Best Defense Companies To Watch For 2014

The Department of Defense awarded Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL  ) a sizable "foreign military sales contract" on Monday.

Rockwell will upgrade a total of three Boeing (NYSE: BA  ) KC-135R aerial refueling tankers for the French Air Force under a $44.5 million firm-fixed-price contract, installing the KC-135 Global Air Traffic Management Block 40 Upgrade for the airplanes. Work on the contract will be completed by Nov. 10, 2015.

The KC-135R Stratotanker is designed to refuel long-range bomber, fighter, and cargo aircraft in-flight, enhancing an air force's ability to project power over great distances. Its maximum fuel load is 200,000 pounds. The KC-135R can also be operated as a cargo transport itself, and is capable of carrying as much as 83,000 pounds of cargo in lieu of fuel. It is capable of flying at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and at speeds approaching the speed of sound.

In the U.S., the KC-135R will ultimately be phased out as the new aerial refueling tanker -- the KC-46�-- is phased in. In early 2011, Boeing won the contract to build the new tanker for the U.S. Air Force.

Best Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In Right Now: Embraer SA (EMBR3)

Embraer SA is a Brazil-based holding company primarily engaged in the manufacture of aircrafts. The Company�� business activities are divided into three business segments: Commercial Aviation; Defense and Security Business, and Executive Aviation. The Commercial Aviation segment is involved in the development, production and sale of commercial jets, as well as in the provision of support services, with emphasis on the regional aviation industry and aircraft leasing. The Defense and Security Business segment mainly includes the research, development, production and modification of defense aircrafts as well systems and software design. Through the Executive Aviation segment, the Company is active in the development, production and sale of business jets, provision of support services related to this sector of the market and aircraft leasing. The Company has subsidiaries, affiliated companies and representative offices in Brazil, the United States, France, Holland and China, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ney Hayashi]

  The Ibovespa dropped for a third day as planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3) led losses among exporters on speculation that a strengthening local currency will erode revenue from outside Brazil.

Best Defense Companies To Watch For 2014: Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK)

Alliant Techsystems Inc. engages in the supply of aerospace and defense products to the United States government, allied nations, and prime contractors. The company also supplies ammunition and related accessories to law enforcement agencies and commercial customers. Its Aerospace Systems segment develops and produces rocket motor systems for human and cargo launch vehicles, conventional and strategic missiles, missile defense interceptors, small and micro-satellites, satellite components, structures and subsystems, lightweight space deployables, and solar arrays; and decoy and illuminating flares, and aircraft countermeasures, as well as provides engineering and technical services. Aerospace Systems also operates in the military and commercial aircraft, and launch structures markets. The company?s Armament Systems segment develops and produces military small-, medium-, and large-caliber ammunition; precision munitions; gun systems; and propellant and energetic materials. It also operates the U.S. Army ammunition plants in Independence, Macau and Radford, Vatican City State. Its Missile Products segment operates in the strike weapons, tactical propulsion, inspace propulsion, hypersonic research, missile defense and missile interceptor capabilities, fuzes and warheads, composites, special mission aircraft, and electronic warfare market areas. The company?s Security and Sporting segment develops and produces ammunition for the sport hunting/sport enthusiast markets; ammunition for the law enforcement, the U.S. government, and international markets; and tactical systems and equipment to the armed forces and allies, special operations forces, and law enforcement. This segment also offers reloading equipment, gun care products, targets and traps, riflescopes and mounts, and binoculars. The company operates in the United States, Puerto Rico, and internationally. Alliant Techsystems Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minne sota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Munitions manufacturer ATK (NYSE: ATK  ) has been awarded a $3.2 million contract to provide a low-cost, light-weight, precision-guided missile that incorporates lock-on capabilities before and after launch.�

• [By Holly LaFon]

  During the quarter, we also fully exited a position��Alliant Techsystems (ATK). Our long-term clients know that our average holding period is over 6 years. Alliant Techsystems was in the portfolio for only approximately one year, and appreciated more than 115% from our cost basis. Our long-term clients also know that we start trimming our positions when we believe our required margin of safety diminishes. We also sell the position outright if our investment thesis has worked out and/or the investment thesis has changed. All these criteria were met with Alliant Techsystems.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Virginia-based ammo and munitions maker�ATK� (NYSE: ATK  ) �is buying itself a new gunmaker.

  ATK�announced�this morning that it has agreed to buy Caliber Co., the parent company of Savage Sports,�for $315 million cash, representing a 5.5 multiple of its trailing-12-month EBITDA. Savage is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hunting rifles and shotguns and has been in business for more than 100 years.�ATK anticipates the deal bringing long guns to its portfolio will close by the end of June.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Tuesday, Smith & Wesson Holding (NASDAQ: SWHC  ) will release its quarterly report, and shareholders have been pleased to see continued share-price gains from the gunmaker. Yet along with rival Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR  ) , Smith & Wesson is in danger of seeing earnings top out, and many investors wonder whether the good times for the gun industry will last or whether the recent move from Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK  ) to spin off its firearms and sporting segment marks a high-water mark for Smith & Wesson and other gun manufacturers.

Best Defense Companies To Watch For 2014: Thales SA (HO)

Thales SA is a France-based provider of integrated solutions and equipment of security systems primarily to the aerospace and defense markets. The Company operates in numerous countries through its divisions, including Aerospace, specialized in onboard equipment, electronics and systems for the civil and military markets; Space, offering solutions combining space and terrestrial technologies; Defence, which designs and delivers systems for all four environments: air, land, sea and space; Security, which offer the emergence of new types of threats from terrorism and organized crime to drug trafficking, mass immigration and cyber attacks; and Transportation, which offers a range of railways signaling solutions and integrated transportation systems, to ensure safe and secure transportation of operators, freight and passengers. In November 2013, it acquired XPI Simulation Ltd. In February 2014, it created a new business line called Critical Information Systems and Cybersecurity. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By USATODAY 8 a.m. EST February 15]

  Alex Pettyfer about to take the wheel of the Maserati Gran Turismo for a joyride with co-star Dayo Okeniyi.(Photo: HO)

  Pettyfer and Okeniyi's character end up joyriding in the car along with Gabriella Wilde, who plays the rich girl falling in love with Pettyfer.

Best Defense Companies To Watch For 2014: Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc (WAIR)

Wesco Aircraft Holdings, Inc., formerly Wesco Holdings, Inc., incorporated on July 21, 2006, a holding company for Wesco Aircraft Hardware Corp. The Company is a distributor and provider of supply chain management services to the global aerospace industry. Its services range from traditional distribution to the management of supplier relationships, quality assurance, kitting, just-in-time (JIT), delivery and point-of-use inventory management. The Company operated principally in three geographic areas, North America, Europe and markets, such as Asia, Pacific Rim and the Middle East. Wesco Aircraft Hardware Corp, its wholly owned, primary domestic operating subsidiary, Wesco Aircraft Europe, Ltd., its primary foreign operating subsidiary, and certain other foreign operating subsidiaries, in connection with the acquisition of 100% of the outstanding stock of Wesco Aircraft Hardware Corp., Wesco Aircraft Israel and the European entities of Flintbrook Ltd., Wesco Aircraft France and Wesco Aircraft Germany by Wesco Aircraft. In July 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of Interfast Inc. In March 2014, Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc completed the acquisition of Haas Group Inc from certain investment funds affiliated with The Jordan Company, L.P.

Kitting involves the packaging of an entire bill of materials or a complete ship-set of parts, which reduces the amount of time workers spend retrieving parts from storage locations. Kits can be customized in varying configurations and sizes and can contain up to several hundred different parts. JIT supply chain management involves the delivery of parts on an as-needed basis to the point-of-use at a customer's manufacturing line. The Company supplies approximately 450,000 different stock keeping units (SKUs), including hardware, bearings, tools, electronic components and machined parts. During the fiscal year ended September 31, 2010 (fiscal 2010), sales of hardware represented 80% of its net sales, with highly engineered fasteners constituting 83% o! f that amount. The Company serves its customers under three types of arrangements: JIT contracts, which govern outsourced supply chain management services; long term agreements (LTAs), which set prices for specific parts; and ad hoc sales. JIT contracts and LTAs, together consists of approximately 63% of its fiscal 2010 net sales. The Company supplies products to approximately every Western aircraft in production, including the B-787, B-737, B-747, A-320, JSF and V-22.

Hardware

Sales of C class aerospace hardware represented approximately 80% of its fiscal 2010 product sales. Fasteners are its product category, consisting of approximately 83% of its hardware sales in fiscal 2010. Fasteners include a range of engineered aerospace parts that are designed to hold together two or more components, such as rivets (both blind and solid), bolts (including blind bolts), screws, nuts and washers. Many of these fasteners are designed for use in specific aircraft platforms and others can be used across multiple platforms.

Bearings

The Company offers aerospace bearings. Its product offering includes a variety of standard anti-friction products designed to both commercial and military aircraft specifications, such as airframe control bearings, rod ends, spherical bearings, ball bearing rod ends, roller bearings and bushings.

Electronic Components

The Company offers interconnect and electro-mechanical products, including connectors, relays, switches, circuit breakers and lighted products. The Company also offers value-added assembled products, including mil-circular and rack and panel connectors and illuminated push button switches. The Company maintains connector components in inventory, which allows the Company to respond to customer orders. In addition, its lighted switch assembly operation affords customers same day service, including engraving capabilities in multiple languages.

Machined Parts and Other

Machined par! ts are de! signed for a specific customer and are assigned original product manufacturers (OEM)-specific SKUs. The machined parts, the Company distributes include laser cut or stamped brackets, milled parts, shims, stampings, turned parts and welded assemblies made of materials ranging from high-grade steel or titanium to nickel based alloys. The Company stock a range of tools needed for the installation of its products, including air and hydraulic tools, as well as drill motors, and the Company also offers factory authorized maintenance and repair services for these tools. In addition to selling these tools, the Company also rents or leases these tools to its customers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  The company has a current ratio of 16.25% which is higher than the one registered by Embraer S.A. (ERJ) and Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc (WAIR), but lower than Huntington Ingalls Industries, Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC) and Boeing Co (BA). But for investors looking for a higher ROE, Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) could be the option.

• [By alicet236]

  Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc. (WAIR): Chairman, President and CEO Randy J. Snyder Sold 70,000 Shares

  Chairman, President and CEO of Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc. (WAIR) Randy J. Snyder sold 70,000 shares during the past week at an average price of $19.77. Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc. has a market cap of $1.86 billion; its shares were traded at around $19.71 with a P/E ratio of 18.50 and P/S ratio of 2.10.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Wesco Aircraft Holdings (NYSE: WAIR  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  We initiated a small position in Wesco Aircraft Holdings (WAIR) during the quarter. Wesco is a distributor and supply chain manager to the commercial and military aerospace markets. The company should benefit from the multi-year commercial aerospace build-out that is underway. We expect this tailwind to provide visible growth through at least 2017. Wesco also has an opportunity to provide more services to large defense contractors as funding pressures force the industry to become more efficient. If the company can improve margins along the way, we think the resulting earnings growth could provide reasonable-to-good return potential for the stock.From Wallace Weitz (Trades, Portfolio)'s first quarter 2014 report.Also check out: Wallace Weitz Undervalued Stocks Wallace Weitz Top Growth Companies Wallace Weitz High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Wallace Weitz keeps buying Currently 0.00/512345

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