Saturday, May 31, 2014

Will Maleficent Do In Disney?

Not likely, says Wunderlich’s Matthew Harrigan of Walt Disney’s (DIS) Sleeping Beauty reboot starting Angelina Jolie. He explains:

A likely $55-60mm opening for Maleficent should belie what once were expectations that the supposed $170mm production cost project would emerge as Disney’s next major write-off. This is despite the twists in marketing a film that is in somewhat of a no-man’s land between an action film and a fairy tale fantasy. Although we are still modeling a slight decrease in F2015 film profit even with the advent of The Avengers: Age of Ultron we still have the studio earning near $1.2B. We value the studio at a likely Street high $19.1B. Event films from Disney Animation, Disney live action, Pixar, Marvel and LucasFilm support a top position even with fewer releases than other studios. We are therefore slightly increasing our S&P 500 linked price target on Hold-rated Disney to $83 from $77.

Best High Dividend Stocks To Buy For 2015

Shares of Walt Disney have dipped 0.1% to $83.96 at 1:29 p.m. today.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Tanger Outlets Downgraded to “Hold” at Jefferies (SKT)

Jefferies announced on Wednesday that it has cut its rating on Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. (SKT).

The firm has downgraded SKT from “Buy” to “Hold,” and has lowered the company’s price target from $40 to $35. This price target suggests an 8% upside from the stock’s current price of $32.22.

Analyst Omotayo Okusanya commented: “We expect near-term headwinds for the mall and outlet mall segment as tenant sales growth appears to be slowing.”

“At SKT, development yields on two projects have also been reduced. Further, rising interest rates negatively impact our DDM-derived PT. Our lowered PT of $35 represents a 10% total return over the next-twelve-months (NTM); we are downgrading to Hold,” added the analyst.

Tanger Factory Outlet shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock is up more than 5% YTD.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Top Rising Companies To Own In Right Now

Top Rising Companies To Own In Right Now: Building Turbines Inc (BLDW)

Building Turbines Inc (BTI), incorporated on November 17, 1997, is engaged in the designing and manufacturing rooftop mounted wind turbines. The patented BTIs design is ideal for commercial applications and creates reliable, cost-effective, clean and on-site renewable electricity. The Company offers a different, patented wind turbine product that can bring the dream of clean, affordable wind energy to a reality. The turbine is mounted on a steel frame, it has a low profile, low maintenance needs, and creates almost no noise or vibration.

The Companys design possesses these exemplary and robust structural, mechanical and electrical characteristics that are particularly important when mounting a renewable energy system onto a building's roof. The turbine can help office buildings, schools, warehouses, distribution centers, airports, hotels, and a variety of other buildings offset electricity purchased from the grid by creating it on-site from the wind. Th e turbine creates reliable, cost-effective and clean renewable electricity with little building modification required.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap green stocks Essential Innovations Technology Corp (OTCBB: ESIV), Building Turbines Inc (OTCMKTS: BLDW) and Kleangas Energy Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS: KGET) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters either because they were sinking, because of paid promotions or a combination of both. However, there arent many green stocks out there that have actually produced some green for investors in the form of profits. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about all three green small cap stocks to help you decide whether any have the potential for long-term success:

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-rising-companies! -to-own-in-right-now.html

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Defense seeks lenient sentence for Martoma

NEW YORK — Lawyers for Mathew Martoma have asked a federal judge to impose a lenient sentence on the former SAC Capital trader for his conviction on what prosecutors called history's most profitable insider-trading conspiracy.

Martoma, an ex- financial lieutenant to billionaire hedge fund executive Steven Cohen, deserves punishment less harsh than the 15.7-year to 19.6-year prison term proposed by probation officials, defense attorney Richard Strassberg argued in legal memo filed late Tuesday.

Calling such punishment "irrational," Strassberg argued the recommendation was wrongly based on total SAC Capital gains from the insider trading, rather than Martoma's personal profits.

The attorney urged U.S. District Court Judge Paul Gardephe to weigh Martoma's devotion to his family and history of helping others. He also argued against any financial fines, and filed more than 100 support letters from the former trader's relatives and friends.

"Mr. Martoma is not perfect, but he is a good man," wrote Strassberg. "To prevent a sentence disparity; to recognize his lower level of culpability relative to other insider trading cases; to credit his lifetime of volunteer and charitable work ... we respectfully request leniency in his sentence."

Martoma, 40, was convicted in February of conspiracy and two counts of securities fraud. Prosecution evidence showed he ingratiated himself with two doctors who gave him secret and disappointing information from tests on an experimental drug to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Martoma then called Cohen, setting in motion an SAC Capital sell-off that allegedly generated $276 million in profits gained and losses avoided, prosecutors charged.

The verdict, handed up by a seven-woman, five-man jury in Manhattan federal court, theoretically means the Florida father of three faces up to five years in prison term on the conspiracy count, and up to 20 years on each securities fraud charge. But the sentencing decision rests with Gardephe, who presided! over the nearly month-long trial.

Federal prosecutors are scheduled to file their punishment recommendation before Martoma's scheduled June 10 sentencing.

Martoma was the eighth SAC Capital employee found guilty on insider-trading charges. The convictions played a central role in the hedge fund's guilty plea to similar charges in a record $1.8 billion November settlement that permanently bars it from handling investments for outsiders.

Martoma, who did not testify at trial, maintained he did nothing wrong. But prosecutors charged he obtained an illegal trading edge between 2006 and 2008 by getting secret evidence from drug trials on a drug being developed by pharmaceutical firms Elan and Wyeth.

Dr. Sidney Gilman, an Alzheimer's disease expert and the prosecution's star witness, told jurors he met regularly with Martoma through a company that linked matched financial professionals with expert researchers. Gilman, who chaired the safety monitoring committee for the Alzheimer's drug trial, admitted he gave inside information to Martoma because he came to regard the trader as a friend.

Dr. Joel Ross, a clinical investigator on the drug trial, similarly testified that he shared confidential information from the drug testing with Martoma.

Martoma's defense focused on challenging both doctors' credibility and accuracy. In particular, cross-examination questioning by Strassberg showed Gilman initially had no recollection of a key meeting in his University of Michigan office to discuss the drug trial results.

But federal prosecutors presented records of cell phone calls and other evidence that appeared to buttress the testimony of Gilman and Ross.

Cohen was not charged in the case ​— though Gilman testified that federal investigators once told him the SAC Capital founder was their ultimate target.

Cohen instead faces an administrative proceeding by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly failing to provide proper supervision of Martoma and o! ther empl! oyees who became involved in insider trading.

Monday, May 26, 2014

10 Best Asian Stocks To Invest In 2015

10 Best Asian Stocks To Invest In 2015: Yelp Inc (YELP)

Yelp Inc., incorporated on September 03, 2004, connects people with great local businesses. Its users have contributed a total of approximately 36.0 million cumulative reviews of almost every type of local business, from restaurants, boutiques and salons to dentists, mechanics and plumbers. Its platform provides local businesses with a range of free and paid services, which help them to engage with consumers at moment when they are deciding where to spend their money. The Company generates revenue from local advertising, brand advertising and other services. As of December 31, 2012, the Company was active in 53 Yelp markets in the United States and 44 Yelp markets internationally. Effective July 18, 2013, Yelp Inc acquired SeatMe Inc, which is a developer of restaurant and nightlife categories reservation applications.

Local Business

The Company enables businesses to create a free online business account and claim the page for each of their busine ss locations. Business representatives can verify their affiliation with the business through an automated telephone verification process, which requires that they be reachable at the phone number, which is publicly displayed for their business listing on its platform. With their free business accounts, businesses can view business trends, message customers, update information and offer Yelp Deals. Its listing solution eliminates search advertising from the businesses' profile pages and allows them to incorporate a video clip or photo slide show on the pages. It allows local businesses to promote themselves as a sponsored search result on its platform or on related business pages.

The Company's Yelp Deals product allows local business owners to create promotional discounted deals for their products and services, which are marketed to consumers through its platform.! Yelp Deals have a fee structure based solely on transaction volume with no upfront costs, and it earns a fee based on the discounted price of each deal so! ld. It processes all customer payments and remits to the business the revenue share of any Yelp Deal purchased. It offers both e-mail deals, which are focused on demand generation and deals on its platform that are focused on demand fulfillment where businesses can target intent-driven consumers who are specifically searching for a product or service on its platform.

The Company's Gift Certificates product allows local business owners to sell full price gift certificates directly to customers through their business profile page. The business chooses the price points to offer, and the buyer may purchase a Gift Certificate in one of those amounts. The Company earns a fee based on the amount of the Gift Certificate sold. The Company processes all consumer payments and remit to the business the revenue share of any Gift Certificate purchased.

National/Brand Advertisers

The Company offers its advertising solution for national brands that w ant to improve their local presence. These solutions consist of search and display ads (both graphic and text) on its Website, which are typically sold to advertisers on a per-impression basis. Its national advertisers include brands in the automobile, financial services, logistics, consumer goods and health and fitness industries.

Transaction Partners

The Company's partnership, through a written agreement, with OpenTable provides consumers the ability to reserve seats directly on the business listing pages of restaurants, which participate in OpenTable's network. Its partnership, through a written agreement, with Orbitz allows consumers to book rooms directly on the business listing pages of hotels, which affiliate with Orbitz.

The Company competes with Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Pushpa N! aresh]

    Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) despite being the trend setter and technology services innovator for the Internet at the turn of the millennium, ran into troubled financial waters as the company's founding members lost their way in taking it forward, unlike competitor and open source platform giant Google Inc (GOOGL). As Google soon diminished Yahoo's relevance as it unleashed services which Yahoo could not match, it was further sidelined as Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)'s Bing made inroads into Yahoo's traditional U.S. business community user base along with Yelp Inc. (YELP).

  • [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

    Munster said he'd rather see Apple spend its copious cash on something in the Internet services space such as Yelp Inc. (Nasdaq: YELP), Twitter Inc. (NYSE: TWTR), Square, or Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO).

  • [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

    In a quiet announcement last week, Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP) said it had added a line for "who accepts Bitcoin" to its guide data. Yelp provides online data and reviews for about 53 million local businesses.

  • source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/10-best-asian-stocks-to-invest-in-2015.html

Buffalo Wild Wings: A Good Pick In The Restaurant Industry

10 Best Up And Coming Stocks To Own Right Now

The restaurant industry in the U.S. was badly hit in 2013 with the bad weather in December and a shorter holiday season further declining the already bad condition. The consumers were very selective with respect to spending due to a cash crunch on account of the sluggish economy so all doesn't look rosy for the industry. The annual same-store traffic was a negative 2.1% in 2013 as compared to 1% growth reported in 2012 as per the expectations according to a Black Box International report.

However, there are a few restaurants who have managed to brave the headwinds and have come out as winners. Some of these are Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD), Sonic (SONC), and Domino's Pizza (DPZ) -- which have bucked the industry trend.

Buffalo Wild Wings' solid growth

The simple business model of Buffalo Wild Wings comprises of tasty food, wide selection of beers, and widely available TVs to watch sports that has worked well over the years. This company earned quite well and carried over the second-quarter momentum into the recent quarter. Buffalo Wild Wings augmented the number of company-owned restaurants by 21% compared to the quarter last year, and same-store sales increased 4.8% at company-owned restaurants and 3.9% at franchised locations. This resulted in 27.9% increase in revenue versus the same quarter a year ago.

The strong top-line growth and earnings per share came in at $0.95 on account of a lower cost per pound for traditional chicken wings as compared to last year. This led to an awesome 66.9% growth versus the comparable quarter last year. The growth in comps was fueled by partnering with Yahoo! Sports and hosting Fantasy Football National Draft Day Parties.

According to Buffalo, there's potential for about 1,700 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. Going forward, this presents a good growth opportunity from its current count of less than 1,000 restaurants. Moreover, it is also diversifying by entering into partnership with PizzaRev for pizza, and plans to open the first company-owned PizzaRev in the Minneapolis area in early 2014. In addition, it also plans to open 45 company-owned and 40 franchised restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, and internationally, it expects 10 franchised locations in the entire year.

Sonic and Domino's: Doing well

For the past one year, Buffalo Wild Wings is clearly outperforming peers on the Street, but all three have had a good run, outperforming the S&P index by a good margin.

Sonic reported system-wide comps gain of 2.2% in its first quarter. Healthy comps gain at both company-owned and franchised restaurants indicate that the company's strategies are working brilliantly. Looking ahead, around 15% growth in EPS is targeted by Sonic throughout fiscal 2014. The new stores and higher traffic are expected to be the main growth drivers for the company. The installation of new point-of-sale and point-of-purchase systems by Sonic is expected to drive sale upwards and also drive up margins .

Sonic has a network of more than 3,500 stores around the country, and yet it has very low visibility in California. Sonic aims of signing a new franchise agreement with one of its existing partners that will bring 10 new stores to California over the next seven years, with the first two to open by August 2015. This is only as small part of an overall effort to hit 300 stores in the state by 2020, and going forward is a long-term growth driver.

The domestic comps of Domino's Pizza gained 5.4%, with company-owned units and franchises rising 4.6% and 5.5%, respectively. This can be considered an achievement considering the fact that the industry as a whole witnessed a weak 2013. Domino's reported a 6.9% year-over-year increase in revenue to $404.1 million on the back of strong comps.

Domino's has the robust international presence with a store count of 5,627 stores versus 4,939 stores domestically. This diversification strategy insulates it from the weaknesses arising out of regional economic headwinds. Further, Domino's has been a pioneer in the restaurant industry for online ordering, including mobile. About 35% of orders for Domino's come in over digital means and is very popular among consumers, allowing it to generate more revenue through online orders.

Takeaway

All three companies have performed decently in weak consumer spending scenario and are targeting further growth going forward. Buffalo Wild Wings is the most impressive of the three due to its robust growth, while Sonic and Domino's are more stable picks. Hence, investors planning to invest in this industry can bet upon any of these three stocks, and this is why they deserve a closer look.

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Sunday, May 25, 2014

A Checklist for First-Time Homebuyers

Top 10 Chemical Stocks To Invest In Right Now

A Checklist for First-Time Homebuyers Juice Images/AlamyBefore you're handed the keys to your first home, you need to tend to your debt and make sure your budget is in good shape. The spring homebuying season is in full bloom, and odds are, if you're reading this, you may be thinking it's time to finally start looking for your first house. But before you dive in, it's important to get your finances organized and know what you can afford. Here's a checklist to get you moving toward this major purchase. Pay down your debt. And while you're at it, check your credit score and look over your credit report. "Before you start the process, you should make sure your credit score is OK," says Michael Eisenberg, a certified public accountant and personal financial planner with Eisenberg Financial Advisors in Los Angeles. "If you don't have a good credit score, you may not get the best [interest] rate. In fact, you may not get a loan, period." So before you do anything else -- with any luck, long before you do anything else -- focus on paying down your credit cards, paying your bills on time and raising your credit score. (A score of 720 and above is generally considered good, and 750 to 850 is excellent). You want your future mortgage lender to like what it sees when it comes time to request a loan for a house. Have money in the bank. Most experts suggest that you have at least 20 percent of the house's purchase price saved as a down payment. You can certainly buy a house without that -- and many people do -- but there are plenty of good reasons to put down at least 20 percent. For starters, you'll almost certainly avoid paying private mortgage insurance, or you won't have to pay it for long. PMI is typically 1 to 2 percent of the value of the loan, split into monthly payments. It may not seem like much, but if it adds, say, $100 to your monthly mortgage payment, you can see why you'd like to avoid it. In other words, if you happen to have $20,000 in a bank account, and you're thinking of buying a house in the not-so distant future, hang onto it. This isn't the time to buy that motorcycle you've always wanted or invest in a coin collection. Fine-tune your budget. Regardless of what you have in the bank now, this is a long-term, year-after-year, month-after-month expense you're going to take on. "So the first thing I would say to anyone buying a home is, 'Let's see how much you can afford to spend,'" Eisenberg says. "Everyone thinks about the mortgage and interest, but there's more to it than that. What about the property taxes? Will you have homeowner association fees? Are you renting now, and will your house be much bigger? That means you'll pay more for utilities. Are there amenities that you're going to have to take care of? Does the house have a pool? You need to plan much more than by asking yourself if you can afford the mortgage." Pej Barlavi, a real estate broker in New York City, agrees. "I always recommend to work your numbers backwards," he says. "First, know your budget or set a monthly budget that you will be comfortable with paying that will not put you under a difficult strain should you not be able to work for several months." That might sound a little grim, but think about it. If this is going to be a house you'll live in for years, there are going to be good and bad times ahead. You want to be prepared. Think about how you'll pay for the house. Yes, with money. But will you take out a fixed-rate mortgage or an adjustable-rate mortgage? ARMs had a terrible reputation after the Great Recession, and for good reason. With an adjustable-rate mortgage, you'll get the lowest rate available -- but then it will adjust after several years, often based on an index, like the Cost of Funds Index. The main point here is that your payment with an adjustable-rate mortgage won't stay the same. "During the economic meltdown of 2007-2009, many homeowners lost their jobs and then discovered the interest rates on their mortgages were going up," says Diana Webb, an associate professor of finance at Northwood University. Small wonder she says: "Adjustable rate mortgages are the scariest mortgages that I see." But the interest rate for an ARM is low, and if you believe you aren't going to live in your house for long, it might be a good fit for you. Some ARMs also have a limit on how much they can adjust, which may make them more appealing. Still, some financial experts are wary. "These ARM's are basically predatory," says Doug Leever, a mortgage sales manager at Tropical Financial Credit Union, which services South Florida. "First-time homebuyers also may not know mortgage brokers are paid a higher commission for an ARM than on a fixed-guaranteed loan." Consider the length of your home loan. Most homeowners go with a 30-year mortgage. Others try for a 15-year loan or somewhere in between. "The immediate benefit of a 15-year loan is that it's a shorter-term loan, and you typically get a much lower rate than a 30-year loan," Leever says. For instance, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac, if you were to take out a 15-year mortgage now, the average rate is 3.25 percent; for a 30-year mortgage, it's 4.14 percent. If you can do a 15-year loan, it's a no-brainer that you'll spend less on your house than you will with a 30-year-loan, but plenty of people can't swing that. "The payment will be higher, and you need to make sure you're comfortable with the higher payment," Leever says. Start gathering paperwork. Not everything about buying a house involves calculating numbers. You'll also want to start looking at paperwork with numbers on it. Yep, the fun never ends. So start gathering your federal income tax records for the past couple of years, recent paycheck stubs, canceled checks for rent or utility bill payments and any other paperwork a mortgage lender might want to see, like credit card and student loan information. Scout out where you want to live. It isn't enough to think you want to live in a certain geographical area, like the west side of the city. You really need to drill down. "Many neighborhoods are different and change from one block to another, so the purchaser should be aware of what their money will get in their favorite neighborhood," Barlavi says. Tax rates will be different in different communities, of course, so that's another consideration. There are some neighborhoods you may not be able to afford, so it's good to get a sense of that early on to avoid experiencing a huge letdown. Of course, you can wait until after a lender approves you for a mortgage, and you may want to wait until you've found a real estate agent to show you the ropes. But once you truly know you can afford to buy a house, driving around a neighborhood will start to make the idea of homebuying real -- and besides, it'll provide you with a much-needed break with a more enjoyable set of numbers: street numbers. It's far more fun imagining yourself living somewhere than envisioning how you'll pay for it.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Janet Yellen: Grit matters more than ability

janet yellen nyu 2 NEW YORK (CNNMoney) The "House that Ruth Built" was filled with R-E-S-P-E-C-T and roughly 8,000 purple graduation caps Wednesday for New York University's graduation.

The setting is Yankee Stadium. The advice is from one of the most powerful women in the world -- Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. And the faces on stage include "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, and retired New York Yankee Mariano Rivera, the greatest relief pitcher of all time.

Graduation can't get much more inspiring than this.

The message: When it comes to being successful, grit and passion might matter more than sheer ability, Yellen told the graduates.

"There is an unfortunate myth that success is mainly determined by something called 'ability,'" Yellen said. Citing psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth, she pointed to "grit", perseverance and passion for your work as some of the most important job skills.

"If there is a job that you feel passionate about, do what you can to pursue that job; if there is a purpose about which you are passionate, dedicate yourself to that purpose," she said.

For Yellen, that meant dedicating most of her career to work at the Federal Reserve. After starting as an economist there 37 years ago, this year she became the first woman to lead the central bank in its 100-year history.

Pointing to the surroundings, Yellen also spoke of the importance of persevering despite setbacks.

"Yankee Stadium is a natural venue for another lesson: You won't succeed all the time," she said. "Even Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio failed most of time when they stepped to the plate. Finding the right path in life, more often than not, involves some missteps."

"My Federal Reserve colleagues and I experienced this as we struggled to address a financial and economic crisis that threatened the global economy," she added.

As part of the ceremony, NYU awarded honorary doctorates to Yellen, Franklin, Rivera, Kagan and New York real estate attorney Martin Edelman. Roughly 8,000 NYU graduates received their degrees.

To top of page

Friday, May 23, 2014

Interesting WMGI Put And Call Options For July 19th

Investors in Wright Medical Group Inc. (NASD: WMGI) saw new options begin trading this week, for the July 19th expiration. At Stock Options Channel, our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the WMGI options chain for the new July 19th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest.

The put contract at the $25.00 strike price has a current bid of 5 cents. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $25.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $24.95 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of WMGI, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $30.12/share today.

Because the $25.00 strike represents an approximate 17% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 91%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 0.20% return on the cash commitment, or 1.28% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost.

Click here to find out the Top YieldBoost Puts of the S&P 500 »

Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for Wright Medical Group Inc., and highlighting in green where the $25.00 strike is located relative to that history:

Loading+chart+©+2014+TickerTech.com

Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $35.00 strike price has a current bid of 5 cents. If an investor was to purchase shares of WMGI stock at the current price level of $30.12/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $35.00. Considering the call seller will also collect the premium, that would drive a total return (excluding dividends, if any) of 16.37% if the stock gets called away at the July 19th expiration (before broker commissions). Of course, a lot of upside could potentially be left on the table if WMGI shares really soar, which is why looking at the trailing twelve month trading history for Wright Medical Group Inc., as well as studying the business fundamentals becomes important. Below is a chart showing WMGI's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $35.00 strike highlighted in red:

Loading+chart+©+2014+TickerTech.com

Considering the fact that the $35.00 strike represents an approximate 16% premium to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the covered call contract would expire worthless, in which case the investor would keep both their shares of stock and the premium collected. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 87%. On our website under the contract detail page for this contract, Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change and publish a chart of those numbers (the trading history of the option contract will also be charted). Should the covered call contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 0.17% boost of extra return to the investor, or 1.06% annualized, which we refer to as the YieldBoost.

Click here to find out the Top YieldBoost Calls of the S&P 500 »

The implied volatility in the put contract example is 37%, while the implied volatility in the call contract example is 32%. Meanwhile, we calculate the actual trailing twelve month volatility (considering the last 252 trading day closing values as well as today's price of $30.12) to be 26%. For more put and call options contract ideas worth looking at, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Robots will replace fast-food workers

fast food robots

Protesters rally outside McDonald's corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill., on Wednesday to demand higher wages for workers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) As protesters across the country call for the fast-food chains to raise their wages, a number of companies have begun experimenting with new technology that could significantly reduce the number of restaurant workers in the years to come.

Restaurant industry backers warn that a sharp rise in wages would be counterproductive, increasing the appeal of automation and putting more workers at risk of job loss.

"Faced with a $15 wage mandate, restaurants have to reduce the cost of service," blared an ad in The Wall Street Journal last year from the Employment Policies Institute, which supports corporate interests. "That means fewer entry-level jobs and more automated alternatives -- even in the kitchen."

Other industry observers aren't so definitive, noting that it takes time to introduce new technology and that human interaction has always been a major component of the hospitality business. What's clear at least is that software and machines will play an increased role in our dining experiences going forward.

It slices, it dices, it's a noodle robot!   It slices, it dices, it's a noodle robot!

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Panera Bread (PNRA) is the latest chain to introduce automated service, announcing last month that it plans to bring self-service ordering kiosks as well as a mobile ordering option to all its locations within the next three years. The news follows moves from Chili's and Applebee's to place tablets on their tables, allowing diners to order and pay without interacting with human wait staff at all.

Panera, which spent $42 million developing its new system, claims it isn't planning any job cuts as a result of the technology, but some analysts see this kind of shift as unavoidable for the industry.

In a widely cited paper released last year, University of Oxford researchers estimated that there is a 92% chance that fast-food preparation and serving will be automated in the coming decades.

With artificial-intelligence technology like IBM's (IBM, Fortune 500) Watson platform making strides in advanced reasoning and language understanding, it's not hard to see how ro! bots could be designed to provide more sophisticated interactions with restaurant customers than kiosks can manage.

Delivery drivers could be replaced en masse by self-driving cars, which are likely to hit the market within a decade or two, or even drones. In food preparation, there are start-ups offering robots for bartending and gourmet hamburger preparation. A food processing company in Spain now uses robots to inspect heads of lettuce on a conveyor belt, throwing out those that don't meet company standards, the Oxford researchers report.

Darren Tristano, a food industry expert with the research firm Technomic, said digital technology will "slowly, over time, create efficiency and labor savings" for restaurants. He guessed that work forces would only drop as a result by 5% or 10% at a maximum in the decades to come, however, given the expectations that customers have for the dining experience.

"If you look at the thousands of years that consumers have been served alcohol and food by people, it's hard to imagine that things will change that quickly," he said. To top of page

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The Star Trek Movie Franchise Is Headed Backwards

A Star Trek threequel is on the way. Credit: Paramount Pictures.

Viacom's (NASDAQ: VIAB  ) Paramount Pictures is taking a huge risk naming screenwriter Roberto Orci to direct the next film in the Star Trek movie franchise, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the the following video.

According to an exclusive report in Variety last week, Orci, whose screenwriting credits include work on Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, will team with J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay to write the threequel. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are expected to reprise their roles as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.

Good news, right? If only it were that simple. Instead, history shows the franchise is suffering decelerating returns. According to The-Numbers.com, Star Trek earned a combined $578.6 million including box office, DVD, and Blu-ray revenue. Star Trek Into Darkness earned $540.4 million on the same basis. Orci is taking on a turnaround story.

We also know from history that, despite its cult status, Star Trek offers no box office guarantees. 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis failed with audiences, earning just $67.3 million worldwide on a $60 million production budget. Why take the added risk of hiring an unproven director for Star Trek 3? Tim says it doesn't make sense, especially when Paramount's revenue and operating income have declined in each of the last two fiscal years.

Now it's your turn to weigh in. Do you believe Orci will get the Star Trek movie franchise back on track? Please watch the video to get the full story and then leave a comment to let us know your take, including whether you would buy, sell, or short Viacom stock at current prices.

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Monday, May 19, 2014

Biotech of the Week: Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARIA  ) is the biotech of the week on the Fool's weekly biotech-focused show, Biotech Banter.

Shares of the biotech have been on a bit of a roller coaster over the last year as investors went from having high hopes for Ariad Pharmaceutical's leukemia drug Iclusig to seeing the drug getting pulled from the market because the drug is linked to blood clots. After returning to the market, Ariad's shares have more than doubled off their lows, but are still well off of where they were when investors thought Iclusig could compete with Novartis' (NYSE: NVS  ) Gleevec and Bristol-Myers Squibb's (NYSE: BMY  ) Sprycel as first-line treatments.

For now Iclusig is stuck as a treatment of last resort, mostly used on patients that can't take or have failed Novartis' and Bristol-Myers Squibb's drugs, but there's potential to increase sales if Ariad Pharmaceuticals can show that the risk-benefit profile is better at lower doses. Blood thinners might also help lower the risk of blood clots.

As senior biotech specialist Brian Orelli and health-care analyst David Williamson discuss in the video below, there's also potential for the drug to work in patients with solid tumors who might not have to take the drug for as long.

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Saturday, May 17, 2014

General Motors: Recalls ‘Have Not Hurt, Could Even Help,’ JPMorgan Says

Yesterday, RBC’s Joseph Spak worried that General Motors’ (GM) latest recall would dampen enthusiasm for the automaker’s shares. JPMorgan’s Ryan Brinkman and team look at the bright side:

Getty Images

Thus far, it appears recalls have not hurt – and could even help – GM sales and market share. GM gained retail share y/y in March and was the greatest sequential gainer in April. In 1Q, GM announced recalls impacting 7 mn vehicles at a cost of $1.3 bn (or ~$186 per potential customer traffic). This compares to Thursday's recalls impacting 3 mn vehicles at a cost of $0.2 bn (or ~$67 per customer) and GM's recent marketing campaign promising $100 for test-driving a Cadillac.

Investors are having none of it today. Shares of General Motors have dropped 0.8% to $34.10 at 1:50 p.m. today, even as Ford Motor (F) has gained 0.7% to $15.80.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Top 10 Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2015

Top 10 Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2015: IGI Laboratories Inc. (IG)

IGI Laboratories, Inc. engages in developing, manufacturing, filling, and packaging topical semi-solid and liquid products for cosmetic, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical customers in the United States. The company's products are used for various skin conditions, including the treatment of symptoms of dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, and eczema. It offers contract formulation and contract manufacturing services to a range of topical formulations, including creams, ointments, lotions, gels, and topical liquids. The company is also developing a portfolio of prescription generic formulations in topical dosage forms. IGI Laboratories, Inc., through its license agreement with Novavax, Inc., utilizes the Novasome lipid vesicle encapsulation and certain other technologies for applications in animal pharmaceuticals, biologicals, and other animal health products; foods, food applications, nutrients, and flavorings; cosmetics, consumer products, and dermatological over-the-counter and prescription products; fragrances; and chemicals, including herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, paints and coatings, photographic chemicals, and other specialty chemicals. The company was formerly known as IGI, Inc. and changed its name to IGI Laboratories, Inc. in May 2008. IGI Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Buena, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Holly LaFon]

    The Barclays Aggregate Index rose by 0.57% in 3Q13, having stood at a loss of -0.36% the day before the FOMC's declaration to not slow QE. Despite the bounce, the Index remains in negative territory YTD and for the trailing 12-months at -1.77% and -1.68%, respectively. In stark contrast to 2Q13, Investment Grade (IG) corporate spreads tightened 10bps during 3Q13, producing a positive nominal return of 0.82% and an excess return of 0.92%. The respec! tive YTD total returns in IG remain a disappointing -2.62%, but excess returns are still positive at 0.61% YTD. The 1-Yr results for IG Credit now fall to a nominal -1.58%, but 1.79% in excess of Treasuries.

  • source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-forestry-stocks-to-watch-for-2015.html

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Macy’s, Inc. Beats Q1 Earnings Estimates; Boosts Dividend 25% (M)

Before Wednesday’s opening bell, Macy’s, Inc. (M) reported first quarter earnings that came in above analysts’ estimates. The company also announced a 25% dividend increase. 

Macy’s Earning in Brief

M reported earnings of $224 million, or 60 cents per share, up from $217 million, or 55 cents per share, a year ago. Sales dipped to $6.279 billion from $6.387 billion last year. On average, analysts expected M to report earnings of 59 cents per share and $6.46 billion in revenue. Looking forward, M expects FY2014 earnings to be between $4.40 and $4.50 while analysts expect to see earnings of $4.48 per share.

M Raises Dividend and Increases Buy Back Authorization

M reported that it has raised its dividend by 25% from 25 cents to 31.25 cents quarterly. The next dividend will be payable July 1 to shareholders of record on June 13.

The company also reported that its board has approved a $1.5 billion increase to its buy back authorization.

Stock Performance

Macy’s shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock is up 8.31% YTD.

M Dividend Snapshot

As market close on May 13, 2014

M dividend yield annual payout payout ratio dividend growth

Click here to see the complete history of M dividends.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Inventors smarten up toys for a new generation

Move over, Elmo.

There's a new toy in town. MaKey MaKey isn't fluffy or cute. It doesn't talk or dance when you press its belly. It inspires curiosity, experimentation, invention and pride.

This $49.95 part-digital, part-mechanical construction kit represents the business potential of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — or STEM — movement compelling politicians and professors to rethink education and venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to create and fund new products around it.

Kit founders Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum of Cocoa Beach, Fla.-based JoyLabz believe MaKey MaKey and an equally-inventive new generation of toys are on the cusp of transforming the toy industry.

Less than three-year-old littleBits of New York City recently raised $11.1 million to grow its business selling exploration kits — tiny circuit-boards that can be snapped together to create larger circuits that light up, make noise or perform other small feats. GoldieBlox and Roominate both sell building sets aimed at getting girls interested in electronics and engineering. GoldieBlox won Intuit's Super Bowl commercial contest this year after it created a viral video of young girls making a Rube Goldberg device.

At February's Toy Fair in New York, the first year JoyLabz attended the event, retailers surrounded its booth to watch demonstrations of the Makey Makey kit. It allows kids (and adults) to make simple musical instruments and more complicated electronics by connecting everyday objects such as silverware, coins — even many foods work if they will conduct electricity — to a computer with an Internet connection. The Makey Makey circuit board functions like a computer keyboard.

Toy Fair attendees also viewed a sampling of videos of the thousands of ways in which early online buyers are tinkering with the kit's elements (then recording their creations). For example: Pizza Hut Canada made an instrument out of dipping breadsticks; the global design firm IDEO uses it for work! shops; and one dad programmed a controller for his son, who has cerebral palsy.

Since Toy Fair, Silver says he's fielded requests from nearly every major toy retailer. Once he redesigns its packaging, he expects orders for MaKey MaKey kits from around the world. And he's got a pipeline of additional products to follow.

Playthings built with software that users can customize are a highlight of the toy industry this year, says Adrienne Appell, senior manager of public relations for the Toy Industry Association. Crowd-funding platform Kickstarter has helped a lot of new companies raise funds for their projects, and many of those were on display for the first time at the fair.

"New products are engaging kids in topics from computing to science to robotics. There are games teaching kids to code," says Appell.

"It's getting kids involved in pretty complex subjects at an early age, but they're having fun."

Silver and Rosenbaum spun MaKey MaKey out of the MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten group in 2011, and the men launched a Kickstarter campaign in June 2012 to fund its development. Their work was immediately validated — they set out to raise $25,000 and instead collected $568,106 from more than 11,000 backers. They've sold 100,000 kits since, and are prepared to sell 10 times as many within the next two years as the retail relationships pick up.

But sales weren't ever a goal for Silver — the world has changed enough in the last decade to make his years of research relevant beyond the media lab. What would have been called media art back then is now a business.

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"People need products to dream with, not just products to be more efficient," he says. "If I have to prove to you why my product is important, then I don't want to make that product. I want to create something that makes people say, '! This will! help me dream.' "

Laura Baverman is a Raleigh, N.C.-based business journalist covering start-ups and entrepreneurship for regional and national publications. She previously covered entrepreneurship for the Cincinnati Enquirer, a Gannett newspaper. Baverman can be reached via e-mail at lbaverman@gmail.comor Twitter @laurabaverman.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

These Companies May Decide the Fate of Ukraine

Editor's Note: Bill Patalon's readers enjoy regular access to his high-profit research and best money-making, market-beating ideas. Today Bill looks behind a global crisis that's playing loudly out on the front pages everywhere, yet the most important factor is almost entirely being missed. Since Bill's been watching this trend for years, he sees, and shares, for us his one-of-a-kind insights...

If you've been watching the developments between Russia and Ukraine in recent days, then I'm sure you've seen reports of the sobering military buildups taking place on both sides of the border.

Today I want to spend a little time updating you on these escalations.

But then I plan to tell you about the real skirmish there - one that's not being reported on by the mainstream media. In fact, it may have already ended the battle in Moscow's favor.

Kiev just doesn't realize it yet.

The deciding factor in this skirmish is something we've been telling you about for more than two years.

And it just keeps gaining in importance - so much so, in fact, that we Main Street Americans need to watch it carefully just to protect ourselves.

This "X-Factor" goes by a lot of names.

But today we're going to refer to it as the "Invisible Front" of modern warfare.

And to set the scene, let's first take a look at what the mainstream media is looking at - the military buildups on each side of the Russia/Ukraine border...

Dueling Views

Over the weekend, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency claimed the latest satellite photos "clearly show the accumulation of a large number of Ukrainian military equipment and weapons on the border with the Russian Federation and in the vicinity of Slavyasnk."

According to RIA, a Russian Defense Ministry source says the buildup includes more than 15,000 troops from the Ukraine Army and National Guard, about 160 tanks, 230 infantry fighting vehicles and armored-personnel carriers (APCs), and as many as 150 mortars, howitzers, and multiple launch rocket systems (including the BM-30 "Smerch" andBM-21 "Grad" truck-mounted launchers).

This buildup is big enough "to wipe... the city and all its inhabitants from the face of the earth," the alleged Russian Defense Ministry source told RIA. "This concentration of troops in one area is not compatible with the potential of self-defense forces, armed with only a small number of pistols and submachine guns."

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has a very different view of what's going on.

While Russia is lambasting the Ukrainian military buildup, NATO commanders contend that satellite images taken of areas on the Russian Federation side of the Ukraine border depict Russian military forces deployed in more than 100 makeshift bases. And according to the latest report by The Wall Street Journal, NATO has described these troops as being in "a state of high readiness" and allege the forces could make a major move in as little as 12 hours after receiving a high-level "go" order.

The Journal report says that "a senior NATO military official described the Russian military movements as 'destabilizing to the region, while NATO's secretary-general [late last week] called on Russia to remove its troops stationed there."

Moscow claims the images are "old" and "out of date." But the Obama administration believes in them enough to say that U.S. officials are looking for ways to counter those Russian troop movements.

And, following a pretty thorough review of available satellite imagery, The Washington Post essentially concluded that Russia's military was gearing up for action. The newspaper studied Russian military movements in six key areas near the Ukraine border and concluded that "NATO's argument that these satellite images represent a military buildup does carry some weight... especially near Kuzminka, where an isolated area not used for military exercises in the past is now seeing a lot of activity. Given Kuzminka's strategic location, not far from Donetsk, that certainly seems like something to watch."

Kuzminka, you see, is somewhat remote from normal Russian military centers. It's only 80 miles from Donetsk, an industrial center that's the fifth-largest city in Ukraine. There are few natural boundaries that would slow a Russian onslaught if federation forces decided to move into Ukraine from that direction.

And remember, too: Back on April 7, pro-Russian protesters took over some administrative buildings in several eastern centers - including Donetsk - and declared that the city of Donetsk is now the People's Republic of Donetsk. Ukraine's central government in Kiev has condemned the move. But having a sympathetic populace on the ground could serve as a kind of "fifth column" that would make the city an easy conquest for Russian invaders.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk wants to get the country to the May 25 presidential elections. He's cozying up to Western Europe and has talked about ceding more power to the country's regions in an effort to defuse some of the unrest.

He's also staying on the offensive in the international arena, saying that Russia is looking to start World War III by occupying Ukraine "militarily and politically" and creating a conflict that would spread to the rest of Europe.

Scary stuff, to be sure.

But this incursion may actually be over very quickly - thanks to the "invisible front."

I'm talking, of course, about cyber warfare.

And, according to some pretty savvy analysis by DefenseOne, a trade journal covering national-security issues, Russia may have already licked Ukraine in cyberspace.

The "Invisible Front"

For several years now here in Private Briefing¸ we've been talking about how the United States, China, and Russia have been adding major muscle to their "cyber armies."

Indeed, in a report in mid-March, we detailed how Russia had joined the "Cyber-Hacking of America Club," and how that nation - like China - has managed to inflict cyber harm on U.S. computer networks and probably purloined important secrets along the way. We've talked about the growing global influence of China's "Internet Army." And we've warned you about the damage that we believe the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) could inflict on Main Street Americans.

The brand-new DefenseOne report bolsters the case we've been making.

"Don't wait for cyberwar between Ukraine and Russia to break out ahead of the actual shooting," writes DefenseOne Technology Editor Patrick Tucker. "Ukraine already lost that [battle], too. Russia may have unfettered access into the Ukrainian telecommunication systems according to several experts. It's access that Russia can use to watch Ukrainian opposition leadership, or, in the event of an escalation in the conflict, possibly cut off telecommunications within Ukraine."

In short, Russia already has its hands around Ukraine's virtual throat.

As part of the real-world conflict in Ukraine, we've seen sieges (and takeovers) of government buildings, ethnic clashes, blood-shedding protests, and misinformation campaigns (like the aforementioned claims and counter-claims over the satellite photos). In other words, violence - and lots of it.

But on the cyber front, the relatively low-level exchanges between hacker groups have taken the form of temporary website attacks called "displacements" and "distributed denial of service" (DDOS) attacks, where websites are flooded with so much phony traffic that they are rendered inaccessible.

But the reason the cyber-front battle hasn't been fiercer is that Russia already controls so much of Ukraine's digital and telecommunications assets. And why attack something that you already control, one expert told DefenseOne.

"Russia already had access [to the Ukrainian telecommunications infrastructure] for years," says Jeffrey Carr, CEO of cybersecurity player Taia Global and the author of "Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld." And this reality is "true for almost all of the Commonwealth of Independent States. They all rely at some point on Russian technology."

For one thing, Russian telecom firms VimpelCom Ltd. (Nasdaq ADR: VIP) and Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (NYSE ADR: MBT) each do "considerable business" in Ukraine, the trade journal reports. For instance, MTS had about 22.4 million subscribers in that country as of September, making it Ukraine's No. 2 mobile provider, Reuters reported. And VimpelCom gets about 8% of its cash flow from that market.

"It's Russian companies that are providing the mobile services. That gives the Russians an avenue in," James Andrew Lewis, director and senior fellow of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told DefenseOne. "There's an advantage to having ownership, having insight, knowing the legacy system and having relationships, and being physically present in adjacent areas. That all makes it easier for them."

Here's a scary example, according to The New York Times. Back in January, when protestors were demonstrating against the pro-Russian regime of then-President Viktor Yanukovych, several people in the protest area suddenly received this ominous text message: "Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance."

Then there's Ukraine's communications-intercept system, which allows the government to tap into the civilian telecommunications system. That's a lot like the Russian intercept system, known as SORM, DefenseOne's Tucker explained.

SORM was developed by Russia's KGB as a "backdoor" way to eavesdrop on all the country's electronic communications - like the NSA's hated PRISM program, but more powerful and fettered by far fewer legal constraints, Tucker says.

"The current iteration, SORM 3, allows the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) backdoor access into landline, mobile and email communications," Tucker writes. "Ukraine has its own SORM system modeled after Russia's. But, as Russian journalists Andei Soldatov and Irina Borogan explained in Wired back in 2012, Russian companies such as IsKratel manufacture equipment that Ukraine uses to maintain its system. Other manufacturers of SORM equipment include Juniper Networks, Huawei, Cisco andAlcatel-Lucent out of France. The simple fact that SORM equipment manufacturing firms are a matter of public record suggests vulnerability to hacking. The same technology that allows Ukraine's Intelligence Service to eavesdrop in Ukraine may give Russia the same amount of access into Ukrainian communications."

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Does the Russian encroachment into Ukraine's telecom systems mean it would be easy for Russian cyber warriors to cause a telecom "blackout"?

Most experts say "no" to that - including several who say that there's no need: Its deep reach into Ukraine means it already has near-total access for intelligence gathering.

But one expert cautioned folks not to be fooled.

Seven years ago, for instance, Russia allegedly launched a series of cyber-attacks on Estonia. The assault, which started on April 27, 2007, was ignited by that country's disagreements with Russia about the relocation of war graves and a Soviet-era statue. The attack essentially shut down the website of the Estonian Parliament and crashed those of Estonian banks, government ministries, broadcast and newspaper outlets, and other key organizations.

The assault was so sophisticated, in fact, that it's now viewed as a case study.

Then, in the 2008 skirmish with Georgia, pro-Russian forces successfully attacked such websites as those of news organizations and the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Reprising either with Ukraine would certainly be doable, several experts said. Indeed, Carr, the Taia Global CEO, warns that Russian cyber soldiers have been "holding back." And if the current buildup turns into a full-scale conflict, you can certainly expect federation forces to dump the "stealth" act and go all out.

"The bottom line is that if the Russian government wanted to shut down Ukraine's power and telecommunications, they could do so at will," he told the trade journal. "If this becomes a full-scale war, you can expect a definite interruption of services - strategically planned. And there's nothing that Ukraine could do to stop it."

In short, this battle was over - before it was even fought.

And those are the same worries we have for America, were it to fall prey to cyber-attacks from China, Russia, Iran, or the SEA.

As New York Times writer David E. Sanger wrote back in February, this "new and untested tactic [has the potential] to transform the nature of warfare."

That's why it's being referred to as warfare's "Invisible Front."

And that's why we'll keep watching it for you.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Clients Are an Advisor’s Biggest Competition, Says Principal Survey

Advisors’ biggest competition comes not from other advisors but rather from their own clients’ human nature, which poses obstacles such as inertia, fear, overspending and undersaving, according to the results of a Principal Financial Group study released Monday.

Key findings in the Principal Financial Well Being Index show that for 80% of clients, their top financial dream is financial security in retirement, and for another 77%, the top dream is an overall sense of financial security. Good health, travel and living debt-free round out the top five financial dreams.

Yet advisors say that clients’ top financial blunders include living beyond their means, at 24%, and not saving enough, at 15%. A total of 616 financial advisors participated in the nationwide survey, which was conducted online by Harris Interactive in the second quarter.

“Financial planning doesn't have to be so hard. The most effective advisors help clients envision their financial future,” said Tim Minard, senior vice president of distribution at The Principal, in a statement. “They help clients reverse the financial lethargy that got them stuck in the first place. Even small actions can result in financial success over time, which is why it’s critical to engage an advisor and start financial conversations early and often.”

Advisors save clients from their worst instincts because they help both individuals and business owners develop plans to save for the long term, invest and grow their nest eggs, protect their assets and manage their income during retirement, Minard added.

Other key findings show that 65% percent of advisors say clients most often stretch the truth about living within their means, followed by 44% saying that clients fudge the facts on just how much debt they have.

As for advisors’ own practices, 51% of financial professionals reported that dealing with regulatory and compliance issues is the single greatest pain point in their business, followed by economic uncertainty, at 39%, and then market volatility, at 37%.

Over three-quarters of advisors rated themselves as “healthy” or “very healthy” when judging their own overall financial health, physical health and the financial health of their business, according to the Principal Financial Well-Being Index, which studied advisors’ recommendations for clients as well as the challenges that advisors themselves face.

Though the majority of advisors viewed their business as healthy, only 14% said they have had their business assessed for its value and only a third have created a succession plan.

The Principal, based in Des Moines, Iowa, had $456 billion under management at March 31. The firm offers retirement services, insurance and asset management to approximately 19 million customers in the U.S., Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America.

---

Read tax lawyers Robert Bloink and William Byrnes in Time Is Running Out for Social Security’s File and Suspend – Cash in Now at ThinkAdvisor.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

3 Hot Stocks Everyone Is Talking About

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Put down the 10-K filings and the stock screeners. It's time to take a break from the traditional methods of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you.

>>Must-See Charts: Fight the Selling With These 5 Trades

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept that's known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market.

Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd.

While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. Today, we'll leverage the power of the crowd to take a look at some of the most active stocks on the market today.

>>5 Short-Squeeze Stocks Poised to Pop

These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity.

Without further ado, here's a look at today's stocks.

Whole Foods Market


Nearest Resistance: $47.50

Nearest Support: N/A

Catalyst: Q2 Earnings

Whole Foods Market (WFM) is getting utterly shellacked this afternoon, down more than 19% following the firm's second quarter earnings call. WFM reported earnings of 38 cents per share on record sales for the quarter, but the profit measure came in shy of the 41 cents that analysts were expecting. Worse, Whole Foods lowered its guidance for the rest of 2014, committing the ultimate sin as far as investors are concerned.

Technically speaking, this chart is broken -- not that it looked all that attractive before today. Shares have been in a downtrend since October, but today's huge selling is pushing the upscale grocer down through support at $47.50 and clearing the way for further downside. Caveat emptor.

Mondelez International


Nearest Resistance: N/A

Nearest Support: $36

Catalyst: Q1 Earnings, Restructuring

Mondelez International (MDLZ) is one of the few names that's rallying hard this afternoon, in this case on the heels of a strong first-quarter earnings call. The firm earned 9 cents in the first quarter, a number that fell well short of the 34-cent average estimate that analysts were looking for. But news that the firm was pursuing a $3.5 billion corporate restructuring program is breaking shares out to new highs. The program is expected to save $1.5 billion in the next four years.

New highs are significant from an investor psychology standpoint because they mean that everyone who has bought shares in the last year is sitting on gains. As a result, the "back to even" mentality is less of a concern than it would be for a name with a higher proportion of shareholders sitting on losses. If you decide to be a buyer here, it makes sense to keep a tight protective stop in place.

Amazon.com


Nearest Resistance: $310

Nearest Support: $280

Catalyst: Technical Setup

Ecommerce behemoth Amazon.com (AMZN) is off by more than 2% this afternoon, just the latest move lower in a series of selloffs that started following the firm's fourth quarter earnings release back in January. Suddenly, investors weren't as content to let Amazon keep on operating without a profit -- and the selling hasn't stopped in the four months that have followed.

But $280 could be the end of it -- that level has been a key support zone since last August. Wait for a bounce off of that level before trying to snatch up shares on the cheap; $280 is a stronger floor for shares than the ones that have preceded it, but it could still get violated. Waiting for the bounce keeps you out of AMZN until buyers have already stepped up to the plate.

To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.



-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.


RELATED LINKS:



>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now



>>4 Stocks Rising on Big Volume



>>3 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in the names mentioned.

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji


Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now

Seven months into 2013, the outlook for the global airline industry looks bright for the balance of the year, owing to the economic recovery in North America, a steady rise in demand and effective cost-control measures.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects overall airline profits of $12.7 billion for 2013, with 3.13 billion passengers in total. The forecast is higher than the previous estimate of $10.6 billion. Net profit margin is expected at 1.8%, up slightly from 1.6% estimated previously.

Regional Forecast

North America: North American airlines display strong growth prospects for the coming months courtesy of disciplined capacity, rising travel demand and a number of new and enhanced ancillary revenues. The carriers are performing impressively in terms of customer service including on-time arrivals, advanced baggage handling systems, fewer customer complaints, and lower cancellations and overbooked flights. As a result, these carriers are expected to generate $4.4 billion in profits in 2013, up from $2.3 billion earned last year.

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Newcrest Mining Ltd (NCM)

Newcrest Mining Limited (Newcrest) is a gold, copper and silver producer that has operations and exploration projects in Australia, the Pacific region, Asia and West Africa. The Company�� segments include Cadia Valley, Telfer, Gosowong, Lihir, Hidden Valley JV, West Africa (includes Bonikro operations and exploration and evaluation activities in Cote d��voire) and Exploration and Other. Exploration and Other mainly consists of projects in the exploration, evaluation and feasibility phase and includes Namosi in Fiji, Wafi Golpu in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and Marsden and O��allaghans in Australia. Cadia Valley Operations (CVO) is a gold mining operation and is 100% owned by Newcrest. It is located approximately 25 kilometers from the city of Orange in central west New South Wales and is 250 kilometers west of Sydney. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jonathan Burgos]

    Raw-material producers advanced. Rio Tinto climbed 4.3 percent to A$54.32 in Sydney. Newcrest Mining Ltd. (NCM), Australia�� biggest gold producer, rose 4.8 percent to A$16.65, paring its biggest weekly loss since October 2008. BHP Billiton Ltd., the world�� largest mining company, gained 2.5 percent to A$31.40.

  • [By Jonathan Burgos]

    Sands China Ltd. jumped 8.9 percent toward a record in Hong Kong after the Macau casino operator controlled by billionaire Sheldon Adelson reported higher profit. Newcrest Mining Ltd. (NCM), Australia�� biggest gold producer, rose 5.7 percent as the bullion traded near a two-week high. SBI Holdings Inc. fell 2.9 percent after the Japanese brokerage said it plans to sell convertible bonds.

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: VelaTel Global Communications Inc (VELA.PK)

VelaTel Global Communications Inc, formerly China Tel Group, Inc. (ChinaTel), incorporated on September 19, 2005, is engaged in the business, which combines its engineering and deployment, its equity funding relationships, its vendor partnership, radio frequency spectrum, fiber optic cable and concession rights assets acquired through a subsidiary or a joint venture relationship to create and operate wireless broadband access (WBA) networks worldwide. It offers Internet access, voice, video, and data services to the subscribers of various WBA networks it operate. The Company�� secondary business is to distribute products and services used in connection with WBA networks, specifically hydrogen fuel cells used as a back-up power source for certain transmission equipment, and devices and services. As of December 31, 2011, it holds investments or contracts in ten projects: the VelaTel Peru Network; the GBNC Network; the VN Tech Fuel Cell Business; the Exclusive Services Agreement with NGSN; the Exclusive Services Agreement with Aerostrong; the Sino Crossings Fiber Joint Venture; Zapna; the Novi-Net Network; the Montenegro Connect Network and the VeratNet Network. In April 2012, it acquired Herlong Investments Limited and its operating subsidiaries, Novi-Net and Montenegro Connect. In April 2012, it signed and closed a stock purchase agreement to acquire a 75% equity interest in Zapna, ApS. In November 2012, the Company acquired 100% of interest in China Motion Telecom (HK) Limited.

The Company sells prepaid and postpaid plans, and branded consumer devices using VelaTel Peru�� brand name GO MOVIL. Chinacomm holds licenses and permits from China to build and operate a 3.5-gigahertz wireless broadband telecommunications network (Chinacomm Network) in 29 cities in China. These licenses run through February 2013. Phase 1 of the Chinacomm Network consisted of the deployment of the Chinacomm Network in the 12 cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Qindao, Nanjing, Chongqing, Harbin, X! ian, Xiamen, Wuhan and Kunming.. Portions of the Chinacomm Network are operational in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Perusat provides local and international long-distance telephone services, including fixed line and voice over Internet protocol (IP) services, to approximately 6,500 customers in nine cities in Peru (Lima, Arequipa, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Piura, Santa, Cusco, Ica and Huanuco). Based on its status as a licensed telephone operator, Perusat has been granted a license in the 2.5-gigahertz spectrum covering these cities, other than Lima and its surrounding metropolitan area.

The Company contracted with Chinacomm to acquire a 49% equity interest in ChinaComm Limited (Chinacomm Cayman). Trussnet Capital Partners (HK), Ltd. (TCP) acquired a 49% interest in Chinacomm Cayman. Trussnet Dalian leased Yunji equipment required in the deployment of the Chinacomm Network and provide technical and management services to Yunji for the procurement, installation and optimization of the equipment.

The Compets with GBNC, VN Tech, NGSN, Aerostrong, Sino Crossings, Novi-Net, Montenegro Connect and VeratNet.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Alan Brochstein]

    Matula, who is currently a SVP for LiveDeal (LIVE), has a history of association with penny stock failures. An interesting angle is his tie to a lawyer in Las Vegas, Michael Balabon, who purports to have two separate practices, including a bankruptcy/divorce practice and an employment law practice who has acted as Registered Agent for many of these companies. I was unable to reach anyone at either office on several occasions. In any event, Balabon is the registered agent for PLPL. Coincidentally, he served in that role for NVLX as well as well as all of the former subsidiaries and partners the firm used (the new Medical Marijuana Sciences subsidiary too). Recall that the predecessor to PLPL was Diamond Ranch, and Balabon was the RA there as well. Matula has served in I.R. roles for perpetual failures like VelaTel Global (VELA.PK).

Top 10 Internet Companies To Invest In Right Now: iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI)

iShares Lehman 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the intermediate-term sector of the United States Treasury market as defined by the Lehman Brothers 3-7 Year U.S. Treasury Index (the Index). The Index includes all publicly issued the United States Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to three years and less than seven years, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. In addition, the securities must be denominated in United States dollars, and must be fixed-rate and non-convertible securities. Excluded from the Index are certain special issues, such as flower bonds, targeted investor notes, and state and local government series bonds, and coupon issues that have been stripped from assets that are already included in the Index.

The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisor.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Donald van Deventer]

    Shorter-duration Treasury Exchange-Traded Funds: (SHY), (SHV), (IEI), (BIL), (TUZ), (FIVZ), (DTUL), (VGSH), (DTUS), (DFVS), (DFVL), (SST), (ISTB), (TBZ).

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: VALE S.A.(VALE)

Vale S.A. engages in the exploration, production, and sale of basic metals in Brazil. The company also involves in fertilizers, logistics, and steel businesses. The Bulk Material segment consist of iron ore mining and pellet production, as well as its Brazilian Northern and Southern transportation systems, including railroads, ports, and terminals. This segment also includes manganese mining and ferroalloys. The Base Metals segment produces nonferrous minerals, including nickel, copper, and aluminum consisting of aluminum trading activities, alumina refining, aluminum metal smelting, and bauxite mining. The Fertilizers segment provides potash, phosphates, and nitrogen. The Logistic Services segment consists of transportation systems, including ships, ports, and railroads for third party cargos. This segment includes 10,179 kilometers of railroad infrastructure, 8 seaport terminals, 5 general cargo ports, and 2 iron ore export terminals. In addition, it generates energy thr ough hydroelectric power plants. The company was founded in 1942 and is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Shares of Cliff’s Natural Resources have gained 6% to $23.21 at 11:10 a.m. today, trumping the 1.1% rise in Rio Tinto (RIO), the 1.2% gain in BHP Billiton (BHP) and the 1.5% advance in Vale (VALE).

  • [By Lee Jackson]

    Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE) is another top diversified name that offers investors a solid total return prospect. With a surge in iron ore purchasing in China, Vale figures to ramp up earnings the rest of this year and through 2014. J.P. Morgan came out Monday with a very bullish stance on Vale as well. Merrill Lynch has a $20 price target, and the consensus number is posted at $19. The stock pays an outstanding 4.8% dividend.

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Medical Marijuana Inc (MJNA.PK)

Medical Marijuana Inc. (MJNA), incorporated on May 23, 2005, is the publicly held company vested in the medical marijuana and industrial hemp markets. The Company is comprised of a diversified portfolio of products, services, technology and businesses solely focused on the cannabis and hemp industries. These products range from patented based cannabinoid products, to whole plant or isolated high value extracts specifically manufactured and formulated for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries. In March 2013, it sold certain equipment and inventory, web domain names, phone numbers, and all existing and pending agreements with hemp production and processing facilities to CannaVEST Corp.

The Company�� services are varied, ranging from medical clinic management to the capitalization and development of existing industry business and product leaders. Services include development of cannabinoid based health and wellness products, and the development of medical grade compounds. MJNA provides over 50 and patented cannabinoid delivery methods that are more socially and medically acceptable than smoking.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Alan Brochstein]

    Taking into account all of the data I have shared, I want to introduce my take on the most important names to follow. My initial list takes into account not only the market cap, but also business model and interest level. These are the stocks that I think merit the most attention (in alphabetical order):

    CannaVest (CANV.OB)GW Pharma (GWPH)MedBox (MDBX.PK)Medical Marijuana, Inc. (MJNA.PK)

    CANV doesn't really trade, as it is held closely by insiders (99.7%, including MJNA). I have a few concerns, including the valuation and some near-term financial challenges typical of a start-up with just one client looking to expand its customer base, but I like the focus and the fact that it is an SEC filer with a relatively clean history (i.e. none of the baggage of some of these other companies). I have spoken to its outsourced CFO and am impressed by his background (has been CFO or held key financial roles at publicly-traded healthcare companies). CANV is the partner to MJNA that is responsible for manufacturing the CBD (Cannibidiol, the cannabinoid in marijuana that is increasingly viewed as offering substantial medical benefits). I am very concerned about the near-term financials, but this is a pure-play with probably a two-year lead over other companies. I don't see a moat in terms of intellectual property or brands, but they have a good lead in terms of sourcing of supply and penetration into potential customers. Quite simply, they don't appear to have competition at present. The company, then, is a call option on CBD demand taking off. It appears that it could be a supplier to even Big Pharma should medical marijuana research move into the mainstream.

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: LKA Gold Inc (LKAI)

LKA Gold Inc, formerly LKA International, Inc., incorporated on March 16, 1988, owns certain property interests, including mining claims, water rights, buildings, fixtures, improvements, equipment, and permits situated near Lake City, Colorado. The Company�� the Lake City, Colorado Properties include the Ute-Ule silver mine and milling facility and the Golden Wonder gold mine (respectively, the Ute-Ule Property and the Golden Wonder Property or, collectively, the Properties). The Company owns a 100% interest in the Ute-Ule and Golden Wonder Properties. The Properties consist of certain mining claims and a milling facility located in Hinsdale County, Colorado. As of December 31, 2011, LKA was engaged in exploration and limited production at the Golden Wonder mine.

The Ute-Ule Property consists of 23 patented mining claims located approximately four miles west of Lake City, Colorado. A 100 ton-per-day flotation mill, including various equipment and support facilities, exists on the Ute-Ule Property. The Golden Wonder, near Lake City, Colorado, is located in the historic Colorado Mineral Belt.The Golden Wonder Property consists of three patented and 25 unpatented mining claims located approximately 2- 1/2 miles south of Lake City, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap mining stocks US Tungsten Corp (OTCMKTS: USTU) and LKA Gold Inc (OTCMKTS: LKAI) along with biotech Entest BioMedical Inc (OTCMKTS: ENTB) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters with at least one of these stocks being the subject of paid promotions while another could soon be the subject of an investor relations campaign. But will any of these small cap stocks be winners for investors or traders? Here is a quick reality check:

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chris Hill]

    Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM  ) reports a 20% increase in first-quarter revenue, but shares fall on weaker-than-expected profits. Visa (NYSE: V  ) hits an all-time high in the wake of strong earnings and raised guidance. General Motors (NYSE: GM  ) rises on gains in its European business. And Monster Worldwide (NYSE: MWW  ) reports a 33% jump in quarterly profits as it considers selling the company.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Which isn’t to say there weren’t some winners. United States Steel (X) gained 3.7% to $27.31 this week on the back of a Cowen upgrade, while Visa (V) rose 2.7% after Mastercard (MA) announced a buyback, dividend increase and stock split.

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HDD)

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG is a German producer of solutions for the print media industry. The Company divides its activities into the three business segments Heidelberg Equipment, Heidelberg Services as well as Heidelberg Financial Services. Its product portfolio includes the prepress area with the Suprasetter product family; the press area, which comprises Speedmaster product families, that are used for classical offset printing, as well as for special applications, such as ultraviolet (UV) printing; as well as the postpress area, that includes cutters, folders, saddle stitchers, adhesive binders, die-cutting products, folding carton gluing machines and label systems. The Company also offers a range of spare parts and used equipment, as well as training programs and its own printing process automation software, Prinect. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated three domestic subsidiaries and a number of foreign subsidiaries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Brazil, among others. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Nicolas73]

    Seagate Technology (STX) is a company involved in the design, manufacture, marketing and selling of Hard Disk Drives (HDD).

    They produce HDDs for enterprise applications (e.g. enterprise servers), client compute applications (mainly for notebooks), and non-compute applications (e.g. portable devices).

  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HDD) jumped 14 percent to 2.20 euros, its biggest gain since February 2009, as it announced a digital partnership with Fujifilm Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, Heidelberger Druck will gain access to Fujifilm�� inkjet technology and its partner will in return benefit from the German company�� engineering and manufacturing activities, Heidelberger Druck said.

  • [By Patricio Kehoe]

    Seagate Technology (STX) has the ability to look for strategic acquisitions that easily synergize with the current operations. As a consequence, Seagate is going to acquire Xyratex, whose shares went up 27.3% on the announcement day and remain at that price level. The deal will help Seagate acquire testing equipment for its hard disk drives (HDD) along with storage systems to analyze and manage network data. It is expected that the deal will close in mid-2014, and add about $500 million or more in revenue in its fiscal year 2015.

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Xylem Inc (XYL)

Xylem Inc. (Xylem), formerly ITT WCO, Inc., incorporated on May 4, 2011, is a provider of equipment and service for water and wastewater applications with a portfolio of products and services addressing the full cycle of water, from collection, distribution and use to the return of water to the environment. It operates in two segments: Water Infrastructure and Applied Water. The Water Infrastructure segment focuses on the transportation, treatment and testing of water, offering a range of products, including water and wastewater pumps, treatment and testing equipment, and controls and systems. Key brands in this segment include Flygt, Wedeco, Godwin Pumps, WTW, Sanitaire, AADI and Leopold. The Applied Water segment encompasses the uses of water and focuses on the residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural markets. The segment�� products include pumps, valves, heat exchangers, controls and dispensing equipment. Key brands in this segment include Goulds Water Technology (Goulds), Bell & Gossett, AC Fire, Standard, Flojet, Lowara, Jabsco and Flowtronex. The Company sells its products in more than 150 countries through a distribution network consisting of its direct sales force and independent channel partners. On October 31, 2011, ITT Corporation completed Spin-off of Xylem, formerly ITT�� water equipment and services businesses. The Spin-off was completed pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, dated as of October 25, 2011, among ITT, Exelis Inc. (Exelis) and Xylem. In July 2012, it acquired MJK Automation A/S. In March 2013, it acquired MultiTrode Pty Ltd.

Water Infrastructure

Water Infrastructure involves the process that collects water from a source and distributes it to users, and then returns the wastewater to the environment. Water Infrastructure serves three applications: transport, treatment and test of water and wastewater for two types of customers: public utilities and industrial facilities. The Transport application includes all of the equipment and s! ervices involved in the movement of water from sources, such as oceans, lakes, rivers and ground water, to treatment facilities, and then to users. It also includes the movement of wastewater from the point of use to a treatment facility and then back into the environment. The Company serves the equipment markets, such as water and wastewater submersible pumps, monitoring controls, and application solutions. With operations on six continents, it also has dewatering rental fleet, serviced with the Company�� Flygt and Godwin brands. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Transport accounted for approximately 73% of its consolidated revenue during the year ended December 31, 2011. Flygt is the manufacturer of submersible pumps, mixers, and aeration equipment for use in environments, such as water and wastewater treatment, raw water supply, abrasive or contaminated industrial processes, mining and crop irrigation. Flygt products have applications in various markets, including wastewater lift stations, water and wastewater treatment facilities, pressurized sewage systems, oil and gas, steel, mining and leisure markets. Customers include public utility wastewater and clean water treatment facilities, oil and gas platforms, and steel manufacturing companies.

Godwin Pumps is engaged in pump manufacturing. It manufactures, sells, rents and services products that are customized to the specific needs of its clients. Godwin Pumps��products include the fully automatic self-priming Dri-Prime pump, a range of Sub-Prime electric and Heidra hydraulic submersible pumps, Wet-Prime gasoline-powered contractor pumps and a line of generators and portable light towers. Godwin products are primarily used in construction, disaster recovery, flooding, heavy industry, marine use, mining, oil, gas and chemical extraction, refineries, temporary fire protection and water and wastewater transport. Customers include industrial plants, construction contractors, public utility wastewaters and clean water treatment and tr! ansportat! ion facilities, oil, gas and chemical drilling outfits, and refineries. Godwin�� fleet of equipment is rented through 33 United States branches and a global network of distributors. The Treatment application includes equipment and services that treat both water for consumption and wastewater to be returned to the environment. Leopold is the Company�� filtration brand. Disinfection systems, both ultraviolet (UV) and ozone oxidation, treat both public utility drinking water and wastewater, as well as industrial process water, and are provided through its WEDECO brand. Biological treatment systems are key to the treatment of solids in wastewater plants, which is provided through its Sanitaire brand. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Treatment accounted for approximately 18% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

The Company�� Sanitaire brand provides biological wastewater treatment solutions for public utility and industrial applications. Sanitaire�� offering includes diffused aeration, sequencing batch reactors, drum filters and state-of-the-art controls. Sanitaire is a brand in diffused aeration, which is a process that introduces air into a liquid, providing an aerobic environment for degradation of organic matter. Principal Sanitaire customers are public utility and industrial wastewater treatment facilities. WEDECO develops chemical-free and environmentally friendly water treatment technologies, including ultraviolet light and ozone systems. There are over 250,000 installed WEDECO systems for UV disinfection and ozone oxidation globally in private, public utility and industrial locations. Customers include public utility wastewater and clean water treatment facilities, power plants, pulp and paper mills, food products manufacturers and aquaculture facilities. Leopold is a gravity media filtration and clarification solutions for the water and wastewater industry. Nova Analytics, its served market is focused on water and the environment for quality levels throughout the water in! frastruct! ure loop.. Analytical systems are applied in three primary ways: in the field, in a facility laboratory, or real time, online monitoring in a treatment facility process. In its Water Infrastructure Segment, Test accounted for approximately 9% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

In wastewater treatment facilities, WTW-branded systems monitor parameters, such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity throughout the water process. WTW�� product offering includes meters, sensors, data-loggers, photometers and software. Aanderaa Data Instruments AS (AADI) offers sensors, instruments and systems for measuring and monitoring in environments, such as rivers, oceans and the polar regions through networked systems using wireless technology that monitors temperature, salinity, oxygen, turbidity, current and waves for ecosystem health. The main market areas are marine transportation, environmental and ocean research, oil and gas, aquaculture, road and traffic, and construction. Oceanography International Corporation (OI Analytical) provides products used for chemical analysis. The Company develops, manufactures, sells, and services analytical instruments that detect, measure, analyze, and monitor chemicals in liquids, solids, and gases. Yellow Springs Instrument Company (YSI) develops and manufactures sensors, instruments, software and data collection platforms for environmental and coastal water quality monitoring and testing. YSI also offers life sciences products, including biochemical analyzers for bioprocess monitoring, food and beverage processing, and sports physiology. The main market areas are marine transportation, environmental and ocean research, oil and gas, aquaculture, road and traffic, and construction.

Applied Water

Applied Water encompasses all the uses of water. Its served market consists of the main uses of global water: Building Services, Industrial Water and Irrigation. The Building Services is defined by four main uses of water in building services ! applicatio! ns, such as in residential homes and commercial buildings, including offices, hotels, restaurants and malls. The first is the supply of potable water for consumption, such as for drinking and hygiene. The Goulds brand offers pumps and boosting systems utilized within buildings, sourcing water from distribution networks or from wells. The second application is wastewater removal with sump and sewage pumps. The third application is in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), where Bell & Gossett specializes in pumps and valves that are used in water-based heating and cooling systems. The fourth water-related building service area is fire protection, where its AC Fire brand supplies full pump systems for emergency fire suppression. In Europe, Lowara is a brand in the commercial and residential water market with applications in the four main uses of water. In its Applied Water Segment, Building Services accounted for approximately 51% of its consolidated net sales in 2011.

The Company�� Goulds brand supplies vertical multistage pumps to boost pressure for purposes , such as circulating water through a manufacturing facility to cool machine tools. Its Lowara brand focuses on water treatment, industrial washing equipment and machine tool cooling. The Standard brand delivers heat exchangers for combined heat and power (CHP) applications within power generation plants. It also provides applications, such as flexible impeller pumps for wine processing facilities served by its Jabsco brand, and water-based detergent dispensing and water circulation within car washes served by Flojet and Goulds air-operated diaphragm and end suction pumps. In its Applied Water Segment, Industrial Water accounted for approximately 42% of its consolidated net sales in 2011. The irrigation business consists of irrigation-related equipment and services associated with bringing water from a source to the plant or livestock need, including hoses, sprinklers, center pivot and drip irrigation. The Company focuses ! on the pu! mps and boosting systems that supply this ancillary equipment with water. Its Goulds brand brings mixed flow pumps, and its Flowtronex group specializes in equipment solutions, such as the Hydrovar boosting system, which incorporates monitoring and controls. Its Lowara brand also produces pumps for agriculture applications and irrigation of gardens and parks. In its Applied Water Segment, Irrigation accounted for approximately 7% of the Company�� consolidated net sales in 2011.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Stocks received a respite from the selling today as Michael Kors�(KORS), Yum Brands (YUM),�Merck�(MRK),�Pfizer�(PFE) and�Xylem�(XYL) gained.

  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    After giving a downbeat revenue forecast three months ago, Xylem Inc.'s(XYL) results weren’t nearly as bad as feared. But the water firm during the summer saw a “strong performance in emerging markets and better-than-expected activity in Europe.” The cherry on top is Xylem undoing some of July’s cut to 2013 estimates. Shares surged 11% to $32.20 premarket.

  • [By Aaron Levitt]

    Spun-off from industrial giant ITT (ITT) a few years ago, Xylem (XYL) could be a great starting point for investors looking at water stocks. Aside from its cool and appropriate name, XYL provides host of equipment — pumps, controllers and filtration devices — for wastewater treatment plants across the globe.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Water and waste-water systems provider Xylem (XYL) raised its quarterly dividend 10% to 12.8 cents per share, payable on Mar. 19 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 19.
    XYL Dividend Yield: 1.39%

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ishares Trust S & P500/Bar (IVW)

iShares S&P 500 Growth Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Standard & Poor's 500/Citigroup Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market. It is a subset of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index and consists of those companies exhibiting the strongest growth characteristics in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, representing approximately 49% of the market capitalization of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

The Fund uses a representative sampling strategy in seeking to track the Index. Barclays Global Fund Advisors (BGFA) serves as an advisor to the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    3. U.S. equities record another good year despite enduring a 10% correction – Another 10% correction call, followed by a bull market resumption…. Doll expects that market gains will depend more on earnings growth rather than further multiple expansion. He also would use pullbacks as buying opportunities as most fundamentals continue to improve.

    ETF Recommendation: SPDR S&P 500 (NYSEArca: SPY) for broad market, or iShares S&P 500 Growth (NYSEArca: IVW) for a growth focus.

    4. Cyclical stocks outperform defensive stocks – This puts consumer discretionary, energy, financials, industrials, technology and materials all doing better than consumer staples, healthcare, telecom, and utilities. Doll also prefers a free cash flow yield to dividend yield and dividend growth over dividend yield.