Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now

When looking for promising candidates for your stock portfolio, it's easy to just think about the prominent names of the day, such as Apple, Google, or ExxonMobil. But there are plenty of other possibilities, many of which have been under our noses for quite some time.

Permit me to introduce you to Ball Corp. (NYSE: BLL  ) , for example. It used to be more of a household name than it is today, but it's worth knowing about, as you might want to add some Ball stock to your portfolio. Why? Well, check this out: Ball stock has appreciated by roughly 18% over the past year. It has gained, on average, about 13.5% annually over the past 25 years, enough to turn $10,000 into almost $240,000.

To help you get to know the Ball company and Ball stock, I offer a few more tidbits below. If you like what you see, dig into it more deeply and consider adding it to your holdings or your watchlist.

The basics: Founded in 1880, Ball has been around for more than 130 years. It was started by five brothers, who borrowed $200 from an uncle. Adjusting for inflation, that would be north of $4,600 today.�
� The company first focused on making wood-covered tin cans to hold things such as paint and fuel, and was soon making tin containers and glass jars, many used for canning. Over the years, the company has been involved in more than 45 businesses.
� Based in Broomfield, Colo., today, Ball is no longer in the canning-jar business, but is a global company specializing in metal packaging -- for the food, beverage, and household products industries, as well as even the aerospace industry. It has about 14,500 workers, in more than 90 locations globally.
� In recent years, Ball became the largest supplier of aluminum slugs in the world and the largest supplier of beverage cans in the world, as well. In 2012, it raked in $8.7 billion, 74% of which came from global beverage cans.
� A peek at some of the characteristics of Ball stock via the company's financial statements reveals some lumpiness, with revenue and earnings growing over the past decade or so, but dipping a bit recently. It has been the same with free cash flow and net margins.
� The dividend yield of Ball stock may only be around 1.1%, but the company has been hiking that aggressively in recent years. The quarterly payout was $0.05 per share between 2004 and 2010, but after that it was soon $0.07, then $0.10, and early this year surged 30% to $0.13. Better still, its payout ratio is only about 21%, reflecting a lot of room for further growth.
� The valuation of Ball stock seems a bit of a mixed bag. Its recent price-to-earnings ratio, near 18, is a bit on the steep side for a company that isn't growing by leaps and bounds, but its forward P/E is 11.2, below its five-year average as well as the S&P 500's average.
� In recent news, Ball plans to close an Illinois food-can and aerosol-can plant this year, shifting some of that production to other plants. It will reduce overall production capacity, but make better use of its plants. It's also buying back some debt.

Ball stock is worth considering if you're looking for a solid long-term performer and dividend income (though the current yield remains on the small side). You might want to add it your watchlist and review it further.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Baja Mining Corp Com Npv (BAJ.TO)

Baja Mining Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Mexico. It holds a 70% interest in the El Boleo copper-cobalt-zinc-manganese project consisting of approximately 12,000 hectares of mineral concessions and 7,000 hectares of surface occupancy rights located near Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Genterra Inc (GIC.V)

Genterra Capital Inc. engages in the investment and rental of real estate properties in Ontario, Canada. The company also invests in marketable securities. Its real estate investment portfolio comprises industrial single and multi tenant, multi tenant commercial, commercial residential redevelopment, and loft conversion properties. Genterra Capital Inc. is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2014: Oculus Innovative Sciences Inc.(OCLS)

Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets tissue care products that prevent and treat infections in open wounds and skin care, as well as, through a separate mechanism of action, heal wounds while reducing the need for antibiotics. The company, through its platform technology, Microcyn, a solution of electrically charged oxychlorine small molecules treats organisms that cause disease, which include viruses, fungi, spores, and antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in wounds, as well as Clostridium difficile. It sells Microcyn technology-based human wound care products as prescription and over-the-counter products. The company markets its products through sales force and distributors in the United States, Mexico, Europe, and internationally. Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. offers its products to pharmacies; care centers; hospitals; nursing homes; urgent c are clinics; home healthcare; physicians; nurses; and other healthcare practitioners who are the primary caregivers to patients being treated for acute or chronic wounds or undergoing surgical procedures, as well as to dermatologists for treatment of various skin afflictions. The company was formerly known as Micromed Laboratories, Inc. and changed its name to Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc. in August 2001. Oculus Innovative Sciences was incorporated in 1999 and is based in Petaluma, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap stocks Derma Sciences Inc (NASDAQ: DSCI), Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc (NASDAQ: OCLS)�and Arch Therapeutics Inc (OTCBB: ARTH) specialize or have a focus on wound care���a medical problem that has plagued mankind since the dawn of time. After all and think back to our Civil War when disease along with infections resulting from improper wound care probably killed more soldiers than actual battles. Even today, infection after surgery or after receiving a wound or injury of any kind is still a constant threat. And then there is the scaring that can result from any sort of invasive surgery or injury. With those thoughts in mind, here are three small cap wound care stocks trying address these problems:

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Wyndham Worldwide Corp(WYN)

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides various hospitality products and services to individual consumers and business customers in the United States and internationally. It offers its products and services under the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Wyndham Rewards, Wingate by Wyndham, Microtel, RCI, The Registry Collection, ResortQuest, Landal GreenParks, Novasol, Hoseasons, cottages4you, James Villa Holidays, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, and WorldMark by Wyndham brand names. The company?s Lodging segment franchises hotels in the upscale, midscale, economy, and extended stay markets of the lodging industry, as well as provides hotel management services for full-service hotels. Its Vacation Exchange and Rentals segment provides vacation exchange products and services, as well as access to distribution systems and networks to resort developers and owners of intervals of vacation ownership interests (VOIs); a nd markets vacation rental properties primarily on behalf of independent owners, vacation ownership developers, and other hospitality providers. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation?s Vacation Ownership segment develops and markets VOIs to individual consumers; and provides consumer financing in connection with the sale of VOIs, as well as offers property management services at resorts. The company is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Stocks moving in the pre-market included:

  Wyndham Worldwide Corp (NYSE: WYN) gained 2.65 percent in pre-market trade, adding to its 4.02 percent rise over the past five days. Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) gained 1.42 percent in pre-market trade after falling 0.95 percent on Wednesday. Perrigo Co (NYSE: PRGO) gained 0.66 percent in pre-market trade after losing 1.96 percent in the past week. U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) lost 0.61 percent in pre-market trade after gaining 0.80 percent over the past five days.

  Earnings

• [By Zacks Investment Research]

  But what if that company has put together a hot streak of earnings beats? What if a company has beaten not just two or three quarters in a row, but 20 quarters in a row - or 5 years - without a miss? Apple (AAPL) had put together just such an impressive earnings surprise streak until it finally missed in late 2011. In the 6 quarters since the miss, it has missed another 3 times. Share price, however, peaked in between the second and third miss.

  But during its earnings surprise streak, investors were handsomely rewarded. Perfection Isn't Easy Even with all of the unknowns in investing, I'd rather buy a company that is on an earnings hot streak, than one that is dead cold. Companies with a perfect earnings track record for the last 5 years are a small select group. It's incredibly difficult to keep beating for 5 years through all the ups and downs in the economy. Management has to manage expectations very, very well. There's little room for error. That takes skill (and maybe some luck.) These three companies haven't missed in 5 years. I featured two of these companies last quarter and they came through with another earnings beat. Of course, an earnings beat doesn't necessarily mean a stock will rise afterwards. Being light on guidance or an earnings/sales warning, for instance, could put the damper on an earnings beat. But I still like my chances with an earnings beat versus an earnings miss. Will their streaks continue this earnings season? 3 Companies With Perfect Earnings Surprise Track Records1. Wyndham Worldwide (WYN)Wyndham is one of the largest hospitality companies in the world. It operates about 630,000 hotel rooms worldwide and operates vacation rentals and exchanges with over 106,000 vacation properties in 100 countries. It also operates a network of 190 timeshare properties with about 915,000 owners.Forward P/E = 15.4Expected 2013 earnings growth = 15%Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)Reporting second quarter results on July 24 2. Jarden Corporation (JAH)Jarde
• [By Monica Gerson]

  Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $1.36 per share on revenue of $1.41 billion.

  Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.82 per share on revenue of $5.96 billion.

Top 5 Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Mobile Mini Inc.(MINI)

Mobile Mini, Inc. provides portable storage solutions in North America, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. It offers a range of portable storage products in varying lengths and widths with various features, such as its patented locking systems, premium doors, and electrical wiring and shelving. The company?s products include remanufactured and modified steel storage containers, steel security office/storage combination and security office units, wood mobile office units, and steel records storage containers, as well as non-core storage units consisting of van trailers and other manufactured storage products. Mobile Mini also provides its products on lease basis to its customers. Its customers use its products for a range of storage applications, including retail and manufacturing supplies, inventory and maintenance supplies, temporary offices, construction materials and equipment, documents and records, and household goods. The company serves large and small retaile rs, construction companies, medical centers, schools, utilities, manufacturers and distributors, the United States and the United Kingdom military, government agencies, hotels, restaurants, entertainment complexes, and households. As of December 31, 2011, it operated a lease fleet of approximately 237,600 portable storage units through 109 branches in the United States, 4 branches in Canada, 19 branches in the United Kingdom, and 1 branch in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of portable storage specialist Mobile Mini (NASDAQ: MINI  ) climbed 10% today after its quarterly results topped Wall Street expectations.