The term "grandma stock" is used to describe defensive stocks that most commonly consist of companies that produce reliable consumer staples. These companies generally fare well regardless of general economic and market conditions because their goods are always in demand. As with all companies, some fare better than others and some occasionally break the mold of tempered gains relative to the overall market. This year was a great year for both the market as a whole and for grandma stocks. Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY ) outshined the rest as my pick for the top grandma stock of the year, followed closely by Clorox (NYSE: CLX ) .
Total return
Hershey outperformed and Clorox matched the performance of the S&P 500 this year. Through Dec. 30, Hershey yielded a total return of over 33% and Clorox yielded a total return of 29%, matching the S&P 500's total return for the year. Though both companies have low betas (Hershey has a beta of only 0.20!), they were both able to perform at levels even with and above the market.
Top Gas Companies To Buy Right Now: Nikon Corp (NINOY)
NIKON CORPORATION is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of optical products. The Company is active in four business segments. The Precision Apparatus segment offers semiconductor exposure apparatus and liquid crystal (LC) exposure apparatus. The image segment provides digital cameras, film cameras and interchangeable lens. The Instruments segment offers microscopes, measuring machines and semiconductor inspection equipment. The Others segment provides glass materials, telescopes, glasses and survey airplanes.
As of August 19, 2009, the Company held a 92.17% stake in Metis NV. The Company has 65 subsidiaries and 10 associated companies in the country and overseas markets.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Carroll]
Unfortunately, the yen's impact on stocks has blurred the lines on investments. Look no further than down-on-its-luck camera maker Nikon (NASDAQOTH: NINOY ) . Nikon's shares gained more than 8% over the past week due to the yen's weakness, as the company rakes in more than a quarter of its sales in Europe. Still, the stock's lost more than 43% year to date.
Top 5 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: Healthcare Trust Of America Inc (HTA)
Healthcare Trust of America, Inc., incorporated on April 20, 2006, is a self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company�� primary business consists of acquiring, owning and operating its portfolio of medical office buildings and other healthcare-related facilities. Its portfolio is primarily concentrated within the United States metropolitan areas and located primarily on or adjacent to (within a 0.25 mile) the campuses of healthcare systems. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� portfolio, including both the operating properties and those classified as held for sale, consisted of 214 medical office buildings and 24 other healthcare-related facilities, as well as two other real estate-related assets. As of December 31, 2012, the portfolio also consisted of approximately 10.9 million square feet of gross leasable area (GLA) with an average occupancy rate of 91%. On December 26, 2012, the Company acquired an on-campus medical office buildings (MOB) in Dallas, Texas. In September 2013, Healthcare Trust of America Inc acquired six on-campus medical office buildings located in South Florida.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company completed five new portfolio acquisitions and expanded one of its existing portfolios through the purchase of an additional medical office building. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� total portfolio of properties maintained an average occupancy rate of approximately 91%. The Company's portfolio is diversified geographically, across 24 states. As of December 31, 2012, including both the Company�� operating properties and four buildings classified as held for sale, the Company had made 77 geographically diverse portfolio acquisitions, 63 of which are medical office properties, 12 of which are healthcare-related facilities (including four quality healthcare-related office properties), and two of which are other real estate-related assets.
The Company�� properties are primarily located on or adjacent to the cam! puses of healthcare systems in the United States, including Adventist Health Systems, Ascension Health, Banner Health System, Catholic Healthcare Partners, Catholic Healthcare West, Community Health Systems, HCA, Inc. and Tenet Healthcare Corporation. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 74% of the Company�� portfolio, based on GLA, is located on or adjacent to the campuses of such healthcare systems. In addition, approximately 40% of the Company�� off-campus portfolio is anchored by a healthcare system.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Brad Thomas]
For current investors, I still think the recent 10% price reduction still represents a premium valuation - of mispriced risk - and I would consider a rotation into a more risk-aligned healthcare REIT like Healthcare Trust of America (HTA) yielding 4.82% or Ventas, Inc. (VTR) yielding 3.47%. (See my HTA article here and my VTR article here).
- [By Charles Sizemore]
A medical office REIT that I particularly like is the Healthcare Trust of America (HTA). The REIT has a growing portfolio currently consisting of 250 properties with a total purchase price of $2.7 billion. It also happens to pay a handsome 5.2% dividend which I expect to see grow in the coming quarters.
- [By Brad Thomas]
REITs mentioned: (VTR), (OHI), (O), (DLR), (HCP), (HTA), (KIM), (FRT), (SPG), and (SKT).
Note: This article is intended to provide information to interested parties. As I have no knowledge of individual investor circumstances, goals, and/or portfolio concentration or diversification, readers are expected to complete their own due diligence before purchasing any stocks mentioned or recommended.
Top 5 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: Unit Corporation(UNT)
Unit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the contract drilling, oil and natural gas, and mid-stream businesses in the United States. The company?s Contract Drilling segment engages in land contract drilling of onshore oil and natural gas wells for oil and natural gas companies in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana, and North Dakota. Its Oil and Natural Gas segment is involved in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties located primarily in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota, as well as in Arkansas, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and a small portion in Canada. As of December 31, 2011, this segment had approximately 121 gross proved undeveloped wells. The company?s Mid-Stream segment buys, sells, gathers, processes, and treats natural gas. It operates 3 natural gas treatment plants, 10 operating processing plants, 35 active gathering systems, and 934 miles of pipeline in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The company operates a fleet of 127 drilling rigs. Unit Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
Having said that, I can’t find anything in the article archives about Unit Corp. (NYSE: UNT). Unit describes itself as a diversified energy company engaged in the exploration for and production of oil and natural gas, the acquisition of producing oil and natural gas properties, the contract drilling of onshore oil and natural gas wells, and the gathering and processing of natural gas.
Top 5 Defensive Companies To Invest In 2014: RLI Corp. (RLI)
RLI Corp., through its subsidiaries, underwrites property and casualty insurance primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Casualty, Property, and Surety. The Casualty segment provides general liability services consisting of coverage for third party liability of commercial insurers, including manufacturers, contractors, apartments, and mercantile; commercial and personal umbrella coverage; and commercial transportation that include automobile liability and physical damage insurance to local, intermediate, and long haul truckers, public transportation risks, and equipment dealers, as well as incidental and related insurance coverage. It also offers professional liability coverages, such as directors? and officers? liability insurance, employment practices liability, and other miscellaneous professional liability coverage; and specialty program coverages, such as commercial property, general liability, inland marine, and crime, as well as deduc tible buy-back. The Property segment offers property coverage that consists primarily of excess and surplus lines and specialty insurance, such as fire and earthquake. It also provides insurance for commercial and industrial risks, such as office buildings, apartments, condominiums, and certain industrial and mercantile structures, as well as writes boiler and machinery coverage; marine coverage, including hull, cargo, and protection and indemnity; homeowners and dwelling fire insurance; and property facultative reinsurance for insurance companies. The Surety segment specializes in writing small-to-large commercial and small contract surety coverages, as well as for the energy, petrochemical, and refining industries. It offers miscellaneous bonds, such as license and permit, notary, and court bonds; and fidelity and crime coverage for commercial insured and select financial institutions. RLI Corp. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Neil Macneale]
The top-rated stock among split announcements is RLI Corp. (RLI). I had never heard of this company, and I'm pleased to make its acquaintance.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
For the past several years, Berkshire has contrasted its own cost-free float provided by profitable underwriting against the industry�� (unimpressive) tendency to lose money on underwriting while generating net returns from investment income. So far, so good. Less edifying, though, is the repeated contrast of Berkshire�� track record of profitability to State Farm��…even though, as a mutual company, State Farm�� profitability goals are inherently different from for-profit insurers like Berkshire. It�� true that through year-end 2013, Berkshire�� underwriters have ��ow operated at an underwriting profit for eleven consecutive years,��but so have ACE (ACE), American Financial (AFG),� AmTrust Financial (AFSI), Arch Capital (ACGL), Chubb (CB), HCC (HCC), Progressive (PGR), RLI (RLI), and W.R. Berkley (WRB), any or all of whom provide a more meaningful comparison than contrasting Berkshire�� results to a company that�� not out to produce a profit in the first place.
No comments:
Post a Comment