�While its two peer indexes finished the day essentially unchanged, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) dropped 0.3% as AT&T (NYSE: T ) Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG ) sank the blue chips following earning releases. Durable-goods orders for March were down significantly, falling 5.7% against an expected drop of 3.1%, and February's increase was also revised downward. It was the worst drop orders in seven months for products like cars, appliances, and furniture, and the category fell 1.4% excluding the more volatile transportation segments. Stocks were up Europe and Asia earlier, but concern about earnings and the durable-goods report seems to have dampened any carryover effect.
After reporting earnings last night, AT&T shares finished down 5% and fell another 1.5% after hours. Investors were disappointed that Ma Bell reported losing a net total of 69,000 cell phone subscribers. The country's No. 2 telecom made strong gains on tablet data plans, but that wasn't even to avert concerns that its bigger rival, Verizon, was leaving it in the dust. EPS were in line with estimates at $0.64, but revenue fell by 1% in the quarter, a bigger drop than expected.
Top European Companies To Buy Right Now: 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 MARKETWATCH]
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks dropped to session lows in afternoon action Monday after bearish comments on the market from well-known investor Carl Icahn, leaving the Dow industrials below 16,000 and with its gains erased. Icahn reportedly said he is "very cautious" on equities, and the market could have a "big drop." He also said many companies' earnings are a "mirage," fueled more by low interest rates than strong management. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was last down 6 points, or less than 0.1%, to 15,956, while the S&P 500 (SPX) slid 8 points, or 0.5%, to 1,789. The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) lost 41 points, or 1%, to 3,945. Among individual stocks, Apple (AAPL) was down more than 1% as Icahn reportedly said he doesn't want to fight with the tech giant, but also doesn't want to walk away.
- [By Sean Williams]
Yet one company looks poised to benefit in a big way from Iran. That company, the former largest company in the world by market value, is none other than Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) . Don't get too ambitious here, because Apple isn't planning to open an Apple store in Iran anytime soon. However, in late May the U.S. Treasury Department lifted certain sanctions on Iran which would allow Apple to sell its iDevices, including the iPhone, in Iran.
Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: 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 Teresa Rivas]
However a Deutsche downgrade hurt offshore drillers including Transocean (RIG), Diamond Offshore (DO) and Ensco International (ESV). Elsewhere, Michael Kors��(KORS) first quarter didn�� live up to investors��high expectations while McDonald�� (MCD) managed to come back from earlier losses related to the impact of the tainted meat scandal in China.
- [By Damian Illia]
Outside the U.S., Dunkin�� situation also looks quite promising. Holding the fourth-largest overseas restaurant business, behind Yum, McDonald's (MCD), and Subway, but ahead of Starbucks (SBUX), expansion potential in emerging markets abounds, and its brand name recognition should certainly help it achieve this goal.
Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: 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 Jeremy Bowman]
Visa (NYSE: V ) led the Dow winners, gaining 3.1%, as it jumped on good news from rival MasterCard (NYSE: MA ) , whose shares jumped 3.5% after announcing a 10-for-1 stock split and a $3.5 billion repurchase plan. With a market cap of $95 billion, the $3.5 billion repurchase program should lift earnings per share over the long run by about 3.5% so today's jump may be a little exaggerated. Stock splits, while often generating attention and enthusiasm, should have no effect on a stock movement. The credit card company also said it would hike its quarterly dividend to raise its yield from 0.3% to 0.55%. Both companies have relatively low dividend yield, but rake in gobs of free cash flow. Many market observers expect the capital being returned to shareholders to increase.
- [By Joe Tenebruso]
MasterCard (NYSE: MA ) and Visa (NYSE: V ) are dominant global credit card payment networks. Both companies have built valuable brands and enjoy powerful network effects. And with 85% of global transactions still being made via cash or check, MasterCard and Visa are extremely well positioned to profit from the massive global shift toward electronic payments and away from cash transactions. Their strong cash flows should allow them to continue to boost their dividend payouts for many years to come.
- [By Brianna Valleskey]
Instead, Theron suggests investing in something like Visa (NYSE: V), because it's real money moving between real financial institutions.
“Small amounts of money being made on a multitude of transactions -- that is the real world,” he said. “The bitcoin seems like a pipe dream.”
- [By Dan Burrows]
VeriFone has 60% of the global market share of EMV-enabled payment terminals — EMV stands for Europay, Visa (V) and MasterCard (MA) — and has wide reach on the web with VeriShield protect, among other products and services. But competition has eaten away at its business, while fast-growth mobile payments services have attracted attention from behemoths like Facebook (FB) and Google (GOOG).
Top 5 Blue Chip Stocks For 2014: 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 Bob Ciura]
Investors often flock to consumer staples companies because of their stable businesses that produce reliable profits, year-in and year-out. Even when the economy takes a nosedive, companies like The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG ) and Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL ) see their earnings stay afloat. After all, even when consumers are under economic distress, they still have to buy everyday household items like toothpaste, soap, and paper towels.
- [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. �
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