Top 5 Supermarket Companies For 2014

LONDON -- Tesco
After trading as high as 385 pence in May, shares in�Tesco� (LSE: TSCO  ) (NASDAQOTH: TSCDY  ) were today down at 328 pence. That's a 15% fall in just one month. However, Tesco's low price-to-earnings ratio and significant dividend yield will now be attracting value and income investors.

Tesco is forecast to pay a dividend of 15.2 pence for the full year. At today's price, that's a 4.6% yield. If the supermarket manages to hit expectations for the year of 32.9 pence, the forecast P/E is just 10. According to my statistics, only nine other shares in the FTSE 100 are cheaper on both metrics.

Tesco is not excruciatingly cheap. That said, it's more than three years since the shares spent any meaningful time under 300 pence.

Croda International
Croda International� (LSE: CRDA  ) is one of the FTSE 100's great success stories. Five years ago, the company had just reported 33.5 pence of earnings per share and the shares traded hands for 631 pence. Fast-forward to today, and 137 pence of EPS is expected for the full year. The shares are now priced at 2,260 pence.

Top 5 Supermarket Companies For 2014: Finlay Minerals Ltd (FYL.V)

Finlay Minerals Ltd. engages in the acquisition and exploration of base and precious metal deposits in northern British Columbia, Canada. The company focuses on the exploration for gold rich copper porphyry, epithermal gold, and mesothermal silver-copper targets, as well as explores for zinc, lead, and tungsten deposits. The company primarily holds interests in the Pil property covering an area of approximately 15,983 hectares located in the Toodoggone region of northern British Columbia; and the Atty property situated in the southern part of the Toodoggone mining district of northern British Columbia. Finlay Minerals Ltd. is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 Supermarket Companies For 2014: Papa John's International Inc.(PZZA)

Papa John?s International, Inc. operates and franchises pizza delivery and carryout restaurants under the Papa John?s trademark worldwide. The company also operates dine-in and restaurant-based delivery restaurants in certain international markets. As of December 25, 2011, the company operated 3,883 Papa John?s restaurants consisting of 628 company-owned and 3,255 franchised restaurants in 50 states of the United States and 32 countries. Papa John?s International, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

Top 5 Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Boyd Gaming Corporation(BYD)

Boyd Gaming Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multi-jurisdictional gaming company in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the company owned and operated 1,042,787 square feet of casino space, containing approximately 25,973 slot machines, 655 table games, and 11,418 hotel rooms. It also owned and operated 16 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and New Jersey. In addition, the company owns and operates a pari-mutuel jai-alai facility located in Dania Beach, Florida, as well as a travel agency in Hawaii. Further, it holds a 50% controlling interest in the limited liability company that operates Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Boyd Gaming Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jeanine Poggi]

  The Las Vegas locals and Atlantic City markets have the longest road to recovery, making Boyd Gaming (BYD) one of the most challenged stocks in the sector long-term.

  It's not a surprise then that Boyd saw some of the most muted gains in 2010, with shares rising just 13.8% since the beginning of the year.

  In Atlantic City, where Boyd owns a 50% stake in the Borgata, gambling revenue plunged 13% in November. The New Jersey Boardwalk has been under pressure even before the recession began, as nearby regions expand their gaming presence.

  Both West Virginia and Pennsylvania added table games to casinos in the second half of the year and new properties opened in Philadelphia and Maryland. In 2011, Atlantic City will also have to contend with additional growth in Pennsylvania and the pending opening of the Aqueduct in New York City.

  Given this, Boyd decided not to exercise its right to match a $250 million offer MGM Resorts(MGM) received for its 50% stake in the Borgata. MGM decided to divest its joint venture with Boyd after the Atlantic City Gaming Commission criticized its relationship with Pansy Ho in Macau, whose family has allegedly been tied to organized crime in China.

  In the Las Vegas locals market, where Boyd generates about 44% of its EBITDA, trends are improving, but not as quickly as analysts would have hoped. In October, gaming revenue in the market grew 6.2% to $169.4 million.

  In its third quarter, Boyd disappointed Wall Street, with adjusted earnings coming in at 2 cents a share, shy of consensus estimates of 5 cents. Revenue dropped 4% to $595.4 million.

  Boyd also announced plans to sell $500 million of eight-year notes. Proceeds will be used to buy back senior subordinated notes due 2012 and to repay bank loans.

• [By Hesler]

  Boyd Gaming(BYD) posted a bigger-than-expected drop in its second-quarter earnings, citing weak performance in Las Vegas, the Midwest and the South.

  During the quarter, the casino operator earned $3.4 million, or 4 cents a share, a 73% plunge from $12.8 million, or 15 cents, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings came in at 5 cents a share, significantly lower than the 10 cents Wall Street predicted for Boyd.

  Boyd's revenue fell 6% to $578.4 million, also short of the consensus of $588 million.

  "The lingering effects of the recession have left consumers unusually sensitive to shifts in the economy, and they now react more quickly to economic data and other developments, such as fluctuations in the stock market," said CEO Keith Smith, in a statement. "Although conditions remain uncertain, we believe long-term stabilizing trends are still in place, and that year-over-year growth is achievable by the end of 2010."

  In the Las Vegas locals market, the rate of decline in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose to 16.2% from 10.8%, J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff wrote in a note. Boyd previously reported a 9.9% decline for its Borgata property in Atlantic City. Revenue came in at $186.9 million, a 2.4% decrease from the year-ago period.

  "We think second-quarter results are less important than the coming operating results in the second-half of 2010, when the Atlantic City market faces increased regional competitive pressures from tables in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and the first Philadelphia casino opens this summer," J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff wrote in a note.

  Greff reaffirmed his underweight rating on Boyd, given increasing competition in Atlantic City, a weak recovery in the Las Vegas locals market and stagnant regional gaming trends.

  While there is no doubt the Atlantic City gaming market remains one of the most depressed, Borgata continues to dominate the market and gain share. Atlant! ic City saw gaming revenues plunge 11.1% in June to $286.8 million. Boyd co-owns Borgata with MGM Resorts, which is currently in the process of divesting its 50% stake.

Top 5 Supermarket Companies For 2014: Manhattan Associates Inc.(MANH)

Manhattan Associates, Inc. develops, sells, deploys, services, and maintains supply chain software solutions for the planning and execution of supply chain activities. It offers Manhattan SCOPE and Manhattan SCALE, which are platform-based supply chain software solutions. The company?s Manhattan SCOPE is a portfolio of supply chain solution suites that include event and schedule tracking; alerts and notifications; inventory, order, and shipment visibility; cost monitoring and tracking; leading-edge analytics; and reporting with graphical depictions of critical supply chain performance metrics. Manhattan SCOPE also includes X-Suite solutions comprising flow management and extended enterprise management. The company?s Manhattan SCALE is a portfolio of logistics execution solutions that offer trading partner management, yard management, optimization, warehouse management, and transportation execution services. Manhattan Associates, Inc. also offers professional services, in cluding planning and implementation services; and customer support, software enhancement, and training services. In addition, it sells computer hardware, radio frequency terminal networks, radio frequency identification chip readers, bar code printers and scanners, and other peripherals. The company serves retailers, distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, grocery stores, life sciences companies, government, and other organizations. It operates in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Manhattan Associates, Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Top 5 Supermarket Companies For 2014: Canada Zinc Metals Corp (CZX.V)

Canada Zinc Metals Corp. engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada. It holds a 100% interest in the Akie Property, a zinc-lead-silver property covering 6,400 hectares located north-northwest of the Mackenzie town in northeastern British Columbia; and 233 claims comprising approximately 78,526 hectares located in the Kechika Trough region. The company was formerly known as Mantle Resources Inc. and changed its name to Canada Zinc Metals Corp. in September 2008. Canada Zinc Metals Corp. was incorporated in 1988 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.