Top Low Price Stocks To Own Right Now

The discount retailer is facing stiff competition from cheaper and cooler online players.

(Money Magazine) For years the Minneapolis-based discounter used a mix of low prices and playful style to make big-box bargain shopping cool. That allowed "Tarjay" to hold its own against the 800-pound gorilla, Wal-Mart.

Lately, though, the chain finds itself in a struggle. Target (TGT, Fortune 500) may have bitten off more than it can chew by following Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) into the slow-growing, low-margin grocery business. Meanwhile, competition from cheaper, cooler online players like Amazon.com (AMZN, Fortune 500) is heating up. Some investors, though, think the retailer's stock itself is now looking like a bargain.

Amazon's price war Forget Wal-Mart. Target faces stiff competition from Amazon.com. Amazon discount Competition 7.7% cheaper Target 6.3% cheaper chain-store average 2.7% cheaper Wal-Mart NOTE: Discount based on basket of goods before tax.
SOURCES: William Blair, company filings, Bloomberg

A tougher price war

Top 5 Restaurant Stocks To Watch For 2015: Watsco Inc.(WSO)

Watsco, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration equipment in the United States. It distributes residential central air conditioners; gas, electric, and oil furnaces; commercial air conditioning and heating equipment and systems; and other specialized equipments. The company also distributes various parts, including replacement compressors, evaporator coils, motors, and other component parts; and supplies comprising thermostats, insulation material, refrigerants, ductwork, grills, registers, sheet metal, tools, copper tubing, concrete pads, tape, adhesives, and other ancillary supplies. It serves approximately 50,000 contractors and dealers that service the replacement and new construction markets. The company also exports its products to Latin America and the Caribbean. Watsco, Inc. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  HVAC parts and components distributor Watsco (WSO) announced a 60% dividend increase to 40 cents per share, payable Oct. 31 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 10.
  WSO Dividend Yield: 1.7%

• [By Greg Williamson]

  A successful HVAC distribution company with great growth potential
  An excellent way to profit from these tailwinds is by investing in Watsco (NYSE: WSO  ) (NYSE: WSO  ) (NYSE: WSO  ) . Watsco is a leading distributor of HVAC equipment, with more than 570 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Watsco also exports products to Latin America and the Caribbean.

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Watsco Inc (WSO), a distributor of air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration equipment, announced early on Wednesday that it is raising its quarterly dividend payout by 60%.

  The company will now pay a quarterly dividend of 40 cents per share, up from the previous payout of 25 cents per share. This dividend will be paid on October 31 to shareholders of record on October 15, with an ex-dividend date of October 10.

  Albert H. Nahmad, Watsco’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer stated, “Our philosophy of sharing cash flow through dividends continues. As we have stated many times in the past, our goal over the long-term is to pay increasing dividends while maintaining a conservative balance sheet with capacity to make investments in our business and build our network. We will consider future increases in light of such investment opportunities, cash flow, general economic conditions and our overall financial condition.��/p>

  Watsco shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Wednesday. The stock is up 25.49% year-to-date.

Top Low Price Stocks To Own Right Now: Intex Resources ASA (ITX)

Intex Resources ASA is a Norway-based mining and exploration company that focuses primarily on mineral and metal deposits. As of 31 December 2011, the Company�� project portfolio consisted of Mindoro Nickel in the Philippines, the Nordli molybdenum project in Norway, the Maniitsoqdiamond project in West Greenland, as well as several grassroots exploration projects. The Company focuses primarily on the Mindoro Nickel nickel-laterite deposit. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a total of four wholly owned subsidiaries, namely Molynor AS, IceFire Diamonds AS, Intex Resources AS and Norex Resources AS. As of December 31, 2011, its largest shareholder was Lybica Holding B.V., which held 21.71% shares. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Inditex SA (ITX) added 3.5 percent to 101.30 euros after reporting a 5.2 percent increase in first-quarter sales to 3.59 billion euros. The world�� biggest clothing retailer also forecast stable profitability even after first-quarter profit advanced at the slowest pace in four years.

Top Low Price Stocks To Own Right Now: Arkema SA (AKE)

Arkema SA is a France-based company which specializes in the manufacture and marketing of chemical products. The Company operates through its two business segments: Industrial Chemicals and Performance Products. The Industrial Chemicals division offers the production of acrylics, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), hydrogen peroxide, fluorochemicals and thiochemicals, and includes such brands as Forane, Albone, Norsocryl, Altuglas and Sarbio. The Performance Products include the production of technical polymers, specialty chemicals and functional additives. The Company's products are used in the construction, automotive and transportation, health, electrical and electronics, agricultural and packaging industries, among others. In April 2013, it acquired a majority stake in AEC Polymers. In October 2013, it inaugurated the new Sumitomo Seika superabsorbent plant on the Carling site, which makes the overall superabsorbent production capacity of the Carling facility up to 47,000 ton/year. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Arkema SA (AKE) added 4.7 percent to 83.93 euros. UBS AG raised its rating on the French chemicals maker to a buy from neutral, saying the stock is undervalued. The firm also boosted its price target to 100 euros from 80 euros.

Top Low Price Stocks To Own Right Now: Fuwei Films(Holdings)

Fuwei Films (Holdings) Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and export of plastic film using the biaxially-oriented stretch technique in China. The company offers its biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BOPET) film under the ?Fuwei Films? brand name primarily for use in flexible packaging, printing, laminating, and aluminum-plating applications, as well as in electrical and electronic uses. Its products include printing base film used in printing and lamination applications; stamping foil base film and transfer base films used for the packaging of luxury items, such as cigarettes and alcohol; metallization film or aluminum plating base film used for vacuum aluminum plating for flexible plastic lamination; high-gloss film used for aesthetically enhanced packaging purposes; and heat-sealable film used for construction, printing, and heat sealable bags making. The company?s products also comprise laser holographic base film used as anti-counterfeit film for food, medicine, cosmetics, cigarettes, and alcohol packaging; dry film used in circuit boards production, and for nameplate and crafts etching; and heat shrinkage film used for special-shaped packaging for alcohol, cans, mineral water, and cleaning products. It exports its products to packaging customers and distributors primarily in Europe, Asia, and North America. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Weifang, China. As of May 1, 2011, Fuwei Films (Holdings) Co., Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Weifang State-owned Assets Operation Administration Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Haigh]

  Among stocks that fell, Yue Yuen Industrial (Holdings) Ltd. (551), a supplier of shoes to Nike Inc. and Adidas AG, sank 12 percent to HK$23.80. The company said its first-quarter results showed a ��ignificant downturn��compared with a year earlier and this could adversely affect interim performance.