Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now

With shares of Citigroup (NYSE:C) trading around $47, is C 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

Citigroup is a global diversified financial services holding company providing consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services. It operates in two segments: Citicorp and Citi Holdings. The company�� products and services are: consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, wealth management, and transaction services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions worldwide.

Citigroup will require junior bankers to take Saturdays off and use all of their vacation time each year as the firm joins an industry effort to improve working conditions.�Analysts and associates in investment banking and capital markets origination must be out of the office by 10 p.m. on Friday and not return until 10 a.m. Sunday, according to two memos sent to staff yesterday by the New York-based bank. They were signed separately by Ray McGuire, head of investment banking, and Tyler Dickson, head of capital-markets origination. The contents were confirmed by Rob Julavits, a bank spokesman,who declined to elaborate.

Best Companies To Buy For 2015: Cencosud SA (CNCO)

Cencosud SA (Cencosud) is a Chile-based holding company primarily engaged in the retail sector. The Company�� activities include the management and operation of a network of supermarkets, home centers, department stores and shopping malls, which operate under such names as Jumbo, Disco & Vea, Santa Isabel, Easy, Paris, Blaisten and GBarbosa, among others. The Company�� business also comprises the provision of consumer financial services and insurance brokerage, as well as it operates family entertainment centers and a travel agency. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, the Company has operations established in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru. As of December 31, 2010, the Company was a 25.74%-owned affiliate of Inversiones Quinchamali Limitada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  In terms of growth, Asia is where the company is achieving its greatest success. Operating joint ventures in China, India and Japan, Aegon’s gross deposits in new markets grew 31% in fiscal 2013 to $19.8 billion. Its underlying earnings before tax have grown 28% over the last two fiscal years, with fee-based earnings representing a much bigger part of its business than in the past. That�� a good thing, because fee-based earnings don�� have nearly the same bite if things go south than assets on your own balance sheet. Its operations outside of Europe are getting stronger, providing the diversification necessary to survive financial hiccups. As far as insurers go, AEG is one of the best cheap stocks worth owning.

  Cheap Stocks to Buy: Cencosud S.A. (CNCO)

  Cencosud is one of the largest retailers in Latin America. It operates grocery stores, home improvement stores and department stores in five countries including Chile, its home base. Its stock is down 51% over the past year for several reasons, including a deal falling through that would have seen it sell 51% of its credit card operations in Chile and Argentina to Itau Unibanco (ITUB) and using the proceeds to reduce its heavy debt load. Add to that a major devaluation of the peso in Argentina, where it generates a quarter of its overall revenue, and you have investors in a full-on panic.

Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Danone SA (BN)

Danone SA is a France-based food company that primarily produces fresh milk products, baby foods, biscuits, cereal products and medical nutrition products. It also co-produces bottled water. The Company's portfolio of brands and products include Danone, a brand of fresh dairy products; Evian, a brand of bottled still water; Volvic, its international brand of bottled still water, and Aqua, a brand of packaged water in Indonesia. It has presence in the infant food market in France through its subsidiary, Bledina. It has also developed two probiotic dairy product lines known under the names Actimel, and Activia, as well as a line of low-fat products under the names Taillefine, Vitalinea and Ser. The Company operates through numerous subsidiaries in Europe, Asia and Americas. In February 2013 it acquired majority stake in Centrale Laitiere SA. In May 2013, it acquired an equity interest of over 90% in Happy Family, a baby food producer. In August 2013, it acquired YoCrunch. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Danone SA (BN) declined 1.6 percent to 56.34 euros after saying baby-nutrition sales will fall in Asia in the third quarter. The company said it had to recall infant-formula products after milk-powder supplier Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd. warned of a contaminated ingredient.

Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Pazoo Inc (PZOO)

Pazoo, Inc., formerly IUCSS, Inc., incorporated on November 16, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is an online retailer and distributer of nutritional foods/supplements, wellness goods, and fitness apparel.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� source of revenue was through www.pazoo.com. The Company offers a range of products through various catalogs, such as health and beauty, vitamins and supplements, apparel, accessories, food and beverages, fitness and sports equipments, gifts, videos and books, and pet wellness.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  For those traders who were lucky and smart enough to be in an Arotech Corporation (NASDAQ:ARTX) before today, then congratulations - you're up at least 38% on your position. Now it's time to get out. Conversely, if you're looking for a new name to get into (or perhaps looking for a place to park your ARTX proceeds), then you may want to consider Pazoo Inc. (OTCBB:PZOO)... a tiny online retailer of health and fitness goods. PZOO has dropped several tell-tale hints that more upside is on the way.

Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Monro Muffler Brake Inc.(MNRO)

Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. provides automotive undercar repair and tire services. The company offers a range of services on passenger cars, light trucks, and vans for brakes; mufflers and exhaust systems; and steering, drive train, suspension, and wheel alignment. It also provides other products and services, including tires and routine maintenance services, including state inspections. The company?s maintenance services include oil change, heating and cooling system flush and fill service, belt installation, fuel system service, and a transmission flush and fill service. In addition, it replaces and services batteries, starters, and alternators, as well as offers air conditioning services. As of June 25, 2011, the company had 802 company-operated stores and 3 franchised locations. It operates stores primarily under the Monro Muffler Brake & Service, Tread Quarters Discount Tire, Mr. Tire, Autotire Car Care Center, and Tire Warehouse names in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maine, Illinois, and Missouri. Monro Muffler Brake, Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Rochester, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Monro Muffler Brake (Nasdaq: MNRO  ) reported earnings on May 21. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 30 (Q4), Monro Muffler Brake beat expectations on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Vector Group Ltd (VGR)

Vector Group Ltd is a holding company. The Company operates in Tobacco and Real Estate. The Tobacco segment consists of the manufacture and sale of cigarettes. The Real Estate segment includes the Company�� investments in consolidated and non-consolidated real estate businesses. The Company is engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States through its Liggett Group LLC (Liggett) and Vector Tobacco Inc. (Vector Tobacco) subsidiaries, and the real estate business through its New Valley LLC (New Valley) subsidiary, which is seeking to acquire additional operating companies and real estate properties. New Valley has real estate-related investments, including Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC (Douglas Elliman Realty) (50% interest), New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC (40% interest) and Fifty Third-Five Building LLC (50% interest), Sesto Holdings S.r.L (7.2% interest), MS/WG 1107 Broadway Holdings LLC (1107 Broadway) (5% interest), NV SOCAL LLC (26% interest) and HFZ East 68th Street (18% interest), where other partners hold interests.

As of February 15, 2012, 52 of the 54 units in the Chelsea Eleven LLC real estate development had been sold. During the year ended December, 31, 2011, New Valley invested in MS/WG 1107 Broadway Holdings LLC for an approximate indirect 5% interest. In September 2011, MS/WG 1107 Broadway Holdings LLC acquired the 1107 Broadway property in Manhattan, New York. In February 2011, New Valley invested in Lofts 21 LLC for an approximate 12% interest. In October 2011, New Valley invested in Hill Street Partners LLP (Hill) for an approximate 17.39% interest. Hill purchased a 37% interest in Hill Street SEP (Hotel Taiwana), which owns a hotel located in St. Barts, French West Indies. The hotel consists of 30 suites, six pools, a restaurant, lounge and gym. The purpose of the investment is to renovate and the sell the hotel in its entirety or as hotel-condos. In December 2011, New Valley invested in a condominium conversion project for an approximate 1! 8% interest. The building is a 12-story, 105,000 square foot residential rental building located on 68th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York.

Tobacco Operations

Liggett is the operating successor to Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company. During 2011, Liggett was a manufacturer of cigarettes in the United States. Liggett�� manufacturing facilities are located in Mebane, North Carolina where it manufactures most of Vector Tobacco�� cigarettes pursuant to a contract manufacturing agreement. As of December 31, 2011, Liggett and Vector Tobacco have no foreign operations. The Company�� tobacco subsidiaries manufacture and sell cigarettes in the United States. Liggett produces cigarettes in approximately 118 combinations of length, style and packaging. Liggett�� brand portfolio includes PYRAMID, GRAND PRIX , LIGGETT SELECT , EVE and USA and various Partner Brands and private label brands.

Liggett Vector Brands LLC (LVB), which coordinates its tobacco subsidiaries��sales and marketing efforts, along with certain support functions, has an agreement with Circle K Stores, Inc., which operates more than 3,300 convenience stores in the United States under the Circle K and Mac�� names, to supply MONTEGO, a deep discount brand, exclusively for the Circle K and Mac�� stores. The MONTEGO brand was offered under LVB's Partner Brands program. LVB also has an agreement with Sunoco Inc., which operates approximately 675 Sunoco APlus branded convenience stores in the United States, to manufacture SILVER EAGLE. SILVER EAGLE, a deep discount brand, is exclusive to Sunoco and was the second brand to be offered under LVB's Partner Brands program. Liggett also manufactures BRONSON cigarettes as part of a multi-year Partner Brands agreement with QuikTrip, a convenience store chain with more than 580 stores.

New Valley LLC

New Valley is engaged in the real estate business and is seeking to acquire additional real estate properties an! d operati! ng companies. New Valley owns a 50% interest in Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, which operates residential brokerage company in the New York City metropolitan area. New Valley also holds an investment in a 450-acre approved master planned community in Palm Springs, California (Escena), holds investment interests in various real estate projects in Manhattan, New York, southern California and Milan, Italy through both debt and equity investments.

Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC

Douglas Elliman Realty is engaged in the real estate brokerage business through its two subsidiaries which conduct business as Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate. The two brokerage companies have 62 offices with approximately 3,975 real estate agents in the metropolitan New York area. The Long Island brokerage operation, is the residential brokerage company on Long Island with 44 offices and approximately 1,850 real estate agents. During 2011, the Long Island brokerage operation closed approximately 6,163 transactions. Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate acts as a broker in residential real estate transactions.

Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate also offers relocation services to employers, which provide a variety of specialized services primarily concerned with facilitating the resettlement of transferred employees. These services include sales and marketing of transferees��existing homes for their corporate employer, assistance in finding homes, moving services, educational and school placement counseling, customized videos, property marketing assistance, rental assistance, area tours, international relocation, group move services, marketing and management of foreclosed properties, career counseling, spouse/partner employment assistance, and financial services. Clients can select these programs and services on a fee basis according to their needs. DE Capital Mortgage LLC primarily originates loans for purchases of properties located on Long Island, New York City and Westchester. Approx! imately o! ne-half of these loans are for home sales transactions, in which Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate acts as a broker.

Douglas Elliman Realty is also engaged in the management of cooperatives, condominiums and apartments though its subsidiary, Residential Management Group, LLC, which conducts business as Douglas Elliman Property Management and is a manager of apartments, cooperatives and condominiums in the New York metropolitan area. Residential Management Group provides service third-party fee management for approximately 350 properties, representing approximately 47,000 units in New York

The Company competes with Philip Morris USA Inc., Reynolds America Inc., Lorillard Tobacco Company, Commonwealth Brands, Inc., Century-21, ERA, RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker, GMAC Home Services and NRT LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  At the time of the breakup, the American Tobacco Trust controlled or held significant interests in 65 subsidiary companies in the United States, as well as two British companies. These interests were eventually separated into 14 different tobacco companies, of which four became an American tobacco oligopoly to replace the monopoly: R. J. Reynolds (now Reynolds American), Liggett and Myers (now Vector Group (NYSE: VGR  ) ), Lorillard (NYSE: LO  ) , and a diminished American Tobacco.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, cigarette maker Vector Group (NYSE: VGR  ) has received a distressing two-star ranking.

• [By alicet236]

  Vector Group Ltd. (VGR): President and CEO Howard M Lorber sold 300,000 Shares

  President and CEO of Vector Group, Ltd. (VGR) Howard M Lorber sold 300,000 shares on Dec. 19 at an average price of $16.3. Vector Group Ltd. is a Delaware Corporation. It operates as a holding company and is engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States through its subsidiaries, Liggett Group LLC and Vector Tobacco Inc. Vector Group. It has a market cap of $1.55 billion; its shares were traded at around $16.38 with and P/S ratio of 1.44. The dividend yield of Vector Group stocks is 9.54%. Vector Group Ltd. had an annual average earnings growth of 15.60% over the past 10 years.

• [By Sean Williams]

  But, it isn't just Lorillard's premium brands that are doing the talking! Lorillard's discount brands, such as Maverick and Old Gold, are giving discount-only brand Vector Group (NYSE: VGR  ) , as well as traditionally bigger tobacco producers Altria and Reynolds American a run for their money. This helped push Lorillard's overall cigarette market share up 0.4% year over year to 14.9%. Not surprisingly, Lorillard has delivered market share increases in each of the past 10 years!�

Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Sappi Limited(SPP)

Sappi Limited manufactures and sells various pulp, paper, chemical cellulose, and wood products worldwide. It offers coated woodfree paper used for marketing promotions and brochures, catalogues, corporate communications materials, direct mail, textbooks, and magazines; uncoated woodfree paper used for business forms, business stationery, tissue, photocopy paper, books, brochures, and magazines, as well as cut-size, preprint, and office paper; specialty woodfree paper used in bags, labels, and packaging; and release paper for use in textile, automotive, furniture, and engineering film markets. The company also provides packaging paper products, including containerboards, sack kraft, and grocery bags used for primary and secondary packaging of fast moving consumer goods, and agricultural and industrial products. In addition, it offers mechanical newsprint paper used in advertising inserts and newspapers; uncoated mechanical fiber based printing paper used for the printing o f books and advertising inserts; and coated mechanical fiber-based paper used for magazines, catalogues, and advertising material. Further, the company provides pulp products, including paper pulp used in the production of printing, writing, and packaging paper; and chemical cellulose used in the manufacture of various cellulose textile and non-woven fiber products, as well as used in various other cellulose-based applications in the food, film, cigarette, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Additionally, Sappi Limited offers sawn timber for construction and furniture manufacturing purposes. Its customers include printers, publishers, corporate end-users, suppliers, and converters. The company was formerly known as South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited and changed its name to Sappi Limited in 1973. Sappi Limited was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Sappi (NYSE: SPP  ) reported earnings on May 9. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q2), Sappi beat slightly on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

Top 10 Consumer Stocks To Watch Right Now: Arlington Asset Investment Corp (AI)

Arlington Asset Investment Corp. is a principal investment firm that acquires mortgage-related and other assets. The Company acquires residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS), either issued by United States government agencies or guaranteed as to principal and interest by United States government agencies or United States government-sponsored entities (agency-backed MBS). It also acquires MBS issued by private organizations (private-label MBS). It manages a portfolio of mortgage holdings with the goal of obtaining a high risk-adjusted return on capital. The Company acquires direct interests in residential MBS guaranteed as to principal and interest by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

The Company focuses on acquiring Fannie Mae MBS and Freddie Mac MBS. It also acquires and holds non-agency private-label MBS. Private-label MBS are MBS that are not issued by the United States Government agency or a United States Government-sponsored entity, such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and that are generally backed by a pool of single-family residential mortgage loans. Certificates are issued by originators of, investors in, and other owners of residential mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, savings banks, commercial banks, mortgage banks, investment banks and special purpose conduit subsidiaries of these institutions. The Company focuses on acquiring Residential Prime Senior MBS, Residential Non-Prime Senior MBS, Residential Subordinate MBS and Residential Re-REMIC Support MBS.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alyssa Oursler]

  Arlington Asset Investment Corp. (AI) is an investment firm that acquires mortgage-related and other assets — and that rewards investors with a juicy dividend.

• [By Ning Jia]

  Reuters Description: Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (Advance), incorporated on August 1, 2001, is a specialty retailer of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, batteries and maintenance items primarily operating within the United States. The Company operates in two segments: Advance Auto Parts (AAP), and Autopart International (AI). The AAP segment is comprised of its store operations, which operate under the trade names Advance Auto Parts and Advance Discount Auto Parts.The AI segment consists of the operations of Autopart International, Inc. which operates under the Autopart International trade name. The Company�� stores carry a product line for cars, vans, sport utility vehicles and light trucks.The Company serves both do-it-yourself (DIY), and do-it-for-me (Commercial), customers. Its Commercial customers consist primarily of delivery customers for whom the Company delivers product from its store locations to it Commercial customers��places of business, including independent garages, service stations and auto dealers. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired B.W.P. Distributors, Inc.
  

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Arlington Asset Investment (NYSE: AI  ) continues to distribute some of its take in the form of shareholder payouts. The company has declared a dividend for its Q2 of $0.875 per share. This will be paid on July 31 to shareholders of record as of June 28. That amount matches each of the firm's preceding quarterly distributions stretching back to mid-2011. Prior to that, it handed out $0.75 per share.

• [By victorselva]

  The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) is a savings and loan holding company. The company is engaged, through its subsidiaries, in securities brokerage, banking, money management, and financial advisory services. Its subsidiaries include Charles Schwab & Co. (a leading discount broker-dealer), Charles Schwab Investment Management (a mutual fund investment advisor) and Charles Schwab Bank.In this article, let's take a look at this brokerage firm and try to explain to investors the reasons this is an apparently appealing investment opportunity.The FocusThe company provides financial services to individuals and institutional clients through two segments: Investor Services and Institutional Services. The Investor Services segment provides retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors. The Institutional Services segment provides custodial, trading, and support services to independent investment advisors. The Institutional Services segment also provides retirement plan services, specialty brokerage services, and mutual fund clearing services. The company seeks to meet the financial services needs of investors, advisers and employers. It focuses on building client loyalty with the goal of attracting new clients and serving them. Additionally, Schwab麓s strengths through shared core processes and technology advances which help create services that are scalable and consistent with the business.Interest Rates, Capital Structure and Debt-to-Capital RatioThe results are dependent on short-term interest rates, as 37% of its top line came from net interest income in the first quarter of 2014.The broker has been making significant efforts to become less dependent on interest rates, which we expect Federal Reserve will raise them in late 2014 or 2015. Also, the company麓s plan is to reach a low-cost capital structure and targets a long-term debt-to-total financial capital ratio of less than 30%.Lucrative Derivatives Trading In 2011, the company acquired Compl