Thursday, January 29, 2015

5 Best Paper Stocks To Buy Right Now

Bloomberg News

Warren E. Buffett isn't just a great investor. He's the best investor, an economic study has found.

An index measuring returns adjusted by price fluctuations shows the billionaire chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A) has done better than every long-lived U.S. stock and mutual fund.

Looking at all U.S. stocks from 1926 to 2011 that have been traded for more than 30 years, a paper published this week by the National Bureau of Economic Research calculated that Mr. Buffett's so-called Sharpe ratio is 0.76 since 1976. That was about twice the stock market's 0.39.

Top Penny Companies To Watch For 2015: Iberpapel Gestion SA (IBG)

Iberpapel Gestion SA is a Spain-based holding company engaged in the paper industry. The Company operates through three divisions: Forestry, involved in the acquisition and cultivation of eucalyptus plantations in Argentina, Uruguay and Spain; Industrial, focused on the production of bleached pulp and paper products, and Commercial, specialized on the distribution of products such as printing and photocopy paper, offset paper, light-coated paper, laser printing paper, paper bags and envelopes. The Company�� subsidiaries include Distribuidora Papelera SA, Moliner Dominguez y Cia SA, Ibereucaliptos SA, Papelera Guipuzcoana de Zicunaga SA, Central de Suministros de Artes Graficas Papel SA and Copaimex SA, among others. The Company�� major shareholders include ONCHENA, SL and BESTINVER GESTION, SA. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By GURUFOCUS]

    The top contributing stock for the quarter was Saft Groupe (XPAR:SAFT).� The company has two main divisions: the Specialty Battery Group (SBG), which makes lithium batteries for various end markets including satellites, utility meters and military applications; and the Industrial Battery Group (IBG), which produces rechargeable nickel and lithium-ion batteries for industrial back-up power, aviation, rail, telecom and energy storage industries.�

5 Best Paper Stocks To Buy Right Now: Rock-Tenn Co (RKT)

Rock-Tenn Company (RockTenn), incorporated on September 20, 1985, is a North America's integrated manufacturer of corrugated and consumer packaging. The Company operates locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico and China. The Company operates in three segments: Corrugated Packaging, consisting of its containerboard mills and its corrugated converting operations; Consumer Packaging, consisting of its coated and uncoated paperboard mills, consumer packaging converting operations and merchandising display facilities, and Recycling, which consists of its recycled fiber brokerage and collection operations. On June 22, 2012, the Company acquired Mid South Packaging LLC. On October 28, 2011, the Company acquired four entities doing business as GMI Group.

Corrugated Packaging Segment

The Company is a producer of linerboard and corrugated medium (containerboard) measured by tons produced and a producer of graphics pre-printed linerboard in North America. It operates an integrated system, which manufactures containerboard, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging and preprinted linerboard for sale to industrial and consumer products manufacturers and corrugated box manufacturers. It produces a range of corrugated containers designed to protect, ship, store and display products made to its customers' merchandising and distribution specifications. It also converts corrugated sheets into corrugated products ranging from one-color protective cartons to point-of-purchase packaging. Corrugated packaging is used to provide protective packaging for shipment and distribution of food, paper, health and beauty and other household, consumer, commercial and industrial products and in the case of graphically enhanced corrugated packaging for retail sale, particularly in club store locations and retail sale. It also provides structural and graphic design, engineering services, and custom and standard automated packaging machines, offering customers turn-key instal! lation, automation, line integration and packaging solutions. It feeds linerboard and corrugated medium into corrugators, which flutes the medium to specified sizes, glues the linerboard and fluted medium together and slits and cuts the resulting corrugated paperboard into sheets to customer specifications. Its container board mills and corrugated container operations are integrated with its containerboard production used internally by its corrugated container operations. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), sales of corrugated packaging products to external customers accounted for 65.7% of its net sales.

Consumer Packaging Segment

The Company operates an integrated system of coated recycled mills and a bleached paperboard mill, which produces paperboard for its folding carton operations and third parties. The Company is a manufacturer of folding cartons in North America measured by net sales. Its folding cartons are used to package food, paper, health and beauty and other household consumer, commercial and industrial products for retail sale. It also manufactures express mail envelopes for the overnight courier industry. Folding cartons protect customers��products during shipment and distribution and employ graphics to promote them at retail. It manufactures folding cartons from recycled and virgin paperboard, laminated paperboard and substrates with specialty characteristics, such as grease masking and microwaveability. It prints, coats, die-cuts and glues the cartons to customer specifications. It ships finished cartons to customers for assembling, filling and sealing. It employs a range of offset, flexographic, gravure, backside printing, and coating and finishing technologies. It supports its customers with package development, innovation and design services and package testing services.

The Company manufactures temporary and permanent point-of-purchase displays. The Company designs, manufactures and packs temporary displays for sal! e to cons! umer products companies. These displays are used as marketing tools to support new product introductions and specific product promotions in mass merchandising stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, home improvement stores and other retail locations. It also designs, manufactures and pre-assemble permanent displays for the same categories of customers. It makes temporary displays from corrugated paperboard. It provides contract packing services, such as multi-product promotional packing and product manipulation, such as multipacks and onpacks. The Company manufactures lithographic laminated packaging for sale to its customers, which require packaging with graphics and strength characteristics.

The Company operates an integrated system of specialty recycled paperboard mills, which includes its Seven Hills Paperboard LLC (Seven Hills) joint venture. Its specialty recycled paperboard mills, excluding Seven Hills, produce paperboard for its solid fiber interior packaging converting operations and third parties, and its Seven Hills joint venture manufactures gypsum paperboard liner for sale to its joint venture partner. It sells its specialty recycled paperboard to manufacturers of solid fiber interior packaging, tubes and cores, and other paperboard products. It also converts specialty paperboard into book covers and other products. Its 65% owned subsidiary, RTS, designs and manufactures solid fiber and corrugated partitions and die-cut paperboard components. It manufactures and sells its solid fiber and corrugated partitions principally to glass container manufacturers and producers of beer, food, wine, spirits, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and to the automotive industry. During fiscal 2012, sales of consumer packaging products to external customers accounted for 27.5% of its net sales.

Recycling Segment

The Company�� recycled fiber brokerage and collection operations provide a strategic advantage to its mills. Its recycling operations procure recovered paper (or! recycled! fiber) for its paper mills, as well as for third parties from factories, warehouses, commercial printers, office complexes, grocery and retail stores, document storage facilities, paper converters and other wastepaper collectors. It handles a range of grades of recovered paper, including old corrugated containers, office paper, box clippings, newspaper and print shop scraps. It operates recycling facilities, which collects, sorts, grades and bales recovered paper and after sorting and baling, it transfer recovered paper to its paperboard mills for processing, or sell it to the United States manufacturers of paperboard, as well as manufacturers of tissue, newsprint, roofing products and insulation and to export markets. It also collects aluminum and plastics for resale to manufacturers of these products. Its waste reduction services extract additional recyclables from the waste stream by working with customers. In addition, it operates a nationwide fiber marketing and brokerage system, which serves regional and national accounts, as well as its recycled paperboard and containerboard mills and sells scrap materials from its converting businesses and mills. Brokerage contracts provide bulk purchasing. Its recycling facilities are located close to its recycled paperboard and containerboard mills, ensuring availability of supply with reduced shipping costs. During fiscal 2012, sales to external customers accounted for 6.8% of its net sales.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ray Merola]

    International Paper Co Share Price versus Competitors RockTenn (RKT), MeadWestvaco Corp (MWV), Packaging Corporation of America (PKG), and S&P 500 (March 2009-to-date)

5 Best Paper Stocks To Buy Right Now: Boise Inc (BZ)

Boise Inc., incorporated on February 1, 2007, is a manufacturer of packaging and paper products, including corrugated containers and sheets, containerboard, protective packaging products, imaging papers for the office and home, printing and converting papers, label and release papers, newsprint and market pulp. The Company operates in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Canada. The Company operates in three segments: Packaging, Paper, and Corporate and Other. The Company�� newsprint is sold primarily to newspaper publishers in the southern and southwestern the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2012, approximately 38% of the Company�� uncoated freesheet paper was sold to OfficeMax Incorporated, its customer.

Packaging

In the Packaging segment, the Company manufactures and sells linerboard, containerboard, corrugated containers and sheets, protective packaging products, and newsprint. Linerboard is a paperboard, which when combined with corrugating medium is used in the manufacture of corrugated sheets and containers. Corrugated sheets are containerboard sheets that are sold primarily to converters that produce a variety of corrugated products. Corrugated containers are corrugated sheets that have been fed through converting machines to create containers, which are used in the packaging of fresh fruit and vegetables, processed food, beverages, and other industrial and consumer products. Stock boxes are corrugated containers manufactured to pre-set dimensions.

Protective packaging products include multi-material customized packaging solutions, which may utilize kraft paper-based honeycomb corrugated packaging, foamed plastics, and air pocket packing materials Newsprint is a paper commonly used for printing newspapers, other publications, and advertising material. During the year ended December 31, 2012, its Packaging segment produced approximately 613,000 short tons of linerboard, and its Paper segment produced approximately 135,000 short tons! of corrugating medium. It manufactures linerboard and newsprint on two machines at its mill in DeRidder, Louisiana. It also manufactures corrugated containers and sheets and protective packaging products at 26 plants located in North America and Europe.

Paper

In its Paper segment, the Company manufactures and sells three general categories of products: communication-based papers; packaging-based papers, and market pulp. Its communication-based papers include cut-size office papers, and printing and converting papers. Its Packaging-Demand-Driven Papers include Label and release papers, Flexible packaging papers, and Corrugating medium. Printing and converting papers are used by commercial printers or converters to manufacture envelopes, forms, and other commercial paper products.

Its packaging-based papers include label and release papers and corrugating medium. The Label and release papers include label facestocks, as well as release liners. The coated and uncoated papers sold to customers create packaging products for food and nonfood applications. Market pulp is sold to customers in the open market for use in the manufacture of paper products. The Company manufactures its Paper segment products at three mills, all located in the United States.

Corporate and Other

The Company�� Corporate and Other segment includes transportation assets, such as rail cars and trucks, which it uses to transport its products from its manufacturing sites. The Company provides transportation services not only to its own facilities but also, on a limited basis, to third parties. Rail cars and trucks are typically leased.

The Company competes with International Paper Company, Rock-Tenn Company, Georgia-Pacific LLC, Packaging Corporation of America, Longview Fibre Paper, Packaging, Inc, Green Bay Packaging Inc., KapStone Paper, TexCorr, L.P., Resolute Forest Product, SP Newsprint Co. and Domtar Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sue Chang]

    PCA, the Packaging Corp. of America (PKG) ,�is likely to post third-quarter earnings of 89 cents a share. The company said last month it would buy Boise Inc. (BZ) �for $12.55 a share, or about $1.28 billion in total. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Lake Forest, Ill.-based PCA makes a wide line of linerboard and corrugated paper packaging products at four mills and 71 plants, according to its website.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Packaging Corp. of America�(PKG) has jumped 6.3% to $57.99 after it said it would buy Boise (BZ) for $1.28 billion. Boise has gained 26% to $12.55.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Stocks on the move: Boise Inc. (NYSE: BZ) is up 26% at $12.55 following the company�� acquisition by Packaging Corporation of America Inc. (NYSE: PKG) for $12.55 a share ($1.28 billion). Omeros Corp. (NASDAQ: OMER) is up 68.2% at $8.56 following an analyst upgrade. Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (NYSEArca: NAK) is down 33.3% at $1.48 following an announcement from Anglo American plc that it was withdrawing from a massive copper mining project in Alaska.

  • [By Christopher Freeburn]

    Under the deal, which is expected to close during the fourth quarter, Packaging Corp. will pay $12.55 a share, or $1.27 billion, for Boise (BZ). That represents a 26% premium over the target’s last closing price, the Associated Press noted.

5 Best Paper Stocks To Buy Right Now: Meadwestvaco Corporation (MWV)

MeadWestvaco Corporation (MWV) provides packaging solutions to the healthcare, personal care and beauty, food, beverage, home and garden, tobacco, and commercial print industries worldwide. The company?s Packaging Resources segment produces bleached paperboard, Coated Natural Kraft paperboard, and linerboard. Its Consumer Solutions segment designs and produces multi-pack cartons and packaging systems primarily for the beverage take-home and tobacco market. In addition, it offers a range of converting and consumer packaging solutions, including printed plastic packaging and injection-molded products used for personal care, beauty, and pharmaceutical products; and dispensing and sprayer systems for personal care, beauty, healthcare, fragrance, and home and garden markets. In addition, this segment has a pharmaceutical packaging contract with a mass-merchant, and manufactures equipment that is leased or sold to its beverage and dairy customers to package their products. The c ompany?s Consumer & Office Products segment manufactures, sources, markets, and distributes school and office products, time-management products, and envelopes in North America and Brazil through both retail and commercial channels. Its Specialty Chemicals segment manufactures, markets, and distributes specialty chemicals derived from sawdust and other byproducts of the papermaking process in North America, South America, and Asia. Its products include activated carbon used in emission control systems for automobiles and trucks, as well as for water and food purification applications, and performance chemicals used in printing inks, asphalt paving, adhesives, and lubricants for the agricultural, paper, and petroleum industries. MWV?s Community Development and Land Management segment involves in real estate development, forestry operations, and leasing activities. MeadWestvaco Corporation was founded in 1888 and is based in Glen Allen, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    MeadWestvaco (NYSE: MWV  ) is continuing to deliver payouts for its shareholders. The company has declared a fresh quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, to be handed out on September 3 to shareholders of record as of August 31.�That amount matches each of the company's regular quarterly payouts stretching back to late 2010. Prior to that, it paid $0.23 per share.

  • [By Will Ashworth]

    I don�� know about you but I definitely use several of its products on a regular basis. In fact, right here on my desk beside my computer is a small, Five Star notebook for jotting down ideas. I grew up on Hilroy notebooks, a brand brought to the table in its 2012 merger with MeadWestvaco�� (MWV) Consumer and Office Products division. MWV shareholders received one-third of an ACCO share for every MWV share. Since the deal was completed, ACCO stock has lost 42% of its value.

Top 5 Long Term Companies To Invest In Right Now

In this video, Blake Bos examines some of the fundamentals of DryShips� (NASDAQ: DRYS  ) . The past quarter results were negative all around, but the simple metrics of revenues and costs bode ill for the company. For example, the revenue received per vessel per day is around $11,300, a 40% decline from 2011 rates. The daily ship expense rate is $5,000, and the daily debt expense per vessel is about $8,100. So, it costs DryShips about $13,100/day to operate its ships, while it receives only $11,300/day in revenue. Aggravating all this is $4.4 billion in debt, which is partially offset by DryShips' equity stake in Ocean Rig (NASDAQ: ORIG  ) .�All around, if you want to invest in a shipping company, an outfit with newer vessels like Diana Shipping Inc.�looks like a better bet than DryShips.�

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Best Income Companies To Watch For 2015: MDC Partners Inc (MDCA)

MDC Partners Inc. (MDC), incorporated in 1986, is a provider of marketing communications services to customers worldwide. MDC has operating units in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. The Company�� subsidiaries provide a range of marketing communications and consulting services, including advertising, interactive and mobile marketing, direct marketing, database and customer relationship management, sales promotion, corporate communications, market research, corporate identity, design and branding, social media and marketing, ecommerce and other related services. MDC operates in two segments: Strategic Marketing Services and Performance Marketing Services. Effective March 28, 2012, MDC invested in Doner Partners LLC (Doner). Doner is an integrated creative agency. In addition, the Company acquired a 70% interest in TargetCast LLC (TargetCast). TargetCast is a media agency. The Company acquired a 51% interest in Dotbox LLC (Dotbox). Effective January 8, 2014, MDC Partners Inc acquired an undisclosed minority interest in Luntz Global LLC. In February 2014, MDC Partners Inc acquired an undisclosed majority interest in Kingsdale Shareholder Services Inc.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, acquired RJ Palmer LLC and a 75% interest in Trade X Partners LLC (Trade X). In 2011, it entered into a transaction through its subsidiary Kwittken PR LLC (Kwittken) acquired 100% of Epoch PR Limited. In 2011, the Company also acquired a 51% interest in AIC Publishing Services LP (AIC). In addition, the Company increased its ownership to 85.3% of Veritas, to 94.0% of 656712 Ontario Limited (Onbrand), to 66.3% of 6Degrees Integrated Communications and 85% of Boom Marketing Inc. during 2011. In 2011, the Company increased ownership in Communifx Partners LLC (Communifx) by 1.3%, and increased its ownership of Varick Media Management LLC (Varick) to 100%. Effective January 31, 2011, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, purchased ! 60% interest in Anomaly Partners, LLC (Anomaly). Effective November 30, 2010, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, purchased 80% interest in each of Kenna Communications LP and Capital C Partners LP.

Strategic Marketing Services

The Strategic Marketing Services segment consists of firms that offer a suite of integrated marketing communication and consulting services, including advertising and media, interactive marketing, direct marketing, public relations, corporate communications, market research, corporate identity and branding, and sales promotion to national and global clients. The Strategic Marketing Services segment consists of the agencies, such as 72andSunny; Allison & Partners; Anomaly; Attention; Bruce Mau Design; Capital C Partners; Colle + McVoy; Concentric Partners; Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Crispin Porter + Bogusky Canada; Hello Design; henderson bas kohn; HL Group Partners; kirshenbaum bond senecal + partners; Kbs+p Canada; Kwittken; Laird + Partners; The Media Kitchen; Mono Advertising; Redscout; Sloane & Company; Varick Media Management; Veritas Communications; Vitro and Yamamoto.

Performance Marketing Services

The Performance Marketing Services segment includes firms that provide consumer insights. The Performance Marketing Services segment consists of agencies, such as 6degrees Communications; Accent; AIC Publishing; Boom Marketing; Bryan Mills Iradesso; Communifx Partners; Computer Composition; Hudsun Media; Integrated Media Solutions; Kenna Communications; Northstar Research Partners; Onbrand; Relevent; RJ Palmer; Source Marketing; TargetCom; Team and Trade X.

The Company competes with Omnicom Group Inc., Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., WPP Group plc, Publicis Group SA and Havas Advertising.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Corinne Gretler]

    Petrofac Ltd. plunged 15 percent, the most in almost five years. Korian fell 3.8 percent after agreeing to buy Medica SA (MDCA) for 1.1 billion euros ($1.5 billion). Aberdeen Asset Management Plc jumped 13 percent after Lloyds Banking Group Plc agreed to sell its Scottish Widows Investment Partnership unit to the money manager. Sonova Holding AG advanced 6.9 percent as the world�� largest hearing-aid maker raised its full-year forecast after first-half revenue beat analyst estimates.

Top 5 Long Term Companies To Invest In Right Now: Nikon Corp (NINOY)

NIKON CORPORATION is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of optical products. The Company is active in four business segments. The Precision Apparatus segment offers semiconductor exposure apparatus and liquid crystal (LC) exposure apparatus. The image segment provides digital cameras, film cameras and interchangeable lens. The Instruments segment offers microscopes, measuring machines and semiconductor inspection equipment. The Others segment provides glass materials, telescopes, glasses and survey airplanes.

As of August 19, 2009, the Company held a 92.17% stake in Metis NV. The Company has 65 subsidiaries and 10 associated companies in the country and overseas markets.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Carroll]

    Unfortunately, the yen's impact on stocks has blurred the lines on investments. Look no further than down-on-its-luck camera maker Nikon (NASDAQOTH: NINOY  ) . Nikon's shares gained more than 8% over the past week due to the yen's weakness, as the company rakes in more than a quarter of its sales in Europe. Still, the stock's lost more than 43% year to date.

Top 5 Long Term Companies To Invest In Right Now: Enersys (ENS)

EnerSys manufactures, markets, and distributes industrial batteries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It offers reserve power products that are used for backup power for the continuous operation of critical applications in telecommunications systems, uninterruptible power systems applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, and in other specialty power applications, including security systems; starting, lighting, and ignition applications; switchgear and electrical control systems used in electric utilities and energy pipelines; and commercial aircraft, satellites, military aircraft, submarines, ships, and tactical vehicles. The company also offers motive power products that are used to provide power for manufacturing, warehousing, and other material handling equipment, including electric industrial forklift trucks, mining equipment, and diesel locomotive starting and other rail equipment. In addition, it offers industrial battery re lated products, such as chargers, power equipment, and battery accessories, as well as provides related after-market and customer-support services. EnerSys markets and sells its reserve power batteries principally under the ABSL, ABSL Power, ABSL Space, ArmaSafePlus, Cyclon, DataSafe, Genesis, Hawker, Huada, Odyssey, Oerlikon Battery, PowerSafe, and SuperSafe brand names; and motive power batteries primarily under the Douglas Battery, Express, Fiamm Motive Power, General Battery, Hawker, Huada, and Ironclad brand names through a network of distributors, independent representatives, and its internal sales force. The company was formerly known as Yuasa, Inc. and changed its name to EnerSys in January 2001 to reflect its focus on the energy systems business. EnerSys was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Basic guidelines
    In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at EnerSys (NYSE: ENS  ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is EnerSys doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, OK, it seems. Trailing-12-month revenue decreased 0.3%, and inventory decreased 2.2%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue dropped 3.5%, and inventory shrank 2.2%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks healthy. Revenue grew 2.7%, and inventory dropped 6.9%.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Stored energy solution specialist�EnerSys� (NYSE: ENS  ) �announced yesterday�it would be initiating its first quarterly dividend payment of $0.125 per share, payable on June 28 to the holders of record at the close of business on June 14.��

  • [By Rich Smith]

    This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines feature a pair of downgrades, for toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK  ) and electrical equipment maker EnerSys (NYSE: ENS  ) alike. But the news isn't all bad, so before we address those two, let's take a look at why one analyst thinks that...

Top 5 Long Term Companies To Invest In Right Now: PDC Energy Inc (PDCE)

PDC Energy, Inc. (PDC), incorporated on March 25, 1955, doing business as PDC Energy, is a domestic independent exploration and production company, which acquires, develops, explores, and produces natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and crude oil. Its Western Operating Region is focused on development in the Wattenberg Field in Colorado, particularly in the liquid-rich horizontal Niobrara play and on the ongoing development of refractures and recompletions of its Wattenberg wells. In its Eastern Operating Region, it is focused on development activity in the liquid-rich portion of the Utica Shale play in Ohio. The Company owns an interest in approximately 7,200 gross producing wells and maintained an average production rate of 135.6 One million cubic feet of natural gas volume (MMcfe) per day for the year ended December 31, 2012, which was comprised of 65.3% natural gas, 10.2% NGLs and 24.5% crude oil. It divides its operating activities into two segments: Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, and Gas Marketing. It divides its Western Operating Region into two areas: the Wattenberg Field and Piceance Basin. On February 28, 2012, the Company divested its Permian Basin assets. In May 2012, it announced that it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire Core Wattenberg assets that contain liquid-rich horizontal drilling opportunities. The effective date of the transaction is April 1, 2012. The assets are located in the Core Wattenberg Field of Weld and Adams Counties, Colorado and are approximately 94%-operated. The acquired assets include an estimated 35,000 net acres prospective for horizontal development of the Niobrara and Codell formations. In July 2012, the Company acquired core Wattenberg assets. In September 2012, Miller Energy Resources, Inc. acquired its Tennessee assets. On June 18, 2013, PDC Energy Inc announced that it has sold its non-core Colorado natural gas assets.

Oil and Gas Exploration and Production

The Company�� Oil and Gas Exploration and Prod! uction segment reflects revenues and expenses from the production and sale of natural gas, NGLs and crude oil. It sells its natural gas to marketers, utilities, industrial end-users and other wholesale purchasers. It sells natural gas, which it produces under contracts with indexed or New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) monthly pricing provisions with the remaining production sold under contracts with daily pricing provisions. Its contracts include provisions wherein prices change monthly with changes in the market, for which adjustments may be made based on whether a well delivers to a gathering or transmission line, quality of natural gas and prevailing supply and demand conditions. It does not refine any of its crude oil production. It sells its crude oil to oil marketers and refiners. Its crude oil production is sold to purchasers at or near its wells under both short and long-term purchase contracts with monthly pricing provisions based on an average daily price. Its NGLs are sold to one NGL marketer in the Wattenberg Field. Its NGL production is sold under both short and long-term purchase contracts with monthly pricing provisions based on an average daily price.

The Company�� Oil and Gas Exploration and Production segment also reflects revenues and expenses related to well operations and pipeline services. It is paid a monthly operating fee for the portion of each well it operates that is owned by others, including its affiliated partnerships. It constructs, owns and operates gathering systems in its areas of operations. Its natural gas and NGLs are transported through its own and third party gathering systems and pipelines. It enters into firm transportation agreements to provide for pipeline capacity to flow and sell a portion PDC Energy, Inc. (PDC), incorporated on March 25, 1955, doing business as PDC Energy, is a domestic independent exploration and production company, which acquires, develops, explores, and produces natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and crude oil. Its! Western ! Operating Region is focused on development in the Wattenberg Field in Colorado, particularly in the liquid-rich horizontal Niobrara play and on the ongoing development of refractures and recompletions of its Wattenberg wells. In its Eastern Operating Region, it is focused on development activity in the liquid-rich portion of the Utica Shale play in Ohio. The Company owns an interest in approximately 7,200 gross producing wells and maintained an average production rate of 135.6 One million cubic feet of natural gas volume (MMcfe) per day for the year ended December 31, 2012, which was comprised of 65.3% natural gas, 10.2% NGLs and 24.5% crude oil. It divides its operating activities into two segments: Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, and Gas Marketing. It divides its Western Operating Region into two areas: the Wattenberg Field and Piceance Basin. On February 28, 2012, the Company divested its Permian Basin assets. In May 2012, it announced that it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire Core Wattenberg assets that contain liquid-rich horizontal drilling opportunities. The effective date of the transaction is April 1, 2012. The assets are located in the Core Wattenberg Field of Weld and Adams Counties, Colorado and are approximately 94%-operated. The acquired assets include an estimated 35,000 net acres prospective for horizontal development of the Niobrara and Codell formations. In July 2012, the Company acquired core Wattenberg assets. In September 2012, Miller Energy Resources, Inc. acquired its Tennessee assets.

Oil and Gas Exploration and Production

The Company�� Oil and Gas Exploration and Production segment reflects revenues and expenses from the production and sale of natural gas, NGLs and crude oil. It sells its natural gas to marketers, utilities, industrial end-users and other wholesale purchasers. It sells natural gas, which it produces under contracts with indexed or New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) monthly pricing provisions with the remaining p! roduction! sold under contracts with daily pricing provisions. Its contracts include provisions wherein prices change monthly with changes in the market, for which adjustments may be made based on whether a well delivers to a gathering or transmission line, quality of natural gas and prevailing supply and demand conditions. It does not refine any of its crude oil production. It sells its crude oil to oil marketers and refiners. Its crude oil production is sold to purchasers at or near its wells under both short and long-term purchase contracts with monthly pricing provisions based on an average daily price. Its NGLs are sold to one NGL marketer in the Wattenberg Field. Its NGL production is sold under both short and long-term purchase contracts with monthly pricing provisions based on an average daily price.

The Company�� Oil and Gas Exploration and Production segment also reflects revenues and expenses related to well operations and pipeline services. It is paid a monthly operating fee for the portion of each well it operates that is owned by others, including its affiliated partnerships. It constructs, owns and operates gathering systems in its areas of operations. Its natural gas and NGLs are transported through its own and third party gathering systems and pipelines. It enters into firm transportation agreements to provide for pipeline capacity to flow and sell a portion

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    PDC Energy (Nasdaq: PDCE  ) reported earnings on May 1. Here are the numbers you need to know.

    The 10-second takeaway
    For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), PDC Energy whiffed on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).

  • [By Garrett Cook]

    Energy shares dropped around 0.22 percent in today’s trading. Top decliners in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), PDC Energy (NASDAQ: PDCE), and YPF SA (NYSE: YPF).

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Macy's, Barneys Probed After Detaining Black Shoppers

2013 NAN National Convention - Day 1J. Countess/Getty ImagesNew York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman NEW YORK -- The New York state attorney general is investigating Macy's Inc. and Barneys New York Inc. after complaints from black customers who were stopped by police after making luxury purchases, a spokesman said Tuesday morning. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has set Friday as the deadline for the stores to turn over information about their policies for detaining and questioning customers based on race, according to letters sent to Barneys chief executive Mark Lee and Peter Sachse, Macy's chief stores officer. Lee is meeting Tuesday with Reverend Al Sharpton at the Harlem headquarters of his civil rights group, National Action Network, to discuss claims of racial profiling by two Barneys customers. "Attorney General Schneiderman is committed to ensuring that all New York residents are afforded equal protection under the law," Kristen Clarke, who heads the attorney general's civil rights bureau, wrote to Lee and Sachse in letters released Tuesday. "The alleged repeated behavior of your employees raises troubling questions about your company's commitment to that ideal," according to the letters. The Schneiderman probe was first reported by the Daily News tabloid in New York. Macy's and Barneys officials weren't immediately available for comment Tuesday morning. Barneys and the New York City Police Department were named in a lawsuit filed by Trayon Christian of Queens. The lawsuit said police had detained him in April for two hours after he bought a $349 Ferragamo belt, and they then released him without charging him. Kayla Phillips, a 21-year-old nursing school student, said she was surrounded by four undercover police officers in February after leaving Barneys with a $2,500 Celine handbag she had purchased. Two Macy's shoppers have made similar complaints, including actor Rob Brown of HBO's "Treme," who said he was handcuffed and held for an hour after purchasing a $1,350 gold Movado watch for his mother, the Daily News said. The fourth "shop and frisk" complaint was filed by Art Palmer, 56, an exercise trainer from Brooklyn. He told the Daily News that he was surrounded by police who demanded to see identification in April after he used his credit card to buy $320 worth of Polo shirts and ties. New York's Civilian Complaint Review Board is investigating allegations of improper police stops of Palmer and Phillips, spokeswoman Linda Sachs said Tuesday. In 2005, Macy's paid $600,000 to settle similar allegations that many of the chain's New York stores had targeted blacks and Latinos for particular scrutiny of theft, according to the New York Attorney General's office. Crime statistics from the New York Police Department show grand larceny has risen 31.6 percent over the past two years in the Midtown North precinct, which includes Macy's flagship store in Herald Square, and is up nearly 4 percent in the Upper East Side's 19th precinct, which includes Barneys New York. In the wake of a number of high-profile cruise ship disasters, the cruise industry announced this week that it had approved a passengers' bill of rights. The document, which the industry says will be legally binding, mainly concerns passengers' rights in instances where a ship has become disabled. It resembles a similar bill of rights for airline passengers that the Department of Transportation drew up in 2011. Those rules concerned procedures for dealing with lengthy tarmac delays, lost baggage, and similar issues. That got us thinking: If cruise ship passengers and air travelers have their own bills of rights, why shouldn't shoppers? Sure, visitors to retail stores typically don't encounter situations as maddening as being stranded on a floating hotel where the bathrooms don't work, or trapped in a cramped coach-class seat while their flight sits on a tarmac for hours. But the shopping experience is still riddled with frustrations, and less-savvy shoppers are often taken advantage of by dodgy pricing, pushy salespeople and inconsistent policies.

10 Best Solar Stocks For 2015

10 Best Solar Stocks For 2015: Ascent Solar Technologies Inc.(ASTI)

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc., a development stage company, focuses on commercializing flexible photovoltaic (PV) modules using its proprietary technology. The company intends to manufacture roll-format PV modules that use copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) on a plastic substrate. Its proprietary manufacturing process deposits multiple layers of materials, including a thin-film of CIGS semiconductor material on a plastic substrate and laser patterns the layers to create interconnected PV cells or PV modules through monolithic integration process. The company would serve the building applied photovoltaic (BAPV) and building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market, as well as specialty markets, such as defense, portable power, transportation, electronic integrated photovoltaic, and space and near-space. It has a strategic relationship with Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS to access customers in the BIPV/BAPV markets worldwide. Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. was founded in 200 5 and is based in Thornton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Solar stocks have not exactly given buy and hold investors a smooth ride, but small capGT Advanced Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: GTAT) could be an interesting materials play on the solar sector meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with potential peers like Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ: ASTI) and STR Holdings, Inc (NYSE: STRI) plus solar ETF Guggenheim Solar ETF (NYSEARCA: TAN). I should mention that just last week, we added GT Advanced Technologies to ourSmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio for bothfundamentals and technical reasons and we are already up almost 9%.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/10-best-solar-stocks-for-2015-2.html

Monday, January 26, 2015

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014

Signs of gradual improvement in the economy have increased the chances of the Fed tapering its monetary support at some point this year. Accordingly, investors are moving from defensive sectors like utilities and consumer staples and to cyclical sectors like technology and industrials (read: Buy These ETFs to Profit from "Sector Rotation").

Cyclical or high growth stocks have largely been ignored by investors. But since these stocks are now attractively priced and promise bright long-term growth, investors can pay more attention to this space. A popular choice in this space is of course the technology sector.

Though the technology sector has been broadly mixed so far this year due to uncertainty surrounding some of the top tech players, it could well emerge as the winner as we progress into the second half of the year (read: Winning ETF Strategies For the Second Half).

While the sector enjoys virtual monopoly on several services in many countries, in others such as the U.S., an oligopoly is predominant. A lack of competition under both circumstances and high start-up costs that deter new entrants, make this space an obvious choice for investors seeking high long-term returns.

Hot Food Stocks To Watch Right Now: Tokyo Electron Ltd (TOELY.PK)

Tokyo Electron Limited is a company mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of electronic products for industrial uses. The Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, Flat-panel Display (FPD) and Photovoltaic Cell (PV) Manufacturing Equipment segment provides coaters and developers for wafer processing, plasma etching equipment, thermal processing systems, single wafer deposition systems, cleaning systems, coaters and developers for FPD manufacturing, ashing devices and plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) devices. The Electronic Component and Information Communication Equipment segment designs, develops, purchases and sells semiconductor products such as integrated circuits (ICs), computer and network equipment and software. The Others segment involves in logistics, facility management and insurance businesses. On April 1, 2013, it merged with two subsidiaries. In January 2014, the Company established TEL-Applied Holdings B.V. and a Japan-based company. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]

    Ultratech isn't the only game in town, though, and there are multiple technologies and process steps that are going to play significant roles in the production of FinFETs and 3D circuits. With that, I would take a look at Mattson Technologies (MTSN), as this company has already accomplished the not-so-easy task of gaining meaningful share in the dry strip, rapid thermal processing (RTP), and etch markets despite competing with giants like Lam Research (LRCX), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Tokyo Electron (TOELY.PK).

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Gladstone Land Corp (LAND)

Gladstone Land Corporation, incorporated on March 24, 2011, is an externally-managed real estate company formed to invest in farmland located in agricultural markets throughout the United States. The Company�� farmland is concentrated in locations where tenants are able to grow annual row crops, such as berries, lettuce and melons, among others, which are planted and harvested annually or more frequently. The Company also leases a small parcel on its Oxnard farm to an oil company. In January 2014, the Company acquired a 1,895-acre farm in the Columbia Basin of the Pacific Northwest. On December 27, 2013, the Company acquired a 1,760-acre farm in Willcox, Cochise County, Arizona. Effective January 2, 2014, Gladstone Land Corp acquired an undisclosed farmland located in Oregon.

As of December 27, 2012, the Company�� portfolio of properties consisted of the San Andreas Farm in Watsonville, California; West Gonzales Farm in Oxnard, California; West Beach Farms in Watsonville, California; Dalton Lane Farm in Watsonville, California; Keysville Road Farms in Plant City, Florida; Colding Loop Farm in Wimauma, Florida, and Trapnell Road Farms in Plant City, Florida. As of December 27, 2012, the Company extended the Dalton Lane Farm lease for three years. As of December 27, 2012, the Company in addition to acquiring properties, planned to acquire farmland in exchange for limited partnership units, or units, of Gladstone Land Limited Partnership.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sarah Jones]

    Land Securities (LAND) Group Plc, Britain�� largest real estate investment trust, and Persimmon Plc both climbed at least 1.5 percent. Glencore Xstrata Plc led a rally in commodity producers as base metals climbed. HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA) led declining shares, falling 1.5 percent.

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Box Ships Inc.(TEU)

Box Ships Inc. owns and operates containerships. As of August 16, 2011, it operated a fleet of 7 containerships with a total carrying capacity of 33,237 twenty-foot equivalent units. The company was founded in 2010 and is based in Athens, Greece.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Box Ships (NYSE: TEU) slipped 18.49% to $1.94 after the company priced 5 million units at $2.05 per unit.

    China Auto Logistic (NASDAQ: CALI) shares dropped 9.06% to $3.17 after the company announced 2013 results. China Auto Logistic posted its net income of $524,260, or $0.14 per share.

Top 5 Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2014: Apollo Investment Corporation(AINV)

Apollo Investment Corporation is business development company and operates as a closed-end management investment company. The company invests in middle market companies. It provides direct equity capital, mezzanine and senior secured loans, and subordinated debt and loans. It also seeks to invest in PIPES transactions. The company may also invest in public companies that are thinly traded and may acquire investments in the secondary market. It prefers to invest in warrants, makes equity co-investments, and may also invest in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less, high-yield bonds, distressed debt, non-U.S. investments, or securities of public companies that are not thinly traded. The company typically invests in building materials, business services, cable television, chemicals, consumer products, direct marketing, distribution, energy and utilities, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, media, publishing, retail and transportation. It primarily invests between $20 million and $250 million in its portfolio companies. The company seeks to make investments with stated maturities of five to ten years.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tim Melvin]

    Here are a couple private equity-powered dividend stocks on my radar right now:

    Apollo Investment (AINV)

    Apollo Global Management (APO) is one of the world�� largest asset management and private equity firms with more than $100 billion under management. Its largest publicly offered vehicle is Apollo Investment (AINV), a business development company that invests in and ends to middle-market companies and pays out 90% of its net income to shareholders.

  • [By James Brumley]

    The seller will let up as soon as the news is a fading memory, which should be soon.

    Apollo Investment Corp. (AINV)

    AINV Dividend Yield: 9.7%

  • [By MONEYMORNING]

    He's much better off in "total return" holdings, like Apollo Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AINV) which we covered right here, and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (NYSE: KMP), another long-term winner.

  • [By Rich Bieglmeier]

    Expensive or not, dividend investors might be interested in this week's highlighted insider buying candidate: Apollo Investment Corporation (AINV).

Top Valued Companies To Watch For 2014

Yesterday's record-setting session for the U.S. stock market was just the latest in a long line of advances. Yet with many investors believing that many individual stocks are overvalued, one key to deciding which stocks to buy now may lie in the much more important move in the bond market yesterday.

What the bond market is saying about stocks
For months, the stock market has moved up even as interest rates have remained low. But that trend has changed lately, and bond prices plunged yesterday, with the yield on the 10-year Treasury rising to its highest level in over a year. The move reflects the concern that investors have about the Federal Reserve potentially ending its program of quantitative easing, and since the Fed's bond purchases have helped keep rates low, investors conclude that ending the program would send rates higher. With bond guru Bill Gross and countless other fixed-income experts having predicted higher rates for a long time, the damage in the bond market could be severe.

10 Best Semiconductor Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Johanna Bennett]

    Corporate earnings took a back seat today to the Fed�� latest policy decision. Still, quarterly financial results, and other news sent shares of McCormick & Co. (MKC) and Tupperware (TUP), falling during regular market hours�Here�� a rundown of several of today�� moves:

Top Valued Companies To Watch For 2014: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Carlton Delfeld]

    The valuation is quite attractive. It's trading right at eight times earnings, forward earnings. That's about half what Caterpillar (CAT) is trading at—and, you know, the earnings have not been that great.

  • [By Rupert Hargreaves]

    There is no question that Caterpillar's (NYSE: CAT  ) performance so far this year has been impressive. The company's shares have surged, rising nearly 16%.

Top Valued Companies To Watch For 2014: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    Even though the country has so much oil, it has struggled to keep up production growth and has asked for outside help. This week, Venezuela has signed financing deals with Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) , Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) , and Russia's Rosneft that will total $5.6 to expand production. The country hopes to increase production from 3 to 5 million barrels per day by 2015.

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Halliburton has focused much of its attention on the booming U.S. market, giving it more exposure to domestic production than more globally focused rival Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) . With domestic drilling activity having been fairly weak lately, Halliburton's U.S. concentration has raised concerns among investors, as land-based rig counts have fallen sharply. But with efficiency gains from multi-pad drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, bulls hope that rig counts don't accurately reflect actual production activity and therefore that Halliburton's earnings will hold up better than some expect.

Top Valued Companies To Watch For 2014: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

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

    David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Family Dollar Stores (FDO) rejected a $9 billion buyout offer from Dollar General (DG) and issued a sharp rebuke to accusations its CEO favors a smaller bid from Dollar Tree (DLTR) because it would allow him to keep his job. Family Dollar, the second-largest dollar store in the United States, said it believed a deal with its larger rival would be unlikely to win antitrust approval despite a promise by Dollar General to close up to 700 stores.

    We will not jeopardize the Dollar Tree deal for a transaction with Dollar General that has a high likelihood of not closing due to antitrust considerations.

  • [By ANUP SINGH]

    Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR  ) is among the most successful single-price-point retailers in the U.S. It operates more than 4,842 stores across 48 states in the U.S. and five Provinces in Canada. The chart below shows that the company has been performing consistently well over the past five years.

  • [By Victor Reklaitis]

    Today�� movers & shakers: Retailers have dropped in the wake of disappointing quarterly results or outlooks. Target Corp. (TGT) �was down 4% after posting weaker margins and earnings at its U.S. business, while Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR) �dropped 4% after its earnings fell in the third quarter. Read more in the Movers & Shakers column.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Best Value Companies To Invest In Right Now

PIMCO bond manager Bill Gross is reassuring investors roiled by last week’s choppy markets that stocks and bonds are oversold and investors should stay the course.

In his new monthly investment outlook for July filled with nautical metaphors, the manager of the world’s largest bond fund says the yields reached on bonds in late April plumbed historic depths and needed correction, but the reaction to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s tapering comments went overboard.

As co-captain of the Newport Beach, Calif.-based investment company, Gross watched as investors bailed out of his own Total Return Bond Fund last week, its value sinking more than most of its bond-fund mates.

Perhaps that brush with fate got Gross, a former Navy lieutenant, to reflect on a near disaster that occurred when his ship came within one degree of heeling in the South China Sea. Gross and his fellow crewman survived, prompting the former chief engineer to advise investors on how to abandon ship when necessary but also on how to avoid panic and right the ship when indicated.

Best Construction Stocks To Own For 2015: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Arie Goren]

    After running this screen on May 21, 2013, before the markets' open, I discovered the following eight stocks: Sunoco Logistics Partners LP (SXL), Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG), Copa Holdings SA (CPA), RPC Inc. (RES), Tupperware Brands Corp. (TUP), Herbalife Ltd. (HLF), John Wiley & Sons Inc. (JW.A) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW).

Best Value Companies To Invest In Right Now: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Vanina Egea]

    After hitting a historical high in 2011, prices for mining products entered a downtrend that continues throughout 2013, further pressuring margins and reducing demand for new equipment. Hence, prospects for Caterpillar (CAT), Komatsu (OTC: KMTUY) and Joy Global (JOY) have suffered. But, have managements taken the cue? And, how have hedge funds reacted?

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) is scheduled to release its quarterly earnings report tomorrow, and investors are bracing for a substantial drop in net income. Yet for all of Caterpillar's woes, the long-term question is whether the pullback is part of a normal cyclical decline or the result of longer-term macroeconomic trends toward slowing growth in formerly red-hot areas of the world.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Christmas is here, which means that the traders aren’t. But stocks are still hitting new highs–if barely–as Caterpillar (CAT), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Tenet Healthcare (THC), Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) and US Steel (X) rise.

Best Value Companies To Invest In Right Now: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By David Fabian]

    Schlumberger Ltd (NYSE: SLB) recently reported a record first quarter profit, as demand for its advanced energy exploration technology continues to grow.

  • [By Lee Jackson]

    Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB) is another mega cap oil field services stock to buy for 2014. Strong offshore drilling activity combined with a seasonal rebound in Western Canadian activity have driven Schlumberger’s recent growth. Going into 2014, Schlumberger sees five markets providing strong growth: Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, China and Australia. Shareholders are paid a 1.4% dividend. The Deutsche Bank price target is $124, and the consensus is lower at $110. Schlumberger closed Monday at $89.17.

  • [By Arjun Sreekumar]

    For instance, though oilfield services firms Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) and Halliburton (NYSE: HAL  ) have shown a keen interest in developing China's shale resources, the absence of clearly defined and enforceable patent and property protection laws has given them reason to pause. �

Best Value Companies To Invest In Right Now: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Mani]

    Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) is one of the companies that are set to exploit the ongoing trend of consumers' increasing focus on value with significant opportunity to grow its store base, and expand margins.

  • [By Rising Dividend Investing]

    Falling Stock Correlation: What It Says About Consumer Spending

    As we mentioned in the Take Aways from the August 26th Investment Policy Committee meeting, the correlation index has been steadily declining. In 2008-09, macroeconomic events drove nearly every stock downwards. Specific sectors and stocks moved in tandem with one another. Today, stocks and sub-industries within each sector are performing very differently – which indicates a return to a more normal stock market environment.
    The Consumer Discretionary (also known as Consumer Cyclicals) sector is an example of an industry that has been rewarded for its fundamental success over the past 12 months. As a whole, the sector grew sales 6.1% and earnings 9.2% in the second quarter - much better than the 1.4% sales and 3.3% earnings growth of the S&P 500. While the overall sector did well in the second quarter, the table below shows how differently the 5 sub-categories of Consumer Discretionary performed:

    (click to enlarge)
    As we drill down even further, sub-categories of sub-sectors differ even more dramatically. Below is a snapshot of the Retailing sub-sector and its notable components:

    (click to enlarge)
    Specific stocks within each sub-category are varying in performance as well. General Merchandise retailers were significantly differentiated in the second quarter. Target’s (TGT) adjusted EPS were up 6.1% from 2012, while Dollar General (DG) and Dollar Tree’s (DLTR) earnings were up nearly 12% and 9%, respectively.
    The differences in sales and earnings growth amongst these different industries tell a story. The economy is not improving enough that people feel like they can let go and spend money on pure pleasures, but it is improving enough that they can afford to replace their cars and fix the doors on their houses. As these items wear out and need to be replaced, we expect the pent up demand will drive increased economic activity from cons

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Fidelity Tests Google Glass App

Sergey Brin wearing Google Glass. (Photo: AP)Fidelity announced Monday that it had launched a preview of an app for use with Google Glass. Fidelity is participating with Google for early access to Glass.

Google Glass is a lens-less device worn like eyeglasses — modeled at left by Google co-founder Sergey Brin — that responds to voice commands. The project is still in development and is being tested by users who applied to be part of the Google Glass Explorer program.

Fidelity Labs, which is part of Fidelity’s Center for Applied Technology, created the app — or “glassware” — to provide hands-free access to end-of-day quotes from four U.S. stock indexes: Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, NASDAQ Composite and Russell 2000.

“Advisors need to be alerted to changes in the market throughout the day,” Hadley Stern, vice president of Fidelity Labs, told ThinkAdvisor on Wednesday. “When active traders are away from their desk, they feel like they may be missing something.” He noted that for a lot of people a smartphone does that job, but “wearable technology may be more convenient.”

Top Gas Stocks To Buy For 2015

Stern referred to research that estimates people look at their smartphones about 200 times a day. “About 100 of those could probably be replaced by wearable technology,” he said.

Because Glass is still in an experimental phase and only available to a limited number of users, Fidelity’s app, Market Monitor for Glass, can only be previewed by current Glass users. Stern said that they have no schedule for an official launch considering Google has yet to make Glass widely available.

A video is available at FidelityLabs.com that shows an example of what the user experience is like.  

Hot Retail Companies For 2015

Hot Retail Companies For 2015: ANN Inc (ANN)

ANN INC., incorporated in 1988, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a specialty retailer of womens apparel, shoes and accessories sold primarily under the Ann Taylor and LOFT brands. The Companys Ann Taylor and LOFT brands offers a range of career and casual separates, dresses, tops, weekend wear, shoes and accessories. It offers updated past season sellers from the Ann Taylor and LOFT merchandise collections at its Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet stores, respectively, and the clients can also shop online at www.anntaylor.com and www.LOFT.com (together, Online Stores), or by phone at 1-800-DIAL-ANN and 1-888-LOFT-444. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 953 retail stores in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, consisted of 280 Ann Taylor stores, 500 LOFT stores, 99 Ann Taylor Factory stores and 74 LOFT Outlet stores.

Substantially all of the Companys merchandise is developed by its in-house product design and development teams , who design merchandise exclusively for the Company. A small percentage of its merchandise is purchased through branded vendors, which is selected to complement its in-house assortment. The Company sourced merchandise from approximately 138 manufacturers and vendors in 19 countries. Approximately 42% of its merchandise unit purchases originated in China, 13% in the Philippines, 14% in Indonesia, 14% in India, and 13% in Vietnam. The Companys wholly owned subsidiary, AnnTaylor Distribution Services, Inc., owns its 256,000-square-foot distribution center located in Louisville, Kentucky. The distribution center is located on approximately 27 acres. Its merchandise is distributed to stores, including the Online Stores, through this facility.

An average Ann Taylor store is approximately 5,500 square feet in size. The Company operates two Ann Taylor flagship stores, one located in New York City and one loca! ted in Chicago. LOFT stores average approximately 5,800 sq uare feet. The Company also operates one LOFT flagship store on the ground floor of 7 Times Square, its corporate headquarters, in New York City. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), it opened 14 LOFT stores that averaged approximately 5,500 square feet. Ann Taylor Factory stores average approximately 7,100 square feet. LOFT Outlet stores average approximately 7,000 square feet. During fiscal 2011, its LOFT Outlet stores were 38 new stores that averaged approximately 7,600 square feet.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By jaggom]

    ANN (ANN), with its strong quarterly results, indicates that the company is making a comeback. Despite headwinds in the retail apparel market and competition, ANN emerged as a winner by reporting strong quarterly results. ANN has outperformed in the past and is continually working on improving market share. The company looks positioned for a comeback and could be a good long-term holding as its recent results suggest.

  • [By Vanina Egea]

    However, there is some concern that growing competition from local rivals like Abercrombie & Fitch Inc. (ANF) and Ann Inc. (ANN), and international brands such as Inditex may erode the company麓s margin. Its increase in input costs, inventory per store levels, and negative international comps are also key factors to analyze.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    On Earth Day 2013, Ann Taylor parent companyAnn Inc. (NYSE: ANN  ) announced that across nearly 400 stores in North America, it had cut its "carbon footprint" by 20% -- twice its objective, and more than two years ahead of schedule.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-retail-companies-for-2015-2.html

Thursday, January 22, 2015

How Banks Plan to Make Your Wallet Obselete

Banking has been big business for thousands of years, and as such, banks tend to avoid rocking the boat (subprime mortgage-backed securities notwithstanding). That is, until now. 

A consortium of banks, lead by Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) , Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) , BB&T (NYSE: BBT  ) , U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB  ) , and KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY  ) have joined forces to develop critical technology to pave the way for true mobile banking. 

In the video below, Motley Fool contributor Jay Jenkins discusses how this new technology could free consumers from bulky wallets and plastic cards, and how these leading banks stand to cash in.

It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

 

Top US Companies To Invest In Right Now

The price of gasoline in the U.S. is on the rise again.

Futures prices for RBOB ("Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending"), the NYMEX futures contract for gasoline, are up over 11% for the year, and a full 6.6% of that increase has come in the past month.

In fact, gas is up 2.4% over the past week alone. Today, the average retail price is 4 cents higher per gallon than a year ago.

And you can bet that as we move into the "official" start of the summer driving season, the worst is yet to come. Prices will be headed even higher.

So with all the hoopla surrounding our newfound oil wealth and our legitimate move to become energy self-sufficient in as little as a decade, why are gas prices still climbing?

Let me explain...

More Oil Doesn't Necessarily Mean Lower Prices

But first I need to clear the record about what this new largess in unconventional oil actually means. Then I'll identify the two primary causes of higher gas prices, along with a third catalyst that is waiting in the wings.

10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Zimmer Holdings Inc.(ZMH)

Zimmer Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of orthopedic reconstructive devices, spinal and trauma devices, dental implants, and related surgical products in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers orthopedic reconstructive devices that restore function lost due to disease or trauma in joints such as knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows; dental reconstructive implants, which restore function and aesthetics in patients who have lost teeth due to trauma or disease; spinal devices that are utilized by orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons in the treatment of degenerative diseases, deformities, and trauma in various regions of the spine; and trauma devices used primarily to reattach or stabilize damaged bone and tissue to support the body?s natural healing process. It also provides surgical products comprising surgical supplies and instruments designed to aid in orthopedic surgical proce dures and post-operation rehabilitation. In addition, the company offers healthcare consulting services. Its customers include orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, oral surgeons, dentists, hospitals, stocking distributors, and healthcare dealers, as well as agents, healthcare purchasing organizations, or buying groups. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Steve Symington]

    Of course, Biomet is a privately held company, but it's safe to say that trials like this should have other publicly traded companies like Stryker (NYSE: SYK  ) , Zimmer (NYSE: ZMH  ) , and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) sweating bullets given their competing manually placed implants. It also doesn't help their case that Johnson & Johnson in March lost its first of 10,750 lawsuits over defective metal-on-metal hip implants, but you can bet MAKO can't wait to capitalize on the fallout with its own innovative offerings.

  • [By Dan Carroll]

    One look around the industry this quarter tells the story. Zimmer Holdings (NYSE: ZMH  ) reported its own third-quarter results today. Zimmer's hip sales grew by only 2%, and while growing knee product sales managed to lift the company's quarterly revenue above expectations, the business hasn't been enough to save Zimmer's earnings from falling due to legal fees and other expenses. It's a similar story at Stryker (NYSE: SYK  ) , another major rival in the orthopedics space. Stryker made a big move recently to purchase robotic orthopedic surgical firm MAKO Surgical to jump-start sales growth, and it'll need the jolt. Stryker's knee business grew revenue by only 2.1% in the third quarter, and while its hip sales managed strong growth, the firm will need its smaller, faster-growing businesses to continue to come through.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    One medical-device maker to avoid
    While it's certainly far from a disaster case, I believe income seekers looking at orthopedic reconstructive-device maker Zimmer Holdings (NYSE: ZMH  ) would be better served looking elsewhere. From a cash perspective, Medtronic and ResMed both carry net cash positions, while Smith & Nephew and Zimmer both lug around net debt positions. Zimmer's net debt of $450 million, though, is more than double that of Smith & Nephew and acts as an added drag when it comes to raising its dividend or making earnings-accretive acquisitions.

  • [By Holly LaFon]

    He added no new stocks to the low-turnover fund in the fourth quarter, but he did make several large increases. The stock positions he increased the most are: Hospira Inc. (HSP), CVS Caremark (CVS), Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) and Zimmer Holdings Inc. (ZMH). Hospira (HSP)

Top US Companies To Invest In Right Now: Hutchinson Technology Inc (HTCH)

Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (HTI), incorporated on October 29, 1965, is a global technology manufacturer. The Company is a supplier of suspension assemblies for hard disk drives. The Company operates in two segments: the Disk Drive Components Division and the BioMeasurement Division. The Company manufactures suspension assemblies for all sizes and types of hard disk drives. Suspension assemblies are components of disk drives that hold the read/write heads in position above the spinning magnetic disks.

The Company categorize its products as either suspension assemblies or other revenue, which consists primarily of revenue outside of the disk drive industry for precision component manufacturing, tool design, tool build and metrology, suspension assembly components, reimbursement for disk drive industry-related engineering services and specific disk drive program capacity and biomeasurement products. During the year ended September 29, 2013, the Company shipped 404 million suspension assemblies of all types, supplying all manufacturers of disk drives and head-gimbal assemblers.

The Company competes with Nihon Hatsujo Kabusikigaisha, Magnecomp Precision Technology Public Company Limited, NAT Peripheral (H.K.) Co., Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation and Dai Nippon Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    Another under-$10 electronic component player that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Hutchinson Technology (HTCH), which is a technology manufacturer that creates value by developing solutions to critical customer problems. This stock has been on fire during 2013, with shares up a whopping 75%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Hutchinson Technology, you'll notice that this stock has been finding significant buying interest over the last two months, whenever it has pulled back to around $3.30 to $3.20 a share. This pattern could be signaling that shares of HTCH are forming a major bottoming chart pattern if those levels can hold as support. Shares of HTCH are now starting to flirt with its 50-day moving average at $3.56 a share. That move is starting to push the stock within range of triggering a big breakout trade above a key downtrend line.

    Market players should now look for long-biased trades in HTCH if it manages to break out above its 200-day moving average of $3.65 a share and then once it clears more overhead resistance levels at $3.89 to $4.13 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that registers near or above its three-month average volume of 392,134 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HTCH will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.75 to $5.50 a share, or even $6 a share.

    Traders can look to buy HTCH off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $3.37 or at $3.17 a share. One can also buy HTCH 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.

Top US Companies To Invest In Right Now: Northern Trust Corporation(NTRS)

Northern Trust Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides asset servicing, fund administration, asset management, and fiduciary and banking solutions for corporations, institutions, families, and individuals worldwide. The company offers corporate and institutional services, including global master trust and custody, trade settlement, and reporting; fund administration; cash management; investment risk and performance analytical services; investment operations outsourcing; and transition management and commission recapture services. It also provides personal financial services, such as personal trust, investment management, custody, and philanthropic services; financial consulting; guardianship and estate administration; brokerage services; and private and business banking services, as well as customized products and services. In addition, the company offers active and passive equity and fixed income portfolio management, as well as alternative asset classes comprisin g private equity and hedge funds of funds, and multi-manager products and advisory services. Further, it engages in fund administration, investment operations outsourcing, and custody business that provides specialized services to a range of funds, which include money-market, multi-manager, exchange-traded funds, and property funds for on-shore and off-shore markets. Additionally, the company provides administrative and middle-office services consisting of trade processing, valuation, real-time reporting, accounting, collateral management, and investor servicing. Northern Trust Corporation was founded in 1889 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

    Northern Trust Corp.(NTRS) said its first-quarter earnings rose 11% as the trust bank reported higher net interest income and trust, investment and other servicing fees. But results missed the estimates of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

  • [By Selena Maranjian]

    Northern Trust (NASDAQ: NTRS  )

    To earn their high scores, the companies above engaged in a variety of good practices, including applying their human rights policy to their suppliers and vendors, and committing to quantifiable targets and goals.

  • [By E.S. Browning]

    This view is spreading. When Northern Trust(NTRS) surveyed 100 outside investment managers at the end of last year, 34% called themselves more risk averse, up from 20% in the third quarter. Only 36% said U.S. stocks are undervalued.

  • [By Holly LaFon]

    In the fourth quarter, Yacktman�� biggest additions to his holdings were Research In Motion (RIMM) and Avon Products (AVP). He also surprised followers by venturing into financials, with new positions in Goldman Sachs (GS), Bank of America (BAC), State Street Corp. (STT) and Northern Trust Corp. (NTRS).

Top US Companies To Invest In Right Now: iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG)

iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (the Trust), formerly iShares GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust, issues units of beneficial interest, called Shares, representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in its net assets. Substantially all of the assets of the Trust consist of interests in the iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Investing Pool LLC (the Investing Pool). The investment objective of the Trust is to seek investment results, through its investment in the Investing Pool, which correspond generally to the performance of the S&P GSCI Total Return Index (the Index). The Investing Pool is a limited liability company. The Investing Pool holds long positions in CERFs, which are futures contracts listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which have a term of approximately five years after listing and whose settlement at expiration is based on the value of the S&P GSCI Excess Return Index, or S&P GSCI-ER, at that time.

The Index is intended to reflect the performance of a diversified group of commodities. The Index reflects the value of an investment in the S&P GSCI-ER together with a Treasury bill return. The S&P GSCI-ER reflects the returns that are potentially available through a rolling uncollateralized investment in the contracts comprising the S&P GSCI. Barclays Global Investors International, Inc. is the sponsor of the Trust and the manager of the Investing Pool. Barclays Global Investors, N.A. is the trustee of the Trust.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Adam J. Wiederman]

    Getty Images Bitcoin made headlines last year when the value of all outstanding pieces of the electronic currency reached nearly $10 billion. It's not just speculators drawn to the new currency. Many businesses are also attempting to cash in on this growth: Several public companies, including Zynga (ZNGA) and Overstock.com (OSTK), accept Bitcoins as a form of payment. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen's firm has invested nearly $50 million in Bitcoin-related ventures, and it is looking to invest even more. And the Winklevoss twins -- who notoriously accused Facebook's (FB) Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea -- have been "in dialogue" with the SEC about opening the first Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, according to Bloomberg. Yet a new survey from TheStreet.com (TST) reveals that 76 percent of consumers are not familiar with Bitcoin -- and 79 percent would never consider owning a currency like it. Does this signal opportunity for savvy investors? Or is this a fad you'd be wise to avoid? The Basics of Bitcoin Bitcoin is a completely unregulated form of currency developed by an anonymous Japanese programmer (according to some apocryphal claims) as a completely digital, peer-to-peer payment system that is independent of national currencies (which, Bitcoin users argue, are all subject to the riskiness of the underlying country). Bitcoins are rewarded throughout the day to a "Bitcoin miner" whose computer solves a series of algorithms quicker than other miners. The puzzles become more difficult over time, so the calculations take longer and the computations require more computing power. There will eventually be a total of 21 million Bitcoins (12.4 million are in circulation today) and we won't reach the point that they are effectively "mined out" until 2040. The value of a Bitcoin is supposed to be market-driven, meaning they're worth whatever the two parties in a transaction value them as. For example, in one of the original Bitcoin transactions, a "mi

  • [By Charles Sizemore]

    But things have changed over the past decade; correlations between commodities have increased. As commodity mutual funds and ETFs such as the PIMCO Commodity Real Return Fund (PCRDX) and iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG) have become popular, commodities that once traded largely independently of each other now get lumped together and bought and sold as a group. Also, the financialization of commodities has caused their correlation to stocks to rise as well.