Top 5 Low Price Companies To Own For 2014

The discount retailer is facing stiff competition from cheaper and cooler online players.

(Money Magazine) For years the Minneapolis-based discounter used a mix of low prices and playful style to make big-box bargain shopping cool. That allowed "Tarjay" to hold its own against the 800-pound gorilla, Wal-Mart.

Lately, though, the chain finds itself in a struggle. Target (TGT, Fortune 500) may have bitten off more than it can chew by following Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) into the slow-growing, low-margin grocery business. Meanwhile, competition from cheaper, cooler online players like Amazon.com (AMZN, Fortune 500) is heating up. Some investors, though, think the retailer's stock itself is now looking like a bargain.

Amazon's price war Forget Wal-Mart. Target faces stiff competition from Amazon.com. Amazon discount Competition 7.7% cheaper Target 6.3% cheaper chain-store average 2.7% cheaper Wal-Mart NOTE: Discount based on basket of goods before tax.
SOURCES: William Blair, company filings, Bloomberg

A tougher price war

Top 10 Cheapest Companies To Invest In 2015: Summit Midstream Partners LP (SMLP)

Summit Midstream Partners, LP is engaged in owning and operating midstream energy infrastructure that is located in North America. The Company provides natural gas gathering and compression services in two resource basins: the Piceance Basin, which includes the Mesaverde, Mancos and Niobrara Shale formations in western Colorado, and the Fort Worth Basin, which includes the Barnett Shale formation in north-central Texas. As of June 30, 2012, the Company�� gathering systems had approximately 385 miles of pipeline and 147,600 horsepower of compression. As of September 20, 2012, its systems gathered an average of approximately 909 million cubic feet per day of natural gas, of which approximately 64% consisted of natural gas liquids (NGLs), that were extracted by a third party processor. Summit Midstream GP, LLC is the Company�� general partner. On October 27, 2011, the Company acquired certain natural gas gathering pipeline, dehydration and compression assets in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado, which it refer to as the Grand River system. The Company�� customers include the natural gas producers in North America, such as Encana Corporation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, TOTAL, S.A., Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc., WPX Energy, Inc., Bill Barrett Corporation, Exxon Mobil Corporation and EOG Resources, Inc. In October 2012, the Company acquired ETC Canyon Pipeline, LLC from La Grange Acquisition, L.P., a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. On February 15, 2013, it closed the acquisition of to Meadowlark Midstream Company, LLC, formerly Bear Tracker Energy, LLC. In June 2013, Summit Midstream Partners LP acquires assets in Bakken, Marcellus. In June 2013, Summit Midstream Partners LP acquired Bison Midstream LLC. In June 2013, Summit Midstream Partners LP closed the previously announced acquisition of certain natural gas gathering pipelines and compression assets located in the liquids-rich window of the Marcellus Shale Play.

The Grand River system consists of approxi! mately 276 miles of pipeline and 97,500 horsepower of compression and is located in Garfield County, Colorado. The Grand River system primarily gathers natural gas produced by the Company�� customers from the liquids-rich Mesaverde formation within the Piceance Basin. The Grand River system also gathers natural gas produced from its customers' wells targeting the deeper Mancos and Niobrara Shale formations. As of September 20, 2012, the DFW Midstream system had five primary interconnections with third-party, intrastate pipelines that enables the Company to connect its customers, directly or indirectly, with the natural gas market hubs of Waha, Carthage, and Katy in Texas, and Perryville and Henry Hub in Louisiana. As of September 20, 2012, the DFW Midstream system gathered an average of approximately 325 million cubic feet per day from seven producers.

The Company competes with Access Midstream Partners, L.P., Crestwood Midstream Partners LP, Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., Williams Partners L.P., Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. and Enterprise Products Partners L.P.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Midstream operator,�Summit Midstream Partners (NYSE: SMLP  ) is expanding its reach after it announced two separate natural gas gathering acquisitions last week. The company is spending $460 million to acquire assets in the Bakken and Marcellus in unrelated deals. Let's take a closer look and the deals and what both mean for investors.

Top 5 Low Price Companies To Own For 2014: Key Energy Services Inc. (KEG)

Key Energy Services, Inc. operates as an onshore rig-based well servicing contractor in the United States and internationally. The company offers rig-based services, including the maintenance, workover, and recompletion of existing oil and gas wells; completion of newly-drilled wells; and plugging and abandonment of wells at the end of their lives, as well as specialty drilling services to oil and natural gas producers. It also provides fluid management services, such as vacuum truck services, fluid transportation services, and disposal services for operators, whose wells produce saltwater or other non-hydrocarbon fluids; and equipment trucks that are used to move large equipment from one well site to the next, as well as supplies frac tanks, which are used for temporary storage of fluids associated with fluid hauling operations. In addition, the company operates a fleet of hot oilers for pumping heated fluids that are used to clear soluble restrictions in a wellbore; and offers intervention services, such as coiled tubing, pumping, and nitrogen service. Further, it provides fishing services that involve recovering lost or stuck equipment in the wellbore utilizing an array of fishing tools; rental equipment comprising drill pipe, tubulars, pressure-control equipment, power swivels, and foam air units, as well as handling tools comprising Hydra-Walk pipe-handling units and services; oilfield service equipment controls, data acquisition, and digital information flow services; and drilling, project management, consulting, and reservoir engineering services. The company was formerly known as Key Energy Group, Inc. and changed its name to Key Energy Services, Inc. in December 1998. Key Energy Services, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Key Energy Services (NYSE: KEG  ) reported earnings on April 25. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Key Energy Services missed estimates on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

Top 5 Low Price Companies To Own For 2014: Youku.com Inc.(YOKU)

Youku.com Inc. operates as an Internet television company in the People?s Republic of China. Its Internet television platform enables consumers to search, view, and share video content across various devices. The company?s services for users comprise video content library consisting primarily of professionally produced content, including television serial dramas, movies, event reports, variety shows, and music videos under the Youku brand. It also provides user-generated content through Youku Paike and Youku Niuren programs; and produces a range of content, such as sponsored Web serial dramas, reality shows, interviews, and variety shows under Youku Originals brand. The company?s other services for users comprise online video search and discovery, online community, video space, real time commenting, and searchable community message board, as well as wireless video, iPhone channels and iPad, and P2P downloadable software client services. In addition, it offers online advert ising services to various advertising companies operating in fast moving consumer goods, information technology services, automobile manufacturing, electronics, telecommunications, financial services, e-commerce, and online game industries. The company?s products and services for advertisers and customers include online advertising services, such as in-video, display, sponsorship, and other forms of advertisements; targeting solutions; viral video advertisements; product placements; subscription-based services that enables users to watch advertisement-free premium content, such as high-definition movies; and sub-licensing content. It sells its advertising services through third-party advertising agencies comprising members of American Association of Advertising Agencies and Chinese advertising agencies. The company was formerly known as 1Verge Inc. and changed its name to Youku.com Inc. in June 2008. Youku.com Inc. was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Beijing, the Peo ple?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU) got a boost, shooting up 11.08 percent to $29.28 after the company reported a Q3 gross profit of RMB82.3 million (US$13.4 million).

• [By John Seward]

  Youku Tudou Inc. (NYSE: YOKU), an online marketer, gained 4.14 percent to $22.90.

  And online television company Tencent Holdings Ltd. (OTC: TCTZF) picked up 2.6 percent, to trade at $15.28.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  The exodus isn't universal. Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU  ) �had 11.2 million shorted shares as of mid-April. The leading video streaming website hasn't had this many naysayers since late last year.

Top 5 Low Price Companies To Own For 2014: Travelzoo Inc(TZOO)

Travelzoo Inc., an Internet media company, together with its subsidiaries, publishes travel and entertainment deals from travel and entertainment companies, and local businesses in North America and Europe. Its publications and products include the Travelzoo Websites, such as travelzoo.com, travelzoo.ca, travelzoo.co.uk, travelzoo.de, www.travelzoo.es, and travelzoo.fr; the Travelzoo Top 20 e-mail newsletter; and the Newsflash e-mail alert service. The company also operates SuperSearch, a pay-per-click travel search tool; Travelzoo Network, a network of third-party Websites that list deals published by Travelzoo; and Fly.com, a travel search engine that allows users to find the best prices on flights from various airlines and online travel agencies. In addition, it provides Local Deals and Getaways services that allow its subscribers to purchase vouchers for deals from local businesses, such as spas, hotels, and restaurants through the Travelzoo Website. As of December 31, 2011, the company?s advertiser base included approximately 2,000 travel companies, entertainment companies, and local businesses, including airlines, hotels, cruise lines, vacations packagers, tour operators, destinations, car rental companies, travel agents, theater and performing arts groups, restaurants, spas, and activity companies. Travelzoo Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  If you are a Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO  ) shareholder but own fewer than 25 shares, management would really appreciate it if you would just go away.