Friday, July 11, 2014

Best Forestry Stocks To Buy Right Now

Joe Raedle/Getty Images DETROIT -- The government shutdown dampened -- but didn't stall -- Americans' demand for new cars and trucks. The 16-day shutdown slowed U.S. auto sales in the first two weeks of October, but they picked up speed in the last two weeks. Sales rose 11 percent to 1.2 million. General Motors (GM), Ford (F), Nissan and Chrysler all recorded double-digit sales gains, while Toyota (TM), Honda (HMC) and Hyundai saw smaller increases. Of major automakers, only Volkswagen's sales fell. Stable fuel prices, low interest rates and the increased availability of credit pushed people to buy regardless of the political wrangling, said Kurt McNeil, GM's vice president of U.S. sales. "All those things that have been driving the economy? They're still there," he said. Pickup trucks sold well as business improved for contractors and other workers. Sales of the Chevrolet Silverado, GM's top selling vehicle, jumped 10 percent to nearly 43,000, and Chrysler's Ram truck was up 18 percent. Sales of Ford's F-Series pickups rose 13 percent and topped 60,000 for the sixth month in a row. SUV sales were also strong. Sales of Nissan's Pathfinder, which was recently redesigned, nearly doubled from last October. Sales of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban large SUVs both jumped more than 50 percent. The weak spot was small cars and hybrids, which have been struggling to win buyers as gas prices fall. Gas prices averaged $3.27 a gallon at the end of October, the lowest level of the year. The national average has dropped 31 cents since Labor Day, according to AAA. Toyota Prius hybrid sales fell 7 percent while the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid was down 32 percent. The tiny Fiat 500 fell 36 percent. Sales of Ford's Focus small car were down 17 percent, while its C-Max small hybrid fell 20 percent. Ford recently announced plans to idle the Michigan factory where those vehicles are made for two weeks this fall because of weak demand. U.S. consumers have started to gradually shift from smaller, more fuel-efficient cars to larger vehicles, said Jesse Toprak, an analyst with the TrueCar.com auto pricing web site. Stable gas prices aren't the only reason, he said. Cheap financing and sweet lease deals have made larger vehicles more affordable, cutting the monthly payments so people can afford them even if gas prices go up. "History has shown us that consumers in the U.S. would rather buy a larger vehicle given the choice," Toprak said.

Top 10 Clean Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: Enbridge Inc(ENB)

Enbridge Inc. engages in the transportation and distribution of crude oil and natural gas primarily in Canada and the United States. Its Liquids Pipelines segment operates common carrier and contract crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and refined products pipelines and terminals. The company?s Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers primarily in central and eastern Ontario, northern New York State, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Enbridge?s Gas Pipelines, Processing and Energy Services segment invests in natural gas pipelines, processing and green energy projects, and commodity marketing businesses, as well as performs commodity storage, transport, and supply management services. Its Sponsored Investments segment transports crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons through common carrier and feeder pipelines, as well as transports, gathers, processes, and markets natural gas and NGLs; operates a crude oil and liqui ds pipeline and gathering system; and owns a 50% interest in the Canadian portion of Alliance Pipeline and partial interests in various green energy investments. The company was formerly known as IPL Energy Inc. and changed its name to Enbridge Inc. in October 1998. Enbridge Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Arjun Sreekumar]

    In fact, some operators may get so used to false alarms that they may become dismissive of real ones. For instance, consider the rupturing of an Enbridge (NYSE: ENB  ) pipeline in July 2010, which discharged more than a million gallons of dilbit crude into Michigan's Kalamazoo River in what was the first major bituminous crude spill into a U.S. waterway.

  • [By Arjun Sreekumar]

    Consider the rupture of an Enbridge (NYSE: ENB  ) pipeline, which discharged roughly a million gallons of bituminous crude into Michigan's Kalamazoo River in June 2010. Though three years have passed, the cleanup effort still isn't over. Enbridge employees and state and federal environmental crews continue to test the river, where sheen and clumps of oil still linger. The company reported a 4% year-over-year decrease in its first-quarter net income, partially because of the escalation of cleanup costs related to the spill, which are now approaching a whopping $1 billion.

  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    There are several reasons shale drilling has taken off in the United States. One clear reason everyone can agree on is that the U.S. has one of the most complete energy infrastructures out there. While much of that infrastructure was built to deliver oil and gas from the Gulf of Mexico to destinations across the U.S., we we've taken that existing infrastructure and flipped it on its head. Pipeline reversals, such as the one on Enbridge's (NYSE: ENB  ) and Enterprise Products Partners' (NYSE: EPD  ) Seaway pipeline, provide an essential route to deliver resources from these emerging shale plays to the Gulf to be refined.�

Best Forestry Stocks To Buy Right Now: Altria Group(MO)

Altria Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, smokeless products, and wine in the United States and internationally. It offers cigarettes under the Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Parliament, Benson & Hedges, Basic, and L&M brands; smokeless tobacco products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, Husky brands, and Marlboro snus brands; and machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco. The company also produces and sells blended table wines under the Chateau Ste Michelle and Columbia Crest names; and distributes Antinori and Villa Maria Estate wines and Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte in the United States. In addition, it maintains a portfolio of leveraged and direct finance leases in rail and surface transport, aircraft, electric power, real estate, and manufacturing. The company sells its tobacco products to wholesalers, including distributors; large retail organizations, such as chain stores; and the armed services. Altria Group, Inc. markets its wine products to restaurants, wholesale clubs, supermarkets, wine shops, and mass merchandisers. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Dzombak]

    Vector Group (NYSE: VGR  ) is the third-highest-yielding dividend stock in June with a trailing yield of 9.9%. The company has two main businesse: tobacco and real estate. The company manufactures and sells cigarettes through its Liggett Group and Vector Tobacco subsidiaries under the Pyramid, Grand Prix, Liggett Select, and Eve brands. The company is the fourth-largest cigarette manufacturer in the U.S. behind giants Altria (NYSE: MO  ) , Lorillard, and Reynolds American. There are some advantages to being small. Vector has a cost advantage stemming from the settlement between Vector and the U.S.: The company does not have to make annual payments unless its market share exceeds 1.65% of the U.S. market. As such, the company positions its brands as discount cigarettes to capitalize on its advantage.

Best Forestry Stocks To Buy Right Now: iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF (IJS)

The iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Value Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Standard & Poor�� SmallCap 600/Citigroup Value Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the small-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market. The Index is a subset of the S&P SmallCap 600 Index and consists of those companies exhibiting the strongest value characteristics within the S&P SmallCap 600 Index.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Barclays Global Fund Advisors (BGFA) acts as the investment advisor of the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Gary Gordon]

    On behalf of most of my clients in 2013, I chose to overweight tech and health care. However, I did so with areas that are traditionally less volatile. I continue to own Powershares Pharmaceuticals (PJP) and/or SPDR Select Healthcare (XLV). I’ve been a proponent of “old tech” with the attractive prices and dividends; First Trust NASDAQ Tech Dividend (TDIV) fits the bill. Additionally, I have remained faithful to iShares Small Cap Value (IJS) for small-cap exposure, rather than hop on the IWO express.

Best Forestry Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. (UGP)

Ultrapar Holdings Inc. operates in the petrochemical and chemical sectors. The company operates in four segments: Gas Distribution, Fuel Distribution, Chemicals, and Storage. It distributes both bottled and bulk liquefied petroleum gas for residential, commercial, and industrial customers through approximately 58 points of sales; a network of 4,700 independent retailers; and independent dealers, as well as through its own retail stores. The company also distributes diesel, gasoline, ethanol, natural gas for vehicles, fuel oil, kerosene, lubricants, and greases directly to customers, as well as through a network of service stations. As of December 31, 2012, it operated 6,460 service stations under the Ipiranga brand. In addition, the company produces and markets various chemical and petrochemical products, including ethylene oxide, ethylene glycols, ethanolamines, glycol ethers, and methyl-ethyl-ketone for chemical companies, and surface coating and polyester producers; and fatty-alcohols and related by-products, as well as specialty chemicals that are used as surfactants, softeners, dispersants, emulsifiers, and hydraulic fluids for industrial and commercial enterprises. Its chemical products are used in a range of industrial sectors, such as cosmetics, detergents, crop protection chemicals, polyester, packaging, textiles, coatings, and oil industry. Further, the company stores and handles liquid bulk, including chemicals, fuels, and vegetable oil; and offers ship loading and unloading services, as well as engages in the operation of pipelines, logistics programming, and installation engineering. Ultrapar Holdings Inc. offers its products and services primarily in Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, and the United States. The company was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in S茫o Paulo, Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Brazilian liquefied petroleum gas distributor Ultrapar Holdings (NYSE: UGP  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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