Saturday, February 28, 2015

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2015

Top 10 Regional Bank Stocks To Buy For 2015: Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC)

Uranium Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, extraction, and processing of uranium concentrates on projects located in the United States and Paraguay. As of July 31, 2012, it had mineral rights in uranium mining projects located in the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming, as well as in Paraguay. The company was formerly known as Carlin Gold Inc. and changed its name to Uranium Energy Corp. in January 2005. Uranium Energy Corp. was incorporated in 2003 and is based in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By The Energy Report]

    JH: There are several companies that are in production that we follow in the U.S., such as Cameco Corp. (CCJ). Cameco produces at the Smith Ranch-Highland in the Powder River Basin. There's Uranium One, also in the Powder River Basin. There's Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC). A few near-term producers are rapidly coming online. Ur-Energy Inc. (URG) is one company we like in Wyoming.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-regional-bank-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

Friday, February 27, 2015

Best Freight Companies To Invest In 2015

Best Freight Companies To Invest In 2015: Universal Truckload Services Inc (UACL)

Universal Truckload Services, Inc., incorporated on December 11, 2001, is engaged in providing transportation services to shippers throughout the United States and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The Companys over-the-road trucking services include both flatbed and dry van operations and it provides rail-truck and steamship-truck intermodal support services. It also offers truck brokerage services, as well as full service international freight forwarding and customs house brokerage services. The Company provides truckload transportation and related services for a range of general commodities over irregular routes using dry and specialty vans and un-sided trailers, including flatbed, drop deck, and specialty. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed acquisition of Westport Axle Corporation.

The Company primarily operates through a contractor network of agents and owner-operators who provide the Company with approximately 3,100 tractors and approximately 3,000 trailers. At December 31, 2011, the Company had approximately 565 agents. The Company conducts its operations through its wholly owned operating subsidiaries under the brand names, such as Universal Am-Can, Ltd., Mason & Dixon Lines, Inc., Louisiana Transportation Inc., Mason Dixon Intermodal, Inc., Economy Transport, Inc., Great American Lines, Inc., Universal Logistics Solutions, Inc., Universal Logistics Solutions International, Inc. and Cavalry Transportation, LLC.

The Company provides services in three categories, such as truckload services, brokerage services and intermodal support services. The Company transports a range of general commodities, including machinery, building materials, paper, food, consumer goods, automotive parts, furniture, steel and other metals. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its truckload operations represented 60.5%, of its operating revenues.

!

The Company provides primari ly broker freight to third-party transportation providers th! rough its agent network at times when the Company generates more freight business than it can service with its available owner-operators. The Company offers full service international freight forwarding and customs house brokerage services, as well as third-party logistic services. During 2011, its brokerage services represented 24.8%, of its operating revenues. Its intermodal support services are primarily short-to-medium distance delivery of rail and steamship containers between the railhead or port and the customer and drayage services. During 2011, its intermodal support services represented 14.7% of its operating revenues.

The Companys agents provide the primary interaction with its shippers. They generate freight shipments and also provide terminal and dispatch services for the owner-operators and are an essential source for recruitment of new owner-operators. The agents use a company-provided software program to list available freight procured by the a gent, dispatch owner-operators to haul the freight and provide all administrative information necessary for it to establish the credit arrangements for each shipper. The owner-operators are individuals who own, operate and maintain one or more tractors that they either provide drivers, or drive themselves. The Companys owner-operators provide it with approximately 3,100 tractors. Owner-operators also may own trailers that they provide the Company in addition to their tractor and driving services. As of December 31, 2011, its owner-operators provided approximately 3,000 trailers, which represent over 50% of the trailers the Company use in its business.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sean Williams]

    What: Shares of Universal Truckload Services (NASDAQ: UACL  ) , a North American provider of trucking and logistics solutions, jumped as much as 12% after receiving an upgrade from BB&TCapital Markets.

  • !
  • ! [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 Universal Truckload Services (Nasdaq: UACL  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-freight-companies-to-invest-in-2015-3.html

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Top 5 China Companies To Invest In 2015

Top 5 China Companies To Invest In 2015: Spreadtrum Communications Inc.(SPRD)

Spreadtrum Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops, and markets baseband processor and RF transceiver solutions for wireless communications and mobile television markets. It offers a portfolio of integrated baseband processor solutions that support a range of wireless communications standards, including global system for mobile communication (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), and high speed packet access (HSPA), as well as offer an array of multimedia capabilities, such as MP3 digital audio playback, touch screen, JAVA acceleration, digital camera support, motion JPEG, MPEG4, AVS and H.264 digital video playback, and 64-channel polyphonic ringtone playback. The company also provides single-chip CMOS multi-mode RF transceivers that perform across various standards covering GSM/GP RS, EDGE, wideband code division multiple access, TD-SCDMA, and high speed uplink/downlink packet access. In addition, it designs, develops, and markets a CMMB-based channel demodulator and audio/video decoder processor solution for the mobile television market. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors to brand manufacturers, independent design houses, and original design manufacturers primarily in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Spreadtrum Communications, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Radovsky]

    Chinese semiconductor maker Spreadtrum (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) has received a buyout offer valued at up to $1.5 billion from Tsinghua Unigroup, a subsidiary of Chinese government-owned Tsinghua Holdings, Spreadtrum announced today.

  • [By Bloomberg News]

    The Bloomberg China-US ! 55 Index (CH55BN), the measure of the most- traded U.S.-listed Chinese companies, added 0.2 percent in New York yesterday. Spreadtrum Communications Inc. (SPRD) gained after Bank of America Corp. said rising smartphone use will boost Asian semiconductor makers.

  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    What: Shares of smartphone chip maker Spreadtrum Communications (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) popped 13% today after Chinese state-owned company Tsinghua Unigroup agreed to acquire it for about $1.8 billion.

  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    What: Shares of Chinese smartphone chip maker Spreadtrum Communications (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) surged 17% today after Tsinghua University, through its subsidiary Tsinghua Unigroup, offered to acquire it for $1.4 billion.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-china-companies-to-invest-in-2015-2.html

Friday, February 20, 2015

10 Best Restaurant Stocks To Invest In 2015

10 Best Restaurant Stocks To Invest In 2015: Sodexo SA (SW)

Sodexo SA, (formerly Sodexho Alliance SA), is a global provider of services in three primary business areas: The On-site Services Solutions offer various services that range from food services to construction management, reception to the maintenance of scanners and laboratory equipment, management of data centers, leisure cruises and provides housekeeping to rehabilitation services at correctional facilities. The Motivation Solutions division provides passes and vouchers, comprising Restaurant Pass, Gift Pass, Sport Pass, Training Voucher, Service Card and Book Card, among others. The Company also provides Personal and Home Services in the form of childcare, tutoring, concierge services and in-home service care facilities. The Company is present in 80 countries in a number of geographic areas, such as North America, South America, Continental Europe and United Kingdom and Ireland. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Glenwoods]

    Recently giant food conglomerate, Cargill announced it had partnered with the Swiss biosynthetic pharmaceutical company, Evolva (EVE:SW), to develop a more consistent and less expensive stevia sweetener via Evolvas microbial fermentation-based process. This is big news for the future of stevia because a microbial fermentation-based process does not have to rely on soil conditions or weather, and stevia can be manufactured anywhere, thus having the potential of guaranteeing an endless supply line of stevia. Through the microbial fermentation, the manufacturer has the capability to process the key sweet individual components of stevia using low-cost plant sugars, and allows for the individual components of stevia, regardless of how minute, to be developed creating blends in any volume, which then could open the door for these manufacturers to fine-tune its stevia to local tastes. But what would be most attractive is that, because the fermentation process does not require the entire plant, the method c! ould conceivably shave upwards of 70% off the cost of producing stevia extracts.

  • source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-restaurant-stocks-to-invest-in-2015-2.html

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Best Small Cap Companies To Invest In Right Now

Best Small Cap Companies To I nvest In Right Now: Texas Instruments Incorporated(TXN)

Texas Instruments Incorporated engages in the design and sale of semiconductors to electronics designers and manufacturers worldwide. The company?s Analog segment offers high-performance analog products comprising standard analog semiconductors, such as amplifiers, data converters, and interface semiconductors; high-volume analog and logic products; and power management semiconductors and line-powered systems. Its Embedded Processing segment includes DSPs that perform mathematical computations to process and enhance digital data; and microcontrollers, which are designed to control a set of specific tasks for electronic equipment. The company?s Wireless segment designs, manufactures, and sells application processors and connectivity products. Its Other segment offers smaller semiconductor products, which include DLP products that are primarily used in projectors to create high-definition images; and application-specific integrated circuits. This segment also provides handhe ld graphing and scientific calculators, as well as licenses technologies to other electronic companies. The company serves the communications, computing, industrial, consumer electronics, automotive, and education sectors. Texas Instruments Incorporated sells its products through a direct sales force, distributors, and third-party sales representatives. It has collaboration agreements with PLX Technology Inc.; Neonode, Inc.; and Ubiquisys Ltd. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Bob Ciura]

    It's been an up-and-down year for semiconductor stock Texas Instruments (NASDAQ: TXN  ) . Its stock price fell significantly in September after a warning from one of its peers in the chip industry. However, Texas Instruments' stock price has recovered fr! om that and then some, because its underlying business has sailed through 2014 unscathed. Texas Instruments is growing -- and rewarding its shareholders with lots of cash flow through billions of dollars in share buybacks and dividend payments

  • [By Myra Ramdenbourg]

    Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN): Sr. Vice President and CFO Kevin P. March sold 318,750 shares

    On 11/03/2014, Sr. Vice President and CFO Kevin P. March sold 318,750 shares at an average price of $50.01. The price of the stock has increased by 1.78% since. Texas Instruments Inc. has a market cap of $53.77 billion and its shares were traded at around $50.90. The company has a P/E ratio of 22.30 and P/S ratio of 4.33 with a dividend yield of 2.44%. Over the past 10 years, Texas Instruments Inc had an annual average earnings growth of 4.50%. GuruFocus rated Texas Instruments Inc the business predictability rank of 3-star.

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-small-cap-companies-to-invest-in-right-now-3.html

Monday, February 16, 2015

Hot Up And Coming Stocks For 2015

Hot Up And Coming Stocks For 2015: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc (KKD)

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (Krispy Kreme), December 02, 1999, is a retailer and wholesaler of doughnuts complementary beverages and treats and packaged sweets. The Company's principal business is owning and franchising Krispy Kreme stores, at which a variety of doughnuts, including the Company's Original Glazed doughnut, are sold and distributed together with complementary products, and where a broad array of coffees and other beverages are offered. As of February 3, 2013, there were 239 Krispy Kreme stores operated domestically in 38 states and in the District of Columbia, and there were 509 shops in 21 other countries around the world. Of the 748 total stores, 295 were factory stores and 453 were satellites. The Company operates in four segments: Company Stores, domestic franchise stores, international franchise stores, and the KK Supply Chain.

Company Stores

Its Company Stores segment consists of the operating activities of its Company-o wned stores. These stores sell doughnuts and complementary products through the on-premises and wholesale channels. Many of the doughnut varieties the Company offers in its doughnut shops also are distributed, through off-premises sales channels. In addition, it offers a number of products through off-premises channels, including honeybuns, fruit pies, mini-crullers, cupcakes and various chocolate enrobed products, generally packaged as individually wrapped snacks or packaged in snack bags. Krispy Kreme has a beverage program, which includes drip coffees, both coffee-based and noncoffee-based frozen drinks, juices, sodas, milks, water and packaged and fountain beverages. In addition, the Company also develops beverages such as espresso, cappuccino and hot chocolate.

Domestic Franchise

The Domestic Franchise segment consists of the Company's domest! ic store franchise operations. This segment derives revenue principally from initial development and f ranchise fees related to new stores and from royalties on sa! les by franchise stores. As of February 3, 2013, there were 142 domestic franchise stores in 29 states, consisting of 99 factory and 43 satellite stores.

International Franchise

The International Franchise segment consists of the Company's international store franchise operations. International franchise stores sell doughnuts and complementary products almost exclusively through the on-premises sales channel using shop formats similar to those used in the United States, and also using a kiosk format. A portion of sales by the franchisees in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia are made to wholesale customers. As of February 3, 2013, there were 509 international franchise shops in 21 countries, consisting of 120 factory stores and 389 satellite shops.

KK Supply Chain Business Segment

The Company operates an integrated supply chain. The KK Supply Chain segment buys and processes ingredients it uses to produce doughnut mixes and manufactures doughnut-making equipment that all factory stores are required to purchase. The Company manufactures doughnut mixes at its facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In addition to traditional doughnut mixes and mixes made from mix concentrate, the Company produces or manages the production of doughnut premix, which is used to produce doughnut mixes in certain international locations. The KK Supply Chain segment also purchases and sells supplies, including icings and fillings, other food ingredients, juices, signage, display cases, uniforms and other items to both Company and franchisee-owned stores.

The Company competes with Dolly Madison, Entenmann's, Hostess, Little Debbie, and Sara Lee.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By RHPanalysts]

    Also, the company plans to broaden its relationship with J.M. Smucker's (S! JM) and e! xtends hands with Starbucks (SBUX). It also added Peet's, as a new partner in its healthy system that is fed with strong brands. Further, the company also added Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (KKD) to its system and has welcomed long-term partner Lavazza to the Keurig K-Cup system, one of the Italy's favorite coffee br

  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Shuji Kobayashi/Getty Images | Your Monday morning just got a little more caffeinated. Today marks the annual celebration of National Coffee Day. In recognition of holiday, several national and regional chains will be offering free and heavily discounted fresh cups of joe. With big named retailers such as Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Wawa and more giving away cups of their most popular blends, it's a promotion you won't want to miss. Here are 10 locations participating in National Coffee Day 2014: Peet's Coffee & Tea Get two coffees or espressos for the price of one when you shop at any Peet's Coffee & Tea nationwide locations Monday. Customers who buy anyone beverage will receive a second free drink of their choice for free as part of their Buy One, Get One & Give the Freshest Cup promotion. Peet's will also be offering free coffee and espresso samples all day long in celebration of the holiday. For those who prefer to brew a fresh cup of Peet's in the comfort of their own home, customers will also get $2 off a bag of 12-ounce or larger bag of Peet's fresh coffee. LaMar's Enjoy a free 12 cup of coffee with your doughnut when you visit participating Lamar's Donuts locations Monday. In recognition of the holiday, the retailer will be giving away free, freshly roasted 12-ounce cups of joe to all customers. Wawa If order to receive your free cup of joe from Wawa Inc. on National Coffee Day, customers are required to sign up at Wawa.com. By filing in an electronic voucher, customers will then by given one coupon for a free 16-ounce Wawa coffee to redeem on Sept. 29. Customers must be at 13 years of age or older to participate! in the p! romotion. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Forget the doughnuts, Krispy Kreme (KKD) is giving away free coffee. The offer is only valid for 12-ounce cups. Only one free drink per customer is permitted. In celebration of the holiday, their best-selling 12-ounce Mocha Latte and iced-coffee will be retailing at a special rate o

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-up-and-coming-stocks-for-2015-2.html

Friday, February 13, 2015

5 Best Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now

PITTSBURGH (AP) ��In at least four states that have nurtured the nation's energy boom, hundreds of complaints have been made about well-water contamination from oil or gas drilling, and pollution was confirmed in a number of them, according to a review that casts doubt on industry suggestions that such problems rarely happen.

The Associated Press requested data on drilling-related complaints in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas and found major differences in how the states report such problems. Texas provided the most detail, while the other states provided only general outlines. And while the confirmed problems represent only a tiny portion of the thousands of oil and gas wells drilled each year in the U.S., the lack of detail in some state reports could help fuel public confusion and mistrust.

Top Gold Stocks For 2015: ATP Oil And Gas Corp (AOB)

ATP Oil & Gas Corporation, incorporated in 1991, is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas properties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had estimated net proved reserves of 118.9 Million barrels of crude oil equivalent (MMBoe), of which approximately 75.9 MMboe (64%) were in the Gulf of Mexico and 42.9 MMBoe (36%) were in the North Sea. The reserves consisted of 78.6 Million barrels (MMBbls) of oil (66%) and 241.5 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas (34%). Its proved reserves in the deepwater area of the Gulf of Mexico account for 62% of the Company�� total proved reserves and its proved reserves on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf account for 2% of its total proved reserves. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired three licenses in the Mediterranean Sea covering potential natural gas resources in the deepwater off the coast of Israel (East Mediterranean). On August 17, 2012, ATP Oil And Gas Corp filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Company�� natural gas reserves are split between the Gulf of Mexico (57%) and the North Sea (43%). Of its total proved reserves, 8.3 MMBoe (7%) were producing, 19.0 MMBoe (16%) were developed and not producing and 91.6 MMBoe (77%) were undeveloped. The Company�� average working interest in its properties at December 31, 2011, was approximately 81%. The Company operates 92% of its platforms. At December 31, 2011, in the Gulf of Mexico, it owned leasehold and other interests in 38 offshore blocks and 49 wells, including 23 subsea wells. The Company operates 43 (88%) of these wells, including 100% of the subsea wells. In the North Sea, it also had interests in 13 blocks and two Company-operated subsea wells. As of March 15, 2011, the Company owned an interest in 13 platforms, including two floating production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, the ATP Titan at its Telemark Hub and the ATP Innovator at its Gomez Hub. It operates the ATP Innovator and the ATP Titan.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Emerson]

    Most of the Chinese companies that I purchased now reside on the Pink Sheets or have disappeared altogether, but at one time they all traded on major US exchanges. One of them (AOB), even received the honor of ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in 2007, and people say that crime does not pay.

5 Best Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: Liberty Coal Energy Corp (LBTG)

Liberty Coal Energy Corp, incorporated on August 31, 2007, is an exploration-stage company. The Company is a precious metal mineral exploration, development and production company. The primary business focus of the Company is to acquire, explore and develop coal properties in North America. On February 1, 2012, the Company entered into a letter of intent for the acquisition of private mineral leasehold rights to certain coal mining property in Owsley County, Kentucky with AMS Development LLC. and Colt Resources, Inc.

The Owsley property covers approximately 1,000 acres and has 3,600,000 tons of coal recoverable by surface and high wall (auger) methods. As of September 31, 2011, the Company had not earned any revenues.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    On Friday, small cap mining stocks Maverick Minerals Corp (OTCMKTS: MVRM) and Liberty Coal Energy Corp (OTCMKTS: LBTG) plus oil stock Gray Fox Petroleum Corp (OTCBB: GFOX) sank 30.9%, 16.67% and 11.2%, respectively. However, only one of these stocks appears to have been the subject of some kind of paid promotion in the form of an investment in some shares. So will these three small cap mining or oil stocks keep coming up empty for investors this week? Here is a closer look:

5 Best Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: SolarCity Corp (SCTY)

SolarCity Corporation (SolarCity), incorporated on June 21, 2006, is engaged in the design, installation and sale or lease of solar energy systems to residential and commercial customers, or sale of electricity generated by solar energy systems to customers. The Company sells renewable energy to its customers. As of December 12, 2012, the Company served customers in 14 states. The Company�� residential customers are individual homeowners and homeowners. The Company�� commercial customers represent several business sectors, including technology, retail, manufacturing, agriculture, nonprofit and houses of worship. The Company has installed solar energy systems for several government entities, including the the United States Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy, and the Department of Homeland Security. The Company purchases major components, such as solar panels and inverters directly from multiple manufacturers. As of September 30, 2012, its primary solar panel suppliers were Trina Solar Limited, Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited and Kyocera Solar, Inc., among others, and its primary inverter suppliers were Power-One, Inc., SMA Solar Technology, AG, Schneider Electric SA, Fronius International GmbH and SolarEdge Technologies, among others.

Solar Energy Products

The Company�� solar energy products include Solar Energy Systems, and SolarLease and power purchase agreement finance products. The major components of its solar energy systems include solar panels that convert sunlight into electrical current. Most of its solar energy customers choose to purchase energy from the Company pursuant to one of two payment structures: a SolarLease or a power purchase agreement. In both structures, the Company charges customers a monthly fee for the power produced by its solar energy systems. In the lease structure, this monthly payment is pre-determined and includes a production guarantee. In the power purchase agreement structure, the Company charges customers a fee per kilowatt! hour based on the amount of electricity actually produced by the solar energy system.

Energy Efficiency Products and Services

The Company�� energy efficiency products and services include home energy evaluation and energy efficiency upgrades. The Company sells home energy efficiency evaluations to new solar energy system customers and existing customers. The Company�� energy efficiency upgrade products and services address heating and cooling, air sealing, duct sealing, water heating, insulation, furnaces, weatherization, pool pumps and lighting. As of December 12, 2012, the Company had completed over 13,000 home energy evaluations and performed more than 2,000 energy efficiency upgrades.

Other Energy Products and Services

The Company�� other energy products and services include electric vehicle charging and energy storage. The Company installs electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment that it sources from third parties. SolarCity markets EV equipment to residential and commercial customers through retail partnerships with companies, such as The Home Depot, and through EV manufacturers and dealerships, such as its partnership with Tesla Motors, Inc. The Company is developing a battery management system built on its solar energy monitoring communications backbone. As of December 12, 2012, the Company had over 100 energy storage pilot projects under contract. As of December 12, 2012, the Company had sold over 750 charging stations.

Enabling Technologies

The Company�� enabling technologies include SolarBid Sales Management Platform, SolarWorks Customer Management Software, Energy Designer, Home Performance Pro and SolarGuard and PowerGuide Proactive Monitoring Solutions. SolarBid is a sales management platform, which incorporates a database of rate information by utility, sun exposure, roof orientation and a range of other factors to enable a detailed analysis and customized graphical presentation of each customer� �s savin! gs.

SolarWorks is the software platform the Company uses to track and manage project. Energy Designer is a software application its field engineering auditors use to collect pertinent site-specific design details on a tablet computer. Home Performance Pro is its energy efficiency evaluation platform that incorporates the United States Department of Energy�� Energy Plus simulation engine. Home Performance Pro collects and stores details of a building�� construction and energy use. SolarGuard and PowerGuide provide its customers a view of their home�� or business�� energy generation and consumption.

The Company competes with American Solar Electric, Inc., Astrum Solar, Inc., Petersen Dean, Inc., Real Goods Solar, Inc., REC Solar, Inc., Sungevity, Inc., Trinity Solar, Inc., Verengo, Inc., SunRun Inc. and Ameresco, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Stocks on the Move: Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA) is down 21.4% at $4.25. SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) is up 23% at $47.16 on a higher forecast for 2014. Amarin Corp. plc (NASDAQ: AMRN) is down 20.1% at $5.09.

  • [By Jayson Derrick]

    SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY) filed to sell $200 million worth of solar asset-backed bonds to the general public with a minimum purchase requirement of $1,000 with maturity periods of one to seven years. Shares lost 1.69 percent, closing at $48.87.

5 Best Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now: GasLog Ltd (GLOG)

GasLog Ltd. (GasLog), incorporated on July 16, 2003, is an owner, operator and manager of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. The Company is a holding company. Its subsidiaries conduct all of its operations and own all of its operating assets, including its ships. The Company operates in two segments: vessel ownership and vessel management. In the vessel ownership segment, the services provided primarily consist of chartering out company-owned LNG carriers, and in the vessel management segment the services provided consist of LNG carrier technical management services, as well as LNG carrier construction supervision services and other vessel management services provided to the Company�� vessel ownership segment and to external third parties.

In February 2011, GasLog Carriers Ltd. established two vessel-owning companies, GAS-five Ltd. and GAS-six Ltd. In March 2011, GasLog Carriers Ltd. established two vessel-owning companies, GAS-seven Ltd. and GAS-eight Ltd. In June 2011, GasLog Carriers Ltd. established two additional vessel-owning companies, GAS-nine Ltd. and GAS-ten Ltd. In June 2011, Ceres Shipping Ltd. (Ceres Shipping) transferred its interest in GasLog Ltd. to Blenheim Holdings Ltd. (Blenheim Holdings). In June 2011, an entity jointly owned by the Livanos and Radziwill families (Joint Venture Partner) sold its 49% interest in GAS-three Ltd., GAS-four Ltd., GAS-five Ltd. and GAS-six Ltd. to Ceres Shipping. Ceres Shipping contributed the 49% interest in GAS-three Ltd., GAS-four Ltd., GAS-five Ltd. and GAS-six Ltd. to Blenheim Holdings, who in turn contributed the 49% interest in these four vessel-owning companies to GasLog Ltd., which contributed the same to GasLog Carriers Ltd. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 100% interest in GAS-three Ltd., GAS-four Ltd., GAS-five Ltd. and GAS-six Ltd. On July 11, 2011 and September 5, 2011, the Company transferred its interest of two dormant subsidiaries, GasLog Holdings Limited and GasLog Services Limited, respectively, to Ceres Shi! pping.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� owned fleet consisted of 10 wholly owned LNG carriers. As of December 31, 2011, the Company managed and operated 14 LNG carriers, which included its owned ships, as well as 11 ships owned or leased by BG Group plc (BG Group), a participant in the worldwide energy and natural gas markets, and one additional LNG carrier in which it had a 25% interest. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 25% interest in Egypt LNG Shipping Ltd. (Egypt LNG), whose principal asset is the LNG carrier Methane Nile Eagle. The Company�� owned fleet includes the GasLog Savannah, the GasLog Singapore, four LNG carriers on order at Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (Samsung Heavy Industries) in South Korea, two LNG carriers on order at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea, and two LNG carriers on order at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea.

The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary, GasLog LNG Services Ltd., (GasLog LNG Services) handles the technical management of its fleet. Through GasLog LNG Services, it provides technical ship management services for 12 LNG carriers owned by third parties in addition to management of the two LNG carriers operating in its owned fleet. The Company provides the services of its owned ships under time charters. The Company�� subsidiaries include GasLog Investments Ltd., GasLog Monaco S.A.M., Ceres LNG Employee Incentive Scheme Ltd., GasLog Carriers Ltd., GAS-one Ltd., GAS-two Ltd., GAS-three Ltd., GAS-four Ltd., GasLog Shipping Company Ltd., GasLog Shipping Limited and Egypt LNG Shipping Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Robert Rapier]

    GasLog (NYSE: GLOG) owns 15 LNG carriers, with eight ships on the water and seven more to be delivered by 2016. The company is one that we have liked and recommended, and it performed well in 2013, up 33 percent for the year. It has long been thought that the company might drop down assets into an MLP, but last week’s news that this will indeed be the case helped propel the stock up nearly 20 percent for the week.

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    GasLog Partners�(NYSE: GLOP), an offshoot of�GasLog�(NYSE: GLOG). GasLog Partners owns three liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers dropped down from GLOG, and has options to purchase 12 more

  • [By Stephen Quickel]

    Gaslog Limited (GLOG)

    This Monaco-based company owns and operates a sizeable fleet of ocean-going liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, which it charters out and manages for others. Earnings are expected to grow 32% a year. Thirteen of 14 analysts rate it a Strong Buy or Buy.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Top Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now

LONDON -- The FTSE 100 has risen by 25% over the last year, and many top shares are beginning to look quite expensive.

I'm on the hunt for companies that still look cheap, based on their long-term earnings potential. To help me hunt down these bargains, I'm using a special version of the price to earnings ratio called the PE10, which is one of my favorite tools for value investing.

The PE10 compares the current share price with average earnings per share for the last 10 years. This lets you see whether a company looks cheap, compared to its long-term earnings.

Today, I'm going to take a look at the PE10 for the U.K. utility firm�SSE� (LSE: SSE  ) (NASDAQOTH: SSEZY  ) .

Is SSE a buy?
SSE's share price has fallen by 9.6% since it peaked in May, as the yield demanded by investors from utility shares has risen, to reflect rising bond yields. As a result, SSE's yield has now risen above 5.5% once more.

Does this mean that the U.K.'s third-largest utility is now cheap? Let's take a look at SSE's current price-to-earnings ratio, and its PE10:

Hot Restaurant Companies To Invest In 2015: S&P Smallcap 600(PH)

Parker Hannifin Corporation manufactures fluid power systems, electromechanical controls, and related components worldwide. Its Industrial segment offers pneumatic and electromechanical components, and systems; filters, systems, and instruments to monitor and remove contaminants from fuel, air, oil, water, and other liquids and gases; connectors that control, transmit, and contain fluid; hydraulic components and systems for builders and users of industrial and mobile machinery and equipment; critical flow components for process instrumentation, healthcare, and ultra-high-purity applications; and static and dynamic sealing devices. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their replacement markets in the manufacturing, transportation, and processing industries. The company?s Aerospace segment provides flight control systems and components, including hydraulic, electrohydraulic, electric backup hydraulic, electrohydrostatic, and electro -mechanical components for precise control of aircraft rudders, elevators, ailerons, and other aerodynamic control surfaces. It also provides electronics thermal management heat rejection systems, and single-phase and two-phase heat collection systems for radar, ISAR, and power electronics. This segment markets its products primarily to OEMs in the commercial, military, and general aviation markets, as well as to end users. Its Climate and Industrial Controls segment offers systems and components primarily for use in the mobile and stationary refrigeration, and air conditioning industry; and in fluid control applications in various industries, such as processing, fuel dispensing, beverage dispensing, and mobile emissions. This segment serves OEMs and their replacement markets. Parker-Hannifin Corporation markets its products through direct-sales employees, independent distributors, wholesalers, and sales representatives. The company was founded in 1918 and is headquartered i n Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Motion and control systems manufacturer Parker-Hannifin (PH) raised its quarterly dividend 4.6% to 45 cents per share, payable on Dec. 6 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 8. The increase marks the 57th consecutive annual dividend increase.
    PH Dividend Yield:�1.55%

  • [By Charles Mizrahi, President and CEO, Hampton Investors, Inc.]

    Parker Hannifin (PH) generates strong revenue from its aerospace division, while its primary industrial segment is lagging.

    Overall, we like the company's balanced portfolio. PH had solid order rates this past year with backlog of $3.6 billion between its industrial and aerospace segments.

Top Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Sirius XM Radio Inc.(SIRI)

Sirius XM Radio Inc. provides satellite radio services in the United States and Canada. It broadcasts a programming lineup of approximately 135 channels of commercial-free music, sports, news and information, talk and entertainment, traffic, and weather on subscription fee basis through two satellite radio systems in the United States; and holds an interest in the satellite radio services offered in Canada. The company also simulcasts music and selected non-music channels over the Internet; and offers applications to allow consumers to access its Internet services on mobile devices. As of December 31, 2010, it had 20,190,964 subscribers. In addition, the company designs, establishes specifications, sources or specifies parts and components, and manages various aspects of the logistics and production of satellite radios; licenses its technology to various electronics manufacturers to develop, manufacture, and distribute radios under various brands; and imports radios distri buted through its Websites. The company?s satellite radios are primarily distributed through automakers, retailers, and its Websites. Further, it provides music services for commercial establishments; a satellite television service to offer music channels as part of certain programming packages on the DISH Network satellite television service; music and comedy channels to mobile phone users through mobile phone carriers; Backseat TV, a service offering television content designed primarily for children in the backseat of vehicles; Travel Link, a suite of data services that include graphical weather, fuel prices, sports schedules and scores, and movie listings; and real-time traffic and weather services. The company was formerly known as Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and changed its name to Sirius XM Radio Inc. in August 2008. Sirius XM Radio Inc. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) officially introduced its personalized radio offering on Monday. MySXM offers subscribers with online access plans the ability to create customized radio stations by tweaking up to 100 variations of 50 different Sirius XM channels.�

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Things never get dull for the country's lone satellite-radio provider. Shares of Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) moved higher this week, closing 3.7% higher to hit $3.12. The general market moved higher, but Sirius XM's gain was better than the Nasdaq's 2.3% pop.

  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images BERLIN and MILAN -- Fiat Chrysler has denied a magazine report saying it's in merger talks with Volkswagen, while the German carmaker said it had no takeovers on its agenda. Germany's Manager Magazin said Thursday Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech had held talks with the owners of Fiat Chrysler about buying all or part of the group that was formed this year from the merger of Italian and U.S. carmakers. The magazine cited unnamed company sources. However, a VW spokesman said Europe's biggest carmaker was focused on delivering improvements at its existing operations. "There are currently no [merger and acquisition] projects on the agenda," he said. "We are now focusing on boosting efficiency across the group." The Agnelli family's holding firm Exor, which owns a 30 percent stake in Fiat Chrysler, denied any talks had taken place, as did Fiat Chrysler. Shares in Fiat Chrysler jumped 5 percent to 7.98 euros on the report, but had retreated to stand up 2.2 percent by 1352 GMT (9:52 a.m. Eastern time). VW's stock was 1.8 percent lower. VW Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn said in March the carmaker, though hoarding almost 18 billion euros ($24 billion) in cash, had no plans to expand the group through acquisitions as it was focusing on integrating its 12 brand network. VW has since sealed a 6.7 billion euro buyout of minority shareholders at Swedish truck division Scania to forge a long-planned alliance of its truck brands. The report could suggest "diverging views" between VW's management and the supervisory board about the carmaker's future course, said Arndt Ellinghorst, a London-based analyst at investment researchers ISI Group, at a time when Winterkorn, 67, and Piech, 77, are soon likely to face a debate over succession. Rather than talking about further expansion, top managers at VW -- concerned that profitability gains aren't keeping pace with the company's steadily growing size -- have been pu

  • [By Selena Maranjian]

    Finally, Robeco's biggest closed positions included Starz�and Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI  ) . Sirius did post disappointing earnings recently, but revenue and earnings are still growing at a double-digit rate, so things aren't that dire. In fact, a strong report from Ford�bodes well for the company, as its radios are embedded in many vehicles, and many are bullish about the company's new personalized radio service, MySXM. It's worth noting that while Robeco sold out of Sirius, it added shares of the company's majority stakeholder, Liberty Media.

Top Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Uranium Resources Inc.(URRE)

Uranium Resources, Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and mining of uranium properties, using the in situ recovery or solution mining process. It owns developed and undeveloped uranium properties in South Texas; and undeveloped uranium properties in New Mexico. The company?s primary customers include utilities who utilize nuclear power to generate electricity. Uranium Resources, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Lewisville, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Since the start of the week, small cap nuclear fuel stock USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) more than doubled for investors, something that has not happened for investors in uranium stocks like Uranium Resources, Inc (NASDAQ: URRE), Denison Mines Corp (NYSEMKT: DNN), Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSEMKT: URG) and Uranerz Energy Corp (NYSEMKT: URZ). To recap: USEC Inc closed at the $6 level on Friday, but then it surged to the $15 level on Monday only to open at the $10 level on Tuesday when it ultimately closed at $12.46. So what in the world is going on with USEC Inc and is it time to revisit nuclear fuel and uranium stocks?

  • [By John Udovich]

    Small cap nuclear fuel stock USEC Inc (NYSE: USU) is up some 300% this week���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the company along with the performance potential uranium or nuclear stock peers Uranium Resources, Inc (NASDAQ: URRE), Denison Mines Corp (NYSEMKT: DNN), Ur-Energy Inc (NYSEMKT: URG) and Uranerz Energy Corp (NYSEMKT: URZ).

Top Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now: S&P GSCI(GD)

General Dynamics Corporation, an aerospace and defense company, provides business aviation; combat vehicles, weapons systems, and munitions; military and commercial shipbuilding; and communications and information technology products and services worldwide. Its Aerospace group designs, manufactures, and outfits various large and mid-cabin business-jet aircraft; provides maintenance, repair work, fixed-based operations, and aircraft management services; and performs aircraft completions for aircraft. The company?s Combat Systems group offers tracked and wheeled military vehicles, weapons systems, and munitions. Its product lines include wheeled combat and tactical vehicles; battle tanks and infantry vehicles; munitions and propellant; rockets and gun systems; and axle and drivetrain components and aftermarket parts. This group also manufactures and supplies engineered axles, suspensions, and brakes for heavy-load vehicles for military and commercial customers. The company Advisors' Opinion:

  • [By Rich Smith]

    According to the DSCA, contractors General Dynamics (NYSE: GD  ) , Boeing (NYSE: BA  ) , and Wyle Laboratories are in line to perform avionics software upgrades and engine component improvements and to sell ground support equipment, spare parts, technical documentation, and other "technical and logistics support services" to Kuwait for an estimated $200 million.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Last quarter, Buffett sold his stakes in�Archer Daniels Midland�(ADM) and�General Dynamics�(GD), and added to a position�in�International Business Machines�(IBM). He also bought shares of�Chicago Bridge & Iron�(CBI), an old favorite of mine from my trading days.�

  • [By Rich Smith]

    The U.S. Department of Defense awarded multiple contractors shares in some 17 contracts Tuesday, valued at up to $1.3 billion in combined dollar value. Most of the funds awarded went to a series of 13 contractors working on a single cyber-defense project -- but there were a few other winners. Among them:

  • [By Rich Smith]

    The Department of Defense awarded nine separate defense contracts Monday, worth $1.6 billion in total. Among these, two contracts went to General Dynamics (NYSE: GD  ) and Australian shipbuilder Austal (NASDAQOTH: AUTLY  ) ,�its partner in building half the U.S. Navy's fleet of Littoral Combat Ships, or LCSes.

Top Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Popular Inc.(BPOP)

Popular, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of retail and commercial banking products and services primarily to corporate clients, small and middle size businesses, and retail clients in Puerto Rico and Mainland United States. It offers deposit products; commercial, consumer, and mortgage loans, as well as lease finance; and finance and advisory services. The company also offers trust and asset management, brokerage and investment banking, and insurance and reinsurance services. As of December 31, 2010, it owned and occupied approximately 94 branch premises and other facilities in Puerto Rico; and 119 offices, including 20 owned and 99 leased in New York, Illinois, New Jersey, California, Florida, and Texas. Popular, Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    For investors looking for exposure to the US commonwealth of Puerto Rico, banking stocks Doral Financial Corp (NYSE: DRL), First Bancorp (NYSE: FBP), OFG Bancorp (NYSE: OFG) and Popular Inc (NASDAQ: BPOP) offer the best bet as these Puerto Rico stocks trade on major US exchanges rather than the OTC. However, it should be mentioned that there has been a slowdown in Puerto Rico�� economy which has also shrunk in five of the past seven fiscal years. Then last�February, Puerto Rico�� debt was cut to speculative grade by the three largest credit-rating companies while�Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla has proposed a series of budget cuts to help tackle the island�� mounting debt load -including the freezing public workers��salaries and the closing about 100 schools.

  • [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

    Popular Inc.(BPOP), Puerto Rico’s largest bank, said Wednesday that regulators approved its plan to repay the $935 million rescue package it received during the financial crisis. Popular was the U.S. government’s largest remaining crisis-era bailout after auto-lender Ally Financial Inc.(ALLY), which has paid back more than the $17.2 billion bailout it received during the financial crisis as a result of going public in April.

Top Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.(WEN)

The Wendy's Company operates as a quick-service hamburger company in the United States. The company, through its subsidiary, Wendy's International, Inc., operates as a franchisor of the Wendy's restaurant system. As of December 26, 2011, the Wendy's system comprised approximately 6,500 franchise and company restaurants in the United States and the United States territories, as well as in 26 other countries worldwide. The company was formerly known as Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. and changed its name to The Wendy's Company in July 2011. The Wendy's Company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

    Alamy Things are going from bland to worse at McDonald's (MCD). The world's largest burger chain capped off what it rightfully classified as a "challenging" year on another ho-hum note with Thursday morning's quarterly report. Global comparable sales declined as a decline in store traffic was more than enough to offset the fact that patrons were spending more on average. The 0.1 percent downtick in worldwide comparable sales may not seem like much, but things are degrading at a more dramatic level closer to home. Stateside comps plunged 1.4 percent during the final three months of 2013. Something's just not right at McDonald's. A Quarter That Floundered Another uninspiring quarter at the fast food giant is no longer a surprise. McDonald's ended an impressive nearly 10 year streak of positive monthly comparable sales in late 2012, and business has been sluggish ever since. Opinions vary on the reasons for the iconic chain's lackluster performance. Some argue that it shouldn't have strayed from the Dollar Menu that increased its magnetism to cost-conscious diners. Others suggest that it was the push to offer higher-priced entrees and beverages -- adding premium chicken-topped salads and fancy coffee drinks to the menu -- that alienated its core customers. There may be some truth to both theories, and McDonald's has tried to address them by introducing the Dollar Menu & More late last year -- highlighting the popular low-cost offerings, but enhancing it by tacking on some higher-priced value items. The move should have rallied thrifty loyalists around the chain, but the decline in store traffic during the fourth quarter and all of 2013 is proof that it wasn't enough. A Costly Casual Culture Clash The surprising decline in traffic at McDonald's comes at a challenging time for the fast food industry. But not every burger flipper is smarting. A week earlier, Wendy's (WEN) had posted encouraging preliminary results for the same three months, with North

Top Cheap Companies To Watch In Right Now: Whole Foods Market Inc.(WFM)

Whole Foods Market, Inc. engages in the ownership and operation of natural and organic food supermarkets. The company offers produce, seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods and catering, coffee and tea, nutritional supplements, and vitamins. It also provides specialty products, such as beer, wine, and cheese; body care and educational products, such as books; and floral, pet, and household products. As of February 9, 2011, the company operated 302 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Amazon.com (AMZN) might be bringing Amazon Fresh to a city near you–and hammering your grocery stock in the process. Deutsche Bank sees tough times for Supervalu�(SVU) and Safeway�(SWY)� if an when Amazon expands its grocery delivery service beyond its three current test markets, while Kroger (KR) and Whole Foods Markets (WFM) should be able to thrive.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    One grocer that might not have to worry yet about online shopping is Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM  ) , as the fresh-format concept is expanding at a rate that exceeds even that of e-commerce grocery shopping. Natural and organic food stores are expected to grow at a rate of better than 13% annually between now and 2017, a pace that is underscored by the recent IPO of Sprouts Farmers Market and Fairway Group Holdings�earlier this year.

  • [By reports.droy]

    The U.S. organic foods firm, Whole Foods Market (WFM), is currently facing intense competition from rivals which has been driving its comparable store sales on a downhill ride in the fiscal year 2014. In the entire year, same-store sales stood at 4.3%, down from 6.9% reported in the previous fiscal year. Hence, as a venture to boost sales in the next fiscal years the Fortune 500 company is ready to invest around $20 million on a national ad campaign. So, what is the campaign all about and how is the company expecting it to rejuvenate the slack in sales? Will it really aid the company in achieving the goal to improve its sales? Let�� take a peek into the details of the campaign to understand how it can actually pull up the comparable store sales as well as the stock which has already plunged around 30% year to date. Investors are also highly concerned with the drop in the chain�� sales growth amid increased organic grocery competition.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

5 Best Recreation Stocks To Invest In 2014

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of recreational vehicle maker Thor Industries (NYSE: THO  ) popped 10% today after its quarterly results topped Wall Street expectations.

So what: The stock has rallied nicely over the past year on rebounding consumer spending, and today's third-quarter results -- profit increased 6% on a 13% jump in revenue -- suggest that things are only getting better. While markets remain competitive, Thor is entering the peak RV selling season, when demand improves and discounting slows, giving analysts plenty of optimism over its margin growth in 2013.

Now what: Don't expect the operating momentum to slow anytime soon. "Our results for the third quarter reflect the dealer optimism and improved retail consumer demand that has been building since the beginning of the year," said Chairman and CEO Peter Orthwein. "Based on the current positive momentum we see in our markets, we are confident in our ability to generate growth in sales and earnings for the remainder of the year." With the stock now up more than 70% from its 52-week lows and trading at a near-20 P/E, however, much of that growth might already be baked into the price.� �

Hot Safest Companies To Own For 2015: Vitamin Blue Inc (VTMB)

Vitamin Blue, Inc. (Vitamin Blue), incorporated on May 25, 1999, is engaged in designing, manufacturing and distributing surf wear board shorts, t-shirts and fleece jackets) and surfing accessories (surf boards bags, roof rack pad and surf backpacks). The Company focuses on four types of retail outlets: surfboard manufacturers, surf shops, specialty stores and department stores. Vitamin Blue distributes the majority of its products through surfboard manufacturers and surf shops. The primary focus of Vitamin Blue is surf wear and surfing accessories. The Company�� primary distribution focuses on retail outlets in North America (the United States, Canada and Mexico). Vitamin Blue manufactures most of its surfing accessories and all of its surfwear in-house.

Surfboard Manufacturers

The Company�� surfboard manufactures retail outlet generally consists of single shops, where surfboards are designed, manufactured and marketed. It is the source for surfing accessories. This distribution channel focuses on the core surf market. The Company has relationships with manufacturers, such as Hap Jacobs, Bing Surfboards, Bark Boards and Ron House Shapes, Dewey Weber, Stewart Surfboards. Vitamin Blue surfing accessories are sold through this channel.

Surf Shops

The Company�� surf shops are generally single to multiple shops located in or near beach cities, focused on the central surf market. It tends to be privately owned. Surf shops also focus on the core surf market and provide an authentic retail source for complete lines of surfwear and surfing accessory products. The Company has relationships with manufacturers, such as Freeline Design (Santa Cruz, California), The Frog House (Newport Beach, California), Infinity Surfboards (Dana Point, California), Legends Surf (Carlsbad, California), Hi-Tech Surf Sports (Maui, Hawaii), Second Wind Sail and Surf (Maui, Hawaii), Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport (Maui, Hawaii) Kennedy Surfboards (Woodland Hills, California),! Malibu Surf Shack, (Malibu, California), E.T. Surf (Hermosa Beach, California), Spyder (Hermosa Beach, California), Costa Azul (Laguna Beach, California), Icons of Surf (San Clemente, California), Encinitas Surfboards (Encinitas, California), Nor Easter Surf Shop (Scituate, Massachusetts), Air & Speed Surf Shop (Montauk, New York), Xtreme Surf & Sport (East Northport, New York) and Marsh�� Surf Shop (Atlantic Beach, North Carolina). The complete line of Vitamin Blue products (surfwear and surfing accessories) is distributed through this channel.

Specialty Stores

The Company�� specialty stores type of retail outlet generally consists of single, regional and nationwide stores, and tends to be located in or near beach or resort communities, shopping centers, and shopping malls. Specialty stores distributing surf products primarily include tourist/vacation shops, sporting good stores (including Sports Chalet, Inc. - SPCHB), and regional and national retail stores (including Pacific Sunwear of California-PSUN and Zumiez, Inc.-ZUMZ). Vitamin Blue intends to use this type of retail outlet to distribute its surfwear.

Department Stores

The Company�� department stores type of retail outlet generally has stores located nationwide. It is located in shopping malls, such as Bloomingdale��, Macy��, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. Vitamin Blue intends to use this type of retail outlet to distribute its surfwear.

Vitamin Blue�� surfing accessories include surfboard travel bags, which offer surfboard protection and can be used daily or for long distance surf trips; surf gear travel bags, which are duffle bags used to carry surfing essentials on surf trips; surf backpacks, which are specially, designed wet bag backpacks for wetsuit storage, and roof-rack pads, which is used on existing car roof racks for surfboard protection and security on daily surf outings.

The Company competes with Quicksilver, Inc., Billabong Intl, Hurley and! Volcom I! nc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Green Endeavors Inc (OTCMKTS: GRNE), Global Links Corporation (OTCMKTS: GLCO) and Vitamin Blue Inc (OTCBB: VTMB) were all making noticeable moves at the end of last week. On Friday, Green Endeavors Inc rose 8.11% and Global Links Corporation rose 13.96% while Vitamin Blue Inc fell 10%. Of course, small cap OTC stocks making large single digit or double digit moves in either direction aren�� all that unusual. Moreover, all of these small caps have been the subject of paid promotions. With that in mind, here is a closer look at all three to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:

  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap marijuana stocks Smart Ventures Inc (OTCMKTS: SMVR) and Vitamin Blue Inc (OTCMKTS: VTMB) jumped 40.28% and 38.6%, respectively, while hemp stock Astika Holdings Inc (OTCBB: ASKH) fell 13.75% on Friday. Moreover, only one of these small cap stocks seems to have been the subject of a few paid promotions or investor relations types of activities. So will all three of these marijuana or hemp stocks keep producing highs or lows for investors and traders alike? Here is a quick reality check:

5 Best Recreation Stocks To Invest In 2014: Mountain China Resorts Holding Ltd (MCG)

Mountain China Resorts (Holding) Limited (MCR) is a Canada-based investment holding company. The Company is a Mountain resort developer in the People�� Republic of China. The Company�� subsidiaries engaged in the development and operation of mountain resorts and provision of hotel services in the People's Republic of China. The Company holds 100% interest in Mountain China Resorts Investment Limited, which in turn holds 100% interest in Mountain China Resorts Limited. The Company owns and operates the ski resort in the People�� Republic of China, Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort in Heilongjiang Province. The Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort also has two luxury five star hotels, restaurants, spa, retail, and conference facilities. It holds 140 million square meters of land for commercial development purpose around the Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� resort real estate development project was at the Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By ICRAOnline]

    Apart from the Data Center Group, Intel expects the Axxia deal to boost the performance of the other two segments ��Internet of Things Group (IoTG) and Mobile and Communications Group (MCG).

5 Best Recreation Stocks To Invest In 2014: Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC)

Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Smith & Wesson), incorporated on June 17, 1991, is a manufacturer of firearms. The Company manufactures a range of handguns, modern sporting rifles, hunting rifles, black powder firearms, handcuffs, and firearm-related products and accessories for sale to a range of customers, including gun enthusiasts, collectors, hunters, sportsmen, competitive shooters, individuals desiring home and personal protection, law enforcement and security agencies and officers, and military agencies in the United States and globally. It sell its products under the Smith & Wesson brand, the M&P brand, the Thompson/Center brand, and the Walther brand. The Company manufactures its firearm products at its facilities in Springfield, Massachusetts and Houlton, Maine. On July 26, 2012, it sold all of the assets of Smith & Wesson Security Solutions, Inc.

Firearms

During the fiscal year ended April 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company introduced multiple new handgun and modern sporting rifle models, and one new bolt action rifle platform. The Company's rifle introductions included the addition of the M&P15 300 Whisper to the Company's line of modern sporting rifles. As of April 30, 2012, the Company participated in three categories of the long-gun market and both core categories of the handgun market.

Handguns

The Company manufactures an variety of handgun models that include revolvers and pistols. A revolver is a handgun with a cylinder that holds the ammunition in a series of rotating chambers that are successively aligned with the barrel of the firearm during each firing cycle. There are two general types of revolvers: single-action and double-action. The Company's small-frame revolvers have been carried by law enforcement personnel and personal defense-minded citizens. The Company's revolvers are available in a variety of models and calibers, with applications in virtually all professional and personal markets.

The Company�� M! &P15 Series of modern sporting rifles are designed to satisfy the functionality and reliability needs of global military, law enforcement, and security personnel. These rifles are also popular as sporting target rifles and are sold to consumers through the Company's sporting good distributors, retailers, and dealers. The Company has a range of product portfolio of modern sporting rifles, which includes a lower price-point, sport model, a .22 caliber model, and a fully automatic model designed for the exclusive use of military and law enforcement agencies throughout the world.

Hunting Firearms

The Company manufactures three lines of bolt-action rifles under its Thompson/Center brand consisting of several models in each line. The Company's hunting rifles are offered in 16 different calibers. Bolt-action rifles operate by the cycling of a bolt handle that allows for both the loading and unloading of rounds through a magazine fed system.

During fiscal 2012, the Company introduced the Dimension bolt action rifle platform. Under the Company's Thompson/Center brand, the Company also offers seven models of American-made single shot black powder, or muzzle loader, firearms. The Company offers eight models of interchangeable, single shot firearm systems that deliver numerous gun, barrel, caliber configurations, and finishes. These systems can be configured as a center-fire rifle, rim-fire rifle, shotgun, black powder firearm, or single-shot handgun for use across the entire range of big- and small-game hunting.

Handcuffs

The Company manufactures handcuffs and restraints in the United States. The Company fabricates these products from the carbon or stainless steel.

Smith & Wesson Academy

Through the Smith & Wesson Academy, the Company offers instruction designed to meet the training needs of law enforcement and security customers worldwide. Classes are conducted at the Company's facility in Springfield, Massachusetts or o! n locatio! n around the world.

Specialty Services

The Company's services include forging, heat treating, finishing, and plating. It provides services to third-party customers.

The Company competes with Ruger,Taurus, Beretta, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory, Bushmaster, Rock River, Stag Arms, DPMS, Browning, Marlin, Remington, Ruger, Savage, Weatherby, CVA, Traditions, and Winchester.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    On Tuesday, Smith & Wesson Holding (NASDAQ: SWHC  ) will release its quarterly report, and shareholders have been pleased to see continued share-price gains from the gunmaker. Yet along with rival Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR  ) , Smith & Wesson is in danger of seeing earnings top out, and many investors wonder whether the good times for the gun industry will last or whether the recent move from Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK  ) to spin off its firearms and sporting segment marks a high-water mark for Smith & Wesson and other gun manufacturers.

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWHC  ) will release its quarterly report on Tuesday, and investors have been a bit on edge lately about the company's performance. After topping out earlier this year, Smith & Wesson stock has topped out, and the gunmaker is seen producing weaker growth than rival Sturm, Ruger (NYSE: RGR  ) as well as stun-gun specialist TASER (NASDAQ: TASR  ) . Should shareholders be worried about its coming quarterly announcement?

5 Best Recreation Stocks To Invest In 2014: mCig Inc (MCIG)

MCIG, INC. (mCig), incorporated on December 30, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is a technology company. The Company focused on two long-term secular trends sweeping the globe: the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes and the adoption of electronic vaporizing cigarettes (eCigs).

The mCig provides a smoking experience by heating (not burning) plant material, waxes, and oils delivering a smoother inhalation experience. As of October 31, 2013, the Company did not generate any revenues.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jason Shubnell]

    He also discussed MCIG (OTC: MCIG), a relatively new company that has developed a legal marijuana vaporizer, similar to the e-cig. The mCig heats plant material instead of burning it, providing a superior method of consumption that is much smoother, according to the company's website. The product sells for $10, while the stock itself has a market cap of $35 million.

  • [By John Udovich]

    After marijuana, the electronic cigarette sector and e-Cig stocks or industry players�like�Reynolds American, Inc (NYSE: RAI), mCig Inc (OTCBB: MCIG), Victory Electronic Cigarettes Corp (OTCMKTS: ECIG) and American Heritage International Inc (OTCBB: AHII) is looking like the next hot niche sector for investors. However, electronic cigarette stock investors should be aware of the following�recent good and bad news from the sector that needs to be digested:

  • [By John Udovich]

    Last week, I talked about small cap electronic cigarette stocks Vapor Corp (OTCMKTS: VPCO) and Hop-On Inc (OTCMKTS: HPNN) as being among the last of the e-Cig�stocks not controlled by ��ig Tobacco,��but Victory Electronic Cigarettes Corp (OTCMKTS: ECIG), mCig Inc (OTCBB: MCIG) and American Heritage International (OTCBB: AHII)�are also�positioning themselves or their technology to exploit opportunities in the e-Cig market or even in�marijuana or cannabis. Last year, industry experts were already saying that�US retail sales of e-cigarettes could reach $1 billion for the year�for roughly�1% of the country's cigarette market. That number might appear small, but its more than double 2012 sales�as sales increasingly�move off the Internet and into more mainstream retailers thanks to their positioning as a���ealthier��alternative to smoking.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Top Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015

Top Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: Acuity Brands Inc (AYI)

Acuity Brands, Inc. (Acuity Brands), incorporated on September 20, 2007, is the parent company of Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. (ABL), and other subsidiaries. Acuity Brands is a provider of lighting solutions for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure, and residential applications throughout North America and select international markets. The Company's lighting solutions include devices, such as luminaires, lighting controls, power supplies, prismatic skylights, light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, and integrated lighting systems for indoor and outdoor applications utilizing a combination of light sources, including daylight, and other devices controlled by software that monitors and manages light levels while optimizing energy consumption (collectively referred to herein as lighting solutions). Effective March 14, 2013, the Company acquired eldoLED Europe BV.

The Company manufactures lighting devices primarily in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company's lighting solutions are marketed under numerous brand names, including Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Peerless, Mark Architectural Lighting, Hydrel, American Electric Lighting, Gotham, Carandini, RELOC, Antique Street Lamps, Tersen, Winona Lighting, Synergy Lighting Controls, Sensor Switch, Lighting Control & Design, Dark to Light, ROAM, Sunoptics, acculamp, Pathway Connectivity, and Healthcare Lighting. As of August 31, 2012, the Company manufactures products in 18 facilities in North America and two facilities in Europe.

Principal customers include electrical distributors, retail home improvement centers, electric utilities, municipalities, lighting showrooms, and energy service companies located in North America and select international markets serving new construction, renovation, and facility maintenance applications. In North America, the C! ompany's lighting solutions are sold primarily by independent sales agents, electrical wholesalers, and facto ry sales representatives who cover specific geographic areas! and market channels. Products are delivered directly or through a network of distribution centers, regional warehouses, and commercial warehouses using both common carriers and a company-owned truck fleet. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), North American sales accounted for approximately 98% of net sales. The Company has one operating segment serving the North American lighting market and select international markets.

The Company provides a range of lighting solutions, as well as services used in the applications, such as lighting solutions and services. Lighting solutions and services includes commercial and institutional, industrial, infrastructure, residential and services. Commercial and Institutional includes stores, hotels, offices, schools, and hospitals, as well as other government and public buildings. Lighting solutions that serve these applications include recessed, surface, and suspended lighting products, recessed down lig hting, track lighting, day lighting, and lighting controls (occupancy sensors, photocontrols, relay panels, architectural dimming panels, and integrated lighting controls systems), as well as special-use lighting products. The outdoor areas associated with these applications are addressed by a range of outdoor lighting products, such as area and flood lighting, decorative site lighting, and landscape lighting. Industrial includes primarily warehouses and manufacturing facilities, which utilize a range of general purpose, day lighting, and special-use lighting solutions. Infrastructure includes highways, tunnels, airports, railway yards, and ports. Products that serve these applications include street, area, high-mast, off-set roadway, sign lighting, poles, and integrated controls systems. Residential includes a combination of decorative, utilitarian, and down l! ighting p! roducts. Services include monitoring and controlling of lighting systems through network technologies.

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The Company competes with Cooper Industries plc, Hu! bbell Inc! orporated, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., OSRAM AG, Schneider Electric and General Electric Company.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    One diversified electronics player that insiders are loading up on here is Acuity Brands (AYI), which designs, produces and distributes lighting solutions, components, and services for commercial, institutional, industrial, infrastructure and residential applications in North America and internationally. Insiders are buying this stock into solid strength, since shares have ripped higher by 22% so far in 2014.

    Acuity Brands has a market cap of $5.7 billion and an enterprise value of $5.5 billion. This stock trades at a reasonable valuation, with a trailing price-to-earnings of 33 and a forward price-to-earnings of 21.9. Its estimated growth rate for this year is 24.9%, and for next year it's pegged at 23.6%. This is a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $552.50 million and its total debt is $353.60 million.

    A director just bought 8,000 shares, or about $983,000 worth of stock, at $122.94 per share.

    From a technical perspective, AYI is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock recently pulled back right to its 50-day moving average and then subsequently bounced off that level and trended back above its 200-day moving average. That move is now starting to push shares of AYI within range of triggering a big breakout trade above some key overhead resistance levels.

    If you're bullish on AYI, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above its 200-day moving average of $126.02 a share or its 50-day moving average of $124.43 a share and then once it breaks out above some key overhead resistance levels ! at $135.5! 7 to $138.16 a share and then above some past resistance at $140.20 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 375,008 shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then AYI will set up to re-test or possibl

  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    www.cintas.com From the leading distributor of spices and seasonings posting quarterly results to the top dog in corporate identity uniforms providing a snapshot of corporate America, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Uniform Decision The new trading week kicks off with Cintas (CTAS) reporting quarterly results. Cintas is the leading provider of leased company uniforms and other workplace essentials. The role it plays makes it a great bellwether for the state of corporate America. If companies are hiring, you will see it in an increase in revenue as orders pick up. Analysts see profitability improving at Cintas when it reports on Monday afternoon, but they also see revenue declining slightly. Tuesday -- Windows Watching Microsoft (MSFT) is hosting a press event in San Francisco on Tuesday. It was initially rumored to be the software giant's unveiling of Windows 9, but more recent reports speculate that Windows 9 won't be ready for public preview until next month. Microsoft has plenty of work to do in swaying a marketplace that wasn't wowed by Windows 8. The next operating system will likely retain many of the popular existing features while also bringing back some of the Windows 7 offerings, like making it easier to switch from the tiled layout of Windows 8 to the standard Start menu of Windows 7. Wednesday -- Lighten Up The fourth quarter officially kicks off on Wednesday. One company stepping up with fresh financials is Acuity Brands (AYI). The Atlanta-based provider of lighting solutions rang up $2 billion in sales last year across roughly two dozen brands. Wall Street ! pros see ! revenue climbing 12 percent in its fiscal fourth quarter. The analysts also see Acuity checking in with a profit of $1.22 a share, up nicely from the $1.03 a share it posted a year earlier. Thursday -- Spice of Life Things should spice up on Thursday morning when McCormick (MKC) reports its quarterly result

  • [By Lee Samaha]

    Shareholders in lighting company Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI  ) were given a rude reminder of the risk of holding a highly rated stock recently. The company's third quarter results missed estimates and the stock plunged more than 15%. But it might not all be so bad. Acuity's management doesn't give earnings guidance, so Fools should expect some volatility around the results. In addition, the company is attractive for a host of reasons, many of which also apply to Cree (NASDAQ: CREE  ) and Hubbell  (NYSE: HUB-B  ) . Is this a good buying opportunity in Acuity Brands?

  • [By Mike Deane]

    Before the opening bell on Tuesday morning, Acuity Brands, Inc. (AYI) reported its third quarter earnings, posting record quarterly revenues, which still couldn’t top analysts’ estimates.

    AYI’s Earnings in Brief

    Acuity Brands reported third quarter revenues of $6.03 billion, marking an 11.5% increase over last year’s Q3 revenues of $541.5 million. Adjusted net income for the quarter came in at $43.3 million, or $1.00 per share, which is up slightly from last year’s Q3 figures of $41.9 million, or 97 cents per share. AYI missed analysts’ estimates of $1.12 EPS on revenues of $609.09 million.

    CEO Commentary

    AYI chairman, president and CEO Vernon J. Nagel had the following comments: “We were pleased with our fiscal 2014 third quarter results as we continued to execute our strategies to extend our leadership position in North America. The year-over-year increase in net sales reflects continued favorable trends in our order rates as well as the continued adop! tion of L! ED lighting solutions, which nearly doubled over the prior year. Sales of LED-based lighting solutions now represent over a third of our net sales.”

    AYI’s Dividend

    Acuity Brands has not raised its dividend since it 2007, when it cut its quarterly payout from 15 cents to 13 cents. The company’s next dividend is payable on August 1, and the stock goes ex-dividend on July 16.

    Stock Performance

    AYI stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 28.43%.

    AYI Dividend Snapshot

    As of Market Close on June 30, 2014

    Click here to see the complete history of AYI dividends.

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

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Top 10 Income Companies For 2014

The term financial repression was suggested by Pimco a few years ago in response to the post 2008 policy of the United States. More specifically, this policy involves creating an environment of low interest rates and moderate inflation. Is the U.S. engaging in financial repression? Vanguard�� Chief Economist, Joseph Davis, Ph.D. says not in the traditional sense. Even so, current policy is not that dissimilar. For example, investors seeking income from investments are finding it extremely difficult to generate enough income to maintain their lifestyle in this low interest rate environment. Instead, many are assuming greater risk by investing in stocks. I fear this may end poorly as it has many times in the past.

 

In reality, we could have a serious retirement crisis down the road. For example, if the assumption was to accumulate $1,000,000 with the idea of withdrawing $40,000 per year during retirement (i.e.; the 4.0% rule), if interest rates remain low for much longer, the retiree would be required to take more investment risk, withdraw less (ex: reduce their standard of living), or return to the workforce. Otherwise, when they reach an older age (a real possibility with life expectancies on the rise), their nest egg may expire before they do. In other words, longevity risk is a real threat.

10 Best Diversified Bank Stocks To Invest In Right Now: BioFuel Energy Corp.(BIOF)

BioFuel Energy Corp. produces and sells ethanol and its co-products in the United States. The company offers dried and wet distillers grains with solubles, corn oil, and carbon dioxide. It operates 2 ethanol production facilities located in Wood River, Nebraska and Fairmont, Minnesota with a combined production capacity of approximately 220 million gallons per year. The company sells its products to independent third party marketers and distributors. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    BioFuel Energy (BIOF) is engaged in the production and sale of ethanol and its co-products through its two ethanol production facilities located in Nebraska and Minnesota. This stock closed up 9.4% to $4.04 in Tuesday's trading session.

    Tuesday's Range: $3.69-$4.04

    52-Week Range: $2.70-$10.75

    Tuesday's Volume: 152,000

    Three-Month Average Volume: 57,949

    From a technical perspective, BIOF soared higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $3.76 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of BIOF within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if BIOF manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.99 to $4.12 with high volume. At last check, BIOF hit an intraday high of $4.04 and volume was well above its three-month average action of 57,949 shares.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BIOF as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $3.76 or above more near-term support at $3.50 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 57,949 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then BIOF will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day of $4.63 to $5.19. Any high-volume move above $5.19 will then put $5.50 to $6 within range for shares of BIOF.

Top 10 Income Companies For 2014: Advanced Energy Industries Inc.(AEIS)

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sells, and supports power conversion products that transform power into various usable forms. It offers thin-film deposition power conversion systems, including direct current (DC), pulsed DC mid frequency, and radio frequency (RF) power supplies, as well as matching networks and RF instrumentation; and thermal instrumentation products that provide temperature measurement solutions for applications in which time-temperature cycles affect material properties, productivity, and yield. The company also offers solar power inverters, which provide a transformer-based or transformerless grid-tie photovoltaic (PV) solution to convert renewable solar power into electrical power, as well as integrated monitoring and performance measurement of PV installations. Its power conversion systems are used by semiconductor, solar panel, and similar thin-film manufacturers, such as flat panel display, da ta storage, and architectural glass manufacturers; thermal instrumentation products are used in rapid thermal processing, chemical vapor deposition, and other semiconductor and solar applications requiring non-contact temperature measurement by the semiconductor, solar panels, and LED industries; and solar inverters are used in the residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar projects and installations. In addition, the company provides repair services, conversions, upgrades, and refurbishment services, as well as operations and maintenance service plans for individual PV sites. Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. sells its products through direct sales force, sales representatives, and distributors in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Codespeed]

    Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (AEIS) makes power conversion products that transform power into various usable forms and in various markets such as semiconductor devices, flat panel displays, solar panels, and architectural glass. Its power and control technologies are used in thin-film manufacturing and solar power generation.

Top 10 Income Companies For 2014: ConAgra Foods Inc.(CAG)

ConAgra Foods, Inc. operates as a food company primarily in North America. It operates in two segments, Consumer Foods and Commercial Foods. The Consumer Foods segment provides branded, private label, and customized food products, which are sold in various retail and foodservice channels. It offers products in various categories, such as meals, entrees, condiments, sides, snacks, and desserts in frozen, refrigerated, and shelf-stable temperature classes. This segment?s principal brands include Alexia, ACT II, Banquet, Blue Bonnet, Chef Boyardee, DAVID, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt?s, Marie Callender?s, Orville Redenbacher?s, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Snack Pack, Swiss Miss, Van Camp?s, and Wesson. The Commercial Foods segment provides commercially branded foods and ingredients that are sold to foodservice, food manufacturing, and industrial customers. Its primary products consist of specialty potato products, milled grain ingredients, a ran ge of vegetable products, seasonings, blends, and flavors. This segment sells products under brands, such as ConAgra Mills, Lamb Weston, and Spicetec Flavors & Seasonings. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    ConAgra Foods Inc (NYSE: CAG) is estimated to report its Q2 earnings at $0.61 per share on revenue of $4.20 billion. ConAgra shares rose 0.40% to $37.25 in after-hours trading.

  • [By Shauna O'Brien]

    Shares of ConAgra Foods Inc (CAG) plummeted on Wednesday morning after the company announced that it is lowering its fourth quarter outlook.

    The company reported that it now expects fourth quarter results to be below expectations primarily due to weak Consumer Foods volume performance. CAG now expects to see a net loss of 76 cents per share. On an adjusted basis, EPS is expected to be�55 cents (previously 60 cents). On average, analysts expect to see 62 cents per share in earnings.

    “We are disappointed with the Consumer Foods volume performance, which negatively impacted comparable EPS,” noted Gary Rodkin, CEO of CAG.

    CAG Dividend Snapshot

    As market close on June 17, 2014

    Click here to see the complete history of CAG dividends.

    ConAgra Foods shares were down $2.00, or 6.09% during premarket trading Wednesday. The stock is down 2.52% YTD.

  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    ConAgra�Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.

    E*TRADE Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) was reiterated as Buy, but the price target was raised to $19.50 from $16.50, at Sterne Agee, making the third or fourth such price target upgrade in as many days, but what stands out here is that this appears to now be a “street-high” price target.

Top 10 Income Companies For 2014: Navistar International Corporation (NAV)

Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells commercial and military trucks, buses, diesel engines, and recreational vehicles, as well as provides service parts for trucks and trailers worldwide. The company operates in four segments: Truck, Engine, Parts, and Financial Services. The Truck segment manufactures and distributes trucks and buses for the common carrier, private carrier, government, leasing, construction, energy/petroleum, military vehicles, and student and commercial transportation markets under the International and IC brands; assembles components; and produces sheet metal components, including truck cabs. This segment markets its products through its independent dealer network, and distribution and service network retail outlets comprising 784 in the United States and Canada, 86 in Mexico, and 292 internationally, as well as markets reconditioned used trucks to owner-operators and fleet buyers through its network of us ed truck centers. The Engine segment designs, manufactures, and sells diesel engines under the MaxxForce brand for use in the medium trucks, heavy trucks, and military vehicles, as well as for its IC branded school buses and other applications. The Parts segment provides customers with products required to support the company�s brands, as well as offers other truck, trailer, and engine service parts. The Financial Services segment provides and manages retail, wholesale, and lease financing services for products sold by the Truck and Parts segments and their dealers. It also operates as a private-label designer and manufacturer of diesel engines for the pickup truck, van, and sport utility vehicle markets. Navistar International Corporation was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

    The IVA International Fund (Trades, Portfolio) Class A (NAV) (��he Fund�� ended the quarter on September 30, 2014 with a return of -1.00% versus the MSCI All Country World Index (ex-U.S.)(��ndex�� return of -5.27%. This brings our year-to-date return to 3.42% versus the Index return of 0.00% for the same period.Global equity markets were volatile this quarter, falling late July to early August and again in September, as the Federal Reserve prepares to end its quantitative easing program and markets digest the possibility of them raising rates earlier than expected as the U.S. economy slowly improves. Also, a few economic indicators released this quarter signaled growth in China is slowing which rattled markets.We were pleased with the Fund�� performance this quarter and, more specifically, from September 4 to September 30 when the MSCI All Country World Index (ex-U.S.) fell -5.56%. During this time we demonstrated our resiliency in down markets with our Fund returning -1.76% as our cash position served as a buffer. We are also happy with our performance year-to-date as it highlights that our stock picking has been good enough to offset the dilution from our cash exposure which was 25.0% at quarter-end. As longterm, absolute return investors, cash plays a critical role in the portfolio: it is the ammunition to buy future bargains and it helps protect the portfolio on the downside, as demonstrated this quarter.Over the quarter our equities outperformed those in the Index*, averaging a return of -2.9% versus -5.2%, respectively. Our relative outperformance was driven by our holdings in the consumer discretionary sector and Japan, which generated many of the portfolio�� top contributors. Our stocks in Japan continue to perform well on an absolute and relative basis. Over the quarter, they averaged a gain of 1.6% versus those in the Index down -2.3%, and added 0.3% to our return in U.S. dollars. Also, year-to-date, our Japanese stocks are up 14.0% versus

  • [By Richard Stavros]

    As of July 30, 2013, the ETF recorded a net asset value (NAV) of $1.16 billion and a low expense ratio of 0.50%.

    SPDR DB International Government Inflation-Protected Bond pays out a monthly distribution which amounts to an annual yield of around 3.76%.

Top 10 Income Companies For 2014: Medical Marijuana Inc (MJNA)

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 WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Getty Images Once upon a time, AT&T (T) urged its customers to "reach out and touch someone" with a long-distance phone call (which Ma Bell could charge extra for at the time). Those were simpler times. Today, in our post-9/11 world, if you reach out by phone, you may end up touching more people than you bargain for. And those people may have guns, badges and court-approved wiretap warrants. Top States for Wiretapping This is especially true in Nevada, Colorado, California and New York. A recent report by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts said these four states issue the majority of wiretap authorizations in America (measured proportionate to their populations): Nevada authorized 38.2 wiretap authorizations per 500,000 residents Colorado authorized 12.4 per 500,000 California authorized 11.7 per 500,000 And New York State authorized 10.7 per 500,000 Rounding out the top 10 states for state-sanctioned wiretapping are Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri and New Jersey -- in that order. In each state, state and federal law enforcement sought and received authorizations to conduct more than six wiretaps per 500,000 residents. (In case you were wondering, that office points out that it is not authorized to collect and report data on NSA wiretaps regulated by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978). According to Pew Research, which analyzed the report, 90 percent of the wiretaps authorized in 2013 were authorized to investigate "criminal drug-related offenses." The 3,576 total wiretaps authorized resulted in 3,744 arrests (more than the number of wiretaps authorized). But the conviction rate from these wiretaps was less than 19 percent -- just 709 convictions. (Curiously, AO also notes that in all of 2013, only one application for a wiretap was turned down.) If that sounds bad, it is. According to a 2010 annual statistical report filed by the Justice Department's Executive Office for United States Attorneys, the average convicti

  • [By James E. Brumley]

    If it seems like the buzz surrounding marijuana stocks like Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCMKTS:MJNA), Hemp, Inc. (OTCMKTS:HEMP), and GreenGro Technologies, Inc. (OTCMKTS:GRNH) has been a little louder than usual the last few days, you're not crazy - it has been louder, and particularly bullish. GRNH shares advanced 37% in December. HEMP is up 166% for the past two weeks. MJNA has jumped 47% in just the past couple of days. Well, as it turns out, it's not just mere coincidence that GreenGro Technologies, Hemp, Medical Marijuana, and a bunch of other cannabis-related names have perked up of late. And, odds are pretty good they'll all continue to do well (even of the pace slows a bit) in 2014.

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    There's no denying it. Marijuana stocks like Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCMKTS:CBIS), Growlife Inc. (OTCBB:PHOT), and Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCMKTS:MJNA) have gotten their second wind (and some would argue their third wind) over the past few days, doling out big gains in a very short period of time. MJNA is up 88% over the past four trading days, counting today. PHOT has popped 44% during that timeframe. CBIS has advanced 91% in just six days. It's everything a devoted shareholder of any of these companies could hope for, and more.

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    The last few days have been nothing less than incredible for stocks like Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCMKTS:CBIS), Medbox Inc. (OTCMKTS:MDBX), Growlife Inc. (OTCBB:PHOT), and Medical Marijuana Inc. (OTCMKTS:MJNA). MJNA shares have jumped 90% since last Friday. PHOT is up 51% for the same timeframe. CBIS has grown 150%, while MDBX is up 112%. The reason? It's largely the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado - a law that went into effect as of January 1st. The legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois on the same day didn't hurt either. And truth be told, the event-based rally from the likes of Medbox and Cannabis Science makes basic sense - it's a landmark shift in the way this country views and treats marijuana. On the flipside, before wading any deeper into stocks like Medical Marijuana or Growlife, current and would-be owners might want to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Top 10 Income Companies For 2014: Dutch Gold Resources Inc (DGRI)

Dutch Gold Resources, Inc. (Dutch Gold), incorporated on May 14, 2002, is a precious metals exploration-stage company engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring and developing mineral properties in North America. The Company holds an interest in properties in Nevada, Montana and Oregon.

The Company holds a leasehold interest in a property near Philipsburg, Montana which consists of 217 acres of patented land and approximately 900 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, referred to as Basin Gulch. The Jungo gold exploration project is located approximately 50 miles northwest of the town of Winnemucca in Humboldt County, Nevada. The property is on BLM land and is held by 95 unpatented lode mining claims. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company has not generated revenue from operations.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Next Generation Energy Corp (OTCMKTS: NGMC) and Dutch Gold Resources, Inc (OTCMKTS: DGRI) are the latest small cap stocks to announce their entry into the marijuana business while peer Endocan Corp (OTCMKTS: ENDO) sees some paid promotions or investor relations activities, but otherwise remains quiet. So will investors and traders alike achieve a high with any of these small cap marijuana stocks? Here is a quick reality check:

Top 10 Income Companies For 2014: Higher One Holdings Inc.(ONE)

Higher One Holdings, Inc. provides technology and payment services in the United States. It offers a suite of disbursement and payment solutions for higher education institutions and their students. The company provides OneDisburse Refund Management product that offers higher education institutional clients with a technology service for streamlining the student refund disbursement process. It also offers CASHNet Payment suite that includes software-as-a-service products and services, such as ePayment to securely accept online payments for tuition, charges, and fees from students through credit card, pinless debit, and ACH; eBill to automate payer billing and processing functions; MyPaymentPlan to personalize students? payment plans; eMarket that allows academic, athletic, and other departments to take alumni donations, sell event tickets and other merchandise, and accept payments of event and conference registration fees; and Cashiering to operate and manage cashiering fu nctions, back office payments, and campus-wide departmental deposits. In addition, the company provides OneDisburse ID, which offers an option to combine the company?s debit card with the institution?s ID cards; OneDisburse Payroll to distribute payroll and other employee-related payments; OneDisburse PLUS product to distribute Parent PLUS loan refunds to parents on behalf of the school; and Financial Intelligence to students with an online class. Further, it provides student-oriented banking services to campus communities. Additionally, the company offers OneAccount product for students, as well as faculty, staff, and alumni, with an FDIC-insured online checking account and a debit MasterCard ATM card. Higher One Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Calling all cash flows
    When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Higher One Holdings (NYSE: ONE  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [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 Higher One Holdings (NYSE: ONE  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By Steve Symington]

    What:�Shares of Higher One Holdings, Inc (NYSE: ONE  ) rose as much as 10% early Thursday, then settled to close up around 6% after the company reported better-than-expected first-quarter results.