U.S. stocks and Treasuries rose, and the dollar fell, after Lawrence Summers withdrew his bid to be the next Federal Reserve chairman and America and Russia agreed on a plan to remove Syria�� chemical weapons.
The Standard & Poor�� 500 Index added 0.6 percent to 1,697.39 at 9:30 a.m. in New York. Ten-year Treasury yields dropped eight basis points, or 0.10 percentage point, to 2.79 percent, according to Bloomberg Bond Trader data. The greenback slumped against all of its Group of 10 currency peers.
Summers withdrew from contention before a two-day Fed meeting starting tomorrow, at which the central bank is forecast to begin paring bond purchases known as quantitative easing. Summers would tighten policy more than Janet Yellen, who was his main rival to replace Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, according to a Bloomberg Global Poll of investors, analysts and traders last week.
Best India Stocks To Watch For 2015: Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc (TTNP.OB)
Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated in February 1992, is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics primarily for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The Company is focused primarily on clinical development of products that include Probuphine for the treatment of opioid addiction; Iloperidone: for the treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, and Spheramine for the treatment of advanced Parkinson�� disease. Titan Pharmaceuticals is directly developing its product candidates and also utilizing corporate partnerships, including a collaboration with Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany (Bayer Schering) for the development of Spheramine to treat Parkinson�� disease, and Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Vanda) for the development of iloperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
Probuphine
Probuphine is the first product to utilize the Company�� ProNeura long-ter m drug delivery technology. Probuphine is designed to provide continuous, long-term therapeutic levels of the drug buprenorphine, an approved agent for the treatment of opioid addiction. In December 2007, the Company completed enrollment in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center Phase III clinical study of Probuphine in the treatment of opioid addiction. This 150 patient study, which is being conducted in the United States, will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of treatment with Probuphine versus placebo in reducing opioid addiction over 24 weeks of treatment. This study is part of a registration directed program intended to obtain marketing approval of Probuphine for the treatment of opioid addiction in Europe and the United States.
Iloperidone
Iloperidone was evaluated in a Phase III program comprising over 3,500 patients at more than 200 sites in 24 countries, administered and funded by Novartis Pharma AG (Novartis). In three completed efficacy studies conducted by Novartis, ! i! loperidone statistically reduced the symptoms of schizophrenia compared to placebo. Iloperidone has also been investigated in three 12-month safety studies, which confirm safety and tolerability. A dose dependent increase in the Q-T Corrected (QTc) interval was observed and investigated further in a clinical study, and no clinically significant adverse events were observed. In September 2007, Vanda submitted a new drug application (NDA) with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for iloperidone. The NDA for iloperidone was officially accepted for review by the FDA in November 2007.
Spheramine
Spheramine is a cell-based therapeutic that utilizes the Company�� cell-coated microcarrier (CCM) technology, which enables the development of cell-based therapies for minimally invasive, site-specific delivery to the central nervous system of therapeutic factors precisely where they are needed. Spheramine consists of microcarriers coated wit h human retinal pigment epithelial cells that are intended to enhance brain levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter deficient in certain brain regions in Parkinson�� disease, leading to movement disorders. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the preliminary efficacy and safety of Spheramine, including blinded studies in a primate model of Parkinson�� disease. In June 2007, enrollment was completed in a current multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of Spheramine in Parkinson�� disease. This Phase IIb clinical study enrolled 71 patients with advanced Parkinson�� disease (Hoehn and Yahr Stages III and IV) to further evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of Spheramine.
Bayer Schering, the Company�� corporate partner for worldwide development and commercialization of Spheramine, is funding the clinical development program for Spheramine. Under an agreement, Bayer Schering has received exclusive, worldwide deve lopment, manufacturing and commercialization rights, an! d, in! ad! dition! to the clinical and manufacturing development funding and milestone payments, Bayer Schering will pay Titan Pharmaceuticals a royalty on future product sales.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By C.R. Jackson]
Fanapt was discovered by Hoechst Marion Roussel in 1995 as a novel atypical antipsychotic agent. Hoechst was a German life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc in 1999. When the company joined with Sanofi-Synthélabo in 2004, it became a subsidiary of the Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) the French pharmaceutical conglomerate. In 1997, Hoechst sold the research rights to Titan Pharmaceuticals (TTNP.OB). Then Titan quickly sold the worldwide rights to Novartis in 1998. Novartis then sold the Phase 3 development rights for loperidone to Vanda in 2004. Vanda originally attempted to get FDA approval for Fanapt in 2008, but the FDA refused to approve iloperidone. The agency required an additional clinical trial.
10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Herbalife Ltd (HLF)
Herbalife Ltd., incorporated on April 4, 2002, is a global network marketing company that sells weight management, nutritional supplements, energy, sports and fitness products and personal care products through a network of approximately 2.7 million independent distributors, except in China, where the Company sells its products through retail stores. The Company is a network marketing company that sells a range of weight management products, nutritional supplements and personal care products. As of December 31, 2011, the Company sold products in 79 countries throughout the world. Herbalife�� products are grouped in four principal categories: weight management, targeted nutrition, energy, sports and fitness and Outer Nutrition, along with literature and promotional items. The Company�� generates revenue from its six regions: North America, Mexico, South and Central America; EMEA, which consists of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific (excluding China), and China. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired a manufacturing facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The Company�� products are manufactured by third party providers and by the Company in its Suzhou, China facility and in its manufacturing facility located in Lake Forest, California, and then are sold to independent distributors who sell Herbalife products to retail consumers or other distributors. As of December 31, 2011, Herbalife marketed and sold 138 products encompassing over 4,400 stock keeping units (SKUs) through its distributors.
Weight Management
Weight Management is the Company�� largest product category representing 62.5% of its net sales during the year ended December 31, 2011. Formula 1, its product, is a healthy meal with soy protein, essential vitamins, minerals, herbs and nutrients that is available in seven flavors and can help support weight management. Personalized Protein Powder is a soy and whey protein product designed as a boost to Formula 1 to personalize a pe! rson�� daily protein intake to help achieve their desired weight and shape. Weight-loss enhancers, including Herbal Tea Concentrate, Total Control and Prolessa Duo address specific challenges associated with dieting, such as lack of energy, hunger and food craving, fluid retention, decreased metabolism and digestive challenges, by building energy, boosting metabolism, curbing appetite and helping to promote weight loss. Healthy snacks are formulated to provide between-meal nutrition and appetite satisfaction.
Targeted Nutrition
Herbalife markets numerous dietary and nutritional supplements designed to meet its customers��specific nutritional needs. Each of these supplements contains botanicals, vitamins, minerals and other natural ingredients and focuses on specific life stages of its customers, including women, men, children and those with health concerns, including heart health, healthy aging, digestive health, or immune solutions. Niteworks is a product that supports energy, circulatory and vascular health and enhances blood flow to the heart, brain and other vital organs. Garden 7 is designed to provide the phytonutrient benefits of seven servings of fruits and vegetables and has anti-oxidant and health-boosting properties. Best Defense is an effervescent drink that helps boost immunity. In 2011, the Company expanded distribution of its Active Fiber line by introducing its Apple flavored Active Fiber Complex in the South and Central America region.
Energy, Sports and Fitness
Herbalife entered into the energy drink with the introduction of Liftoff, an energy drink containing a blend of B-vitamins, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo and caffeine to increase energy and improve mental clarity for better performance throughout the day. It launched H3Otm Fitness Drink to provide hydration, sustained muscle energy plus antioxidant protection for people living a healthy, active lifestyle. It also introduced H30 Pro in EMEA to provide an isotonic drink to indivi! duals par! ticipating in high activity sports.
Outer Nutrition
The Company�� Outer Nutrition products complement its weight management and targeted nutrition products and aim to improve the appearance of the body, skin and hair. These products include skin cleansers, toners, moisturizers and facial masks, shampoos and conditioners, body-wash items and a selection of fragrances for men and women. Its Herbal Aloe line is its introductory line providing distributors with cleansers, lotions and soaps that help sooth the skin. NouriFusion Multivitamin skin care products are formulated with antioxidant Vitamins A, C and E. It launched a line of anti-aging products as an extension of its Skin Activator product, an advanced face cream that contains a collagen-building Glucosamine Complex to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also launched a number of regional products including a Soft Green Body Care line in Brazil, the Whitening Serum under the NouriFusion brand in the Asia Pacific region, and the Lively Fragrances perfume line.
Literature, Promotional and Other Products
Herbalife also sells literature and promotional materials, including sales aids, informational audiotapes, videotapes, compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs) designed to support its distributors��marketing efforts, as well as start-up kits called International Business Packs for new distributors. It introduced BizWorks, a customizable retail Website for its distributors to enhance the on-line experience.
The Company competes with NuSkin Enterprises, Nature�� Sunshine, Alticor/Amway, Melaleuca, Avon Products, Oriflame, Tupperware and Mary Kay, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, General Nutrition Centers and Wal-Mart.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jayson Derrick]
Shares of Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) are also underselling pressure, even though the company is in no way connected to Nu Skin's developing story. In the third quarter of 2013, Herbalife's sales in China grew by 77 percent and make up around 11 percent of its overall sales.
- [By Hibah Yousuf]
Ackman also is sitting on a huge loss on paper with his short against nutritional supplement maker Herbalife (HLF). Shares of Herbalife have more than doubled this year even though Ackman has claimed on numerous occasions that he thinks the company is a pyramid scheme that has no value.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Nu Skin has plunged 12% to $73.59 at 2:55 p.m., far more than Herblife�(HLF), which has dropped 1.9% to $65.37, and�Usana Health Sciences�(USNA), which has fallen 1.5% to $72.11.
- [By Teresa Rivas]
Shares of Herbalife (HLF) were falling more than 4% in morning trading, after news late Monday that the New York attorney general is investigating the company.
Anonymous sources told The New York Post that Eric Schneiderman–much like the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Justice Department–is looking into allegations that Herbalife is a pyramid scheme, based on testimony from at least two whistleblowers.
The sources also note that Schneiderman�� office has received complaints from former Hispanic Herbalife distributors who claim that the company defrauded them.
Herbalife�� Tuesday slide erases nearly all of the gains it clawed back yesterday, as the stock sold off heavily on Friday when news broke of the federal investigations.
At recent check, Nu Skin�(NUS) and Usana Health Sciences�(USNA) were also trading down.
10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Choice Hotels International Inc. (CHH)
Choice Hotels International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a hotel franchisor worldwide. It franchises lodging properties under its proprietary brand names, including Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Cambria Suites, and Ascend Collection brands. As of March 31, 2011, it operated 6,128 open hotels comprising 492,733 rooms, as well as 606 hotels consisting of 49,908 rooms under construction, awaiting conversion, or approved for development in 49 states, and the District of Columbia in the United States; and approximately 40 countries and other territories. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
Don't make the wrong Choice
I predict that 2013 will be the return of the "staycation." In the depths of the recession, instead of taking expensive getaways, consumers chose simply to take time off work and stay home or locally. I think we have the perfect confluence of factors that could make life difficult for Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH ) , operator of Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, and a multitude of other mid-price-point hotels. - [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Getty Images From a door-to-door selling icon stocking up on blush after a disappointing quarter to several hotel chains checking in with strong occupancy trends, here's a rundown of the week's smartest moves and biggest blunders in the business world. Hotels -- Winners Hoteliers were apparently hopping during the first quarter. Despite the iffy weather and the equally iffy economy, the leading chains reporting this week posted surprisingly robust activity. Revenue per available room is a key metric because it tracks occupancy levels as well as prevailing overnight rates. The industry's doing well when RevPAR is positive, and that's just what we saw with this week's reports. Choice Hotels (CHH), Marriott (MAR), and Hyatt (H) clocked in with RevPAR increases of 5.6 percent, 6.3 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. Twitter (TWTR) -- Loser Shares of Twitter hit an all-time low this week after the company posted disappointing user growth. Sure, the "all-time low" remark needs to be accompanied by the caveat that Twitter has only been trading publicly for less than six months. It's still a grim milestone for last year's most anticipated debutante. Twitter's revenue growth was fine, propelled by the recent success of its monetization initiatives. Its outlook was upbeat. However, the one thing that haunted investors this week was that Twitter had just 14 million more unique monthly visitors than it had a quarter earlier. That kind of sequential uptick would've impressed at most companies, but Twitter trades at a juicy premium to the market. #Letdown. J.C. Penney (JCP) -- Winner The struggling department store operator isn't out of the woods just yet, but at least one supplier is offering up encouraging insight. PVH (PVH) was presenting at an investor conference in Miami earlier in the week when its CEO offered up an encouraging perspective. "The Penney's business is running on or ahead of plan and given what their sales trends are," said CEO Manny Chirico,
- [By John Udovich]
Small cap hotel stock La Quinta Holdings Inc (NYSE: LQ) just had its IPO to raise a lower than expected $650 million after being priced below its expected range, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock which�is focused on the�mid-priced hotel market along with the performance of potential benchmarks like hotel stocks Marriott International Inc (NASDAQ: MAR), Choice Hotels International Inc (NYSE: CHH) and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN).
10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Cache Inc.(CACH)
Cache, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a mall and Web based specialty retailer of women?s lifestyle sportswear and dresses in the United States. It offers eveningwear; casual and daytime sportswear, including tops, bottoms, and dresses; and accessories, such as jewelry, belts, and handbags under the Cache brand name. The company also provides its products online through its Web site, cache.com. As of March 22, 2012, it operated 267 stores in 43 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Cache, Inc. was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
As we head into Black Friday and the holiday shopping season, small cap apparel retail stocks Cache, Inc (NASDAQ: CACH), Stein Mart, Inc (NASDAQ: SMRT), Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc (NASDAQ: PSUN) and Destination XL Group Inc (NASDAQ: DXLG) have the distinction of being the best performing small cap apparel retail stocks for this year (according to Finviz.com) with gains of 111.6%, 92.7%, 88.7% and 65.7%, respectively. What are these high flying small caps doing right in the apparel retail space and will they continue delivering a stellar performance for Black Friday and the all important holiday season for�investors? Here is what new and existing investors and traders alike need to know or consider:
10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG)
Macquarie Group Limited acts as a non-operating holding company (NOHC). The Company�� segments include Macquarie Funds Group, Corporate and Asset Finance, Banking and Financial Services Group, Macquarie Securities Group, Macquarie Capital, Fixed Income, and Currencies and Commodities. The Company is a financial services provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services. The Company's products and services include Asset and Wealth Management, which is engaged in distribution and manufacture of funds management products; financial markets involves trading in fixed income, equities, currency, commodities and derivative products; capital markets include corporate and structured finance. In February 2014, Endeavour Mining Corporation announced that Macquarie Group Ltd and its controlled bodies corporate ceased to be a shareholder in the capital of the Company. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Adam Haigh]
Esprit Holdings Ltd. (330), a Hong Kong-based clothier that counts Europe as its biggest market, climbed 2.4 percent. Macquarie (MQG) Group Ltd. surged 11 percent, its biggest gain in four years, as profit at the Australia�� largest investment bank topped estimates. Fletcher Building Ltd., a manufacturer of construction products, sank 6.5 percent in Wellington as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. cut its outlook for building-material shares.
10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: BlackRock Enhanced Capital And Income Fund Inc (CII)
BlackRock Enhanced Capital and Income Fund, Inc. (the Fund), formerly BlackRock Capital and Income Strategies Fund, Inc., is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund seeks to provide current income and capital appreciation. It invests in a portfolio of equity and debt securities of United States and foreign issuers. The Fund�� portfolio includes common stocks, preferred stocks, foreign government obligations, corporate bonds, trust preferreds and municipal bonds. The Fund employs a strategy of writing (selling) call options on equity indexes in an attempt to generate gains from option premiums (the Index Option Strategy). Under the Index Option Strategy, the Fund will write call options primarily on the S&P 500 Index, but may, from time to time, write call options on other equity indexes as well. The Fund�� investment advisor is BlackRock Advisors, LLC, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.
The Fund invests in various industries, including commercial banks, diversified financial services, electric utilities, food products, gas utilities, insurance, thrifts and mortgage finance, and real estate investment trusts. On September 29, 2006, BlackRock, Inc. and Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (Merrill Lynch) combined Merrill Lynch�� investment management business, Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, L.P. (MLIM), and its affiliates, including Fund Asset Management, L.P. (FAM), with BlackRock, Inc. to create an independent company. Merrill Lynch has a 49.8% economic interest and a 45% voting interest in the combined company, and The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) has approximately a 34% economic and voting interest. The new company operates under the BlackRock name.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
According to a Gabelli Funds report, managed distribution policies offer several advantages, including:1. Lower difference between the fund�� market price and its NAV per share.2. Provides support during periods when the stock market is in a decline.3. Provides a measurable performance target for the investment adviser.Below are several high-yield funds from CEFA that have a managed distribution policy (yields as of December 16):Aberdeen Australia Eqty (IAF)- Distribution Yield: 10.4%- Income Yield: 3.46%Bexil Advisers LLC� (DNI)- Distribution Yield: 11.1%- Income Yield: 3.56%BlackRock En Capital&Inc (CII)- Distribution Yield: 8.78%- Income Yield: 2.34%Cornerstone Strat Value (CLM)- Distribution Yield: 18.77%- Income Yield: 1.83%Cornerstone Total Return (CRF)- Distribution Yield: 19.10%- Income Yield: 0.85%Delaware Inv Div & Inc (DDF)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 5.26%Gabelli Equity Trust (GAB)- Distribution Yield: 7.58%- Income Yield: 1.54%Gabelli Utility Trust (GUT)- Distribution Yield: 9.45%- Income Yield: 2.84%MFS Special Value Trust (MFV)- Distribution Yield: 9.60%- Income Yield: 5.73%Nuveen Tx-Adv TR Strat (JTA)- Distribution Yield: 6.70%- Income Yield: 3.12%TCW Strategic Income (TSI)- Distribution Yield: 10.54%- Income Yield: 7.88%Zweig Total Return (ZTR)- Distribution Yield: 7.27%- Income Yield: 1.95%As noted in the Gabelli report, a managed distribution policy may create confusion regarding the true current yield since the reported yield includes the return of capital portion. You can see the disparity above between the income yield and the distribution (reported) yield.If you are looking for a sustainable and growing dividend, you may want to consider some blue-chip dividend stocks such as these with a Free Cash Flow Payout less than 50%, 50+ years of consecutive dividend increases and a 2%+ yield:3M Co. (MMM) is a diversified global company provides enhanced product functionality in electronics, health care, industrial, consumer
10 Best Dow Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Kforce Inc.(KFRC)
Kforce Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides professional and technical staffing services and solutions in the United States. It operates in five segments: Technology, Finance and Accounting, Clinical Research, Health Information Management, and Government Solutions. The Technology segment offers temporary staffing and permanent placement services to its clients, focusing on information technology comprising systems/applications programmers and developers, senior-level project managers, systems analysts, enterprise data management, e-business, and networking technicians, as well as healthcare, financial services, and government integrators. The Finance and Accounting segment provides temporary staffing and permanent placement services to its customers in taxation, budget preparation and analysis, mortgage and loan processing, financial reporting, cost analysis, accounts payable, accounts receivable, professional administrative, credit and collections, general acco unting, audit services, and systems and controls analysis and documentation. The Clinical Research segment is involved in providing functional outsourcing solutions for monitoring clinical research site, contingent contract staffing, and permanent placement of clinical research personnel to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The Health Information Management segment offers temporary staffing and permanent placement services to its clients consisting of acute care facilities, physician clinics, software providers, and insurance companies, as well as in medical coding, the revenue life cycle, and health information technology areas. The Government Solutions segment provides technology, and finance and accounting professionals to the federal government; and integrated business solutions in the information technology, data and knowledge management, research and development, financial management, and accounting areas. Kforce Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
Despite a lukewarm economy and jobs situation, the staffing industry along with small cap staffing stocks like On Assignment, Inc (NYSE: ASGN), Kforce Inc (NASDAQ: KFRC) and up and coming Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF) have actually put in pretty decent performances since the end of the financial crisis. I should mention that globally, staffing companies generate about $280 billion in annual revenue and there�are approximately 70,000 private employment services agencies around the world with the top 10 companies accounting for about a third of total industry sales while in the USA there are an estimated 15,000 staffing companies generating less than $20 million in revenues. Overall, Europe is the largest regional staffing services market with 40% of annual revenue, followed by the United States.
- [By Brian Pacampara]
What: Shares of staffing service specialist Kforce (NASDAQ: KFRC ) plunged 16% today after its quarterly results missed Wall Street expectations.
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