5 Best Consumer Stocks To Buy For 2015

Electricity demand is down, and utilities are rapidly readjusting. While falling sales might be a nationwide issue, bottom lines can still billow if companies make the right choice. Let's look at three different strategies to see which spells sustainable for your dividend stock portfolio.

Make less
If consumers are using less electricity, the most obvious adjustment is to make less electricity. Dominion (NYSE: D  ) announced this week that it has permanently shut down a 556 MW nuclear plant after nearly 40 years of operations.�

The decision was first made last fall and, according to Dominion Nuclear's president David Heacock, "was based purely on economics." The dividend stock's Midwestern nuclear fleet hadn't been able to achieve economies of scale, and the plant's purchasing power agreements are set to expire at a time when wholesale electricity prices are well below previous rates.�

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK  ) announced last week that it has suspended any plans to propose new nuclear units on a Wake County, N.C., site. According to Duke's nuclear energy president, Dhiaa Jamil, the company's "most recent forecast indicates two additional nuclear units at Harris will not be needed in the next 15 years." Although Duke is halting Harris, it will continue to pursue new permits at two other locations.�

5 Best Consumer Stocks To Buy For 2015: Elizabeth Arden Inc.(RDEN)

Elizabeth Arden, Inc., a beauty products company, engages in the manufacture, distribution, marketing, and sale of fragrances, skin care, and cosmetic products to retailers and other outlets worldwide. It offers various fragrance products for men and women, including perfume, colognes, eau de toilettes, eau de parfums, body sprays, and gift sets, as well as bath and body products, such as soaps, deodorants, body lotions, gels, creams, and dusting powders. The company sells its fragrance products under the Red Door, Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue, Elizabeth Arden green tea, Pretty Elizabeth Arden, Curve, Giorgio Beverly Hills, PS Fine Cologne, White Shoulders, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade New York, John Varvatos, Rocawear, Alberta Ferretti, Halston, Geoffrey Beene, Alfred Sung, Bob Mackie, and Lucky. Its skin care products comprise moisturizers, creams, lotions, and cleansers under the Ceramide, Prevage, Eight Hour Cream, and Visible Difference. The company?s cosmetic products co nsist of foundations, lipsticks, mascaras, eye shadows, and powders in various shades and colors under the Elizabeth Arden brand name. Elizabeth Arden, Inc. sells its products primarily to department and specialty stores, mass retailers, perfumeries, boutiques, distributors, and travel retail outlets, as well as to independent fragrance, cosmetic, gift, and other stores. It also markets and sells its products through its e-commerce site at elizabetharden.com. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Miramar, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vinay Singh]

  Heavy promotions are key for retailers during the holiday season. This is especially true when people are less willing to open their wallets. Moreover, when all of the other industry players promote their products and provide deep discounts to attract customers, the ones who don't will face the consequences. Elizabeth Arden (RDEN), a provider of beauty products, is an apt example.

5 Best Consumer Stocks To Buy For 2015: Stevia First Corp (STVF)

Stevia First Corp. , formerly Legend Mining Inc., incorporated on June 29, 2007, is a development-stage company. It is an agricultural biotechnology company. The Company is engaged in the cultivation and harvest of stevia leaf and the development of stevia products. As of March 31, 2012, the Company had not generated any revenues.

The Company focuses on the process of stevia production from plant breeding through propagation, planting, cultivation, and harvesting, and developing, marketing, and selling stevia products. It also focuses on developing operations that will include stevia tissue culture, laboratory propagation, farming, and cultivation of stevia leaf. Stevia, is a plant from the chrysanthemum family. Stevia is a sweetener in its raw, unprocessed form. The small green plant�� leaves have a taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar.

The Company competes with Cargill, Incorporated, PureCircle, Blue California, Corn Products International, GLG Life Tech Corp., McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, Sunwin USA, L.L.C., Sweet Green Fields L.L.C., Whole Earth Sweetener Co. L.L.C., Wisdom Natural Brands and &W Seed Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenwoods]

  Cargill and Evolva are not the only companies developing stevia via a fermentation-based process. Stevia First Corp. (OTCMKTS:STVF), an early-stage agribusiness based in California's Central Valley, with its sights on being the first vertically integrated stevia company, has been developing its own stevia microbial fermentation-based process (through a license by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre of Canada).� Recently the company announced its "Beyond Reb A" research program, aimed at producing not only Reb A, but also Reb D and Reb X, two glycosides found in small amounts in the stevia leaves that have been identified as the next-generation of stevia sweeteners.� �

Best Energy Companies To Invest In Right Now: Sao Martinho SA (SMTO3)

Sao Martinho SA is a Brazil-based holding company primarily engaged in the sale and production of sugar and ethanol. It is engaged in the cultivation of sugar cane and production and sale of sugar, ethanol and other sugar cane products. The Company is also involved in the cogeneration of electricity and cattle breeding, as well as the provision of agricultural products. The Company produces hydrous ethanol, anhydrous ethanol, industrial ethanol, ribonucleic acid, fuel oil, yeast, sugar and sugarcane biogases, used to generate steam and electricity. Through its subsidiary Omtek, the Company produces ribonucleic acid (RNA) sodium salt, which is used in the pharmaceutical and food industries as a raw material and flavor enhancer. The Company operates through a numerous subsidiaries, including Vale do Mogi Empreendimentos Imobiliarios SA, SMA Industria Quimica SA, Usina Santa Luiza SA, Sao Martinho Energia SA and Santa Cruz SA, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ney Hayashi]

  Sugar and ethanol producer Sao Martinho SA (SMTO3) fell 1.8 percent to 25.53 reais after posting a quarterly profit that missed analysts��estimates.

5 Best Consumer Stocks To Buy For 2015: Neenah Paper Inc. (NP)

Neenah Paper, Inc. produces technical products and fine papers worldwide. The company�s Technical Products segment provides filtration media for applications in automotive transportation; saturated and unsaturated crepe and flat paper tapes to manufacturers; lightweight abrasive paper for waterproof and dry sanding applications; wall covering substrates to converters serving commercial and consumer-do-it-yourself markets; label and tag products to pressure sensitive coaters; latex saturated and coated papers; premask, medical packaging, image transfer, and decorative components papers; and other products, such as clean room papers, durable printing papers, release papers, and furniture backers. Its Fine Paper segment manufactures and sells writing papers used for business and personal stationery, corporate identity packages, and related end-use applications; text and cover papers and envelopes used in corporate brochures, pocket folders, corporate annual reports, advertis ing inserts, direct mail, business cards, hang tags, scrapbooks, and various other uses; custom colors, paper finishes, and duplex/laminated papers; and bright papers used in direct mail, advertising inserts, scrapbooks, and marketing collateral applications. This segment also offers other specialty papers for various applications in wine labels and luxury packaging, as well as specialty paper products for enhanced image, such as translucent and art papers, papers for optical scanning, and other specialized applications. Neenah Paper, Inc. markets its products primarily under the JET-PRO, SofStretch, KIMDURA, MUNISING LP, PREVAIL, NEENAH, GESSNER, varitess, CLASSIC, CLASSIC CREST, ESSE ENVIRONMENT, ROYAL SUNDANCE, ASTROBRIGHTS, EXACT BRIGHTS, CAPITOL BOND, CRANE'S BOND, and CRANE'S LETTRA brands. The company sells its products through authorized paper distributors, converters, and direct sales. Neenah Paper, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgi a.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Specialty-paper maker�Neenah Paper� (NYSE: NP  ) �announced yesterday�its third-quarter dividend of $0.20 per share, a�33% increase over the $0.15 per-share payout made last quarter, and comes quickly on the heels of a 25% dividend hike it made with the first-quarter payout.

5 Best Consumer Stocks To Buy For 2015: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.(PHG)

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. engages in the healthcare, consumer lifestyle, and lighting product businesses worldwide. The company offers screening, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and health management services in cardio-pulmonary, oncology, and women?s health areas. Its healthcare products and solutions include X-rays, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, nuclear medicine, and ultrasound imaging equipment; and cardiology informatics and diagnostic electrocardiography, radiology information systems, picture archiving and communication systems, patient monitoring and clinical informatics, perinatal care, and therapeutic care systems. The company?s healthcare products and solutions also consist of sleep management and respiratory care, medical alert, remote cardiac, and remote patient management services. In addition, it offers consultancy, site planning and project management, clinical, education, equipment financing, asset management, and equipment mainten ance and repair services. The company?s consumer lifestyle products and solutions comprise mother and childcare, oral healthcare, male grooming, skincare, and beauty products; coffee, floor and garment care, kitchen, water and air, and beverage appliances; and communication and control, audio and multimedia, speech processing, headphones and accessories, and home cinema and video products. Its lighting solutions include lamps, including incandescent, halogens, fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, and LED lamps; consumer luminaires for functional, decorative, lifestyle, and scene-setting applications; professional luminaires for city beautification, and road, sports, shop/hospitality, and industry lighting applications; systems and controls, that include electronic and electromagnetic gears, controls, modules, and drivers; automotive lighting, such as car headlights, car signaling, and interior; and packaged LEDs. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Ams terdam, the Netherlands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anders Bylund]

  But the result must sting in Cupertino anyhow. Arch-rival Samsung is the most-loved electronics firm, in sixth place. Japanese veteran Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) lands a solid eighth spot. Even South Korean conglomerate LG and Dutch graybeard Philips (NYSE: PHG  ) outrank Apple here.