3 Huge Stocks to Trade (or Not)

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Put down the 10-K filings and the stock screeners. It's time to take a break from the traditional methods of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you.

>>5 Big Trades to Survive the S&P's Cold Spell

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept that's known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market.

Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd.

While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. Today, we'll leverage the power of the crowd to take a look at some of the most active stocks on the market today.

>>5 Shareholder Yield Winners to Beat the S&P 500

These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. That's especially true now that earnings season is officially underway. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity.

Without further ado, here's a look at today's stocks.

To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.



eBay

Nearest Resistance: $56

Nearest Support: $52

Catalyst: Earnings/PayPal Spinoff Speculation

Online auction giant eBay (EBAY) is trading flat on huge volume today, the aftermath of quarterly earnings and calls from activist investor Carl Icahn to spin off the firm's PayPal unit. On a non-GAAP basis, eBay earned 81 cents per share for the fourth quarter, topping analyst estimates by a cent. But the possibility of unlocking shareholder value by spinning off PayPal is the real reason eBay is getting attention.

Technically, eBay's chart looks pretty rough. This stock has been in a long-term downtrend, and shares are coming up to test resistance at $56. We're at a spot where it's historically been ideal to sell shares of eBay, not buy them. Until this stock can break free from its serial underperformance of the S&P 500, I'd recommend staying away.

Ariad Pharmaceuticals

Nearest Resistance: $8

Nearest Support: $6

Catalyst: Acquisition Rumors

The rumor mill is spinning in shares of drug maker Ariad Pharmaceuticals (ARIA). Speculation over a potential takeover of the $1.3 billion firm is prompting buying, with shares up around 11% in this afternoon's session. That makes the last few months particularly good for ARIA shareholders; the small-cap firm rallied hard into 2014 on news that the FDA was partially lifting the suspension of its leukemia treatment. That's a welcome reprieve after a big drop in October.

You can't find a much better-looking chart than ARIA's right now. Shares broke out from an inverse head and shoulders pattern at the end of December, and they've been consolidating just below $8 resistance for the last few weeks. A breakout above $8 is a buy signal.

With ARIA still well below its pre-October levels, there's ample room for this name to run if it can catch a bid above $8.

Facebook

Nearest Resistance: $60

Nearest Support: $55

Catalyst: Princeton User Study

Maybe it's because Mark Zuckerberg started his company in a Harvard dorm room, but ivy-league rival Princeton is causing problems for him this week. Social network Facebook (FB) is off more than 2% for the second day in a row, after a Princeton University study indicated that the firm's eponymous Web site could lose 80% of its user-base in the next three years. The study, which used MySpace as an example case, indicates that FB is beginning to show early signs of mass user abandonment. Despite the black clouds, the relatively small drop in shares indicates that investors aren't convinced.

Likewise, Facebook looks stellar from a technical standpoint right now. Shares have been outperforming the S&P since last summer, and in the short-term, we're seeing an ascending triangle setup forming in shares. FB's buy signal comes on a push through resistance at $60.

-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

RELATED LINKS:

>>3 Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy for a Short Trading Week

>>5 Sin Stocks to Play Defense in 2014

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

The market in a minute: Eye on central banks, earnings

Market volatility remained at the forefront last week, as the major indexes vacillated with a general down trend. While the Dow Jones Industrial Average did eke out a gain on Friday, the index is down 0.7% so far in January, compared to a loss of 0.5% for the S&P 500 and a gain of 0.5% for the Nasdaq.

Economic data was relatively positive on Friday with U.S. job openings reaching a five-year high, and December industrial production climbing more than forecast. Sectors of the S&P were mostly lower after a report showed that consumer confidence slipped more than expected. Treasurys gained ground (yields lower) and the dollar rose against major currencies.

The trade

Don't let emotions get the best of you. With volatility at the forefront of market action, hedging is expensive. Corporate earnings are shaping up reasonably well, supporting my thesis that markets will climb in the first quarter of 2014. With central banks acting constructively and inflation being non-existent, stocks are unlikely to fall sharply, so stay put and ignore market "noise" will likely prove the wisest (non)action this week.

Looking ahead

Overnight central-bank intervention by the People's Bank of China helped reverse a spike in yields, easing market concerns and reversing some early trading losses in Asian markets. U.S. equity futures are pointing to a higher open, as investors await key earnings reports from the likes of Verizon (VZ) , IBM (IBM) , Lockheed Martin (LMT) and McDonald's (MCD)  this week. Market participants will also be focused on key economic data being released later this week, including Thursday's existing-home sales and home-prices reports, and PMI data.

Hot Gold Companies To Buy Right Now

Richard Drew/APFormer Goldman Sachs vice president Fabrice Tourre, center, walks to Manhattan federal court with his attorneys, in New York, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013. NEW YORK - A former Goldman Sachs (GS) trader who earned the nickname "Fabulous Fab" was found liable Thursday in a fraud case brought by federal regulators in response to the 2007 mortgage crisis that helped push the country into recession. A jury reached the verdict at the civil trial in Manhattan federal court of Fabrice Tourre - a French-born Stanford graduate described by Securities and Exchange Commission lawyers as the face of "Wall Street greed." Tourre's attorneys portrayed him as a scapegoat in a downturn caused by larger economic forces. Tourre, 34, found liable in six of seven SEC fraud claims. He faces potential fines and a possible ban from the financial industry. The exact punishment will be determined at a future proceeding. The SEC had accused Tourre of misleading institutional investors about subprime mortgage securities that he knew were doomed to fail, setting the stage for a valued Goldman hedge fund client, Paulson & Co. Inc., to secretly bet against the investment. The maneuver ended up making $1 billion for the hedge fund and its wealthy president, John A. Paulson, and millions of dollars in fees for Goldman. The SEC also sought to show that it helped earn Tourre a bonus that boosted his salary to $1.7 million in 2007. On the witness stand, the SEC lawyers confronted Tourre with a January 2007 email it said deliberately misled another institutional investor about Paulson's short position in the investment called Abacus 2007-AC1. Asked repeatedly if the information in the email was "false," Tourre responded, "It was not accurate." He added: "I wasn't trying to confuse anybody; it just wasn't accurate at the time." SEC lawyer Matthew Martens said, "We're obviously gratified by the jury's verdict and appreciate their hard work." There was no immediate response from the defense. In closing arguments, Martens called Tourre's testimony "surreal, imaginary, unreal, dreamlike" and told jurors that the defendant wanted them "to live in his imaginary land ... to live in a fantasy world." "Only if you close your eyes to the facts, you can find Mr. Tourre not liable for his actions," the SEC lawyer said. Tourre's attorney, John Coffey, countered that the government had "unjustly accused him of wrongdoing." Coffey urged jurors to put the investment's failure in perspective, noting that all similarly packaged securities "went off the cliff as well" after 2007. The civil case had been called the most significant legal action related to the mortgage securities meltdown, but it lacked the drama and high stakes of white-collar criminal cases. Much of the testimony was devoted to the intricacies of synthetic collateralized debt obligations, or CDOs - a complex type of investment central to the case. Some of the testimony focused on a personal email Tourre sent to his girlfriend in France. The SEC lawyers said the missive proved the hubris of a man at the center of a massive fraud, while the defense claimed was "an old-fashioned love letter" penned by a young trader who was full of self-doubt and angst over upheaval in the financial world. Writing in French, Tourre said of the financial markets: "The whole building is about to collapse anytime now." "Only potential survivor, the fabulous Fab ... Standing in the middle of all these complex, highly leveraged, exotic trades he created without necessarily understanding all of the implications of those monstrosities!!!" Pressed by Marten on what he meant, Tourre said, "I didn't create any monstrosities." Goldman settled with the SEC in 2010 by paying a $550 million fine without admitting or denying wrongdoing. Tourre left the firm in 2012.

Hot Gold Companies To Buy Right Now: Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited(AEM)

Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Finland, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as silver, copper, zinc, and lead. Its flagship property includes the LaRonde mine located in the southern portion of the Abitibi volcanic belt, Canada. The company was founded in 1953 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  In the longer term, IAMGOLD could potential challenges from higher taxes on some of its holdings. The Canadian province of Quebec is considering changing the current 16% profit tax either to what amounts to a gross revenue tax or to a more progressive profit tax with higher rates on high-margin mining operations. Under current conditions, those taxes might not have much effect either on IAMGOLD or rivals Agnico-Eagle (NYSE: AEM  ) and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , both of which also have projects in the province, but it's hard to predict how a changes might affect future results if they take effect.

• [By vaninaegea]

  In august, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) published the mid-year review for the agricultural sector. Their findings point to a slowdown for the industry, highlighting a 9.5% decline on exports through the first half of 2013. Also, late soybean planting in the USA is expected to compound the industry�� slowdown. So, what are the prospects for AGCO (AGCO), CNH Global (CNH), and Deere & Co. (DE) under such conditions?

• [By Charley Blaine]

  Gold mining stocks are pretty much a disaster. Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM) is down 50 percent in 2013. Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM) is off 51 percent. The NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index is down 56 percent.

• [By Daniel Putnam]

  The second factor working in gold stocks��favor is that analysts are growing optimistic again. Yesterday, HSBC put out a bullish note on gold and upgraded Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM), Yamana Gold (AUY), Barrick Gold, Iamgold (IAG), and Goldcorp. Most gold stocks are ranked ��old��or ��uy��(as opposed to ��trong Buy�� by the majority of analysts, meaning that there�� plenty of room for continued positive news flow on this front.

Hot Gold Companies To Buy Right Now: Golden Star Resources Ltd(GSS)

Golden Star Resources Ltd., a gold mining and exploration company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of gold properties. It owns and operates the Bogoso/Prestea gold mining and processing operation that covers approximately 40 kilometers of strike along the southwest-trending Ashanti gold district in western Ghana; and the Wassa open-pit gold mine located to the east of Bogoso/Prestea in southwest Ghana. The company also has an 81% interest in the Prestea underground gold mine located in Ghana. In addition, it holds interests in various gold exploration projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cote d?Ivoire, as well as holds and manages exploration properties in Brazil in South America. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Littleton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Clash of the titans
  When bears are raging on the gold bullion market, it's not surprising to see gold stocks getting mauled as well. Golden Star Resources (NYSEMKT: GSS  ) was the biggest loser in the sector, losing a quarter of its market cap on no company-specific news, though a report last Friday indicated that a large number of hedge funds had recently dumped their positions in the mid-tier miner. Yet it wasn't all that much better among the majors, either, as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) fell almost 13% and Kinross Gold (NYSE: KGC  ) was down 14%.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Golden Star Resources (NYSEMKT: GSS  )
  It's simple physics: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. When gold prices nosedived earlier this week, gold miners with historically higher operating costs took the brunt of the hit. For the most part, that meant that development-stage miners, and those operating in Africa, where labor and political costs make cost-effective mining a challenge, took it on the chin. Possibly no stock was hammered more than Golden Star Resources, a gold miner in Ghana, which lost about one-quarter of its value on Monday alone.

• [By Patricio Kehoe] ating price of the commodity, along with the geopolitical risks involved in mining in African nations such as Ghana, are just two of the obstacles the firm is facing. In addition, as one of the smallest gold mining firms in the industry, with a market cap of just $122 million, Golden Star has had a very difficult time financing its latest expansion projects. With share prices tumbling towards all-time lows, gurus such as Steven Cohen, Chuck Royce and Arnold Schneider have already sold out their positions in the troubled firm.

  Why Have Gurus Lost Faith in Golden Star?

  Despite aggressive expansion over the past decade, the Toronto-based gold mining firm has not been able to take advantage of its increased production output. Gold prices might have exploded over a ten-year period, yet the recent six-month decline has put a huge strain on Golden Star. The expedited maturation of its mines is particularly troubling, since the accelerated extraction rates, which allowed for short-term profits, are now falling considerably. The impact of the company�� excessive overproduction on profits and growth is clear: decreasing gold reserves mean less production, and thus reduced revenue for the gold miner. When the decline in metal prices are taken into account, the outlook is even more grim.

  In addition to overexpansion at the wrong time, Golden Star�� position has weakened due to its comparably less efficient operations. Unlike industry peers, such as IamGold Corp. (IAG) or Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI), the majority of the Toronto-based miner�� assets contain refractory ore, which is far more expensive to extract than non refractory ore. And, in an attempt to switch production to the lower cost gold ore, and thus increase margins, Golden Star has depleted its mines��non refractory ore. With low reserves and mounting cash costs, the firm inevitably turned to new acquisitions.

  Overpriced Acquisitions and Geopolitical Risk

  The purchase

Top 5 Companies To Own In Right Now: NEW GOLD INC.(NGD)

New Gold Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, extraction, processing, and reclamation of mineral properties. The company primarily explore for gold, silver, and copper deposits. Its operating properties include the Mesquite gold mine in the United States; the Cerro San Pedro gold-silver mine in Mexico; and the Peak gold-copper mine in Australia. The company also has development projects, including the New Afton gold, silver, and copper project in Canada; and a 30% interest in the El Morro copper-gold project in Chile. The company was formerly known as DRC Resources Corporation and changed its name to New Gold Inc. in June 2005. New Gold Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Bridges favorite stocks include Goldcorp, Newmont, Eldorado Gold (EGO) and New Gold (NGD).

  Note, however, that these recommendations are all qualified in one way or another. Investors should keep that in mind before going all in on the gold miners.

Hot Gold Companies To Buy Right Now: Claude Resources Inc.(CGR)

Claude Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal properties, as well as production and marketing of minerals in Canada. It primarily explores for gold in northern Saskatchewan and northwestern Ontario. The company holds interests in the Seabee gold mine located at Laonil Lake, northern Saskatchewan; and the Madsen property that consists of 6 contiguous claim blocks totaling approximately 10,000 acres, located in the Red Lake Mining District of northwestern Ontario. It also holds interest in the Amisk Gold project, which covers an area of 13,800 hectares in the province of Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Saskatoon, Canada.

Hot Gold Companies To Buy Right Now: Iamgold Corporation(IAG)

IAMGOLD Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral resource properties worldwide. It primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, copper, niobium, diamonds, and other metals. The company holds interests in eight operating gold mines, a niobium producer, a diamond royalty, and exploration and development projects located in Africa and the Americas. Its advanced exploration and development projects include the Westwood project in Canada; and the Quimsacocha project, which consists of 3 mining concessions covering an aggregate area of approximately 8,030 hectares in Ecuador. The company was formerly known as IAMGOLD International African Mining Gold Corporation and changed its name to IAMGOLD Corporation in June 1997. IAMGOLD Corporation was founded in 1990 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  IAMGOLD (NYSE: IAG  ) will release its quarterly report on Monday, and as with most gold mining companies, it's expected to post disappointing results compared to last year's figures because of the big drop in gold prices during the second quarter. Yet investors still expect IAMGOLD earnings to show the company's profitability, giving it a competitive advantage over weaker producers that are struggling to stay out of the red.

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc sank 3.3 percent after reporting results and naming the head of its U.K. consumer unit as chief executive officer. William Hill Plc (WMH) dropped the most in four years after the bookmaker posted earnings that missed analysts��projections. International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) rose to a five-year high as the parent of British Airways reported an operating profit in the second quarter.

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  In addition to overexpansion at the wrong time, Golden Star�� position has weakened due to its comparably less efficient operations. Unlike industry peers, such as IamGold Corp. (IAG) or Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI), the majority of the Toronto-based miner�� assets contain refractory ore, which is far more expensive to extract than non refractory ore. And, in an attempt to switch production to the lower cost gold ore, and thus increase margins, Golden Star has depleted its mines��non refractory ore. With low reserves and mounting cash costs, the firm inevitably turned to new acquisitions.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  IAMGOLD (NYSE: IAG  ) still has an interest in the�Quimsacocha gold mine it sold to INV Metals last year, which has an indicated mineral resource estimated at 3.3 million ounces gold. China's�Ecuacorriente is also pursing a major copper project at Panantza-San Carlos, and International Minerals will seek out gold and silver at Rio Blanco.

Hot Gold Companies To Buy Right Now: Northgate Minerals Corporation(NXG)

Northgate Minerals Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in exploring, developing, processing, and mining gold and copper deposits in Canada and Australia. Its principal producing assets include 100% interests in the Fosterville and Stawell Gold mines in Victoria, Australia; and the Kemess South mine located in north-central British Columbia, Canada. The company was formerly known as Northgate Exploration Limited and changed its name to Northgate Minerals Corporation in May 2004. Northgate Minerals Corporation was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

It's Time to Raise the Taxes on Cigarettes -- A Lot

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- I come from a family of chain smokers, so much so that the day after my two-and-a-half-packs-a-day grandmother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, she insisted on having one last pack before they hooked her up to the oxygen tank.

My parents and grandparents started smoking before they had even hit their teens. In the days of my grandmother's youth during the 1940s and 1950s, the severe and far-reaching health impacts of smoking were unknown. Smoking was not only accepted, but embraced by American society and celebrated as a sign of sophistication. You could turn on the television and find your favorite television stars smoking in character, and the pages of popular magazines were filled with illustrated ads of doctors claiming cigarettes were good for your health. This might explain why a whopping 42% of American adults were smokers in 1965, as indicated by Centers for Disease Control statistics

Fast forward to 2014: The number of smokers in the U.S. has dropped by more than half to just under 20%, or approximately one out of five people.

This month marked the 50th anniversary of the surgeon general's report and warning on smoking, which ushered in a new era of tobacco control policies and health campaigns. The same week as that anniversary, tobacco companies reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice concerning a new advertising campaign that would include "corrective statements" about the industry's history of defrauding the public by concealing the dangers of smoking. The forthcoming campaign is a result of a court-ordered mandate from 2006 by U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler, who found tobacco companies guilty of violating civil racketeering laws.
Also see: Free Medical Clinics Might Save Millions>> Though a study this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association has concluded that the release of the surgeon general's report has saved an additional 8 million lives over the past five decades, some 440,000 people still die every year in the U.S. due to smoking-related causes. Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in our country and the world. So what can be done to further clamp down on the number of smokers and smoking-related fatalities? A recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that tripling taxes on cigarettes around the world would reduce the number of smokers by one-third and prevent 200 million premature deaths. Such a tax would double the street price of cigarettes in some countries, as well as help close the price gap between cheaper cigarettes and their more expensive counterparts, thereby not allowing consumers the option to simply switch to a cheaper brand to continue smoking. "A higher tax on tobacco is the single most effective intervention to lower smoking rates and to deter future smokers," Dr. Prabhat Jha said in a press release. Jha is director of the Centre for Global Health Research of St. Michael's Hospital, a professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and co-author of the report.

According to the report, doubling cigarette prices would prevent about 70,000 deaths annually in the U.S. and Canada alone and provide $100 billion a year in revenue for those countries to spend on health care.
Also see: Earth May Already Be Running Out of Grain>>

Jha believes such a tax would be especially effective in low- and middle-income countries, which have relatively cheap cigarettes and where smoking is on the rise, but wealthier nations around the globe also stand to benefit from such policies. For instance, cigarette consumption in France dropped by half between 1990 and 2005 when taxes were raised well above inflation. Smoking rates also plummeted in South Africa -- particularly among the young and poor -- after taxes were increased.

Even in the U.S., the number of smokers has dropped in tandem with higher cigarette prices. In New York City, where cigarettes are more expensive than the national average, only 14% of people are smokers.

"Worldwide, around a half-billion children and adults under the age of 35 are already -- or soon will be -- smokers and on current patterns few will quit," professor Sir Richard Peto of the University of Oxford and co-author of the study said in a press release. "[Our] study demonstrates that tobacco taxes are a hugely powerful lever and potentially a triple win -- reducing the numbers of people who smoke and who die from their addiction, reducing premature deaths from smoking and yet, at the same time, increasing government income." The study builds on earlier research by Jha and Peto that found people who quit smoking when they are young can regain almost the full decade of life expectancy they would have otherwise lost by continuing to smoke. This has serious implications for the U.S., where adults between the ages of 20 and 30 represent some of the highest smoking rates in the country. "All governments can take action by regularly raising tobacco taxes above inflation, and using occasional steep tax hikes starting with their next budget," Peto said. "Young adult smokers will lose about a decade of life if they continue to smoke -- they've so much to gain by stopping."

Hot Casino Companies To Watch In Right Now

This week, Cesear's Palace became the first casino to ban Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) Glass. The ban comes from a more broad law in Nevada that says that the use of recording devices and computers isn't allowed when gambling. Similarly, movie theaters ban recording devices, and recently even a bar in Seattle banned users from using the device while enjoying a drink.

Not surprisingly, lawmakers have already jumped into the Glass fray, and some, such as West Virginia state official Gary G. Howell have proposed bans on wearing the device while driving. And just a few days ago, a group of House members sent a letter to Google's Larry Page, requiring answers by June 14 on how Google will incorporate privacy protections into Google Glass.

But is this really a brave new world we need to protect ourselves from, or just more of what we already have, repackaged into a different design?

Hot Casino Companies To Watch In Right Now: Nevada Gold & Casinos Inc (UWN)

Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc., incorporated on April 7, 1977, is primarily a gaming company involved in financing, developing, owning and operating gaming projects. Through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Gold Mountain Development, LLC, the Company owns approximately 268 acres of undeveloped land in the vicinity of Black Hawk, Colorado. On January 27, 2012, through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, NG South Dakota, LLC, the Company acquired A.G. Trucano, Son & Grandsons, Inc. (South Dakota Gol). On July 18, 2011, through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, NG Washington III, LLC, the Company acquired Red Dragon mini-casino in Mountlake Terrace, Washington (Washington III). On May 25, 2012, the Company sold all of the assets, including rights in the Colorado Grande name and gaming-related liabilities, of the Colorado Grande Casino to G Investments, LLC (GI).

Commercial Gaming Projects

The Company owns and operates 10 gaming facilities in Washington, and a slot machine route operation in South Dakota. These properties are wholly owned and operated by the Company: the Crazy Moose Casinos in Pasco and Mountlake Terrace, Washington, the Coyote Bob�� Casino in Kennewick, Washington, the Silver Dollar Casinos in SeaTac, Bothell and Renton, Washington, the Club Hollywood Casino in Shoreline, Washington, the Royal Casino in Everett, Washington, the Golden Nugget Casino in Tukwila, Washington, and the Red Dragon Casino in Mountlake Terrace, Washington (Washington Gold), and the South Dakota Gold slot route operation in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Commercial Casino Projects

The Company own two mini-casinos operating in Mountlake Terrace. The Red Dragon mini-casino, located in western Washington State, has a total of 15 table games, including Player Banked Poker, Baccarat, and other banked table games. The mini-casino is located within 14 miles of downtown Seattle. South Dakota Gold is a slot machine route that operates over 900 slots at approximate! ly 20 locations in Deadwood, South Dakota, which represent about 24% of the total number of slot machines in that market. Deadwood is a town of 1,300 residents located in the Black Hills, South Dakota, in the southwest corner of the state.

Hot Casino Companies To Watch In Right Now: Penn National Gaming Inc.(PENN)

Penn National Gaming, Inc. and its subsidiaries own and manage gaming and pari-mutuel properties in the United States. It operates approximately 27,000 gaming machines; 500 table games; and 2,000 hotel rooms in 23 facilities in 16 jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. The company was formerly known as PNRC Corp. and changed its name to Penn National Gaming, Inc. in 1994. Penn National Gaming, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the Move: BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ: BBRY) is down 16.4% at $6.50 after announcing that no buyout bid will be forthcoming. Penn National Gaming Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) is down 76.7% at $13.75 after spinning-off its real-estate holdings into a REIT. Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) is up 15.5% at $1.53 following the acquisition of its major operations in Wuxi.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Penn National Gaming Inc. (NASDAQ: PENN) completed on Monday the spin-off of its real-estate holdings into a new REIT, Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (G&LP) (NASDAQ: GLPI). The spin-off was first announced a year ago. Shares in GLPI are trading at around $46.51 after opening at $45.76 this morning.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

   

  Penn National Gaming (PENN) is a diversified, multi-jurisdictional owner and manager of gaming and pari-mutuel properties. This stock closed up 1.4% at $56.13 in Monday's trading session.

   

  Monday's Volume: 1.11 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 824,334
  
  Volume % Change: 73%

   

   

  From a technical perspective, PENN jumped modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $54.71 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of PENN within range of triggering a breakout trade. That trade will hit if PENN manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $57.44 to some past resistance at $58 with high volume.

   

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PENN as long as it's trending above Monday's low $55.65 or above more support at $54.71 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that this near or above 824,334 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then PENN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $59.93. Any high-volume move above $59.93 will then give PENN a chance to hit $65.

   

Top High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2014: Caesars Entertainment Corp (CZR)

Caesars Entertainment Corporation, incorporated on November 2, 1989, is a diversified casino-entertainment provider. The Company�� business is primarily conducted through a wholly owned subsidiary, Caesars Entertainment Operating Company, Inc. (CEOC), although certain material properties are not owned by CEOC. As of December 31, 2012, it owned, operated, or managed, through various subsidiaries, 52 casinos in 13 United States states and seven countries. The majority of these casinos operate in the United States, primarily under the Caesars, Harrah��, and Horseshoe brand names, and in England. In November 2012, the Company sold its Harrah's St. Louis casino to Penn National Gaming, Inc. In December 2012, the Company purchased all of the net assets of Buffalo Studios, LLC, a social and mobile games developer and owner of Bingo Blitz.

The Company�� casino entertainment facilities include 33 land-based casinos, 11 riverboat or dockside casinos, three managed casinos on Indian lands in the United States, one managed casino in Cleveland, Ohio, one managed casino in Canada, one casino combined with a greyhound racetrack, one casino combined with a thoroughbred racetrack, and one casino combined with a harness racetrack. The Company�� land-based casinos include nine in England, two in Egypt, one in Scotland, one in South Africa and one in Uruguay. As of December 31, 2012, its facilities had an aggregate of approximately three million square feet of gaming space and approximately 43,000 hotel rooms. In southern Nevada, Caesars Palace, Harrah�� Las Vegas, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Bally�� Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, The Quad Resort & Casino (formerly the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino), Bill�� Gamblin��Hall & Saloon, and Hot Spot Oasis are located in Las Vegas and draw customers from throughout the United States. Harrah�� Laughlin is located near both the Arizona and California borders and draws customers primarily from! the southern California and Phoenix metropolitan areas and, to a lesser extent, from throughout the United States through charter aircraft. In northern Nevada, Harrah�� Lake Tahoe and Harveys Resort & Casino are located near Lake Tahoe and Harrah�� Reno is located in downtown Reno. These facilities draw customers primarily from northern California, the Pacific Northwest, and Canada.

The Company�� Atlantic City casinos, Harrah�� Resort Atlantic City, Showboat Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, and Bally�� Atlantic City, draw customers primarily from the Philadelphia metropolitan area, New York, and New Jersey. Harrah�� Philadelphia (formerly Harrah's Chester) is a combination harness racetrack and casino located approximately six miles south of Philadelphia International Airport and draws customers primarily from the Philadelphia metropolitan area and Delaware. The Company�� Chicagoland dockside casinos, Harrah�� Joliet in Joliet, Illinois, and Horseshoe Hammond in Hammond, Indiana, draw customers primarily from the greater Chicago metropolitan area. In southern Indiana, it owns Horseshoe Southern Indiana, a dockside casino complex located in Elizabeth, Indiana, which draws customers primarily from northern Kentucky, including the Louisville metropolitan area, and southern Indiana, including Indianapolis. In Louisiana, the Company owns Harrah�� New Orleans, a land-based casino located in downtown New Orleans, which attracts customers primarily from the New Orleans metropolitan area. In northwest Louisiana, Horseshoe Bossier City, a dockside casino, and Harrah�� Louisiana Downs, a thoroughbred racetrack with slot machines, both located in Bossier City, cater to customers in northwestern Louisiana.

The Company owns the Grand Casino Biloxi, located in Biloxi, Mississippi, which caters to customers in southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and northern Florida. Harrah�� North Kansas City dockside casino draws customers from the Kansas City metropolitan ar! ea. Harra! h�� Metropolis is a dockside casino located in Metropolis, Illinois, on the Ohio River, drawing customers from southern Illinois, western Kentucky, and central Tennessee. Horseshoe Tunica, Harrah�� Tunica, and Tunica Roadhouse Hotel & Casino, dockside casino complexes located in Tunica, Mississippi, are approximately 30 miles from Memphis, Tennessee and draw customers primarily from the Memphis area and, to a lesser extent, from throughout the United States through charter aircraft. Horseshoe Casino and Bluffs Run Greyhound Park, a land-based casino and pari-mutuel facility, and Harrah�� Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel, a dockside casino facility, are located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. At Horseshoe Casino and Bluffs Run Greyhound Park, the Company owns the assets other than gaming equipment, and leases these assets to the Iowa West Racing Association (IWRA), a nonprofit corporation, and it manages the facility for the IWRA under a management agreement expiring in October 2024. The license to operate Harrah�� Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel is held jointly with IWRA, the qualified sponsoring organization.

The Conrad Resort & Casino located in Punta Del Este, Uruguay (the Conrad), draws customers primarily from Argentina and Uruguay. In November 2012, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement with Enjoy S.A. (Enjoy) to form a strategic relationship in Latin America. Under the terms of the agreement, Enjoy will acquire 45% of Baluma S.A., its subsidiary, which owns and operates the Conrad, and the Company will become a 10% shareholder in Enjoy upon consummation of the agreement. Upon the closing of the transaction, which is subject to certain conditions, including the receipt of all regulatory and governmental approvals, Enjoy will assume primary responsibility for management of the Conrad. Enjoy will have the option to acquire the remaining stake in Baluma S.A. between years three and five following closing. The cl! osing of ! the transaction remains subject to a number of conditions, including regulatory and governmental approvals in both Uruguay and Chile.

The Company owns four casinos in London: the Sportsman, the Golden Nugget, The Playboy Club London, and The Casino at the Empire. Its casinos in London draw customers primarily from the London metropolitan area, as well as international visitors. The Company also owns Alea Nottingham, Alea Glasgow, Alea Leeds, Manchester 235, Rendezvous Brighton, and Rendezvous Southend-on-Sea in the provinces of the United Kingdom, which primarily draw customers from their local areas. Pursuant to a concession agreement, it also operates two casinos in Cairo, Egypt, The London Club Cairo (which is located at the Ramses Hilton) and Caesars Cairo (which is located at the Four Seasons Cairo), which draw customers primarily from other countries in the Middle East. Emerald Safari, located in the province of Gauteng in South Africa, draws customers primarily from South Africa. It owsn and operates Bluegrass Downs, a harness racetrack located in Paducah, Kentucky.

The Company owns three casinos for Indian tribes: Harrah�� Phoenix Ak-Chin, located near Phoenix, Arizona, Harrah�� Cherokee Casino and Hotel, and Harrah�� Rincon Casino and Resort, located near San Diego, California. The Company manages Caesars Windsor, located in Windsor, Ontario, which draws customers primarily from the Detroit metropolitan area, Horseshoe Cleveland casino in Ohio, which it manages for Rock Ohio Caesars LLC (ROC), a venture with Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC (Rock Gaming), in which it has a 20% equity interest, and the Horseshoe Cincinnati casino in Ohio for ROC for a fee under a management agreement that will expire in March 2033. It also has a minority interest in Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, LLC (Suffolk Downs), which owns a horse-racing track in Boston, Massachusetts, and the right to manage a future gaming facility. The Company also owns ans operates a golf course on 175 acres of prime real! estate t! hrough a land concession on the Cotai strip in Macau.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  The next step
  The top end of the market has been doing well over the past two years, and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS  ) and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN  ) have been the beneficiaries. Las Vegas Sands's Las Vegas�revenue was up 7% in the first quarter, while Wynn's�was up 6.6%. But MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM  ) and Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR  ) haven't seen the same success in the lower end of the market.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR  ) jumped as much as 37% today after the company announced a growth spinoff.

  So what: Caesars will spin off a "growth" subsidiary that will be called Caesars Growth Partners. Private-equity investors Apollo Management and TPG Capital have said they will each invest $250 million in the company, and Caesars shareholders will be able to contribute a proportional amount to buy into the company. Full details aren't yet available, but the move will reduce the parent company's debt and sell growth assets to shareholders. �

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  MGM has built a history of being the odd player out in many of the most lucrative opportunities in the gaming industry. In Macau, the company is stuck in the slower-growth area of the Asian gaming destination. In Las Vegas, the new CityCenter area in the mid-Strip has watered down MGM's opportunities and has created another potential barrier for patrons coming from the northern end of the Strip to its namesake MGM Grand property. And in New Jersey, where online gaming has boosted prospects for Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR  ) and Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD  ) , MGM has no exposure.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Always bet on red
  The knock against the casino sector is twofold. First, the capital investment needed to build resorts and casinos is phenomenally high, which often puts casinos deeply into debt. If the cash flow is there and the equity level is high, this isn't a problem. In other cases it's downright scary. Take Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR  ) , for example, which has roughly $19.5 billion in net debt and could have trouble keeping up with its interest payments if it takes on any additional debt.

Hot Casino Companies To Watch In Right Now: Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.(PNK)

Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. owns, develops, and operates casinos, and related hospitality and entertainment facilities in the United States. It operates casinos, such as L'Auberge du Lac in Lake Charles, Louisiana; River City Casino and Lumiere Place in St. Louis, Missouri; Boomtown New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana; Belterra Casino Resort in Vevay, Indiana; Boomtown Bossier City in Bossier City, Louisiana; and Boomtown Reno in Reno, Nevada. The company also operates River Downs racetrack in southeast Cincinnati, Ohio. As of May 26, 2011, it operated seven casinos and one racetrack. The company was formerly known as Hollywood Park, Inc. and changed its name to Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. in February 2000. Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. was founded in 1935 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) has gained 56% this year; Las Vegas Sands (LVS) has climbed 38%. And Deutsche Bank has nice things to say about both today.

  Bloomberg

  First Pinnacle. Deutsche Bank’s Carlo Santarelli ponders the stock’s big move and comes away still seeing value in its shares. He writes:

  When we upgraded PNK in April, our thesis centered on the FCF strength of the combined entities [Pinnacle completed its acquisition of Ameristar Casinos on Aug. 14], a handful of favorable catalysts, easing regional gaming comps, & an inexpensive relative valuation. Given the shares’ sizeable move since then, we believe it is worth revisiting the investment case. Post the announcement of several asset sales and the closing of the transaction, we are adjusting our estimates, raising our PT to $30 from $24, and maintaining our bullish view at current levels given what we still believe to be an attractive free cash flow valuation, meaningful potential synergy realization beyond the $40 mm of announced benefits, and a free option on a lagging regional recovery.

  Santarelli also revisited Las Vegas Sands and there too, he likes what he sees. He writes:

  With…LVS at [a share price level] that have been challenging to break from over the last year plus, we believe this time is different and hence we see continued upward momentum…In the case of LVS, we see; 1) meaningful mass market strength continuing through year end, setting the stage for upward company and market estimate revisions for 2014, 2) continued cash flow appreciation and capital returns serving as downside protection and positive catalysts, and 3) continued shared gains, largely driven by table optimization and mass market strength, driving both estimates and sentiment.

  He also likes Wynn Resorts (WYNN), despite its 34% gain.�Santarelli writes:

  As for WYNN, we believe near-term estimates continue to take a back seat to capital return

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK  ) has reached an agreement in principle with the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission that would allow the company to complete its proposed acquisition of Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ: ASCA  ) , Pinnacle announced today.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Time to make the switch
  If I could name a sector that I'd certainly tread lightly around considering that consumers are tightening their wallets, it would be the casino sector. Casino companies rely on loose wallets and vacations to drive profits. This is why I feel it could be the time to say goodbye to casino and race track operator Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK  ) near its 52-week high.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ: ASCA  ) and Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK  ) fell as much as 11% today after the government brought into question the merger of the two companies.

Hot Casino Companies To Watch In Right Now: MGM Resorts International(MGM)

MGM Resorts International, through its subsidiaries, primarily owns and operates casino resorts in the United States. The company?s resorts offer gaming, hotel, dining, entertainment, retail, and other resort amenities. It also owns and operates golf courses and a golf club. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned and operated 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan; and has 50% investments in 4 other casino resorts in Nevada, Illinois, and Macau. In addition, MGM Resorts International has an agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates a casino resort in Connecticut, to carry the ?MGM Grand? brand name. The company was formerly known as MGM MIRAGE and changed its name to MGM Resorts International in June 2010. MGM Resorts International was founded in 1986 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Now what: Online gaming is slowly being legalized across the U.S., with Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware being the first to allow it. Boyd has a potentially lucrative partnership with bwin.party and MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM  ) , which could lead to huge profit growth, as I pointed out over a year ago. I wouldn't buy on this analyst upgrade alone, but the potential for online gaming is too big to ignore. I've built some estimates before (which can be seen here) and there's huge upside for both Boyd Gaming and MGM Resorts, but only if its legalized nationally. Until then, the potential for online gaming is minimal for Boyd.
  
  Interested in more info on Boyd Gaming? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.

Hot Casino Companies To Watch In Right Now: NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK)

NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (NanoTech), formerly Aldar Group, Inc., is a provider of gaming technology for the coin-op arcade, casino gaming and consumer gaming markets. The Company operates as a manufacturer, developing technology and games, and then licensing them to third parties for manufacturing and distribution. As of June 30, 2009, the Company�� products included MultiPin, Xtreme Rally Racing, NanoNET Online System, Pinball Wizard, Mot-Ion Adapter, Opti-Gun Adapter and Retr-IO Adapter. In April 2009, the Company acquired NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. In July 2013, NanoTech Entertainment Inc completed the acquisition of Clear Memories, Inc. of Napa California. Effective August 9, 2013, NanoTech Entertainment Inc acquired Worldwide Global Entertainment, a developer of prepackaged software.

The Company�� physics engine and motion sensors allow MultiPin to accurately recreate the experience of a mechanical pinball machine, while providing players with a variety of classic and modern pinball games to choose from. Xtreme Rally Racing is a driving machine that features three modes of game play: Xtreme Off-Road-Race Head to Head against other players and the computer to checkpoints while driving anywhere on the map with no preset course; Timed Rally Stages-Classic Rally Racing on real world courses. Players will be able to race in five different countries on real world rally courses, and Xtreme Stadium Racing-Custom Stadiums designed for Xtreme racing, including a figure eight multi-lap course with huge jumps. NanoNET Online System is remote operator control of machines, including diagnostics, accounting reports, and automatic software updates and enhancements downloaded over the net.

The Company has created the input device designed to give the pinball players a way to experience real pinball controls on their personal computer. Based on the technology developed for the MultiPin product it has built a controller that lets people play pinball using traditional controls and! the ability to shake and nudge the table. The Mot-Ion adapter is a universal serial bus (USB) adapter that allows do it yourself Pinball enthusiasts to build their own cabinet using real pinball controls providing analog inputs for nudging and bumping. The OptiGun adapter is a USB adapter that allows players to connect Arcade Light Guns to any USB based system. The Retr-IO adapters provide a standard JAMMA interface for USB based systems.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Call them hunches (because that's all they are), but now would be a great time to get out of a NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (OTCMKTS:NTEK) position and/or get into an ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ACAD). NTEK looks like its reached its maximum potential - for the time being - while ACAD looks like it's ready to start rolling higher again.

• [By Peter Graham]

  Nyxio Technologies Corp (OTCMKTS: NYXO), COREwafer Industries Inc (OTCMKTS: WAFR) and NanoTech Entertainment, Inc (OTCMKTS: NTEK) are three small cap stocks in some very diverse industries. In fact, one of these stocks just bought a 3D ice sculpture business. So will investors see their investment melt with that small cap stock�along with the other two? Here is a closer look to help you decide for yourself:��

Workers Think They’re Maxing Out 401(k)s at $8,000

The IRS announced Thursday that the annual contribution limit for 401(k)s will remain unchanged at $17,500 for 2014, but it’s not likely to affect participants’ contributing behavior. The son-to-be-released Mercer Workplace Survey found that the average participant believes the deferral limit is $8,532, almost half the actual limit. That gives them the dangerous perception that they’re close to the maximum contribution when they’re actually far from it.

Mercer found that respondents expect to contribute just under $7,500 to their 401(k) plan in 2014.

“Plan sponsors need to do a better job of communicating the total opportunity employees have when contributing to their 401(k) plan,” Dave Tolve, U.S. leader of Mercer’s defined contribution administration business, told ThinkAdvisor on Monday. “When you start to dig into it further and start to think about the different demographics, it’s important for plan sponsors to communicate specific to their different employee demographics.”

Tolve blamed automatic features for at least some of the problem. “Automatic enrollment is pretty pervasive in 401(k) plans today. It’s great for getting employees to start contributing, but it often leads to inertia where many employees say, ‘This is great. I’m enrolled in my 401(k) and I don’t need to do any more.’”

Tolve referred to past Mercer research that shows people who contribute at the default level tend to contribute less than people who actively make a decision to contribute.

“Automatic enrollment has its place,” he said, “but it’s important to communicate to employees that there’s a lot more room to contribute beyond the default.”

Automatic escalation isn’t a perfect solution, either. “It’s a great feature, but it alone is not enough," he said. "A lot of plans will start someone at 3% and increase by 1% per year. That’s better than that employee not enrolling at all, but there’s an additional step that a lot of plan sponsors ignore, and that’s letting them know that there’s a much greater opportunity in 401(k) plans and they should be saving more.”

Another contributing factor is sponsors overemphasizing the company match as a target deferral rate rather than encouraging them to contribute as much as they can, regardless of the level their employer will match, Tolve said.

Tolve acknowledged that for some participants, saving the maximum allowable contribution just isn’t realistic. “Someone who makes $30,000 a year, it might not be feasible to contribute $17,500, but it would benefit higher-paid employees for plan sponsors to communicate to them the much greater opportunity to contribute to their plans.” There was little difference in expected contributions by age group. The 18 to 34 age group anticipate contributing $7,535; 35- to 49-year-olds said they would contribute $7,667, and 50- to 64-year-olds expect to contribute just $6,673.

“It’s surprising to see among older employees, especially among those over 50 who can add in the catch-up contributions as well,” Tolve said.

Another drawback to small contributions, Mercer noted, was that participants aren’t taking advantage of the tax efficiency 401(k) plans provide. More than a third of respondents said they would increase the contributions they made in the last year if they could, even though most respondents are saving in other plans as well as their 401(k).

“Our historical survey shows us that people who work with financial advisors have much higher levels of confidence in their ability to retire when they want to, their ability to maintain their lifestyle in retirement and their ability to leave money for their heirs,” Mercer said.

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Check out 4 Things for Fiduciaries to Consider With IRA Rollovers on ThinkAdvisor.