Top Dog and Cat Stocks

Americans love their pets. More people own pets now than ever before, and the American Pet Products Association predicts that pet ownership will continue to grow over the next few decades.

by Nkem Iregbulem

Originally published March 24, 2020; Updated Jan. 12, 2022

Americans love their pets. More people own pets now than ever before, and the American Pet Products Association [APPA] predicts that pet ownership will continue to grow over the next few decades. According to a recent APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 67% of U.S. households, or 84.9 million homes, currently have pets — with most households owning a dog as a pet. Other commonly owned pets in households include cats and fish.

As pet ownership rises, so does the amount of money that households spend to own and take care of their pets. It is estimated that consumers collectively spent $100 billion in 2020. A table in a report from the Insurance Information Institute reports on the type and magnitude of expenses faced by cat and dog owners annually by survey participants. For cat and dog owners, reported annual expenses came from surgical and routine vet visits, food, food treats, toys, grooming, vitamins, and kennel boarding. Surgical vet visits were reported to cost around $426 annually for a dog and around $214 annually for a cat. Dog and cat owners reportedly spent an average of $259 and $228 respectively on pet food in a year.

Given the continued increase in the amount of money we spend on pets, you may want to look into pet stocks — stocks that benefit from this exact type of spending activity. Take a look through a couple of pet stocks, and you just might find yourself a treat. Your options include Patterson Companies Inc. (PDCO), Bayer AG (BAYRY), Henry Schein Inc. (HSIC), PetMed Express Inc. (PETS), Central Garden & Pet Co. (CENT), and Heska Corp. (HSKA). All of these stocks can be found on the NASDAQ exchange except for Bayer, which trades over-the-counter.

Your first option is Patterson Companies Inc., a medical supplies company involved in the research, development, and distribution of veterinary and dental supplies. The company was founded in 1877 and is headquartered in Minnesota. It has three operating segments: Dental, Animal Health, and Corporate. Under its Animal Health operating segment, it provides animal health services, technologies, and products such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, diagnostics, antibiotics, equipment, and software to veterinarians, other animal health professionals, producers, and retailers.

Patterson Companies Inc. has a market cap of $2.75 billion and pays a fairly high dividend yield of 3.71%. It also has a trailing P/E ratio of 13.8.

Based in Germany and founded in 1863, Bayer AG is a multinational pharmaceuticals and life science company. The company operates through its Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Crop Science, and Animal Health segments. Under its Animal Health segment, the company researches, produces, and distributes prescription and nonprescription veterinary products and solutions to help prevent and treat diseases in companion and farm animals. Its main products include human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, biotechnology products, agricultural chemicals, and high value polymers.

Bayer AG has a large market cap of $60 billion and pays a dividend yield of 4.02%. It trades at 13.3 times earnings. 

Another option is Henry Schein Inc., a company that distributes dental, medical, and veterinary healthcare supplies and products. The company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in New York. It has two main operating segments, namely its Health Care Distribution segment and its Technology & Value-Added Services segment. Through these segments, it provides vaccines, pharmaceuticals, surgical products, equipment, and other products to its customers around the world. 

Henry Schein Inc. has a market $10.77 billion and does not pay a dividend. It trades at 17.14 times trailing earnings.

You might also consider PetMed Express Inc., a Florida-based company founded in 1996. The company operates as a pet pharmacy and offers pet medications, supplements, and pet supplies such as food, beds, and crates for dogs and cats. With its pharmacy license, it sells both prescription and nonprescription pet medications. The company also frequently researches new healthcare products.

PetMed Express has a smaller market cap at $408 million and pays a high dividend yield of 6.13%. It trades at 25.14 times trailing earnings.

Founded in 1955, Central Garden & Pet Co. is a California-based company that distributes garden and pet supplies across the United States. It has two main operating segments: Pet and Garden. Under its Pet segment, the company offers products for dogs and cats such as edible bones, edible and non-edible chews, pet food, toys, carriers, treats, and grooming supplies. It also offers appropriate food and supplies for birds, fish, reptiles, and horses. These products are primarily sold to independent pet distributors, mass merchants, retail chains, grocery stores, and bookstores.

Central Garden & Pet Co. has a market cap of $2 billion and does not pay a dividend. It trades at 13.8 times trailing earnings.

One more option is Heska Corp., a company founded in 1988 and headquartered in Colorado. The company manufactures, distributes, and sells veterinary diagnostic and specialty products. These products are primarily used in canine and feline healthcare markets. The company operates through two segments, namely its Core Companion Animal Health segment and its Other Vaccines, Pharmaceuticals and Products segment. Through the former, the company provides veterinary imaging instruments and services, veterinary chemistry analyzers, veterinary hematology analyzers, chewable treatment tablets, and allergy products. Through the latter, the company offers vaccines and biological and pharmaceutical animal health products to animal health companies and veterinarians. 

Heska Corp. has a market cap of $795 million and does not pay a dividend. However the stock is currently generating negative earnings.

There are a few other pet related companies such as Phibro Animal Health Corporation (PAHC), which has a market cap of $600 million and a yield of 3.3%.

Maybe you should get your paws on one of these stocks, when the price is right.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written.

Even Pets Need Care, Food, and Supplies During the Coronavirus Shelter-in-Place

by Nkem Iregbulem

Americans love their pets. More people own pets now than ever before, and the American Pet Products Association (APPA) predicts that pet ownership will continue to grow over the next few decades. According to the APPA’s 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey, 67% of U.S. households, or 84.9 million homes, currently have pets — with most households owning a dog as a pet. Other commonly owned pets in households include cats and fish.

As pet ownership rises, so does the amount of money that households spend to own and take care of their pets. In 2019 alone, consumers collectively spent $95.7 billion on their pets in the U.S. This number is predicted to grow to around $99 billion in 2020. A table in a report from the Insurance Information Institute reports on the type and magnitude of expenses faced by cat and dog owners annually by survey participants. For cat and dog owners, reported annual expenses came from surgical and routine vet visits, food, food treats, toys, grooming, vitamins, and kennel boarding. Surgical vet visits were reported to cost around $426 annually for a dog and around $214 annually for a cat. Dog and cat owners reportedly spent an average of $259 and $228 respectively on pet food in a year.

Given the continued increase in the amount of money we spend on pets, you may want to look into pet stocks — stocks that benefit from this exact type of spending activity. Take a look through a couple of pet stocks, and you just might find yourself a treat. Your options include Patterson Companies Inc. (PDCO), Bayer AG (BAYRY), Henry Schein Inc. (HSIC), PetMed Express Inc. (PETS), Central Garden & Pet Co. (CENT), and Heska Corp. (HSKA). All of these stocks can be found on the NASDAQ exchange except for Bayer, which trades over-the-counter.

Your first option is Patterson Companies Inc., a medical supplies company involved in the research, development, and distribution of veterinary and dental supplies. The company was founded in 1877 and is headquartered in Minnesota. It has three operating segments: Dental, Animal Health, and Corporate. Under its Animal Health operating segment, it provides animal health services, technologies, and products such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, diagnostics, antibiotics, equipment, and software to veterinarians, other animal health professionals, producers, and retailers. Patterson Companies Inc. has a market cap of $1.66 billion and pays a fairly high dividend yield of 6.02%. Its stock has a very favorable price-to-sales ratio of 0.29, which has been decreasing each fiscal year since 2013. Italso has a trailing P/E ratio of 34.7 and a forward P/E ratio of 10.72. In 2019, the company had a 3-year revenue growth rate of 1.15% and an even better 5-year revenue growth rate of 6.53%.

Based in Germany and founded in 1863, Bayer AG is a multinational pharmaceuticals and life science company. The company operates through its Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Crop Science, and Animal Health segments. Under its Animal Health segment, the company researches, produces, and distributes prescription and nonprescription veterinary products and solutions to help prevent and treat diseases in companion and farm animals. Its main products include human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, biotechnology products, agricultural chemicals, and high value polymers. Bayer AG has a large market cap of $54.17 billion and pays a dividend yield of 5.67%. The stock has a price-to-sales ratio of 1.16 and a price-to-book ratio of 1.07. It trades at 7.16 times forward earnings. In 2019, the company faced a negative 3-year growth rate of -2.35% and better, but still negative 5-year revenue growth rate of -0.61%.

Another option is Henry Schein Inc., a company that distributes dental, medical, and veterinary healthcare supplies and products. The company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in New York. It has two main operating segments, namely its Health Care Distribution segment and its Technology & Value-Added Services segment. Through these segments, it provides vaccines, pharmaceuticals, surgical products, equipment, and other products to its customers around the world. Henry Schein Inc. has a market $6.74 billion and does not pay a dividend yield. Its stock has a great price-to-sales ratio of 0.7 and a price-to-book ratio of 2.25. It trades at 10.1 times trailing earnings and 12.69 times forward earnings. In 2019, Henry Schein Inc. had a 3-year revenue growth rate of -4.79% and a 5-year revenue growth rate of -0.75%.

You might also consider PetMed Express Inc., a Florida-based company founded in 1996. The company operates as a pet pharmacy and offers pet medications, supplements, and pet supplies such as food, beds, and crates for dogs and cats. With its pharmacy license, it sells both prescription and nonprescription pet medications. The company also frequently researches new healthcare products.PetMed Express has a market cap of $569.1 million and pays a dividend yield of 3.83%. The stock has a price-to-sales ratio of 2.08 and a price-to-book ratio of 4.46. It trades at 22.4 times trailing earnings and 22.17 times forward earnings. The company’s revenue has been growing each fiscal year since 2015. In 2019, PetMed Express Inc. enjoyed a 5-year revenue growth rate of 3.96% and an even better 3-year revenue growth rate of 6.49%.

Founded in 1955, Central Garden & Pet Co. is a California-based company that distributes garden and pet supplies across the United States. It has two main operating segments: Pet and Garden. Under its Pet segment, the company offers products for dogs and cats such as edible bones, edible and non-edible chews, pet food, toys, carriers, treats, and grooming supplies. It also offers appropriate food and supplies for birds, fish, reptiles, and horses. These products are primarily sold to independent pet distributors, mass merchants, retail chains, grocery stores, and bookstores. Central Garden & Pet Co. has a market cap of $1.5 billion and does not pay a dividend. The company’s stock has a price-to-book ratio of 1.55 and an excellent price-to-sales ratio of 0.64. It trades at 17.8 times trailing earnings and 16.86 times forward earnings. With a 3-year revenue growth rate of 9.22% and a 5-year revenue growth rate of 8.23% in 2019, Central Garden & Pet Co. has seen increasing revenue values each fiscal year since 2014.

One more option is Heska Corp., a company founded in 1988 and headquartered in Colorado. The company manufactures, distributes, and sells veterinary diagnostic and specialty products. These products are primarily used in canine and feline healthcare markets. The company operates through two segments, namely its Core Companion Animal Health segment and its Other Vaccines, Pharmaceuticals and Products segment. Through the former, the company provides veterinary imaging instruments and services, veterinary chemistry analyzers, veterinary hematology analyzers, chewable treatment tablets, and allergy products. Through the latter, the company offers vaccines and biological and pharmaceutical animal health products to animal health companies and veterinarians. Heska Corp. has a market cap of $479.75 million and does not pay a dividend. Its stock has a high price-to-sales ratio of 3.68, placing itself in the overpriced category.  The stock also has a price-to-book ratio of 3.08. The company’s revenue increased each fiscal year from 2013 to 2016 before taking a slight dip in 2017. Still, the company has a negative 3-year revenue growth rate of -1.94% and a 5-year revenue growth rate of 6.43%.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written.

Top Healthcare Short Squeeze Stocks

Healthcare is a fast growing sector, and will continue to grow as the baby boomers continue to get older. If healthcare stocks are heavily shorted, the potential gains can be significant. When stocks rise quickly, no matter what the reason, short sellers scramble to cover their positions by buying shares, and causing the price of the stock to move up even more.

So how can you make money on the long side from short squeezes? One technique that stock traders utilize is buying short squeeze stocks, companies have been heavily shorted. Here is a more extensive explanation of what a short squeeze is.

When you short a stock, it means that your goal is to make money from a drop in the price of a stock. Technically, what happens is that you borrow shares of a stock, sell those shares, then buy back those shares at a hopefully lower price so that those shares can be returned. This all happens electronically, so you don’t actually see all the borrowing and returning of shares; it just shows up on your screen as a negative number of shares.

Short sellers can be profitable, but sometimes when the stock moves against them, and begins to rise, the short sellers jump in right away to buy shares to cover their positions, creating what is called a short squeeze. When a short squeeze takes place, it can cause the share prices to increase fast and furiously. Any good news can trigger the short squeeze.

Some traders utilize this situation by looking for stocks to buy that may have a potential short squeeze. Here is what a short squeeze trader should take into consideration:

Short Percentage of Float ~ The float is the number of freely tradable shares and the short percentage is the number of shares held short divided by the float. Amounts over 10% to 20% are considered high and potential short squeeze plays.

Short Ratio / Days to Cover / Short Interest Ratio -This is probably the most important metric when looking for short squeeze trades, no matter what you call it. This is the number of days it would take the short sellers to cover their position based on the average daily volume of shares traded. This is a significant ratio as it shows how “stuck” the short sellers are when they want to buy in their shares without driving up the price too much. Unfortunately for the shortsellers, the longer the number of days to cover, the bigger and longer the squeeze.

Short Percentage Increase ~ This is the percentage increase in in the number of short sellers from the previous month.

Here is one example from the list below.  Petmed Express (PETS) is a stock that is heavily shorted. As a matter fo fact, 45% of the float is shorted. Plus, the short interest ratio is 10. That means it would take the short sellers ten days to cover their positions, based on the number of shares that trade each day on average.

So what stocks are heavily shorted that may be worth a closer examination? Check out the following list, but be aware, that often some stocks are heavily shorted for a reason.

All these stocks have significant short metrics, but they also have price to earnings ratios less than 16.

Maybe a short squeeze will cause a few of these to rise sharply, making your portfolio healthier.

Stock Symbol % of float Days to Cover
Ligand Pharmaceuticals LGND 35% 14.5
MiMedx Group MDXG 62% 39
Petmed Express PETS 45% 10
Tivity Health TVTY 34% 21.8

Disclosure: Author didn’t own any of the above at the time the article was written.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend in August 2019

by Fred Fuld III

The following is a short list of some of the many stocks going ex dividend during the next month.

Many traders and investors use the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ This is the strategy of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend.

This technique generally works in bull markets and flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the strategy during bear markets. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can’t sell the stock until after the ex date.

The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and many with yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the periodic dividend amount, and annual yield.

PetMed Express, Inc. (PETS) 8/1/2019 0.27 6.71%
Citigroup Inc. (C) 8/2/2019 0.51 2.84%
MetLife, Inc. (MET) 8/5/2019 0.44 3.52%
Boeing Company (BA) 8/8/2019 2.055 2.42%
Walmart Inc. (WMT) 8/8/2019 0.53 1.89%
Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) 8/14/2019 0.645 2.37%
Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) 8/15/2019 0.945 4.31%
Moody’s Corporation (MCO) 8/19/2019 0.50 0.99%
Carnival Corporation (CCL) 8/22/2019 0.50 4.22%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 8/26/2019 0.95 2.86%
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) 8/29/2019 1.25 2.27%
Molson Coors Brewing (TAP) 8/29/2019 0.57 4.03%
Kellogg Company (K) 8/30/2019 0.57 3.90%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found HERE . (If you have been to the page before, and the latest link doesn’t show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists HERE . Most of the lists are free.

Dividend definitions:

Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List

Record date: the day when you must be on the company’s books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don’t forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

Stocks Going Ex Dividend for the Month of August 2018

Here is our latest update on the stock trading technique called ‘Buying Dividends,’ also commonly referred to as ‘Dividend Capture.’ This is the process of buying stocks before the ex dividend date and selling the stock shortly after the ex date at about the same price, yet still being entitled to the dividend.

This technique generally works only in bull markets, and can work in flat or choppy markets, but you need to avoid the technique during bear markets. In order to be entitled to the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date, and you can’t sell the stock until after the ex date.

The actual dividend may not be paid for another few weeks. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has compiled a downloadable and sortable list of the stocks going ex dividend in the near future. The list contains many dividend paying companies, lots with market caps over $500 million, and yields over 2%. Here are a few examples showing the stock symbol, the ex-dividend date, the quarterly dividend amount, and annual yield.

PetMed Express, Inc. (PETS) 8/2/2018 0.27 2.96%
Pfizer, Inc. (PFE) 8/2/2018 0.34 3.58%
Citigroup Inc. (C) 8/3/2018 0.45 2.51%
Intel Corporation (INTC) 8/6/2018 0.30 2.29%
Boeing Company   (BA) 8/9/2018 1.71 1.92%
Walmart Inc. (WMT) 8/9/2018 0.52 2.37%
Consolidated Edison Inc (ED) 8/14/2018 0.72 3.70%
Target Corporation (TGT) 8/14/2018 0.64 3.20%
Visa Inc. (V) 8/16/2018 0.21 0.59%
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.   (GS) 8/29/2018 0.80 1.35%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 8/27/2018 0.90 2.80%
Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP) 8/30/2018 0.41 2.51%
Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) 8/31/2018 2.00 2.47%

The additional ex-dividend stocks can be found here at wstnn.com. (If you have been to the website before, and the latest link doesn’t show up, you may have to empty your cache.) If you like dividend stocks, you should check out some of the other high yield stock lists at HERE or WStNN.com. Most of the lists are free.

Dividend definitions: Declaration date: the day that the company declares that there is going to be an upcoming dividend.

Ex-dividend date: the day on which if you buy the stock, you would not be entitled to that particular dividend; or the first day on which a shareholder can sell the shares and still be entitled to the dividend.

Monthly Dividend Stock List

Record date: the day when you must be on the company’s books as a shareholder to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is normally set for stocks at two business days before the record date.

Payment date: the day on which the dividend payment is actually made, which can be as long at two months after the ex date.

Don’t forget to reconfirm the ex-dividend date with the company before implementing this technique.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

 

How to Get Your Paws on Some Pet Stocks

by Nkem Iregbulem

There’s no denying that Americans love their pets. More people own pets now than ever before. According to the American Pet Products Association’s 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey, 68% of U.S. households, or 85 million families, currently own pets — with a dog being the most commonly owned pet. The APPA also predicts that pet ownership will continue to grow over the next few decades.

As pet ownership rises, so does the amount of money that households spend to own and take care of their pets. A table in a report from the Insurance Information Institute provides total U.S. pet industry expenditure values from 2007 to 2017. The table indicates that these expenditures hit a high in 2017. In just that one year, Americans collectively spent approximately $69.1 billion dollars on their pets. This value has been on the rise since at least 2007 when expenditures in the pet industry stood at just $41.2 billion. Another table reports on the type and magnitude of expenses faced by cat and dog owners annually by survey participants. Reported annual expenses came from surgical and routine vet visits, food, food treats, toys, grooming, vitamins, and kennel boarding. Surgical vet visits were reported to cost around $474 annually for a dog and around $245 annually for a cat. Cat and dog owners in the survey also reported that they spend around $235 on pet food over the course of a year.

Given the continued increase in the amount of money we spend on pets, you may want look into pet stocks — stocks that benefit from this exact type of spending activity. Take a look at a few stocks, and you just might find yourself a treat. Your options include Patterson Companies Inc. (PDCO), Bayer AG (BAYRY), Henry Schein Inc. (HSIC), PetMed Express Inc. (PETS), Central Garden & Pet Co. (CENT), and Heska Corp. (HSKA). All of these stocks can be found on the NASDAQ exchange except for the BAYRY stock, which trades over-the-counter.

Your first option is Patterson Companies Inc., a medical supplies company involved in the research, development, and distribution of veterinary and dental supplies. The company was founded in 1877 and is headquartered in Minnesota. It has three operating segments: Dental, Animal Health, and Corporate. Under its Animal Health operating segment, it provides animal health services, technologies, and products such as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, diagnostics, antibiotics, equipment, and software to veterinarians, other animal health professionals, producers, and retailers. Patterson Companies Inc. has a market cap of $1.19 billion and pays a nice dividend yield of 4.63%. Its stock has a very favorable price-to-sales ratio of 0.39, which has been decreasing each fiscal year since 2013. It also has a trailing P/E ratio of 10.53 and a forward P/E ratio of 12.63.The company has a 5-year revenue growth rate of 8.49% and an even better 3-year revenue growth rate of 11.80%.

Based in Germany and founded in 1863, Bayer AG is a multinational pharmaceuticals and life science company. The company operates through its Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Crop Science, and Animal Health segments. Under its Animal Health segment, the company researches, produces, and distributes prescription and nonprescription veterinary products and solutions to help prevent and treat diseases in companion and farm animals. Its main products include human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, biotechnology products, agricultural chemicals, and high value polymers. Bayer AG has a large market cap of $81.44 billion and pays a dividend yield of 2.92%. With a price-to-sales ratio of 2.38, the company’s stock is considered somewhat overpriced. It trades at 23.55 times trailing earnings and 14.03 times forward earnings. The stock also has a price-to-book ratio of 2.14. The company faces a negative 3-year growth rate of -5.38% and relatively better, but still negative 5-year revenue growth rate of -2.50%.

Another option is Henry Schein Inc., a company that distributes dental, medical, and veterinary healthcare supplies and products. The company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in New York. It has two main operating segments, namely its Health Care Distribution segment and its Technology & Value-Added Services segment. Through these segments, it provides vaccines, pharmaceuticals, surgical products, equipment, and other products to its customers around the world. Henry Schein Inc. has a market $11.68 billion and does not pay a dividend yield. Its stock has a great price-to-sales ratio of 0.92 and a price-to-book ratio of 3.98. It trades at 27.50 times trailing earnings and 17.99 times forward earnings. Henry Schein Inc. has enjoyed increasing revenue values each fiscal year since 2013 as it boasts a 3-year revenue growth rate of 6.31% and a similar 5-year revenue growth rate of 6.87%.

You might also consider PetMed Express Inc., a Florida-based company founded in 1996. The company operates as a pet pharmacy and offers pet medications, supplements, and pet supplies such as food, beds, and crates for dogs and cats. With its pharmacy license, it sells both prescription and nonprescription pet medications. The company also frequently researches new healthcare products. PetMed Express Inc. has a market cap of $878 million and pays a dividend yield of 2.35%. A price-to-sales ratio of 3.25 suggests that the stock is overpriced. The stock also has a price-to-book ratio of 7.75. It trades at 23.93 times trailing earnings and 19.23 times forward earnings. The company’s revenue has been growing each fiscal year since 2015. PetMed Express Inc. enjoys a 5-year revenue growth rate of 3.74% and an even better 3-year revenue growth rate of 6.08%.

Founded in 1955, Central Garden & Pet Co. is a California-based company that distributes garden and pet supplies across the United States. It has two main operating segments: Pet and Garden. Under its Pet segment, the company offers products for dogs and cats such as edible bones, edible and nonedible chews, pet food, toys, carriers, treats, and grooming supplies. It also offers appropriate food and supplies for birds, fish, reptiles, and horses. These products are primarily sold to independent pet distributors, mass merchants, retail chains, grocery stores, and bookstores. Central Garden & Pet Co. has a market cap of $2.34 billion and does not pay a dividend yield. The company’s stock has a price-to-book ratio of 3.29 and a price-to-sales ratio of 1.10 — though this value has been on the rise since 2013. It trades at 21.60 times trailing earnings and 20.92 times forward earnings. With a 3-year revenue growth rate of 8.59% and a lower 5-year revenue growth rate of 3.86%, Central Garden & Pet Co. has seen increasing revenue values each fiscal year since 2014.

One more option is Heska Corp., a company founded in 1988 and headquartered in Colorado. The company manufactures, distributes, and sells veterinary diagnostic and specialty products. These products are primarily used in canine and feline healthcare markets. The company operates through two segments, namely its Core Companion Animal Health segment and its Other Vaccines, Pharmaceuticals and Products segment. Through the former, the company provides veterinary imaging instruments and services, veterinary chemistry analyzers, veterinary hematology analyzers, chewable treatment tablets, and allergy products. Through the latter, the company offers vaccines and biological and pharmaceutical animal health products to animal health companies and veterinarians. Heska Corp. has a market cap of  $791.53 million and does not pay a dividend yield. Its stock has a high price-to-sales ratio of 6.36, placing itself in the overpriced category. It also has a very high trailing P/E ratio of 113.26 and lower forward P/E ratio of 59.52. The stock also has a price-to-book ratio of 7.80. The company’s revenue increased each fiscal year from 2013 to 2016 before taking a very slight dip in 2017. Still, the company enjoys a 3-year revenue growth rate of 12.92% and a 5-year revenue growth rate of 12.18%.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above stocks at the time the article was written.

 

 

Corporate Stock Earnings Reports for the 4th Week of January

Looking for some interesting moves in some stocks this upcoming week? Check out the companies that will be reporting earnings.

If earnings exceed analysts’ expectations, the stocks can shoot up. If the numbers underperform, the stock can tank. Then again, occasionally, stocks don’t move the way you would have expected.

Anyway, many traders use earnings plays for trading strategies. Also, option traders look for high implied volatility of stocks for for option selling strategies.

Here are many of the enormous number of stocks reporting earnings this week:

Monday

 

BOH

HAL

LPL

MCD

PETS

YHOO

Tuesday

 

MMM

BABA

COF

DD

JNJ

KMB

LMT

VZ

Wednesday

 

ABT

T

BA

EBAY

LVS

 

Thursday

 

GOOG

GOOGL

BMY

CMCSA

DOW

F

INTC

JBLU

POT

Friday

 

CVX

CL

BEN

If you like interesting stock lists like this, be sure to check out many of the free stock lists here at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.