Articles by Thomas Hughes

Thomas got his start with the markets while working as a Chef. In 2005 a chance invitation to attend the seminar “How To Buy And Sell Your Own Stocks” altered his worldview. Soon trading and stocks consumed his every waking moment to the point of excluding all else. Thomas now enjoys a much different lifestyle engaged in his true passion, uncovering great investments. Contact Thomas Hughes via email at [email protected]

Simpson Manufacturing Company (NYSE: SSD) just announced a great second-quarter report but one that reveals an underlying problem within the economy.

Shares of RPM are pulling back into a buying opportunity you won't want to pass up.

Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) bucked the Q2 earnings trend by reporting weaker-than-expected earnings and guiding the market lower. This news has shares down more than 3% in early trading and they may move lower.

In the quest for value, investors should not discount Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC). It is not a lightly valued stock at 21X this year's earnings and 19X next year's earnings but it is one of the higher quality dividend growth stocks you will find.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) is a highly valued stock trading at 27X this year's consensus target and 25X next year's consensus EPS estimate but remember, you get what you pay for

Shares of Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ) look ready to continue what has been a very strong uptrend. The second-quarter results were everything the market could ask for and more including growth, better-than-expected results

Knight-Swift Transportation (NYSE: KNX) is one of the nation's largest trucking outfits and one bent on growth. The company has been actively acquiring businesses across the country for the past few years and that can be seen in the revenue.

Shares of Harley-Davidson are set up for a rebound and short-covering rally.

In the head-to-head comparison, we prefer Pepsico (NASDAQ: PEP) to The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) but that does not mean The Coca-Cola Company is not a great investment.

Crown Holdings (NYSE: CCK) is a fundamental play on the beverage industry. It doesn't matter if we're talking about sodas, sports drinks, coffee drinks, tea drinks, beer, or the burgeoning Seltzer industry.

ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) has more than lived up to our expectations. The company’s internal health coupled with reopening trends have it set up to exceed its pre-COVID revenue levels in the second half of the year.

Cal-Maine (NASDAQ: CALM) has been on our radar for many years. The company is very well-run, is executing a nationwide growth strategy, is shifting its business to higher-margin specialty eggs, and it usually pays a pretty decent dividend.

Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO) has been one of our favorite Underdog growth stories for the last 18 months or so. The company’s new CEO embarked on a revitalization strategy that refocused on the consumers and e-commerce,

Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP)  just reiterated its guidance and reinstated its dividend giving us two more reasons to love beer stocks. While the general consensus among the analysts is still neutral towards the group

Shares of UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH) are down in the wake of the Q2 earnings release but this is an opportunity for investors to get some more of these shares at a discounted price.

Trading at 37 times its earnings and yielding less than 1%, Cintas (NASDAQ: CTAS) is certainly overvalued when compared to the broad S&P 500. 

Infosys (NYSE: INFY) is a shining example of trends within the tech industry today. The pandemic proved to the world how important digital and e-commerce are, now businesses around the world are scrambling to stay relevant in the new age.

Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) is faced with a headwind that has emerged for the entire banking sector.  The massive amounts of stimulus pumped into the economy are improving general conditions including consumer health and that is cutting into net interest income

Organigram (NASDAQ: OGI), and the entire Canadian cannabis market, have been struggling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's not that demand has evaporated so much as it is that stores have been closed and people can't get the product.

We don't want to imply that Fastenal (NASDAQ: FAST) is in bad shape because it's not. The problem that we are faced with is the same one that we were faced with when the company reported Q1 results.

There are a couple of fantastic growth stories in the consumer staples sector and PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) is one of them. The company's strategy to diversify into snacks and other food items helped position it not only for the pandemic but for long-term growth as well.

Shares of Conagra pull back on weak guidance despite material improvement to fundamental conditions and a big dividend increase.

Shares of JP Morgan Chase slip on mixed results and weak guidance but still make an attractive buy.

A dip in analysts confidence is your opportunity to buy these strong company's.

Full-service restaurant stocks are set to shine in the second half of the year. That alone is enough to get us interested in the group, add to that some incredibly low valuations and an increasingly bullish analyst community and we see the opportunity for high double-digit gains in the second half of the year.

The Boston Beer Company looks like a compelling buy ahead of earnings.

If you think the semiconductor trade is starting to get crowded you are probably right. Money is flowing into the semiconductor stocks. The Semiconductor Index (NYSEARCA: SOXX) is up more than 160% since hitting its March 2020 bottom and looks like it's going to keep rising. 

Helen of Troy (NASDAQ: HELE)  is a very well-positioned company for the pandemic. The company makes all manner of consumer products for the home and lifestyle and has seen double-digit sales increases over the past year.

WD-40 Company (NASDAQ: WDFC)  may seem like an odd winner from the pandemic but it is. The company was in the midst of a major operational overhaul when the pandemic struck and was set up perfectly for stay-at-home trends.

Rover.com released its monthly booking data well ahead of its pending merger with SPAC Nebula Caravel Acquisition Company (NASDAQ: NEBC) and is causing quite a stir

SMART Global Holdings (NASDAQ: SGH) is very well positioned as what we think of as the third-tier in the microchip supply chain. first, there are the manufacturers of equipment for making microchips like KLA Corporation,

JPMorgan just called out Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) as one of its top picks citing many of the factors that we ourselves see in the stock. Not only is this 2.6% yielding dividend payer undervalued at only 9X its earnings

You know it's been a good year for the market because it's been a great year for IPOs. With stock valuations as high as they are, there've been record numbers of companies coming to market to cash in.

The financial sector including American Express (NYSE: AXP) is expected to be one of the hottest sectors in the second-quarter earnings reporting season.

Microcaps can be attractive for many reasons. One reason is that micro caps can experience explosive growth and turn into small-caps and mid-caps but not all micro caps are destined for such glory.

Four reasons why you should get bullish on oil.

With the S&P 500 (NYSEARCA: SPY) second-quarter earnings cycle already underway now is a good time to get a grip on what to expect during peak season.

The world's major EV manufacturers just release their June delivery data and by all accounts the data is good. Signs within the industry show ramping production despite global chip shortages and the upgrades are already rolling in

The Simply Good Foods Company (NASDAQ: SMPL) has simply been a good investment for quite some time. The company's growth i's based on America's growing desire for healthier snacks and that story has been compounded by acquisitions and the pandemic.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE: MKC) is a strong company with strong results. Not only is the business supported by pandemically-inspired social distancing and eat-at-home trends but it is also well supported by the rapid reopening of eating-away-from-home establishments

The furniture industry, and Bassett Furniture (NASDAQ: BSET), are some of the more compelling stories that have emerged from the pandemic.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) is one of our best picks for value-minded dividend growth investors for many reasons. To start, the company is deep into a global rationalization that has it back in growth mode and on track for double-digit gains in the coming year.

Like so many other investment stories in the market today, Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) is a multi-faceted one. On the one hand, we have a company that's working hard to optimize its portfolio and position for long-term growth while on the other we have one supported by secular trends and economic reopening.

Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY) has popped up on our radar more than once over the past year and for more reasons than one. At the core of the story is a nationwide rationalization of the company that has it repositioned for growth.

The education industry, and Barnes & Noble Education (NYSE: BNED), have not had an easy time of it over the last year. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down not only the school systems but also extracurricular activities such as sports which provide a large portion of revenue for this company.

GreenPower Motor Company (NASDAQ: GP), as small as it is, has got something that most other EV startups don't have. The company has orders, production, deliveries, and more importantly, revenue and even positive earnings.

Enerpac Tool Group (NYSE: EPAC) is fast becoming a dual narrative story. On the one hand, the company's business is accelerating on economic reopening and the resumption of projects and plans paused by the pandemic.

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE: FDS) results over the past year proved the resiliency of the stock market if nothing else. The company provides all manner of research for investors both sell-side and buy-side and at no time did its revenue falter.

Just because eCommerce has fallen out of the media spotlight don't think it's not a driving force of the global economy. If nothing else, the COVID-19 pandemic proved without a doubt that we need not only the Internet but e-Commerce.

CarMax (NYSE: KMX) is the leader in used car sales in the United States. It is by far the single largest dealer of pre-owned vehicles and plans to capture 5% of the used car market within the next couple of years.