Top 10 Paper Companies To Own In Right Now

Top 10 Paper Companies To Own In Right Now: CenturyLink Inc.(CTL)

CenturyLink, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated communications company. The company provides a range of communications services, including voice, Internet, data, and video services in the continental United States. Its services include local exchange and long distance voice telephone services, as well as enhanced voice services, such as call forwarding, caller identification, conference calling, voicemail, selective call ringing, and call waiting; wholesale local network access services; and data services, including high-speed Internet access services, data transmission services over special circuits and private lines, and switched digital television services, as well as special access and private line services. The company also offers fiber transport, competitive local exchange carrier, security monitoring, and other communications, as well as professional and business information services. In addition, it provides other related services, such as leasing, selling, installing, and maintaining customer premise telecommunications equipment and wiring; payphone services; and network database services, as well as participates in the publication of local telephone directories. Further, the company offers printing, direct mail services, and cable television services; and wireless broadband Internet access services and satellite television services. As of December 31, 2010, it operated approximately 6.5 million telephone access lines. CenturyLink, Inc was founded in 1968 and is based in Monroe, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Streetpicker]

  CenturyLink (CTL) has been a great stock to hold for investors in 2014. The stock has appreciated more than 22% YTD and the company is taking many steps to move forward. So the question is, will CenturyLink continue to reward investors or sho! uld investors take profits off the table? Let's take a look.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of CenturyLink (CTL) have dropped more than 2% today on reports that it’s trying to buy cloud-computing company Rackspace Hosting (RAX).

  ZUMAPRESS.com

  Bloomberg has the details on the potential transaction:

  CenturyLink has discussed the idea with San Antonio-based Rackspace, which last month said it is still conducting an internal review of its strategic options, according to the people, who asked not to be identified talking about private information. One person said a deal may not be reached for the company, which had a stock-market valuation of $5.33 billion at the end of last week.

  Citigroup’s Michael Rollins thinks a deal will depend on valuation:

  Valuation matters. We believe CenturyLink can financially digest a possible acquisition of Rackspace under $50 per share based on our scenario analysis. We believe CenturyLink could pay for Rackspace using up to 50% in cash to keep net debt financial leverage near or below 3x on our pro forma analysis. While PF FV/OIBDA may not move substantially paying up to $50/share, we estimate FCF/share and norm. EPS could be diluted by up to (11%) in the first year. Based on our initial analysis, we would take a neutral view for a possible buyout under $40 per share, but believe CenturyLink shares could trade lower if it were to pay more than $50 for Rackspace. We remain Neutral on CenturyLink largely based on valuation.

  Shares of CenturyLink have dropped 2.2% to $40.55 at 1:18 p.m., while Rackspace has gained 5% to $39.10.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-paper-companies-to-own-in-right-now-2.html