One company has been called the “most hated” in the world for a number of years. It was even declared “the most evil corporation of the year” in 2011 by NaturalNews.com — beating out BP (NYSE: BP), which had just spilled millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico (and which I profiled just last week). #-ad_banner-#Even so, a couple of billionaires are less concerned with this company’s image than in its growth potential. Stephen Mandel’s Lone Pine Capital owns 5.8 million shares of Monsanto (NYSE: MON), and George Soros’ Soros Fund Management owns 1.2 million shares. Soros’… Read More

One company has been called the “most hated” in the world for a number of years. It was even declared “the most evil corporation of the year” in 2011 by NaturalNews.com — beating out BP (NYSE: BP), which had just spilled millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico (and which I profiled just last week). #-ad_banner-#Even so, a couple of billionaires are less concerned with this company’s image than in its growth potential. Stephen Mandel’s Lone Pine Capital owns 5.8 million shares of Monsanto (NYSE: MON), and George Soros’ Soros Fund Management owns 1.2 million shares. Soros’ fund more than doubled its position during the fourth quarter of last year. And Lone Pine has been an owner of Monsanto for a few years now, continuing to own the stock despite the rise of negative publicity. Image Problems Monsanto has been something of an industry scapegoat over the past couple of years, while other seed companies, such as DuPont (NYSE: DD) and Bayer, have gone relatively unnoticed. It has been painted in a negative light by protesters, environmental activists and documentaries. A vow by Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) to drop all GMO (genetically modified organism) products hasn’t helped,… Read More

It’s been nearly half a decade since the Deepwater Horizon incident spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and killed 11 workers. However, investors and the nation as a whole will not forget the incident anytime soon. #-ad_banner-#Thus, many investors continue to shun shares of one of the key participants in the accident, BP (NYSE: BP). Yet, a couple of billionaires think the overhang from the Deepwater Horizon incident has presented an attractive buying opportunity. First, Seth Klarman and his Baupost Group hedge fund owned 5.6 million shares of BP as of the end of 2013. Read More

It’s been nearly half a decade since the Deepwater Horizon incident spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and killed 11 workers. However, investors and the nation as a whole will not forget the incident anytime soon. #-ad_banner-#Thus, many investors continue to shun shares of one of the key participants in the accident, BP (NYSE: BP). Yet, a couple of billionaires think the overhang from the Deepwater Horizon incident has presented an attractive buying opportunity. First, Seth Klarman and his Baupost Group hedge fund owned 5.6 million shares of BP as of the end of 2013. Klarman has been a fan of BP since early 2011. Second, David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital owns nearly a million shares. Greenlight’s stake in BP was a new position at the end of 2013. Recent Contract Wins Since the spill, BP has been making strides in the right direction. The company remains the largest leaseholder in the Gulf region and second-largest oil producer. It has over 650 leases in the region and 10 drilling rigs — up from the six it had in 2010. In 2013, its underlying production in the Gulf grew for the first time since 2009. Read More

The apparel industry can be quite fickle. Industry trends change quickly and can leave investors owning a retail company with a whole lot of out-of-fashion merchandise. #-ad_banner-#It’s key for investors to look for apparel retailers that offer products that are unlikely to fall out of fashion. The best products are those that shoppers will wear regardless of what new fashions and trends emerge. Guess (NYSE: GES) is one of the best plays in the apparel space, because it’s a leader in a product that many people wear every day: jeans. Although styles of jeans have developed over the years, the… Read More

The apparel industry can be quite fickle. Industry trends change quickly and can leave investors owning a retail company with a whole lot of out-of-fashion merchandise. #-ad_banner-#It’s key for investors to look for apparel retailers that offer products that are unlikely to fall out of fashion. The best products are those that shoppers will wear regardless of what new fashions and trends emerge. Guess (NYSE: GES) is one of the best plays in the apparel space, because it’s a leader in a product that many people wear every day: jeans. Although styles of jeans have developed over the years, the fact that people wear jeans hasn’t changed much over the years. Guess released earnings earlier this month that beat analysts’ estimates for the fourth straight quarter. However, the company offered weak guidance, and analysts lowered their forward estimates and price targets. This spooked investors, and GES is down 10% this year. (In comparison, the Dow Jones U.S. Apparel Retailers Index is flat this year.) Short interest has been on the rise over the past couple years. It’s now up to 13% as of the end of February. That’s because many investors recognized that the shopper’s ability and desire to spend… Read More

These days, investors are constantly looking for the next Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) or McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD). #-ad_banner-#Well, the good news is that most won’t have to look too far. It’s not often that investors find a company that owns over 20% of its market, especially in the quick-service restaurant space. It’s even more surprising when that company has only a billion-dollar market cap. A large part of this reason is that before January of this year, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (Nasdaq: PLKI) was known to investors as AFC Enterprises. With the name change, investors now have a better idea… Read More

These days, investors are constantly looking for the next Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) or McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD). #-ad_banner-#Well, the good news is that most won’t have to look too far. It’s not often that investors find a company that owns over 20% of its market, especially in the quick-service restaurant space. It’s even more surprising when that company has only a billion-dollar market cap. A large part of this reason is that before January of this year, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (Nasdaq: PLKI) was known to investors as AFC Enterprises. With the name change, investors now have a better idea of what they are buying. An Impressive Turnaround In 5 Years Over the past five years, Popeyes has undergo an impressive restructuring at the hands of CEO Cheryl Bachelder. For 2007 and 2008, same-store sales declined 2% each year. Same-store sales went positive in 2009 and have been positive every year since. As a matter of fact, the most recent quarter marked the 15th consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales. To accomplish this turnaround, the company implemented a number of initiatives that should continue driving growth. The three main aspects have been improved service, increased advertising, and menu innovations. Read More

One thing is for sure: People need to eat. #-ad_banner-#The best way to get a feel for the space is to look at the shelves and freezer section of your grocer. You’ll likely find that many items in your shopping cart are owned by the same company. I’m talking about one company in particular that makes everything from rolls and pasta to salad dressing and frozen noodles. This year is shaping up to be a great one for Ohio-based Lancaster Colony Corp. (Nasdaq: LANC). First, the company reported earnings per share (EPS) for its fiscal second quarter that beat Wall… Read More

One thing is for sure: People need to eat. #-ad_banner-#The best way to get a feel for the space is to look at the shelves and freezer section of your grocer. You’ll likely find that many items in your shopping cart are owned by the same company. I’m talking about one company in particular that makes everything from rolls and pasta to salad dressing and frozen noodles. This year is shaping up to be a great one for Ohio-based Lancaster Colony Corp. (Nasdaq: LANC). First, the company reported earnings per share (EPS) for its fiscal second quarter that beat Wall Street’s estimates by $0.23. Second, the company sold its candle division, netting more than $25 million. A Food Company With A Strong Balance Sheet Lancaster Colony is now a pure play in the food industry, and will likely be making a transformative acquisition this year. The company’s EPS for the second quarter came in at $1.44, up 12.5% from the prior year, and net sales increased 3%, coming in at a company-record $336 million. The company’s balance sheet remains ironclad with $176 million in cash (not including the sale of the candle division) and no debt. Cash flow for… Read More

The luxury goods category is a great market to be in. The likes of Michael Kors (NYSE: KORS), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) and Movado Group (NYSE: MOV) have shown what a great play it can be for investors. All three have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past two months. However, for many investors, the focus is on finding the next great luxury brand for their portfolios — ideally, a company that enjoys high brand recognition and fits into the “affordable luxury” category. This is especially true as the demand for luxury goods continues to be strong from emerging… Read More

The luxury goods category is a great market to be in. The likes of Michael Kors (NYSE: KORS), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) and Movado Group (NYSE: MOV) have shown what a great play it can be for investors. All three have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past two months. However, for many investors, the focus is on finding the next great luxury brand for their portfolios — ideally, a company that enjoys high brand recognition and fits into the “affordable luxury” category. This is especially true as the demand for luxury goods continues to be strong from emerging markets like China. There’s one company that should be on every investor’s radar: Tumi Holdings (NYSE: TUMI), a maker of luxury travel bags. Shares have been rangebound over the past year and a half, but there could be a breakout above old highs within the next few months. #-ad_banner-#Sales Gains From New Products, Online Tumi just launched its Alpha 2 collection of luggage and travel accessories. To help promote the collection, the company is launching an interactive “digital concierge” marketing campaign to help its customers find the right Tumi product. Later this year, Tumi plans to debut… Read More

Nobody likes getting old. Yet it is one of life’s few inevitables. However, there are a handful of companies that allow people to age more gracefully with anti-aging products. #-ad_banner-#Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS) is one of these companies. However, its stock is already up 75% over the past 12 months. There’s still one company that looks to be a value in the fight against aging, and that’s Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL). The recent pullback in Estee Lauder’s shares appears to be a buying opportunity. The company is down nearly 7% with year, compared with an S&P 500 that’s flat. Read More

Nobody likes getting old. Yet it is one of life’s few inevitables. However, there are a handful of companies that allow people to age more gracefully with anti-aging products. #-ad_banner-#Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS) is one of these companies. However, its stock is already up 75% over the past 12 months. There’s still one company that looks to be a value in the fight against aging, and that’s Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL). The recent pullback in Estee Lauder’s shares appears to be a buying opportunity. The company is down nearly 7% with year, compared with an S&P 500 that’s flat. There are only a few global cosmetic companies, and Estee Lauder is one of them. Its various skin care and fragrance products are sold in department stores, company-owned retail stores and travel-related outlets such as airport shops. North America makes up less than 40% of Estee’s sales, meaning the company is very much a global operator. It’s already the market leader in China when it comes to skin care and makeup. China is Estee’s third-largest market by revenues, behind the U.S. and the U.K., and the company only has about half of its brands in China, meaning there’s an opportunity… Read More

Buying in bulk remains a great value proposition for shoppers, but it can also be a great way to invest. #-ad_banner-#There’s only one pure play on the U.S. warehouse retail market. Even better, this stock is one of the best investments in retail thanks to its wide moat. Sadly, investors won’t get a discount for buying the stock in bulk — but they can still make money over the long term by buying the stock in bulk. Costco (Nasdaq: COST) remains the only pure play on the U.S. warehouse retail market. Its most formidable competitor, Sam’s Club, is owned by… Read More

Buying in bulk remains a great value proposition for shoppers, but it can also be a great way to invest. #-ad_banner-#There’s only one pure play on the U.S. warehouse retail market. Even better, this stock is one of the best investments in retail thanks to its wide moat. Sadly, investors won’t get a discount for buying the stock in bulk — but they can still make money over the long term by buying the stock in bulk. Costco (Nasdaq: COST) remains the only pure play on the U.S. warehouse retail market. Its most formidable competitor, Sam’s Club, is owned by Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), and another major peer, BJ’s Warehouse, was taken private in 2011. To shop at the major warehouse retailers, customers must buy a membership, which then allows them to save money by buying a wide variety of products in bulk. Costco uses its membership fees to offset the cost of the goods it sells, keeping its prices even lower for shoppers. Costco often gets unfairly grouped with many of the discount and variety retailers. These include the likes of Wal-Mart and Target (NYSE: TGT), as well as the various dollar stores. However, many of these other retailers lack… Read More

In today’s market, there are no shortage of ways to invest in the rebounding housing market. However, it’s tough to find one that’s still cheap. #-ad_banner-#The major homebuilders have already had a solid rebound, along with banks and home improvement retailers, but there is still one overlooked play on the housing market and rebounding economy. This particular retailer was a great investment last year, up 45% — but after hitting its 52-week high earlier this year, it’s down 20% year to date. Given the recent pullback, this company is no longer just a growth story, but a value play at… Read More

In today’s market, there are no shortage of ways to invest in the rebounding housing market. However, it’s tough to find one that’s still cheap. #-ad_banner-#The major homebuilders have already had a solid rebound, along with banks and home improvement retailers, but there is still one overlooked play on the housing market and rebounding economy. This particular retailer was a great investment last year, up 45% — but after hitting its 52-week high earlier this year, it’s down 20% year to date. Given the recent pullback, this company is no longer just a growth story, but a value play at that. Trading at just 13 times earnings, more than 25% below its historical average, Bed Bath & Beyond (Nasdaq: BBBY) has proven to be one of the more resilient retailers in the brick-and-mortar space. At a time when the likes of Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) is taking market share from brick-and-mortar stores, Bed Bath & Beyond has seen its sales grow at an annualized rate of 12% over the past three fiscal years. BBBY fell off a cliff after third-quarter results came in below consensus expectations for both the top and bottom lines. Although revenue and earnings missed estimates, it’s worth… Read More

When mobile phones flooded the market, there was a lot of concern that the need and desire for watches would decline. That hasn’t happened, and many investors missed out on an opportunity to buy low on apparel and accessories stocks that were squeezed by that anxiety. However, it looks like a similar opportunity is forming now. #-ad_banner-#Watches are still a huge market for retailers, estimated at $60 billion a year globally. Yet the risk that smart watches will take some market share from conventional watches is very real. However, the threat currently applies more to the U.S. than other major… Read More

When mobile phones flooded the market, there was a lot of concern that the need and desire for watches would decline. That hasn’t happened, and many investors missed out on an opportunity to buy low on apparel and accessories stocks that were squeezed by that anxiety. However, it looks like a similar opportunity is forming now. #-ad_banner-#Watches are still a huge market for retailers, estimated at $60 billion a year globally. Yet the risk that smart watches will take some market share from conventional watches is very real. However, the threat currently applies more to the U.S. than other major growth areas. With the rise of smart watches on the horizon, some investors are again shunning the major watchmakers. But one of the big problems with smart watches is that they haven’t yet become fashionable. Fossil (Nasdaq: FOSL) has been one of the most pressured stocks due to the notion that smart watches might eat into the market share of conventional watches. The retailer is essentially flat over the past two years. The sale of watches has remained strong throughout the financial crisis. From 2010 to 2012, industry sales grew at an annualized rate of nearly 30%. By comparison, sales… Read More