23 Stocks for 2023 Profiles

CPI Card Group Inc. is engaged in financial card production and related services under the VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover payment brands. The company offers a single source for cards and other form factors, from financial and prepaid debit to EMV chip and mobile, instant issuance, personalization and fulfillment services. CPI Card Group Inc. is headquartered in Littleton, Colorado.

Quest Diagnostics, Inc. is the provider of commercial laboratory services. Quest provides lab testing services to physicians, hospitals, managed care organizations, employers, government institutions and other clinical laboratories. The company consists of 2 business groups - Diagnostic Information Services and Diagnostic Solutions. The company's focus is on two elements - to accelerate growth and to drive operational excellence. Restore Growth: The company has adopted seven tactical approaches to accelerate growth such as sales and marketing; development of esoteric testing through a disease focus; partnerships with hospitals and successful testing of international IDNs; creation of value from information assets; leadership in companion diagnostics; extension into adjacent markets. Drive Operational excellence: The company plans to focus on four strategic requirements - to enhance end-to-end customer value chain, enterprise information technology architecture, business performance tools and cost excellence.

Unilever plc is engaged in manufacturing of branded and packaged consumer goods, including food, detergents and personal care products. The Company also has interests in specialty chemicals. Unilever sells its products internationally.

VeriSign Inc. provides Internet infrastructure services that include domain name registry services and infrastructure assurance services. Registry services operate the .com, .net, .cc, .tv, .gov, .jobs, .eduand .name domain name directories. With respect to the .com, .net and .name domains, the company has agreements with The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that makes it the exclusive registrar of these domain names. The company has an agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce with respect to the .com domain. Other agreements make it the exclusive registry for the .tv and .cc country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and the provider of back-end systems for all .gov, .jobs and .edu domain names. It also provides internationalized domain name (IDN) services for websites in local languages. Verisign's gTLDs and ccTLDs can support standards-compliant registrations in more than 100 different native languages and scripts.

Archer Daniels Midland Company is one of the leading producers of food and beverage ingredients as well as goods made from various agricultural products. The company processes oilseeds, corn, wheat, cocoa and other feedstuffs. Moreover, it engages in the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of products like natural flavor ingredients, flavor systems, natural colors, proteins, emulsifiers, soluble fiber, polyols, hydrocolloids, natural health and nutrition products as well as other specialty food and feed ingredients. Archer Daniels also has a worldwide grain elevator and transportation network for procurement, storage, cleansing and transportation of agricultural commodities.

PERMIAN BASIN ROYALTY TRUSTs principal assets are comprised of a 75% net overriding royalty interest carved out of Southland Royalty Company's fee mineral interests in the Waddell Ranch properties in Crane County, Tex. and a 95% net overriding royalty interest carved out of Southland Royalty Company's major producing royalty properties in Texas.

Aflac Incorporated is a general business holding company and oversees the operations of its subsidiaries by providing management services and making capital available. Its principal business is voluntary supplemental and life insurance, which is marketed and administered through American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (Aflac) in the United States (Aflac U.S.) and through Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. in Japan (Aflac Japan). Most of Aflac's policies are individually underwritten and marketed through independent agents. Additionally, Aflac U.S. markets and administers group products through Continental American Insurance Company (CAIC), branded as Aflac Group Insurance. Aflac Japan offers supplemental insurance products including cancer plans, general medical indemnity plans, medical/sickness riders, care plans, living benefit life plans, ordinary life insurance plans and annuities. Aflac U.S. markets and administers group products through Continental American Insurance Company (CAIC).

AbbVie has become one of the top-most pharma companies after it acquired Allergan. The deal has transformed AbbVie's portfolio by lowering its dependence on Humira, its flagship product. AbbVie has one of the most popular cancer drugs in its portfolio, Imbruvica and its newest immunology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq position it well for long-term growth. AbbVie came into existence after Abbott Laboratories divested its pharmaceutical division. AbbVie enjoys leadership positions in key therapeutic areas including immunology, hematologic oncology, neuroscience, aesthetics, eye care and womens' health. Humira is approved for several autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, active psoriatic arthritis, active ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease and others. Imbruvica became part of the company's portfolio following the Pharmacyclics acquisition. Other key drugs include Venclexta, Botox Cosmetic, Botox Therapeutics, Vraylar, Skyrizi and Rinvoq.

General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that specializes in high-end design, engineering and manufacturing to deliver state-of-the-art solutions to customers. It offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. It comprises 10 business units, which are organized into 4 operating segments: Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems and Technologies. It refers to the latter 3 collectively as its defense segments. It invests in Aerospace to bring to market an all-new lineup of business jet aircraft, capital investments in Marine Systems to support significant growth in the U.S. Navy ship and submarine construction, development of next-generation platforms & technologies to meet customers' emerging requirements in Combat Systems, and strategic acquisitions to achieve critical mass and build out a complete spectrum of solutions.

Valero Energy Corporation is the largest independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the United States. It has refineries located throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Moreover, Valero is a leading ethanol producer with ethanol plants in the Midwest. The products of the company are sold in the markets of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Latin America. The company's brand names are carried by outlets. The company organizes its business through three reportable segments, namely, Refining, Ethanol and Renewable Diesel.

Campbell Soup Company, together with its subsidiaries, is a worldwide manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, branded convenience food products. The widely-recognized brands of the company include Campbell's, Pepperidge Farm, Bolthouse Farms, Arnott's, V8, Swanson, Pace, Prego, Royal Dansk, and Garden Fresh Gourmet.

Rogers Communications Inc provides cable television, high-speed Internet access, & video retailing through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rogers Cable & Telecom. It also provides wireless voice, data, & messaging services through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rogers Wireless. It owns & operates radio & television broadcasting stations, televised shopping networks, consumer magazines, as well as trade & professional publications through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rogers Media. Rogers Wireless Segment delivers a variety of pioneering wireless network technologies & services to both residential & enterprise business customers. The company also provides its postpaid & prepaid wireless customers with the latest wireless devices, services, & applications through its Rogers, Fido, & Chatr br&s. Rogers continues to invest in 5G technology & is partnering with leading real estate & mobile companies to support 5G infrastructure deployment.

The J.M. Smucker Company is a leading marketer and manufacturer of consumer food and beverage products and pet food and pet snacks in North America. Although majority of the company's operations are concentrated in the United States, it also operates on an international basis. 'The company boasts a strong portfolio of iconic food and beverages. It mainly caters in the areas of coffee, pet food, peanut butter, fruit spreads, baking products, ready-to-spread frostings, frozen sandwiches, flour, juices and beverages as well as portion control products. In consumer foods and beverages, some of the renowned brands include Smucker's, Folgers, Jif, Dunkin' Donuts, Crisco, Pillsbury, R.W. Knudsen Family, Hungry Jack, Caf' Bustelo, Martha White, truRoots, Sahale Snacks, Robin Hood, and Bick's. In pet food and pet snacks, its brands include Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, Kibbles 'n Bits and 9Lives.

Omnicom is one of the largest advertising, marketing and corporate communications companies in the world. The company's agencies operate in all the major markets across the globe and provide an extensive range of services. Areas of operation include North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Africa, New Zealand, Singapore, and other Asian countries. The company operates in a fiercely competitive industry and competes with global, national and regional advertising and marketing services companies. It also competes with technology, social media and professional services companies.

Visa Inc. operates as a payments technology company all over the world. It provides transaction processing services (primarily authorization, clearing and settlement) to financial institutions and merchant clients through VisaNet, its global processing platform. It offers a wide range of Visa-branded payment products, which its financial institution clients would develop and offer core business solutions, credit, debit, prepaid and cash access programs for account holders (individuals, businesses and government entities). Visa provides other value-added services to its clients including fraud and risk management, debit issuer processing, loyalty services, dispute management, digital services like tokenization as well as consulting and analytics. It manages and promotes its brands to the benefit of its clients and partners through advertising, promotional and sponsorship initiatives with the Olympic Games, FIFA and the National Football League among others.

The Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trust seeks to provide a secure, convenient and exchange-traded investment alternative for investors who want to hold physical gold and silver without the inconvenience that is typical of a direct investment in physical bullion.

Merck & Co. boasts more than six blockbuster drugs in its portfolio with PD-L1 inhibitor, Keytruda, approved for several types of cancer. Keytruda has played an instrumental role in driving Merck's steady revenue growth in the past few years. Well-known products in Merck's portfolio include Keytruda, Simponi , Januvia and Janumet, Bridion, Isentress, ProQuad, Gardasil, Pneumovax 23, RotaTeq and Belsomra. Merck made its biggest acquisition of Schering-Plough and sold off its Consumer Care business to Bayer. Other key acquisitions include Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Rigontec, ArQule and Acceleron Pharma. IMerck spun off products from its Women's Health unit, legacy drugs and biosimilar products into a new publicly traded company called Organon & Co.

The TJX Companies, Inc. is a leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. The company's broad range of assortments at varying prices helps it to reach out to a broad range of consumers. In addition to these, The TJX Companies tries to attract consumers through rapid turn of inventories. The company has been able to distinguish itself from traditional retailers on the grounds of opportunistic buying strategies and flexible business model. The TJX Companies' low-cost structure sets it apart from other traditional retailers. In order to maintain control on costs, the company engages in the promotion of retail banners, rather than specific brands. The company's distribution network is also designed in a manner such that helps curtailing costs. Moreover, the company emphasizes on creating strong relations with vendors across different countries.

The Travelers Companies Inc., a holding company, is principally engaged, through its subsidiaries, in providing a wide variety of property and casualty insurance and surety products and services to businesses, organizations and individuals in the United States and select international markets. Travelers' Business Insurance segment offers a broad array of property and casualty insurance and insurance-related services to its customers, primarily in the United States, as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Brazil and throughout other parts of the world as a corporate member of Lloyd's. Its products include offers workers' compensation, commercial automobile and property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, employers' liability, public and product liability, professional indemnity, marine, aviation, onshore and offshore energy, construction, terrorism, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance products.

Consolidated Edison, Inc. is a diversified utility holding company, with subsidiaries engaged in both regulated and unregulated businesses. Its regulated businesses operate through its subsidiaries: Consolidated Edison Company of New York (CECONY), Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R), Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, Inc. and Con Edison Transmission, Inc. CECONY provides electricity and natural gas to customers. CECONY operates the largest steam distribution system in the U.S. O&R Utilities provides electricity and gas in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Clean Energy Businesses develop, own and operate renewable and sustainable energy infrastructure projects and provide energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers. Con Edison Transmission invests in electric transmission projects and manages both electric and gas assets through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Consolidated Edison Transmission, LLC and Con Edison Gas Pipeline and Storage, LLC.

FirstEnergy Corporation is a diversified energy company. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, FirstEnergy engages in the transmission, distribution and generation of electricity. 'FirstEnergy's reportable segments are Regulated Distribution, Regulated Transmission and Other.

Duke Energy Corporation is one of the largest energy holding companies in the United States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves the customers. The company's Gas Utilities and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to the customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the United States.

Altria has a leading portfolio of tobacco products for U.S. tobacco consumers age 21 . Altria's wholly owned subsidiaries include leading manufacturers of both combustible and smoke-free products. In combustibles, Altria owns Philip Morris USA Inc. (PM USA), the most profitable U.S. cigarette manufacturer, and John Middleton Co. (Middleton), a leading U.S. cigar manufacturer. Altria's smoke-free portfolio includes ownership of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC (USSTC), the leading global moist smokeless tobacco (MST) manufacturer, and Helix Innovations LLC (Helix), a rapidly growing manufacturer of oral nicotine pouches. Altria also owns equity investments in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (ABI), the world's largest brewer, and Cronos Group Inc. (Cronos), a leading Canadian cannabinoid company.