Top 5 Mid Cap Stocks To Buy Right Now

Just two years ago, small cap grocery store stock SUPERVALU Inc (NYSE: SVU) was struggling as the most shorted grocery stock on the market and underperforming potential peers like�large caps Whole Foods Market, Inc (NASDAQ: WFM) and Kroger Co (NYSE: KR)�plus�mid cap Safeway Inc (NYSE: SWY). However, SUPERVALU Inc reported another good earnings report for the fiscal third quarter 2015 that seems to indicate the turnaround begun by the CEO two years ago is succeeding,�and yet�shares still ended the day right where they started. Here are some key takeaway�� from the Wednesday morning earnings report and/or earnings call (the transcript is available here on Seeking Alpha):

Earnings Summary. Third quarter net sales�increased 4.8% to�$4.20 billion�as identical store sales in the Save-A-Lot network were positive 6.9%, identical store sales for corporate stores within the Save-A-Lot network were positive 8.5% and identical store sales in the Retail Food segment were positive 2.3%. Net earnings from continuing operations were $49 million ($0.18 per diluted share) compared with $33 million ($0.12 per diluted share) for the same period last year. The CEO was quoted in the earnings release as saying:

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Invest In 2015: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc.(CBRL)

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the development and operation of the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant and retail concept in the United States. Its restaurants provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The company?s gift shops offer various decorative and functional items, such as rocking chairs, holiday and seasonal gifts, apparel, toys, music CD?s, cookware, old-fashioned-looking ceramics, figurines, a book-on-audio sale-and-exchange program, and various other gift items, as well as candies, preserves, pies, cornbread mixes, coffee, syrups, pancake mixes, and other food items. As of November 22, 2011, it operated 608 company-owned locations in 42 states. The company was formerly known as CBRL Group, Inc. and changed its name to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. in December 2008. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Finally, we have Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ: CBRL  ) serving up a heaping hike. The chain of rustic restaurants serving up Southern vittles in eateries with adjacent gift shops may be a throwback, but it's also throwing back more money at its stakeholders. The restaurateur followed blowout quarterly results with a healthy 50% increase to its quarterly distributions. Investors will now be receiving $0.75 a share every three months.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Roadside staple Cracker Barrel Restaurant and Country Store (NASDAQ: CBRL  ) has been on an absolute tear as the chain grows earnings and beats estimates. For the first time in its market history, the stock is pushing $100 per share, with no immediate signs of slowing. Still, there are activist investors in the company who are highly critical and calling for change. Let's take a look at Cracker Barrel's recent earnings to determine if this is a necessary stop for your portfolio.

• [By Chris Hill]

  Cracker Barrel's (NASDAQ: CBRL  ) reported a 30% increase in third-quarter profits. What was behind the higher-than-expected earnings? In this installment of MarketFoolery, our analysts discuss the future of the company.

Top 5 Mid Cap Stocks To Buy Right Now: Stamps.com Inc.(STMP)

Stamps.com Inc. provides Internet-based postage solutions. The company offers solutions to mail and ship various mail pieces, including postcards, envelopes, flats, and packages. Its products and services include the United States Postal Service (USPS)-approved PC Postage Service that enables users to print electronic stamps directly onto envelopes, plain paper, or labels using personal computer, printer, and Internet connection; and PhotoStamps, a patented form of postage, which allows consumers to turn digital photos, designs, or images into valid United States postage. The company also sells NetStamps labels, shipping labels, other mailing labels, postage printers, scales, and other mailing and shipping-focused office supplies through its mailing and shipping supplies store, as well as offers back-end integration solutions, an electronic postage for transactions to manage the front-end process. In addition, it offers Stamps.com branded insurance enabling users to insure their mail or packages; and official USPS package insurance. Stamps.com Inc. serves individuals, small businesses, home offices, medium-size businesses, and large enterprises. The company was formerly known as StampMaster, Inc. and changed its name to Stamps.com Inc. in December 1998. Stamps.com Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Stamps.com (NASDAQ: STMP  ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

Top 5 Mid Cap Stocks To Buy Right Now: Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation(PVH)

PVH Corp. designs and markets branded dress shirts, neckwear, sportswear, footwear, and other related products worldwide. The company?s Calvin Klein Licensing segment licenses Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein, and Calvin Klein brands for sportswear, jeanswear, underwear, fragrances, eyewear, men?s tailored clothing, women?s suits and dresses, hosiery, socks, footwear, swimwear, jewelry, watches, outerwear, handbags, leather goods, home furnishings, and accessories; and to operate retail stores. Its Wholesale Dress Furnishings segment markets dress shirts and neckwear principally under the ARROW, Calvin Klein, ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Collection, IZOD, Eagle, Sean John, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, JOE Joseph Abboud, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Elie Tahari, J. Garcia, and MICHAEL Michael Kors brands. The company?s Wholesale Sportswear and Related Products segment offers sportswear, including men?s knit and w oven sport shirts, sweaters, bottoms, swimwear, boxers, and outerwear principally under the IZOD, Van Heusen, ARROW, Geoffrey Beene, Timberland, and Calvin Klein brands; and women?s sportswear, including knit and woven sport shirts, sweaters, bottoms, and outerwear under the IZOD brand. Its Retail Apparel and Related Products segment provides men?s dress shirts; neckwear and underwear; men?s and women?s suit separates; men?s and women?s sportswear, including woven and knit shirts, sweaters, bottoms, and outerwear; men?s and women?s accessories; sportswear; and men?s fragrance. The company?s Retail Footwear and Related Products segment offers casual and dress shoes for men, women, and children; and apparel and accessories. The company was formerly known as Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation and changed its name to PVH Corp. in June, 2011. The company was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on PVH (NYSE: PVH  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  PVH (PVH) has fallen 3.4% to $127.60 after the clothing retailer said it earned $1.39 a share, beating forecasts by 1 cent, but offered below-consensus earnings guidance.

Top 5 Mid Cap Stocks To Buy Right Now: CommunityOne Bancorp (COB)

CommunityOne Bancorp , formerly FNB United Corp., incorporated in 1984, is a bank holding company. The Company has two banking subsidiaries: CommunityOne Bank, N.A. (CommunityOne), a national banking association, and through Bank of Granite Corporation (Granite Corp.), Bank of Granite (Granite), a state-chartered bank headquartered in Granite Falls, North Carolina. As of December 31, 2011, CommunityOne had 45 branches, $843.9 million in loans and $1.4 billion in deposits. As of December 31, 2011, Granite had 18 branches, $373.9 million in loans and $688.5 million in deposits. Through its banking subsidiaries, it offers a line of consumer, mortgage and business banking services, including loan, deposit, cash management, investment management and trust services, to individual and business customers through operations located in Alamance, Alexander, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Chatham, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Scotland, Watauga and Wilkes counties in North Carolina. On October 21, 2011, it acquired Granite Corp., through the merger of a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, Gamma Merger Corporation, merging into Granite Corp, with Granite Corp. continuing as the surviving corporation and as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. On June 8, 2013, CommunityOne Bank, N.A., the principal bank subsidiary of FNB United Corp. announced that it had completed the merger of its sister bank, Bank of Granite, into CommunityOne.

Lending Activities

The Company's loan portfolio segments are commercial and agricultural, real estate - construction, real estate - mortgage, and consumer loans. The commercial and agricultural portfolio includes owner occupied and non-owner occupied. The real estate - construction portfolio includes retail properties, multi-family, industrial and warehouse, and other commercial real estate. The real estate - mortgage portfolio includes one-to four-family residential and commercial and othe! r. As of December 31, 2011, its total loan portfolio totaled $1.2 billion.

Investment Activities

The Company�� available-for-sale investment securities portfolio includes obligations of the United Sates treasury and government agencies, obligations of the United Sates government sponsored agencies, obligations of states and political subdivisions, residential mortgage-backed securities- (government-sponsored enterprise (GSE)), residential mortgage-backed securities-(Private), and corporate notes. As of December 31, 2011, it no longer had securities in the held-to-maturity portfolio.

Sources of Funds

Traditional deposit accounts are the primary source of funds for the Company. As of December 31, 2011, deposits totaled $2.1 billion, consisting of approximately $234.6 million of non-interest-bearing demand deposits, $349 million of interest-bearing demand deposits, $68 million of savings deposits, approximately $431.7 million of money market deposits, $112 million of brokered deposits, $538 million of time deposits less than $100,000, and $398 million of time deposits $100,000 or more. As of December 31, 2011, it had $8.8 million of total short-term borrowings. As of December 31, 2011, its long-term debt included $58 million of Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) advances and $56 million of junior subordinated debt. Funds are borrowed on an overnight basis through retail repurchase agreements with bank customers and federal funds purchased from other financial institutions. Retail repurchase agreement borrowings are collateralized by securities of the United Sates Treasury and the United Sates Government agencies and corporations. As of December 31, 2011, CommunityOne and Granite had no lines of credit at the Federal Reserve Bank. As of December 31, 2011, CommunityOne had an available line of credit of $80.5 million with the FHLB and Granite had no line of credit with the FHLB.

Subsidiary Activity

CommunityOne owns three subsidiari! es, which! include Dover Mortgage Company (Dover), First National Investor Services, Inc. and Premier Investment Services, Inc. (Premier). Dover ceased operations during the year ended December 31, 2011, and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2012. First National Investor Services, Inc. holds deeds of trust for CommunityOne. Premier is inactive. Through Granite Corp., it also own Granite Mortgage, Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2012. FNB also owns FNB United Statutory Trust I, FNB United Statutory Trust II, and Catawba Valley Capital Trust II, which were formed to facilitate the issuance of trust preferred securities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Cobham Plc (COB), the world�� largest maker of airborne refueling kits, tumbled 4.6 percent to 272.9 pence. An investor, who was not named, was sold 39.1 million shares at 273.5 pence to market price, according to terms obtained by Bloomberg News.

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Cobham Plc (COB) retreated 4.6 percent to 272.9 pence, the biggest drop in six months. A shareholder of the world�� largest maker of airborne-refueling kit is selling 39.1 million shares in the company, terms obtained by Bloomberg News show.