Top US Companies To Own For 2015

Barrick Gold (ABX) released disappointing second quarter results. The company�� shares fell amid a loss in the second quarter. The main reason for this decline was a weaker gold price and lower gold and copper sales volume. The company is worried about its weak performance. It is taking measures to improve its profitability. Barrick Gold has also cut its cost forecast for the future due to a decline in the gold prices.

It is focusing on cutting costs and selling assets. However, the situation is bad for the gold miner. Let us have a look if Barrick Gold�� newly appointed management has anything new and innovative in their pockets which can improve its performance.

How is Barrick Gold doing?

Barrick Gold�� quarterly revenue fell 24% to $2.43 billion. This could not meet the analyst�� estimates and fell slightly short of the $2.47 billion. The loss that the company posted also included an impairment charge of $514 million related to its Jabal Sayid project. On the earnings front, Barrick Gold earned $0.14 per share. It also failed to meet analyst�� estimates who were modeling the EPS to be $0.16.

Top US Companies To Own For 2015: Cintas Corp (CTAS)

Cintas Corporation (Cintas), incorporated November 13, 1986, provides specialized products and services to businesses of all types throughout the North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. The Company operates in four segments: Rental Uniforms and Ancillary Products, Uniform Direct Sales, First Aid, Safety and Fire Protection Services, and Document Management Services. As of May 31, 2013, the Company provided products and services to over one million businesses. As of May 31, 2013, Cintas had approximately 8,200 local delivery routes, 446 operational facilities and eight distribution centers.

The Rental Uniforms and Ancillary Products operating segment consists of the rental and servicing of uniforms and other garments including flame resistant clothing, mats, mops and shop towels and other ancillary items. In addition to these rental items, restroom cleaning services and supplies and carpet and tile cleaning services are also provided within this operating segment. The Uniform Direct Sales operating segment consists of the direct sale of uniforms and related items and branded promotional products. The First Aid, Safety and Fire Protection Services operating segment consists of first aid, safety and fire protection products and services. The Document Management Services operating segment consists of document destruction, document imaging and document retention services.

Within the Rental Uniforms and Ancillary Products operating segment, Cintas provides its products and services to customers via local delivery routes originating from rental processing plants and branches. Within the Uniform Direct Sales and First Aid, Safety and Fire Protection Services operating segments, Cintas provides its products and services via its distribution network and local delivery routes or local representatives. Within the Document Management Services operating segment, Cintas provides its services via local service routes originating from document management branches and document retent! ion facilities. The Company operates five manufacturing facilities, which provide for standard uniform needs.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sure Dividend]

  In Part 29 of the 54 part Dividend Aristocrats In Focus series, I take a closer look at corporate uniform provider Cintas (CTAS). Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate uniform plans. The company also sells various business products including restroom supplies, fire protection and first aid products as well as document management and safety services. The company went public in 1983 and has increased its dividend each year since that time, for a streak of 31 consecutive years with increasing dividends. Cintas has a market cap of $8.3 billion, making it smaller than many of the other Dividend Aristocrats previously analyzed. The company�� business operations are detailed below.

• [By Damian Illia]

  As we can see, the firm has a higher ROE than Amrep Corporation (AXR) but is well below the one registered by US Ecology Inc. (ECOL) and Cintas Corporation (CTAS).

Top US Companies To Own For 2015: Tyson Foods Inc.(TSN)

Tyson Foods, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and marketing of chicken, beef, pork, and prepared food products, as well as related allied products worldwide. The company?s Chicken segment involves in breeding and raising chickens, as well as processing live chickens into fresh, frozen, and value-added chicken products. Its Beef segment processes live fed cattle and fabricates dressed beef carcasses into primal and sub-primal meat cuts and case-ready products The company?s Pork segment involves in the processing live market hogs; and fabricating pork carcasses into primal and sub-primal cuts and case-ready products. Its Prepared Foods segment manufactures and markets frozen and refrigerated food products comprising pepperoni, bacon, beef and pork pizza toppings, pizza crusts, flour and corn tortilla products, appetizers, prepared meals, ethnic foods, soups, sauces, side dishes, meat dishes, and processed meats. The company mark ets and sells its products to grocery retailers, grocery wholesalers, meat distributors, warehouse club stores, military commissaries, industrial food processing companies, chain restaurants or their distributors, international export companies, and domestic distributors, as well as to foodservice operations, such as plant and school cafeterias, convenience stores, hospitals, and other vendors. Tyson Foods, Inc. also offers its allied products to the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and technical products, as well as to pork processors. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sue Chang]

  Tyson Foods (TSN) �is likely to post fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of 70 cents a share. ��e expect substantial margin gains ahead as this lower corn input environment continues. In our opinion, this is the best shape the company has been in for 15 years,��Timothy Ramey, an analyst at D. A. Davidson & Co., said in a note published earlier this week. He rates the stock at a buy with a price target of $40.

• [By Arturo Cuevas]

  It looks like you and I will be eating more chicken this 2014. Retail beef prices remain at record highs, and we consumers will likely be driven more toward comparatively cheaper chicken meat in 2014. Given this trend, loading up on shares of Sanderson Farms (NASDAQ: SAFM  ) , Pilgrim's Pride (NASDAQ: PPC  ) , and�Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN  ) �should be worth considering.

5 Best Undervalued Stocks To Buy Right Now: Citigroup Inc.(C)

Citigroup, Inc., a global financial services company, provides consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a range of financial products and services. The company operates through two segments, Citicorp and Citi Holdings. The Citicorp segment operates as a global bank for businesses and consumers with two primary businesses, Regional Consumer Banking and Institutional Clients Group. The Regional Consumer Banking business provides traditional banking services, including retail banking, and branded cards in North America, Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Institutional Clients Group business provides securities and banking services comprising investment banking and advisory services, lending, debt and equity sales and trading, institutional brokerage, foreign exchange, structured products, cash instruments and related derivatives, and private banking; and transaction services consisting of treasury and trade solutions, and securiti es and fund services. The Citi Holdings segment operates Brokerage and Asset Management, Local Consumer Lending, and Special Asset Pool businesses. The Brokerage and Asset Management Business, through its 49% stake in Morgan Stanley Smith Barney joint venture and Nikko Cordial Securities, offers retail brokerage and asset management services. The Local Consumer Lending business provides residential mortgage loans, retail partner card loans, personal loans, commercial real estate, and other consumer loans, as well as western European cards and retail banking services. The Special Asset Pool business is a portfolio of securities, loans, and other assets. Citigroup Inc. has approximately 200 million customer accounts and operates in approximately 160 countries. The company was founded in 1812 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Hanson]

  On Wednesday morning, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) will report first-quarter earnings. It is the last of the four biggest U.S. banks to report. Last week, investors were not overly impressed with the earnings from Wells Fargo�and JPMorgan Chase�as mortgage revenue fell. On the other hand, the market reacted quite positively to results reported by Citigroup� (NYSE: C  ) . So, the question is: Where does this leave B of A investors?

• [By Alexander MacLennan]

  Less than six years ago, Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) took a $45 billion bailout as the government worked to prop up the unstable financial giant. In stark contrast, today's Citigroup is in turnaround mode as it's once again reporting billions in annual earnings. But here are ways beyond its common stock to invest in Citigroup, which is right for you? Well, it really depends on what type of investor you are.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  One problem holding the Dow back from a recovery involves renewed concerns about long-running scandals. For instance, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) leads the Dow's decliners with a 2.7% drop as banking regulators consider doubling the minimum capital requirements for it and several other large banks. The move could force B of A, Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) , and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM  ) to stop paying dividends until their capital reserves rise enough to meet the new standards. Further, given reports that one investigator has found that mortgage-servicing companies have provided inaccurate information to the financial institutions that act as trustees for mortgage-bond investors, banks that have already suffered greatly from billions of dollars in lawsuit settlements could potentially see further hits. Citigroup has fallen the most of the three, down 3.6%, while JPMorgan's loss is minimal at 0.8%.

• [By Teresa Rivas]

  Citigroup (C) was gaining ground again Tuesday, following its Monday rally on better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, thanks to an upgrade from Sanford Bernstein.

  Analyst John McDonald and his team upped their rating on the stock to Outperform from Market Perform, and increased their target price by $5 to $57. They write that the move comes as they have increased confidence in Citi�� ability to improve core efficiency and get on track to achieve a 0.9% return on assets��nd on their belief that the firm has addressed the Fed�� concerns, which puts it on the path to increasing the amount of cash it returns to shareholders.

  They note that investors will need some patience to see all this happen, but see downside limited by growing book value and the company’s modest valuation. They applaud Citi�� upbeat first-quarter, which they believe demonstrated ��rogress on core expense controls, largely stable credit (ex-known items in Mexico), and continued growth in capital levels and book value per share.��/p>

  Read more highlights from the note below:

  Credit costs decline sequentially on lower losses and steady reserve release. Citigroup’s provision declined by ~$100m q/q to $1.97b due to a decline in net charge-offs by roughly the same amount, as reserve release remained flattish to slightly up vs. last quarter. Adjusting for charges in 1Q related to the� PEMEX Mexico supplier fraud and a 4Q change in loss treatments at CitiFinancial and Mortgage, NCOs declined 4% q/q to $2.28b mostly on improved mortgage losses in Holdings, while Citicorp losses increased slightly on LatAm portfolio growth and seasoning. Consolidated net reserve releases of $646m remained steady q/q, with Citicorp’s net reserve release of $320m coming in bigger than expected on a ~$200m release from N.A. consumer (card). Looking ahead, we model some additional room for consolidated NCOs to fall further, driven by US mortgages, partially offset by

Top US Companies To Own For 2015: Quanex Building Products Corporation(NX)

Quanex Building Products Corporation provides engineered products and aluminum sheet products. Its Engineered Products segment produces window and door components for original equipment manufacturers that primarily serve the residential construction and remodeling markets. This segment?s products consist of insulating glass spacer/sealant systems, thin film solar panel sealants, window and patio door screens, aluminum cladding and other roll formed metal window components, thresholds and astragals, moldings, residential exterior products, engineered vinyl and composite patio doors, window profiles and custom window grilles, and trim and architectural moldings in various woods primarily for the home improvement and residential construction markets. The company?s Aluminum Sheet Products segment includes reducing reroll coil to specific gauge, annealing, slitting, and custom coating. This segment?s products are used in customer end-use applications comprising window screen fr ames and screens, exterior home trim, fascias, roof edgings, soffits, downspouts, and gutters in the building and construction markets, as well as capital goods and transportation markets. The company offers its products to original equipment manufacturers and distributors through direct and indirect sales groups primarily in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Asia, and Europe. Quanex Building Products Corporation is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  On Tuesday, Ingersoll named Quanex Building Products (NYSE: NX  ) CEO David�D. Petratis as the new chairman, president, and CEO of its soon-to-spin-off Allegion subsidiary. Petratis has served as chairman, president, and CEO of Houston-based Quanex since July 2008.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Quanex Building Products (NYSE: NX  ) reported earnings on June 7. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended April 30 (Q2), Quanex Building Products beat expectations on revenues and missed expectations on earnings per share.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Quanex Building Products (NYSE: NX  ) .

Top US Companies To Own For 2015: InnerWorkings Inc (INWK)

InnerWorkings, Inc. (InnerWorkings), incorporated on September 26, 2001, is a provider of global print management and promotional solutions to corporate clients across a ranges of industries. The Company's software applications and database create a solution that stores, analyzes and tracks the production capabilities of the Company's supplier network, as well as quote and price data for print jobs. The Company offers a range of print, fulfillment and logistics services. The Company procures printed products for clients across a range of industries, such as retail, financial services, hospitality, non-profits, healthcare, food and beverage, broadcasting and cable, education, transportation and utilities. Utilizing the Company's technology and database, the Company provides its clients a global solution to procure and delivers printed products. In March 2013, InnerWorkings Inc acquired DB Studios. In August 2013, InnerWorkings Inc. acquired Professional Packaging Services Ltd. In July 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired EYELEVEL, a global provider of permanent retail displays and store fixtures.

The Company's network of more than 10,000 global suppliers offers a range of printed products and a full range of print, fulfillment and logistics services. The Company's technology is a solution that stores equipment profiles for the Company's supplier network and price data for jobs the Company quotes and executes. The Company's technology allows the Company to match print jobs with the suppliers in the Company's network that are optimally suited to produce a job. The Company's technology also allows the Company to efficiently manage the critical aspects of the print procurement process, including gathering job specifications, identifying suppliers, establishing pricing, managing print production and coordinating purchase and delivery of the finished product.

The Company's database stores the production capabilities of the Company's supplier network, as well as price and! quote data for bids the Company receives and transactions the Company executes. The Company's solution automatically generates customized data entry screens based on product type and guides the production manager to enter the required job specifications. The Company's solution reconciles supplier invoices to executed print orders to ensure the supplier adhered to the pricing and other terms contained in the print order. In addition, it includes checks and balances that allow the Company to monitor important financial indicators relating to a print order, such as projected gross margin and job alterations.

The Company's solution generates transaction reports that contain quote, supplier capability, price and customer service information regarding the print jobs the client has completed with the Company. The Company's solution creates a work order checklist that sends e-mail reminders to the Company's production managers regarding the time elapsed between certain milestones and the completion of specified deliverables. These automated notifications enable the Company's production managers to focus on more critical aspects of the print process and eliminate delays. Some of the Company's clients provided the Company with pricing data for print jobs they completed before they began to use its solution. The Company procures printed products for corporate clients across a range of industries, such as retail, publishing, financial services, hospitality, non-profits, healthcare, food and beverage, broadcasting and cable, education, transportation and utilities.

The Company offers a range of print, fulfillment and logistics services in more than 60 different print categories, which allows the Company to procure printed products on virtually any substrate. The printed products the Company procures for its clients may is printed with any of the eight types of printing, which include offset sheet-fed, Web offset, digital offset, letterpress, screen printing, waterless, flexography and grav! ure, as w! ell as several forms of specialty printing. The Company offers a range of fulfillment and logistics services, such as kitting and assembly, inventories management and pre-sorting postage. These services are often essential to the completion of the finished product. The Company also provides creative services, including copywriting, graphics and Website design, identity work and marketing collateral development, and pre-media services, such as image and print-ready page processing and proofing capabilities.

The Company's eStores empower the Company's clients with branded self-service ecommerce Websites that prompt quick and easy online ordering, fulfillment, tracking and reporting.The Company's network of more than 10,000 global suppliers includes printers, graphic designers, paper mills and merchants, digital imaging companies, specialty binders, finishing and engraving firms and fulfillment and distribution centers.

The Company competes with Williams Lea, Logisource, Cirqit and Noosh.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Trainer]

  
  For examples of large investment firms propping up stock prices and fueling large moves, see my recent Danger Zone articles on InnerWorkings (NASDAQ: INWK) and Tangoe (NASDAQ: TNGO). Both stocks had heavy institutional ownership and rapid upward price moves driven by Wall Street propaganda and momentum traders. Soon after we revealed how disconnected the price moves were from the companies’ fundamentals the stocks fell 30+%.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another stock that insiders are loading up on here is InnerWorkings (INWK), which is a provider of managed print and promotional procurement solutions to corporate clients across a range of industries. Insiders are buying this stock into significant weakness, since shares are off by 49% so far in 2013.

  InnerWorkings has a market cap of $357 million and an enterprise value of $425 million. This stock trades at a fair valuation, with a trailing price-to-earnings of 23.20 and a forward price-to-earnings of 23.20. Its estimated growth rate for this year is -75.6%, and for next year it's pegged at 200%. This is not a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $19.22 million and its total debt is $91.50 million.

  A beneficial owner just bought 32,000 shares, or about $214,000 worth of stock, at $6.69 to per share. That same beneficial owner also just bought 108,700 shares, or about $727,000 worth of stock, at $6.69 to $6.70 per share.

  From a technical perspective, INWK is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bearish. This stock gapped down sharply in November from $9.75 to $5.54 a share with heavy downside volume. Following that gap down, shares of INWK have reversed its bearish trend and entered an uptrend, with the stock moving higher from its low of $5.54 to $7.21 a share. That move has now pushed shares of INWK within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

  If you're bullish on INWK, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above some key near-term support at $6.42 and then once it breaks out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $7.07 to $7.21 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 530,297 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then INWK will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from Novembe

• [By Monica Gerson]

  InnerWorkings (NASDAQ: INWK) shares dipped 34.83% to touch a new 52-week low of $6.19 after the company reported downbeat Q3 results and issued a weak FY13 outlook.

Top US Companies To Own For 2015: Liberty Global Inc.(LBTYA)

Liberty Global, Inc. provides video, broadband Internet, and telephony services primarily in Europe and Chile. The company offers broadband services over cable distribution systems, including video, broadband Internet, and telephony; and video services through direct-to-home satellite, or through multichannel multipoint distribution systems. Its analog video services comprise basic and expanded basic programming; and digital cable services include basic and premium programming, digital video recorders, and high definition programming, as well as pay-per-view programming, such as video-on-demand and near video-on-demand. In addition, the company offers voice-over-Internet-protocol and circuit-switched telephony services, as well as mobile telephony services using third-party networks. Further, it owns programming networks that provide video programming channels to multi-channel distribution systems owned by the company and the third parties. As of December 31, 2011, the com pany owned and operated networks that passed 33,262,100 homes; and served 18,405,500 video subscribers, 8,159,300 broadband Internet subscribers, and 6,225,300 telephony subscribers. Liberty Global, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is based in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amy Thomson]

  Vodafone has already expanded beyond wireless service, and in June beat John Malone�� Liberty Global (LBTYA) Plc to take over Germany�� Kabel Deutschland Holding AG. (KD8) Vodafone and Verizon accelerated talks on the stake sale after the Kabel Deutschland offer, which put additional pressure on the British company�� finances, a person familiar with the matter said.

• [By GuruFocus]

  Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) added to his holdings in Wal-Mart Stores Inc by 17.32%. His purchase prices were between $72.66 and $78.91, with an estimated average price of $75.43. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 0.62%. His holdings were 58,052,412 shares as of 03/31/2014.

  Added: Liberty Global PLC (LBTYA)

  Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) added to his holdings in Liberty Global PLC by 149.19%. His purchase prices were between $40.36 and $45.96, with an estimated average price of $43.34. The impact to his portfolio due to this purchase was 0.17%. His holdings were 7,346,968 shares as of 03/31/2014.

• [By Sam Robson]

  LONDON -- In the latest edition of this long-running story, it has been suggested that�Vodafone� (LSE: VOD  ) (NASDAQ: VOD  ) could use a substantial amount of the money it would receive from selling its stake in Verizon Wireless to fund a takeover of�Liberty Global� (NASDAQ: LBTYA  ) .

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Breaking news

  Loews (NYSE: L) reported a 59% rise in its third-quarter earnings. Loews posted a quarterly profit of $282 million, or $0.73 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $177 million, or $0.45 per share. To read the full news, click here. BankUnited (NYSE: BKU) announced today the commencement of an underwritten offering of 9,000,000 shares of its common stock by certain of its existing stockholders, subject to market and other conditions. To read the full news, click here. Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA) announced today an agreement to sell substantially all of its international content division Chellomedia to AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX).To read the full news, click here. Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: MYGN) today announced that validation data for the Myriad myPlan Lung Cancer test showed that it significantly predicted patients' risk of death from early-stage lung adenocarcinoma within five years of being diagnosed. To read the full news, click here.

  Posted-In: Bank of America US Stock FuturesNews Eurozone Futures Global Pre-Market Outlook Markets

Top US Companies To Own For 2015: Maximus Inc (MMS)

MAXIMUS, Inc., incorporated on October 18, 2007, provides business process services (BPS) to government health and human services agencies under its mission of Helping Government Serve the People. The Company is primarily focused on operating government-sponsored programs, such as Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), health insurance exchanges and other health care reform initiatives, Medicare, welfare-to-work, child support services and other government programs.

The Company is one of the pure-play health and human services administrative providers to governments in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The Company�� segments include Health Services and Human Services. Effective July 1, 2013, MAXIMUS, Inc. acquired Health Management Ltd.

Health Services Segment

The Company's Health Services segment provides a variety of business process services, as well as related consulting services, for state, provincial and federal government programs, including Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicare, the Affordable Care Act and Health Insurance BC (British Columbia). In this segment, the Company's BPS and consulting services include government health insurance program administration; Health insurance program eligibility and enrollment services to improve access to health care for citizens and help beneficiaries make the best choice for their health insurance coverage; Eligibility and enrollment modernization for government health benefit programs; Health insurance exchange design and operations; Consumer outreach and education, including multilingual customer contact centers and multi-channel self-service options, such as Web-based portals, for easy enrollment; Application assistance and independent enrollment counseling to beneficiaries; Premium payment processing and administration, such as invoicing and reconciliation; Objective, evidence-based health appeals; Independent medical! reviews; Health plan oversight; eHealth solutions with the Medigent product suite; Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) planning and oversight, and Specialized program consulting services.

Human Services Segment

The Company's Human Services segment provides federal, national, state and county human services agencies with a variety of business process services, as well as related consulting services for welfare-to-work, child support, higher education and K-12 special education programs. The Company's services include welfare-to-work services, including eligibility determination, case management, job-readiness preparation, job search and employer outreach, job retention and career advancement, and selected educational and training services, to help disadvantaged individuals transition from government assistance programs to sustainable employment and economic independence; Full and specialized child support case management services, customer contact center operations, and program and systems consulting services; Management tools and professional consulting services for higher education institutions; K-12 special education case management solutions; Program consulting services, including independent verification and validation, cost allocation plans, repeatable management services and other specialized consulting offerings, and Tax credit and employer services.

The Company competes with Serco, Atos Origin and Ingeus.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Caroline Bennett]

  Government health services company Maximus (NYSE: MMS  ) has declared a quarterly dividend to be paid on Nov. 29 to investors of record as of Nov. 15.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Iron Mountain have fallen 2.3% to $25.72 today, while comparable have been mixed. Leidos Holdings (LDOS) has ticked up 0.6% to $46.28 and Amdocs (DOX) has risen 0.8% to $37.20. Maximus (MMS), on the other hand, has fallen 1.2% to $46.22 and Xerox (XRX) is off 0.3% to $10.62.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Tuesday

  Earnings Expected From: Five Star Quality Care, Inc. (NYSE: FVE), Maximus, Inc. (NYSE: MMS), Nustar Energy (NYSE: NS), D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE: DHI), DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) Economic Releases Expected: German CPI, British CPI, British PPI, US Redbook, Indian manufacturing output, Indian industrial production

  Wednesday

• [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.

Top US Companies To Own For 2015: Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS)

Universal Health Services, Inc., through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, behavioral health centers, surgical hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and radiation oncology centers. The company�s hospitals offer various services comprising general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic care, coronary care, pediatric services, pharmacy services, and/or behavioral health services. As of February 24, 2012, it owned and/or operated 25 acute care hospitals and 198 behavioral health centers located in 36 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as Washington, D.C. The company also operates six surgical hospitals, and surgery and radiation oncology centers located in four states and Puerto Rico. Universal Health Services, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Hospital chain operator�Universal Health Services� (NYSE: UHS  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.05 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2010.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Tenets plunge has helped drag other healthcare stocks lower.�Community Health (CYH) has dropped 3.6% to $42.21,�HCA Holdings (HCA) has fallen 2.1% to $46.72 and�Universal Health Services�(UHS) is off 1% at $80.59.

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS  )
  King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services�operates acute-care hospitals and behavioral health centers in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands.The company books more than $7 billion in annual revenue, and has grown its quarterly earnings more than 220% over the last five years.�

Top US Companies To Own For 2015: Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (MMC)

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., a professional services company, provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy, and human capital. It operates in two segments, Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting. The Risk and Insurance Services segment provides risk management and insurance broking, reinsurance broking, and insurance program management services for businesses, public entities, insurance companies, associations, professional services organizations, and private clients. The Consulting segment offers advice and services to the managements of organizations in the area of human resource consulting, comprising retirement and investments, health and benefits, outsourcing and talent; and strategy and risk management consulting, such as management, economic, and brand consulting. The company also provides investment consulting services for endowments and foundations in the United States; health and benefit recordkeeping, and employee enrollment technology; human resource knowledge, data, and solutions for professionals in various industries; and Medicaid policy consulting services. It principally serves customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific, and Continental Europe. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  Flourishing
  While the federal Obamacare exchanges flail, private health insurance exchanges are flourishing. For example,�Mercer, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC  ) ,�announced in April that several large insurers -- including Aetna, Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare -- would be part of its Mercer Marketplace private exchange. Mercer Marketplace allows employers to contribute a defined amount for its employees to use on health coverage. Employees use the system to shop around for the insurance plans that best meet their needs.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Progressive (PGR) was downgraded from Strong Buy to Market Perform at Raymond James, while Marsh & McLennan (MMC) was cut to Outperform from Strong Buy.

• [By Reuters]

  Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images NEW YORK -- Walgreen is moving 120,000 employees to a private health insurance exchange from coverage provided directly from carriers, the company will announce Wednesday. The pharmacy chain will join 17 other large employers on the Aon Hewitt Corporate Health Exchange as part of a growing movement to offer employees fixed dollar amounts to purchase their own plans on such exchanges. The end-cost to employees depends on the plan chosen, but they typically get more options than under traditional arrangements. Private exchanges mimic the coverage mandated as part of the Affordable Care Act. Enrollment in the public exchanges starts Oct. 1. "What happens to employer contributions over time? Will they put in as much as they put in the past? These are unanswered questions but potential negatives," says Paul Fronstin, a senior research associate with the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The benefit to Walgreen and other employers is unknown at this point, as their cost-savings aren't clear. Of the 180,000 Walgreen (WAG) employees eligible for health care insurance, 120,000 opted for coverage for themselves and 40,000 family members. Another 60,000 employees, many of them working part-time, weren't eligible for health insurance. Aon Hewitt (AON) says other participants in its program include retailer Sears Holding (SHLD) and Darden Restaurants (DRI). These new additions raise enrollment to 330,000 from 100,000 last year, and Aon Hewitt estimates enrollment will jump to 600,000 next year, a fivefold increase from 2012. By 2017, nearly 20 percent of employees nationwide could get their health insurance through a private exchange, according to Accenture Research (ACN). A recent report by the National Business Group on Health said that 30 percent of large employers are considering moving active employees to exchanges by 2015. Other major providers of private exchanges include Mercer, a division of Marsh & Mc

• [By Christina Rexrode]

  Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc. (MMC) and MetLife Inc. (MET) have been rising since those companies reported earnings earlier this week.