Monday, June 30, 2014

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2014

Tesla (TSLA), the upstart automaker that once could do no wrong, now can do no right.

Shares of Tesla have dropped today, with CNBC attributing the decline to rumors of a recall, according to Briefing.com. The rumors have since been dismissed as just that, but Tesla’s stock hasn’t recovered much this afternoon. It’s down 5.2% at $137.14 at 2:16 p.m., the cheapest since Aug. 7, when it closed at $134.23. That’s what happens when sentiment turns on a market darling.

Also of interest–but perhaps to only me–is what’s happening with Tesla’s volatility, or its average annualized price swings. Tesla’s 10-day volatility has surged to 113.23%, up from 47.29% on Oct. 23. Its implied volatility–that is, the amount of volatility implied by Tesla’s options–has dropped to 55.92% from 82% during the same period.

Top 10 Oil Service Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Gran Tierra Energy Inc (GTE)

Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (Gran Tierra) is an independent international energy company engaged in oil and gas acquisition, exploration, development and production. Gran Tierra owns oil and gas properties in Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Brazil. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company focused on development of producing fields and generation of exploration prospects in Colombia, including the acquisition of three blocks in the Petrolifera acquisition and the acquisition of a working interest in the Llanos 22 Block. It delivers its oil to Ecopetrol S.A. (Ecopetrol) through its transportation facilities, which include pipelines, gathering systems and trucking. On March 18, 2011, the Company acquired of all the issued and outstanding common shares and warrants of Petrolifera Petroleum Limited (Petrolifera). Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Caiman Valores]

    The volume of Whitecap's proved and probable reserves also compares favorably to many of the company's peers, as shown by the chart below being higher than similarly sized Canadian peers Gran Tierra Energy (GTE) and Petrominerales (PMGLF.PK).

  • [By Richard Moroney]

    Gran Tierra Energy (GTE) ranks among the very best stocks in Quadrix. Shares earn the maximum Overall score of 100, ranking them Number One among the 165 energy exploration stocks in our research universe.

  • [By Eric Lam]

    Bankers Petroleum Ltd. and Legacy Oil & Gas Inc. climbed at least 4.1 percent as the price of crude advanced. Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (GTE) added 4.7 percent after boosting its 2013 production forecasts. Bank of Montreal added 0.6 percent after naming a chief operating officer. Argonaut Gold Inc. dropped 6.5 percent to pace losses among metals miners. SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. sank 4.5 percent after cutting its earnings forecast for the year.

  • [By Richard Moroney]

    Based in Canada, Gran Tierra Energy (GTE) explores for oil and gas in Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Brazil. In August, management raised its full-year production guidance, with the midpoint implying 27% growth.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2014: ValueClick Inc.(VCLK)

ValueClick, Inc. provides various products and services that enable marketers to advertise and sell their products through online marketing channels primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company?s Affiliate Marketing segment provides technology platforms, advertising network, and customer services, which enable advertisers to create their own commissioned online sales force comprising third-party Website publishers. This segment offers its services under the Commission Junction brand. Its Media segment provides digital marketing services and tailored programs under ValueClick Media brand name that enable marketers to create and increase awareness for their products and brands; attract visitors; and generate leads and sales through the Internet and mobile applications. The company?s Owned & Operated Websites segment offers its services through various Websites comprising Pricerunner and Smarter.com Websites, which enable consumers to research and comp are products from online and/or offline merchants; Couponmountain.com Website that enables consumers to locate coupons and deals related to products and services; and Investopedia.com Website, which provides information on various financial and investment topics, including a proprietary dictionary of financial terms. This segment also operates vertical content Websites that offer consumers information and reference material in various topics in healthcare, finance, travel, home and garden, education, and business services. Its Technology segment operates as an application service provider and offers technology infrastructure tools and consultative services that enable marketers to implement and manage their online display advertising, search engine marketing, and email campaigns. The company serves direct marketers, advertisers, advertising agencies, and traffic distribution partners. ValueClick, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Westlake Village, California.< /p> Advisors' Opinion:

  • [By Rich Smith]

    ValueClick got toggled off
    Google's�mini-rival in the market for online ads, ValueClick (NASDAQ: VCLK  ) , beat earnings by a couple of cents in yesterday's earnings report. Unfortunately, this good news isn't translating into good grades on Wall Street, as a whole series of analysts cut their ratings on the stock to various flavors of "hold." Stephens and Cantor Fitzgerald, Craig-Hallum and Raymond James -- one and all, the analysts are downgrading ValueClick today -- but why?

  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    What: Shares of digital marketing company ValueClick (NASDAQ: VCLK  ) plummeted 17% today after its quarterly results and outlook disappointed Wall Street.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2014: CryoLife Inc (CRY)

CryoLife, Inc. (CryoLife,), incorporated in January 19,1984, is a biological medical device company. The Company preserves and distributes human tissues for transplantation and develops, manufactures, and commercializes medical devices for cardiac and vascular applications. The cardiac and vascular human tissues distributed by CryoLife include the CryoValve SG pulmonary heart valve (CryoValve SGPV) and the CryoPatch SG pulmonary cardiac patch tissue (CryoPatch SG), both processed using CryoLife�� SynerGraft technology. The Company operates in two segments: preservation services and medical devices segment. The preservation services segment includes services revenues from the preservation of cardiac and vascular tissues during the year ended December 31, 2011. The medical devices segment includes revenues from product sales of BioGlue, BioFoam, PerClot, HemoStase and revascularization technologies, as well as sales of other medical devices. CryoLife�� surgical sealants and hemostats include BioGlue Surgical Adhesive (BioGlue), BioFoam Surgical Matrix (BioFoam) and PerClot, an absorbable powdered hemostat. In May 2011, it acquired Cardiogenesis Corporation. In May 2012, the Company acquired Hemosphere, Inc. Hemosphere develops and markets the HeRO (Hemodialysis Reliable Outflow) Graft, a graft-based solution for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) hemodialysis patients with limited access options and central venous obstruction. In February 2014, CryoLife Inc announced the establishment of CryoLife Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.

CryoLife distributes preserved human cardiac and vascular tissues to implanting institutions throughout the United States (U.S), Canada and Europe. CryoLife processes and preserves cardiac and vascular tissues using processing and freezing techniques, or cryopreservation. The Company�� preservation process involves the recovery of tissue from deceased human donors by tissue banks and organ procurement organizations (OTPOs), the delivery, of such tissue to the Company, the s! creening, dissection, disinfection, processing, and preservation of the tissue by the Company, and the storage and shipment of the preserved tissue.

The human heart valves and cardiac patch tissues preserved by the Company are used in cardiac reconstruction and heart valve replacement surgeries. The Company preserves human aortic and pulmonary heart valves for implantation by cardiac surgeons. In addition, the Company preserves human cardiac patches for surgeons. The Company preserves human cardiac patches in three primarily anatomic configurations: pulmonary hemi-artery, pulmonary trunk and pulmonary branch. As of December 31, 2011, CryoLife shipped approximately 77,600 heart valves and cardiac patch tissues, including approximately 3,000 shipments during 2011.

The human vascular tissues preserved by the Company, including the CryoVein and CryoArtery, are used to treat a variety of vascular reconstructions, such as peripheral bypass, hemodialysis access and aortic infections. The Company preserves small diameter human saphenous vein conduits (3 millimeter to 6 millimeter) for use in peripheral vascular reconstructions. The Company also preserves femoral veins and arteries and aortoiliac arteries for bypass, hemodialysis access, or reconstruction within infected surgical areas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company shipped approximately 66,100 human vascular tissues, including approximately 4,500 shipments during 2011.

CryoLife�� product BioGlue, designed for cardiac, vascular, pulmonary, and general surgical applications, is a polymer based on bovine blood protein and an agent for cross-linking proteins. CryoLife distributes BioGlue throughout the United States and approximately 75 other countries. CryoLife distributes BioGlue for repair of soft tissues under conformite Europeene Mark Product Certification (CE Mark). CryoLife distributes BioGlue in Japan for use in the repair of aortic dissections.

CryoLife�� product, BioFoam, is a protein hydr! ogel biom! aterial with an expansion agent, which generates a mixed-cell foam. The foam creates a mechanical barrier to decrease blood flow and develops pores for the blood to enter, leading to cellular aggregation and enhanced hemostasis. CryoLife distributes BioFoam under CE Mark certification.

CryoLife�� product, PerClot, is an absorbable, powdered hemostatic agent used in surgery. PerClot particles have a molecular structure that absorbs water from blood, creating a high concentration of platelets, red blood cells, and coagulation proteins at the bleeding site, which accelerates the physiologic clotting cascade. PerClot is readily dissolved by saline irrigation and is totally absorbed within several days. PerClot is available in one gram, three gram and five gram sizes with a 100 millimeter or 200 millimeter applicator tip. PerClot Laparoscopic is available in one gram and three gram sizes with a 380 millimeter applicator tip.

The Company competes with St. Jude Medical, Inc., Medtronic, Inc., Edwards Life Sciences, Inc., Neovasc, Inc., LifeNet Health, Inc. W.L. Gore & Associates��Propaten, C.R. Bard, Inc., Hancock Jaffe Laboratories, Inc., Maquet, Inc., CorMatrix Cardiovascular, Inc., Baxter International, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Company, Covidien Ltd, NeoMend, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Orthovita, Inc., King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ethicon, Inc., ZymoGenetics, Inc. and Nycomed.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    CryoLife (NYSE: CRY  ) is putting some zip into its shares with a dividend boost. The company has declared a fresh quarterly distribution of $0.0275 per share, to be paid on June 21 to shareholders of record as of June 14. This marks the company's first-ever dividend increase -- the new amount is 10% higher than its three prior (and only) payouts, each of which totaled $0.025.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2014: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF)

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF), incorporated on December 6, 1909, creates, manufactures and supplies flavors and fragrances for the food, beverage, personal care and household products industries. The Company operates in two business segments: Flavors and Fragrances. Its Flavors business includes four categories of products: Savory, Beverages, Sweet, pharmaceutical and oral care (Sweet), and Dairy. Its Fragrances business consists of Fragrance Compounds and Fragrance Ingredients. The Company has 29 manufacturing sites around the world that support more than 36,000 products. Its manufacturing facilities are located in the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore. In January 2014, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. completed the acquisition of Aromor Flavors and Fragrances Ltd.

Flavors

The Company�� Flavors business is regional in nature, with different formulas that reflect local taste and ingredients. It produces flavors, which are used in soups, sauces, condiments, prepared meals, meat and poultry, and potato chips and other savory snacks. The Company creates flavors for juice drinks, carbonated beverages, flavored waters and spirits. The Company creates flavor concepts and heat-stable flavors for bakery products, as well as candy, chewing gum and cereal. For pharmaceutical and oral care products, it produces flavors for products, such as toothpaste and mouthwash and to create flavors that work while masking the active ingredients. The Company offers a range of value-added compounded flavors for all dairy applications, including yogurt, ice cream, cheese, cream and butter flavor. The Company also offers a range of vanilla extracts and a variety of flavor solutions that build on its understanding of vanilla. It is also developing flavor profiles in its CulinEssence program to bring culinary flavors to its customers.

Fragrances

The ! Company within its Beauty Care product line provides its customers products in the hair care, toiletries and skincare categories. The Company has three subcategories of products, in which its fragrances are included Fabric Care, including laundry detergents, fabric softeners and specialty laundry products; Personal Wash, including bar soap and shower gel, and Home Care, including household cleaners, dishwashing detergents and air fresheners. It manufactures fragrance ingredients for internal use by its perfumers in its Fragrances business and for external use by its customers and other third parties, including its competitors. The Company manufactures its ingredients through its global network of production facilities.

The Company competes with Givaudan, Firmenich and Symrise.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE: IFF  ) .

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2014: Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.(PSTI)

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc., a bio-therapeutic company, engages in the research, development, and commercialization of standardized cell therapy products for the treatment of life threatening diseases. The company?s products are derived from human placenta, a non-controversial, non-embryonic, adult cell source. Its Placental adherent stromal cells are grown in the company's proprietary PluriX three-dimensional process that allows cells to grow in a natural environment. The company provides PLX-PAD that has completed Phase I clinical trials for people suffering from peripheral artery disease. It also offers various product candidates for diabetic foot ulcers, adjuvant hip replacement surgery, athletic injuries, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, neuropathic pain, ischemic stroke, adjuvant for UCB transplantation, and radiation exposure. The company was formerly known as Pluristem Life Systems Inc. and changed its name to Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. in November 2007. Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Haifa, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    Traders may not want to get married for the long haul to any of them, but for speculators looking for a quick, profitable hit, Arca Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ABIO), Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:PSTI), and Bacterin International Holdings Inc. (NYSEMKT:BONE) may be better-than-average bets. Here's why.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2014: Diebold Inc (DBD)

Diebold, Incorporated, incorporated in August 1876, is engaged in providing integrated self-service delivery and security systems and services to the financial, commercial, government and retail markets. Sales of systems and equipment are made directly to customers by the Company�� sales personnel, manufacturers��representatives and distributors globally. The sales and support organizations work closely with customers and their consultants to analyze and fulfill the customers��needs. The Company has two lines of business: Self-Service Solutions and Security Solutions. The Company�� segments are consisted of two sales channels: Diebold North America (DNA) and Diebold International (DI). In September 2012, it acquired GAS Tecnologia (GAS).

The DNA segment sells and services financial and retail systems in the United States and Canada. The DI segment sells and services financial and retail systems over the remainder of the globe through wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and independent distributors in countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and in the Asia Pacific region, excluding Japan and Korea.

Self-Service Solutions

The Company offers an integrated line of self-service technologies and services, including comprehensive automated teller machine (ATM) outsourcing, ATM security, deposit and payment terminals and software. The Company is a global supplier of ATMs and related services. The Company offers a range of self-service solutions. Self-service products include a range of ATMs and teller automation, including deposit automation technology, such as check-cashing machines, bulk cash recyclers and bulk check deposit. The Company offers software solutions consisting of multiple applications, which process events and transactions. These solutions are delivered on the appropriate platform. From analysis and consulting to monitoring and repair, the Company provides value and support to its customers every step of the way. ! Services include installation and ongoing maintenance of its products, OpteView remote services, branch transformation and distribution channel consulting. Outsourced and managed services include remote monitoring, troubleshooting for self-service customers, transaction processing, currency management, maintenance services and full support through person to person or online communication.

Security Solutions

The Company provides its customers with the technological advances to protect their assets. The Company provides physical and electronic security systems, as well as facility transaction products, which integrate security, software and assisted-service transactions, providing total security systems solutions to financial, retail, commercial and government markets. The Company provides security solutions and facility products, including in-store bank branches, pneumatic tube systems for drive-up lanes, vaults, safes, depositories, bullet-resistive items and undercounter equipment. The Company provides a range of electronic security products, including digital surveillance, access control systems, biometric technologies, alarms and remote monitoring and diagnostics. The Company provides security monitoring solutions, including fire, managed access control, energy management, remote video management and storage, as well as logical security.

Integrated Solutions

The Company provides end-to-end outsourcing solutions with a single point of contact for customer�� self-service channel. Its solution includes hardware, software, services or a combination of all three components. The Company provides value to its customers by offering a range of integrated services and support. The Company�� service organization provides analysis and planning of new systems, systems integration, architectural engineering, consulting and project management, which encompass all facets of a financial self-service implementation. The Company also provides design, products, ser! vice, ins! tallation, project management and monitoring of electronic security products to financial, government, retail and commercial customers.

Election Systems

The Company is a provider of voting equipment and related products and services in Brazil. The Company provides elections equipment, networking, tabulation and diagnostic software development, training, support and maintenance.

The Company competes with NCR Corporation, Wincor-Nixdorf, Grg Equipment Co., Nautilus Hyosung, Itautec and Perto.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By U.S. News]

    In at least one Texas bank and one Ohio credit union, 3D video banking is currently undergoing testing, according to TheFinancialBrand.com, a website for bank and credit union marketing executives. Three-dimensional video banking is similar to a consumer video conference with a bank representative –- only in this case, the executive looks like a living, breathing person sitting across from you. Thanks to theater surround sound, the representative also sounds as if they're in the same room. And since the consumer is interacting with a real person and not an automated hologram, the experience apparently isn't much different than the real thing. Banking and managing money isn't what it used to be. The 1970s and 1980s brought us the rise of the ATM. Consumers became acquainted with online banking during the 1990s and the first decade of the 2000s. The 2010s are shaping up as the era of mobile banking. That was underscored Sept. 10-11 in New York City when Mitek Systems Inc. (MITK), a San Diego-based technology company, debuted its Mobile Photo Account Opening product at Finovate, a trade show where banking tech products are often unveiled. The product allows consumers to open a bank account within 60 seconds. If you have your bank's app, you can use your smartphone's camera to take a photo of the front and back of your driver's license, and presto, your new checking, savings or credit card account is open. Here's a look at other financial products and services personal financial experts think we'll be using in the future. Within 10 years. "The economic payments system will begin to 'know us,' either through biometrics, optical sensor or facial recognition," says Joshua Siegel, managing principal of StoneCastle Partners, a New York-based asset management firm that invests in banks. That's already happening to some extent with smartphones –- the new Apple (AAPL) iPhone 5S, for example, uses fingerprint scanning to unlock the phone. Meanwhile, some fi

  • [By Mark Morelli]

    How will the potential disruption impact business and affect investors? Should the executives at ATM manufacturers such as Diebold (NYSE: DBD  ) �be worried? Credit�and debit card processors like MasterCard (NYSE: MA  ) and Visa (NYSE: V  ) �are already benefiting from the trend to a cashless society. Could things get even better?

  • [By The Part-time Investor]

    The following stocks met the criteria in January of 2008 and were put into the initial portfolio:

    Abbot Labs (ABT)Advanced data processing (ADP)Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC)Bank of America (BAC)BB&T Corp. (BBT)Bemis Company (BMS)Anheuser Busch (BUD)The Chubb Corporation (CB)Clorox (CLX)Comerica Inc. (CMA)Diebold Inc. (DBD)Emerson Electronics (EMR)First Dollar Corp. (FDO)First Third BanCorp. (FITB)Gannett Co, Inc. (GCI)General Electric (GE)Hershey (HSY)Illinois Tools Works (ITW)Johnson and Johnson (JNJ)Leggett and Platt (LEG)Eli Lilly (LLY)La-Z-Boy (LZB)McDonald's (MCD)Marsh and Ilsley (MI)M&T Bancorp (MTB)PepsiCo (PEP)Pfizer (PFE)Procter & Gamble (PG)Pentair Ltd. (PNR)Regions Financial Corp. (RF)Rohm and Haas (ROH)RPM International (RPM)Sherwin Williams (SHW)Sysco Corp. (SYY)UDR Inc. (UDR)

    Historical quotes were taken from Yahoo Finance. $10,000 was put into each position, to the nearest whole share, so a total of $349,262.89 was invested. From 1/15/08 through 5/16/13 all dividends were reinvested back into the stock that paid them. If a dividend cut was announced, that stock was sold on the ex-div date of the new, lower dividend.

  • [By Asit Sharma]

    Diebold (NYSE: DBD  ) , the transaction and security firm that most of us know for its ATM technology, owns a magnificent, shareholder-friendly streak, having increased its dividend annually for the last 60 years. That's a current record among U.S. equities. The company's dividend also yields an attractive 3.9%.

Top 10 Dow Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2014: Matthews International Corporation(MATW)

Matthews International Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets memorialization products and brand solutions for the cemetery and funeral home industries in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company's Bronze segment offers cast bronze memorials and other memorialization products; and cast and etched architectural products, as well as builds mausoleums. Its Casket segment provides wood and metal caskets; and casket components, such as stamped metal parts, metal locking mechanisms for gasketed metal caskets, adjustable beds, interior panels, and plastic ornamental hardware, as well as provides assortment planning and merchandising, and display products to funeral service businesses. The company's Cremation segment offers cremation equipment; cremation caskets; equipment service and supplies; and cremation urns and memorial products, as well as offers environmental systems; crematory operations and management services; and cremation col umbarium and niche units. Its Graphics Imaging segment provides brand management, pre-press services, printing plates, gravure cylinders, steel bases, embossing tools, special purpose machinery, engineering and print process assistance, print production management, digital asset management, content management, and package design services. The company's Marking Products segment offers a range of marking and coding products and related consumables, and industrial automation products for identifying, tracking, and conveying consumer and industrial products, components, and packaging containers. Its Merchandising Solutions segment provides merchandising displays and systems, such as permanent and temporary displays, custom store fixtures, brand concept shops, interactive kiosks, custom packaging, and screen and digitally printed promotional signage; and offers design and engineering services. The company was founded in 1850 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    The first thing to realize about StoneMor is that arcane and flexible accounting rules make it important to dig beneath its GAAP earnings. Growth throughout the industry has been substantial, as up-and-coming Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV  ) continued to stay on pace for double-digit sales growth as it rapidly expands its reach. Even well-established player Matthews International (NASDAQ: MATW  ) managed to grow revenue by nearly 14% in the quarter that ended in March, although its earnings fell slightly from the year-ago quarter. Still, StoneMor's sales haven't been able to rise as quickly as its peers, with its previous report including just a 6% gain in revenue.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Hot Railroad Companies To Own In Right Now

Canada is being home to one of the hottest transport debates seen in the last decade. Surprisingly enough it is far from legislating over auto pilots, bio fuels or frisking. The focus of Bill C-30, according to the Calgary Herald, is ��ederal legislation aimed at getting more grain moving on the rails.��Canadian Pacific (CP)�� chief operating officer Keith Creel told a House of Commons committee, however, that he had a great concern over the bill�� real effect. Company representatives argue that giving shippers the ability to transfer traffic to alternate railways may indeed slow down the grain supply chain due to increased handlings.

Canadian National (CNI), the other railroad operator, has shown some opposition to the bill, arguing that the root problem lies in grain elevators. The debate comes at a crucial time for the industry, given an extremely harsh winter while having to move a record wheat harvest. Whatever the case, Bill Ackman (Trades, Portfolio) has been dropping Canadian Pacific throughout 2013, giving prospective investors an opportunity to pick it up. But should you?

Top 5 Gas Companies To Own In Right Now: RWE AG (RWE)

RWE AG is a Germany-based electricity and gas company. It diversifies its activities into seven divisions: Germany, which consists of the Power Generation and Sales and Distribution Networks business area; Netherlands/Belgium; Great Britain; The Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe; Renewables; Upstream Gas and Oil, and Trading/Gas Midstream. Under the Netherlands/Belgium division it reports on wholly owned Essent, which provides gas, electricity, heat and energy services. The United Kingdom division represents RWE npower; The Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe division covers its subsidiaries in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Slovakia. The Renewables division comprises all of the activities of RWE Innogy, which specializes in electricity and heat generation from renewables. The Upstream Gas & Oil division produces gas and oil through RWE Dea. The Trading/Gas Midstream division encompasses energy trading, gas midstream activities, and sales to German clients. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jonathan Morgan]

    RWE AG (RWE), Germany�� second-largest utility, slipped 2.4 percent after RBC Capital Markets cut its recommendation on the stock. Lufthansa followed its European peers higher, recovering some of its Aug. 2 selloff. Xing AG (O1BC), the business social network, jumped the most since October as Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) upgraded its rating on the shares.

  • [By Jonathan Morgan]

    RWE AG (RWE) jumped 6.4 percent, leading a gauge of utilities higher. Deutz AG (DEZ) plunged the most in more than two years after an investor sold a 8.4 percent stake in the manufacturer of diesel engines. ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG (PSM) dropped 1.1 percent after Telegraaf Media Groep NV sold its stake in the company.

Hot Railroad Companies To Own In Right Now: National Western Life Insurance Company(NWLI)

National Western Life Insurance Company provides life insurance products for the savings and protection needs of policyholders and annuity contracts for the asset accumulation and retirement needs of contract holders. Its life products include universal life insurance and interest-sensitive whole life, as well as traditional products, such as term insurance coverage; and annuity products comprise flexible premium and single premium deferred annuities, fixed indexed annuities, and single premium immediate annuities. The company markets and distributes its insurance products primarily through independent national marketing organizations to residents of various countries in central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Rim, eastern Europe, and Asia. It also engages in small real estate, nursing home, and other investment operations. The company was founded in 1956 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By David Merkel]

    The two stocks in question are Stancorp Financial (SFG) and National Western Life Insurance (NWLI). The short cases for both are based on a naive view of how insurance companies work.

  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, life insurance company National Western Life Insurance Company (NASDAQ: NWLI  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

Hot Railroad Companies To Own In Right Now: Retail Opportunity Investments Corp.(ROIC)

Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., a real estate investment trust (REIT), engages in the acquisition, ownership, and management of necessity-based community and neighborhood shopping centers in the eastern and western regions of the United States. As of December 31, 2011, its portfolio consisted of 30 owned retail properties totaling approximately 3.2 million square feet of gross leasable area. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The company is based in White Plains, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chandan Dubey]

    A better measure of performance is the return on invested capital (RoIC) and Return on Assets (RoA). These are leverage neutral in the sense that it looks at returns on all the assets which the bank is employing to achieve the return. Higher the RoIC/RoA, better the management is performing. Obviously, it is not as clear-cut as this but coupled with conservative lending practices, good liquidity and manageable leverage, we have a recipe for side-stepping bad management and a crappy bank.

  • [By Holly LaFon]

    Our disciplined, risk-averse approach has often left us looking up at benchmarks during dynamic bull markets. In a more historically typical market cycle, 2013�� results would have given us less to explain or complain about. But these calendar-year results came after several portfolios underperformed their benchmarks in 2012 and 2011. The last three years, then, have left us increasingly frustrated, even as the reasons behind these underperformances are clear. Small-cap companies with high returns on invested capital (ROIC) and low-debt balance sheets have, as a group, underperformed their more leveraged counterparts. In addition, more economically sensitive cyclical sectors, including Energy, Industrials, Materials, and Information Technology��ave trailed more defensive areas (such as Utilities) and less conservatively capitalized, higher-yielding vehicles (e.g., REITs and MLPs) where we have little if any exposure. Over the last several years, we have found many of what we think are highly attractive opportunities in cyclical sectors and/or in companies with strong balance sheets and high ROIC. Most have had only limited participation in the rally that began in March 2009. There have also been industries, such as precious metals & mining, that did very well in the initial phase of the recovery following the Financial Crisis before they began to correct sharply in 2011 and are yet to recover. So while nearly all sectors and industries across all asset classes did well in 2013, companies with many of the qualities that we look for have not yet led for long. Our approach leads us to conservatively capitalized companies with high ROIC and strong cash flow characteristics, among other attributes. Investors have still not gravitated to these kinds of companies in comparatively large numbers. However, it�� worth mentioning that many quality small-cap companies did very well on an absolute basis in 2013, particularly in the year�� last eight months.

Hot Railroad Companies To Own In Right Now: Petrodorado Energy Ltd (PDQ)

Petrodorado Energy Ltd. (Petrodorado), formerly Cap-Link Ventures Ltd., is engaged in petroleum and natural gas exploration and development activities in Colombia, Peru and Paraguay. The Company�� oil and gas interests are in the pre-production stage other than for two blocks in Colombia. As of December 31, 2010, Petrodorado�� oil and gas assets produced net 15,922 barrels of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). As of December 31, 2010, it had participation in nine oil and gas blocks. In Columbia, the Company had Moriche Block, CPO-5 Block, Buganviles Block, La Maye Block, Talora Block and Tacacho Block. In Peru, its block included Block 135 and Block 138. In Paraguay, Petrodorado had Pirity Block. On October 27, 2010, it acquired all outstanding interest of PetroSouth Energy Corporation. In February 2010, Petrodorado, completed its acquisition of a 55% interest of the Talora Block. In February 2010, it closed the purchase of Holywell Resources S.A. (Holywell). Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ning Jia]

    The average size of its stores is 7,300 square feet with the size of its stores ranging from approximately 6,000 to 8,000 square feet. Its stores carry a product offering of approximately 19,000 stock keeping units (SKUs), generally consisting of a custom mix of product based on the stores' respective market. Its stores also have access to an additional assortment of 115,000 SKUs for same-day or next-day delivery from one of its 339 HUB stores or its network of 22 Parts Delivered Quickly (PDQ), facilities. Additionally, its customers have access to over 483,000 SKUs by ordering directly from one of its vendors for delivery to a particular store or other destination as chosen by the customer.

Hot Railroad Companies To Own In Right Now: Goldcorp Incorporated(GG)

Goldcorp Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of precious metal properties in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. It produces and sells gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. The company was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Doug Ehrman]

    The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released weekly data on the condition of the U.S. labor market that showed the unemployment picture is better than expected. This parallels a recent rally in gold prices that has been driven by demand for physical gold. The rally represents a potential structural shift in the gold market, explaining why miners like Goldcorp (NYSE: GG  ) , Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) , and Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM  ) �outperformed the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) for the week after the two-day plunge in gold prices (see chart below) and roughly in line since that same plunge.

  • [By idahansen]

    Due to a breakdown in budget talks in Washington, DC, the exchange traded funds for gold, SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD), and silver, iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV), both rose. That has certainly not been the trend, however. For 2013, SPDR Gold Shares is off by more than 20%. Over the same period, iShares Silver Trust has dropped by around 30%. It is the same story with major gold companies such as Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) and Goldcorp (NYSE: GG).

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Shares of Barrick Gold have dropped 1.6% to $19, among the biggest losers in the gold mining sector. Goldcorp (GG) has dropped 0.2% to $24.01, Newmont Mining (NEM) is off 1% at $24.93 and the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) fallen 0.5% to $23.61.

  • [By GURUFOCUS]

    Goldcorp Inc. (GG) engages in the acquisition, development, exploration, and operation of precious metal properties in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. Yield: 2.5%

Hot Railroad Companies To Own In Right Now: Syntel Inc.(SYNT)

Syntel, Inc. provides information technology (IT) and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) services worldwide. It operates in four segments: Applications Outsourcing, KPO, e-Business, and TeamSourcing. The Applications Outsourcing segment provides software applications development, maintenance, testing, migration, and infrastructure services. The KPO segment offers a host of outsourced solutions for knowledge and business processes. It focuses on middle and back-office business processes of the transaction cycle in the capital markets, banking, healthcare, and insurance industries. The e-Business segment provides technology services in the areas of architecting, implementing, and maintaining Web solutions, data warehousing/business intelligence, enterprise application integration, business process management, and enterprise resource planning solutions. The TeamSourcing segment offers professional IT consulting services directly to customers on a staff augmentation basis. It s services include systems specification, design, development, implementation, and maintenance of complex IT applications involving computer hardware, software, data, and networking technologies and practices. Syntel, Inc. provides services to a range of companies primarily in the financial services, healthcare and life sciences, insurance, manufacturing, automotive, retail, logistics, and telecom industries. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Troy, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Brian Pacampara]

    Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, IT services specialist Syntel (NASDAQ: SYNT  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

Hot Railroad Companies To Own In Right Now: Cummins Inc.(CMI)

Cummins Inc. designs, manufactures, distributes, and services diesel and natural gas engines, electric power generation systems, and engine-related component products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Engine, Power Generation, Components, and Distribution. The Engine segment offers a range of diesel and natural gas powered engines under the Cummins and other customer brand names for the heavy-and medium-duty truck, bus, recreational vehicle, light-duty automotive, agricultural, construction, mining, marine, oil and gas, rail, and governmental equipment markets. This segment also provides new parts and service, as well as remanufactured parts and engines. The Power Generation segment offers power generation systems, components, and services, including diesel, natural gas, gasoline, and alternative-fuel electrical generator sets for use in recreational vehicles, commercial vehicles, recreational marine applications, and home stand-by or residential applications. This segment also provides components that make up power generation systems, such as engines, controls, alternators, transfer switches, and switchgears. The Components segment supplies filtration products, turbochargers, aftertreatment systems, intake and exhaust systems, and fuel systems for commercial diesel applications. This segment offers filtration and exhaust systems for on-and off-highway heavy-duty and mid-range equipment, as well as supplies filtration products for industrial and passenger car applications. This segment also develops after treatment and exhaust systems to help customers meet emissions standards and fuel systems. The Distribution segment provides parts and services, as well as service solutions, including maintenance contracts, engineering services, and integrated products. The company sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and other customers. Cummins Inc. was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Columbus, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Navistar has been under pressure for a long time. Not only did the SEC have to investigate the company last year over alleged poor disclosure of its weak financial condition, but Navistar had to resort to making a deal with rival Cummins (NYSE: CMI  ) in order to obtain engine technology that would allow it to comply with EPA emissions standards. With new regulations coming in future years, Navistar faces the ongoing challenge of keeping up with higher standards.

  • [By John Kell]

    Cummins Inc.(CMI) said its fourth-quarter earnings rose 17%, as the supplier of engines for heavy-duty trucks reported revenue growth in its components and engine segments divisions. Sales beat expectations, but the bottom line missed.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Hot Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now

Specialty chemicals producer�Westlake Chemical� (NYSE: WLK  ) �has acquired�the PVC pipe, fittings, profiles, and foundation business of CertainTeed now that�all the closing conditions, including a regulatory review, have been met.

Earlier this year Westlake agreed to pay $175 million in cash, including $22 million of working capital and closing adjustments, to buy the pipe and foundation group business of�CertainTeed, a subsidiary of French building materials specialist�Compagnie de Saint-Gobain. The purchase was seen as�enhancing Westlake's North American pipe and building products division, which does business as North American Pipe Corp.,�by adding specialty product lines, and supporting technology that it didn't currently possess.

Wetlake Chemical President and CEO�Albert Chao said:

This acquisition enhances our North American Pipe and building products portfolio by adding specialty product lines and supporting technology that we do not currently have. These new products, technologies, and a broader market reach will increase our ability to service our customers' needs and further differentiate the value of our vinyls integration strategy.

Top Canadian Stocks To Invest In 2015: Cadence Design Systems Inc (CDS)

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Cadence) develops electronic design automation (EDA), software, hardware, and silicon intellectual property (IP). Cadence licenses software and IP, sells or leases hardware technology and provides engineering and education services worldwide to help manage and accelerate electronics product development processes. The Company�� customers use its products and services to design and develop complex integrated circuits (ICs) and electronics systems. The Company combines its products and technologies into platforms for four design activities: Functional Verification; Digital IC Design and Implementation; Custom IC Design and Verification, and System Interconnect Design. It sells software using three license types: subscription, term and perpetual. It also offers a number of fee-based services, including engineering and education services. In June 2010, Cadence acquired Denali Software, Inc. (Denali). In May 2011, it acquired Altos Design Automation, Inc. On July 11, 2011, the Company acquired Azuro, Inc. In July 2012, the Company acquired Sigrity, Inc. In April 2013, Cadence Design Systems Inc announced the acquisition of Tensilica, Inc. In May 2013, the Company acquired Cosmic Circuits Pvt Ltd. In June 2013, Cadence Design Systems Inc announced that it has completed the acquisition of the IP business of Poland-based Evatronix, SA SKA. In February 2014, Cadence Design Systems Inc completed the acquisition of Forte Design Systems.

The four Cadence design platforms are branded as Incisive functional verification, Encounter digital IC design, Virtuoso custom design and Allegro system interconnect design. In addition, the Company augments these platform product offerings with a set of design for manufacturing (DFM), products that service both the digital and custom IC design flows. These solutions and their constituent elements are marketed to users who specialize in areas, such as system design and verification, functional verification, logic design, digital imple! mentation, custom IC design and printed circuit board (PCB), and IC package / SiP design.

Functional Verification

Cadence�� functional verification offerings consist of two categories: Logic Verification and System Design and Verification. Logic Verification offering consists of planning, property checking, testbench simulation, verification IP, and environment capabilities within the Incisive functional verification platform. This offering enables the Company�� customers to employ enterprise-level verification process automation, including metric-driven verification planning, process tracking and management. System Design and Verification offerings consist of hardware-assisted verification with emulation and acceleration, including the verification computing platform Palladium XP, Palladium and Xtreme platforms, system-level design capabilities, verification IP, estimation of system-on-chip (SoC), consulting services, and methodologies. The QuickCycles program allows customers access to its simulation acceleration and emulation products, either on their secure Internet site or remotely over a secure network connection. The products obtained through the acquisition of Denali include verification IP, memory models, and design IP.

Digital IC Design and Implementation

Cadence�� Digital IC offerings are used by its customers to create logical representations of a digital circuit or IC. The Company�� Digital IC offerings include two categories: Logic Design and Physical Implementation. Logic Design offering consists of formal verification, equivalency checking, synthesis and test capabilities within the Encounter digital IC design platform and property checking, simulation, and environment capabilities within the Incisive functional verification platform. This offering provides chip planning, design, verification and test technologies and services to customers across all digital design end markets. Physical Implementation offering consists of a ra! nge of th! e Encounter digital IC design platform capabilities. The Physical Implementation offering includes timing analysis, signal integrity, power analysis, extraction, physical verification, and place and route capabilities within the Encounter digital IC design platform. It enables the customers to create a physical representation of logic models, analyze electrical and physical characteristics of a design and prepare a design for manufacturing.

Custom IC Design and Verification

Cadence�� Custom IC Design and Verification offerings are used by its customers to create schematic representations of circuits down to the transistor level for analog, mixed-signal, custom digital, memory and radio frequency (RF) designs. These logical representations are verified using simulation tools optimized for each type of design. The offering includes the environment, IC layout and simulation capabilities within the Virtuoso custom design platform. Other tools in the Custom IC portfolio are used to prepare the designs for manufacturing.

System Interconnect Design

Cadence�� System Interconnect Design offerings are used by its customers to develop printed circuit board (PCBs), and IC packages. The offerings include the capabilities within the Allegro system interconnect design platform: PCB, IC package, SiP, design management and collaboration. The Company�� offerings also include the simulation capability within the Virtuoso custom design platform. These offerings enable engineers who are responsible for the capture, layout and analysis of advanced PCB and IC packages to design electronic products across the domains of IC, IC package and PCB. For PCB customers, the Company provides the OrCAD family of offerings that is marketed worldwide through a network of resellers.

The Company competes with Synopsys, Inc., Mentor Graphics Corporation and Magma Design Automation, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jim Jubak]

    The price of Credit-Default Swaps (CDS) used to insure US government debt against the possibility of default climbed to 35.5 basis points Wednesday. That was the highest level in six months, and up from 32 basis points on Friday, September 27. But that level is still well below the 62 basis points it cost to insure US government debt against default at the time of last debt ceiling battle, in the summer of 2011. That was the highest level since the global financial crisis. (What this means is that an investor would pay 62,000 euros a year to insure 10 million euros of US Treasuries against a default in the next five years. The contract is denominated in euros to offset the impact of a default on the US dollar.) This insurance is getting more popular too, with these CDS contracts ranking as the fifteenth most traded of the contracts tracked by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. in the week through Sept. 27. That's up from a rank of 147th for the previous week.

Hot Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Family Dollar Stores Inc.(FDO)

Family Dollar Stores, Inc. operates a chain of self-service retail discount stores primarily for low and middle income consumers in the United States. The company offers consumables, including household chemicals, paper products, candy and snack products, health and beauty aids, hardware and automotive supplies, and pet food products and supplies; and home products, which comprise domestics, housewares, giftware products, and home decor products. It also provides apparel products and accessories consisting of men?s and women?s clothing products, boys? and girls? clothing products, infants? clothing products, shoes, and fashion accessories; and seasonal products and electronics, such as toys, stationery and school supplies, seasonal goods, and personal electronics. As of August 11, 2011, the company operated approximately 7,000 stores in rural and urban settings across 44 states. Family Dollar Stores, Inc. was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Matthews, North Carolina .

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Maxfield]

    If you're anything like me, two things went through your head when you saw this. First, you regret that you missed out on the investment opportunity. Since the end of 2009, shares in all three of these companies, led by Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR  ) , have simply trounced the broader market. Even the worst performer of the bunch, Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO  ) , beat it by nearly a factor of two.

  • [By Suravi Thacker]

    It is not necessary that all dollar stores or similar small box retailers will survive in an environment where consumers are largely cost conscious. Some would fare well while others might sink. Typical examples of such companies are Dollar General (DG) and Family Dollar Stores (FDO). Dollar General has been great soldier whereas Family Dollar continues to flop.

  • [By Roland Head]

    In corporate news, Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO  ) reported third-quarter earnings of $1.05, beating analyst expectations of $1.05. Same-store sales rose 2.9% last quarter, and the company expects same-store sales to rise another 2% in the current quarter. Family Dollar's profit margin shrank slightly as customers shifted toward lower-margin everyday staples. Shares in Family Dollar are up 2.4% in premarket trading.

  • [By Sean Williams]

    We certainly saw some tailcoat-riding in the discount retail sector, with Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO  ) and Dollar General (NYSE: DG  ) leading the way with gains of 7.1% and 5.8%, respectively. The story here relates to Family Dollar's better-than-expected third-quarter results, which delivered a 9% increase in revenue to $2.57 billion and $1.05 in EPS, $0.03 more than the Street expected. More impressively, gross margin rose 560 basis points, with its consumables segment sales up nearly 15%. Family Dollar also tightened its fourth-quarter EPS guidance a bit, to a range of $0.82-$0.87 from $0.85-$0.95, and in line with the Street's expectation of $0.85.

Hot Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Glu Mobile Inc.(GLUU)

Glu Mobile Inc. designs, markets, and sells mobile games worldwide. It develops original games based on its intellectual property comprising Big Time Gangsta?, Blood & Glory, Bug Village, Contract Killer, Contract Killer: Zombies, Eternity Warriors, Frontline Commando, Gun Bros, Men vs. Machines, Stardom: The A-List, Super K.O. Boxing and Toyshop Adventures. The company also develops games based on licensed intellectual property consisting of Build-a-lot, Call of Duty, Deer Hunter, DJ Hero, Guitar Hero, Family Feud, Family Guy, Lord of the Rings, Paperboy, The Price Is Right, Transformers, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and World Series of Poker. It offers a portfolio of action/adventure and casual games to smartphones and tablet devices users through direct-to-consumer digital storefronts, as well as to feature phone users served by wireless carriers and other distributors. The company was formerly known as Sorrent, Inc. and changed its name to Glu Mobile Inc. in May 20 05. Glu Mobile Inc. was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Stone Fox Capital]

    After ten days of strong downloads for a new hit game followed up by strong stock gains, Glu Mobile (GLUU) must prove that its monetization platform actually works. Its successful Deer Hunter franchise released the latest version on September 18. Deer Hunter 2014 quickly jumped to the top of domestic iPhone download charts and reached the top ten grossing iPhone games in the U.S. and set company records for global revenues from a single game.

Hot Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: F5 Networks Inc.(FFIV)

F5 Networks, Inc. provides application delivery networking technology that optimizes the delivery of network-based applications, and the security, performance, and availability of servers, data storage devices, and other network resources in the Americas, EMEA, Japan, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers BIG-IP, an application delivery controller; VIPRION, a chassis-based application delivery controller; and FirePass, an appliance that provides SSL VPN access for remote users of Internet protocol networks, and applications connected to the networks from Web browser on any device. It also offers Application Security Manager, an application firewall; WebAccelerator that speeds Web transactions by optimizing individual network object requests, connections, and end-to-end transactions from browser to databases; WAN Optimization Manager, which integrates application delivery with WAN optimization technologies; Access Policy Manager that provides secure, granular, and contex t-aware control of access to applications; Edge Gateway, a remote access product, which offers context-aware, policy controlled, and remote access to applications at LAN speed; Enterprise Manager that allows customers to discover and view company?s products in a single window; and ARX product family, a series of high performance and enterprise-class intelligent file virtualization devices. In addition, F5 Networks provides Data Manager, a software product, which interfaces with file storage devices; iControl, an application programming interface that allows customers to control their products in the network; iRules, a programming language embedded in TMOS architecture; and consulting, training, maintenance, and other technical support services. The company sells its products to enterprise customers and service providers through various channels, including distributors, value-added resellers, and systems integrators. F5 Networks, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    F5 Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman Sachs.

    Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a $46 price target at Goldman Sachs.

  • [By Evan Niu, CFA]

    Shares of networking giant Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO  ) are particularly weak today, having lost as much as 5% today and lagging the broader market. The reason for the pessimism is that networking peer F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV  ) announced preliminary figures last night that left a lot to be desired and have negative implications for the broader sector.

Hot Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Intergrative Stem Cell Holdings Inc (YFRM)

Intergrative Stem Cell Holdings Inc., formerly YaFarm Technologies, Inc., incorporated on June 16, 2006, is a Web development and Web hosting company. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, YaFarm Group, LLC, offers a range of business-class Website development and Web hosting products and services for small and medium-sized businesses. The Company offers Web solutions for small- and medium- sized companies, including Web development, Web hosting, Web maintenance and business image consulting services.

The Company offers Web solution packages to small and medium-sized businesses, which includes Bronze Small Business Package, Silver Medium-Sized Business Package and Gold E-Commerce Package. The Company did not generate any revenues.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    What�� the Catch With Caribbean International Holdings? According to various disclosures, transactions of $1.5k, $2k, $3k, $3.5k, $4k, $7k, $15k and $16k have or will occur to mention Caribbean International Holdings in various investment newsletters. At the beginning of last week, Caribbean International Holdings announced that it was in the final stages of construction of a new Winghouse and Entertainment Center facility on the strip in Sosua, Dominican Republic, that feature its signature wings complemented by a variety of sauce and spice choices plus a mechanical bull. Caribbean International Holdings also recently announced it will offer Winghouse restaurant franchises (for 25,000 dollars plus a percentage of gross revenues) throughout the Caribbean as well as Central and South America. Winghouse restaurants offer 18 flavor choices with four varieties of spicy heat in a country setting with mechanical bulls as the centerpiece. Finally and last May, Caribbean International Holdings announced that ��fter three months of silence,��the merger documents between YaFarm Technologies, Inc (OTCMKTS: YFRM) and the Integrated Stem Cell Institute in Cancun, Mexico, have been signed and that CIHN now has a 12.5% stake in a company that�� been a favorite of stock promoters. However, the most updated financials that I see for Caribbean International Holdings date from June of last year on Yahoo! Finance ��and A LOT can happen within a year��

Hot Building Product Companies To Invest In Right Now: Yelp Inc (YELP)

Yelp Inc., incorporated on September 03, 2004, connects people with great local businesses. Its users have contributed a total of approximately 36.0 million cumulative reviews of almost every type of local business, from restaurants, boutiques and salons to dentists, mechanics and plumbers. Its platform provides local businesses with a range of free and paid services, which help them to engage with consumers at moment when they are deciding where to spend their money. The Company generates revenue from local advertising, brand advertising and other services. As of December 31, 2012, the Company was active in 53 Yelp markets in the United States and 44 Yelp markets internationally. Effective July 18, 2013, Yelp Inc acquired SeatMe Inc, which is a developer of restaurant and nightlife categories reservation applications.

Local Business

The Company enables businesses to create a free online business account and claim the page for each of their business locations. Business representatives can verify their affiliation with the business through an automated telephone verification process, which requires that they be reachable at the phone number, which is publicly displayed for their business listing on its platform. With their free business accounts, businesses can view business trends, message customers, update information and offer Yelp Deals. Its listing solution eliminates search advertising from the businesses��profile pages and allows them to incorporate a video clip or photo slide show on the pages. It allows local businesses to promote themselves as a sponsored search result on its platform or on related business pages.

The Company�� Yelp Deals product allows local business owners to create promotional discounted deals for their products and services, which are marketed to consumers through its platform. Yelp Deals have a fee structure based solely on transaction volume with no upfront costs, and it earns a fee based on the discounted price of each deal so! ld. It processes all customer payments and remits to the business the revenue share of any Yelp Deal purchased. It offers both e-mail deals, which are focused on demand generation and deals on its platform that are focused on demand fulfillment where businesses can target intent-driven consumers who are specifically searching for a product or service on its platform.

The Company�� Gift Certificates product allows local business owners to sell full price gift certificates directly to customers through their business profile page. The business chooses the price points to offer, and the buyer may purchase a Gift Certificate in one of those amounts. The Company earns a fee based on the amount of the Gift Certificate sold. The Company processes all consumer payments and remit to the business the revenue share of any Gift Certificate purchased.

National/Brand Advertisers

The Company offers its advertising solution for national brands that want to improve their local presence. These solutions consist of search and display ads (both graphic and text) on its Website, which are typically sold to advertisers on a per-impression basis. Its national advertisers include brands in the automobile, financial services, logistics, consumer goods and health and fitness industries.

Transaction Partners

The Company�� partnership, through a written agreement, with OpenTable provides consumers the ability to reserve seats directly on the business listing pages of restaurants, which participate in OpenTable�� network. Its partnership, through a written agreement, with Orbitz allows consumers to book rooms directly on the business listing pages of hotels, which affiliate with Orbitz.

The Company competes with Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Patrick deHahn]

    The same goes for Yelp Inc (YELP), a local business reviewing social site that could also suffer if nervous consumers are less willing to search for restaurants and local merchants.

  • [By Michael Cintolo]

    Yelp (YELP)

    Institutional investors (who need months to build and unload large positions in stocks) yearn for firms that are growing rapidly, but also have a high degree of predictability in that growth. We feel Yelp is one of those.

  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images A growing number of merchants and customers are finding reasons to complain about Yelp (YELP), but its fan base is apparently growing even faster. The local rating review site operator posted another blowout quarterly report on Wednesday night. Net revenue soared 66 percent to $76.4 million, just ahead of the $75.1 million that analysts were expecting. Yelp's still losing money, but its quarterly deficit was cut in half to 4 cents a share. Wall Street was expecting more red ink, and that's a good thing. This is only the second time over the past five quarters that Yelp has bested analyst bottom-line targets. Yelp's rocking, despite the criticism over its alleged business practices. Success Attracts Enemies But it's critics didn't take a break to let Yelp enjoy those upbeat numbers. Just an hour after it reported quarterly results -- while it was halfway through its conference call, in fact -- a San Diego law firm issued a press release of its own. Johnson & Weaver, which calls itself a shareholder rights specialist, is launching an investigation into Yelp's practices. The goal is to verify if Yelp is requiring business customers to pay in order to suppress negative reviews. The accusation isn't new, stemming from a recent Federal Trade Commission revelation that it has received more than 2,000 complaints from merchants. The gripes suggest that companies' refusal to become premium Yelp businesses accounts resulted in the site featuring negative reviews about them. This isn't the first class action lawsuit trying to strike back at Yelp. A pair of suits tried to get off the ground a few weeks earlier. Yelp denies the allegations, though it doesn't dispute that its premium members get a leg up on the competition. That's the nature of advertising. Companies bid for top slots on the leading search engines, so why can't a free review site let local businesses pay for better exposure? Visitors and merchants continue to f

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Watch Right Now

With shares of Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) trading around $83, is CAT an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Caterpillar�is a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. It operates in two segments: Machinery and Power Systems, and Financial Products. Infrastructure investment is increasing around the world, in particular, in developing countries. A global supplier of industrial equipment, like Caterpillar, is poised to see rising profits from this trend. As long as countries continue to grow and develop, Caterpillar will provide the tools essential to create this progress.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Weak

Caterpillar stock has struggled to make significant progress in recent years and has been very volatile. The stock is now trading towards the bottom of a price range extending back to early 2011 which also coincides with key breakout prices that may now act as support. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Caterpillar is trading below its key averages which signal neutral to bearish price action in the near-term.

Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: Bouygues SA (BOUYF.PK)

Bouygues SA is a France-based group that operates in two sectors: Telecommunications and Media, and Construction. The Construction division comprises three core subsidiaries: Bouygues Construction, specializing in building and public works activities, notably in the areas of electrical engineering, and facility maintenance; Bouygues Immobilier, a property development company, whose activities include the development of residential, corporate and commercial properties, and the execution of urban development schemes, and Colas, engaged in the construction and maintenance of transport, urban development and leisure infrastructure. The Telecommunications and Media division of the Group comprises two companies: TF1, specializing in audiovisual and cinema production, the acquisition and sale of audiovisual rights, and the publishing and distribution of compact discs, among others, and Bouygues Telecom, which offers mobile telephone and broadband Internet services. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Mike Arnold]

    I normally don't look at charts much, but comparing Orange to its competitors in the French telecommunications market is quite fascinating. As one can see, incumbents Bouygues (BOUYF.PK) and Vivendi (VIVHY.PK) (owner of SFR) saw similar price declines. The market, on the other hand, rapidly bid up the price of new entrant Iliad SA (ILIAF.PK), as a result of forecasts for Iliad to capture significant mobile market share (which it did, around 10%). The wide divergence in price relative to changes in underlying value favor going long the incumbents, including Orange. Because this time it's different.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Watch Right Now: AECOM Technology Corp (ACM)

AECOM Technology Corporation (AECOM) is a provider of professional technical and management support services for commercial and government clients around the world. The Company provides planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, and program and construction management services for a range of projects, including highways, airports, bridges, mass transit systems, government and commercial buildings, water and wastewater facilities, and power transmission and distribution. It also provides program and facilities management and maintenance, training, logistics and other support services, for agencies of the United States government. It offers services in two segments: Professional Technical Services and Management Support Services. In June 2011, the Company acquired Spectral Services Consultants Pte. Ltd.

Professional Technical Services (PTS)

The PTS segment delivers planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, and program and construction management services to commercial and government clients worldwide in end markets, such as transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government markets. It provides program management services through a joint venture for the Second Avenue subway line in New York City, design and contract administration services for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge's Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities and engineering and environmental management services to support global energy infrastructure development for a number of petroleum and mining companies.

PTS segment contributed 86% of the Company�� revenue during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011).

Transit and rail projects include light rail, heavy rail (including high speed, commuter and freight) and multimodal transit projects. The Company provided engineering design services for the new World Trade Center Terminal for PATH and the Second Avenue Subway (8.5-mile rail route and 16 stations) in New York City, the Ma O! n Shan Rail (seven-mile elevated railway) in Hong Kong, and Crossrail (74-mile railway) in the United Kingdom. Marine, Ports and Harbors Projects include wharf facilities and container port facilities for private and public port operators. The Company provided marine design and engineering services for container facilities in Hong Kong, the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York and New Jersey. Highways, Bridges and Tunnels Projects include interstate, primary and secondary urban and rural highway systems and bridge projects. Aviation Projects include landside terminal and airside facilities and runways as well as taxiways.

Government Projects include the Company�� emergency response services for the Department of Homeland Security, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and engineering and program management services for agencies of the Department of Defense. It also provides architectural and engineering services for national laboratories, including the laboratories at Hanford, Washington and Los Alamos, New Mexico. Industrial Projects include industrial facilities for a variety of end markets, including manufacturing, distribution, aviation, aerospace, communications, media, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, chemical, and food and beverage facilities. Urban Master Planning/Design Projects include design services, landscape architecture, general policy consulting and environmental planning projects for a variety of government, institutional and private sector clients. It provides strategic planning and master planning services for new cities and mixed use developments in the People�� republic of China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Commercial and Leisure Facilities Projects include corporate headquarters, high-rise office towers, historic buildings, hotels, leisure, sports and entertainment facilities, hospitals and healthcare facilities and corporate campuses. Institutional Projects include engin! eering se! rvices for college and university campuses, including the new Kennedy-King College in Chicago, Illinois. It has also undertaken assignments for Oxford University in the United Kingdom, Pomona College and Loyola Marymount University in California. Healthcare Projects include design services for the Mayo Clinic Gonda Building in Rochester, Minnesota, University Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City and the Samsung Cancer Center in Seoul, Korea. It has also undertaken assignments for the new Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Orlando, Florida, and the Minneapolis campus of Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Correctional Projects include the planning, design, and construction of detention and correction facilities throughout the world.

Water and Wastewater Projects include treatment facilities as well as supply, distribution and collection systems, stormwater management, desalinization, and other water re-use technologies for metropolitan governments. Environmental Management Projects include remediation, waste handling, testing and monitoring of environmental conditions and environmental construction management for private sector clients. Water Resources Projects include regional-scale floodplain mapping and analysis for public agencies, along with the analysis and development of protected groundwater resources for companies in the bottled water industry.

Demand Side Management Projects include energy efficient systems for public K-12 schools and universities, health care facilities, and courthouses and other public buildings, as well as energy conservation systems for utilities. Transmission and Distribution Projects include power stations and electric transmissions and distribution and co-generation systems, including enhanced electrical power generation in Stung Treng, Cambodia. These projects utilize a range of services that include consulting, forecasting and surveying to detailed engineering design and construction management. Alternative/Renewable Energy Projects ! include p! roduction facilities, such as ethanol plants, wind farms and micro hydropower and geothermal subsections of regional power grids. It provides site selection and permitting, engineering, procurement and construction management and related services. Hydropower/Dams Projects include hydroelectric power stations, dams, spillways, and flood control systems including the Song Ba Ha Hydropower Project in Vietnam, the Pine Brook Dam in Boulder County, Colorado and the Peribonka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Quebec, Canada. Solar Projects include performing environmental work for the solar photovoltaic Brockton Brightfield project in New England, and environmental permitting services for the California Energy Commission to permit the development of a 250 mega watts (MW) solar thermal power plant in the Mojave Desert of California.

Management Support Services (MSS).

The MSS segment provides program and facilities management and maintenance, training, logistics, consulting, technical assistance and systems integration services, for agencies of the United States government. It also provides organizational and limited direct support services for equipment sent to the United States Army's Corpus Christi Depot in Texas. The MSS segment contributed 14% of the Company�� fiscal 2011 revenue.

Installation, Operations and Maintenance Projects include Department of Defense and Department of Energy installations where the Company provides services for the operation and maintenance of complex government installations, including military bases, test ranges and equipment. It also provides services for the operations and maintenance of the Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site. Logistics and Field Services Projects include logistics support services for a number of Department of Defense agencies and defense contractors focused on developing and managing integrated supply and distribution networks. Training Projects include training applications in live, virtual and simulation training! environm! ents. Systems Support Projects cover a set of operational and support systems for the maintenance, operation and modernization of Department of Defense and Department of Energy installations. Its services in this area range from information technology and communications to life cycle optimization and engineering, including environmental management services.

Technical Personnel Placement Projects include the placement of personnel in functional areas of military and other government agencies, as these entities continue to outsource critical services to commercial entities. It provides systems, processes and personnel in support of the Department of Justice's management of forfeited assets recovered by law enforcement agencies. It also supports the Department of State in its enforcement programs by recruiting, training and supporting police officers for international and homeland security missions. Field Services Projects include maintaining, modifying and overhauling ground vehicles, armored carriers and associated support equipment both within and outside of the United States under contracts with the Department of Defense. It also maintains and repairs telecommunications systems for military and civilian entities.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Aecom Technology Corp.(ACM) swung to a fiscal fourth-quarter profit despite continued weakness in the technical and management-support services provider’s Americas and Australia markets. The company forecast per-share earnings for the recently started new fiscal year that were below Street estimates.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    The U.S. Department of Defense announced the award of 10 separate contracts Thursday, worth a bit over $340 million in aggregate value. Boeing and Raytheon claimed about one third of the money on offer, apiece. As for other companies participating in Pentagon funding, these included the following:

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Watch Right Now: Walter Bau AG (WTB)

Walter Bau AG is an international construction group based in Augsburg, southern Germany. The Company's core construction-related services are planning, financing, project development and facilities management. It is active in the fields of turnkey construction, civil engineering, international construction and transportation infrastructure. Its subsidiary, DYWIDAG-Systems International markets the Company's products and systems worldwide, particularly in the field of post-tensioning and geotechnics, as well as special civil engineering processes. Walter Bau also provides operation and financing solutions, as well as developing commercial and residential real estate projects. Facilities Management is offered by DYWIDAG Service GmbH. Its Logistics Competence Center in Augsburg bundles the Company's Germany-wide activities as a general contractor in the planning, construction and support of distribution centers. The Company commenced insolvency proceedings in April 2005. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

    Whitbread Plc (WTB) added 4.1 percent to 3,114 pence, its largest advance since September 2012. Oriel Securities Ltd. raised its rating on the shares to buy from hold, citing improvement in the U.K. hotel market.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Watch Right Now: Massive Dynamics Inc (MSSD)

Massive Dynamics, Inc., incorporated on March 15, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company is providing services to communication tower operators. On August 20, 2012, Kylemore Corp. (Kylemore) approximately 90% of the Company. On April 16, 2013, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Real-View 3D (RV3D). With the Company's acquisition of the assets of RV3D, the Company is providing engineering and compliance to communications tower operators to three dimension (3D) imaging. RV3D is an image capture product company that has developed and is committed to design, patent, manufacture and market 3D imaging Z-axis capture products for the consumer computer peripherals market.

The Company has developed technology around an imaging technology known as structured light, which allows for the rapid capture and processing of the digital signal capture 3D images of objects or real time 3D video of a desired target. A structured light image is a calibrated grid of lines that is projected on the subject. These projected lines deviate as they fall over the subject. An image of these lines is captured. Real View 3D software can extract Z-axis data from these line deviations and a topographical map is created. To image a complete subject, the subject is rotated 360 degrees for the image and then another 360 degree rotation for capturing the structured light for the Z axis map information. The resulting Z axis map and the image are then fused into a 360 degree renderable image. This image can then be exported into many other formats for viewing. The Company's primary business will be to develop and market 3D scanning, capture, rendering, and printing products to four markets: consumer, commercial, industrial, and medical.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    The problem with that, of course, is that competition is beginning to emerge in machine selling, as small companies with names such as ExOne (NASDAQ: XONE  ) and Massive Dynamics (NASDAQOTH: MSSD  ) begin to horn in on the printer biz. Competition will probably arise even faster in the selling of printing composites, as Hewlett-Packard discovered to its detriment, when printer ink cartridge "refillers" began stealing away its lucrative ink business.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Watch Right Now: Fluor Corporation(FLR)

Fluor Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management services worldwide. Its Oil & Gas segment offers design, engineering, procurement, construction, and project management services to upstream oil and gas production, downstream refining, chemicals, and petrochemicals industries. This segment also provides consulting services comprising feasibility studies, process assessment, and project finance structuring and studies. The company?s Industrial & Infrastructure segment offers design, engineering, procurement, and construction services to the transportation, wind power, mining and metals, life sciences, manufacturing, commercial and institutional, telecommunications, microelectronics, and healthcare sectors. Its Government segment provides engineering, construction, logistics support, contingency response, management, and operations services to the United States government focusing on the Departme nt of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense. The company?s Global Services segment offers operations and maintenance, small capital project engineering and execution, site equipment and tool services, industrial fleet services, plant turnaround services, temporary staffing services, and supply chain solutions. Its Power segment provides engineering, procurement, construction, program management, start-up and commissioning, and operations and maintenance services to the gas fueled, solid fueled, plant betterment, renewables, nuclear, and power services markets. The company also offers unionized management and construction services in the United States and Canada. Fluor Corporation was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Editor , ETFChannel.com]

    CAT operates in the Construction sector, among companies like Deere (DE) which is up about 0.1% today, and Fluor (FLR) trading lower by about 0.6%. Below is a three month price history chart comparing the stock performance of CAT, versus DE and FLR.

  • [By Reuben Brewer]

    Cameco (NYSE: CCJ  ) has a lot invested in the future growth of nuclear power. And it expects good things, particularly in Asia. However, nuclear power has older plants (built decades ago) that need to be cleaned up. That's where companies like Fluor (NYSE: FLR  ) can make a buck.

  • [By Louis Navellier]

    If we look at the sector using Portfolio Grader, we see that many of the big names in the group like Flour (FLR), Granite Construction (GVA) and KBR incorporated (KBR) are rated ��ell.��The anticipated spending for both government and private industry simply hasn�� materialized, and the companies are not seeing revenue or profit growth.

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Watch Right Now: Badger Daylighting Ltd (BAD)

Badger Daylighting Ltd. and its subsidiaries (Badger) provide non-destructive excavating services to the utility, transportation, industrial, engineering, construction and petroleum industries in Canada and the United States. Its key technology is the Badger Hydrovac excavator, which is used primarily for digging trenches in congested grounds. The Company�� excavation services include daylighting and potholing, slot trenching, debris removal and cleanups, maintenance and installation service pits, poles and piling holes and trench shoring/shoring. Badger slot trenching provides a non-destructive method of digging trenches for water lines, wiring and pipeline installations or excavations. Its applications include pipeline tie-ins, investigative slot trenching, installation slot trenching, drain tile trenching and line fault repairs. In November 2013, the Company acquired the business and operating assets of Fieldtek Holdings Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Kim Hjelmgaard]

    There have been some good (read: bad) predictions over the years.

    Before the 2013 forum, DealBook's Andrew Ross Sorkin recalled that in 2003 the serial Davos attendee, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, said of Google: "These Google guys (co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin), they want to be billionaires and rock stars and go to conferences and all that. Let us see if they still want to run the business in two to three years."

Top 10 Construction Stocks To Watch Right Now: URS Corporation(URS)

URS Corporation provides engineering, construction, and technical services to the power, infrastructure, federal, and industrial and commercial market sectors in the United States and internationally. Its services for power sector include planning, designing, engineering, constructing, retrofitting, and maintaining a range of power-generating facilities; and the systems that transmit and distribute electricity, as well as the development and installation of clean air technologies that reduce emissions at fossil fuel power plants. The company?s services for infrastructure sector comprise program management, planning, architect, engineering, general contracting, construction, and construction management for surface, air, and rail transportation networks; ports and harbors; and water supply, and treatment and conveyance systems. Its services for federal sector consist of program management; planning, design, and engineering; systems engineering and technical assistance to con struction and construction management; operations and maintenance; and decommissioning and closure primarily for the United States federal government and national governments of other countries. URS Corporation?s services for industrial and commercial sector include front-end studies, engineering and process design, procurement, construction and construction management, facility management, and operations and maintenance, as well as due diligence, permitting, compliance, environmental management, pollution control, health and safety, waste management, and hazardous waste remediation. The company was formerly known as Broadview Research Corporation and changed its name to URS Corporation in 1976. URS Corporation was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Maria Armental var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

    URS Corp.'s(URS) first-quarter earnings slumped 63% on a sharp drop in revenue related to some government contracts that the engineering company is winding down. Shares fell 7.1% to $43.85 premarket.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Best Recreation Companies To Own For 2014

Las Vegas is easily America's city that is most synonymous with recreational risk-taking. Atlantic City, especially for those on the East Coast, has also long been known as a place to take a chance on blackjack or drop coins in a slot machine. But in truth, the United States is dotted with gambling havens from coast to coast. With tax rates up to 40%, these businesses can generate hundreds of millions in state revenues.

We decided to look at the states with the most revenue from commercial gambling in 2012. Some of the 13 states that made our list won't surprise you. Others, such as Iowa, may.

The numbers do not include tribal gaming, because The National Indian Gaming Association does not publish state-by-state revenue, though revenue on all Native lands combined was $27 billion in 2013. Including all of the money tribal casinos generate would place California and Connecticut among the top markets for gambling in the U.S., and onto this list.

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2015: Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure Inc (DJRT)

Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure, Inc., incorporated on November 24, 1998, offers entertainment based oval driving schools and events. The Company owns several National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) type racecars. These classes are conducted at various racetracks throughout the country. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 15 racecars, and had purchased six additional racecars for its Las Vegas hub. These racecars are classified as stock cars and are equipped for oval or round tracks only.

The Company offers five types of ride or drive programs for individuals and corporations. The Qualifier is a three lap ride with a professional driver, which lasts about five minutes, depending on the length of the track. The Season Opener is a half day training class culminating in the student driving 10 laps. The Rookie Adventure and Happy Hour are also half day driving classes with the students driving 20 or 30 laps, respectively. The Advanced Stock Car Adventure is a full day 60 lap class. The main purpose of each event is the thrill of actually driving the race car. It owns a Miller Semi Tractor Trailer to haul the cars from track to track. The Company also offers a range of add-on sale items, including compact disks (CDs) from its adventure cam located in the car, clothing, souvenirs and photography.

The Company competes with Richard Petty Driving Experience.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Alliance Creative Group Inc (OTCMKTS: ACGX), Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure Inc (OTCMKTS: DJRT), Inscor Inc (OTCMKTS: IOGA) and Solar Thin Films Inc (OTCMKTS: SLTZ) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters and it should come as no surprise that two out of four of these stocks have been the subject of paid promotions ��which tend to benefit traders. However, two out of four of these stocks also have pretty good financials for being small cap OTC stocks and that might make them attractive to investors with a long term time horizon. So which of these stocks might make traders some profits in the short term and investors some profits over the longer term? Here is a closer look to help you decide:

Best Recreation Companies To Own For 2014: Vitamin Blue Inc (VTMB)

Vitamin Blue, Inc. (Vitamin Blue), incorporated on May 25, 1999, is engaged in designing, manufacturing and distributing surf wear board shorts, t-shirts and fleece jackets) and surfing accessories (surf boards bags, roof rack pad and surf backpacks). The Company focuses on four types of retail outlets: surfboard manufacturers, surf shops, specialty stores and department stores. Vitamin Blue distributes the majority of its products through surfboard manufacturers and surf shops. The primary focus of Vitamin Blue is surf wear and surfing accessories. The Company�� primary distribution focuses on retail outlets in North America (the United States, Canada and Mexico). Vitamin Blue manufactures most of its surfing accessories and all of its surfwear in-house.

Surfboard Manufacturers

The Company�� surfboard manufactures retail outlet generally consists of single shops, where surfboards are designed, manufactured and marketed. It is the source for surfing accessories. This distribution channel focuses on the core surf market. The Company has relationships with manufacturers, such as Hap Jacobs, Bing Surfboards, Bark Boards and Ron House Shapes, Dewey Weber, Stewart Surfboards. Vitamin Blue surfing accessories are sold through this channel.

Surf Shops

The Company�� surf shops are generally single to multiple shops located in or near beach cities, focused on the central surf market. It tends to be privately owned. Surf shops also focus on the core surf market and provide an authentic retail source for complete lines of surfwear and surfing accessory products. The Company has relationships with manufacturers, such as Freeline Design (Santa Cruz, California), The Frog House (Newport Beach, California), Infinity Surfboards (Dana Point, California), Legends Surf (Carlsbad, California), Hi-Tech Surf Sports (Maui, Hawaii), Second Wind Sail and Surf (Maui, Hawaii), Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport (Maui, Hawaii) Kennedy Surfboards (Woodland Hills, California),! Malibu Surf Shack, (Malibu, California), E.T. Surf (Hermosa Beach, California), Spyder (Hermosa Beach, California), Costa Azul (Laguna Beach, California), Icons of Surf (San Clemente, California), Encinitas Surfboards (Encinitas, California), Nor Easter Surf Shop (Scituate, Massachusetts), Air & Speed Surf Shop (Montauk, New York), Xtreme Surf & Sport (East Northport, New York) and Marsh�� Surf Shop (Atlantic Beach, North Carolina). The complete line of Vitamin Blue products (surfwear and surfing accessories) is distributed through this channel.

Specialty Stores

The Company�� specialty stores type of retail outlet generally consists of single, regional and nationwide stores, and tends to be located in or near beach or resort communities, shopping centers, and shopping malls. Specialty stores distributing surf products primarily include tourist/vacation shops, sporting good stores (including Sports Chalet, Inc. - SPCHB), and regional and national retail stores (including Pacific Sunwear of California-PSUN and Zumiez, Inc.-ZUMZ). Vitamin Blue intends to use this type of retail outlet to distribute its surfwear.

Department Stores

The Company�� department stores type of retail outlet generally has stores located nationwide. It is located in shopping malls, such as Bloomingdale��, Macy��, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. Vitamin Blue intends to use this type of retail outlet to distribute its surfwear.

Vitamin Blue�� surfing accessories include surfboard travel bags, which offer surfboard protection and can be used daily or for long distance surf trips; surf gear travel bags, which are duffle bags used to carry surfing essentials on surf trips; surf backpacks, which are specially, designed wet bag backpacks for wetsuit storage, and roof-rack pads, which is used on existing car roof racks for surfboard protection and security on daily surf outings.

The Company competes with Quicksilver, Inc., Billabong Intl, Hurley and! Volcom I! nc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap marijuana stocks Smart Ventures Inc (OTCMKTS: SMVR) and Vitamin Blue Inc (OTCMKTS: VTMB) jumped 40.28% and 38.6%, respectively, while hemp stock Astika Holdings Inc (OTCBB: ASKH) fell 13.75% on Friday. Moreover, only one of these small cap stocks seems to have been the subject of a few paid promotions or investor relations types of activities. So will all three of these marijuana or hemp stocks keep producing highs or lows for investors and traders alike? Here is a quick reality check:

  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Green Endeavors Inc (OTCMKTS: GRNE), Global Links Corporation (OTCMKTS: GLCO) and Vitamin Blue Inc (OTCBB: VTMB) were all making noticeable moves at the end of last week. On Friday, Green Endeavors Inc rose 8.11% and Global Links Corporation rose 13.96% while Vitamin Blue Inc fell 10%. Of course, small cap OTC stocks making large single digit or double digit moves in either direction aren�� all that unusual. Moreover, all of these small caps have been the subject of paid promotions. With that in mind, here is a closer look at all three to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:

Best Recreation Companies To Own For 2014: Thomas Cook Group plc (TCG)

Thomas Cook Group plc is a United Kingdom-based leisure travel company. The Company operates in 19 source markets and operates under brands, including Thomas Cook, Neckermann, Condor, Jet tours, Ving, Spies and Tja reborg. Thomas Cook directly or indirectly controls a number of subsidiaries. The Company also has investments in other companies. It operates a combined fleet of 87 aircraft. The Company�� operating structure comprises four segments which are principally organized according to the location of the customer�� origin. These are United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Northern Europe and Airlines Germany. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Thomas Cook Group Plc (TCG) tumbled 9.9 percent for the biggest drop in five months. UBS AG removed the 172-year-old U.K. tour operator from its list of preferred stocks, citing the ��igh-profile media coverage��of the violence in Egypt.

  • [By Sarah Jones]

    Thomas Cook Group Plc (TCG) dropped 7.7 percent to 116.1 pence. The tour operator admitted new shares to its listing this week. The company last month announced plans to raise 425 million pounds in a rights offer and share placement.

  • [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

    Rio Tinto Group climbed 2.9 percent after saying it will cost $3 billion less than projected to increase iron ore output capacity. Boliden AB (BOL) added 3.1 percent as Morgan Stanley raised its rating on the stock. Thomas Cook Group Plc (TCG) rose 13 percent after the travel operator posted a 49 percent increase in full-year earnings. British tobacco companies slipped following a report that after a U.K. minister announced the review of cigarette packaging.

  • [By Tom Stoukas]

    Thomas Cook (TCG) lost 6.6 percent to 145.3 pence, its biggest decline since Sept. 5. The tour operator said winter bookings started more slowly than last year across most markets due to geopolitical events and warm weather in Europe.

Best Recreation Companies To Own For 2014: mCig Inc (MCIG)

MCIG, INC. (mCig), incorporated on December 30, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is a technology company. The Company focused on two long-term secular trends sweeping the globe: the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes and the adoption of electronic vaporizing cigarettes (eCigs).

The mCig provides a smoking experience by heating (not burning) plant material, waxes, and oils delivering a smoother inhalation experience. As of October 31, 2013, the Company did not generate any revenues.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jason Shubnell]

    He also discussed MCIG (OTC: MCIG), a relatively new company that has developed a legal marijuana vaporizer, similar to the e-cig. The mCig heats plant material instead of burning it, providing a superior method of consumption that is much smoother, according to the company's website. The product sells for $10, while the stock itself has a market cap of $35 million.

  • [By John Udovich]

    Last week, I talked about small cap electronic cigarette stocks Vapor Corp (OTCMKTS: VPCO) and Hop-On Inc (OTCMKTS: HPNN) as being among the last of the e-Cig�stocks not controlled by ��ig Tobacco,��but Victory Electronic Cigarettes Corp (OTCMKTS: ECIG), mCig Inc (OTCBB: MCIG) and American Heritage International (OTCBB: AHII)�are also�positioning themselves or their technology to exploit opportunities in the e-Cig market or even in�marijuana or cannabis. Last year, industry experts were already saying that�US retail sales of e-cigarettes could reach $1 billion for the year�for roughly�1% of the country's cigarette market. That number might appear small, but its more than double 2012 sales�as sales increasingly�move off the Internet and into more mainstream retailers thanks to their positioning as a���ealthier��alternative to smoking.

Best Recreation Companies To Own For 2014: Callaway Golf Co (ELY)

Callaway Golf Company, incorporated on May 7, 1999, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures and sells golf clubs (drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters) and golf balls, and also sells golf accessories (such as golf bags, golf gloves, headwear, towels, umbrellas and travel gear) under the Callaway Golf and Odyssey brand names. The Company sells pre-owned golf products through its Website, www.callawaygolfpreowned.com. In addition, it sells Callaway Golf and Odyssey products direct to consumers online through its Websites shop.callawaygolf.com and www.odysseygolf.com. The Company also licenses its trademarks and service marks in exchange for a royalty fee to third parties for use on golf related accessories, including apparel, footwear, eyewear, rangefinders and practice aids. Its products are sold in the United States and in approximately 100 countries around the world.

The Company designs, manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and designs and sells golf accessories. The Company�� products are designed for golfers of all skill levels, both amateur and professional. The Company�� principal products include Drivers, Fairway Woods and Hybrids; Irons; Putters; Golf Balls, and Accessories, Softgoods and Other. Drivers, Fairway Woods and Hybrids product category includes sales of the Company�� drivers, fairway woods and hybrid products, which are sold under the Callaway Golf brand. Irons include sales of the Company�� irons and wedges, which are sold under the Callaway Golf brand. Putters include sales of the Company�� putters, which are sold under the Odyssey brand. Golf Balls includes sales of the Company�� golf balls, which are sold under the Callaway Golf and Strata brands. Accessories, Softgoods and Other includes sales of golf bags, golf gloves, golf footwear, rangefinders, golf apparel, packaged club sets, headwear, towels, umbrellas, eyewear and other accessories, as well as sales of pre-owned products through www.callawaygolfpre! owned.com. Additionally, this product category includes royalties from licensing of the Company�� trademarks and service marks on products such as golf apparel, golf footwear, rangefinders and practice aids.

The Company competes with TaylorMade, Ping, Acushnet, Puma, SRI Sports Limited, Mizuno, Bridgestone, and Nike.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Greg Pugh] Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) has forged a reputation as a leader in golf equipment innovation. However, the company started sliding in 2008 due to recession, while the brand image fell as well. US industry golf sales hit a floor and flattened just above $1.8 billion between 2009 and 2011, but have started to rebound in the last two years.
  • [By Charley Blaine]

    Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) was also up, gaining 19.83 percent to $8.70 after the company reported a narrower third-quarter loss and lifted its 2013 forecast. DA Davidson upgraded the stock from Neutral to Buy and lifted its price target from $7.50 to $11.

  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Callaway Golf Co.'s(ELY) third-quarter loss narrowed significantly as the golf equipment maker reported a jump in sales and sharp increase in gross margins. Results for the period easily topped Wall Street’s expectations, sending shares up.

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    3. Who's your caddy?
    Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY  ) may have ushered in a new era in golfing with its oversized Big Bertha drivers, but these days, the golf gear maker keeps landing in the rough.