Monday, October 20, 2014

5 Best Asian Stocks For 2014

On Jul 9, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Cigna Corp. (CI) to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Why the Upgrade?

Cigna delivered positive earnings surprises in the last 4 quarters with an average beat of 13.8%.

Cigna is strongly poised to record earnings growth given a number of strategic investments undertaken. The long-term earnings growth for the company is presently pegged at 11.3%.

The company is focusing more on international expansion. Its global businesses have historically delivered double-digit revenue and earnings growth with very attractive margins and capital efficiency. Cigna is specifically eyeing the key Asian markets where the growing middle class demands better care.

Moreover, with the acquisition of HealthSpring, Cigna expanded in the Seniors and Medicare business. The acquisition of HealthSpring is likely to drive growth going forward and will be highly accretive on a cash basis.

Exiting its Run-off Reinsurance businesses is also a positive, as it was a significant liability on the Cigna.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Own For 2015: Simon Property Group Inc.(SPG)

Simon Property Group, Inc. is a real estate investment trust. The firm engages in investment, ownership, and management of properties. It invests in the real estate markets across the globe. The firm?s portfolio includes regional malls, premium outlet centers, the mills, community / lifestyle centers, and international properties. Simon Property Group was founded in 1960 and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Will Ashworth]

    REITs such as Simon Property Group (SPG) and General Growth Properties (GGP) have enterprise values that are 20 times EBITDA, while LTM stock putters along at slightly less than nine times EBITDA.

5 Best Asian Stocks For 2014: Credit Lyonnais SA (CLP)

Cr茅dit Lyonnais Group is engaged in retail financial services, asset management and investment and corporate banking. The Company's banking activities include personal banking, professional and small business banking, e-banking and middle market banking. The Company offers cash management and associated services, international business, advisory services and corporate finance. Its asset management services are involved in mutual funds, institutional clients and defining the investment strategy for the domestic private banking unit. The Company also offers structured finance, export finance and international trade finance. Cr茅dit Lyonnais has a network of 1,834 branches in France and operations in 55 countries worldwide. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Apartment-only real estate investment trust�Mid-America Apartment Communities� (NYSE: MAA  ) once again is snapping up properties, this time announcing Monday that it is adding�multifamily housing operator Colonial Properties Trust (NYSE: CLP  ) to its portfolio in an $8.6 billion transaction.�

  • [By Sean Williams]

    Another growth driver looks to be its pending $8.6 billion merger with Colonial Properties Trust (NYSE: CLP  ) . The combined entity would become the second-largest U.S. based residential REIT, with 85,000 apartment units. Opposition to the deal from some of Colonial's shareholders does exist, but comparatively speaking, MAA is in great shape either way. It already has a high occupancy rate, and the addition of Colonial's properties would only further serve to enhance its rental pricing power.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Multifamily real estate investment trust�Colonial Properties Trust (NYSE: CLP  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.21 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 17% from $0.18 per share.

5 Best Asian Stocks For 2014: Williams Partners L.P.(WPZ)

Williams Partners L.P. focuses on natural gas transportation, gathering, treating and processing, storage, natural gas liquid fractionation, and oil transportation activities in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Gas Pipeline, and Midstream Gas and Liquids. The Gas Pipeline segment owns and operates approximately 13,900 miles of pipelines with annual throughput of approximately 2,700 trillion British thermal units of natural gas and delivery capacity of approximately 13 million dekatherms of gas. This segment also owns interests in joint venture interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline systems. The Midstream Gas and Liquids segment includes natural gas gathering, processing, and treating facilities; and crude oil gathering and transportation facilities that serve the producing basins in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, the Gulf of Mexico, and Pennsylvania. Williams Partners GP LLC serves as the general partner of the company. Williams Partners L.P . was founded in 2005 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jonas Elmerraji]

    You'd be forgiven for thinking that natural gas pipeline owner Williams Partners (WPZ) is a commodity-driven stock. It certainly seems like one at first glance. But while this master limited partnership owns one of the largest midstream natural gas operations in the country, it's not a commodity-driven play. It's an income play.

    Williams owns one of the largest pipeline networks in the country, transporting natgas in huge volumes. It also operates a huge midstream operation that gathers and processes natgas with a focus on the lucrative Marcellus shale. But more than three-quarters of WPZ's cash comes from fee-based sources that aren't subject to swings in commodity prices (the firm makes most of its money by charging customers to transport their gas). That, and the tax advantages of a MLP, mean that this stock was basically purpose-built for building income. And a huge 7.05% dividend yield proves it.

    After spending several years in acquisition mode, Williams owns a mature portfolio of assets that should continue to pay off in the years to come. Hedge funds made a big bet on WPZ, buying up 6.22 million shares in the most recent quarter. Collectively, that entitles funds to a $62 million dividend payout in the year ahead.

5 Best Asian Stocks For 2014: Alaska Communications Systems Group Inc.(ALSK)

Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. provides integrated communications services primarily in Alaska. The company operates in two segments, Wireline and Wireless. The Wireline segment offers voice, broadband data, internet access, long distance, and other communications products and services; local exchange network and network connectivity solutions; voice and broadband termination services to inter and intrastate carriers; and multi-protocol label switching, metro Ethernet, network access, and other information technology infrastructure hosting and management services. This segment serves business customers; multi-national corporations; municipal, state, and federal governments; residential customers; small and medium sized businesses; governmental entities; and other telecommunications carriers. The Wireless segment provides facilities-based voice, data, and other value-added services, as well as equipment sales services; and operates 14 retail stores. As of Decembe r 31, 2011, its wireless network supported approximately 118,000 connections. Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Equities Lab]

    The stocks that currently pass the stock screen in order of market cap are Frontier Communications Corp , Crown Media Holdings (CRWN), Vonage Holding (VG), MCG Capital Corp (MCGC), 1-800-FLOWERS.COM (FLWS), MTR Gaming Corporation (MNTG), Alaska Communications (ALSK), and Enzon Pharmaceuticals (ENZN).

  • [By Dan Radovsky]

    For what that means to a telecom operating in the 49th state, read what Alaska Communications (NASDAQ: ALSK  ) CEO Anand Vadapalli touted during his company's second quarter 2012 earnings conference call after it got the iPhone:

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