Friday, July 11, 2014

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014

Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does FedEx (NYSE: FDX  ) fit the bill? Let's look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

What we're looking for
The graphs you're about to see tell FedEx's story, and we'll be grading the quality of that story in several ways:

Growth: Are profits, margins, and free cash flow all increasing? Valuation: Is share price growing in line with earnings per share? Opportunities: Is return on equity increasing while debt to equity declines? Dividends: Are dividends consistently growing in a sustainable way?

What the numbers tell you
Now, let's take a look at FedEx's key statistics:

Best Insurance Companies To Watch For 2015: H.J. Heinz Company (HNZ)

H. J. Heinz Company manufactures and markets food products for consumers, and foodservice and institutional customers in North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company primarily offers ketchup, condiments and sauces, frozen food, soups, beans and pasta meals, infant nutrition, and other food products. It sells its products through its sales organizations, independent brokers, agents, and distributors to chain, wholesale, cooperative, and independent grocery accounts; convenience stores; bakeries; pharmacies; mass merchants; club stores; foodservice distributors; and institutions, including hotels, restaurants, hospitals, health-care facilities, and government agencies. The company was founded in 1869 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Ketchup maker H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ  ) has received all regulatory approvals necessary for the $28 billion acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-B  ) and an investment fund affiliated with 3G Capital, and plans for the deal to close on or about June 7, the company announced today.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    It's official: Warren Buffett is the new Master of Ketchup. In a special meeting convened for the purpose, H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ  ) stockholders today voted overwhelmingly in favor of being acquired by a consortium led by the veteran investor�Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) (NYSE: BRK-B  ) . Roughly 95% of the votes, representing around 60% of Heinz's outstanding stock, were in support of the buyout.

  • [By Steve Symington]

    That's too bad, considering that DaVita was the first company I singled out in February as a potential acquisition candidate for Berkshire after it announced a joint arrangement with 3G Capital to acquire H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ  ) .

  • [By Tim Brugger]

    An investment consortium comprised of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) and a 3G Capital investment fund has completed the acquisition of H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ  ) for $72.50 per share and a new CEO has taken over Heinz, the company announced today.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Curtiss-Wright Corporation (CW)

Curtiss-Wright Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and overhauls precision components and systems. It operates in three segments: Flow Control, Motion Control, and Metal Treatment. The Flow Control segment designs, manufactures, and distributes engineered products, including valves, pumps, motors, generators, instrumentation, shipboard systems, and control electronics that manage the flow of liquids and gases, generate power, provide electronic operating systems, and monitor or provide critical functions for naval defense, power generation, oil and gas, and general industrial markets. The Motion Control segment designs, develops, manufactures, and maintains mechanical actuation and drive systems, specialized sensors, motors, electronic controller units, and embedded computing components and control systems for ground defense, aerospace defense, commercial aerospace, and general industrial markets. The Metal Treatment segment provides metallu rgical processing services comprising shot peening, laser peening, specialty coatings and heat treating for commercial and defense aerospace, oil and gas, power generation, automotive, transportation, construction equipment, and miscellaneous metal working industries. The company operates primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Curtiss-Wright Corporation was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Engineered and advanced technical service products manufacturer Curtiss-Wright (CW) raised its quarterly dividend 30% to 13 cents per share, payable April 10 to shareholders of record as of March 27.
    CW Dividend Yield: 0.82%

  • [By Alex Planes]

    In 1917, the two major aircraft manufacturers were forced into a patent pool that would offer modest licensing terms for prospective upstarts. By this point, the Wrights were out of the industry. Wilbur had died years earlier, and Orville had sold his stake to outside investors, leaving Curtiss with an easier path to the dominance previously denied him. The Wrights' reputation was badly damaged, and competition came to the industry despite their efforts. Years later, on the eve of the Great Depression, Curtiss gained a final measure of victory when his company and the Wrights' namesake business merged to become Curtiss-Wright (NYSE: CW  ) , which was at the time the largest aviation company in the United States. This company was also briefly a part of the Dow (from 1928 to 1930), making it the first aviation component in the index's history.

  • [By Shauna O'Brien]

    On Monday, Curtiss-Wright Corp. (CW) announced that it has completed its acquisition of Arens Controls, LLC for $98 million.

    The newly acquired business will operate under CW’s Controls segment. David C. Adams, President and CEO of CW noted: “The acquisition of Arens complements our previous acquisitions of Williams Controls and PG Drives, further strengthening and growing Curtiss-Wright’s existing industrial controls business.”

    “This is another step toward our vision of being the supplier of choice for operator control subsystems and critical drivetrain components in specialty vehicles. As a leading designer and manufacturer of critical vehicle controls technologies, Arens’ complementary products and long-standing customer relationships position Curtiss-Wright for increased penetration within the commercial and off-road vehicle markets. Additionally, this acquisition allows us to leverage our global manufacturing footprint to create margin expansion opportunities,” Adams added.

    Curtiss-Wright shares were down 46 cents, or 1.00%, during Monday morning trading. The stock is up 39% YTD.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Rogers Communication Inc.(RCI)

Rogers Communications, Inc. operates as a communications and media company in Canada. The company?s Wireless segment provides wireless voice and data communications services. It operates a global system for mobile communications and general packet radio service network. This segment markets its products and services under Rogers Wireless, Fido, and chatr brands. Its Cable segment offers cable television, high-speed Internet access, and cable telephony services. As of December 31, 2010, this segment provided digital cable services to approximately 1.7 million households; Internet service to approximately 1.7 million residential subscribers; and residential circuit-switched telephony services to approximately a million subscribers. This segment also offers local and long-distance telephone, enhanced voice and data services, and IP access. In addition, this segment operates a retail distribution chain consisting of approximately 400 stores that provide cable services and digi tal and Internet equipment, as well as offers digital video disc and video game sales and rentals. The company?s Media segment publishes magazines, trade and professional publications, and directories, as well as operates 55 radio stations in Canada; multicultural OMNI broadcast television stations; the 5 station Citytv television network; specialty sports television services, including Rogers Sportsnet, Sportnet ONE, and Setanta Sports Canada; specialty services, which comprise Outdoor Life Network, The Biography Channel Canada, and G4 Canada; and televised shopping service, The Shopping Channel. It also holds an ownership in a mobile sports and events production and distribution joint venture; delivers content and conducts ecommerce through the Internet; and owns Blue Jays, a League Baseball club, as well as Rogers Centre sports and entertainment venue. The company was founded in 1920 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tom Taulli]

    Big competitors for BCE include Rogers Communications (RCI) and Telus (TU), though it also faces niche players such as Public Mobile, Wind Mobile and Mobilicity. Until recently, there was buzz that Verizon (VZ) might enter the market by buying up the latter two, though VZ apparently scrapped plans for Canadian expansion until 2014.

  • [By Victor Selva]

    The company has a current ratio of 13.45% which is higher than the one registered by Liberty Interactive Corp (LINTA). But for investors looking for a higher ROE, Time Warner Cable, DISH Network Corp (DISH), Rogers Communications, Inc. (RCI), Shaw Communications, Inc. (SJR) and Tivo, Inc. (TIVO) could be better options.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Plum Creek Timber Company Inc.(PCL)

Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc. is a publicly owned real estate investment trust (REIT). The trust owns and manages timberlands in the United States. Its products include lumber products, plywood, medium density fiberboard, and related by-products, such as wood chips. The trust also focuses on mineral extraction and natural gas production, communication, and transportation. Plum Creek Timber Company was founded in 1989 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Ordinarily, price pressure might lead to decreased demand for housing, which could send Weyerhaeuser's cyclical prospects downward. But so far, that hasn't materialized, and Plum Creek Timber (NYSE: PCL  ) has seen greater investment in mills as well as expanded work-shifts at existing facilities. Furthermore, logging capacity has been under pressure, which could continue to support prices.

  • [By Victor Selva]

    Plum Creek Timber Co Inc. (PCL) owns 6.4 million acres of timberland across 19 states and manages timberland and manufactures wood products. The company is structured as a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust), and so, it is not required to pay federal income taxes on earnings generated by timber harvest activities. Other earnings, like those from its wood products and real estate segments are subject to federal income tax.

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    High lumber prices are the key driver of earnings growth for Weyerhaeuser, and in recent years, price trends in the industry have been quite strong. Infestations of mountain pine beetles have consumed about 12% of forested land west of the Mississippi, and that pushed lumber prices to levels not seen since the housing boom in the mid-2000s. Weyerhaeuser rival Plum Creek Timber (NYSE: PCL  ) has benefited even more from the trend, because unlike Weyerhaeuser, much of Plum Creek's timberland is in areas not affected by the beetle. Nevertheless, Weyerhaeuser was able to triple its profits in the first quarter from the year-ago period, posting its best quarterly earnings in eight years.

  • [By Matt DiLallo]

    Rayonier believes that its forest resources business is seeing "the early stages of an improving housing market" with profits "being reflected in increasing sawlog demand and prices." The pricing power at both homebuilders and forest product companies is a key sign of recovery. It's a trend that's likely to continue when�Plum Creek Timber (NYSE: PCL  ) �reports earnings later today. Investors have taken notice and appear to have already priced these�exceptions�into the stock, as its shares are already up more than 20% year to date.

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