Top 10 Construction Companies For 2015

Top 10 Construction Companies For 2015: Fortune Brands Home & Security Inc (FBHS)

Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc., incorporated on June 9, 1988, is engaged in home and security products with companies focused on the design, manufacture and sale of products in Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry, Plumbing & Accessories, advanced material windows & entry door Systems, and security and storage products. The Company operates through four business segments: Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry, Plumbing & Accessories, Advanced Material Windows & Door Systems, and Security & Storage. The Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry segment manufactures custom, semi-custom, and stock cabinetry for the kitchen, bath, and other areas of the home. Plumbing & Accessories segment manufactures and assembles faucets, accessories, and kitchen sinks. The Advanced Material Windows & Door Systems segment manufactures and sells fiberglass and steel entry door systems. The Security & Storage segment provides locks, safety, and security devices and electronic security products. In June 2013, Fortune Brands Home & Security Inc completed the acquisition of WoodCrafters Home Products.

Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry

The Companys Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry segments products includes brand names, such as Aristokraft, Omega, Kitchen Craft, Schrock, Diamond, HomeCrest, Decora, Kemper, Thomasville and Martha Stewart Living. Principally all of this segments sales are in North America. The Company sells directly to kitchen and bath dealers, home centers, wholesalers and builders. During the year ended December 31, 2012, sales to The Home Depot and Lowe's consisted of approximately 32% of net sales of the Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry segment.

The Company competes with Masco and American Woodmark.

Plumbing & Accessories

The Plumbing & Accessories segment manufactures accessories and kitchen sinks in North America, China and India, predominantly under the Moen brand. The sells its Plumbing & Accessories produ! cts principally in the Un ited States and Canada. It also sells them in China, India, Mexico, South America and Southeast Asia. It sells directly through its own sales force and indirectly through independent manufacturers representatives, primarily to wholesalers, home centers, mass merchandisers and industrial distributors. During 2012, sales to The Home Depot and Lowe's consisted of approximately 29% of net sales of the Plumbing & Accessories segment.

The Company competes with Delta, Kohler, Pfister and American Standard.

Advanced Material Windows & Door Systems

The Companys Advanced Material Windows & Door Systems segment manufactures fiberglass and steel entry door systems, vinyl-framed window and patio doors, and urethane millwork product lines. Therma-Tru products include fiberglass and steel residential entry door and patio door systems, primarily for sale in the United States and Canada. Simonton brand of vinyl-framed windows and patio doors are m ainly manufactured and sold in the United States. The segments principal customers are home centers, millwork building products and wholesale distributors, and specialty dealers that provide products to the residential new construction market, as well as to the remodeling and renovation markets. During 2012, sales to The Home Depot and Lowes comprised approximately 17% of net sales of the Advanced Material Windows & Door Systems segment.

The Company competes with Masonite, JELD-WEN and Plastpro, Silverline, Atrium and Milgard.

Security & Storage

The Companys Security & Storage segment consists of locks, safety and security devices, and electronic security products manufactured, sourced and distributed by Master Lock and tool storage and garage organization products manufactured by Waterloo. The segment sells products principally in the United States Canada, Europe, Australia and Central America. Master Lock manufactures and sel ls key-controlled and combination padlocks, ! bicycle a! nd cable locks, built-in locker locks, door hardware, automotive, trailer and towing locks, and other specialty safety and security devices. Master Lock sells products for consumer use to hardware and other retail outlets, wholesale distributors and home centers, industrial and institutional users, original equipment manufacturers and retail outlets. During 2012, Security & Storage sales to international markets comprised approximately 20% of sales.

Waterloo manufactures tool storage and garage organization products, steel toolboxes, tool chests, workbenches and related products. Waterloo primarily sells to Sears retail stores. In addition, Waterloo sells under the Waterloo and private-label brand names to specialty industrial and automotive dealers, mass merchandisers, home centers and hardware stores.

The Company competes with Asian importers, Homak, Stanley Black & Decker, Snap-On, Kennedy, St ack-On and others in the metal storage segment and with Stanley Black & Decker, Keter, Newell Rubbermaid

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Despite economic and political turmoil, equity markets performed well across the board in September of 2013 and over the trailing twelve months. The September gains reversed losses in August and also resulted in positive overall quarterly performance with a number of major indexes moving further into record territory. After disturbing the markets in May and June with comments that they may taper Quantitative Easing (QE), the Fed surprised investors with an announcement that it would not reduce its asset purchases in the near-term. The announcement removed fears that a continued rise in interest rates may stall the economic recovery, as seen by the market's negative reaction to the sharp rise in the 10-year Treasury rate in August of 2013. Investors were also comforted by improving fundamentals both domestically and abroad. The Eurozone may finally be emerging from its prolonged recession and a number of economic re! ports in ! the U.S. continue to show progress. Specifically, initial unemployment claims dropped to a multiyear low early in September and the housing market continued to improve, as evidenced by prices rising 12.4 percent year-over year, which along with the stock market's strength, has created a positive wealth effect for consumers. In response to this general economic improvement, consumer confidence increased at the end of September, and the index of leading economic indicators ticked up as well, suggesting that, absent the effects of politics, the recovery in the real economy was continuing. Our portfolios that focus on corporate restructuring (Keeley Small Cap Value, Keeley Small-Mid Cap Value, Keeley Mid Cap Value, Keeley All Cap Value, and Keeley Alternative Value) have all experienced a productive investment cycle with respect to their opportunity sets, and many of our holdings have posted impressive results in recent quarters. Although we acknowledge an improving economy has boosted the outlook for our more cyclical holdings , our research has gu

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Home security products distributor Fortune Brands Home and Security (FBHS) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 12 cents per share, payable on March 19 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 28.
  FBHS Dividend Yield: 1.13%

• [By John Udovich]

  After the bedroom, the kitchen is probably the place where we spend the most time awake in our homes with small cap kitchen stocks Caesarstone Sdot-Yam Ltd (NASDAQ: CSTE) and American Woodmark Corporation (NASDAQ: AMWD) along with diversified midcap Fortune Brands Home & Security Inc (NYSE: FBHS) all putting in a good performance. After all, any sort of housing recovery with more new homes being sold willhelp kitchen stocks and so will increased sales of older or foreclosed homes that need to have their kitchens remodeled. But which is the better kitchen stock for investors? Here iscloser look at all three:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: ! Shares of! Fortune Brands Home & Security (NYSE: FBHS  ) jumped as much as 11% in early trading after the company released earnings.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-10-construction-companies-for-2015-3.html