In the spirit of World Cup competition, we're holding our own tournament in search of the Better Stock Today. We're pitting 32 companies against each other and you, the reader, will determine the winner.
Seadrill takes on Amazon.com for this first round-robin match up in our search for the better stock today.
Joel South, energy analyst at The Motley Fool, thinks Seadrill (SDRL) is more than worthy of your consideration today. Successful investors have been building significant wealth for years by finding solid, high dividend paying stocks. Seadrill sports an industry leading 10% yield and with solid contract coverage and a fleet of new drilling rigs, investors can count on Seadrill to be among the best offshore drillers in the world.
Fool tech analyst Nathan Hamilton believes the number one reason Amazon.com (AMZN -2.56%) should win this match is Amazon Prime. Prime is Amazon's subscription based offering that aligns well with Amazon's strategy where up-front profitability is sacrificed to create a user base that is both profitable and sticky in the long-term.
According to a study conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners in 2013, a Prime member spends $1340 annually, roughly double the amount non-Prime members spend. As a result, free-cash flow -- Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos' preferred gauge of fundamental performance -- benefits as the company generates a stable source of cash to reinvest in Amazon's R&D heavy initiatives. Investors will want to keep an eye on Prime as it will be a key driver of shareholder value.
Vote here to determine the winner of this match and sound off in the comments. Check back to Fool.com to see who advances in the tournament.
