other support services to enable its health care partners to serve their patients better.
In addition , it seeks an opportunity to address the high cost of health care for the remaining 75% of the Medicare population enrolled in traditional fee-for-service Medicare and have joined primarily with primary-care and multi-specialty provider groups to form thirty-one Accountable Care Organizations, or ACOs, pursuant to the Medicare Shared Saving Program, or Shared Savings Program.
On March 2, 2012, the Company acquired APS Healthcare, Inc., known as APS Healthcare. APS Healthcare provides specialty healthcare solutions primarily to Medicaid agencies. APS Healthcare offers a broad range of healthcare solutions, including case management and care coordination, clinical quality and utilization review, and behavioral health services that enable its customers to improve the quality of care and reduce healthcare costs.
Senior Managed Care - Medicare Advantage
The Company�� Senior Managed CareMedicare Advantage segment reflects its Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO and PFFS bu! sinesses.. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company operated Medicare coordinated care plans including PPOs and HMOs as well as its network-based private fee-for-service (PFFS) and rural PFFS business, which provides coverage to Medicare beneficiaries in 36 states. These businesses provide managed care for persons with Medicare under contracts with CMS. Its HMO plans are offered under contracts with CMS and provide all basic Medicare covered benefits with reduced member cost-sharing as well as additional supplemental benefits, including a defined prescription drug benefit. It operates HMO plans are offered under contracts with CMS and provide all basic Medicare covered benefits with reduced member cost-sharing as well as additional supplemental benefits, including a defined prescription drug benefit. It also has Medicare Advantage HMO operations in locations outside of Southeastern Texas including four counties in North Texas offering TexasFirst Health Plans through SelectCare Health Plans; nine counties in Oklahoma City offering Generations Healthcare through Today's Options of Oklahoma, Inc; and three counties in Indianapolis, Indiana offering Today's Options HMO through SelectCare Health Plans.
The Company�� PPO plans are provided under the name Today's Options PPO, which offered under contracts with CMS and provide all basic Medicare covered benefits with reduced member cost-sharing as well as additional supplemental benefits, including a defined prescription drug benefit. This coordinated care product is built around contracted networks of providers who, in cooperation with the health plan, coordinate an active medical management program. In 2012, the Company offered PPO plans to 41 markets in 120 counties in 17 states.
The Company�� PFFS plans are provided under the name Today's Options, which offered under contracts with CMS and provide enhanced health care benefits compared to traditional Medicare, subject to cost sharing and other limitations. These pl! ans have l! imited provider network restrictions, which allow the members to have more flexibility in the delivery of their health care services than other Medicare Advantage plans with limited provider network restrictions. Some of these products include a defined prescription drug benefit. In addition to a fixed monthly payment per member from CMS, individuals in these plans may be required to pay a monthly premium in selected counties or for selected enhanced products. In 2012, it offered PFFS products in a total of 36 states, which included PFFS products with network restrictions to 51 markets in 280 counties in 18 states and PFFS products without network restrictions to 1,052 counties in 32 states.
Traditional Insurance
The Company�� traditional insurance segment reflects the results of its Medicare supplement, other senior health insurance, specialty health insurance, and life insurance. It designed the products in this segment primarily for the senior market and market them through its career agency force and its network of independent general agencies. The Company discontinued marketing and selling traditional insurance products after June 1, 2012. This segment also includes other products that it stopped selling several years ago, such as long-term care, medical insurance and disability insurance, as well as previously produced or acquired term, universal life, and whole life insurance products and single and flexible premium fixed annuities.
The Company competes with United Healthcare, Humana, Wellpoint, Aetna and Cigna
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Omar Venerio]
The company has a current ROE of 10.94% which is higher than the industry median and the ones exhibit by Universal American Corp. (UAM), Centene (CNC) and WellPoint (WLP). In general, analysts consider ROE ratios in the 15-20% range as representing attractive levels for investment. So for investors looking those levels or more, Cigna (CI) could be the option. It is very important to understand this metric before investing and it is important to look at the trend in ROE over time.
Hot Defensive Companies To Buy For 2015: Woodward Inc.(WWD)
Woodward, Inc. designs, manufactures, and services energy control and optimization solutions for the aerospace and energy markets worldwide. Its Aerospace segment offers pumps, valves, fuel nozzles, metering units, cockpit controls, actuators, motors, and sensors for the management of fuel, air, combustion, and motion systems in commercial, business, and military aircraft, as well as weapons and defense systems. This segment also provides aftermarket repair, overhaul, and other services to commercial airlines, turbine original equipment manufacturer (OEM) repair facilities, military depots, third party repair shops, and end users. It sells its products to OEMs and tier-one prime contractors; and through aftermarket sales of components as provisioning spares or replacements. The company?s Energy segment designs, produces, and services systems and products for the management of fuel, air, fluids, gases, electricity, and motion. Its products include power converters, actuato rs, valves, pumps, injectors, solenoids, ignition systems, governors, electronics, and devices that measure, communicate, and protect low and medium voltage electrical distribution systems for use in industrial gas turbines, aero-derivative turbines, reciprocating engines, electrical grids, wind turbines, and compressors. This segment sells its products OEMs and tier-one prime contractors, through aftermarket sales or replacements; provides other related services to OEM customers, as well as directly to end users or distributors. Woodward, Inc was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Woodward (Nasdaq: WWD ) reported earnings on April 22. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q2), Woodward missed estimates on revenues and beat slightly on earnings per share. - [By Monica Gerson]
Woodward (NASDAQ: WWD) is projected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.71 per share on revenue of $548.45 million.
TD Ameritrade Holding (NYSE: AMTD) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $0.33 per share on revenue of $735.85 million.
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