Q: Are social stocks vulnerable to privacy fears?
A: Is 2014 the year investors realize how valuable their personal information is to giant Internet companies?
The year kicked off looking that way when Facebook was sued by a few users for allegedly intercepting and collecting personal data to share with advertisers. Meanwhile, there are continued revelations of about how the National Security Agency is mining personal communications.
Consumers are slowly becoming aware that many of the "free" online services aren't really free. In exchange for the services, the giant companies behind them are scanning personal message and e-mails to gather lucrative information to advertisers. There's also a rising realization that e-mails and other communication aren't private. Facebook isn't the only company at risk. Google may have started the trend by scanning for keywords in personal emails sent using Gmail to sell to advertisers.
Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015: China Automotive Systems Inc.(CAAS)
China Automotive Systems, Inc., through its interests in Sino-foreign joint ventures, engages in the manufacture and sale of power steering systems and other component parts for the automotive industry in the People?s Republic of China. It offers a range of steering system parts for passenger automobiles and commercial vehicles. The company provides 4 separate series, 307 models of power steering, including rack and pinion power steering, integral power steering, electronic power steering and manual steering, steering columns, steering oil pumps, and steering hoses. China Automotive Systems, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Jing Zhou City, the People?s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Richard Schmidt]
China Automotive Systems (CAAS), which makes auto systems and components, reported record-high net sales for the third quarter. The report excited investors, who bid the stock up about 30% for the month.
5 Best Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: CannaVEST Corp (CANV)
CannaVEST Corp., formerly Foreclosure Solutions, Inc., incorporated on December 9, 2010, is engaged in the business of developing, producing, marketing and selling end consumer products to the nutriceutical industry containing the hemp plant extract, Cannabidoil (CBD). The Company produces raw ingredients for neutraceutical markets. This substance can be used with foods and nutritional supplements for consumer health and wellness benefits, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. On March 4, 2013, the Company acquired KannaLife Sciences, Inc. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of PhytoSPHERE Systems, LLC (PhytoSPHERE). It also secured the license to the name PhytoSPHERE and PhytoSPHERE Systems for use in the development and commercialization of hemp-based products.
The Company focuses to develop applicable raw ingredients, and provide raw ingredients for the production and development of multiple existing and developing product applications. Its focus is to produce, market and distribute hemp-based consumer products, as well as acquire existing businesses involved in the industrial hemp industries.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
The Marijuana Index is Really Getting Stoned. The Marijuana Index, which is the first and only registered equity tracking index for marijuana stocks, cannabis stocks and hemp stocks,�experienced significant volume and price fluctuations throughout the month of February when is started the month at the $25 level only to close the month at $56.21 for a 125% gain as some marijuana stocks experienced all time highs. Notable gainers included Abattis Bioceuticals (OTCMKTS: ATTBF)�being up 194%, Advanced Cannabis Solutions (OTCQB: CANN) being up 132% and CannaVest (OTCMKTS: CANV) being up 116%. You can see all of the�Marijuana Index�� advancers and decliners at http://www.marijuanaindex.org.
- [By Dan Burrows]
But it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:
5 Best Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD)
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, incorporated on August 2, 1977, is a brewing company. The Company produces, markets, distributes and sells a balanced portfolio of approximately 200 beer brands. These include global flagship brands Budweiser, Stella Artois and Beck��; multi-country brands, such as Leffe and Hoegaarden, and many local champions, such as Bud Light, Skol, Brahma, Quilmes, Michelob, Harbin, Sedrin, Klinskoye, Sibirskaya Korona, Chernigivske and Jupiler. The Company also produces and distributes soft drinks, particularly in Latin America. The Company operates in seven segments: North America, Latin America North, Latin America South, Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific and Global Export & Holding Companies. On October 20, 2010, Companhia de Bebidas das Americas-AmBev (AmBev) and Cerveceria Regional S.A. closed a transaction pursuant, to which they combined their businesses in Venezuela, with Regional owning an 85% interest and AmBev owning the remaining 15% in the new company. On February 28, 2011, the Company closed a transaction with Dalian Daxue Group Co., Ltd and Kirin (China) Investment Co., Ltd to acquire a 100% equity interest in Liaoning Dalian Daxue Brewery Co., Ltd. The Company�� beer portfolio is divided into global, multi-country and local brands. Beer can be differentiated into the categories, such as premium brands; mainstream or core brands, and value, discount or sub-premium brands. The Company also has a presence in the soft drink market in Latin America through its subsidiary AmBev and in the United States through Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (Anheuser-Busch). Soft drinks include both carbonated soft and non-carbonated soft drinks. Its soft drinks business includes both its own production and agreements with PepsiCo related to bottling and distribution. The brands that are distributed under these agreements are Pepsi, 7UP and Gatorade. AmBev has long-term agreements with PepsiCo whereby AmBev has the exclusive right to bottle, sell and distribute certain brands of PepsiCo�� portfolio of carbonated soft drinks in Brazil. In the United States, Anheuser-Busch also produces non-alcoholic malt beverage products, including O��oul�� and O��oul�� Amber, energy drinks and related products. In the United States, its indirect subsidiary, Metal Container Corporation, manufactures beverage cans at eight plants and beverage can lids at three plants for sale to its Anheuser-Busch beer operations and United States soft drink customers. Anheuser-Busch also owns a recycling business, which buys and sells used beverage containers and recycles aluminum and plastic containers; a manufacturer of crown liner materials for sale to its North American beer operations, and a glass manufacturing plant which manufactures glass bottles for use by its North American beer operations. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rex Moore]
The Brewers Association today released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S. (based on 2012 sales volume), and the top of the rankings holds little surprise. Led by its Budweiser and Bud Light brands, Anheuser-Busch (Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD ) ) is No.1. MillerCoors (Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP ) ), Pabst Brewing, D.G. Yuengling, and Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM ) round out the top five. (The complete lists are below this video.)
5 Best Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Kimberly-Clark Corporation(KMB)
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of various health care products worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, K-C Professional & Other, and Health Care. The Personal Care segment provides disposable diapers, training and youth pants, and swimpants; baby wipes; and feminine and incontinence care products, and related products. It offers its products primarily for household use under various brand names, including Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, Kotex, Lightdays, Depend, and Poise. The Consumer Tissue segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, and related products for household use under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Hakle, and Page brands. The K-C Professional & Other segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, wipers, and a range of safety products for the away-from-home marketplace und er Kimberly-Clark, Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, KleenGuard, Kimcare, and Jackson brand names. The Health Care segment offers disposable health care products, such as surgical drapes and gowns, infection control products, face masks, exam gloves, respiratory products, pain management products, and other disposable medical products under the Kimberly-Clark, Ballard, and ON-Q brand names. The company sells its products to supermarkets; mass merchandisers; drugstores; warehouse clubs; variety and department stores; retail outlets; manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and health care establishments; and high volume public facilities. It markets its products through wholesalers, distributors, and direct sales. The company was founded in 1872 and is based in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB ) will release its quarterly report next Monday, and early expectations are for the consumer-products giant to produce reasonable growth. But given the recent declines in its stock, can Kimberly-Clark earnings grow fast enough to make investors happy?
- [By Dividends4Life]
Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of Kimberly-Clark Co. (KMB). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis:
Company Description: Kimberly Clark Corp. is a global consumer products company's producing tissue, personal care and health care products. Its brands include Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Kleenex and Scott tissue.
- [By Shauna O'Brien]
Kimberly Clark Corp (KMB) reported higher first quarter earnings on Monday, which came in above analysts’ views.
KMB’s Earnings in Brief
KMB posted Q1 earnings of�$538 million, or $1.41 per share, up from $531 million, or $1.36 per share, a year ago. Excluding special items, earnings were $1.48 per share, above analysts’ estimate of $1.47 per share. Revenue fell to�$5.278 billion from $5.318 billion reported last year and missed analysts’ estimate of $5.32 billion. Looking forward, KMB expects to see FY2014 earnings between�$6.00 and $6.20 per share, while analysts expect to see $6.11 per share in earnings.CEO Commentary
CEO and chairman Thomas J. Falk�commented: “We delivered a solid first quarter with good organic sales growth and cost savings.� We also launched a number of product innovations and made further progress with targeted growth initiatives.� We continue to allocate capital in shareholder-friendly ways, as our first quarter dividends and share repurchases totaled three-quarters of a billion dollars.� And although we face continued headwinds from currency exchange rates and cost inflation, we’re maintaining our full-year guidance for adjusted earnings per share.� We continue to be optimistic about the opportunities we have to drive profitable growth and generate attractive returns to shareholders.”
KMB’s Dividend
KMB paid its last 84 cent dividend on April 2. We expect the company to declare its next dividend in May.
Stock Performance
Kimberly Clark shares were up 71 cents, or 0.63%, during pre-market trading Monday. The stock is up 7.74% YTD.
KMB Dividend SnapshotAs of Market Close on April 17, 2014
Click here to see the complete history of KMB dividends.
- [By Dan Caplinger]
3 stocks to consider
Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) has a 26-year history of raising its dividends every year, with a current yield of 3.4%. Big oil stocks have faced the challenge of finding ways to replace lost production volume from older wells suffering natural declines in output, but Chevron has done a better job than many of its rivals in replacing that lost production with new asset purchases in promising areas around the world. Despite an already attractive yield from a dividend that the company increased by 11% in May, a payout ratio of 27% shows that Chevron could easily keep boosting its dividend in the years to come. PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP ) has used its global snack and beverage business to produce consistent cash flow and profits over the long run, giving back much of its earnings in the form of dividends. Its 2.8% yield comes after 41 consecutive years with payout boosts. With a payout ratio of 55%, Pepsi needs to keep growing in order to support further dividend increases, but even as soft drink makers in the U.S. have to deal with rising concerns about obesity, Pepsi has taken the lead with a forward-looking emphasis on healthier offerings that should serve it well throughout the world. Consumer-products maker Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB ) sports the highest payout ratio in this group at 66%, but its 3.4% yield and 41 straight years of rising dividends make it a logical stock to invest in for dividend investors. The company has done a good job of taking advantage of missteps from rivals in the industry, with an emphasis on growth in emerging markets like Latin America. As rising consumer middle classes in emerging nations demand more of the conveniences that people in developed countries take for granted, Kimberly-Clark is positioning itself to
For a good mix of positive dividend attributes, the following stocks offer a compelling combination of low payout ratios, long dividend histories, and attractive yields:
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