firms were on the list; the only one to break the top 50 was Northwestern Mutual, based in Milwaukee Wisconsin, which came in at number 41. enterprise, the mutual fund industry charges fees for the services it offers. In their most basic form, these services consist of managing a pool of commingled assets in accordance with an investment strategy. That strategy may include outperforming an index over time. In fact, this strategy is the lifeblood of the actively managed fund component of the industry. program. announced that it would be taking an $8.8 billion charge to write down a botched acquisition of U.K.-based Autonomy Corporation plc. The write-off, which was described as a non-cash charge for the impairment of the Autonomy purchase, included goodwill and intangible asset charges. have plenty of things to worry about. Finding employment is a key concern, as is securing a financial future. Below are five key pieces of advice they should consider following.Read the rest of this entry »
regarding how to handle the added expense and save for the kids’ future is an important component of a journey that will run two decades, or more. By recent estimates, it can cost at least $300,000 to raise a single child and put him or her through college. Below is a discussion of how this individual amount is calculated, as well as some of the more important financial considerations. to the public back in May. The initial public offering (IPO) price was $38 and raised an estimated $16 billion for company insiders and other earlier investors. The stock briefly traded above $40 per share, but has fallen steadily since. Warren Buffett advised against buying into the stock at its IPO price and appears to have been proven right so far. Below are three key reasons why he did not invest
... In many cases, this is a very smart move. Although this idea may not seem very appealing at first, the following comparison shows that working a few extra years can make a substantial difference in how you are able to live after your working days have ended.Read the rest of this entry »
is one of the primary determinants of a firm’s share price performance, but it remains a subjective measure that is open to manipulation. In particular, companies have a fair amount of latitude on the timing and impact of quarterly and annual charges and other expenses.Read the rest of this entry »
Every year, consumers across the globe increasingly embrace credit card and related digital transactions over the use of cash. This trend is expected to continue in developed markets and is really taking off in emerging ones, including Asia. There are a number of ways for investors to play this growth. They may be less familiar with Global Payments (NYSE:GPN) as an investment candidate, but the company is worth getting to know.
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International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT) used to dominate the market for selling slot machines and related gaming machines. A couple of smaller, more nimble competitors have steadily eaten into its lead, but IGT still remains the largest player in the industry. A couple of favorable tailwinds are emerging in the domestic gambling space, and could help IGT boost its growth to levels not seen for several years now.
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Casino operator Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) reported second quarter results on Wednesday after the market close that disappointed investors. The stock quickly fell to its lows over the past year. As a result, it could represent a solid buying opportunity.
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Direct-selling firm Tupperware (NYSE:TUP) counts Europe as a major market, but saw its reported sales crimped by a stronger U.S. dollar. Overall, though, its business model continues to pay dividends and should continue doing so for loyal shareholders.
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P.J. O’Rourke once famously quipped that giving money and power to the government was like giving whiskey and car keys to a teenager. Politicians and other American leaders frequently get a bad rap from business-minded individuals, but there have been quite a few that have managed to balance common sense with fiscal prudence. Below are some of the noteworthy pieces of financial advice from American leaders and other high-profile individuals throughout history.
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Money center financial titans Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) were among the first banks to report second quarter earnings results. Wells continued to be a standout, due in good part to minimal investment banking and international market exposures. Its current valuation also suggests there is minimal downside to owning the stock, as well as some additional, albeit modest, upside potential in the coming few years.
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Money center financial titans Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) were among the first banks to report second quarter earnings results. JP Morgan’s results weren’t much of a surprise given it disclosed a huge trading loss prior to the end of the quarter. However, its ability to absorb the loss was surprising, and the bank has largely seen a recovery in its profitability from the depths of the credit crisis. Based off of negative sentiment, the stock could still rally.
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The Greek economy recently reported a total gross domestic product of US$308 billion. Growth trends over the past three years haven’t been encouraging and have been accelerating into negative territory. Overall though, Greece is not one of the larger economies in the world. However, worries that it may default on its sovereign debt could have dire consequences for the rest of Europe and world. Below are five things U.S. consumers and businesses need to watch out for in the coming months.
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According to Morningstar, over the past year, the average mutual fund return in the European stock category has been negative and hovering around 17.70%. The category was much stronger over the last three years and has returned close to 7.99% annually. However, over the past five years, which includes the credit crisis, the return dips back into the negative territory with an average annual loss of more than 7%.
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Charitable organizations survive primarily from the donations they receive from organizations and individuals. For most charities, the holidays, and especially in December during the Christmas holiday, are among the most active from a donation perspective. This leaves roughly eleven months to get creative and find other ways to make money, aside from simply relying on the generosity of others. Below are five important avenues for charities to bring in money and make their donated dollars stretch further.
Xyratex (Nasdaq:XRTX)is a key supplier to manufacturers of data storage drives and devices. Its hard drive products and solutions are used in the final products of the leading players in the storage industry. In fact, 91% of its sales are to only six customers, and they are the largest in the industry. As such, Xyratex serves as a bellwether for overall industry trends.
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Technology firm Dell Inc. (Nasdaq:DELL) recently announced a material move into the software space in the industry and will acquire Quest Software Inc. (Nasdaq:QSFT) for around $2.4 billion. The move is a good one for Dell, but investors may have another of more appealing options to consider.
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John C. Bogle, the founder of investment management firm Vanguard, has estimated that the investment industry collectively shaves around 3% from stock returns each year. This stems primarily from the fees it charges for managing assets for individuals and institutions. Bogle has also openly questioned the value of actively managed funds over index funds. Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are another low-cost way to invest primarily in passive, indexed strategies. Not surprisingly, Vanguard was founded on low-cost index funds and has moved into ETFs, as have most other well-known firms in the industry.
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Slower economic growth is causing companies to get more creative in finding ways to grow value for shareholders. Some are looking to acquire market share or spin off divisions that have less appealing growth potential. Others are looking to overseas expansion and exposure to faster growing emerging markets. Fewer are looking to merge with archrivals, but it could represent a unique and compelling way to cut costs and combine resources committed to pursuing the same mission. Below are three pairs of rivals that operate in very similar businesses but are struggling to grow on their own. To revive their fortunes, they might want to swallow their pride and merge their operations.
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Professional sports is a multi-billion dollar business. Several teams, including the Dallas Cowboys and the Manchester United soccer team in Europe, are worth well over US$1 billion each. As a result, players are able to garner multi-million dollar annual contracts for their services. Below are five contracts that proved especially costly to the underlying team when these players were injured or had personal problems.
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AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC) and two large rivals effectively control the market for distributing drugs from drug manufacturers to drug retailers, hospitals and similar locations where consumers go to fill their prescriptions. The industry has grown steadily for more than a decade now, but is showing little sign of slowing down.
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Scotts Miracle-Gro (NYSE:SMG) considers itself one of the largest lawn and garden care companies on the planet. Unfortunately, that means much of its demand depends on the weather, which is anything but predictable. Mother Nature appears to have continued her uneven streak so far this year, and caused Scotts to pull its financial guidance until next quarter.
During a recent presentation to investors, fashion retailer Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) pointed out that its stock has outperformed the rival retail industry and stock market overall. The level of outperformance has been significant, with $100 invested in early 2002 growing to above $500 by early May of this year. The stock has pulled back rather significantly since, and could present a buying opportunity.
In a recent company presentation, electronic payment processor Global Payments (NYSE:GPN) pointed out that the market for card-based payments is growing 13% annually. Consumers across the globe continue to shift from paying cash to using credit cards and related electronic payments, such as through PayPal online. There are a number of ways to invest in the growth, with Global Payments a compelling option, provided a recent data breach doesn’t turn out to be too serious. If it doesn’t, the downswing in the shares represents a buying opportunity.
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Convenience store operator Casey’s General Stores (Nasdaq:CASY) prides itself on a rural base of stores in approximately 11 Midwestern states. These locations help keep the stores out of the way of other national retailers and therefore stoke demand for its snacks, smaller grocery items and high-margin fountain foods and drinks. Combined with solid expansion potential, the stock could be worth paying up for.
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ManTech (Nasdaq:MANT) provides the government and its military organizations with security software, information technology support and related services. Over the past decade, it was one of the fastest-growing firms in the industry. Challenging industry conditions are making it look much more pedestrian and recent profit declines are looking severe compared to some larger rivals.
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Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) sells basic healthcare products such as needles, surgical tools and syringes. It also sells products that are used in drug discovery and related lab functions. Sales aren’t growing rapidly, but management has been able to control costs to boost earnings in the double digits annually. Going forward, investors should expect more than the same, and the stock looks very reasonably valued currently.
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Zep (NYSE:ZEP) boasts more than 200,000 customers on a global basis. Commercial enterprises, industrial producers, institutions and consumers all utilize its cleaning products. With less than $1 billion in sales in a market it sees as a $75 billion opportunity, Zep should have plenty of room to grow and acquire market share.
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To much fanfare, women’s accessories and handbag purveyor Vera Bradley (Nasdaq:VRA) first went public at the end of 2010. The stock opened at around $27 per share and quickly rose to $50 per share, but has recently fallen close to the IPO price of $20 per share. Fashion is fickle, as are underlying customers, but at the current price investors are arguably overly bearish on Vera Bradley’s future prospects.
The stock of household cleaning and product firm Clorox (NYSE:CLX) was badly lagging the market earlier this year, but has remained somewhat steady while the stock market has entered another period of volatility. This speaks to the stability of its product mix, which counts as basic necessities to most consumers. The valuation isn’t compelling, but the dividend yield is, as is the downside protection that the shares offer.
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Back in December 2011, online travel operator Expedia (Nasdaq:EXPE) spun out TripAdvisor (Nasdaq:TRIP) as its own public company. Shareholders that hung on to TripAdvisor are sitting pretty as the stock is up about 60% since the spinoff. The company is also growing rapidly, but similar growth levels could be hard to sustain going forward. In addition, the valuation currently reflects much of this future growth potential.
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Hasbro (NYSE:HAS) is officially listed as a toy and game provider, but has evolved from a previous focus on mundane board games and plush toy products. Physical toys remain a key part of its annual sales, but the company has shifted to licensing deals with multimedia partners to breathe new life into its impressive stable of toy and character brands.
Direct make-up seller Avon Products (NYSE:AVP) has been hogging the industry headlines in recent weeks. Years of mismanagement have resulted in the sacking of the CEO and a takeover bid from an industry peer that sees potential in a turnaround and the appeal of selling directly to consumers. Tupperware Brands (NYSE:TUP) focuses primarily on the direct selling of kitchen related items, but also sells beauty supplies. And, in contrast to Avon, it is extremely well managed.
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By a fairly wide margin, the worst performing industrial conglomerate so far this year is European firm ABB Ltd. (NYSE:ABB). The stock is down more than 15% and is now down more than 20% over the past five years. Barring the worst possible outcome from sovereign debt and bad bank troubles in Europe, the stock should eventually rally from recent lows.
Energy firm Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) has seen its stock price fall close to 30% from its highs of last fall. Plummeting natural gas prices are the primary culprit, but the stock could recover along with prices going forward. For the time being though, its domestic focus is proving a liability.
After a period of active M&A moves, drug retailer CVS Caremark (NYSE:CVS) appears to have entered an extended period of steady growth. The market has already taken notice, but the company is still worth an investment consideration.
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2013-06-19 16:00
