NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The last three years have seen a complete turnaround in the fortunes of Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC), the government-sponsored enterprises.
Following Fannie's "Great Depression" dive to around 20 cents from $90 leading into and following the largest housing correction in recent memory, the federal housing lender has, like many other severely depressed stocks, become a new investment play for small-caps and over-the-counter traders.
From that 20-cent low point, Fannie -- more formally the Federal National Mortgage Association -- recovered to $5.33 in March of last year, a relatively modest price given Fannie Mae's prior levels. Its shares closed Thursday at $4, up over 33% for the year to date.
>>FIFA World Cup Still a Huge Draw Without U.S. Team Will the stock go even higher now that the housing market is showing signs of a rebound? Carl Icahn certainly seems to think so after recent filing reports indicating an almost $50 million investment in Fannie and Freddie shares. With an investor of this caliber making waves and seemingly viewing the shares as potentially cheap it could add fuel to an already burning fire. Icahn certainly has the ability to make fellow investors and companies listen because he's well known for shaking up management. Icahn's purchases of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stock were made at $4.03 and $4.04, respectively. Freddie Mac -- otherwise known as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. -- closed Thursday at $3.92, up over 35% for the year to date. I think both of these GSEs could go the way of Las Vegas Sands (LVS), whose shares moved to $56 from from $1.38 after the stock was oversold during the real estate crash. LVS closed at $77.94 Thursday. I don't think anyone will bypass this stock again. At the time of publication the author had no position in any of the stocks mentioned. This article represents the opinion of a contributor and not necessarily that of TheStreet or its editorial staff.
Top 10 Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2015: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)
Sirius XM Radio Inc. provides satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. It broadcasts a programming lineup of approximately 135 channels of commercial-free music, sports, news and information, talk and entertainment, traffic, and weather on subscription fee basis through two satellite radio systems in the United States; and holds an interest in the satellite radio services offered in Canada. The company also simulcasts music and selected non-music channels over the Internet; and offers applications to allow consumers to access its Internet services on mobile devices. As of December 31, 2010, it had 20,190,964 subscribers. In addition, the company designs, establishes specifications, sources or specifies parts and components, and manages various aspects of the logistics and production of satellite radios; licenses its technology to various electronics manufacturers to develop, manufacture, and distribute radios under various brands; and imports radios distri buted through its Websites. The company?s satellite radios are primarily distributed through automakers, retailers, and its Websites. Further, it provides music services for commercial establishments; a satellite television service to offer music channels as part of certain programming packages on the DISH Network satellite television service; music and comedy channels to mobile phone users through mobile phone carriers; Backseat TV, a service offering television content designed primarily for children in the backseat of vehicles; Travel Link, a suite of data services that include graphical weather, fuel prices, sports schedules and scores, and movie listings; and real-time traffic and weather services. The company was formerly known as Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and changed its name to Sirius XM Radio Inc. in August 2008. Sirius XM Radio Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rick Munarriz]
Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI ) is shaking up its board for the second time this year.
Liberty Media (NASDAQ: LMCA ) is making sure that everyone knows that it's the one calling the shots, as Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei will replace Los Angeles Times CEO Eddy Hartenstein as chairman of the satellite radio provider. Hartenstein will remain on the board as its lead independent director.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: CVS Corporation(CVS)
CVS Caremark Corporation operates as a pharmacy services company in the United States. The company?s Pharmacy Services segment provides a range of pharmacy benefit management services, including mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy services, plan design and administration, formulary management, and claims processing; and drug benefits to eligible beneficiaries under the Federal Government?s Medicare Part D program. This segment primarily serves employers, insurance companies, unions, government employee groups, managed care organizations and other sponsors of health benefit plans, and individuals. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 44 retail specialty pharmacy stores, 18 specialty mail order pharmacies, and 4 mail service pharmacies located in 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. This segment operates business under the CVS Caremark Pharmacy Services, Caremark, CVS Caremark, CarePlus CVS/pharmacy, CarePlus, RxAmerica, Accordant, and TheraCom names. The company?s Retail Pharmacy segment sells prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, and convenience foods through its pharmacy retail stores and online, as well as offers film and photo finishing, and health care services. This segment operated 7,182 retail drugstores located in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia; and 560 retail health care clinics in 26 states and the District of Columbia under the MinuteClinic name. It has a strategic alliance with Alere, L.L.C. for the management of disease management program offerings that cover chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. CVS Caremark Corporation was founded in 1892 and is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tabitha Jean Naylor]
Two of the most prolific leaders in the drugstore space are CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) and Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG). From a distance, these two powerhouses are neck-and-neck in the stock game, but upon closer examination one may actually be a better overall fit for an investment portfolio.
- [By Mike Deane]
At CVS Caremark Corporation’s (CVS) annual analyst day, the company reaffirmed its 2013 guidance and gave guidance for full year 2014, and also announced a 22% dividend raise and a stock repurchase program.
Dividend Raise
CVS will now be a quarterly dividend of 27.5 cents, which is up from its previous payout of 22.5 cents. The company’s dividend is payable on February 3, 2014 to all shareholders on record as of January 23, 2014.
Stock Buyback
CVS Caremark’s board of directors also approved up to $6 billion in share repurchases of the company’s common stock. The repurchase plan will be completed over a multi-year period and allows the company to make repurchases from time to time through “open market repurchases, privately negotiated transactions, accelerated share repurchase transactions, and/or other derivative transactions.”
Guidance
Dave Denton, CVS Caremark’s executive vice president and CFO, reaffirmed CVS’s views for 2013 and gave guidance for FY2014. For FY2014 the company expects EPS from continuing operations in the range of $4.36 to $4.50, and expects GAAP diluted EPS to fall in the range of $4.09 to $4.23.
Stock Performance
CVS stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 34.48%.
- [By Shauna O'Brien]
CVS Caremark Corporation (CVS) reported on Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire infusion services and nutrition business Coram LLC for $2.1 billion.
CVS will purchase Coram from Apria Healthcare Group Inc in a deal that will likely close in the first quarter of 2014. CVS said that this acquisition is expected to add $1.4 billion to revenue in the first year and 3 to 5 cents per share in 2015. This purchase is in-line with the company strategy of focusing on core businesses that will drive growth.
Jon Roberts, President of CVS Caremark Pharmacy Services said in a statement: “Bringing together CVS Caremark’s unique range of specialty pharmacy services with Coram’s infusion capabilities will expand our competitive offerings in the specialty arena. Infusion will be a valuable component of our broad specialty pharmacy offering going forward. Our comprehensive services will enable us to streamline care management for patients as well as their physicians, leading to better health outcomes while avoiding unnecessary costs.”
CVS Caremark shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock is up 27% YTD.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Rent-A-Center Inc.(RCII)
Rent-A-Center, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, primarily engages in leasing household durable goods to customers on a rent-to-own basis. The company?s stores offer durable products, such as consumer electronics, appliances, computers, and furniture and accessories under flexible rental purchase agreements that allow the customer to obtain ownership of the merchandise at the conclusion of an agreed upon rental period. It also provides merchandise on an installment sales basis in its stores. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 3,008 company-owned stores in the United States, and in Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, including 42 retail installment sales stores under the names ?Get It Now? and ?Home Choice?; and 18 rent-to-own stores located in Canada under the ?Rent-A-Centre? name. It also operates 209 franchised rent-to-own stores in 32 states under the ColorTyme trade name; and 384 kiosk locations under the ?RAC Acceptance? model. In addition, the company, th rough its ColorTyme?s franchised stores, offers custom rims and tires for sale or rental under the trade names ?RimTyme? or ?ColorTyme Custom Wheels?. Rent-A-Center, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Anna Prior]
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Friday’s session are Lorillard Inc.(LO), Wells Fargo (WFC) & Co. and Rent-A-Center Inc.(RCII)
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation(LSCC)
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets programmable logic products and related software. The company offers field programmable gate array (FPGA) products, including LatticeECP family for deployment in wireless infrastructure and wireline access equipment, as well as in video and imaging applications; and LatticeXP for the security, surveillance, and display markets. It also provides programmable logic device (PLD) products comprising various versions of ispMACH4000 in-system programmable complex programmable logic device family; MachXO family that is designed for a range of low density applications; platform manager, power manager, and ispClock programmable mixed signal devices; and software development tools and intellectual property cores. The company sells its products directly to end customers through a network of independent manufacturers? representatives and indirectly through a network of independent sell-in and sell-through distributors. It primarily serves original equipment manufacturers in the communications, computing, consumer, industrial, military, automotive, and medical end markets. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By kcpl]
Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC) is doing well. It has seen improvements in its operations. The company excels in the manufacture of programmable chips which are sold in various segments such as mobile, communications, automotives, industrial etc. The reason for the company�� strong performance has been its key customers such as China Mobile and Cisco. On the back of a strong client base, Lattice has seen a good 40% growth in its stock price. Let us take a look at its business.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: AeroVironment Inc.(AVAV)
AeroVironment, Inc. designs, develops, produces, and supports unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and efficient energy systems for various industries and governmental agencies. Its UAS provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, including real-time tactical reconnaissance, tracking, combat assessment, and geographic data to the small tactical unit or individual war fighter. The UAS wirelessly transmit critical live video and other information generated by their payload of electro-optical or infrared sensors directly to a hand-held ground control system, enabling the operator to view and capture images during the day or at night on a hand-held ground control unit. AeroVironment also provides spare equipment, alternative payload modules, batteries, chargers, repair services, and customer support for the UAS. In addition, the company produces industrial productivity and clean transportation solutions for commercial and government customers, develops potential clean t ransportation solutions, and performs contract engineering services; offers PosiCharge electric vehicle charging systems for industrial electric material handling fleets, electric vehicle charging systems for passenger and fleet vehicles, and power cycling and test systems for developers and manufacturers of plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as battery packs, electric motors, and fuel cells; and supplies power cycling and test systems to research and development organizations that focus on developing electric propulsion systems, electric generation systems, and electricity storage systems. It supplies its UAS primarily to the organizations within the United States department of defense. AeroVironment, Inc. was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Monrovia, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV )
Shifting over the implications of this news for automotive investments, the key attraction for AeroVironment investors (aside from selling UAVs into an Afghan war that's winding down) has been the company's "PosiCharge" electric-car battery recharging technology. AV says it beats all comers with the ability to recharge a lithium ion battery pack in mere minutes. But if Khare's invention bears fruit, and battery recharge times begin getting measured in seconds, AV's raison d' etre could vanish. - [By Rich Smith]
President Obama just released his 2014 proposed defense budget -- and it's chock-full of nada for investors in the fledgling drone/unmanned aerial vehicle industry. What does the lack of funding for drones portend for such manufacturers as General Atomics, Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC ) , �AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV ) , and Textron (NYSE: TXT ) ?
- [By Garrett Cook]
AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) shares shot up 15.43 percent to $35.74 after the company reported upbeat fiscal fourth-quarter results. AeroVironment reported its quarterly earnings of $0.35 per share on revenue of $73.5 million.
- [By Rich Smith]
California-based AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV ) continues its relentless march -- or the airborne equivalent of a march -- to raking in every last cent of the $65.5 million the Pentagon has awarded it to produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the U.S. Army.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated(UNH)
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated provides healthcare services in the United States. Its Health Benefits segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services to national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; and non-employer based insurance options for purchase by individuals. It also provides health and well-being services for individuals aged 50 and older; and for services dealing with chronic disease and other specialized issues for older individuals, as well as health plans for the beneficiaries of acute and long-term care Medicaid plans. This segment offers its services through a network of 730,000 physicians and other health care professionals, and 5,300 hospitals. Its OptumHealth segment provides health, financial, and ancillary services and products that assist consumers through personalized health management solutions; benefit administration, and clinical and network management; health-based financi al services; behavioral solutions; and specialty benefits, such as dental, vision, life, critical illness, short-term disability, and stop-loss product offerings. The company?s Ingenix segment offers database and data management services, software products, publications, consulting and actuarial services, business process outsourcing services, and pharmaceutical data consulting and research services. Its Prescription Solutions segment provides integrated pharmacy benefit management services comprising retail network pharmacy contracting and management, claims processing, mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy, benefit design consultation, rebate contracting and management, drug utilization review, formulary management programs, disease therapy management, and adherence programs to employer groups, union trusts, managed care organizations, Medicare-contracted plans, Medicaid plans, and third party administrators. The company was founded in 1974 and is based in Minne tonka, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Divine]
Alas, not everybody can win all the time, and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH ) illustrated that point today as one of just six Dow components to sputter. Shedding 1.2%, shares in the U.S.'s largest health insurer have been nearly the mirror opposite of Intel in recent days. It's lost ground in four of the last five sessions as Wall Street shows its dismay with the company's most recent quarter and its concern with the future of the industry in a new age.
- [By Jeremy Bowman]
Two Dow stocks were getting hit on downgrades today. In its first session since getting slugged with a 4% drop on a poor earnings report, General Electric (NYSE: GE ) fell another 1.8% after a downgrade by�JPMorgan Chase from buy to neutral. The Wall Street bank pointed to negative industrial growth, and said it no longer sees it as a safety stock. UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH ) shares were off 1.4% following a similarly dismal earnings report last week. �UBS lowered its EPS estimates for the next two years on concerns about cuts as a result of sequestration.
- [By Matt Thalman]
Meanwhile, shares of UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH ) are also down 0.8%. As we move closer to the start of Obamacare, investors, insurers, and customers all seem to be growing more worried about how the whole industry will eventually shake out. Customers fear that costs may rise, as insurance companies will now have to cover everyone despite the cost of insuring individuals with past medical problems. These additional costs will likely increase the price for everyone, but no one truly knows that yet. Therefore investors are unsure whether the big health insurance companies will be profitable this time next year, and that is one reason UnitedHealth has been so volatile lately.
Hot Cheap Companies To Own For 2014: Emerson Electric Company(EMR)
Emerson Electric Co. operates as a diversified manufacturing and technology company. The company engages in appliance solutions, climate technologies, industrial automation, motor technology, network power, process management, professional tools, and storage solutions businesses. Its appliance solutions business provides appliance controls, appliance motors, heating products, and white-rodgers; climate technology business provides heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) solutions for residential, industrial, and commercial applications; and industrial automation business offers bearings and power transmission products, electrical power generation products, electric motors, variable speed drives and servos, electrical products, material joining solutions, fluid automation products, and wind turbine systems. The company?s motor technology business provides appliance motors, HVACR motors, DC motors, fractional horsepower motors, integral horsepower a nd larger motors, and drives; network power business provides power, precision cooling, connectivity, and embedded solutions; and process management business provides various wireless related products from self-organizing field networks to wireless asset and people tracking. Its professional tools business offers pipe working and threading equipment, pressing technology, utility locating and visual diagnostics systems, drain maintenance tools, power tools, air tools, general purpose hand tools, wet/dry vacs, job site storage equipment, truck tool boxes and equipment, and van storage equipment; and storage solutions business provides shelving and storage products for residential, commercial, and foodservice needs, as well as offers specialized carts, mobile computer workstations, and cabinet fixtures. The company was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Chuck Saletta]
On the flip side, the iPIG portfolio initially passed on Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR ) , in spite of its great business and dividend history, because its stock price was above the portfolio's buy-below valuation. Yet when the market later offered up Emerson at a lower, more reasonable price tag, the portfolio snapped up shares.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Barclays’ Scott Davis and team believe it might be, and for evidence they look at�3M (MMM), Emerson Electric (EMR), Rockwell Automation (ROK), and MSC Industrial Direct (MSM). They write:
- [By Rising Dividend Investing]
Pent Up Demand Pushing Cyclical Stocks
We are coming out of a lengthy period of decreased spending in the wake of 2008-09, which has built pent up demand for automobiles, housing and capital expenditures. The average age of vehicles on the road has reached a record high of 11.4 years. Demand for new houses fell off dramatically since the Great Recession. The average U.S. home was built in 1974 and continues to age.
As people have chosen to fix rather than replace their vehicles and homes, we’ve seen the replacement-type industries do very well. Auto Retail’s second quarter sales and earnings per share were up 14.7% and 18.6%, respectively. Home improvement retail grew sales nearly 10% with earnings up 20% from second quarter 2012.
Adding to the pent up demand for housing is the number of young people living with their parents rather than buying or renting on their own. According to real-estate marketplace Trulia, the number of “missing households” (Americans who would currently be owning or renting a home if pre-recession economic trends had continued) was up to 2.4 million in March. More than half of these missing households are 18 to 34-year-olds.
This pent up demand extends beyond just the immediate products being bought by consumers. Businesses have held off replacing durable goods since the recession. All of this excess demand will have to be released at some point. Eventually, these homes and vehicles will exceed their useful life and need to be replaced. To meet the need for the excess demand, companies will not be able to hold off re-investing in new plant equipment.
We’ve seen the beginning of this demand in 2013 and believe there is more to come. The market is buying into this as well, as more growth and manufacturing oriented sectors – such as Consumer Discretionary and Industrials – have performed well over the near-term.
Share prices for stocks in the Industrial sectors are mo
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