Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A ) (NYSE: BRK-B ) subsidiary Brooks Sports is drawing quite a bit of attention from Buffett devotees these days. The running shoe maker has sprinted to 34% volume growth in both 2011 and 2012, with U.S. sales growth hitting the tape at 43% by the end of last year.
Our roving reporter Rex Moore caught up with Brooks CEO Jim Weber at the recent Berkshire shareholder meeting in Omaha. In this segment of a multipart series, Jim talks about the advantages of working with Warren Buffett.
Is Berkshire for you?
Thanks to the savvy of investing legend Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway's book value per share has grown a mind-blowing 586,817% over the past 48 years. But with Buffett aging and Berkshire rapidly evolving, is this insurance conglomerate still a buy today? In The Motley Fool's premium report on the company, Berkshire expert Joe Magyer provides investors with key reasons to buy as well as important risks to watch out for. Click here now for instant access to Joe's take on Berkshire!
Top Canadian Stocks To Watch For 2015: Willis Group Holdings Limited(WSH)
Willis Group Holdings Public Limited Company provides a range of insurance brokerage, reinsurance, and risk management consulting services to its clients worldwide. The company offers various insurance brokerage services, including property damage, offshore construction, liability, and control of well and pollution insurance to the energy industry; and marine insurance and reinsurance brokerage services consisting of hull, cargo, and general marine liabilities. It also provides its services to aerospace clients, including aircraft manufacturers, air cargo handlers and shippers, airport managers, and other general aviation companies; and advisory services comprising claims recovery, contract and leasing risk management, market information, and safety services. In addition, the company offers risk management advice and brokerage services to the construction industry; brokerage for directors' and officers' insurance, as well as professional indemnity insurance for corporation s and professional firms; and specialist risk management and insurance services to fine art, diamond, and jewelry businesses, and operators of armored cars. Further, it provides special contingencies packages; services for horse racing and breeding industry, and agriculture/crop sector; and advice to companies involved in the insurance and reinsurance industry on capital markets products. Additionally, the company offers health, welfare, and human resources consulting and brokerage services to small, medium, and large corporations, as well as the employee benefits practice. It serves clients located in approximately 190 countries, including multinational and middle-market companies operating in various industries, as well as public institutions and individual clients. The company was formerly known as Willis Group Holdings Limited and changed its name to Willis Group Holdings Public Limited Company in January 2010. The company was founded in 1828 and is headquartered in Lond on, the United Kingdom.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Vera Yuan]
We bought relatively small new positions in Willis Group Holdings and Avon Products in the third quarter. Willis (WSH) is a leading global insurance broker. We have followed this attractive industry for many years through investments in Aon, Brown & Brown and others (including Willis under prior management). Organic revenue growth has been solid, and Willis has a near-term opportunity to expand margins through expense initiatives and restructuring savings that are likely to kick in next year. We think the stock should be revalued higher once management follows through on its pledged cost discipline and drives operating leverage. Avon (AVP) is a direct selling, branded beauty business undergoing a turnaround in the U.S. market. The overwhelming majority of Avon�� business value comes from its stronger positions in Latin America and other emerging markets. Our investment thesis is that well-run direct selling can be a decent business with solid margins and high returns, that the Avon brand is not fundamentally broken, and that the U.S. business is bottoming as evidenced by break-even results in the most recent quarter. Avon has a wider range of potential outcomes than our typical investment and is sized accordingly.
- [By Jonas Elmerraji]
$11 billion UK insurer Willis Group Holdings (WSH) is another uptrending channel. The big difference with Willis is that this name is actually at its trendline support level this week. Better still, shares are bouncing higher -- and it makes sense to buy the bounce here.
Buying off a support bounce makes sense for two big reasons: It's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong). Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring WSH can actually still catch a bid along that line.
The 50-day moving average has been a good proxy for support on the way up, so it's a solid place to put a protective stop if you decide to be a buyer at this point.
Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Scholastic Corporation(SCHL)
Scholastic Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a children?s publishing, education, and media company primarily in the United States. The company?s Children?s Book Publishing and Distribution segment publishes and distributes children?s books through school-based book clubs and book fairs, ecommerce, and the trade channel in the United States. Its Educational Publishing segment publishes and distributes educational technology products and services, curriculum materials, children?s books and collections, classroom magazines, and print and online reference and non-fiction products for grades pre-K to 12 to schools and libraries in the United States. The company?s Media, Licensing, and Advertising segment creates and produces programming and digital content for various platforms, including television, DVDs, audio, movies, interactive games, applications, and Websites. This segment produces and sells a television library consisting of approximately 50 0 half-hour productions; produces television programming, including the animated series; creates audiovisual adaptations of classic children?s picture books; produces young adult and children?s audio recordings; and creates original and licensed consumer software, including handheld and console products with accessories and mobile applications for grades pre-K to 8. This segment also develops sponsored educational materials and supplementary classroom programs in partnership with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and business organizations; and operates a direct-to-home catalog business specializing in children?s toys. Its International segment publishes and distributes products and services in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, India, China, Singapore, and other parts of Asia, as well as includes its export and foreign rights businesses. Scholastic Corporation was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Gerson]
Scholastic Corp (NASDAQ: SCHL) is expected to report its Q2 earnings at $2.22 per share on revenue of $636.40 million.
Pier 1 Imports Inc (NYSE: PIR) is estimated to post its Q3 earnings at $0.20 per share on revenue of $488.26 million.
Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Full Circle Capital Corporation (FULL)
Full Circle Capital Corporation is a business development company and operates as an externally managed non-diversified closed-end management investment company. It invests in debt and equity securities of smaller and lower middle-market companies with annual revenues between $3 million and $75 million. The company primarily invests in various categories of debt comprising asset-based senior secured loans, subordinated or unsecured loans, and mezzanine loans. It seeks to invest in a range of industries with a focus on media, communications, and business services. The company primarily seeks to invest between $3 million and $10 million. However, it can also make larger investments.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Monica Wolfe]
Full Circle Capital Corp (FULL)
Over the past week there were two insiders making four buys into Full Circle Capital.� These buys come as the company�� price has hit its lowest price since Nov. 2011.
Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Versar Inc. (VSR)
Versar, Inc. operates as a project management company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Engineering and Construction Management, Environmental Services, and Professional Services. The Engineering and Construction Management segment offers project scoping/development, design, cost estimation, value engineering, and feasibility studies; construction oversight, configuration management, inspection, job site evaluations, and construction documentation; system optimization, scheduling, and quality assurance/control; and construction services to federal, state, local, international, and commercial clients. The Environmental Services segment offers environmental solutions, such as remediation and compliance, exposure, and risk assessment; natural resources; unexploded ordnance cleanup/military munitions response programs; and air, greenhouse gas, energy, and cultural resources services to various federal and state agencies. The Professional Services segment provides onsite environmental management, planning, and engineering services to DoD installations and to the U.S. Department of Commerce. This segment�s services include energy, waste, and water services; cleaning of landfill and disposal sites; facility and utilities integration, water program management, and wildlife program management; management of hazardous materials and waste for generator sites; staff augmentation; and biological and physical sciences support services. The company also provides engineering design, construction management, environmental planning and programming, and other services for various government, industry, and commercial clients. Versar, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Springfield, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Small cap stocks Versar Inc (NYSEMKT: VSR), Ecology and Environment, Inc (NASDAQ: EEI) and CES Synergies Inc (OTCBB: CESX) provide various environmental, technical, management and related services to�government and private sector clients. And while a GOP controlled congress may limit the growth of government spending, the private sector will still need to comply with increasingly onerous environmental and other regulations coming from the government. Moreover, an improving economy will lead to more construction and engineering work along with the need for various environmental and remediation services. With those thoughts in mind, here is what you need to know about all three small cap environmental services stocks:
Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: iShares North American Tech-Software ETF (IGV)
iShares S&P North American Technology-Software Index Fund (the Fund), formerly, iShares S&P GSTI Software Index, seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance as represented by the S&P North American Technology-Software Index (the Index). The Index has been developed as an equity benchmark for United States-traded, software-related stocks.
The Index includes companies that are producers of client/server applications, enterprise software, Internet software, personal computer and entertainment software. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Small cap cloud and enterprise services stock Rally Software Development Corp (NYSE: RALY) just had a reversal ��meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with potential performance benchmarks like Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL), iShares North American Tech-Software (NYSEARCA: IGV) and First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index (NASDAQ: SKYY).
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap Synacor Inc (NASDAQ: SYNC) says its "where Tech, Hollywood and Madison Avenue meet in the cloud��but its not exactly been a blockbuster for investors���meanings its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with the performance of potential benchmarks like the First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index (NASDAQ: SKYY), iShares North American Tech-Software (NYSEARCA: IGV) and Global X Social Media Index ETF (NASDAQ: SOCL).
Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Kimberly-Clark Corporation(KMB)
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of various health care products worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, K-C Professional & Other, and Health Care. The Personal Care segment provides disposable diapers, training and youth pants, and swimpants; baby wipes; and feminine and incontinence care products, and related products. It offers its products primarily for household use under various brand names, including Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, Kotex, Lightdays, Depend, and Poise. The Consumer Tissue segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, and related products for household use under the Kleenex, Scott, Cottonelle, Viva, Andrex, Scottex, Hakle, and Page brands. The K-C Professional & Other segment offers facial and bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, wipers, and a range of safety products for the away-from-home marketplace und er Kimberly-Clark, Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, KleenGuard, Kimcare, and Jackson brand names. The Health Care segment offers disposable health care products, such as surgical drapes and gowns, infection control products, face masks, exam gloves, respiratory products, pain management products, and other disposable medical products under the Kimberly-Clark, Ballard, and ON-Q brand names. The company sells its products to supermarkets; mass merchandisers; drugstores; warehouse clubs; variety and department stores; retail outlets; manufacturing, lodging, office building, food service, and health care establishments; and high volume public facilities. It markets its products through wholesalers, distributors, and direct sales. The company was founded in 1872 and is based in Dallas, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jason Clark]
Personal-care products maker Kimberly-Clark (KMB) enjoyed a nice pop in its shares of more than 6% this past week, after reporting quarterly earnings and revenue that exceeded consensus analyst estimates.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Well, not actually the see-through kind, but rather ethically sourced and with full transparency about where the materials that make up the diaper come from. Priced at a significant discount to either Huggies or Pampers, they're a direct shot at consumer goods giants�Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB ) and Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG ) .
Top Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2014: Digital Realty Trust Inc.(DLR)
Digital Realty Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), through its controlling interest in Digital Realty Trust, L.P., engages in the ownership, acquisition, development, redevelopment, and management of technology-related real estate. It focuses on strategically located properties containing applications and operations critical to the day-to-day operations of technology industry tenants and corporate enterprise datacenter users, including the information technology departments of Fortune 1000 companies, and financial services companies. The company?s property portfolio consists of Internet gateway properties, corporate datacenter properties, technology manufacturing properties, and regional or national offices of technology companies. As of December 31, 2008, Digital Realty?s portfolio consisted of 75 properties, including 62 located in North America and 13 located in Europe. Digital Realty Trust has elected to be treated as a REIT for federal income tax purpo ses and would not be subject to income tax, if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California with additional offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Northern Virginia, and Phoenix, as well as in Dublin, London, and Paris.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Adam Aloisi]
Trading 30% lower than it did around a year ago and with a short float of around 20%, data services provider Digital Realty (DLR) has developed into the REIT industry's most controversial stock. Short interest has more than doubled over the past six months, aided largely by a highly publicized bearish position taken by Highfield Capital's Jonathan Jacobsen. Though the stock trades at a fairly low multiple based on current operating expectations, investors appear about as motivated to buy a piece of DLR as they would a beach house with a hurricane approaching.
- [By Bill Stoller]
The first half of 2014 has been particularly successful for shareholders of both industry giant $7.9 billion Digital Reality Trust (NYSE: DLR ) and its much smaller rival QTS, which currently sports a market cap of just $837 million. At first I was a bit stunned that Digital Realty didn't snag this deal. Digital has an extensive global footprint similar to both Atos and McGraw Hill.
- [By Eric Volkman]
Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR ) results for the specialty REIT's Q1 have been released. For the quarter, operating revenues totaled $358 million, an improvement over the $283 million in the same period the previous year. Net income available to common shareholders advanced to $43 million ($0.34 per diluted share) from Q1 2012's $39 million ($0.36). Funds from operations, considered an important metric for REITs, also grew by 9%, to $1.16 per share. The year-ago quarter's FFO came in at $1.06.
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