Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NYSE:WFM) shares are set for multiple expansion due to its potential opportunity to gain share as it is a best-in-class retailer with limited credible competition and it continues to narrow the price gap through targeted price investments.
WFM stock gapped up slightly�Tuesday�and has continued to gain ground. Whole Foods Market has risen past the upper end of a 3-week trading range and has set a new high for the year.
Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market, Inc. is the leading natural and organic supermarket in the US and is the first national "Certified Organic" grocery in the country. The company distinguishes itself by offering 2,700 private label stock keeping �units, led by its 365 Everyday Value and 365 Organic brands. The company operates over 350 stores in the US, UK, and Canada and employs over 73,000 non-union Team Members.
Top 5 Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Lam Research Corporation(LRCX)
Lam Research Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, refurbishes, and services semiconductor processing equipments used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The company offers etch products that remove portions of various films from the wafer in the creation of semiconductor devices. Its etch products include dielectric etch, conductor etch, three-dimensional integrated circuit etch, MEMS devices, CMOS image sensors, and power devices for etching process. Lam Research Corporation also provides wafer cleaning steps that comprise post-etch and post-strip cleans, and pre-diffusion and pre-deposition cleans; and single-wafer wet clean and plasma-based bevel clean systems. The company offers its products to semiconductor manufacturers. It operates in the United States, Europe, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and the Asia Pacific. Lam Research Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Another aspect about Richard Wallace's leadership is that it's led to solid cash-flow generation and a huge net cash position on KLA's balance sheet. KLA ended the most recent quarter with more than $2.1 billion in net cash, which can be used to make acquisitions, repurchase shares, pay dividends, or simply buffer the company against normal economic contractions. Over the past three years, KLA has delivered nearly $2.1 billion in cumulative free cash flow. Comparatively speaking, this is what gives KLA its greatest edge over both Applied Materials�and Lam Research (NASDAQ: LRCX ) , which have a net debt position of $180 million and a net cash position of $1.06 billion.
- [By Ben Axler]
In addition, the company announced in December 2012 that it entered a strategic collaboration agreement on ion implant, dry-strip, etch processes, and photoresist strip applications, including material modification implants and high-dose implant strip (HDIS) with Lam Research (LRCX). Lam also agreed to acquire ACLS's dry strip intellectual property and technology for $10.7m ($8.7m received immediately, and $2.0m based on milestones). ACLS will indefinitely retain the entire service and support contracts of its dry strip installed base. In addition to the immediate financial benefits, ACLS benefits from a partnership with Lam by getting better visibility into end customer problems, and the ability to expand addressable market opportunities.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Companies that could benefit from a pickup in capital spending include Akamai Technologies (AKAM) and priceline.com (PCLN), which have the highest sensitivity to “non-residential fixed investment in Intellectual Property Products,” Frontier Communications (FTR) and Lam Research (LRCX), which have the highest sales sensitivity to non-residential fixed investment in Equipment,” and Transocean (RIG), which is among the companies with a high exposure to “non-residential fixed investment in Structures.”
Top 5 Supermarket Stocks To Watch Right Now: Sigma Designs Inc.(SIGM)
Sigma Designs, Inc. provides integrated system-on-chip solutions (SoC) for the Internet protocol television (IPTV), media processor, connected home and media player, prosumer and industrial audio/video, high definition television, and PC-based add-in markets. The company offers semiconductors with a suite of real-time software that enables synchronous processing of video, audio, and graphics streams for various applications. Its media processor product line represents a family of SoC solutions that are a component of multiple consumer applications, which process digital video and audio content comprising IPTV, connected media players, and portable media players. The company?s home networking product line consists of wired networking solutions based on HomePNA, HomePlug AV, and G.hn standards, as well as wireless connectivity solutions based on Ultra-wideband technology. Its standards are used for transferring Internet protocol content across coaxial cables, phone lines, a nd power lines to enable service providers to deliver IPTV solutions and other media-rich applications. The company?s video image processor product line comprises of semiconductors that provide video output for professional and prosumer applications. Its home control and energy management automation product line includes wireless transceiver devices along with a mesh networking protocol. The company offers its home connectivity products under the CopperGate; wireless connectivity solutions under the CoAir; video image processors under the VXP; and wireless transceiver devices under the Z-Wave brands. It also provides software elements, such as multimedia library, security management software, and porting adaptations. In addition, the company offers PC-based solutions. It sells its products through direct sales force, manufacturer representatives, and independent distributors primarily in Asia, Europe, and North America. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered i n Milpitas, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
One technology player that insiders are loading up on here is Sigma Designs (SIGM), which provides integrated chipset solutions that serve as the foundation for consumer products including televisions, set-top boxes and video networking products. Insiders are buying this stock into decent weakness, since shares are down by 13.9% in the last three months.
Sigma Designs has a market cap of $165 million and an enterprise value of $98 million. This stock trades at a premium valuation, with a forward price-to-earnings of 29.88. Its estimated growth rate for this year is 114.2%, and for next year it's pegged at -5.9%. This is a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $61.74 million and its total debt is zero.
The CEO just bought 454,546 shares, or $2.5 million worth of stock, at $5.50 per share.
From a technical perspective, SIGM is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is a bearish sign. This stock recently gapped down from $5.50 to below $4.40 a share with heavy downside volume. Following that move, shares of SIGM went on to hit a new low of $4.04 a share. That said, this stock has started to rebound off that $4.04 low and it's now moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.
If you're bullish on SIGM, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above some near-term support at $4.48 or above its recent low of $4.04, and then once breaks out above some near-term overhead resistance at $4.85 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 299,402 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then SIGM will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone that started at $5.500 a share. This stock could even tag $5.75 to $6.20 a share if that gap gets filled with strong upside volume flows.
- [By Rebecca McClay]
In earnings news today, a few companies are reporting after the closing bell, including H & R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB), which is up about 1%. Pike Electric Corp. (NYES: PIKE), Guidewire Software Inc. (NYSE: GWRE), and Sigma Designs Inc. (Nasdaq: SIGM) are also reporting quarterly earnings late this afternoon.
- [By John Udovich]
We have recently added small cap video chip stock Pixelworks, Inc (NASDAQ: PXLW) to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO)�as it stands to benefit from the growth in connecting HD quality video across all mobile device platforms, as well as Smart TVs; but Silicon Image, Inc (NASDAQ: SIMG) and Sigma Designs, Inc (NASDAQ: SIGM) are also providing chips for the video or entertainment markets. Moreover, all three of these small cap stocks have recently reported earnings that might leave you feeling even more bullish.
Top 5 Supermarket Stocks To Watch Right Now: LyondellBasell Industries NV(LYB)
LyondellBasell Industries N.V. manufacturers and sells chemicals and polymers, refines crude oil, produces gasoline blending components, and develops and licenses technologies for production of polymers. The company?s Olefins and Polyolefins segment offers olefins, including ethylene, propylene, and butadiene; aromatics, such as benzene and toluene; polyolefins, which comprise polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and linear low-density polyethylene; specialty polyolefins, including catalloy process resins, PP compounds, and polybutene-1 resins; and ethylene derivatives, which comprise ethanol. Its Intermediates and Derivatives segment provides propylene oxide (PO); PO co-products, including styrene monomers and TBA derivative isobutylene; PO derivatives, such as propylene glycol, propylene glycol ethers, and butanediol; acetyls, such as methanol, acetic acid, and vinyl acetate monomers; ethylene derivatives, which comprise ethylene oxide , ethylene glycol, and ethylene glycol ethers; and flavor and fragrance chemicals. The company?s Refining and Oxyfuels segment offers gasoline and components, ultra low sulfur diesel, jet fuel, and lube oils; diesel, feedstock, fuel oil, gasoline, and bitumen; and gasoline blending components, including methyl tertiary butyl ether, ethyl tertiary butyl ether, and alkylate. Its Technology segment develops and licenses polyolefin and other process technologies. This segment also develops, manufactures, and sells polyolefin catalysts, as well as provides technology services, which comprise safety reviews, training and start-up assistance, engineering services for process and product improvements, and manufacturing troubleshooting. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. has operations in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and internationally. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. is a subsidiary of Prochemie GmbH.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Specialty materials-maker LyondellBasel Industries� (NYSE: LYB ) �announced yesterday�that�it was raising its quarterly dividend payment by 25%, to $0.50 per share, as well as authorizing the repurchase of up to 10% of the company's outstanding shares.
- [By Lauren Pollock]
LyondellBasell Industries N.V.'s(LYB) third-quarter earnings edged up 0.8% as the plastics and chemicals company reported stronger profits in its olefins and polyolefins segments, though results were weaker in its intermediates and refining businesses. Results missed estimates, sending shares down 2% premarket�to $74.
Top 5 Supermarket Stocks To Watch Right Now: West Marine Inc (WMAR)
West Marine, Inc., incorporated in September 1993, is a specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories. The Company offers an assortment of merchandise for the boat and for the boater. It operates in three segments: Stores, Port Supply and Direct-to-Customer. The Company sells to both retail and wholesale customers in its Stores segment. In addition, the Company has three franchised stores in Turkey. The Company�� Port Supply segment is its wholesale segment. The Company�� Direct-to-Customer, which includes e-commerce, catalog and call center transactions. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Stores segment generated approximately 90% of its net revenues. During 2011, products shipped to Port Supply customers directly from its warehouses represented approximately 4% of its net revenues.
During 2011, its Direct Sales segment offered customers around the world more than 75,000 products and accounted for the remaining 6% of its net revenues. Private label products, which the Company sells under the West Marine, Black Tip, Third Reef, Pure Oceans, Lifesling, SeaVolt and Seafit brand names, usually are manufactured in Asia, the United States and Europe.
Stores Segment
During 2011, the Company opened six stores while closing 14 stores. In December 2011, it opened its Fort Lauderdale Boating Superstore, a 50,000 square foot flagship. Its flagship stores ranging in size from 21,000 to 50,000 square feet, offering an array of merchandise typically about 16,000 items, as well as displays designed to help customers make informed product selections. It also operates large format stores, standard-sized stores and smaller Express stores. Its large format stores range from 13,000 to 19,000 square feet and carry about 11,000 items. The standard-sized stores typically range from 6,000 to 12,000 square feet and carry over 6,000 items. Express stores typically range from 2,500 to 3,000 square feet and carry over 4,000 items, mainly hardware and other supplies needed! for day-to-day boat maintenance and repairs.
Port Supply Segment
Port Supply customers include businesses involved in boat sales, boat building, boat commissioning and repair, yacht chartering, marina operations and other boating-related activities. In addition, Port Supply sells to government and industrial customers who use its products for boating and non-boating purposes. Port Supply, the Company�� wholesale segment, serves wholesale customers seeking convenience and a larger assortment of products than those carried by typical distributors.
Direct-to-Customer Segment
The Company�� e-commerce Website provides its customers with access to a selection of approximately 75,000 products, product advisor tips and technical information, over 450 product videos and customer-submitted product reviews. This segment also provides customers with access to knowledgeable technical advisors who can assist its customers in understanding the various uses and applications of the products it sell. It operates a virtual call center from which its associates assist its customers by taking calls from their homes or from its support center in Watsonville, California. Its virtual call center supports sales generated through its e-commerce Website, catalogs and stores and provides customer service offerings.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Interactive Buyside]
West Marine (Nasdaq: WMAR) is an undervalued retailer. The company is going through a change in focus from a bricks and mortar boat product retailer to a fully integrated retail and wholesale business through bricks and clicks, targeting the boating and water enthusiast customer. Recent results have been affected by a severe rainy and cool spring which hurt boat usage and delayed the start of the season. The company has accelerated cash investments to build larger more productive stores and expand its ecommerce abilities, consequently affecting free cash flow short term. The stock lacks sponsorship as there is only one research report written on the company by a small boutique firm. The stock trades at only book value despite the company being the leading industry player with a solid balance sheet and significant net cash position.
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