"And, by the way, the bulk of the billions in Berkshire Hathaway has come from the better businesses. ... And most of the other people who've made a lot of money have done so in high-quality businesses."
-- Charlie Munger�
At Tier 1 Investments, a Motley Fool Real-Money Portfolio, I seek out and invest in elite businesses. These include companies with the most valuable brands, best management, superior products and services, and strongest competitive advantages. This strategy has proved to be very effective, with Tier 1 returning 49% since its inception nearly two ago, which has outperformed the S&P 500 by nearly five percentage points during that time.
But I also appreciate the power of dividend growth when it comes to earning market-beating returns. In fact, a study by C. Thomas Howard published in Advisor Perspectives found that for every percentage point a stock's yield rises, its annual return increases by 0.22 percentage points if it's a large cap, 0.25 if it's a mid cap, and 0.46 if it's a small cap. Even better, Howard found that dividend-growing stocks outperformed dividend cutters by 10 percentage points per year from 1973 to 2010 and beat both flat- and no-dividend stocks. And the icing on the cake is that Howard showed that this outperformance came with a third less volatility. Higher returns, less volatility-induced stress, and a steadily growing income stream -- three powerful aspects of dividend growth investing that can help you grow your wealth.
5 Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks For 2015: Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc (RHP)
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (Ryman), incorporated on June 21, 2012, is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company�� segments consist of Hospitality, which include its hotel properties and the results of hotel operations, and Opry and Attractions, which includes its Grand Ole Opry assets, WSM-AM and its Nashville attractions. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Ryman�� owned assets included a network of four upscale, meetings-focused resorts totaling 7,795 rooms that were managed by lodging operator Marriott International, Inc. (Marriott) under the Gaylord Hotels brand. These four resorts, Gaylord Hotels properties, consist of the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee (Gaylord Opryland), the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center near Orlando, Florida (Gaylord Palms), the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center near Dallas, Texas (Gaylord Texan) and the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington D.C. (Gaylord National). Other owned assets managed by Marriott include Gaylord Springs Golf Links (Gaylord Springs), the Wildhorse Saloon, the General Jackson Showboat (General Jackson) and the Inn at Opryland, a 303-room overflow hotel adjacent to Gaylord Opryland. It also owns and operates a ranger of media and entertainment assets, including the Grand Ole Opry, the weekly showcase of country music�� performers for nearly 90 years; the Ryman Auditorium, the storied former home of the Grand Ole Opry located in downtown Nashville; and WSM-AM, the Opry�� radio home.
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center - Nashville, Tennessee
Gaylord Opryland is a convention destinations in the United States based upon number of rooms, exhibit space and conventions held. Designed with gardens and expansive atrium areas, the resort is situated on approximately 172 acres in the Opryland complex. As of Gaylord Opryland has a range of themed restaurants, retail outlets, and a full-service spa with 27,000 square feet of sp! ace and 12 treatment rooms. It also serves as a destination resort for vacationers due to its proximity to the Grand Ole Opry, the General Jackson Showboat, the Gaylord Springs Golf Links (Gaylord�� 18-hole championship golf course), and other attractions in the Nashville area. Gaylord Opryland has 2,882 signature guest rooms, four ballrooms with approximately 127,000 square feet, 111 banquet/meeting rooms, and total meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 640,000 square feet.
Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center - Kissimmee, Florida
During 2012, Gaylord Palms had 1,406 signature guest rooms, three ballrooms with approximately 76,000 square feet, 76 banquet/meeting rooms, and total meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 400,000 square feet. The resort is situated on a 65-acre site in Osceola County, Florida. Gaylord Palms has a range of themed restaurants, retail outlets and a full-service spa, with 20,000 square feet of dedicated space and 25 treatment rooms. It also has a resort pool and a 2-story sports bar complex opened at Gaylord Palms. Hotel guests also have golf privileges at Falcon�� Fire Golf Club.
Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center - Grapevine, Texas
Gaylord Texan is situated on approximately 85 acres and is located approximately six minutes from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The hotel features an expansive atrium, 1,511 signature guest rooms, three ballrooms with approximately 85,000 square feet, 70 banquet/meeting rooms, and total meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 400,000 square feet. The property also includes a range of themed restaurants, retail outlets and a full-service spa with 25,000 square feet of dedicated space and 12 treatment rooms. Guests also have access to the adjacent Cowboys Golf Club. The Company has Glass Cactus entertainment complex, an approximately 39,000 square feet venue with a performance stage, dance floor, and a two-story! outdoor ! deck, on land we own adjacent to the hotel.
Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center - National Harbor, Maryland
Gaylord National is situated on approximately 42 acres of land located on the Potomac River in Prince George�� County, Maryland, eight miles south of Washington. During 2012, the hotel had 1,996 signature guest rooms, four ballrooms with approximately 103,000 square feet, 82 conference and breakout rooms, and total meeting, exhibit and pre-function space of approximately 470,000 square feet. The hotel complex includes an 18-story glass atrium, a 20,000 square foot spa and fitness center with 12 treatment rooms, and entertainment options, such as restaurants, shops, and a two-story rooftop nightclub.
Inn at Opryland
The Company also owns the Inn at Opryland, which is located across the street from Gaylord Opryland. During 2012, the hotel had 303 rooms and approximately 14,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a platform for country music. The Opry features a live country music show with performances every Friday and Saturday night, as well as additional weekly performances on a seasonal basis. The Opry House, home of the Grand Ole Opry, seats approximately 4,400 and is located in the Opryland complex. Each week, the Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live to millions of country lifestyle consumers on radio via WSM-AM and Sirius/XM Radio and streamed on the Internet. Special episodes of the Grand Ole Opry are also broadcast on television via the Great American Country network. The show has been broadcast since 1925 on WSM-AM, making it the longest running live radio program in the United States. In addition to performances by its members, the Grand Ole Opry presents performances by many other country music artists.
Ryman Auditorium
The Ryman Auditorium is designated as a National Historic Landmark. The former home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditor! ium re-op! ened for concerts and musical productions.
The General Jackson Showboat
The Company owns the General Jackson Showboat, a 300-foot, four-deck paddle wheel showboat, on the Cumberland River, which flows past the Gaylord Opryland complex in Nashville. Its Victorian Theatre can seat 600 people for banquets and 1,000 people for theater-style presentations. The showboat stages Broadway-style shows and other theatrical productions. The General Jackson is one of many sources of entertainment that is available to conventions held at Gaylord Opryland. During the day, it operates cruises, primarily serving tourists visiting the Gaylord Opryland complex and the Nashville area.
Gaylord Springs
Gaylord Springs consists of 40,000 square-foot antebellum-style clubhouse offers meeting space for up to 500 guests. Marriott assumed the management of the day-to-day operations of Gaylord Springs.
The Wildhorse Saloon
The Company has owned the Wildhorse Saloon, a country music performance venue on Second Avenue in downtown Nashville. The three-story facility includes a dance floor of approximately 2,000 square feet, as well as a restaurant and banquet facility that can accommodate up to 2,000 guests.
WSM-AM
WSM-AM is broadcast from the Gaylord Opryland complex in Nashville and has a country music format. WSM-AM station�� signal transmits 50,000 watt transmitter.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jim Royal]
The latest buy for my Special Situations portfolio is Ryman Hospitality (NYSE: RHP ) . The company operates four of the top 10 largest convention hotels in the U.S., and it converted to a REIT late last year, making it more likely to trade for a higher multiple. In March, I bought $2,000 of the stock, and it has since done little but go down. But Ryman is a solid company with premier properties that deserves to trade at a premium to peers, rather than a steep discount. So I'm adding another $1,000 to my position.
Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Levon Resources Ltd (LVNVF)
Levon Resources Ltd. (Levon) is an exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of natural resource properties in Mexico. The Company is focusing on silver and gold exploration. The Company owns approximately 50% leasehold interest in certain claims in the Lillooet Mining Division, British Columbia. It also owns approximately 50% interest in certain mineral claims in the Gold Bridge area, Lillooet Mining Division, British Columbia. The Cordero Sanson Property (Cordero) is located near Hidalgo Del Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico. Levon holds approximately 50% interest in certain lode mining claims located in Lander County, Nevada. It owns certain mineral claims in the Lillooet Mining Division, British Columbia. Advisors' Opinion:- [By ValueInvestor7]
I listen to investing advice from self-made billionaire investors, and I try to ignore advice from everyone else. I suspect readers on this website will appreciate this, where thankfully the Focus is still Gurus. To this end, I bring you the instructive story of Pershing Gold Corp (PGLC) and Levon Resources (TSE: LVN) (LVNVF).
Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc.(AFOP)
Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of a range of fiber optic components and integrated modules incorporating these components to communications equipment manufacturers and service providers in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company offers interconnect devices that are used to connect optical fibers and components; couplers and splitters that are used to divide and combine optical power; and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) devices that separate and combine multiple specific wavelengths. Its connectivity products include connectivity modules; optical connectors, adapters, and cable assemblies; fused and planar fiber optical splitters and couplers; optical tap couplers and ultra low polarization dependent loss tap couplers; amplifier wave division multiplexing (WDM) couplers; optical fixed attenuators; and fused fiber WDM couplers. The company?s optical passive products comprise filter WDMs, amplifier fil ter WDMs, DWDMs, coarse WDMs, compact coarse WDMs, add/drop DWDM filters, optical isolators, optical bypass switches, and automatic variable optical attenuators. Its products are deployed in long-haul networks that connect cities; metropolitan networks that connect areas within cities; last mile access networks that connect to individual businesses and homes; and enterprise networks within businesses. The company sells its products to communications equipment manufacturers who incorporate its products into their systems and sell them to network service providers, as well as to other component manufacturers for resale or inclusion in their products. Alliance Fiber Optic Products, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Michael A. Robinson]
During the same five years, a small-cap play on high-speed digital networks did almost as well. Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (Nasdaq: AFOP) has rallied nearly 785%, turning $25,000 into $221,250.
- [By Harry Boxer]
On the long side, Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (AFOP) �has held support at around 17.00 and bounced, reaching 20.43 intraday on Tuesday, before closing at 20.04. That was a gain of 35 cents, or 1.78%, on 1.1 million shares, an increase in volume. It's near resistance. It did back off 20.64, the high it had about two weeks ago, and if it can get through that, it should test 21.00, and then 24.00, my targets.
- [By Michael A. Robinson]
Enter Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (Nasdaq: AFOP). Basically, Alliance helps make fiber-optic technology possible for homes and businesses.
- [By Alex Planes]
What: Shares of Alliance Fiber Optic Products (NASDAQ: AFOP ) have surged nearly 13% today after the company bested the Street's earnings consensus and offered strong guidance for the upcoming quarter.
Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Calwest Bancorp (CALW)
CalWest Bancorp owns South County Bank, National Association. The Company is the holding company for South County Bank N.A. South County Bank operates in four divisions: business solutions, professional division, personal services and online banking. Business solutions are engaged in deposit services, cash management solutions and loan services. Professional division is engaged in physicians, dentists, veterinarians, attorneys and certified public accountants. Personal services include deposit services and loan services. Online banking includes personal login, cash management login, cash management demos and user resources.
Business solutions
Deposit services include analysis checking, unlimited checking, interest checking, money market savings, sweep accounts, zero balance accounting, payroll services and merchant card processing. Cash management services include eCorp online banking, remote deposit, electronic payments, positive pay, mobile banking, cash vault and armored transport. Its loan services include business lines of credit, commercial term loans, commercial real estate loans, equipment loans, SBA financing, construction loans and accounts receivable financing.
Professional division
Veterinarians provide deposit services, cash management services and lending services. Attorneys and certified public accountants also include deposit services, cash management services and lending services
Personal services
Deposit services include online banking, checking, saving, money market, certified deposit and retirement accounts. Its loan services include overdraft protection, home equity lines and vehicle financing.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, CALW remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.370 thus far (ref. google finance 10:58AM EDT July 24, 2013).
CalWest Bancorp previously reported the consolidated financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2013. Significant items for the period ending June 30, 2013 include:
Quarterly net income of $50,000, compared to the previous quarter profit of $12,000;
No additional loan loss provision required; resulting in the allowance for loan loss (ALL) ratio decreasing slightly from 6.20% to 5.95%;
Total assets were flat at $144 million, with new business offsetting run-off;
Non-performing loans reduced significantly in 2013 by 41% quarter-over-quarter; and are down $1.9 million from a year ago;
Non-interest bearing deposits maintained at 35% of total deposits, helping reduce the Bank�� cost-of-deposits to 0.40% from 0.48% a year ago;
The increase in Net Interest Income offset the reduction in Non-Interest Income as increased focus is placed on core earnings;
Non-interest expenses continue to improve, decreasing 2% quarter-over-quartee
Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Cyberonics Inc (CYBX)
Cyberonics, Inc. (Cyberonics), incorporated in 1987, is a medical device company. The Company is engaged in the design, development, sales and marketing of implantable medical devices that provide a neuromodulation therapy, vagus nerve stimulation therapy (VNS Therapy), for the treatment of refractory epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and other device solutions for the management of epilepsy.VNS Therapy System includes an implantable pulse generator to provide stimulation to the vagus nerve; a lead that connects the generator to the vagus nerve; equipment to assist with implantation surgery; equipment to assist with setting the stimulation parameters for each patient; instruction manuals, and magnets to suspend or induce stimulation manually. The VNS Therapy pulse generator and lead are surgically implanted into patients generally during an outpatient procedure. The VNS Therapy System consists of a pulse generator, a bipolar lead, a programming wand and software and a tunneling tool.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Company's VNS Therapy System in July 1997 for use as an adjunctive therapy in epilepsy patients over 12 years of age for reducing the frequency of partial onset seizures that are refractory or resistant to antiepileptic drugs. Regulatory bodies in Canada, the European Economic Area, certain countries in Eastern Europe, Russia, South America, Africa, Australia and certain countries in Asia, including Japan, China and Taiwan, have approved the VNS Therapy System for the treatment of epilepsy, many without age restrictions or seizure-type limitations. In July 2005, the FDA approved the Company's VNS Therapy System for the adjunctive long-term treatment of chronic or recurrent depression for patients 18 years of age or older who are experiencing a depressive episode and have not had an adequate response to four or more adequate anti-depressant treatments. Regulatory bodies in the European Economic Area, Canada and Israel have approv! ed the Company's VNS Therapy System for the treatment of chronic or recurrent depression in patients who are in a treatment-resistant or treatment-intolerant depressive episode without age restrictions.
In February 2011, the Company announced FDA approval of its fifth generation generator, the AspireHC generator. In August 2011, the Company announced that the Company discovered a hardware-related design issue with the AspireHC Model 105 and AspireSR (Seizure Response) Model 106 generators. In December 2011, the FDA approved the Company's re-designed AspireHC generator, and the Company resumed its limited commercial release of the generator in the United States.
Pulse Generator
The pulse generator is an implantable, programmable signal generator designed to be coupled with the bipolar lead to deliver mild electrical pulses to the vagus nerve. The pulse generator is a battery-powered device. Before or upon depletion of the battery, the pulse generator may be removed and a new generator implanted in a short, outpatient procedure. The Model 102 (Pulse), Model 102R (Pulse Duo ), Model 103 (Demipulse), Model 104 (Demipulse Duo) and Model 105 (AspireHC), are the VNS Therapy pulse generators the Company offers and are similar in design and manufactures to a cardiac pacemaker.
Bipolar Lead
The bipolar lead conducts the electrical signal from the pulse generator to the vagus nerve. The lead incorporates electrodes, which are self-sizing, minimizing mechanical trauma to the nerve. The lead's two electrodes and anchor tether wrap around the vagus nerve, and the connector end is tunneled subcutaneously to the upper chest area, where it attaches to the pulse generator. The Company offers three lead models in the United States. The leads are available in two inner spiral diameter sizes to ensure optimal electrode placement on different-sized nerves.
Programming Wand and Software
The Company's programming wand and software are us! ed to int! errogate the implanted pulse generator and to transmit programming information from a handheld computer to the pulse generator via an inductive coupling. Programming capabilities include modification of the pulse generator's programmable parameters (pulse width, amplitude and frequency and stimulation ON and OFF intervals) and storage and retrieval of telemetry data.
Tunneling Tool
The tunneling tool is a single use, sterile, disposable surgical tool designed to be used during surgical placement of the bipolar lead. The tool is used for subcutaneous tunneling of the lead between the nerve site in the neck and the pulse generator site in the upper chest area.
Accessory Pack
The accessory pack includes two resistor assemblies used to test the function of the device prior to implantation, the bipolar lead tie-downs and one hex screwdriver. The patient kit includes two magnets, one watch-style and one pager-style.
The Company competes with Medtronic, Inc., NeuroSigma Inc. and CerboMed GmbH.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
Another potential earnings short-squeeze candidate is implantable medical devices player Cyberonics (CYBX), which is set to release numbers on Thursday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Cyberonics to report revenue of $74.05 million on earnings of 55 cents per share.
Read More: 5 Breakout Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar
The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Cyberonics is rather high at 11.6%. That means that out of the 21.65 million shares in the tradable float, 2.52 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 4%, or by about 97,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a strong quarter, then shares of CYBX could easily rip sharply higher post-earnings as the shorts rush to cover some of their trades.
From a technical perspective, CYBX is currently trending above its 50-day moving average and just below its 200-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $55.75 to $56.56 a share. Following that bottom, shares of CYBX have started to trend back above its 50-day moving average of $59.83 a share and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above some key overhead resistance levels.
If you're bullish on CYBX, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $63.65 to $64.08 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 228,522 shares. If that breakout materializes post-earnings, then CYBX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $67.12 to $69.18 a share, or even $72 to its 52-week high at $73.52 a share.
I would avoid CYBX or look for short-biased trades if after earnin
- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Cyberonics (Nasdaq: CYBX ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Quality Distribution Inc. (QLTY)
Quality Distribution, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the truckload transportation of bulk chemicals primarily in North America. The company involves in the bulk transportation of liquid and dry chemicals, including plastics, as well as bulk dry and liquid food-grade products. It also provides intermodal ISO tank container transportation and depot services; tank cleaning, heating, testing, maintenance, and storage services; and local and over-the-road trucking services. The company?s bulk service network consists primarily of independently owned third-party affiliate terminals, independent owner-operator drivers, and own terminals. As of December 31, 2010, it managed a fleet of approximately 2,900 tractors and 5,700 trailers; and operated 91 independent affiliate trucking terminals and 3 own trucking terminals. Quality Distribution also operates 8 ISO tank container transportation and depot service terminals. The company was formerly known as MTL, Inc. and changed its name to Quality Distribution, Inc. in 1999. Quality Distribution, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Margins matter. The more Quality Distribution (Nasdaq: QLTY ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Quality Distribution's competitive position could be.
Top 10 Mid Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Tenaris S.A.(TS)
Tenaris S.A., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of steel pipe products. The company produces and sells both seamless and welded steel tubular products and related services for the oil and gas industry, particularly oil country tubular goods used in drilling operations, and certain other industrial applications with a production process that consists in the transformation of steel into tubular products. It also offers welded steel pipe products primarily used in the construction of major pipeline projects for the transportation of gas and fluids. In addition, the company provides sucker rods, casing and tubing, drill pipes, thermal tubulars, coiled tubing, premium connections, pipe accessories, welded steel pipes for electric conduits, industrial equipment, and raw materials. Further, it involves in the ownership and licensing of steel technology, as well as in the financial sector. The company serves oil and gas companies, car manufacturers, ref ineries, and petrochemical and gas-processing plants, as well as engineering companies engaged in constructing oil and gas gathering, transportation, and processing facilities. It operates in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East, and Oceania. The company is headquartered in Luxembourg. Tenaris S.A. is a subsidiary of San Faustin N.V.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Bieglmeier]
Tenaris SA (TS) shares are outperforming the market today. The extra oomph comes via an upgrade from Goldman Sachs. Analyst, Henry Tarr lifted his recommendation to "Neutral" from "Sell."
- [By ovenerio]
The company has a current ROE of 11.72% which is higher than the industry median. In general, analysts consider ROE ratios in the 15-20% range as representing attractive levels for investment. So for investors looking those levels or more, Halliburton (HAL) and Tenaris (TS) could be the option. It is very important to understand this metric before investing, and it is important to look at the trend in ROE over time.
- [By Charles Sizemore]
One option is via the Global X FTSE Argentina 20 ETF (ARGT), a basic of liquid Argentine stocks. ARGT is heavily weighted in international oil and gas pipeline maker Tenaris (TS) and in state oil company YPF(YPF), at 20% and 13% of the portfolio, respectively.
- [By GURUFOCUS]
Maverick appeared to be one of the few bargains still available in the oils service and equipment sector in 2005. Shareholders were rewarded a year later when the company was acquired by Tenaris (TS) at a price of 65 dollars a share in June of 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment