While inflation in the United States remains subdued overall, there are some goods and services which have experienced exponential price growth over the past several years, not the least of which is health care.
Data from the World Health Organization shows that our annual per capita health care spending runs at just more than $8,600. That amounts to more than 17 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) with direct spending of $3.8 trillion last year. If you also factor in indirect costs as well as salaries and benefits for health care workers, the US health care sector generates about $5 trillion worth of economic activity.
Given the sheer size of the health care industry and that spending is likely only to grow as our population ages, health care inflation is a closely watched metric by economists and policymakers. In the three decades before the Great Recession, health care inflation outpaced overall price increases largely because consumers had little incentive to comparison shop. Low co-pays across a relatively large pool of insured patients meant that most health care consumers simply opted for the most convenient options rather than looking for the cheapest ones.
Hot Construction Material Stocks To Invest In 2015: CAI International Inc (CAP)
CAI International, Inc., incorporated on January 30, 2007, is a equipment leasing and management company, operating primarily in the international intermodal marine cargo container leasing business. The Company also owns a fleet of railcars, which it leases in North America. The Company operates in two segments: equipment leasing and equipment management. The equipment leasing segment specializes primarily in the ownership and leasing of intermodal containers, while the equipment management segment manages equipment for third-party investors. The Company leases its equipment principally to international container shipping lines located throughout the world. The Company sells equipment primarily to third-party investor groups and provides management services to those investors in return for a management fee.
The equipment leasing segment derives its revenue primarily from the ownership and leasing of containers to container shipping lines and freight forwarders. The equipment management segment derives its revenue from management fees earned from portfolios of equipment and associated leases which are managed on behalf of third-party investors. As of March 31, 2013, our fleet consisted of 1,091,117 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers and 1,453 railcars.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sarah Jones]
SAP AG (SAP) climbed 1.2 percent to 57.36 euros and Cap Gemini SA (CAP) gained 1.8 percent to 39.95 euros as peer Infosys Ltd. surged the most in six months in Mumbai trading after first-quarter profit rose and the company�� sales forecast in dollar terms beat analyst estimates.
Top 5 Cheapest Stocks To Buy For 2014: John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc.(JBSS)
John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. engages in the processing and marketing of tree nuts and peanuts in the United States. It offers raw and processed nuts, including peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, filberts, cashews, English walnuts, black walnuts, pine nuts, and macadamia nuts. The company provides nut products in various styles and seasonings, such as natural, blanched, oil roasted, dry roasted, unsalted, honey roasted, flavored, spicy, butter toffee, praline, and cinnamon toasted. It also offers peanut butter; food and snack products comprising snack mixes, salad toppings, natural snacks, trail mixes, dried fruit, and chocolate and yogurt coated products; baking ingredients; bulk food products; sunflower seeds, almond butter, sesame sticks, and other sesame snack products; and toppings for ice cream and yogurt. The company provides its products under various private labels, as well as under the Fisher, Orchard Valley Harvest, and Sunshine Country brand na mes. John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. markets its products through its own sales department, a network of independent brokers, and various independent distributors and suppliers to retailers and wholesalers, as well as to industrial, food service, and contract packaging customers. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Elgin, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Garrett Cook]
Non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares rose by 0.04 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included John B Sanfilippo & Son (NASDAQ: JBSS), up 3.3 percent, and Blyth (NYSE: BTH), up 3.1 percent.
Top 5 Cheapest Stocks To Buy For 2014: Calix Inc(CALX)
Calix, Inc. provides broadband communications access systems and software for fiber and copper-based network architectures that enable communications service providers (CSPs) to connect to their residential and business subscribers. The company?s Unified Access portfolio comprises hardware and software products, which include C-Series platform, and E-Series platforms and nodes. The C-Series platform is a C7 multiservice and multiprotocol access platform that supports various basic voice and data services, as well as advanced, high-speed, and packet-based services, including gigabit Ethernet, GPON and DSL, and advanced applications, such as IPTV offered by CSPs. The E-Series platforms and nodes consist of chassis-based platforms, and fixed form factor nodes that support various advanced IP-based services, and enable CSPs to implement advanced Ethernet transport and aggregation; and voice, data, and video services over fiber and copper-based network architectures. The compan y?s Unified Access portfolio also includes P-Series Optical Network Terminals, which auto-detect the bandwidth of the network and enable CSPs to change line rates and features without truck rolls or hardware replacements; and Calix Management System, a server-based network management software, which enables CSPs to remotely manage their access networks and scale bandwidth capacity to support advanced broadband services and video. Calix, Inc. markets its access systems and software to CSPs in North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America directly. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Petaluma, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Steve Symington]
What:�Shares of Calix (NYSE: CALX ) dropped more than 30% during intraday trading Wednesday after the communications equipment supplier reported mixed third-quarter results and weak forward guidance.
Top 5 Cheapest Stocks To Buy For 2014: IBERIABANK Corporation (IBKC)
IBERIABANK Corporation operates as the holding company for IBERIABANK that provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States. It offers a range of commercial, consumer, mortgage, and private banking products and services; cash management services; deposit and annuity products; and investment brokerage services. The company, through its subsidiaries, also engages in financial services-related activities, including brokerage services and sales of variable annuities, life, health, dental, and accident insurance products. In addition, it offers various title insurance and loan closing services for residential and commercial customers; family residential mortgage loans; equity research, institutional sales and trading, and corporate finance services; and wealth management and trust services to high net worth individuals, pension funds, corporations, and trusts, as well as invests in an aircraft and purchased tax credits. As of February 25, 2013, the company had 278 combined offices, including 184 bank branch offices in Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas; 21 title insurance offices in Arkansas and Louisiana; and mortgage representatives in 62 locations in 12 states. IBERIABANK Corporation was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. Avg. High Yield Price
2. 20-Year DCF Price
3. Avg. P/E Price
4. Graham Number
CTBI is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 53.5% premium to its calculated fair value of $29.43. CTBI did not earn any Stars in this section.
Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. Free Cash Flow Payout
2. Debt To Total Capital
3. Key Metrics
4. Dividend Growth Rate
5. Years of Div. Growth
6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%
CTBI earned one Star in this section for 1.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1988 and has increased its dividend payments for 33 consecutive years.
Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
1. NPV MMA Diff.
2. Years to > MMA
The negative NPV MMA Diff. means that on a NPV basis the dividend earnings from an investment in CTBI would be less than a similar amount invested in MMA earning a 20-year average rate of 3.41%. If CTBI grows its dividend at 1.5% per year, it will never equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.41%.
Memberships and Peers: CTBI is, a member of the Broad Dividend Achieve
No comments:
Post a Comment