The energy sector has a history of strong performance late in bull markets, coupled with defensiveness early in bear markets; it is from this sector that we chose our top conservative idea for the coming year, notes Eric Vermulm in InvesTech Market Analyst.
Occidental Petroleum (OXY) is a growing energy company focused on stable geographic areas, with a production mix tilted toward oil. For 2013, over 60% of production has come from wells in the attractive geopolitical climate of North America.
At the same time, 73% of production has come in the form of ��iquids��(oil and natural gas liquids), leaving the more volatile natural gas segment as the company's smallest, at only 27% of the total. With exposure to growing oil rich plays, such as the Permian Basin in West Texas, OXY is forecasting a healthy 5-8% annual production growth rate for the foreseeable future.
In terms of financial strength, OXY boasts one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry. Net debt to capital is a very manageable 8%, significantly less than peers, which average 25% debt to capital.
5 Best Mid Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: HTC Corp (HTCCY)
HTC Corporation is principally engaged in the research, development and manufacturing of smart handheld devices. The Company provides touch phones, personal digital assistant (PDA) phones, smart phones, Android smart phones, Windows OS smart phones and panel computers, among others. The Company offers its products under the brand name of HTC, including HTC Butterfly series, Desire series, HTC One series, HTC Sensation series, HTC Explorer series, HTC Rhyme series, as well as HTC Radar series, among others. The Company distributes its products within domestic market and to overseas markets. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Leo Sun]
In response,�Xiaomi president Bin Lin told China News Service that "one can only judge Xiaomi's gadgets after he or she has used them." Hugo Barra, Xiaomi's VP of international markets, added that the "iPhone 6 is using design language that HTC (NASDAQOTH: HTCCY ) has had for five years" in an interview with the Economic Times. Barra also stated that Apple and Ive could not "claim full ownership" to design languages used across the smartphone industry.
- [By Leo Sun]
Those problems are commonly attributed to sluggish demand in developed markets and aggressive competition from cheaper Chinese companies, but many investors don't notice another huge problem Samsung, Sony (NYSE: SNE ) , and HTC (NASDAQOTH: HTCCY ) �all face:�in-house fragmentation. These three companies have launched so many versions of their respective Galaxy, Xperia, and One phones that it becomes difficult�to track them all.
- [By Leo Sun]
HTC (NASDAQOTH: HTCCY ) just unveiled the HTC Desire Eye, an unusual "selfie" phone equipped with the most powerful front-facing camera ever.
Top 5 Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Swift Transportation Company(SWFT)
Swift Transportation Company, through its subsidiary, Swift Transportation Co., LLC, operates as a multi-faceted transportation services company and truckload carrier in North America. The company offers its truckload services through dry van, temperature-controlled, flatbed, and specialized trailers; and rail intermodal services. It also provides freight brokerage and logistics management services to other trucking companies, as well as leases tractors and offers repair services. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated a tractor fleet of approximately 15,900 units, including 11,900 tractors driven by company drivers and 4,000 owner-operator tractors; 50,600 trailers; and 6,200 intermodal containers in the United States and Mexico. It serves various industries, such as retail, discount retail, consumer products, food and beverage, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics industries. The company, formerly known Swift Holdings Corp., and was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Hub have dropped 5.1% to $35.41, but the plunge doesn’t seem to be weighing on other logistic companies. CH Robinson Worldwide (CHRW), for instance, has gained 1.1% to $58.64, JB Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) has risen 1.1% to $71.61, Swift Transportation (SWFT) has advanced 0.9% to $19.56 and Ryder System (R) is up 3.1% to $59.23.
Top 5 Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: Rewards Nexus Inc (ERNI)
Rewards Nexus Inc., formerly NIS Holdings Corp., incorporated on June 21, 2004, through its subsidiaries, operates in the loyalty/rewards industry. The Company has launched the Earn IQ rewards program, a consumer loyalty platform-coupled with marketing and advertising services for various industries.
The Company provides consumers with opportunities to interact and engage with online and mobile products. It primarily focuses on various business sectors, including the customer loyalty management market, the gift card industry, the online food ordering industry, and the marketing consulting industry
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks Rewards Nexus Inc (OTCMKTS: ERNI), MyEcheck Inc (OTCMKTS: MYEC) and ITonis Inc (OTCMKTS: ITNS) fell 29.6%, 18.92% and 9.09%, respectively, last Friday. Moreover, some of these small cap stocks are already making big moves again this morning - perhaps in part because they have all been the subject of recent paid promotions. So where are these small cap heading this week and for the long term? Here is a quick reality check:
Top 5 Defensive Companies To Watch For 2014: BroadSoft Inc.(BSFT)
BroadSoft, Inc. provides software and services that enable mobile, fixed-line, and cable service providers to deliver unified communications and other voice and multimedia services over Internet protocol (IP) based networks. The company?s communications platform consists of BroadWorks software, which enables its service provider customers to provide enterprises and consumers with a range of cloud-based or hosted IP multimedia communications, such as private branch exchanges, video calling, unified communications, collaboration, and converged mobile and fixed-line services; BroadCloud hosted or cloud service that enables its service provider customers to offer Web collaboration, video conferencing, instant messaging, presence, and short messaging to their end-users; and BroadTouch, a client application that enables carriers to offers unified communications services for smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops. It also provides a range of professional support services, i ncluding pre-sales support; installation, network integration, project management, and remote upgrade services, as well as consulting services; product life-cycle services; and training services. The company sells its products to telecommunication service providers directly, as well as indirectly through telecommunications equipment vendors, value-added resellers, and other distributors. It operates in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. BroadSoft, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By SA Pro Top Ideas]
Stock Movers and Great Calls
On August 2, Josh Burwick argued that the market was underestimating BroadSoft's (BSFT) 2014 earnings potential, with 50% upside looming for shares. The stock is +10.6% in the three weeks since. Read article » On June 27, Alan Brochstein said Apogee Glass (APOG) offered compelling value as its architectural glass reverted to historic margins. The shares are +20.4% since. Read article »
Alpha-Rich long and short ideas regularly move stocks and identify stocks that are about to move. Some notable recent calls subscribers had early access to:To Come Today
Don't forget to check your SA Pro dashboard during market hours today for the latest Alpha-Rich ideas, including an undervalued asset manager and a short idea in the oil services sector. Have a great weekend.
SA Pro Editors
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The SA Pro team is Eli Hoffmann (Editor in Chief), Rachael Granby (Editorial Product Manager), Daniel Shvartsman, Samir Patel, Michael McDonald, and Jeffrey Fischer (Senior Pro Editors). You can reach us at pro-editors@seekingalpha.com. - [By Seth Jayson]
BroadSoft (Nasdaq: BSFT ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on May 6. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict BroadSoft's revenues will grow 0.7% and EPS will shrink -62.1%.
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