Top Stock Investments For 2014

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) eked out another win today, even as the two other major indexes closed lower, as earnings season continued to march on with a mixed bag today. With some help from United Technologies' (NYSE: UTX  ) strong report, the blue chips pushed up 22 points, or 0.14%. Shares of the parent of Otis elevators gained 3% as a jump in aerospace orders and cost-cutting helped the company beat earnings estimates. EPS improved from $1.62 to $1.70, while the experts had called for just $1.57. The company's acquisition of Goodrich last year helped drive a 16% increase in revenue to $16 billion, but that was short of the consensus at $16.37 billion. United also raised the low end of its full-year guidance up to $6.00 from $5.85, keeping the high end at $6.15.

Top Stock Investments For 2014: (COTE)

Coates International, Ltd. engages in the development of Coates spherical rotary valve (CSRV) system technology for use in piston-driven internal combustion engines. The CSRV system technology is designed to replace the intake and exhaust conventional poppet valves used in various piston-driven stationary, automotive, truck, motorcycle, marine, and electric power generator engines. The CSRV system technology is used in various applications, including engines for electric generators for home use, industrial complexes, and grid installations; and engines to power motorcycles, automobiles, light trucks, heavy trucks, machinery, railroads, marine engines, military equipment, light aircraft, helicopters, lawn mowers, snowmobiles, and jet skis. The company holds the licensing rights for the CSRV system technology in North America, Central America, and South America. Coates International, Ltd. was founded in 1988 and is based in Wall Township, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dug]

  Coates International Ltd. (OTC: COTE)is up 4.65% to $0.225 on volume of over 206K shares. It has a 52-week range of $0.10 – $0.40. (OTC:COTE), (COTE)

Top Stock Investments For 2014: BLRDS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund (ADRE)

BLDRS Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index Fund (the Fund) is a unit investment trust designed to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the publicly traded depositary receipts comprising The Bank of New York Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index. As of September 30, 2006, The BNY Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index included 50 component depositary receipts representing the securities issued by 50 of the most actively traded companies from the international and emerging markets having a free-float market capitalization ranging from approximately $3 billion to over $30 billion.

The Fund's portfolio consists of substantially all of the securities, in substantially the same weighting, as the component securities of The BNY Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index. The BNY Emerging Markets 50 ADR Index is a capitalization-weighted index.

Hot Safest Stocks To Own For 2014: Monolithic Power Systems Inc.(MPWR)

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, designs, develops, and markets analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. It offers direct current (DC) to DC converter integrated circuits (IC) that are used to convert and control voltages of various electronic systems, such as portable electronic devices, wireless LAN access points, computers, set top boxes, televisions and monitors, automobiles, and medical equipments. The company also provides lighting control ICs for use in systems that offer the light source for liquid crystal display (LCD) panels in notebook computers, LCD monitors, car navigational systems, and LCD televisions. In addition, it provides audio amplifier ICs to amplify sound produced by audio processors; and Class-D audio amplifiers for plasma televisions, LCD televisions, and digital versatile disk players. The company serves consumer electronics, communications, and computing markets. Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. sells its products thr ough third party distributors and value-added resellers, as well as directly to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, and electronic manufacturing service providers. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

Top Stock Investments For 2014: Avexa Ltd (AVX.AX)

Avexa Limited, a biotechnology company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of anti-infective pharmaceutical medicines for the treatment of human infectious diseases. The company�s research programs primarily focus on the discovery of medicines for the treatment of the diseases caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and vancomycin- and methicillin-resistant bacteria. Its principal projects include apricitabine, a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for the treatment of HIV infection; and an HIV integrase inhibitor program. The company, through its license agreement with Valevia Pharmaceuticals GmbH, also develops AVX13616, an anti-bacterial lead compound for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Richmond, Australia.

Top Stock Investments For 2014: Silicon Graphics International Corp(SGI)

Silicon Graphics International Corp. provides computing and storage, and data center solutions, as well as related customer support and professional services. The company offers scale up servers; scale out servers; work group servers; data storage systems; and software products for technical computing, as well as data center infrastructure products, including ICE Cube Air, a modular data center that augments or replaces traditional brick-and-mortar data centers; and MobiRack, a line of mobile, all-in-one data center cabinets for field deployments. Its products and services are used by the scientific, technical, and business communities for solving challenging data-intensive computing, data storage, and management problems. The company also develops system applications, such as simulating global climate changes, accelerating engineering of new automotive designs, supporting homeland security initiatives, real-time fraud detection, streaming media from Internet-video to film , and gaining business intelligence through data-mining to defense and strategic systems, weather and climate, physical and life sciences, energy, aerospace and automotive, media and entertainment, semiconductor design and manufacturing, financial services, data centers, and business intelligence and data analytics markets; and enterprise class features for the Linux operating system that provide a standard Linux operating environment. Silicon Graphics International Corp. markets and sells its systems, technologies, software, and services to enterprises in approximately 25 countries through direct and indirect sales force, including distributors, original equipment manufacturers, system integrators, value added resellers, and channel partners. The company was formerly known as Rackable Systems, Inc. and changed its name to Silicon Graphics International Corp. in May 2009. Silicon Graphics International Corp. was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Fremont, Californi a.

Top Value Companies To Own For 2014

The annual Value Investor Conference is one of the premier events surrounding�Berkshire Hathaway's�annual meeting in Omaha. The Motley Fool's Joe Magyer, Michael Olsen, and Rex Moore were in attendance and talked with several value investors.

In today's video, Joe chats with Wedgewood Partners' David Rolfe about Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) greatest advantage.

Take a bite?
There's no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded, with more than 1,000% gains. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple and what opportunities are left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.

Top Value Companies To Own For 2014: BPZ Resources Inc (BPZ)

BPZ Resources, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, focuses on the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas in Peru and Ecuador. It owns rights and license agreements for oil and gas exploration and production covering approximately 2.2 million acres in 4 blocks in northwest Peru and off the northwest coast of Peru in the Gulf of Guayaquil. The company also owns a 10% non-operating net profits interest in an oil and gas producing property located in the southwest region of Ecuador. As of December 31, 2011, it had estimated net proved oil reserves of 34.7 million barrels (MMBbls) of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons, including 27.8 MMBbls were in the Corvina field and 6.9 MMBbls were from the Albacora field located in northwest Peru. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Top Value Companies To Own For 2014: EURASIAN NATURAL RESOURCES CORP ORD USD0.20 WI(ENRC.L)

Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation PLC, a diversified natural resources group, engages in mining, processing, energy, logistics, and marketing operations worldwide. The company operates through six segments: Ferroalloys, Iron Ore, Alumina and Aluminium, Other Nonferrous, Energy, and Logistics. The Ferroalloys segment involves in the extraction and sale of chrome ore, as well as the production of ferroalloys from chromium and manganese ores. It offers high-, medium-, and low-carbon ferrochrome; and other alloys, including ferrosilicochrome, ferrosilicomanganese, and ferrosilicon, as well as chrome and manganese concentrate. This segment sells its ferroalloys to steel producers, third party ferroalloy producers, and the chemical industries. The Iron Ore segment engages in the exploration, extraction, processing, and manufacturing of iron ore products. It produces and sells iron ore concentrate and pellets primarily to steel producers. This segment also engages in ancilla ry mining operations that produce limestone, dolomite, and construction gravel. The Alumina and Aluminium segment involves in the extraction and processing of bauxite and limestone; and the smelting of alumina and aluminum. It sells alumina to aluminum producers. The Other Nonferrous segment engages in the exploration and extraction, processing, and manufacturing of copper and cobalt products; trucking and logistics activities; and the exploration of other minerals, including coal, bauxite, platinum, and fluorspar in Africa. The Energy segment involves in coal mining and power generation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Logistics segment provides transportation and logistic services. Its operations include freight forwarding, wagon repair services, and railway construction and repair services, as well as a railway transfer and reloading terminal on the Kazakhstan-China border. Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation PLC is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 Financial Companies For 2014: Terra Nitrogen Company L.P.(TNH)

Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. engages in the production and sale of nitrogen fertilizer products for agricultural and industrial applications. The company primarily offers anhydrous ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate solutions. Its customers for fertilizer products include dealers, national farm retail chains, and distributors. Terra Nitrogen GP Inc. serves as the general partner of the company. Terra Nitrogen Company, L.P. was founded in 1991 and is based in Deerfield, Illinois. Terra Nitrogen Company, LP. operates as a subsidiary of Terra Industries Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Smith]

  Terra Nitrogen is a master-limited partnership (MLP) and a leading U.S. producer of nitrogen fertilizer. The company has annual capacity to produce 1.9 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer and 1.1 million tons of ammonia, a key fertilizer ingredient. In the past year alone, prices for Terra Nitrogen's fertilizers have increased 47%, and sales have dramatically improved. In the first six months of 2011, Terra Nitrogen's sales rose 38% year-over-year to $394.6 million, while earnings climbed a whopping 148% to $249.8 million.
  
  Earnings growth has accelerated recently, but Terra Nitrogen has been a stellar long-term performer as well. My colleague Carla Pasternak, editor of High-Yield Investing, recently highlighted Terra Nitrogen as the best-performing high-yield stock of the past decade. The reason is clear: the stock has soared more than 6,000% in 10 years. A $1,000 investment in Terra Nitrogen 10 years ago, for instance, would be worth nearly $65,000 today. 
  
  As an MLP, Terra Nitrogen is required to distribute the majority of its earnings to unit holders. The company declared a cash distribution of $3.75 per unit in this year's second quarter. On a forward basis, this works out to an annual distribution payment of $15 per unit and a generous yield of 8%.
  The company is financially sound, with zero debt and a 147% return on equity (ROE). In addition, profit margins have been exceptional, exceeding 52%, mainly because Terra Nitrogen's raw material costs are falling. The main ingredient for producing nitrogen fertilizer, natural gas, has plummeted from $14 per million BTU three years ago to roughly $4 per million BTU today. Insiders also clearly like the company's prospects; they hold 51% of the company's shares.

Hot China Companies To Invest In 2014

When the U.S. has a slow news day, it often turns to international markets for inspiration. Today, stocks got conflicting news from two important Asian economies. On one hand, Japan's stock market spiked up about 5% on an even greater expansion in the nation's gross domestic product than initially projected. But China weighed in with less optimistic news, with a sluggish 1% growth rate in exports and two important measures of credit activity in the emerging-market nation falling precipitously during May compared with the previous month. In the U.S., stock investors essentially split the difference, with the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) finishing down just 10 points and with broader markets posting mixed results.

But the Dow had several pockets of strength today. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH  ) picked up 1.8% after the company got an upgrade from a Wall Street analyst. But UnitedHealth presents a couple of interesting opportunities for investors. First, although some aren't certain whether Obamacare will help or hurt insurance companies, it doesn't seem to have hurt UnitedHealth substantially at this point. Perhaps more importantly, the company's drive to look abroad for growth opportunities in Brazil could make UnitedHealth less vulnerable to Obamacare and other political action concerning health insurance.

Hot China Companies To Invest In 2014: China Security & Surveillance Technology Inc. (CSR)

China Security & Surveillance Technology, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, installs, distributes, and services surveillance and safety products, systems, and software in the People?s Republic of China. The company?s products include standalone digital video recorders (DVRs); embedded DVRs; mobile DVRs; real-time hard-compression coding cards; DVR compression boards; digital cameras; intelligent high-speed dome cameras; intelligent control system software platforms; perimeter security alarm systems; monitors; and radio frequency identification terminals and data collectors. It serves various customers, which include governmental entities, such as customs agencies, courts, public security bureaus, and prisons; non-profit organizations, including schools, museums, sports arenas, and libraries; and commercial entities consisting of airports, hotels, real estate, banks, mines, railways, supermarkets, and entertainment venues. The company is headquartered in S henzhen, the People?s Republic of China.

Hot China Companies To Invest In 2014: Perfect World Co. Ltd.(PWRD)

Perfect World Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, operation, and licensing of online games primarily in the People?s Republic of China, the United States, and the Rest of Asia. It develops online games based on its game engines and game development platforms. The company?s 3D massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) include Perfect World, an adventure and fantasy game with traditional Chinese settings; Legend of Martial Arts, an adventure story of Chinese swordsmen set in an ancient kingdom; and Perfect World II, which is set in a similar content and graphic background as Perfect World. It also offers Zhu Xian that is based on martial arts focused adventure set in a fantasy world; Chi Bi, a war story developed based on ancient Chinese history known as the Three Kingdoms; Hot Dance Party, a 3D online casual game; Pocketpet Journey West, a 3D MMORPG based on the classical novel of Chinese literature, Journey to the West ; Battle of the Immortals, a mysterious adventure, which enables game players to travel between eastern and western cultures, and adventures in historic sites and turf wars; and Fantasy Zhu Xian, a 2D turn-based MMORPG based on the Internet fantasy novel Zhu Xian. It also involves in the production and distribution of films, as well as television advertising activities. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:PWRD), a leading online game developer and operator based in China, will release unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012, after the market closes on Monday, August 27, 2012.

Best Stocks To Watch For 2014: ChinaCast Education Corporation(CAST)

ChinaCast Education Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides post-secondary education and e-learning services in China. The company operates in two segments, E-learning and Training Service Group and Traditional University Group. The E-learning and Training Service Group provides post secondary education distance learning services that enable universities and other higher learning institutions to provide nationwide real-time distance learning services. It also provides K-12 educational services, such as broadcast multimedia educational content services to primary, middle, and high schools; and vocational/career training services. The Traditional University Group segment operates private residential universities that offer four-year bachelor?s degree and three-year diploma programs in finance, economics, trade, tourism, advertising, IT, music, foreign languages, tourism, hospitality, computer engineering, law, and art. The company also provides logistic service s. ChinaCast Education Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong.

Hot China Companies To Invest In 2014: CNOOC Limited(CEO)

CNOOC Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, production, and sale of crude oil, natural gas, and other petroleum products. The company?s oil and natural gas properties are located in offshore China, which include Bohai Bay, western south China Sea, eastern south China Sea, and east China Sea, as well as in Indonesia, Iraq, and other regions in Asia; and Oceania, Africa, North America, and South America. As of December 31, 2010, the company had net proved reserves of approximately 2.99 billion barrels-of-oil equivalent, including approximately 1.92 billion barrels of crude oil and 6,458.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas. It also provides bond issuance services; and has a joint venture with Bridas Energy Holdings. CNOOC Limited was founded in 1982. The company is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong, and is considered a Red Chip company due to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. CNOOC Limited is a subsidiary of China National Of fshore Oil Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dave Friedman]

  Institutional investors bought 1,474,410 shares and sold 1,532,340 shares, for a net of -57,930 shares. This net represents 0.00% of common shares outstanding. The number of shares outstanding is 44,669,199,980. The shares recently traded at $187.66 and the company’s market capitalization is $82,478,290,357.81. About the company: CNOOC Limited, through its subsidiaries, explores, develops, produces, and sells crude oil and natural gas.

Dish TV Opts for Broadcom SOCs - Analyst Blog

Leading semiconductor solutions provider Broadcom Corp's (BRCM) BCM7358HD and BCM7301SD system-on-chips (SOC) were recently selected by Dish TV India Ltd, a leading Indian direct broadcast satellite television provider, to support its high-definition content offerings.

Dish TV India boasts a large distribution network with more than 400 channels and 15 million subscribers on its platform. These SOCs support variety of advanced security and connectivity solutions and are used to power new generation of USB-based Digital Video Recorders (DVR). With Broadcom's SOCs, the satellite television provider is aiming to offer a cost-efficient platform, while maintaining high-quality features and performance.

Demand for high-definition contents has been continuously moving north as more and more consumers are moving to high-definition televisions. Broadcom's business is expected to expand on the back of growing volume of television content and interactive services available for home entertainment and information. With the help of Broadcom's SOCs, Dish TV is likely to further strengthen its leadership position in the direct-to-home market.

This is also Broadcom's second such deal in India in this month. Earlier, BCM7301 was selected by Tata Sky, an Indian direct-to-home satellite television provider, to provide its first MPEG-4 standard definition (SD) set-top boxes (STBs) across the country.

Based in Irvine, Calif., Broadcom is engaged in designing and marketing semiconductor components of network voice, video, and data traffic for various applications. The company continues to drive innovation and engineering excellence across a broad range of communication end markets to help its customers enhance device performance and overall efficiency.

Broadcom currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Other stocks that look promising and are worth a look in the industry include Marvell Technology Group Ltd (MRVL), TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (TQNT) and NeoPhotonics Corpor! ation (NPTN), each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Hot Penny Companies To Watch For 2014

Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) ended up 0.09% at 15,559 points after hitting an all-time high Tuesday. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) trailed Mr. Jones early in the week but managed to retake some of its gains for an overall 0.23% dip.

^DJI data by YCharts.

Sticky earnings
The last Dow stock to announce earnings last week was 3M (NYSE: MMM  ) , which reported on Thursday. The company missed on the top line but made up for it with slightly better-than-expected net income. 3M's $7.75 billion in revenue came in $20 million below estimates, but EPS added an extra penny to analyst predictions. Expectations aside, sales are up a seasonally adjusted 2.9%, while EPS rose 3%.

Hot Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: Prospect Capital Corporation(PSEC)

Prospect Capital Corporation is a mezzanine finance and private equity firm that specializes in late venture, middle market, mature, mezzanine, buyouts, recapitalizations, growth capital, development, and bridge transactions. It makes secured debt and equity investments. The firm typically invests across all industry sectors, with a particular expertise in the energy and industrial sectors. It invests in oil and gas production, coal production, materials, industrials, consumer discretionary, information technology, utilities, pipeline, storage, power generation and distribution, renewable and clean energy, oilfield services, healthcare, food and beverage, education, business services, and other select sectors. The firm prefers to invest in the United States and Canada. It seeks to invest between $5 million to $50 million in companies with EBITDA between $$ million and $75 million, sales value up to $500 million, and enterprise value of up to $250 million. The firm also co- invests for larger deals. It seeks control acquisitions by providing multiple levels of the capital structure. Prospect Capital Corporation was founded in 1988 and is based in New York, New York.

Hot Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: Cowen Group Inc.(COWN)

Cowen Group, Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides alternative investment management, investment banking, research, and sales and trading services for its clients. It manages separate client focused portfolio through its subsidiaries. Through its subsidiaries, the firm invests in equity and fixed income markets. It also invests in alternative investments markets through its subsidiaries. Cowen Group, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is based in New York, New York with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Cleveland, Ohio, Dallas, Texas, and San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Brush]

  The name isn't as common as others here, but you might remember the boutique investment banking and stock research shop Cowen Group (COWN). It helped hatch many of the midsize, high-growth tech and health-care companies during the late 1990s boom. Cowen itself went public in 2006, just in time to get trounced by an economic meltdown.

  Since the economy's upward turn, Cowen's stock hasn't rebounded as well as bigger rivals like Goldman Sachs, GS. But its time will come, insists Anton Schutz, the manager of the Burnham Financial Industries Fund (BMFIX), which owns the stock. "In a true bull market, Cowen is capable of earning over $1 a share," says Schutz. Since boutique investment banks carry price-to-earnings ratios at least in the low teens in good times, this stock could double or even triple from recent levels of $4 a share, Schutz reasons.

  Cowen recently purchased the brokerage LaBranche (LAB), whose presence on the Hong Kong stock exchange should help Cowen increase its investment banking business in China. "I expect this area to be of vital importance in growth for us," Cowen CEO and Wall Street veteran Peter Cohen said in the company's most recent conference call. LaBranche also gives Cowen much-needed electronic platforms supporting options and high frequency trading, says Sandler O'Neill analyst Devin Ryan, who has a $7 price target on the stock.

  Asset management arm Ramius, which offers hedge funds and mutual funds, should continue to perform well as the stock market and economy rebound. These trends will also support Cowen's U.S. brokerage and investment banking businesses. "The smaller brokers don't need that many crumbs to fall off the table to make some really good money," Ryan says.

  Meanwhile, Cowen's stock looks cheap, trading at about 70% of book value, compared with a 24% premium to book value at bigger rivals like Goldman Sachs (GS). That protects investors against downside, and also makes Cowen a possible buyout target.

10 Best Small Cap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited(NZT)

Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services, as well as information, communication, and technology services in New Zealand and Australia. Its products and services include local, national, international, and value-added telephone services; mobile services; data, broadband, and Internet services; IT consulting, implementation, and procurement services; and equipment sales and installation services. The company also involves in the retail of telecommunications products and services. It serves residential, business, and government customers. Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited was founded in 1987 and is based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carlson]

  Trading for just seven times earnings and yielding a 10% dividend, it's also nice to know that it's a monopoly in New Zealand. And, on top of that, with gold prices soaring, it's worth noting that the currency most closely correlated with gold is the New Zealand currency (affectionately known as the Kiwi dollar), making the company a nice backdoor play on gold.

Hot Penny Companies To Watch For 2014: Skystar Bio-Pharmaceutical Company(SKBI)

Skystar Bio-Pharmaceutical Company engages in the research, development, production, marketing, and sale of veterinary healthcare and medical care products in the People?s Republic of China. Its products include veterinary medicine for poultry and livestock; micro-organism products; bio-pharmaceutical veterinary vaccines; and feed additives. The company offers its products through distributors and directly to customers. Skystar Bio-Pharmaceutical Company is headquartered in Xi?an, the People?s Republic of China.

New RBI regulations on lending against gold

The rise and fall in the price of the precious metal has been more dramatic than the climax of a typical Bollywood masala flick. The government and the finance authorities of the country are also in no mood to take things lightly, as the alarming level of the Current Account Deficit needs to be tackled immediately.

This has led to it taking some serious steps out of the blue, which are meant to prevent further deterioration of the situation, by controlling the import bill of the country.

The supreme monetary authority of India has issued new guidelines and rules for the disbursal of loans and advances against gold assets of any kind, in attempt to curb the buying of gold. The people of India have been known for their passion of gold, and bringing the usage down to manageable levels will not be that simple a task.

The apex organization in its move has put in special provisions for the disbursal of loans and has also put a cap on the maximum amount of gold which can be used to give loans against. The gold ETFs and MFs on the other hand are in no position to claim advances, as the RBI has completely banned the issuing of advances against them.

The orders given under the new guidelines and rules would cover all banking institutions as well as all Non-Banking Financial Companies, in order to ensure complete coverage of the scheme. The RBI has put a limit of 50g on the maximum weight of specially minted gold coins against which loans can be given, and has also ordered disbursals of loans against jewelry to be according to the prescribed limits.

Purchase of any form of gold, whether it be from the bullion market, jewelry, gold coins, gold Exchange Traded funds or Mutual Funds would not be eligible for advances from any financial organization.

The precious yellow metal has got the country into trouble in recent times, not only from the significantly high import bill, but also by the steep reduction in its pricing in the recent times. The moderation has left little headroom for companies giving out loans against gold assets, and has put them in danger of facing severe losses.

Also the value of the assets possessed by the people has come down significantly, which has worried the authorities. The new guidelines that impose restrictions on the usage of gold as a financial tool, is meant to reduce the popularity of gold as a safe investment option and thereby curb the intense buying that the average Indian is known for.

  
 

BankBazaar.com  is an online marketplace where you can instantly get the lowest loan rates , compare and apply online for your personal loan , home loan ,  car loan  and  credit card  from India's leading banks and NBFCs.

Columbia Wanger's Top Portfolio Increases

Columbia Wanger is one of the largest asset managers in America. As of June 30, the firm held 310 stocks valued at over $22 billion. The following companies represent the stocks that the portfolio managers of Columbia Wanger made the largest increases to.

MRC Global (MRC)

Over the duration of the second quarter, Columbia Wanger upped their position in MRC Global by 258.43%. The fund purchased 1,809,000 shares of the company's stock at an average price of $29.69. Since their increase, the price per share has dropped -18.9%.

Columbia Wanger currently holds on 2,509,000 shares of MRC Global, representing 2.47% of the company's shares outstanding and 0.3% of their total portfolio.

Columbia Wanger's holding history of MRC Global as of the second quarter:


MRC is the largest, global distributor of pipe, valve and fitting products and services to the energy and industrial markets.

MRC Global's historical revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The company's second quarter results reported:

· Sales of $1.268 billion.
· Diluted EPS of $0.43.
· Adjusted EBITDA of $98.9 million.

MRC Global has a market cap of $2.46 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around $24.22 with a P/E ratio of 17.80, a P/S ratio of 0.50 and a P/B ratio of 2.00.

CoreSite Realty Corp (COR)

During the second quarter, Columbia Wanger increased their holdings in CoreSite Realty by 256.43%. The fund purchased a total of 1,176,650 shares of the company's stock. They purchased these shares at an average price of $34.19 and since then the price per share has increased an additional 4.1%.

Columbia Wanger now holds on to 1,635,500 shares of CoreSite, representing 7.71% of the company's shares outstanding and 0.23% of their total portfolio. The fund's holding history of CoreSite as of the second quarter:



CoreSite Realty is a data ce! nter chosen by more than 750 of the world's leading carriers and mobile operators, content and cloud providers, media and entertainment companies, and global enterprises to run their performance-sensitive applications and to connect and do business.

CoreSite's historical revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The company's second quarter results highlighted:

· FFO of $0.45 per diluted share, a 21.6% increase year over year
· Operating revenue of $57.7 million, a 13.9% increase.
· Realized rent growth on signed renewals of 5.4% on a cash basis and 11.7% on a GAAP basis.

CoreSite Realt has a market cap of $760 million. Its shares are currently trading at around $35.53 with a P/E ratio of 99.30, a P/S ratio of 3.40 and a P/B ratio of 3.50.

Envestnet (ENV)

During the second quarter, Columbia Wanger increased their position in Envestnet by 187.59%. The fund purchased a total of 511,394 shares at an average price of $20.28 per share. Since their addition, the price per share has increased approximately 26%.

The fund now holds on to a total of 784,000 shares of Envestnet, representing 2.42% of the company's shares outstanding and 0.084% of their total portfolio.

Columbia Wanger's holding history as of the second quarter:


Envestnet is a provider of unified wealth management technology and services to investment advisors.

Envestnet's historical revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The company's second quarter results report:

· Revenues increased 34% to $51.7 million.
· EBITDA increased 75% to $9.3 million.
· Adjusted net income was $4.5 million, or $0.13 per diluted share.
· Net income was $1.1 million, or $0.03 per diluted share.

The company completed their acquisition of Prudential Wealth Management on July 1.
Envestne! t has a market cap of $857.6 million. Its shares are currently trading at around $26.44 with a P/E ratio of 1762.50, a P/B ratio of 6.90 and a P/S ratio of 5.20.

Demandware (DWRE)

During the second quarter, Columbia Wanger increased their holdings in Demandware by 162.49%. The fund added 948,503 shares to their stake in the company at an average price of $30.30. Since this buy, the price per share has increased 46.2%.

Columbia Wanger now holds on to 1,532,227 shares of Demandware, representing 5.10% of the company's shares outstanding and 0.28% of their total portfolio. The fund's holding history as of the second quarter:



Demandware is a provider of software-as-a-service e-commerce solutions that enable companies to easily design, implement and manage their own customized e-commerce sites, including websites, mobile applications and other digital storefronts.

Demandware's historical revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The company's second quarter financials report:

· Subscription revenue of $20.8 million, up 37%
· Total revenue was $23.2 million, a 26% increase.
· 162 live customers, an increase of 31% from 124 last year.
· GAAP net loss was $8.5 million, or $(0.28) per diluted share.

Demandware has a market cap of $1.34 billion. Its shares are currently trading at around $44.31 with a P/S ratio of 15.60 and a P/B ratio of 14.30.

You can view Columbia Wanger's second quarter portfolio here.

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The Basics Of Lines Of Credit

When it comes time for people to borrow money, there are many choices available. Borrowers can go to a bank for a traditional fixed or variable-rate loan, turn to pawnshops or payday lenders (though neither is a good idea apart from the most dire of circumstances), use credit cards, borrow from friends or family, or even turn to the web and specialized "social lending" or donation sites.

One of the lesser-known and lesser-used options is a line of credit. Businesses have been using lines of credit for years to meet working capital needs and/or take advantage of strategic investment opportunities, but they've never quite caught on as much with individuals. Some of this may be due to the fact that banks don't often advertise lines of credit, and potential borrowers don't think to ask. Here, then, are some of the basics about lines of credit.

What it Is
A line of credit is basically a flexible loan from a bank or financial institution to an individual or business. Not unlike how a credit card offers you a limited amount of funds that you can use when, if, and how you wish, a line of credit is a limited/specified amount of money that an individual can access as needed and then repay immediately or over a pre-specified period of time. As a loan, a line of credit will charge interest as soon as money is borrowed, and borrowers must be approved by the bank (and such approval is a byproduct of the borrower's credit rating and/or relationship with the bank).

Banks have only recently begun to market these products to any significant extent. This may be a byproduct of an economy that has reduced loan demand and new regulations that have restricted fee-based sources of income. Lines of credit tend to be lower-risk revenue sources relative to credit card loans, but they do complicate a bank's earning asset management somewhat, as the outstanding balances can't really be controlled once the line of credit has been approved.

When a Line of Credit is Useful
A line of credit addresses the fact that banks are not terribly interested in underwriting one-time personal loans, particularly unsecured loans, for most customers. Likewise, it is not economical for a borrower to take out a loan every month or two, repay it, and then continue the cycle. Lines of credit answer both of these issues by making a specified amount of money available if and when the borrower needs it.

By and large, lines of credit are not intended to be used to fund single one-time purchases such as houses or cars - that is what mortgages and auto loans are for – though lines of credit can be used to acquire items for which a bank might not normally underwrite a loan. Most commonly, individual lines of credit are intended for the same basic purpose as business lines of credit - to smooth out the vagaries of variable monthly income and expenses, and/or to finance projects where it may be difficult to ascertain the amount of funds needed upfront.

Consider a self-employed person whose monthly income is unpredictable or where there is a significant (and/or unpredictable) delay between performing the work and collecting the pay. While this might normally be a situation where people would turn to a credit card, a line of credit can be a cheaper option (lower interest rates) and offer more flexible repayment schedules. Lines of credit can also be useful in these situations to help fund estimated quarterly tax payments, particularly when there is a discrepancy between the timing of the "accounting profit" and the actual receipt of cash.

Lines of credit can be useful in situations where there will be repeated cash outlays, but the amounts may not be known upfront and/or the vendors may not accept credit cards, and in situations that require large cash deposits - weddings being one good example. Likewise, lines of credit were often quite popular during the housing boom to fund home improvement or refurbishment projects - people would frequently get a mortgage to buy the dwelling and simultaneously obtain a line of credit to help fund whatever renovations or remodeling were needed.

Personal lines of credit have also appeared as part of bank-offered overdraft protection plans. While not all banks are particularly eager to explain overdraft protection as a loan product ("it's a service, not a loan!") and not all overdraft protection plans are underpinned by personal lines of credit, many are. Here again, though, is an example of the use of a line of credit as a source of emergency funds on a quick, as-needed basis.

The Problems with Lines of Credit
Like any loan product, lines of credit are both potentially useful and potentially dangerous. If investors do tap a line of credit, that money has to be paid back (and the terms for such paybacks are spelled out at the time when the line of credit is initially granted). Accordingly, there is a credit evaluation process and would-be borrowers with poor credit will have a much harder time being approved for a line of credit.

Likewise, it's not free money. Unsecured lines of credit - that is lines of credit not tied to the equity in your home or some other valuable property - are certainly cheaper than loans from pawnshops or payday lenders, and usually cheaper than credit cards, but they're more expensive than traditional secured loans such as mortgages or auto loans. In most cases, the interest on a line of credit is not tax deductible.

Some, but not all, banks will charge a maintenance fee (either monthly or annually) if you do not use the line of credit, and interest is charged as soon as money is borrowed. Because lines of credit can be drawn on and repaid on an unscheduled basis, some borrowers may find the interest calculations for lines of credit more complicated and may surprised at what they end up paying in interest after they borrow from a line of credit.

Similarities and Differences Between Lines of Credit and Other Types of Borrowing
As suggested above, there are many similarities between lines of credit and other types of borrowing, but there are also many important differences that borrowers need to understand.

Credit cards
Like credit cards, lines of credit effectively have preset limits - you are approved to borrow a certain amount of money and no more. Also like credit cards, policies for going over that limit vary with the lender, though banks tend to be less willing than credit cards to immediately approve overages (instead they often look to renegotiate the line of credit and increase the borrowing limit). Also like credit cards, the loan is essentially pre-approved and the money can be accessed whenever the borrower wants, for whatever use the borrower intends. Lastly, while credit cards and lines of credit may have annual fees, neither charge interest until/unless there is an outstanding balance.

Unlike credit cards, lines of credit can be secured with real property. Prior to the housing crash, Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs) were very popular with both lending officers and borrowers. While HELOCs are harder to get now, they are still available and tend to carry lower interest rates. Credit cards will always have monthly minimum payments and companies will significantly increase the interest rate if those payments are not met. Lines of credit may, or may not, have similar immediate monthly repayment requirements.

Loans
Like a traditional loan, a line of credit requires acceptable credit and repayment of the funds, and charges interest on any funds borrowed. Also like a loan, taking out, using, and repaying a line of credit can improve a borrower's credit score.

Unlike a loan, which generally is for a fixed amount, for a fixed time, with a prearranged repayment schedule, there is much greater flexibility with a line of credit. There are also typically fewer restrictions on the use of funds borrowed under a line of credit - a mortgage must go towards the purchase of the listed property and an auto loan must go towards the specified car, but a line of credit can be used at the discretion of the borrower.

Pawn Loan/Payday Loan
There are some superficial similarities between lines of credit and payday loans, but that is really only due to the fact that many payday loan borrowers are "frequent flyers" that frequently borrow, repay, and/or extend their loans (paying very high fees and interest along the way). Likewise, a pawnshop or payday lender does not care what a borrower uses the funds for, so long as the fees/loans are paid/repaid.

The differences, however, are more considerable. For anyone who can qualify for a line of credit, the cost of funds will be dramatically lower than for a payday/pawn loan. By the same token, the credit evaluation process is much simpler and less demanding for a payday/pawn loan (there may be no credit check at all) and the process is much, much quicker. It is also the case that payday lenders will seldom lend the amounts of money often approved in lines of credit (and banks will seldom bother with lines of credit as small as the average payday or pawn loan).

The Bottom Line
Lines of credit are like any financial product - neither inherently good nor bad, but only insofar as how people use them. Excessive borrowing against a line of credit can get somebody into financial trouble just as surely as borrowing with credit cards, and lines of credit can also be cost-effective solutions to month-to-month financial vagaries or executing a complicated transaction such as a wedding or home remodeling. As is the case with any loan, borrowers should pay careful attention to the terms (particularly the fees, interest, and repayment schedule), shop around and not be afraid to ask plenty of questions before signing.