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>>> Marsh & McLennan -- These 3 Stocks Are Safe Bets in the Event of a Market Crash
Motley Fool
8-27-23
https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/08/27/these-3-stocks-are-safe-bets-in-the-event-of-a-mar/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article
In recent years, companies have dealt with a lot of uncertainty, including the pandemic, supply chain issues, capital market volatility, climate-related disasters, and geopolitical risks. It's in this environment where Marsh & McLennan thrives.
Marsh & McLennan advises companies on managing risks and connects companies with insurers to help protect against those risks. It also provides consulting services to companies to help deal with compensation and benefits, retirement plans, managing investments, and other workplace issues.
The consultant has seen solid business growth in recent years, led by its insurance brokerage business. Insurance is a product that will always be in demand, and its brokerage business is a steady source of cash flows that can help it weather challenging economic environments. The inflationary environment, in particular, has been a tailwind for its insurance brokerage business.
According to its Marsh Global Insurance Market Index, global commercial insurance prices have risen for 23 consecutive quarters. Marsh earns commissions and fees from insurers when it refers clients to them, and as insurance prices rise, so do its earnings. The company's risk and insurance services revenue has grown 11% through six months this year, helping total revenue increase by 8% compared to last year.
CEO Dan Glaser told investors that "when the world is unsettled, the demand for our services rises." He also pointed out that the company has grown its earnings per share during every recessionary period since 1962 -- making Marsh & McLennan another safe bet to own during a potential market crash.
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Current Bill Gates portfolio (May 2023) -
Top 10 holdings (over 90%) -
31% - Microsoft (MSFT)
17% - Canadian Natl Railway (CNI)
16% - Berkshire (BRK>B)
15% - Waste Management (WM)
4% --- Deere (DE)
4% --- Caterpillar (CAT)
2% --- Ecolab (ECL)
1% --- Walmart (WMT)
<1% - Danaher (DHR)
<1% - Waste Connections (WCN)
https://www.gurufocus.com/guru/bill%2Bgates/current-portfolio/portfolio?view=table
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>>> Palantir Expands Microsoft Cloud Computing Pact To Government Agencies
Investor's Business Daily
REINHARDT KRAUSE
04/05/2023
https://www.investors.com/news/technology/pltr-stock-palantir-expands-microsoft-cloud-computing-pact-to-government-agencies/
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) on Wednesday expanded its cloud computing partnership with Microsoft (MSFT) on federal government contracts. PLTR stock fell on the news as the Nasdaq composite sold off.
In addition, a government procurement arm, FedRAMP, has approved the Palantir cloud service using Microsoft's Azure cloud infrastructure.
"This milestone expands Palantir and Microsoft's strategic partnership from the private sector to the public sector, bringing the best in class cloud components to the federal marketplace," said a Palantir news release.
William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma holds a underperform rating on Palantir stock.
"We do not view the Microsoft Azure partnership as significant," he said in a report. "Palantir already offered its Gotham and Foundry application on Amazon Web Services as a SaaS (software-as-a-service) model."
On the stock market today, PLTR stock fell 4.4% to close at 7.98. Also, Palantir stock has gained 26% thus far in 2023.
PLTR Stock: Big Government Provider
In addition, Palantir gets nearly 60% of revenue from government agencies. They use Palantir software for intelligence gathering, counterterrorism and military purposes. Also, Palantir uses artificial intelligence tools in some products.
Further, PLTR aims to grow its commercial business. The software maker is looking to expand into the health care, energy, automotive and manufacturing sectors.
Also, Palantir's big government business remains key as some large U.S. government contracts are coming up for renewal.
Meanwhile, PLTR stock holds a Relative Strength Rating of 52 out of a best-possible 99, according to IBD Stock checkup.
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>>> Aspen Technology, Inc. (AZPN) provides enterprise asset performance management, asset performance monitoring, and asset optimization solutions worldwide. The company's solutions address complex environments where it is critical to optimize the asset design, operation, and maintenance lifecycle. It offers artificial intelligence of things, aspen hybrid models, asset performance management, OSI digital grid management, and performance engineering; production optimization for commodity polymers, olefins, refining, and specialty chemicals; subsurface science and engineering; and value chain optimization for energy and polymers and specialty chemicals solutions. The company serves bulk chemicals, consumer packaged goods, downstream, food and beverage, metals and mining, midstream and LNG, pharmaceuticals, polymers, pulp and paper, specialty chemicals, transportation, upstream, and water and wastewater industries; power generation, transmission, and distribution industries; and engineering, procurement, and construction industries. Aspen Technology, Inc. was incorporated in 2021 and is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts.
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InMode - >>> 3 Reasons Wall Street Thinks InMode Can Rocket 47% Higher in 2023
Motley Fool
By Cory Renauer
Jan 27, 2023
https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/01/27/3-reasons-wall-street-thinks-inmode-can-rocket-47/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article
KEY POINTS
InMode is a medical device maker that specializes in minimally invasive treatments with results that resemble those of liposuction.
The average price target on Wall Street for InMode represents a 47% upside.
Analysts' price targets for this stock suggest it could soon put up some big gains.
Individual investors who want help picking stocks have more than a few options to choose from, including the recommendations of Wall Street analysts. Right now, InMode (INMD 0.25%) is a medical technology stock that analysts on Wall Street can't seem to get enough of. Among those who follow InMode, the average analyst is targeting a 47% gain for the stock over the next year.
Analysts usually have considerably more resources to work with than the average retail investor. That said, you shouldn't choose stocks for your portfolio based entirely on their eye-popping price targets. Let's examine three of the reasons analysts are pounding the table for InM0ode stock to see if it deserves a spot in your portfolio.
1. InMode's share of the market for cosmetic procedures is growing
InMode develops and markets a wide range of proprietary medical devices that cosmetic surgeons can use to shape body fat and smooth out wrinkled skin. With a narrow probe inserted under the skin, the company's BodyTite device produces results similar to those of liposuction, but without any incisions.
BodyTite and other subdermal ablative treatments are responsible for around four-fifths of the company's total revenue. It also markets hands-free devices, such as Evoke, that rest on the face during treatment without ever puncturing the skin.
Despite providing a temporary solution to wrinkles, cosmetic Botox injections generate more than $2.5 billion in sales annually for AbbVie. BodyTite and similar products, with their ability to permanently alter a person's fat composition, are raising InMode's share of the market for non-invasive procedures. In the third quarter of 2022, cosmetic Botox sales rose 17% year over year, while InMode's sales rose 29%.
In the U.S. alone, the market for non-invasive cosmetic procedures reached $16.4 billion in 2021, and it's expected to grow at a 14% annual rate through 2030, according to Grand View Research. In 2022, InMode racked up about $454 million in worldwide sales, suggesting there's a lot of room for its business to grow.
2. A razor-and-blades business model
There are only so many practicing providers of cosmetic procedures, and it's just a matter of time before most operations that could make use of InMode's workstations already have one installed. Analysts with an eye on the long term are drawn to InMode because it employs a razor-and-blades business model.
In addition to earning money on initial sales of its workstations, InMode sells the consumable goods that those devices use, which need to be replaced before each procedure, and services its machines. In the third quarter, revenues from services and consumables shot up 53% year over year.
Rapidly growing consumable sales suggest InMode's products are increasingly popular among both patients and providers. Over the long run, consumables sales could allow the company to continue growing long after its workstations become ubiquitous.
3. InMode stock looks like a bargain
One of the biggest reasons Wall Street expectations suggest big gains could be around the corner is InMode's relatively low valuation. The stock trades for just 14.3 times management's adjusted earnings estimate for 2022. By comparison, the average stock in the benchmark S&P 500 index trades at 18.9 times trailing earnings.
InMode is already the go-to provider of fat-melting subdermal ablative devices, and its proprietary technology gives the company a good chance of maintaining its lucrative position over the long run. Put it all together, and you'll see why this stock is a screaming buy right now.
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ZTS, ODFL, TSCO, ASML - >>> 4 Top Stocks With High Dividend Growth to Buy in 2023 and Hold Forever
Motley Fool
By Josh Kohn-Lindquist
Jan 28, 2023
https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/01/28/4-stocks-with-high-dividend-growth-to-buy-in-2023/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article
KEY POINTS
Undeniable trends in semiconductor chips and veterinary care should buoy ASML and Zoetis.
Old Dominion's earnings per share have spiked eightfold over the last decade.
Tractor Supply's surprisingly strong rewards program highlights its customer loyalty.
While high-yield dividend stocks generate more excitement than the lower yielders, dividend growth stocks may be better for buy-and-hold-forever investors. That's because many high yields are unsustainable. And the remaining group that is well-funded can often only afford tiny payout raises -- just enough to keep their annual dividend increase streak intact.
With this in mind, let's focus on four fast-growing dividends that may offer more long-term passive income potential than their high-yield counterparts. Posting annual dividend growth rates between 25% and 46% since 2018, ASML (ASML -2.41%), Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL 4.55%), Tractor Supply Company (TSCO -0.46%), and Zoetis (ZTS -1.82%) could make sense for investors looking to maximize their future passive income.
1. ASML
While ASML's lithography technology -- using light to make patterns on the silicon wafers used in semiconductor chips -- is undeniably complex, its investment thesis is far more straightforward. Do you believe the need for semiconductor chips will grow over the next few decades?
If you answered yes, ASML's dominant leadership position in its niche might make it a classic buy-and-hold-forever investment. Holding a monopoly with its bleeding-edge extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system and a roughly 80% share of the more mature deep ultraviolet (DUV) market, ASML is of paramount importance to the semiconductor industry.
Thanks to this dominant positioning, the company has averaged a 26% free cash flow (FCF) margin across the last decade. With this incredible cash generation, ASML handsomely rewards its shareholders, as evidenced by its annual dividends skyrocketing 1,600% from its first payment in 2008.
In fact, using the last 12 months' figures, ASML could triple its 0.8% dividend and still have excess free cash flow. Going forward, ASML plans to make quarterly dividend payments, as opposed to their semi-annual payments in the last few years. This is great news for dividend reinvestment plans as they will now receive ASML shares at various price points throughout the year via its quarterly payouts.
As countries weigh becoming more technologically independent, the company's lithography systems should continue to see healthy demand. Trading at 27 times FCF, ASML brings incredible dividend growth potential at a reasonable price.
2. Old Dominion Freight Line
Boasting a total return north of 1,200% over the last decade, less-than-truckload (LTL) hauling specialist Old Dominion Freight Line has smashed the market.
Almost exactly as it sounds, LTL hauling consists of picking up partial loads from multiple locations and delivering them to one or many drop-offs. While far more complicated than traditional truckload hauling, this complexity acts like a moat for Old Dominion. With nearly 11,000 tractors, 43,000 trailers, 24,000 employees, 255 service centers, and linehaul dispatchers and software needed to coordinate everything, successful new entrants to the industry are rare.
Equally as important for investors, Old Dominion's operations are best in class. Consider its profit margin and return on invested capital (ROIC) -- a measure of a company's profitability from its debt and equity -- compared to its LTL peers.
Thanks to this outsized profitability, Old Dominion decided to initiate a dividend in 2017 and has raised it by 284% in the years since. Though the company's dividend yield of 0.4% may seem diminutive, it only amounts to 9% of its net income -- leaving an incredible runway for future increases.
To top everything off, Old Dominion's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 27 is well below the 40 level it often saw in 2022. Posting 43% earnings per share (EPS) growth through the first three quarters of 2022, Old Dominion looks more enticing than ever.
3. Tractor Supply Company
With 27 million members in its Neighbor's Club rewards program, Tractor Supply and its 2,100 stores are a dividend growth success story in the footsteps of Home Depot and Lowe's. Since 2010, Tractor Supply has boosted its quarterly dividend payments from $0.035 per share to $0.92 today, an increase of over 2,200%. Buoyed partly by these dividends, the company has outpaced the market over the last five years.
So how exactly does Tractor Supply do it with behemoths like Home Depot and Lowe's in its backyard? In the simplest terms, it's by being the rural version of its giant peers. Consider that almost half of the company's sales come from its livestock and pet category. Through this niche offering, Tractor Supply draws millions of farmers, ranchers, and even suburban gardeners to its stores with its adjacent, yet quite distinct, product offering and hometown feel.
Once in the company's ecosystem, these customers often sign up for its rewards program and become loyal members. For example, since the pandemic's start, Tractor Supply saw 19 million new customers -- 55% of which became repeat purchasers.
The shares trade at just 23 times earnings, and the company's 1.8% dividend only uses 35% of its total net income. Raising its last dividend by 77%, Tractor Supply makes for a fascinating dividend-growth selection to hold forever.
4. Zoetis
In a recent survey by The Human Animal Bond Research Institute and Zoetis, 86% of pet owners and veterinarians said they would pay whatever was necessary for extensive vet care. While it is sad to consider any adverse outcomes concerning our beloved pets, the fact remains that Zoetis and its array of pet and livestock vaccines and medicines should only continue growing in importance.
In fact, since going public via a spinoff from Pfizer in 2013, Zoetis posted a total return of nearly 500%. Over the last five years, the company has almost tripled the returns of the S&P 500 Index despite falling by 19% in the previous year.
In the $45 billion animal health industry, Zoetis generates 61% of its sales from companion animals (cats and dogs) and 39% from livestock. Boasting a leadership position in pets, cattle, and swine (not to mention North America, Latin America, and Asia -- geographically speaking), the company maintains a portfolio of over 300 products.
Riding this success, Zoetis has grown sales and EPS by 9% and 13%, respectively, over the last three years. Over this same time, the company raised its dividend by 25% annually and now yields 0.9% with a small payout ratio of 26%. Thanks to the megatrends working in its favor and its steady growth, Zoetis trades at a rich 37 times earnings but makes for an outstanding dividend growth stock.
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>>> ResMed Inc. (RMD) develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets medical devices and cloud-based software applications for the healthcare markets. The company operates in two segments, Sleep and Respiratory Care, and Software as a Service. It offers various products and solutions for a range of respiratory disorders, including technologies to be applied in medical and consumer products, ventilation devices, diagnostic products, mask systems for use in the hospital and home, headgear and other accessories, dental devices, and cloud-based software informatics solutions to manage patient outcomes, as well as provides customer and business processes. The company also provides AirView, a cloud-based system that enables remote monitoring and changing of patients' device settings; myAir, a personalized therapy management application for patients with sleep apnea that provides support, education, and troubleshooting tools for increased patient engagement and improved compliance; U-Sleep, a compliance monitoring solution that enables home medical equipment (HME)to streamline their sleep programs; connectivity module and propeller solutions; and Propeller portal. It offers out-of-hospital software solution, such as Brightree business management software and service solutions to providers of HME, pharmacy, home infusion, orthotics, and prosthetics services; MatrixCare care management and related ancillary solutions to senior living, skilled nursing, life plan communities, home health, home care, and hospice organizations, as well as related accountable care organizations; and HEALTHCAREfirst that offers electronic health record, software, billing and coding services, and analytics for home health and hospice agencies. The company markets its products primarily to sleep clinics, home healthcare dealers, and hospitals through a network of distributors and direct sales force in approximately 140 countries. ResMed Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
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Wait til they get to EV's
Almost every Ferrari sold since 2005 is being recalled
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/08/almost-every-ferrari-sold-since-2005-is-being-recalled/
Cintas - >>> 1 Current and 1 Future Dividend Aristocrat to Buy and Hold Forever
Motley Fool
By Josh Kohn-Lindquist
Apr 2, 2022
https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/04/02/1-current-and-1-future-dividend-aristocrat-to-buy/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article
KEY POINTS
Nike's digital transformation is just beginning, and its brand is stronger than ever.
Cintas continues to post strong sales growth regardless of the economic climate.
Excellent return on invested capital metrics mean these two may outperform.
These apparel-focused stocks look to continue their decades-long histories of beating the market.
While most apparel stocks make for better buy-low and sell-high candidates than genuine buy-and-hold investments, two businesses stand out as the exception: Nike (NKE 2.10%) and Cintas (CTAS -0.32%).
Despite operating in wildly different segments of the broader clothing industry, the two behemoths have smashed the S&P 500 index's returns over the last three decades.
So what exactly makes these two stocks different than the rest of their apparel peers?
Let's take a look.
Cintas
While calling Cintas a genuine apparel company is a bit of a stretch, it is home to a uniform rental service that makes up the most significant portion of its sales. Helping more than 1 million businesses get "ready for the workday," Cintas offers everything from these uniforms to COVID-19 test kits, restroom supplies, fire extinguishers, and personal protective equipment.
Despite seeming like an unexciting operation, Cintas has posted stock returns that are anything but -- rising 1,000% in just the last decade.
Perhaps most incredibly, Cintas not only survived the onset of COVID-19 -- it thrived in it.
From 2019 to 2021, earnings per share (EPS) and free cash flow steadily increased despite lockdowns that hampered the broader economy.
This fact is important to investors today, with inflation rising to 7% in the United States and forcing us to consider just how recession-proof our favorite holdings may be.
Heading into its third-quarter earnings report, Cintas faced myriad worries: inflation, escalating political tension, rising fuel prices, labor shortages, and a travel and hospitality industry that has not yet returned to full strength. However, the company went on to post 10% and 14% revenue and EPS growth, respectively, for the quarter -- showing that even with two of its main verticals -- travel and hospitality -- still struggling, it could be counted on for growth.
Furthermore, like Nike, Cintas owns a strong and growing ROIC, which clocked in at 20% as of its most recent quarter.
Thanks to this growing ROIC, the recession-proof nature of its operations, and its history as a Dividend Aristocrat, Cintas looks to be an excellent option to consider holding for the long term.
While the soon-to-be (Nike) and current (Cintas) Dividend Aristocrats pay 0.9% dividends, Cintas holds a more robust dividend growth rate of 22% annually over the last five years despite having already bumped its dividend for 38 years straight.
Ultimately, both businesses have a maximum dividend potential of nearly 3%, highlighting their promising combination of a reasonable dividend yield and a low payout ratio. So whether it is Nike's brand power or Cintas' ability to weather any economic storm, these are two great dividend growers to consider in today's volatile times.
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EXR, SBAC, FR, SUI, EQIX - >>> Who Says You Can't Beat the Market? These 5 Stocks Did
Motley Fool
By Matthew DiLallo
Apr 9, 2022
https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/04/09/who-says-you-cant-beat-the-market-these-5-stocks-d/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article
KEY POINTS
Many real estate investment trusts have beaten the market over the years.
Their ability to steadily expand their portfolios and dividends has been a key value creator.
These top-performing REITs should be able to continue enriching their investors in the future.
This group of stocks has significantly outpaced the S&P 500 over the past decade.
As a whole, investors have vastly underperformed the market. According to the most recent Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior survey, the average equity investor has only seen a 6.2% annualized return over the last 30 years. That vastly trails the S&P 500's 10.7% annualized return.
The issue is more human nature than stock picking ability. We often let emotion get the best of us, buying when momentum is high and selling when stock prices are low. If investors take a more patient approach and hold on to stocks that have consistently beaten the market, they'd have a much better chance of outperforming. Here are five stocks that have outpaced the market by a wide margin over the last 10 years. All are in the same sector -- real estate investment trusts (REITs) -- which shows that even lower-risk investments like commercial real estate can beat the market.
Cashing in on storing stuff
Extra Space Storage ( EXR -0.03% ) has delivered a nearly 900% total return over the last 10 years. That roughly 25.9% annualized return has significantly outperformed the S&P 500's 295% total return (14.7% annualized).
The self-storage REIT has a straightforward business model. It leases space in its mini storage units to people who need extra space to store their stuff. It also manages these facilities for third-party owners. Extra Space Storage has generated such amazing returns by steadily raising rental rates and expanding its portfolio. That's given it the cash to pay a growing dividend. With demand for storage space remaining strong, the REIT should be able to continue growing in the future.
Towering growth
SBA Communications ( SBAC 0.22% ) has delivered a nearly 630% total return over the last decade (22% annualized). The infrastructure REIT has provided those fantastic returns by steadily expanding its cell tower portfolio. That has allowed it to benefit from the growing demand for communications infrastructure.
Last year, SBA Communications bought cell towers in Tanzania and started building new ones in the Philippines, adding two more growth markets to its portfolio. It now operates in North, Central, and South America, South Africa, Tanzania, and the Philippines. With demand for data infrastructure expected to keep growing, SBA Communications should be able to continue expanding in the coming years.
Building value
First Industrial ( FR -1.09% ) has generated a nearly 550% total return over the last 10 years (20.5% annualized). The industrial REIT has benefited from growing demand for logistics real estate like distribution centers.
Development has been a significant contributor to First Industrial's ability to create shareholder value. It has invested over $1.1 billion to develop roughly 15.2 million square feet of warehouse space over the last six years. These investments have created an estimated $868 million in value for shareholders. With an extensive development pipeline, First Industrial should be able to continue growing value for its investors in the coming years.
Homing in on consolidated fragmented industries
Sun Communities ( SUI 0.40% ) has delivered a more than 510% total return in the last decade (19.9% annualized). The residential REIT has grown shareholder value by acquiring and developing non-traditional residential real estate like manufactured home communities, RV resorts, marinas, and holiday parks. It has purchased $9.6 billion of these properties since 2010.
Sun Communities' consolidation strategy saw it invest $1.5 billion to acquire 11 manufactured home communities, 24 RV resorts, and 21 marinas last year. The REIT also unveiled a $1.3 billion deal to acquire the second-largest holiday park owner in the U.K. The company sees an enormous opportunity to continue consolidating those fragmented sectors, which should drive steady growth for years to come.
Dialed into the data infrastructure boom
Equinix ( EQIX -2.22% ) has produced a more than 500% total return in the last decade (19.7% annualized). The data center REIT has benefited from the growing demand for infrastructure to store data.
Equinix has invested billions of dollars in building and buying new data centers. The company recently entered Africa by acquiring MaineOne in a $320 million deal and expanded into Chile and Peru by acquiring four data centers from Entel for $705 million. It also plans to invest more than $2 billion in 2022 to develop additional data centers worldwide. With demand for data infrastructure expected to continue growing, Equinix should have no shortage of expansion opportunities.
Lots of ways to win
Many REITs have beaten the market by steadily expanding their portfolios and dividends. The key for investors is to find a great REIT and then hold on and let it grow shareholder value over the long term. These five are an excellent place to start. They all have a history of creating value for investors and have a long growth runway still ahead.
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>>> Abbott Labs
By Justin Pope
Mar 17, 2022
https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/03/17/want-1-million-in-retirement-invest-150000-in-thes/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article
The healthcare conglomerate has gone through some changes since spinning its pharmaceutical business out as AbbVie almost a decade ago. Today, Abbott Labs ( ABT 0.77% ) is positioned primarily in consumer products, medical devices, analytics, testing, and making generic drugs for emerging markets.
Abbott is positioned to cater especially to the cardiology and diabetes fields, which are both fast-growing; heart disease and diabetes are among the most prevalent health conditions in the population. Abbott sells devices for them, including pacemakers, catheters, stents for cardiovascular applications, and a glucose monitoring system for diabetes patients. The company's revenue growth has picked up, growing more than 15% annually over the past five years.
This renewed growth could set the company to perform well over the next decade. Analysts believe Abbott will grow EPS an average of 10% annually over the next three to five years. Abbott also has a storied dividend history that goes back decades before its split with AbbVie. Investors can get a dividend yield of 1.6% on today's share price, which results in low-double-digit total investment returns if the stock's valuation remains constant.
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Food, like most other things are now controlled by the same corporations that control all the poiticians and government as a whole. The FDA? CDC? Etc. all controlled goverment agencies.
Like 2004 Pfizer gets Lipator on the maket the same time as acceptable levels of cholesterol are dropped by 30%. Yep, acceptable leves of bad chit in our food are lowered when ever if fits a food better.
'Great minds think alike' :o)
Actually, nutrition/organic food is where people will logically gravitate toward after ~ age 50. Previously I had a steady diet of fast food, pizza, hoagies, and TV dinners, with minimal exercise. But at a certain age (~50) you can no longer get away with such brazen neglect, and have to get things together if you want to make it to 65 or longer.
But one thing about store bought organic food these days is they have made the 'organic' criteria less strict, allowing the use of 'non-persistent' pesticides/herbicides, etc. It's still way better than non-organic, but the best solution is to grow your own food, at least have a vegetable garden or small greenhouse.
One of the attractions of hydroponic and aeroponic farming is that it doesn't require use of pesticides/herbicides. But the downsides include the reliance upon humans (as opposed to nature) to determine the type and quantity of nutrients given to the plants, etc. Better to leave that complex aspect to Mother Nature.
Unfortunately, chemical farming quickly destroys the micro-organisms in the soil that provide the minerals and trace minerals for the plants. So you really need to grow your own food on your own land.
gfp, it is interest you liked my ""Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away--Wows happen!!!"
Then you direct me to 'Food as Medicine'. We might have some kind of mental telepathy or such, lol. Look at my Twitter account>>>>>
wowhappens28
@EatAllOrganic
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ~Hippocrates
https://twitter.com/EatAllOrganic
>> no longer young <<
I'm getting up there too (66), but figure the best strategy is to concentrate on the things we have some control over (family, diet, exercise, hobbies/interests, etc).
These days it's easy to get disillusioned, but the world has always been screwed up to a large degree, and that isn't likely to change. Individually, our lives are fleeting, so no sense dwelling too much on the negative.
You have a great philosophy - "Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away--Wows happen!!!"
Btw, here's a new board - 'Food as Medicine' -
https://investorshub.advfn.com/Food-as-Medicine-40084/
Maybe some day you will find the Holy Grail, keep looking. I still am. I was once young and had dreams. Now after many years of hard work, I am now no longer young,
>> all the work <<
And after all that work, I ended up using the S+P 500 ETF as the main stock vehicle, lol..
But it's fun and interesting to follow all these sectors and get things organized. I have this 'thing' for collecting and organizing, maybe a type of compulsive behavior.
Trump said he is 'borderline' OCD, and has his clothes perfectly organized, ties sorted by color, etc. I guess there are worse traits that a person could have. I figure it's better than getting in bar room fights and chasing floozies :o)
WOW, thanks for all the work you put into all your boards, this one is incredible
>>> Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS) provides software, hardware, services, and reusable integrated circuit (IC) design blocks worldwide. The company offers functional verification services, including emulation and prototyping hardware. Its functional verification offering consists of JasperGold, a formal verification platform; Xcelium, a parallel logic simulation platform; Palladium, an enterprise emulation platform; and Protium, a prototyping platform for chip verification. The company also provides digital IC design products, including Genus logic synthesis and RTL power solutions, as well as Modus software solution to reduce systems-on-chip design-for-test time; physical implementation tools, including place and route, optimization, and multiple patterning preparation; and signoff products to signoff the design as ready for manufacture by a silicon foundry. In addition, it offers custom IC design and simulation products to create schematic and physical representations of circuits down to the transistor level for analog, mixed-signal, custom digital, memory, and radio frequency designs; and system design and analysis products to develop printed circuit boards and IC packages, as well as to analyze electromagnetic, electro-thermal, and other multi-physics effects. Further, the company provides intellectual property (IP) products consisting of pre-verified and customizable functional blocks to integrate into customer's ICs; and verification IP and memory models to verify the correct interaction with dozens of design IP interface protocols. Additionally, it offers services related to methodology, education, and hosted design solutions, as well as technical support and maintenance services. Cadence Design Systems, Inc. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.
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>>> AptarGroup (ATR) Eyeing Voluntis to Expand in Digital Therapeutics
Zacks Equity Research
June 23, 2021
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aptargroup-atr-eyeing-voluntis-expand-152703648.html
AptarGroup, Inc. ATR is in discussions to acquire Voluntis in a bid to expand its digital therapeutic solutions and digital health services across various chronic conditions and diseases.
Digital therapeutics (DTx) help patients and caregivers treat or prevent diseases through evidence-based interventions supported by high quality software solutions. DTx is used independently or in connection with medications, devices and other therapies to enhance patient care and health outcomes.
Voluntis’ Theraxium platform helps patients manage their treatment with assistance from healthcare providers. This platform provides real-time decision support for an extensive range of chronic diseases, while enabling healthcare providers to remotely monitor the patient’s treatment process and the development of the disease.
This buyout will provide AptarGroup an immediate access to an established proprietary platform and algorithms, which will enhance digital solutions for biotech and pharmaceutical customers as well as other healthcare investors. The company will be able to serve patients and healthcare professionals with a varied range of effective tools to improve clinical outcomes by combining digital therapeutics with AptarGroup’s existing digital health portfolio of connected devices.
This strategic investment will help expand AptarGroup’s digital healthcare offerings and drive innovation in the healthcare space. Per the anticipated deal, Aptar will buy 64.6% of Voluntis share at €8.70 per share for €50.8 million ($61.5 million). The company plans to fund this deal with its existing cash in hand. After the deal’s closure, the transaction is likely to have a dilutive impact on the company’s adjusted earnings per share in the range of 1 cent per share to 2 cents per share for 2022.
AptarGroup’s innovative solutions and services serve a wide range of end markets, comprising pharmaceutical, beauty, personal care, home, food and beverage. Its Pharma segment has been witnessing higher sales to the injectables and active material science solution markets owing to solid demand for vaccine components and active material science solutions.
The Pharma segment’s active material science technology was selected to protect two new at-home COVID-19 tests that have received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA. In the prescription drug market, the company’s unidose powder device is being used in a pivotal trial of intranasal powder-based Naloxone by Nasus Pharma. Also, a new nasal spray treatment for allergic rhinitis features AptarGroup’s nasal spray device. In the injectables market, the company continues to support various COVID-19 vaccine distributions across all regions.
Price Performance
The company’s shares have gained 35.2% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 43.8%.
AptarGroup currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the industrial products sector are Tennant Company TNC, Encore Wire Corp. WIRE and Arconic Corp. ARNC. All of these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Tennant has an anticipated earnings growth rate of 49.5% for 2021. The company’s shares have gained around 18%, year to date.
Encore Wire has an estimated earnings growth rate of 49.5% for the ongoing year. Year to date, the company’s shares have rallied nearly 36%.
Arconic has a projected earnings growth rate of 447% for the current year. The stock has appreciated around 21%, so far this year.
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>>> Neogen, Center for Aquaculture Technologies Partner to Develop Aquaculture Genotyping Tools
Yahoo Finance
June 24, 2021
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/neogen-center-aquaculture-technologies-partner-180000602.html
LINCOLN, Neb., June 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NEOGEN Corporation (NASDAQ: NEOG) announced today that they have partnered with the Center for Aquaculture Technologies (CAT) to deliver high-quality genotyping services customized to the unique needs of aquaculture producers.
The complementary expertise of NEOGEN and CAT will apply modern sequencing and genotyping technologies to aquaculture species. The partnership will enable organizations of any size to realize the benefits of increased accuracy of selection and gains in performance by incorporating genetic markers into their selective breeding programs.
"We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with the Center for Aquaculture Technologies and continue providing innovative genomic solutions that strengthen our global food chain," says John Adent, NEOGEN's President and CEO. "Together, we can empower members of the aquaculture sector to make more informed breeding decisions."
"We are very excited to have NEOGEN as a partner — they are world leaders in agricultural genotyping, and it's a great complement to our expertise in the aquaculture industry," said John Buchanan, CEO of the Center for Aquaculture Technologies. "They have been great partners, and we are looking forward to working closely with them on projects in the future."
"CAT's expertise in the aquaculture industry and our global leadership within the world of genomics make us the perfect partners going forward," says Marylinn Munson, NEOGEN's Vice President of Genomics. "In partnership with CAT, we will be able to create new products and solutions that enrich the aquaculture sector and ensure sustainable farming at every level."
NEOGEN and CAT have previously partnered to develop cost-effective genomic solutions for the aquaculture sector, including the GeneSeek® Genomic Profiler™ (GGP) 50K genotyping array for North American Atlantic salmon and whiteleg shrimp, which are now commercially available through CAT, as part of their AQUAarray line.
The Center for Aquaculture Technologies is a global, full-service, contract R&D organization that is focused on the application of technologies to improve productivity, efficiency, and sustainability in the aquaculture industry. CAT is home to a unique combination of world-class scientists bringing together complementary expertise in fish health, nutrition, and genetics working in state-of-the-art facilities to deliver innovative, tailor-made solutions for organizations in the sector. For more information, visit www.aquatechcenter.com.
NEOGEN Corporation develops and markets comprehensive solutions dedicated to food and animal safety. The company's Food Safety Division markets dehydrated culture media and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases, and sanitation concerns. NEOGEN's Animal Safety Division is a leader in the development of genomic solutions along with the manufacturing and distribution of a variety of animal healthcare products, including diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, veterinary instruments, wound care, and disinfectants.
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>>> Is Cintas Stock a Smart Reopening Buy?
U.S. workers are getting back to on-site jobs -- and back into those jobs' uniforms. But is this big uniform rental company too optimistically priced?
Motley Fool
by Lee Samaha
Jul 23, 2021
https://www.fool.com/investing/2021/07/23/is-cintas-stock-a-smart-reopening-buy/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article
Key Points
The post-pandemic period will open up new growth opportunities for Cintas.
Management's guidance looks conservative in the context of its historical growth rates and the expected boost from the reopening recovery.
Uniform rental and facility services company Cintas (NASDAQ:CTAS) has been a stellar performer over the years, with the stock rising nearly 300% in the last half-decade. The reason comes down to its success in convincing more companies to outsource their uniform provisioning to it, and also convincing them to buy an array of everyday facility servicing products (mops, floor mats, fire protection services, etc.) from it. The company has been a great long-term story, and as the economy reopens, Cintas is surely positioned to benefit. However, the key question potential new investors need to answer is whether the stock is a good value now.
Cintas as a reopening play
The case for Cintas being a reopening investment is simple: As workers return to their jobs in factories, healthcare facilities, foodservice outlets, hospitality industries, etc., revenues from its core uniform rental business will rebound. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a heightened interest in cleanliness and healthiness in the workplace. That should benefit Cintas' business of providing and routinely cleaning working uniforms, as well as its facility services segment.
None of the above is in doubt. Indeed, on the recent fiscal 2021 fourth-quarter earnings call, for the period that ended May 31, management guided toward revenue in the range of $7.53 billion to $7.63 billion for its fiscal 2022, which would amount to growth in the range of 5.8% to 7.2%. That's in line with the company's annual organic growth rates of 5% to 7% over the last decade.
Those are also the kind of numbers that gave CEO Todd Schneider the impetus to explain during the earnings call that Cintas' "successful long-term financial formula is organic revenue growth in the mid-to-high single digits, double-digit earnings-per-share growth, significant cash generation."
Frankly, any business that can grow its earnings at a rate above 10% over the long term deserves to be priced like a growth stock, and investors should be willing to pay up for it in terms of valuation. In addition, management's guidance assumes that sales of personal protection equipment (PPE) won't maintain their fiscal 2021 levels, on the basis that the pandemic is easing. However, Schneider did say that Cintas' revenue growth would be above 8% if PPE sales did match those levels again -- a wild card for investors to look out for.
Two flies in the ointment
The two caveats regarding Cintas' stock are arguably conjoined. First, the fact that its revenue guidance is only for growth within its long-term average range is somewhat disappointing. There's an argument to be made that fiscal 2022 should be a year of above-trend growth. As the economy reopens, workers get back on site, and uniforms get used, Cintas should see strong growth in uniform rentals. Moreover, comparisons with fiscal 2021 should set a relatively low bar to measure growth against.
For reference, the core uniform rental segment (half of which is uniform rentals) saw revenue decline in the first three quarters of fiscal 2021. It's very hard to know exactly what the PPE-related sales will be, but management only forecasts 8% plus growth if PPE-related sales stay at the highly elevated levels of fiscal 2021. That seems to imply uniform rental business sales might not trump the easy comparisons with fiscal 2021 as much as might be expected.
Some Wall Street analysts responded to the company's latest report by upgrading their price targets for the stock and suggesting that the relatively weak-looking guidance was a reflection of conservatism on the part of management. Time will tell if those analysts are right or not.
Second, the company's earnings and guidance must, as ever, be looked at in the context of its valuation -- in this case, its enterprise value (market cap plus net debt) to earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) -- a commonly used valuation metric.
As you can see below, Cintas trades at an EV-to-forward-EBITDA ratio of 22.5. Moreover, based on Wall Street estimates, its EV is 20.7 times its estimated fiscal 2023 EBITDA. These valuations look expensive compared to the stock's historic levels. Moreover, it's worth noting that these calculations are based on analyst estimates that forecast Cintas growing revenue at an average annual rate of 7.4% over the next two fiscal years -- above the high end of management's guidance for 2022.
Is Cintas a reopening stock?
The answer is an emphatic "yes," but that doesn't make the stock a buy at its current valuation. It looks like Cintas will need to beat its own guidance and Wall Street estimates to make the stock look a good value. There's a theory that in the post-pandemic environment, companies will find outsourcing their uniform provisioning to be a more compelling choice than it was before. That bullish investment thesis for Cintas will have to prove accurate for the company to outperform the analysts' forecasts.
Furthermore, around half of Cintas' uniform rental segment revenue actually comes from facility services like "dust" (mats, mops, etc.), hygiene products (soap, air fresheners, etc.), and linens. The company could also grow sales of these complimentary products as it expands its customer base.
All told, shareholders will have to hope Cintas can, indeed, beat guidance and estimates, because its stock is not looking a great value right now.
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>>> Steris Completes the Acquisition of Cantel Medical
Yahoo Finance
STERIS plc
June 2, 2021
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/steris-completes-acquisition-cantel-medical-130000399.html
DUBLIN, IRELAND, June 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- STERIS plc (NYSE: STE) (“STERIS” or the “Company”) today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Cantel Medical, a global provider of infection prevention products and services to endoscopy, dental, dialysis and life sciences Customers.
“We are pleased to announce the closing of the Cantel Medical acquisition, which will complement and extend STERIS’s product and service offerings, global reach and Customers,” said Walt Rosebrough, President and Chief Executive Officer of STERIS. “We welcome Cantel people to the STERIS team, and look forward to working together to create more value for our Customers, our people, and our shareholders.”
Guggenheim Securities served as financial advisor to STERIS and Jones Day as legal counsel. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., served as sole lead arranger and bookrunner in respect of certain financing. Centerview Partners LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Cantel and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as legal counsel.
About STERIS
STERIS’s MISSION IS TO HELP OUR CUSTOMERS CREATE A HEALTHIER AND SAFER WORLD by providing innovative healthcare and life science products and services around the globe. For more information, visit www.steris.com.
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Bill Gates - Investment portfolio -
Microsoft -------------------------- (26.6 Bil)
Republic Services -------------- (11.9 Bil)
Deere ------------------------------- (10.2 Bil)
Canadian Natl Railroad -------- (9.6 Bil)
Ecolab ------------------------------ (6.5 Bil)
Fomento Economico ----------- (2.4 Bil)
Waste Management ------------- (2.3 Bil)
Diageo ------------------------------ (1.8 Bil)
AutoNation ------------------------ (1.5 Bil)
Sika ---------------------------------- (1.4 Bil)
Arch Capital ----------------------- (1.3 Bil)
Grupo Televisa -------------------- (446 mil)
Liberty Global --------------------- (241 mil)
Fomento de Construcy Contra - (200 mil)
Western Assets Infl-link OPPS - (177 mil)
Otter Tail ------------------------------ (172 mil)
Coca Cola ---------------------------- (133 mil)
Orascom Construction ---------- (33 mil)
Coca Cola Femsa - (130 mil) (All went to Melinda)
Private Companies -
************************
Convoy Inc
Ginkgo Bioworks
Delos Living LLC
CoGen Lyondell Power Generation Facility
Signature Aviation PLC
268,984 Acres of land (largest private farmland owner in the US)
Four Seasons - (3.4 Bil) (47.5% stake bought in 2007, Saudi prince owns the rest)
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021-bill-gates-melinda-french-gates-divorce-fortune-split/?srnd=premium