Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.
Earnings' unreliability is one of the reasons Foolish investors often flip straight past the income statement to check the cash flow statement. In general, by taking a close look at the cash moving in and out of the business, you can better understand whether the last batch of earnings brought money into the company, or merely disguised a cash gusher with a pretty headline.
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 Avista (NYSE: AVA ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Top Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Cardtronics Inc.(CATM)
Cardtronics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides automated consumer financial services through its network of automated teller machines (ATMs) and multi-function financial services kiosks. As of December 31, 2011, it offered services to approximately 52,900 devices across its portfolio, which included approximately 46,000 devices located in 50 states of the United States, as well as in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; approximately 3,500 devices throughout the United Kingdom; approximately 2,800 devices throughout Mexico; and approximately 600 devices in Canada. The company also deployed approximately 2,200 multi-function financial services kiosks in the United States. Its ATMs and financial services kiosks offer cash dispensing and bank account balance inquiry services, as well as other consumer financial services, including bill payments, check cashing, remote deposit capture, and money transfer services. In addition, the compan y provides various forms of managed service solution, including monitoring, maintenance, cash management, customer service, and transaction processing services. Further, it partners with national financial institutions to brand its ATMs and financial services kiosks with their logos. As of December 31, 2011, the company had approximately 15,400 company-owned ATMs under contract with financial institutions to place their logos on those machines. Additionally, it provides financial institutions with surcharge-free program through its Allpoint network, as well as owns and operates an electronic funds transfer transaction processing platform that provides transaction processing services to its network of ATMs and financial services kiosks, and ATMs owned and operated by third parties. The company was formerly known as Cardtronics Group, Inc. and changed its name to Cardtronics, Inc. in January 2004. Cardtronics, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
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 Cardtronics (Nasdaq: CATM ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Invest In 2014: Comcast Corporation(CMCSA)
Comcast Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. Its Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and phone services to residential and business customers. As of June 30, 2011, its cable systems served approximately 22.5 million video customers, 17.5 million high-speed Internet customers, and 9.1 million phone customers. The company?s Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Sleuth, and Universal HD; news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and VERSUS; regional sports and news networks; international entertainment, and news and information networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and Universal Networks International portfolio of networks; cable television production oper ations; and digital media properties consisting primarily of brand-aligned Websites and other Websites, such as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. Its Broadcast Television segment operates the U.S. broadcast networks, NBC and Telemundo; 10 NBC and 15 Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television productions; and related digital media properties. The company?s Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. Its Theme Parks segment operates Universal Studios Hollywood park and Wet ?n Wild water park, as well as licenses intellectual properties and provides services to third parties that own and operate Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore. Comcast Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Douglas A. McIntyre]
For that reason alone, the most logical choice to replace Ballmer might be Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA). Prior to his current job, Burke ran the cable division of Comcast, the largest wired broadband distribution system in the country.
- [By reports.droy]
One of the likely reasons for such a prominent decline in subscriber additions could be attributed to the price increase which has deterred new users subscribing to Netflix�� service. There are cheaper options available in the market such as Amazon (AMZN) Prime and Xfinity (CMCSA) Streampix. Even the management cited the price increase behind this slowdown in subscription noticed in the third quarter when Netflix increased the base price of the video-streaming business to $8.99 a month, while rivals still offered at $7.99 a month.
- [By Leo Sun]
In 2011, Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA ) Universal charged viewers $60 to watch Tower Heist a few weeks after its theatrical�release via a fast-tracked VOD, but most customers scoffed at the price. Later that year, Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) released same-day VOD versions of Melancholia, Trespass, and Margin Call, at more reasonable prices between $7 to $10. That business model, which was used for lower profile films, remained the status quo over the past three years.
- [By Jayson Derrick]
Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) are reported to be considering a joint bid for Time Warner Cable�(NYSE: TWC). Comcast gained 4.36 percent, closing at $49.52. Charter Communications gained 6.06 percent, closing at $134.66. Time Warner Cable was the biggest winner of the group, gaining 9.92 percent, closing at $132.85.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Invest In 2014: BRE Properties Inc (BRE)
BRE Properties, Inc. (BRE), incorporated in 1970, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the development, acquisition and management of multifamily apartment communities primarily located in the metropolitan markets within the State of California, and the Seattle, Washington region. BRE also owns and operates communities in the Phoenix, Arizona and in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan markets. As of December 31, 2011, its multifamily portfolio had real estate assets, which included 76 wholly or majority owned stabilized multifamily communities, aggregating 21,336 units in California, Washington and Arizona; 11 stabilized multifamily communities owned through joint ventures comprised of 3,592 apartment units; and seven apartment communities in various stages of construction and development. In October 2013, the Company acquired Jefferson at Hollywood.
During the year ended December 31, 2011, BRE acquired three communities totaling 652 units: Lafayette Highlands, with 150 units, located in Lafayette, California; The Landing at Jack London Square, with 282 units, located in Oakland, California, and The Vistas of West Hills, with 220 units, located in Valencia, California. In addition to the communities, the Company acquired two parcels of land for future development in San Francisco, California�� Mission Bay district, and it purchased a 4.4 acre site contiguous to its existing Park Viridian operating community and its existing second phase land site in Anaheim, California. As of December 31, 2011, BRE had seven sites under development or construction.
During 2011, the Company sold two communities totaling 634 units: Galleria at Towngate, with 268 units located in Moreno Valley, California; and Windrush Village, a 366 unit property located in Colton, California. The two properties sold were located in the eastern half of the Inland Empire. In addition, during 2011, two joint venture assets were sold; The Landing at Bear Creek, a 224 unit j! oint venture community, located in Lakewood, Colorado; and The Pinnacle at Hunters Glen, a 264 unit joint venture community located in Thornton, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jayson Derrick]
Owners of BRE Properties (NYSE: BRE) will receive $12.33 in cash and 0.2971 shares of newly created Essex common stock following Essex Property Trust's (NYSE: ESS) acquisition. Shares of Essex lost 3.31 percent, closing at $142.81.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Invest In 2014: Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation (ANH)
Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. It invests primarily in the United States agency mortgage-backed securities (agency MBS) guaranteed by the United States government, including pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and other types of MBS, such as mortgage derivative securities and mortgage warehouse participations, as well as in other mortgage related assets. The company's agency MBS portfolio includes adjustable-rate agency MBS, hybrid adjustable-rate agency MBS, fixed-rate Agency MBS, and agency floating-rate CMOs. It also invests in non-agency mortgage-backed securities comprising floating-rate CMOs. The company qualifies as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT it would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation was founded in 1997 and is b ased in Santa Monica, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
Externally managed REIT�Anworth Mortgage Asset (NYSE: ANH ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past three quarters after cutting the payout 17% from $0.18 per share. The quarter before that, the REIT had cut the dividend 14% more.
Hot Heal Care Companies To Invest In 2014: Fusion Pharm Inc (FSPM)
Fusion Pharm, Inc., incorporated on January 21, 1998, manufactures and sells a patent pending commercial hydroponic cultivation system capable of growing almost any herb, vegetable, flower, fruit or terrestrial plant better and faster than traditional farming methods. The Company is the creator and manufacturer of the PharmPods hydroponic cultivation container system. The Company sells and licenses its PharmPods containers to agricultural equipment distributers, urban farming companies and other specialty growers. The Company is focused on the development and commercialization of its patent pending PharmPods cultivation container system. In February 2013, the Company completed the sale of 8 PharmPod High Intensity containers under its licensing agreement with Meadpoint Venture Partners (Meadpoint).
The Company's PharmPods are constructed of standard ISO steel shipping containers that are repurposed for use in hydroponic plant cultivation and are equipped with specialty lighting, irrigation systems, climate-control systems and ventilation for a grow-ready, self-contained agricultural solution. PharmPods allow users to precisely control what a plant receives, grow crops densely, avoid using pesticides, increase yields and automatically water plants.
The Company�� PharmPods are used for agricultural cultivation by urban faming companies and other specialty growers The Company does not own any real estate or other physical properties material to its operations. It operates from leased space.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Burrows]
From questions regarding the accuracy of publicly-available information about these companies��operations to potential illegal activity, these marijuana stocks have incurred the wrath of federal regulators for good reason:
GrowLife (PHOT) FusionPharm (FSPM) CannaBusiness Group (CBGI) Advanced Cannabis Solutions (CANN) Petrotech Oil and Gas (PTOG) Marijuana Stocks Asking for TroubleBut it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:
Hot Heal Care Companies To Invest In 2014: Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc (AHT)
Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. is a publicly owned real estate investment trust. The firm engages in investment and management of properties in the hospitality industry. It invests in the real estate markets of the United States. The firm primarily invests in hotels with a focus on the ownership of upper-upscale and upscale full-service and select service hotels in primary, secondary and resort markets. It also invests in mid-scale and luxury hotels. The firm invests across all segments and at all levels of the capital structure, including direct hotel investments, first mortgages, mezzanine loans, construction loans, and sale-leaseback transactions. It primarily concentrates among Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Starwood brands. Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is based in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Lawrence Meyers]
Now, onto those preferred stocks to buy:
Preferred Stocks to Buy: Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT) Series D 8.45% CumulativeDividend Yield: 8.45%
- [By Lawrence Meyers]
A classic example was the preferred shares of Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT) during the financial crisis. The D series, for example, fell under $7. An astute investor would have recognized the company was in far better shape than its peers, bought the preferred stocks at that price and seen a huge capital gain appreciation.
No comments:
Post a Comment