David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Applications for U.S. home mortgages decreased last week with potential buyers shying away from the market as rates held steady just below their two-year highs. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and home purchase demand, declined 3.7 percent in the week ended July 26. It was the seventh week in a row the index has been lower. The MBA's seasonally adjusted index of loan requests for home purchases, a leading indicator of home sales, fell 3.4 percent. Fixed 30-year mortgage rates averaged 4.58 percent, unchanged from the week before and only 10 basis points below a two-year high hit earlier in July. Rates have risen sharply since early May, pushed higher by the Federal Reserve's plan to start slowing its economic stimulus later this year if the economy progresses as expected. The Fed is currently buying $85 billion in bonds a month to keep borrowing costs low. The cheap mortgage rates have helped lure homebuyers and worries have emerged that higher costs could take some of the strength out of the housing market's recovery.
Top Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Monster Beverage Corp (MNST)
Monster Beverage Corporation, formerly Hansen Natural Corporation, incorporated on April 25, 1990,is a holding company. The Company develops, markets, sells and distributes alternative beverage. The alternative beverage category combines non-carbonated ready-to-drink iced teas, lemonades, juice cocktails, single-serve juices and fruit beverages, ready-to-drink dairy and coffee drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and single-serve still water (flavored, unflavored and enhanced) with new age beverages, including sodas that are considered natural, sparkling juices and flavored sparkling beverages. It has two reportable segments, namely Direct Store Delivery (DSD), whose principal products comprise energy drinks, and Warehouse (Warehouse), whose principal products comprise juice-based and soda beverages. The DSD segment develops, markets and sells products primarily through an exclusive distributor network, whereas the Warehouse segment develops, markets and sells products primarily directly to retailers. Corporate and unallocated amounts that do not relate to the DSD or Warehouse segments specifically, have been allocated to Corporate and Unallocated.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, it continued to expand its existing product lines and flavors and further develop its distribution markets. In particular, it continued to focus on developing and marketing beverages that fall within the category generally described as the alternative beverage category. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it introduced a number of new products, including Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy, a non-carbonated energy drink with electrolytes, Monster Energy Zero Ultra, a carbonated energy drink which contains zero calories and zero sugar, bermonster Energy Brew, a non-alcoholic energy drink, manufactured using a brewed fermentation process, Hansen�� Coconut Water, in original and tropical flavors, packaged in re-sealable Tetra Prisma boxes, Peace Tea Cranberry, Pink Lemonade and Texas-Style Sweet ! Tea, ready-to-drink iced teas, Monster Cuba-Lima, a carbonated lime flavored non-alcoholic energy drink, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, a carbonated punch + energy drink and Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, a carbonated punch + energy drink.
DSD Segment
Monster Energy Drinks offers products under the Monster Energy drink product line: Monster Energy, Lo-Carb Monster Energy, Monster Energy Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster M-80 (named Ripper in certain countries), Monster MIXXD, Monster Energy Absolutely Zero, Monster Energy Import and Import Light, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, M3 Monster Energy Super Concentrate energy drinks, bermonster Energy Brew, Monster Energy Zero Ultra and Monster Cuba-Lima.
Java Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the Java Monster product line: Java Monster Kona Blend, Java Monster Loca Moca, Java Monster Mean Bean, Java Monster Vanilla Light, Java Monster Irish Blend and Java Monster Toffee. Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology Energy Drinks - A line of carbonated energy drinks containing nitrous oxide. It offer products under the Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology product line: Super Dry, Anti Gravity and Black Ice.
-Presso Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the X-Presso Monster coffee + energy drinks product line: X-Presso Monster Hammer and X-Presso Monster Midnite.
Monster Rehab Tea + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated energy drinks with electrolytes. It offers products under the Monster Rehab drink line: Monster Rehab Tea + Lemonade + Energy, Monster Rehab Rojo Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Green Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Protean + Energy and Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy.
Worx Energy Energy Shots - A line of energy suppleme! nts which! contains zero calories and zero sugar. It offers products under the Worx Energy energy shot product line: Original Formula and Extra Strength.
Peace Tea Iced Teas - A line of ready-to-drink iced teas. It offers products under the Peace Tea product line: green tea, imported Ceylon tea, sweet lemon tea, razzleberry tea, cranberry tea, pink lemonade tea, Texas-style sweet tea and Caddy Shack tea + lemonade.
Warehouse Segment
Hansen�� brand sodas have been a natural soda brand on the West Coast of the United States for more than 30 years and are made with natural flavors. Hansen�� brand sodas, sweetened with cane sugar, and Hansen�� Diet Sodas, sweetened with Splenda no calorie sweetener and Acesulfame-K, contain no preservatives, sodium, caffeine or artificial colorings. It offers sodas under the Hansen�� brand name: Hansen�� Sodas, Hansen�� Diet Sodas and Hansen�� Natural Mixers, as well as Hansen�� Sparkling Waters, in a variety of flavors.
Its Blue Sky products contain no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine (other than its Blue Sky energy drinks) or artificial coloring and are made with sugar and natural flavors. It offers products under the Blue Sky product line: Blue Sky Natural Soda, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Sodas (sweetened with Truvia brand stevia extract, an all natural sweetener), Blue Sky Premium Sodas, Blue Sky Organic Natural Sodas, Blue Sky Seltzer Waters, Blue Sky Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Caf Energy drinks and Blue Sky Recover Energy drinks.
Its original Hansen�� energy drinks compete in the functional beverage category, namely, beverages that provide a benefit in addition to simply delivering refreshment. It offers products under the Hansen�� energy drink product line: Hansen�� Natural Energy Pro, Hansen�� Energy Diet Red and Hansen�� Natural Stamina Pro.
Its fruit juice product line includes Hansen�� Natural Apple Juice, Ha! nsen�� ! Natural Grape Juice, White Grape Juice, Pineapple Juice, Apple Grape Juice, Apple Strawberry Juice, Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Cranberry-Apple Juice, Cranberry-Grape Juice, Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, and Organic Apple Juice. In March 2012, it added Hansen�� Natural Apple Orange Pineapple Juice which contains 100% juice as well as 120% of the United States Recommended Daily Allowances (the USRDA) for vitamin C. It also offer Hansen�� Natural Lo-Cal juice cocktails, a line of all natural, low-calorie cocktails in four flavors. The Lo-Cal juice cocktails are sweetened with Truvia sweetener. Hansen�� juice products compete in the shelf-stable juice category.
It offers a number of aseptically packed boxed juice products, including its dual-branded multi-vitamin 100% juice line, which itsell in conjunction with Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) through Costco stores. It offers its Hansen�� Natural line of multi-vitamin 100% juices to other customers. These multi-vitamin juices contain eleven essential vitamins and six essential minerals and are available in a variety of flavors. In February 2012, it added Hansen�� Natural Organic Apple Juice, a 100% USDA Certified Organic Apple Juice with 100% of the USRDA for vitamin C.
Its Hansen�� Junior Juice product line is a 100% juice line targeted at toddlers and preschoolers. These juices have added calcium and all flavors contain 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. It also offers organic juices as well as Hansen�� Organic Junior Water, a lightly flavored reduced calorie beverage, both of which contain 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. In addition, it offers Junior Juice Coconut Water Twist, a line of fruit and coconut water juices containing 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C.
Its Hubert�� Lemonade is a line of premium ready-to-drink lemonades. Hubert�� Lemonade is sweetened with cane sugar and Truvia sweetener. Hubert�� Lemonade i! s all nat! ural and contains no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, or artificial colorings. It offers products under the Hubert�� Lemonade product line: Strawberry Lemonade, Limeade, Mango Lemonade, Honey Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade and Original Lemonade. It added Cherry Limeade and Blackberry Lemonade flavors to the product line in February 2012 and October 2012, respectively. In July 2012, it introduced 4-count multi-packs of select flavors.
Hubert�� Half & Half is sweetened with cane sugar and Truvia sweetener, and contains no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or artificial colorings. Its Fruit and Tea Stix product line is an all-natural, low-calorie powder drink mix line, sweetened naturally with Truvia sweetener. Its Angeleno Aguas Frescas is a line of premium ready-to-drink aguas frescas. Angeleno Aguas Frescas are sweetened with cane sugar and real fruit juice and contain no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, or artificial colorings. It offers flavors under the Angeleno Aguas Frescas product line: Mango, Melon, Pineapple, Jamaica (Hibiscus) and Tamarindo. Its Hansen�� Natural PRE products include a line of prebiotic and probiotic digestive wellness ready-to-drink beverages and powder drink mixes, containing specially formulated blends by Jarrow Formulas. PRE prebiotic ready-to-drink beverages are sweetened with either cane sugar or stevia. PRE probiotic powder drink mixes are sweetened with cane sugar and stevia. In March 2012, it introduced Hansen�� Natural Coconut Water, a line of premium 100% Coconut Waters available in Pure and Tropical flavors.
The Company competes with TCCC, PepsiCo, Inc. (PepsiCo), The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (the DPS Group), Red Bull Gmbh, Kraft Foods, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Nestle Beverage Company, Tree Top Inc. (Tree Top), Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. (Ocean Spray), Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle, No Fear, Amp, Adrenaline Rush, NOS, Venom, Redline, 180, Red Devil, Rip It, Xenergy, 5-Hour Energy ! Shots, Mi! O Energy, Stacker 2, VPX Redline Energy Shots, Red Bull, Rockstar, Burn, V-Energy, Lucozade, Adrenaline Rush, Power Play, Mother, Hell, Shock, Tiger, Boost, Gladiator, TNT, Shark, Hot 6, Nalu, Battery, Bullit, Flash Up, Black, Non-Stop, Bomba, Semtex, Starbucks Frappuccino, Starbucks Double Shot, Starbucks Double Shot Energy Plus Coffee , other Starbucks coffee drinks, Rockstar Roasted, Seattle�� Best, illy issimo coffee, Full Throttle Coffee, Arizona, Lipton, Snapple, Nestea, Xing Tea, Honest Tea, Gold Peak Tea, Fuze Tea, the DPS Group, Cott Corporation and National Beverage Corporation, Jones Soda Co., Crystal Geyser, J.M. Smucker Company, Reeds, Inc., Zevia, Tree Top, Mott��, Martinelli��, Welch��, Ocean Spray, Tropicana, Minute Maid, Langers, Apple , Eve, Seneca, Northland, Juicy Juice, Old Orchard, Calypso, Simply Lemonade, Minute Maid, Cabana, Tropicana, Newman�� Own, Vita Coco, ZICO and O.N.E.
Top Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now: (TCS.NS)
Tata Consultancy Services Limited provides information technology (IT) services, business solutions, and outsourcing services primarily in the Americas, Europe, and India. The company offers IT services, including custom application development and management, migration and re-engineering, system integration, testing, and performance engineering; and IT infrastructure services comprising IT service desk, data center and end user computing services, application management services, managed security services, converged network services, enterprise system management, IT service management, and transformation solutions. It also provides enterprise solutions consisting of supply chain and customer relationship management, as well as RFID, call management, Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP; and consulting services. In addition, the company offers business process outsourcing services; platform BPO solutions; business intelligence and performance management; engineering and industrial s ervices; assurance services; asset leveraged solutions; and eco-sustainability services, as well as various services to small and medium businesses. Further, it provides various software products, which include financial solutions under TCS BaNCS brand name; technology products; and other products for enterprises in the insurance, health, and life science industries. The company serves banking and financial services, energy, resources, utilities, government, health care and life sciences, high tech, insurance, manufacturing, media and information services, retail and consumer products, telecom, travel, transportation, and hospitality industries. It has strategic partnership with Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, EMC, Google Enterprise, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, NetApp, RIM, and SAP, as well as with JDA Software Group, Inc., Sun Microsystems, Inc., and Xerox Corporation. The company was founded in 1968 and is based in Mumbai, India. Tata Consultancy Services Limited is a subsidiary of Tata Sons Limited.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Hesler]
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) belongs to the Tata Group, which is widely respected in India for adhering to business ethics and consistent notable performance. The Mumbai-based TCS is one of the frontline software companies in India. This software giant with a turnover of over US$ 1.50 billion has been in operation since 1968 and has facilities in 34 countries across the globe.
TCS has delivered excellent results for four consecutive quarters during the financial year 2009-10. Tata Consultancy Services announced that the net profit rose by 50.1 per cent to Rs 2,001 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2010.
Best Tech Stocks To Invest In 2014: Citigroup Inc.(C)
Citigroup, Inc., a global financial services company, provides consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a range of financial products and services. The company operates through two segments, Citicorp and Citi Holdings. The Citicorp segment operates as a global bank for businesses and consumers with two primary businesses, Regional Consumer Banking and Institutional Clients Group. The Regional Consumer Banking business provides traditional banking services, including retail banking, and branded cards in North America, Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Institutional Clients Group business provides securities and banking services comprising investment banking and advisory services, lending, debt and equity sales and trading, institutional brokerage, foreign exchange, structured products, cash instruments and related derivatives, and private banking; and transaction services consisting of treasury and trade solutions, and securiti es and fund services. The Citi Holdings segment operates Brokerage and Asset Management, Local Consumer Lending, and Special Asset Pool businesses. The Brokerage and Asset Management Business, through its 49% stake in Morgan Stanley Smith Barney joint venture and Nikko Cordial Securities, offers retail brokerage and asset management services. The Local Consumer Lending business provides residential mortgage loans, retail partner card loans, personal loans, commercial real estate, and other consumer loans, as well as western European cards and retail banking services. The Special Asset Pool business is a portfolio of securities, loans, and other assets. Citigroup Inc. has approximately 200 million customer accounts and operates in approximately 160 countries. The company was founded in 1812 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Grgurich]
The house that Pandit was unceremoniously ejected from closed the year up 39.64%, moving from $28.17 per share to $39.56. Citi also found itself in the summer doldrums, hitting its low point on June 4, as well: $24.82. It's high point was $40.17, reached on December 20, the same day Goldman's share price hit its yearly high point. There must be something in the water on Wall Street.
The scandal (of sorts) out of Citi in 2012 was CEO Vikram Pandit's abrupt exit from the bank in October, engineered by chairman Michael O'Neill. The two, apparently, didn't see eye to eye on many issues, but Pandit was still reportedly caught very much off guard by the corporate coup, as were shareholders.
- [By Holly LaFon] Citigroup is a global financial services company with approximately 200 million customer accounts that does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions in North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia.
Citigroup has a P/E of 9.9, which has been increasing since mid-2012. Its stock has increased 44% year to date and reached $37.80 per share. Earnings per share increased to $3.63 in 2011 from $3.50 per share in 2010, after two years of losses.
In 2011, the company grew loans by 15%, deposits increased from $845 million in 2010 to $865.9 million, and its Tier 1 capital ratio increased from 10.8% to 11.8%. - [By Holly LaFon] Steven Romick bought 1,172,320 shares of Citigroup Inc. (C) at an average price of $28. Citibank is the New York-based financial services corporation that has the largest financial services network in the world and had to be rescued in 2008 by a bailout from the U.S. government after realizing massive losses. Partial government ownership of the bank ended in December 2010.
Romick said in his investor letter that he took out some small bank positions as part of a housing recovery play. ��e are mindful that when a big asset bubble finally bursts, the ramifications are large, and the time to resolution is usually long,��he said. ��ake housing for example. The drinking binge of easy money has created a five year hangover, and counting. The housing market remains weak, but does seem to be bumping along a bottom. We have made a number of investments exposed to the housing sector, e.g., Lowes, mortgage whole loans, and some small bank positions.��br>
Citigroup has focused on building its balance sheet and loan portfolio since the crisis. Its Tier 1 Capital ratio was 13.5% at ten end of the third quarter, and its Tier 1 common ratio was 11.7%. Total allowance for loan losses also dropped to 5.1% of total loans, down from 6.7% year over year, due to asset sales, lower non-accrual loans and overall improvement in credit quality of its loan portfolios.
Romick also said in his letter that he is seeking U.S.-based companies with strong growth in emergin - [By Philip van Doorn]
Citigroup (C_). O'Connor on Friday reiterated his "Buy" rating and raised his 12-month price target for Citi to $46 from $40, saying that "in our base-case scenario, our preference is to own bank stocks that still have leverage to the recovery (vs. current stock prices). We believe C is best positioned for this." The analyst estimates that Citigroup will earn $4.60 a share in 2013, with EPS increasing to $5.14 in 2014 and $6.01 in 2015, with key elements being the U.S. housing recovery and the company's cost-cutting efforts. O'Connor also sees less interest rate risk for Citigroup than for other large U.S. banks, because of the company's international exposure. Citigroup also trades at the lowest multiples to book value and to forward earnings estimates, among the banks covered by Deutsche Bank. Citi's shares closed at $41.39 Thursday, trading for 0.8 times the reported Sept. 30 tangible book value of $52.70.
No comments:
Post a Comment