Wall
Street's
Picks for 2000
The world's leading financial experts say unknown companies may be top money makers in 2000!
Would you invest in a company that:
- Makes heart valves to save lives
- Helps deliver your mail and packages quicker
- Creates software to help your business grow
- Manufactures airline seats that withstand more stress in crashes
If these investments sound
intriguing, you're not alone. According to the top minds on Wall
Street, they could be among the most profitable investments of
the year 2000.
Investment pro and
author Kirk Kazanjian reveals the top recommendations and strategies
for the year ahead from a distinguished panel of living investment
legends in his new book, Wall
Street's Picks for 2000
(Dearborn
Financial Publishing, (877) 242-4941), the latest edition of
his best-selling annual investment guide. According to Kazanjian's
expert panel, investors should especially keep an eye on four
relatively unknown companies in the year ahead because they are
poised to be big winners.
"It's interesting
to note that the world's greatest investors don't just buy the
glamour stocks we hear about all the time," Kazanjian said.
"Some of the best opportunities out there are in companies
that aren't well known but offer products or services that we
use all the time."
Kazanjian's panel
of experts recommend the following investments that lately have
been ignored by the rest of Wall Street:
ATS Medical
(Nasdaq ATSI):
This top pick for 2000 manufactures a device known as the
ATS Open Pivot Valve. Unlike other heart valves, the Pivot Valve
swings like a door, greatly reducing the amount of turbulence
in the blood. This helps to keep patients from developing clots
or having strokes. The valve is still waiting FDA approval in
the United States but has been used globally by surgeons for
yearswith rave reviews. FDA approval is expected near the summer
of 2000, which could get investors very excited about this stock.
For more information: ATS Medical Inc., 3905 Annapolis Ln., Minneapolis,
MN 55447. Phone: (612) 553-2736, www.atsmedical.com.
CNF Transportation (NYSE
CNF): If you need something shipped across the street or around
the world, CNF Transportation has a way to get it there. It even
delivers mail for the U.S. Postal Service! One division, Emery
Worldwide, is responsible for domestic and international air
freight services. Of the major overnight delivery services, Emery
is perhaps the least known, but is currently being upgraded to
increase capacity by some 30 percent. Emery also has a ten-year
contract to provide Express Mail and Priority Mail delivery services
for the U.S. Postal Service. For more information: CNF Transportation
Inc., 3240 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304. Phone: (650) 494-2900,
www.cnf.com.
Pervasive
Software (Nasdaq PVSW): If you
have a lot of complex information that you want to put on the
Internet, you'll need to do the "tango." Specifically,
you'll need Tango software, which is manufactured by Pervasive
Software. Tango is so good that when information systems experts
are asked what they would use if Tango weren't available, they
basically turn their hands palms up and say, "We aren't
sure, since a lot of what we want to accomplish is impossible
without this software." Tango allows you to build exciting
Web applications and helps you put complex information on the
Internet with ease. For more information: Pervasive Software,
12365 Riata Trace Pkwy., Bldg. II, Austin, TX 78727. Phone: (512)
231-6000, www.pervasive.com.
Simula
(NYSE SMU):
Whether by air, sea, or land, Simula is in the business of
keeping people safe while they travel. It also creates safety
technology for the military. Specifically, Simula makes helicopter
seats that can withstand traumatic collisions. These seats absorb
the energy of a crash and therefore save the pilot's life. Simula
is also poised for commercial greatness, as airlines rush to
buy the life-saving seats. There has not been a new manufacturer
of aircraft seats in 25 years. Additionally, Simula has come
up with an airbag system that doesn't require you to press up
against a steering wheel or dashboard for it to deploy. Experts
expect this to be the biggest driver of future growth. For more
information: Simula Inc., 2700 North Central Ave., Ste. 1000,
Phoenix, AZ 85004. Phone: (602) 631-4005, www.simula.com.
The Best Turnaround Stocks for the New Millennium
Kazanjian asked a panel of
36 investment gurus to reveal their number one favorite stock
or mutual fund for the new millennium. The complete list is featured
in his new book. In addition to naming names, Kazanjian profiles
each of his experts, showing how they find promising investmentsuncovering
their best investment advice and revealing their market predictions
for the new century.
What follows are
five stocks selected by Kazanjian's panel of experts that could
really come to life in the year ahead.
Borders Group (NYSE
BGP): Borders is the nation's second largest retailer of books
and music behind Barnes and Noble. The stock currently trades
far below its 52-week high, largely because many analysts fear
the Internet could put it out of business. But according to the
experts in Wall Street's Picks for 2000, that's nonsense.
The company remains profitable, its brick and mortar stores are
busier than ever, and if the stock price doesn't rise on its
own, Borders may be an attractive takeover candidate. In either
case, the book's featured expert predicts the company will grow
by 10 to 15 percent a year and expects shares of Borders to at
least double in the year 2000. For more information: Borders
Group, Inc., 100 Phoenix Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48108, (734) 477-1100,
www.bordersgroupinc.com.
Conseco
(NYSE CNC):
Conseco is an insurance conglomerate providing all of the things
important to baby boomers, such as long-term care insurance and
fixed annuities. Unfortunately, the company made a few acquisitions
in recent years that Wall Street wasn't too excited about, including
the purchase of Green Tree Financial in 1998. According to the
experts in Wall Street's Picks for 2000, Conseco keeps
a close eye on costs and should be able to stay ahead of the
competition through price control. From its initial public offering
13 years ago, Conseco shares have appreciated more than 7,300
percent, including reinvested dividends, providing for an annualized
return of 39 percent. The stock is predicted to trade for at
least $60 by the end of next year. For more Information: Conseco,
Inc., 11825 N. Pennsylvania St., Carmel, IN 46032, 1-800-426-6732,
www.conseco.com.
LaSalle Re Holdings (NYSE
LSH): Bermuda-based LaSalle Re Holdings writes property and casualty
insurance, with an emphasis on catastrophe coverage, though its
operating subsidiary, LaSalle Re Limited. Insurance stocks in
general have been under a cloud the last few years because of
the myriad of catastrophes taking place around the world. However,
the experts in Wall Street's Picks for 2000 note that
the company is in good financial shape, has extremely strong
management, has impressive future earnings power, and sells for
a big discount from book value. It would be a strong takeover
candidate at current levels. For more information contact: LaSalle
Re Holdings Ltd., Continental Bldg., 25 Church St., Hamilton
HM 12, Bermuda, (441) 292-3339, www.lasallere.com.
Rite Aid
(NYSE RAD): From its humble beginnings in 1962, Rite Aid has
become one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, with more
than 4,000 locations in 30 states across the country. Because
of numerous recent acquisitions, the company missed several earnings
estimates during 1999. That caused the stock to get pummeled.
But it looks like things are improving for Rite Aid. The company
recently agreed to sell some of its underperforming stores and
continues to grow at an impressive pace. The experts in Wall
Street's Picks for 2000 also note that Rite Aid has a good
dividend reinvestment program, or DRIP, which enables individuals
to buy additional stock shares without using a broker. For more
information: Rite Aid Corp., 30 Hunter Ln., Camp Hill, PA 17011,
(717) 761-2633, www.RiteAid.com.
Rouge Industries (NYSE
ROU): In an age when investors are focusing on sexy Internet
start-ups and fast-growing technology firms, few people seem
interested in stodgy steel manufacturers like Rouge Industries.
But that's exactly why it was selected by the experts in Wall
Street's Picks for 2000. Rouge and its subsidiaries produce
a variety of steel products which are sold primarily to the automotive
market. The company's stock price has been languishing, since
steel prices are under pressure and demand for the metal has
been slowing. What's amazing is the company has still been able
to turn a profit, and the experts in Wall Street's Picks for
2000 predict earnings will soon double. If that happens,
the stocks could trade for at least $27 in the next three to
five years. For more information: Rouge Industries, Inc., 3001
Miller Rd., Dearborn, MI 48121, (313) 317-8900.
Editor's Note: Wall
Street's Picks for 2000 is the fifth edition of Kirk Kazanjian's
best-selling annual investment guide. It gives readers an in-depth
look inside the minds of the country's savviest investors. The
book showcases their advice, mistakes, market outlook, best and
worst investments of all time, and personal career highlights.
Wall Street's Picks for 2000 is available at bookstores
nationwide, and can also be ordered by calling (877) 242-4941.
Kirk Kazanjian is
a nationally recognized investment expert, stock and mutual fund
analyst, best-selling author and lifelong entrepreneur. Mr. Kazanjian
spent several years as an award-winning television news anchor
and reporter and is the director of research and investment strategy
for a California-based investment firm. He is also the author
of several other investment books, including Buying Mutual
Funds for Free (Dearborn Financial Publishing, Inc.)
