The stocks that have richly rewarded their shareholders for several decades have some qualities in common. In particular, they offer products and services that people and businesses can hardly do without. There are certain everyday things that people are reluctant to spend less on, even in times of financial distress.
Investors can use history as a guide: The stocks that will be around to reward investors down the line probably share the qualities that allowed them to reward shareholders in the past -- namely, strong brands, reliable cash flows, and a history of making dividend payments.
Stocks for the long run
Companies including Pepsico (NYSE: PEP ) , Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ ) , and 3M Company (NYSE: MMM ) have churned out rising profits year in and year out for decades.
Pepsi's namesake soda, as well as its many other consumer brands, can be found in nearly every home across America. Pepsi has taken steps to diversify its product portfolio outside of carbonated beverages, and its stable of offerings now includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, and Quaker Oats. In all, Pepsi holds 22 brands that bring in at least $1 billion each in annual sales.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: Crumbs Bake Shop Inc (CRMB)
Crumbs Bake Shop, Inc., formerly 57th Street General Acquisition Corp., incorporated on October 29, 2009, is owner of Crumbs Holdings LLC (Crumbs), a neighborhood bakery and a retailer of cupcakes. As of November 1, 2011, Crumbs had 43 locations, including 29 locations in the New York Metro area, nine locations on the West Coast, three locations in Washington, D.C., one location in Virginia and one location in Chicago. The specialty of the house is cupcakes; however, the menu also includes a blend of baked goods. On May 5, 2011, the Company merged with Crumbs.
The Company offers a range of Signature and Taste size cupcakes. Signature cupcakes are ordered in increments of six. One can create its own individual six packs or choose a pre-selected assortment. Its Taste size cupcakes are offered by the dozen in pre-selected favorites assortments. There are more than 60 varieties of cupcakes baked fresh daily with a new cupcake of the week debuting each Monday.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Kyle Woodley]
I love cupcakes. More specifically, I love Crumbs Bake Shop (CRMB) cupcakes. I absolutely do.
That�� why it pains me to say that CRMB stock is dead money.
- [By John Kell and Tess Stynes var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); p]
Crumbs Bake Shop Inc.(CRMB) said interim Chief Executive Edward M. Slezak has been named permanently to post, while also announcing that its board has appointed Frederick G. Kraegel as chairman.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: Cott Corp (COT)
Cott Corporation (Cott), incorporated on December 31, 2006, is a producers of beverages on behalf of retailers, brand owners and distributors. The Company�� product lines include carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), 100% shelf stable juice and juice-based products, clear, still and sparkling flavored waters, energy products, sports products, new age beverages, and ready-to-drink teas, as well as alcoholic beverages for brand owners. The Company operates in five segments: North America (which includes the United States operating segment and Canada operating segment), the United Kingdom (which includes its United Kingdom reporting unit and its Continental European reporting unit), Mexico, Royal Crown International (RCI) and All Other. The Company markets or supplies over 500 retailer, licensed and Company-owned brands in its four core geographic segments. In March of 2012, its U.K. reporting segment acquired a beverage and wholesale business based in Scotland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Roberto Pedone]
Cott (COT) is engaged in the production of beverages on behalf of retailers and distributors. This stock closed up 4.5% to $8.75 a share in Thursday's trading session.
Thursday's Range: $8.29-$8.84
52-Week Range: $7.24-$11.25
Thursday's Volume: 1.82 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 466,884From a technical perspective, COT jumped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $8.14 with monster upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $7.39 to its intraday high of $8.84. During that move, shares of COT have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of COT within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if COT manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $8.84 to $9 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in COT as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $8.14 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 466,884 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then COT will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $9.50 to 10.25. Any high-volume move above $10.25 will then give COT a chance to re-fill its previous gap-down zone from May that stared near $11.
- [By Nicole Seghetti]
Private-label pressures
Regardless, private labels are becoming a bigger problem for companies such as Kraft and, to a lesser extent, Mondelez. According to an industry profile compiled by First Research, these brands typically cost 20% to 40% less than name-brand products. Couple that with the fact that more consumers are ditching big brands, and we can easily see why ConAgra (NYSE: CAG ) , Cott (NYSE: COT ) , and others are continually strengthening their private-label positions. - [By Dan Caplinger]
But SodaStream is continuing to pull out all stops in order to improve its results. SodaStream's recent partnership with Samsung to incorporate carbonation technology into high-end refrigerators could help drive growth for consumers who don't want to deal with a separate appliance in their kitchens. Moreover, SodaStream's deal in March with bottler Cott (NYSE: COT ) to produce soda syrup within the U.S. should help it boost its efficiency in getting flavors to domestic customers.
- [By Lee Jackson]
Cott Corp. (NYSE: COT) stock has pulled back some 30% from its 52-week high of $11.25 after second-quarter market conditions were presented as “challenging.” However, the dividend was reinstated after a ten-year hiatus, and the company bought back $6 million worth of shares in the second quarter. The company mainly does business in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico, but it also sells beverage concentrate to 50 other countries. Deutsche Bank rates Cott as a stock to buy and has an $11 price target. The consensus is posted at $10. Investors are paid a decent 2.9% dividend. The Friday close for Cott was $7.87.
Best Value Stocks To Own Right Now: Fuel Systems Solutions Inc.(FSYS)
Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, and supply of alternative fuel components and systems for use in the transportation, industrial, and power generation markets worldwide. Its components and systems control the pressure and flow of gaseous alternative fuels, such as propane and natural gas used in internal combustion engines. The company offers a range of fuel delivery components, including pressure regulators, fuel injectors, flow control valves, and other components to control the pressure, flow, and/or metering of gaseous fuels; electronic controls comprising solid-state components and proprietary software that monitor and optimize fuel pressure and flow for engine requirements; and gaseous fueled internal combustion engines that are integrated with its fuel delivery and electronic controls. It also provides systems integration support and engineering services to integrate the gaseous fuel storage, fuel delivery, and/or electronic control c omponents and sub-systems; auxiliary power systems for truck and diesel locomotives; and natural gas compressors and refueling systems for light and heavy duty refueling applications. In addition, the company designs, assembles, and markets ancillary components for systems operation on alternative fuels. It sells its transportation products primarily to automobile manufacturers, taxi companies, transit and shuttle bus companies, and delivery fleets; and industrial products principally to manufacturers of industrial mobile equipment and stationary engines through a network of distributors and dealers, as well as through a sales force that develops sales with distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and end-users. Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1958 and is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lisa Levin]
Fuel Systems Solutions (NASDAQ: FSYS) shares reached a new 52-week low of $10.735 after the company reported downbeat Q4 results.
China Ceramics Co (NASDAQ: CCCL) shares fell 2.40% to touch a new 52-week low of $1.63. China Ceramics shares have dropped 35.27% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 19.70% in the same period.
- [By David Goodboy]
Another top company in the alternative-to-gasoline space is Fuel Systems Solutions (Nasdaq: FSYS).
Fuel Systems specializes in components and system controls that manage the pressure of fuels such as propane and natural gas. Launched in 1958, the New York-based company is far from a startup. It boasts a $400 million plus market cap, a price-to-sales ratio of 1.0 and a price-to-book ratio of 1.3.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: Carriage Services Inc (CSV)
Carriage Services, Inc. (Carriage), incorporated in December 1993, is a provider of death care services and merchandise in the United States. The Company operates in two business segments: funeral home operations and cemetery operations. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 159 funeral homes in 25 states and 33 cemeteries in 12 states. The Company provides funeral and cemetery services and products on both an at-need (time of death) and preneed (planned prior to death) basis. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Carriage completed two of the six acquisitions of funeral home businesses, one in Kentucky and the other in New York. In September 2011, the Company acquired Franklin & Downs Funeral Homes. In October 2011, the Company acquired Carman Funeral Home and Roberson Funeral Home, both in Northeast Kentucky. In February 2012, the Company acquired James J. Terry Funeral Home, Inc. On February 21, 2012, the Company acquired a funeral home business in Pennsylvania. In June 2012, the Company acquired Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home, Gray Funeral Home and Sunset Memorial Gardens in Lawton and Grandfield, Oklahoma. In December 2012, the Company acquired Cumby Family Funeral Service. In November 2013, Carriage Services Inc acquired Heritage Funeral Homes & Cremation Service.
Funeral Home Operations
The funeral homes offer a range of services (traditional burial and cremation) to meet a family�� death care needs, including consultation, the removal and preparation of remains, the sale of caskets and related funeral merchandise, the use of funeral home facilities for visitation and services, and transportation services. It provides burial and cremation services and sells related merchandise, such as caskets and urns. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 159 funeral homes in 25 states.
Cemetery Operations
The Company�� cemetery products and services include interment services, the rights to interment in cemetery sites (including gr! ave sites, mausoleum crypts and niches) and related cemetery merchandise, such as memorials and vaults. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 33 cemeteries in 12 states.
The Company competes with SCI, Stewart and StoneMor Partners L.P.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
The first thing to realize about StoneMor is that arcane and flexible accounting rules make it important to dig beneath its GAAP earnings. Growth throughout the industry has been substantial, as up-and-coming Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV ) continued to stay on pace for double-digit sales growth as it rapidly expands its reach. Even well-established player Matthews International (NASDAQ: MATW ) managed to grow revenue by nearly 14% in the quarter that ended in March, although its earnings fell slightly from the year-ago quarter. Still, StoneMor's sales haven't been able to rise as quickly as its peers, with its previous report including just a 6% gain in revenue.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: Koninklijke Ahold NV (AHONY)
Koninklijke Ahold N.V. (Ahold), incorporated on April 29, 1920, is engaged in the operation of retail food stores in the United States and Europe through subsidiaries and joint ventures. Ahold�� retail operations are presented in four segments: Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover, Giant-Carlisle, Albert Heijn and Albert/Hypernova. During the fiscal year ended January 3, 2010 (fiscal 2009), it operated 2,909 stores. On February 8, 2010, Ahold�� Giant-Carlisle acquired 25 stores from Ukrop�� Super Markets.
Franchisees operated 783 of the Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall stores, 463 of which were either owned by the franchisees or leased independently from Ahold. Of the 2,446 stores, 20% were company-owned and 80% were leased. Ahold�� stores range in size from 20 to over 10,000 square meters. Albert Heijn is a food retailer in the Netherlands. Etos is a health and beauty retailer in the Netherlands. Gall & Gall is a wine and liquor specialist in the Netherlands. Stop & Shop is a supermarket brand, operating in six states in the northeast United States. Giant-Landover is a supermarket brand, operating in four states in the mid-Atlantic United States. Peapod is an online grocery delivery service working in partnership with Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover. It also serves the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, and the northern areas of Indiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
As mentioned, Kroger is still swallowing Harris Teeter and has said it needs time to make more acquisitions. Royal Ahold (NASDAQOTH: AHONY ) is also said to be leery about doing large acquisitions these days, while Cerberus recently finished acquiring the Albertsons and Acme chains from SUPERVALU (NYSE: SVU ) �for $3.3 billion.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: The Hain Celestial Group Inc.(HAIN)
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells natural and organic products in the United States and internationally. The company offers natural and organic grocery products, including non-dairy beverages and frozen desserts, infant and toddler food, flour and baking mixes, hot and cold cereals, pasta, condiments, cooking and culinary oils, granolas, granola bars, cereal bars, canned, aseptic and instant soups, yogurt, chilis, packaged grain, chocolate, nut butters, nutritional oils, juices, frozen desserts, cookies, crackers, gluten-free frozen entrees and bars, frozen pastas, and ethnic meals. It also provides snack products, such as potato and vegetable chips, organic tortilla style chips, whole grain chips, and popcorn; and specialty tea, including herbal, green, wellness, white, red, and chai teas. In addition, the company offers personal care products, including skin care, hair care, body care, oral care, deodorants, and baby care items, including acne treatment, body washes, and sunscreens. Further, it processes, markets, and distributes prepared foods, such as fresh sandwiches, appetizers, and full-plated meals for distribution to retailers, caterers, and food service providers; and develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells a line of household cleaning products, including laundry detergent and fabric softener, and dish cleaners, as well as glass, bathroom, wood floor, and all purpose cleaners. The company sells its products to specialty and natural food distributors, as well as to supermarkets, natural food stores, mass-market and on-line retailers, drug store chains, food service channels, and club stores. The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Melville, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Tabitha Jean Naylor]
The very existence of these trends has solidified a market for such specialty food manufacturers and producers as The Hain Celestial Group (NASDAQ: HAIN).
- [By Rich Duprey]
Whereas organic foods generally account for only about 4% of total U.S. food sales, organic baby food represents more than one-fifth of the segment, according to Hain Celestial (NASDAQ: HAIN ) , which took a dive into the market itself with its acquisition of Ella's Kitchen earlier this month, adding it to its growing portfolio of organic businesses. That was followed by yogurt maker Danone, which also made a big splash, buying 92% of�Happy Family, another leading U.S. maker of organic baby food.
- [By Brendan Byrnes]
The following video segment is part of a full interview in which The Motley Fool's Brendan Byrnes sits down with Irwin Simon, the founder and CEO of Hain Celestial (NASDAQ: HAIN ) , to take a closer look at the better-for-you food revolution. In this segment, they discuss how�the continual influx of new products, acquisitions, and marketing strategies could further the current success of this natural-foods company.
- [By Brendan Byrnes]
The following video segment is part of a full interview, in which The Motley Fool's Brendan Byrnes sits down with Irwin Simon, the founder and CEO of Hain Celestial (NASDAQ: HAIN ) , to take a closer look at the better-for-you food revolution. In this segment, they discuss how�being founder-led has resulted in company growth.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: 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 Alex Planes, Sean Williams, and Travis Hoium]
Things haven't been too much better on the beer front, with both domestic giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD ) and Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP ) looking abroad to make deals. With pocketbooks clenched tight as higher taxes and a slow recovery drain the American consumer, Anheuser-Busch took to purchasing Grupo Modelo's international operations, while Molson Coors gobbled up Eastern Europe's StarBev in a $3.5 billion transaction last year to get their share of faster emerging-market growth. Diageo is attempting to find new pathways to growth as well, but it's approaching things from a distilling angle by attempting to become a majority stakeholder in India's largest distiller, United Spirits.
- [By Fede Zaldua]
Once again its possible to witness the huge skill-set owned by managers hired by 3G, the private equity firm backed by the Brazilian trio who controls AB-InBev (BUD): Lemann, Sicupira and Telles. This time, the trio is outperforming the market with their investment in Burger King Worldwide (BKW), which has returned 40% to its owners since its IPO in June 2012. This more than triples McDonald's (MCD) performance during the same period.
- [By Chris Katje]
Shares of Craft Brew trade at $7.19, placing them towards the high end of fifty two week range ($5.62 to $8.92). Shares traded at $9.26 at the time of the sale of the Goose Island brand stake to Anheuser Busch (BUD). The company has improved since that time in its focus on its three core brands and is increasing shareholder value through new initiatives.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: Limoneira Co(LMNR)
Limoneira Company engages in agribusiness and real estate development businesses primarily in the United States. The Company operates in three reportable operating segments; Agribusiness, Rental Operations, and Real Estate Development. The agribusiness segment farms, packages, and sells lemons directly to food service, wholesale, and retail customers. It also grows oranges, and a range of specialty citrus and other crops, such as pummelos, Moro blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, Satsuma mandarin oranges, Minneola tangelos, pistachios, cherries, and Star Ruby grapefruits. This segment has approximately 1,766 acres of lemons; 1,254 acres of avocados; 1,062 acres of oranges; and 401 acres of specialty citrus and other crops Ventura and Tulare Counties, California. The Rental Operations segment rents residential and commercial facilities; leases land; and provides organic recycling services. This segment owns and maintains approximately 188 residential housing units located in Ventura and Tulare Counties; owns various commercial office buildings and a multi-use facility consisting of a retail convenience store, gas station, car wash, and quick-serve restaurant; and leases approximately 586 acres of land to third party agricultural tenants. The Real Estate Development segment develops land parcels, multi-family housing, and single-family homes. This segment has 1,873 units in various stages of planning and development. The company also processes and packs lemons lemons grown by third parties. Limoneira Company was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Santa Paula, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [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 Limoneira (Nasdaq: LMNR ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Eric Volkman]
Limoneira (NASDAQ: LMNR ) is maintaining its dividend. The company this week declared a distribution of $0.03750 per share, to be handed out July 16 to shareholders of record as of July 8.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: Walgreen Co (WAG)
Walgreen Co. (Walgreens), incorporated on February 15, 1909, together with its subsidiaries, operates the drugstore chain in the United States. The Company provides its customers with access to consumer goods and services, pharmacy, and health and wellness services in communities across America. The Company offers its products and services through drugstores, as well as through mails, by telephone and online. The Company sells prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as general merchandises, including household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy. On August 2, 2012, it acquired 45% interest in Alliance Boots GmbH (Alliance Boots). In September 2012, the Company completed the purchase of a regional drugstore chain in the mid-South region of the United States that included 144 stores operated under the USA Drug, Super D Drug, May��, Med-X and Drug Warehouse names. In September 2012, WP Carey & Co LLC acquired five retail stores leased to Walgreen Co. In December 2012, the Company completed a transaction giving company a ownership stake in Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pharmacy LLC.
The Company's pharmacy, health and wellness services include retail, specialty, infusion and respiratory services, mail service, convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers. These services help improve health outcomes and manage costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The Company's Take Care Health Systems subsidiary is a manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the United States.
As of August 31, 2012, Walgreens operated 8,385 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. In 2012, the Company opened or acquired 266 locations for a net increase of 175 locations after relocations and closings. As of August 31, 2012, the Com! pany had 7,930 of Drugstores, 366 of Worksite Health and Wellness Centers, 76 of Infusion and Respiratory Services Facilities, 11 of Specialty Pharmacies and two of Mail Service Facilities. The Company's drugstores are engaged in the retail sale of prescription and non-prescription drugs and general merchandise. General merchandise includes, among other things, household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy.
The Company offers specialty pharmacy services that provide customers nationwide access to a variety of medications, services and programs for managing complex and chronic health conditions. In addition, the Company offers its customers infusion therapy services, including the administration of intravenous (IV) medications for cancer treatments, chronic pain, heart failure, and other infections and disorders which must be treated by IV. Walgreens provides these infusion services at home, at the workplace, in a physician's office or at a Walgreens alternate treatment site. The Company also provides clinical services, such as laboratory monitoring, medication profile review, nutritional assessments and patient and caregiver education.
Customers can also access the Company's e-commerce solutions, which extend the convenience to purchase most products available within its drugstores, as well as additional products sold exclusively online through its walgreens.com and drugstore.com Websites, including beauty.com and visiondirect.com. The Company's Websites allow consumers to purchase general merchandise including beauty, personal care, home medical equipment, contact lenses, vitamins and supplements and other health and wellness solutions. The Company's mobile applications also allow customers to refill prescriptions through their mobile device, download weekly promotions and find the nearest Walgreens drugstore. The Company also offers services through Take Care Health Systems, which manages its Take Care Clinics at select Wa! lgreens d! rugstores throughout the country.
Alliance Boots is a pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution business. As of March 31, 2012, its fiscal year end, Alliance Boots had, together with its associates and joint ventures, pharmacy-led health and beauty retail businesses in 11 countries and operated more than 3,330 health and beauty retail stores, of which over 3,200 had a pharmacy. In addition, Alliance Boots had approximately 625 optical practices, approximately 185 of which operated on a franchise basis. Its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution businesses, including its associates and joint ventures, supplied medicines, other healthcare products and related services to more than 170,000 pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals from over 370 distribution centers in 21 countries.
Alliance Boots�� stores located in the United Kingdom, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Thailand and Lithuania and through its associates and joint ventures in Switzerland, China, Italy, Russia and Croatia. In addition, as of March 31, 2012, there were 58 Boots stores operated in the Middle East on a franchised basis. In its Health & Beauty Division, Alliance Boots has product brands such as No7, Soltan and Botanics, together with other brands, such as Boots Pharmaceuticals and Boots Laboratories. Through its Pharmaceutical Wholesale Division and several of its associates, Alliance Boots sells Almus, its line of generic medicines, in five countries and Alvita, its line of patient care products, in six countries.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Austin Smith]
We also have a business we call Sample It!, which is beauty samples, today. Think about paying a dollar at a CVS�or a Walgreen's� (NYSE: WAG ) for a couple samples of a cosmetic and a coupon. Not only do you, for a dollar, get to try out whether the product is going to work for you, but then you get a coupon to be able to purchase it.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Own For 2015: Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc (DPS)
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (DPS), incorporated on October 24, 2007, is an integrated brand owner, manufacturer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a diverse portfolio of flavored (non-cola) carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and non-carbonated beverages (NCBs), including ready-to-drink teas, juices, juice drinks and mixers. The Company operates in three segments: Beverage Concentrates, Packaged Beverages and Latin America Beverages. The Company primarily serves two groups of customers: bottlers and distributors and retailers. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 20 manufacturing facilities across the United States and Mexico, excluding its manufacturing facility for its joint venture with Acqua Minerale San Benedetto. Effective March 1, 2013, it acquired Dr. Pepper/7-UP Bottling Co of the West, a producer and wholesaler of bottled soft drinks.
Beverage Concentrates
The Company�� Beverage Concentrates segment is principally a brand ownership business. In this segment the Company manufactures and sells beverage concentrates in the United States and Canada. Most of the brands in this segment are CSD brands. Its brand portfolio includes CSD brands, such as Dr Pepper, Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Squirt, Penafiel and Schweppes. Beverage concentrates are shipped to third party bottlers, as well as to its own manufacturing systems, who combine them with carbonation, water, sweeteners and other ingredients, package it in PET containers, glass bottles and aluminum cans, and sell it as a finished beverage to retailers. Beverage concentrates are also manufactured into syrup, which is shipped to fountain customers, such as fast food restaurants, who mix the syrup with water and carbonation to create a finished beverage at the point of sale to consumers. Its Beverage Concentrates brands are sold by its bottlers, including its own Packaged Beverages segment, through all retail channels, including supermarkets, fountains, mas! s merchandisers, club stores, vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, small groceries, drug chains and dollar stores.
Packaged Beverages
The Company�� Packaged Beverages segment is principally a brand ownership, manufacturing and distribution business. In this segment, it primarily manufacture and distribute packaged beverages and other products, including its brands, third party owned brands and certain private label beverages, in the United States and Canada. Key NCB brands in this segment include Hawaiian Punch, Snapple, Mott's, Yoo-Hoo, Clamato, Deja Blue, AriZona, FIJI, Mistic, Nantucket Nectars, ReaLemon, Mr and Mrs T, Rose's and Country Time. Key CSD brands in this segment include 7UP, Dr Pepper, A&W, Sunkist soda, Canada Dry, Squirt, RC Cola, Big Red, Sun Drop, Diet Rite, IBC and Vernors. Approximately 87% of its 2011 Packaged Beverages net sales of branded products come from its own brands, with the remaining from the distribution of third party brands, such as Big Red, AriZona tea, FIJI mineral water, Neuro beverages, Vita Coco coconut water and Hydrive energy drinks. A portion of its sales also comes from bottling beverages and other products for private label owners or others, which is also referred to as contract manufacturing. Its Packaged Beverages��products are manufactured in multiple facilities across the United States and are sold or distributed to retailers and their warehouses by itsown distribution network or by third party distributors. The Company sells its Packaged Beverages��products both through its Direct Store Delivery system (DSD), supported by a fleet of approximately 6,000 vehicles and 12,000 employees, including sales representatives, merchandisers, drivers and warehouse workers, as well as through its Warehouse Direct delivery system (WD), both of which include the sales to retail channels, including supermarkets, fountain channel, mass merchandisers, club stores, vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, small groce! ries, dru! g chains and dollar stores.
Latin America Beverages
The Company�� Latin America Beverages segment is a brand ownership, manufacturing and distribution business. This segment participates mainly in the carbonated mineral water, flavored CSD, bottled water and vegetable juice categories, with particular strength in carbonated mineral water, vegetable juice categories and grapefruit flavored CSDs. Its brands include Squirt, Penafiel, Aguafiel, Crush and Clamato.
In Mexico, it manufactures and distributes its products through its bottling operations and third party bottlers and distributors. In the Caribbean, it distributes its products through third party bottlers and distributors. In Mexico, it also participate in a joint venture to manufacture Aguafiel brand water with Acqua Minerale San Benedetto. The Company sells its finished beverages through Mexican retail channels, including mom and pop stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and on premise channels.
The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola), PepsiCo, Inc. (PepsiCo), Nestle, S.A. (Nestle), Kraft Foods Inc. (Kraft) and The Cott Corporation (Cott).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By P.I.A.]
Doctor Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (DPS) is a mature business, and a remarkably shareholder friendly one at that. The dividend yield is currently a hefty 3.41%, and the company has bought back 6% of its shares through the past three years. An investor can sensibly look for income and capital appreciation with long-term horizons. The stock goes ex-dividend in the near future, on Sept. 12, and scrutiny is appropriate.
No comments:
Post a Comment