According to Euromonitor, 4% of the global smoking market will have switched over to e-cigarettes by 2050. Bloomberg projects e-cigarette to surpass traditional cigarette sales by 2047. By some estimates, e-cigarettes are already projected to become a $1.7 billion industry in the U.S. by the end of this year. This is why tobacco companies depend on e-cigarettes now. Altria Group (MO), Reynolds American, and Lorillard (LO) have started selling e-cigarettes in order to make up for declining sales of cigarettes as awareness about the dangers of tobacco spreads. Let's take a look at the moves they have been making.
Altria's Diversification Is Its Strength
Altria Group, the largest manufacturer of tobacco products in the U.S., has a diversified business model as it operates in three segments -- smokeable products, smokeless products, and wine. It also holds a 27% stake in SABMiller. This diverse portfolio makes the company one of the most defensive tobacco companies as it does not depend on just tobacco products for revenue.
Top 10 Bank Companies To Buy For 2015: ProShares Short QQQ (PSQ)
ProShares Short QQQ is focused on daily investment results that correspond to the inverse (opposite) of the daily performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. The NASDAQ-100 Index represents non-financial domestic and international issues listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market. The Fund takes positions in financial instruments (including derivatives) that in combination should have similar daily return characteristics as the inverse of the NASDAQ-100 Index. ProShares Short QQQ will not directly sell short the equity securities of issuers contained in the NASDAQ-100 Index. The Fund will concentrates its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. ProShare Advisors LLC serves as the investment advisor to the Fund. Advisors' Opinion:- [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
It's the ProShares Short QQQ (NYSE: PSQ). The good thing about this type of inverse ETF is that it pays you when the Nasdaq drops roughly on a 1-to-1 basis. For every percentage point the index goes down, PSQ rises by that amount.
Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: The Marcus Corp (MCS)
The Marcus Corporation, incorporated in August 2005, is engaged in two segments: movie theatres, hotels and resorts. As of May 26, 2011, the Company�� theatre operations included 55 movie theatres with 684 screens throughout Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, including two movie theatres with 11 screens in Wisconsin and Nebraska owned by third parties but managed by the Company. As of May 26, 2011, its hotels and resorts operations included eight owned and operated hotels and resorts in Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois and Oklahoma. It also manages 10 hotels, resorts and other properties for third parties in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, Missouri, Nevada and California. As of May 26, 2011, it owned or managed over 4,700 hotel and resort rooms. In September 2010, it purchased a 16-screen theatre in Appleton, Wisconsin from Regal Entertainment Group. During the fiscal year ended May 26, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Xona Resort Suites in Scottsdale, Arizona was sold by its owners and its management contract for this resort was terminated.
Theatre Operations
During fiscal 2011, the Company owned or operated 55 movie theatre locations with a total of 684 screens in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Company�� 53 owned facilities include 33 megaplex theatres (12 or more screens), representing 75% of its total screens, 19 multiplex theatres (two to 11 screens) and one single-screen theatre. During fiscal 2011, it operated 663 first-run screens, 11 of which are operated under management contracts, and 21 budget-oriented screens. It owns land in six different communities that may be used for new theatres at a future date, including land in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. It owns a minority interest in MovieTickets.com, a joint venture of movie and entertainment companies that was created to sell movie tickets over the Internet and represents a large majority of the top 50 market theatre screens throughout the United ! States and Canada.
As of May 26, 2011, the Company offered digital three dimensional (3D) systems at 101 screens, including 11 UltraScreens, at 35 of its theatre locations in seven states. As of May 26, 2011, there were approximately 35 3D films. It sells food and beverage concessions in all of its movie theatres. The Company also own a family entertainment center, Funset Boulevard, adjacent to the 14-screen movie theatre in Appleton, Wisconsin. Funset Boulevard features a 40,000 square foot Hollywood-themed indoor amusement facility that includes a restaurant, party room, laser tag center, virtual reality games, arcade, outdoor miniature golf course and batting cages.
Hotels and Resorts Operations
The Company owns and operates the Pfister Hotel, which is located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Pfister Hotel is a full service luxury hotel and has 307 guest rooms (including 82 luxury suites and 176 tower rooms), two restaurants, three cocktail lounges and a 275-car parking ramp. It also has 24,000 square feet of banquet and convention facilities. The Pfister�� banquet and meeting rooms accommodate up to 3,000 people and the hotel features two large ballrooms, including one of the ballrooms in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, with banquet seating for 1,200 people. It owns and operates the 729-room Hilton Milwaukee City Center. The Hilton Milwaukee City Center also features Paradise Landing, an indoor water park and family fun center that features water slides, swimming pools, a sand beach, lounge and restaurant. The hotel also has two cocktail lounges, two restaurants and an 870-car parking ramp. It owns and operates the 240-room Hilton Madison at Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin. The Hilton Madison is connected by skywalk to the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, has four meeting rooms totaling 2,400 square feet, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a lounge and a restaurant.
The Company owns and operates the Grand Geneva ! Resort & ! Spa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The resort is located on 1,300 acres and includes 355 guest rooms, over 60,000 square feet of banquet, meeting and exhibit space, over 13,000 square feet of ballroom space, three specialty restaurants, two cocktail lounges, two championship golf courses, several ski hills, two indoor and five outdoor tennis courts, three swimming pools, a spa and fitness complex, horse stables and an on-site airport. The Company owns and operates the Hotel Phillips, a 217-room hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. The Hotel Phillips has conference rooms totaling 5,600 square feet of meeting space, a 2,300 square foot ballroom, a restaurant and a lounge. The Company owns and operates the InterContinental Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The InterContinental Milwaukee has 220 rooms, 12,000 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space, on-site parking, a fitness center, a restaurant and a lounge and is located in the heart of Milwaukee�� theatre and financial district.
The Company is the operator of the Skirvin Hilton hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The hotel has 225 rooms, including 20 one-bedroom suites and one Presidential Suite. The Skirvin Hilton has a restaurant, lounge, fitness center, indoor swimming pool, business center and approximately 18,500 square feet of meeting space. The Company operates the Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile, a 226-room (including 130 suites) hotel in Chicago, Illinois. The Four Points by Sheraton Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile has affordable, well-appointed guest rooms and suites, 3,000 square feet of high-tech meeting rooms, an indoor swimming pool and fitness room and an on-site parking facility. The hotel leases space to two area restaurants. It manages the Crowne Plaza-Northstar Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Crowne Plaza-Northstar Hotel is located in downtown Minneapolis and has 226 guest rooms, 13 meeting rooms, 6,370 square feet of ballroom and convention space, a restaurant, a cocktail lounge and an ! exercise ! facility.. It manages Beverly Garland�� Holiday Inn in North Hollywood, California. The Beverly Garland has 257 guest rooms, including 12 suites, meeting space for up to 600, including an amphitheater and ballroom, an outdoor swimming pool and lighted tennis courts.
The Company also provides hospitality management services, including check-in, housekeeping and maintenance, for a vacation ownership development adjacent to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa owned by Orange Lake Resort & Country Club of Orlando, Florida. It manages the Hilton Garden Inn Houston NW/Chateau in Houston, Texas. The Hilton Garden Inn has 171 guest rooms, a ballroom, a restaurant, a fitness center, a convenience mart and a swimming pool. It manages and owns a 15% minority interest in the Sheraton Madison Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin. The Sheraton Madison features 237 rooms and suites, an indoor heated swimming pool, whirlpool, fitness center, a restaurant, lounge and 18,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Company manages and owns a 15% minority interest in the Westin Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. The Westin Columbus is an AAA four-diamond full-service historic hotel, which includes 186 rooms and suites and offers more than 12,000 square feet of meeting, banquet and ballroom space, a restaurant and a cocktail lounge. It manages the Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, which offers 257 rooms and suites, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness facility, and a business center. It manages the Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington in Bloomington, Minnesota. It manages the Timber Ridge Lodge, an indoor/outdoor waterpark and condominium complex in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The Timber Ridge Lodge has meeting rooms totaling 3,640 square feet, a general store, a restaurant-cafe, a snack bar and lounge, a fitness center and an entertainment arcade. It manages the Platinum Hotel & Spa, a condominium hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada just off the Las Vegas Strip, and owns the hotel�� public space. The Platinum Hotel & Spa ! has 255 on! e and two-bedroom suites.
The Company competes with AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, Regal Cinemas, Carmike Cinemas, Hyatt Corporation, Marriott Corporation, Ramada Inns and Holiday Inns.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Marc Bastow]
Movie theater and hotel and resorts operator Marcus Corporation (MCS) raised its quarterly dividend 11.8% to 9.5 cents per share payable May 15 to shareholders of record April 23.
MCS Dividend Yield: 2.20% - [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Marcus (NYSE: MCS ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Monica Gerson]
The Marcus (NYSE: MCS) rose 6.92% to touch a new 52-week high of $15.60 on Q3 results. Marcus reported its quarterly earnings of $0.15 per share on revenue of $109.80 million.
Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: Douglas Dynamics Inc.(PLOW)
Douglas Dynamics, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells snow and ice control equipment for light trucks in North America. It principally offers snowplows, sand and salt spreaders, and related parts and accessories. The company sells its products under the WESTERN, FISHER, and BLIZZARD brands. Douglas Dynamics sells its products through a distributor network primarily to professional snowplowers. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Douglas Dynamics (NYSE: PLOW) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $0.25 per share on revenue of $57.68 million.
SIGA Technologies (NASDAQ: SIGA) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.62 per share on revenue of $47.00 million.
- [By Jon C. Ogg]
Douglas Dynamics Inc. (NYSE: PLOW) was downgraded to Underperform from an already cautious Neutral rating at Credit Suisse, and the target price is $14, versus a current $14.72 share price.
- [By Rich Smith]
Milwaukee-based Douglas Dynamics (NYSE: PLOW ) is bulking up its snow control business.
The maker of Western, Fisher, and Blizzard-brand snowplows, sand and salt spreaders, and related accessories announced Monday that it has acquired "substantially all" assets of truck-mounted salt and sand spreader manufacturer TrynEx, which owns the SnowEx brand.
Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: Vectren Corporation (VVC)
Vectren Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides energy delivery services to residential, commercial, and industrial and other contract customers in Indiana and west central Ohio. It offers natural gas distribution and transportation services, and electric distribution services; and owns and operates coal-fired and gas-fired electric generating facilities with an installed generating capacity of 1,298 megawatts. The company�s electric transmission system consists of 989 circuit miles of 345, 138, and 69 kilovolt lines, and 35 substations; and distribution system comprises 4,281 pole miles of lower voltage overhead lines and 372 trench miles of conduit containing 1,999 miles of underground distribution cable, 96 distribution substations, and 54,000 distribution transformers. In addition, it provides gas marketing, gas portfolio optimization, and other portfolio and energy management services to municipalities, utilities, industrial operations, schools, and healthcar e institutions; mines and sells coal; offers underground construction and repair, performance contracting, and renewable energy services; and invests in energy-related opportunities and services, real estate, and leveraged leases. Further, the company engages in transmission pipeline construction and maintenance; pump station, compressor station, terminal, and refinery construction; and hydrostatic testing services. It serves the automotive assembly, parts, and accessories; feed, flour, and grain processing; metal castings; aluminum products; polycarbonate resin and plastic products; gypsum products; electrical equipment; metal specialties; glass; steel finishing; pharmaceutical and nutritional products; gasoline and oil products; ethanol; and coal mining industries. As of December 31, 2011, it supplied natural gas services to approximately 993,300 customers; and electric services to approximately 141,600 customers. Vectren Corporation was founded in 1912 and is headquartere d in Evansville, Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Meanwhile, top losers in the sector included Exelon (NYSE: EXC), down 1.2 percent, and Vectren (NYSE: VVC), off 2.3 percent.
Top Headline
Hillshire Brands Co (NYSE: HSH) announced its plans to buy Pinnacle Foods (NYSE: PF) for around $6.6 billion including debt. Hillshire will offer $18.00 in cash and 0.50 shares of its common stock for each Pinnacle share. - [By Chuck Carnevale]
Vectren Corp. (VVC): A Low Growth Utility
Our first example looks at Vectren Corp.�� historical earnings, a utility with a 15-year historical earnings growth rate that is below our 3% threshold established in Part 1. Note that fair valuation is calculated using Graham Dodd�� Formula (GDF) deriving a fair value PE of 13.8 (slightly below, but close to our PE 15 standard). However, a normal PE of 16 has been historically applied by Mr. Market. Therefore, valuation falls between a PE of 13.8 to 16, or well within a range of normalcy.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Utilities shares fell around 0.23 percent in trading on Wednesday. Top losers in the sector included Vectren (NYSE: VVC), down 1.9 percent, and Atmos Energy (NYSE: ATO), off 1 percent.
- [By Garrett Cook]
Utilities shares fell around 0.23 percent in trading on Wednesday. Top losers in the sector included Vectren (NYSE: VVC), down 1.47 percent, and Atmos Energy (NYSE: ATO), off 0.80 percent.
Best Defensive Stocks For 2014: BioFuel Energy Corp.(BIOF)
BioFuel Energy Corp. produces and sells ethanol and its co-products in the United States. The company offers dried and wet distillers grains with solubles, corn oil, and carbon dioxide. It operates 2 ethanol production facilities located in Wood River, Nebraska and Fairmont, Minnesota with a combined production capacity of approximately 220 million gallons per year. The company sells its products to independent third party marketers and distributors. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
BioFuel Energy (BIOF) is engaged in the production and sale of ethanol and its co-products through its two ethanol production facilities located in Nebraska and Minnesota. This stock closed up 9.4% to $4.04 in Tuesday's trading session.
Tuesday's Range: $3.69-$4.04
52-Week Range: $2.70-$10.75
Tuesday's Volume: 152,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 57,949From a technical perspective, BIOF soared higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $3.76 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of BIOF within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if BIOF manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.99 to $4.12 with high volume. At last check, BIOF hit an intraday high of $4.04 and volume was well above its three-month average action of 57,949 shares.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BIOF as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $3.76 or above more near-term support at $3.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 57,949 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then BIOF will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day of $4.63 to $5.19. Any high-volume move above $5.19 will then put $5.50 to $6 within range for shares of BIOF.
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