Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015

Earlier this year, I singled out Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB  ) as a stock that would likely outperform the S&P 500 index,�especially should the broader market decline. I also praised the company's concentrated business model,�in which it benefits from a narrower business focus than some of its larger consumer goods peers. KMB's first quarter of 2014, reported this week, seemed a middling result: The company managed to increase net income by 1.3% against a one percent decrease in sales. Organic sales for the period rose 4% versus the prior year.�Reviewing a few themes from these earlier two articles in light of the company's first quarter earnings may illuminate Kimberly-Clark's direction for the rest of the year.�

Competition still a concern
In a refreshingly open moment during the company's fourth-quarter 2013 earnings conference call back in January, CEO Tom Falk discussed competitors with candor. While he mentioned a number of aggressive peers, from Georgia Pacific to Japanese conglomerate Unicharm, in the intervening months, it appears that mammoth nemesis Procter & Gamble gained the most ground competitively. On Monday's earnings call, Falk noted that one of its most significant brands, Huggies diapers, lost a couple of points of market share to P&G's Luvs diapers during the quarter. Two days later on its earnings call, P&G touted that it had gained two points of market share in its own baby-care business, stating: "This has led to our largest market share in the past 20 years, enabling us to retake market leadership from Kimberly-Clark."�

Top 10 Prefered Companies To Watch For 2016: Woolworths Ltd (WOW)

Woolworths Limited is an Australia-based company. The Company operates in five segments: Australian Food and Liquor, New Zealand Supermarkets, Petrol, BIG W and Hotels. Australian Food and Liquor segment is engaged in the procurement of food and liquor and products for resale to customers in Australia. New Zealand Supermarkets segment is engaged in the procurement of food and liquor and products for resale to customers in New Zealand. Petrol segment is engaged in the procurement of petroleum products for resale to customers in Australia. BIG W segment is engaged procurement of discount general merchandise products for resale to customers in Australia. Hotels segment is engaged in the provision of leisure and hospitality services, including food and alcohol, accommodation, entertainment and gaming. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Burgos]

  Woolworths Ltd. (WOW) dropped 1.6 percent to A$33.22 after Australia�� largest retailer said challenging economic condition were evident in the second quarter.

Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Perry Ellis International Inc.(PERY)

Perry Ellis International, Inc. engages in designing, sourcing, marketing, and licensing apparel products for men and women in the United States and internationally. The company?s men?s wear offerings include casual sportswear and bottoms, dress shirts and pants, jeans wear, golf apparel, sweaters, sports apparel, swimwear and swim accessories, active wear, outerwear and leather accessories. Its women?s wear offerings comprise dresses, sportswear, and swimwear and swim accessories. The company offers its products under the brand names of Perry Ellis, Axis, Tricots St. Raphael, Jantzen, John Henry, Cubavera, the Havanera Co., Centro, Solero, Natural Issue, Munsingwear, Grand Slam, Original Penguin, Mondo di Marco, Redsand, Pro Player, Manhattan, Axist, Savane, Farah, Gotcha, Girl Star, MCD, Laundry by Shelli Segal, C&C California, Ben Hogan, and Rafaella. It also licenses the Nike brand for swimwear and swimwear accessories; the JAG brand for men?s and women?s swimwear and cover-ups; the Callaway Golf brand and Top-Flite for golf apparel; the PGA TOUR brand, including Champions Tour for golf apparel; and Pierre Cardin for men?s sportswear. The company distributes its products primarily to wholesale customers, including department stores, national and regional chain stores, mass merchants, specialty stores, sporting goods stores, the corporate wear market, and e-commerce, as well as clubs and independent retailers. As of March 2, 2011, it operated 38 Perry Ellis and 3 Original Penguin retail outlet stores primarily in upscale retail outlet malls across the United States and Puerto Rico; 1 Perry Ellis and 1 Cubavera retail store in Miami, Florida; and 7 Original Penguin retail stores in upscale demographic markets in the United States. The company was formerly known as Supreme International Corporation and changed its name to Perry Ellis International, Inc. in June 1999. Perry Ellis International, Inc. was founded in 1967 and is headquarte red in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Perry Ellis International�(PERY) has dropped 20% to $12.60 in pre-open trading after the apparel company blamed bad weather for slashing its full year guidance in less than half.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Perry Ellis International Inc.(PERY) cut its outlook for the fiscal year, citing weakness in its third quarter. The clothing company said revenue was hurt by reduced shipments, primarily due to the reduction of private-label business for the mid-tier channel, as well as reduced sales through its direct retail channel. Shares fell.

• [By Adem Tahiri]

  Perry Ellis International (NASDAQ: PERY  ) is an apparel company that designs, markets, and licenses its brand-name products. The stock has dropped by nearly half this year, and it has sparked the interest of many value investors. Last Thursday, fourth-quarter earnings results beat lowered expectations and gave the stock a small bump.�

Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Kandi Technolgies Corp.(KNDI)

Kandi Technologies Corp., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and commercialization of off-road vehicles, motorcycles, mini-cars, and special automobile related products. Its off-road vehicles include all-terrain vehicles, specialized utility vehicles, and go-karts. The company sells its products through third-party and independent distributors in the People?s Republic of China, Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. Kandi Technologies Corp. is based in Jinhua, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  On Tuesday of this week, yours truly pointed out that based on 2013's final numbers, Green Automotive Co. (OTCMKTS:GACR) - while not yet a threat to names like Kandi Technologies Group Inc. (NASDAQ:KNDI) or Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) - was coming into its own as an electric vehicle company, and whittling away its uncertainty as an investment. Though a perfectly-clear vision of the future wasn't included in the press release detailing last year's results for GACR, the company did say it would be offering guidance for 2014 later this week. Well, today's the day. And, while KNDI and TSLA still don't have anything to worry about in their immediate future, let's just say Green Automotive still have a lot to look forward to in their foreseeable future.

• [By Teresa Rivas]

  Kandi Technologies (KNDI) was soaring 17.5% at recent check as the auto maker announced that the Chinese government will offer subsidies for electric cars.

  The long-awaited policy covers not only pure electric vehicles, but also plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell battery cars, and runs through 2015. According to the report, the government would offer up to RMB 60,000 (approximately USD 9,800) for the purchase of an all-electric passenger vehicle and up to RMB 500,000 (approximately USD 81,700) for the purchase of an electric bus.

  However, the news did little to stop Tesla (TSLA), which was revving toward fresh all-time highs, up more than 5% to $174.78.

  Nor did news Wednesday that Volkswagen plans to have electric vehicles for sale in the U.S. by 2015.

  However, Tesla plans to have its own innovations to offer not long after that year, as CEO Elon Musk said that it is designing a self-driving car that will be available within the next three years. The company is obviously taking aim at Google (GOOG), so far the leader in auto-pilot cars.

  Deutsche Bank boosted its price target for Tesla to $200 yesterday. Also, Northland Securities is making positive comments on the stock today, reports Briefing.com.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Kandi Technologies Group (NASDAQ: KNDI  ) jumped 28% today after the company announced new charging stations.

  So what: The company plans to build 30 "pure EV smart vertical parking and charging facilities" in Hangzhou City by the end of the year. The company plans to then sell 5,000 to 10,000 pure EVs in the city within a year after that -- big plans for a very small company that makes primarily ATVs and go-karts. �

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  To fully appreciate the investment-worthiness of electric vehicles, one only has to look at how well shares of Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) or Kandi Technologies Group Inc. (NASDAQ:KNDI) have done since the technology as well as the motivation to make EVs "work" has been in place. KNDI shares are up more than 200% since the end of 2007, while TSLA shares are up nearly 700% since their IPO in mid-2010. The big moves can't be chalked up to a little volatility either. Both Tesla Motors and Kandi Technologies have electric cars on the road, whereas they didn't before.

Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Joe's Jeans Inc.(JOEZ)

Joe?s Jeans Inc. designs, produces, and sells apparel and apparel-related products worldwide. Its product line comprises women?s and men?s denim jeans, pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets, and other apparel products under the Joe?s brand. The company also offers women?s handbags and clutches, shoes, belts, and leather goods under various license agreements. In addition, it provides children?s products consisting of denim bottoms, tops, T-shirts, and jackets for infants, toddlers, girls, and boys. The company sells its products to various retailers, including department stores, specialty stores, and distributors, as well as through its retail stores; and through the Internet site, joesjeans.com/shop. As of November 30, 2011, it operated 17 outlet stores and 5 full price retail stores. The company was formerly known as Innovo Group Inc. and changed its name to Joe?s Jeans Inc. in October 2007. Joe?s Jeans Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Commerce, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Friday
  Things are usually quiet on Fridays, but that won't stop Joe's Jeans (NASDAQ: JOEZ  ) from reporting. The premium denim specialist should benefit from strong growth in luxury apparel. As the economy continues to bounce back, we're finding fewer people flinching at paying $300 for a pair of jeans.

• [By Peter Graham]

  Somewhat upscale jeans�designer and marketer�Joe's Jeans Inc (NASDAQ: JOEZ), a potential peer of�VF Corp (NYSE: VFC) and Michael Kors Holdings Ltd (NYSE: KORS), is scheduled to report Q2 2014 earnings after the market closes on Thursday.�Aside from the Joe's Jeans Inc earnings report, it should be said that VF Corp reported Q1 2014 on April 25th (earnings beat on higher�revenues plus VFC�raised its�outlook as quarterly profit rose) and is scheduled to report Q2 2014 earnings on July 18th while Michael Kors Holdings Ltd reported Q4 2014 earnings on May 28th (shares stumbled as gross margins frayed) and will report Q1 2015 earnings on August 4th.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Considering Joe's Jeans Inc. (NASDAQ:JOEZ) is currently trading 22% below where it closed on Monday, it would understandably be easy to assume the company was a mess and the stock was best left avoided. Just because JOEZ is being punished for a bad quarter, however, doesn't mean the punishment fits the crime. For that matter, it's not entirely clear the stock deserves to be punished at all... making this week's big plunge a buying opportunity.

Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Zep Inc.(ZEP)

Zep Inc. produces and markets cleaning and maintenance chemicals, and related products and services for commercial, industrial, institutional and consumer applications. Its products include anti-bacterial and industrial hand care products, cleaners, degreasers, deodorizers, disinfectants, floor finishes, sanitizers, pest- and weed-control products, air-care products and delivery systems, and various automotive maintenance chemicals. The company markets its products and services under various brands, such as Zep, Selig, ArmorAll, Niagara, Enforcer, Zep Commercial, RedMax Pro, Rubbermaid Commercial, Original Bike Spirits, Country Vet, Zep Professional, Microbemax, Misty, TimeMist, i-Chem, TimeWick, and Next Dimension brands, as well as private label and original equipment manufacturer private brands. It serves customers in industrial maintenance, janitorial/sanitation, and automotive markets; transportation, food processing, industrial manufacturing, and food service industr ies; and contractors, small business owners, and homeowners in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings Releases Expected: A. Schulman, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHLM), Team, Inc. (NYSE: TISI), ZEP Inc. (NYSE: ZEP)

  Economic Releases Expected: Japanese current account, US consumer credit, Chilean trade balance, Swiss CPI, Spanish industrial production, German industrial production

• [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 Zep (NYSE: ZEP  ) .

Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: lululemon athletica inc.(LULU)

Lululemon Athletica Inc., together with its subsidiaries engages in the design, manufacture, and distribution of athletic apparel and accessories for women, men, and female youth primarily in Canada, the United States, and Australia. Its apparel assortments include fitness pants, shorts, tops, and jackets for healthy lifestyle activities, such as yoga, running, and general fitness. The company?s fitness-related accessories comprise bags, socks, underwear, yoga mats, instructional yoga DVDs, and water bottles. It sells its products through its retail stores; independent franchises; and a network of wholesale accounts, such as yoga studios, health clubs, and fitness centers, as well as directly to consumers through e-commerce. As of May 1, 2011, the company had 142 corporate-owned and franchise stores under the lululemon athletica and ivivva athletica brand names. Lululemon Athletica Inc. was founded in 1998 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Breaking news

  Wi-LAN (NASDAQ: WILN) today announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a process to explore and evaluate a broad range of strategic alternatives for the Company to enhance shareholder value. To read the full news, click here. MannKind (NASDAQ: MNKD) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged the resubmission of a New Drug Application (NDA) for AFREZZA庐 (insulin human [rDNA origin]) Inhalation Powder. To read the full news, click here. lululemon athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) today announced that Tara Poseley has been appointed to its Senior Leadership Team as Chief Product Officer. To read the full news, click here. Nice Systems (NASDAQ: NICE) reported a drop in its third-quarter profit. To read the full news, click here.

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

• [By Grace L. Williams]

  After another fairly quiet quarter on the news front-hah!-high-end yoga and athletic wear maker Lululemon Athletica (LULU) is slated to report its second-quarter financial results next Thursday.

Hot Consumer Stocks To Watch For 2015: Springleaf Holdings Inc (LEAF)

Springleaf Holdings, Inc. (Springleaf), incorporated on May 8, 2013, is a consumer finance company providing loan products to customers through it's nationwide branch network and through iLoan, it's Internet lending division. The Company originates consumer loans through it's network of 834 branch offices in 26 states and on a centralized basis as part of it's iLoan division. As of June 30, 2013, the Company�� segments include: Consumer, Insurance, Portfolio Acquisitions, and Real Estate.

Consumer

Springleaf originate and service personal loans (secured and unsecured) through two business divisions: branch operations and it's iLoan division. Branch operations primarily conduct business in 26 states, which are it's core operating states. The iLoan division processes and underwrites loan applications that it receives through an Internet portal. If the applicant is located near an existing branch, it's iLoan division makes the credit decision regarding the application and then refers the customer to a nearby branch for closing, funding and servicing. If the applicant is not located near a branch, it's iLoan division originates the loan.

Insurance

Springleaf offer credit insurance (life, accident and health insurance, and involuntary unemployment insurance), non-credit insurance, and ancillary products, such as warranty protection. The Company also require credit-related property and casualty insurance, when needed, to protect it's interest in the property pledged as collateral.

Portfolio Acquisitions

Springleaf acquired the SpringCastle Portfolio. This SpringCastle Portfolio was acquired from HSBC through a newly-formed joint venture in which it owns a 47% equity interest and which it consolidates in it's financial statements. The loans in the SpringCastle Portfolio vary in form and substance from it's typical branch serviced loans.

Real Estate

Springleaf service and hold real estate loans secured by! first or second mortgages on residential real estate. Real estate loans previously originated through it's branch offices are either serviced by it's branch personnel or by it's centralized servicing operation. Real estate loans previously acquired or originated through centralized distribution channels are serviced by one of it's indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, MorEquity, all of which are subserviced by Nationstar, except for certain securitized real estate loans, which are serviced and subserviced by third parties.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap installment loan and consumer finance�stock World Acceptance Corp (NASDAQ: WRLD), a potential peer of small cap Regional Management Corp (NYSE: RM) and�mid cap�Springleaf Holdings Inc (NYSE: LEAF), has elevated short interest of 38.72% according to Highshortinterest.com. However, World Acceptance Corp got on the radar of the shorts when the company disclosed that its being investigated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau�for its lending practices. ��