Stocks bounced back from yesterday’s losses–and it was blue chips like�International Business Machines (IBM),�Johnson & Jonson (JNJ),�Caterpillar (CAT),�Merck (MRK) and�3M (MMM) that led the market higher.
REUTERSThe Dow Jones Industrial Average�rose�91.19 points, or 0.6%, to 16367.88, while the S&P 500 gained 0.4% to�1865.62. The Nasdaq Composite ticked up 0.2% to�4234.27, while the�Russell 2000�ticked down 0.02% to�1178.05.
The Dow was led higher by�International Business Machines, which rose 3.6% to $195.04 amid talks of acquisitions and partnerships, while Johnson & Jonson gained 2.3% to $97.38 and Caterpillar advanced 1.8% to $98.59�despite preparing to defend its offshore tax strategies. Merck rose 2.6% to $55.19�as multiple bidders emerged for its consumer-health unit and 3M gained 1.2% to $134.06.
5 Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2015: Apple Inc.(AAPL)
Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Evan Niu, CFA]
With Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) recent $17 billion bond offering being one for the record books, there have been headlines covering how much credit investors are down on the Mac maker's paper. What's less covered is how Apple's own bond holdings may be faring, particularly in light of the Federal Reserve's recent confirmation that it's about to start pulling out of the bond market.
- [By Brian Lund]
David Becker/Nightclub & Bar Media Group/Getty ImagesAdam Carolla is defending his popular podcast. I'm going to tell you a secret. When I was a child, I was terrified of trolls -- those terrible creatures inappropriately placed throughout children's books who lived under bridges and apparently would eat you if you crossed their path. Of course, once I got older, I realized that trolls only existed in the pages of storybooks. Then I got even older, and discovered there really are trolls out there after all. They just don't live under bridges. Case in point: The patent troll -– or, to call him by a less pejorative name, the "patent assertion entity" –- is a person or group who tries to enforce patent rights against infringers in an attempt to collect fees, but who doesn't actually produce any product or technology related to that patent. Traditionally, a company or individual with a proprietary product or technology seeks to protect its use with a patent. A patent troll might buy a patent from a bankrupt company, then sue another company, claiming that one of its products infringes on the patent. The Future of Podcasting Is at Risk Patent trolls sometimes sue over technology that was created before the patent they hold was granted, but that the troll asserts contain elements of that which was originally patented. That is what is happening in podcasting. A mysterious group that calls itself Personal Audio claims the patent it owns for a "system for disseminating media content representing episodes in a serialized sequence" applies to podcasts. And that means anyone who does a podcast is infringing on that patent and is liable for licensing fees. In essence, the group is saying the very act of podcasting itself is controlled by their patent. Personal Audio is no stranger to the world of trolling, having sued Apple (AAPL) on the claim that the iPod infringes on its patent for "downloadable playlists." It originally sought $84 million in damag
- [By Eric Bleeker, CFA, Jason Moser, and Chris Hill]
While much ado has been made about the battle for your living room among the tech giants, your car is a battleground often overlooked by investors, and the competition is heating up. In this segment, Eric discusses how including cars in Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) iOS or Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android ecosystems could keep the technology from becoming outmoded longer than if automakers make their own proprietary in-car systems. He also discusses which automakers are already on board with the idea, and why some holdouts such as Ford (NYSE: F ) could be making a big mistake.
Top Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)
Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) is estimated to report its Q1 earnings at $1.16 per share on revenue of $7.01 billion.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.09 per share on revenue of $31.99 billion.
Top Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Kevin Chen]
In the video below, Fool contributor Kevin Chen reveals the one metric every investor should know. He also walks you through how you can use this metric to inform your buy or sell thesis for�IBM� (NYSE: IBM ) ,�Baidu� (NASDAQ: BIDU ) ,�Apple� (NASDAQ: AAPL ) ,�Google� (NASDAQ: GOOG ) , and�Nokia� (NYSE: NOK ) .
- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]
IBM is a global technology company that provides essential products and services to companies and consumers worldwide. The company is currently undergoing some measures in order to improve the company. The stock has not done well in recent quarters and is now trading near lows for the year. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been rising while revenues have been declining which has not really pleased investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, IBM has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what IBM does in coming quarters.
Top Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: Visa Inc.(V)
Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jared Cummans]
Credit card giant Visa (V) reported Q3 earnings after the closing bell on Thursday.
V Earnings in Brief
The company reported EPS of $2.17, easily beating analyst estimates of $2.10 and marking a 15% growth from the same quarter a year prior. Revenues for the quarter came in at $3.16 billion, edging out The Street’s expectation of $3.15 billion. Total operating expenses for the quarter came in at $1.1 billion, a 3% decrease YoY; this stemmed from a reduction in personnel and marketing fees. Total processed transactions for the quarter was a massive 16.7 billion.CEO Commentary
CEO Charlie Scharf had this to say concerning the release: “We are pleased to report 15% earnings per share growth in the face of a continued, subdued global economy.�As expected, revenue growth was affected by a strong U.S. dollar and tepid growth from cross-border transactions. More importantly, global payments volume and processed transactions remained healthy and strong. While some of the headwinds will likely continue in the short-term, we are confident our investments in products such as Visa Checkout, new technologies like tokenization, and new relationships with financial institutions and merchants will continue to drive double-digit revenue growth over the long-term.��/p>
V’s Dividend
The company declared a dividend of $0.40 per share, which will be paid on 9/3/2014.
Stock Performance
Wall Street was not impressed with Visa’s numbers, as the stock fell nearly 3% in after-hours trading, leaving some scratching their heads as to what was bringing the ticker down.
V�Dividend SnapshotAs of Market Close on July 24, 2014
Click here to see the complete history of V dividends.
- [By Charley Blaine]
Visa (NYSE: V): Tuesday close: $212.06. P/E ratio: 25.09.
The credit-card processor is seeing growth around the world. It also expects, like Nike, to be a winner from the World Cup.
Top Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)
Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:
- [By Travis Hoium]
Colgate-Palmolive
Toothpaste and toothbrushes may not be exciting business, but it's consistent and consumers tend to develop habits they rarely break. Once they find a toothpaste brand they like, it could be years before they try another one. That leads to another incredibly consistent business for Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL ) , one that has paid back investors with a dividend since 1895. � - [By Dan Burrows]
Rival Colgate-Palmolive (CL) has different concerns, namely sluggishness in emerging markets where it enjoys commanding market share and derives more than half its revenue.
Top Blue Chip Companies To Watch In Right Now: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)
McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Top Headline
McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) reported a drop in its first-quarter profit. McDonald's posted its quarterly profit of $1.20 billion, or $1.21 per share, down from $1.27 billion, or $1.26 per share, in the year-ago period. Its total revenue rose to $6.70 billion versus $6.61 billion, while operating income slipped to $1.94 billion versus $1.95 billion. However, analysts were estimating earnings of $1.24 per share on revenue of $6.71 billion. McDonald's global same-store sales climbed 0.5%, while US same-store sales declined 1.7%. Equities Trading UP
Revance Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RVNC) shares shot up 14.01 percent to $32.63 after the company reported positive results from the RT002 Phase 1/2 study in glabellar (frown) lines. - [By Bloomberg Businessweek]
Alamy McDonald's (MCD) may recently have struggled to lure customers, but it still does far more business at each location than rival burger chains. The average McDonald's restaurant in the U.S. drew $2.6 million in revenue last year. Average sales for No. 2 chain Burger King (BKW): $1.2 million, according to data from its largest franchisee, Carrols Restaurant Group (TAST). What accounts for this more-than-a-million gap? "Everything from marketing and site selection to product initiatives and franchisee selection have been historical factors," said Nick Setyan, vice president in charge of equity research at Wedbush Securities, in an email. Here are four factors that drive higher sales volumes at McDonald's: 1. McDonald's gets more customers during off-peak hours. Look no further than the strength of its breakfast business relative that of Burger King, says Darren Tristano, executive vice president at restaurant consultancy Technomic. Egg McMuffin is part of the fast-food vocabulary in a way Burger King can't match. And beverage and snack offerings such as McCafe and wraps have helped increase McDonald's sales between meals. The dramatic impact from off-peak business explains why chains such as Taco Bell (YUM) are entering the battle for morning customers, while others such as Starbucks (SBUX) are seeking more afternoon and evening business. 2. The power of the Happy Meal. McDonald's has the largest share of kids meal sales in the fast-food industry and gets about 10 percent of total sales from Happy Meals, the most commonly advertised child-oriented fast-food item on television. Burger King, meanwhile, is still trying to win back "parties with kids and seniors and women," said Josh Kobza, Burger King's chief financial officer, at a conference last year. One way to do that: "We got rid of the creepy king character that tended to scare away women and children." 3. McDonald's has an edge on efficiency. Despite recent operational challenges at McDonald's,
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