Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2015

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks shimmied lower in early Tuesday trade, with earnings news moving the share prices of some major names. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) moved off a flat open to trade down 0.1% at 5,218.50 after rising 1.1% the previous day. Financial blue chip Macquarie Group Ltd. (AU:MQG) (MCQEF) lost 2.7% following the release of its operational update, with broker BBY telling Dow Jones Newswires that the quarterly statement was very similar to its previous update, signaling no change to earnings expectations. Shares of Cochlear Ltd. (AU:COH) (CHEOF) , the world's top hearing-implant maker, snapped 9.1% lower after the firm posted a larger-than-expected 73% drop in profit from a year earlier. However, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) managed to rise 0.5% after reporting a quarterly profit gain of more than 20% with fewer non-performing loans. Meanwhile, further gains for gold overnight lifted Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) by 1.3%, Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) by 2.5% and St. Barbara Ltd. (AU:SBM) by 3%. On the downside for miners, Paladin Energy Ltd. (AU:PDN) (PALAF) lost 2.5% as selling surfaced following the uranium extractor's 5% gain Monday. In other action, Automotive Holdings Group Ltd. (AU:AHE) ticked 0.3% higher after saying Toyota Motor Corp.'s (JP:7203) (TM) decision to halt auto production in Australia wouldn't hurt its business.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2015: Chevron Corporation(CVX)

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment involves in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as holds interest in a gas-to-liquids project. The Downstream segment engages in the refining of crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products primarily under the Chevron, Texaco, and Caltex brand names; transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment, and rail car; and manufacture and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses, and fuel and lubricant additives. It a lso produces and markets coal and molybdenum; and holds interests in 13 power assets with a total operating capacity of approximately 3,100 megawatts, as well as involves in cash management and debt financing activities, insurance operations, real estate activities, energy services, and alternative fuels and technology business. Chevron Corporation has a joint venture agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation. The company was formerly known as ChevronTexaco Corp. and changed its name to Chevron Corporation in May 2005. Chevron Corporation was founded in 1879 and is based in San Ramon, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  If you thought stocks were getting hit hard today, you need to take a look at the commodities market. Gold is down 9.6% as I write, silver has fallen 12.9%, and oil is down 2.7% to less than $89 per barrel. This drop has hit oil giants Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) , who are down 2.5% and 2.3%, respectively. You can see in the chart below that a drop in oil's price may impact earnings at both companies, but it'll have to be a lot more severe than $2 per barrel.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  However, looking more deeply at the numbers once again reveals the huge influence that rising energy prices have had on the CPI. Energy prices rose 3.4% during the month, with gasoline prices jumping more than 6%. Yet both Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) are trading lower today despite rising oil prices, showing that even energy stocks don't always benefit from inflationary pressure, because higher prices spur oil consumers to reduce their consumption. When you take out the volatile food and energy segments, core CPI rose just 0.2%, adding up to a 1.6% gain over the past year. That level is low enough to give the Federal Reserve latitude to maintain its accommodative monetary policies a bit longer.

• [By Claudia Assis]

  Major oil companies, however, declined, with shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) �down 0.1%. Chevron Corp. (CVX) �shares were off 0.3%, while shares of ConocoPhillips (COP) �fell 0.4%.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  3 stocks to consider
  For a good mix of positive dividend attributes, the following stocks offer a compelling combination of low payout ratios, long dividend histories, and attractive yields:

  Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) has a 26-year history of raising its dividends every year, with a current yield of 3.4%. Big oil stocks have faced the challenge of finding ways to replace lost production volume from older wells suffering natural declines in output, but Chevron has done a better job than many of its rivals in replacing that lost production with new asset purchases in promising areas around the world. Despite an already attractive yield from a dividend that the company increased by 11% in May, a payout ratio of 27% shows that Chevron could easily keep boosting its dividend in the years to come. PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) has used its global snack and beverage business to produce consistent cash flow and profits over the long run, giving back much of its earnings in the form of dividends. Its 2.8% yield comes after 41 consecutive years with payout boosts. With a payout ratio of 55%, Pepsi needs to keep growing in order to support further dividend increases, but even as soft drink makers in the U.S. have to deal with rising concerns about obesity, Pepsi has taken the lead with a forward-looking emphasis on healthier offerings that should serve it well throughout the world. Consumer-products maker Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB  ) sports the highest payout ratio in this group at 66%, but its 3.4% yield and 41 straight years of rising dividends make it a logical stock to invest in for dividend investors. The company has done a good job of taking advantage of missteps from rivals in the industry, with an emphasis on growth in emerging markets like Latin America. As rising consumer middle classes in emerging nations demand more of the conveniences that people in developed countries take for granted, Kimberly-Clark is positioning itself to

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2015: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Deane]

  According to Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone 6 is likely to come out late this summer. The analyst went on to say that he believes that phone will have an updated camera module processor and possibly a new co-processor.

  Misek said:�”Our checks indicate Apple is trying to improve yields and cost down the On-Cell screens for the iPhone 6. Additionally, we believe Apple is working on significant modifications to the camera module processor and potentially a new co-processor alongside the M7 for biometrics and sensors related to health. We believe these modifications require more time and as a result a late summer launch is now more likely.”

  The analyst said that he doesn’t believe that an integrated modem/WLAN key will be available in the iPhone 6, but will probably be included in the iPhone 6s.

  Misek also commented on Apple’s upcoming iWatch:�”We believe iWatch production yields remain extremely challenged based on our supply chain work, but continue to see iWatch as a 2014 event, especially in light of the wearables focus at MWC 2014. While we continue to see the smartwatch addressable market as limited, we were unimpressed with competitor products at MWC and believe Apple can quickly gain share. We believe CarPlay, iWatch, and other wearables/IoT opportunities can strengthen Apple’s ecosystem and create a halo effect for iPhone/iPad/Mac sales.”

  Apple shares were down $1.31, or 0.25%, in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is down 3.96%.

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  Samsung outspent and outplayed Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) in marketing last year. Fortunately for Apple investors, the company may have learned a lesson. After Ken Segall criticized Apple's marketing approach in early 2013, the company seems to have turned a corner.

• [By Chris Neiger]

  Both Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) Safari and Mozilla's Firefox browsers earn search royalties from Google� (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) . Google pays the companies to use its service as the primary search engine in their browsers -- and in some cases pays them quite well. It's estimated that Google made $1.3 billion from iOS searches last year, and paid $1 billion to Apple to remain the company's default mobile search engine for iOS. Though its not clear whether this is through a revenue-sharing model or direct payouts, a Morgan Stanley analyst believes Google pays Apple about $3.20 per iOS device.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  No company involved in the smartphone arena is more familiar with having its operating system relegated to the background than Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) . The practice of shoving Android into a corner has been turned into an art form by South Korean manufacturer Samsung, which has used the Google OS as nothing more than a basic foundation for its devices at every part of the price continuum. More recently, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) introduced Home, a meta-app that resides between the OS and other applications to take over the entire device. Now, as Google releases expanded versions of its apps for Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) iOS, the search king is taking a page from Samsung and moving to take over from within.

Top Supermarket Companies To Invest In 2015: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Some traditional brand powerhouses have lost ground in the Top 100 since 2009. These include BMW, FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL).

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: KMB is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: The company's peer group includes: Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) with a 3.1% yield, Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) with a 2.3% yield, and Clorox Corporation (CLX) with a 3.4% yield.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2015: Philip Morris International Inc(PM)

Philip Morris International Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in markets outside of the United States. Its international product brand line comprises Marlboro, Merit, Parliament, Virginia Slims, L&M, Chesterfield, Bond Street, Lark, Muratti, Next, Philip Morris, and Red & White. The company also offers its products under the A Mild, Dji Sam Soe, and A Hijau in Indonesia; Diana in Italy; Optima and Apollo-Soyuz in the Russian Federation; Morven Gold in Pakistan; Boston in Colombia; Belmont, Canadian Classics, and Number 7 in Canada; Best and Classic in Serbia; f6 in Germany; Delicados in Mexico; Assos in Greece; and Petra in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It operates primarily in the European Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Canada, and Latin America. The company is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  But it was with the last couple of sentences of his blog post that I took the greatest exception. More precisely, I found that his example of Phillip Morris International (PM) to be misleading. However, not because of what Roger included, but rather because of what he left out. I will elaborate more right after the following excerpt where he closed out his blog post:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The name change reflected the company's wish to have consumers and investors see beyond its tobacco business, which at the time was plagued by more substantial legal battles with billions in potential liability hanging in the balance. Shareholders approved the name change in 2002. The irony, of course, is that Altria has since spun off both Kraft and its Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM  ) global tobacco divisions, leaving Altria holding the old core Philip Morris USA division.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2015: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Another big gainer today was Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) which traded up 1.59% at $215.50 in a 52-week range of $161.27 to $235.50. The Dow�� highest priced stock slipped initially Monday morning as investors seemed worried about the suit filed against the company last week by Walmart. But the stock popped back up as quickly as it had dropped and remained at a higher level the rest of the day. Volume was about two-thirds the daily average of around 3.3 million shares traded.

• [By Kyial Robinson]

  What will they do next?

  (Photo Credit) Visa Previous 1/6 Next Visa (NYSE: V) is also taking action in France, reducing cash-machine fees and cutting credit card processing fees for transactions.

• [By Grace L. Williams]

  Many critics of that settlement have said Amex’s existing surcharging rules would prevent them from surcharging Visa (V) and MasterCard (MA) credit cards.

• [By Anora Mahmudova]

  American Express Co. (AXP) �shares gained 3.6% after the credit card company said its fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled. Shares in rival Visa Inc. (V) � rose 4.7%

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2015: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) announced early on Thursday that it is acquiring Daeja Image Systems Ltd, a privately held software company headquartered in the U.K. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

  Daeja Image Systems is a leading provider of software that makes it easier for businesses to view large documents and images.

  “IBM is continuing to lead the way in helping organizations access the content they rely upon for everyday operations,” said IBM Enterprise Content Management Business Leader Doug Hunt. “The acquisition of Daeja will simplify how business data is viewed by department or line-of-business users.”

  IBM shares were down 68 cents, or 0.35%, during early morning trading on Thursday. The stock is up 1.06% year-to-date.

Best Blue Chip Stocks To Watch For 2015: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuters]

  Ricardo Ricote Rodríguez/Flickr World's biggest fast-food chain seeks new ketchup for its famous french fries. McDonald's Corp (MCD) on Friday said it plans to end its 40-year relationship with ketchup maker H.J. Heinz Co, since that company is now led by Bernardo Hees, the former chief executive of hamburger rival Burger King Worldwide Inc. "As a result of recent management changes at Heinz, we have decided to transition our business to other suppliers over time," McDonald's said in a statement. "We have spoken to Heinz and plan to work together to ensure a smooth and orderly transition," said McDonald's, which has more than 34,000 restaurants around the globe. Heinz declined to comment. "As a matter of policy, Heinz does not comment on relationships with customers," company spokesman Michael Mullen said. The switch will be more apparent overseas than in the United States, as McDonald's only serves Heinz ketchup in two domestic markets - Pittsburgh and Minneapolis, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Friday. Indeed, ketchup packages handed out at McDonald's restaurants in the United States often say only "fancy ketchup." Most in-store ketchup dispensers are not branded. The move from McDonald's could benefit Heinz ketchup rivals Hunt's, owned by ConAgra Foods Inc, and Del Monte. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and an investment fund affiliated with 3G Capital bought Heinz for $28 billion in June and immediately named Hees CEO. Burger King went public in June 2012, less than two years after it was taken private by 3G Capital Management LLC, which retains a stake in the fast-food chain.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  This week we have seen dividend hikes from Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)�components Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) and McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD). 24/7 Wall St. expects that there will be five, maybe six, more big dividend hike announcements from major companies before the end of 2013.