half-priced stocks posts
FeedPosted Feb 4th 2008 2:22PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Commodities, Oil, Stocks to Buy
"I am adding Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) to my 'Deep-Discount' portfolio," says Nathan Slaughter, editor of Half-Priced Stocks.
The advisor explains, "Enterprise is among the nation's largest pipeline operators, owning nearly 900 miles of crude oil pipelines and 33,000 miles of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGL), and petrochemical pipelines." Here is his review.
"Following a series of acquisitions, Enterprise is now one of the nation's largest publicly-traded energy partnerships. As a master limited partnership (MLP), the company is generally exempt from federal income taxes, provided it distributes the lion's share of its cash flows to shareholders (technically referred to as unitholders.)
"This special status allows MLPs to shell out generous payments, although these distributions typically don't qualify for the reduced 15% dividend tax rate.
"As opposed to the 'upstream' business of exploration and production, Enterprise is a 'midstream' energy player -- a sector coveted for its steady cash generation potential. Much of Enterprise's diverse revenue stream comes from pipeline charges, which are influenced more by volume flow than by volatile commodity prices.
Continue reading Enterprise Products (EPD): Pipeline to profits
Posted Dec 29th 2007 9:15AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Stocks to Buy, Best Stocks for 2008
For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.
"Pool Corp. (NASDAQ: POOL) is my favorite speculative idea for 2008," says Nathan Slaughter, editor of Half-Priced Stocks. "Pool Corp. is the world's largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies -- selling more than 100,000 different products from a nationwide network of 285 customer service centers.
'Sales have advanced 21% annually over the past decade, and earnings have more than kept pace -- climbing at a stellar 34% clip. Naturally, all of this has translated into hefty gains for shareholders, with the stock soaring almost 1,000% over the past ten years.
"In recent months, though, the company has been an indirect victim of the sluggish housing market, as a slowdown in new home construction in key markets like Arizona and California has forced management to trim back its full-year earnings guidance.
"However, don't let this short-term weakness cloud the sunny long-term outlook. The vast majority of the company's business is tied to maintenance for older pools. Only around one-third of its revenues stem from new pool construction -- and the bulk of that comes from existing homes, not new ones.
Continue reading Best Stocks for 2008: Value investor dives into Pool Corp. (POOL)
Posted Dec 19th 2007 11:50AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: International Markets, Newsletters, McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP), S and P 500, Stocks to Buy, Best Stocks for 2008
For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.
"McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP) is my top conservative pick for 2008," says Nathan Slaughter, editor of Half-Priced Stocks. "If you want to beat the market in 2008, then you might start with the one company that actually owns the market, or at least the S&P 500 Index; McGraw holds the keys to the widely used stock barometer, as well as other benchmarks from the ubiquitous Standard & Poor's family.
"From futures contracts to ETFs, there is a staggering $5 trillion of investable assets linked to these indices -- which generate piles of recurring royalty and licensing revenues.
"Elsewhere, the firm is also a leading provider of textbooks and other supplemental learning materials. There are roughly 55 million students enrolled in grades K-12, and state governments currently spend more than $8,500 per student each year -- a total that is forecast to hit $11,000 within the next seven years.
Continue reading Best Stocks for 2008: Value investor votes for McGraw-Hill (MHP)
Posted Dec 3rd 2007 9:17AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Bargain Stocks, Stocks to Buy
"Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has disclosed that is has taken a 6.4% stake in CarMax (NYSE: KMX)," says value investor Nathan Slaughter.
CarMax, the used-car retailer, is a holding in Half-Priced Stocks, and the advisor sees Buffett's interest as an additional reason to stay bullish. Here is his review.
"Berkshire Hathaway is the insurance and investing conglomerate controlled by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, whose moves are widely followed by Wall Street.
"It's impossible to know for sure if Berkshire's stake is the result of Buffett's own buying or that of one of Berkshire's subsidiary companies, but either way it's a vote of confidence for CarMax. KMX has been sliding in recent months due to fears that a consumer slump would impact sales of used cars. But we continue to believe those concerns are overblown.
Continue reading Carmax (KMX): A bet on Buffett
Posted Nov 1st 2007 11:02AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Corning Inc (GLW), Verizon Communications (VZ), Bargain Stocks, Stocks to Buy
"Corning Inc. (NYSE: GLW) still offer great value," says Nathan Slaughter. In his Half-Priced Stocks newsletter, the advisor explains, "Corning is a 150-year-old company that is involved in some of today's most exciting cutting-edge technologies."
The advisor notes that in the 1870s, the company developed the glass used in Thomas Edison's first light bulb. In later years, it was instrumental in advancements like the television cathode ray tube and even designed the surface of the Hubbell telescope.
Today, he points out, Corning is best known for the glass substrates used to make liquid crystal displays (LCD). In fact, the company dominates 50% of the global market for the thin glass panels used in computer monitors and televisions.
In addition, Corning does have a stake in a number of other fast-growing fields such as fiber optics, diesel engine pollution control, and scientific laboratory instruments. And, he adds, through its 50% ownership stake in Dow Corning, the firm boasts more than 7,000 silicone-based products that run the gamut from fuel additives to solar power cells.
Continue reading Corning: Bullish play on cutting-edge technologies
Posted Oct 9th 2007 2:00PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Apple Inc (AAPL), Motorola (MOT), Newsletters, Nokia Corp. (NOK), iPhone, Bargain Stocks, Stocks to Buy
Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is a long-term holding in the "Deep Discount Portfolio" compiled by Nathan Slaughter. This portfolio from his Half-Priced Stocks newsletter focuses on what he believes are the "most undervalued stocks on the market."
Regarding Motorola, he explains, "When we first added mobile phone and wireless equipment manufacturer Motorola to our Deep-Discount Portfolio back in March, we knew the company was headed for a temporary business slump."
As expected, he states, Motorola has struggled since then, surrendering market share to Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Samsung and reporting back-to-back quarterly losses.
Furthermore, he adds, Wall Street has been frustrated with the firm's lack of new product development, particularly given the excitement surrounding the successful iPhone launch from Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).
In recent years, Slaughter contends, Motorola has posted impressive 40% growth in handset unit shipments, tops in the industry. However, he observes, since hitting a homerun with the wildly popular Razr phone, sales have cooled off, and the company now needs to reinvigorate its lineup.
Fortunately, the advisor argues, management has outlined plans to do just that. In fact, the firm is planning to unveil not just one follow-up product, but a whole wave of new phones.
Continue reading Motorola (MOT): A 'deep discount turnaround'
Posted Sep 27th 2007 3:45PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Bargain Stocks, Stocks to Buy
"Since the first 'one-armed bandit' was introduced in the late 1800s, slot machines have become a thriving multi-billion dollar global industry," says says Nathan Slaughter. "And International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) is the '800-pound gorilla' in the slot machine industry" he explains in his Half-Priced Stocks.
And while he notes that the earliest slot machines were crude mechanical devices, the latest are "technological marvels," equipped with rich high-resolution plasma monitors, stereo surround-sound speakers, live streaming video, and other features.
And looking ahead, Slaughter explains, there are other exciting developments on the horizon to look forward to -- such as server-based gaming, where entire banks of slot machines connected to a central server can be reconfigured instantly.
In Nevada, he notes, slot revenues surpassed those generated by blackjack and other table games in 1981 and never looked back. Last year, he observes, they accounted for 66% of total casino revenues statewide.
Continue reading International Game (IGT): Slot maker hits the jackpot
Posted May 21st 2007 12:21PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Citigroup Inc. (C)
Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) should appeal to value and income investors, according to says Nathan Slaughter. Indeed, he notes, for those who are attracted to the safety and stability of large companies, they don't come much bigger than Citigroup, a "behemoth in the banking industry." Here's his review.
Slaughter, the editor of Half-Priced Stocks, a newsletter focused on value-oriented situations, points out that Citigroup, with 200 million customers, generated more than $140 billion in revenues last year and boasts assets in excess of $1 trillion.
In fact, he notes, last year's profit of $21 billion is greater than the entire GDP of more than 100 different nations.
However, he states, "Don't make the mistake of thinking this is a lumbering giant with no growth drivers. Citi has built a vast network throughout the world's emerging markets, which helped the company increase its deposit base by an impressive +20% last year."
Further, he adds, "The company's expansive reach should fuel growth for years to come, and analysts are targeting healthy earnings growth of +10% annually over the next five years."
Continue reading Bank on Citigroup for value and income
Posted Dec 22nd 2006 2:30PM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, ETF Investing
Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.
IMAX Corp. (NASDAQ: IMAX), which specializes in the development of high-end theater projection and sound systems, is the favorite speculative idea for 2007 from says Nathan Slaughter.
The editor of Half-Priced Stocks notes, "IMAX has been slammed by a 'perfect storm.' Within the span of a few months this year, the company has been battered by investor backlash due to a failed buyout, an informal SEC probe, a class-action lawsuit and, in November, sub-par quarterly results.
"While there is always a danger associated with 'trying to catch a falling knife,' the rewards significantly outweigh the risks at this point. Until fairly recently, IMAX movies were primarily a novelty found at museums, planetariums, and marine centers. But two major technological breakthroughs are bringing the IMAX experience to mainstream America.
"The first is its MPX technology, which allows commercial multiplex owners a cost-effective way to retrofit traditional 35-mm screens and convert them into IMAX theaters. Through the first nine months of 2006, IMAX inked 25 new deals. Further, its digital re-mastering technology that converts traditional 35-mm films into rich 70-mm IMAX format has led to a series of partnerships with major Hollywood studios like Disney and Time Warner, which are increasingly choosing to release blockbuster hits in IMAX theaters.
Continue reading Top Picks 2007: Nathan Slaughter views value in IMAX
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