Best Consumer Companies To Watch In Right Now

Stocks ended flat today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) finishing down 27 points, or 0.2%, as investors seemed unsure of how to react to news that the Fed may end its stimulus program. According to The Wall Street Journal, the central bank has devised a plan for bringing its $85 billion-a-month bond-buying program to a close, and would decrease the amount of stimulus in steps as the job market improves. In recent quarters, the Fed's signals that it would continue the bond-buying program have helped pump up stocks so the program's termination could be a negative sign. However, the Fed has not yet set a date for when it would begin taking such steps.

Elsewhere, April retail sales came in better than expected, perhaps mitigating the blow from the Fed report. Consumer-level sales improved by 0.1% last month instead of the 0.3% drop expected. Exempting gas purchases, which were down on lower gas prices, April saw the biggest gain in four months.

Best Consumer Companies To Watch In Right Now: Transview Holdings Limited (T19.SI)

Transview Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the retail and wholesale of golf equipment and related products. The company offers golf equipment, apparel, shoes, bags, accessories, wedges, irons, drivers, and gloves. It is also involved in the wholesale of compression garments; and management of a public golf course and golf driving ranges. The company operates as a distributor for various brands of golf equipment and accessories, such as S-Yard, Maruman, Fourteen, ENA, Srixon, XXIO, J. Lindeberg, and Skins in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Philippines, and Myanmar. It operates 49 outlets. Transview Holdings Limited was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Best Consumer Companies To Watch In Right Now: Carter's Inc.(CRI)

Carter's, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, sources, and markets branded children?s wear. The company provides products under the Carter?s, Child of Mine, Just One You, Precious Firsts, OshKosh, and related brand names. Its Carter?s brand baby products include bodysuits, pants, undershirts, towels, washcloths, receiving blankets, layette gowns, bibs, caps, and booties; playclothes products consist of knit and woven cotton apparel; sleepwear products comprise pajamas and blanket sleepers; and other products consist of bedding, outerwear, swimwear, shoes, socks, diaper bags, gift sets, toys, and hair accessories. The company also provides playclothes products, including denim apparel products, overalls, woven bottoms, knit tops, and playclothes products for sizes newborn to 12 under the OshKosh brand. In addition, it offers baby, sleepwear, outerwear, shoes, hosiery, and accessories under the OshKosh brand. The company sells its products in department stores, national chains, and specialty retailers, as well as through its Carter?s and OshKosh retail stores; and online at carters.com and oshkoshbgosh.com. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 359 Carter?s and 170 OshKosh outlet and brand retail stores in the United States; and 65 retail stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck]

  Carter's, Inc. (CRI) is trading around $29.03. CRI manufactures apparel and is based in Georgia. The 50 day moving average is $28.50 and the 200 day moving average is $27.40. These shares have traded in a range between $22.19 to $34.24 in the last 52 weeks. CRI is estimated to earn about $1.84 per share in 2011 and $2.32 in 2012. You can see the insider buying here.

  Who is buying at Carter's: A couple of investment funds have been buying millions of dollars worth of shares in Carter's. This stock is trading above the recent moving averages, so I would wait for pullbacks to around $28 before considering a buy here.

Best Semiconductor Stocks For 2014: Asj Holdings Ltd (538.SI)

ASJ Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and sells resistors. The company also engages in the distribution of electronic and non-electronic components; provision of warehousing and logistics services; and import and export of electronics and electrical components and related products. In addition, it operates as a commission agent for electronic components. ASJ Holdings Limited serves customers in the telecommunications, consumer electronics, computer, and automotive industries. The company principally operates in Singapore, Malaysia, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, the United States, Europe, Thailand, and the Philippines. ASJ Holdings Limited was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Best Consumer Companies To Watch In Right Now: Packaging Corporation of America(PKG)

Packaging Corporation of America produces and sells containerboard and corrugated products in the United States. Its corrugated packaging products, include conventional shipping containers used to protect and transport manufactured goods; and multi-color boxes and displays with strong that help to merchandise the packaged product in retail locations. The company also offers meat boxes and wax-coated boxes for the agricultural industry. Packaging Corporation sells its products through direct sales and marketing organization. The company was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Best Consumer Companies To Watch In Right Now: Thai Beverage Public Co Ltd (Y92.SI)

Thai Beverage Public Company Limited engages in the production and distribution of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in Thailand and internationally. It provides beer products; spirits products, including brown spirits, white spirits, herb spirits, and others; and non-alcoholic beverages comprising drinking water, soda, electrolyte beverages, energy drinks, greentea, ready-to-drink coffee, and fruit juices. The company also engages in the manufacture and marketing of light construction bricks and fertilizers; and animal feed, and supplementary animal feed products. In addition, it is involved in the operation of Japanese restaurants and bakery shops. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Bangkok, Thailand.

Best Consumer Companies To Watch In Right Now: Stanley Furniture Company Inc.(STLY)

Stanley Furniture Company, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and imports wood furniture products for the residential market. It offers a line of adult furniture products comprising dining, bedroom, home office, home entertainment, and accent items under the Stanley Furniture brand name; and children?s furniture product line under the brand name of Young America. The company provides its products under various design categories, including traditional, continental, contemporary, transitional, and cottage designs. Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. sells its furniture products through independent sales representatives to independent furniture stores, interior designers, smaller specialty retailers, regional furniture chains, buying clubs, and e-tailers in the United States. Stanley Furniture Company, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is based in High Point, North Carolina.