Sin stocks aren’t a favorite of every investor for moral reasons, which we totally get, cautions dividend expert Kelley Wright, editor of Investment Quality Trends.
If you are simply interested in a consistent business with good growth prospects and an attractive dividend yield, however, then Philip Morris International (PM) is sinfully attractive.
This is a pretty simple business to understand; a tobacco company that sells cigarettes and other tobacco products.
PM markets and sells its products in approximately 180 countries in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Canada, which provides a lot of geographic diversification.
Its economic internals are very strong, with a high rate of return on invested capital, free cash flow and free cash flow yield.
PM offers excellent value when its dividend yield is 5% or higher. Based on the current cash dividend of $4.16 that equates to a stock price of $83 per share.
dow jones stock market: PetroChina Company Limited(PTR)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Money Morning News Team]
PetroChina Co. Ltd. (NYSE ADR: PTR) is China’s largest oil company with a market cap of $216.52 billion. PTR is partially owned by the Chinese government.
dow jones stock market: Affimed N.V.(AFMD)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Lisa Levin]
Shares of Affimed NV (NASDAQ: AFMD) were down around 21 percent to $1.70. Affimed priced its public offering of 10,000,000 of its common shares at $1.80 per common share.
dow jones stock market: Maximus, Inc.(MMS)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Michael Flannelly]
Analysts at Jefferies initiated coverage on business process services provider Maximus Inc. (MMS) late on Thursday, giving the stock a bullish rating because it has several competitive advantages and should benefit from the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
The analysts rate MMS as “Buy” and see shares reaching $47. This price target suggests a 20% upside to the stock’s Thursday closing price of $39.14.
“MMS is a leading government outsourced contractor that produces consistently strong results,” Jefferies analyst David Styblo commented. “The company has several competitive advantages and is highly focused on health and human service projects. This positions MMS to enjoy multi-year growth from the ACA and other opportunities with limited risk. The company’s predictable business model, solid balance sheet, and EPS visibility into FY2014 also support a Buy and $47 PT.”
Maximus shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Friday. The stock is up 23.83% year-to-date.
dow jones stock market: White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd.(WTM)
Advisors’ Opinion:
- [By Ashley Moore]
Here is a table of the 10 most expensive stocks trading on U.S. markets today:
Company (Ticker)Price per ShareMarket CapBerkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A)$ 257,227.52$ 419.50 billionSeaboard Corp. (NYSEMKT: SEB)$ 3,760.00$ 4.48 billionNVR Inc. (NYSE: NVR)$ 1,944.23$ 7.19 billionThe Priceline Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PCLN)$ 1,727.94$ 80.82 billionMarkel Corp. (NYSE: MKL)$ 978.51$ 13.78 billionWhite Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. (NYSE: WTM)$ 935.01$ 4.25 billionAmazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN)$ 846.08$ 408.27 billionAlphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOGL)$ 844.06$ 582.85 billionAutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO)$ 744.26$ 21.04 billionIntuitive Surgical Inc. (Nasdaq: ISRG)$ 735.63$ 28.41 billion
- [By Money Morning News Team]
Most Expensive Stocks No. 6: White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd.
The sixth most expensive stock you can buy is Bermuda-based White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. (NYSE: WTM). The insurance company currently trades at $826.04 a share.
