One of the Best Small-Cap "Sparks" You Can Find

From the Editor: We've been showing you Sid's research because his Small-Cap Rocket strategy gives you a brand-new way to make money. You've seen the charts. But now let's look at another one of the "sparks" Sid likes to see before he recommends a stock. This one is powerful, and typically way off Wall Street's radar...

We all know that - in the end - earnings drive share prices. And most people understand the impact that beating earnings estimates can have on a company's stock. Just look at the way the financial media will dissect the information and report the highlights - sometimes to the point of redundancy. But there's another earnings event - one far off the media's radar - that is much more powerful. That's why I want to show you how to find them today.

These "sparks," as you'll see, actually allow you to get in ahead of the Big Boys.

And that's when the magic begins...

A "Green Light" for Big Gains

Analysts' upward earnings revisions just don't get much press. That's mostly because earnings revisions aren't as sexy as when a company like Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) blows the doors off expectations.

Here's a 60-second breakdown of how earnings estimates are derived, in case you're not familiar with them.

An analyst identifies a catalyst that has yet to be priced into the market. These catalysts could be any one or a combination of improving trends in recent earnings, or upbeat management comments to the public, or the announcement of a key contract or new technology, or  an improvement in the macro-economic condition of an entire industry, just to name a few.

Once the analyst identifies the catalysts, he can go to work crunching the numbers in order to come up with new projected earnings and price targets.

It doesn't really matter why the estimate was revised - as long as it's logical, and indicates the potential for future profits is greater than it was before.

Once the estimate is revised, the analyst puts together a report - complete with the rationale behind the improved estimates - and sends it out to institutional investors and preferred clients.

The new estimate is added to the existing group of estimates, and an average consensus estimate is generated.

When the consensus estimates are improving, it indicates analysts are expecting earnings to improve - and that catches the eye of institutional investors (or the Big Boys, as I like to refer to them) who have literally trillions of dollars to invest.

Put the Big Boys to Work for You

Here's where the fun starts.

Unlike you and I, the Big Boys can't just go out and establish an entire position in the click of a button or a single call to a broker. Instead, they need to strategically build that position over time in order to not push the price up too high, too fast.

Because of that, it can take institutional investors weeks - and even months, in some cases - to fully build a position.

Now, multiply one institutional investor by 10, 20, or more and you've got a rally under way that can last months and push a stock price to new highs - making a lot of money for investors who were savvy enough to get in ahead of the big boys.

That's one of the goals in my Small-Cap Rocket Alert - to get in ahead of the Big Boys and establish positions in exciting small-cap opportunities. And one of my favorite strategies is to focus on companies with improving earnings estimates.

It's really pretty straightforward. If earnings are being revised to the upside, then there is a pretty darn good chance that there is a new catalyst pushing those revisions higher.

My team uses a lot of expensive data feeds in order to track earnings estimate trends - but you can track them on a company-specific level using a free service such as Yahoo! Finance.

Let me show you how...

Tracking the Trends Couldn't Be Easier

Enter the ticker of a company you're interested into Yahoo! Finance's Look Up box. That takes you to a page with a summary of the company.

Most people understand that much, already. It's what comes next that might be new to you...

Once you're on the summary page, scroll down the list of choices on the left side of the page and click on the link titled Analyst Estimates.

Since we've already talked about it, let's use Apple as an example:

Enlarge

After you arrive at the Analyst Estimates page, you'll want to scroll down to the section titled EPS Revisions.

What we see when we look at AAPL shares is that analysts have upwardly revised current year (September 2013) earnings 18 times in the last 30 days and 10 times in the last 7 days alone.

That's pretty darn good, and it probably has a lot to do with why the stock has climbed nearly 12% since September 30, 2013.

I'm only using Apple as a demonstration because we're all familiar with the company. I'm not making a recommendation one way or the other.

But now that you see the correlation between earnings estimates and performance, I invite you to look at some of you favorite stocks and see how the analyst community is viewing them.

Enlarge

If you see an improving trend over the last week or month, you could experience improved performance in the stock - which of course we all like to see.

On the other hand, if a company you're currently holding in your portfolio is experiencing a wave of downward revisions, you might want to consider selling it or, at the very least, tightening up your trailing stop.

Speaking of trailing stops, we'll wrap up today with a quick discussion of how to effectively use them.

Common wisdom thinks of a trailing stop as a way to protect your downside - and that's absolutely correct.

But what most investors overlook is that using trailing stops is a great way to capture profits on your winners, too.

Instead of using typically losing strategies, like second-guessing or attempting to time the market,  it's much easier to initiate a trailing stop, strategically tighten it up as your positions increases in value, and then let the stop take you out - hopefully with a tidy profit along the way.

In the coming weeks I'll be covering even more of the techniques we use at the Small-Cap Rocket Alert. I hope you enjoy them and that they give you some new tools to put in your personal investing tool belt.

Dollar in holding pattern ahead of Fed statement

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) — The forex market came to a virtual standstill early Wednesday, with the major currency pairs moving sideways ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve's latest policy statement, due later in the day.

After seeing a modest increase in Tuesday trading, the ICE dollar index (DXY)  , which tracks the greenback against a basket of six rivals, turned flat, quoted at 79.645, compared to 79.644 late Tuesday in North America.

The WSJ Dollar Index (XX:BUXX)  , an alternate measure of the U.S. unit, was unchanged at 72.24.

Economists widely expect the Fed to delay its "taper" — the slowing of its current pace of stimulative asset purchases — due to a recent slowdown in the U.S. recovery, with the market's main focus now on clues as to when the taper will in fact begin.

AFP/Getty Images

"The only way that the Fed could catch the market by surprise is if they brush off the recent data deterioration and appear less dovish. The chance of this happening is very slim but not out of the question because the recovery is widely expected to regain momentum in November after slowing in October," wrote BK Asset Management managing director Kathy Lien.

With the Fed expected to keep its easing at current levels and the outlook for the U.S. economy uncertain, Crédit Agricole said the dollar was unlikely to see a sharp rally in the near future. However, they said more limited gains were possible, as "the dollar index appears to have settled at a relatively low level."

Top 5 Performing Companies For 2014

They specifically pointed to scope for gains against the euro, which they said could suffer from upcoming European bank stress tests.

Click to Play Japan's Abe on economic, foreign policy

Japanese Prime Minister Abe discusses Abenomics and where Japan's relationship with both the U.S. and China is headed.

Likewise, "the relative outlook for monetary policy is likely to move in the dollar's favor. That is, we suspect there is more room for the [European Central Bank] to surprise on the dovish side as the market gets more comfortable with a 2014 taper from the Fed," Crédit Agricole said.

They also cited "likely upside risk to U.S. growth surprises, given the recent deterioration in U.S. forecasts."

As the lack of movement in dollar index suggested, the top currency pairs sat little changed from their late-Tuesday levels.

The euro (EURUSD)  bought $1.3738, negligibly down from $1.3743, while the British pound (GBPUSD)  was quoted at $1.6038, compared to $1.6035.

The Japanese yen (USDJPY)  also stood still, with the dollar at ¥98.17, versus ¥98.19 late Tuesday, while the Australian dollar (AUDUSD)  was unchanged at 94.77 U.S. cents.

Small Cap Health Care Stocks Grabbing Attention from Promoters: PPJE, BRMA & MCGI

While small cap green or renewable energy type of stocks have been the flavor of the month for many stock promoters (and sometimes still are), small cap health care stocks like PPJ Enterprise (OTCMKTS: PPJE), Plantation Development Corp (OTCMKTS: BRMA) and MedCAREERS Group Inc (OTCMKTS: MCGI) have also started to get some notice lately – perhaps because Obamacare has been topping the news lately. However, are these small cap health care stocks a better bet for investors or for their promoters? Here is a quick reality check and a checkup:

PPJ Enterprise (OTCMKTS: PPJE) Needs to Hire Better Press Release Writers

Small cap PPJ Enterprise calls itself a leader in proprietary automated healthcare reimbursement cycle software, online health information digital-systems software and practice information management digital-system software. On Friday, PPJ Enterprise rose 4.62% to $0.0068 for a market cap of $2.05 million plus PPJE is up 65.8% over the past year and down 99.8% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With PPJ Enterprise? According to various disclosures, transactions of $10k and $15k have or will occur to mention PPJ Enterprise in various investment newsletters. Last Friday, PPJ Enterprise issued a press release (that looks like it was written by someone with English as a second language…) to announce it had signed an LOI for "the billing, collection agreement with a national blood bank service providers that provides LDL Aphresis, Photo Aphaeresis, Plasma Aphresis and other blood product related medical services." Apparently, the billing subsidiary of PPJ Enterprise is the only company with knowledge and expertise in the field of Blood Bank medical Services in the country. Last Thursday, PPJ Enterprise also issued another strangely worded press release to announce that it has completed a demo to "start marketing its very own and highly sophisticated and privileged software to start marketing, currently the company completed automated billing forms for the following medical specialties:….." PPJ Enterprise is also apparently expecting to receive a judgment of at least $5,000,000 to $7,000,000,000 in some sort of court case. A quick look at PPJ Enterprise's financials on Google Finanace reveals revenues of $0.19M (most recent reported quarter), $0.28M, $0.18M and $0.14M for the past four quarters along with net income of $0.07M (most recent reported revenue), $0.07M, zero and $0.01M. At the end of last March, PPJ Enterprise had $0.04M in Cash and Short Term Investments to cover $4.23M in current liabilities. Given the way the company's press releases are written though, its hard to get excited about the company.

Plantation Development Corp (OTCMKTS: BRMA) is the First Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO in Miami-Dade County

Small cap Plantation Development Corp's subsidiary Baroma Health Partners was among the first new Accountable Care Organizations developed while subsidiary Baroma Healthcare International, LLC. is the first Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO in Miami-Dade County, Florida. On Friday, Plantation Development Corp, which apparently has changed its name to Baroma Inc, fell 4.99% to $0.04 plus BRMA is down 92% since last January according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With Baroma Inc? According to various disclosures, a transaction or transactions of $25k have or will occur to mention Baroma Inc in various investment newsletters. Last Tuesday, Baroma Inc announced a strategic relationship with Walgreen Company (NYSE: WAG) that will "bring pharmacists and hospital staff together to help reduce re-admissions and increase medication adherence for Baroma's accountable care organization (ACO)." Otherwise and back in September, Baroma Inc gave an update about its growth potential and noted that it and its subsidiaries on January 1st, 2013 had begun their engagement with The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) as the first Accountable Care Organization (ACO) based in Miami-Dade County. The Company's agreement with CMS allows for the ACO to receive up to half of the savings generated by quality improvement through coordinated care and cost saving initiatives for its Medicare-Fee-For-Services population in South Florida. A quick look at Baroma Inc's financials reveals no revenues; net losses of $161k (most recent reported quarter), $68k and $184k plus net income of $41k for the past four quarters; and $10k in cash to cover $10k in current liabilities and $255k in other liabilities at the end of June. So perhaps investors should wait for the first Accountable Care Organization (ACO) based in Miami-Dade County to generate some revenues.

MedCAREERS Group Inc (OTCMKTS: MCGI) Announces an Exhibitor Schedule (But Has Largely Been Quiet)

Small cap MedCAREERS Group's focus is to develop and build value through its wholly-owned subsidiary Nurses Lounge, Inc., an online professional network and communication source for nurses that offers a "21st century solution" to recruitment and information that cannot be accomplished on a static nursing school or association website. On Friday, MedCAREERS Group closed $0.125 for a market cap of $6.59 million plus MCGI is up 108.3% over the past year and down 86.8% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

What's the Catch With MedCAREERS Group? According to various disclosures, a transaction or transactions of $4k has or will occur to mention MedCAREERS Group in various investment newsletters. Last Tuesday, the MedCAREERS Group announced its fall exhibitor schedule for the Nurses Lounge. Otherwise, the MedCAREERS Group has largely been quiet with the press releases as its SEC filings fill the newswires. A quick look at MedCAREERS Group's financials reveals revenues of $2k (most recent reported quarter), $6k, $6k and $8k for the past four quarters along with net losses of $263k (most recent reported quarter), $186k, $522k and $177k. At the end of last July, MedCAREERS Group had $77k in cash to cover $1,178k in current liabilities. So really it remains to be seen how Nurses Lounge will generate significant revenue and profits from its Nurses Lounge.

Most Swiss Stocks Gain as Adecco Climbs, Nestle Falls

Swiss stocks fell for a second day, their first back-to-back losses this month, as Nestle (NESN) SA retreated after reporting slower growth in sales.

Nestle, which makes up 21 percent of the benchmark Swiss Market Index by weight, slid 2.6 percent after reporting the slowest first-half revenue growth in four years. Adecco SA jumped to a two-year high as the biggest provider of temporary workers posted income that exceeded projections. Transocean Ltd. (RIGN), the largest offshore-rig contractor, added 1.1 percent after posting a second-quarter profit.

The SMI slipped 23.02 points, 0.3 percent, to 7,953.26 at 4:19 p.m. in Zurich. The gauge rallied 2.1 percent last week as the European Central Bank said interest rates will remain low for an extended period of time and the Federal Reserve maintained its monthly bond purchases. The broader Swiss Performance Index lost 0.1 percent today.

"As we get into thinner and thinner trade in this part of the summer, the story will continue to be a tug of war between fundamental data and worries over central-bank stimulus," Lorne Baring, who helps oversee about $500 million as managing director of B Capital SA in Geneva, said in a telephone interview. "Nestle is a giant bellwether which many investors would look at as an indicator of the global picture."

The volume of shares changing hands in SMI-listed companies was 7 percent greater than the average of the last 100 days, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

'Meaningful Improvement'

Fed Bank of Cleveland President Sandra Pianalto said yesterday there has been "meaningful improvement" in the labor market and that tapering may be warranted if it continues to strengthen. Fed policy makers are weighing data to determine whether the economy has improved enough to begin reducing their $85 billion in monthly bond purchases.

In China, a report showed that exports and imports rebounded more than estimated in July. Exports rose 5.1 percent from a year earlier, the General Administration of Customs said in Beijing today. That compares with the median estimate for a 2 percent increase in a Bloomberg News survey and June's 3.1 percent drop. Imports rose 10.9 percent.

Nestle decreased 2.6 percent to 63 francs, contributing the most to the SMI (SMI)'s drop. Revenue in the first half increased 4.1 percent, excluding acquisitions, divestments and currency shifts. That missed the median estimate of 4.5 percent growth.

Adecco Climbs

Adecco advanced 4.3 percent to 62.75 Swiss francs. Second-quarter net income rose 12 percent to 126 million euros ($169 million), topping the 112.1 million-euro estimate of eight analysts in a Bloomberg survey. The company also confirmed its target of an earnings before interest, taxes and amortization margin of more than 5.5 percent by 2015.

Hot Bank Stocks To Invest In 2014

"Adecco fulfilled expectations on all levels," Patrick Hasenboehler, an analyst at J. Safra Sarasin in Zurich, wrote in a report to clients. "The outlook statement is quite promising. Adecco (ADEN)'s strategy of focusing on profitability will continue to pay off."

Transocean climbed 1.1 percent to 44.94 francs. Net income in the second quarter amounted to $307 million, or 84 cents a share. That compares with a net loss of $304 million, or 86 cents, a year earlier.

Top Growth Stocks To Buy Right Now

This year has turned into a challenging one for emerging market investors, as China remains weak (at least relatively so), Brazil and Mexico seem to be turning in the wrong direction, and multiple Southeast Asian markets sell off on macroeconomic worries. Even so, business continues on at Copa Holdings (NYSE:CPA), where a strong and savvy business plan has led this Latin American airline to not only strong margins and good growth, but solid prospects for the coming years.

An Old Model with New Profitability
Copa operates a familiar, tried-and-true hub-and-spoke model, serving 65 destinations in 29 countries. A large percentage of the company's business goes through Panama City, where the company has more than 85% market share, and this is a logical geographical hub for connecting flights from/to North America, Central America, and South America.

What's a little unusual about Copa is that so many of its routes are thinly traveled. Roughly 75% of the company's routes average fewer than 20 passengers per day. You might think that serving such tiny markets would be terrible for the financials, but Copa does a good job of matching its capacity to its demand. It does such a good job, in fact, that the company's operating margins are the highest in the world among publicly-traded airlines ��well ahead of Latin American comparables such as LATAM Airlines (NYSE:LFL), GOL Linhas (NYSE:GOL), not to mention American operators like Southwest (NYSE:LUV) and high-margin carriers like Japan Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

Top Growth Stocks To Buy 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 Matt Thalman]

  In the following video, Fool contributor Matt Thalman discusses how the company known for its fashion faux pas rubber clog is attempting to change consumers' opinions about what it has to offer. Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX  ) is making some big moves, and major strides toward strengthening its offerings and sales. With more than 300 different styles, the company is no longer just the rubber clog with holes in it. And, while that one product still generates more than 47% of the company's revenue, in other countries, it's not seen as such a terrible fashion statement as it is here in the U.S. The company is using that international strength and brand recognition as a way to grow its business.

Top Growth Stocks To Buy 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  ) .

Top 5 Stocks For 2014: 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 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 Growth Stocks To Buy 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]

  JC Penney’s gain is all the more surprising consider what’s happened to other retailers today. Macy’s (M) has dropped 0.8% to $43.83, Kohl’s (KSS) has dipped 0.4% to $50.16 , Dillard’s (DDS) has fallen 2% to $76.19 and Nordstrom (JWN) has declined o.6% to $56.98.

Top Growth Stocks To Buy 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 Michael Ugulini]

  Craft Brew Alliance and Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) are working together on a new beer brew called Game Changer. The company's Redhook has partnered with BWLD.

• [By Andrew Marder]

  I've come to loathe precedents. Nothing is more annoying than someone telling you that their favorite new book is the next Harry Potter�or that the movie they just saw is going to be the next Godfather. So it shouldn't be a surprise that I'm not overly keen on the selling of Noodles & Company (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) as the next Panera (NASDAQ: PNRA  ) or Chipotle (NYSE: CMG  ) or Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD  ) . Instead, maybe we can judge the business on its merits, instead of on the success of restaurants that came before it.

• [By Steve Symington]

  Though shares of Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD  ) rose more than 4% in Monday's after-hours trading following a strong quarterly report from the company, the stock fell into a tailspin Tuesday morning after a pair of analyst downgrades stemmed investors' excitement.

• [By Steve Symington]

  Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD  ) investors sure hope so, because Monday marked the official debut of the company's new "Game Changer Ale,"�which was created with the help of the folks at Redhook Brewery.

Top Growth Stocks To Buy Right Now: 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 John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap medical robotics stock MAKO Surgical Corp (NASDAQ: MAKO) soared 82.19% after it was announced that Stryker Corporation (NYSE: SYK) would acquire it���meaning it might be time to take a closer look at large cap medical robotics leader Intuitive Surgical, Inc (NASDAQ: ISRG) along with small caps Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) and Hansen Medical, Inc (NASDAQ: HNSN). MAKO Surgical Corp�markets both its RIO Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System and proprietary RESTORIS family of implants to surgeons for a procedure called MAKOplastythat provides a less invasive method for knee resurfacing and a new procedure for Total Hip Arthroplasty.�Stryker Corporation, whose medical technologies include reconstructive, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine products, agreed to pay $1.65 billion or $30 a share for a massive 86%�premium for MAKO Surgical Corp. That�� sounds great for investors unless you are an investor who go in the stock back in 2011 and early 2012 when shares hit as high as the�$43 level.

• [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 Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, surgical-robot specialist Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

• [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 Growth Stocks To Buy 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.

• [By Holly LaFon] ast produces, distributes and sells weight and health management products with the brand names Medifast, Take Shape for Life, Hi-Energy Weight Control Centers and Woman�� Wellbeing.

  Its return on assets in the third quarter of 2011 was 19.6%, which has been increasing in the past several years. The average return on assets for the specialty retail industry is 10.48% for the trailing 12 months.

  The company�� total assets amounted to $94 million in 2010, which increased from $62.8 million in 2009. Net income also increased to $19.6 million in 2010 from $12 million in 2009.

  Boston Beer Inc. (SAM)

  Boston Beer Inc. is the largest brewer of handcrafted beers in America. Boston Beer is a growing company that recently saw a large increase in its return on assets. It increased from 19.3% in 2010 to 29.7% in 2011, and was negative as recently as 2008. The average return on assets for the beverages industry in the trailing 12 months is 9.47%.

  In 2011, the company�� total assets increased to $272.5 million from $258.5 million in 2010. Net income increased to $66 million from $50 million.

  Alliances Resources Partners (ARLP)

  Alliance Resources Partners is a coal producer and marketer primarily in the eastern U.S. Its ROA has been increasing since 2008 and increased to 22.5% in 2011 from 21.4% in 2010. The average return on assets for the oil, gas & consumable fuels industry in the trailing 12 months is 24.47%.

  In 2011, its total assets increased to $1.7 billion from $1.1 billion in 2010. Its net income increased to $389 million from $321 million.

  Factset Research Systems Inc. (FDS)

  Factset researches global market trends and develops analytical tools for investors. Of all of GuruFocus��5-star predictable companies, it has the highest return on assets at 27%. ROA has been increasing over the past several years. The average return on assets for the software industry for the trailing 12 m

Top Growth Stocks To Buy 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. �

Top Stocks To Buy 2018

Top Stocks To Buy 2018