One of my favorite businesses, Winmark (NASDAQ: WINA ) , reported earnings this week. Earnings boosted 14% compared to the prior year's first quarter. Though the company continues to franchise its range of secondhand stores, the most compelling growth comes from the leasing division, which saw revenues jump by 30%. The company is underfollowed yet has been paying attractive special dividends while giving investors two-year capital appreciation of roughly 50%. As the company moves forward and pushes its leasing business to new heights, should you get in now?
Earnings recap
Winmark's core business is franchising secondhand-goods stores -- Plato's Closet (women's apparel), Play It Again Sports, Music Go Round, and Once Upon A Child. As of this past quarter, the company had nearly 1,000 franchised locations. Secondhand-goods stores tend to do great in rough economic times, and pretty good in boom times. Winmark has slowly and steadily grown the business over the years. This quarter, royalties from sales hit nearly $8.5 million, up from $8.22 million in the prior year's quarter. Now, 3.3% growth isn't too thrilling, especially for a business that isn't the most thrilling to begin with, but there were much more interesting figures from this quarter's earnings.
Top Penny Stocks To Buy Right Now: YPF Sociedad Anonima(YPF)
YPF SOCIEDAD ANONIMA, an energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Argentina. The company also involves in refining, marketing, transportation, and distribution of oil and a range of petroleum products, petroleum derivatives, petrochemicals, LPG, and bio-fuels; and gas separation and natural gas distribution operations. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved reserves of approximately 531 million barrels of oil and 2,533 billion cubic feet of gas; and retail distribution network of 1,622 YPF-branded service stations for automotive petroleum products. The company?s crude oil transportation network includes approximately 2,700 kilometers of crude oil pipelines with approximately 640,000 barrels of aggregate daily transportation capacity of refined products; crude oil tankage of approximately 7 million barrels; and terminal facilities at 5 Argentine ports. In addition, it participates in 3 power stations with an aggregate installed capacity of 1,622 megawatts. The company was founded in 1977 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. YPF SOCIEDAD ANONIMA is a subsidiary of Repsol YPF, S.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).
- [By Dan Carroll]
That's all Chevron's stock has done today, however, falling along with the broader energy sector. Strangely, Chevron's stock is on the downswing despite a release of good news. The Supreme Court of Argentina unfroze Chevron's assets in the South American nation, lifting an earlier embargo that had gone on for months. Chevron is looking to team up with Argentinian state-run energy firm YPF (NYSE: YPF ) in developing the Vaca Muerta shale field, the world's second-largest shale-oil basin.
- [By Taylor Muckerman]
This news is obviously great for a country that's been struggling with its ability to keep up with increased energy demand, along with some pretty serious bouts of inflation recently. But what does it mean for the energy companies that have been risking capital to explore for these reserves? Well, following the country's nationalization of YPF (NYSE: YPF ) from Repsol last May, it needed some form of positive news to woo companies back.
5 Best Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2014: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company(DD)
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company operates as a science and technology company worldwide. It operates in seven segments: Agriculture & Nutrition, Electronics & Communications, Performance Chemicals, Performance Coatings, Performance Materials, Safety & Protection, and Pharmaceuticals. The Agriculture & Nutrition segment provides hybrid seed corn and soybean seed, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, value enhanced grains, and soy protein under the Pioneer brand name. The Electronics & Communications segment supplies materials and systems for photovoltaic products, consumer electronics, displays, and advanced printing. The Performance Chemicals segment offers fluorochemicals, fluoropolymers, specialty and industrial chemicals, and white pigments for various markets, such as plastics and coatings, textiles, mining, pulp and paper, water treatment, and healthcare. The Performance Coatings segment supplies high performance liquid and powder coatings for motor vehicle origi nal equipment manufacturers (OEM); the motor vehicle after-market; and general industrial applications, such as such as coatings for heavy equipment, pipes and appliances, and electrical insulation. The Performance Materials segment provides polymers, elastomers, films, parts, and systems and solutions for the automotive OEM and associated after-market industries, as well as electrical, electronics, packaging, construction, oil, photovoltaics, aerospace, chemical processing, and consumer durable goods. The Safety & Protection segment primarily offers nonwovens, aramids, and solid surfaces for the construction, transportation, communications, industrial chemicals, oil and gas, electric utilities, automotive, manufacturing, defense, homeland security, and safety consulting industries. The Pharmaceuticals segment represents its interest in the collaboration relating to Cozaar/Hyzaar antihypertensive drugs. The company was founded in 1802 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Dela ware.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
Non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares dropped around 0.20 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included K12 (NYSE: LRN), China Nepstar Chain Drugstore (NYSE: NPD), and Du Pont (NYSE: DD).
5 Best Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2014: L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. (LLL)
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, L-3 Communications Corporation, provides command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C3ISR) systems; aircraft modernization and maintenance; and government services in the United States and internationally. Its C3ISR segment offers fleet management sustainment and support, such as procurement, systems integration, sensor development, modifications, and periodic depot maintenance for signals intelligence and communications intelligence systems; strategic and tactical signals intelligence systems; secure data links; secure terminal and communication network equipment and encryption management; and communication systems. The company?s Government Services segment provides communication software support, information technology services, and various engineering development services and integration support; engineering and information systems support services; teaching and training; h uman intelligence support services; command and control systems and software services; and technical and management services. Its Aircraft Modernization and Maintenance segment offers modernization and refurbishments, upgrades and sustainment, maintenance, and logistics support services, as well as turnkey aviation life cycle management services for military and various government and commercial customers. The company?s Electronic Systems segment provides components, products, subsystems, systems, and related services across various business areas, including power and control systems, electro-optic/infrared, microwave, simulation and training, precision engagement, warrior systems, security and detection, propulsion systems, avionics and displays, telemetry and advanced technology, undersea warfare, and marine services. L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
"Hey! Who's Flying This Thing?" you may ask. Well, assuming you're talking about unmanned aerial vehicles, chances are that at least initially, the answer to that question is going to be L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL ) .
- [By Rich Smith]
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded nine new contracts on Monday worth some $1.121 billion in aggregate. The largest of these awards, however, swallowed more than 85% of the funds on offer. Split among five publicly traded companies, and one privately owned, this monster IT contract envisions paying out $960 million over the course of time to contractors:
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT ) Raytheon (NYSE: RTN ) Harris� (NYSE: HRS ) L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL ) TYBRIN Corp., a subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering Group (NYSE: JEC ) SRA InternationalThe multiple award, indefinite- delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract was awarded under the U.S. Air Force's Network-Centric Solutions-2 (NETCENTS-2) Application Services program, which the Air Force describes as being one of its primary vehicles for purchasing "sustainment, migration, integration, training, help desk support, testing and operational support" services. Over the course of the contract, the six named contactors will be the only ones entitled to bid (against each other) for task orders awarded under the umbrella IDIQ contract.
5 Best Dividend Stocks To Invest In 2014: Reynolds American Inc(RAI)
Reynolds American Inc. (RAI), through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells cigarette and other tobacco products in the United States. It offers cigarettes under the brand names of CAMEL, PALL MALL, WINSTON, KOOL, DORAL, SALEM, MISTY, and CAPRI; and cigarettes and other tobacco products under the NATURAL AMERICAN SPIRIT brand name, as well as manages various licensed brands, including DUNHILL and STATE EXPRESS 555. The company also provides smokeless tobacco products, including moist snuff under GRIZZLY and KODIAK brand names; pasteurized tobacco under CAMEL Snus brand name; milled tobacco under the brand name of CAMEL Dissolvables; other tobacco products, such as little cigars under WINCHESTER and CAPTAIN BLACK brand names; and roll-your-own tobacco under the brand name of BUGLER. RAI sells its products primarily through distributors, wholesalers, and other direct customers, including retail chains, as well as distributes its cigarettes to public warehouses. The compan y was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Tiffany surged 9.2% to $62.63 after raising its earnings guidance, while Netflix climbed 5.1% to $390.60 after announcing that it would expand into six European countries. Lorillard spiked 10% to $62.63 on reports that it’s in talks to be purchased by Reynolds American (RAI). Reynolds American gained 4.4% to $59.77.
- [By Anna Prior]
Reynolds American Inc.(RAI) agreed to acquire Lorillard Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $25 billion, the companies said Tuesday. Under the terms, Lorillard shareholders will receive $50.50 in cash and 0.29 Reynolds shares in exchange for each Lorillard share, a value of $68.88 per share. The potential tie-up faces significant risks, including tough antitrust scrutiny. Additionally, Reynolds American said it reached a deal to sell the Kool, Salem, Winston, Maverick and Blue eCigs brands and other assets to Imperial Tobacco Group (IMT.LN) PLC for $7.1 billion in cash. Lorillard shares slipped 5.2% to $63.75 premarket, while Reynolds shares fell 2.3% to $61.71.
- [By Steven Russolillo]
WATCH FOR: September Existing Home Sales (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time): seen +1.0% at 5.1 million; previously -1.8% at 5.05 million. ACE, Apollo Education, Brinker, Broadcom (BRCM), Coca-Cola (KO), Discover, E*Trade, Harley-Davidson (HOG), Illinois Tool Works (ITW), Interactive Brokers, Intuitive Surgical, Kimberly-Clark (KMB), Lexmark (LXK), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Manpower (MAN), McDonald's (MCD), Omnicom (OMC), Regions Financial (RF), Reynolds American (RAI), Six Flags Entertainment, Travelers, United Technologies Verizon Communications (VZ), VMware, Whirlpool (WHR) and Yahoo (YHOO) are among companies scheduled to report quarterly results.
- [By John Udovich]
There is a new ��tudy��out that electronic cigarettes, or so-called e-cigarettes or e-cigs, may contain a comparable level of carcinogens to regular cigarettes; but that�� unlikely to stop big tobacco stocks like Altria Group Inc (NYSE: MO), Lorillard Inc (NYSE: LO) and Reynolds American, Inc (NYSE: RAI) who are rushing to get their products established in the sector. Specifically, a report released this week �in France�� National Consumer Institute magazine claims that�many e-cigarettes (approximately�3 in 10 e-cigarettes) actually contain "a significant quantity of carcinogenic molecules" than had been reported in earlier studies while the Wall Street Journal has recently reported that the FDA has been in discussions with the e-cigarette industry about a possible online-sales ban of the product. The Journal also noted estimates that US�electronic cigarette sales will hit the $1 billion mark this year while Wells Fargo Securities���onnie Herzog predicts sales could hit $10 billion in five years as smokers switch from tobacco to battery-operated nicotine-vaporizing technology. Moreover, electronic cigarettes don�� face the same sort of restrictions as their smoke emitting counterparts���meaning they are bound to catch on with the country�� 45 million or so smokers given the increasingly draconian smoking laws.
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