Bes Stocks To Buy 2014, Best Stocks For 2014: 5/12/13

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Dow Climbs Higher Despite a Number of Poor Performing Components Today

The markets rallied again today after a strong consumer sentiment report was released this morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) rose 121 points or 0.8% and now sits at 15,354, but even with that impressive gain, the Dow was the worst performing index. The S&P 500 was the best, as it increased by 1.03% during the regular trading session while the NASDAQ rose higher by 0.97%.

The Thomson Reuter/University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index for May rose to 83.7, while analysts were only expecting an increase to 77.9 after April's reading came in at 76.4. Furthermore, this is the highest the index has been since July 2007. But, despite the consumer index climbing higher, a number of the Dow's consumer facing stocks fell this afternoon.

Shares of Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ) are down 0.42% after its closest competitor Dell (NASDAQ: DELL ) announced worse than expected quarterly results last night. Dell's profits dropped 80% during the quarter and the company is on the verge of actually losing money in its PC business as margins shrink . Dell's report comes just days before H-P is scheduled to release earnings on May 22, and after the numbers Dell put up, Hewlett-Packard shares are likely growing anxious to see what their company has done over the past few months.

Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO ) lost 0.28% of their value today after a major European Coke bottler, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling announced earnings yesterday, and shares fell 5.78% during today's session . Selling shares of Coke based on one bottler's results is not likely the best investing move. While Coke will likely struggle in Europe as many nations bounce in and out of a recession, Coke is a worldwide company and has many areas which are growing and posting solid results. We all need to remember Coke is a long-term buy and hold stock, if you're looking for massive growth, this may not be the best place to put money to work.

Another major consumer facing company Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG ) also moved into the red today. Shares fell 0.22% on very little news, but I mentioned earlier today that Wal-Mart was forced to cut prices on both groceries and daily necessities in order to move product. It's likely a large portion of the daily goods consumers buy are Procter & Gamble products and while P&G wouldn't fell the price cuts Wal-Mart makes, it may feel lighter volume.

More foolish insight

The massive wave of mobile computing has done much to unseat the major players in the PC market, including venerable technology names like Hewlett-Packard. However, HP's rapidly shifting its strategy under the new leadership of CEO Meg Whitman. But does this make HP one of the least-appreciated turnaround stories on the market, or is this a minor blip on its road to irrelevance? The Motley Fool's technology analyst details exactly what investors need to know about HP in our new premium research report. Just click here now to get your copy today.

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More Expert Advice from The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock in our brand-new free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." I invite you to take a copy, free for a limited time. Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

Oil Makes This State Great

The focus on unemployment in America has started to wane a bit; the rate has fallen from 7.9% at the beginning of 2013 to the current 7.5%. One state that has been doing its part to help lower this average is North Dakota. Thanks to the booming Williston Basin, and the Bakken Shale in particular, unemployment there is only 3.3% as of the end of March. This ranks it as the No. 1 state in the country for employment.

Citizens of North Dakota have also been blessed with the seventh ranked GPD per capita in the United States. When examining why, look no further than the 400% growth witnessed in the state's oil and gas industry since 2005. Tune in below to learn about four companies that have been instrumental in these advancements.

One that is worth a further look
Kodiak Oil & Gas is a dynamic growth story – it offers great opportunities, but with those opportunities come great risks. Before you hitch your horse to this carriage, let us help you with your due diligence. To find out whether Kodiak is currently a buy or a sell, you're invited to check out The Motley Fool's premium research report on the company, which comes with a full year of updates and analysis as key news breaks. To get started simply click here now.

Valero Spins Off Corner Store

At long last, oil refining powerhouse Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO ) is getting out of the business of selling soda pop and Slim Jims.

On Wednesday, Valero announced that the spinoff of its gas station and convenience store business is complete. Although in the future, Valero will continue to supply the stations with gasoline and diesel, henceforth, the retail operation (CST Brands) will be independent from Valero proper.

CST brands begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange tomorrow under the ticker symbol "CST." As an independent company, it will consist of a chain of more than 1,000 retail stores, generating more than $13 billion in annual revenues, earning nearly $200 million annually, and carrying minimal debt ,

As for the parent company, Valero Energy is trading down 3.3% today in response to the spinoff, and nearing $39 a share.

More Expert Advice from The Motley Fool

Top Quality Stocks To Own Right Now

New York City is an odd place, home to financiers who earn more per month than ordinary folks will in a lifetime, but deep poverty as well. People gawk at the high cost of living in New York, but the city's median household income is actually below the national average. The gap between New York's rich and its average is off the charts.

It's against this backdrop that I visited economist Joseph Stiglitz at his office in Columbia Business School in early April to talk about his favorite subject: wealth inequality.

Stiglitz won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2001 for his work on information asymmetries. But it's his commentary on wealth inequality that has gained the most attention from admirers and critics. An article Stiglitz penned for Vanity Fair in May 2011 titled "Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%" set off a wave of discussion about the nation's growing chasm of wealth, and helped spawn the Occupy Wall Street movement. TIME magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world that year.

Top Quality Stocks To Own Right Now: Alaska Communications Systems Group Inc.(ALSK)

Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. provides integrated communications services primarily in Alaska. The company operates in two segments, Wireline and Wireless. The Wireline segment offers voice, broadband data, internet access, long distance, and other communications products and services; local exchange network and network connectivity solutions; voice and broadband termination services to inter and intrastate carriers; and multi-protocol label switching, metro Ethernet, network access, and other information technology infrastructure hosting and management services. This segment serves business customers; multi-national corporations; municipal, state, and federal governments; residential customers; small and medium sized businesses; governmental entities; and other telecommunications carriers. The Wireless segment provides facilities-based voice, data, and other value-added services, as well as equipment sales services; and operates 14 retail stores. As of Decembe r 31, 2011, its wireless network supported approximately 118,000 connections. Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska.

Top Quality Stocks To Own Right Now: Devon Energy Corporation(DVN)

Devon Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of natural gas and oil in the United States and Canada. It also involves in transporting oil, gas, and natural gas liquids (NGL); and processing natural gas. The company owns oil and gas properties in the mid-continent area of the central and southern United States; the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico; the Rocky Mountains area of the United States; and the onshore areas of the Gulf Coast, principally in south Texas and south Louisiana. It also owns oil and gas properties in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition, the company offers marketing and midstream services, including marketing of gas, crude oil, and NGL, as well as constructing and operating pipelines, storage and treating facilities, and natural gas processing plants. As of December 31, 2010, it had 2,042 million barrel of oil equivalent of proved developed reserves. The company sells its gas production to various customers, such as pipelines, utilities, gas marketing firms, industrial users, and local distribution companies; crude oil production to refiners, remarketers, and other companies; and NGL production to customers in petrochemical, refining, and heavy oil blending activities. Devon Energy Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By McWillams]
Oklahoma-based Devon Energy(DVN) is an analyst favorite, receiving 21 "buy" ratings and nine "hold" calls, but no "sell" rankings.

Devon explores for and produces natural gas and oil. Its stock has run up 33% in the past three months, fulfilling Jefferies' thesis. Now, it has just 3% of upside before passing the bank's price target. It might be best to wait for a pullback before buying Devon. But, most-bullish Macquarie, an Australian investment bank with a focus on energy companies, expects Devon's stock to advance another 14% to $98 in 12 months.

Devon's business is largely focused on natural gas, with two-thirds of sales from that commodity and the other third coming from oil and natural gas liquids. It also owns gas pipelines and treatment facilities.

Natural gas is domestically abundant. In fact, some geologists estimate that North America houses the richest natural gas deposits. For this reason, businessmen, such as T. Boone Pickens, think using this resource is critical to energy independence.

The downside is that recent shale discoveries have expanded supply and dampened the commodity's pricing. Devon has been repositioning itself as an onshore North America gas company. Consequently, it has been divesting international assets and using the proceeds to lessen its float. In the third quarter, shares outstanding dropped 3% to 432 million.
[By ChemTrade]
Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN): Down 2.71% to $55.37. Devon Energy Corporation is an independent energy company that is involved primarily in oil and gas exploration, development and production, the transportation of oil, gas, and NGLs and the processing of natural gas. The Company also has marketing and midstream operations primarily in North America that include gas, crude oil and NGLs.

Top 5 Small Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: K-reit Asia (K71U.SI)

K-REIT Asia Management Limited was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Singapore.

Top Quality Stocks To Own Right Now: Scholastic Corporation(SCHL)

Scholastic Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a children?s publishing, education, and media company primarily in the United States. The company?s Children?s Book Publishing and Distribution segment publishes and distributes children?s books through school-based book clubs and book fairs, ecommerce, and the trade channel in the United States. Its Educational Publishing segment publishes and distributes educational technology products and services, curriculum materials, children?s books and collections, classroom magazines, and print and online reference and non-fiction products for grades pre-K to 12 to schools and libraries in the United States. The company?s Media, Licensing, and Advertising segment creates and produces programming and digital content for various platforms, including television, DVDs, audio, movies, interactive games, applications, and Websites. This segment produces and sells a television library consisting of approximately 50 0 half-hour productions; produces television programming, including the animated series; creates audiovisual adaptations of classic children?s picture books; produces young adult and children?s audio recordings; and creates original and licensed consumer software, including handheld and console products with accessories and mobile applications for grades pre-K to 8. This segment also develops sponsored educational materials and supplementary classroom programs in partnership with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and business organizations; and operates a direct-to-home catalog business specializing in children?s toys. Its International segment publishes and distributes products and services in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, India, China, Singapore, and other parts of Asia, as well as includes its export and foreign rights businesses. Scholastic Corporation was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Top Quality Stocks To Own Right Now: Britton & Koontz Capital Corporation(BKBK)

Britton & Koontz Capital Corporation operates as the holding company for Britton & Koontz Bank, National Association that provides commercial and consumer banking services in Adams and Warren Counties, Mississippi, and East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, as well as in the adjoining counties and parishes in Mississippi and Louisiana. The company offers various deposit products, including personal and commercial checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts, non-interest bearing deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial, financial, and agricultural loans; real estate construction, residential, and other loans; installment loans; consumer loans; and overdrafts. In addition, the company provides automated clearinghouse services; safe deposit box facilities; brokerage services; automated teller machines; cash management services, including remote deposit, money transfer, direct de posit payroll, and sweep accounts; VISA credit cards; and letters of credit. As of May 17, 2011, it operated three full service offices in Natchez, two in Vicksburg, Mississippi; three in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and a loan production office in Central, Louisiana. The company was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Natchez, Mississippi.

Hot Canadian Companies To Own In Right Now

NASA will be hitching rides on Russian rockets for at least three more years.

Last week, NASA announced the signing of a $424 million extension of its contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency, also known as Roscosmos, hiring the latter to transport U.S., Canadian, European, and Japanese astronauts to the International Space Station through 2016. The contract also extends a deal for Roscosmos to bring said astronauts back from the ISS through June 2017.�

NASA hopes to bring U.S. domestic space transport back on line by 2017, with private contractors including Boeing (NYSE: BA ) , Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT ) , Sierra Nevada, and SpaceX all vying to provide a "space taxi" service to ISS for the USA. Until then, however, NASA must piggyback on Russian rockets and ride in Soyuz space capsules.

Hot Canadian Companies To Own In Right Now: Joe's Jeans Inc.(JOEZ)

Joe?s Jeans Inc. designs, produces, and sells apparel and apparel-related products worldwide. Its product line comprises women?s and men?s denim jeans, pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets, and other apparel products under the Joe?s brand. The company also offers women?s handbags and clutches, shoes, belts, and leather goods under various license agreements. In addition, it provides children?s products consisting of denim bottoms, tops, T-shirts, and jackets for infants, toddlers, girls, and boys. The company sells its products to various retailers, including department stores, specialty stores, and distributors, as well as through its retail stores; and through the Internet site, joesjeans.com/shop. As of November 30, 2011, it operated 17 outlet stores and 5 full price retail stores. The company was formerly known as Innovo Group Inc. and changed its name to Joe?s Jeans Inc. in October 2007. Joe?s Jeans Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Commerce, California.

Hot Canadian Companies To Own In Right Now: John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc.(JBSS)

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. engages in the processing and marketing of tree nuts and peanuts in the United States. It offers raw and processed nuts, including peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, filberts, cashews, English walnuts, black walnuts, pine nuts, and macadamia nuts. The company provides nut products in various styles and seasonings, such as natural, blanched, oil roasted, dry roasted, unsalted, honey roasted, flavored, spicy, butter toffee, praline, and cinnamon toasted. It also offers peanut butter; food and snack products comprising snack mixes, salad toppings, natural snacks, trail mixes, dried fruit, and chocolate and yogurt coated products; baking ingredients; bulk food products; sunflower seeds, almond butter, sesame sticks, and other sesame snack products; and toppings for ice cream and yogurt. The company provides its products under various private labels, as well as under the Fisher, Orchard Valley Harvest, and Sunshine Country brand na mes. John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. markets its products through its own sales department, a network of independent brokers, and various independent distributors and suppliers to retailers and wholesalers, as well as to industrial, food service, and contract packaging customers. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Elgin, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By James K. Glassman]
One bag of nuts is like any other, right? Not at John B. Sanfilippo & Sons (symbol: JBSS). The Elgin, Ill., nut processor has done much to make its brands -- Fisher and Orchard Valley Harvest -- stand out. Small innovations, such as the use of resealable bags, are just a start. The firm launches new products every year -- such as vanilla-flavored almonds in 2012. Adam Strauss, co-manager of Appleseed Fund, expects a 44% bump in 2013 profits from 2012. The stock, which has a market value of just $184 million, sells for 11 times estimated 2013 earnings.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In 2014: National CineMedia Inc.(NCMI)

National CineMedia, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates a digital in-theatre network in North America. It develops, produces, sells, and distributes various versions of a branded, pre-feature entertainment, and advertising program called ?FirstLook? on theatre screens and advertising programming on its lobby entertainment network; and sells various forms of advertising and promotions in theatre lobbies. The company distributes Fathom business and consumer entertainment events through digital content network and live digital broadcast network utilizing its proprietary digital content software. It also facilitates business meetings, church services, and corporate marketing/communication events in the movie theatres throughout its theatre network; and distributes entertainment programming products, which include live and pre-recorded concerts, opera, symphony, concert and DVD product releases, theatrical premieres, Broadway plays, and other music events, as well as live sports and other special events. In addition, the company provides its services to third-party theatre circuits through network affiliate agreements. As of August 4, 2011, its advertising network had approximately 18,100 digital screens. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jeff Reeves]
National CineMedia (NASDAQ: NCMI) is a massive in-theatre advertising network across North America, serving ads on screen and throughout cinema properties that reach almost 18,000 movie screens.

Current Yield: 5% (80 cents a share annually)

Dividend History: In June 2010, the company paid 18 cents a share for its quarterly dividend. This year, CineMedia will pay 20 cents a share. That’s an 11% dividend increase.

Dividend Outlook: According to Bloomberg, National CineMedia has a three-year expected dividend growth rate of 10.3%.

Recent Performance: The biggest flaw in NCMI is its recent performance. The company recently swung to a quarterly loss in its latest earnings report, and shares are off almost 20% year-to-date in 2011.

Strong Outlook for Shares: Though a bit risky due to its recent earnings and stock performance, NCMI may be a strong growth buy as advertisers return to the screen and movie-goers head back to the theater. Revenue increased 9% from 2009 to 2010, and is set to grow 9% again this year. As we enter the blockbuster summer movie season, NCMI may be a good buy before a rebound.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Top Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014

Another week of new all-time highs for the Dow Jones Industrial Average coupled with a good start to earnings season has given optimists little reason to fret. For skeptics like me, that's an opportunity to see whether companies have earned their current valuations.

Keep in mind that some companies�deserve�their current valuations. Life sciences company Life Technologies�jumped to new highs this week following word that Thermo Fisher Scientific�will make a bid for the company, and that other private-equity firms are finalizing their bids.�With Life Technologies having publicly announced a strategic review in January, it seems like a long-awaited buyout could be right around the corner for shareholders.

Still, other companies might deserve a kick in the pants. Here's a look at three companies that could be worth selling.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014: Focus Media Holding Limited(FMCN)

Focus Media Holding Limited, a multi- platform digital media company, operates out-of-home advertising network using audiovisual digital displays in China. It operates out-of-home advertising network based on the number of locations and flat-panel television displays in its network. The company, through its multi-platform digital advertising network, reaches urban consumers at locations and point-of-interests over various media formats, including audiovisual television displays in buildings and stores, advertising poster frames, outdoor light-emitting diode digital billboards, and Internet advertising platforms. As of June 30, 2010, its digital out-of-home advertising network had approximately 142,000 LCD displays in its LCD display network and approximately 275,000 advertising in-elevator poster and digital frames, installed in approximately 90 cities. The company also provides Internet marketing solutions; and sells software licenses and services, primarily including Adf orward software. Focus Media Holding Limited was founded in 1997 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Hesler]
Focus Media operates the largest out-of-home advertising network in China using audiovisual flat-panel displays based on the number of locations and number of displays in its network. Focus Media Holding Ltd. has a market cap of $4.55 billion; its shares were traded at around $31.4 with a P/E ratio of 31.4 and P/S ratio of 8.82.

George Soros sold out of his position of almost 2 million shares in Focus Media Holding in the fourth quarter of 2009 when the stock had reached $14, after falling as low as $7.45 in the second quarter of 2009. He purchased 400,000 shares in the first quarter 2011 at an average price of $26.22 per share. Year to date the stock price has risen 42.5%.

Most of Focus Media’s revenue growth in the first quarter was driven by advertising and its LCD displays. Focus Media’s advertising net revenue for its LCD display network increased 63%, advertising net revenue from its poster frame network increased 46%, and advertising net revenue from the in-store network increased 23%, from the first quarter 2010. Its net revenue from its LCD display (including a movie theater network), in-store and poster frame businesses increased 54%.

The company’s net income for the first quarter of 2011 was $20.5 million, increased from a net loss of $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2010.

In the first quarter, the company has also spent $240 million repurchasing shares, out of a $300 million share repurchase program, and has plans to buy a 15% stake in Enjoy China Technology Development Company Limited.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014: ABAXIS Inc.(ABAX)

Abaxis, Inc. develops, manufactures, markets, and sells portable blood analysis systems for use in veterinary or human patient-care setting to provide blood constituent measurements for clinicians worldwide. The company offers point-of-care blood chemistry analyzer, which consists of a compact portable analyzer and a series of single-use plastic discs, called reagent discs, containing all the chemicals required to perform a panel of up to 14 tests on human patients and 13 tests on veterinary patients. It markets the blood analysis system under the Piccolo Xpress and Piccolo Classic names in the medical market; and under the VetScan VS2 and VetScan Classic names in the veterinary market. The company also provides VetScan HM5, VetScan HM2, VetScan HMII, and VetScan HMT hematology instruments for veterinary applications. In addition, its products include VetScan VSpro, which assists in the diagnosis and evaluation of suspected bleeding disorders, toxicity/poisoning, evaluatio n of disseminated intravascular coagulation, hepatic disease, monitoring therapy, and the progression of disease states. Further, the company offers VetScan VSpro fibrinogen test to provide in-vitro determination of fibrinogen levels in equine platelet poor plasma from a citrated stabilized whole blood sample; and i-STAT 1 that delivers blood gas, electrolyte, basic blood chemistry, and hematology results. Additionally, its products comprise Canine Heartworm Rapid Test to detect dirofilaria immitis in canine whole blood, serum, or plasma; Canine Parvovirus Rapid Test Kit to detect canine parvovirus antigen in feces; and VetScan Giardia Rapid Test to detect giardiasis, a gastrointestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia. Abaxis sells its products through direct sales force and independent distributors. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Union City, California.

Hot Cheap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Enhanced Oil Resources Inc. (EOR.V)

Enhanced Oil Resources Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, development, operation, and exploration of crude oil and gas properties in the United States. The company produces oil and gas from three Permian Basin crude oilfields located in eastern New Mexico, as well as from oilfield properties located near Abilene, Texas. It produces oil and gas through infill drilling and enhanced recovery techniques utilizing CO2 injection. The company was formerly known as Ridgeway Petroleum Corp. and changed its name to Enhanced Oil Resources Inc. in June 2007. Enhanced Oil Resources Inc. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014: Tinka Resources Limited (TK.V)

Tinka Resources Limited, a junior mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of precious metals or mineral properties in Peru. The company primarily explores for silver, lead, zinc, and copper deposits. It focuses on the Colquipucro silver-lead-zinc project that consists of 46 contiguous mineral tenements covering an area of 10,234.85 hectares and is located in the Department of Cerro de Pasco. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014: Integrated Electrical Services Inc.(IESC)

Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. provides electrical infrastructure services in the United States. The company?s Communications segment offers various services, including the design, installation, and maintenance of network infrastructure for the financial, medical, hospitality, government, manufacturing, educational, and information technology industries; design and installation of audio/visual, telephone, fire, wireless, and intrusion alarm systems, as well as design/build, servicing, and maintenance of data network systems. Its Residential segment offers electrical installation services for single-family housing and multi-family apartment complexes, and CATV cabling installations for residential and commercial applications. This segment also installs residential solar power, smart meters, electric car charging stations, and stand-by generators. The company?s Commercial and Industrial segment provides electrical contracting services, which include the design of ele ctrical systems in a building or complex; procurement and installation of wiring and connection to power sources; end-use equipment and fixtures; and contract maintenance services. It also provides service, maintenance, and renovation and upgrade work services; and services for various projects, including high-rise residential and office buildings, power plants, manufacturing facilities, data centers, chemical plants, refineries, wind farms, solar facilities, municipal infrastructure, and health care facilities, as well as residential developments. In addition, this segment offers utility services consisting of overhead and underground installation and maintenance of electrical and other utilities transmission and distribution networks; installation and splicing of high-voltage transmission and distribution lines; substation construction; and substation and right-of-way maintenance. Integrated Electrical Services, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Top Life Sciences Companies To Buy For 2014: GSI Group Inc.(GSIG)

GSI Group Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells laser-based solutions, laser scanning devices, and precision motion and optical control technologies worldwide. The company?s Laser Products segment provides lasers and laser-based systems for photonics-based applications, such as cutting, welding, marking, engraving, micro-machining, and scientific research. Its Precision Motion and Technologies segment designs, manufactures, and markets air bearing spindles, encoders, thermal printers, laser scanning devices, and light and color measurement systems to original equipment manufacturers. The company?s Semiconductor Systems segment offers laser based production systems for semiconductor, microelectronics, and electronics manufacturing. This segment?s products comprise WaferRepair for dynamic random access memory, flash memory chips, and LCDs; WaferMark for silicon suppliers and integrated circuit factories; and WaferTrim and Circuit Trim for analog and mixed signal sensor and chip resistor devices, as well as for resistor devices. The company sells its products primarily through direct sales force, resellers, distributors, and system integrators. It serves industrial, electronics, automotive, medical, packaging, aerospace, scientific, semiconductor, lighting, military, and motion picture markets. The company was formerly known as GSI Lumonics Inc. and changed its name to GSI Group Inc. in 2005. GSI Group Inc. was founded in 1970 and is based in Bedford, Massachusetts.

The Financial Appeal of an Obamacare Repeal

It's often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing again over and over and expecting different results. Some people probably thought of this line after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal Obamacare yesterday -- for the 37th time (counting defunding attempts.) While no one really expects the Senate to take action, the political reality is that there were different results: Several new freshmen in Congress were given the opportunity to vote for or against the controversial legislation for the first time.

I'll leave it to others to debate the politics of Obamacare, but I am interested in the financial and investing implications of any curtailing of the law. Let me first say that I don't expect a full repeal to happen anytime soon. However, there could be support for a rollback of some Obamacare components. Here are two areas that have at least a shot at reversal and the financial appeal for these repeals to happen.

Cutting some cuts
Obamacare includes significant cuts for hospitals. These cuts particularly impact those hospitals that provide care for poor and uninsured patients. The thought behind these deep cuts was that more uninsured Americans would be covered through the expansion of Medicaid or by private insurance obtained through Obamacare health insurance exchanges.

Last year, though, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government couldn't force states to expand Medicaid as called for in Obamacare. So far, at least 15 states have opted out of expanding the program with a few others leaning toward no expansion. The dynamics have changed since Obamacare was passed, but those cuts are still scheduled to go into effect beginning next year.

President Obama now proposes to delay the cuts by one year. Expect considerable pressure on both parties to enact an even longer delay. The prospect of a push to reduce these cuts in states that don't expand Medicaid also seems likely. It will probably be difficult for politicians to argue persuasively for cuts that were intended to counterbalance financial gains that now won't be realized.

Hospitals in states that don't plan to expand Medicaid will benefit the most if this part of Obamacare is rolled back. For example, the nation's largest hospital chain, HCA Holdings (NYSE: HCA ) , operates facilities in at least seven states in this group. Around one-quarter of HCA's beds are in Texas, which isn't expanding Medicaid. Another 25% of the company's beds are in Florida, which so far hasn't moved forward with expansion.

Excising the excise tax
Medical device makers howled when Obamacare passed with a new 2.3% excise tax on medical devices. Some lawmakers from both sides of the political spectrum have also been howling lately.

In March, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to repeal the medical device tax with 79 in favor and only 20 against the measure. Interestingly, many senators who originally voted for Obamacare went along with rolling back this part of the legislation. However, the repeal was tucked into the Senate's budget, which is a non-starter in the House of Representatives. There are some realistic scenarios, though, where this medical device excise tax could be booted. Considerable support exists in both political parties to do so.

If any of these scenarios actually unfold, expect many medical device stocks to receive a nice bump. My hunch is that some medical device makers that haven't performed quite as strongly as peers would likely receive the biggest benefit. For example, Medtronic (NYSE: MDT ) is up around 18% year-to-date -- less than several others in the industry. Medtronic estimated that the tax would eventually cost as much as $175 million per year. That amounts to nearly one-fifth of the company's earnings in the last quarter.

Axing the act
Skeptical about the possibility that any part of Obamacare would ever be undone? If so, consider that President Obama has already signed several bills that limit the reform law. One example is the CLASS Act, which provided payments for long-term care. This original component of Obamacare was repealed as part of the fiscal cliff deal agreed upon by the White House and Congress.

Again, I don't think Obamacare is about to collapse altogether. But the possibility that Washington will take the axe to some parts of the legislation doesn't seem too far-fetched. Investors should find several stocks appealing if Congress keeps repealing.

Obamacare will undoubtedly have far-reaching effects. The Motley Fool's new free report, "Everything You Need to Know About Obamacare," lets you know how your health insurance, your taxes, and your portfolio will be affected. Click here to read more.

More Money for Wall Street, Less for Investors

Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson discuss a bill that may go before Congress that will reverse how stock prices are reported.

Currently, stocks are priced using decimals, rather than fractions like the good old days. This has led to very small spreads for trading companies dealing with stocks. The claim is, if we revert to fractions, at least for small-cap firms, this would increase the profit potential for small-cap companies -- more Wall Street brokers would research and promote these small stocks. And by virtue of such promotion, more investors would buy them and the companies would be able to grow their businesses and hire more people rather than languish with thinly traded stock offerings that really don't add meaningful funds for the company to use. Such is the claim of those contemplating a new bill that might go before Congress.

During the financial crisis, Goldman Sachs did so well pivoting to avoid the worst of the fallout that it had to downplay its success to duck public ire and conspiracy theories. Today, Goldman is still arguably the powerhouse global financial name, and yet its stock trades at a valuation of less than half what it fetched prior to the crisis. Does this make Goldman one of the best opportunities in the market today? To answer that question, I invite you to check out The Motley Fool's special report on the bank. In it, Fool banking expert Matt Koppenheffer uncovers the key issues facing Goldman, including three specific areas Goldman investors must watch. To get access to this report, just click here.

3 Inconspicuous Stocks Dividend Investors Love

The power of dividends is nothing new to decade-long income investors. Yet, more recently, droves of investors are jumping on the dividend bandwagon, thanks to all-time low savings rates. But not all dividend-paying stocks are created equal.

Looking beyond the Aristocrat status
These two great examples show us that concentrating on one sole metric, like dividend yield, means that we're likely overlooking potential red flags. Instead, a more sustainable strategy is buying dividend stocks that harness both reliable dividend growth and low payout ratios.

Take a look at these three under-the-radar companies. While each of them belongs to the elite S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, an exclusive club of blue chips that have boosted their dividends for at least 25 consecutive years, these three are great dividend stocks for other reasons too.

1. VF (NYSE: VFC )
Through economic (and consumer waistline) recessions and expansions, the company behind North Face apparel and 7 For All Mankind jeans has increased its dividend for an impressive 40 years! VF pays a modest 1.9% dividend yield, but don't let that dupe you. The company has increased its dividend by 248% over the past decade, outpacing the Consumer Price Index nearly tenfold.

And VF's dividend payout ratio, which indicates how much of the company's net income is paid to shareholders through dividends, is 31%. That means the company has plenty of room to grow its dividend even more in the future.

In the ultra-premium-priced jeans market, VF has gained some of competitor True Religion's (NASDAQ: TRLG ) female customers on pricing. True Religion's stock has vastly underperformed, and its profitability has shrunk. Meanwhile, VF's has skyrocketed. For the first quarter, VF's earnings were up an impressive 25%.

2. Sigma-Aldrich (NASDAQ: SIAL )
Maker of test tubes and beakers, Sigma-Aldrich has increased its dividend every year since 1976. Even though the company pays a relatively scrawny 1.1% dividend yield, its 21% payout ratio signals the company has ample opportunity to up its dividend for many years to come.

Sigma-Aldrich recently hiked its dividend by 7.5%. And during the past decade, the specialty chemical maker has upped its dividend at a rate that outpaced the CPI more than sixfold. Last quarter, Sigma-Aldrich was value investing giant Donald Yachtman's biggest new holding.

3. Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW )
This maker of industrial products and equipment like fasteners, coatings, and plastic stretch films has increased its dividend for 49 consecutive years. Even though the stock suffered badly in 2008 when the construction and transportation industries it depends on were hit hard, Illinois Tool Works is greatly benefiting from the current economic recovery.

Its stock currently boasts a 2.2% dividend yield, and the company recently grew its dividend by 5%. In fact, the Illinois-based manufacturer increased its dividend by 230% over the past decade, outpacing the CPI by eight-and-a-half times. Its payout ratio is a very healthy 26%.

Foolish takeaway
By ignoring companies that pay lower yields, you're likely missing out on the next best dividend growth stocks. Don't stop your search at high dividend yields alone. Be sure the company has the financial resources to boost its dividend, effectively giving you a pay raise, for years to come.

If you want more great dividend stock ideas, you'll want to read The Motley Fool's new free report, "5 Dividend Myths... Busted!" In it, you'll learn which stocks provide premium growth and whether bigger dividends are better. Click here to keep reading.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Top Bank Companies To Buy Right Now

LONDON -- The FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE ) rose an impressive 2% today to close at 6,406 points, boosted by expectations of further economic stimulus across the eurozone -- although it did take news of German private-sector shrinkage to raise such hopes. Will there be a further interest rate cut at the next meeting of the European Central bank? Some are now predicting exactly that.

Meanwhile, some of the index's constituents ran in the opposite direction. Here are three that lagged today.

Fresnillo (LSE: FRES )
While it was a generally positive day for FTSE 100 shares, falls were led by gold and silver miner Fresnillo. Fresnillo shares fell 2.2% to 1,092 pence -- and they're down 42% since the start of the year as mining shares continue to suffer from weak commodities prices.

Top Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Fushi Copperweld Inc.(FSIN)

Fushi Copperweld, Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes bimetallic wire products, principally copper-clad aluminum (CCA) and copper-clad steel (CCS). Its CCA and CCS conductors are used as a substitute for solid copper conductors in applications where specific electrical or physical attributes are necessary. The company markets its products under Copperweld and Fushi brand names. It primarily serves end-user applications in the telecommunication, electrical utility, and transportation markets. The company?s CCS products in the utility market are used in grounding applications, power cables, electrified railroad tracks, and tracer wires. It?s CCS and CCA wires in transportation market are used in original equipment and aftermarket applications for electrified rail applications, as well as in automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, commercial off road equipment, and trailers. The company sells its products through its direct sale s force, as well as through sales agents or distributors primarily in North America, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and the People?s Republic of China. Fushi Copperweld, Inc. is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Top Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Latchways(LTC.L)

Latchways plc engages in the production, distribution, and installation of industrial safety products and related services primarily in Europe and North America. It operates in two segments, Safety Products and Safety Services. The Safety Products segment designs and manufactures fall protection equipment for people working at height. It offers systems for those working at height, including on rooftops, crane rails; and systems for those climbing to or from height, such as ladders, telecom masts, and electricity transmission towers, as well as provides personal protective equipment, guardrails, and walkways. This segment sells its products directly, as well as through independent installers. The Safety Services segment installs and services safety products under the ManSafe name. The company?s products are used in bridges, commercial, electricity pylons, heritage, industrial, towers, office blocks, manufacturing plants, entertainment arenas, public buildings, offshore pla tforms, aerospace, power transmission, utilities, and telecommunications applications. Latchways plc was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Devizes, the United Kingdom.

5 Best Gold Stocks To Own For 2014: China New Borun Corporation (BORN)

China New Borun Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the production and distribution of corn-based edible alcohol in the People�s Republic of China. Its edible alcohol products are primarily sold as ingredients to producers of baijiu, which a grain-based alcoholic beverage to further blend them into finished products that are sold under various brand names in retail stores, bars, banquet halls, restaurants, and other locations. The company also produces distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) feed, corn germ, crude corn oil, and liquid carbon dioxide as by-products during the production of edible alcohol. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Shouguang, the People's Republic of China. China New Borun Corporation is a subsidiary of King River Holding Limited.

Samsung Throws Google a Bone

Despite all of Samsung's recent attempts to undermine Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) in its newest Galaxy S4, primarily by replicating and marketing its own software and services over Google's, the South Korean giant is now tossing the search juggernaut a bone.

Google had its hands full yesterday on the first day of its I/O developer conference in San Francisco, announcing a wide swath of new offerings. Perhaps one of the most surprising developments was that Google and Samsung would soon begin offering a version of the Galaxy S4 running stock Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, ditching Samsung's TouchWiz interface and software modifications.

It's not branded a Nexus device, but that's effectively what this is. Google noted it would offer a "Nexus user experience." The model will sell at the unsubsidized price of $649 directly through Google Play, and be an unlocked GSM model with LTE support.

Galaxy S4 running stock Android. Source: Google.

Make no mistake: this move isn't about Samsung growing unit sales. This is a gesture of good faith intended to smooth over any kinks in Samsung's relationship with Google.

A peace offering
Google's Nexus program is an ambitious attempt to remove carrier middlemen and sell directly to consumers. That also entails removing carrier subsidies. We already know that the subset of smartphone buyers willing to pay full retail price for devices is extremely small. That's partly why Google's current flagship Nexus 4 sells for $299. One of the Nexus 4's biggest drawbacks is the lack of LTE support, which was necessitated by Google's broad international strategy for the singular model as well as cost and engineering considerations.

Samsung is already making a GSM model that's compatible with LTE networks in the U.S., so it takes very little effort to make one with stock Android. Since the stock GS4 is being sold through Google Play, presumably it will also receive software updates directly from Google, as opposed to most Androids, whose updates are bottlenecked by carriers and OEMs.

It should also be clear that Samsung isn't hurting for unit sales at this juncture. The company is currently the No. 1 smartphone vendor in the world, shipping an estimated 70.7 million units in the first quarter. In fact, I'd wager that Samsung specifically doesn't want this stock GS4 to sell well, because its success would only contribute to Samsung's commoditization. The last thing that Samsung wants is for people to express massive interest in only its hardware at a time when it wants consumers to buy into its software and services.

Google and Samsung have collaborated on Nexus devices in the past. In fact, Samsung built two of the four Nexus smartphones that Google has launched over the years, the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. HTC built the original Nexus One and LG makes the current Nexus 4.

Some people will purchase the stock GS4, but it will hardly be a mainstream device and Samsung certainly prefers it that way.

As one of the most dominant Internet companies ever, Google has made a habit of driving strong returns for its shareholders. However, like many other web companies, it's also struggling to adapt to an increasingly mobile world. Despite gaining an enviable lead with its Android operating system, the market isn't sold. That's why it's more important than ever to understand each piece of Google's sprawling empire. In The Motley Fool's new premium research report on Google, we break down the risks and potential rewards for Google investors. Simply click here now to unlock your copy of this invaluable resource.

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5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2014

After its worst day of the year yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) bounced back today as investors saw buying opportunities and responded to a strong housing report and some bullish earnings reports. The blue chips finished the session up 1.1%.

Housing starts in March topped 1 million for the first time since 2008, hitting an annual rate of 1,036,000. Last month's figure beat expectations by more than 100,000, and was a strong gain from starts in February at 968,000, which was revised up from 917,000. Construction of multifamily units jumped 27%, while single-family homes dropped 4.8%. Building permits, a leading indicator for housing starts, came in below expectations, possibly indicating that last month's spike will be short-lived. The Consumer Price Index also declined slightly in March, essentially in line with expectations, indicating that despite the Fed's continued stimulus, the economy is far away from any inflation concerns.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Brian Gorban]
Fast food giant and world-renowned company McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) is undoubtedly a name you’ve heard of, as “the golden arches” are ubiquitous--and with good reason: The company operates over 33,000 restaurants in 119 countries. With over $27 billion in revenue and a market capitalization near $90 billion, McDonald’s is simply a juggernaut and should continue to be a beneficiary of the global growth story happening predominately in the “BRIC” (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries in the years and decades to come.

Of course, those countries have not been spared the current economic carnage and that has caused the company to miss the past two quarters’ consensus estimates, but that has created a buying opportunity. With the stock trading not far above its $83.31 52-week low, McDonald’s is now yielding an attractive 3.5% dividend yield, and with a low 54% payout ratio, look for the dividend to not only be safe but be raised in the near future. Add in the fact that the company has a comparatively and historically low 16x forward and trailing P/E, and I think MCD should serve investors well for the long-term while one can wait and happily collect the nice 3.5% dividend.
[By JON C. OGG]
McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is at $85.08 and analysts have a consensus price target objective of $97.68. It carries a 2.9% dividend yield and the stock is down 5% from its 52-week high. McDonald’s trades at close to 6-times book value, but its return on equity is 37%. S&P carries an “A” local long-term rating on the Golden Arches. In the “you gotta eat somewhere” theory, McDonald’s seems to keep winning over and over and its shares and same-store sales keep rising handily.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2014: Visa Inc.(V)

Visa Inc., a payments technology company, engages in the operation of retail electronic payments network worldwide. It facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company owns and operates VisaNet, a global processing platform that provides transaction processing services. It also offers a range of payments platforms, which enable credit, charge, deferred debit, debit, and prepaid payments, as well as cash access for consumers, businesses, and government entities. The company provides its payment platforms under the Visa, Visa Electron, PLUS, and Interlink brand names. In addition, it offers value-added services, including risk management, issuer processing, loyalty, dispute management, value-added information, and CyberSource-branded services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rebecca Lipman]
Operates retail electronic payments network worldwide. Market cap of $82.48B. EPS growth (5-year CAGR) at 15%. According to Morgan Stanley: "Global penetration of electronic payments remains low with 85% of the world's transactions still cash-based, leaving ample runway to support healthy growth prospects through (at least) 2015."

Top 10 Long Term Stocks For 2014: Apple Inc.(AAPL)

Apple Inc., together with subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, as well as sells related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications worldwide. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells third-party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores; and digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. As of September 25, 2010, it had 317 retail stores, including 233 stores in the United States and 84 stores internationally. The company, formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc., was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By James K. Glassman]
When I think of cash, I think of Apple, a great company that generates tons of the green stuff. Between 2007 and 2011, Apple's net income -- the headline annual profits that most investors focus on -- rose by $22 billion. But over the same period, annual cash flow jumped from $5 billion to $38 billion.

Like geeks lining up for each new iGadget release, Apple investors anxiously awaited the company's first quarterly dividend of $2.65 a share, paid on August 16. The stock yields 1.7% and, despite a seemingly high price of $630.83 a share, it trades at just 12 times estimated earnings per share of $52.50 for the fiscal year that ends in September 2013.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2014: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Paul]
IBM. Emerging markets are a big growth driver for this computer systems and software provider. Not only that, Resendes says, IBM has "a bullet-proof balance sheet that will allow it to weather the current storm and position it for superior growth and profitability in the long term." He thinks the stock, which recently traded at $93, is worth $120 a share: ''There are some obvious companies that offer much bigger discounts, but you have to incorporate the safety factor. You're getting a premium company here that's a good spot to be in within the tech space."
[By Louis Navellier]
IBM (NYSE:IBM) is an international IT company made famous by its line of personal computers and various IT services. A year-to-date gain of 18% shows IBM stock has a lot to offer.

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Own For 2014: Colgate-Palmolive Company(CL)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. It offers oral care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth rinses, as well as dental floss and pharmaceutical products for dentists and other oral health professionals; personal care products, such as liquid hand soap, shower gels, bar soaps, deodorants, antiperspirants, shampoos, and conditioners; and home care products comprising laundry and dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, bleaches, dishwashing liquids, and oil soaps. The company offers its oral, personal, and home care products under the Colgate Total, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate 360 Advisors' Opinion:

[By Louis Navellier]
Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL) is a staple of consumer products, selling its oral, personal, home care and pet nutrition products in over 200 countries. A nice year-to-date return of 16% has helped keep Colgate stock holders happy all year.
[By Hesler]
Colgate-Palmolive Company(NYSE: CL), together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. This dividend champion has raised distributions for 48 years in a row and currently yields 2.80%.
[By ChuckCarlson]
Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL), together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets consumer products worldwide. The company has raised distributions for 48 years in a row. The 10 year annual dividend growth rate is 12.40%/year. The last dividend increase was 9.40% to 58 cents/share. Analysts are expecting that Colgate Palmolive will earn $5.52/share in 2012. I expect that the quarterly dividend will be raised to 64 cents/share in 2012. Yield: 2.60%

Natural Gas Won't Benefit Everyone Equally

It's fair to say that companies involved in the natural gas cycle are affected in different ways when the price of the gaseous fossil fuel ebbs and flows. Halliburton (NYSE: HAL ) is a company that benefits indirectly from higher natural gas prices because its customers are more likely to increase drilling activity in this state. Being respected as the leader in fracking technology bodes well for Halliburton should natural gas rig count activity rebound in tandem with market prices.

For a company that stands to delight investors in this scenario because its resource base will appreciate dramatically, turn to EQT (NYSE: EQT ) . Encompassing multiple points along natural gas' lifeline, a rise in prices will undoubtedly lead to an increase in the bottom line of this low-cost Marcellus operator. For more details on each company's operations and how they stand to benefit from the rise in nat-gas prices, tune in below.

Domestic oil and gas service companies have taken a hit due to a slowdown in the natural gas drilling boom of the last couple of years. As this market looks to rebound, investors would be wise to consider Halliburton, one of the top companies in the business and one of those most in tune with the domestic market. To access The Motley Fool's new premium research report on this industry stalwart, simply click here now and learn everything you need to know about how Halliburton is positioning itself both at home and abroad.

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Top 5 Long Term Companies To Watch For 2014

In the future, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ) could find itself in a bit of a pickle. The company has been increasing costs faster than it can grow revenues, which, over the long term, is an unsustainable trend. A lot of the blame has been placed on Amazon Prime, despite being attributed with driving increased spending with members.

Last quarter, fulfillment costs rose more than 38% year over year, and technology and content costs rose 46%; yet total sales only grew by 22%. In other words, the short-term costs associated with running Amazon Prime appear to be far greater than the short-term benefit. Investors continue to justify this unsustainable trend because the company has made it clear that growth is currently a higher priority than profitability.

Quite frankly, investors are correct for making the assumption that profitability will come at a later time.

Top 5 Long Term Companies To Watch For 2014: Nv Gold Corp (NVX.V)

NV Gold Corporation, an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in the United States. The company primarily explores for gold and copper. It owns 100% interest in the Afgan-Kobeh project that consists of 109 unpatented claims and covers approximately 2,180 acres located in Eureka County, Nevada. The company�s properties also include the Shamrock (Cobre) copper property located in Grant County, New Mexico; and the Roberts Gold property located in Eureka County, Nevada. NV Gold Corporation was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 Long Term Companies To Watch For 2014: Resources Connection Inc.(RECN)

Resources Connection, Inc. provides professional services in the areas of finance, accounting, risk management and internal audit, corporate advisory, strategic communications and restructuring, information management, human capital, supply chain management, actuarial, and legal and regulatory services to support client-led projects and initiatives. It offers finance and accounting services, including financial analyses, budgeting and forecasting, audit preparation, public-entity reporting, tax-related projects, merger and acquisition due diligence, initial public offering assistance, and assistance in the preparation or restatement of financial statements; information management services, such as financial system/enterprise resource planning implementation, and post implementation optimization services; and corporate advisory, strategic communications, and restructuring services. The company also provides risk management and internal audit services comprising compliance r eviews, internal audit co-sourcing, and assistance services; supply chain management services, including strategic sourcing efforts, contract negotiations, and purchasing strategy services; and actuarial support services for pension and life insurance companies. In addition, it offers human capital services, such as change management, and compensation program design and implementation services; and legal and regulatory services comprising providing attorneys, paralegals, and contract managers to assist clients, such as law firms with project-based or peak period needs. Further, the company provides policyIQ, a Web-based content management product for documenting, managing, and communicating various types of business information, including policies and procedures, Sarbanes documentation, training documentation, and other business content. It operates in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Hot Safest Stocks To Watch Right Now: Transview Holdings Limited (T19.SI)

Transview Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the retail and wholesale of golf equipment and related products. The company offers golf equipment, apparel, shoes, bags, accessories, wedges, irons, drivers, and gloves. It is also involved in the wholesale of compression garments; and management of a public golf course and golf driving ranges. The company operates as a distributor for various brands of golf equipment and accessories, such as S-Yard, Maruman, Fourteen, ENA, Srixon, XXIO, J. Lindeberg, and Skins in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Philippines, and Myanmar. It operates 49 outlets. Transview Holdings Limited was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Top 5 Long Term Companies To Watch For 2014: State Bank Financial Corporation.(STBZ)

State Bank Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for State Bank and Trust Company that provides community banking services to individuals and businesses in the middle Georgia and metropolitan Atlanta areas. It offers deposit products, such as checking accounts, commercial accounts, savings accounts, commercial and consumer demand products, and other time deposits, including daily money market accounts and longer-term certificates of deposit, as well as retirement account services. The company also provides loans to small and medium-sized businesses, residential and commercial construction and development loans, commercial real estate loans, farmland and agricultural production loans, residential mortgage loans, home equity loans, and consumer loans. In addition, it offers online banking and bill payment, online cash management, safe deposit box rental, and debit card and ATM card services. State Bank Financial Corporation operates through 22 branch offices. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Top 5 Long Term Companies To Watch For 2014: Sequans Communications S.A.(SQNS)

Sequans Communications S.A., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, and supplies 4G semiconductor solutions for wireless broadband applications. Its solutions incorporate baseband processor and radio frequency transceiver integrated circuits along with proprietary signal processing techniques, algorithms, and software stacks. The company offers baseband solutions used to encode and decode data based on 4G protocols that serve as the wireless processing platform for a 4G device; RF transceivers used to transmit and receive wireless transmissions; SoC solutions that integrate the baseband and RF transceiver functions; and SiP solutions, which incorporate additional components that are required to build a wireless device, including the radio front-end and power management components from third party suppliers, and integrate them together with SoC into a single package. Its solutions serve as the wireless broadband communications platform in various devices, includ ing smartphones; USB dongles; portable routers; embedded wireless modems for laptops, netbooks, tablets, and other consumer multimedia and industrial devices; customer premise equipment, such as residential gateways; and base stations. The company sells its products through direct sales force, distributors, and sales representatives in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America. Sequans Communications S.A. was founded in 2003 and is based in Paris, France.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Groupon Expands Point-of-Sale Suite With New iPad App

Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN ) has launched a new iPad app to replace cash registers, reduce credit card transaction fees, and become more than a deals site for local businesses.

Dubbed "Breadcrumb POS," Groupon touts the software as a point-of-sale, "easy-to-use solution" for restaurants, bars, salons, spas, and retail merchants. Most businesses should be able to set it up within a few minutes. From there, they can log cash transactions, accept credit card payments, print or email receipts, manage menu items, view transaction history, and issue refunds. Added features include daily and monthly sales and product mix reports, 24/7 customer service from Breadcrumb POS, and deposits within 24 hours.

Breadcrumb POS comes with a low-price guarantee to beat out comparable plans on credit card transaction fees. Payments that use it are charged rates of 1.8% plus $0.15 per transaction (MasterCard, Visa, and Discover) with no hidden costs or monthly fees and free processing on the first $5,000 in credit card transactions (promotional offer).

Breadcrumb POS is the third software solution offered by Groupon. Other services include Breadcrumb Pro, which caters exclusively to restaurants and bars that require a more extensive feature set, and the Groupon Merchants App, which lets businesses process credit card transactions, accept and redeem Groupon vouchers, and measure the performance of Groupon deals.

The Breadcrumb POS app is available for download on iTunes now.

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Top 5 Small Cap Companies To Watch For 2014

Our latest recommendation combines two highly profitable asset classes ��small cap stocks and emerging markets ��through the WisdomTree Emerging Markets SmallCap Dividend Index (DGS).

Emerging markets have gotten off to a slow start in 2013. Nevertheless, much of the world�� mart money��expects emerging markets to be standout performers during the second half of 2013.

A recent survey, by investment bank Credit Suisse of over 500 market participants with more than $1 trillion in assets under management, found that emerging markets were pegged as the top-performing asset class for 2013.

Top 5 Small Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: Sky-mobi Limited(MOBI)

Sky-mobi Limited engages in the operation of a mobile application store in the People?s Republic of China. It works with handset companies to pre-install its Maopao mobile application store on handsets and with content developers to provide users with applications and content titles. The users of its Maopao store could browse, download, and purchase a range of applications and content, such as single-player games, mobile music, and books. The company?s Maopao store enables mobile applications and content to be downloaded and run on various mobile handsets with hardware and operating system configurations. It also operates a mobile social network community, the Maopao Community, where it offers localized mobile social games, as well as applications and content with social network functions to its registered members. The company owns proprietary mobile application technology in the cloud computing, the MRP format, and SDK development environment. As of March 31, 2011, it had entered into cooperation agreements with approximately 523 handset companies to pre-install Maopao. The company was formerly known as Profit Star Limited and changed its name to Sky-Mobi Limited in October 2010. Sky-mobi Limited was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Hangzhou, China.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Wyatt Research Staff]
MOBI hit another 52-week high of $12.15 late last week. The stock continues to surge on increasing volume. The latest advance in share price came after Oppenheimer upgraded the stock to "Outperform".

Last week, the China-based internet portal and gaming provider giant Sohu.com (Nasdaq: SOHU), announced an advertising agreement with MOBI.

Top 5 Small Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: InterDigital Inc.(IDCC)

Interdigital, Inc. engages in the design and development of digital wireless technology solutions. The company offers technology solutions for use in digital cellular and wireless products and networks, including 2G, 3G, 4G, and IEEE 802-related products and networks. It holds patents related to the fundamental technologies that enable wireless communications. The company licenses its patents to equipment producers that manufacture, use, and sell digital cellular and IEEE 802-related products; and licenses or sells mobile broadband modem solutions, including modem IP, know-how, and reference platforms to mobile device manufacturers, semiconductor companies, and other equipment producers that manufacture, use, and sell digital cellular products. InterDigital?s solutions are incorporated in various products comprising mobile devices, such as cellular phones, tablets, notebook computers, and wireless personal digital assistants; wireless infrastructure equipment, such as base stations; and components, dongles, and modules for wireless devices. The company was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By SmallCap Investor]
The wireless technology company said it's exploring its options, including a possible sale, following last month's successful auction of Nortel Networks intellectual property which brought in $4.5 billion. IDCC owns about 1,300 patents related to mobile phone technology.
[By Kevin M. O'Brien]
InterDigital Inc. (IDCC) will be sold for the highest amount ever paid for Intellectual Property (IP) patents. Whether it is a consortium or single company that buys InterDigital, the price should exceed what was paid for the Nortel (NRTLQ.PK) patents in mid-2011.

Top 10 Promising Stocks To Own For 2014: Panera Bread Company(PNRA)

Panera Bread Company, together with its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and franchises retail bakery-cafes in the United States and Canada. Its bakery-cafes offer fresh baked goods, sandwiches, soups, salads, custom roasted coffees, and other complementary products, as well as provide catering services. The company also manufactures and supplies dough and other products to company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafes. As of March 29, 2011, it owned and franchised 1,467 bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co., and Paradise Bakery & Cafe names. The company was founded in 1981 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Fabian]
Most of you have probably eaten at one of these franchise bakery-cafes. If not I highly recommend it, as for the company itself they are exceptional. Profit soared 50% in the first quarter, operating margins rose several percentage points, and Panera is sitting on $300+ million of cash. Right now it’s at a 30% discount to its peer averages and the stock is very cheap when valued against future earnings. Strong buy expect it to rise to $105.
[By Sy_Harding]
Panera is a great growth story that continues to get better. Panera is thriving in the casual dining arena with fellow Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG). Quick food that is good and good for you. The company is now moving into cities, which provides another strong revenue stream for the company and continues to build up their image. It has the potential for a lot more stores, and we believe the company is ready to move into new markets. We have a $170 PT on the company, and we see this stock as a growth story about to take off even further in 2012.

Allocation: $2000

Entry: $137.00

Target: $150, $170

Top 5 Small Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: bebe stores inc.(BEBE)

bebe stores, inc. engages in the design, development, and production of women?s apparel and accessories. Its products include a range of separates, tops, dresses, active wear, and accessories in career, evening, casual, and active lifestyle categories. The company markets its products under the bebe, BEBE SPORT, bbsp, and 2b bebe brand names targeting 21 to 34-year-old woman. As of July 2, 2011, it operated 252 retail stores, and an online store at bebe.com in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Japan, and Canada, as well as 60 international licensee operated stores in south east Asia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Russia, Mexico, and Turkey. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Brisbane, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Wyatt Research]
The women's apparel retailer reported fiscal fourth-quarter sales and same-store sales both rose 7 percent. The stock is up 30 percent year-to-date.

Top 5 Small Cap Companies To Watch For 2014: Texas Instruments Incorporated(TXN)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Paul Goodwin]
How do they make their money? TXN makes the PA Duplexer Module and the CDMA PA that goes into every iPhone. With a PEG ratio of 0.2 reveals huge discount compared to peers. This is a cash rich company and one I feel will be a strong performer within the next year.

Why Rackspace Is Ready to Rebound

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Web-hosting company Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Rackspace and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Rackspace facts

Headquarters (founded)	San Antonio, Texas (1998)
Market Cap	$5.7 billion
Industry	Internet software and services
Trailing-12-Month Revenue	$1.4 billion
Management	CEO A. Lanham Napier (since 2006) Chief Strategy Officer Lewis Moorman IV (since 2011)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)	13.7%
Cash/Debt	$278.6 million / $105.8 million
Competitors	AT&T IBM Amazon.com

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 93% of the 87 members who have rated Rackspace believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Earlier today, fellow Fool Simon Erickson (TMFInnovator) tapped Rackspace as a particularly timely bargain opportunity:

This is a great business that is just getting hammered by Wall Street. The drop this past week is truly a GIFT to long-term investors.

-The company's Fanatical Support (i.e. fanatical focus on customer service) is a bigger deal than most give it credit for. They do this to increase stickiness and induce switching costs -- both of which are strong forms of a competitive advantage.

- Rackspace's CEO, Lanham Napier is a visionary, but he is also very good at adapting to changes in the industry. ...

It's going to take time and patience to convert businesses and users to use OpenStack. That uncertainty is what is holding the stock back right now. But if they establish a dedicated user base for developing public/private cloud infrastructure, they'll have recurring revenues for years into the future.

Even after the drop, RAX is still trading at a forward P/E of around 30. But don't let the pricetag fool you: this is a buy right now. There is plenty of space to fly in this cloud.

If you want market-topping returns, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Of course, despite its four-star rating, Rackspace may not be your top choice.

We've found another growth play we are incredibly excited about -- excited enough to dub it "The Only Stock You Need to Profit from the NEW Technology Revolution." We have compiled a special free report for investors to uncover this stock today. The report is 100% free, but it won't be here forever, so click here to access it now.

CBOE Holdings Keeps Quarterly Dividend Steady at $0.15

It's not optional: Shareholders of record on May 31 will receive a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share on June 21 from futures and options exchange operator CBOE Holdings (NASDAQ: CBOE ) , the company announced this week.

CBOE has paid a quarterly dividend since 2010 and in December 2012 paid investors a special dividend of $0.75 per share. The exchange operator paid the dividend out of cash on hand, paying approximately $67 million.

CBOE, as the largest U.S. options exchange and creator of listed options, is the holding company for Chicago Board Options Exchange, the CBOE Futures Exchange, and other subsidiaries.

The most recent dividend payment equates to a $0.60-per-share annual dividend yielding 1.6% based on the closing price of the stock on May 1.

CBOE Dividend Chart

CBOE Dividend data by YCharts. Chart reflects special dividend of $0.75 per share paid on Dec. 28, 2012.

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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014

What does the future hold for mid-continent refiners? In this video, Motley Fool energy analyst Joel South describes the issues facing refiners today. First, the EPA recently announced possible limits on sulfur content in gasoline, which would increase gasoline production costs. Also ethanol Renewable Identification Numbers are becoming more expensive, further pressuring profit margins. Next, the WTI-Brent crude spread has now declined to about $12. This lowers mid-continent refiners' competitive advantage over coastal refineries. However, this spread�was not uncommon in the past and may not�be that big of a problem, especially as oil drops below $90 per barrel. Lastly, the export market remains strong: Exports to Central and South America, Europe, and even Asia can give refiners a boost in�revenue.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: NCI Inc.(NCIT)

NCI, Inc. provides information technology (IT) and professional services and solutions to the United States Federal Government defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies. It offers enterprise systems management services, including infrastructure operations and management; outsourcing and managed; infrastructure consolidation and modernization; public/private cloud computing; planning and disaster recovery; virtual desktop infrastructure; application and network management; network design, implementation, and migration; network monitoring and performance evaluation; multi-site environments; and data center modernization and consolidation. The company also provides network engineering services comprising architecture development and design; protocol and topology optimization; disaster response planning and recovery; installation, test, and evaluation; network configuration and compliance audit; network security evaluation; protocol and topology optimization; reliability an d contingency assessment; requirements analysis; redundant routing/switching solutions; and enterprise vulnerability management. In addition, it offers cybersecurity and information assurance services consisting of intrusion detection/prevention system development; public key infrastructure implementation; certification and accreditation; computer forensics and ediscovery; policy and procedures development; threat assessment and mitigation; products evaluation and integration; security test and evaluation; cybersecurity fusion centers; and risk management and continuous monitoring. Further, the company provides software development and systems engineering services; program management and lifecycle support services; professional engineering, logistics, and support services; health IT and informatics services; and modeling, simulation, and training services. NCI, Inc. is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: Photo-me Intl(PHTM.L)

Photo-Me International plc manufactures, operates, sells, and services a range of instant service equipment. The company operates coin-operated automatic photobooths for identification and fun purposes; and various vending equipment, including digital photo kiosks, amusement machines, children?s rides, and business service equipment. It also manufactures and sells photo-processing equipment, including photobook makers, kiosks, and minilabs. The company operates 43,700 vending sites worldwide. Photo-Me International plc is based in Bookham, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 Rising Stocks To Invest In 2014: Sonde Resources Corp(SOQ.TO)

Sonde Resources Corp. engages in the exploration, acquisition, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas properties in western Canada and north Africa. Its principal properties include assets in Drumheller, Kaybob/Windfall, and Boundary Lake/Eaglesham areas located in west-central Alberta. The company has interest in 380,362 gross/268,120 net acres in western Canada. It also has a 100% working interest in the 768,000 acre joint oil block offshore Tunisia and Libya. As of December 31, 2011, it had proved plus probable reserves of 9,507 barrels of oil equivalent. The company was formerly known as Canadian Superior Energy Inc. and changed its name to Sonde Resources Corp. in June 2010. Sonde Resources Corp. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: kazakhmys ord gbp0.20(KAZ.L)

Kazakhmys PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining and processing of copper and other metals. The company operates 17 underground and open pit mines in Kazakhstan. It produces and sells zinc, silver, and gold as by-products. In addition, the company engages in the smelting and refining of copper anodes and cathodes; and operates three coal-fired plants. It primarily has operations in Europe, China, and Kazakhstan. The company was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: Vocus Inc.(VOCS)

Vocus, Inc. provides cloud marketing software that enables businesses attract, engage, and retain customers in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Morocco. It offers a suite of software for social media marketing, search marketing, email marketing, and publicity. The company?s cloud marketing solutions include search marketing and news distribution solution that helps customers increase their online visibility and organic search engine rankings with press releases; and email marketing solution, which provides a method of keeping in touch with prospects and customers by using professional looking emails to send newsletters, special offers, and other useful content. Its cloud marketing solutions also comprise social media software solution that helps customers run social marketing campaigns, as well as monitor and analyze conversations across multiple social networks and other online Websites; and publicity solution, which offers media database, news monitoring, and analyt ics and publicity opportunities that help companies increase their media exposure, manage relationships with reporters, and monitor and analyze trends unfolding in the media. The company also provides professional services that consist of data migration, custom development, and training. Vocus, Inc. sells its products to the financial and insurance, technology, healthcare and pharmaceutical, and retail and consumer products industries, as well as government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, and educational institutions through its direct sales channels, indirect sales channels, and the Internet. Vocus, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Beltsville, Maryland.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: Emeritus Corporation (ESC)

Emeritus Corporation operates senior living communities in the United States. The company�s communities offer Alzheimer�s and dementia care, independent living, assisted living, specialized memory care, and skilled nursing care services. It also provides management services to independent and related-party owners of assisted living communities. As of November 15, 2012, the company operated approximately 470 senior living communities in 44 states with a resident capacity for approximately 50,000 residents. Emeritus Corporation was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: Wpc Resources Inc (WPQ.V)

WPC Resources Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metals deposits worldwide. The company primarily explores for gold ores. It holds interests in the Toiyabe Pediment Gold project, which includes 119 claims covering an area of approximately 1,007.4 hectares located in east-central Lander County, Nevada, the United States; the ZPG porphyry copper�gold project that comprises 96 mineral claims covering an area of approximately 778 hectares situated in Ladner County, Nevada, the United States; and the Quest Lake gold property, which consists of 16 contiguous mineral claims covering an area of approximately 2424.63 hectares located in Northwest Territories, Canada. The company was formerly known as Northern Shield Metals Ltd and changed its name to WPC Resources Inc. in January 2008. WPC Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: Shiner International Inc.(BEST)

Shiner International, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, sale, and distribution of technology driven advanced packaging film products. Its products include coated films, tobacco films, anti-counterfeit laser holographic films, color printed products, and water-based latex products. The company also offers biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films for printing, lamination, and over-wrap packaging; and BOPP tobacco films for packaging appearance, product freshness, and clear optics. In addition, it provides color printing services that consist of surface printing and reverse printing services for consumer goods manufacturers and beverage companies. The company sells its products to companies in the various industries, such as food, tobacco, chemical, agribusiness, medical, pharmaceutical, personal care, electronics, automotive, construction, graphics, music and video publishing, and other consumer goods in China, Asia, A ustralia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Shiner International has a strategy alliance with The Treofan Group. The company based in Haikou City, China.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc (LTS)

Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc., an investment bank, through its subsidiaries, provides independent brokerage and advisory services primarily to corporate and institutional clients, and high net-worth individuals in the United States. Its independent brokerage and advisory services include securities brokerage and advisory services for mutual funds, variable annuities, and advisor managed accounts packaged products; and asset management products and services comprise asset management program, investment consulting services, alternative strategies fund, private investment management program, retirement plan sponsor services, alternative investments, architect program, and third-party advisory services. The company�s brokerage support services comprise access to stock and options execution; products, such as insurance, mutual funds, unit trusts, and investment advisory programs; and research, compliance, supervision, accounting, and related services. The company also provides trust administration services consisting of personal and retirement accounts, estate and financial planning, wealth management, and custody services. In addition, it offers investment banking services, such as corporate finance, and strategic and financial advisory, and securities underwriting services; engages in institutional sales and trading operation; and provides research services, including reviewing and analyzing general market conditions and other industry groups, issuing written reports on companies, furnishing information to retail and institutional customers, and responding to inquires from customers and account executives. Further, the company is involved in purchasing, selling, and holding securities for use in investment activities. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. was founded in 1876 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: United Bancshares Inc.(UBOH)

United Bancshares, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for The Union Bank Company that engages in the provision of commercial banking services to small and middle-market businesses and individuals. It accepts various deposit products, including checking accounts, savings and money market accounts, time certificates of deposit, time deposits, and demand deposits. The company also offers various loan products that consist of commercial, consumer, agricultural, residential mortgage, and home equity loans. In addition, it provides automatic teller machine services, safe deposit box rentals, and other personalized banking services. The company serves primarily in the Ohio counties of Allen, Hancock, Putnam, Sandusky, Van Wert, and Wood, as well as with office locations in Bowling Green, Columbus Grove, Delphos, Findlay, Gibsonburg, Kalida, Leipsic, Lima, Ottawa, and Pemberville, Ohio. United Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Columbus Grove, Ohio.< /p>