The markets limped to a loss yesterday, but some companies have fallen even harder recently, so first let's see whether they had good reason to drop. Sometimes, panic-fueled declines can make excellent buying opportunities.
Welcome to the tea party
While the idea of creating a premium tea-drinking experience the way Starbucks
Slowing growth was also evident in its bottom line, which showed earnings grew 6% in the quarter, but that was down from 36% growth in the fourth quarter and a doubling of profits in last year's third quarter. With Teavana being publicly traded for less than a year, investors may be worried that growth will soon stagnate.
Despite U.S. tea sales forecast to hit $15 billion this year, Americans are still by and large coffee drinkers, consuming 146 billion cups of joe every year. Conversely, tea drinkers down just a third of that amount, and most of that is iced tea.
With Starbucks, Dunkin' Brands, and even McDonald's
CAPS All-Stars are evenly divided on whether the tea purveyor can beat the market average going forward, and even the broader CAPS community is doubtful, with just 60% believing it will beat the Street. Although there appears to be a market for Teavana's product, it seems more of a niche rather than a national phenomenon. So bag the tea maker by adding it to your watchlist and then tell us on the Teavana CAPS page or in the comments section below if you think branded tea shops are more fad than icon.
That sinking feeling
The shipping industry is still floundering, and tanker leader Frontline
Even while the inventory glut of new ships is easing, John Fredriksen is selling his privately held new-build order of 16 tankers to the spinoff rather than to Frontline, which has an aging fleet. Thus, when equilibrium is eventually restored, the tanker specialist will still be a laggard. While Frontline still owns about 9% of its offspring, with rates expected to remain weak for some time to come, analysts generally don't expect much of an improvement from it. As one analyst noted, "Frontline 2012 appears to be the growth vehicle of the group now."
Don't look to the dry bulk market for any respite, either, as DryShips
Let us know in the comments section below or on the Frontline CAPS page if you agree the stock is no longer on the front lines of growth, then add the tanker to the Fool's free portfolio tracker to see if it can extricate itself from the whirlpool.
Ready for a resurrection
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