Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014

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Best Shipping Companies To Watch In Right Now: 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 Asit Sharma]

  Earlier this year, I singled out Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB  ) as a stock that would likely outperform the S&P 500 index,�especially should the broader market decline. I also praised the company's concentrated business model,�in which it benefits from a narrower business focus than some of its larger consumer goods peers. KMB's first quarter of 2014, reported this week, seemed a middling result: The company managed to increase net income by 1.3% against a one percent decrease in sales. Organic sales for the period rose 4% versus the prior year.�Reviewing a few themes from these earlier two articles in light of the company's first quarter earnings may illuminate Kimberly-Clark's direction for the rest of the year.�

• [By Teresa Rivas]

  Shares of Kimberly-Clark (KMB) were rising 1.4% just after 3 on Tuesday, while Avon Products (AVP) was down 1.4%, a neat symmetry that reflects BMO Capital Markets��take on the two companies.

  Analysts Connie Maneaty and Patrick Trucchio upgraded Kimberly to Outperform today, while downgraded Avon to Underperform.

  First, the good news: Maneaty and Trucchio write that they see Kimberly-Clark�� gross margin widening by 280 basis points in the second half of next year, thanks to lower commodity costs. This leads them to raise their earnings per share estimates by 25 cents and 30 cents for 2015 and 2016, respectively, and they also boosted their target price by $9 to $125.

  Highlights from the note:

  We think KMB will be perceived as the safest of the multinationals. Its sales outside the US are about 55% of total; this compares to 65%-70% for Procter & Gamble (PG) and Coty (COTY) and 80%-90% for Colgate (CL), Avon and Tupperware (TUP). In general, its risk to the most volatile currencies is below average (its exposure to Eastern Europe is less than 2% of sales), though it is still translating results in Venezuela (about 3% of sales and profit) at the official rate of 6.3 VEF/$ (the parallel rate just hit 175 VEF/$) and Argentina (also 3% of sales) may devalue again. The cost of important raw materials has started to weaken; as they follow oil�� decline they could boost gross margins in 2H15. Of note, polypropylene and natural gas are off 17% 4Q-to-date; pulp prices, while not declining much, seem manageable.

  By contrast, they see significant foreign exchange risk in emerging markets (especially Russia�� response to its currency problems) hampering Avon, and they are also concerned about the impact of the company�� debt covenants on its flexibility for any potential cash restructuring charges in the new year.

  From the note:

  AVP could have a difficult time navigating the emerging markets’ FX weakness an

• [By John Kell]

  Kimberly-Clark Corp.(KMB) said its fourth-quarter profit soared on organic sales growth and wider margins. Results beat expectations, and the consumer-products company predicted earnings for the year that bracketed the consensus view. Shares edged up 2% to $107.50 premarket.

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TARO)

Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., incorporated in 1959, is a science-based pharmaceutical company. The Company develops manufactures, and markets prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products, primarily in the United States, Canada and Israel. The Company also develops and manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), primarily for use in its finished dosage form products. The Company�� primary areas of focus include pediatric creams and ointments, liquids, capsules and tablets, mainly in the dermatological and topical, cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric and anti-inflammatory therapeutic categories. The Company operates through three companies: Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Taro Israel), and two of its subsidiaries (including indirect), Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Taro Canada) and Taro U.S.A. The Company markets more than 180 pharmaceutical products in over 25 countries.

Taro Israel manufactures more than 160 finished dosage form pharmaceutical products for sale in Israel and for export. It produces APIs used in the manufacture of finished dosage form pharmaceutical products. It markets and distributes generic products in the local Israeli market. Taro Israel�� primary product lines include dermatology, prescription and OTC semi-solid products (creams, ointments and gels) and liquids; cardiology and neurology, prescription oral dosage products; oral analgesics, both prescription and OTC, and OTC oral and nasal sprays and ophthalmic products.

Taro Canada manufactures more than 70 finished dosage form pharmaceutical products for sale in Canada and for export. It markets and distributes generic products in the local Canadian market. Its product line includes dermatology: prescription and OTC semi-solid products (creams, ointments and gels) and liquids, cardiology, oncology, gastrointestinal and neurology: prescription oral and injects able dosage products, and allergy (antihistamine): OTC oral dosage products.

Taro U.S.A markets! and distributes generic products in the United States market. Its primary product lines include dermatology: prescription and OTC semi-solid products (creams, ointments and gels) and liquids, cardiology and neurology: prescription oral dosage products, and other prescription and OTC products.

The Company competes with Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer/Wyeth, Valeant, Galderma, Merck/Schering-Plough, Teva Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Mylan Laboratories, Perrigo Company, Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, Merck Canada Inc., Pfizer Canada Inc., Janssen Inc., Schering-Plough Canada, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Inc., Bayer Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, Apotex Inc., Teva Canada Limited, Mylan Pharmaceuticals ULC, Sandoz Canada Incorporated, Pharmascience Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Perrigo Israel Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Dexxon Ltd., Rafa Laboratories Ltd., Bayer AG, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Israeli drugmaker Taro Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TARO  ) has a new CEO -- and a new Chairman of the Board, as well.

  On Thursday, Taro announced the imminent retirement of Interim Chief Executive Officer Mr. James Kedrowsk, who will be replaced August 1 by new permanent CEO Mr. Kalyanasundaram Subramanian ("Kal Sundaram"). Additionally, the company said that Dilip Shanghvi�has been appointed Chairman of its Board of Directors.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Teva has dropped 7.7% to $37.85 today at 3:23 p.m. but doesn’t seem to be spreading though the generic drug space. Taro Pharmaceuticals (TARO) ha gained 1.1% to $79, while Actavis (ACT) has gained 1.2% to $156.25 and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (RDY) has advanced 1% to $40.24. Mylan (MYL) has dropped 0.7% to $38.40.

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Winthrop Realty Trust (FUR)

Winthrop Realty Trust (WRT) is a diversified real estate investment trust (REIT). WRT conducts its business through its wholly owned operating partnership, WRT Realty L.P., (the Operating Partnership).The Company is engaged in the business of owning real property and real estate related assets. The Company operates in three segments: operating properties; loan assets; and REIT securities. In June 2013, Winthrop Realty Trust sold its medical office building property located in Deer Valley, Arizona. In November 2013, Winthrop Realty Trust closed on its acquisition of four newly constructed class A luxury apartment buildings.

On May 23, 2012, the Company acquired a first mortgage loan secured by a 326,000 square foot commercial building located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida consisted of approximately 47,000 square feet of retail and 279,000 square feet of office space that was 74.4% leased. In February 2012, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation along with WRT formed a joint venture that acquired a senior mezzanine loan position of a 1.7 million-square-foot class A portfolio in Stamford, Conn. In April 2012, it acquired a 320 unit, class A, multifamily property, situated on 27.9 acres in the Germantown/Collierville submarket of Memphis, Tennessee. On February 3, 2012, the Company acquired through its venture with Elad Canada Inc. the first mortgage loan secured by Sullivan Center, Chicago. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it acquired one investment property located in New York. On November 4, 2011, Socal Office Portfolio Loan LLC acquired first mortgage encumbering a 4,500,000 square foot, 31 property portfolios of office properties situated throughout southern California. On June 3, 2011 LW SOFI LLC acquired from Concord 100% of the economic rights and obligations in mezzanine loan collateralized by an interest in the Sofitel hotel in New York City. On June 1, 2011 it acquired, from Concord Debt Holdings LLC (Concord), senior mezzanine loan totaling 2,106 units located in Orlando, Sarasota, Bra! denton and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. On March 22, 2011 the Company purchased through a 50/50 joint venture, two non-performing first mortgage loan. On February 23, 2011, it acquired first mortgage secured by a lien on a 26-story, 66 room limited service boutique hotel located in New York, New York through a 50/50 joint venture. On June 1, 2011 the Company sold to its partner, Marc Realty, its interest in three properties in its Marc Realty Portfolio, which included eight South Michigan, 11 East Adams and 29 East Madison.

Loan Assets

Loan assets segments includes the Company�� activities related to the origination and acquisition of senior loans, mezzanine loans and debt securities secured directly or indirectly by commercial and multi-family real property. The Company�� investment in Concord Debt Holdings LLC and CDH CDO LLC, which it refers to as the Company�� Concord investment platform, is held as an interest investment.

Operating Properties

The Company invested in a portfolio transaction, which it refers to as the Vintage portfolio. Vintage portfolio which has 25 multifamily and senior housing properties consist of 4,167 units located primarily in the Pacific Northwest and California. The average occupancy of its consolidated properties was approximately 75.1%, during 2011. As of December 31, 2011 WRT�� consolidated properties were approximately 74.2% leased. Occupancy at its Lisle, Illinois property known as 550-560 Corporetum was 61% occupied, as of December 31, 2011. At WRT�� other Lisle, Illinois property, referred to as 701 Arboretum, its major tenant, which occupied approximately 53% of the building vacated their space at the expiration of their lease term, on May 31, 2011. In addition, another tenant who occupied approximately 15% of the building vacated at the expiration of their lease, in August 2011. As a result, this property is 17% occupied, as of December 31, 2011. The Company�� 82,000 square foot Deer Valley Profes! sional Bu! ilding, located in Phoenix, Arizona was 95.6% leased, as of December 31, 2011. WRT�� Crossroads I and II buildings, which consisted of approximately 236,000 square feet, were 72.4% leased, as of December 31, 2011.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company had two tenants, Spectra Energy and Siemens Real Estate, which represented approximately 21.8% and 9.8%, respectively, of its annualized base rental revenues from consolidated commercial operating properties. As of December 31, 2011 it held interests in three real estate ventures with Sealy & Co. which had an aggregate of approximately 2,097,000 rentable square feet consisted of 18 office flex buildings and 13 light distribution and service center properties. Two of the investment properties are located in Atlanta, Georgia, (Northwest Business Park and Newmarket), which had occupancies of 77% and 52% respectively, as of December 31, 2011. As of December 31, 2011, WRT held interests in nine properties with Marc Realty, which consisted of an aggregate of approximately 1,407,000 rentable square feet of office and retail space, which was 78.5% occupied. Of the properties, in which the Company held an interest, as of December 31, 2011, two downtown Chicago properties consisted of approximately 389,000 rentable square feet of the aggregate Marc Realty portfolio. These two properties had a combined occupancy of 79.1% at December 31, 2011.

REIT Securities

The REIT securities segment includes all of the Company�� activities related the ownership of interest and debt securities in other real estate investment trusts (REITs). During 2011, it began investing again in REIT common shares, particularly in Cedar Realty Trust Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Fugro NV (FUR) slumped 5.8 percent to 43.90 euros, the worst performance on the Stoxx 600. The world�� biggest deepwater-oilfield surveyor said first-half earnings before interest and taxes amounted to 133 million euros, compared with 154 million euros a year earlier. Fugro said that

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc. (ARE)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the ownership, operation, management, development, acquisition, and redevelopment of properties for the life sciences industry. Its properties consist of buildings containing scientific research and development laboratories, and other improvements. The company offers its properties for lease primarily to universities and independent not-for-profit institutions; and pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, life science product, service, biodefense, and translational research entities, as well as governmental agencies. As of December 31, 2006, it had 159 properties, including 156 properties located in 9 states in the United States and 3 properties located in Canada. As a REIT, the company is not subject to federal income tax to the extent that it distributes 100% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Pasadena, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc (ARE) announced on Tuesday that its board has approved a 4.6% increase to its quarterly dividend.

  The firm has raised its dividend from 65 cents to 68 cents per share, or $2.72 annually. The dividend will be paid on October 15 to shareholders of record on September 30. The stock will go ex-dividend on September 26.

  Alexandria Real Estate Equities shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Tuesday. The stock is down 9% YTD.

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Safran SA (SAF)

Safran SA is a France-based high-technology company which produces aircraft and rocket engines and propulsion systems. It divides its work into three segments: Aerospace, Aircraft, Defense and Security. The Aerospace Propulsion division provides engines, turbines and parts for aircraft, and rocket boosters for civil, military and spatial markets through several subsidiaries, including Snecma, among others. The Aircraft Equipment division produces landing gear, wheels and carbon brakes, aircraft engine nacelles and airborne power electronics through its subsidiaries, including Aircelle, among others. The Defense division includes the subsidiary, Sagem, and makes systems and equipment for inertial navigation and other defense applications to be used on military transport and combat aircraft, helicopters, warships, armored vehicles and artillery systems. In October 2013, the Company completed the sale of its United States-based subsidiary, Global Motors Inc to Allied Motion Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Vivendi SA climbed 2.7 percent after posting better-than-estimated third-quarter profit and saying it plans to spin off its French phone carrier SFR by July 2014. Serco Group Plc (SRP) increased 1.7 percent as UBS AG upgraded the stock. Safran SA (SAF) lost 3.2 percent as its largest shareholder sold a stake.

Best Healthcare Technology Companies For 2014: Bank of Hawaii Corp (BOH)

Bank of Hawaii Corporation, incorporated on February 4, 1998, is a bank holding company. The Company�� operating subsidiary is Bank of Hawaii (the Bank). The Bank provides a range of financial services and products primarily to customers in Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific Islands. The Bank's subsidiaries include Bank of Hawaii Leasing, Inc., Bankoh Investment Services, Inc. and Pacific Century Life Insurance Corporation. The Bank's subsidiaries are engaged in equipment leasing, securities brokerage, investment services and providing credit insurance. It operates in four segments: Retail Banking, Commercial Banking, Investment Services, and Treasury and Other. Its other subsidiary is the BOHC Investment Fund, LLC (the Fund). The Fund was organized to invest in and hold securities of Qualified High Technology Businesses.

Retail Banking

Retail Banking offers a range of financial products and services to consumers and small businesses. Loan and lease products include residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, automobile loans and leases and installment loans. Deposit products include checking, savings, and time deposit accounts. Retail Banking also offers retail insurance products. Products and services from Retail Banking are delivered to customers through 65 Hawaii branch locations, 494 automated teller machines (ATMs) throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, e-Bankoh (on-line banking service), around-the-clock customer service center, and a mobile banking service.

Commercial Banking

Commercial Banking offers products, including corporate banking, commercial real estate loans, commercial lease financing, auto dealer financing, and deposit products. Commercial lending and deposit products are offered to middle-market and large companies in Hawaii. Commercial real estate mortgages focus on customers that include investors, developers, and builders predominantly domiciled in Hawaii. Commercial Banking also includes international banking a! nd operations at the Bank's 11 branches in the Pacific Islands and also provides merchant services to its small business customers.

Investment Services

Investment Services includes private banking, trust services, investment management, and institutional investment advisory services. The private banking and personal trust group assists individuals and families in building and preserving their wealth by providing investment, credit, and trust services to high-net-worth individuals. The investment management group manages portfolios utilizing a variety of investment products. Institutional client services offer investment advice to corporations, government entities and foundations. Investment Services also provides a full service brokerage offering equities, mutual funds, life insurance, and annuity products.

Treasury and Other

Treasury consists of corporate asset and liability management activities, including interest rate risk management and a foreign exchange business. This segment's assets consist of interest-bearing deposits, investment securities, federal funds sold and purchased, government deposits, and short and long-term borrowings. The primary sources of noninterest income are from bank-owned life insurance, net gains from the sale of investment securities, and foreign exchange income related to customer driven currency requests from merchants and island visitors.

Investment Securities

The Bank�� investment securities portfolio includes debt securities issued by the United States Treasury and Government Agencies, debt securities issued by states and political sub-divisions, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage-backed securities issued by government agencies and the United States Government-Sponsored Enterprises. As of December 31, 2012, its available-for-sale investment securities portfolio consisted of securities with an average base duration of less than three years.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Maxfield]

  Percentages aside, the benefit of the relative health of these housing markets can be seen in the performance of smaller, regional banks like Bank of Hawaii (NYSE: BOH  ) , BB&T (NYSE: BBT  ) , and TD Bank (NYSE: TD  ) which have large presences in Hawaii, West Virginia, and Maine, respectively. Shares of all of these banks have more than recovered since the financial crisis as a testament to this.