On March 23, 2011, Colgate-Palmolive (CL) agreed to buy Unilever's (UL) Sanex brand of personal care products for $954 million. The deal also includes Colgate selling its laundry detergent business in Colombia to Unilever for $215 million. As of now, both transactions are subject to regulatory approval. These two companies compete with consumer Proctor & Gamble (PG), Avon (AVP) and Kimberly-Clark (KMB).

Continue reading Unilever Sells Sanex to Colgate to Shed Weight Post Sara Lee Deal

Unilever Sells Sanex to Colgate to Shed Weight Post Sara Lee Deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Proctor & Gamble (PG) competes with Unilever Group (UN), Revlon (REV) and L'Oreal (LRLCY) in the male grooming market. P&G's share in the global grooming market has risen steadily since its acquisition of Gillette in 2005 to a whopping $57 billion in 2005. We expect this positive trend to continue, driven by growth in emerging markets like India and China, expansion of product lines, and acquisition of newer brands.

Continue reading Positive Outlook for P&G's Share of Grooming Market

Positive Outlook for P&G's Share of Grooming Market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With over 170 years of "touching lives and improving life" across the globe, Procter & Gamble (PG) continues to provide consumers with quality beauty and personal care products. Headquartered in Cincinnati, P&G draws around 41% of its sales from North America, with Western Europe contributing another 21% to its total sales. P&G competes with companies like Unilever (UL), L'Oreal, Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Kimberly Clark (KMB) and is one of the stocks that scores the best in our cash conversion analysis included below.

Continue reading Proctor & Gamble's Cash Flow Bests Peers, Justifies 20% Upside

Proctor & Gamble's Cash Flow Bests Peers, Justifies 20% Upside originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Consumer-goods behemoth Unilever (UN) was among the stocks making headway Tuesday morning. The British firm received an upgrade to overweight from underweight by brokerage firm Morgan Stanley, which stated, "We double upgrade Unilever to overweight, as we see the risk/reward profile for the shares as more attractive now than at any point in the past three years."

I am not going to agree or disagree with the decision for the upgrade right now; I want to take a look at the equity's chances to further this rally (at more than 3% as of this writing). There is evidence for both the continuation and the stall of the rally

Continue reading Unilever Receives a Double Upgrade

Unilever Receives a Double Upgrade originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the midst of deep fear and melodramatic headlines in May, I dove into the market suggesting investors take a hard look at three companies that would survive anything the world could throw at them.

There are often profits to be made from the headlines as fear and greed drive the market. You must have read umpteen times in journals worldwide "my pal Warren's" trumpeting smart investors to buy on fear. Well, last may Novartis AG ADS (NVS), Telefonica SA (TEF) and Unilever ADR (UL) were on sale as fear ruled the day. So let's see how these ideas worked out.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Novartis, Telefonica, Unilever Bought on Fear

Chasing Value: Novartis, Telefonica, Unilever Bought on Fear originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Credit Suisse upgraded Alliant Techsystems (ATK) to outperform from neutral following the company's increased FY11 guidance. The firm has an $85 target on the stock.
• FBR Capital upgraded Hyatt Hotels (H) to market perform from underperform following the company's Q2 results. The firm raised its target for shares to $44 from $38.
• BB&T upgraded to Smithfield Foods (SFD) to buy from hold, citing tighter supplies, strong pork prices and improving export demand. The firm has a $19 target on the stock.
• Holly (HOC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• Cogent Communications (CCOI) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Catalyst Health (CHSI) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at First Analysis.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ADSK, ATK, BCS, GENZ, H, ROCK, SFD, UL, VIA ...

Analyst Calls: ADSK, ATK, BCS, GENZ, H, ROCK, SFD, UL, VIA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Stifel views shares of DreamWorks (DWA) as oversold and believes investors are too pessimistic on recent films. The firm upgraded shares to buy from hold and has a $35 target on the stock.
• JPMorgan upgraded Consolidated Edison (ED) to neutral from underweight based on EPS visibility. The firm raised its price target to $45 from $37.
• Soleil upgraded PPL Corp. (PPL) to buy from hold following the 90M share secondary last night that was priced at $24. The firm sees improving earnings visibility and a removal of the equity overhang for the upgrade. The firm has a $29 price target on the stock.
• Unilever (UL) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Credit Suisse.
• Holly (HOC) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Bebe Stores (BEBE) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Cowen.
• Oppenheimer upgraded Monster Worldwide (MWW) to outperform from perform.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CVC, DWA, ED, EW, LULU, MWW, NRGY, PPL, TYN, UL ...

Analyst Calls: CVC, DWA, ED, EW, LULU, MWW, NRGY, PPL, TYN, UL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Perhaps the European Union was doomed from the start and it just took a decade for the more productive member states to realize it.

If you went into a business with a bad partner is there any way for it to work? Inevitably there will be a split and that might be the case for the EU members and the battered euro.

Regardless of the end result shrewd investors should be on the lookout for stock bargains in large successful European companies undermined by the failure of the monetary system. The following three stocks are examples worth considering.

Continue reading EU Collapse Inevitable? No Matter: NVS, TEF and UL Are Buys

EU Collapse Inevitable? No Matter: NVS, TEF and UL Are Buys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 May 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Soleil upgraded Potash (POT) to hold from sell due to valuation. The firm maintains a $100 price target for shares.
• FBR Capital upgraded Arkansas Best (ABFS) to market perform from underperform after the company reached a tentative agreement with the Teamsters to amend its existing contract to include a 15% wage concession. The firm has a $34 price target for shares.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Zions Bancorp (ZION) to market perform from underperform following the company's Q1 results and raised its target for shares to $25 from $17.
• Apache (APA) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• MGM Mirage (MGM) wasupgraded to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Monster Worldwide (MWW) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABFS, APA, CSTR, ESL, MGM, POT, SAI, TIVO, UL, ZION ...

Analyst Calls: ABFS, APA, CSTR, ESL, MGM, POT, SAI, TIVO, UL, ZION ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Leerink upgraded Genzyme (GENZ) to outperform from market perform due to valuation as it believes the sell-off on news of the consent decree is overdone.
• FBR Capital upgraded Progressive (PGR) to outperform from market perform to reflect an improving outlook. The firm raised its target price for shares to $23 from $18.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) two notches to buy from sell, citing improving casual-dining sales trends. The firm has a $30 price target for shares.
• Research in Motion (RIMM) was raised to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Tata Motors (TTM) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Palm (PALM) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at BMO Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BBY, CAKE, GENZ, PALM, PGR, QCOM, RIMM, STX, TTM ...

Analyst Calls: BBY, CAKE, GENZ, PALM, PGR, QCOM, RIMM, STX, TTM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Consumer products giant Unilever (UL) saw big business even during the worst of the recession thanks to its recognizable brands like Ben & Jerry's, Vaseline and Cutex. This loyal customer base has provided a great backbone for the company's sales and profits, and kept this stock attractive among investors.

Now that consumer spending appears to be on the mend, Unilever is looking to take its business to the next level with a new line of men's products -- including Dove moisturizers and bath items.

Continue reading Super Bowl Stock #4: Unilever (UL)

Super Bowl Stock #4: Unilever (UL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Aflac Inc. (AFL) posted better-than-expected Q4 earnings, though revenue fell short, and offered rosy guidance.
• Avon Products Inc. (AVP) posted Q4 earnings growth that met analysts' expectations but shares sold off.
• Cisco Systems inc. (CSCO) higher Q2 earnings topped the consensus estimate but cash flow fell.
• CME Group Inc. (CME) fell short of analysts' Q4 profit expectations, resulting in price-target cuts.
• ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM) posted better-than-expected Q4 earnings and revenue that boosted shares.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Aflac, Cisco, Exxon, MasterCard, Shell, Time Warner ...

Earnings Highlights: Aflac, Cisco, Exxon, MasterCard, Shell, Time Warner ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There have been no problems selling big-ticket ads for this weekend's broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV. And with good reason -- this has been one of the best years for football on television, with viewership up across the board. The recent NFC and AFC championship games were the NFL's largest combined audience for the two championship games since January 1982.

With all those eyeballs, the real winners could turn out to be the companies with the most aggressive (and the most memorable) advertising spots.

Continue reading Five First-String Super Bowl Stocks

Five First-String Super Bowl Stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week brought earnings results from three pantry stocks -- Clorox Co. (CLX), Kellogg Co. (K) and Unilever (UL). While Clorox's strong second-quarter earnings beat the consensus estimates of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, Kellogg's lower fourth-quarter earnings fell short of expectations, and Unilever's earnings fell as well.

Clorox said net income totaled $110 million, or 77 cents per share, up from $86 million, or 61 cents a share, a year earlier. That was a penny per share better than the Street view. Revenue climbed 5% to $1.28 billion. Results benefited from fears over the H1N1 flu, favorable foreign exchange rates and lower commodity costs. Clorox, whose brands include PineSol, Hidden Valley, Glad and Kingsford, also raised its outlook for full-year earnings to a range of $4.10 to $4.25 per share, which is in line with expectations.

Continue reading Mixed Results from Clorox, Kellogg, Unilever

Mixed Results from Clorox, Kellogg, Unilever originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is the third screening to find value among Fortune's 25 corporate world leaders that have demonstrated an ability to regenerate themselves from within. The list has been cut to 18 and will be cut further here.

The methodology of using basic stock data points to identify potential value investments only sets the stage for success -- it assures nothing. While it is true that paying less is better than paying more and getting a higher yield is better than less, this gives you a scant picture of what is in people's hearts and minds, and that is harder to judge. Like the weather, no matter the predictions, you may not find out it is raining until you are standing in it. Regardless, it should be advantageous to start with good stock (pun intended) before you take to whittlin', and that we have.

Continue reading Serious Money: Fortune's 25 leaders, 18 remain

Serious Money: Fortune's 25 leaders, 18 remain originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday I started a review of 25 companies that Fortune deemed most successful according to their peers in developing quality leadership. Today I review the remaining 20, searching to find the ones that might be worth investing in.

Price-to-book (from 11/27/09) was used as the first value screen. The theory being from a value investor's perspective that buying for a price at or near the break-up value of the company provides downside protection. Of course that is easier said than done.

Continue reading Serious Money: Fortune's 25 leaders, now 20

Serious Money: Fortune's 25 leaders, now 20 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The recent issue of Fortune magazine discusses how the best of the best train, guide and nurture top managers to become the leaders that will propel their corporations successfully forward. They list the top 25 companies, which I have used as the basis of a new review to see how they would fair against common metric screens.

In the past few months, many articles have posited that large-cap stocks should excel in the coming year based on their lagging the market behind smaller, more volatile stocks flying out of the March lows. I do not believe this is universally true. Plenty of large-cap stocks did well, such as Anadarko Petroleum (APC), Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG), while many small caps went nowhere. Even among the large caps included in Fortune's "Leadership 25," some have doubled.

Continue reading Serious Money: Fortune's 25 leaders among leaders

Serious Money: Fortune's 25 leaders among leaders originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) closed at $10.54. Unilever (NYSE: UN) agreed to buy SLE's personal-care and European detergent unit for $1.88 billion. SLE's board of directors authorized a $1 billion share repurchase program. SLE October option implied volatility is at 39, November is at 38; near its 26-week average of 38 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

MSCI Brazil Index (NYSE: EWZ) is recently up 37 cents to $65.04 in pre-open trading. Brazil Bovespa Stock Index is up 0.1%. EWZ call option volume of 14,379 contracts compares to put volume of 22,765 contracts. EWZ October option implied volatility is at 37, October and January is at 38; below its 26-week average of 45, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Sara Lee January volatility flat into personal care sale originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Spec Stocks: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• U.S. States Push Into Retirement Planning

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Freeport-McMoRan must come to the market

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Freeport-McMoRan must come to the market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Jefferies upgraded VMware (NYSE: VMW) to Hold from Underperform on expectations June quarter revenue will be inline-to-slightly-better and negative revisions to September quarter revenue will not be as great as in the most recent two quarters. The firm raised its target on shares to $25 from $20.
  
• Citigroup upgraded Blue Nile (NASDAQ: NILE) to Buy from Hold on valuation following the recent pullback and believes expectations for Q2 are reasonable. The firm has a $50 price target on the stock.
  
• FBR Capital upgraded Bronco Drilling (NASDAQ: BRNC) to Market Perform from Underperform on valuation as it believes negative sentiment will ease. The firm raised its target on shares to $4 from $3.
• Unilever (NYSE: UL) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan.
  
• Posco (NYSE: PKX) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• Gol Linhas Aereas (NYSE: GOL) was upgraded to Buy from Underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: THOO, VMW, VOD, BKC, CVX, HBAN ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: THOO, VMW, VOD, BKC, CVX, HBAN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.