Markets Up as S&P Gets Whiff of All-Time Closing High

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Last Thursday, we mentioned that the markets were searching for a bottom, and this past Friday, we mentioned that the markets may have found a bottom. In retrospect, that was the correct market call from a short-term trading perspective.

The S&P 500 index held its daily buy-trade level of 1842 last Thursday and zoomed higher from there this past Friday and on Monday.

With all this upside momentum on Monday, the S&P 500 was not able to close above its all-time closing high of 1878. This was the third attempt. On the edge, that is not a bullish sign.

The DJIA closed at 16,457.66, up 134.60, and the S&P 500 closed at 1872.34, up 14.72.

Volume was pathetic Monday, which is another bad sign. The up days in 2014 have been common for their lack of buying conviction, as has been mentioned in previous columns. On a more positive note, just when the bears were growling the most to short this market at 1842, and saying that a market top had been put in, the markets came roaring back again, as has been the case this year. The "buy the dips, sell the rips" philosophy has been the key to trading this market. As mentioned in Friday's column, the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 indexes were in oversold territory and were both poised for a continued move higher this week. The Nasdaq and Russell 2000 did indeed surge higher on Monday. The Nasdaq closed up 43.23 points at 4,198.99 and the Russell 2000 closed up 21.22 points at 1173. Both indexes have now worked off their oversold conditions. A traders market, pure and simple. If the DJIA continues to stay in the green, by Wednesday it will be well into overbought territory according to those same internal algorithm numbers that flagged the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 indexes as being oversold. So, I expect more volatility this week and some selling pressure as the week progresses.

Stock quotes in this article: OWW, SWY 

We need to keep watch of the CRB Food Index and the CRB Commodities Index in 2014. The CRB food index is up +19.3% year to date and the commodities index is up +8.9% year to date. Both of these are inflation-accelerating signals. In addition, the Spyders Select Utilities ETF is up +8% year to date. Inflation slows growth.

The month of March is now history, so the end of month window dressing and quarter end is over. What the month of April brings is anyone's guess. The S&P 500 daily trading range held true again today. Trading the ranges is the formula for success in 2014.

Two positions that were mentioned in Friday's column were Orbitz (OWW) and Safeway (SWY). OWW was sold on Monday morning for a nice profit again. I did add to the SWY at the close of trading.

At the time of publication, the author held positions in SWY, but positions may change at any time.

This article represents the opinion of a contributor and not necessarily that of TheStreet or its editorial staff.

Stock quotes in this article: OWW, SWY 

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now

Top 10 Performing Stocks To Own Right Now: HomeServe PLC (HSV)

Homeserve plc is a United Kingdom-based company engaged in the provision of home emergency repairs. The Company operates in five segments: UK, USA, Domeo, Spain, and New Markets. Its products cover plumbing and drains, central heating, ventilation and air conditioning, electrics and household appliances, such as showers and boilers. The Company provides home emergency and repair services to over 4.9 million customers across businesses in the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Spain. It also has developing businesses in Italy, Germany and France. The Company's subsidiaries include HomeServe Assistance Limited, HomeServe Enterprises Limited, HomeServe International Limited, HomeServe Membership Limited and Reparalia Direct SL. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Homeserve Plc (HSV) climbed 8.1 percent to 265.6 pence. Liberum Capital said the company may attract private-equity buyers after reporting its full-year results. The company may soon complete its discussions with the financial-services regulator about inappropriate sales practices.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-performing-stocks-to-own-right-now.html

Wedding bells - and bills, grow louder

Tying the knot can break the bank.

Costs related to the average wedding in 2013 came to about $30,000, according to survey data out Thursday from the wedding website TheKnot.com.

Among the highest individual expenses: an average of $13,385 for the reception venue and $5,598 for the engagement ring.

The exorbitant expenditures tracked by TheKnot.com don't include the honeymoon but do include other wedding-related costs such as a photographer, cake and flowers.

"The numbers are at an all-time high since we started counting in 2007," says TheKnot.com site director Anja Winikka.

Happy couples are not only spending on traditional items such as the band, wedding dress and reception hall, they're also shelling out on unique products and services they hope will make their day memorable, Winikka says.

Many create specialty cocktails and menu items that reflect their personal tastes or represent a milestone in their relationship.

"They'll make up a drink and name it after the place they went to on their first date," Winikka says. Or they will ask the caterer to create a dish based on the location where the proposal took place.

Amid a proliferation of wedding-themed TV shows and glossy bridal magazines showing images of extravagant events, it's easy for a couple to get caught up and overspend on their big day, says Stacy Francis, CEO of financial planning and wealth management firm Francis Financial.

"We've created this fairy tale thought in our mind of what our wedding has to be, and it has to be perfect," she says.

The plans for happily ever after can be thwarted once those wedding bills come in.

One way to avoid a post-wedding financial hangover is to create a detailed spreadsheet for wedding costs, then diligently add in every expense, Francis advises.

Make that budget before any dress shopping and venue hopping — in essence "before the emotions take over," she says. If the budget set for a dress is $1,000, a bride will be less apt to s! wipe her credit card for the $3,500 option on the spur of the moment.

Those planning a wedding should consider potential expenses that may not be obvious, she says.

"You look at the price for invitations and catering, and you don't add in on the tax. You forget the gratuity," she says. "All of these small things really add up."

More details from TheKnot.com's online survey of 13,000 brides and grooms married in 2013:

•The priciest place to wed? Manhattan. Couples who married there shelled out nearly three times the average, paying $86,916 in wedding-related expenses.

•The cheapest place? Idaho, which has average wedding costs coming in at $16,159.

•On average, spending per guest hit $220 in 2013, up $16 from 2012 and a $26 rise from the tough economic times of 2009.

•Brides across the country spent an average of $1,281 on their wedding gown. Those in Manhattan paid an average of $3,027 for their wedding-day garb while Alaskan brides spent $804.

Amgen: Overlooked, Worth Buying, Morgan Stanley Says

Biotech stocks have been slammed recently and Morgan Stanley believes it’s time to start differentiating between the fundamentals of companies like Amgen (AMGN), Biogen Idec (BIIB), Celgene (CELG) and Gilead Sciences (GILD).

Shares of Amgen have dropped 1% this month, while Biogen Idec has fallen 9.5%, Gilead Sciences has declined 13% and Celgene is 0ff 11%.

Morgan Stanley decided that those drops made it a fine time to resume coverage of the biotech sector. That’s allowed it to come at companies like Amgen with a clean slate and consider what investors might have missed, both good and bad, as the sector surged during the past three years, and then sold off. Analysts Matthew Harrison and David Friedman explain:

Over the last 5 years, there have been extraordinary changes and major de-risking events at most of the large biotechnology companies. Total revenues for the major 4 biotechs (Amgen, Biogen, Celgene and Gilead) are expected to move from a total of $175B over the last 5 years to a total of $335B over the next 5 years. And if you exclude Amgen which is a more mature company, we expect total revenues to move from $94B to $229B, or 2.5x the prior period.

Top 10 India Companies To Own In Right Now

Based upon these fundamental changes in the business prospects for these companies, the market has rewarded the significant progress seen across the industry. The average 1 year forward P/E multiple for the 4 large caps has expanded from 13x vs the S&P to 16x (S&P of 14.5x) over the last 3 years and the cumulative performance of the industry has been multiples above the market with the major 4 biotechs rising ~328% over the last 3 years compared to 143% for the S&P, or 2.3x…

During the rapid expansion of the industry and its valuation over the last 3 years have: a. Risks been overlooked in the exuberance? b. Reasonable scenarios priced into stocks such that they are fairly valued? c. Or is there still upside based upon fundamental operating drivers?

When it comes to Amgen, at least, Harrison and Friedman believe it’s been overlooked because of its “lack of mega blockbusters.” They explain:

[As] investors have only focused on the mega blockbuster, we believe they have overlooked the fundamental flexibility in Amgen's business – including the significant margin flexibility that comes with the Enbrel stepdowns (we estimate ~$1.4B through 2016) – that will allow it to deliver predicable, growing (or stable in a downside scenario) cash flows. And deliver more of that money than its peers to shareholders through its aggressive capital allocation program. Thus, Amgen offers much more downside support than its peers and a pipeline which when considered in aggregate can grow the cash flows and likely deliver that growth to investors in much less risky way than the estimated growth at its peers.

Harrison and Friedman initiated Amgen and Biogen with Buy ratings but slapped Neutral ratings on Gilead and Regeneron.

Shares of Amgen have gained 1.9% to $122.39 at 11:09 a.m., while Biogen Idec has risen 0.4% to $307.17, Gilead Sciences has dropped 0.9% to $72.07 and Regeneron has fallen 0.4% to $141.99.

Top Companies To Invest In 2014

Top Companies To Invest In 2014: Timmins Gold Corp (TGD)

Timmins Gold Corp. (Timmins) is a gold mining and exploration company. The Company is engaged in exploration, mine development and the mining and extraction of precious metals, primarily gold. Its primary asset and material mineral property is the San Francisco Gold Property located in Sonora, Mexico, which includes the Company's only operating mine (the Mine). Its projects include El Capomo Property, Timm Property, El Picacho Property, Patricia and Norma Property, San Onesimo, Zindy and San Fernando Properties, Quila Property and Cocula Property. El Capomo Property is located in Nayarit State, approximately 50 kilometers east of Puerto Vallarta. It acquired Timm Property by staking a 45,000 hectare land package in the Penasquito area. Patricia and Norma Property consists of approximately 20,000 hectares were staked by the Company and are located in the Municipality of Trincheras, Sonora, Mexico. Its Cocula Property is located approximately 50 kilometers west of Guadalajara , Jalisco. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anthony Mirhaydari]

  I’ve added shares of BAA to my Edge Letter Sample Portfolio.

  Breakout Gold Stocks to Buy: Timmins Gold (TGD)

  
  Click to Enlarge Timmins Gold (TGD), like the other two gold stocks, is also challenging its 200-day moving average as buyers pour capital into a sector that had been left for dead. An upside breakout here would be the first since early 2013.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-companies-to-invest-in-2014.html

Using Technology to Modernize Investors' Portfolio

Hot Clean Energy Stocks For 2014

CA Technologies (CA) is an enterprise information technology (IT) management software and solutions company. The company's products are designed to operate in a range of IT environments, from mainframe and physical to virtual and cloud. The company has three operating segments: Mainframe Solutions, Enterprise Solutions and Services.

GTM Strategy

The company adopted the "go to market", sales strategy. An action plan that specifies how a company will reach customers and achieve competitive advantage through all the commercial functions including sales, marketing, brand management, pricing and consumer insight, to drive the bottom line.

Small Acquisitions

In 2010, the company acquired privately held Nimsoft, a provider of IT performance monitoring solutions for $350 million in cash. In Sep 2010, CA signed a definitive agreement to acquire Hyperformix Inc. Recently; it acquired Layer 7 Technologies, a leading provider of Application Programming Interface (API) security and management. Furthermore, the acquisition of Arcot Systems Inc., a privately held company that provides authentication and fraud prevention software, in a move to boost its security offerings. These acquisitions have helped the firm to strengthen its cloud computing infrastructure and would also help to generate better profitability from the existing technology assets.

Repurchase Program

In FY 11, the company completed a $218 million share repurchase program. In May 2011, directors approved another stock repurchase program. The company intended to buy back up to $1.5 billion of common stock. The company said it will repurchase $500 million of the total in an accelerated share repurchase program. As of March 31, 2013, the company had reduced its total debt 50% from the one registered five years earlier.

Analyst Recommendation

The firm is currently Zacks Rank # 3 - Hold, and it also has a longer-term recommendation of "Outperfom". For investors looking for a Zacks Rank # 1 – Strong Buy, Dealertrack Technologies Inc (TRAK), Open Text Corporation (OTEX), Pegasystems Inc. (PEGA) Solera Holdings (SLH) or Ultimate Software Group Inc. (ULTI) could be the options.

P/E, Earnings and ROE

In terms of valuation, the stock sells at a trailing P/E of 13.5x, trading at a premium compared to the industry. Earnings per share (EPS) decreased by 7.3% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. Finally, I always like to see one of the most important financial ratios applying to stockholders, the best measure of performance for a firm's management: the return on equity. The ratio has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. Let´s compare the current ratio with the peer group in the next table:

Ticker	Company Name	ROE (%)
CA	CA Technologies	17.52
TRAK	Dealertrack Technologies Inc	0.98
OTEX	Open Text Corporation	11.11
PEGA	Pegasystems, Inc.	14
SLH	Solera Holdings	12.74

As we can see, the firm has a higher ROE than the entire peer group.

Final Comment

As outlined in this article, the "go-to-market" strategies are jointly developed to help drive revenue. Moreover, the acquisitions we listed are vital to cloud computing, a fast growing segment. Finally, the additional stock repurchase authorization reflects the continued confidence and will provide a meaningful benefit to long-term shareholders.

I feel bullish about this company's future profitability and I would recommend investors to consider adding the stock for their long-term portfolios. Hedge fund gurus have also been active in the company in Q4 2013. Gurus like Paul Tudor Jones (Trades, Portfolio), George Soros (Trades, Portfolio), Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio), Joel Greenblatt (Trades, Portfolio) and John Hussman (Trades, Portfolio) have taken long positions in it.

Disclosure: Patricio Kehoe holds no position in any stocks mentioned.

Also check out: George Soros Undervalued Stocks George Soros Top Growth Companies George Soros High Yield stocks, and Stocks that George Soros keeps buying Jeremy Grantham Undervalued Stocks Jeremy Grantham Top Growth Companies Jeremy Grantham High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Jeremy Grantham keeps buying
About the author:Patricio KehoeA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree Analytics

Currently 5.00/512345 Rating: 5.0/5 (3 votes)

Voters:

Subscribe via Email Subscribe RSS Comments Please leave your comment:
More GuruFocus Links

Latest Guru Picks	Value Strategies
Warren Buffett Portfolio	Ben Graham Net-Net
Real Time Picks	Buffett-Munger Screener
Aggregated Portfolio	Undervalued Predictable
ETFs, Options	Low P/S Companies
Insider Trends	10-Year Financials
52-Week Lows	Interactive Charts
Model Portfolios	DCF Calculator
RSS Feed	Monthly Newsletters
The All-In-One Screener	Portfolio Tracking Tool

MORE GURUFOCUS LINKS

Latest Guru Picks	Value Strategies
Warren Buffett Portfolio	Ben Graham Net-Net
Real Time Picks	Buffett-Munger Screener
Aggregated Portfolio	Undervalued Predictable
ETFs, Options	Low P/S Companies
Insider Trends	10-Year Financials
52-Week Lows	Interactive Charts
Model Portfolios	DCF Calculator
RSS Feed	Monthly Newsletters
The All-In-One Screener	Portfolio Tracking Tool

CA STOCK PRICE CHART 30.98 (1y: +24%) $(function(){var seriesOptions=[],yAxisOptions=[],name='CA',display='';Highcharts.setOptions({global:{useUTC:true}});var d=new Date();$current_day=d.getDay();if($current_day==5||$current_day==0||$current_day==6){day=4;}else{day=7;} seriesOptions[0]={id:name,animation:false,color:'#4572A7',lineWidth:1,name:name.toUpperCase()+' stock price',threshold:null,data:[[1364274000000,24.98],[1364360400000,25.01],[1364446800000,25.18],[1364792400000,24.85],[1364878800000,24.75],[1364965200000,24.54],[1365051600000,24.78],[1365138000000,24.6],[1365397200000,24.3],[1365483600000,24.67],[1365570000000,24.93],[1365656400000,24.88],[1365742800000,24.93],[1366002000000,24.66],[1366088400000,24.84],[1366174800000,24.45],[1366261200000,24.45],[1366347600000,24.36],[1366606800000,24.48],[1366693200000,24.84],[1366779600000,25.19],[1366866000000,26.03],[1366952400000,25.98],[1367211600000,26.63],[1367298000000,26.97],[1367384400000,26.8],[1367470800000,27.23],[1367557200000,27.73],[1367816400000,27.67],[1367902800000,27.77],[1367989200000,27.11],[1368075600000,26.81],[1368162000000,27.22],[1368421200000,26.98],[1368507600000,27.14],[1368594000000,27.41],[1368680400000,27.3],[1368766800000,27.69],[1369026000000,27.71],[1369112400000,27.65],[1369198800000,27.37],[1369285200000,27.35],[1369371600000,27.4],[1369717200000,27.65],[1369803600000,27.19],[1369890000000,27.56],[1369976400000,27.32],[1370235600000,27.34],[1370322000000,27.61],[1370408400000,27.28],[1370494800000,27.99],[1370581200000,29.14],[1370840400000,29.23],[1370926800000,28.61],[1371013200000,28.25],[1371099600000,28.53],[1371186000000,28.26],[1371445200000,28.59],[1371531600000,28.635],[1371618000000,28.21],[1371704400000,27.63],[1371790800000,27.52],[1372050000000,27.24],[1372136400000,27.29],[1372222800000,27.53],[1372309200000,28.8],[1372395600000,28.62],[1372654800000,28.23],[1372741200000,27.98],[1372827600000,28.05],[1373000400000,28.26],[1373259600000,28.74],[1373346000000,29.07],[1373432400000,29.24],[1373518800000,29.76],[1373605200000,29.92],[1373864400000,29.58],[1373950800000,29.37],[1374037200000,29.43],[1374123600000,29.74],[1374210000000,29.65],[1374469200000,29.89],[1374555600000,29.76],[1374642000000,29.88],[1374728400000,29.72],[1374814800000,29.68],[1375074000000,29.74],! [1375160400000,29.77],[1375246800000,29.74],[1375333200000,30.12],[1375419600000,30.39],[1375678800000,30.61],[1375765200000,30.73],[1375851600000,30.6],[1375938000000,30.87],[1376024400000,30.98],[1376283600000,31.12],[1376370000000,31.24],[1376456400000,31.26],[1376542800000,30.99],[1376629200000,30.545],[1376888400000,30.27],[1376974800000,30.1],[1377061200000,29.79],[1377147600000,30.12],[1377234000000,30.24],[1377493200000,30.02],[1377579600000,29.4],[1377666000000,29.41],[1377752400000,29.64],[1377838800000,29.25],[1378184400000,29.39],[1378270800000,29.48],[1378357200000,29.44],[1378443600000,29.6],[1378702800000,29.85],[1378789200000,30.58],[1378875600000,30.71],[1378962000000,30.47],[1379048400000,30.39],[1379307600000,30.51],[1379394000000,30.6],[1379480400000,30.71],[1379566800000,30.72],[1379653200000,30.72],[1379912400000,30.48],[1379998800000,30.26],[1380085200000,30.335],[1380171600000,30.25],[1380258000000,30.06],[1380517200000,29.67],[1380603600000,29.93],[1380690000000,29.75],[1380776400000,29.23],[1380862800000,29.57],[1381122000000,29.27],[1381208400000,28.82],[1381294800000,28.7],[1381381200000,29.25],[1381467600000,29.52],[1381726800000,29.77],[1381813200000,29.49],[1381899600000,29.755],[1381986000000,30.02],[1382072400000,30.1],[1382331600000,30.16],[1382418000000,30.36],[1382504400000,30.29],[1382590800000,30.39],[1382677200000,31.4],[1382936400000,31.45],[1383022800000,31.76],[1383109200000,31.79],[1383195600000,31.76],[1383282000000,31.725],[1383544800000,31.86],[1383631200000,31.65],[1383717600000,31.99],[1383804000000,31.66],[1383890400000,31.93],[1384149600000,32.09],[1384236000000,32.13],[1384322400000,32.83],[1384408800000,32.68],[1384495200000,32.85],[1384754400000,32.75],[1384840800000,32.39],[1384927200000,32.24],[1385013600000,32.589],[1385100000000,33.13],[1385359200000,32.86],[1385445600000,33],[1385532000000,32.92],[1385704800000,33],[1385964000000,32.87],[1386050400000,32.72],[1386136800000,32.63],[1386223200000,32.48],[1386309600000,32.85],[1386568800000,32.83],[! 138665520! 0000,32.98],[1386741600000,32.51],[1386828000000,32.4],[1386914400000,32.34],[1387173600000,32.515],[1387260000000,32.48],[1387346400000,32.58],[1387432800000,32.9],[1387519200000,32.93],[1387778400000,33.07],[1387864800000,33.41],[1388037600000,33.47],[1388124000000,33.43],[1388383200000,33.66],[1388469600000,33.65],[1388642400000,33.15],[1388728800000,33.11],[1388988000000,32.93],[1389074400000,33.45],[1389160800000,33.59],[1389247200000,33.85],[1389333600000,34.02],[1389592800000,33.44],[1389679200000,34.01],[1389765600000,34.12],[1389852000000,34.05],[1389938400000,34.43],[1390284000000,34.26],[1390370400000,34.3],[1390456800000,33.65],[1390543200000,32.66],[1390802400000,32.24],[1390888800000,32.55],[1390975200000,32.2],[1391061600000,32.33],[1391148000000,32.09],[1391407200000,31.19],[1391493600000,31.22],[1391580000000,31.16],[1391666400000,31.62],[1391752800000,32.17],[1392012000000,32.07],[1392098400000,32.3],[1392184800000,32.67],[1392271200000,33.08],[1392357600000,32.99],[1392703200000,32.9],[1392789600000,32.45],[1392876000000,32.67],[1392962400000,32.42],[1393221600000,32.67],[1393308000000,32.62],[1393394400000,32.92],[1393826400000,33.14],[1393912800000,33.39],[1393999200000,33.25],[1394085600000,33.21],[1394172000000,32.93],[1394427600000,32.82],[1394514000000,32.65],[1394600400000,32.4],[1394686800000,31.87],[1394773200000,31.48],[1395032400000,31.85],[1395118800000,32.385],[1395205200000,32.15],[1395291600000,32.25],[1395378000000,31.11],[1395637200000,31.01],[1395723600000,30.98],[1395809491000,30.98],[1395809491000,30.98],[1395759600000,30.98]]};var reporting=$('#reporting');Highcharts.setOptions({lang:{rangeSelectorZoom:""}});var chart=new Highcharts.StockChart({chart:{renderTo:'container_chart',marginRight:20,borderRadius:0,events:{load:function(){var chart=this,axis=chart.xAxis[0],buttons=chart.rangeSelector.buttons;function reset_all_buttons(){$.each(chart.rangeSelector.buttons,function(index,value){value.setState(0);});series=chart.get('CA');series.remove();} buttons[0].on('click',function(e){

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks To Own For 2014

Hot Warren Buffett Stocks To Own For 2014: Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.(TTWO)

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. publishes, develops, and distributes interactive entertainment software, hardware, and accessories worldwide. The company develops and publishes software titles for various gaming and entertainment hardware platforms, including PlayStation3 and PlayStation2 computer entertainment systems, PlayStation Portable system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, and Wii and DS systems, as well as for the personal computer and games for Windows. It offers products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games and 2K, which publishes titles under 2K Games, 2K Sports, and 2K Play. The company, through its subsidiary, Jack of All Games, also distributes software, hardware, and accessories in North America. Its proprietary brand franchises include Grand Theft Auto; Sid Meier's Civilization; Max Payne; Midnight Club; Manhunt; Red Dead Revolver; Bully; BioShock; Sid Meier's Railroads!; Sid Meier's Pirates!; Carnival Games; and Top Spin, as wel l as licensed brands comprise the sports games Major League Baseball 2K; NBA 2K; and NHL 2K. The company sells its software titles to retail outlets through direct relationships with large retail customers and third party distributors. Its customers include mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, video stores, electronics stores, toy stores, national and regional drug stores, and supermarket and discount store chains. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kurt Avard]

  Fool Rick Munarriz wrote about four video game stocks to watch this past December. While two of these companies, Activision (NASDAQ: ATVI  ) and Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO  ) , are priced notably higher than when that article was published, detractors! note that the burst in stock prices means very little in the long run.

• [By Brandy Betz]

  Shares of Activision Blizzard  (NASDAQ: ATVI  )  have risen over 13% in the past week following positive fourth-quarter and full-year reports. The company is fresh off the launch of Call of Duty: Ghosts, which became the second best-selling game of the year behind Take-Two's  (NASDAQ: TTWO  )  Grand Theft Auto V. The shares of Take-Two and Electronic Arts  (NASDAQ: EA  )  fell after these companies' recent earnings reports as investors decide what to do with gaming companies now that the next-gen consoles have launched. How did Activision avoid a similar fate?  

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-warren-buffett-stocks-to-own-for-2014.html

SEC charges pair of brokers, investment advisory firm, others with $80M variable annuity scam

Bloomberg News, iStock; photo composite by Gerardo Tabones

The Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday filed charges against a group of brokers in a scheme wherein wealthy investors used variable annuities with death benefits to wager on the lives of the terminally ill.

The complaint targeted brokers Michael A. Horowitz of Los Angeles and Moshe Marc Cohen of Brooklyn, N.Y., slapping both with a cease-and-desist order and allegations of fraud.

The plan — which involved the sale of more than $80 million in variable annuities — ran its course from July 2007 to February 2008. Mr. Horowitz was allegedly the “architect” of a scheme to profit from the death of terminally ill hospice and nursing home patients, according to the SEC's complaint.

Mr. Horowitz allegedly obtained the personal health and identification data of the dying patients through fraud, marking them as annuitants on variable annuity contracts that he had marketed to wealthy clients, according to the SEC's complaint. He allegedly recruited Mr. Cohen to help facilitate the sale of these “stranger-owned annuities.” Under false pretenses, both men allegedly received their broker-dealers' approval to sell the annuities. The brokers reaped a windfall in commissions from their sale, the SEC claimed, with Mr. Horowitz obtaining more than $300,000 and Mr. Cohen snagging more than $700,000.

Top High Dividend Stocks To Own Right Now

“This was a calculated fraud exploiting terminally ill patients,” Julie M. Riewe, co-chief of the SEC's Enforcement Division's Asset Management Unit, said in a news release.

(See also: SEC says investors need to know more about fees)

At the heart of the matter is the fact that variable annuities don't require proof of insurable interest or a physical examination of the annuitant — the person whose demise would trigger the payout of the annuity's death benefits.

Mr. Horowitz allegedly told the contract owners — the wealthy investors funding the variable annuities — to invest aggressively to help drive up the value of the account, according to the complaint. His alleged argument was that there was no way to lose: If the value of the annuity contract climbed, the client would receive it as the death benefit payout following the demise of the terminally ill annuitant. If the value fell, then clients received a death benefit that guaranteed a payout equal to the premiums paid minus any withdrawals, according to the SEC's complaint.

At least 16 terminally ill people were designated the annuitants in some 50 variable annuity contracts that were allegedly sold by Mr. Horowitz, Mr. Cohen or other associates! , according to the SEC. All of the patients lived in southern California or Chicago.

The SEC also singled out three individuals for their role in allegedly identifying sickly patients to be annuitants: Harold Ten of Los Angeles, Menachem “Mark” Berger of Chicago and Debra Flowers of Chicago.

In order to obtain identification information, Mr. Ten allegedly started up a business that purported to provide charitable aid to people in hospice care, according to the complaint. Mr. Berger, meanwhile, is the executive director of a firm that owns and operates nursing homes in Chicago and the owner of a firm that supposedly provided financial aid to the terminally ill. Ms. Flowers, meanwhile, had worked for Mr. Berger as an admissions and marketing director for the nursing homes he oversaw, according to the SEC.

In fall 2007, Mr. Horowitz allegedly sought to expand his variable annuities scheme beyond retail clients and tap institutional investors. He allegedly met with the principals of two affiliated hedge funds in New York, which led to the establishment of an affiliate called BDL Group, advised by BDL Manager, according to the suit.

The principals of the hedge fund allegedly retained commodities trader Howard A. Feder of Woodmere, N.Y. to operate BDL Group and BDL Manager, according to the SEC. The supposed investment strategy here was to obtain guaranteed short-term gains by exploiting the annuity contract's bonus credit and enhanced death benefit provisions, seeking terminally ill people to be annuitants, aggressively invest the premiums and then roll the death benefits into new stranger-owned annuity deals, according to the complaint.

Finally, the SEC filed a complaint against former registered representatives Richard Mark Horowitz and Marc Steven Firestone, both of Los Angeles, for negligently permitting point-of-sale forms for a dozen annuities in this scheme to be submitted to their broker-dealer, NFP Securities Inc.

The sales took place between mid-November and mid-Decem! ber 2007,! according to the SEC. Mr. Firestone allegedly signed off on the variable annuities — supposedly with the knowledge of Richard Horowitz, his supervisor — and submitted them to NFP with incorrect information on the investors' time horizons, the SEC alleged.

NFP is not a named defendant in the SEC's case. Emily Deissler, a spokeswoman for NFP, said the firm declined to comment.

Though the litigation with Mr. Horowitz and Mr. Cohen is still continuing, the SEC also obtained some $4.5 million in settlements from other parties in the elaborate grift.

Mr. Ten agreed to pay a disgorgement of $181,147, plus prejudgment interest of $20,858 and a penalty of $90,000. Mr. Berger agreed to pay $119,000 in disgorgement, plus $11,579 in prejudgment interest and a penalty of $100,000.

Ms. Flowers, meanwhile, submitted a sworn statement of financial condition last May and a sworn declaration in October 2013, asserting her inability to pay the penalties and disgorgement.

Mr. Feder will pay a penalty of $130,000. BDL Manager will pay a disgorgement of $1.5 million, prejudgment interest of $196,608 and a penalty of $1.5 million.

Finally, Mr. Horowitz will pay a disgorgement of $292,767, plus prejudgment interest of $36,512 and a penalty of $40,800. Mr. Firestone will pay $127,853 in disgorgement, prejudgment interest of $17,140 and a penalty of $40,800.

Attorney Eliot Lauer of Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle is representing Mr. Feder and BDL Manager. He had no comment on the SEC's case. Attorneys for the other defendants did not immediately return calls.

As elaborate as this latest “stranger-owned annuities” caper is, it's hardly the first such scheme. Cranston, R.I.-based estate planning attorney Joseph Caramadre captured the attention of regulators, compliance professionals and the media more than four years ago when he was the subject of civil suits filed by life insurers for allegedly soliciting terminally ill people to be annuitants on variable annuity contracts with! death be! nefits.

Litigation flew: The issuing insurers sued the broker-dealers and registered reps who allegedly sold the annuities. In turn, the broker-dealers countersued the life insurers.

Federal authorities filed conspiracy and wire fraud charges against Mr. Caramadre in relation to the scheme. He was sentenced to six years in prison last December.

Why VR Headsets Are the Next Big Thing in Gaming

Source: oculusvr.com

The latest gaming consoles have hit store shelves in most major sales territories with varying degrees of success. Sony's (NYSE: SNE  ) more powerful hardware and gaming-centric design for the PlayStation 4 seems to be getting the best reception. The multimedia focus of the Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) Xbox One and its associated Kinect 2.0 camera drive up the system's price, potentially causing consumers to look elsewhere. Meanwhile, Nintendo's (NASDAQOTH: NTDOY  ) Wii U console was designed and marketed around its GamePad controller, a device in which most of the market apparently has no interest.

The success of PlayStation 4 relative to its console competitors could create the impression that offering increasingly powerful hardware at a market-friendly price point will continue to be the best path to success going forward. Such suppositions could wind up being mostly erroneous, as the future of gaming is dependent on a display revolution.

Same old game
A quick look at the lineups for the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One reveals that many of their biggest titles will also be available on last-generation platforms. The extent of this trend is relatively new in the gaming industry and is a clear sign that diminishing graphical returns are very real. Increased resolutions and frame rates will appeal to a section of the hardcore gaming crowd, but most consumers are likely to see little difference when comparing a game like Konami's Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes across platforms.

Source: konami.com

Games developed exclusively for a single platform remain much more likely to show off the graphical flare that is typically expected of new hardware. However, the high production costs associated with these endeavors mean that exclusives will become increasingly rare and will almost always be bankrolled by platform holders. Put simply, the graphical leap put forth by the new platforms is smaller than ever before and a new hook is necessary. Motion gaming has lost its appeal and the Wii U's GamePad doesn't have a future. Enter the long idealized world of virtual reality gaming.

See the future
Privately owned Oculus VR has already been making major waves with its Oculus Rift headset for PC. Prior to the device being sold out, developers could purchase development units for $300. A consumer version is expected to debut below that price. Statements from the company indicate that the device will never hit PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. The fact that the Wii U was not part of these exclusionary decrees is more of a testament to the console's comparatively weak specs and broader irrelevance than a possibility that the tech will hit the system. Rumors and leaks suggest that Sony and Microsoft will soon debut their own VR headsets to avoid being left behind in what could quickly become the next big thing in gaming.

Will Xbox One's Kinect camera finally pull its weight?
Microsoft's decision to bundle the Kinect 2.0 camera with every Xbox One console has been widely criticized, and for good reason. Outside of some multimedia integration and the Kinect Sports: Rivals game from Microsoft-owned Rare studios, the platform holder has done a poor job of justifying the extra cost that the camera adds to its console. That could quickly change if VR headsets become a big selling point for the latest batch of consoles.

Source. xbox.com

Some manner of tracking technology will be necessary to get the most out of head-mounted displays, and the Kinect 2.0 is certainly advanced enough to serve that purpose. Those looking to take the VR plunge on Sony's PlayStation 4 will likely need to purchase the system's camera add-on. Nintendo's aversion to loss leading makes it the platform holder least likely to chase the promise of virtual reality in the near future.

Roadblocks to the revolution
The biggest barrier facing a potential VR display revolution is cost. The technology will become cheaper over time and likely be more central to the next batch of console hardware, but pricing will almost certainly be a prohibitive factor for the mass-market audience, even if the head-mounted displays possess considerable wow factor. The form factors of VR headsets will also need to be spot on, as the failure of the 3D glasses push for home entertainment has already shown that people are hesitant to don funny-looking headwear.

The beginning of a new generation
VR headsets will arrive with the potential for the most significant gameplay innovations in generations. At some point, offering marginally better graphics will cease to become enough to entice the base of consumers needed to sustain healthy business. Diminishing returns are already evident in the latest batch of console hardware and a resurgence of PC gaming suggests gamers are increasingly looking to get their kicks elsewhere. Head-mounted displays are going to be the next big thing in gaming; the only questions are when the revolution will begin and who will be steering the ship. 

Will this massive gaming publisher ride the VR wave
How the big third party publisher react to the advent of consumer VR headsets remains to be seen, but David Gardner believes one of them is primed for ultimate growth. Gardner has proved the doubters wrong time, and time, and time again with stock returns like 926%, 2,239%, and 4,371%. In fact, just recently one of his favorite stocks became a 100-bagger. And he's ready to do it again. You can uncover his scientific approach to crushing the market and his carefully chosen six picks for ultimate growth instantly, because he's making this premium report free for you today. Click here now for access.

Hot Financial Companies To Buy For 2014

Rough Road Ahead for GM as Congress Plots Safety Probe

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesGeneral Motors CEO Mary Barra at the Detroit auto show in January. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. congressional investigation into General Motors (GM) automobile defects will bring aggressive scrutiny to a company with powerful lobbying clout and strong ties on Capitol Hill. GM's recall of 1.6 million vehicles, due to an ignition-switch problem linked to 12 fatalities, has put the Detroit automaker in Congress' cross hairs, with potentially dramatic hearings kicking off in April. GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra is scheduled to testify on April 1 to a U.S. House of Representatives panel investigating the ignition problem. In what could be a preview of such testimony, Barra declared in a video Monday that "something went wrong with our process" and "terrible things happened." The handling of the defect by GM, which first noticed it in 2001, and federal regulators is the top priority of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, according to aides. Congressional investigations into consumer safety issues always have the potential of becoming a public relations nightmare for companies at the center of the probes. In early 2010, for example, Congress looked into sudden, unintended acceleration problems Toyota owners had been reporting for years, which were linked to five deaths. "I ... was praying to God to please help me," testified one Toyota owner, who said her Lexus 350 ES had accelerated out-of-control. "I thought it was my time to die." Before it was all over, Toyota sales fell, its reputation suffered and Congress toughened regulations. Just this week, the company agreed to a record $1.2 billion penalty stemming from a Justice Department criminal investigation that could provide guideposts for the GM probe. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will have broad powers to investigate the actions of GM and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including the ability to subpoena witnesses and documents. The panel has also invited NHTSA acting Administrator David Friedman to testify at the April 1 hearing. The session is the first in what will likely be a series of congressional hearings. GM customers could have dramatic stories to tell, since the ignition issue turned off engines and disabled airbags in cars moving at high speed, resulting in deadly accidents. One committee aide said nearly a dozen of the panel's investigators were working on finding out why flawed ignitions in older Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and other GM models were allowed to stay in the cars for so long with owners uninformed. "The broad question the committee wants to answer is, 'Is this a problem that could have been prevented or detected any earlier than it was?'" said one House Energy and Commerce aide. GM has long had allies in Congress, most notably Michigan Rep. John Dingell, the former committee chair. But the hearings will not be the first time the auto giant has been roughed up by lawmakers. In 2012, a House of Representatives committee looked into an unrelated safety issue: Car battery fires in GM's new hybrid electric car, the Chevrolet Volt. In 2008, GM, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler executives were taken to task by some members of Congress when they flew corporate jets from Detroit to Washington to testify in favor of a government bailout. GM's allure may have suffered so much from its subsequent government takeover that only four members of Congress, out of 535, owned the company stock in 2012, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Five CEOs ran GM during the period of more than a decade since the ignition problem first appeared. Some aides also warn that what might appear in hindsight to be inexcusable missteps by GM and federal regulators could have been complex and hard-to-define problems as they were unfolding. GM and Fred The House hearings will be run by Michigan Rep. Fred Upton, a Midwesterner with an unassuming demeanor, who sometimes tells reporters, "Just call me Fred." As chairman, Upton has aggressively challenged President Barack Obama's administration on its Obamacare health plan and guided his committee through a tough investigation of the Solyndra solar-panel company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2011 after receiving $528 million in loans from the federal government. Upton also played an important role in the 2000 congressional investigation of Ford's SUV rollover problems associated with Firestone-made tires. After emotional hearings, Congress quickly toughened the industry's recall process. Teaming up with Upton is the committee's senior Democrat, Rep. Henry Waxman, a dogged legislator who has taken on the U.S. tobacco industry, helped enact Obama's landmark healthcare law and won passage of a sweeping climate change bill in the House in 2009. Also senior on the Energy and Commerce Committee is the "dean" of the House, Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, who was the panel's top Democrat from 1981 to 2008 and is widely seen as GM's staunchest ally in Congress. "He was a very, very strong chairman. He protected the prerogatives of Detroit and the automobile industry," said Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, also a longtime member of the committee. But Dingell's star power faded after Waxman wrested away the committee chairmanship in 2009. Waxman remained the lead Democrat on the committee after Republicans took control of the House in 2011. The 87-year-old Dingell recently announced his retirement later this year after a record 59 years in office. Dingell's wife, Debbie, who has deep family ties to GM, intends to run for her husband's congressional seat. Investigation, Then Legislation? Joan Claybrook, a former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration head and president emeritus of the watchdog group Public Citizen, said that "from time to time," Congress had proven it can be tough on the U.S. auto industry. She noted that during the Ford/Firestone investigation, Congress demanded that the companies "submit all sorts of documents they didn't want to submit" and made them public. Claybrook and fellow consumer advocate Ralph Nader said in separate telephone interviews that the scope and aggressiveness of Congress' investigation of GM would depend in part on sustained public outrage and pressure to act. "The public is mad as a hornet about this GM coverup," she said. Nader, who wants GM to set up a victims' compensation fund, said the hearings would help "keep the fire under the seat of the Justice Department" as it pursues a criminal probe. Republicans, who control the House, won't want to ally with GM on a safety problem that has enraged the public, added Nader, who won fame in the 1960s by taking on GM and championing safety issues in his book "Unsafe at Any Speed". If House lawmakers or Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who also plans to hold hearings in April in her Commerce Committee panel, decide legislation is needed, GM's lobbyists are sure to respond. With 87,000 hourly and salaried workers in 60 plants scattered across the United States, GM and its employees are an important constituency for lawmakers. GM spent nearly $9 million last year on an army of lobbyists whose job is to promote the company's interests in Congress and throughout the federal government. One registered lobbyist, Emily Porter, is a former adviser to House Speaker John Boehner. Asked about GM's sway with Congress, veteran Democratic Rep. John Larson of Connecticut told Reuters: "It always makes it problematic for Congress" because so many of the company's jobs are located in lawmakers' home districts. Still, House Energy and Commerce aides insist GM will get no favorable treatment. "You have one hearing and you see where the evidence takes you" before deciding next steps, said one aide.

The U.S. Domestic E-Cig Market Is About to Be Shaken Up

Imperial Tobacco (NASDAQOTH: ITYBY  ) controls around 5% of the global tobacco market and, like all major tobacco companies, was slow to realize the disruptive potential of the e-cigarette. However, as soon as Imperial's management realized the opportunity that e-cigs offered, it made an acquisition that has turned out to be one of the smartest moves in the industry.

The acquisition
Imperial Tobacco's e-cig division is called Fontem Ventures and around the end of last year, Fontem acquired Dragonite International's e-cig unit for $75 million. Dragonite was founded by Hon Lik, who has remained executive director of the company. What's more, Mr. Lik is also credited with the invention of the e-cig and many of the technologies associated with it. As a result, Dragonite and Lik hold the rights and ownership over an "extensive portfolio" of global patents and pending patents covering e-cig technologies -- of course, Imperial Tobacco and Fontem Ventures now own these rights.

As it turns out, many e-cig start-ups and even tobacco industry giant Lorillard (NYSE: LO  )  have infringed on these patents, possibly due to their rush getting e-cig products to market. So, six months on from closing the deal with Dragonite, Fontem Ventures, backed by Imperial Tobacco, has filed nine lawsuits in a federal court, asking the court to rule that the patents infringed were valid, and the defendants should pay as-of-yet unspecified damages. The companies Imperial is taking to court are Lorillard, NJOY, Vapor Corp., VMR Products LLC, Ballantyne Brands LLC, CB Distributors, Spark Industries LLC, Logic Technology Development LLC, FIN Branding Group LLC, Victory Electronic Cigarettes Corp. (NASDAQOTH: ECIG  ) , and DR Distributors LLC. So, it would seem as if Imperial is intending to kill off the majority of its competition before many of them can even get much of a foothold in the market.

The fighting continues
This sheath of lawsuits from Imperial is yet another chapter in what is becoming an aggressive war between tobacco companies to dominate the electronic cigarette market. However, it's not just the tobacco companies that are using underhanded tactics. GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK  ) is also employing dirty tricks in an attempt to stop the rise of e-cigs as they are a threat to its business.

Glaxo is the leading marketer of nicotine-replacement therapy products within the United States. NRT includes such items as nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches. Obviously, if smokers who are in the process of quitting turn to e-cigs rather than NRT, Glaxo will lose revenue.

To help try to disrupt the potential of e-cigs, it would appear as if Glaxo is seeking help from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- in particular, the head of the FDA's tobacco enforcement division, Mitch Zeller, a former anti-tobacco lobbyist who was appointed head of the FDA's center for tobacco products earlier this year.

Now, Zeller should not be taking sides in this argument, but according to an article published in The Wall Street Journal back in 2009, Zeller disclosed that he "provides consulting support to GlaxoSmithKline consumer health through Pinney Associates on an exclusive basis on issues related to tobacco dependence treatment."

This pharmaceutical consultancy has regulatory authority over competing products, including e-cigs. I must stress that I'm only speculating a link between these two entities.

Top Medical Stocks To Buy For 2014

Foolish summary
Overall, if you've been following the rise of e-cigs, this move by Imperial will be no surprise as tobacco companies all try to outdo each other in an attempt to control the potentially huge juvenile e-cig market. For the likes of Lorillard, Imperial's request for unspecified damages is unlikely to close the company down; damages are unlikely to exceed Lorillard's e-cig sales, which only make up a faction of its overall revenue. However, smaller companies are likely to feel the pinch from these suits, which could reshape the market.

The kings of retail
To learn about two retailers with especially good prospects, take a look at The Motley Fool's special free report: "The Death of Wal-Mart: The Real Cash Kings Changing the Face of Retail." In it, you'll see how these two cash kings are able to consistently outperform and how they're planning to ride the waves of retail's changing tide. You can access it by clicking here.

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top 5 Cheap Stocks To Watch Right Now: MEDIWARE Information Systems Inc.(MEDW)

Mediware Information Systems, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, and marketing of software solutions targeting specific processes within healthcare institutions. The company offers software systems consisting of company's proprietary application software, and third-party licensed software and hardware. It licenses, implements, and supports clinical and performance management, blood donor, and blood and biologic management products in the United States; and medication management solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa. The company?s blood and biologics management solutions include HCLL Transfusion and HCLL Donor, which address blood donor recruitment, blood processing, and transfusion activities for hospitals and medical centers; BloodSafe suite of hardware and software that enable healthcare facilities to store, monitor, distribute, and track blood products; LifeTrak software for blood centers; a nd BiologiCare, a bone, tissue, and cellular product tracking software. Its medication management products comprise WORx, a pharmacy information system to manage inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations; MediCOE, a physician order entry module; MediMAR, a nurse point-of-care administration and bedside documentation module; MediREC, which assists in achieving compliance with a Joint Commission mandate; and pharmacy management and electronic prescribing systems. The company?s performance management products include InSight software that tracks performance metrics to assist healthcare managers to manage performance. It also provides software installation and maintenance services, as well as billing and collection services to home infusion and home/durable medical equipment markets. The company markets its products primarily through its direct sales force. Medi! ware Information Systems, Inc. was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Mediware Information Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:MEDW) plans to acquire the assets of Indianapolis-based Strategic Healthcare Group LLC (SHG), a leading provider of blood management consulting, education and informatics solutions.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-cheap-stocks-to-watch-right-now.html

Top 10 Performing Stocks For 2014

Top 10 Performing Stocks For 2014: BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (BPT)

BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust operates as a grantor trust in the United States. The company holds overriding royalty interests constituting a non-operational interest in minerals in the Prudhoe Bay oil field located on the North Slope in Alaska. The Prudhoe Bay field extends approximately 12 miles by 27 miles and contains approximately 150,000 gross productive acres. As of December 31, 2012, its estimated net remaining proved reserves were 75.517 million barrels of oil and condensate, of which 70.676 million barrels are proved developed reserves and 4.841 million barrels are proved undeveloped reserves. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (NYSE: BPT  ) is also fueling its distributions. The trust's new quarterly payout comes out to $2.4147517 a unit. We're really splitting pennies here, but it's actually a reasonable 4% increase over its earlier rate.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (NYSE: BPT  )
  Created in 1989, the property of the BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust consists of an overriding royalty interest of oil and condensate production from BP's Prudhoe Bay oil field located on the North Slope in Alaska. The trust makes quarterly payments to investors of the income after expenses, which can vary each quarter. Over the past year the trust has paid out an average of $2.22 per quarter which would imply a yield of around 9.4%. The key point that investors must understand is that the oil in the field is a finite resource, meaning that it will run out. Under current projections it's expected that the trust will run dry around the year 2029.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.! com/top-10-performing-stocks-for-2014.html

Top China Stocks For 2014

Top China Stocks For 2014: 51job Inc.(JOBS)

51job, Inc. provides integrated human resource services primarily in the People?s Republic of China. . The company provides recruitment related advertising services, including print advertising services through 51job Weekly, which is a city-specific recruitment advertising publication that is published once a week and is distributed as an insert in local newspapers and/or on a stand-alone basis; and online recruitment services through its Website, www.51job.com. It also offers other human resource related services, such as business process outsourcing, which consist of social insurance and welfare payment processing, regulatory compliance, and payroll processing; and executive search services, as well as conducts training seminars in the areas of business management, leadership, sales and marketing, human resource, negotiation skills, financial planning and analysis, public administration, manufacturing, secretarial, and other skills for the general public and corporate cl ients. In addition, the company provides campus recruitment services; conducts salary, employee retention, and other human resource related surveys; organize and host annual human resource conferences and events, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities for human resource professionals; and provides assessment tools to assist human resource departments in evaluating capabilities and dispositions of job candidates and existing employees, aiding employee placement, and allocating employee resources, as well as hiring and support services to employers on select recruitment projects. It provides recruitment and other human resource related services to employers through its sales offices, as well as through its sales and customer service call center. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Rooney]

51job (JOBS), an online job search website similar to Monster.com (MWW), has surged more 60% this year.

But there is one notable Chinese dot-com stock that's sitting out the big rally. Shares of Renren (RENN), the social network known as China's Facebook (FB, Fortune 500), are down 3% for the year.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-china-stocks-for-2014.html

Best Food Stocks For 2014

Best Food Stocks For 2014: Ten Peaks Coffee Company Inc (TPK)

Ten Peaks Coffee Company Inc. (Ten Peaks) is a Canada-based company. It operates its business through its subsidiary, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company Inc. (SWDCC), which is a green coffee decaffeinator located in Burnaby, British Columbia. It also owns and operates Seaforth Supply Chain Solutions Inc. (Seaforth), a green coffee handling and warehousing business located in Metro Vancouver. SWDCC is engaged in the coffee decaffeination business utilizing the branded Swiss Water Process of 100% chemical free green coffee decaffeination. SWDCC has two subsidiaries, which include Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Co. USA, Inc, and Swiss Water Process Marketing Services Inc. On November 18, 2011, a subsidiary of Ten Peaks, Seaforth Supply Chain Solutions Inc., was incorporated. On January 1, 2011, in response to changes to the legislation governing the taxation of income trusts which made the income trust form of structure less advantageous, the Fund converted to a corporat ion. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Travis Perkins Plc (TPK) lost 1.6 percent to 1,749 pence. The builders' merchant said its consumer division failed to grow on a comparable basis in the third quarter, slipping from an 8.6 percent increase in the two months ended June.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-food-stocks-for-2014.html

Best Solar Stocks To Own Right Now

Best Solar Stocks To Own Right Now: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd.(JASO)

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of photovoltaic solar cells and solar products, which convert sunlight into electricity in the People's Republic of China. The company?s principal products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells, as well as various solar modules. It also provides silicon wafer and solar cell processing services. The company sells its products primarily under the JA Solar brand name, as well as produces equipment for original equipment manufacturing customers under their brand names. It sells its solar cell and module products primarily to module manufacturers, system integrators, project developers, and distributors in the Germany, Italy, the United States, Hong Kong, Spain, India, the Czech Republic, France, and South Korea. The company has strategic partnerships with various solar power companies, such as BP Solar, Solar-Fabrik, and MEMC/SunEdison. JA Solar H oldings Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  For investors looking to profit from shorting stocks in the sector, JA Solar Holdings (NASDAQ: JASO) and LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) are both vulnerable. For those looking to go long, Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) is very strong in natural gas, which is expected to increase its market share, according to a recent report from the Department of Energy.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) is up 8.7% at $88.05 following positive results and a raised outlook. Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is down 6% at $15.45 as the bookseller watches its revenue slide. JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) is down 10.3% at $XX on a mixed earnings report and LDK Solar Co.! Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) is flat at $1.60.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-solar-stocks-to-own-right-now-2.html

Top 5 Biotech Stocks For 2014

Top 5 Biotech Stocks For 2014: OncoSec Medical Inc (ONCS)

OncoSec Medical Incorporated, incorporated on February 8, 2008, is an emerging drug-medical device company. The Company focused on designing, developing and commercializing medical approaches for the treatment of solid cancers. In March 2011, the Company acquired from Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Inovio) certain assets related to the use of drug-medical device combination products for the treatment of different cancers.

The Company's acquired assets relate to certain non-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine technology and property relating to selective tumor ablation technologies, which it refers to as the OncoSec Medical System (OMS), a therapy which uses an electroporation device to facilitate delivery of chemotherapy agents, or nucleic acids encoding cytokines, into tumors and/or surrounding tissue for the treatment and diagnosis of various cancers. As of January 24, 2012, the Company had not generated any revenue from operations.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  How does the old saying go? Beggars can't be choosers? Two weeks ago, yours truly penned some bullish comments regarding OncoSec Medical Inc. (OTCMKTS:ONCS). The long and short of it was, if ONCS could clear a technical ceiling around $0.36, then life would get much easier for the bulls.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  If you're looking for the next big biotech breakout stock, then OncoSec Medical Inc. (OTCMKTS:ONCS) deserves a place on your watchlist. This volatile cancer play has been down more than up 2011, but if you look closely at a long-term chart of ONCS, you may find it's already wiggled its way into a new uptrend. And, it may be only a matter of time before the bullish fireworks start to go off.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap biotech stocks AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: AVEO), OncoSe! c Medical Inc (OTCMKTS: ONCS) and MetaStat Inc (OTCBB: MTST) are focused on or are developing treatments or diagnostic technologies for metastatic cancers. In case you aren't familiar with the term metastasis or metastatic, it's the spread of cancer from its primary site to other places in the body as cancer cells break away from a primary tumor, penetrate into lymphatic and blood vessels, circulate through the bloodstream and then grow in a new focus (metastasize) in normal tissues elsewhere in the body. In other words, it's a dangerous form of cancer, but there are some small cap biotech stocks targeting it for diagnostics or treatment:

• [By Bio-Wire]

  Another company that has benefitted from Inovio's newfound attention is OncoSec Medical (OTC: ONCS) – a newer "offshoot" company that uses a similar but distinctly different electroporation device known as the OncoSec Medical System (OMS) that is based on Inovio's technology. The specific amplitude and frequency of the OMS electroporation is calibrated such that plasmid delivery into solid tumor masses is fully optimized, while CELLECTRA electroporation is less specialized and focus more on the vaccination of skin cells. The cross-license agreement made between Inovio and Oncosec also covers the two devices for their distinctly different applications.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-biotech-stocks-for-2014.html

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now

With shares of BlackBerry (NASDAQ:BBRY) trading around $6, is BBRY an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock�� Movement

BlackBerry is a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software, and services it provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to information such as email, voice, instant messaging, SMS, Internet, intranet-based applications, and browsing. Its products and services feature the BlackBerry wireless solution, the Research In Motion Wireless Handheld product line, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, software development tools, and other software and hardware.

BlackBerry is losing two more long-term executives as the struggling smartphone maker attempts to undergo a massive turnaround after abandoning plans to sell itself last month. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, executive vice president of global sales Rick Costanzo and mergers and acquisitions strategy head Chris Wormald will be leaving the company in the coming weeks. Costanzo will be gone by early 2014, while Wormald plans to leave before the New Year.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc (SCMP)

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on December 9, 2008, is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on research, discovery, development and commercialization of drugs based on ion channel activators known as prostones. The Company�� prostone-based compounds target the ClC-2 and big potassium (BK), ion channels. It is focused on developing prostones to treat gastrointestinal, ophthalmic, neurologic, and oncology-based inflammatory disorders, and is also considering other therapeutic applications of its drug technology. The Company�� products include AMITIZA (lubiprostone) and RESCULA (unoprostone isopropyl).

AMITIZA

The Company�� AMITIZA is being marketed in the United States for three gastrointestinal indications under a license agreement, or the Takeda Agreement, with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, or Takeda. The three gastrointestinal indications include chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), in adults, irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), in adult women, and opioid-induced constipation (OIC), in adult patients with chronic, non-cancer pain. AMITIZA for OIC received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in April 2013. In Japan, AMITIZA is marketed under a license, commercialization and supply agreement, or the Abbott Agreement, with Abbott Japan Co. Ltd. (Abbott), for the gastrointestinal indication of chronic constipation (CC), excluding constipation caused by organic diseases. In Switzerland, the Company is marketing AMITIZA.

RESCULA

The Company holds license agreements for RESCULA in the United States and Canada and the rest of the world, with the exception of Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the People�� Republic of China. The Company is commercializing RESCULA (unoprostone isopropyl ophthalmic solution) 0.15% for the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP), in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension in the United States. RESCULA may be used as an agent or concomit! antly with other topical ophthalmic drug products to lower intraocular pressure. RESCULA is a BK channel activator and has a different mechanism of action than other IOP lowering agents on the market.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Brumley]

  Still, for the nimble who know when to get out, OREX is one of the few cheap stocks worth a closer look.

  Sucampo Pharmaceuticals (SCMP)

  Finally, though the price of $7.60 clearly qualifies it as one pf the cheapest of the cheap stocks out there in the pharmaceutical world, that’s not the reason Sucampo Pharmaceuticals (SCMP) may be worth a look here. It’s the 30% slide we’ve seen SCMP stock suffer since peaking in mid-January. It’s not a pullback that’s bound to go unchallenged by the bulls.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 stock that's starting to trend within range of triggering a major breakout trade is Sucampo Pharmaceuticals (SCMP), which is engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of proprietary drugs based on prostones, and other novel drug technologies. This stock is off to a decent start in 2013, with shares up by 26%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, you'll notice that this stock has been downtrending badly for the last four months, with shares dumping hard from its high of $10.48 to its recent low of $5.40 a share. During that downtrend, shares of SCMP have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, the downside volatility for SCMP looks to be over in the short-term since the stock has started to reverse its downtrend and enter an uptrend. That reverse is quickly pushing shares of SCMP within range of triggering a major breakout trade above a key downtrend line.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SCMP if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $6.33 to $6.66 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 action of 115,383 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then SCMP will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $7.09 to $7.67 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give SCMP a chance to tag $8 to $9 a share.

  Traders can look to buy SCMP off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $5.58 to $5.40 a share. One can also buy SCMP off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: Impax Laboratories Inc.(IPXL)

Impax Laboratories, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of bioequivalent pharmaceutical products. The company operates in two divisions, Global Pharmaceuticals and Impax Pharmaceuticals. The Global Pharmaceuticals division develops, manufactures, sells, and distributes generic pharmaceutical products. It provides its generic pharmaceutical prescription products directly to wholesalers and retail drug chains; and generic pharmaceutical over-the-counter and prescription products through unrelated third-party pharmaceutical entities. The Impax Pharmaceutical division develops proprietary brand pharmaceutical products that address central nervous system disorders, including Alzheimer?s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, epilepsy, migraines, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson?s disease, and schizophrenia, as well as promotes third-party branded pharmaceutical products. As of May 2, 2011, the com pany marketed 101 generic pharmaceuticals, which represent dosage variations of 29 different pharmaceutical compounds; and another 16 of its generic pharmaceuticals representing dosage variations of 4 different pharmaceutical compounds. It markets and sells its generic pharmaceutical prescription drug products in the continental United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The company has a strategic alliance agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals Curacao N.V. Impax Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Hayward, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Max Macaluso, Ph.D.]

  RLS hasn't been a high-priority target for the pharma industry given the lackluster sales of Requip and Horizant, a third competitor of�UCB's Neupro, and a number of generic alternatives. Impax Laboratories (NASDAQ: IPXL  ) was one of the few developing a new therapy, called IPX159, but Impax put the kibosh on the drug after it failed to meet its primary endpoint in a phase 2b study. According to its latest quarterly report, Impax has no other RLS drugs in development and seems to be focusing on getting its rejected Parkinson's disease drug Rytary back to the FDA for a second chance at approval.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Impax Laboratories (NASDAQ: IPXL  ) could be watching more closely than Sanofi. The two companies reached a deal last year that allows Impax to begin marketing a generic version of Renvela in 2014. If approved, Zerenex could take away some of the profits that Impax expected to gain.�

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2015: Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Inc.(NUV)

Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is managed by Nuveen Asset Management. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund also invests some portion of its portfolio in derivative instruments. It invests in undervalued municipal securities and other related investments the income, exempt from regular federal income taxes that are rated Baa or BBB or better. It employs fundamental analysis with bottom-up stock picking approach to create its portfolio. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Standard & Poor?s (S&P) National Municipal Bond Index. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. was formed on April 8, 1987 and is domiciled in the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Everyone hates paying taxes. So when investors have the ability to get a 7.3% taxable-equivalent yield, they should jump at the opportunity. As one of the largest and oldest municipal CEFs, the Nuveen Municipal Value Fund (NUV) makes it possible.

• [By Donald van Deventer]

  The latest implied forward rate forecast from Kamakura Corporation shows projected 10-year U.S. Treasury yields differing -0.07% to 0.03% from last week while fixed rate mortgage yields varied by -0.01% to 0.08%. Mortgage yields, determined by the Monday through Wednesday weekly survey of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, lag Treasury movements simply because of the 3-day yield calculation used in the Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield is projected to rise from 2.92% at Thursday's close (down 0.06% from last week) to 3.374% (down 0.06% from last week) in one year. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield in ten years is forecast to reach 4.639%, 1 basis point lower than last week. The 15-year fixed rate mortgage rate is forecast to rise from the effective yield of 3.69% on Thursday (down 0.001% from last week) to 4.222% (down 0.006% from last week) in one year and 6.29% in 10 years, up 0.038% from last week. We explain the background for these calculations in the rest of this note, along with some mortgage servicing rights metrics. The forecast allows investors in exchange traded U.S. Treasury funds (TLT) (TBT), total return bond funds (BOND), municipal bonds (NUV) and exchange traded mortgage funds (REM) to assess likely total returns over the next 120 months. Treasury-related exchange traded funds affected by the forward rates include:

• [By Adam Aloisi]

  The following chart takes a comparative look at some widely held ETFs/CEFs holding different types of bonds. The objective is to visualize not only how much these products cost, but also to break down the percent of total yield depleted by management fees. I define total yield as current annualized yield plus net fees - in other words the yield of the fund if there were no management fees attached. The funds we will examine are aforementioned BND, iShares 20+ Treasury Bond (TLT), iShares High-Yield Corporate (HYG), Nuveen Municipal Value (NUV), Eaton Vance Limited Duration (EVV) and Alliance Bernstein Global High-Yield (AWF).

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity Fund (NMZ)

Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity Fund (the Fund) is a closed-ended fund. The fund's primary investment objective is to provide high current income exempt from regular federal income tax. Its secondary investment objective is to seek attractive total return consistent with its primary objective. The fund invests in municipal securities that are exempt from federal income taxes. The fund invests at least 50% of its managed assets in municipal securities rated, at the time of investment, investment grade (Baa/BBB or better by S&P, Moody's, and Fitch) or, if they are unrated, are judged by the manager to be of comparable quality. The fund may invest up to 50% of its managed assets in municipal securities that, at the time of investment, are rated below investment grade quality or that are unrated but judged by the manager to be of comparable quality. The Fund�� investment advisor is Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  8. Municipal bonds outperform taxable bond counterparts – The move is predicted to be led by high-yield after serious outflows from municipal bond funds. Doll’s take: the pricing of municipal securities relative to taxable fixed income securities more than take that into account.

  First Recommendation: Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity Fund (NYSEMKT: NMZ) as a high-yield closed-end fund municipal bond fund. The fund may invest up to 50% of its managed assets in municipal securities rated below investment grade quality, but no more than 5% of the managed assets may be invested in munis rated at or below B3/B-. Second recommendation: Market Vectors High-Yield Muni ETF (NYSEArca: HYD)

  9. Active managers outperform index funds – This stance is one which has been an ongoing issue for years and years with most managers underperforming benchmarks. Doll believes that active managers have a better chance to outperform when markets and sectors have less correlation.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: First Bancorp (FBP)

First Bancorp is a bank holding company. The Company is a service provider of financial services and products with operations in Puerto Rico, the United States and the United States and British Virgin Islands. The Company has six segments: Consumer (Retail) Banking; Commercial and Corporate Banking; Mortgage Banking; Treasury and Investments; United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Company specializes in commercial banking, residential mortgage loan originations, finance leases, personal loans, small loans, auto loans, insurance agency and broker-dealer activities. As of December 31, 2011, it controlled two wholly owned subsidiaries: FirstBank and FirstBank Insurance Agency, Inc. (FirstBank Insurance Agency). FirstBank is a Puerto Rico-chartered commercial bank and FirstBank Insurance Agency is a Puerto Rico-chartered insurance agency. On February 16, 2011, FirstBank sold an asset portfolio consisting of performing and non-performing construction, commercial mortgage and C&I loans. The Company�� total investment securities portfolio as of December 31, 2011 amounted to $2 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a total deposit of $9.9 billion. Effective May 31, 2011, the Company purchased FirstBank-branded consumer credit card portfolio from FIA Card Services, N.A. and an affiliate.

Consumer (Retail) Banking

The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment consists of the Company�� consumer lending and deposit-taking activities conducted mainly through FirstBank�� branch network and loan centers in Puerto Rico. Loans to consumers include auto, boat and personal loans and lines of credit. Deposit products include interest bearing and non-interest bearing checking and savings accounts, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) and retail certificates of deposit. Retail deposits gathered through each branch of FirstBank�� retail network serve as one of the funding sources for the lending and investment activities. Credit card accounts are issued under Firs! tBank�� name through an alliance with a financial institution, which bears the credit risk.

Commercial and Corporate Banking

The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment consists of the Company�� lending and other services across a spectrum of industries ranging from small businesses to large corporate clients. FirstBank has developed expertise in industries, including healthcare, tourism, financial institutions, food and beverage, income-producing real estate and the public sector. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment offers commercial loans, including commercial real estate and construction loans, and other products, such as cash management and business management services. A substantial portion of this portfolio is secured by the underlying value of the real estate collateral and the personal guarantees of the borrowers. The segment also includes the Company�� broker-dealer activities, which are primarily concentrated in bonds underwriting and financial advisory services provided to government entities in Puerto Rico.

Mortgage Banking

The Mortgage Banking segment conducts its operations mainly through FirstBank and its mortgage origination subsidiary, First Mortgage. These operations consist of the origination, sale and servicing of a variety of residential mortgage loan products. Originations are sourced through different channels, such as FirstBank branches, mortgage bankers and in association with new project developers. First Mortgage focuses on originating residential real estate loans, some of which conform to Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Veterans Administration (VA) and Rural Development (RD) standards. The Mortgage Banking segment also acquires and sells mortgages in the secondary markets. Most of the Company�� residential mortgage loan portfolio consists of fixed-rate, fully amortizing, full documentation loans.

Treasury and Investments

The Treasury and Investments segment is responsib! le for th! e Corporation�� treasury and investment management functions. The treasury function, which includes funding and liquidity management, sells funds to the Commercial and Corporate Banking segment, the Mortgage Banking segment, and the Consumer (Retail) Banking segment to finance their respective lending activities and purchases funds gathered by those segments and from the United States Operations segment. Funds not gathered by the different business units are obtained by the Treasury Division through wholesale channels, such as brokered deposits, advances from the FHLB and, repurchase agreements with investment securities, among others.

United States Operations

The United States Operations segment consists of all banking activities conducted by FirstBank in the United States mainland. FirstBank provides a range of banking services to individual and corporate customers primarily in southern Florida through its ten branches. The United States Operations segment offers an array of both retail and commercial banking products and services. Consumer banking products include checking, savings and money market accounts, retail certificates of deposit (CDs), Internet banking services, residential mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, automobile loans and credit cards through an alliance with a nationally recognized financial institution, which bears the credit risk. Deposits gathered through FirstBank�� branches in the United States also serve as a funding sources for lending and investment activities in Puerto Rico. The commercial banking services include checking, savings and money market accounts, CDs, Internet banking services, cash management services, remote data capture and automated clearing house (ACH), transactions. Loan products include the traditional commercial and industrial and commercial real estate products, such as lines of credit, term loans and construction loans.

Virgin Islands Operations

The Virgin Islands Operations seg! ment cons! ists of all banking activities conducted by FirstBank in the United States and British Virgin Islands, including retail and commercial banking services, with a total of fourteen branches serving the United States Virgin Islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, and the British Virgin Islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda. The Virgin Islands Operations segment is driven by its consumer, commercial lending and deposit-taking activities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Monday

  Earnings Releases Expected: UGI Corporation (NYSE: UGI), Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), First Bancorp. (NYSE: FBP) Economic Releases Expected: �Indian services PMI, Spanish services PMI, Italian services PMI, German services PMI, eurozone services PMI, British services PMI, German CPI, US ISM non-manufacturing PMI

  Tuesday

• [By CRWE]

  First BanCorp (NYSE:FBP), the bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico, expects to report its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012, after the market closes on Wednesday, October 31, 2012.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  First Bancorp (NYSE: FBP) is another Puerto Rican bank that gets the nod. The bank�� asset divestitures are behind it and, like M&T, it is fundamentally sound. Sterne Agee�� price target on the stock is $11.00, and the stock closed on Friday at $5.81 in a 52-week range of $4.27 to $8.70. The potential upside for this small cap bank is nearly 90%. The bank�� forward multiple according to the analysts is 10.8 and the consensus forward P/E from Thomson Reuters is 11.17. Sterne Agee�� EPS estimate for 2014 is $0.52.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: Northland Power Inc (NPIFF.PK)

Northland Power Inc. (Northland) owns or has an economic interests, through its subsidiaries, in operating power-producing facilities and a pipeline of construction and development projects. Its operating assets consist of facilities, which produce electricity from natural gas and renewable sources. Its subsidiaries include Iroquois Falls Corp., which owns the Iroquois Falls Facility; Kingston LP, which owns the Kingston Facility; Thorold LP, which owns the Thorold Facility; Mont Miller LP; Jardin LP, which owns the Jardin wind farm; DK Windpark Kavelstorf GmbH & Co. KG and DK Burgerwindpark Eckolstadt GmbH & Co. KG, which own the German Wind Farms; Mont Louis LP, which owns the Mont Louis Wind Farm; Spy Hill LP, which owns the Spy Hill Facility, and North Battleford LP, which owns the North Battleford Facility. Northland owns a 19% interest in Panda Energy Corporation, which through its wholly owned subsidiaries owns the 230 mega-watts combined-cycle Panda-Brandywine facility. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  Emera's competitors include Northland Power (NPIFF.PK), Fortis (FRTSF.PK), and Atlantic Power (AT). Northland Power has seen insider buying in August and has a dividend yield of 7.6%. Fortis has seen both insider buying and insider selling in August. Fortis has a dividend yield of 4.1%. Atlantic Power saw insider buying last time in April. Atlantic Power has a dividend yield of 9.4%.

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: Granite Broadcasting Corp (GRRP)

Granite Broadcasting Corporation (Granite), incorporated in 1988, is a television broadcasting company focused on developing and operating small- to middle-market television broadcast stations in the United States. The Company owns and operates six middle-market stations, and has shared services agreements and advertising representation agreements to two additional stations owned by Malara Broadcast Group and one additional station owned by Four Seasons Broadcast Company. Granite's revenues are derived principally from local and national advertising and, to a lesser extent, from network compensation for the broadcast of programming, and from studio rental and commercial production activities. On July 26, 2006, the Company completed the acquisition of WBNG, Channel 12, the CBS-affiliated television station serving Binghamton and Elmira, New York. In December 2006, Granite, along with certain of its subsidiaries, voluntarily filed petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

The stations that Granite owns and the stations to which the Company provides services under local services agreements operate in geographically diverse markets. With respect to the stations the Company owns, as of December 31, 2005, two stations are located in the west region (KBWB-San Francisco, California and KSEE-Fresno, California); four stations are located in the mid-west region (WDWB- Detroit, Michigan; WEEK-Peoria, Illinois; WISE-Fort Wayne, Indiana, and KBJR-Duluth, Minnesota), and two stations are located in the northeast region (WKBW-Buffalo and WTVH-Syracuse, New York).

As of December 31, 2005, four of the eight stations the Company owns are affiliated with NBC, one is affiliated with ABC, one is affiliated with CBS and two are affiliated with the WB Network, which has announced that it will no longer provide programming to WB affiliates effective September 2006. All three of the s! tations to which the Company provides services under local services agreements are located in the midwest region (WPTA-Fort Wayne, Indiana; KDLH-Duluth, Minnesota, and WAOE- Peoria, Illinois). WPTA is affiliated with ABC, KDLH is affiliated with CBS and WAOE is affiliated with UPN.

Affiliates of the major networks, which include NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox, receive a significant portion of their programming each day from the network. These major networks provide programming, and in some cases, cash payments, to their affiliated stations in exchange for a significant portion of the affiliates' advertising inventory during the network provided programs. These networks then sell this advertising time and retain the revenue.

Granite has entered into affiliation agreements with networks for each of the stations the Company owns. KSEE, WEEK, WISE (acquired on March 8, 2005) and KBJR are affiliated with NBC, WKBW is affiliated with ABC, WTVH is affiliated with CBS, and KBWB and WDWB stations are affiliated with WB. WPTA, which Granite sold, on March 7, 2005, to Malara Broadcast Group, is affiliated with ABC. With respect to the two stations that are owned by Malara Broadcast Group to which, since March 8, 2005, the Company provides services under local services agreements, KDLH is affiliated with CBS and WPTA is affiliated with ABC. WAOE, which is owned by Four Seasons Broadcast Company, is affiliated with UPN. In addition to these network affiliation agreements, Granite delivers WB programming on leased cable channels in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Duluth, Minnesota-Superior, Wisconsin. In the Duluth, Minnesota-Superior, Wisconsin, the Company delivers UPN programming on one of KBJR's digital streams, which programming is retransmitted in analog format by certain major cable systems in the DMA. In addition, KRII multicasts Weather Plus on another of KBJR's digital streams.

Since March 8, 2005, Granite has shared services agreements and advertising representation agreements (or loc! al servic! e agreements) to provide advertising, sales promotion and administrative services, and selected programming to two additional stations owned by Malara Broadcast Group, all of which Granite and Malara stations are affiliated with either ABC, NBC or CBS, the Company's Big Three Affiliates. On September 8, 2005, Granite entered into a definitive agreement (the KBWB Purchase and Sale Agreement) to sell substantially all of the assets of KBWB-TV, the WB affiliate serving the San Francisco, California television market, to AM Broadcasting KBWB, Inc. (the KBWB Buyer). In addition, on September 8, 2005, the Company entered into a definitive agreement (the WDWB Purchase and Sale Agreement, and together with the KBWB Purchase and Sale Agreement, the Purchase and Sale Agreements) to sell substantially all of the assets of WDWB-TV, the WB affiliate serving the Detroit Michigan television market, to AM Broadcasting WDWB, Inc. (the WDWB Buyer).

On September 1, 2005, Granite entered into an arrangement with Four Seasons Broadcast Company, under which the Company will provide advertising, sales promotion and administrative services to Four Seasons Broadcast Company-owned station WAOE-TV, the UPN affiliate serving Peoria-Bloomington, Illinois, in return for certain fees that will be paid by Four Seasons Broadcast Company to Granite. On January 13, 2006, Granite and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a definitive agreement with Television Station Group Holdings, LLC and certain of its subsidiaries to purchase substantially all of the assets of WBNG-TV, Channel 12, the CBS-affiliated television station serving Binghamton and Elmira, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  E.W. Scripps Co.(SSP) agreed to acquire two television stations, one in Detroit and another in Buffalo, N.Y., for a combined $110 million from Granite Broadcasting Corp.(GRRP)

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: S.Y. Bancorp Inc.(SYBT)

S.Y. Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company that provides commercial and personal banking services in Louisville, Kentucky; southern Indiana and Indianapolis, Indiana; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Its deposits consist of non-interest and interest bearing demand deposits, savings deposits, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, money market deposits, and time deposits. The company provides various secured loans, including commercial lines of credit, commercial term loans, real estate, construction, home equity, and consumer loans. It also offers wealth management services, including investment management, trust and estate administration, retirement planning, and financial planning services; securities brokerage services; and life insurance products, as well as originates and sells single-family residential mortgages. As of December 31, 2010, the company had 25 full service banking locations in the Louisville MSA, 2 full service banking locations in Indianapolis, and 3 full service banking locations in Cincinnati. S.Y. Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Louisville-based bank holding company S.Y. Bancorp (SYBT) raised its quarterly dividend 5% to 21 cents per share, payable on Dec. 31 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 9.
  SYBT Dividend Yield: 2.71%

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: DIRECTV(DTV)

DIRECTV provides digital television entertainment in the United States and Latin America. The company provides direct-to-home (DTH) digital television services, as well as multi-channel video programming distribution services in the United States. It offers various channels of digital-quality video entertainment and CD-quality audio programming directly to subscribers' homes or businesses, as well as video-on-demand services; and approximately 160 national high-definition television channels and 4 3D channels. The company also provides premium professional and collegiate sports programming, such as the NFL SUNDAY TICKET package, which allows subscribers to view the NFL games. In addition, it offers DTH digital television services in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. The company provides its local and international programming under the DIRECTV and SKY brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it served approximately 19.2 million subscribers in the United States; and 8.9 million subscribers in Latin America. The company was founded in 1990 and is based in El Segundo, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon] toZone (AZO) and Dun and Bradstreet (DNB) are examples. All have great track records for business and stock price growth long term so this appears to be a strategic decision to finance through debt rather than equity. My question is at what point can an investor judge that this practice is no longer creating value but adding risk to the investment? There can obviously be too much leverage. However when money is cheap to borrow and ROIC is high this seems like a great way to create value for shareholders, to just borrow at 3% and buy stock with an ROIC over 20%, but how much is too much?

  Thank you,

10 Best Sliver Stocks To Buy Right Now: Martin Midstream Partners L.P.(MMLP)

Martin Midstream Partners L.P. collects, transports, stores, and markets petroleum products and by-products in the United States Gulf Coast region. The company?s Terminalling and Storage segment owns or operates 27 marine shore based terminal facilities and 12 specialty terminal facilities that provide storage, processing, and handling services for producers and suppliers of petroleum products and by-products, lubricants, and other liquids, including the refining of various grades and quantities of naphthenic lubricants and related products. This segment also offers land rental services to oil and gas companies, and storage and handling services for lubricants and fuel oil. The Natural Gas Services segment is involved in the gathering and processing of natural gas, and distribution of natural gas liquids (NGLs). This segment owns 1 NGL pipeline; and 3 NGL supply and storage facilities, as well as has ownership interests in approximately 719 miles of gathering and transmis sion pipelines located in the natural gas producing regions of east Texas, Northwest Louisiana, the Texas Gulf Coast and offshore Texas and federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The Sulfur Services segment processes and distributes sulfur produced by oil refineries that is primarily used in the production of fertilizers and industrial chemicals. This segment own and operates 6 sulfur-based fertilizer production plants, and 1 emulsified sulfur blending plant that manufacture sulfur-based fertilizer products for wholesale distributors and industrial users; 1 sulfuric acid production plant that processes molten sulfur into sulfuric acid; and 1 ammonium sulfate production plant that processes sulfuric acid into ammonium sulfate. The Marine Transportation segment utilizes a fleet of 41 inland marine tank barges, 20 inland push boats, and 4 offshore tug barge units that transport petroleum products and by-products. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Kilgore, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  The role of the barge can't be underestimated. Barge receipts increased more than two percentage points year over year, and this is a great place for investors to look for opportunity. Companies with maritime resources benefit from this trend, as well as growth in exports. Three such companies that are worth a look are:

  Kirby Corporation (NYSE: KEX  ) , which operates 30% of the coastal tank barges in the U.S.� Oiltanking Partners (NYSE: OILT  ) , which has storage capacity of 12.1 million barrels and six deepwater docks on the Houston Ship Channel Martin Midstream Partners (NASDAQ: MMLP  ) , which operates a large fleet of inland barges and controls 31 marine terminals�

  These companies won't be the only winners, but they are a good place to start your research.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  The index includes everything from behemoths like Enterprise Product Partners (NYSE: EPD) and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (NYSE: KMP) down to a pair with market capitalizations under $1 billion in Martin Midstream Partners (NASDAQ: MMLP) and Navios Maritime Partners (NYSE: NMM). The total market cap of the index is $328 billion, and its one-, three- and five-year total returns are 20 percent, 48 percent and 194 percent. The index yield is 6 percent.

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Today, we're starting small with Martin Midstream Partners (MMLP), a $1.2 billion firm that transports and stores natural gas and sulfur. Shares of MMLP have had a stellar year in 2013, rallying more than 47% since the calendar flipped over to January -- and this stock's technicals point to even higher ground in the second half.

  That's because MMLP is currently forming an ascending triangle pattern, a technical setup that's formed by horizontal resistance above shares at $46 and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as MMLP bounces in between those two technical price levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above that $46 resistance level. When that breakout happens, we've got a buy signal for shares.

  Confirmation is going to be important to watch in MMLP. This stock has popped above $46 intraday in the past, only to fall back down to close within the pattern. Waiting for a close above $46 followed by a consecutive open above it greatly reduces the possibility of a bull trap in this stock.

• [By Alyssa Oursler]

  This mega-trend is hardly news, and it can be played from all angles. One especially promising option: Martin Midstream Partners (MMLP).

  This master limited partnership�cleans up, stores and transports gas — essentially collecting a “toll” on the gas that passes through its pipelines, then passing most of that toll along to shareholders per its MLP status. The current result of that setup: a mouth-watering 6.7% yield.