"Yay! I got charged a fee."
--Nobody, ever
Most of the time, consumers realize most fees charged by businesses or people are unavoidable, and they cough up the dough being demanded without too much of a fuss. However, when it comes to fees charged on their bank accounts, consumers become red in the face and declare that great injustice has been imposed against them.
What is it about bank fees that make consumers so angry, while other fees don't conjure up the slightest peep? Every day, people shell out their hard-earned dollars to drive on toll roads. When stepping onto a city bus or metro train, passengers pay the fare without thinking twice. And these are public services that are funded by taxpayer money! On the other hand, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC ) are private enterprises that provide financial solutions to their customers and reserve the right to charges fees, as long as they are clearly communicated.
Top 5 Construction Material Stocks To Invest In 2015: Brown-Forman Corp (BFB)
Brown-Forman Corporation, incorporated on October 19, 1933, primarily manufactures, bottles, imports, exports, markets, and sells a variety of alcoholic beverage brands. The Company�� principal brands are Jack Daniel�� Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel�� Tennessee Whiskey, Pepe Lopez Tequilas, Jack Daniel�� Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve Bourbons, Jack Daniel�� Ready-to-Drinks, Canadian Mist Blended Canadian Whiskies, Jack Daniel�� Tennessee Honey, Chambord Liqueur, Jack Daniel�� Winter Jack Chambord Vodka, Gentleman Jack, Collingwood Canadian Whisky, Southern Comfort, Early Times Bourbon, Southern Comfort Ready-to-Drinks, Early Times flavored line extensions, Southern Comfort flavored line extensions, Early Times Kentucky Whisky, Finlandia Vodkas, Korbel California Champagnes, Finlandia Ready-to-Drinks, Little Black Dress Vodkas, Antiguo Tequila, Maximus Vodkas, el Jimador Tequilas, Old Forester Bourbon, el Jimador New Mix Ready-to-Drinks, Sonoma-Cutrer Wines, Herradura Tequilas, and Tuaca Liqueur.
The Company�� products are sold in more than 150 countries around the world. The Company�� international markets include Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Poland, France, Russia, Japan, Turkey, Canada, Spain, Czech Republic, South Africa, Brazil and Italy.
The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Beam Inc., Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A., Diageo plc, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A., Pernod Ricard S.A., and Remy Cointreau S.A.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]
Brown-Forman Corp.(BFB) said its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings jumped 17% as the Jack Daniel’s whiskey maker posted higher sales and wider margins. Earnings beat expectations.
- [By Laura Brodbeck]
Wednesday
Earnings Expected From: Christopher & Banks Corporation (NYSE: CBK), Brown Forman Corporation (NYSE: BFB), Express, Inc. (NYSE: EXPR), Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: AVGO) Economic Releases Expected: US nonfarm employment change, US trade balance, Canadian trade balance, US new home sales, US ISM non-manufacturing PMIThursday
Top 5 Consumer Companies To Invest In Right Now: Carriage Services Inc (CSV)
Carriage Services, Inc. (Carriage), incorporated in December 1993, is a provider of death care services and merchandise in the United States. The Company operates in two business segments: funeral home operations and cemetery operations. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 159 funeral homes in 25 states and 33 cemeteries in 12 states. The Company provides funeral and cemetery services and products on both an at-need (time of death) and preneed (planned prior to death) basis. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Carriage completed two of the six acquisitions of funeral home businesses, one in Kentucky and the other in New York. In September 2011, the Company acquired Franklin & Downs Funeral Homes. In October 2011, the Company acquired Carman Funeral Home and Roberson Funeral Home, both in Northeast Kentucky. In February 2012, the Company acquired James J. Terry Funeral Home, Inc. On February 21, 2012, the Company acquired a funeral home business in Pennsylvania. In June 2012, the Company acquired Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home, Gray Funeral Home and Sunset Memorial Gardens in Lawton and Grandfield, Oklahoma. In December 2012, the Company acquired Cumby Family Funeral Service. In November 2013, Carriage Services Inc acquired Heritage Funeral Homes & Cremation Service.
Funeral Home Operations
The funeral homes offer a range of services (traditional burial and cremation) to meet a family�� death care needs, including consultation, the removal and preparation of remains, the sale of caskets and related funeral merchandise, the use of funeral home facilities for visitation and services, and transportation services. It provides burial and cremation services and sells related merchandise, such as caskets and urns. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 159 funeral homes in 25 states.
Cemetery Operations
The Company�� cemetery products and services include interment services, the rights to interment in cemetery sites (including gr! ave sites, mausoleum crypts and niches) and related cemetery merchandise, such as memorials and vaults. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 33 cemeteries in 12 states.
The Company competes with SCI, Stewart and StoneMor Partners L.P.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
The first thing to realize about StoneMor is that arcane and flexible accounting rules make it important to dig beneath its GAAP earnings. Growth throughout the industry has been substantial, as up-and-coming Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV ) continued to stay on pace for double-digit sales growth as it rapidly expands its reach. Even well-established player Matthews International (NASDAQ: MATW ) managed to grow revenue by nearly 14% in the quarter that ended in March, although its earnings fell slightly from the year-ago quarter. Still, StoneMor's sales haven't been able to rise as quickly as its peers, with its previous report including just a 6% gain in revenue.
- [By Rich Duprey]
Death services specialist�Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.025 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2011.
Top 5 Consumer Companies To Invest In Right Now: V.F. Corporation(VFC)
V.F. Corporation designs and manufactures, or sources from independent contractors various apparel and footwear products primarily in the United States and Europe. The company offers apparel, footwear, outdoor gear, skateboard-inspired and surf-inspired footwear, backpacks, luggage, handbags and accessories, outdoor apparel, travel accessories, and women?s active wear primarily under the Vans, The North Face, JanSport, Eastpak, Kipling, Napapijri, Reef, Eagle Creek, and lucy brands; and denim and casual bottoms, and tops principally under Wrangler, Lee, Riders, Rustler, and Timber Creek by Wrangler brands. Its products also include occupational, athletic, and licensed apparel primarily under the Red Kap, Bulwark, Majestic, MLB, NFL, and Harley-Davidson brands; men?s fashion sportswear, denim bottoms, sleepwear, underwear, as well as handbags, luggage, backpacks, and accessories principally under the Nautica and Kipling brands; and denim and casual bottoms, sportswear, acce ssories, men?s apparel and footwear, and women?s sportswear primarily under the 7 For All Mankind, John Varvatos, Splendid, and Ella Moss brands. The company sells its products to specialty stores, department stores, national chains, and mass merchants primarily through its sales force, independent sales agents, and distributors. V.F. Corporation was founded in 1899 and is based in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Will Ashworth]
Summit Sports, a Michigan-based retailer of sporting goods, had this to say about the cold: ��ur apparel sales are through the roof on Amazon ��We��e seen a 50% to 60% increase in sales on Amazon.��According to Compete Inc., the average weekly traffic in January for seven big-time retailers of cold-weather gear increased by 22% year-over-year. Both Columbia Sportswear (COLM) and Timberland, part of VF Corp. (VFC), saw YOY increases of more than 40%.
Top 5 Consumer Companies To Invest In Right Now: Herbalife Ltd (HLF)
Herbalife Ltd., incorporated on April 4, 2002, is a global network marketing company that sells weight management, nutritional supplements, energy, sports and fitness products and personal care products through a network of approximately 2.7 million independent distributors, except in China, where the Company sells its products through retail stores. The Company is a network marketing company that sells a range of weight management products, nutritional supplements and personal care products. As of December 31, 2011, the Company sold products in 79 countries throughout the world. Herbalife�� products are grouped in four principal categories: weight management, targeted nutrition, energy, sports and fitness and Outer Nutrition, along with literature and promotional items. The Company�� generates revenue from its six regions: North America, Mexico, South and Central America; EMEA, which consists of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific (excluding China), and China. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired a manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The Company�� products are manufactured by third party providers and by the Company in its Suzhou, China facility and in its manufacturing facility located in Lake Forest, California, and then are sold to independent distributors who sell Herbalife products to retail consumers or other distributors. As of December 31, 2011, Herbalife marketed and sold 138 products encompassing over 4,400 stock keeping units (SKUs) through its distributors.
Weight Management
Weight Management is the Company�� largest product category representing 62.5% of its net sales during the year ended December 31, 2011. Formula 1, its product, is a healthy meal with soy protein, essential vitamins, minerals, herbs and nutrients that is available in seven flavors and can help support weight management. Personalized Protein Powder is a soy and whey protein product designed as a boost to Formula 1 to personalize a pe! rson�� daily protein intake to help achieve their desired weight and shape. Weight-loss enhancers, including Herbal Tea Concentrate, Total Control and Prolessa Duo address specific challenges associated with dieting, such as lack of energy, hunger and food craving, fluid retention, decreased metabolism and digestive challenges, by building energy, boosting metabolism, curbing appetite and helping to promote weight loss. Healthy snacks are formulated to provide between-meal nutrition and appetite satisfaction.
Targeted Nutrition
Herbalife markets numerous dietary and nutritional supplements designed to meet its customers��specific nutritional needs. Each of these supplements contains botanicals, vitamins, minerals and other natural ingredients and focuses on specific life stages of its customers, including women, men, children and those with health concerns, including heart health, healthy aging, digestive health, or immune solutions. Niteworks is a product that supports energy, circulatory and vascular health and enhances blood flow to the heart, brain and other vital organs. Garden 7 is designed to provide the phytonutrient benefits of seven servings of fruits and vegetables and has anti-oxidant and health-boosting properties. Best Defense is an effervescent drink that helps boost immunity. In 2011, the Company expanded distribution of its Active Fiber line by introducing its Apple flavored Active Fiber Complex in the South and Central America region.
Energy, Sports and Fitness
Herbalife entered into the energy drink with the introduction of Liftoff, an energy drink containing a blend of B-vitamins, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo and caffeine to increase energy and improve mental clarity for better performance throughout the day. It launched H3Otm Fitness Drink to provide hydration, sustained muscle energy plus antioxidant protection for people living a healthy, active lifestyle. It also introduced H30 Pro in EMEA to provide an isotonic drink to indivi! duals par! ticipating in high activity sports.
Outer Nutrition
The Company�� Outer Nutrition products complement its weight management and targeted nutrition products and aim to improve the appearance of the body, skin and hair. These products include skin cleansers, toners, moisturizers and facial masks, shampoos and conditioners, body-wash items and a selection of fragrances for men and women. Its Herbal Aloe line is its introductory line providing distributors with cleansers, lotions and soaps that help sooth the skin. NouriFusion Multivitamin skin care products are formulated with antioxidant Vitamins A, C and E. It launched a line of anti-aging products as an extension of its Skin Activator product, an advanced face cream that contains a collagen-building Glucosamine Complex to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also launched a number of regional products including a Soft Green Body Care line in Brazil, the Whitening Serum under the NouriFusion brand in the Asia Pacific region, and the Lively Fragrances perfume line.
Literature, Promotional and Other Products
Herbalife also sells literature and promotional materials, including sales aids, informational audiotapes, videotapes, compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs) designed to support its distributors��marketing efforts, as well as start-up kits called International Business Packs for new distributors. It introduced BizWorks, a customizable retail Website for its distributors to enhance the on-line experience.
The Company competes with NuSkin Enterprises, Nature�� Sunshine, Alticor/Amway, Melaleuca, Avon Products, Oriflame, Tupperware and Mary Kay, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, General Nutrition Centers and Wal-Mart.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Business Insider]
Nati Harnik/APBerkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. Many familiar faces make an appearance on Wealth-X's list of the billionaires who made the most money this year. Businessmen like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who have dominated wealth rankings for years, continued to add billions of dollars to their already sizable fortunes. Here's the full list, ranked by billions made from Jan. 1 to Dec. 11, 2013: 10. Carl Icahn made $7.2 billion The corporate raider had a big year after bets on Netflix and Herbalife (HLF) yielded Icahn Capital Management $800 million and $500 million profits, respectively. He tweeted his thanks to Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings and Kevin Spacey, star of the streaming service's hit show, "House of Cards." 9. Lui Chee Woo made $8.3 billion The founder of Galaxy Entertainment Group became Asia's second-richest man in 2013 as gambling revenue grew at a record pace in Macau. Lui is looking to expand his flagship casino in the city's Cotai area, which is known by many as the Asian version of the Las Vegas Strip. 8. Larry Page made $9.3 billion Google's co-founder and CEO made $3 billion in 24 hours when Google (GOOG) stocks hit an all-time high in October, breaking $1,000 for the first time. Android became the world's most popular operating system, running on 43 percent of the globe's smartphones. 7. Sergey Brin made $9.3 billion Brin, Google co-founder and head of special projects with Google X, made $2.9 billion in the October stock surge. As of Dec. 11, Brin is worth an estimated $30 billion, a 4.8 percent percent increase over the year. 6. Masayoshi Son made $10.3 billion The founder of Softbank, Asia's top Internet and telecommunications corporation, lost $70 billion in the dot-com crash, but he's surging back in a big way. The purchase of Sprint (S) and a large investment in Finnish game-maker Supercell are highlights in a year that saw Son's personal net worth more than double, growing from $8.8 billion to $19.1 billio
- [By Marshall Hargrave]
Whatever the reasoning behind Loeb's investment, you'd better believe the upside will be realized in a short period. Loeb isn't necessary a long-term investor, rather an opportunist. So the question remains whether he'll treat this like a short-term investment, as was the case with Yahoo, or an ultra-short-term investment, like his stake in Herbalife (NYSE: HLF).
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