Almost two months ago, I singled out�Tile Shop Holdings� (NASDAQ: TTS ) as one of�three great small-cap stocks�with which many investors might not be familiar. After all, the high-end stone and tile specialist still had a market capitalization under $800 million at the time, and only just went public late last year.
Even so, the underlying business had grown from a single store in Minnesota nearly 30 years ago to 68 locations in 22 states. Better yet, the company was generating enough cash at the time to fund its accelerating expansion with free cash flow to spare.
In addition, Tile Shop's business is able to offer consumers low prices without sacrificing margin thanks to its ability to source products directly from quarries around the world, thus eliminating the middleman. Tile Shop also benefits from manufacturing its own line of adhesives, grouts, and other products required for the installation of its wares.
If that sounds familiar, it's because Tile Shop's hardwood counterpart in�Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL ) follows nearly the exact same business model by negotiating directly with the lumber mills which produce its products. Of course, this is also the same Lumber Liquidators that recently taught me a humbling lesson�after I doubted its seemingly rich valuation.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: Mucklow(a&j)
A & J Mucklow Group plc, a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the investment and development of industrial and commercial properties in the United Kingdom. The company?s investment property portfolio includes industrial, offices, and retail properties; and development land holdings. It is also involved in the sale of investment properties and trading of properties. A & J Mucklow Group plc was founded in 1933 and is based in Halesowen, the United Kingdom.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: OMEGA IURANCE HLDGS LTD COM STK USD0.10(OIH.L)
Omega Insurance Holdings Limited operates as an insurance and reinsurance company in Bermuda, London, Chicago, and Cologne. The company primarily underwrites short-tail property insurance and reinsurance accounts, with a focus on small and medium sized insureds and reinsuring smaller insurance companies. It offers property catastrophe treaty reinsurance, property per risk treaty reinsurance, non-marine property insurance, liability insurance and reinsurance, marine insurance and reinsurance, motor insurance and reinsurance, and professional indemnity insurance, as well as satellite, aviation, war, fine art, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance or reinsurance. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Top Insurance Companies To Invest In 2014: Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (FMX)
Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA), incorporated on May 30, 1936, is a holding company. The Company conducts its operations through principal holding companies, each of which it refers to as a principal sub-holding company. These companies are Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. (Coca-Cola FEMSA), which engages in the production, distribution and marketing of soft drinks, and FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V. (FEMSA Comercio), which operates convenience stores. The Company�� convenience store chain OXXO operated a total of 7,492 stores as of March 31, 2010. Compania Internacional de Bebidas, S.A. de C.V. (CIBSA) owns a 53.7% interest in Coca-Cola FEMSA. On April 30, 2010, FEMSA announced the closing of the transaction, pursuant to which FEMSA agreed to exchange 100% of its beer operations conducted by FEMSA Cerveza for a 20% economic interest in the Heineken Group. In February 2009, Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired with The Coca-Cola Company the Brisa bottled water business in Colombia from Bavaria, a subsidiary of SABMiller. Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired the production assets and the rights to distribute in the territory, and The Coca-Cola Company obtained the Brisa brand.
Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V.
Coca-Cola FEMSA is a bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Coca-Cola FEMSA operates in various territories, including Mexico, a substantial portion of central Mexico (including Mexico City and the states of Michoacan and Guanajuato) and southeast Mexico (including the Gulf region); Central America, including Guatemala (Guatemala City and surrounding areas), Nicaragua (nationwide), Costa Rica (nationwide) and Panama (nationwide); Colombia; Venezuela; Argentina, including Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, and Brazil, including the area of greater Sao Paulo, Campinas, Santos, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the state of Minas Gerais and part of the state of Goias.
Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages, own brands and b! rands licensed from the Company. The Coca-Cola trademark beverages include sparkling beverages (colas and flavored sparkling beverages), water, and still beverages (including juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and isotonics). Out of the more than 100 brands and line extensions of beverages sold and distributed by Coca-Cola FEMSA, its most important brand, Coca-Cola, together with its line extensions, Coca-Cola light, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola light caffeine free, accounted for 61.4% of total sales volume during the year ended December 31, 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� next largest brands, Ciel (a water brand from Mexico), Fanta (and its line extensions), Sprite (and its line extensions), ValleFrut and Hit, accounted for 10.5%, 5.8%, 2.6%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively, of total sales volume in 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term line extensions to refer to the different flavors in which it offers its brands.
Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages in each of its territories in containers authorized by The Coca-Cola Company, which consist of a variety of returnable and non-returnable presentations in the form of glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephtalate (PET). Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term presentation to refer to the packaging unit in which it sells its products. Presentation sizes for its Coca-Cola trademark beverages range from a 6.5-ounce personal size to a 3-liter multiple serving size. For all of its products excluding water, Coca-Cola FEMSA considers a multiple serving size as equal toor larger than one liter. In addition, it sells some Coca-Cola trademark beverage syrups in containers designed for soda fountain use, which it refers to as fountain. It also sells bottled water products in bulk sizes, which refers to presentations equal to or larger than five liters, which have a much lower average price per unit case than its other beverage products.
In Mexico, Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio consis! ts of Coc! a-Cola trademark beverages, and includes Mundet trademark beverages licensed from FEMSA in some Mexican territories. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product sales in Latincentro consist predominantly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Per capita consumption of its sparkling beverages products in Colombia and Central America was 92 and 146 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009. Its product portfolio in Venezuela consists of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Venezuela was 174 eight-ounce servings during 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio in Mercosur consists mainly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages, and the Kaiser beer brand in Brazil, which Coca-Cola FEMSA sells and distributes on behalf of FEMSA Cerveza. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Brazil and Argentina was 214 and 359 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009.
The Company competes with Pepsi Beverage Company, Grupo Embotelladores Unidos, S.A.B. de C.V., Grupo Jumex, Groupe Danone, Cadbury Schweppes, Big Cola, Consorcio AGA, S.A. de C.V., Postobon, Florida Ice and Farm Co. S.A., Cerveceria Nacional, S.A., Pepsi-Cola Venezuela, C.A., AmBev and Quilmes Industrial S.A.
FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V.
FEMSA Comercio operates a chain of convenience stores in Mexico, under the trade name OXXO. OXXO stores are concentrated in the northern part of Mexico, but also have a presence in central Mexico and the Gulf coast. FEMSA Comercio is the largest single customer of FEMSA Cerveza and of the Coca-Cola system in Mexico. During 2009, a typical OXXO store carried 1,954 different store keeping units (SKUs) in 31 main product categories.
The Company competes with 7-Eleven, Super Extra, Super City, Circle-K and AM/PM.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: Cdn Zinc Corp Com Npv (CZN.TO)
Canadian Zinc Corporation engages in the exploration and development of natural resource properties in Canada. It primarily holds a 100% interest in the Prairie Creek property, a zinc/lead/silver property that consists of 2 surface leases covering an area of 132 hectares, 12 mining leases covering an area of 7,355 hectares, and 1 additional mineral claim covering an area of 731 hectares located in the south Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The company was formerly known as San Andreas Resources Corporation and changed its name to Canadian Zinc Corporation in May 1999. Canadian Zinc Corporation was founded in 1965 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: SeaBright Holdings Inc.(SBX)
SeaBright Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides multi-jurisdictional workers? compensation insurance for maritime customers, state act customers, and employers in the construction industry. It offers insurance coverage for prescribed benefits that employers are required to provide to their employees, who may be injured in the course of their employment. The company also involves in general liability insurance business in conjunction with workers? compensation insurance for construction projects written under a controlled insurance program. In addition, it provides medical bill review, utilization review, nurse and physician case management, and related services. SeaBright Holdings, Inc. distributes its products through independent insurance brokers, licensed wholesale insurance brokers, and third-party managing general agents. The company was formerly known as SeaBright Insurance Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to SeaBright Holdings, Inc. in May 2010. Se aBright Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: OneBeacon Insurance Group Ltd.(OB)
OneBeacon Insurance Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty property and casualty insurance company in the United States. Its businesses include International Marine Underwriters, which offers ocean marine insurance products; OneBeacon Technology Insurance that provides professional and products liability, data privacy, property, and business income policies for the technology sector; Specialty Accident and Health, which offers accident and health insurance products; OneBeacon Government Risks that provides property, casualty, and professional liability products for municipalities and counties, and special districts; and OneBeacon Energy Group, which offers property, inland marine, and casualty products for the energy industry. The company?s businesses also comprise OneBeacon Professional Insurance that provides professional, employment practices, and management liability policies, as well as healthcare provider excess insurance and HMO reinsurance; OneBeacon Property and Inland Marine, which offers monoline property and inland marine products; OneBeacon Specialty Property that provides excess property and inland marine coverage; and OneBeacon Excess and Surplus, which offers insurance products in the excess and surplus market. In addition, its businesses include Collector Cars and Boats that provide insurance for collectible vehicles and wooden boats, automotive museums, and restoration shops; A.W.G. Dewar, which offers tuition reimbursement insurance; OneBeacon Entertainment that provides commercial insurance for entertainment, sports, and leisure industries; and AutoOne, which offers automobile insurance products in the assigned risk market. It markets its products through independent agencies, regional and national brokers, wholesalers, and managing general agencies. The company was founded in 1831 and is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota. OneBeacon Insurance Group, Ltd. is a subsidiary of White Mountains Insu rance Group, Ltd.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: Domino Printing(DNO.L)
Domino Printing Sciences plc engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of industrial printing equipment, controllers, and consumables for the high-speed printing of variable information. Its primary products include printers, controllers, consumables, fluids, and spare parts, as well as provides after sales support services. The company also offers black ink for a range of plastic-based substrates; coding and marking solutions to identify, authenticate, and personalize products; and codes and marks for protection of brand value. In addition, Domino Printing Sciences plc provides various technology solutions, including ink jet, thermal ink jet, scribing laser, binary, thermal transfer overprinting, drop on demand, print and apply labelling machinery, and laser printers. Further, it offers digital printing technologies, which are used in Web-based applications. Domino Printing Sciences plc serves beverage, binding, cable and wire, construction, cosmetics and personal care, electronics, finishing, food, games management, mailing, pharmaceutical, plastic cards, newspaper, postal systems, and tobacco, as well as for tickets, tags, and labels industries. The company distributes its products through third party distributors primarily in North America, South America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and the Middle East/Africa. Domino Printing Sciences plc was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: Level 3 Communications Inc.(LVLT)
Level 3 Communications, Inc. engages in the communications business in North America and Europe. It offers network and Internet services, including transport services, high speed Internet protocol services, dedicated Internet access, virtual private network services, and dark fiber services, as well as managed modem, an outsourced, turn-key infrastructure solution; and colocation services. The company also provides various media services, comprising Vyvx services that provide audio and video feeds over fiber or satellite; content delivery network services; media delivery services to customers seeking to manage, protect, and monetize content delivered over the Internet; a range of local and long distance voice services, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and traditional circuit-switch based services; and VoIP Enhanced Local, a VoIP service that enables broadband cable operators, IXCs, VoIP providers, and other companies operating their own switching infrastructure to launch IP-based local and long-distance voice services through a broadband connection. Level 3 Communications? media services also consist of SIP Trunking, a VoIP-based local phone service; Local Inbound service that terminates traditional telephone network originated calls to Internet Protocol termination points; Primary Rate Interface, a TDM local phone service that could be configured in various ways; Long Distance services portfolio comprising local and long distance transport and termination services; and Toll Free services portfolio, which terminate toll free calls that are originated on the traditional telephone network. As of December 31, 2010, its network encompassed approximately 68,000 intercity route miles in North America and an intercity network covering approximately 13,000 miles across Europe. Further, it sells coal primarily through long-term contracts with public utilities. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]
Level 3 Communications provides essential communications products and services to growing companies and consumers across the globe. The stock has tripled over the last few years but seems to be stuck in a range extending back to last year. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue figures have improved but not as much as investors have expected. Relative to its peers and sector, Level 3 Communications has been a poor performer year-to-date. WAIT AND SEE what Level 3 Communications does this coming quarter.
- [By Sean Williams]
Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT )
We're taught in school that two negatives, when multiplied, equal a positive. Unfortunately, combining two bad companies in real life only leaves you with one really bad company! Thus is the plight of Level 3 Communications, which in 2011 bought Global Crossing for $3 billion, merging two integrated telecommunication companies that haven't turned a profit. As of the first quarter, Level 3 had an accumulated deficit of $12.93 billion. - [By Chris Hill]
In this installment, our analysts discuss some of the day's big movers and shakers.�Shares of Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT ) rise after Deutsche Bank initiates coverage with a buy rating. Trading in Herbalife (NYSE: HLF ) is halted after the company's auditor resigns. Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF ) gains ground on the news that inflation in China is slowing. And Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD ) declines after the real estate company announces a secondary stock offering.�
- [By Holly LaFon]
Question: You have been a long-term investor of Level 3. The company has been doing poorly and in a lot of financial stress. What is your thesis in investing in Level 3 (LVLT)? Isn�� it a value trap?
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: Tuscany Energy Ltd (TUS.V)
Tuscany Energy Ltd. engages in the exploration, development, production, and acquisition of crude oil and natural gas properties in Canada. It holds interests in oil and gas properties, including Evesham Dina, Wildwood, and Evesham/Macklin Sparky located in Alberta and Saskatchewan. As of December 31, 2009, the company had proved and probable reserves of 626 thousand barrels of oil and 685 million cubic feet of gas. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Top 10 Low Price Companies To Watch For 2014: Ocean Bio-Chem Inc.(OBCI)
Ocean Bio-Chem, Inc. engages in the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of various appearance and maintenance products for boats, recreational vehicles, automobiles, and home care markets under the Star brite brand name, as well as private label formulations in the United States and Canada. The company?s marine product line consists of polishes, cleaners, protectants, and waxes of various formulations. This line also includes motor oils, boat washes, vinyl cleaners, protectants, teak cleaners, teak oils, bilge cleaners, hull cleaners, silicone sealants, polyurethane sealants, polysulfide sealants, gasket materials, lubricants, antifouling additives, and anti-freeze coolants, as well as brushes, poles and tie-downs, and other related marine accessories. Its automotive product line comprises hydraulic, gear, and motor oils; anti-freeze and windshield washes; and automotive polishes, cleaners, and associated appearance items. Ocean Bio-Chem also offers cleaners, polishes , detergents, fabric cleaners and protectors, silicone sealants, water proofers, gasket materials, degreasers, vinyl cleaners, protectors, toilet treatment fluids, and anti-freeze coolants to the recreational vehicle/power sports markets. In addition, it blends and packages various chemical formulations, as well as manufactures PVC and HDPE blow molded bottles. Further, the company offers StarTron enzyme fuel treatment for diesel and gas engines, as well as for the recreational vehicles, including snow mobiles, all terrain vehicles, and motorcycles. It sells its products to retail outlets through retailers and distributors. The company was formerly known as Star brite Corporation and changed its name to Ocean Bio-Chem, Inc. in 1984. Ocean Bio-Chem, Inc. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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