Top Value Stocks For 2017: February 2014

Friday, February 21, 2014

Cabot Oil & Gas: Coming Up Empty

Cabot Oil & Gas beat earnings forecasts today–but is down all the same.

Bloomberg

Deutsche Bank’s Stephen Richardson and Josh Silverstein explain what happened to Cabot:

The challenge for investors at [Cabot] has been to balance the intrinsic value of the highest return / lowest cost NG asset vs. the infrastructure challenges of delivering volumes to market. YE13 results saw a strong production trajectory and further confirmation of [Cabot's] asset quality (FY14 production unchanged on lower capex). The one offset relative to our expectations was indication that 1Q pricing is trending weaker, reducing [Cabot's] leverage to improving NYMEX prices. While we acknowledge the overhang of both regional pricing and infrastructure, we are on the side of intrinsic value and asset quality at [Cabot].

In other words, Cabot has a ton of gas, it just can’t get market prices for it, which is kind of frightening considering the massive run gas prices have had. Still, Richardson and Silverstein rate Cabot Buy with a $45 price target.

Shares of Cabot Oil & Gas have plunged 9.3% to $35.61 at 2:48 p.m. today, while Anadarko Petroleum (APC) has declined 0.7% to $82.63, Range Resources (RRC) has dropped 0.2.1% to $85.66 and Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) has fallen 1.5% to $186.84.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

States With the Best (and Worst) Schools

For years, American students have consistently ranked poorly compared to most developed nations. And according to a recently released study, the U.S. education system remains mediocre, receiving a C− grade, for the third year in a row.

Click here to see the states with the best school systems

Click here to see the states with the worst school systems

Education news and research publication Education Week released its 18th annual survey of the status of education in all 50 states. The K-12 Achievement Index is one indicator in Education Week’s “Quality Counts” report that measures key education outcomes and provides ranks and grades for each state based on their commitment to improve educational policies and practices. This year, Massachusetts received the highest score, a B, while Mississippi got an F. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the states with the best and worst scores for K-12 achievement.

The discussion of quality of education often turns quickly to money. It appears that the states with the highest levels of achievement generally also spend more money on education. The states with the top five grades in achievement are all in the top 15 for funding per student, adjusted for the cost of living. Only one of the 10 worst states for student achievement was in the top 15 for spending per student, cost-adjusted.

Senior Research Associate at the Education Week Research Center, Sterling Lloyd, explained that funding is not necessarily “the deciding factor” that determines the quality of education. Of course, he added, “most people would acknowledge that if there’s not enough money there then it makes things difficult for educators and makes it very difficult to improve achievement.”

There is a surprising lack of correlation between the state’s K-12 achievement and the presence of policies Education Week identified as important. Five of the 10 states with the best achievement scores are among the worst in the country for setting standards and using assessment techniques that are most likely to be effective, according to Education Week. Meanwhile, Louisiana and West Virginia are the second- and third-best states for standards, but they are both among the five worst states in student achievement.

Lloyd explained that one reason for this disparity may be the amount of time it takes for good policies to have an impact on schools. “One of the things we find is that the states that have historically had lower student achievement tend to perform better on the policy side of things. Often, this is because they’ve put in place an aggressive policy agenda, in part because they’ve had low achievement over the years.”

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 11 best-scoring and 10 worst-scoring states in K-12 achievement, based on Education Week’s 2014 Quality Counts report. Education Week analyzed six separate categories that measure different components of the education system. These categories are K-12 achievement; standards, assessment and accountability; the teaching profession; school finance; students’ chances for long-term success; and transitions and alignment. K-12 achievement measures test scores and graduation rates. Standards, assessment and accountability determines whether schools measure student achievement through standardized testing and rewards and penalizes schools based on performance. The teaching profession category measures whether schools hold teachers accountable to high standards and provide incentives for performance. School finance measures whether the state is spending money on students and identifies funding inequality. The students chances for long-term success category measures family background and employment opportunities. Transitions and alignment measures how schools manage students’ transitions between the school systems and secondary education or employment. All data are for the most recent available year.

These are the states with the best and worst schools.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

U.S. Economy Likely to Improve in 2014

After six long years of very rough sailing, calmer waters lie ahead for the economy. Following the horrific storms of the housing bust, financial crisis and recession as well as the choppy seas of the federal budget sequester, repeated budget and debt dramas plus Europe's meltdown, it's a welcome change. Of course, there will still be some swells and dips, such as the unexpectedly low job creation seen in December. And something could go badly wrong — an oil price spike, a plunge in China's growth rate or a breakdown of Washington's budget and debt cease-fire. But the likelihood of an upside surprise bringing economic improvement faster than now expected is greater than that of another downside blow.

Right now, we look for an average of 2.6% to 2.7% GDP growth over the course of the year, with the second half of 2014 probably registering stronger quarterly gains than the first. It's good odds that the pace of growth will end the year at over 3% and remain there in 2015.

See Also: 10 Critical Forecasts for 2014

Look for job gains to top 200,000 a month frequently, though not necessarily consistently. Surprisingly low December job growth isn't a harbinger of what's to come and is likely to be offset in the months ahead. Why? Two industries accounted for a November-December swing of 72,000 in job growth. Both — construction and health care — have been adding jobs and are likely to go back to gaining jobs shortly. Lousy weather probably took a toll on construction employment, which will likely rebound when freezing temps abate. Similarly, health care providers may have refrained from hiring in the final month before Obamacare kicked in. As nervousness about it eases, a resumption of their normal hiring pace seems likely.

The unemployment rate will bounce around, however, as the jobless are encouraged to rejoin the labor force, forcing up the ratio of worker wannabes to workers.

Most of the oomph will come from less-worried consumers spending more. After hitting bottom in 2009, consumer confidence is finally headed back to the range seen around 2004, when the economy was booming and jobs were easy to come by. That, plus job growth, should translate into rising demand across the board, though services, including health care, travel, auto leasing and more, are likely to gain more swiftly than goods. The housing renaissance will also provide a welcome lift, potentially lending extra pop to GDP growth if the push from pent-up housing demand outweighs any dampening from mortgage rate hikes. Tight new-home inventories make that at least a decent bet.

Look for businesses, too, to dip deeper into their bank accounts. On average, they'll invest nearly 5% more than last year in equipment, machinery and buildings. Indeed, flush with cash, the country's big firms have the wherewithal to splurge more heavily and they may well do so — especially if federal budget and debt deadlines this spring pass without the usual political sturm und drang. That could also put a bit more pep into 2014 GDP growth.

Exports also hold promise of delivering a little extra this year. Sales abroad will climb by about 5%, as China buys more and Europe's economy slowly recovers. Energy exports alone — natural gas, gasoline, diesel, etc. — will shoot up by 12%. If that trend strengthens and/or lower energy costs combined with still-low labor costs kick up U.S. competitiveness faster than expected, export gains could shoot even higher. Total imports will also climb, however, as the stronger U.S. economy sucks in more from overseas. They'll climb by only about 3%, as less oil buying counters some normal growth. But because the U.S. imports so much more than it exports, the trade gap won't narrow much.

As for government spending, don't expect much lift from it. States and cities will dole out a bit more this year than last. But Uncle Sam will again spend less this fiscal year than he did last, holding spending by all government — local, state and federal — about flat for the year.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Jefferies Lifts Price Targets on Some Top Stocks to Buy

When brokerage firms on Wall Street start to raise price targets on names that have already been doing well, investors should take note. Typically when companies are hitting on all cylinders, earnings continue to grow both sequentially and year over year. This gives Wall Street analysts the kind of confidence they need to retain their Buy ratings and raise the target price.

In a new Jefferies research report, the analysts highlight some of their top stocks to buy in multiple sectors that are doing so well that the price targets have to be moved higher. We screened their report for not only the top stocks to buy, but the stocks that are in sectors that are poised to do well in 2014. Despite the sizable rally in the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, both are still down for the year. Now may still be an ideal time to scale in some investment capital to these quality names at Jefferies.

Hot Dow Dividend Companies For 2015

Arris Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRS) got hit when press reports indicated that Apple may be working with Time Warner Cable and other companies on a new set-top box. The Jefferies team do not know the specifications of the device. It still may use “HDMI pass through” architecture like XBox One (and therefore will still require a cable STB to support cable content). That would bode well for Arris. The Jefferies target is lifted to $30. The Thomson/First Call estimate is $28.05. Arris closed on Friday at $27.87.

C&J Energy Services Inc. (NYSE: CJES) undertook an aggressive expansion plan for 2013. That strategy culminated in several deals during the fourth quarter and further plans for 2014. The domestic hydraulic fracturing specialist has spent the past couple of years expanding the business line and, surprisingly, building new equipment. Now with natural gas inventories plunging to five-year lows, C&J Energy is positioned to take advantage of a market where utilization is already firming. Jefferies price target holds steady at $28, and the consensus estimate is $25. Shares closed Friday at $24.50.

Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is the top pick in credit cards at Jefferies. Not only did the analysts up the numbers dramatically for the year, they also think that the rest of Wall Street is way low on modeling asset growth for the company. Lower cost Internet deposits, better performing student loans, lower charge offs and slower delinquent account repricing will support margins. Investors are paid a 1.4% dividend. Jefferies lifts its price target from $57 to $65. The consensus target is $61.96. Discover closed Friday at $56.92.

Orbital Sciences Corp.‘s (NYSE: ORB) 2013 results and 2014 outlook point to the revenue growth and high free cash flow potential of the franchise. The Jefferies analysts see opportunities for new orders, 7% revenue growth and acceleration of free cash flow, and they expect shares to continue to advance. The company develops and manufactures small and medium-class rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. Jefferies raises its price target from $27 to $31. The consensus number is $33.17. The stock closed on Friday at $28.27.

Precision Drilling Corp. (NYSE: PDS) is Canada’s leading oilfield services firm, which provides contract drilling, well servicing and strategic support services to its customers. The company was formed as a private drilling contractor in the early 1950s and has grown on the back of fleet expansion and acquisitions, most notably the $2 billion purchase of Grey Wolf in 2008. The company pays investors a 2.1% dividend. The Jefferies price objective goes from $11 to $13. The consensus stands at $12.78. The stock closed Friday at $10.39.

Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (NYSE: QIHU) provides Internet and mobile security products in the People’s Republic of China. Its core Internet security products include 360 Safeguard, a solution for Internet security and system optimization; 360 Antivirus, an antivirus application that uses multiple scan engines to protect users’ computers against various kinds of malware; as well as 360 Mobile Safe, a security program for the Google Android, Apple iOS and Nokia Symbian smartphone operating systems. The Jefferies price target rises from $105 to $125, and the consensus target is $94.60. Those consensus numbers may go higher as the stock closed Friday at $99.25.

When analysts sense that a stock they cover has solid upside potential, they usually feel comfortable raising the price target as the stock nears the current target. When the same analysts see business grinding sideways, they typically cut a stock to Hold as it nears or hits the current target. Clearly the Jefferies analysts have confidence, as their numbers are going higher.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

2 Metal ETFs That Cannot Be Ignored

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks To Own Right Now

The price of gold was back above $1,300 an ounce on Friday, and at the highest level in three months, as money flies into the beaten-down precious metal. Over the last seven weeks the SPDR Gold ETF (NYSE: GLD) is up 11 percent, and is also trading at a new three-month high.

While that may sound encouraging to most investors, the fact remains that GLD is in a downtrend -- and even after the recent rally the ETF is down 20 percent in the last 12 months. The bigger picture shows GLD is down over 30 percent from its 2011 high, as the S&P 500 has rallied 56 percent in that timeframe.

While investors cannot ignore the movement in gold, the trend is still down and there are two other metals that should be on the radar – silver and copper.

Related: Three ETFs To Buy On The Pullback

>The iShares Silver ETF (NYSE: SLV) was up over four percent Friday to the best level in three months. The breakout is from a two-month long consolidation pattern, that could be the buy signal technicians have been waiting for. As long as SLV can hold above the $19.80 area in the coming days, it would be confirmation that the breakout has legs to run. >The silver mining stocks have had an even better run since its bottom in late December. The Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SIL) is up 37 percent in the last six weeks, and is trading at a six-month high.

Copper is considered an industrial metal, that is often tied to the Chinese economy. Because a large portion of the demand for copper comes from China, it will move with the news regarding the emerging markets economy and stock market. Trade news out of China earlier this week was well above estimates, andwas seen as a bullish factor for copper going forward.

The Global X Copper Miners ETF (NYSE: COPX) is a basket of 25 mining companies that are located primarily in Canada (42 percent). An increase in the price of copper, and an outlook that has gone from dire to promising, has pushed the ETF higher. The ETF is breaking out of a similar consolidation pattern to SLV and the level to watch for the breakout to be confirmed is $9.50 per share.

The one risk is that the recent rally in every metal, from gold to copper, is simply a bounce off the lows and will be short lived. On the other hand, the charts are starting to improve dramatically -- and if the breakouts are confirmed it could be a signal for investors that the metals have bottomed and are prepared to outperform in the coming months.

Posted-In: China Copper Gold metal precious metals SilverSector ETFs Emerging Markets Commodities Markets ETFs Best of Benzinga

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Saturday, February 15, 2014

Whitney Tilson's Kase Fund 2013 Annual Letter

Kase Fund Annual Letter-2013

Also check out: Whitney Tilson Undervalued Stocks Whitney Tilson Top Growth Companies Whitney Tilson High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Whitney Tilson keeps buying
About the author:Canadian Valuehttp://valueinvestorcanada.blogspot.com/

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Friday, February 14, 2014

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015

Global mega-bank Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) said late Friday that it has agreed to sell its global oil trading business to Russia�� state-controlled oil giant OAO Rosneft for an undisclosed sum. The deal is expected to close in the second half of last year.

Most of the big U.S. banks took advantage of a 2003 change in U.S. law that allowed them to own and trade physical commodities not just contracts on those commodities. When the financial crisis hit in 2008-2009 and the banks changed their status from investment banks to bank holding companies, the Federal Reserve began reviewing banks��commodities business and making it more difficult for the banks to continue trading oil, metals, and other commodities.

Lately the Federal Reserve has been reviewing its policies and is considering imposing a surcharge on bank-owned commodities and warehouses in an effort to get the banks to reduce their investments in the risky and volatile commodities trading business. A decision is likely next year.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Tinka Resources Limited (TK.V)

Tinka Resources Limited, a junior mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of precious metals or mineral properties in Peru. The company primarily explores for silver, lead, zinc, and copper deposits. It focuses on the Colquipucro silver-lead-zinc project that consists of 46 contiguous mineral tenements covering an area of 10,234.85 hectares and is located in the Department of Cerro de Pasco. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Hi Crush Partners LP (HCLP)

Hi Crush Partners LP, formerly Hi-Crush Partners LP, is a domestic producer of monocrystalline sand, a specialized mineral that is used as a proppant to enhance the recovery rates of hydrocarbons from oil and natural gas wells. The Company reserves consist of Northern White sand, a resource existing in Wisconsin and limited portions of the upper Midwest region of the United States. It owns, operates and develops sand reserves and related excavation and processing facilities and will seek to acquire or develop additional facilities. The Company's 561-acre facility with integrated rail infrastructure, located near Wyeville, Wisconsin, enables it to process and deliver approximately 1,600,000 tons of frac sand per year. In June 2013, Hi Crush Partners LP announced the completion of its acquisition of D&I Silica, LLC (D&I).

The Company�� frac sand production is sold to investment grade-rated pressure pumping service providers under long-term, contracts that require its customers to pay a specified price for a specified volume of frac sand each month. The Company owns and operates the Wyeville facility, which is located in Monroe County, Wisconsin and, as of December 31, 2011, contained 48.4 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves of mesh sizes it has contracted to sell. From the Wyeville in-service date to March 31, 2012, it had processed and sold 555,250 tons of frac sand.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Robert Rapier]
Hi-Crush Partners (NYSE: HCLP) was the year’s best-performing energy MLP with a rally of 130 percent. HCLP is a pure-play supplier of monocrystalline sand that is used as a proppant to enhance the recovery rates of hydrocarbons from oil and natural gas wells that have been hydraulically fractured. Its reserves consist of Northern white sand, predominantly found in Wisconsin and portions of the upper Midwest region of the US. At the most recent closing price, the annualized yield based on the the last quarterly distribution is 4.9 percent.

Top 5 Safest Companies To Own For 2015: Harleysville Group Inc.(HGIC)

Harleysville Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the property and casualty insurance business primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States. It underwrites personal and commercial property and casualty coverages, including automobile, homeowners, commercial multi-peril, and workers compensation. The company markets its insurance products through independent agents to individuals, and small and medium-sized businesses. Harleysville Group Inc. was founded in 1979 and is based in Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Harleysville Group Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Milano(ADMI.MI)

Milano Assicurazioni S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, offers insurance products and services primarily in Italy. It provides non-life insurance products, such as accident, health, railway, aviation, maritime, goods in transit, fire and natural elements, other damage to property, bonds, general pecuniary losses, legal protection, assistance, and credit insurance products. The company also offers insurance on human life, and insurance relating to investment funds and market indices, as well as land motor and land vehicles insurance products. Milano Assicurazioni S.p.A. provides its products and services through sales network of approximately 2,000 agencies. In addition, it owns a hotel real estate complex at Madonna di Campiglio, as well as a golf hotel. The company is headquartered in Milano, Italy. Milano Assicurazioni S.p.A. operates as a subsidiary of Fondiaria-SAI S.P.A.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Randgold Res Ltd Ord(RRS.L)

Randgold Resources Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and mining of gold deposits in west and central Africa. The company holds a 80% controlling interest in the Loulo mine and Gounkoto mine, as well as a 50% interest in Morila mine located in Mali; a 89% controlling interest in the Tongon mine located in the neighboring country of C�e d?Ivoire; a 83.25% controlling interest in the Massawa project in Senegal; and a 45% interest in the Kibali project, which is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of December 31, 2011, it had proven and probable reserves of 16.28 million ounces of gold. The company was founded in 1995 and is based in St. Helier, the Channel Islands.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: SeaChange International Inc.(SEAC)

SeaChange International, Inc. provides multi-screen video products and services that facilitate the aggregation, licensing, management, and distribution of video, television programming, and advertising content to cable system operators, telecommunications companies, broadcast television companies, and mobile communications providers worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Software and Media Services. The Software segment offers back-office products, including SeaChange Axiom, an on-demand back office software that allow operators to centralize video distribution systems, as well as video streamers; advertising product solutions, such as video-on-demand, digital video recorders, and over-the-top services; and home gateway product solutions, which include Nucleus, a hybrid gateway software product that provides control over channel changes, VOD/DVR playback, and trick mode set-top box functionalities. This segment also provides professional services, installation, training, project management, product maintenance, technical support, and software development related services. The Media Services segment offers content for video-on-demand and pay-per-view platforms; and marketing, promotional, and production services to cable operators and telecommunications providers. This segment also sources, acquires, packages, and markets video-on-demand services by providing access to content from local and Hollywood studio providers in various formats, including music videos, television programs, and feature length movies. The company sells and markets its products and services through a direct sales organization, independent agents, and distributors. SeaChange International, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Acton, Massachusetts.

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 SeaChange International (Nasdaq: SEAC ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
[By Seth Jayson]
When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to SeaChange International (Nasdaq: SEAC ) .
[By Johanna Bennett]
SeaChange (SEAC) fell 16.5% to $12.03 after the company’s guidance for the fiscal fourth quarter fell well below analysts’ expectations.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Universal Corporation(UVV)

Universal Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a leaf tobacco merchant and processor worldwide. It engages in selecting, procuring, buying, processing, packing, storing, supplying, shipping, and financing leaf tobacco for sale to, or for the account of, manufacturers of consumer tobacco products. The company processes and/or sells flue-cured and burley tobaccos, dark air-cured tobaccos, and oriental tobaccos; and provides value-added services, including blending, chemical and physical testing of tobacco, just-in-time inventory management, and manufacturing reconstituted sheet tobacco. Its flue-cured, burley, and oriental tobaccos are used principally in the manufacture of cigarettes; and dark air-cured tobaccos are used in the manufacture of cigars, pipe tobacco, and smokeless tobacco products. The company was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Marc Bastow]
Leaf tobacco supplier Universal Corporation (UVV) raised its quarterly dividend 2% to 51 cents per share, payable on Feb. 10 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 13.
UVV Dividend Yield: 4.06%
[By Rupert Hargreaves]
Universal Corp (NYSE: UVV ) has paid out and raised its dividend for 41 consecutive years. This puts the company in an elite club of dividend aristocrats.�Aside from Altria (NYSE: MO ) , which has been paying and increasing its payout for 43 years, Universal actually has the longest dividend history of any company within the tobacco sector.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Dynamics Research Corporation(DRCO)

Dynamics Research Corporation provides management consulting, engineering, technical, and information technology (IT) services and solutions to federal and state governments. It provides Web-based collaborative decision making tools and facilities that enable participants in various locations to participate in the transformation process; and a range of processes and tools to develop, sustain, manage, and govern complex information systems in the areas of enterprise architecture, software engineering, IT infrastructure management, application development and sustainment, Web services, IT governance, information assurance and cyber security, and IT support services. The company also offers individual and team training solutions, including training/task analysis, high performance team training, Web-based training, and automated training management; and identifies, develops, and delivers various additional human performance improvement solutions, including electronic performan ce support systems, job/task redesign user interface change, organizational redesign, and resource reallocation. In addition, it provides a set of solutions to support the management of complex programs throughout their life cycle, such as program management, business, cost, financial management, acquisition management, engineering and logistics, audit support and remediation, communications, and training services. Further, the company offers engineering services to support the design, testing, manufacturing, and integration of advanced components and complex systems. It provides engineering services in the areas of item unique identification methodologies; technical manual configuration and control; manufacturing, repair, and overhaul engineering; and global positioning system receiver products. Additionally, the company offers healthcare services. Dynamics Research Corporation was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: AmerisourceBergen Corporation (HOLDING CO)

AmerisourceBergen Corporation, a pharmaceutical services company, provides drug distribution and related services to healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company distributes brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to various healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical and dialysis clinics, physicians, and long-term care and other alternate site pharmacies. It also offers various services, such as pharmaceutical packaging, pharmacy automation, inventory management, reimbursement and pharmaceutical consulting and staffing services, logistics services, and pharmacy management. In addition, AmerisourceBergen provides scalable automated pharmacy dispensing equipment, medication and supply dispensing cabinets , and supply management software to various retail and institutional healthcare providers. Further, the company offers distribution and other services to physicians, who specialize in various disease states; distributes plasma and other blood products, injectible pharmaceuticals, and vaccines; and provides drug commercialization, third party logistics, reimbursement consulting, data analytics, and outcomes research services for biotech and other pharmaceutical manufacturers, as well as practice management and group purchasing services for physician practices. Additionally, it delivers unit dose, punch card, unit-of-use, and other packaging solutions to institutional and retail healthcare providers; and offers contract packaging and clinical trial material services for pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company serves customers through a network of distribution and service centers, and packaging facilities. AmerisourceBergen was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Chesterb rook, Pennsylvania.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Mccoy Corp Com Npv (MCB.TO)

McCoy Corporation provides equipment, services, and replacement components for the energy sector worldwide. It operates in two segments, Energy Products & Services, and Mobile Solutions. The Energy Products & Services segment manufactures and distributes drilling and completions equipment, such as tubular equipment, pipe-handling equipment, specialized hydraulic power tongs, dies and inserts, rig parts, make/break torque equipment, and computerized torque turn management systems; offers services and replacement parts; and undertakes engineering special projects. It also offers coatings and hydraulic services, such as electroplating, plasma transferred arc welding, and thermal spray services, as well as repair, testing, and manufacturing services for hydraulic equipment. This segment markets its products under the CLINCHER, FARR, WINCATT, and GRITFACE brand names. The Mobile Solutions segment manufactures and sells heavy duty trailers comprising oilfield lowbed trailers, oi lfield floats, extendables, and scissornecks; and custom chassis. This segment offers trailers for use in wind energy, multi-axle heavy-haul, heavy-haul, oilfield, well stimulation and intervention, oil and gas, drilling and well servicing, crane dollies, forestry, and power generation and transmission markets under the Peerless and Scona brand names. The company markets its products through direct sales force and distributors. McCoy Corporation was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Optiscan Imaging Ltd(OIL.AX)

Optiscan Imaging Limited engages in the development and application of microscopic imaging technologies for medical markets. It offers Pentax ISC 1000, a flexible confocal endomicroscopy system for medical applications; and Optiscan FIVE 1, a handheld fluorescence endomicroscope that is designed for vivo investigations of animal tissues. The company offers its products in Asia, Australia, Europe, the United States, and Canada. Optiscan Imaging Limited was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Notting Hill, Australia.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Republic Airways Holdings Inc.(RJET)

Republic Airways Holdings Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides scheduled passenger services. The company offers scheduled passenger services on approximately 1,500 flights daily to 133 cities in 42 states, the Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico under branded operations and through fixed-fee airline services agreements. As of December 31, 2011, its total operational fleet consisted of 281 aircrafts. The company also offers cargo and charter services. Republic Airways Holdings Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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 Republic Airways (NASDAQ: RJET ) fit the bill? Let's take a look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.
[By Adam Levine-Weinberg]
Shares of Republic Airways (NASDAQ: RJET ) performed very well in the first three months of 2013, nearly doubling during that time period. Investors were cheered by improvements in the company's core regional carrier operation, under which it operates flights for all four of the big U.S. network carriers.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Athens Bancshares Corporation(AFCB)

Athens Bancshares Corporation operates as the holding company for Athens Federal Community Bank that provides financial services to consumers and businesses primarily in McMinn, Monroe, and Bradley Counties, Tennessee. It accepts various deposit products that include non-interest-bearing demand deposits, such as checking accounts; interest-bearing demand accounts, such as NOW and money market accounts; regular savings accounts; and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan portfolio comprises one-to four-family residential loans; non-residential real estate loans; construction loans for one-to four-family homes, and commercial properties, including retail shops and office units, and multi-family properties; land and land development loans; multi-family real estate loans; consumer loans for home equity loans and lines of credit, automobile loans, and loans secured by deposits; and commercial business loans to small businesses. It also provides title insurance services. T he company operates through seven branches located in Athens, Sweetwater, Etowah, Madisonville, and Cleveland, Tennessee. The company is headquartered in Athens, Tennessee.

Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Own For 2015: Hanfeng Evergreens Com Npv (HF.TO)

Hanfeng Evergreen Inc. manufactures and sells value added fertilizers for the agricultural markets in the People�s Republic of China and the Republic of Indonesia. The company�s products include slow-release fertilizers and urea formaldehyde technology products; and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers. It also provides sulfur coated urea fertilizers to other fertilizer distributors and manufacturers in China; and urease inhibitors that inhibit the hydrolytic action on urea by the urease enzyme. The company offers its products to urban greening and agricultural markets in China and South East Asia. Hanfeng Evergreen Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now

In most economic environments, it would make sense to invest in an apparel�company that targets twenty-somethings. This age group often dresses to impress, whether at work, in a social setting, or attending a special event. One of the top names in this slice of the retail sector is�Express (NYSE: EXPR ) , which largely owes its success to this key demographic. However, there is one big problem.

Recent results
If you look back to earlier in the year, to the first quarter, then you will see that Express had a moderate year-over-year sales increase of 3%, and a diluted earnings-per-share of $0.38, which was lower than the year-ago quarter's $0.47. Express pointed to external headwinds that have led to lower foot traffic in malls. By reading�the 10-Q, you might be able to tell the company felt the outlook was bleak. Then, Express' second quarter report seemed a lot more optimistic.

In the second quarter, net sales jumped 7%, comps increased 6%, and diluted EPS improved 11% to $0.20. Express attributed this success to growth in e-commerce and trend-right products. The only real negative for the quarter was a decline in gross margin to 31.4% from 32.2% due to increased promotional activity and increased rental expenses for two new flagship stores in New York City and San Francisco.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. engages in the ownership, operation, and franchise of restaurants in the United States. The company provides quick casual and casual dining services, as well as serves bottled beers, wines, and liquor. As of July 26, 2011, it had 773 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in 45 states in the United States, as well as in Canada. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rick Munarriz]
Monday
The first trading day of the week kicks off with Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD ) getting deeper into the craft-brew game. Game Changer Ale -- a new pale ale by Redhook Brewery -- will make its debut at more than 925 Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants on Monday.
[By Chris Hill]
Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill has trademarked the term "breastaurant." Are restaurants like these a threat to "non-breastaurants" like Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD ) ? In this installment of MarketFoolery, our analysts discuss what it all means for investors.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: Sara Lee Corporation(SLE)

Sara Lee Corporation engages in the manufacture and marketing of a range of branded packaged meat, bakery, and beverage products worldwide. Its packaged meat products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, sandwiches and bowls, smoked and dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats, bacon, beef, turkey, and cooked ham. It also offers frozen baked products, which comprise frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes, pastries, and other desserts. In addition, Sara Lee provides roast, ground, and liquid coffee; cappuccinos; lattes; and hot and iced teas, as well as refrigerated dough products. The company sells its products under Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, State Fair, Douwe Egberts, Senseo, Maison du Caf

Hot Growth Companies To Invest In 2015: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets da Vinci surgical systems for various surgical procedures, including urologic, gynecologic, cardiothoracic, general, and head and neck surgeries. Its da Vinci surgical system consists of a surgeon?s console or consoles, a patient-side cart, a 3-D vision system, and proprietary ?wristed? instruments. The company?s da Vinci surgical system translates the surgeon?s natural hand movements on instrument controls at the console into corresponding micro-movements of instruments positioned inside the patient through small puncture incisions, or ports. It also manufactures a range of EndoWrist instruments, which incorporate wrist joints for natural dexterity for various surgical procedures. Its EndoWrist instruments consist of forceps, scissors, electrocautery, scalpels, and other surgical tools. In addition, it sells various vision and accessory products for use in conjunction with the da Vinci Surgical System as surgical procedures are performed. The company?s accessory products include sterile drapes used to ensure a sterile field during surgery; vision products, such as replacement 3-D stereo endoscopes, camera heads, light guides, and other items. It markets its products through sales representatives in the United States, and through sales representatives and distributors in international markets. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rich Smith]
Shares of microcap fiber optic test and measurement sensor-maker Luna Innovations (NASDAQ: LUNA ) surged as much as 85% in Monday trading before finally settling down to book a 41% gain for the day. The catalyst: The company announced that it had extended its multiyear agreement to develop and supply "high-speed shape-sensing technology" to robotic surgery giant Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG ) for use in its da Vinci surgical robots.
[By Steve Symington]
Still, customers who owned MAKO's RIO robots in 2012 only performed an average of just 6.7 monthly procedures per system last year, and monthly utilization per site fell to 6.6 procedures last quarter. By contrast, consider MAKO's soft-tissue counterpart in�Intuitive Surgical� (NASDAQ: ISRG ) ,�whose customers performed around 13 procedures per month last year with each of Intuitive's da Vinci robots.�
[By Sean Williams]
Growth
Sustainability isn't enough for Buffett and Berkshire. Buffett also likes to see the companies he invests in constantly innovating and adapting to changing times. Because Buffett prefers to invest in companies that are going to "move the needle," as my colleague Brian Orelli put it, I've excluded many of the faster-growing but smaller device makers. The result is that only one company truly meets what I'd refer to as the high-growth and Buffett-investable threshold: Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG ) .

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: Crocs Inc.(CROX)

Crocs, Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of footwear, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and children. The company primarily offers casual and athletic shoes, and shoe charms. It also designs and sells a range of footwear and accessories that utilize its proprietary closed cell-resin, called Croslite. The company?s footwear products include boots, sandals, sneakers, mules, and flats. In addition, it provides footwear products for the hospital, restaurant, hotel, and hospitality markets, as well as general foot care and diabetic-needs markets. Further, the company offers leather and ethylene vinyl acetate based footwear, sandals, and printed apparels principally for the beach, adventure, and action sports markets; and accessories comprising snap-on charms. The company sells its products through the United States and international retailers and distributors, as well as directly to end-user consumers th rough its company-operated retail stores, outlets, kiosks, and Web stores primarily under the Crocs Work, Crocs Rx, Jibbitz, Ocean Minded, and YOU by Crocs brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 164 retail kiosks located in malls and other high foot traffic areas; 138 retail stores; 76 outlet stores; and 46 Web stores. Crocs, Inc. operates in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was formerly known as Western Brands, LLC and changed its name to Crocs, Inc. in January 2005. Crocs, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Niwot, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By William L. Watts]
Shares of Crocs Inc. (CROX) �rose nearly 17% after Chief Financial Officer Jeff Lasher said in an interview that Blackstone Group LP (BX) �will invest $200 million in the shoe company and that Chief Executive John McCarvel will retire by late April.
[By Rich Bieglmeier]
According to Yahoo finance, Crocs, Inc. (CROX) will release its third quarter financial results on Monday, October 21, 2013; however, the company's investor's relations page makes no note of any impending announcements. That being said, CROX normally reports Q3 EPS around October 24th. So, next Thursday-ish instead of Monday is possible.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: CNO Financial Group Inc. (CNO)

CNO Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, marketing, and administration of health insurance, annuity, individual life insurance, and other insurance products for senior and middle-income markets in the United States. The company markets and distributes Medicare supplement insurance, interest-sensitive and traditional life insurance, fixed annuities, and long-term care insurance products; Medicare advantage plans through a distribution arrangement with Humana Inc.; and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans through a distribution and reinsurance arrangement with Coventry Health Care. It also markets and distributes supplemental health, including specified disease, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance products; and life insurance to middle-income consumers at home and the worksite through independent marketing organizations and insurance agencies. In addition, the company markets primarily graded benefit and simplified issue life insurance products directly to customers through television advertising, direct mail, Internet, and telemarketing. It sells its products through career agents, independent producers, direct marketing, and sales managers. CNO Financial Group, Inc. has strategic alliances with Coventry and Humana. The company was formerly known as Conseco, Inc. and changed its name to CNO Financial Group, Inc. in May 2010. CNO Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By David Fried, Editor, The Buyback Letter]
Insurance holding company CNO Financial Group (CNO) and its insurance subsidiaries��rincipally Bankers Life and Casualty Company, Washington National, and Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company��erve pre-retiree and retired Americans.
[By Jonas Elmerraji]
Up first is CNO Financial Group (CNO), a mid-cap financial stock that's rocketed close to 60% higher since the calendar flipped over to January. Yup, it's been a great year for the market, but it's been a far better one for investors who own CNO. But that strong performance isn't showing any signs of slowing yet. In fact, CNO looks primed for even more upside in the fourth quarter.

That's because CNO is currently forming a bullish pattern called an ascending triangle. The ascending triangle pattern is formed by a horizontal resistance level above shares -- in this case at $14.75 -- and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as CNO bounces in between those two technical price levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above that $14.75 resistance level. When that breakout happens, it's time to become a buyer.

ACCO's price action isn't exactly textbook. After all, the pattern is coming in at the bottom of a downtrend, not after an uptrend. But ultimately, that doesn't change the trading implications of a move through that $7.50 level.

Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of those buyers and sellers. Ascending triangles and other pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

That $7.50 resistance level is a price where there has been an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to step in and take gains than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes a breakout above it so significant. The move means that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level.

Don't be early on this trade.
[By Vanin Aegea]
I have heard many people comment about the insurance policies for cars, houses, life, assets, etc. The arguments always revolve around the same issue: Is it really necessary? What are the chances to be hit by a Hurricane, or to meet a sudden death? Well, nobody really knows. Some individuals however, sleep better when they know a policy backs their life investments. Here, I will look into three insurance companies that concentrate on different policies, or geographies. These are: China Life (LFC), and Conseco (CNO).

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Medifast, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and sale of weight management and disease management products, and other consumable health and diet products in the United States. The company?s product lines include weight and disease management, meal replacement, and vitamins. It also operates weight control centers that offer Medifast programs for weight loss and maintenance, customized patient counseling, and inbody composition analysis. The company markets its products under the Medifast and Essential brand names, including shakes, appetite suppression shakes, women?s health shakes, diabetics shakes, joint health shakes, coronary health shakes, calorie burn drinks, calorie burn flavor infusers, antioxidant shakes, antioxidant flavor infusers, bars, crunch bars, soups, chili, oatmeal, pudding, scrambled eggs, hot cocoa, cappuccino, chai latte, iced teas, fruit drinks, pretzels, puffs, brownie, pancakes, soy crisps, crackers, and omega 3 and digestive health products. Medifast Inc. sells its products through various channels of distribution comprising Web, call center, independent health advisors, medical professionals, weight loss clinics, and direct consumer marketing supported via the phone and the Web; Take Shape for Life, a physician led network of independent health coaches; and weight control centers. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jon C. Ogg]
Medifast Inc. (NYSE: MED) saw its stock down 5% in evening trading on Tuesday after the weight loss player had soft sales and guided expectations lower. Shares were still indicated down about 5%, but volume has not yet started.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

TrueBlue, Inc. provides temporary blue-collar staffing services in the United States. It supplies on demand general labor to various industries under the Labor Ready brand; skilled labor to manufacturing and logistics industries under the Spartan Staffing brand; and trades people for commercial, industrial, and residential construction, and building and plant maintenance industries under the CLP Resources brand. The company also provides mechanics and technicians to the aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, aerospace manufacturing, and assembly industries, as well as to other transportation industries under the Plane Techs brand; and temporary drivers to the transportation and distribution industries under the Centerline brand. It primarily serves small and medium-size businesses. The company was formerly known as Labor Ready, Inc. and changed its name to TrueBlue, Inc. in December 2007. TrueBlue, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jonathan Yates]
For those looking to invest in real estate stocks, highly recommended is the Dr. Housing Bubble blog. In a recent posting, the "Dr." pointed out that there was a "Lost Generation" when it came to household income. That has not happened for those investing in staffing industry stocks such as Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI), TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE: TBI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).
[By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of staffing agency TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI ) jumped 10% today after the company reported earnings.

So what: Revenue jumped 19%, to $422.3 million, and beat estimates of $420.2 million from Wall Street. Adjusted earnings per share were also up 19%, to $0.31, outpacing estimates by $0.05.�
[By Jonathan Yates]
Even though the stock market rallied on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA) and Standard & Poor's 500 Index (NYSE: SPY) surging, the long term winners will be stocks in the staffing industry such as Paychex(NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), Robert Half (NYSE: RHI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: Checkpoint Systms Inc.(CKP)

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. manufactures and markets identification, tracking, security, and merchandising solutions for the retail and apparel industry worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Shrink Management Solutions, Apparel Labeling Solutions, and Retail Merchandising Solutions. The Shrink Management Solutions segment provides shrink management and merchandise visibility solutions. It offers electronic article surveillance systems, such as EVOLVE, a suite of RF and RFID-enabled products that act as a deterrent to prevent merchandise theft in retail stores; and electronic article surveillance consumables, including EAS-RF and EAS-EM labels that work in combination with EAS systems to reduce merchandise theft in retail stores. This segment also provides keepers, spider wraps, bottle security, and hard tags, as well as Showsafe, a line alarm system for protecting display merchandise. In addition, it offers physical and electronic store monitoring solutions, incl uding fire alarms, intrusion alarms, and digital video recording systems for retail environments; and RFID tags and labels. The Apparel Labeling Solutions segment provides apparel labeling solutions to apparel retailers, brand owners, and manufacturers. It has Web-enabled apparel labeling solutions platform and network of 28 service bureaus located in 22 countries that supplies customers with customized apparel tags and labels. The Retail Merchandising Solutions segment offers hand-held label applicators and tags, promotional displays, and queuing systems. The company serves retailers in the supermarket, drug store, hypermarket, and mass merchandiser markets through direct distribution and reseller channels. Checkpoint Systems was founded in 1969 and is based in Thorofare, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Udovich]
Small cap Checkpoint Systems, Inc (NYSE: CKP) fights shoplifting or retail theft and other forms of�"shrink��that costs retailers over $112 billion worldwide last year (according to a study funded by the company), meaning it might be an interesting stock to take a closer look at and to compare its performance with that of SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT) and PowerShares Dynamic Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: PMR). Just how bad can shoplifting or shrink be for a retailer? Troubled retailer J.C. Penney Company, Inc (NYSE: JCP) has just reported that shoplifting took a full percentage point off the department store chain's profit margins during the quarter. Moreover and given that tens of millions of Americans are now facing higher health insurance costs thanks to Obamacare (which will likely impact consumer discretionary spending),�retailers�will need to find ways to shore up their margins and bottom lines by preventing�retail theft with solutions from company�� like Checkpoint Systems.
[By Rich Smith]
Three months after settling upon a new chief executive officer, it looks like Thorofare, N. J.-based Checkpoint Systems (NYSE: CKP ) will soon have itself a new CFO as well.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: Waste Management Inc.(WM)

Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste management services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. The company also owns, develops, and operates waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Its collection services involves in picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility, or disposal site; and recycling operations include collection and materials processing, plastics materials recycling, and commodities recycling. In addition, it provides recycling brokerage, which includes managing the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties; and electronic recycling services, such as collection, sorting, and disassembling of discarded computers, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment. Further, the company e ngages in renting and servicing portable restroom facilities to municipalities and commercial customers under the Port-o-Let name; and involves in landfill gas-to-energy operations comprising recovering and processing the methane gas produced naturally by landfills into a renewable energy source, as well as provides street and parking lot sweeping services. Additionally, it offers portable self-storage, fluorescent lamp recycling, and medical waste services for healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and individuals, as well as provides services on behalf of third parties to construct waste facilities. The company was formerly known as USA Waste Services, Inc. and changed its name to Waste Management, Inc. in 1998. Waste Management, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Daniel Sparks]
Scouring the market for excellent dividend stocks isn't as easy as finding the stocks with the highest yields. In fact, dividend yield is just one of many factors investors should consider when they are looking for the best dividend stocks. To illustrate, I'll analyze two companies whose stocks have meaningful dividend yields: Waste Management (NYSE: WM ) and Ford (NYSE: F ) .
[By Dividends4Life]
Related Articles:
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Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: Thoratec Corporation(THOR)

Thoratec Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of proprietary medical devices used for circulatory support. The company?s primary product lines include ventricular assist devices, such as HeartMate II, an implantable left ventricular assist device consisting of a rotary blood pump to provide intermediate and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS); and HeartMate XVE, an implantable and pulsatile left ventricular assist device for intermediate and longer-term MCS. Its ventricular assist devices also comprise Paracorporeal Ventricular Assist Device, an external pulsatile ventricular assist device, which provides left, right, and biventricular MCS approved for bridge-to-transplantation (BTT), including home discharge, and post-cardiotomy myocardial recovery; and Implantable Ventricular Assist Device, an implantable and pulsatile ventricular assist device designed to provide left, right, and biventricular MCS approved for BTT comprising hom e discharge, and post-cardiotomy myocardial recovery. The company also provides CentriMag, an extracorporeal full-flow acute surgical support platform that offers support up to 30 days for cardiac and respiratory failure. In addition, it offers PediMag and PediVAS extracorporeal full-flow acute surgical support platforms designed to provide acute surgical support to pediatric patients. The company sells its products through direct sales force in the United States, as well as through a network of distributors internationally. Thoratec Corporation was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Brian Pacampara]
What: Shares of medical device company Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR ) sank 12% today after its quarterly results missed Wall Street expectations. �
[By Todd Campbell]
Competing for heart pump market share
Abiomed's products provide circulatory support for up to six hours and are designed for use in cardiac cath labs or during heart surgery, but competitors Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR ) and Heartware (NASDAQ: HTWR ) target the intermediate- and long-term-use market instead.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Nordstrom, Inc., a fashion specialty retailer, offers apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories for women, men, and children in the United States. It offers a selection of brand name and private label merchandise. The company sells its products through various channels, including Nordstrom full-line stores, off-price Nordstrom Rack stores, Jeffrey? boutiques, treasure & bond, and Last Chance clearance stores; and its online store, nordstrom.com, as well as through catalog. Nordstrom also provides a private label card, two Nordstrom VISA credit cards, and a debit card for Nordstrom purchases. The company?s credit and debit cards feature a shopping-based loyalty program. As of September 30, 2011, it operated 222 stores, including 117 full-line stores, 101 Nordstrom Racks, 2 Jeffrey boutiques, 1 treasure & bond store, and 1 clearance store in 30 states. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
The day’s winners include Nordstrom (JWN), which gained 3.4% to $60.79 and is scheduled to report earnings on Thursday, and Mosaic (MOS), which jumped 3.2% to $43.85 and continued its strong showing following a Friday upgrade.
[By Caroline Bennett]
Brad Smith, president and CEO of Intuit, is joining the board of directors for fashion specialty retailer Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN ) .

Smith brings the total number of Nordstrom directors up to 12, and has served in previous leadership positions for a number of technology-based companies. He will serve for one year, and will be subject to an annual election following his first term.

Top 5 Growth Stocks To Own Right Now: Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI)

Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides workers compensation insurance and reinsurance products in the United States. The company?s Workers Compensation Insurance segment provides traditional workers compensation insurance coverage products, including guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible policies, and alternative market products to employers. This segment distributes its workers? compensation products and services through its independent insurance agents primarily in Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, and Virginia. Its Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment offers alternative market workers compensation solutions comprising program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management, segregated portfolio cell rental, asset management, and segregated portfolio management services to individual companies, groups, and associations. Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Lauren Pollock]
ProAssurance Corp.(PRA) agreed to acquire Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI) for about $205 million, expanding the insurance company’s casualty insurance offerings. Eastern Insurance is a domestic casualty insurance group specializing in workers’ compensation products and services, among other things. ProAssurance plans to pay $24.50 in cash for each outstanding Eastern share, a 16% premium over Monday’s closing price.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Make the Same Returns as the "Rich Guys" – Now

Large, successful investors have the same goals as smaller ones: raking in big profits.

But these "rich guys" often have more at stake when they make their trades: enormous investments.

For professional investors, there's more still: reputations, public scrutiny of their performance, and often their job...

It makes sense that they are going to go after big money...and do it smartly.

We can follow their lead and rack up the same huge returns...

But the key is knowing the right "rich guys" to follow.

After years of working as a Goldman Sachs trader, I've picked up the ability to spot them. Here's the best way you can, too...

Their "Skin in the Game" Can Pay Off for You

Less than two months ago in my Permanent Wealth Investor service, I recommended a high-yield real estate investment trust, or REIT, that has since shot up over 35% since that original recommendation (including dividends).

Now, did I know that this investment was ready to pop when I bought it? While I'd like to admit to some type of special insight into a move like this, the truth is no such inside info existed.

You see, when I recommended this REIT, I did so armed only with years of experience, and an understanding of the importance of both strong fundamentals and outstanding management at the helm of a company.

The fundamentals caught my attention for the REIT because unlike most companies in its industry group, this firm has consistently raised its cash dividend payout every payment.

While most of the other REITs were cutting their dividend, this standout company was bucking the trend and sticking out like a bullish sore thumb - and doing it for some time.

I also liked the stock because this highly complex company was undervalued and not understood by investors.

10 Best Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2015

Yet here's the thing -- aside from the positive fundamental and financial metrics, I liked this REIT because the company's founder and CEO also is a Goldman Sachs alumnus, a former colleague I've admired for a long time.

He had built a well-deserved reputation within Goldman as being a brilliant, "best in the business" money maker.

That isn't an easy reputation to get.

Goldman has plenty of smart and hungry multi-millionaires at the top of their game-a game that is all about making serious money.

Perhaps more importantly, a big chunk of this CEO's personal net worth was tied up in this company's stock, and that was the big trigger for me to recommend the shares.

That gives this CEO a lot of "skin in the game," meaning that if he makes the right business decisions, not only will the shares do well -- so will he.

If you invest in smart people who have a stake in their company's success, then you are automatically aligning your interest with theirs. So if they succeed, so do you.

The Best "Rich Guys" to Follow to Profits

That's why one of my basic rules is to invest with the smartest rich guys I can find.

The REIT investment I recommended is a great example of the rich guy rule. In fact, despite the fact that this REIT's total return has surged so much over the past couple of months, there's still plenty of money to be made here.

Of course, there's more than just one income-generating investment that allows you to employ the smart guy rule. Other publicly traded examples of investing with the rich guys are firms such as Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (NYSE: KMP) and Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX).

Both of these high-yield, stalwart growth-and-income plays are run by self-made, multi-billionaires who still have the bulk of their personal fortunes riding on the success of their respective companies.

Ironically, both men also used to work for companies that had been very successful, then virtually self-destructed after their departures.

In the case of Richard Kinder of KMP, he was a former president of the ill-fated energy firm Enron. Kinder built the company from the ground up, and then left to start KMP well before Enron's scandalous downfall.

Before founding Blackstone, founder and CEO Stephen Schwarzman led now-defunct Lehman Brothers' investment banking unit in the 1980s.

Both of these smart guys were savvy enough to seek out new opportunities when they saw them. And both have the experience, expertise and "skin in the game" to make Kinder Morgan and Blackstone even more successful.

And in the process make huge returns for you.

Get Robert's Most Recent Recommendations:

The "$5 Rule" Gives You a Powerful Edge over Goldman Traders

America's Bestselling Retirement "Plan" Is Jeopardizing - of All Things - Your Retirement

You Can Win This "Money Game" 80% of the Time (If You Play It Right)

Friday, February 7, 2014

Wolff: Bloomberg, the last media mogul

In a few weeks, Michael Bloomberg will be back in business.

He won't be the mayor of New York anymore. He'll be the controlling shareholder in a major data and media company. For the past 12 years, he's had a careful relationship with his own company, Bloomberg LP. In a way, it was a pretty great relationship: He got the benefits from it but, staying hands off—having to keep his hands off (well, at last looking like he was) — he avoided the blame.

But now that changes. The responsibility for the company is back in his lap. If things go wrong, which they have recently, it'll be on him.

For instance, there's the fact that Bloomberg reporters were spying on corporate clients. That's something, as mayor, he could profess to having no knowledge about, and no real responsibility for. The same for the company's recent decision to suck up to the Chinese government and kill a piece by Bloomberg reporters about high-level Chinese shenanigans. Ditto for firing one of the reporters.

All of the questions that might be raised, about privacy, about client confidentiality, about basic free press issues, about standing by your reporters, Bloomberg could easily and blissfully avoid as mayor. But they'll come straight at him now. If you think he was ornery at a press conference as mayor, wait to you seem him in a few weeks.

And then there are the business issues. Bloomberg LP, is doing fine, a few less terminals in China maybe, but overall still a Niagara of cash. But Bloomberg media is, relatively, an embarrassing money pit. Nothing really works, except its ability to call attention to the company's presence and potential. It's a brand without a business.

There are a lot of people who are responsible for this in both positive and negative ways, building one of the most prominent media companies in the country, but not exactly making it work: Matt Winkler, Dan Doctoroff, Andy Lack, Norman Pearlstine. As other media companies have fallen, Bloomberg has used its cash to scoop up much ! of the available prestige.

Even absent a real business plan, Bloomberg media became one of the big boys, albeit without big-boy revenue.

In an ideal world, Michael Bloomberg would probably have stepped from the mayor's office into an ultimate not-quite-yet elder statesman and business-leader capacity from which he might use his $30 billion both for good works and not-so-behind-the-scenes manipulations.

But Bloomberg has a media business — not his real business, data, but a media business— around his neck. Whether he likes it or not.

Bloomberg media was always supposed to be just a kind of cream on the top of the data terminal business — a little color. And then it was supposed to be a business that helped burnish Michael Bloomberg's reputation. It was certainly never supposed to be the main show. One of Bloomberg's partners, Thomas Secunda, still a major power in the company, continues to believe the media business should just be a helpful adjunct to the terminals, that it should be lesser, not greater. (A view that helps explain why Secunda is Secunda, and Bloomberg is Bloomberg.)

But media businesses have a life of their own. They call attention to themselves. That's their job.

There's a nervousness around the Bloomberg offices at the prospect of the return of the man himself, a kind of clearing out, and making way for the big man. Pearlstine, who ran BusinessWeek, recently left the company for Time, Inc. Lack, who ran the television business, is moving out soon. In their place, are two younger men—Andrew Morse, from CNN, on the television side, and Justin Smith, from Atlantic Media, on the print and digital side—crying out for adult supervision.

In a way, running a media company, with its suggestion of creative hubbub, seems as unlikely an outcome for the process-oriented, data-minded Wall Street hustler, which is Bloomberg's real identity, as…being mayor.

On the other hand, one reason he ended up as mayor was that he was clearly! bored wi! th his data day job. Bloomberg, to understate the obvious, needs the attention. He needs to be more than just a billionaire.

There are indications on Bloomberg's part that he's tempted by a certain old-media clout and cachet. He's made no secret in media circles that he wants to buy the Financial Times. And then there's The New York Times, which he's flirted with. He is such a logical buyer and savior of the Times that the inevitable will probably happen.

Of course, clout and cachet—even power, prestige, and influence— don't make a business.

Still, it doesn't sound that far from being mayor, a job he used his data-terminal billions to support.

And right now, the media business is in something of the shape that the city was in when he took it over in 2002—contemplating more disruption, and, too, ruin and oblivion.

What the media business lacks, along with advertising revenue, is a suitable figure to represent it. It is an obvious hole at the center of this ever-more-depressed and scaled-down business. No grand presence. No real proprietor. No awe-inspiring son of a bitch.

Top Communications Equipment Stocks To Buy Right Now

Power needs the powerful to personify it—even to actualize it. Nobody believes in the future of the media business. But they believe in Michael Bloomberg. And he's got a media business whether he likes it or not.

It's really not a bad match.

He is the last mogul.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now

Nuance Communications Inc. is creating a buzz with voice recognition and language-smart technologies that can enhance productivity across a number of industries. The company reported financial results for its fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, ended September 30, 2013, with revenue of $472.2 million (GAAP), up from$468.8 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2012. Also in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, the company reported a net loss of ($32.3) million (GAAP), translating as a loss of ($0.10) per share. In the same quarter a year ago, Nuance�� net income was $117.6 million, with earnings of $0.36 per diluted share. The company reported $93.5 million cash flow from operations in the reporting quarter, compared to cash flow a year ago at $141.5 million. Here�� an update on NUAN, championed by Guru Carl Icahn, and two more technology stocks creating a billionaire buzz.

Nuance Communications Inc. (NUAN)

Down 37% over 12 months, Nuance Communications Inc., the mobile phone voice ad company, has a market cap of $4.43 billion; it trades with a P/B of 1.70.

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: Tenet Healthcare Corporation(THC)

Tenet Healthcare Corporation, an investor-owned health care services company, operates acute care hospitals and related health care facilities. The company?s general hospitals offer acute care services, operating and recovery rooms, radiology services, respiratory therapy services, clinical laboratories, and pharmacies. It also provides intensive care, critical care and/or coronary care units, physical therapy; and orthopedic, oncology, and outpatient services; tertiary care services, such as open-heart surgery, neonatal intensive care, and neuroscience; quaternary care in areas, including heart, liver, kidney, and bone marrow transplants for children; gamma-knife brain surgery; and cyberknife surgery for tumors and lesions in the brain, lung, neck, and spine. As of June 30, 2011, it operated 49 acute care hospitals, and a critical access hospital with a combined total of 13,420 licensed beds primarily serving urban and suburban communities in 11 states of the United State s. The company also owns an interest in a health maintenance organization and operate various related health care facilities, including a long-term acute care hospital and various medical office buildings; revenue cycle management and patient communications services businesses; physician practices; captive insurance companies; and other ancillary health care businesses, such as including ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic imaging centers, and occupational and rural health care clinics. In addition, Tenet Healthcare Corporation owns an interest in a management services subsidiary that provides network development, utilization management, claims processing, and contract negotiation services to physician organizations and hospitals that assume managed care risk. Tenet Healthcare Corporation was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
Christmas is here, which means that the traders aren’t. But stocks are still hitting new highs–if barely–as Caterpillar (CAT), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Tenet Healthcare (THC), Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) and US Steel (X) rise.
[By Roberto Pedone]
One healthcare player that insiders are snapping up a huge amount of stock in here is Tenet Healthcare (THC), which mainly operates acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic imaging centers and related health care facilities. Insiders are buying this stock into solid strength, since shares have spiked higher by 26% in 2013.

Tenet Healthcare has a market cap of $4.07 billion and an enterprise value of $9.8 billion. This stock trades at a reasonable valuation, with a forward price-to-earnings of 15.19. Its estimated growth rate for this year is 2.3%, and for next year it's pegged at 52.5%. This is not a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $82 million and its total debt is a whopping $5.82 billion.

A beneficial owner just bought 248,910 shares, or about $9.9 million worth of stock, at $39.79 per share. This same beneficial owner also just bought 644,582 shares, or about $25.74 million worth of stock, at $39.78 per share.

From a technical perspective, THC is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bearish. This stock has been downtrending over the last two months, with shares moving lower from its high of $48.48 to its recent low of $38.71 a share. During that downtrend, shares of THC have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action.

If you're bullish on THC, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above its recent low of $38.71, and then once it breaks out above some near-term overhead resistance $41.32 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 1.91 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then THC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 50-day of $42.99 to its 200-day at $43.50 a share. Any hig
[By Keith Speights]
Large hospital operator Health Management Associates (NYSE: HMA ) dropped 4.4% in the aftermath of the story breaking last week. Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC ) fell 4.3%. Both stocks have more than doubled in the last year as investors eagerly anticipated full implementation of Obamacare. These tremendous run-ups could lose steam with the delay.

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: Universal Detection Technology (UNDT.PK)

Universal Detection Technology, incorporated on December 24, 1971, is engaged in the research, development and marketing of bioterrorism detection devices. The Company�� flagship product is an automated real-time bacterial spore detector, called BSM-2000, used for detection of abnormal levels of airborne endospores, such as anthrax. BSM-2000 combines a bio-aerosol capture device with a chemical test for bacterial spores that is designed to detect anthrax attack. The Company also provides various counter-terrorism products and services that are complimentary to BSM-2000. These products and services include handheld assays used for detection of five bioterrorism agents, training courses for first responders, event security, threat evaluation and consulting, radiation detection systems, and digital versatile discs (DVDs) aimed at providing information and training regarding combating terrorism and managing emergency situations. Its bioterrorism detection kits can be used by emergency personnel to determine whether a suspicious substance is actually anthrax, botulinum toxin, ricin toxin and plague.

The Company�� BSM-2000 consists of four components: an air sampler for aerosol capture, which collects aerosolized particles on a fiber tape; thermal lysis for releasing the dipicolinic acid from the spores; reagent delivery via syringe pump, and a lifetime gated luminescence detection of the terbium-dipicolinate complex. The BSM-2000 is designed to continuously monitor the air and measure the concentration of airborne bacterial spores. The testing intervals are adjustable to respond to varying client needs and can be as short as 15 minutes. Bacterial spores are captured on the glass fiber tape. Next, thermal lysis pops the endospores, releasing a chemical from inside the endospore called dipicolinic acid, which is unique to bacterial spores. Then, a syringe pump adds a drop of terbium containing solution to the tape on the locatio n where the endospores were lysed. Finally, a lifetime gate! d! photometer measures the resultant terbium dipicolinate luminescence intensity, which is proportional to the bacterial spore concentration on the tape. A large change in endospore concentration is an indication of an anthrax attack, because endospores are the means by which anthrax travels.

Pursuant to the Company�� development plan, if an increase in spore concentration is detected, an alarm can sound notifying both a building's internal security, as well as local emergency services through the device's landline or wireless networking capability. The system can be adjusted to ensure that the maximum time it takes to detect, and generate an alarm in response to a release of bacterial spores is approximately 15 minutes, which is designed to be adequate to substantially reduce the likelihood of widespread contamination. The system is designed for constant and unattended monitoring of spaces, such as public facilities and commercial buildings. Its device does not detect spores from other microorganisms, such as fungi and molds, and discriminates against detecting aerosol components, such as dust. In addition, upon installation of the device, the Company operates it for 7 to 10 days to measure the natural concentrations of bacterial spores in the area, in which the device operates, so that the triggering threshold of that device will be set at an appropriate level for that environment. BSM-2000 device is designed to function as a complement to an existing bioterrorism detection device in places, such as public buildings and stadiums. The United States Army, Washington DC Fire and Safety Management, and the Burbank Police Department have purchased the Company�� detection test kits.

The Company competes with Cepheid and Northrop Grumnan.

Best Warren Buffett Companies To Buy For 2015: GrowLife Inc (PHOT)

GrowLife, Inc., formerly, Phototron Holdings, Inc., incorporated on March 7, 2001, sells and distributse mini-hydroponic greenhouses (Phototron Units) and horticultural seeds, mineral nutrient solutions, growing mediums and germination kits. On February 14, 2011, the Company entered into an agreement and plan of merger (Merger Agreement) with PHI Merger Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary (MergerCo), and Phototron, Inc., (Phototron). On March 9, 2011, MergerCo was merged with and into Phototron and Phototron became its wholly owned subsidiary. In May 2011, it announced the launch of its wholly owned direct selling hydroponic gardening subsidiary, GrowLife Inc. In April 2012, it merged with SG Technologies Corp. A newly formed subsidiary of the Company was merged with and into SG Technologies Corp. On July 23, 2012, the Company acquired Greners.com, related to the online retail business operated by Greners.

The Company designs and manufactures indoor mini-hydroponic greenhouses capable of growing almost any herb, vegetable, flower, fruit or terrestrial plant better, stronger and faster than traditional farming methods. Its Phototron Units, consisting of 21 inch x 39 inch units and 21 inch x 51 inch units, provide between 18,900 and 36,000 lumens of light. Phototron Units also allow users to control what a plant receives, grow crops densely, avoid using pesticides, increase yields and automatically water plants.

The Company also formulates and sells horticultural seeds, mineral nutrient solutions, growing mediums and germination kits to facilitate hydroponic gardening through the use of its Phototron Units. In addition, it designs and manufactures replacement parts for its Phototron Units to facilitate customization of the units. It owns a mailing list and have a customer base exceeding 50,000 people. Its re-order program, which involves the sale of nutrients and related products and replacement parts for Phototron Units, represents 50% of its revenue.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Udovich]
Although its summer, there has been a steady stream of good news about medical marijuana even though important small cap marijuana stocks�Medical Marijuana Inc (OTCMKTS: MJNA) and Cannabis Science Inc (OTCMKTS: CBIS) have been fairly quietly lately while Growlife Inc (OTCBB: PHOT), a more indirect play on the spread of legalized marijuana, has produced�some news for investors:

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: PACCAR Inc.(PCAR)

PACCAR Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and distributes light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks and related aftermarket parts worldwide. The company offers its trucks for use in the over-the-road and off-highway hauling of freight, petroleum, wood products, construction, and other materials to independent dealers under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates. It also provides finance and leasing products and services, such as inventory financing for independent dealers; and retail loan and lease financing for new and used trucks, as well as other transportation equipment; and full service leasing under the PacLease trade name. In addition, it manufactures and sells industrial winches under the Braden, Carco, and Gearmatic nameplates. PACCAR Inc was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rich Duprey]
Truck manufacturer PACCAR (NASDAQ: PCAR ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.20 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past five quarters.
[By Brian Stoffel]
The business from PACCAR (NASDAQ: PCAR ) in particular, is important to Cummins. In 2012, PACCAR accounted for 13% of Cummins' consolidated net sales. If any of these companies were to switch to a different engine maker, or choose to make their own engines in-house, it would likely cause a noticeable decline in revenue.
[By Rich Smith]
Good news arrived by highway for investors in truckmakers Paccar (NASDAQ: PCAR ) and Navistar (NYSE: NAV ) Wednesday.

Con-Way (NYSE: CNW ) announced that after polling its drivers for feedback on various truck manufacturers and models, it has decided to refresh its truck fleet with 525 new tractors -- 325 Kenworth T680s from Paccar, and another 200 Navistar ProStars.
[By Neha Chamaria]
Investors who follow the industrial sector closely should be ready for a busy week ahead, as some of the top names turn up with their quarterly earnings reports. One company to pay attention to is PACCAR (NASDAQ: PCAR ) .

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: Ultra Electronic Hdgs(ULE.L)

Ultra Electronics Holdings plc designs, develops, and manufactures electronic systems for the defense, security, transport, and energy markets worldwide. Its Aircraft and Vehicle Systems division offers airframe ice protection systems, active noise and vibration control, aircraft system electronics and test equipment, consultancy and training solutions, data bus network nodes, armored vehicle electronic systems, and software and systems. This division also provides airborne compressors, human/machine interface and vehicle control equipment, ID card printers, pneumatic sub-systems, remote weapon station control and portable oxygen generating equipment, rugged aircraft harness systems, sensors, and structural health monitoring systems. The company?s Information and Power Systems division offers airport information management systems, airport-wide systems integration, combat systems, command information management systems, enterprise IT solutions, IT consultancy, nuclear rea ctor control and instrumentation, data fusion and situational awareness systems, radar and electro-optic systems, surveillance and tracking systems, naval power conversion, gas turbine electric start and regeneration systems, signature measurement and control systems for naval vessels, and transit system power conversion and controls; and command, control, and information systems. Its Tactical and Sonar Systems division provides acoustic countermeasure systems, airborne anti-submarine warfare systems, underwater surveillance systems and acoustic countermeasures, airborne targeting pods, communications network interfacing equipment, data recording and analysis, cryptographic equipment, gunfire location systems, loitering munition systems, radio communication systems, sea mine disposal systems, sonar transducers and systems, submarine tactical communication systems, and torpedo defense systems; and video, voice, and data communication systems. The company is based in Greenford , the United Kingdom.

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: AAON Inc.(AAON)

AAON, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of air conditioning and heating equipment primarily in the United States and Canada. The company offers rooftop units, chillers, air-handling units, make-up air units, heat recovery units, condensing units, commercial self contained units, and coils. It serves the commercial and industrial new construction and replacement markets. AAON, Inc. sells its products through manufacturers representatives and internal sales force. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jonas Elmerraji]
We're seeing the exact same setup in shares of small-cap HVAC firm Aaon (AAON). The biggest difference is that in AAON's case, the ascending triangle pattern is coming in at the top of this stock's recent price action, not at the bottom. That makes this a more textbook trade for September.

Another important difference is the fact that AAON hasn't triggered yet. Shares have been coiling below $26 resistance since the middle of the summer; a breakout above that $26 level is the indicator that it's time to buy. Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of buyers and sellers. Triangles and other price pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in this stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

That resistance line at $26 is a price where there's an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to take recent gains and sell their shares than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes the move above it so significant -- a breakout indicates that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level.

Wait for that to happen before you put your money on this trade.

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: CIRCOR International Inc. (CIR)

CIRCOR International, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets valves and other engineered products, and sub-systems worldwide. It operates in three segments: Energy, Aerospace, and Flow Technologies. The Energy segment offers flanged-end and threaded-end floating and trunnion ball, needle, check, butterfly, large forged steel ball, gate, control, and relief valves; and pipeline closures, launcher and receiver systems, and pressure regulators for use in oil, gas and chemical processing, and industrial applications. This segment provides its products under the KF, Pibiviesse, Mallard Control, Hydroseal, Contromatics, SF Valvulas, Sagebrush, and Pipeline Engineering brands, as well as Circor Energy brand. The Aerospace segment offers aerospace landing gears, precision valves, control valves, relief valves, solenoid valves, pressure switches, regulators, impact switches, actuators, speed indicators/tachometers, and DC electric motors used in hydraulic, fuel, water, air, and el ectro-mechanical systems for of military and commercial aerospace applications. This segment provides its products under the CIRCOR Aerospace, Aerodyne Controls, Circle Seal Controls, Loud Engineering, Industria, Bodet Aero, and Motor Technology brands. The Flow Technologies segment offers precision valves, compression tube fittings, manifolds, steam conditioning valves, turbine by-pass valves, control valves, relief valves, butterfly valves, regulators, strainers, and sampling systems for various markets, such as power generation, industrial and process, chemical and refining, and industrial and commercial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning/steam. This segment�s brands include Cambridge Fluid Systems, Hale Hamilton, Leslie Controls, Nicholson Steam Trap, GO Regulator, Hoke, CIRCORTech, Spence Engineering, CPC-Cryolab, RTK, Rockwood Swendeman, Spence Strainers, Dopak Sampling Systems, and Texas Sampling. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Burlin gton, Massachusetts.

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: Bae Systems Plc(BA.L)

BAE Systems plc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a defense and security company worldwide. It offers a range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions, and support services. The company provides communications, electronic warfare systems, military air support, air defense, mission support systems and intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as helps government and corporate clients collect, manage, and exploit information to reveal intelligence, maintain security, manage risk, and strengthen resilience. It also offers survivability solutions for military aircraft; surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence systems; secure networked communications and navigation systems; day/night surveillance and targeting; and uncooled night vision systems, as well as flight and engine controls, mission avionics, advanced display systems, and power management and energy systems. In addition, the company provides armored combat vehicles, tactical wheeled vehicles, naval guns, missile launchers, artillery systems, munitions, and military and law enforcement products; and mission-critical cyber security solutions, information technology, intelligence and analytical tools, and support solutions to the intelligence, defense, and civilian communities. Further, it offers support solutions for the land, aviation, maritime, and C4ISR support domains; military air platforms, components, and technologies; regional aircraft and support services to regional airlines; naval command and information systems, torpedoes, and radars; and submarines, and warships and naval surface ships. The company is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By David Smith]
Another angle
Without taking hindsight issue with that statement, I'm forced to compare it to the assessment of the same subject on the same day by Schlumberger's (NYSE: SLB ) CEO Paal Kibsgaard, who observed during his company's call that "... the main concern in North America land remains the pricing, where the downwards trend in drilling, wireline, and coiled tubing seen in the fourth quarter continued in Q1. In addition, we also saw further downward pricing pressure on a number of hydraulic fracturing bids during the quarter, adding further uncertainty to the North America land market outlook."�

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: Adavale Resources Ltd (ADD)

Adavale Resources Limited is an Australia-based exploration company. The Company is focused in the development of coal projects Indonesia and Australia. The Company has 100% interest in Lake Surprise Uranium project in South Australia. The Company has two prospects in this project: Clayton Basin and Mumpie and during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), two year extensions were granted and licence numbers EL 4949 and EL 4950 were issued. As of June 30, 2012, the Lake Surprise Uranium project consisted of EL 3622 and EL 3620 over an area of 1,836 square kilometers. The Company also interest in the Tapan project, which lies 120 kilometers south of the capital of Padang. As pof June 30, 2012, the Company�� subsidiary, Adavale Nusantara Resources completed a joint ore reserves committee (JORC) exploration program on the Tapan Project.

Hot US Companies To Own In Right Now: Prudential Financial Inc.(PRU)

Prudential Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, offers various financial products and services in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The company operates through three divisions: The U.S. Retirement Solutions and Investment Management, The U.S. Individual Life and Group Insurance, and The International Insurance and Investments. The U.S. Retirement Solutions and Investment Management division provides individual variable and fixed annuity products, as well as offers retirement investment and income products and services to retirement plan sponsors in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. This division also provides investment management and advisory services to the public and private marketplace. The U.S. Individual Life and Group Insurance division offers individual variable life, term life, and universal life insurance products; and group life, long-term and short-term group disability, long-term care, and group corporate-, bank-and trus t-owned life insurance products to institutional clients. This division also sells accidental death and dismemberment, and other ancillary coverages, as well as provides plan administrative services; and offers preferred provider and indemnity dental coverage plans to clients. The International Insurance and Investments division provides international individual life insurance products in Japan, Korea, and other foreign countries; and offers proprietary and non-proprietary asset management, investment advice, and services to retail and institutional clients internationally. In addition, the company engages in real estate brokerage franchise business, which involves marketing its franchises to the real estate companies. Further, it provides institutional clients and government agencies with various services in connection with the relocation of their employees. Prudential Financial, Inc. was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Dan Caplinger]
Rising long-term rates, however, would help boost insurers' income. Already, you've seen Prudential (NYSE: PRU ) and Hartford Financial (NYSE: HIG ) hit multiyear highs as their shares have anticipated the climb in rates. If that trend continues, then the boost to portfolio income could be substantial enough to provide nice earnings growth, leading to further share-price appreciation even without an expansion in their earnings multiples.
[By Amanda Alix]
A U.S.-born trend
Sun Life may be a trailblazer to the north, but it first developed an interest�in this type of transaction after U.S. insurer Prudential (NYSE: PRU ) snagged itself two such pension pacts last year. The first, with General Motors (NYSE: GM ) (NYSE: GM ) , involved the transfer of pension obligations for 110,000 salaried workers�by GM to Prudential for approximately $25 billion. Earlier in the year, GM had estimated that it would hand over about $26 billion�in retirement obligations to Prudential.