Wall Street watchers may have been getting dizzy today as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) moved more than 100 points for the third day in a row. Today, however, two strong economic reports sent the blue chips higher, as the index gained 180 points, or 1.2%. Initial unemployment claims beat expectations with last week's new jobless tally hitting just 334,000, compared to the 350,000 analysts had expected, and 346,000 the week before. The figure helps increase confidence that the job market is improving after last week's new jobs numbers for May also beat expectations.
May retail sales also came in ahead of expectations, jumping 0.6% versus the consensus estimate at 0.3%. �The total was the fastest growth rate in three months, and a 4.3% increase over a year ago, indicating that consumer spending continues to improve despite government spending cuts and a higher payroll tax. �
Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) took the cake today among Dow stocks, gaining 2.3%, as the construction-equipment maker bumped up its quarterly dividend 15%, to $0.60, or a 2.9% yield. It was the company's third consecutive annual dividend increase and, on a bullish day, that was enough to push the macro-economically sensitive stock up over 2%. Caterpillar has been one of the worst-performing on the Dow this year as it has actually fallen 5% in 2013. Given its sluggish performance recently, the stock may be due for a gain.
Best Income Stocks To Own Right Now: Visa Inc.(V)
Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Paul Ausick]
More than offsetting the drop in Disney stock, Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) saw its share price rise 0.71% today and the stock�� high per share price carries a lot of weight on the DJIA. The stock will close at around $225.46 in a 52-week range of $155.68 to $235.50. Volume was almost 50% below the daily average of around nearly 3.4 million shares traded.
10 Best Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
One of Accenture's biggest areas of growth has been in technology-related consulting, with the company having become the No. 2 IT consulting company in the world, trailing only rival IBM (NYSE: IBM ) . Accenture's ability to take advantage of diversity in its employee ranks comes from its lack of a physical corporate headquarters, allowing employees to work in their home countries, and thereby attracting the most talented workers available in a given area. In particular, Accenture has focused much of its attention on India, with more than a quarter of its employees hailing from the subcontinent.
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
It had adjusted EBITDA of only $37 million. Operation were about break-even. Yet the company is valued at ��$19 billion. How? Nobody has been able to explain to me how Twitter is going to generate much profit at all. How can the market reward this company with that valuation? Value investors may get tempted by the 50% selloff thus far, but I don�� see how this company is even worth $15 per share at this point.
IBM (IBM)I�� sorry to say it, but IBM (IBM) is not a value stock. The stock trades about 12% from its 52-week high. Yet it isn�� growing at all. FY11 net income was $15.86 billion, FY12 net came in at $16.6 billion, and FY13 came in at $16.48 billion. While analysts project 8% long-term annualized earnings growth, that doesn�� take into account the share buybacks the company engages in.
10 Best Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)
Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:
- [By Wallace Witkowski]
Other earnings highlights in the coming week include Dow components McDonald�� Corp. (MCD) , DuPont (DD) , AT&T Inc. (T) , and Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) . Notable S&P 500 companies include Halliburton Co. (HAL) , Netflix Inc. (NFLX) �, Amgen Inc. (AMGN) �, TripAdvisor Inc. (TRIP) �, Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) �, Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) �, Ford Motor Co. (F) �, Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) �, and United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) �
- [By Dan Caplinger]
Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG ) will release its quarterly report on Friday, and investors have watched the stock hit new all-time record highs in November before falling back in the past two months. Despite the optimism, Procter & Gamble earnings face pressure from international giant Unilever (NYSE: UL ) as well as domestic rivals Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL ) and Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB ) . The question facing investors is whether P&G can sustain its longtime competitive advantages against its rivals and bolster its growth.
- [By Ong Kang Wei]
Another example of such a product is Colgate-Palmolive (CL)'s Colgate toothpaste. I do not think I have to elaborate much here. Toothpaste is needed in our everyday life, and we will definitely have to buy more toothpaste after we have finished using a packet of it, ensuring that Colgate gets more and more sales over the years.
10 Best Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Apple Inc.(AAPL)
Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Paul Ausick]
King notes in its filing that a small number of games currently generate a “substantial majority” of its revenues. The company also notes “significant competition” and dependence on third-party platforms from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) for distribution of its games as other risk factors.
10 Best Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)
Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Holly LaFon]
His top four holdings are Philip Morris International (PM), Nestle SA Reg (NSRGY), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), CIE Financiere Rich (CFRHF).
Philip Morris International (PM)
10 Best Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: Chevron Corporation(CVX)
Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bob Ciura]
It's a tough time for the integrated super-majors like ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM ) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) , whose profits were walloped last year due to a horrible climate for downstream activities. Pricing spreads between domestic crude oil and the Brent international benchmark narrowed significantly, which resulted in drastically thinner margins on refined products. On the upstream side, a production dip was marked by field declines and disappointing new project returns.
- [By Travis Hoium]
Shares of Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) are up 1.6% despite a 1% drop in the price of oil today. Competitors BP and Statoil were raided by EU regulators over possible oil-price fixing today. Chevron hasn't been implicated yet, so that's a good sign for now. Another factor in the pop today is that Chevron's stock goes ex-dividend tomorrow, meaning that if you hold the stock after the market closes tonight, you'll receive the $1 dividend. This can cause abnormal short-term moves in stocks.
- [By Kelley Wright]
Chevron (CVX) is just a beast. There's a lot to like here: A $4.00 per share dividend; an S&P ��+��Quality Ranking, and a Dividend Aristocrat to boot. A must position for a quality portfolio.
- [By MLP Trader]
Of course, this is just a thought experiment for how the company could continue and reward shareholders in its current form. I think a buyout is a much more likely outcome. The company is an extremely tempting target for a Crescent Point (CSCTF.PK), Chevron (CVX), or Exxon (XOM). With an Enterprise Value of about $3.5 billion, it's a bite size for larger integrated oil companies. According to a 3rd party estimate, the present value of Lighstream's booked reserves alone is significantly higher than that. And Lightstream has a huge inventory of unbooked locations and a million acres of completely undeveloped land.
10 Best Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)
McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Fede Zaldua]
Once again its possible to witness the huge skill-set owned by managers hired by 3G, the private equity firm backed by the Brazilian trio who controls AB-InBev (BUD): Lemann, Sicupira and Telles. This time, the trio is outperforming the market with their investment in Burger King Worldwide (BKW), which has returned 40% to its owners since its IPO in June 2012. This more than triples McDonald's (MCD) performance during the same period.
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