Best Defensive Companies To Buy Right Now

The success of Ford's hot Fusion, shown here in Hybrid trim, has put Toyota and its Camry on the defensive. Photo credit: Ford Motor Co.

Toyota's (NYSE: TM  ) Camry isn't a bad car. It gets good reviews, and buyers seem to like it. But U.S. sales have fallen this year, as more compelling rivals, such as Ford's (NYSE: F  ) Fusion, have gained ground. If this keeps up, Toyota's lead in the all-important midsized sedan segment could be at risk.

Toyota doesn't want that, and that's why the company has just launched a round of price cuts for its bread-and-butter sedan. In this video, Fool.com contributor John Rosevear looks at what's behind Toyota's latest move in America's sedan wars -- and at whether this will help Toyota regain lost ground from Ford and other rivals.

Toyota has struggled to gain ground in China, but Ford's sales have been booming. A recent Motley Fool report, "2 Automakers to Buy for a Surging Chinese Market", says that Ford is one of two global giants poised to reap big gains in China's historic auto boom. You can read this report right now for free -- just click here for instant access.

10 Best Trucking Stocks For 2015: DIRECTV(DTV)

DIRECTV provides digital television entertainment in the United States and Latin America. The company provides direct-to-home (DTH) digital television services, as well as multi-channel video programming distribution services in the United States. It offers various channels of digital-quality video entertainment and CD-quality audio programming directly to subscribers' homes or businesses, as well as video-on-demand services; and approximately 160 national high-definition television channels and 4 3D channels. The company also provides premium professional and collegiate sports programming, such as the NFL SUNDAY TICKET package, which allows subscribers to view the NFL games. In addition, it offers DTH digital television services in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. The company provides its local and international programming under the DIRECTV and SKY brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it served approximately 19.2 million subscribers in the United States; and 8.9 million subscribers in Latin America. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in El Segundo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  By now, you��e seen the news:�AT&T (T) is buying pay TV rival DirecTV (DTV) for a whopping $48.5 billion in cash and stock in one of the biggest mergers in years. Including the assumption of debt, the deal comes to $67.1 billion.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at Barclays maintained an Equal-weight rating on DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) with a price target raised to $95 from a previous $73. Shares gained 0.34 percent, closing at $86.49.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  A number of pay-TV operators have been saying for some time now that the industry needs to consolidate. Charlie Ergen, CEO of Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH) has been among the most outspoken on the issue even though he has failed in a number of efforts to consolidate. Competitor DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is not interested in a merger and Ergen�� attempts to acquire either Clearwire or Sprint were utter flops.

Best Defensive Companies To Buy Right Now: United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG)

United States Natural Gas Fund, LP (USNG) is a limited partnership. The Company is a commodity pool that issues limited partnership interests (units) traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the NYSE Arca). The investment objective of USNG is for the changes in percentage terms of its units��net asset value (NAV) to reflect the changes in percentage terms of the spot price of natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub, Louisiana as measured by the changes in the Futures Contract on natural gas traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) that is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract is within two weeks of expiration, in which case the futures contract will be the next month contract to expire. The Company�� general partner is United States Commodity Funds LLC (the General Partner) and is responsible for the management of USNG.

USNG invests in futures contracts for natural gas, crude oil, heating oil, gasoline, and other petroleum-based fuels that are traded on the NYMEX, ICE Futures or other United States and foreign exchanges (collectively, Futures Contracts). USNG also invests in other natural gas-related investments, such as cash-settled options on Futures Contracts, forward contracts for natural gas, cleared swap contracts, and over-the-counter transactions that are based on the price of natural gas, oil and other petroleum-based fuels, Futures Contracts and indices based on the foregoing (collectively, Other Natural Gas-Related Investments). USNG invests in Natural Gas Interests to the fullest extent possible. In pursuing this objective, the primary focus of the General Partner is the investment in Futures Contracts and the management of USNG�� investments in short-term obligations of the United States of two years or less (Treasuries), cash and/or cash equivalents for margining purposes and as collateral.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  But be careful here. Given the abundant new supplies of natural gas coming to market, natural gas prices should stay depressed for a long time to come, this short-term spike notwithstanding. Another factor to consider is contango, which is common problem for commodity ETFs and ETNs. When a market is in contango, investors lose money every month when they roll over their futures contracts in what is called a ��egative roll yield.��This might be tolerable when prices are rising rapidly. But it can come as a shock to the uninitiated trader. Contango has been a major drag on the returns of the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG), for instance.

Best Defensive Companies To Buy Right Now: Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp (BAH)

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (Booz Allen Holding), incorporated in May 2008, is a provider of management and technology consulting services to the United States government in the defense, intelligence and civil markets. In addition, it provides management and technology consulting services to corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), it derived 98% of its revenue from services provided to more than 1,200 client organizations across the United States government under more than 5,800 contracts and task orders. During fiscal 2012, it derived 90% of its revenue in fiscal 2012 from engagements, for which it acted as the prime contractor. On November 30, 2012, the Company purchased the Defense Systems Engineering and Support (DSES) division of ARINC Incorporated.

Defense Clients

During fiscal 2012, the Company�� defense business revenue represented 53% of its business. It works with its the United States Army clients to help sustain their land combat capabilities while responding to current demands and preparing for future needs. The services, which it provided include enhancing field intelligence systems, delivering rapid response solutions to counter improvised explosive devices, infusing lifecycle sustainment capabilities to improve distribution and delivery of material, and employing systems and consulting methods to help expand care and support for soldiers and their families. Its clients include Army Headquarters, Army Material Command (AMC), Forces Command (FORSCOM), Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and Program Executive Offices, Direct Reporting Units and Army Service Component Commands.

The Company employs a multidimensional approach, which analyzes and balances people, processes, technology, and infrastructure to meet their missions of equipping global forces. Its clients include the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant ! of the Marine Corps to the Office of Naval Intelligence, and the United States Navy/Marine Corps operating commands and systems commands, as well as the Joint Program Executive Offices (PEO) and individual PEOs, such as Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Naval Seas Systems Command (NAVSEA), United States Marine Corps Systems Command, and Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR).

The Company provides integrated strategy and technical services to the United States Air Force. It brings capabilities to assignments, which includes weapons analysis, capability-based planning, and aircraft systems engineering. It also supports the space industry. Its clients include Air Combat Command, Air Force Space Command, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Cyber Command, Air Force Pacific Command and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The Company provides mission-critical support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands (COCOMs), and other the United States government departments and agencies during the planning and mission execution phases. Its clients include organizations within the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of Defense�� agencies, as well as the Pacific Command, Northern Command, Central Command, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Southern Command, European Command, Strategic Command, Special Operations Command, and Transportation Command.

The Company provides solutions designed to protect infrastructure systems for the public and private sector to its United States government defense and intelligence agency clients to meet cyber warfare threats. Its cyber professionals handles the sensitive materials, assist clients in all phases of cyber-security operations and dynamic network defense. It develops cyber-security solutions utilizing a multi-dimensional approach, including people, operations, technology, policy, and management.

Intelligence Clients

The Company provides the primary group of government agencies and organizations, which carry out intelligence activities for the United States government (the United States Intelligence Community), with consulting and mission support services in analysis, systems engineering, program management, operations, organization, and change management, budget and resource management, studies, and war-gaming. During fiscal 2012, its intelligence business represented 23% of its business based on revenue. Its intelligence clients include United States Intelligence Agencies, Joint Staff and Unified Combatant Commands, and Military Intelligence.

The Company provides critical support in strategic planning, policy development, program development and execution, information sharing, architecture, and program management for research and development projects, as well as support to reform initiatives flowing from the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Protection Act. It delivers intelligence analysis, including providing all-source intelligence analysis and open-source intelligence analysis. It also provides data collection management and analytical systems intelligence training services, and provides intellectual capital for intelligence activities. It provides consulting services, integrated intelligence and information operations mission support, and a range of counterintelligence services to the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Defense Intelligence Agency.

Civil Clients

During fiscal 2012, the Company�� civil business represented 24% of its business based on revenue. Its civil government clients include Financial Services, Health, Energy, Transportation and Environment, Justice and Homeland Security, and Business of Government. The Company provides support to the United States government finance and treasury organizations charged with the collection, management, and protection of the United States financial system, including ! the Depar! tment of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and other agencies of the Department of the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve Board and Banks, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. It creates approaches to challenging problems, including bank receivership, payment channel modernization, cyber initiatives, and fraud detection.

The Company supports United States government clients on projects, which helps to achieve public health missions, including entitlement reform, developing a national health information network, mitigating risk to populations, improving government infrastructure, and facilitating an international public-private sector dialogue on international health issues. Its clients include the Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies, including the United States Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Defense Military Health System, and Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Company supports clients in the transportation, energy, and environment sectors which controls over its national infrastructure. Its services include strategy, operations, technology, and engineering. Its clients include the Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Interior and their component agencies, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It also supports the Department of Defense in environmental and infrastructure programs in the United States and Europe. The Company supports the United States government�� homeland security mission and operations in the areas of intelligence (analysis, information sharing, and risk assessment), operations (coordination, contingency planning, and decision support), strategy, technology and management (program management and information technology tools), emergency management and respo! nse plann! ing, and border, cargo, and transportation security. It supports law enforcement missions and operations in counterterrorism, intelligence and counterintelligence, and criminal areas (narcotics, white collar crime, organized crime, and violent crime).

The Company helps agencies manage the business processes, which support government in its provision of services to its citizens, spanning management, personnel, budget operations, information technology, and telecommunications. Its clients include the General Services Administration, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Personnel Management, the Congress and Courts. It also support public sector grant-making agencies, from health and education, to labor and homeland and economic security, serving clients, such as the Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Commerce, Education, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as the National Science Foundation. In addition, it serves the United States government clients abroad in helping them resolve systemic global development needs. Its clients include the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of State, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the World Bank.

Commercial and International Clients

The Company is serving industries, such as financial services, healthcare, and energy. Its service offerings to commercial clients include dynamic defense (cyber), next-generation virtual infrastructure, decision analytics, design for affordability, and smart compliance. Its commercial clients include major commercial banks and investment banks, healthcare providers, energy companies, and utilities. Its international activities are focused on the Middle East and North Africa region. Its service offerings to international clients focuses on on-line government services and cloud applications, enterprise resource planning, advanced persistent threat resolution, supervisory control and data acquisition, and geospatial systems. Its internati! onal clie! nts include government ministries and commercial companies in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Company competes with CACI International, Inc., L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc., ManTech International Corp., SRA International, Inc., TASC Inc., General Dynamics Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co., Accenture, Computer Sciences Corp., Deloitte Consulting LLP and SAIC, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense awarded nine contracts worth a combined $239.5 million Monday. Among public companies, a few of the bigger winners included:

  General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) won a $45.2 million award exercising an option on a previously awarded contract. GE will supply the U.S. Navy with seven F414-GE-400 spare engines and multiple engine components for its F/A-18E/F fighter jets.�This contract should be complete by November 2015. Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH  ) is a winner in a $30.9 million award under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ), cost-plus-fixed-fee, multiple-award contract "for support of emerging navigation technologies for air and shipboard command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance system applications."�The DoD's contract announcement said a second, unnamed contractor has won a similar award, and both awardees will now have to compete for individual task orders the Navy may put up for bid over the next three years. Additionally, this contract may be extended by a two-year option period -- potentially raising the value of the contract to $52.7 million, and potentially extending the contract out to May 5, 2016. B/E Aerospace (NASDAQ: BEAV  ) was awarded an unrelated maximum $6.6 million contract. B/E will supply various engine parts, avionics, wheels, and brakes to the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, as needed through May 5, 2017.

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• [By Maria Armental and Tess Stynes var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp.(BAH) said its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings declined 14% as the consulting company reported weaker revenue amid uncertainties about government spending. Still, adjusted earnings beat expectations.

Best Defensive Companies To Buy Right Now: Maximus Inc (MMS)

MAXIMUS, Inc., incorporated on October 18, 2007, provides business process services (BPS) to government health and human services agencies under its mission of Helping Government Serve the People. The Company is primarily focused on operating government-sponsored programs, such as Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), health insurance exchanges and other health care reform initiatives, Medicare, welfare-to-work, child support services and other government programs.

The Company is one of the pure-play health and human services administrative providers to governments in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The Company�� segments include Health Services and Human Services. Effective July 1, 2013, MAXIMUS, Inc. acquired Health Management Ltd.

Health Services Segment

The Company's Health Services segment provides a variety of business process services, as well as related consulting services, for state, provincial and federal government programs, including Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicare, the Affordable Care Act and Health Insurance BC (British Columbia). In this segment, the Company's BPS and consulting services include government health insurance program administration; Health insurance program eligibility and enrollment services to improve access to health care for citizens and help beneficiaries make the best choice for their health insurance coverage; Eligibility and enrollment modernization for government health benefit programs; Health insurance exchange design and operations; Consumer outreach and education, including multilingual customer contact centers and multi-channel self-service options, such as Web-based portals, for easy enrollment; Application assistance and independent enrollment counseling to beneficiaries; Premium payment processing and administration, such as invoicing and reconciliation; Objective, evidence-based health appeals; Independent medical! reviews; Health plan oversight; eHealth solutions with the Medigent product suite; Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) planning and oversight, and Specialized program consulting services.

Human Services Segment

The Company's Human Services segment provides federal, national, state and county human services agencies with a variety of business process services, as well as related consulting services for welfare-to-work, child support, higher education and K-12 special education programs. The Company's services include welfare-to-work services, including eligibility determination, case management, job-readiness preparation, job search and employer outreach, job retention and career advancement, and selected educational and training services, to help disadvantaged individuals transition from government assistance programs to sustainable employment and economic independence; Full and specialized child support case management services, customer contact center operations, and program and systems consulting services; Management tools and professional consulting services for higher education institutions; K-12 special education case management solutions; Program consulting services, including independent verification and validation, cost allocation plans, repeatable management services and other specialized consulting offerings, and Tax credit and employer services.

The Company competes with Serco, Atos Origin and Ingeus.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Iron Mountain have fallen 2.3% to $25.72 today, while comparable have been mixed. Leidos Holdings (LDOS) has ticked up 0.6% to $46.28 and Amdocs (DOX) has risen 0.8% to $37.20. Maximus (MMS), on the other hand, has fallen 1.2% to $46.22 and Xerox (XRX) is off 0.3% to $10.62.

• [By Hilary Kramer]

  This is where one of my favorite plays on the healthcare reform comes in. Maximus (MMS) provides cost-effective processing services to government health and human services agencies in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Saudi Arabia. One of its main focuses is healthcare, providing administrative services for many programs, including Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicare.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Tuesday

  Earnings Expected From: Five Star Quality Care, Inc. (NYSE: FVE), Maximus, Inc. (NYSE: MMS), Nustar Energy (NYSE: NS), D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE: DHI), DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) Economic Releases Expected: German CPI, British CPI, British PPI, US Redbook, Indian manufacturing output, Indian industrial production

  Wednesday

Best Defensive Companies To Buy Right Now: Lancaster Colony Corporation(LANC)

Lancaster Colony Corporation engages in the manufacture and marketing of consumer products focusing primarily on specialty foods for the retail and foodservice markets in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Specialty Foods, and Glassware and Candles. The Specialty Foods segment produces and sells food products, including salad dressings and sauces under the Marzetti, T. Marzetti, Cardini?s, Pfeiffer, and Girard?s brands; fruit glazes, vegetable dips, and fruit dips under T. Marzetti brand; Greek yogurt vegetable dips under the Otria brand; frozen breads under New York BRAND and Mamma Bella brands; frozen Parkerhouse style yeast dinner rolls and sweet rolls, as well as biscuits, under the Sister Schubert?s, Marshall?s, and Mary B?s brands; premium dry egg noodles under the Inn Maid and Amish Kitchen brands; frozen specialty noodles and pastas under the Reames and Aunt Vi?s brands; croutons and related products under the New York BRAND, Texas Toast , Chatham Village, Cardini?s, and T. Marzetti brands; and caviar under the Romanoff brand. This segment markets its products through sales personnel, food brokers, and distributors to retail, club store, foodservice, and industrial markets. The Glassware and Candles segment produces and markets candles, candle accessories, and other home fragrance products in various sizes, forms, and fragrance in retail markets to mass merchants, supermarkets, drug stores, and specialty shops under the Candle-lite brand name. This segment also sells candles, glassware, and various other products to customers in commercial markets, including restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and schools. The company was founded in 1961 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Specialty-foods maker�Lancaster Colony� (NASDAQ: LANC  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.40 per share, a 5% increase over the $0.38 per share payout it's made the last two quarters. It marks the 200th consecutive dividend payment it has made putting it in elite company, as only 16 other companies have�increased its regular cash dividend each year for 50 consecutive years.

Best Defensive Companies To Buy Right Now: Glatfelter (GLT)

P. H. Glatfelter Company manufactures and sells specialty papers and fiber-based engineered materials in the United States and internationally. It offers carbonless and forms papers for credit card receipts, multi-part forms, security papers, and other end-user applications; book publishing papers for the production of hardbound books and other book publishing needs; envelope and converting papers for the direct mail market, shopping bags, and other converting applications; and engineered products for digital imaging, transfer, casting, release, postal, playing card, and other niche specialty applications. The company also provides food and beverage paper used for tea bags and single serve coffee products; metallized products used in the labeling of beer bottles, innerliners, gift wrap, self-adhesive labels, and other consumer products applications; and composite laminates papers used in production of decorative laminates, furniture, and flooring applications, as well as a line of paper products used in batteries, medical masks, and other engineered applications. In addition, it offers airlaid non-woven fabric-like materials used in feminine hygiene products, adult incontinence products, cleaning pads and wipes, food pads, napkins and tablecloths, and baby wipes. The company markets its products directly, as well as through wholesale paper merchants, brokers, and agents. P. H. Glatfelter Company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in York, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Glatfelter (NYSE: GLT  ) has a new asset in its portfolio. The company announced it has finalized the acquisition of Germany-based Dresden Papier, which according to the American firm is "the leading global supplier of nonwoven wallpaper base materials."

• [By CRWE]

  Glatfelter (NYSE:GLT) reported that the previously announced presentation by Dante C. Parrini, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, at the Deutsche Bank Global Industrials and Basic Materials Conference on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 will be available via a live web cast.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Specialty papers and and fiber-based materials manufacturer P.H. Glatfelter (GLT) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 11 cents per share, payable May 1 to shareholders of record as of April 3.
  GLT Dividend Yield: 1.44%