Networking infrastructure and solutions provider Brocade Communications (BRCD) is performing robustly this year, however, the performance of the company in the recently reported first quarter wasn�� impressive at all. However, Brocade illustrated slight improvement in its performance for the quarter, which signifies that the company might face better times in the future. Here�� an analysis of the Brocade�� recent performance and its long-term prospects.
Robust performance
In the first quarter, Brocade earned revenue of $565 million which was a decrease of 4% from a year ago, but an increase of 1% sequentially and hence exceeding the company�� own expectations. The non-GAAP EPS of $0.24 also exceeded the analyst expectations. Non-GAAP operating margin was 27.9% in Q1, an increase of 440 basis points from last year.
Overall, Frontier delivered $109 million in operating cash flow and repurchased $144 million of its common stock in the first quarter. This is line with the execution of its plan to return a minimum of 60% of free cash flow to shareholders. The timing of variable compensation payments and interest payments on bonds is expected to increase the operating cash flow sequentially in the current quarter. Going forward, Brocade is expecting better financial performance on the back of several catalysts with several improvements seen in the business.
Top 5 Consumer Companies To Buy For 2016: ICON plc(ICLR)
ICON Public Limited Company, a contract research organization, provides outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries in Ireland, the United States, and rest of Europe. It specializes in strategic development, management, and analysis of programs that support various stages of clinical development process from compound selection to Phase I to IV clinical studies. The company?s clinical research services include investigator recruitment, study monitoring and data collection, case report form preparation, patient safety monitoring, clinical data management, interactive voice response, electronic patient reported outcomes, medical reporting, patient registries, outcomes research, and health economics. Its clinical research services also comprise marker access and commercialization services, strategic analysis and data operation, clinical pharmacology, bioanalysis, immunoassay development, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynam ic analysis, study protocol preparation, regulatory consulting, product development planning, strategic consulting, medical imaging, contract staffing, and electronic endpoint adjudication. In addition, the company offers various laboratory services, such as sample analyses, safety testing, microbiology, custom flow cytometry, electronic transmission of test results, and biomarker development. ICON Public Limited Company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Louis Navellier]
European Stocks to Buy: ICON Public Limited (ICLR)
ICON Public Limited Company (ICLR) is a contract research organization, provides outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries in Ireland, the United States, and Europe. They provide management, and analysis of programs that support various stages of clinical development process from compound selection to Phase I to IV clinical studies as well as lab services for companies conducting trials. The company has posted triple digit earnings gains and posted four consecutive positive earnings surprises in the past year. Analysts have been raising their estimates for the Irish company and Portfolio Grader raised the stock to an A last month. The stock is a strong buy at today�� price.
Top 10 Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2015: NN Inc.(NNBR)
NN, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of metal bearing, plastic and rubber, and precision metal components for bearing manufacturers worldwide. It operates in three segments: Metal Bearing Components, Plastic and Rubber Components, and Precision Metal Components. The Metal Bearing Components segment manufactures precision steel balls that are used primarily by manufacturers of anti-friction bearings; steel rollers comprising tapered rollers used in automotive gearbox applications, automotive wheel bearings, and various industrial applications; cylindrical rollers; and precision metal retainers for roller bearings. The Plastic and Rubber Components segment offers precision bearing seals for use in the automotive, industrial, agricultural, and mining markets; precision plastic retainers for ball and roller bearings used in various industrial applications; and precision plastic components, including automotive under-the-hood components, electronic instrument cases, pre cision electronic connectors and lenses, and various specialized industrial and consumer parts. The Precision Metal Components segment provides engineered shafts, fluid power assemblies, and complex precision assembled and tested parts used in the automotive, HVAC, fluid power, and diesel engine markets. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Precision ball-bearings and tapered rollings manufacturer NN, Inc. (NNBR) raised its quarterly dividend 16.6% to 7 cents per share, payable March 14 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 28.
NNBR Dividend Yield: 1.47% - [By Eric Volkman]
NN (NASDAQ: NNBR ) has a new man in the CEO chair. Richard Holder has been tapped to be the firm's CEO, effective June 3. He replaces the retiring Roderick Baty. Holder will also assume Baty's board seat, the term for which runs through NN's annual meeting in 2015.
Top 10 Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2015: Western Asset Inflation Management Fund Inc (IMF)
Western Asset Inflation Management Fund Inc. (the Fund), incorporated on March 16, 2004, is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund�� primary investment objective is total return.
Current income is a secondary investment objective. Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC (LMPFA) is the Fund�� investment manager and Western Asset Management Company (Western Asset) is the Fund�� sub adviser.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Canadian Value]
From a macroeconomic viewpoint, our optimism for Asian markets��strong long-term potential is based on three main factors. First, when compared with developed markets generally, Asia�� emerging markets have had higher rates of historic economic growth, and growth expectations for the year ahead are generally higher as well. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects growth in developing Asia of 6.5% in 2014, compared with 2% in developed markets generally.1Since 1999, the region has seen strong growth even in 2009 when developed markets fell into recession, as you can see in the chart below.
- [By Canadian Value]
Economically��/p> The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its estimate of world Gross Domestic Product�(GDP) growth going forward. Germany (the strongest economy in Europe) has reported disappointing numbers, particularly in capital goods. It looks like Europe is back in recession. The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) lowered its estimates of U.S. GDP growth for the next four years. Crude oil, which was trading in a range of $100-$110/barrel, fell to $82/barrel The surprise was an announcement by Saudi Arabia that they would not try to keep the price above $100/barrel. This is a change from their prior policy.
Markets��/p>
Top 10 Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2015: Travelzoo Inc(TZOO)
Travelzoo Inc., an Internet media company, together with its subsidiaries, publishes travel and entertainment deals from travel and entertainment companies, and local businesses in North America and Europe. Its publications and products include the Travelzoo Websites, such as travelzoo.com, travelzoo.ca, travelzoo.co.uk, travelzoo.de, www.travelzoo.es, and travelzoo.fr; the Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter; and the Newsflash e-mail alert service. The company also operates SuperSearch, a pay-per-click travel search tool; Travelzoo Network, a network of third-party Websites that list deals published by Travelzoo; and Fly.com, a travel search engine that allows users to find the best prices on flights from various airlines and online travel agencies. In addition, it provides Local Deals and Getaways services that allow its subscribers to purchase vouchers for deals from local businesses, such as spas, hotels, and restaurants through the Travelzoo Website. As of December 31, 2011, the company?s advertiser base included approximately 2,000 travel companies, entertainment companies, and local businesses, including airlines, hotels, cruise lines, vacations packagers, tour operators, destinations, car rental companies, travel agents, theater and performing arts groups, restaurants, spas, and activity companies. Travelzoo Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tom Taulli]
Valuation: Even with after the Expedia stock sell-off, shares of EXPE remain far from cheap. EXPE stock is trading for a trailing P/E of 46 vs. 33 for Priceline and 23 for Travelzoo (TZOO).�And considering the recent volatility, investors are certainly jittery about EXPE stock. As a result, another earnings disappointment could have a severe impact.
- [By Rich Smith]
If you are a Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO ) shareholder but own fewer than 25 shares, management would really appreciate it if you would just go away.
- [By Peter Graham]
The Q1 2014 Tripadvisor Inc (NASDAQ: TRIP) earnings report is due after the market closes on Tuesday, May 6th, with investors and traders alike who follow either the stock or large cap Priceline Group Inc (NASDAQ: PCLN), mid cap Expedia Inc (NASDAQ: EXPE) and small caps Travelzoo Inc (NASDAQ: TZOO) and Orbitz Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: OWW) should be paying attention to it. Aside from the Tripadvisor Inc earnings report, it should be said that Travelzoo Inc released 1Q 2014 earnings on April 17th and Expedia Inc released earnings last Thursday while the Q1 2014 Orbitz Worldwide earnings report is due today before the market opens and the Priceline Group Inc earnings report is due out on Thursday, May 8, at 9:30AM EDT. However, Tripadvisor Inc is a little different from these other travel booking companies as its main focus is to provide travel advice or reviews written by real travelers (which obviously leads to travel bookings that they make money on).
Top 10 Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2015: Nuveen Preferred and Convertible Income Fund (JPC)
Nuveen Multi-Strategy Income & Growth Fund is a close-ended balanced mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments Inc. The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Asset Management, Spectrum Asset Management, Tradewinds Global Investors, LLC, and Symphony Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets of the United States. The fund seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. For the fixed income portfolio, it invests in the debt instruments, including high yield debt and senior loans. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Merrill Lynch Preferred Stock Hybrid Securities Index, Lehman Tier 1 Capital Securities Index, Merrill Lynch All U.S. Convertibles Index, and CSFB High Yield index. It was formerly known as Nuveen Preferred and Convertible Income Fund. Nuveen Multi-Strategy Income & Growth Fund was formed on March 26, 2003 and is domiciled in the United States.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Douglas A. McIntyre]
J.C. Penney (NYSE: JPC) and the KMart and Sears divisions of Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD) are supposes to be the losers among large U.S. retailers. Their stores are too old, their brands too badly damaged, and their balance sheet too frail for either to do well in the white hot competition for holiday sales. However, their stock prices say otherwise, which means there is some expectation that they will outperform forecasts.
Top 10 Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2015: BioMed Realty Trust Inc (BMR)
BioMed Realty Trust, Inc., incorporated on April 30, 2004, operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT), and the general partner of BioMed Realty, L.P. As of December 31, 2011, BioMed Realty Trust, Inc. owned an approximate 98.1% partnership interest and other limited partners. It owns, acquires, develops, redevelops, leases and manages laboratory and office space for the life science industry. Its tenants include biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, scientific research institutions, government agencies and other entities involved in the life science industry. Its properties are located in markets with well-established reputations as centers for scientific research, including Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Maryland, New York/New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Seattle. In June 2013, BioMed Realty Trust Inc and Wexford Science & Technology, LLC announced that they have completed their previously announced merger. In December 2013, Wexford Science & Technology, a BioMed Realty Trust, Inc. company, announced the acquisition of the Chesterfield Building site in downtown Durham, North Carolina.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company executed 87 leasing transactions representing approximately 1.6 million square feet, including 52 new leases totaling approximately 1.1 million square feet and 35 leases amended to extend their terms. During 2011, the Company acquired approximately one million rentable square feet of laboratory and office space. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned or had interests in a portfolio with an aggregate of approximately 12.4 million rentable square feet. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� stabilized property included 97 buildings, leased up included 34 buildings and long term leased up included 10 buildings. As of December 31, 2011, its consolidated and unconsolidated properties were leased to 174 tenants.
As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� Boston properties represented 34.2% of its annualized base rent and 23.4% of it! s total leased square footage. As of December 31, 2011, its California properties located in San Francisco and San Diego represented 31.9% of its annualized base rent and 37.9% of its total leased square footage. As of December 31, 2011, its Maryland properties represented 14.8% of its annualized base rent and 15% of its total leased square footage.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bill Stoller]
After a banner 2013, the overall market has had a challenging start to 2014. However, these four companies have been crushing it: Alexander Real Estate (NYSE: ARE ) , BioMed Realty Trust (NYSE: BMR ) , CommonWealth REIT (NYSE: CWH ) , and Sun Communities (NYSE: SUI ) early on in 2014 vs. the S&P 500. Their relative out-performance can also be seen when compared to the Vanguard REIT Index ETF (NYSEMKT: VNQ ) a good yardstick to measure sector performance.
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap Biomed Realty Trust Inc (NYSE: BMR) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) offering an alternative way to gain exposure to the biotech or life sciences sector, meaning it might be worth taking a closer look at it along with a few benchmarks like the Vanguard REIT ETF (NYSEARCA: VNQ), iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index ETF (NASDAQ: IBB) and SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (NYSEARCA: XBI). Of course, it should be mentioned that REITs have had a rough ride lately�given all the ��apering��talk, but there is still a place for them in your portfolio with Biomed Realty Trust being one of the more unique offerings.
Top 10 Consumer Service Stocks To Own For 2015: Domtar Corp (UFS)
Domtar Corporation, incorporated on August 16, 2006, designs, manufactures, markets and distributes a range of fiber-based products, including communication papers, specialty and packaging papers and adult incontinence products. The Company operates in three business segments: Pulp and Paper, Distribution and Personal Care. Its Pulp and Paper segment consists of the manufacturing, sale and distribution of communication, specialty and packaging papers, as well as softwood, fluff and hardwood market pulp. The Company�� Distribution segment includes the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of its paper products and those of other manufacturers. These products include business and printing papers, certain industrial products and printing supplies. Its Personal Care segment consists of the manufacturing, sale and distribution of adult incontinence products.The Company is an integrated marketer and manufacturer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America for a variety of customers, including merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters and end-users. The Company produces incontinence care products marketed primarily under the Attends brand. The Company owns and operates Ariva. On May 10, 2012, the Company acquired EAM Corporation. In June 2013, the Company announced the completion of its acquisition of Xerox Corp paper and print media products business in the United States and Canada. In July 2013, Domtar Corp announced that completion of the acquisition of Associated Hygienic Products (AHP) from DSG International. In January 2014, the Company acquired Laboratorios Indas, SAU.
Pulp and Paper
The Company produces 4.2 million metric tons of hardwood, softwood and fluff pulp at 12 of its 13 mills. The majority of its pulp is consumed internally to manufacture paper and consumer products, with the balance being sold as market pulp. The Company also purchases papergrade pulp from third parties. The Company has 10 pulp and paper mills (eight in the! United States and two in Canada), with an annual paper production capacity of approximately 3.4 million tons of uncoated freesheet paper. Its paper manufacturing operations are supported by 15 converting and distribution operations, including a network of 12 plants located offsite of its paper making operations. In addition, it has forms manufacturing operations at three offsite converting and distribution operations. Approximately 81% of its paper production capacity is in the United States, and the remaining 19% is located in Canada.
The Company produces market pulp in excess of its internal requirements at its three non-integrated pulp mills in Kamloops, Dryden, and Plymouth, as well as at its pulp and paper mills in Espanola, Ashdown, Hawesville, Windsor, Marlboro and Nekoosa. The Company sells approximately 1.6 million metric tons of pulp per year depending on market conditions. Approximately 50% of its trade pulp production capacity is in the United States, and the remaining 50% is located in Canada. The fiber used by its pulp and paper mills in the United States is hardwood and softwood, both being readily available in the market from multiple third-party sources. The fiber used at its Windsor pulp and paper mill is hardwood originating from a variety of sources, including purchases on the open market in Canada and the United States, contracts with Quebec wood producers��marketing boards, public land where it has wood supply allocations and from its private lands. The softwood and hardwood fiber for its Espanola pulp and paper mill and the softwood fiber for its Dryden pulp mill, is obtained from third parties, directly or indirectly from public lands, through designated wood supply allocations for the pulp mills. The fiber used at the Company�� Kamloops pulp mill is all softwood, originating from third-party sawmilling operations in the southern-interior part of British Columbia.
The Company uses various chemical compounds in its pulp and paper manufacturing facili! ties that! it purchases, primarily on a central basis, through contracts. For pulp manufacturing, it uses numerous chemicals, including caustic soda, sodium chlorate, sulfuric acid, lime and peroxide. For paper manufacturing, it also uses several chemical products, including starch, precipitated calcium carbonate, optical brighteners, dyes and aluminum sulfate. It owns power generating assets, including steam turbines, at all of its integrated pulp and paper mills, as well as hydro assets at four locations: Espanola, Ottawa-Hull, Nekoosa and Rothschild. The Company�� business papers include copy and electronic imaging papers, which are used with ink jet and laser printers, photocopiers and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms and digital papers. These products are primarily for office and home use. The Company�� commercial printing and publishing papers include uncoated freesheet papers, such as offset papers and opaques. These uncoated freesheet grades are used in sheet and roll fed offset presses across the spectrum of commercial printing end-uses, including digital printing. Its publishing papers include tradebook and lightweight uncoated papers used primarily in book publishing applications, such as textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels and financial documents. Design papers, a sub-group of commercial printing and publishing papers, have features of color, brightness and texture and are targeted towards graphic artists, design and advertising agencies, primarily for special brochures and annual reports. These products also include base papers that are converted into finished products, such as envelopes, tablets, business forms and data processing/computer forms.
The Company also produces paper for several specialty and packaging markets. These products consist primarily of base stock for thermal printing, flexible packaging, food packaging, medical gowns and drapes, sandpapers backing, carbonless printing, labels and other coating a! nd lamina! ting applications. The Company also manufactures papers for industrial and specialty applications, including carrier papers, treated papers, security papers and specialized printing and converting applications. The Company sells business papers primarily to paper stationers, merchants, office equipment manufacturers and retail outlets. The Company distributes uncoated commercial printing and publishing papers to end-users and commercial printers, mainly through paper merchants, as well as selling directly to converters. The Company sells its specialty and packaging papers mainly to converters, who apply a further production process, such as coating, laminating, folding or waxing to its papers before selling them to a variety of specialized end-users.
Distribution
The Company's Distribution business involves the purchasing, warehousing, sale and distribution of the Company's various products and those of other manufacturers. These products include business, printing and publishing papers and certain packaging products. These products are sold to diverse customer base, which includes small, medium and large commercial printers, publishers, quick copy firms, catalog and retail companies and institutional entities. The Company's Distribution business operates in the United States and Canada under a single banner and umbrella name, Ariva. Ariva operates throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest areas from 16 locations in the United States, including 12 distribution centers serving customers across North America.
Personal Care
The Company's Personal Care business sells and manufactures adult incontinence products and distributes disposable washcloths marketed primarily under the Attends brand name. The Company is a supplier of adult incontinence products sold into North America and Northern Europe, selling to hospitals (acute cares) and nursing homes (long-term care) and the Company has a growing presence in the homecare and retail channels. The C! ompany op! erates two manufacturing facilities, with each having the ability to produce multiple product categories. The Company also has a research and development facility and production lines which manufacture high quality airlaid and ultrathin laminated absorbent cores.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Specialty paper maker�Domtar� (NYSE: UFS ) �wrote it all down yesterday: it�will pay a�regular quarterly dividend�of $0.55 per share that's 22% higher than the $0.45 per share payout it made last quarter. Shareholders of record on June 14 will receive the new dividend rate at the close of business on July 15.
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