United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and in a world in which package delivery and Internet commerce go hand in hand, you'd think that everything would be rosy for the carrier. Yet the UPS earnings preannouncement earlier this month suggested otherwise, raising some doubts about the company's immediate future and sending shares down as a result.
UPS provides a wide range of services, ranging from lightning-fast overnight air delivery to slower ground transportation. With so much of its business dependent on macroeconomic trends, the sluggish global economy has had a big impact on not only how much it's shipping but also the ways in which customers are choosing to get things where they want. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with UPS over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report.
Stats on UPS
Analyst EPS Estimate
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., incorporated on September 10, 1969, is a producer and marketer of shell eggs in the United States. During the fiscal year ended June 1, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Company sold approximately 948.5 million dozen shell eggs. Its primary business is the production, grading, packaging, marketing and distribution of shell eggs. It sells most of its shell eggs in the southwestern, southeastern, mid-western and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The Company markets its shell eggs through its distribution network to a group of customers, including national and regional grocery store chains, club stores, foodservice distributors and egg product manufacturers. It sells shell eggs to a majority of the food retailers in the United States. It is also a producers and marketers of specialty shell eggs in the United States. Specialty shell eggs include cage free and organic eggs. The Company owns 100% of Benton County Foods, LLC. In March 2014, the Company acquired 50% interests of Delta Egg Farm, LLC from Sunbest Foods of Iowa, Inc., a Moark, LLC affiliate, as result Delta Egg Farm, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
The Company markets its specialty shell eggs under various brands, such as Egg-Land�� Best, Land O��Lake, Farmhouse, and 4-Grain. It also produces specialty eggs, such as Egg-Land�� Best, Land O��Lake, Farmhouse, and 4-Grain. It has exclusive license agreements to market and distribute Egg-Land�� Best specialty shell eggs in major metropolitan areas, including New York City, and a number of states in the southeast and southwest. It markets cage free eggs under its trademarked Farmhouse brand and distribute those shell eggs across the southeast and southwest regions of the United States. It markets organic, all natural, cage-free, vegetarian, and omega-3 eggs under its 4-Grain trademark. It also produces market and distributes private label specialty shell eggs to several customers. Sales of specialty shell eggs accounted for approximately ! 16.4% of its total shell egg dozen volumes during fiscal 2013.
The Company�� operations are integrated. At its facilities, it hatches chicks, grows pullets, manufactures feed, and produces and distributes shell eggs. It produces approximately 95% of its chicks in its own hatcheries. It owns breeder facilities producing 18.5 million pullet chicks per year. These pullets are distributed to 42 laying operations around the southwestern, southeastern, mid-western and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The facilities produce an average of 1.9 million dozen shell eggs per day and process the shell eggs through grading and packaging without handling by human hands.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Victor Reklaitis]
On the earnings front, Cal-Maine (CALM) �is slated to report quarterly earnings at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday. The egg producer is expected to report earnings per share of $1.59 on revenue of $386 million, according to a FactSet survey of one analyst. Shares of Cal-Maine are down 4.5% this year, trimming their 12-month gain to 35%.
- [By Mike Deane]
Before the opening bell on Monday morning, Cal-Maine Foods Inc (CALM)�reported its third quarter earnings, posting higher revenues and earnings than last year’s same period.
CALM’s Earnings in Brief
CALM reported third quarter sales of $395.5 million, which were up from last year’s Q3 revenues of $360.4 million. Net income for the quarter came in at $42.9 million, or $1.77 per diluted share, up from last year’s earnings of $30.6 million, or $1.27 per share. Cal-Maine blew analysts’ EPS estimates of $1.41 out of the water. CEO Commentary
CALM’s chairman, president and CEO, Dolph Baker, had the following comments: “Cal-Maine Foods delivered a solid performance for the third quarter of fiscal 2014 with our net sales up 10 percent over the same period last year. The higher sales reflect both improved volumes through the holiday season and higher average selling prices compared with the third quarter of fiscal 2013. Consumer demand for shell eggs has been strong at the retail level for both generic and specialty eggs, supported by below average temperatures across the country. In addition, the egg products segment of the industry has continued to experience strong demand due to the introduction of breakfast items at many quick serve restaurants, as well as increased exports.
CALM’s Dividend
Cal-Maine has been inconsistent with its dividend payments in the past, having paid its most recent dividend of 36 cents on February 13. Before that the company paid a dividend of 7 cents in November, 2013. It’s hard to predict what CALM’s next payout will be, but judging from its history of paying out higher dividends in April/May versus February, and due to its positive earnings release, CALM is likely to declare a dividend above 36 cents in the coming month.
Stock Performance
CALM stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 0.
- [By Mike Deane]
After the closing bell on Tuesday afternoon, Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) reported its fiscal 2015 second quarter results, posting higher revenue and earnings compared to last year’s Q2 figures.
CALM’s�Earnings in Brief
Cal-Maine reported second quarter revenues of $378.6 million, marking a 6.9% increase over last year’s Q2 revenues of $354.3 million. Net income�for the quarter came in at $36.6 million, or 76 cents per diluted share, up from last year’s Q2 net income of $26.1 million, or 54 cents per diluted share. CALM’s Q2 EPS is below analysts’ expectations of 85 cents per share. CEO Commentary
CALM chairman, president and CEO Dolph Baker had the following comments: ��e are pleased with the continued growth in sales and improved operating performance for the second quarter of fiscal 2015. These results reflect both a 4.2 percent increase in total dozens of shell eggs sold and 2.9 percent higher average selling prices compared with the second quarter of fiscal 2014.”
CALM Declares Dividend
Along with releasing its Q2 earnings results, CALM also declared a quarterly dividend of 25.2 cents. The dividend is payable on February 12, 2105 to all shareholders on record as of January 28. The stock goes ex-dividend on January 26.
Stock Performance
CALM stock was down $3.18, or 7.2%, in after hours trading. YTD, the stock is up 46.7%.
Top Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2015: Crestwood Midstream Partners LP (CMLP)
Crestwood Midstream Partners LP engages in gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas primarily on the Barnett Shale formation of the Fort Worth Basin in north Texas. The company conducts its operations through its Cowtown System, Lake Arlington Dry System, and Alliance Midstream Assets, as well as the Fayetteville Shale and the Granite Wash plays. As of December 31, 2010, it managed approximately 500 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines. Crestwood Gas Services GP LLC serves as the general partner of Crestwood Midstream Partners LP. The company was formerly known as Quicksilver Gas Services LP and changed its name to Crestwood Midstream Partners LP in October 2010. Crestwood Midstream Partners LP was founded in 2004 and is based in Houston, Texas. Crestwood Midstream Partners LP is a subsidiary of Crestwood Gas Services Holdings LLC.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Aimee Duffy]
Crestwood Midstream Partners (NYSE: CMLP ) was one day shy of completing its merger with Inergy Midstream, when CEO Bob Phillips told Bloomberg the partnership was already looking for more deals. Well, it turns out Crestwood had already found a deal, as we learned Thursday. The master limited partnership plans to acquire Arrow Midstream Holdings for $750 million.
- [By Robert Rapier]
Next week�� issue will tackle the three remaining questions: one on MLP equivalents in Canada and Australia, one on Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP) �and TC Pipelines (NYSE: TCP), and a third query on Access Midstream Partners (NYSE: ACMP), Crestwood Midstream Partners (NYSE: CMLP) and Mid-Con Energy Partners (Nasdaq: MCEP).
- [By Paul Ausick]
This deal follows three midstream transactions already this month. Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP) will acquire PVR Partners LP (NYSE: PVR) for $5.6 billion, Crestwood Midstream LP (NASDAQ: CMLP) will acquire Arrow Midstream LLC for $750 million, and Buckeye Partners LP (NYSE: BPL) will pay $650 million to Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) for 20 petroleum products terminals along the East Coast.
Top Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2015: Spdr Dj Wilshire Small Cap Value Etf (SLYV)
SPDR DJ Wilshire Small Cap Value (ETF) seeks to replicate, as closely as possible, the performance of the Dow Jones Wilshire Small Cap Value Index (the Index). The Index represents the small-cap portion of the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index (the Composite Index). The Composite Index tracks all the United States common stocks regularly traded on the NYSE, the AMEX and the NASDAQ National Market.
The Index includes the components of the Composite Index ranked 751 to 2,500 by full market capitalization and that are classified as value based on analysis that accounts for six factors. The six factors are projected price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), projected earnings growth, price-to-book ratio, dividend yield, trailing revenue growth and trailing earnings growth. The Fund uses a passive management strategy designed to track the total return performance of the float-adjusted Index.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Tom Lydon]
The following ETFs are some of the top-ranked small-cap ETFs by Zacks. SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Value ETF (SLYV) is up 5.8% over the past three months, and up 20.6% in 2013. The financial and industrial sectors are top weightings. Vanguard S&P Small Cap 600 Value ETF (VIOV) is up 6.4% and has gathered 21.5% year-to-date. Similar to SLYV, VIOV is heavy on the financial and industrial sectors.
Top Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2015: U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (SLCA)
US Silica Holdings, Inc. is a silica sand supplier company. The Company is a producer of industrial minerals, including sand proppants, whole grain silica, ground silica, fine ground silica, calcined kaolin clay and aplite clay. The Company operates in two segments: oil and gas, and industrial and specialty products. The Company�� shipping capabilities include five of the class-one railroads, barge, full truckload, partial truckload and intermodal. The Company�� products include proppants, whole grain silica, ground silica, fine ground silica, testing silica, recreational silica, aplite, kaolin, hydrous kaolin and FLORISIL. It also operates as a research and development specialist for customized products and solutions. The Company serves a range of industries and applications, which includes oil and gas, glass, chemicals, foundry, building products, fillers and extenders, recreation, industrial filtration and treatment, and testing and analysis.
Oil & Gas
The Company�� oil and gas segment include OTTAWA WHITE and SHALE FRAC product lines. The Company has a selection of offerings from number of mining and transload locations. Its products consist of unconventional reservoirs, including tight gas, coal bed methane, shale gas, and liquids.
Industrial & Specialty Products
The Company�� industrial and specialty products include glass, chemical, foundry, building products, fillers and extenders, recreation, industry filtration and treatment, and testing and analysis. The Company produces a range of whole grain silica, ground silica and kaolin clays.
Advisors' Opinion: - [By Alex Planes]
Hi-Crush Partners (NYSE: HCLP ) and U.S. Silica Holdings (NYSE: SLCA ) could also pose a threat to CARBO's higher-end products. CARBO has worked feverishly to convince drillers that ceramic proppants are much stronger than sand, and can withstand the high temperatures and pressures of deep, fractured wells. Since Hi-Crush's IPO, however, it does appear that the tide has shifted to sand, as Carbo's revenues have declined�while Hi-Crush and U.S. Silica have gained. Increased competition from a number of Chinese companies that have flooded the domestic market with cheap ceramic proppants is also a danger to CARBO's higher-quality products, provided that the cut-rate ceramics are actually up to the task.
- [By John Udovich]
Yesterday, small cap fracking stock CARBO Ceramics Inc (NYSE: CRR) surged 28.32% after reporting earnings while fracking peer U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE: SLCA) jumped 9.50% and Hi-Crush Partners LP (NYSE: HCLP) rose 3.20%���no doubt on positive sentiment. However, are investors missing anything with CARBO Ceramics and�is it too late to get in on the action there?
- [By MONEYMORNING.COM]
Because of the promise of fracking, not to mention its doubling since I recommended it, I think we should take another good look at U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SLCA).
- [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
U.S. Silica Holdings (NYSE: SLCA) shares tumbled 1.86 percent to $32.15 after the company priced 11.5 million shares at $31.50 per share for selling holders.
