Level 3 Communications Inc

In fiscal 2016, Ulta Beauty added 69 new brands and implemented over 500 prestige brand expansions.

Consumer discretionary is the most-invested sector by the PRESX, followed by financials. These two sectors combine to form 31% of the portfolio.

The Dreyfus International Stock Fund (DISAX) invests at least 80% of its net assets in the common stocks of non-US issuers.

Except for the six-month period until August 19, the MFS International Growth Fund – Class A (MGRAX) has been among the top three funds in its peer group of 12 funds.

The Calamos International Growth Fund invests in non-US growth companies and positions itself as a growth-focused offering to a “mostly core- or value-intensive international allocation.”

Beauty companies continue to expand into a multi-pronged digital strategy that encompasses e-commerce, m-commerce, as well as digital and social media.

The beauty and personal care sectors have seen a high level of merger and acquisition (or M&A) activity in the last two years.

The HLMNX’s standard deviation, or the volatility of returns, in the one-year period until February 29 was 15.2%.

The BEA (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis) released the second of three estimates for US economic growth for 4Q15 on February 26, 2016.

According to Coach, its revamped retail stores in North America were experiencing positive comps. Further, same-store sales in Europe grew at a double-digit pace.

All major global indexes fell on Friday, January 15, 2016, after the UN lifted the sanctions on Iran. FEZ and EZU fell 3.3% and 3.5%, respectively, that day.

On January 12, the stocks at the top of the SPDR Euro STOXX 50 ETF were Orange, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, BMW, Danone, and SAP.

On Monday, January 4, 2016, the Chinese market sell-off weighed heavily on FEZ’s performance. Weak manufacturing PMI data created doubts about China’s economy.

The oil and gas industry provided the highest positive return of 0.8% on December 22, 2015. Oil prices rose yesterday. They paused the downtrend.

Crude oil and commodity prices continued to fall. This made investors nervous. They exited their positions in both the equity and commodity markets.

Coty’s deal with Hypermarcas has several advantages for its business in Brazil. The distribution and supply chain benefits can’t be emphasized enough.

In July 2015, Coty announced its impending merger with 43 of Procter & Gamble’s beauty brands for an announced bid of $12.5 billion.

From the fastest-growing emerging market to casting a shadow over global growth, the Chinese economic story has indeed come a long way.

A limited distribution strategy led to Coty’s high reliance on specific channels or departments for specific products. Coty faces stiff competition from established luxury brands and local regional brands.

On July 9, 2015, Coty and Procter & Gamble announced a definitive agreement to merge 43 P&G beauty brands with Coty in a Reverse Morris Trust deal.

France’s consumer price index declined by 0.4% in July 2015 after a 0.1% fall in June. Inflation has fallen for the past two consecutive months.

Estée Lauder’s management aims to generate at least 1% of its total sales growth through acquisitions over the next three years.

Highly competitive in the beauty and cosmetics market, Estée Lauder’s revenue reached $11 billion in fiscal year 2014. However, the cosmetics company faces stiff competition from L’Oréal, Coty, and Avon (AVP).

Coach stock is down -16.9% year-to-date to $31.20 on July 31, 2015. Coach’s total returns have come in at -15.5%.

The combined Coty–P&G color cosmetics portfolio, would see the new Coty become the number three company in color cosmetics, with $2.5 billion in pro forma global sales.

Foreign exchange is likely to be a significant headwind for Coach’s (COH) results in its third quarter. The company derives ~35% of its revenue from overseas markets.

Compared to its peers, Coach has provided higher total year-to-date returns to its shareholders. And, the stock’s up by over 9% since the company’s last earnings release on January 29, 2015.

The impact of adverse forex movements on UA’s financial performance may be mitigated somewhat by the stronger retail environment in Europe.

Coach’s pricing is lower than other luxury brands. This appeals to HENRYs, or high-earners, not rich yet, among other markets.

Markets appear to be placing value on the company’s organic and inorganic plans for turnaround and future growth.

At Coach (COH), products are conceptualized by its New York-based design team. The team also directs the design of all Coach products.

A significant factor in sovereign default is the presence of significant debt owed to foreign investors—since most sovereign defaults end in partial debt cancellation or debt restructuring, bond-holders are left with no option but to accept a loss on their investments.