Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of Alliance Fiber Optic Products (NASDAQ: AFOP ) have surged nearly 13% today after the company bested the Street's earnings consensus and offered strong guidance for the upcoming quarter.
So what: Alliance's revenue rose 65% year over year to $19 million, narrowly missing the $19.1 million consensus but nevertheless posting marked improvement. Earnings per share came in at $0.49, $0.02 better than the lone estimate. For the in-progress third quarter, Alliance anticipates revenue in the $19.5 million to $20.5 million range, which is better than the flat $19.1 million revenue consensus.
Now what: Analysts weren't expecting much out of Alliance on a sequential basis, so any improvement was bound to get some attention. This also seems to be a strong refutation of the recent B. Riley downgrade to "hold" status, as analyst Dave Kang mentioned last week that he found it difficult to believe that a $19-million-plus revenue level could be sustainable. Alliance's current 27 P/E isn't particularly cheap, but with this kind of growth on the way (even the low-end projection would be a big boost over last year's Q3 revenue of $12.4 million), it's not exactly nose-bleed expensive, either.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: SMTC Corporation(SMTX)
SMTC Corporation provides advanced electronics manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide. The company?s services include product design and engineering services, printed circuit board assembly production, enclosure fabrication, systems integration, testing, and configuration services. It also provides enclosure and precision metal fabrication, cable assembly, interconnect, and engineering design services. The company offers its integrated contract manufacturing services to OEMs and technology companies primarily in the industrial, computing and networking, communications, consumer, and medical market segments. SMTC Corporation was founded in 1985 and is based in Markham, Canada.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Merck & Company Inc.(MRK)
Merck & Co., Inc. provides various health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. The company?s Pharmaceutical segment provides human health pharmaceutical products, such as therapeutic and preventive agents for the treatment of human disorders in the areas of bone, respiratory, immunology, dermatology, cardiovascular, diabetes and obesity, infectious diseases, neurosciences and ophthalmology, oncology, vaccines, and women's health and endocrine. This segment also offers human health vaccines, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines. Its Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets animal health products. This segment offers antibiotics, anti-inflammatory products, vaccines, products for the treatment of fertility disorders, and parasiticides for cattle, swine, horses, poultry, dogs, cats, salmons, and fish. The Consumer Care segment develops, manufac tures, and markets over-the-counter, foot care, and sun care products. Its over-the-counter product line includes non-drowsy antihistamines; treatment for occasional constipation; decongestant-free cold/flu medicine for people with high blood pressure; nasal decongestant spray; and treatment for frequent heartburn. This segment?s foot care products comprise topical antifungal, and foot and sneaker odor/wetness products; and sun care products include sun care lotions, sprays and dry oils; and sunburn relief products. The company serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, government agencies, physicians, physician distributors, veterinarians, animal producers, and managed health care providers, as well as food chain and mass merchandiser outlets in the United States and Canada. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividend]
Merck (MRK) has a market capitalization of $138.39 billion. The company employs 81,000 people, generates revenue of $47.267 billion and has a net income of $6.299 billion. Merck�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $22.343 billion. The EBITDA margin is 47.27 percent (the operating margin is 18.49 percent and the net profit margin 13.33 percent).
- [By Matt Thalman]
Lastly, shares of Merck (NYSE: MRK ) lost 0.28% today after it was announced that federal regulators will not approve high doses of an insomnia medication that Merck is currently experimenting with. The reason for denying the approval was related to concerns about patient safety. At higher levels of the medication, patients in the testing group experience daytime drowsiness, trouble staying alert when behind the wheel of a vehicle, and suicidal thoughts. These are all typical side effects from sleeping medications, but Merck had aimed at reducing the severity of the morning-after fatigue. �
Top Blue Chip Companies To Buy Right Now: Express-1 Expedited Solutions Inc.(XPO)
XPO Logistics, Inc. provides third-party logistics services using a network of relationships with ground, sea, and air carriers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It operates in three segments: Express-1, Concert Group Logistics, and Bounce Logistics. The Express-1 segment offers ground expedited surface transportation services for freight. It operates a fleet ranging from cargo vans to semi tractor trailer units. The Concert Group Logistics segment provides domestic and international freight forwarding services through a network of independently owned stations. Its domestic freight forwarding services include air charter, expedites, and time sensitive services, as well as cost sensitive services comprising deferred delivery, less than truckload, and full truck load services; and international freight forwarding services consist of on-board courier and air charters, time sensitive services, less-than-container and full-container-loads, and vessel charters. This segm ent also offers documentation on international shipments, customs clearance and banking, trade show shipment management, time definite and customized product distributions, reverse logistics and on site asset recovery projects, installation coordination, freight optimization, and diversity compliance support services. The Bounce Logistics segment provides premium freight brokerage services for truckload shipments. The company serves approximately 4,000 retail, commercial, manufacturing, and industrial customers through 6 U.S. operations centers and 22 agent locations. It offers its services to the automotive manufacturing, automotive components and supplies, commercial printing, durable goods manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food and consumer products, and high tech sectors. The company was formerly known as Express-1 Expedited Solutions, Inc. and changed its name to XPO Logistics, Inc. in September 2011. XPO Logistics, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is based in Buchanan, Michi gan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO ) jumped 13% today after announcing an acquisition.
So what: The company will pay $365 million for logistics provider 3PD, consisting of $357 million in cash an $8 million in XPO restricted stock. Is will use its own cash and borrow $195 million from Credit Suisse Group for the remainder of the purchase. �
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Alliance Holdings GP L.P.(AHGP)
Alliance Holdings GP, L.P., through its subsidiaries, produces and markets coal primarily to utilities and industrial users in the United States. It produces a range of steam coal with varying sulfur and heat contents. The company operates nine underground mining complexes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, and West Virginia. As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately 697.4 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In addition, the company leases land; and operates a coal loading terminal, with a capacity of 8.0 million tons with ground storage of approximately 60,000 to 70,000 tons, on the Ohio River at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Further, it engages in purchasing and selling coal; and providing services, including ash and scrubber sludge removal, coal yard maintenance, and arranging alternate transportation services. Alliance GP, LLC, serves as the general partner of the company. Allian ce Holdings GP, L.P. is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Advisors' Opinion:- [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 Alliance Holdings GP (Nasdaq: AHGP ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Global Payments Inc.(GPN)
Global Payments Inc. provides electronic transaction processing services for merchants, independent sales organizations (ISO), financial institutions, government agencies, and multi-national corporations located in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards; business-to-business purchasing cards; gift cards; and electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification, and recovery, including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. The company also offers proprietary software products to establish revolving check cashing limits for the casinos? customers in the gaming industry. In addition, it sells, installs, and services automated teller machine and point of sale terminals; and provides card issuing services, including card management and card personalization. The company markets its products directly, as well as through ISOs, retail outlets, tra de associations, alliance bank relationships, and financial institutions. Global Payments Inc. has a joint venture with La Caixa Group to provide merchant acquiring services to merchants in Spain. Global Payments Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.95 per share on revenue of $623.79 million.
Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.01 million.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Global Payments�(GPN) has gained 6.8% to $54.12 in pre-open trading after the payment processing company reported a profit of $1 a share, beating analyst forecasts of 95 cents. It also said it would buy back stock.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Local.com Corporation(LOCM)
Local.com Corporation operates as an Internet search advertising company that enables businesses and consumers to find each other and connect locally. Its Owned and Operated business unit manages its flagship online property Local.com and a proprietary network of approximately 20,000 local Websites that reach approximately 15 million monthly unique visitors. The company places various display, performance, and subscription advertisement products on its Local.com and proprietary network. Its Network business unit operates a private label local syndication network of approximately 1,000 U.S. regional media Websites; 80,000 third-party local Websites; and its own organic feed of local businesses plus third-party advertising feeds that focus primarily on local consumers to a distribution network of hundreds of Websites. The company?s Sales and Ad Services business unit provides approximately 45,000 direct monthly subscribers with Web hosting or Web listing products. The compan y was formerly known as Interchange Corporation and changed its name to Local.com Corporation in November 2006. Local.com Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquarters in Irvine, California.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Oracle Corporation(ORCL)
Oracle Corporation, an enterprise software company, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and services database and middleware software, applications software, and hardware systems worldwide. It licenses of database and middleware software, including database management software, application server software, service-oriented architecture and business process management software, data integration software, business intelligence software, identity and access management software, content management software, portals and user interaction software, development tools, and Java; and applications software comprising enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, enterprise performance management, supply chain management, business intelligence applications, enterprise portfolio project management, Web commerce, and industry-specific applications software. The company also offers customers with rights to unspecified software product upgrades and maintenance releases; Internet access to technical content; and Internet and telephone access to technical support personnel. In addition, its hardware systems products consist of computer server and hardware-related software, including the Oracle Solaris Operating System; and storage products, such as tape, disk and networking solutions for open systems and mainframe server environments. Its hardware systems support solutions include software updates for the software components. Further, the company offers consulting solutions in business and IT strategy alignment, enterprise architecture planning and design, initial product implementation and integration, and ongoing product enhancements and upgrades; cloud services, including Oracle Cloud Services and Advanced Customer Services; and education solutions comprising instructor-led, media-based, and Internet-based training in the use of its software and hardware products. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Redwood Ci ty, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Steve Heller]
The pudding
Both International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM ) and Oracle (NYSE: ORCL ) continue to experience hemorrhaging within their hardware divisions. Last quarter, Oracle's hardware systems products revenue experienced a 23% year-over-year decline, which the company attributed to upcoming products hurting current demand and difficulty in closing deals with new sales reps. - [By Dan Caplinger]
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) climbed 1.4% on a pair of interesting announcements. One report involved Microsoft making its video games available for rival smartphone platforms, including those running the iOS and Android operating systems. But arguably the more important news involves Microsoft teaming up with fellow tech giant Oracle (NYSE: ORCL ) to offer various Oracle software on cloud-based installations using Microsoft's Windows Azure or Server Hyper-V platforms. As even the biggest companies collaborate, it's clear that cloud computing has in some ways leveled the playing field among tech companies, with the largest companies still having to work hard to keep up with advances from smaller, nimbler rivals.
- [By Douglas A. McIntyre]
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) CEO Larry Ellison will use just about any excuse he can to brag about the company he founded. He discovered a new path, as Oracle used IBM’s (NYSE: IBM) earnings release to claim that the century old corporation had fallen to the No.3 spot in global software sales. �If so, that would mean Oracle now holds the No.2 spot behind Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). The change in positions says a great deal about the power of Oracle’s enterprise customer base, and the erosion of some of IBM’s core businesses.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.(WEN)
The Wendy's Company operates as a quick-service hamburger company in the United States. The company, through its subsidiary, Wendy's International, Inc., operates as a franchisor of the Wendy's restaurant system. As of December 26, 2011, the Wendy's system comprised approximately 6,500 franchise and company restaurants in the United States and the United States territories, as well as in 26 other countries worldwide. The company was formerly known as Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. and changed its name to The Wendy's Company in July 2011. The Wendy's Company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Michael Flannelly]
Argus Research upgraded fast food restaurant operator The Wendy’s Co (WEN) on Thursday, noting that the company’s store remodeling and new menus should help drive higher sales.
The analysts upgraded WEN from “Hold” to “Buy” and see shares reaching $10. This price target suggests a 21% upside to the stock’s Wednesday closing price of $8.25.
Wendy’s shares were up 24 cents, or 2.91%, during early morning trading on Thursday. The stock is up 54.19% year-to-date.
- [By Rich Smith]
Hewing strictly to the dictates of the five-second rule for food companies, Kellogg (NYSE: K ) dropped an executive officer Monday, and before he had time to be considered "dirty," Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN ) picked him up.
- [By Alyssa Oursler]
Since Jan. 1, McDonald’s stock has climbed only 11% vs. 19% for the S&P 500 and 17% for the Dow. On top of that, fast-food rivals Wendy’s (WEN) and Burger King Worldwide (BKW) have climbed 54% and 20%, respectively, with only Yum Brands (YUM) falling behind.
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