Earnings from McDonald's (NYSE: MCD ) are due out next week, and investors should prepare themselves for the worst. After a brief spring thaw in April when comparable sales barely managed to break even with last year's results, they turned south again the following month and all signs are pointing to another dismal performance.
Despite many upbeat prognostications about how things can turn around for the burger chain, I've been skeptical of the rosy outlook because consumer dining preferences have changed. Not just in their opting to eat at classier fast-casual joints, but in the foods they're eating, too.�
Earlier this year the industry was anticipating a recovery because comps across the sector improved, but I pointed out how traffic was still falling, which to me was the more serious problem. The higher comparable sales were registered because prices were rising, not due to consumers eating out more often.
Best Long Term Companies To Buy Right Now: ResMed Inc (RMD)
ResMed Inc., (ResMed), incorporated on March 31, 1994, is a holding company for the ResMed Group. The Company, through its subsidiaries, is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment for treating, diagnosing, and managing sleep-disordered breathing and other respiratory disorders. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) includes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and other respiratory disorders that occur during sleep. The Company has developed a number of products for SDB and other respiratory disorders including airflow generators, diagnostic products, mask systems, headgear and other accessories. Its manufacturing operations are located in Australia, Singapore, France, Germany, Malaysia and the United States. Its distribution and sales sites are located in the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Norway and Sweden. In December 2013, ResMed Inc acquired Unimedis SRO, a surgical appliance and manufacturing company.
Air Flow Generators
The Company produces continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), variable positive airway pressure (VPAP) and AutoSet systems for the titration and treatment of SDB. The flow generator systems deliver positive airway pressure through a patient interface, either a small nasal mask, nasal pillows system, or full-face mask. Its VPAP units deliver bilevel therapy. There are two preset pressures: a higher pressure as the patient breathes in, and a lower pressure as the patient breathes out. AutoSet systems are based on a technology to monitor breathing and can also be used in the diagnosis, treatment and management of OSA. The Company�� Stellar 100 and 150 ventilation devices, provide both invasive and non invasive ventilation applications for adult and pediatric patients.
ResMed Inc.�� CPAP products include S8 Escape, S9 Elite and S9 Escape. Its VPAP products include VPAP III STA with QuickNav, VPAP S / VPAP IV, VPAP IV ST, S8 Auto 25, VPAP Tx Lab System, S9 VPAP S, S9 VPAP ST! , S9 VPAP Auto, S9 VPAP Adapt, S9 AutoSet CS, S9 Auto 25 and S9 VPAP COPD. The Company�� automatic positive airway pressure products include S9 AutoSet and S9 Escape Auto. Its ventilation products include Elisee 150, VS III and Stellar 100 and 150.
Masks, Accessories, Motors and Diagnostic Products
Masks, accessories, motors and diagnostic products together accounted for approximately 46% of its net revenues in fiscal 2012. Its Mask products include Activa LT, Swift LT for Her, Swift FX, Mirage SoftGel, Quattro FX, Swift FX for Her, Mirage FX, Mirage FX for Her, Pixi Pediatric Mask, Quattro FX for Her, Swift FX Bella, Quattro Air and Swift FX Nano. Its diagnostic products includes ApneaLink + Oximetry and ApneaLink Plus (U.S.)
Accessories and Other Products
The Company to assist those professionals diagnosing or managing the treatment of patients have data communications and control products, such as the EasyCare, ResLink, ResControl, ResControl II, TxControl, ResScan and ResTraxx modules that facilitate the transfer of data and other information to and from the flow generators. These products include humidifiers, such as H5i and H4i, which connect directly with the CPAP, VPAP and AutoSet flow generators to humidify and heat the air delivered to the patient, helping to prevent the drying of nasal passages that can cause discomfort. Other optional accessories include cold passover humidifiers, carry bags and breathing circuits. The Company�� data/patient management products include S9 Embletta Adapter, ResScan v3.14, ResTraxx v17.1., ResTraxx v18.3, ResScan v3.16 and EasyCare 1.0.
The Company competes with Philips BV, DeVilbiss Healthcare., Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited, Apex Medical Corp, BMC Medical Co. Ltd and Weinmann Gerate fur Medizin GmbH + Co. KG.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Resmed (RMD) has plunged 12% to $49.50 in after-hours trading after it reported a profit of 56 cents, below estimates of 58 cents.
Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) has gained after it reported a profit of 68 cents, missing forecasts for 71 cents, but beat on revenue.
Best High Tech Companies To Buy For 2014: Ishares Trust Dj Us Technology (IYW)
iShares Dow Jones U.S. Technology Sector Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the technology sector of the United States equity market. The Index includes companies in industry groups, such as software and computer services, and technology hardware and equipment. The Index is a subset of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Market Index and is capitalization weighted. The Index is reconstituted quarterly.
The Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Selena Maranjian]
The PowerShares QQQ ETF tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, which is made up of 100 of the biggest stocks in the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. It includes U.S. and international companies but excludes the financial industry and a few others. It's technology-heavy, featuring industries such as telecommunications, retail, biotechnology, and computer hardware and software. Compared to many other major technology-focused ETFs, such as the iShares US Technology ETF (NYSEMKT: IYW ) , this one is bigger, charges less in fees, and has a more impressive performance record. Its expense ratio, or annual fee, is a very low 0.2%, comparing favorably with many peers. It doesn't offer much of a dividend, as many of its holdings don't pay them.
Best High Tech Companies To Buy For 2014: Public Storage(PSA)
Public Storage operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). It engages in the acquisition, development, ownership, and operation of self-storage facilities in the United States and Europe. The company?s self-storage facilities offer storage spaces for lease on a month-to-month basis for personal and business use. Public Storage also has interests in commercial properties containing commercial and industrial rental space; facilities that lease storage containers; and ancillary operations, which include reinsurance of policies against losses to goods stored by its self-storage tenants, retail operations comprising merchandise sales and truck rental operations. As of December 31, 2008, the company had interests in 2,012 self-storage facilities with approximately 127 million net rentable square feet in 38 states; and 181 self-storage facilities with approximately 10 million net rentable square feet in 7 western European nations. It also had direct and indirect equity int erests in approximately 21 million net rentable square feet of commercial space located in 11 states in the U.S. As a REIT, the company would not be subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. Public Storage was founded in 1971 and is based in Glendale, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Damian Illia]
Since 1973 Compuware Corp (CPWR) has been providing software solutions both on-premise and through a software as a service (SaaS) model, as well as professional technical services related to mobile application developments and mainframe systems. The company reported revenues of $944.5 million in fiscal 2013, working through four segments: Performance Management (APM), Mainframe, Changepoint and Uniface. Through the APM segment Compuware provides services to maximize efficiency of web, non-web, mobile, streaming and cloud applications. Mainframe solutions are designed for organizations which require high developer productivity and enhanced service quality at lower costs, and through Changepoint it provides Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Project Portfolio Management services (PPM). Uniface, a rapid application development platform, creates renews and integrates enterprise applications. Currently, more than 7,100 companies, including many of the world's largest organizations, depend on Compuware and our new generation approach to performance management to do just that.
- [By Amanda Alix]
Is it risky to be putting so much money into an as-yet unproven business model? Some may think so, including investors. Noting the tumble in stock price that newbies like Silver Bay and American Residential have suffered recently, Colony Capital (NYSE: CLNY ) chief Thomas Barrack postponed�the IPO of his new single-family rental company, Colony American Homes. Similarly, Public Storage (NYSE: PSA ) has filed for an IPO, too, hoping to take its American Homes 4 Rent unit public -- at some unannounced, future date. In the meantime, American Homes can rely on its $500 million credit facility�with Wells Fargo, which may be bumped up to $1 billion if necessary.
Best High Tech Companies To Buy For 2014: National Oxygen Ltd (NOL)
National Oxygen Limited (NOL) is an India-based company, which is a producer and supplier of industrial gases both in liquid and gaseous forms to industries and hospitals. Its products include oxygen, nitrogen and acetylene. The Company operates in two segments: Industrial Gases, which is engaged in the manufacture of industrial gases, and Windmill, which is engaged in the generation of windmill energy. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company produced 51,07,981 cubic meters of oxygen, 52,138 cubic meters of dissolved acetylene, 30,69,610 cubic meters of nitrogen and 26,86,762 kilowatt hours of windmill energy. It has two industrial gas plants in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, and one windmill in Maharashtra. During fiscal 2012, NOL had an installed capacity to produce 2,50,00,000 cubic meters of oxygen, 2,00,000 cubic meters of dissolved acetylene and 44,00,000 kilowatt hours of windmill energy. Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Emerson]
Another huge benefit which was imbedded in the value of RTEC was the tens of millions of net operating losses (NOL) that the company had accrued as a result of the massive accrual losses it would sustain during the credit crisis. These benefits were not reflected on the balance sheet but they would translate into tens of millions of dollars in income tax savings when the company eventually returned to profitability.
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