Friday, February 21, 2014

Are You Too Emotional About Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)?

There is something about small cap chip maker Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (NYSE: AMD) that rightly or wrongly just brings out both the bulls and the bears. I should mention that we had an open position in Advanced Micro Devices in our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio from last summer up until late January when we locked in a small loss. We got out not because we have lost faith in AMD, but for sinking once again after its latest earnings report, something it had already done after three other earnings reports. But if you are not a trader and have a long term time horizon, holding the stock will probably bear some fruit and you should be considering the some of the following latest AMD news:  

Does Emotion Trump Reason for AMD Investors? AMD bear Richard Saintvilus has written another critical article about the stock for The Street, noting that:

"As I've said, this company has been in continuous recovery. It's time to ask: When will the ship finally dock?"

He went on to add that its "dangerous to assume" that AMD doesn't face significant pressure from the likes of Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) even if those companies are "shells of their former selves" because they've done moderately better than AMD in navigating the declining PC market. He also noted that while Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has partnered with Intel, there is no such "lifeline"  for AMD to the extent to "justify optimism" about the company's future. Moreover:

"I can't understand how AMD expects to emerge more competitive by not spending more in areas like research and development. Companies don't "save" their way to more revenue and market share. It costs money. The restructuring continues."

Is AMD Loosing Ground to Intel and Nvidia? According to market tracker Jon Peddie Research (JPR), GPU shipments increased in the fourth quarter of last year and during this three-month period, Advanced Micro Devices lost market share against rivals Intel and NVIDIA Corporation:

According to the numbers, AMD's overall units shipped dropped 10.4% while Intel's total shipments increased 5.1% from the third quarter and NVIDIA's increased by 3.4% compared to the third quarter of last year. With year-over-year numbers, AMD's market share slipped 5.4%, Intel's increased by 5.4% and NVIDIA's increased by 0.9%.

AMD Eyes New Growth Segments. Neil Spicer, who was recently promoted from senior sales manager for the EMEA component channel to head up the vendor's EMEA CPU business, has told Channelweb that the entry-level desktop PC market is on vendor's hit list as it predicts the start of the long-awaited upgrade cycle:

"We believe there is an upgrade cycle coming and these days everything is about compute power…It is unusual for a vendor to talk about costs. But there is an opportunity to build an entry-level PC from a starting point of around $70 [£42] with an APU and motherboard."

And he added:

"In 2012/13 we recognised 90 per cent of our revenue in the PC and client market, but by 2015, 50 per cent of the company's revenue will come from emerging growth segments such as consoles and we are moving to new designs in the tablet market…. The big thing for me is that the AMD you thought you knew is not the AMD we are today. We have been through the acceleration stage of our turnaround and are now in the transformation stage."

Share Performance. On Thursday, Advanced Micro Devices fell 0.81% to $3.69 for a market cap of $2.68 billion plus the stock is down 4.65% since the start of the year, up 36.2% over the past year and up 81.8% over the past five years:

Finally, here is a look at the latest technical chart for AMD:

Taking the above news in consideration, there is still plenty for both the bulls and the bears to contemplate.

SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) has an open position in AMD. To find out what other open positions SCN EO currently has, and to learn why so many traders and investors are relying on this premium subscription service, click here to find out more.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

4 Hot Stocks the Crowd Is Talking About

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Put down the 10-K filings and the stock screeners. It's time to take a break from the traditional methods of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you.

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept that's known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market.

Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd.

While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. With that in mind, today we're taking a look at some of the most active stocks on the market.

Zale


Nearest Resistance: $21

Nearest Support: $20.85

Catalyst: Acquisition

Jewelry stock Zale (ZLC) is up more than 40% in this afternoon's trading, after news hit that the small-cap firm was being acquired by Signet Jewelers (SIG) in a deal worth approximately $1.4 billion. That's an offer price of $21 per share for ZLC, a target price that currently leaves a tiny 0.52% risk premium left over in shares.

So even though ZLC gapped up hard on the news today, the technical story doesn't really matter any more in this trade. The money has already been made on the ZLC side of things -- and the 52 basis points left in shares really only leaves room for professional merger arbitrageurs, not retail investors.

Signet Jewelers


Top 5 Rising Stocks For 2015

Nearest Resistance: N/A

Nearest Support: $82

Catalyst: Zales Acquisition

But on the other side of the deal, in shares of Signet Jewelers, there's a trade to be made. Signet had been bouncing higher in a textbook uptrending channel for the better part of the last year, but shares broke out hard on news of the ZLC acquisition offer. The move was enough to shove SIG to new highs -- and that's a good thing from a momentum standpoint right now.

Making new highs is significant from an investor psychology standpoint because it means that everyone who has bought shares in the last year is sitting on gains. As a result, the "back to even" mentality is less of a concern than it would be for a name with a higher proportion of shareholders sitting on losses. If you decide to be a buyer here, I'd recommend keeping a tight stop in place.

SunEdison


Nearest Resistance: N/A

Nearest Support: $13.50

Catalyst: Earnings, Solar Project IPO

Semiconductor material and solar energy stock SunEdison (SUNE) is another breakout name to watch this week. Shares of SUNE are up on big volume this afternoon after earnings -- and news that the firm had filed a confidential S-1 for a solar project IPO. The public offering would unlock significant value for shareholders, boosting the value of the deal on SunEdison's books.

More importantly for traders, the SUNE deal is the catalyst for a breakout in shares today. SUNE had been forming an ascending triangle pattern with resistance at $15, but shares are confirming they can hold above $15 in today's session. Buy the breakout, but I'd suggest keeping a stop in place at the 50-day moving average.

SM Energy


Nearest Resistance: $80

Nearest Support: $70

Catalyst: Earnings Miss

Last up is SM Energy (SM), a name that's getting shellacked this afternoon following earnings that missed the mark for investors. SM reported earnings per share of $1.26, a number that's 18 cents shy of what Wall Street was expecting. The news also triggered downgrades from KeyBanc and BMO Capital Markets, adding to the pressure on shares today.

SM had been forming a topping setup, and today's 17% drop means that there's no question it's triggered. Still this stock's nearest support level is still a fair distance away at $70, so it makes sense to stay clear of the long-side until it can catch a bid again.

To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.



-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.


RELATED LINKS:



>>5 Stocks Getting Ready to Break Out This Week



>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy for Big Gains



>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in the stocks mentioned.

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now

Investors often chase stocks with the highest dividend yield. They should look for companies that can steadily boost their payouts.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) One of the most powerful ways to invest over the long-term is a buy-and-hold strategy that focuses on stocks that pay big dividends -- especially at a time like this when many bonds still have puny yields.

Dividend stocks are great because in addition to profiting from any upward moves in the stock price, the quarterly payouts sweeten the pot. Many investors also prefer to reinvest their dividends to buy more shares instead of taking the cash -- which can help the value of their portfolio grow further.

But investors who simply chase the stocks with the biggest dividend yields -- which is the annual payment divided by the stock price -- often get burned when dividends are cut or eliminated.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Photon Group Ltd(PGA.AX)

Photon Group Limited provides marketing and communications services in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe. The company offers integrated marketing services, including retail marketing and merchandising, advertising, public relations, graphic design, digital printing, production of sales promotion material, communications planning, events management, direct marketing, and market research services. Its International Agencies segment provides specialized marketing services, which comprise public relations, communications strategy, and research and data analytics. The company?s Australian Agencies segment offers marketing services to Australian clients, including advertising, direct marketing, promotional campaigns, consumer research, public relations, and stakeholder communications. Its Australian Field Marketing segment provides outsourced merchandising and point-of-sale marketing services. The company?s Search Marketing segment offers U.S. facing search marketing services. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Surry Hills, Australia.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.(FDP)

Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces, transports, sources, markets, and distributes fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables worldwide. It also offers prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, beverages, snacks, and poultry and meat products. The company provides various fresh-cut fruit products, such as bananas, pineapples, melons, tomatoes, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, citrus, avocados, blueberries, kiwi, strawberries, plantains, mangos, and fruit cocktail; and fresh-cut vegetable products primarily consisting of potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and cucumbers, as well as prepared salads, such as coleslaw and potato salad. In addition, Fresh Del Monte Produce engages in ocean freight; and manufacture of plastics and box products comprising bins, trays, bags, and boxes. It offers fresh produce under the DEL MONTE, UTC, and Rosy brands; and prepared fruits and vegetables, juices, beverages, and snacks under the DEL MON TE, Fruit Express, Just Juice, and Fruitini brands. The company markets and distributes its products to retail stores, food clubs, wholesalers, distributors, and foodservice operators. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. was founded in 1886 and is based in George Town, Cayman Islands.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    The first list of 24/7 Wall St. stocks under book value for the month of August are Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA), Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE: FDP), Genworth Financial Inc. (NYSE: GNW), Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM) and JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ: JBLU). We generally have�focused on net asset values and tangible book values, as well as forward price-to-earnings multiples, share price performance, analyst expectations via the Thomson Reuters consensus price target and more.

  • [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 Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE: FDP  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Top decliners in the sector included Fresh Del Monte Produce (NYSE: FDP), off 6.7%, and Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO), down 4%. Shares of Fresh Del Monte tumbled after the company reported weak quarterly earnings.

Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now: Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc.(IRWD)

Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discovers, develops, and commercializes medicines targeting therapeutic needs. The company is developing Linaclotide, a first-in-class compound that is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, chronic constipation, and other lower gastrointestinal conditions. It also focuses on the research and development of early stage product candidates and preclinical research in various therapeutic areas, including gastrointestinal disease, pain and inflammation, respiratory disease, and cardiovascular disease. The company has a collaboration agreement with Forest Laboratories, Inc. to jointly develop and commercialize linaclotide in North America; a license agreement with Almirall, S.A. to develop and commercialize linaclotide in Europe; and a license agreement with Astellas Pharma Inc. that provides Astellas Pharma with the right to develop and commercialize linaclotide in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. It serves patients, payors, and healthcare providers. The company was formerly known as Microbia, Inc. and changed its name to Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in April 2008. Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    What: Shares of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IRWD  ) , a specialty biopharmaceutical company, gained as much as 11% after the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings results.

  • [By Lee Jackson]

    While very upbeat on the sector as a whole, UBS was very cautious on sell-rated Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: IRWD) and ImmunoGen Inc. (NASDAQ: IMGN). Neutral-rated Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTX) and Seattle Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN) were also viewed with a skeptical eye.

  • [By Keith Speights]

    Flood of expenses
    Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IRWD  ) shares fell 12% this week, after the company reported first-quarter results. A big part of the drugmaker's problems stemmed from soaring sales and administrative costs.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Provectus Pharmaceuticals Inc (PVCT.PK)

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on May 1, 1978, is a development-stage pharmaceutical company that is primarily engaged in developing ethical pharmaceuticals for oncology and dermatology indications. The Company develops and focuses to license or market and sells its two prescription drug candidates, PV-10 and PH-10. The Company has transferred all its intellectual property related to over the counter (OTC) products and non-core technologies to its subsidiaries and designated, such subsidiaries as non-core to its primary business of developing its oncology and dermatology prescription drug candidates. The Company focuses on developing its prescription drug candidates PV-10 and PH-10. The Company is developing PV-10 for treatment of several life threatening cancers, including metastatic melanoma, liver cancer, and breast cancer. The Company is developing PH-10 to provide minimally invasive treatment of chronic severe skin afflictions such as psoriasis and a topic dermatitis, a type of eczema. All of the Company's prescription drug candidates are in either the pre-clinical or clinical trial stage.

PV-10

As of December 31, 2011, the Company is developing PV-10, a sterile injectible form of rose bengal disodium (Rose Bengal), for direct injection into tumors. Its PV-10 is retained in diseased or damaged tissue but dissipates from healthy tissue. The Company had conducted Phase I and Phase IIstudies of PV-10 for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, and Phase I studies of PV-10 for the treatment of liver and breast cancers.

PH-10

The Company�� prescription drug candidate PH-10 is an aqueous hydrogel formulation of Rose Bengal for topical administration to the skin. The Company is developing PH-10 for the treatment of cutaneous skin disorders, specifically psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. In August 2011, the Company completed follow-up of all Phase IIc patients.

Over -the-Counter Pharmaceuticals

The Company had! d! esignated its subsidiary that holds its OTC products, GloveAid and Pure-ific, Pure-Stick, Pure N Clear as non-core. The Company�� GloveAid is a hand cream with both antiperspirant and antibacterial properties, for the comfort of users��hands during and after the wearing of disposable gloves. Its Pure-ific line of products includes two quick-drying sprays, Pure-ific and Pure-ific Kids, that immediately kill up to 99.9% of germs on skin and prevent regrowth for six hours. Pure-ific products prevent the spread of germs and thus complement its other OTC products designed to treat irritated skin or skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, dandruff and fungal infections. Its Pure-ific sprays have been designed with convenience in mind and are targeted towards mothers, travelers, and anyone concerned about the spread of sickness-causing germs.

The Company�� acne products Pure-Stick and Pure N Clear work by decreasing the production of fats, oils and sweat that cre ate an environment conducive to unchecked growth of bacteria. Secondly, the products also act to reduce the number bacteria already present. The Pure-Stick and Pure N Clear are applied topically to affected areas there are no safety concerns with healthy skin.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Stakis(SKS.L)

Shanks Group plc operates as a waste and resource management company that provides waste management solutions in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company involves in the collection, transfer, recycling, and treatment of non-hazardous solid waste; industrial cleaning, transportation, treatment, and disposal of contaminated soils, as well as remediation of contaminated land; and anaerobic digestion and tunnel composting of source segregated organic waste streams. It also engages in the landfill disposal activities, including contaminated soils; generation of power from landfill gas; and municipal waste treatment contracts and mineral extraction businesses. The company was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Milton Keynes, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Imperial Equities Inc. (IEI.V)

Imperial Equities Inc. engages in real estate and pharmaceutical businesses in Canada. The company�s Real Estate segment is involved in the acquisition, development, redevelopment, and leasing of commercial and industrial properties in Alberta, Canada. Its Pharmaceuticals segment engages in the sale and distribution of pharmaceutical products to hospitals, long-term care networks, corporate clinical environments, retail pharmacies, and medical and veterinary clinics. Imperial Equities Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Koninklijke Ahold NV (AHONY.PK)

Koninklijke Ahold N.V. (Ahold), incorporated on April 29, 1920, is engaged in the operation of retail food stores in the United States and Europe through subsidiaries and joint ventures. Ahold�� retail operations are presented in four segments: Stop & Shop/Giant-Landover, Giant-Carlisle, Albert Heijn and Albert/Hypernova. During the fiscal year ended January 3, 2010 (fiscal 2009), it operated 2,909 stores. On February 8, 2010, Ahold�� Giant-Carlisle acquired 25 stores from Ukrop�� Super Markets

Franchisees operated 783 of the Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall stores, 463 of which were either owned by the franchisees or leased independently from Ahold. Of the 2,446 stores, 20% were company-owned and 80% were leased. Ahold�� stores range in size from 20 to over 10,000 square meters. Albert Heijn is a food retailer in the Netherlands. Etos is a health and beauty retailer in the Netherlands. Gall & Gall is a wine and liquor specialist in the Netherlan ds. Stop & Shop is a supermarket brand, operating in six states in the northeast United States. Giant-Landover is a supermarket brand, operating in four states in the mid-Atlantic United States. Peapod is an online grocery delivery service working in partnership with Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover. It also serves the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, and the northern areas of Indiana.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: U.S. Global Investors Inc.(GROW)

U.S. Global Investors, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to investment companies. It also provides its services to pooled investment vehicles. The firm manages mutual funds for its clients. It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. The firm invests in value stocks to make its equity investments. It employs a fundamental and technical analysis with bottom-up and top-down analysis to make its investments. The firm typically invests in companies specializing in gold and natural resources. U.S. Global Investors, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is based in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Morgan Myrmo]

    One business that is ripe for takeover is U.S. Global Investors (GROW), a micro-cap asset manager based in San Antonio, Texas. The company specializes in the management of gold, mineral, resource and high-growth emerging market mutual funds. U.S. Global fund values have been hammered over the last five years as the current economic recovery has yet to reach commodities and emerging markets.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Wealth Minerals Ltd. (WML.V)

Wealth Minerals Ltd., a junior mineral resource exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of exploration and evaluation assets primarily in Argentina, Mexico, and Peru. The company primarily explores for silver ores, as well as uranium and rare earths minerals. Its flagship project includes the Valsequillo silver project located in southern Chihuahua State, Mexico. Wealth Minerals Ltd. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Whitehaven Coal Ltd (WHITF.PK)

Whitehaven Coal Limited (Whitehaven) is engaged in the development and operation of coal mines in New South Wales. During the fiscal year ended 30 June 2012 (fiscal 2012), Whitehaven Coal Limited and its controlled entities continued development at the Narrabri underground mine. The Company operates in two segments: Open Cut Operations and Underground Operations. The Company�� Gunnedah operations include the Tarrawonga (70% owned by Whitehaven), Rocglen (100% owned by Whitehaven), and Sunnyside (100% owned by Whitehaven) open cut mines and the Gunnedah coal handling and preparation plant and train load out facility (CHPP��(100% owned by Whitehaven). The Werris Creek mine is 100% owned by Whitehaven. During fiscal 2012, the Company produced 4.28 million tons per annum of saleable coal. On May 1, 2012, the Company acquired Boardwalk Resources Limited. On May 2, 2012, the Company acquired Aston Resources Limited. On June 20, 2012, it acquired Coalworks Limited.

Top 5 Diversified Bank Companies To Invest In Right Now: Oasis Petroleum Inc.(OAS)

Oasis Petroleum Inc., an independent exploration and production company, engages in the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas resources in the Montana and North Dakota regions of the Williston Basin. The company?s primary project areas include West Williston, East Nesson, and Sanish. As of December 31, 2011, it had approximately 78.7 million barrels of oil equivalent of estimated net proved reserves. Oasis Petroleum Inc. was founded in 2007 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Matt DiLallo]

    Further, high oil prices, when combined with drilling efficiencies, is a terrific recipe to boost the bottom lines of Bakken producers. That's one reason Kodiak sees fit to boost its spending to take advantage of these higher profits, though it won't benefit as much as some of its peers. For example, Oasis Petroleum (NYSE: OAS  ) has slashed 23% off its drilling costs over the past year to get its well costs down to around $8 million, while Kodiak's are around $10 million. That's enabling Oasis to drill the same number of wells this year with $111 million less capital. Higher oil prices make the return on the capital being spent that much better.

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Oasis Petroleum (OAS) is a pure Bakken/Three Forks play, with 335,000 leased acres in the Williston Basin.

    Oasis has only been a public company since 2010, and in addition to the $400 million raised in its initial public offering, the company has funded operations with $1.2 billion in debt.

  • [By Aaron Levitt]

    Like the Eagle Ford, the shale oil production from the Bakken continues grow by leaps and bounds, powering those firms that do business there. One of the best could be Oasis Petroleum (OAS).

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015

With shares of Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) trading around $81, is WMT an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Wal-Mart operates retail stores in various formats around the world. The company aims to price items at the lowest price every day. Wal-Mart operates in three business segments: the Walmart U.S. segment, the Walmart international segment, and the Sam�� Club segment. It manages retail stores, restaurants, discount stores, supermarkets, super centers, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, apparel stores, Sam�� Clubs, neighborhood markets, and other small formats, as well as Walmart.com and SamsClub.com. Through its retail channels, Wal-Mart is able to provide a variety of products and services at affordable prices to consumers and companies worldwide.

Wal-Mart Stores said that longtime company executive Doug McMillon will replace CEO Mike Duke, who plans to retire early next year.�McMillon, 47, is the current president and CEO of Walmart International, a role he has filled since January 2009. He��l officially take the helm on February 1, while he was named to the retailer�� board effective immediately.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Alhambra Resources Ltd. (ALH.V)

Alhambra Resources Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration for, and development of mineral properties, primarily gold. It holds a 100% working interest in the 2.4 million acre Uzboy Project located in north central Kazakhstan. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Radiant Communications Corp. (RCN.V)

Radiant Communications Corp. provides managed network and cloud hosting solutions for medium and small businesses primarily in Canada and the United States. Its services include managed digital subscriber line services, business Ethernet and other broadband alternatives, secure virtual private networks, and secure Internet protocol connectivity to payment processor gateways for debit and credit card transactions, high availability virtually hosted applications, grid based virtual servers, virtual data center capability, and off-site redundant back-up and disaster recovery capabilities. The company also offers AlwaysThere Cloud Computing services that provide customers with a private, on-demand computing facility for applications or fully-managed Microsoft Exchange. In addition, it provides professional services, such as solutions engineering, project management, and on-site installation and support services. Radiant Communications Corp. serves multi-location retailers, fin ancial services organizations, quick service restaurants, and a global security firm. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top Communications Equipment Stocks To Buy Right Now: BofI Holding Inc.(BOFI)

BofI Holding, Inc. operates as the holding company for BofI Federal Bank that provides various consumer and wholesale banking services primarily through the Internet in the United States. It accepts various deposit products, including demand deposit, savings, and certificates of deposit accounts. It also provides loan products, which consist of single family loans, home equity loans, multifamily loans, commercial real estate loans, recreational vehicle and automobile loans, and overdraft lines of credit In addition, the company offers online bill payment, interbank transfer, mobile banking, text message banking, ATM cards or VISA debit cards, and overdraft protection services. It serves approximately 36,000 retail deposit and loan customers across 50 states. BofI Holding, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Maxfield]

    In this day and age of Internet and mobile banking, it's imperative that the nation's traditional banks make progress on these fronts lest competitors like Bank of Internet (NASDAQ: BOFI  ) continue to take market share. Just since 2008, for instance, Bank of Internet has nearly doubled the size of its balance sheet as customers flock to its above-average savings account yields.

  • [By Matt Koppenheffer]

    "Financial innovation" has become a four-letter word after the financial crisis, with many exotic financial instruments sending tidal waves of risk through a shaky system. However, Bank of The Internet (NASDAQ: BOFI  ) has tackled this bloated industry with innovation of a different sort: an online-only bank. Their branchless operation has dramatically increased their loans since inception and has some eye-popping potential.�

  • [By David Hanson and Matt Koppenheffer]

    The circus surrounding Jamie Dimon and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) shareholders continues, but is there another Wall Street CEO that might soon feel similar pressures?�Elsewhere in the banking industry, BofI Holding (NASDAQ: BOFI  ) reported first-quarter earnings, and it appears that the bank has been able to maintain its impressive growth.�

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Canada Zinc Metals Corp (CZX.V)

Canada Zinc Metals Corp. engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada. It holds a 100% interest in the Akie Property, a zinc-lead-silver property covering 6,400 hectares located north-northwest of the Mackenzie town in northeastern British Columbia; and 233 claims comprising approximately 78,526 hectares located in the Kechika Trough region. The company was formerly known as Mantle Resources Inc. and changed its name to Canada Zinc Metals Corp. in September 2008. Canada Zinc Metals Corp. was incorporated in 1988 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Wonder Auto Technology Inc.(WATG)

Wonder Auto Technology, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of electrical parts, suspension products, and engine components. It offers starters, alternators, engine valves, and tappets in the People?s Republic of China, South Korea, and Brazil, as well as airbags and seatbelts in People?s Republic of China. The company?s products are primarily used in a range of passenger and commercial automobiles. It also manufactures and sells rectifier and regulator products for use in alternators; and various rods and shafts for use in shock absorbers, alternators, and starters. Its customers include automakers, engine manufacturers, and auto parts suppliers. Wonder Auto Technology, Inc. is headquartered in Jinzhou City, the People?s Republic of China.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: (GSPL.NS)

Gujarat State Petronet Limited operates as a natural gas transmission company in India. The company develops energy transportation infrastructure and connects natural gas supply sources, including LNG terminals to various markets in Gujarat. Its transmission network consists of a medium-to-high pressure natural gas transmission grid comprising approximately 1874 kilometers of pipeline network that transports approximately 35 million metric standard cubic meters per day of natural gas. The company serves power, fertilizer, steel, chemical plants, and distribution companies. It also engages in generation of electricity through windmills. Gujarat State Petronet Limited was founded in 1998 and is based in Gandhinagar, India.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: J. Alexander's Corporation(JAX)

J. Alexander?s Corporation operates casual dining restaurants in the United States. The company?s restaurants offer American menu. As of March 16, 2012 it operated 33 J. Alexander?s restaurants in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. J. Alexander?s Corporation was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Yow Capital Corp (CKR.V)

Caribou King Resources Ltd., a junior exploration company, primarily explores for gold, copper, silver, and base metal deposits in Canada. It owns a 100% interest in the Caribou Dome property, which covers 10,240 acres and is located in the Talkeetna mining district of Alaska; and 49% interest, through a joint venture with Alix Resources, in the Vault property that covers 3,650 hectares and is located in Yukon Territory, Canada. The company was formerly known as Caribou Copper Resources Ltd. and changed its name to Caribou King Resources Ltd. in December 2011. Caribou King Resources Ltd. is based in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Passport Metals Inc (PPI.V)

Passport Potash Inc., an early stage natural resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in the United States. The company focuses on the exploration of potash. It primarily holds 100% interest in the Holbrook basin property that covers an area of 81,000 acres in the Holbrook basin located in Navajo county, Arizona. The company was formerly known as Passport Metals Inc. and changed its name to Passport Potash Inc. in November 2009. Passport Potash Inc was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: CTC Media Inc.(CTCM)

CTC Media, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an independent media company. It operates the CTC, Domashny, and Peretz television networks in Russia. The company also operates Channel 31, a television network in Kazakhstan, as well as a television channel in Moldova offering entertainment programming. In addition, it is involved in in-house production operations that focus on series, sitcoms, and shows. CTC Media, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Moscow, the Russian Federation.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Burrows]

    This small-cap media company operates three popular television networks in Russia, but that’s not all CTC Media (CTCM) has going for it. Billionaire owner Yury Kovalchuk is a longtime pal of President Vladimir Putin. That’s important in a country as, er, mercurial as Russia.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Southern Cross Exploration NL (SXX.AX)

Southern Cross Exploration NL is an Australia-based company engaged in the investment in the Bigrlyi Uranium Joint Venture, on which pre-development investigations and further drilling were carried out; exploration for gold and minerals, reviews of opportunities for participation in and/or acquisition of mineral exploration and mining ventures, and examination of projects in respect of different commodities, share investments, loans and other securities. The Bigrlyi project is located in the Ngalia Basin, northwest of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory. The Company's interest in the Bigrlyi Uranium Joint Venture is one of its assets, in joint venture with two multi-billion dollar companies, CGNPC - via the Operator, Energy Metals Ltd (EME) - and Paladin Energy Ltd (PDN).

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Grange Resources Ltd (GRR.AX)

Grange Resources Limited owns and operates integrated iron ore mining and pellet production business in the northwest region of Tasmania. The company primarily owns interests in the Savage River magnetite iron ore mine located to the southwest of the city of Burnie. It is also involved in the exploration, evaluation, and development of the Southdown Magnetite project located near Albany, Western Australia; and associated Pellet Plant projects in Port Latta located to the northwest of Burnie. Grange Resources Limited is based in Perth, Australia.

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Exxon Mobil Corporation(XOM)

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas, and manufacture of petroleum products, as well as transportation and sale of crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum products. The company manufactures and markets commodity petrochemicals, including olefins, aromatics, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics, and other specialty products. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 35,691 gross and 30,494 net operated wells. The company has operations in the United States, Canada/South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceania. Exxon Mobil Corporation was founded in 1870 and is based in Irving, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    Give 'em a hand
    Rant all you want about the greedy executives at ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) and the $44.9 billion in profits they raked in last year, but when you look at those efficiency figures, the question of "who's to blame for us spending so much money on gas?" quickly switches to "whom should we thank for saving us so much money?"

  • [By Arjun Sreekumar]

    Talisman's and Marathon's decision to retrench from their Polish operations comes not too long after ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) announced last year that it would stop exploring for natural gas in Poland after initial tests failed to yield commercial quantities of gas. Of the remaining energy majors, only Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) , ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP  ) and Eni still have operations in Poland.

  • [By Jeff Reeves]

    The dogs of the Dow you should sell right now include Caterpillar (CAT), Walmart (WMT), IBM (IBM), Coca-Cola (KO) and Exxon Mobil (XOM).

    Here�� why these are all big-time stocks to sell:

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Before you conclude that a stock is fundamentally cheap based on its P/E ratio, though, you need to look not just at its current earnings but also at its future prospects. Often, especially with cyclical stocks, you'll find that P/E gives you the exact opposite message that you'd expect. Consider these examples:

    In the energy sector, oil giants ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) both have attractive P/E ratios of around 10. Yet looking forward, analysts don't expect either company to produce a lot of profit growth, as both companies have had to work extremely hard to avoid massive output declines stemming from falling production levels from their respective oil-field assets. As long as Exxon and Chevron can acquire new properties with lucrative prospects, they'll be able to keep revenue up, but it's far from certain whether they'll succeed in finding new discoveries. The cyclical trend is even more apparent in the refining industry. Marathon Petroleum (NYSE: MPC  ) and Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX  ) have made huge share-price advances over the past year, as extremely wide spreads between crude oil prices in the U.S. and abroad have led to unusually high profits for refined-product sales. Now, though, analysts have increasingly concluded that a combination of rising costs, greater regulation, and narrowing spreads will lead to falling profits, making current P/Es based on trailing earnings artificially low if they turn out to be right. You can find similar trends in other industries as well. Even in the traditionally high-growth tech industry, many sector giants have seen their P/E ratios plunge as earnings growth has slowed to a standstill. Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) is one of the most notable of these companies, with explosive growth during the 1990s having given way more recently to the PC bust and concerns about the viability of its business model going forward. Its share price has fall

10 Best Supermarket Stocks To Buy For 2015: Genus Plc(GNS.L)

Genus plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the application of genetics and biotechnology to animal breeding in the bovine and porcine farming sectors worldwide. It offers semen, porcine breeding animals, and veterinary products, as well as provides market research and consultancy services. The company serves farmers and food producers to improve quality, achieve production efficiencies, and increase output. It supplies dairy and beef cattle under the Genus or ABS names, as well as pigs under the PIC name. The company is based in Basingstoke, the United Kingdom.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Cars: The Ultimate Mobile Devices

Cars are becoming the ultimate mobile devices as automakers and mobile platform providers move toward an integrated future. As a result, the tech giants catalyzing this movement can expect to see substantial revenue increases as the new market develops.

Earlier this month, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) and "iOS In the Car" partner Honda introduced an iPhone-based dashboard system that will be built into the 2014 Civic and the 2015 Fit. Subsequently, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) formed a partnership with Volkswagen's (NASDAQOTH: VLKAY  ) luxury Audi brand that, according to the Wall Street Journal, will be announced at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Let's take a look at what these systems have to offer and how they might impact the future of these companies.   The "iOS in the Car" system
The iPhone serves as the brain of Apple's "iOS in the Car" system. In other words, many of the platform's features are accessible only when an iPhone is connected via a wire, or wirelessly through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Once the device is connected, a touchscreen in a center console gives drivers access to Siri, maps, music, and more. Users can utilize this touchscreen or can employ "Eyes Free," which allows them to access the same features with nothing more than voice commands.     Apple CEO Tim Cook described the "iOS in the Car" system as "very, very important" and "a key focus" for the company. So far, the endeavor has proven successful, considering Apple has already forged several strategic partnerships with the following major auto manufacturers: Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Honda/Acura, Nissan/Infiniti, Chevrolet, Kia, Hyundai, and Volvo. As the company continues to establish more of these partnerships, it can expect to see increases in licensing revenue and marginal increases in iPhone sales.    The Android system
Unlike Apple, Google's system will not require a device. Instead, the company wants to run the Android software off of hardware built into the car. Reports guess that the in-car Android platform will be a cross between an information system and an entertainment center, giving drivers and passengers access to Google Maps, music, Play, and more.     Although Google will announce Audi as its first official automotive partner, the company will likely seek out more auto partnerships in the months to come. As it does so, Google can expect similar increases in licensing revenue.     The outlook may be less rosy for Audi. In general, Audi is perceived to be a high-class brand, targeting an affluent, high-end customer base. Conversely, Google's Android-based devices target a somewhat less affluent, lower-end demographic.
Putting Android software in Audi vehicles creates a bit of a perceptual disconnect that may ultimately deter consumers and drive down sales volumes.     Final foolish thoughts Only time will tell which of these in-car systems proves dominant. For now, this new integrated frontier is vast, leaving room for both Apple and Google to see substantial increases in revenue. Although auto makers will have to carefully evaluate which tech giant to side with, the tech giants themselves are poised to grow bigger.

Best Financial Companies To Own For 2015

If we had to buy just one stock in 2014, this would be it
There's a huge difference between a good stock, and a stock that can make you rich. The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for 2014, and it's one of those stocks that could make you rich. You can find out which stock it is in the special free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2014." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Cliffs Natural Resources: The Good News Keeps Coming

Is the long winter finally ending for long-suffering Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) investors?

REUTERS

It could be. The beaten-down iron-ore miner reported earnings after yesterday’s close, and they were surprisingly solid. Cliffs Natural resources reported an adjusted profit of $1.22 a share, better than analyst forecasts for 82 cents, while revenue came in at $1.52, also better than forecast.

JPMorgan’s Michael Gambardella and team explain why investors are excited:

Cliffs ended 2013 on a strong note by delivering its fourth straight adjusted EPS beat, continuing a recent trend of increased transparency of one-time items in GAAP EPS by adding a full reconciliation table, and providing better than expected operating guidance, specifically U.S. Iron Ore (USIO) prices whose imminent demise has been projected for almost a year. We would expect a strong positive reaction in CLF at the open given the stock remains the most heavily shorted in the entire S&P 500 at 36% of float.

Cowen’s Anthony B. Rizzuto and team call Cliffs’ results a sign of progress:

Overall, we view this to be another step in the right direction for [Cliffs Natural Resources]. Operationally, results were generally in line with our expectations, and the company’s cost reduction efforts were on display again this quarter. Near term, while we see positive catalysts, continued macro concerns regarding iron ore pricing could continue to weigh on shares.

Hot Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now

Cliff’s also named a new CEO, though not the on preferred by Casablanca Capital.

Shares of Cliff’s Natural Resources have gained 6% to $23.21 at 11:10 a.m. today, trumping the 1.1% rise in Rio Tinto (RIO), the 1.2% gain in BHP Billiton (BHP) and the 1.5% advance in Vale (VALE).

Despite the big gain, however, Cliffs Natural Resources is down 11% so far in2014, even as Rio Tinto has gained 4.2%, BHP Billiton has risen 0.3% and Vale has dropped 4.2%.

Cliffs fell 30% in 2013, lost 35% in 2012 and dropped 19% in 2011.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Get used to market volatility

vix one month

The CBOE Volatility Index, or the VIX, has ticked up in recent weeks as the economic picture becomes uncertain.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Buckle up investors, it looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride for stocks for the foreseeable future.

Big swings in the market have been a common theme already this year.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), or VIX, is up nearly 15% so far in 2014. And CNNMoney's Fear and Greed Index, which tracks the VIX and six other gauges of investor sentiment, has been in Extreme Fear mode for more than a week. It may stay like this for a while.

"There's probably going to be a lot of up and downs in the next few months," said Anthony Valeri, an investment strategist with LPL Financial.

That's because investors are trying to get a sense of where the economy actually stands, said Brad McMillan of Commonwealth Financial Network. Weaker than-expected economic reports, including two straight months of tepid jobs growth, are upending the notion that the economy is picking up steam, he said.

Top 5 Dividend Stocks For 2015

And while unseasonably cold weather may be to blame, investors can't know for certain.

Then there's the Federal Reserve.

The central bank announced in December that it would start scaling back, or tapering, the size of its monthly bond purchases. The main reason for this was that the Fed felt that the recovery was sustaining momentum. But it's no longer a slam dunk that the Fed will taper again at its next meeting in March.

Turmoil in the emerging markets is only adding to the confusion for investors.

So how can investors protect themselves, or even profit from, these big swings?

Valeri urges investors to buy on the dips. "When you see these bouts of volatility, you should treat them as a buying opportunity," he said.

But McMillan sees it differently. His advice: sit tight.

"If you have a multi-year time frame, this is noise," he said. "More money has been lost trying to time the market than with market fluctuations."

There are also financial products designed to do well when the market goes haywire, but they're not for the faint of heart.

Todd Salamone of Sc! haeffers Research, an options trading advisory firm, encourages investors to study the ups and downs of individual stocks rather than look at the overall market.

High speed trading showdown   High speed trading showdown

Options, which are contracts that give investors the right to buy or sell a stock at a specific price on or by a set date, typically thrive off volatility. For example, the price of certain kinds of options for companies that are rumored takeover targets will often spike well before the stock price moves.

Traditionally reserved for big time Wall Street players, options are now offered to individual investors by leading online brokers such as Charles Schwab (SCHW, Fortune 500), E*Trade (ETFC), and TD Ameritrade (AMTD).

But option trading is risky business, and definitely not for everyone. Large investment firms often use them to hedge their bets.

The most important thing: "know what you're buying, understand how it works," Salamone said.

Another tool: exchange-traded funds designed to perform well in times of volatility.

The CBOE Emerging Markets ETF Volatility (VXEEM), for example, tracks volatility in emerging markets companies. It's up more than 20% so far this year due to worries about the health of the so-called "Fragile Five" emerging markets.

But again, caution is urged before delving in, as investors can lose a lot of money should the markets smooth out and go about their regular business. To that end, this ETF plunged 7% on Thursday when the broader market rallied. And it fell another 3% Friday as stocks rose again.

So Valeri only recommends volatility ETFs for very aggressive investors. To top of page

Saturday, February 8, 2014

3 Hot Stocks to Trade (or Not)

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Put down the 10-K filings and the stock screeners. It's time to take a break from the traditional methods of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you.

>>5 Big Trades to Take in February

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept that's known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market.

Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd.

While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. Today, we'll leverage the power of the crowd to take a look at some of the most active stocks on the market today.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. That's especially true now that earnings season is officially underway. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity.

Without further ado, here's a look at today's stocks.

J.C. Penney


Nearest Resistance: $8

Nearest Support: $5

Catalyst: Technical Setup

>>4 Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

Shares of department store retailer J.C. Penney (JCP) continue to see volatile price action today, down 2.7% on no real news to speak of. Instead, the technicals are ruling the daily swings in this stock.

A quick glance at a chart of JCP tells you that this isn't a name you want to own right now. Trend line support remains very strong to the upside at $8, while the latest swing low at $5 is questionable.

Don't try to buy JCP cheap. It could get cheaper in the near-term.

General Motors


Nearest Resistance: $36

Nearest Support: $31

Catalyst: Q4 Earnings

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

General Motors (GM) missed investors' targets for the fourth quarter, earning 67 cents per share. Wall Street was looking for earnings to come in at 87 cents.

Even though GM is taking the earnings news in stride this afternoon, the chart looks rough. A lot of demand for shares of GM has gotten sapped from the market in the last month and change, and shares officially broke their uptrend at the start of this week.

Until GM can recapture resistance at $36, the sellers are the ones who remain in the driver's seat.

Nokia


Nearest Resistance: $7.75

Nearest Support: $7

Catalyst: Technical Setup

>>5 Ways to Invest Like a Pension Fund

Last up is Nokia (NOK), a name that's up almost 3% on technical strength of its own. Nokia has been challenged by some seriously problematic fundamentals in 2014, gapping down hard on earnings at the end of January. But today's breakout through resistance at $7 is signaling a buy in the short-term.

There's no question that NOK is still looking weak on a lot of fronts, but if you're a trader with a shorter-term timeframe, consider this move buyable. Just keep a tight stop in place under $7. If shares can't catch a bid there anymore, it's time to look out below in Nokia.

To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.



-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.


RELATED LINKS:



>>5 Toxic Stocks to Sell Now



>>2 Biotech Stocks in Breakout Territory



>>5 Low-Priced Stocks to Trade for Gains

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji


Thursday, February 6, 2014

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015

Everywhere you turn, it seems like there's a new tax you have to pay. Recent news that the federal government could allow states to start taxing Internet transactions has raised an uproar among shoppers who for years have been able to use online retailers to avoid sales tax.

As we examined yesterday, beer-drinkers get hit hard in many states that impose high excise taxes on the beverage. At the state and local level, although state income taxes, property taxes, and general sales taxes provide a lot of tax revenue, most states also use other taxes to find more money for government programs. But some states don't make drinking beer nearly as expensive. Turning once more to the Tax Foundation for data at the state level, let's take a look at the six states that charge the least in excise taxes per gallon on beer sales, along with figures from the Beer Institute showing where they rank in terms of beer consumption.

6. Oregon
Oregon weighs in with the sixth lowest tax rate in the nation, as it has excise taxes that round to just $0.08 per gallon. Even with beer consumption of 30.2 gallons per person putting the state right around the middle of the pack, the microbrewery industry is especially important in the Pacific Northwest, and Oregon's low excise taxes help provide support for small microbrewers seeking to sell their products in-state. Moreover, with very high income-tax rates, Oregon generally has other sources of tax revenue to rely on.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE)

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. produces, distributes, and markets non-alcoholic beverages in Europe. It provides a range of beverage categories, including energy drinks, still and sparkling waters, juices, sports drinks, fruit drinks, coffee-based beverages, and teas. The company primarily offers its products under Coca-Cola, Diet Coke/Coke light, Fanta, Coca-Cola Zero, Capri Sun, Schweppes, Sprite, Chaudfontaine, MinuteMaid, and Dr. Pepper brands. It provides its products to customers and consumers through licensed territory agreements in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By L.A. Little]

    Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE) � is a consumer staple and has a lot less volatility than most stocks. As seen below, it has broken over multiple swing points on the short-term time frame.

  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: CCE) was raised to the prized Conviction Buy List from Neutral with a $47 price target at Goldman Sachs, sending shares up almost 3% to $38.50 on the upgrade.

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE  ) -- the regional bottler of pop that rules over Western Europe -- hosed down its near-term prospects last month.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Monster Beverage Corp (MNST.O)

Monster Beverage Corporation, formerly Hansen Natural Corporation, incorporated on April 25, 1990,is a holding company. The Company develops, markets, sells and distributes alternative beverage. The alternative beverage category combines non-carbonated ready-to-drink iced teas, lemonades, juice cocktails, single-serve juices and fruit beverages, ready-to-drink dairy and coffee drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and single-serve still water (flavored, unflavored and enhanced) with new age beverages, including sodas that are considered natural, sparkling juices and flavored sparkling beverages. It has two reportable segments, namely Direct Store Delivery (DSD), whose principal products comprise energy drinks, and Warehouse (Warehouse), whose principal products comprise juice-based and soda beverages. The DSD segment develops, markets and sells products primarily through an exclusive distributor network, whereas the Warehouse segment develops, markets and sells products primarily directly to retailers. Corporate and unallocated amounts that do not relate to the DSD or Warehouse segments specifically, have been allocated to Corporate and Unallocated.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, it continued to expand its existing product lines and flavors and further develop its distribution markets. In particular, it continued to focus on developing and marketing beverages that fall within the category generally described as the alternative beverage category. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it introduced a number of new products, including Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy, a non-carbonated energy drink with electrolytes, Monster Energy Zero Ultra, a carbonated energy drink which contains zero calories and zero sugar, bermonster Energy Brew, a non-alcoholic energy drink, manufactured using a brewed fermentation process, Hansen�� Coconut Water, in original and tropical flavors, packaged in re-sealable Tetra Prisma b oxes, Peace Tea Cranberry, Pink Lemonade and Texas-Style Sw! e! et Tea, ready-to-drink iced teas, Monster Cuba-Lima, a carbonated lime flavored non-alcoholic energy drink, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, a carbonated punch + energy drink and Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, a carbonated punch + energy drink.

DSD Segment

Monster Energy Drinks offers products under the Monster Energy drink product line: Monster Energy, Lo-Carb Monster Energy, Monster Energy Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster M-80 (named Ripper in certain countries), Monster MIXXD, Monster Energy Absolutely Zero, Monster Energy Import and Import Light, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, M3 Monster Energy Super Concentrate energy drinks, bermonster Energy Brew, Monster Energy Zero Ultra and Monster Cuba-Lima.

Java Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the Java Monster product line: Java Monster Kon a Blend, Java Monster Loca Moca, Java Monster Mean Bean, Java Monster Vanilla Light, Java Monster Irish Blend and Java Monster Toffee. Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology Energy Drinks - A line of carbonated energy drinks containing nitrous oxide. It offer products under the Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology product line: Super Dry, Anti Gravity and Black Ice.

-Presso Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the X-Presso Monster coffee + energy drinks product line: X-Presso Monster Hammer and X-Presso Monster Midnite.

Monster Rehab Tea + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated energy drinks with electrolytes. It offers products under the Monster Rehab drink line: Monster Rehab Tea + Lemonade + Energy, Monster Rehab Rojo Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Green Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Protean + Energy and Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy.

Worx Energy Energy Shots - A line of energy ! suppl! em! ents wh! ich contains zero calories and zero sugar. It offers products under the Worx Energy energy shot product line: Original Formula and Extra Strength.

Peace Tea Iced Teas - A line of ready-to-drink iced teas. It offers products under the Peace Tea product line: green tea, imported Ceylon tea, sweet lemon tea, razzleberry tea, cranberry tea, pink lemonade tea, Texas-style sweet tea and Caddy Shack tea + lemonade.

Warehouse Segment

Hansen�� brand sodas have been a natural soda brand on the West Coast of the United States for more than 30 years and are made with natural flavors. Hansen�� brand sodas, sweetened with cane sugar, and Hansen�� Diet Sodas, sweetened with Splenda no calorie sweetener and Acesulfame-K, contain no preservatives, sodium, caffeine or artificial colorings. It offers sodas under the Hansen�� brand name: Hansen�� Sodas, Hansen�� Diet Sodas and Hansen�� Natural Mixers, as well as Hansen�� Sparkling W aters, in a variety of flavors.

Its Blue Sky products contain no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine (other than its Blue Sky energy drinks) or artificial coloring and are made with sugar and natural flavors. It offers products under the Blue Sky product line: Blue Sky Natural Soda, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Sodas (sweetened with Truvia brand stevia extract, an all natural sweetener), Blue Sky Premium Sodas, Blue Sky Organic Natural Sodas, Blue Sky Seltzer Waters, Blue Sky Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Caf Energy drinks and Blue Sky Recover Energy drinks.

Its original Hansen�� energy drinks compete in the functional beverage category, namely, beverages that provide a benefit in addition to simply delivering refreshment. It offers products under the Hansen�� energy drink product line: Hansen�� Natural Energy Pro, Hansen�� Energy Diet Red and Hansen�� Natural Stamina Pro.

Its fruit juice product line includes Hansen�� Natural Ap! ple Juice! ,! Hansen

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now: Monster Beverage Corp (MNST)

Monster Beverage Corporation, formerly Hansen Natural Corporation, incorporated on April 25, 1990,is a holding company. The Company develops, markets, sells and distributes alternative beverage. The alternative beverage category combines non-carbonated ready-to-drink iced teas, lemonades, juice cocktails, single-serve juices and fruit beverages, ready-to-drink dairy and coffee drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and single-serve still water (flavored, unflavored and enhanced) with new age beverages, including sodas that are considered natural, sparkling juices and flavored sparkling beverages. It has two reportable segments, namely Direct Store Delivery (DSD), whose principal products comprise energy drinks, and Warehouse (Warehouse), whose principal products comprise juice-based and soda beverages. The DSD segment develops, markets and sells products primarily through an exclusive distributor network, whereas the Warehouse segment develops, markets and sells products primarily directly to retailers. Corporate and unallocated amounts that do not relate to the DSD or Warehouse segments specifically, have been allocated to Corporate and Unallocated.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, it continued to expand its existing product lines and flavors and further develop its distribution markets. In particular, it continued to focus on developing and marketing beverages that fall within the category generally described as the alternative beverage category. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it introduced a number of new products, including Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy, a non-carbonated energy drink with electrolytes, Monster Energy Zero Ultra, a carbonated energy drink which contains zero calories and zero sugar, bermonster Energy Brew, a non-alcoholic energy drink, manufactured using a brewed fermentation process, Hansen�� Coconut Water, in original and tropical flavors, packaged in re-sealable Tetra Prisma boxes, Peace Tea Cranberry, Pink Lemonade and Texas-Style Sweet ! Tea, ready-to-drink iced teas, Monster Cuba-Lima, a carbonated lime flavored non-alcoholic energy drink, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, a carbonated punch + energy drink and Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, a carbonated punch + energy drink.

DSD Segment

Monster Energy Drinks offers products under the Monster Energy drink product line: Monster Energy, Lo-Carb Monster Energy, Monster Energy Assault, Monster Khaos, Monster M-80 (named Ripper in certain countries), Monster MIXXD, Monster Energy Absolutely Zero, Monster Energy Import and Import Light, Monster Energy Dub Edition Baller�� Blend, Monster Energy Dub Edition Mad Dog, M3 Monster Energy Super Concentrate energy drinks, bermonster Energy Brew, Monster Energy Zero Ultra and Monster Cuba-Lima.

Java Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the Java Monster product line: Java Monster Kona Blend, Java Monster Loca Moca, Java Monster Mean Bean, Java Monster Vanilla Light, Java Monster Irish Blend and Java Monster Toffee. Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology Energy Drinks - A line of carbonated energy drinks containing nitrous oxide. It offer products under the Monster Energy Extra Strength Nitrous Technology product line: Super Dry, Anti Gravity and Black Ice.

-Presso Monster Coffee + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee + energy drinks. It offers products under the X-Presso Monster coffee + energy drinks product line: X-Presso Monster Hammer and X-Presso Monster Midnite.

Monster Rehab Tea + Energy Drinks - A line of non-carbonated energy drinks with electrolytes. It offers products under the Monster Rehab drink line: Monster Rehab Tea + Lemonade + Energy, Monster Rehab Rojo Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Green Tea + Energy, Monster Rehab Protean + Energy and Monster Rehab Tea + Orangeade + Energy.

Worx Energy Energy Shots - A line of energy suppleme! nts which! contains zero calories and zero sugar. It offers products under the Worx Energy energy shot product line: Original Formula and Extra Strength.

Peace Tea Iced Teas - A line of ready-to-drink iced teas. It offers products under the Peace Tea product line: green tea, imported Ceylon tea, sweet lemon tea, razzleberry tea, cranberry tea, pink lemonade tea, Texas-style sweet tea and Caddy Shack tea + lemonade.

Warehouse Segment

Hansen�� brand sodas have been a natural soda brand on the West Coast of the United States for more than 30 years and are made with natural flavors. Hansen�� brand sodas, sweetened with cane sugar, and Hansen�� Diet Sodas, sweetened with Splenda no calorie sweetener and Acesulfame-K, contain no preservatives, sodium, caffeine or artificial colorings. It offers sodas under the Hansen�� brand name: Hansen�� Sodas, Hansen�� Diet Sodas and Hansen�� Natural Mixers, as well as Hansen�� Sparkling Waters, in a variety of flavors.

Its Blue Sky products contain no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine (other than its Blue Sky energy drinks) or artificial coloring and are made with sugar and natural flavors. It offers products under the Blue Sky product line: Blue Sky Natural Soda, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Sodas (sweetened with Truvia brand stevia extract, an all natural sweetener), Blue Sky Premium Sodas, Blue Sky Organic Natural Sodas, Blue Sky Seltzer Waters, Blue Sky Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Zero Calorie Blue Energy drinks, Blue Sky Caf Energy drinks and Blue Sky Recover Energy drinks.

Its original Hansen�� energy drinks compete in the functional beverage category, namely, beverages that provide a benefit in addition to simply delivering refreshment. It offers products under the Hansen�� energy drink product line: Hansen�� Natural Energy Pro, Hansen�� Energy Diet Red and Hansen�� Natural Stamina Pro.

Its fruit juice product line includes Hansen�� Natural Apple Juice, Ha! nsen�� ! Natural Grape Juice, White Grape Juice, Pineapple Juice, Apple Grape Juice, Apple Strawberry Juice, Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Cranberry-Apple Juice, Cranberry-Grape Juice, Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, and Organic Apple Juice. In March 2012, it added Hansen�� Natural Apple Orange Pineapple Juice which contains 100% juice as well as 120% of the United States Recommended Daily Allowances (the USRDA) for vitamin C. It also offer Hansen�� Natural Lo-Cal juice cocktails, a line of all natural, low-calorie cocktails in four flavors. The Lo-Cal juice cocktails are sweetened with Truvia sweetener. Hansen�� juice products compete in the shelf-stable juice category.

It offers a number of aseptically packed boxed juice products, including its dual-branded multi-vitamin 100% juice line, which itsell in conjunction with Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) through Costco stores. It offers its Hansen�� Natural line of multi-vitamin 100% juices to other customers. These multi-vitamin juices contain eleven essential vitamins and six essential minerals and are available in a variety of flavors. In February 2012, it added Hansen�� Natural Organic Apple Juice, a 100% USDA Certified Organic Apple Juice with 100% of the USRDA for vitamin C.

Its Hansen�� Junior Juice product line is a 100% juice line targeted at toddlers and preschoolers. These juices have added calcium and all flavors contain 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. It also offers organic juices as well as Hansen�� Organic Junior Water, a lightly flavored reduced calorie beverage, both of which contain 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. In addition, it offers Junior Juice Coconut Water Twist, a line of fruit and coconut water juices containing 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C.

Its Hubert�� Lemonade is a line of premium ready-to-drink lemonades. Hubert�� Lemonade is sweetened with cane sugar and Truvia sweetener. Hubert�� Lemonade i! s all nat! ural and contains no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, or artificial colorings. It offers products under the Hubert�� Lemonade product line: Strawberry Lemonade, Limeade, Mango Lemonade, Honey Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade and Original Lemonade. It added Cherry Limeade and Blackberry Lemonade flavors to the product line in February 2012 and October 2012, respectively. In July 2012, it introduced 4-count multi-packs of select flavors.

Hubert�� Half & Half is sweetened with cane sugar and Truvia sweetener, and contains no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or artificial colorings. Its Fruit and Tea Stix product line is an all-natural, low-calorie powder drink mix line, sweetened naturally with Truvia sweetener. Its Angeleno Aguas Frescas is a line of premium ready-to-drink aguas frescas. Angeleno Aguas Frescas are sweetened with cane sugar and real fruit juice and contain no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, or artificial colorings. It offers flavors under the Angeleno Aguas Frescas product line: Mango, Melon, Pineapple, Jamaica (Hibiscus) and Tamarindo. Its Hansen�� Natural PRE products include a line of prebiotic and probiotic digestive wellness ready-to-drink beverages and powder drink mixes, containing specially formulated blends by Jarrow Formulas. PRE prebiotic ready-to-drink beverages are sweetened with either cane sugar or stevia. PRE probiotic powder drink mixes are sweetened with cane sugar and stevia. In March 2012, it introduced Hansen�� Natural Coconut Water, a line of premium 100% Coconut Waters available in Pure and Tropical flavors.

The Company competes with TCCC, PepsiCo, Inc. (PepsiCo), The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (the DPS Group), Red Bull Gmbh, Kraft Foods, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Nestle Beverage Company, Tree Top Inc. (Tree Top), Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. (Ocean Spray), Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle, No Fear, Amp, Adrenaline Rush, NOS, Venom, Redline, 180, Red Devil, Rip It, Xenergy, 5-Hour Energy ! Shots, Mi! O Energy, Stacker 2, VPX Redline Energy Shots, Red Bull, Rockstar, Burn, V-Energy, Lucozade, Adrenaline Rush, Power Play, Mother, Hell, Shock, Tiger, Boost, Gladiator, TNT, Shark, Hot 6, Nalu, Battery, Bullit, Flash Up, Black, Non-Stop, Bomba, Semtex, Starbucks Frappuccino, Starbucks Double Shot, Starbucks Double Shot Energy Plus Coffee , other Starbucks coffee drinks, Rockstar Roasted, Seattle�� Best, illy issimo coffee, Full Throttle Coffee, Arizona, Lipton, Snapple, Nestea, Xing Tea, Honest Tea, Gold Peak Tea, Fuze Tea, the DPS Group, Cott Corporation and National Beverage Corporation, Jones Soda Co., Crystal Geyser, J.M. Smucker Company, Reeds, Inc., Zevia, Tree Top, Mott��, Martinelli��, Welch��, Ocean Spray, Tropicana, Minute Maid, Langers, Apple , Eve, Seneca, Northland, Juicy Juice, Old Orchard, Calypso, Simply Lemonade, Minute Maid, Cabana, Tropicana, Newman�� Own, Vita Coco, ZICO and O.N.E.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Monster Beverage (NASDAQ: MNST  ) is under attack again.

    San Francisco's city attorney is suing the energy drink maker, alleging that Monster is marketing its caffeinated beverages to children and young teens.

  • [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]

    Monster has strong margins, quality debt management, consistently improving revenue and earnings on an annual basis, and huge international potential. However, there is no sustainable momentum in the stock right now. There are too many risks related to negative press (fair or unfair) that could lead to a gap down.

  • [By John Divine]

    Shares of Monster Beverage (NASDAQ: MNST  ) shed 4.4% Friday, as the American Medical Association prepares to discuss the endorsement of a ban on energy drinks to children. The group of physicians has an understandably large influence on health policy in the United States, and a move to suggest an age requirement for the high-caffeine beverages that are Monster's specialty poses a serious threat to its business.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Tsingyuan Brewery Ltd (BEER.PK)

Tsingyuan Brewery Ltd., formerly Sabre Industrial, Inc., incorporated on July 25, 1996, is a manufacturer and distributor of brewer's malt and beer throughout northern and eastern China. The Company has two business lines: brewer's malt and beer production.

The brewer's malt is shipped to brewers in 10 provinces across China. The beer products are distributed throughout six provinces. The Company utilizes the German brewing techniques and uses barley, water and hops. Tsingyuan Brewery Ltd. promotes nine products under its brand names Qinglin, Qingyi, and Qingyuan.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Alkaline Water Company Inc (WTER.OB)

The Alkaline Water Company Inc., formerly Global Lines Inc, incorporated on June 6, 2011, is a developer of electrolysis beverage process, packaged and branded as Alkaline84. Alkaline84 is the Company's flagship product designed to encourage daily consumption of Alkaline Water through a consumer oriented bulk delivery system. The Company is engaged in the development of a national retail bulk distribution network delivering Electrochemically Activated Water (ECA) to consumers everywhere. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing the retail sale of its packaged Alkaline84 branded beverage products.

Alkaline84 is available in two sizes: three liters and one gallon. Alkaline84 is a pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with 84 trace minerals and electrolytes. Alkaline84 is available for consumer sales at a number of major retail locations across the southwestern United States.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Alkaline Water Company Inc (WTER)

The Alkaline Water Company Inc., formerly Global Lines Inc, incorporated on June 6, 2011, is a developer of electrolysis beverage process, packaged and branded as Alkaline84. Alkaline84 is the Company's flagship product designed to encourage daily consumption of Alkaline Water through a consumer oriented bulk delivery system. The Company is engaged in the development of a national retail bulk distribution network delivering Electrochemically Activated Water (ECA) to consumers everywhere. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing the retail sale of its packaged Alkaline84 branded beverage products.

Alkaline84 is available in two sizes: three liters and one gallon. Alkaline84 is a pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with 84 trace minerals and electrolytes. Alkaline84 is available for consumer sales at a number of major retail locations across the southwestern United States.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Small cap Sodastream International Ltd (NASDAQ: SODA), an Israeli based developer, manufacturer and marketer of�home beverage carbonation systems, has attracted its share of hype over both its products and its stock, but could other small cap water stocks like Primo Water Corporation (NASDAQ: PRMW), Puresafe Water Systems Inc (OTCMKTS: PSWS) and Alkaline Water Company Inc (OTCBB: WTER) attract a similar following? After all, Sodastream International has managed to create a significant amount of buzz from consumers, investors and even short sellers because it�� the�world's largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of home carbonation systems as its�brands are sold in over 60,000 retail stores in 45 countries. Sodastream International is also up 45.7% since the start of the year, up 70.2% over the past year and up 99.3% since November 2010, but shares did spike up to the $75 level in the middle of 2011 and now trade at the $63 level.

  • [By CRWE]

    Today, WTER has shed (-4.26%) down -0.020 at $.450 with 2,336,294 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 1:28PM EDT September 17, 2013).

    The Alkaline Water Company Inc. previously reported that Ms. Brande Roderick has agreed to join the Company’s Advisory Board and will undertake an active role in upcoming public relations and awareness campaigns.

  • [By James E. Brumley]

    The initial thought may be that it's a bit of an awkward sales venue. The more one thinks about it - and digs - the more this relationship makes sense. And if you did really deep into the details (into a philosophical level), a "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" scenario surfaces. What's this not-really-unusual relationship? The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTCBB:WTER) is now selling its Alkaline88 brand of water through Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). Take that Primo Water Corporation (NASDAQ:PRMW)!

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: SABMiller PLC (SBMRY.PK)

SABMiller plc, incorporated on March 17, 1998, is a holding company, which has brewing and beverage interests across six continents. The Company together with its subsidiaries is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and sale of beverages. The Company is a brewer with more than 200 beer brands. The Company�� portfolio of brands includes international beers, such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch, as well as local brands, such as Aguila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow, Tyskie and Victoria Bitter. It is a bottler for the Coca-Cola Company in Africa and Central America. It operates in Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.

Latin America

The Company�� primary brewing and beverage operations cover six countries across South and Central America (Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Peru). The Company is brewer in Argentina, and it exports to Bolivia, Ch ile and Paraguay. It bottles soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Company in El Salvador and Honduras, and for Pepsico International in Panama.

Europe

The Company�� primary brewing operations cover eight countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain (Canary Islands) and the Netherlands. A further 16 countries, including Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine are covered in a strategic alliance with Anadolu Efes through brewing, soft drinks or export operations. The Company exports volumes to a further seven European markets, of which the largest are the United Kingdom and Germany.

North America

The Company�� North America segment includes its 58% owned MillerCoors and 100% of Miller Brewing International and the its North American holding companies. The Company�� wholly owned Miller Brewing International business is based in Milwaukee, the United States and exports its brands to Canada and Mexico and throu ghout the Americas.

Africa

The ! Co! mpany�� brewing and beverage operations in Africa cover 15 countries. A further 21 are covered through a strategic alliance with the Castel group and it also has an associated undertaking in Zimbabwe. The Company bottles soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Company in 20 of its African markets (in alliance with Castel in 14 of these markets).

Asia Pacific

The Company�� partners with China Resources Enterprise, Limited in China. The Company is engaged in brewing business in India. The Company has operation in Vietnam and it exports to various markets, including South Korea and Singapore.

South Africa

The Company�� South African Breweries (Pty) Ltd (SAB) is South Africa�� producer and distributor of lager and soft drinks. It also exports brands for distribution across Namibia. Its soft drinks division is bottler of products for The Coca-Cola Company. The Company has hotel and gaming interests through its associate, Tsogo S un Holdings Ltd, a hotel and gaming group in South Africa.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: SABMiller PLC (SBMRY)

SABMiller plc, incorporated on March 17, 1998, is a holding company, which has brewing and beverage interests across six continents. The Company together with its subsidiaries is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and sale of beverages. The Company is a brewer with more than 200 beer brands. The Company�� portfolio of brands includes international beers, such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch, as well as local brands, such as Aguila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow, Tyskie and Victoria Bitter. It is a bottler for the Coca-Cola Company in Africa and Central America. It operates in Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.

Latin America

The Company�� primary brewing and beverage operations cover six countries across South and Central America (Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Peru). The Company is brewer in Argentina, and it exports to Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay. It bottles soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Company in El Salvador and Honduras, and for Pepsico International in Panama.

Europe

The Company�� primary brewing operations cover eight countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain (Canary Islands) and the Netherlands. A further 16 countries, including Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine are covered in a strategic alliance with Anadolu Efes through brewing, soft drinks or export operations. The Company exports volumes to a further seven European markets, of which the largest are the United Kingdom and Germany.

North America

The Company�� North America segment includes its 58% owned MillerCoors and 100% of Miller Brewing International and the its North American holding companies. The Company�� wholly owned Miller Brewing International business is based in Milwaukee, the United States and exports its brands to Canada and Mexico and throughout the Americas.

Africa

The Compa! ny�� brewing and beverage operations in Africa cover 15 countries. A further 21 are covered through a strategic alliance with the Castel group and it also has an associated undertaking in Zimbabwe. The Company bottles soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Company in 20 of its African markets (in alliance with Castel in 14 of these markets).

Asia Pacific

The Company�� partners with China Resources Enterprise, Limited in China. The Company is engaged in brewing business in India. The Company has operation in Vietnam and it exports to various markets, including South Korea and Singapore.

South Africa

The Company�� South African Breweries (Pty) Ltd (SAB) is South Africa�� producer and distributor of lager and soft drinks. It also exports brands for distribution across Namibia. Its soft drinks division is bottler of products for The Coca-Cola Company. The Company has hotel and gaming interests through its associate, Tsogo Sun Holdings Ltd, a hotel and gaming group in South Africa.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roland Head]

    Luckily, there is another way. The FTSE 100 contains a number of companies whose earnings come from these countries. Two great examples are Diageo (LSE: DGE  ) (NYSE: DEO  ) and SABMiller (LSE: SAB  ) (NASDAQOTH: SBMRY  ) , which sell spirits and beer, respectively, and have global operations providing exactly the kind of emerging-market exposure I'm looking for.

  • [By Tony Reading]

    I'm less familiar with South African-based SABMiller (LSE: SAB  ) (NASDAQOTH: SBMRY  ) , though its market cap is slightly larger than Diageo after its shares are up 50% over the year. I think of it as expensive, but a quick check on my data provider shows the two shares equally rated with prospective price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios of 19.7 and yields of 2.3% for Diageo and 2.2% for SABMiller. So maybe it's time to do a little portfolio rebalancing.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Trying to tap into that market would be a difficult task for anyone, even for�SABMiller� (NASDAQOTH: SBMRY  ) ,�the world's second largest brewer, which is why it undoubtedly figured that by hooking up with Canada's biggest operator, Molson Coors� (NYSE: TAP  ) , with 39% of the beer market, it would have an easier time of getting better distribution. Their MillerCoors joint venture was created in 2007 and mainly distributes beer in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, but it also allows Molson to market and distribute certain Miller brands in Canada.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Recently, Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) introduced in the U.S. its Stella Artois Cidre brand of cider as a means of siphoning off wine drinkers but also trying to steal some of Boston Beer's thunder. According to GuestMetrics, hard cider sales soared 70% in the first quarter, and it was largely on the back of Angry Orchard. Notably, MillerCoors, the joint venture between SABMiller (NASDAQOTH: SBMRY  ) and Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) , also acquired cider maker Crispin last year.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Pepsico Inc.(PEP)

PepsiCo, Inc. engages in the manufacture, marketing, and sale of foods, snacks, and carbonated and non-carbonated beverages worldwide. The company operates in four divisions: PepsiCo Americas Foods (PAF); PepsiCo Americas Beverages (PAB); PepsiCo Europe; and PepsiCo Asia, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA). The PAF division offers Lay?s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips and dips, Cheetos cheese flavored snacks, Fritos corn chips, Quaker Chewy granola bars, and SunChips multigrain snacks in North America; Quaker oatmeal, Aunt Jemima mixes and syrups, Cap?n Crunch cereal, Quaker grits, and Life cereal, as well as Rice-A-Roni, Pasta Roni, and Near East side dishes in North America; and various snack foods under Doritos, Marias Gamesa, Cheetos, Ruffles, Emperador, Saladitas, Sabritas, and Lay?s brands in Latin America. The PAB division provides carbonated soft drinks, beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods under Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, 7UP, Tropicana Pure Premium, Electropura, Sierra Mist, Epura, and Mirinda brands; ready-to-drink tea, coffee, and water products through joint ventures with Unilever and Starbucks; and sells concentrate to authorized bottlers, and branded finished goods directly to independent distributors and retailers. This division also manufactures third-party brands, such as Dr Pepper, Crush, Rock Star, and Muscle Milk. The PepsiCo Europe division offers Frito Lay Snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices, and Quaker foods in Europe. The AMEA division provides snack food under the Lay?s, Kurkure, Chipsy, Doritos, Smith?s, Cheetos, Red Rock Deli, and Ruffles brands; Quaker-brand cereals and snacks; and beverage concentrates, fountain syrups, and finished goods under the Pepsi, Mirinda, 7UP, and Mountain Dew brands. PepsiCo, Inc. was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

    The most recognizable league sponsors for 2013 are led�by McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) and PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP).�Each�has�the financial�capacity to sponsor the league, as well as to�spend tens of millions of dollars outside its sports sponsorships. That�should come as no surprise.�Both rely on a large portion of the American consumer population for revenue. For the two companies, there is no such thing as overexposure. Consequently, neither of them needs to market to the relatively small audience reached by the NFL’s online site.

  • [By Steve Symington]

    That's not to say maintaining the growth will be a walk in the park, especially considering beverage behemoths like Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO  ) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) will certainly be loath to release their iron grips on the largest soda market in the world. Heck, even Warren Buffett once stated, "If you gave me $100 billion and said, 'Take away the soft-drink leadership of Coca-Cola in the world,' I'd give it back to you and say it can't be done." It should come as no surprise, then, that Buffett owned 400 million shares of Coca-Cola through Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2012 -- good for an 8.9% stake currently in the company worth almost $17 billion as of this writing.

  • [By Blake Bos]

    In the early-morning hours of Thursday, reports surfaced that cola and snack giant�PepsiCo� (NYSE: PEP  ) �was in talks to buy beverage-industry disruptor�SodaStream� (NASDAQ: SODA  ) �for an unconfirmed price as high as $2 billion. After the news broke, shares of SodaStream jumped in premarket trading to nearly $96 a share but soon returned to earth after Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi told CNBC the buyout rumor was "totally and completely untrue."

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: WhiteWave Foods Co (WWAV.N)

WWF Operating Company, incorporated on March 14, 1988, is a consumer packaged food and beverage company. The Company manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and dairy products throughout North America and Europe. The Company operates in two segments: North America and Europe. The North America segment offers products in the plant-based foods and beverages, coffee creamers and beverages, and dairy product categories throughout North America. Europe segment offers plant-based food and beverage products throughout Europe. The Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dean Foods Company (Dean Foods).

The Company�� brands distributed in North America include Silk plant-based foods and beverages, International Delight and LAND O LAKES coffee creamers and beverages, and Horizon Organic dairy products, while its European brands of plant-based foods and beverages include Alpro and Provamel. The Co mpany sell its products to a variety of customers, including grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and convenience stores, as well as various away-from-home channels, including restaurants and foodservice outlets, across North America and Europe. The Company sells its products in North America and Europe primarily through its direct sales force and independent brokers. The Company utilizes five manufacturing plants, two distribution centers, and three co-packers across the United States. Additionally, it has four plants across Europe in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, each supported by an integrated supply chain.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Molson Coors Brewing Company(TAP)

Molson Coors Brewing Company brews, markets, sells, and distributes beer brands. It sells its products in Canada, under the Coors Light, Molson, Rickard's Red, Carling, Pilsner, Keystone Light, Creemore Springs, and Granville Island brands. The company also brews or distributes products under license from third parties, which include Heineken, Amstel Light, Murphy's, Asahi, Asahi Select, Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Chill, Milwaukee's Best, Milwaukee's Best Dry, and Foster's. In addition, it imports, distributes, and markets the Corona, Coronita, Negra Modelo, and Pacifico brands, through a joint venture agreement with Grupo Modelo. Further, the company sells various brands in the United States, which include Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet, Miller Genuine Draft, MGD 64, Miller Chill, Sparks, Miller High Life, Miller High Life Light, Keystone Light, Icehouse, Mickey's, Milwaukee's Best, Milwaukee's Best Light, Old English 800, Blue Moon, Henry Weinhard 's, George Killian's Irish Red, Leinenkugel's, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch, Coors Non-Alcoholic, and Sharp's. Additionally, it sells various brands in the United Kingdom comprising Carling, C2, Coors Light, Worthington's, White Shield, Caffrey's, Kasteel Cru, and Blue Moon, as well as various regional ale brands. The company also sells the Grolsch brands through a joint venture with Royal Grolsch N.V. and the Cobra brands through a joint venture called Cobra Beer Partnership Ltd.; and distributes brands sold under license, including Corona, Coronita, Negra Modelo, Pacfico, Singha, and Magners Draught Cider. In addition, it markets and sells Zima, Si'hai, Coors Gold, and Coors Extra brands to various international markets. The company was formerly known as Adolph Coors Company and changed its name to Molson Coors Brewing Company as a result of its merger with Molson Inc. in February 2005. Molson Coors Brewing Company was founded in 1873 and is headquartere d in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    As the owner of both hard liquor and beer lines, Diageo must split its focus along two fronts. In spirits it must grapple against its two primary foes, Brown-Forman� (NYSE: BF-B  ) , maker of Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort, and Beam (NYSE: BEAM  ) , which (surprise, surprise!) makes Jim Beam, as well as Maker's Mark and other brands of spirits. In beer, it goes up against domestic and global giants like Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) and Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) .

  • [By Rex Moore]

    The craft brewing industry saw 15% volume growth in 2012, while the big guys -- led by Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) , SABMiller, and Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) -- are watching their megabrands lose market share.

  • [By Alyce Lomax]

    Michael Glade of Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) also participated in the panel discussion. Glade described Coors' ways of dealing with the problems at hand in water use. These have not been money-draining strategies. Glade said that the company's work in water, waste, and energy have resulted in $10 million in savings to the company's bottom line from 2008 through 2012, and it's expecting another $16 million through 2020.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    The bar is open and the dividends are continuing to flow at Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP  ) . The brewer has declared the latest common stock payout for both its Class A and B shareholders. This is $0.32 per share, to be handed out on September 16 to shareholders of record as of August 30. That amount is in line with each of the company's preceding quarterly distributions stretching back to September 2011.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Attitude Drinks Inc (ATTD)

Attitude Drinks Incorporated (Attitude), incorporated on May 10, 1988, is a brand-development company. The Company focuses on the non-alcoholic single serving beverage business, developing and marketing of milk based products in two segments: sports recovery and functional dairy. The Company does not directly manufacture its products but instead outsources the manufacturing process to third party packers.

Attitude has developed its second product, which is branded as Phase III Recovery is a milk-based protein drink which is available in chocolate and vanilla flavors. The Company�� co-packer for its dairy based product is O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc. in Batavia, New York. This product contains 35 grams of protein that are inherent in filtered milk. The product is packaged as a retort-processed shelf stable dairy-based 100% milk-based sports recovery drink in both chocolate and vanilla flavors.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company and Pepsico Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Attitude Drinks Inc (OTCMKTS: ATTD), Axiologix, Inc (OTCMKTS: AXLX) and Unisource Corporation (OTCMKTS: USRC) have all been getting some attention lately in investment emails or investor alerts thanks in part to paid promotions. And while there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed paid promotions or investor relations activity, such activity can backfire on unwary investors or traders. With that in mind, here is a closer look at all three small cap stocks to help you decide whether they are truly hot or not:

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Central European Distribution Corp (CEDCQ.PK)

Central European Distribution Corporation (CEDC), incorporated on September 4, 1997, operates primarily in the alcohol beverage industry. CEDC is a producer of vodka and is Central and Eastern Europe�� integrated spirit beverages business. During the year ended December 31, 2011, as measured by total volume, the Company produced and distributed approximately 33.2 million nine-liter cases . The Company�� business primarily involves the production and sale of its own spirit brands (principally vodka), and the importation on a basis of a range of spirits, wines and beers. Its primary operations are conducted in Poland and Russia. In addition the Company also has operations in Hungary and Ukraine. CEDC has six manufacturing facilities located in Poland and Russia. On February 7, 2011, the Company completed purchasing of the remaining stake of the Whitehall Group.

CEDC is an importer of spirits, wines and beers in Poland, Russia and Hungary. The Company mai ntains import contracts for a number of internationally recognized brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Campari, Jagermeister, Remy Martin Cognac, Corona, Budweiser (Budvar), E&J Gallo wines, Carlo Rossi wines, Sutter Home wines, Metaxa Brandy, Sierra Tequila, Teacher�� Whisky, Cinzano, Old Smuggler, Grant�� Whisky and Concha y Toro wines. In addition to its operations in Poland, Russia, and Hungary the Company has Ukraine and distribution agreements for its vodka brands in a number of key export markets including the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the Baltics and the CIS for Green Mark, Zhuravli, Parliament and Zubrowka, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France for Zubrowka and many other Western European countries. In 2011, exports represented 11% of its sales by value.

Poland

In Poland, CEDC is the vodka producers with a brand portfolio that includes Absolwent, Zubrowka, Zubrowka Biala, Bols, Palace and Soplica brands, each of which it p roduces at its Polish distilleries. It produces and sells ! vo! dkas primarily in three vodka sectors: premium, mainstream, and economy. The Company owns two production sites in Poland: one in Oborniki and one in Bialystok. In the Oborniki distillery, it produces the Bols and Soplica vodka brands, among other spirit brands. In Bialystok it produces Absolwent and Zubrowka. Zubrowka is also exported out of Poland to many markets around the world, including the United States, England, Japan and also France. In addition to the Absolwent and Zubrowka brands, in Bialystok it produces the Zubrowka Biala brand. The Company has rights to import and distribute approximately 70 brands of spirits, wine and beer into Poland. It also provides marketing support to the suppliers. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 10.7 million nine-liter cases of vodka, wine and spirits through its Polish business during 2011 including both its own produced vodka brands as well as its exclusive agency import brands. During 2011, the Company sold approximately 1 91 thousand nine-liter cases of Zubrowka outside of Poland. During 2011, the Company�� Polish operations accounted for 26.3% of its revenue.

Russia

CEDC produces Green Mark in Russia and the sub-premium vodkas in Russia, Parliament and Zhuravli. During 2011 the Company introduced new brands to the Russian market Talka, Sotka and Silver Blend. The Company also produces Yamskaya, the economy vodka in Russia, and premixed alcohol drinks, or long drinks. The Company also owns Whitehall, which holds the exclusive rights to the import of such leading premium wine and spirit brands as Concha y Toro, Paul Masson, Robert Mondavi, DeKuyper, Jose Cuervo and Label 5. In addition to these import activities, Whitehall has distribution centers in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Rostov as well as a wine and spirits retail network located in Moscow. During 2011, the Company�� Russian operations accounted for 70.2% of its revenue. During 2011,the Company produced a nd sold approximately 16.6 million nine-liter cases of! vodka! t! hrough ! its Russian business in the main vodka segments in Russia: premium, sub-premium, mainstream, economy and cheap. In addition it produced and sold approximately 2.8 million nine-liter cases of long drinks.

Hungary

The Company sells Royal Vodka in Hungary through its Bols Hungary subsidiary. The imported brands to Hungary include Bols Vodka, Zubrowka, Royal Vodka, Campari, Cinzano, Jaegermeister, Bols Liqueurs, Cointreau, Carolans, Galliano, Irish Mist, Jose Cuervo, Calvados Boulard, Remy Martin, Metaxa, St Remy, Grant��, Glenfiddich, Tullamore Dew and Old Smuggler.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (FMX)

Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA), incorporated on May 30, 1936, is a holding company. The Company conducts its operations through principal holding companies, each of which it refers to as a principal sub-holding company. These companies are Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. (Coca-Cola FEMSA), which engages in the production, distribution and marketing of soft drinks, and FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V. (FEMSA Comercio), which operates convenience stores. The Company�� convenience store chain OXXO operated a total of 7,492 stores as of March 31, 2010. Compania Internacional de Bebidas, S.A. de C.V. (CIBSA) owns a 53.7% interest in Coca-Cola FEMSA. On April 30, 2010, FEMSA announced the closing of the transaction, pursuant to which FEMSA agreed to exchange 100% of its beer operations conducted by FEMSA Cerveza for a 20% economic interest in the Heineken Group. In February 2009, Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired with The Coca-Cola Company the Brisa bottled water business in Colombia from Bavaria, a subsidiary of SABMiller. Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired the production assets and the rights to distribute in the territory, and The Coca-Cola Company obtained the Brisa brand.

Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V.

Coca-Cola FEMSA is a bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Coca-Cola FEMSA operates in various territories, including Mexico, a substantial portion of central Mexico (including Mexico City and the states of Michoacan and Guanajuato) and southeast Mexico (including the Gulf region); Central America, including Guatemala (Guatemala City and surrounding areas), Nicaragua (nationwide), Costa Rica (nationwide) and Panama (nationwide); Colombia; Venezuela; Argentina, including Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, and Brazil, including the area of greater Sao Paulo, Campinas, Santos, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the state of Minas Gerais and part of the state of Goias.

Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages, own brands and b! rands licensed from the Company. The Coca-Cola trademark beverages include sparkling beverages (colas and flavored sparkling beverages), water, and still beverages (including juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and isotonics). Out of the more than 100 brands and line extensions of beverages sold and distributed by Coca-Cola FEMSA, its most important brand, Coca-Cola, together with its line extensions, Coca-Cola light, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola light caffeine free, accounted for 61.4% of total sales volume during the year ended December 31, 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� next largest brands, Ciel (a water brand from Mexico), Fanta (and its line extensions), Sprite (and its line extensions), ValleFrut and Hit, accounted for 10.5%, 5.8%, 2.6%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively, of total sales volume in 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term line extensions to refer to the different flavors in which it offers its brands.

Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages in each of its territories in containers authorized by The Coca-Cola Company, which consist of a variety of returnable and non-returnable presentations in the form of glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephtalate (PET). Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term presentation to refer to the packaging unit in which it sells its products. Presentation sizes for its Coca-Cola trademark beverages range from a 6.5-ounce personal size to a 3-liter multiple serving size. For all of its products excluding water, Coca-Cola FEMSA considers a multiple serving size as equal toor larger than one liter. In addition, it sells some Coca-Cola trademark beverage syrups in containers designed for soda fountain use, which it refers to as fountain. It also sells bottled water products in bulk sizes, which refers to presentations equal to or larger than five liters, which have a much lower average price per unit case than its other beverage products.

In Mexico, Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio consis! ts of Coc! a-Cola trademark beverages, and includes Mundet trademark beverages licensed from FEMSA in some Mexican territories. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product sales in Latincentro consist predominantly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Per capita consumption of its sparkling beverages products in Colombia and Central America was 92 and 146 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009. Its product portfolio in Venezuela consists of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Venezuela was 174 eight-ounce servings during 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio in Mercosur consists mainly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages, and the Kaiser beer brand in Brazil, which Coca-Cola FEMSA sells and distributes on behalf of FEMSA Cerveza. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Brazil and Argentina was 214 and 359 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009.

The Company competes with Pepsi Beverage Company, Grupo Embotelladores Unidos, S.A.B. de C.V., Grupo Jumex, Groupe Danone, Cadbury Schweppes, Big Cola, Consorcio AGA, S.A. de C.V., Postobon, Florida Ice and Farm Co. S.A., Cerveceria Nacional, S.A., Pepsi-Cola Venezuela, C.A., AmBev and Quilmes Industrial S.A.

FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V.

FEMSA Comercio operates a chain of convenience stores in Mexico, under the trade name OXXO. OXXO stores are concentrated in the northern part of Mexico, but also have a presence in central Mexico and the Gulf coast. FEMSA Comercio is the largest single customer of FEMSA Cerveza and of the Coca-Cola system in Mexico. During 2009, a typical OXXO store carried 1,954 different store keeping units (SKUs) in 31 main product categories.

The Company competes with 7-Eleven, Super Extra, Super City, Circle-K and AM/PM.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jonas Elmerraji]

    Fomento Economico Mexicano (FMX), better known as FEMSA, isn't another ascending triangle trade this week, unfortunately for shareholders. Instead, FEMSA is currently forming the bearish opposite of the pattern in Wells Fargo and Citi: a descending triangle.

    The descending triangle is formed by downtrending resistance above shares and a horizontal support level to the downside. In this case, that price floor comes in just below $90. The lower highs that form resistance in FMX signal that buying pressure is waning above the $100 level as long-suffering sellers opt to take gains near the high-end of this stock's recent range. Once that glut of demand at $90 gets taken out, a lot more downside looks likely for FMX.

    But now, MTB is forming a rounding bottom, a bullish setup that indicates a gradual shift in control of shares from sellers to buyers. The rounding bottom pattern looks exactly like it sounds, and even though MTB's pattern is actually at the top of its recent range, the trading implications are exactly the same. A breakout above $118 is the signal that the pattern is completed and it's time to be a buyer.

    With high short interest in MTB right now, a short squeeze could add some fuel to the fire on a breakout. Support looks reasonably strong at $110 -- that's the spot to keep your stop.

  • [By Monica Wolfe]

    Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (FMX)

    As of the close of the third quarter there were ten guru owners of Fomento Economico Mexicano. These gurus held a combined weighting of 1.99%. During the third quarter, there were four gurus making buys and seven making sells of their stake in FMX.

  • [By Dividends4Life]

    Memberships and Peers: KO is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) with a 3.2% yield, Pepsico Inc (PEP) with a 2.6% yield and Fomento Economico ADR (FMX) with a 1.7% yield.

Top 10 Beverage Stocks To Watch For 2015: Marani Brands Inc (MRIB)

Marani Brands, Inc. (Marani), incorporated on May 30, 2001, is engaged in the importation and sale of alcoholic beverage products, primarily Marani Vodka, its flagship product. The Company�� primary business is the business of Margrit Enterprises International, Inc. (MEI), which is in the distribution of wine and spirit products manufactured in Armenia. Marani Vodka is made from winter wheat harvested in Armenia, distilled three times, aged in oak barrels lined with honey and skimmed dried milk, then filtered 25 times. Bottling of the product occurs at the Eraskh distillery in Armenia. On April 4, 2008, the Company, FFBI Merger Sub Corp. and MEI executed, and on April 7, 2008, the parties closed, a three party Merger Agreement.

The Company purchases all of its products from a single supplier, Eraskh Winery, Ltd., under an exclusive distribution agreement with Eraskh, an Armenian manufacturer of wine and other spirits. The new bottles for Marani Vodka are being manufactured in France by Saver Glass Company and China by Universal Group Co., Ltd. and shipped to Armenia to be filled at Eraskh. The Company�� product is being distributed by Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. (SWS), in Southern California, in conjuction with PLCB Pennsylvania and Nevada. SWS is an alcoholic beverage distributor in the United States. The Company has established additional distributors, such as QV Distributors in Arizona and Wein-Baur in Illinois.

The Company competes with Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and Brown-Forman.