NUS ==> The Fabulous Firecracker Winner!!

[mrmarket]

ouch! What really pisses me off is that NUS actually reached my sell target and I was too lazy to sell it that day. Same thing happened to me with SSNC. Maybe I should start using limit orders on sales?

[mrmarket]

Nu Skin profit drops on expense
By Dan Burrows, MarketWatch
Last Update: 10:04 AM ET Feb. 8, 2005
E-mail it | Print | Alert | Reprint | RSS

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Nu Skin Enterprises Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit edged lower on convention costs but still exceeded analysts' expectations, the personal-care company said Tuesday.





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For the three months ended Dec. 31, Nu Skin (NUS: news, chart, profile) said net income fell 5 percent to $22 million, or 31 cents a share, from $23.1 million, or also 31 cents a share, a year ago.

Fewer shares outstanding in the latest quarter enabled per-share earnings to remain flat against last year, the company said.

The direct seller said $5 million in expenses for a distributor convention in Japan reduced profit, but earnings still managed to surpass the Thomson First Call-derived estimate by 2 cents.

Revenue for the quarter increased 11 percent to $306.3 million from $275.9 million, also ahead of analysts' average outlook.

"The launch of the Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner and new distributor compensation incentives helped us post better-than-expected results in Japan," said Chief Executive Truman Hunt. "These initiatives generated solid sequential growth in our product subscription base and in the number of executive distributors."

Additionally, Nu Skin said first-quarter earnings are forecast at 21 to 23 cents a share compared with the consensus view of 21 cents from analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call.

Fiscal 2005 earnings are projected to be $1.15 to $1.22 a share, straddling the average estimate of $1.20 a share.

Nu Skin's stock rose more than 1 percent to $24.90 in recent trading.

[jiesen]

they reported this like beating estimates was a bad thing. I say these results are HUGE!
It's great that NUS had the forethought to purchase their shares back on the cheap. That way EPS has not decreased, even with the -one time- charge of $5M. Nowhere to go but up from here...

Go NUS!

[mrmarket]

I love stock buybacks

Nu Skin raises dividend, stock buy-back funds
Tue Feb 8, 2005 10:56 AM ET
NEW YORK, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. (NUS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , which sells personal care products, on Tuesday said its board approved a 13 percent increase in its quarterly dividend and an addition of $20 million to the company's ongoing stock repurchase program.
The Provo, Utah-based company said the quarterly dividend, of 9 cents per share on its common stock, up from 8 cents previously, will be paid on March 23 to stockholders of record as of March 4. Nu Skin said the new funds to buy back company shares will be added to $7 million that remains from a previous share-repurchase authorization.

[Hany]

NUS is UPGRADED

04/06/05 10:13 am EDT... S&P UPGRADES SHARES OF NU SKIN ENTERPRISES TO BUY FROM HOLD (NUS 23.03****): Our upgrade primarily reflects valuation, and our 12-month target price remains $27. We also view positively the company's strong sales trends, with NUS announcing today that its Q1 sales will be ahead of its prior guidance of $275-$280M. Our sales projection has been in line with the company's new guidance and we are leaving our Q1 EPS estimate at $0.23. We view NUS as attractively valued, at a 15% discount to our personal care group, with a strong position in the high-end direct-selling market and new product successes.

[mrmarket]

More more more!

Nu Skin raises first-quarter revenue outlook
Tue Apr 5, 2005 08:35 PM ET
LOS ANGELES, April 5 (Reuters) - Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. (NUS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , which sells skin care products, on Tuesday raised its outlook for first-quarter revenue to about $288 million from a previous forecast of $275 million to $280 million, citing growth in key markets, including Japan.
Earnings will be at the top end or slightly ahead of the previous forecast. The company in February had projected first-quarter earnings of 21 cents to 23 cents a share.

Japanese revenue is expected to increase 1 percent, while U.S. revenue is expected to grow about 14 percent, excluding sales to foreign distributors at a convention. Revenue in China is expected to increase 15 percent, the company said.

[mrmarket]

Some for $$$MR. MARKET$$$?

Nu Skin 1Q Profit Rises 22 Percent
Wednesday April 27, 9:51 am ET
Nu Skin First-Quarter Profit Rises 22 Percent on Strong Asian Sales, Raises 2005 Outlook


PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. said Wednesday that its first-quarter profit rose 22 percent on strong sales in China and Japan and the company raised its outlook for the year.
The direct seller of personal care products said its quarterly income grew to $17.7 million, or 25 cents per share, from $14.5 million, or 20 cents per share, a year ago.

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Revenue rose 10 percent to $289.4 million from $264 million last year, with 3 percent of the gain coming from foreign currency fluctuations. Sales in North Asia rose 7 percent to $160.8 million, driven by revenue from a new skin antioxidant detector in Japan. China revenue increased 24 percent to $59.1 million from last year. Global product subscriptions rose 71 percent from last year and accounted for 41 percent of total revenue.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected earnings per share of 22 cents on revenue of $283.1 million.

The company forecast second-quarter earnings of 29 cents to 31 cents per share on revenue of $295 to $305 million, a 4 percent to 7 percent increase from last year. For the year, Nu Skin raised its earnings outlook to $1.17 to $1.24 per share, from $1.15 to $1.22 per share, on revenue of $1.22 billion to $1.24 billion, about $20 million higher than previous estimates. The company's forecasts assume an exchange rate of 108 yen to the dollar.

Analysts estimate earnings per share of 32 cents on revenue of $300.2 million for the second quarter and $1.21 on revenue of $1.22 billion for the year.

Nu skin shares fell 94 censt, or 4.2 percent, to $21.66 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

[mrmarket]

The FOOL likes NUS

Motley Fool
Nu Skin's New Tool
Friday June 17, 2:20 pm ET
By Ellen Dowling


Have you checked your antioxidant level lately? Want to know whether all that spinach and tomato juice you've been imbibing has actually increased your carotenoid count? Well rejoice, pilgrim, for your search has ended: The scientists at Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS - News) have devised a machine called The Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner, which uses a laser to measure your body's level of free-radical-fighting carotenoid antioxidants. Nu Skin is hoping that the Scanner (sold through its subsidiary, Pharmanex) will be just the ticket for convincing millions of Chinese and Japanese to boost their antioxidant levels by buying more LifePak multivitamin/mineral supplements.


And so far, so good: Nu Skin recently reported first-quarter 2005 earnings per share growth of 25% and record revenue of $289.4 million, up around 10% from the same quarter in 2004. On the downside, sales also slid 6% from the last quarter of 2004 ($306.3 million), and diluted EPS dropped 19% from $0.31 to $0.25. But the company considers this just a slight sag on the way to tighter and brighter earnings forecasts. The company is expecting a second quarter revenue near $300 million and EPS coming in around $0.30.

So far, the Scanner has been helping increase sales of supplements in the U.S. and early indications are that it'll go gangbusters in China and Japan, too. But is the Scanner truly a scientifically sound assessment tool or a snake oil dispenser? At least one report (by Stephen Barrett, MD, published on www.quackwatch.org) maintains that "neither the scan nor the products have been proven to lead to improved health outcomes," and that both are "a waste of money." Nu Skin itself states that none of its supplements have been approved by the FDA. But the company seems committed to seeking evaluation of its products from reputable agencies. In March 2005, Nu Skin announced that LifePak had received certification from three major independent testing groups: NSF International, ConsumerLab.com, and the Banned Substances Control Group.

And a study of the BioPhotonic Scanner, presented in late 2004 to the American College of Nutrition, concluded that the results from the machine were "statistically significant" in analyzing antioxidant levels.

Back in October 2004, Fool contributor Jeremy MacNealy suggested that Nu Skin's plan "to apply an ample amount of recovery gel in hopes of more soft and supple days" might just pay off, depending on how the business goes in China and Japan. It's going pretty well for cosmetics competitor Avon (NYSE: AVP - News), whose balance sheet is glowing from last year's $220 million infusion of revenues from China.

So what's it gonna be? Do you really want to eat five pounds of spinach a day? Or would you rather place your hand on the machine and receive your fortune in supplements? And an even more interesting question: What do you think millions of Chinese and Japanese folks will do?

[jiesen]

NUS is making a run for it!

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NUS&t=5d&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=

Looks like NUS is breaking out now. I think if the market cooperates, it could hit the 15% mark very soon, and add one more to the incredibly HUGE $$MM winning streak!

[Websman]

I wish I would have bought NUS when it nose dived.

[New-born baby]

Not too late

I wish I would have bought NUS when it nose dived.

Webs,
It ain't too late:


the daily:

[Runner]

NUS

[jiesen]

NUS taking a beating this morning

Down on a negative earnings guidance revision. I thought they had the China direct sales problem licked... what happened?

[mrmarket]

I think the Parmalee guy likes me

The Easiest Double
The easiest doubles are not the high-flying growth companies, but the consistent slow growers trading at a short-term discount. These consistent growers are eventually rewarded not only for the growth achieved but also with a larger P/E multiple. Such a strategy gives investors a chance to double their money on an investment over a three- to five-year period.

By Nathan Parmelee (TMF Doraemon)
November 4, 2005

One of the best things about the member profiles on our Fool discussion boards is that members can highlight a book they recently read and enjoyed. On my profile -- linked at the bottom of this article -- you'll find The Davis Dynasty, which was recommended to me by Fool co-founder Tom Gardner.

I recommend that book to all investors because it views investing as a lifelong activity that makes up just a part of our lives -- a part that can have profound effects, both good and bad. True to its roots, the book balances the life of the Davis family from before the Great Depression all the way up to recent events.

Slow and steady wins the race
There are many tidbits of wit and wisdom that investors can take away from the book, but my personal favorite is "The Davis Double Play." For veteran value investors, the Davis Double will sound obvious. However, many folks might think the Davis Double is counterintuitive; the type of company that fits the bill is a consistent slow grower with growth rates of anywhere from 7% to 14% per year, instead of the high-double-digit rates you expect out of companies such as Coach (NYSE: COH), Fastenal (Nasdaq: FAST), and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). Analysts expect five-year earnings growth of 20%, 20%, and 32%, respectively, for that high-priced trio.

The easiest double
Let's look at a hypothetical example: Nate's Widgets (Ticker: NATE). Nate's Widgets isn't a glamorous company, but its widgets are used in many places, and as moving parts they tend to wear out every few years and require replacement. It's a boring business, but it typically grows between 8% and 12% per year and management does a good job of allocating capital. The general investing public doesn't pay a good deal of attention to Nate's Widgets, and every so often the shares are trading at eight times earnings.

Nate's Widgets



Year 1
Year 5

Price
$8.00
$16.11

EPS
1
1.46

P/E
8
11

*Assumed growth of 10%.

The benefits of buying a solid business at a relatively cheap price are evident in the above table. Because of Nate's consistent performance, the market gradually recognizes the performance of the business and awards shareholders with a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) that reflects Nate's steady growth. The process isn't exciting, but the results certainly are -- particularly if you have a long time to invest and can build a portion of your portfolio around such a strategy.

Often, a company like Nate's will earn an even higher P/E multiple because of the consistency of its growth, in which case an investor may get a double in three years instead of five. These businesses also tend to be reliable cash generators, which means investors can generally expect some form of a dividend that will give the total returns an extra boost.

Foolish final thoughts
This line of thinking resonates with me because I've had some experience with it. I just hadn't put all the pieces together in my mind. I once purchased shares of Warner-Lambert, which was then acquired by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) at a discount, and watched just such a scenario unfold. Today, Buckle (NYSE: BKE), Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE: NUS), and Petco (Nasdaq: PETC) have growth rates and earnings multiples that fit the mold based on earnings and cash flows:

Company
P/E
Growth Rate

Buckle
17
N/A*

Nu Skin
15
14%

Petco
15
18%

*Analyst estimates not available.

It takes a bit of time and patience, but it's a sound strategy that can provide very strong returns.

[mrmarket]

Recent news indicates China will legalize direct selling...which would be an enormous benefit to companies such as Avon and NUS...stay tuned.