Top 5 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- When Washington is away, the bulls do indeed play, Jim Cramer said on "Mad Money" Tuesday after another up day on Wall Street.

Cramer said with interest rates once again determining stock prices -- this time for the better -- there are a whole host of stocks moving to the upside.

Many consumer staple stocks received downgrades in recent days, but Cramer said he's still a fan of high-yielding dividend names including Kellogg (K) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB). He also noted that Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), a stock he owns for his charitable trust, Action Alerts PLUS is also doing a fabulous job. Meanwhile, many shorts took down housing-related stocks after Stanley Black & Decker's (SWK) miserable results. However, Cramer noted stocks including Whirlpool (WHR), up 11.6% today, and Fortune Brands Home & Security (FBHS) and Toll Brothers (TOL) all rose. Lower interest rates and lower gas prices are also a win for travel and leisure stocks including Walt Disney (DIS) as well as restaurants such as Starbucks (SBUX) and retailers including Wal-Mart (WMT) and Action Alerts PLUS name TJX Stores (TJX), Cramer added. Other notable wins from today included Honeywell (HON), with a 10% dividend boost, along with Freeport McMoRan (FCX). Cramer also said that Alcoa (AA), up 8.8% today, is a buy, buy, buy. Among the few losers for the day were momentum names Netflix (NFLX) and Tesla Motors (TSLA), and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD), all stocks that are taking a well-deserved breather. Off the Charts In the "Off The Charts" segment, Cramer went head to head with colleague Mark Sebastian over the overall direction of the markets and what, if anything, can be gleaned from watching the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), commonly known by its symbol, the VIX. Looking at a daily chart of the S&P 500 as compared to the VIX, Sebastian's analysis noted the normal pattern, where the S&P rises and the VIX falls, and the reverse where the index falls and the VIX rises. Times when both rose in tandem, such as May into June and again in August, were a precursor to a sharp move to the downside.

Top 5 India Stocks To Watch For 2015: Cermaq ASA (CEQ)

Cermaq ASA is a Norway-based company active in the aquaculture industry. It is engaged in the farming of salmon and trout. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, operates in one business segment, namely Aquaculture, which consists of two divisions: Fish Feed production, which involves the production and sale of fish feed, and Fish Farming, which involves the breeding and on-growing, as well as the slaughtering, processing, sale and distribution of salmon and trout. The Company�� other activities consist of operations carried out through its subsidiary, Norgrain AS, the associated company, Denofa AS and the parent company. The Company operates through its subsidiaries, including Statkorn Aqua AS and Mainstream Norway AS, among others. In October 2013, the Company sold its second business segment, EWOS Group, to Altor Fund III and Bain Capital. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  Additional strengths supporting Aflac�� business model can be found by reviewing their common equity or book value (ceq), the lime green line on the following graph, in comparison to their current market value (mkval), the aqua colored more jagged line on the graph. Aflac�� book value has increased steadily except for a minor pause during the Great Recession of 2008. In contrast, their market value has been much more cyclical and erratic. I believe this additionally reflects current undervaluation of Aflac�� shares. This further supports my contention that Aflac is a great business that is currently on sale.

Top 5 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (SFM)

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (Sprouts), incorporated on January 27, 2011, is a specialty retailer of natural and organic food focusing on health and wellness. The Company offers fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, grocery, meat and seafood, bakery, dairy, frozen foods, body care and natural household items. The Company�� product offerings focus on fresh, natural and organic foods. Natural foods can be defined as foods that are minimally processed and are free of synthetic preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and other additives, growth hormones, antibiotics, hydrogenated oils, stabilizers and emulsifiers. The Company categorize the over 7,000 range of products, it sells as perishable and non-perishable. Perishable product categories include produce, meat, seafood, deli and bakery. Non-perishable product categories include grocery, vitamins and supplements, bulk items, dairy and dairy alternatives, frozen foods, beer and wine, and natural health and body care.

The cornerstones of the Company�� business are fresh, natural and organic products. As of July 19, 2013, the Company opened 87 new stores while rebranding 43 Henry�� and 39 Sunflower stores to the Sprouts banner. The Company�� stores include Produce, Bulk Items, Vitamins and Supplements, Grocery, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Bakery, Dairy and Dairy Alternatives, Frozen Foods, Beer and Wine and Natural Health and Body Care.The Company offer its customers a farmers market open-feel environment consisting of an abundant and affordable offering of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, focused on appearance, flavor and value. The Company�� stores include a crafted selection of more than 450 ranges of scoopable nuts, fruits, trail mixes, grains, beans, cereals, coffee, tea, spices, candy and snacks featured in the center of the store. The Company�� stores feature more than 4,200 vitamins, supplements, natural remedies, functional food, lifestyle support, and herbal supplements. This department includes ! an extensive private label offering.

The Company�� grocery offering focuses on healthy options. The Company carries approximately 4,200 natural and organic products in its grocery aisles, including meal components, natural sodas and other beverages, snacks and bars, baking goods, baby, pet and household items such as detergent and paper towels, and earth-friendly mercantile items. The Company�� Olde Tyme Butcher Shops combine sourcing through its trusted supplier network, product variety and old-fashioned customer service. The Company offers a range of seafood favorites delivered up to six days a week. The Conpany feature a range of fresh deli specialties, including sliced deli meat, salads, dips, entrees, side dishes, fresh made to order sandwiches at value prices and an abundant selection of over 200 varieties of cheeses from around the world.

The Company��bakery offering includes artisan bread alongside a wide assortment of sandwich breads, rolls, tortillas, pitas, muffins, cookies and pies as well as sugar free, gluten free and low carbohydrate products. The Company�� dairy department features a selection of organic, natural and regionally sourced milk, yogurt (including Greek, Australian, organic, and soy-based), butter and eggs, as well as a full selection of vegan and vegetarian alternative dairy products. The Company�� freezer cases feature traditional and ethnic natural and organic entrees and side dishes, along with frozen vegetables, desserts and specialty items, such as gluten-free breads and non-dairy ice creams. The Company offers approximately 2,400 natural, cruelty-free health and beauty products, old-fashioned remedies and modern body care innovations, including facial care products and make up, skin, hair, dental, baby care and grooming products.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Rooney]

  There were three other consumer focused companies that more than doubled: sandwich shop Potbelly (PBPB), organic grocery store Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) and Noodles & Co. (NDLS), a casual dining chain.

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  Although switching costs are almost nonexistent in the grocery industry, Whole Foods has developed a solid competitive position through a differentiated value proposition that comprises a vast array of products offering and distinct customer service. These traits and its large network of stores have kept the firm ahead of notable competitors like The Fresh Market Inc. (TFM) and Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (SFM). These rivals operate roughly 150 stores each and handle an average of 10,000 stock- keeping units against 20,000 at Whole Foods.

• [By David Zeiler]

  Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (Nasdaq: SFM), which went public Aug. 1, popped 122.8%.
  Fast-casual sandwich chain Potbelly Corp. (Nasdaq: PBPB), which had its IPO Oct. 4, shot up 119%. And Noodles & Co. (Nasdaq: NDLS) soared 102% on its first day of trading June 28.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  In the following video, Dan Caplinger, director of investment planning for The Motley Fool, looks at whether the IPO market is overheating once more. Dan points to some huge gains from recent IPOs, with FireEye (NASDAQ: FEYE  ) rising 80% in its first day while Rocket Fuel (NASDAQ: FUEL  ) and Foundation Medicine (NASDAQ: FMI  ) both posted gains of between 90% and 100%. Dan also highlights Sprouts Farmers Market� (NASDAQ: SFM  ) , which climbed a whopping 123% in its first day as a public company.

Top 5 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: 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 Hank Coleman]
  It's not easy to find a great stock. In almost every case, investors have already priced good and bad news about the company into the stock's share price. But every once in a while, the market misprices a stock. So how do you find these hidden gems? A company's price-to-earnings ratio, or P/E, is one of the fundamental metrics that every stock picker should know. It's is a great place for every investor to start when trying to find undervalued stocks to purchase. How to Calculate a P/E Ratio To calculate a company's P/E ratio, simply divide the share price of a company's stock with its earnings per share. (For an apples-to-apples comparison, be sure to calculate the ratio on a per-share basis.) For example, if a company has a share price of $40 and earns a profit of $2 a share, its P/E ratio is 20. If the company's price per share were to increase to $60 and its profits remained the same, it would see its P/E ratio jump to 30. P/E Ratio Shows You If a Company's Stock Is Undervalued A company's P/E ratio is a leading indicator of an undervalued stock. A lower P/E ratio shows investors that a lower-priced stock is earning a larger profit. A higher P/E ratio indicates that a stock is more expensive or might not be earning a lot of profit when compared to the price of a share of its stock. P/E ratios are relative, and should only be compared to those of other companies within the same industry or sector. So, it isn't fair or even accurate most times to, for example, compare the P/E of a technology company with that of a consumer products company, as these industries typically have different P/E ratio levels. Technology companies frequently command a higher price for their stock, despite the lack of big profits. It isn't unusual to see some technology companies with a P/E of 40 or more. Conversely, consumer staples and blue chip companies often have a lower P/E. It's important to compare companies within their own industry to identify buying opportuniti
• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Shares of Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (DPS) surged on Wednesday morning after the company offered full year guidance above analyst estimates.

  DPS Earnings in Brief

  DPS reported Q4 net income of�$156 million, or 78 cents per share, down from $170 million, or 81 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding special items, earnings were 97 cents per share, above analysts’ estimate of 85 cents per share. Revenue dipped to�$1.46 billion from $1.48 billion last year. Analysts expected to see revenue of $1.47 billion. Looking ahead, the company expects to see full year earnings between�$3.38 �and $3.46 per share, which would beat analysts’ expectations of $3.27 per share.

  CEO Commentary

  DPS President and CEO Larry Young commented: �� am proud of the team�� ability to remain focused and execute against our strategy during a challenging year. We continued to gain distribution and availability across our key brands and packages and grew volume share and held dollar share in the highly competitive CSD category.��/p>

  DPS Dividend

  DPS declared its last quarterly dividend of 41 cents on February 6. This dividend will be payable on April 4 to shareholders of record on March 17. The stock will go ex-dividend on March 13. This latest dividend is an 8% increase from the company’s last quarterly dividend.

  Stock Performance

  Dr Pepper Snapple shares were up $4.09, or 8.36%, during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock is has been mostly flat YTD.

Top 5 Consumer Stocks To Own For 2014: Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV (COLR)

Etablissementen Fr Colruyt NV, also known as Colruyt Group, is a Belgian company primarily engaged in retail and wholesale of food products. The Company's retail trade division includes the direct supply of products to retail customers operating through brands Colruyt, DreamBaby, BIO-planet, DreamLand and ColliShop, among others. The Company supplies to wholesalers and affiliated independent merchants in Belgium, France and Luxembourg. It also provides printing solutions (photo Fuji Colruyt). Colruyt Group also has a corporate activities division, which combines support services, processes and systems and central administration, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Colruyt (COLR) gained 8.3 percent to 40.08 euros, the largest jump since June 27, 2012. Belgium�� biggest discount food retailer said full-year earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization amounted to 699.8 million euros ($910 million), beating the average 684 million-euro analyst projection in a Bloomberg survey. The company also raised its dividend to 1 euro a share, exceeding the Bloomberg Dividend Forecast of 98 cents.

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Colruyt SA (COLR) fell 4 percent to 42.31 euros. Belgium�� largest discount food retailer forecast full-year net income of about 369 million euros ($498 million) compared with analysts�� estimates of 381.2 million euros.