Hot Healthcare Equipment Companies To Own For 2014

LONDON -- When weighing up a potential investment, it's useful to look forward rather than backward. If you buy a stake in a business, it's the future profits that count -- and the stock market will value your shares based on future expectations.

With that in mind, it can be helpful to review what expert City analysts are expecting a company to earn in the coming years. These expectations can be compared to the share price, to give you a better idea of how the stock market is valuing the business.

Today, I'm looking at the earnings per share (EPS) forecasts for�Tesco� (LSE: TSCO  ) (NASDAQOTH: TSCDY  ) , the FTSE 100 supermarket giant. All my figures are courtesy of S&P Capital IQ.

Analysts expect Tesco to earn 33 pence per share this year. Compared to today's share price of 380 pence, the market is valuing Tesco's shares on a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 11.5.

However, analysts are far from agreed on this year's estimates, with different experts forecasting earnings per share ranging widely between 21 pence, and 38 pence.

Top Recreation Stocks To Own For 2015: Radian Group Inc.(RDN)

Radian Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a credit enhancement company in the United States. The company offers credit-related insurance coverage, primarily through private mortgage insurance, and risk management services to mortgage lending institutions. Its private mortgage insurance protects the holders of the company?s insurance from default-related losses on residential mortgage loans made generally to home buyers, as well as facilitates the sale of these mortgage loans in the secondary mortgage market. The company primarily serves mortgage originators, such as mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers, commercial banks, savings institutions, credit unions, and community banks. Radian Group Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Amanda Alix]

  Hot on the heels of a $15 million Consumer Financial Protection Bureau settlement with mortgage insurers Genworth Financial (NYSE: GNW  ) , MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG  ) , Radian Group (NYSE: RDN  ) , and United Guaranty, a subsidiary of AIG (NYSE: AIG  ) , over kickbacks�paid to banks for mortgage insurance, comes some bad news in the same vein -- this time, for Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) .

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Radian Group (NYSE: RDN) dropped 5.09% to $13.81 after the company provided a comment on the proposed GSE requirements for private mortgage insurer eligibility.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  During the year we made a number of portfolio changes. In addition to Forest Oil Corp., positions in Carters, Inc., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Class A shares, and General Communication, Inc., Class A shares were eliminated and Saks, Inc. (SKS) was sold due to the company's acquisition by Hudson's Bay Company (TSX:HBC) (the $16 takeover price compared to our cost of approximately $4 .25 per share). One new position, Radian Group, Inc. (RDN), was established. One of the largest private mortgage insurance companies, Radian Group, Inc. should benefit from a recovery in the housing industry and from the Federal Housing Administration's gradual pull-back from the mortgage insurance market.

Hot Healthcare Equipment Companies To Own For 2014: Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P.(PSE)

Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. engages in the ownership and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. As of December 31, 2009, it had non-operated working interests in approximately 1,155 producing wells located in the Spraberry field in the Permian Basin of west Texas. Pioneer Natural Resources GP LLC serves as the general partner of the company. The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Irving, Texas. Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. is a subsidiary of Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners (NYSE: PSE) closes out the top five MLP performers for the year with a gain of 87 percent. However, units of this Texas-based upstream MLP that owned more than 1,100 wells in the Permian Basin area are no longer available, as the partnership merged with sponsor Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD) on Dec. 17.

Hot Healthcare Equipment Companies To Own For 2014: MGIC Investment Corp (MTG)

MGIC Investment Corporation (MGIC), incorporated June 21, 1984, is a holding company and through wholly owned subsidiaries is a private mortgage insurer in the United States. As of December 31, 2012, its principal mortgage insurance subsidiaries, Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC) and MGIC Indemnity Corporation (MIC), were each licensed in all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. During the year ending December 31, 2012, the Company wrote new insurance in each of those jurisdictions in MGIC and/or MIC. The Company capitalized MIC to write new insurance in certain jurisdictions where MGIC no longer meets, and is unable to obtain a waiver of, those jurisdictions��minimum capital requirements. Private mortgage insurance covers losses from homeowner defaults on residential mortgage loans, reducing and, in some instances, eliminating the loss to the insured institution if the homeowner defaults.

Mortgage Insurance

Primary insurance provides mortgage default protection on individual loans and covers unpaid loan principal, delinquent interest and certain expenses associated with the default and subsequent foreclosure. Primary insurance is written on first mortgage loans secured by owner occupied single-family homes, which are one-to-four family homes and condominiums. Primary insurance is also written on first liens secured by non-owner occupied single-family homes, which are referred to in the home mortgage lending industry as investor loans, and on vacation or second homes. Primary coverage can be used on any type of residential mortgage loan instrument approved by the mortgage insurer.

When a borrower refinances a mortgage loan insured by the Company by paying it off in full with the proceeds of a new mortgage that is also insured by it, the insurance on that existing mortgage is cancelled, and insurance on the new mortgage is considered to be new primary insurance written. Therefore, continuation of its coverage fr! om a refinanced loan to a new loan results in both a cancellation of insurance and new insurance written. When a lender and borrower modify a loan rather than replace it with a new one, or enter into a new loan pursuant to a loan modification program, its insurance continues without being cancelled assuming that the Company consent to the modification or new loan.

The borrower�� mortgage loan instrument requires the borrower to pay the mortgage insurance premium. There are several payment plans available to the borrower, or lender, as the case may be. Under the monthly premium plan, the borrower or lender pays it a monthly premium payment to provide only one month of coverage. Under the annual premium plan, an annual premium is paid to it in advance, and it earns and recognizes the premium over the next 12 months of coverage, with annual renewal premiums paid in advance thereafter and earned over the subsequent 12 months of coverage. Under the single premium plan, the borrower or lender pays it a single payment covering a specified term exceeding twelve months.

Pool insurance is used as an additional credit enhancement for certain secondary market mortgage transactions. Pool insurance covers the excess of the loss on a defaulted mortgage loan which exceeds the claim payment under the primary coverage, if primary insurance is required on that mortgage loan, as well as the total loss on a defaulted mortgage loan which did not require primary insurance. Pool insurance is used as an additional credit enhancement for certain secondary market mortgage transactions. Pool insurance covers the excess of the loss on a defaulted mortgage loan, which exceeds the claim payment under the primary coverage, if primary insurance is required on that mortgage loan, as well as the total loss on a defaulted mortgage loan which did not require primary insurance. In general, the loans insured by it in Wall Street bulk transactions consisted of loans with reduced underwriting documentation; cash out! refinanc! es, which exceed the standard underwriting requirements of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively GSEs); A- loans; subprime loans, and jumbo loans.

Other Products and Services

The Company has participated in risk sharing arrangements with the GSEs and captive mortgage reinsurance arrangements with subsidiaries of certain mortgage lenders, which reinsure a portion of the risk on loans originated or serviced by the lenders, which have MGIC primary insurance. It provides information regarding captive mortgage reinsurance arrangements to the New York Department of Insurance (known as the New York Department of Financial Services), the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, (HUD). It performs contract underwriting services for lenders, in which it judges whether the data relating to the borrower and the loan contained in the lender�� mortgage loan application file comply with the lender�� loan underwriting guidelines. It also provides an interface to submit data to the automated underwriting systems of the GSEs, which independently judge the data. These services are provided for loans, which require private mortgage insurance, as well as for loans that do not require private mortgage insurance. It provides mortgage services for the mortgage finance industry, such as portfolio retention and secondary marketing of mortgages.

The Company competes with Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Administration, PMI Mortgage Insurance Company, Genworth Mortgage Insurance Corporation, United Guaranty Residential Insurance Company, Radian Guaranty Inc., CMG Mortgage Insurance Company, and Essent Guaranty, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG) shares dropped 11.47% to $8.18 following FHFA proposal. The company released monthly operating statistics for June.

  Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ: RCII) shares slipped 10.98% to $25.87 after the company issued a downbeat guidance for the second quarter. The company expected adjusted earnings of $0.36 to $0.38 per share on revenue of around $773 million.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG) announced that its CEO Curt Culver will retire from the company on March 1, 2015. Shares lost 0.38 percent, closing at $7.97.

Hot Healthcare Equipment Companies To Own For 2014: Dean Foods Company(DF)

Dean Foods Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food and beverage company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Fresh Dairy Direct-Morningstar and WhiteWave-Alpro. The Fresh Dairy Direct-Morningstar segment manufactures, markets, and distributes various branded and private label dairy case products, including cream, ice cream mix, and ice cream novelties; creamers and other extended shelf life fluids; yogurt, cottage cheeses, sour creams, and dairy-based dips; fruit juices, fruit-flavored drinks, iced teas, and water; half-and-half and whipping creams; and items for resale, such as butter, cheese, eggs, and milk shakes. This segment sells its dairy case products to retailers, distributors, foodservice outlets, educational institutions, and governmental entities. The WhiteWave-Alpro segment manufactures, develops, markets, and sells various branded dairy and dairy-related products, such as milk and other dairy products; organic dairy products; plant-based beverages, such as soy, almond, and coconut milks; and soy food products, coffee creamers, and creamers and fluid dairy products. It also provides branded soy-based beverages and food products in Europe under the Alpro and Provamel brands. This segment sells its products to various customers, including grocery stores, club stores, natural foods stores, mass merchandisers, convenience stores, drug stores, and foodservice outlets. The company was formerly known as Suiza Foods Corporation and changed its name to Dean Foods Company on December 21, 2001 as a result of merger between the former Dean Foods Company and Suiza Foods Corporation. Dean Foods Company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs, taking out about 2% of the value of the shares on Tuesday.

  Fox Factory Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: FOXF) saw its quiet period end: started as Outperform with a $23 price target at Baird, started as Overweight with a $21 price target at Piper Jaffray and started as Buy with a $23 price target at SunTrust. Shares are down about 0.5% at $18.05 as the implied upside is not that stellar for recent IPO coverage.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  After being spun off from its parent company, Dean Foods (NYSE: DF  ) , health-oriented food purveyor White Wave Foods (NYSE: WWAV  ) offered the market a nearly pure play on plant-based food items, one of the fastest growing areas within the industry. The spinoff was originally priced rather high, though the company is certainly growing. Now, the secondary offering is coming to a close and the spinoff is nearly complete while the company posts strong preliminary results. Even at its premium price, is White Wave Foods a buy after the spin-off is completed?

• [By FinanceGuru]

  In response to this shift in consumer preferences, Dean Foods (DF) was quick to spin off its fast-growing WhiteWave division, which makes Horizon Organic Milk and Silk soy products, into WhiteWave Foods (WWAV). WhiteWave Foods competes with the likes of Hain Celestial (HAIN) and Blue Diamond Growers in the plant-based beverages market, but is it a good buy?

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The milk producers are pushing the health aspects of their argument in that kids drinking more milk would be healthier. As the largest dairy producer, Dean Foods (NYSE: DF  ) , notes, while about half the sugar in flavored milk is from naturally occurring lactose, all the sugar in soda is added sugar. Of course soda is facing falling consumption levels, too, these days.

Hot Healthcare Equipment Companies To Own For 2014: Antofagasta PLC (ANTO)

Antofagasta plc (Antofagasta) is a Chile-based copper mining company with interests in transport and water distribution. The Company operates in three segments: Mining, Transport and Water. Antofagasta is a holding company that operates through its subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures. The principal activities of the Company are copper mining (including exploration and development), the transportation of freight by rail and road and the distribution of water. Its mining operations produce copper with by-products of gold, molybdenum and silver. Its activities are mainly concentrated in Chile. The Company�� segments include Los Pelambres, Esperanza, El Tesoro, Michilla, Antucoya, Exploration and evaluation, Railway and other transport services, Water concession, and Corporate and other items. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Among commodity producers, Antofagasta (ANTO) Plc rose 1.4 percent to 904 pence as base metals advanced in London. Glencore Xstrata added 3.2 percent to 315.9 pence and Rio Tinto Group increased 1 percent to 2,786 pence.

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Rio Tinto, the world�� second-largest mining company, fell 2.7 percent to 2,959.5 pence. Anglo American dropped 2.6 percent to 1,606 pence and Antofagasta Plc (ANTO), which mines for copper in Chile, retreated 3.9 percent to 916 pence.