Saturday, July 18, 2015

Top Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2015

In an earlier article dated April 18, 2013, I forecast that BlackBerry (BBRY) would sell from 5.1 to 7.0 million devices in Q1 and generate revenue of between $3.0 and $3.7 billion.

Actual sales were 6.8 million devices and revenue was $3.1 billion and the company continued to generate positive cash flow. With sales at the high end of my unit forecast and revenues over $3 billion, you might wonder why I decided to become bearish after being a long time bull, as I disclosed in my recent article "I am joining the Bears in the BlackBerry bush". The answer lies in the conference call.

I listened carefully to the discussion and to comments by Thorsten Heins about BlackBerry's performance and prospects. The tone of the conversation was disquieting. First, despite a relatively good quarter that was close to guidance of a small loss, Heins was defensive rather than confident. The press release gave no details of the mix between BB10 and BB7 devices but the conference call revealed the split was 2.7 million BB10 devices and 4.1 million BB7. The robust sales of BB7 devices suggest that there remains a solid market for the traditional BlackBerry notwithstanding its ageing operating system. I am not really surprised, since I continue to use by Bold 9900 which meets my needs and supports the Bloomberg application which I use daily, not yet present on the Z10 or Q10 (both of which I have purchased).

10 Best Wireless Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: Partner Communications Company Ltd.(PTNR)

Partner Communications Company Ltd. provides various telecommunications services in Israel. It offers cellular telephony services on GSM/GPRS and UMTS/HSDPA networks. The company also provides basic services, including domestic mobile calls, international dialing, roaming, voice mail, short message services, intelligent network services, content based on its cellular portal, data and fax transmission, and other services. In addition, it offers Internet services provider services that provides access to the Internet, as well as home WiFi networks; value added services, such as anti-virus and anti-spam filtering; and transmission services; and Web video on demand services, music tracks, and games. Further, the company provides voice over broadband and primary rate interface fixed-line telephone services; and data capacity services. Additionally, it offers content services comprising voice mail, text, and multimedia messaging, as well as downloadable wireless data application s, including ring tones, music, games, and other informational content; and sells handsets, phones, routers, and related equipment. The company markets its products through its sales centers, business sales representatives, traditional networks of specialized dealers, and non-traditional networks of retail chains and stores under the Orange brand name. Partner Communications Company Ltd. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Rosh Ha-ayin, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Garrett Cook]

    In trading on Monday, telecommunications services shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.35 percent. Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL), down 5 percent, and Partner Communications Company Ltd. (NASDAQ: PTNR), off 3.9 percent.

  • [By Eddie Staley]

    Telecommunications services shares jumped around 1.19 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), China Unicom (Hong Kong) (NYSE: CHU), and Partner Communications Company (NASDAQ: PTNR).

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Telecommunications services shares jumped around 1.19 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ), China Unicom (Hong Kong) (NYSE: CHU), and Partner Communications Company (NASDAQ: PTNR).

  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another under-$10 wireless telecom player that's starting to move within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Partner Communications (PTNR), a telecommunications company, provides cellular and fixed-line telecommunication services in Israel. This stock is off to a strong start in 2013, with shares up sharply by 29%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Partner Communications, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways for the last month, with shares moving between $7.28 on the downside and $7.96 on the upside. Shares of PTRN are bucking the overall market weakness today as the stock starts to move within range of triggering a breakout trade above the upper-end of its sideways trading chart pattern.

    Market players should now look for long-biased trades in PTNR if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $7.80 to $7.85 a share and then once it clears its 52-week high at $7.96 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average volume of 107,303 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PTNR will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $10 to $12.20 a share.

    Traders can look to buy PTNR off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $7.38 to $7.28, or below its 50-day at $6.97 a share. One can also buy PTNR off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Top Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2015: BHP Billiton Limited(BHP)

BHP Billiton Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified natural resources company worldwide. The company engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas; mining and refining of bauxite into alumina, and smelting of alumina into aluminum metal; and mining of copper, silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, gold, diamonds, and titanium minerals, as well as development of potash deposits. It also involves in the mining and production of nickel products, manganese ore, and manganese metal and alloys, as well as in the mining of iron ore, metallurgical coal, and thermal coal. BHP Billiton Limited sells its copper, lead, and zinc concentrates, and alumina to smelters; copper cathodes to wire rod mills, brass mills, and casting plants; uranium oxide to electricity generating utilities; rough diamonds to diamond buyers and diamond manufacturers; nickel products to stainless steel, specialty alloy, foundry, chemicals, and refractory ma terial industries; metallurgical coal to steel producers; and energy coal to power stations, power generators, and industrial users. The company, formerly known as BHP Limited, was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Reuben Brewer]

    China uses and produces a huge amount of coal. With the increasing concern over human safety and the environmental impact of coal mining, the government is set to close 2,000 mines by the end of 2015. That will benefit coal miners like Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU  ) , BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP  ) , and Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO  ) .

  • [By Chad Fraser]

    One factor to keep in mind is that lower potash prices would likely prompt producers to hold off on new projects. All eyes are currently on BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP), which is developing what could be the world’s biggest potash mine: the Jansen project in Saskatchewan, Canada. BHP is continuing to invest in Jansen, though it has said it would develop the mine at a slower-than-expected pace and may look to take on a partner.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    Toronto-based diamond miner Dominion Diamond (NYSE: DDC  ) -- the company formerly known as Harry Winston Diamond -- has completed its purchase of BHP Billiton's (NYSE: BHP  ) stake in the Ekati Diamond Mine, "as well as the associated diamond sorting and sales facilities in Yellowknife, Canada, and Antwerp, Belgium," Dominion Diamond announced Wednesday.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Could the timing be any worse? Just as Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO  ) and BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP  ) are shedding assets to focus more intently on their iron ore business, analysts at Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS  ) say the whole industry is about to get dusted from a supply glut. It anticipates that inventories will widen next year and expand through 2018, causing prices to tumble by more than a third just this year alone.

Top Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2015: MWI Veterinary Supply Inc.(MWIV)

MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of animal health products to veterinarians in the United States and the United Kingdom. It primarily offers pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, capital equipment, supplies, specialty products, veterinary pet food, and nutritional products. The company?s pharmaceutical products include anesthetics, analgesics, antibiotics, ophthalmics, and hormones; vaccine products consist of small animal, equine, and production animal biologicals; and parasiticides are used for control of fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitoes, and internal parasites. Its diagnostics products comprise consumable in-clinic tests for detecting heartworm, lyme, feline leukemia, and parvovirus, as well as consumable products for measuring blood chemistry, electrolyte balance, and cell counts; capital equipment products include anesthesia machines, surgical monitors, diagnostic equipment, dental machines, cage s, lights, and x-ray machines; and supplies consists of syringes, instruments, bandages, IV products, surgical consumables, grooming materials, and other small equipment items. The company?s veterinary pet foods products include foods for specialty diets and premium pet foods; and nutritional products comprise dietary supplements, vitamins, dental chews, and specialty treats. As of September 30, 2011, it served approximately 24,000 veterinary practices in the United States; and 1,500 veterinary practices in the United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as MWI Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. in April 2005. MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Overvalued companies include MWI Veterinary (MWIV) and�Stericycle (SRCL), while companies with attractive valuations include Cardinal Health (CAH), Selected Medical (SEM). He’s not a fan of Intrexon (XON) but calls�Aratana (PETX) a “hidden gem.”

  • [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 MWI Veterinary Supply (Nasdaq: MWIV  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By Rupert Hargreaves]

    Pet-related companies are highly sought after
    Having said that, it would appear that in comparison to the rest of the pet-related sector, Zoetis is fairly valued. Peer MWI Veterinary Supply (NASDAQ: MWIV  ) trades at 27 times forward earnings, and again the company is highly defensive, engaging in the distribution of animal health products to veterinarians in the United States and the United Kingdom. Veterinary supply is exposed to the same demand factors as Zoetis -- greater demand for animal treatments will lead to more demand for the distribution of animal health products.

Top Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2015: Steel Excel Inc (SXCL)

Steel Excel Inc., formerly ADPT Corp., incorporated in 1981, is primarily focused on capital redeployment and identification of new business operations. The identification of new business operations includes, but is not limited to, the oilfield servicing, sports, training, education, entertainment and lifestyle businesses. The Company operates in two segments: oilfield servicing and sports-related segment. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired two sports-related businesses and one oilfield servicing business. On June 27, 2011, the Company acquired Baseball Heaven LLC and Baseball Cafe, Inc. On August 15, 2011, the Company acquired The Show, LLC. On December 7, 2011, the Company acquired Rogue Pressure Services, LLC. On February 9, 2012, the Company acquired Eagle Well Services, Inc. In May 2012, the Company acquired Sun Well Service, Inc. Effective December 16, 2013, Steel Excel Inc acquired Black Hawk Energy Services Inc, a provider of oil and gas field services.

The Company�� oilfield servicing segment provides services in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Services include snubbing services (controlled installation and removal of all tubulars - drill strings and production strings) in and out of the wellbore with the well under full pressure, flowtesting, and hydraulic work over/simultaneous operations (allows customers to perform multiple tasks on multiple wells on one pad at the same time). The Company�� sports-related services segment provides services related to marketing and providing baseball facility services, including training camps, summer camps, leagues and tournaments, concession and catering events and other events and related Websites. In addition, the Company outfit little league baseball and softball players and coaches in official major league baseball uniforms.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Geoff Gannon]

    1. Steel Excel (SXCL)
    2. FormFactor (FORM)
    3. Imation (IMN)
    4. Tuesday Morning (TUES)
    5. Pacific Biosciences (PACB)
    6. Maxygen (MAXY)
    7. Westell (WSTL)
    8. Volt Information Sciences (VISI)
    9. Yasheng Group (YHGG)

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