After four straight days of gains, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) took a breather today, finishing the session unchanged at 14,865, though it was down all session, at one point by as much as 0.5%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both declined slightly.
Disappointing retail sales numbers from March seemed to cool off this week's rally, especially after some strong results from individual retailers yesterday. Sales at the consumer level dropped by 0.4%, its worst performance in nine months, with no expectations of any change, while a separate consumer confidence report also showed poorer results than expected.�The combination of federal budget cuts through sequestration and an increase in the payroll tax seems to be weighing on consumer spending habits. The Producer Price Index was also off by 0.6%; however, the core rate, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, was up 0.2%. While a long-term drop in prices is generally bad for the economy, a short-term decline can help spur consumption. The numbers also indicate that inflation continues to be well under control.
Top 5 Computer Hardware Stocks For 2015: Accuride Corporation New (ACW)
Accuride Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in designing, manufacturing, marketing, and supplying commercial vehicle components in North America. The company offers heavy- and medium-duty steel and aluminum wheels, light truck steel wheels, and military wheels; and wheel-end components and assemblies, such as brake drums, disc wheel hubs, spoke wheels, disc brake rotors, and automatic slack adjusters. It also provides truck body and chassis parts comprising bumpers, fuel tanks, battery boxes and toolboxes, front-end cross members, muffler assemblies, and crown assemblies and components, as well as fenders, exhaust components, sun visors, windshield masks, step assemblies, brackets, fuel tank supports, inner-hood panels, door assemblies, dash panel assemblies, and various other components. In addition, the company offers ductile and gray iron casting of transmission and engine-related components, which comprise flywheels, and transmission and engine-relate d housings and brackets; and ductile and gray iron casting of industrial components, such as flywheels, pump housings, small engine components, and other industrial components. Accuride Corporation markets its products under Accuride, Gunite, Imperial, and Brillion brand names. It serves heavy- and medium-duty truck, and commercial trailer original equipment manufacturers (OEM); and aftermarket suppliers, including OEM dealer networks, wholesale distributors, and aftermarket buying groups. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Basic guidelines
In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Accuride (NYSE: ACW ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Accuride doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, pretty well. Trailing-12-month revenue decreased 14.3%, and inventory decreased 30.5%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue dropped 28.6%, and inventory dropped 30.5%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks healthy. Revenue grew 9.2%, and inventory dropped 6.1%. - [By George Putnam]
Because of a very leveraged balance sheet, the company—Accuride Corp. (ACW)—could not survive the 2008-09 recession, and it filed for bankruptcy in October 2009.
Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Tesla Motors Inc.(TSLA)
Tesla Motors, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and advanced electric vehicle powertrain components. It offers Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car. The company markets and sells its vehicles directly to consumers through the phone and Internet, as well as through its network of Tesla stores. It operates 18 Tesla stores located in Boulder, Chicago, Los Angeles, Menlo Park, Miami, New York, Newport Beach, San Jose, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Copenhagen, London, Milan, Monaco, Munich, Paris, Tokyo, and Zurich. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Is it time to sell Tesla (TSLA)? Weeden & Co’s Michael Purves says it is–and his argument has little do with the fundamentals.
BloombergPurves writes:
When steam ran out of the Apple rally a year ago, the stock fell hard despite the fact that its valuation never approached extreme levels. While TSLA, a manufacturing company, has been trading at 10x forecasted revenues, it has been a nightmare of a short this year with a 400%+ ytd return. The stock has become so divorced from fundamentals that the primary discussion needs to focus on technical analysis ��which is now suggesting this year�� rally is coming to an end; and that momentum is more likely exposed to the downside. While the broader tape has been bullish, this stock can drop quickly.
Purves offered four technical indicators that suggest the next move is down:
1) Tesla has broken its uptrend by falling below both its 21-day and 45 moving averages.
2) Tesla’s stock has formed a “head and shoulders” chart pattern.
3) Tesla’s volume is higher on down days.
4) Tesla’s daily relative-strength indicator is tending “steadily downwards.”
Tesla has fallen 5.1% to $162.75 today at 1:47 p.m. and other automakers are weak as well. General Motors (GM) has dropped 1.7% to $34.80, Ford (F) has declined 1% to $17.42 and Toyota Motor (TM) is off 1.2% at $129.08.
- [By Travis Hoium]
Owners of a Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA ) Model S or a Ford (NYSE: F ) Focus Electric could generate income from their vehicles just for use of the battery. In turn, the grid could become more efficient and cost-effective, with EVs to balance out load.�
- [By Sean Williams]
Finally, alternative-fuel engines -- namely electric vehicles such as the Model S produced by Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA ) -- could present a growing challenge for Ford's predominantly gas-powered vehicles. Admittedly, the Model S is in a completely different price bracket and is targeting a wholly different consumer than most of Ford's lineup, but it nonetheless represents a growing threat to gasoline-powered engines' existence. Ford will need to stay vigilant with regard to innovation or risk falling behind newcomers like Tesla.
- [By Rick Munarriz]
Briefly in the news
8x8 (NASDAQ: EGHT ) moved higher after posting better-than-expected revenue growth in its latest quarter. The provider of PBX telephony, video conferencing, and other Web-based communication services did miss on the bottom line, but it was still another period of margin expansion and explosive earnings growth. SodaStream (NASDAQ: SODA ) popped to a fresh 52-week high last week after its well-received Analyst Day, but an analyst this week was feeling more flat than fizz on the company behind the carbonated beverage maker system. J.P. Morgan downgraded the stock but also boosted its price target from $56 to $70 to keep pace with the bubbly share price. Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA ) continues to do all of the right things. The electric-car maker on Wednesday wired a payment that zeroes out the federal loan it received four years ago. Tesla claims to be the first American company to fully repay its government loan, but Chrysler disputed the claim. Take it outside, you two.
And now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories that shaped our week.
Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: R.G. Barry Corporation(DFZ)
R.G. Barry Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in designing, sourcing, marketing, and distributing consumer products in the retail accessories category primarily in North America. It operates in two segments, Footwear and Accessories. The Footwear segment offers footwear products comprising primarily slippers, sandals, hybrid and fashion footwear, slipper socks, and hosiery under the Dearfoams, Angel Treads, DF by Dearfoams, Utopia by Dearfoams, and Terrasoles names. This segment also markets Levi?s branded slippers and sandals. The Accessories segment provides foot and shoe care products, such as cushioned insoles, handbags, tote bags, and travel products for women under the Foot Petals, Fab Feet, Glamour Toez, Heavenly Heelz, Killer Kushionz, baggallini, and Le Bagg names. The company markets its products through accessory sections of department stores, chain stores, warehouse clubs, specialty stores, independent stores, television shopping networks, e- tailing/Internet based retailers, discount stores, and mass merchandising channels of distribution. R.G. Barry Corporation was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Pickerington, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Brand development and marketing products provider R.G. Barry (DFZ) raised its quarterly dividend 11.1% to 10 cents per share, payable on Apr. 4 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 17.
DFZ Dividend Yield: 2.25%
Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Express Scripts Holding Co (ESRX)
Express Scripts Holding Company, incorporated in 2011, provides healthcare management and administration services on behalf of its clients, which include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), health insurers, third-party administrators, employers, union-sponsored benefit plans, workers compensation plans, and government health programs. The Company operates in two segments: Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) and Emerging Markets (EM). PBM services include network claims processing, home delivery services, patient care and direct specialty and fertility home delivery to patients, benefit plan design consultation, drug utilization review, formulary management, drug data analysis services, distribution of injectable drugs to patients homes and physicians offices, bio-pharma services, and fulfillment of prescriptions to low-income patients through manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs. EM segment provides distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to providers and clinics, healthcare account administration and implementation of consumer-directed healthcare solutions. In September 2013, it announced the acquisition of the SmartD Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP).
On July 20, 2011, Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI) entered into a merger agreement (the Merger Agreement) with Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (Medco). During the year ended December 31, 2011, it reorganized its FreedomFP line of business from its EM segment into its PBM segment. On April 2, 2012, the Company completed the Merger Agreement, and after which ESI and Medco became the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company. The Company�� customers include HMOs, health insurers, third-party administrators, employers, union-sponsored benefit plans, government health programs, office-based oncologists, renal dialysis clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, primary care physicians, retina specialists and others.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Keith Speights]
Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX ) , the nation's largest pharmacy benefits manager, or PBM, announced its second-quarter financial results after the market closed on Monday. Here are three things you need to know from the company's update.
Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Toyota Motor Corp Ltd Ord(TM)
Toyota Motor Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, assembly, and sale of passenger cars, minivans, and commercial vehicles. It offers conventional engine vehicles, including subcompact and compact cars under the Corolla, Yaris, micropremium iQ, Passo, Ractis, Vitz, and Etios brand names; mini-vehicles, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and auto parts under Toyota brand name; mid-size cars under the Camry, REIZ, Avensis, and Mark X brand names; luxury cars under the Lexus and Crown brands; Century limousine; sports cars under the Scion tC and Lexus brands; sport-utility vehicles under the Sequoia, 4Runner, RAV4, Highlander, FJ Cruiser, and Land Cruiser brands; pickup trucks under the Tacoma and Tundra brands; minivans under the Alphard, Vellfire, Corolla Verso, Wish, Hiace, Regius Ace, Estima, Noah, Voxy, Sienta, Isis, Passo Sette, and the Sienna brands; cabwagons; large, medium, and small trucks; and large, small, and micro-buses. The company also provides hybrid cars under Prius and Crown brands. In addition, it offers a range of financial services comprising retail financing, retail leasing, wholesale financing, and insurance; and credit cards and housing loans. Further, the company designs and manufactures prefabricated housing, as well as involves in the information technology related businesses, such as an e-commerce marketplace known as GAZOO.com; and sales promotions for KDDI communication related products, primarily the au brand. It sells its vehicles in approximately 170 countries and regions, including Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Toyota City, Japan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonas Elmerraji]
We're seeing the exact same setup in shares of Japanese automaker Toyota Motors (TM). Toyota has been forming an ascending triangle of its own since the start of May -- but now, shares are getting extremely close to breaking out above their resistance level at $130. That $130 breakout is the buy signal for Toyota.
Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of buyers and sellers. Triangles and other price pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in this stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.
That resistance line at $130, for example, is a price where there is an excess of supply for shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to sell and take gains than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes a confirmed breakout above $130 so significant; it means buyers have finally wrestled control of this stock.
The 50-day moving average has acted as a good proxy for support on the way up – that makes it a logical place to keep a protective stop if you decide to become a buyer.
- [By Achilles Research]
Challenges practically relate to industry competition, emission regulation and political demands to produce a higher efficiency car fleet. Rivalry in the industry is fairly intense, regular promotional activities linked to serious rebates are margin eroding and unfavorable for shareholders. However, aggressive pricing is a key characteristic of free markets and affect other automobile manufacturers such as Ford (F), Chrysler and Toyota (TM) just as well. Top-line and bottom-line growth over the last few years has shown that GM can price and sell its fleet in competitive markets.
Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Tredegar Corporation(TG)
Tredegar Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells plastic films and aluminum extrusions worldwide. The company offers apertured film and nonwoven materials for use in feminine hygiene products, baby diapers, and adult incontinence products under the SoftQuilt, ComfortAire, SoftAire, and FreshFeel names; breathable, embossed, and elastic materials for use as components for baby diapers, adult incontinence products, and feminine hygiene products under the ExtraFlex, FabriFlex, StretchTab, FlexAire, and FlexFeel names; and absorbent transfer layers for baby diapers and adult incontinence products under the AquiDry and AquiSoft names. It also provides single and multi-layer surface protection films under the UltraMask and ForceField names for protecting components of flat panel displays; a line of packaging films for food packaging and industrial applications; and apertured films, breathable barrier films, and laminates that regulate fluid or vapor transmi ssion. In addition, the company offers soft-alloy aluminum extrusions primarily for building and construction, distribution, transportation, electrical, consumer durables, and machinery and equipment markets; and manufactures mill, anodized, and painted aluminum extrusions for fabricators and distributors to produce curtain walls, storefronts, windows and doors, hurricane shutters, tub and shower enclosures, heatsinks and components for light emitting diode (LED) lighting, and automotive and light truck aftermarket parts. Further, it develops and produces microstructure-based optical films for the LED and fluorescent lighting markets; and develops, owns, and operates mitigation banks. Tredegar Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bryan Murphy]
It's certainly not as big as Berry Plastics Group Inc. (NYSE:BERY). It's not even as big as Tredegar Corporation (NYSE:TG). There's one big way AEP Industries (NASDAQ:AEPI) can certainly compete head-on with BERY and TG right now, however... as an investment opportunity. Thanks to the bullish bump AEPI gave us last week, a long-standing selloff has been revered, and there's a whole lot of ground to make up.
Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (SSNLF.PK)
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. mainly engaged in the production of consumer electronic products. It operates in two divisions: DMC division, which is divided into consumer electronics (CE) and information technology & mobile communications (IM) businesses, as well as DS division, which is divided into semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) businesses. Its CE business engages in the production of color televisions (CTVs), monitors, air conditioners, refrigerators and others. Its IM business engages in the production of printers, computers, handhold phones (HHPs) such as feature phones, smart phones and others, and network systems, among others. Its semiconductor business engages in the production of semiconductors, such as memories, system large scale integrated circuits (LSIs) and others. Its LCD business engages in the production of thin film transistor (TFT) LCDs and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), among others.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Esekla]
Universal Display (OLED) is another company that is changing its ticker symbol (on 6/24, from PANL). My research indicates that this stock is trading well below fair value, which should limit risk, though the volatility figures and revenue predominantly from Samsung (SSNLF.PK) argue otherwise. The reason for the price slump is probably a scale back of sales estimates for the Galaxy S IV, but since Samsung will sell all the OLED displays it can produce, regardless of the devices they go into, this reaction seems unwarranted.
- [By Sneha Shah]
Nokia's Lumia 520 is the cheapest WP 8 smartphone in the market with a price of around ~$160. This phone has been one of the most popular smartphones in this category, given the number of features at this price range. The phone has a good 4.3 inch screen size with free Windows office and HERE maps. The design and looks are extremely good compared to the cheap plastic found on Android phones. The Lumia 620 is the second cheapest Lumia with a price of ~$220. Now Nokia has made buying these phones even more attractive by allowing exchange schemes for these smartphones. Note most of the other major smartphone sellers such as Apple, Samsung (SSNLF.PK) and Blackberry have already come out with smartphone exchange schemes. These are nothing but disguised discounting schemes to promote sales. Nokia too has joined the bandwagon and now you can buy a Nokia 520 for only ~$120. This makes the WP 8 phone highly competitive with the cheapest Android which sells at ~$80-100. The value proposition of the 520 is much higher than these Androids in my view and 520 sales should surge.
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