Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting kicked off Saturday, with more than 30,000 people flocking to Omaha to hear what the conglomerate's famed CEO, Warren Buffett, had to say.
Buffett and Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger answered questions from an auditorium that was packed with shareholders.
Both Wall Street and Main Street investors closely monitor any updates from Berkshire because the firm invests in well-known companies that touch many consumers' lives. Its stock holdings include Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola, American Express, IBM, ExxonMobil and Wal-Mart Stores. Berkshire also has dozens of operating units that provide a wide array of products and services, such as auto insurance, paint, t-shirts and candy.
The questions for Buffett and Munger were varied, ranging from queries about specific investments to inquiries about Berkshire's overall strategies for its own shareholders.
10 Best Construction Stocks To Buy Right Now: Lance Inc.(LNCE)
Snyder?s-Lance, Inc. manufactures, markets, and distributes snack food products primarily in the United States. Its products include pretzels, sandwich crackers, kettle chips, cookies, potato chips, tortilla chips, other salty snacks, sugar wafers, nuts, and restaurant style crackers. The company sells its products principally under the Snyder?s of Hanover, Lance, Cape Cod, Krunchers!, Jays, Tom?s, Archway, Grande, Stella D?oro, O-Ke-Doke, EatSmart, and Padrinos brand names. It also purchases and sells cakes, meat snacks, and candy under its brands, as well as partner brand products for resale. Snyder?s-Lance, Inc. sells its products through direct-store-delivery network, distributors, and direct sales to grocery/mass merchandisers, convenience stores, club stores, discount stores, food service establishments, drug stores, schools, military and government facilities, recreational facilities, offices, and other independent retailers. The company was formerly known as L ance, Inc. and changed its name to Snyder?s-Lance, Inc. in December 2010. Snyder?s-Lance, Inc. was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina with additional offices in Hanover, Pennsylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Duprey]
As part of snack food maker�Snyder's-Lance's� (NASDAQ: LNCE ) first-quarter earnings report today,�it�announced the payment�of its regularly quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Kroton Educacional SA (KROT3)
Kroton Educacional SA (Kroton), formerly Opportunity Officepar Participacoes SA, is a Brazil-based company active in the private education sector. The Company and its subsidiaries are engaged in the management of preschool, elementary, secondary and college preparatory schools, as well as higher, professional and post-graduation education, courses and other related educational activities. In addition, it is involved in the wholesale, retail, distribution, import and export of textbooks, course books, magazines and other publications related to preschool, elementary, secondary and adult education, as well as higher, professional and post-graduation education. Kroton operates in both the On-Campus and Distance Learning business, primarily through its 53 Postsecondary units and 447 active Undergraduate Distance Learning centers, as well as cooperates with approximately 800 Associated Schools in basic education. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ney Hayashi]
Anhanguera Educacional Participacoes SA (AEDU3) tumbled after Brazil�� antitrust regulator signaled it may limit the education company�� merger with competitor Kroton Educacional SA. (KROT3) Lojas Renner SA (LREN3) led retailers higher after a report showed Brazil�� industrial production expanded faster than expected in October, easing concern that growth is faltering.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Tootsie Roll Industries Inc.(TR)
Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products primarily in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company sells its products under the TOOTSIE ROLL, TOOTSIE ROLL POPS, CHILD?S PLAY, CARAMEL APPLE POPS, CHARMS, BLOW-POP, BLUE RAZZ, ZIP-A-DEE POPS, CELLA?S, MASON DOTS, MASON CROWS, JUNIOR MINT, CHARLESTON CHEW, SUGAR DADDY, SUGAR BABIES, ANDES, FLUFFY STUFF, DUBBLE BUBBLE, RAZZLES, CRY BABY, and NIK-L-NIP. It distributes its products through candy and grocery brokers to the wholesale distributors of candy and groceries, supermarkets, variety stores, dollar stores, chain grocers, drug chains, discount chains, cooperative grocery associations, warehouse and membership club stores, vending machine operators, and the U. S. military and fund-raising charitable organizations. The company was founded in 1896 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Leave the wrapper on
The returns on confectioner Tootsie Roll Industries (NYSE: TR ) have certainly been sweet for investors over the past year. You have to go back to the summer of 2010 to find sugar prices that were as low as they are now,�which has played a good part in helping Tootsie Roll keep that aspect of its costs down. But taking a bigger view of what's going on with Tootsie Roll and comparing that to its current valuation creates a sour taste in my mouth. - [By Rich Smith]
At the same time, tiny Tootsie Roll (NYSE: TR ) may see its sales grow as little as 13% through 2016. Could it be that in the candy industry, bigger is better? Does Hershey lack the scale to compete effectively against mammoth Mondelez?
Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Celsius Holdings Inc (CELH)
Celsius Holdings, Inc., incorporated on April 26, 2005, is engaged in the development, marketing, sale and distribution of functional calorie-burning beverages under the Celsius brand name. The Company focuses to combine nutritional science with mainstream beverages by using its thermogenic (calorie-burning) MetaPlus formulation. The Company does not directly manufacture its beverages, but instead outsource the manufacturing process to established third-party co-packers. The Company provides its co-packers with flavors, ingredient blends, cans and other raw materials for its beverages purchased by the Company from various suppliers. Celsius, Inc. and Elite FX, Inc. are the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company.
The Company�� Celsius is a calorie-burning beverage. Celsius is available in seven flavors, lemon-lime, ginger ale, cola, orange and wild berry (which are carbonated) and non-carbonated green tea raspberry/acai and green tea/peach mango. Its beverages are sold in 12 ounce cans, although it has begun to market the ingredients in powdered form in individual On-The-Go packets. The Company�� customer�� include on-the-go women, age 25 to 54, who are looking for a way to burn calories and gain energy with beverages and natural alternatives to diet sodas, as well as sports enthusiasts of both sexes, who are seeking low sodium, preservative-free alternatives. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company developed its MetaPlus formulation into a powder that can be mixed with water.
The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, PepsiCo, Inc., Nestl茅, Waters North America, Inc., Hansen Natural Corp., and Red Bull.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Monster Beverage Corp (NASDAQ: MNST), a mid cap marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages, has been a monster of a performer since the end of the financial crisis as the stock is up around 308% over the past five years, but could new or overlooked players like small cap beverage stocks�Jones Soda Co (OTCMKTS: JSDA), Celsius Holdings, Inc (OTCMKTS: CELH) and Konared Corp (OTCBB: KRED) repeat that performance? A look strictly at the long term performance of all three small caps might have you thinking otherwise. After all, none of these small cap beverage stocks are profitable while�the beverage industry can be a long hard expensive slog just to increase market share by one or two points when you are competing for shelf space with industry giants like Pepsi and Coke. But past performance is just that���the past and only part of the story as there is much more to consider about these small cap beverage stocks which could also make them potential acquisition targets by larger beverage players seeking to expand their product line up with innovative products:
Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: British American Tobacco PLC (BATS)
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (British American Tobacco) is a holding company. The Company�� four principal brands include Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall. The Company has many other famous international and local brands, including Rothmans, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant and Benson & Hedges. The Company�� brands are sold in over 180 markets. The Company�� products include Cigarettes, Smokeless snus and Cigars. The Company has over 44 cigarette factories in 39 countries. In addition to cigarettes, the Company makes cigarillos, roll your own and pipe tobacco. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Namitha Jagadeesh]
European stocks advanced for a fifth day, their longest rally this year, as data showed the U.K. avoided a triple-dip recession and as companies including British American Tobacco Plc (BATS) reported results.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Suedzucker Mannheim Ochsenfurt AG (SZU)
Suedzucker Mannheim Ochsenfurt AG is a Germany-based company engaged in the processing of agricultural raw materials. The Company is organized, along with its subsidiaries, into four segments: the Sugar segment comprises sugar production and the agricultural division; the Special Products segment includes the activities of four divisions: BENEO, which produces and sells ingredients made from natural raw materials for food products and animal feed; the Freiberger Group is a producer of chilled and frozen pizzas, frozen pasta dishes and snacks; the PortionPack Europe group specializes in portion packs, and the starch division comprises starch companies in Hungary and Romania, bio-ethanol production in Austria and Hungary, as well as starch production facilities in Austria; the CropEnergies segment includes the bio-ethanol activities of the Company in Germany, Belgium and France, and the Fruit segment comprises the fruit juice preparations and fruit juice concentrates divisions. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jonathan Morgan]
Volkswagen AG (VOW), Europe�� biggest automaker, climbed 3.7 percent as data showed European car sales increased for the first time in 19 months in April. Suedzucker AG (SZU) dropped to an eight-month low as J&E Davy Holdings Ltd. downgraded the shares.
Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Walgreen Co (WAG)
Walgreen Co. (Walgreens), incorporated on February 15, 1909, together with its subsidiaries, operates the drugstore chain in the United States. The Company provides its customers with access to consumer goods and services, pharmacy, and health and wellness services in communities across America. The Company offers its products and services through drugstores, as well as through mails, by telephone and online. The Company sells prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as general merchandises, including household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy. On August 2, 2012, it acquired 45% interest in Alliance Boots GmbH (Alliance Boots). In September 2012, the Company completed the purchase of a regional drugstore chain in the mid-South region of the United States that included 144 stores operated under the USA Drug, Super D Drug, May��, Med-X and Drug Warehouse names. In September 2012, WP Carey & Co LLC acquired five retail stores leased to Walgreen Co. In December 2012, the Company completed a transaction giving company a ownership stake in Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Pharmacy LLC.
The Company's pharmacy, health and wellness services include retail, specialty, infusion and respiratory services, mail service, convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers. These services help improve health outcomes and manage costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The Company's Take Care Health Systems subsidiary is a manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the United States.
As of August 31, 2012, Walgreens operated 8,385 locations in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. In 2012, the Company opened or acquired 266 locations for a net increase of 175 locations after relocations and closings. As of August 31, 2012, the Com! pany had 7,930 of Drugstores, 366 of Worksite Health and Wellness Centers, 76 of Infusion and Respiratory Services Facilities, 11 of Specialty Pharmacies and two of Mail Service Facilities. The Company's drugstores are engaged in the retail sale of prescription and non-prescription drugs and general merchandise. General merchandise includes, among other things, household items, convenience and fresh foods, personal care, beauty care, photofinishing and candy.
The Company offers specialty pharmacy services that provide customers nationwide access to a variety of medications, services and programs for managing complex and chronic health conditions. In addition, the Company offers its customers infusion therapy services, including the administration of intravenous (IV) medications for cancer treatments, chronic pain, heart failure, and other infections and disorders which must be treated by IV. Walgreens provides these infusion services at home, at the workplace, in a physician's office or at a Walgreens alternate treatment site. The Company also provides clinical services, such as laboratory monitoring, medication profile review, nutritional assessments and patient and caregiver education.
Customers can also access the Company's e-commerce solutions, which extend the convenience to purchase most products available within its drugstores, as well as additional products sold exclusively online through its walgreens.com and drugstore.com Websites, including beauty.com and visiondirect.com. The Company's Websites allow consumers to purchase general merchandise including beauty, personal care, home medical equipment, contact lenses, vitamins and supplements and other health and wellness solutions. The Company's mobile applications also allow customers to refill prescriptions through their mobile device, download weekly promotions and find the nearest Walgreens drugstore. The Company also offers services through Take Care Health Systems, which manages its Take Care Clinics at select Wa! lgreens d! rugstores throughout the country.
Alliance Boots is a pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution business. As of March 31, 2012, its fiscal year end, Alliance Boots had, together with its associates and joint ventures, pharmacy-led health and beauty retail businesses in 11 countries and operated more than 3,330 health and beauty retail stores, of which over 3,200 had a pharmacy. In addition, Alliance Boots had approximately 625 optical practices, approximately 185 of which operated on a franchise basis. Its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution businesses, including its associates and joint ventures, supplied medicines, other healthcare products and related services to more than 170,000 pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals from over 370 distribution centers in 21 countries.
Alliance Boots�� stores located in the United Kingdom, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Thailand and Lithuania and through its associates and joint ventures in Switzerland, China, Italy, Russia and Croatia. In addition, as of March 31, 2012, there were 58 Boots stores operated in the Middle East on a franchised basis. In its Health & Beauty Division, Alliance Boots has product brands such as No7, Soltan and Botanics, together with other brands, such as Boots Pharmaceuticals and Boots Laboratories. Through its Pharmaceutical Wholesale Division and several of its associates, Alliance Boots sells Almus, its line of generic medicines, in five countries and Alvita, its line of patient care products, in six countries.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]
Walgreen Co.(WAG) said its sales, excluding newly opened or closed stores, rose 4.4% in May, helped by increases in pharmacy prescriptions and basket size, though traffic declined slightly in the front of the store.
- [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
It's working with the three biggest credit card companies out there: American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP), MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA), and Visa Inc. (NYSE: V). And Apple also has forged relationships with such key retailers as McDonald's Corp. (NYSE: MCD), Macy's Inc. (NYSE:
M), and Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG). - [By Wallace Witkowski]
Monday�� big decliners were Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. (KORS) �, Micron Technology Inc. (MU) � and Walgreen Co. (WAG) �
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