It might not be obvious to the casual observer, but right now, today, Kroger (NYSE: KR ) stock offers one of the best values available in the supermarket industry. Why?
Three reasons.
Kroger is cheap
When you stack up Kroger stock against a couple of its smaller, faster-growing rivals -- Harris Teeter (NYSE: HTSI ) and The Fresh Market (NASDAQ: TFM ) , it's clear that Kroger is the cheapest of the three. Its 12.0 price-to-earnings ratio is barely half the price Harris Teeter stock-shoppers pay, and less than a third of the price of a share of Fresh Market.
Now as I just mentioned, both Harris Teeter and Fresh Market are growing faster than Kroger. Analysts have Kroger pegged for a bit more than 7% annual earnings growth over the next five years, while Harris is expected to grow a bit less than twice as fast, and Fresh Market a bit less than three times as fast. Emphasis on "a bit less" -- as in, the disparities in growth rates aren't big enough to justify the discounts on Kroger stock: about two times versus Harris, and more than three times versus Fresh Market.
Top 10 US Companies To Own In Right Now: Good Times Restaurants Inc.(GTIM)
Good Times Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiary, Good Times Drive Thru Inc., engages in developing, owning, operating, and franchising hamburger-oriented drive-through restaurants. The company operates restaurants under the Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard name primarily in Colorado. It also has franchised restaurants in North Dakota and Wyoming. As of September 30, 2011, the company operated 25 company-owned and joint venture restaurants located in Colorado; and franchises, including 16 located in Colorado, 2 in Wyoming, and 2 in North Dakota. Good Times Restaurants, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Golden, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Small cap restaurant stocks BJ's Restaurants, Inc (NASDAQ: BJRI), Good Times Restaurants Inc (NASDAQ: GTIM) and Giggles N Hugs Inc (OTCMKTS: GIGL) aren�� well known to most investors and consumers, but they have produced their share of decent returns for investors. Here is what investors need to know about all three small cap restaurant stocks:
Best Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Graco Inc (GGG)
Graco Inc. (Graco), incorporated in 1926, design, manufacture and sell equipment that pumps, meters, mixes, dispenses and sprays a variety of fluids and semi-solids. The Company operates in three segments: Industrial, Contractor and Lubrication. Primary users of its equipment include contractors and original equipment manufacturers, who uses its equipment in a variety of applications in the construction, manufacturing, processing and maintenance industries. Its equipment is used to paint, finish, fill, glue and seal a wide range of goods and materials. Graco sells its equipment through third-party distributors worldwide. The Company sells its products in geographic markets, such as the Americas (North and South America), Europe (including the Middle East and Africa) and Asia Pacific. In January 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of QED Environmental Systems and EcoQuip.
Industrial Segment
The segment includes the Industrial Products and the Applied Fluid Technologies divisions. End users of its industrial equipment require solutions to their manufacturing and maintenance challenges and are driven to purchase its industrial equipment by the return on investment that its products provide. The Industrial Products division markets its equipment and services to customers who manufacture, assemble, maintain, repair and refinish products, such as appliances, vehicles, airplanes, electronics, cabinets and furniture, and other articles. In addition to marketing its equipment to customers in similar industries, the Applied Fluid Technology division also sells to contractors who use its plural component equipment to apply foam insulation and protective coatings to buildings and other structures. Most Industrial segment equipment is sold worldwide through general and specialized third-party distributors, integrators, design centers, original equipment manufacturers and material suppliers.
The Industrial Products division focuses its product de! velopment and sales on two main applications: equipment that applies paint and other coatings to products, such as motor vehicles, appliances, furniture and other industrial and consumer products (finishing), and process pump equipment that moves and dispenses chemicals and liquid and semi-solid foods (process pumps). It�� finishing equipment pumps, meters and applies liquids on all types of wood, metal and plastic. Manufacturers in the automotive, automotive feeder, truck/bus/recreational vehicle, military and utility vehicle, aerospace, farm and construction, wood and general metals industries use its liquid finishing products. Its liquid finishing equipment includes paint circulating and paint supply pumps, paint circulating advanced control systems, plural component coating proportioners, various accessories to filter, transport, agitate and regulate fluid, and spare parts, such as spray tips, seals and filter screens.
The Company�� process pumps move chemicals, petroleum, food and other fluids. Manufacturers and processors in the food and beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, oil and gas, electronics, wastewater, mining and ceramics industries use its process pumps. It offers pumps for sanitary applications, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA )-compliant 3-A sanitary pumps, diaphragm pumps, transfer pumps and drum and bin unloaders. Its process pumps provide a mechanized solution to a manual process in a factory of moving fluids from large barrels into equipment that dispenses the fluid into jars or other containers. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company purchased certain peristaltic pumps assets of Eccentric Pumps, LLC, provided the Company with an entry into the industrial peristaltic pump industry.
The Applied Fluid Technologies division directs its engineering, sales and marketing efforts toward two types of applications: equipment to pump, meter, mix and dispense high performance protective coatings and polyurethane foam (protective c! oatings a! nd foam); and equipment to pump, meter, mix and dispense sealants, adhesives, molded polyurethane parts and composites (advanced fluid dispense). It offers sprayer systems and plural component proportioning equipment to apply protective coatings and foam to a wide variety of surfaces. Reactor plural component pumps are used to apply foam to insulate things, such as walls, water heaters, refrigeration, and hot tubs, create commercial roofing membranes and for packaging, architectural design and cavity filling. This equipment is also used to apply two-component polyurea coatings to tanks, pipes, roofs, truck beds and foundations.
Graco�� XM Plural-Component Sprayer series is and XP70 plural component sprayers are used for corrosion-control applications, such as tank and pipeline coatings, shipbuilding, marine and railcar maintenance, wind tower coating, bridge and infrastructure projects and coating structural steel. The XM sprayers provide precise and variable ratio control in a highly configurable system. The XP70 sprayers are fixed ratio units and intended for applications where variable ratio capability is not required. It offers pumps, meters, applicators and valves for the metering, mixing and dispensing of precision beads of sealant and adhesive to bond, mold, seal, vacuum encapsulate, pot, laminate and gasket parts and devices in a variety of industrial applications. The HFR Metering System is an in-plant, hydraulic, fixed-ratio metering system that applies a range of materials used for noise dampening, insulation and structural integrity. It also offers advanced composites equipment, which includes gel coat equipment, chop and wet-out systems, resin transfer molding systems and applicators , which are used for example in the manufacture of vehicles, aircraft, boats, wind turbines and bridge materials.
Contractor Segment
The Contractor segment directs its product development, sales and marketing of three applications: paint, texture, and pavement mainten! ance. The! Contractor segment markets airless paint and texture sprayers (air, gas, hydraulically- and electrically-powered), accessories, such as spray guns, hoses and filters and spare parts, such as tips and seals to professional painters in the construction and maintenance industries, tradesmen and do-it-yourselfers. The products are distributed primarily through distributor outlets whose main products are paint and other coatings. Contractor products are also sold through general equipment distributors. Certain sprayers and accessories are distributed globally through the home center channel.
Contractor equipment encompasses a variety of sprayers, including sprayers that apply markings on roads, parking lots, fields, bike paths, crosswalks and floors; texture to walls and ceilings; highly viscous coatings to roofs; and paint to walls and structures. Many of these sprayers and their accessories contain one or more technological features, such as micro-processor-based controls for consistent spray and protective shut-down, a pump that may be removed and re-installed without tools, an easy-clean feature, gas/electric convertibility, and a durable pump finish. The Company offers a line of professional grade handheld paint sprayers, and in 2011, it introduced a fine finish handheld paint sprayer that sprays lacquers, varnishes, urethanes, sealers, stains and enamels. Contractor equipment also includes pressure washers, and scarifiers that remove markings on roads and other surfaces.
Lubrication Segment
The Lubrication segment focuses its engineering, marketing and sales of two lubrication applications: vehicle services and industrial. The Lubrication segment markets and sells its lubrication equipment worldwide, although the bulk of its sales come from North America. Its lubrication products are sold through independent third party distributors and oil jobbers, and directly to original equipment manufacturers. The Company supplies pumps, hose reels, meters, valves and accessorie! s to the ! motor vehicle lubrication industry. Its customers include fast oil change facilities, service garages, fleet service centers, automobile dealerships and auto parts stores.
In industrial lubrication, the Company offers systems, components, and accessories for the automatic lubrication of industrial and commercial equipment, compressors, turbines, and on- and off-road vehicles. Industries served include gas transmission and petrochemical, pulp and paper, mining and construction, agricultural equipment, food and beverage, material handling, metal manufacturing and wind energy. It offers products that automatically lubricate bearings, gears and generators, and products that evacuate and dispense oil, grease, anti-freeze and hydraulic fluids, from wind power components.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
Graco (NYSE: GGG ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on April 24. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Graco's revenues will increase 16.1% and EPS will expand 25.9%.
Best Cheapest Stocks For 2014: 8x8 Inc(EGHT)
8x8, Inc. develops and markets telecommunications services for Internet protocol (IP), telephony, and video applications. The company offers 8x8 Virtual Office Business Telephone Service, an alternative to traditional private branch exchange systems that offers automated attendants to assist callers; extension-to-extension dialing services; direct inward dial; conference bridge, 3-way calling, music on hold, call park/pick-up, call transfer, hunt groups, and do not disturb services; voice mail, including email alerts and direct transfer to mailbox; call waiting/caller-ID; distinctive tone ringing; and optional receptionist console applications. Its products also include 8x8 Complete Contact Center, an integrated hosted call center solution that consists of skill-based routing, multi-media management, real time monitoring and reporting, voice recording and logging, historical reporting, interactive voice response, CRM integration, and contact and case management tools; 8x8 IP Telephones; 8x8 Virtual Meeting, a video Web conferencing service; and 8x8 Managed Hosting and Cloud-Based Computing Solutions. In addition, the company offers 8x8 Virtual Office Pro Unified Communications that allows subscribers to manage business communications functions online and delivers various tools, such as Microsoft Outlook contacts and corporate directory integration; virtual meeting; Virtual Office Mobile extension; fax; call recording; presence management; and a view of voicemails, recordings, FAX messages, calls, and chat history. The company markets its services under 8x8 brand to end users through direct sales force, Web site, and third party resellers primarily in the United States. As of June 30, 2011, it had approximately 25,000 business customers. 8x8, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Meanwhile, top decliners in the sector included ARC Group Worldwide (NASDAQ: ARCW), down 6.8 percent, and 8x8 (NASDAQ: EGHT), off 5.7 percent.
Top Headline
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is in talks to acquire headphone maker Beats Electronics, according to a Financial Times report from Thursday afternoon. The deal is rumored to be around $3.2 billion, which would make it Apple's largest acquisition to date. - [By Jeremy Bowman]
What: Shares of 8x8, (NASDAQ: EGHT ) finished down 7% today after the voice over Internet Protocol�specialist announced a secondary stock offering to fund its acquisition of Voicenet Solutions for $18.4 million.
- [By Alex Planes]
Vonage may want to try to move into servicing small businesses, which Fool contributor Rich Duprey notes has been widely adopted by mid-level executives and tech professionals. Of course, this niche is already well-served by 8x8 (NASDAQ: EGHT ) , but Vonage has over four times as much annual free cash flow as 8x8, which would give it a firmer financial base from which to expand.�A recently revealed lobbying plan to free up "premium" area codes for sales nationwide�seems to offer another opportunity. Ever wanted to have an elite 212 prefix so that your number makes you seem like a Manhattan financial-district hotshot? Then Vonage's plan might be for you. I'm not so sure most people would find this beneficial, but every little bit of competitive advantage helps in the telecom world.
Best Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc.(INFI)
Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. engages in the discovery and development of medicines for difficult-to-treat diseases. The company?s lead product candidates include saridegib (IPI-926), an oral molecule with the potential to treat a range of cancers by disrupting malignant activation of the Hedgehog pathway; and Retaspimycin HCl (IPI-504), a heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor. Its Saridegib is in a Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of metastatic or inoperable chondrosarcoma and a Phase II exploratory trial in patients with myelofibrosis. The company?s Retaspimycin HCl is in a Phase II trial in combination with docetaxel to treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); and in a Phase Ib/II trial in combination with everolimus, known as Afinitor, in approximately 45 NSCLC patients with a KRAS mutation. Its pipeline also includes IPI-145, an inhibitor of the delta and gamma isoforms of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) in Phase I development to treat in flammation and hematologic malignancies. Infinity Pharmaceuticals has a strategic alliance with Purdue Pharmaceutical Products L.P. and Mundipharma International Corporation Limited to develop and commercialize pharmaceutical products; and a development and license agreement with Millennium to discover, develop, and commercialize pharmaceutical products targeting the delta and/or gamma isoforms of PI3K, including IPI-145. Purdue Pharmaceutical Products is planning to conduct Phase II studies of IPI-940 in pain. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Keith Speights]
No win for the spin
Another biotech, Infinity Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: INFI ) , also announced clinical results this week. The company's press release trumpeted "encouraging" findings for its experimental leukemia drug. Mr. Market didn't appear to buy the spin. Infinity shares tanked nearly 33% for the week.
Best Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Move Inc.(MOVE)
Move, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates an online network of Websites for real estate search, finance, and moving and home enthusiasts in North America. The company operates REALTOR.com, a Web site that offers property listings and neighborhood profiles; and consumers information and tools designed to assist the customers in understanding the value of their home, preparing the home for sale, listing and advertising the home, home affordability, the offer process, applying for a loan, understand the mortgage options available, closing the purchase, and planning the move. REALTOR.com provides showcase listing enhancements; display ad products; and a series of template Websites primarily for agents and brokers. The company also offers 8i solution, a Web-based customer relationship management software application for real estate agents. In addition, it provides Market Snapshot and Market Builder products that allow real estate professionals to offer real-time mult iple listing services market updates and trend analysis to their online prospects and clients; and Move Rentals that displays rental listings. Further, the company provides graphical display advertisements, text links, sponsorships, and directories for advertisers for mortgage companies, home improvement retailers, moving service providers, and other consumer product and service companies. Additionally, it offers quotes from moving companies, truck rental companies, and self-storage facilities, as well as other move-related information on Moving.com Website. Move, Inc. also operates as an online real estate listing syndicator and provider of performance reporting solutions for the purpose of helping to drive an online advertising program for brokers, real estate franchises, and individual agents. The company was formerly known as Homestore, Inc. and changed its name to Move, Inc. in June 2006. Move, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Westlake Village, Californi a.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mark Holder]
Zillow (NASDAQ: Z ) is facing increasing pressure for the leadership position in the online real estate marketplace. The recent purchase of Market Leader by Trulia (NYSE: TRLA ) places it in a more comparable position based on revenue. Move (NASDAQ: MOVE ) continues to make long-needed enhancements to realtor.com, but it has fallen far behind the monthly unique users, or MUUs, of Zillow and Trulia.�
Best Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Powershares Aerospace & Defense Portfolio (PPA)
The PowerShares Aerospace & Defense Portfolio (Fund) seeks to replicate, before fees and expenses, the SPADE Defense Index. The SPADE Defense Index is designed to identify a group of companies involved in the development, manufacturing, operations and support of United States defense, homeland security and aerospace operations.
With a portfolio defined by the underlying SPADE Defense Index, constituents represent a diversified offering of large, mid and small cap companies. The constituents also enables the Fund to capture current and future spending in areas, such as armor for vehicles and soldiers, night vision systems, border security and secure communications.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mark Salzinger]
This industry's two largest ETFs��Shares Aerospace and Defense (ITA) and PowerShares Aerospace and Defense (PPA)��ained more than 50% last year.
- [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
That's why I think investors would do well to take a good look at PowerShares Aerospace & Defense (NYSE: PPA). This is a cost-effective ETF made up of 80% defense and aerospace stocks from companies who are proven leaders.
Best Cheapest Stocks For 2014: Expeditors International of Washington Inc.(EXPD)
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. provides logistics services in the United States and internationally. The company?s services include consolidation or forwarding air and ocean freight; distribution management; vendor consolidation; cargo insurance; purchase order management; and customized logistics information. Its airfreight services comprise the procurement of shipments from its customers; determination of the routing; consolidation of shipments bound for a particular airport distribution point; and selection of the airline for transportation to the distribution point. The company also offers breakbulk services that include receiving and breaking down consolidated airfreight lots and arranging for distribution of the individual shipments. Its ocean freight and ocean services include ocean freight consolidation; and handling full container loads. In addition, the company acts as a customs broker, who assists importers to clear shipments through customs by pre paring required documentation, calculating and providing for payment of duties on behalf of the importer, arranging for any required inspections by governmental agencies, and arranging for delivery; and provides other value added services at destination, such as warehousing and product distribution, time definite transportation, and inventory management. Further, it offers custom clearances for goods moving by rail and truck between the United States, Canada, and/or Mexico; and customs consulting services The company?s customers primarily include retailers, distributors of consumer electronics, department store chains, clothing and shoe wholesalers, manufacturers, and catalogue stores. Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is based in Seattle, Washington.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Rich Smith]
This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, three new ratings in the shipping sphere are grabbing headlines, as investment banker RBC Capital Markets upgrades UPS (NYSE: UPS ) to outperform, but cuts both FedEx (NYSE: FDX ) and shipping facilitator Expeditors International (NASDAQ: EXPD ) to underperform.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
The express-delivery company has gained 28% during the past three months, trumping the 18% return from�United Parcel Service�(UPS), the 4.6% gain in J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) and the 0.2% rise in Expeditors International of Washington�(EXPD).
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Like everyone else, Deutsche Bank’s Justin Yagerman starts with his reservations: FedEx has gained 28% during the past three months, trumping the United Parcel Service�� (UPS) 14% advance, the 1.1%rise in�J.B. Hunt Transport Services�(JBHT) and the 3.9% loss in�Expeditors International of Washington�(EXPD).
- [By Rich Duprey]
Global logistics specialist Expeditors International (NASDAQ: EXPD ) announced yesterday that the company's CEO would retire effective�March 1.�
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