Following the market opening Thursday, the Dow traded up 0.43 percent to 17,048.94 while the NASDAQ surged 0.37 percent to 4,474.01. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.35 percent to 1,981.49.
Leading and Lagging Sectors
In trading on Thursday, non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.56 percent. Top gainers in the sector included Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD), up 5.7 percent, and Lorillard (NYSE: LO), up 4.8 percent.
Best Japanese Companies For 2015: Koninklijke Ahold NV (AHONY)
Koninklijke Ahold N.V. (Ahold), incorporated on April 29, 1920, is engaged in the operation of retail food stores in the United States and Europe through subsidiaries and joint ventures. Ahold�� retail operations are presented in four segments: Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover, Giant-Carlisle, Albert Heijn and Albert/Hypernova. During the fiscal year ended January 3, 2010 (fiscal 2009), it operated 2,909 stores. On February 8, 2010, Ahold�� Giant-Carlisle acquired 25 stores from Ukrop�� Super Markets.
Franchisees operated 783 of the Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall stores, 463 of which were either owned by the franchisees or leased independently from Ahold. Of the 2,446 stores, 20% were company-owned and 80% were leased. Ahold�� stores range in size from 20 to over 10,000 square meters. Albert Heijn is a food retailer in the Netherlands. Etos is a health and beauty retailer in the Netherlands. Gall & Gall is a wine and liquor specialist in the Netherlands. Stop & Shop is a supermarket brand, operating in six states in the northeast United States. Giant-Landover is a supermarket brand, operating in four states in the mid-Atlantic United States. Peapod is an online grocery delivery service working in partnership with Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover. It also serves the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, and the northern areas of Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
As mentioned, Kroger is still swallowing Harris Teeter and has said it needs time to make more acquisitions. Royal Ahold (NASDAQOTH: AHONY ) is also said to be leery about doing large acquisitions these days, while Cerberus recently finished acquiring the Albertsons and Acme chains from SUPERVALU (NYSE: SVU ) �for $3.3 billion.
Top 10 Services Stocks For 2014: SAIC Inc(SAI)
SAIC, Inc. scientific, engineering, systems integration, and technical services and solutions to various branches of the U.S. military, agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the other U.S. government civil agencies, state and local government agencies, foreign governments, and customers in select commercial markets. Its Government segment provides a range of technical services and solutions in the areas of systems engineering and integration, software development, cyber security, data processing and analysis, secure information sharing and collaboration, IT outsourcing, communication systems and infrastructure, command and control, logistics, research and development, environmental consulting, energy and utilities, design and construction, securing critical infrastructure, disaster preparedness and recovery, homeland security product, geospatial solutions, and modeling and simulation. The compan y?s Commercial segment provides consulting, systems integration, and managed IT services, as well as customizable IT software solutions to oil and gas customers; and enterprise information technology optimization, business intelligence, enterprise resource planning maintenance, and staff augmentation services to select commercial customers, and state and local government customers. In addition, it offers business, engineering, energy, and infrastructure consulting services; language translation, interpretation, and training services; architectural design services; and information systems and communications, and rapid prototyping of technical solutions and products focused on support to intelligence and special warfare operations. SAIC, Inc. was formerly known as Science Applications, Inc. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Next Monday, SAIC (NYSE: SAI ) will release its latest quarterly results. Even though the stock has soared to two-year highs recently, investors appear nervous about the company's earnings prospects going forward.
Top 10 Services Stocks For 2014: Sally Beauty Holdings Inc.(SBH)
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution and retail of professional beauty supplies primarily in North America, South America, and Europe. The company operates in two segments, Sally Beauty Supply and Beauty Systems Group. The Sally Beauty Supply segment operates a chain of cash and carry retail stores that provide various third-party branded and exclusive-label professional beauty supplies, including hair color products, hair care products, hair dryers and hair styling appliances, skin and nail care products, and other beauty items to retail consumers and salon professionals. This segment sells various third-party brands, such as Clairol, Revlon, and Conair, as well as a selection of exclusive-label merchandise. The Beauty Systems Group segment distributes professional brands of beauty products directly to salons and salon professionals through its sales force and professional-only stores. This segment operates stores under the Co smoProf service mark. It sells a range of third-party brands, such as Paul Mitchell, Wella, Sebastian, Goldwell, Joico, and TIGI. As of September 30, 2011, the company operated a multi-channel platform of 4,128 company-owned stores, 181 franchised stores, and 1,116 professional distributor sales consultants in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Chile, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Denton, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
AlamyWebsites can help direct you to beauty-related freebies. Inner beauty matters most in my book, but trying to look your best outwardly can be important, too. Striving for beauty on the outside by using beauty products can help boost your confidence and show others that you take good care of yourself. On average, Americans spend more than $400 a year on personal care products. Although cosmetics and beauty products can add up to a pretty penny, beauty doesn't need to come with a hefty price tag. Here are some tips to manage beauty on a budget. 1. Free Samples Marketers love giving out free samples so consumers have the chance to try new products and fall in love with their products. The hope is that if you try a little, you'll like it enough to buy the full-size product at its full retail price. For frugal shoppers, free samples can be a tool that allows us the chance to stretch our dollars. By taking advantage of a variety of free beauty samples from many manufacturers, over time we can end up with enough free sample products to replace a few full-size ones. One woman who has perfected the search for freebies is Heather Hernandez, founder of Freebies4Mom.com. She started her site, which curates the best free samples available online, back in 2007. By signing up for her free e-mail newsletter you can be notified when new free samples are available and where to get them. Besides visiting Freebies4Mom.com, Heather shares two of her favorite sources for online freebies: SampleSource and PinchMe. SampleSource.com is a relatively new site that allows users to get free brand name samples. She recently received a free shampoo and new toothbrush from their site, which is free to join. PinchMe.com allows consumers to try free products in exchange for providing feedback on a short survey. On her last visit to the site, she got to select a free nail polish in the color of her choice. PinchMe has become very popular, so she recommends that you "pay attention to
Top 10 Services Stocks For 2014: Cedar Fair L.P. (FUN)
Cedar Fair, L.P. owns and operates amusement and water parks in the United States and Canada. As of February 19, 2013, the company operated 11 amusement parks, 4 outdoor water parks, 1 indoor water park, and 5 hotels, as well as the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in California under a management contract. Its amusement parks include Cedar Point located on Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo in Sandusky, Ohio; Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio; Canada's Wonderland near Toronto, Canada; Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom located near Allentown in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania; Valleyfair located near Minneapolis/St. Paul in Shakopee, Minnesota; Michigan's Adventure located near Muskegon, Michigan; Kings Dominion near Richmond, Virginia; Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina; Worlds of Fun located in Kansas City, Missouri; Knott's Berry Farm located near Los Angeles in Buena Park, California; and California's Great America located in Santa Clara, California, as w ell as manages and operates Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, California. The company also owns and operates the Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark Resort in Sandusky, Ohio. Cedar Fair Management, Inc. serves as the general partner of Cedar Fair, L.P. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Sandusky, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James E. Brumley]
It's not its television and film work that's apt to put it on the map and on par with The Walt Disney Company, however. It's the theme park - and eventually, theme parks - that Independent Film Development Corporation is planning that will not only make Six Flags Entertainment or Cedar Fair, L.P. (NYSE:FUN) take notice, but could force even the venerable Disney to turn its head.
- [By Bryan Murphy]
When most investors hear the term "amusement park", one of two names comes to mind. The first one, of course, is DisneyWorld (or DisneyLand, depending on your locale), which of course is owned by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), and probably set the bar for all other theme parks to come after it. Thrill-seekers of a slightly different age - ones without kids anyway - may recall fond memories of trips to Kings Island, Kings Dominion, or perhaps a visit to what some consider the best amusement park in the world, Cedar Point. They're all owned by Cedar Fair, L.P. (NYSE:FUN). And by most accounts, those leading theme park companies have provided equally compelling gains over the year for shareholders of DIS and FUN. But, there's a shift in what amusement park visitors are now seeking, and while Walt Disney Company or Cedar Fair aren't apt to be put out of business anytime soon, there's no denying that newcomer Independent Film Development Corporation (OTCMKTS:IFLM) - aka IndyFilmCorp - is better positioned to satisfy consumers' new definition of a thrilling theme park. Likewise, shares of IFLM may be poised to offer equally thrilling returns.
- [By John Udovich]
Financial results and news about lawsuits dominates the latest headlines for theme park stocks SeaWorld Entertainment Inc (NYSE: SEAS), Six Flags Entertainment Corp (NYSE: SIX), Cedar Fair, L.P. (NYSE: FUN) and small cap�Independent Film Development Corporation (OTCMKTS: IFLM). Moreover, all of these theme park stocks are looking pretty good either because of their news or recent performance:
Top 10 Services Stocks For 2014: RPC Inc (RES)
RPC, Inc. (RPC), incorporated on January 20, 1984, is a holding company. The Company provides a broad range of specialized oilfield services and equipment primarily to independent and oil and gas companies engaged in the exploration, production and development of oil and gas properties throughout the United States, including the southwest, mid-continent, Gulf of Mexico, Rocky Mountain and Appalachian regions, and in selected international markets. The Company operates in two business segments: Technical Services and Support Services.
The services and equipment provided include, among others, pressure pumping services,downhole tool services coiled tubing services, snubbing services (also referred to as hydraulic workover services), nitrogen services, the rental of drill pipe and other specialized oilfield equipment, and well control. RPC acts as a holding company for its operating units, Cudd Energy Services, Patterson Rental and Fishing Tools, Bronco Oilfield Services, Thru Tubing Solutions, Well Control School, and others.
Technical Services
Technical Services include RPC�� oil and gas service lines that utilize people and equipment to perform value-added completion, production and maintenance services directly to a customer�� well. The demand for these services is generally influenced by customers��decisions to invest capital toward initiating production in a new oil or natural gas well, improving production flows in an existing formation, or to address well control issues. This business segment consists primarily of pressure pumping, downhole tools, coiled tubing, snubbing, nitrogen, well control, wireline and fishing. The principal markets for this business segment include the United States, including the southwest, mid-continent, Gulf of Mexico, Rocky Mountain and Appalachian regions, and in selected international markets. Customers include multi-national and independent oil and gas producers, and selected nationally owned oil companies.
Fracturing services are performed to stimulate production of oil and natural gas by increasing the permeability of a formation. Fracturing is particularly important in shale formations, which have low permeability, and unconventional completion, because the formation containing hydrocarbons is not concentrated in one area and requires multiple fracturing operations. The fracturing process consists of pumping fluid gel and sometimes nitrogen into a cased well at sufficient pressure to fracture the formation at desired locations and depths. Sand, bauxite or synthetic proppant, which is often suspended in gel, is pumped into the fracture. When the pressure is released at the surface, the fluid gel returns to the well surface, but the proppant remains in the fracture, thus keeping it open so that oil and natural gas can flow through the fracture into the production tubing and ultimately the well surface.
Acidizing services are also performed to stimulate production of oil and natural gas, but they are used in wells that have undergone formation damage due to the buildup of various materials that block the formation. Acidizing entails pumping volumes of specially formulated acids into reservoirs to dissolve barriers and enlarge crevices in the formation, thereby eliminating obstacles to the flow of oil and natural gas.! Acidizin! g services can also enhance production in limestone formations.Throug. TTS provides services and downhole motors, fishing tools and other specialized downhole tools and processes to operators and service companies in drilling and production operations, including casing perforation at the completion stage of an oil or gas well. The services that TTS provides are especially suited for unconventional drilling and completion activities.
Coiled tubing services, involve the injection of coiled tubing into wells to perform various applications and functions for use principally in well-servicing operations and more recently to facilitate completion of horizontal wells. Coiled tubing is a flexible steel pipe with a diameter of less than four inches manufactured in continuous lengths of thousands of feet and wound or coiled around a reel. It can be inserted through existing production tubing and used to perform workovers without using a larger, more costly workover rig. Principal advantages of employing coiled tubing in a workover operation include: not having to shut-in the well during such operations, the ability to reel continuous coiled tubing in and out of a well significantly faster than conventional pipe, the ability to direct fluids into a wellbore with more precision, and enhanced access to remote or offshore fields due to the smaller size and mobility of a coiled tubing unit compared to a workover rig.
Snubbing involves using a hydraulic workover rig that permits an operator to repair damaged casing, production tubing and downhole production equipment in a high-pressure environment. A snubbing unit makes it possible to remove and replace downhole equipment while maintaining pressure on the well. Customers benefit because these operations can be performed without removing the pressure from the well, which stops production and can damage the formation, and because a snubbing rig can perform many applications at a lower cost than other alternatives. There are a number of uses fo! r nitroge! n, an inert, non-combustible element, in providing services to oilfield customers and industrial users outside of the oilfield. For its oilfield customers, nitrogen can be used to clean drilling and production pipe and displace fluids in various drilling applications.
For its oilfield customers, nitrogen can be used to clean drilling and production pipe and displace fluids in various drilling applications. Increasingly, it is used as a displacement medium to production in older wells in which production has depleted. It also can be used to create a fire-retardant environment in hazardous blowout situations and as a fracturing medium for its fracturing service line. In addition, nitrogen can be complementary to its snubbing and coiled tubing service lines, because it is a non-corrosive medium and is frequently injected into a well using coiled tubing. For non-oilfield industrial users, nitrogen can be used to purge pipelines and create a non-combustible environment.
Cudd Energy Services specializes in responding to and controlling oil and gas well emergencies, including blowouts and well fires, domestically and internationally. In connection with these services, Cudd Energy Services, along with Patterson Services, has the capacity to supply the equipment, and personnel necessary to restore affected oil and gas wells to production. During the past several years, the Company has responded to well control situations in several international locations including Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Mexico, Qatar, Taiwan, Trinidad, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Abu Dhabi and Venezuela.
Wireline is classified into two types of services: slick or braided line and electric line. In both, a spooled wire is unwound and lowered into a well, conveying various types of tools or equipment. Slick or braided line services use a non-conductive line primarily for jarring objects into or out of a well, as in fishing or plug-setting operations. Elect! ric line ! services lower an electrical conductor line into a well allowing the use of electrically-operated tools such as perforators, bridge plugs and logging tools. Wireline services can be an integral part of the plug and abandonment process, near the end of the life cycle of a well.
Fishing involves the use of specialized tools and procedures to retrieve lost equipment from a well drilling operation and producing wells. It is a service required by oil and gas operators who have lost equipment in a well. Oil and natural gas production from an affected well typically declines until the lost equipment can be retrieved. In some cases, the Company creates customized tools to perform a fishing operation. The customized tools are maintained by the Company after the particular fishing job for future use if a similar need arises.
Support Services
Support Services include RPC�� oil and gas service lines that primarily provide equipment for customer use or services to assist customer operations. The equipment and services include drill pipe and related tools, pipe handling, pipe inspection and storage services, and oilfield training services. The demand for these services tends to be influenced primarily by customer drilling-related activity levels. The principal markets for this segment include the United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, mid-continent, Rocky Mountain and Appalachian regions and project work in selected international locations in the last three years including primarily Canada, Latin America and the Middle East. Customers primarily include domestic operations of multi-national and independent oil and gas producers, and selected nationally owned oil companies.
Rental tools accounted for approximately 5% of 2012 revenues. The Company rents specialized equipment for use with onshore and offshore oil and gas well drilling, completion and workover activities. The drilling and subsequent operation of oil and gas wells generally require ! a variety! of equipment. The equipment needed is in part determined by the geological features of the production zone and the size of the well itself. As a result, operators and drilling contractors often find it more economical to supplement their tool and tubular inventories with rental items instead of owning a complete inventory. The Company�� facilities are strategically located to serve the staging points for oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico, mid-continent region, Appalachian region and the Rocky Mountains.
Oilfield Pipe Inspection Services, Pipe Management and Pipe Storage includes pipe inspection services include Full Body Electromagnetic and Phased Array Ultrasonic inspection of pipe used in oil and gas wells. These services are provided at both the Company�� inspection facilities and at independent tubular mills in accordance with negotiated sales and/or service contracts. Its customers are oil companies and steel mills, for which it provides in-house inspection services, inventory management and process control of tubing, casing and drill pipe. Its locations in Channelview, Texas and Morgan City, Louisiana are equipped with capacity cranes, specially designed forklifts and a computerized inventory system to serve a variety of storage and handling services for both oilfield and non-oilfield customers.
Well Control School provides industry and government accredited training for the oil and gas industry both in the United States and in limited international locations. Well Control School provides training in various formats including conventional classroom training, interactive computer training including training delivered over the Internet, and mobile simulator training. Energy Personnel International provides drilling and production engineers, well site supervisors, project management specialists, and workover and completion specialists on a consulting basis to the oil and gas industry to meet customers��needs for staff engineering and well site management.
!The Company competes with Halliburton Energy Services Group, , Baker Hughes and Schlumberger Ltd.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tim Brugger]
For the third straight quarter, the board of directors of Atlanta-based oilfield equipment and services supplier RPC (NYSE: RES ) has declared a $0.10-per-share dividend, the company announced today.
Top 10 Services Stocks For 2014: Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (STAF)
Staffing 360 Solutions, Inc., incorporated on December 22, 2009, is an international staffing sector engaged in the acquisition and integration of the United States and international staffing agencies. Staffing 360 Solutions seeks staffing agencies in the information technology (IT), financial, accounting, healthcare and cyber security industries. On April 26, 2013, it consummated (the Closing) the acquisition 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of The Revolution Group, Ltd. (TRG). In March 2014, the Company announced that its subsidiary Staffing 360 Solutions (UK) Ltd acquired the business and assets of Poolia UK Ltd, subsidiary of Poolia AB. In May 2014, the Company acquired IT staffing firm PeopleSERVE.
In March 2012, the Company commenced its operations in the international staffing sector. On July 31, 2012, the Company formed Staffing 360 Alliance, Inc. (Staffing Alliance), which is a wholly owned subsidiary, for the purpose of exploring business prospects in the staffing sector. In September 2012, Alliance began operations and provides trained employees to companies who work in word processing, data entry, administrative support staff and other areas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
As cyber theft and hacking continues to grow, mir or small cap stocks like Splunk Inc (NASDAQ: SPLK), Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN) and Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF)�are some overlooked, indirect or just plain interesting plays on cybersecurity that investors might want to take note of:
Top 10 Services Stocks For 2014: Beam Inc (BEAM)
Beam Inc. (Beam), incorporated on October 1, 1985, is a premium spirits company that makes and sells branded distilled spirits products in markets worldwide. The Company's principal products include bourbon whiskey, tequila, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac, rum, cordials, and ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktails. The Company's portfolio consists of brands the Company identifies as Power Brands, Rising Stars, Local Jewels and values Creators. The Power Brands are the Company's core brand equities, with global reach in premium categories. Rising Stars are smaller premium brands. Brands identified as Local Jewels act as Power Brands in local markets. Value Creators include a variety of brands. The Company's three reportable segments are the geographic regions, which consists of North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific/South America (APSA). Each segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of distilled spirits products. In May 2012, the Company acquired the Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum brands and certain related assets (Pinnacle assets) from White Rock Distilleries, Inc. In January 2012, Beam acquired Cooley Distillery plc (Cooley), an Irish whiskey producer.
The Company�� Power Brands include Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Courvoisier Cognac, Canadian Club Whisky, Teacher's Scotch and Pinnacle Vodka. Beam�� Rising Stars brand includes Laphroaig Scotch, Knob Creek Bourbon, Basil Hayden's Bourbon, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Skinnygirl Cocktails and Sourz Liqueurs. The principal markets for the Company's spirits products are the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and the Company continues to invest in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Central Europe, Asia, and other geographies.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, Power Brands, Rising Stars, and combined Local Jewels/Value Creators (including non-branded sales) repre! sent approximately 60%, 15%, and 25%, respectively, of the Company's net sales. Approximately 55% of its consolidated net sales were generated in the United States (based on country of destination) during 2012. In the United States, the Company sells its products either to wholesale distributors for resale to retail outlets or, in those states that control alcohol sales, to state governments who then sell them to retail customers and consumers. In the Company's other global markets, the Company uses a variety of route-to-market models, including third party distributors, global or regional duty free customers, other spirits producers and its joint ventures with The Edrington Group Ltd.
The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Constellation Brands, Inc., Davide Campari Milano-S.p.A., Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A. and Remy Cointreau S.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marshall Hargrave]
Action to take --> Ackman's activist campaigns appear to have run their course for a number of his top holdings, including Canadian Pacific, General Growth and Beam (NYSE: BEAM). For investors looking to invest in stocks that could still benefit from Ackman's activist expertise, I would consider Air Products and Procter & Gamble. Ackman appears to be sticking with what he knows; one of his biggest wins of late was at Canadian Pacific, an industrial stock, and so it's no surprise his newest campaign is at yet another industrial company, Air Products. Both P&G and Air Products should also be big benefactors of a rebounding economy. If you really want to invest like Ackman, be on the lookout for next year's planned IPO of Pershing Square Holdings, which will allow investors to invest in Ackman's hedge fund through a shell company.
- [By Michael Calia]
Activist investor William A. Ackman’s Pershing Square scaled back its stake in Beam Inc.(BEAM) to 8.3%, weeks after the alcoholic-beverage maker agreed to be taken over by Japanese company Suntory. The firm had been the largest shareholder in Beam, with a stake of about 13%.
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