Saturday, February 28, 2015

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Own Right Now

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Own Right Now: NetSpend Holdings Inc.(NTSP)

Netspend Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides general purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid debit and payroll cards, and alternative financial service solutions to underbanked and other consumers in the United States. Its GPR cards offer access to FDIC-insured depository accounts with a menu of pricing and features tailored to underbanked consumers needs; and serves as access devices to an FDIC-insured depository account with a bank. The company also provides various products and services to its cardholders, such as direct deposit, interest-bearing savings accounts, bill pay functionality, card-to-card transfer capability, personal financial management tools, and online and mobile phone card account access, as well as overdraft protection through its issuing Banks, and complimentary insurance coverage services. Netspend Holdings, Inc. markets its cards through various distribution channels, including retail distributors, direct-to-consumer and online marketi ng programs, and contractual relationships with corporate employers. As of December 31, 2011, it offered approximately 2.1 million active cards through approximately 600 retail distributors at approximately 40,000 locations; and reload services through approximately 450 retailers at approximately 130,000 locations. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Austin, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jane Edmondson]

    One additional item of note: the stock has been a rumored take-out candidate since another large competitor, NetSpend (NTSP), received an offer to be acquired in February by global payment solutions provider TSYS (TSS).

  • source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/5-best-industrial-disributor-stocks-to-own-right-now-3.html

Friday, February 27, 2015

Top Heal Care Companies To Buy For 2015

Top Heal Care Companies To Buy For 2015: Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.(EGLE)

Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. engages in the ocean transportation of bulk cargoes in the dry bulk industry. The company primarily transports iron ore, coal, grain, cement, and fertilizer along worldwide shipping routes. As of December 31, 2009, it owned and operated a fleet of 27 oceangoing vessels with a combined carrying capacity of 1,412,535 deadweight tons. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rebecca McClay]

    And dry bulk shippers like FreeSeas Inc. (Nasdaq: FREE), Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: SHIP), and Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (Nasdaq: EGLE) are noting big gains today as shipping rates strengthen. FREE is up 8%, SHIP is up 13%, and EGLE is up 7% as capesize shipping rates increased overnight by about 10%, exceeding $20,000 for the first time since January 2012.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-heal-care-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Extended Stay, Zulily Headline Another Busy Week for IPOs

Twitter Inc.'s(TWTR) much-anticipated initial public offering may have come and gone, but a year-end torrent of corporate debuts lies ahead.

Hotel chain Extended Stay America Inc.’s debut, expected to raise up to $593 million after today’s close, will kick off another busy week for U.S. IPOs, with 11 deals slated to price. The hotel chain is returning to the public market three years after Blackstone Group L.P(BX)., Centerbridge Partners L.P. and New York hedge fund Paulson & Co. led a $3.9 billion buyout, enabling Extended Stay to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Other well-known names on the docket include “Curious George” publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co., with an IPO slated to raise up to an estimated $292 million late Wednesday. Zulily Inc., a daily deals website for moms, babies and kids, expects its debut to raise up to $207 million after Thursday’s close. The shares will begin trading the day after the deals price.

Farther down the road, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.’s IPO, expected to be one of the largest ever for the hospitality sector, could price before the end of the year, The Wall Street Journal has reported. The company has filed to raise up to an estimated $1.25 billion. Hotel analysts expect the final number will be closer to $2 billion, the Journal reported.

Top 5 Wireless Telecom Companies To Own For 2015

Meanwhile, Chrysler Group LLC’s chief executive told analysts on a conference call last month the auto maker would be ready to go public by the year’s end. Chrysler filed its initial IPO paperwork in September.

The IPO pipeline also features movie-theater operator AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. and Southeastern Grocers Inc., owner of Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo grocery stores throughout the Southeast.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015: Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. (AIT)

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. distributes industrial products for maintenance, repair, and operational needs, as well as original equipment manufacturing applications primarily in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The company offers bearings, power transmission components, fluid power components and systems, industrial rubber products, linear motion components, tools, safety products, and other industrial supplies; and fluid power products, such as hydraulic, pneumatic, lubrication, and filtration components and systems. It also operates regional fabricated rubber shops, which modify and repair conveyor belts and make hose assemblies; and rubber service field crews to install and repair belts and rubber linings at customer locations. In addition, the company assembles fluid power systems and components; performs equipment repair; offers technical advice to customers; and provides maintenance training, and inventory and stor eroom management solutions. It serves various industries, such as agriculture and food processing, automotive, chemical processing, forest products, industrial machinery and equipment, mining, primary metals, transportation, and utilities, as well as to government entities. The company offers industrial products through a network of service centers; and fluid power products directly to customers. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Industrial distributorApplied Industrial Technologies (NYSE: AIT  ) announced today its third-quarter dividend of $0.23per share, the same rate it's paid for the past two quarters after raising the payout 9.5% from $0.21 per share.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Industrial components distributor Applied Industrial Technologies (AIT) raised its qu! arterly dividend 8.7% to 25 cents per share, payable on Feb. 28 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 14.
    AIT Dividend Yield: 1.98%

  • [By Dividends4Life]

    Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

    1. Avg. High Yield Price
    2. 20-Year DCF Price
    3. Avg. P/E Price
    4. Graham Number

    GWW is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 10.0% premium to its calculated fair value of $219.95. GWW did not earn any Stars in this section.

    Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:

    1. Free Cash Flow Payout
    2. Debt To Total Capital
    3. Key Metrics
    4. Dividend Growth Rate
    5. Years of Div. Growth
    6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%

    GWW earned three Stars in this section for 1.), 2.) and 3.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. GWW earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured.

    Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15% means that dividends grew on average in excess of 15% for each consecutive 4 year period over the last 10 years (2003-2006, 2004-2007, 2005-2008, etc.) I consider this a key metric since dividends will double every 5 years if they grow by 15%. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1965 and has increased its dividend payments for 42 consecutive years.

    Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This s! ection co! mpares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-industrial-disributor-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015

10 Best Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Medidata Solutions Inc.(MDSO)

Medidata Solutions, Inc. provides software-as-a-service based clinical development solutions for life science organizations worldwide. Its solutions comprise software and services that allow customers to increase the value of their development programs by designing, planning, and managing key aspects of the clinical trial process, including study and protocol design, trial planning and budgeting, site negotiation, clinical portal, trial management, randomization and trial supply management, clinical data capture and management, safety events capture, medical coding, clinical business analytics, and data flow and interoperability. The company primarily offers Medidata Rave, a comprehensive platform for capturing and managing clinical data. It also provides Medidata CTMS, a clinical trial management solution that streamlines operational workflows; Medidata Designer, a protocol development tool that enhances the efficiency of clinical trial start-up; Medidata Insights, a busi ness analytics platform; and Medidata Balance, a randomization and trial supply management solution, which streamlines the process of developing, building, and implementing subject allocation plans. In addition, the company offers Medidata Grants Manager, an application to benchmark the investigator budgets against industry data; Medidata contract research organization (CRO) Contractor, an analytical tool for CRO outsourcing, budgeting, and negotiation; and iMedidata, a hosted portal application that allows investigative sites and sponsor study teams to start trial activities. Further, it provides hosting, support, and professional services. The company serves pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies; academic institutions; and CROs and other entities engaged in clinical trials through a direct sales force; and through relationships with CROs and other strategic partners. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in New York, ! New York..

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Kevin Marder]

    Among the names, Medidata Solutions (MDSO) is a developer of clinical development software for use in the research of new medical treatments. Most Wall Street analysts forecast earnings growth of 38% in 2013 and 13% in 2014. Revenue growth over the past several quarters has been very steady, at 21%, 24%, 26%, 27% and 27%, respectively.

  • [By Jonas Elmerraji]

    Mid-cap medical software stock Medidata Solutions (MDSO) is the smallest name on today's list by far, but it's hard to ignore the technical trade that's been setting up in shares. Even though MDSO has already rallied more than 52% since the start of 2013, this name looks well positioned for some serious continuation in the New Year.

    That's because Medidata is currently forming an ascending triangle pattern, a bullish price setup that's formed by overhead resistance at $62.50 and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as shares bounce in between those two technical price levels, they're getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above resistance. When that move through $62.50 happens, we've got our buy signal.

    MDSO is another name that's been showing off outsized relative strength lately. Considering the fact that the S&P look likely to show us a healthy correction sooner rather than later, positive relative strength trends are the single most important technical indicator traders can ask for right now. When the buy signal comes, I'd recommend putting a stop on the other side of the 50-day moving average.


    Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)

    Berkshire Hathaway, on the other hand, hasn't been seeing much in the way of relative strength in the last few months. Since the start of July, Berkshire's shares have only managed to gain a third of what the broad market has returned. But a breakout in sh! ares of Wa! rren Buffett's favorite stock means that fortunes are likely about to turn for shareholders.

    Berkshire had been forming symmetrical triangle, a pattern that's formed by converging trendlines squeezing in on the stock's price at a nearly even rate. The symmetrical triangle has less upside bias than the ascending triangle we just looked at, but the trading trigger is essentially the same -- a breakout outside of the pattern is the signal to make a move. So, shares of Berkshire are flashing "buy" now.

    With the brea

  • source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-tech-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Hot Insurance Stocks To Own Right Now

Hot Insurance Stocks To Own Right Now: Triad Guaranty Inc (TGICQ)

Triad Guaranty Inc., incorporated in 1993, is a holding company which, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Triad Guaranty Insurance Corporation (TGIC), is a nationwide mortgage insurer. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Collateral Mortgage, Ltd. (CHL) owns 16.8% of the common stock of TGI. The Company has historically provided Primary and Modified Pool mortgages guaranty insurance coverage on United States residential mortgage loans.

Primary insurance provides mortgage default protection to lenders on individual loans and covers a percentage of unpaid loan principal, delinquent interest and certain expenses associated with the default and subsequent foreclosure (collectively, the insured amount or claim amount). Primary insurance was written on both flow and structured bulk transactions. Flow transactions consisted of loans originated by lenders that were submitted to the Company on a loan-by-loan basis, whereas structured bulk transactions involved un derwriting and insuring a group of loans with individual coverage for each loan. Insurance on primary policies consists of 80% of the Company's total insurance in force at December 31, 2011.

Modified Pool insurance was written only on structured bulk transactions. Policies insured as part of a Modified Pool transaction have individual coverage, but an aggregate stop-loss limit applies to the entire group of insured loans. In addition, some of the Modified Pool transactions included deductibles representing a percentage of the total risk originated under which the Company pays no claims until the losses exceed the deductible amount. Modified Pool insurance consists of 20% of the Company's total insurance in force at December 31, 2011.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Zachary Tracer]

    Mortgage insurers PMI and Triad Guaranty Inc. (TGICQ) file! d for bankruptcy after housing crashed. Old Republic International Corp. also retreated from the mortgage guaranty business.

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-insurance-stocks-to-own-right-now-5.html

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Top 5 Low Price Stocks To Watch For 2015

Top 5 Low Price Stocks To Watch For 2015: Standard Motor Products Inc (SMP)

Standard Motor Products, Inc. (Standard Motor Products) is an independent manufacturer and distributor of replacement parts for motor vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry, with a focus on the original equipment service market. The Company operates in two segments: Engine Management Segment and Temperature Control Segment. The Engine Management Segment manufactures ignition and emission parts, ignition wires, battery cables and fuel system parts. The Temperature Control Segment manufactures and remanufactures air conditioning compressors, air conditioning and heating parts, engine cooling system parts, power window accessories, and windshield washer system parts. In January 2014, the Company acquired the assets of Pensacola Fuel Injection, a privately-held company.

The Company's customers consist of warehouse distributors, such as CARQUEST Corporation and NAPA Auto Parts, as well as auto parts retail chains, such as Advance Auto Parts, Inc., AutoZo ne, Inc., O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Canadian Tire Corporation and Pep Boys. Its customers also include national program distribution groups, such as Federated Auto Parts, Inc., All Pro/Bumper to Bumper (Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc.), Automotive Distribution Network and The National Pronto Association, and specialty market distributors. The Company distributes parts under its own brand names, such as Standard, BWD, Intermotor, GP Sorensen, TechSmart, OEM, Four Seasons, Factory Air, EVERCO, ACi, Imperial and Hayden and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, O'Reilly Import Direct and Master Pro, NAPA Echlin, NAPA Temp Products and NAPA Belden.

Engine Management Segment

The Company manufacture a line of engine management replacement parts including, electronic ignition control modules, fuel injectors, ignition wires, vo! ltage regulators, coils, switches, emission sensors, EGR valves, distributor caps and rotors and other engine managem ent components primarily under its brand names Standard, BWD! , Intermotor, OEM, TechSmart and GP Sorensen, and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, O'Reilly Import Direct and Master Pro, NAPA Echlin and NAPA Belden. In its Engine Management Segment, replacement parts for ignition, emission control and fuel systems accounted for approximately 60% of the Company's revenues during the year ended December 31, 2011.

Vehicles are factory-equipped with computer-controlled engine management systems to control ignition, emission and fuel injection systems. The on-board computers monitor inputs from many types of sensors located throughout the vehicle, and control a myriad of valves, injectors, switches and motors to manage engine and vehicle performance. Electronic ignition systems enable the engine to operate with improved fuel efficiency and reduced level of hazardous fumes in exhaust gases. Wire and cable parts accounted for approximately 12% of the Company's revenues during 2011. These products include ignition (sp ark plug) wires, battery cables and a range of electrical wire, terminals, connectors and tools for servicing an automobile's electrical system. The component of this product line is the sale of ignition wire sets.

Temperature Control Segment

The Company manufactures, remanufactures and markets a line of replacement parts for automotive temperature control (air conditioning (AC) and heating) systems, engine cooling systems, power window accessories and windshield washer systems, primarily under its brand names of Four Seasons, EVERCO, ACi, Hayden, Factory Air and Imperial, and through private labels, such as CARQUEST, NAPA Temp Products and Murray.

The product groups sold by its Temperature Control Segment are new and remanufactured compressors, clutch assemblies, blower and radiator fan motors, filter dryers, e! vaporator! s, accumulators, hose assemblies, expansion valves, heater valves, AC service tools and chemicals, fan assemblies, fan clutches, engine oil coolers, transmission coolers, wind! ow lift m! otors, motor/regulator assemblies and windshield washer pumps. The Company's temperature control products accounted for approximately 27% of the Company's revenues during 2011.''

The Company competes with ACDelco, Delphi Automotive PLC, Denso Corporation, Robert Bosch Corporation, Visteon Corporation, NGK/NTK, General Cable, Prestolite, United Components, Inc, ACDelco, Delphi Automotive PLC, Denso Corporation, Sanden International, Inc., Continental AG and Vista-Pro Automotive, LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By , Zacks Investment Research]

    Standard Motor Products (SMP) makes replacement parts for motor vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry with an increasing focus on the original equipment service market. It has a market cap of $959 million.

  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Calling all cash flows
    When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Standard Motor Products (NYSE: SMP  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By Jeremy Bowman]

    What: Shares of Standard Motor Products (NYSE: SMP  ) weren't looking up to snuff today, falling as much as 10% today after Goldman Sachs downgraded the entire U.S. auto sector and lowered its rating on Standard form "neutral" to "sell."

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-low-price-stocks-to-watch-for-2015.html

Monday, February 16, 2015

5 Best Biotech Stocks For 2015

5 Best Biotech Stocks For 2015: Cannabis Science Inc (CBIS)

Cannabis Science, Inc., incorporated on May 4, 2007, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in the creation of cannabis-based medicines, both with and without psychoactive properties, to treats disease and the symptoms of disease, as well as for general health maintenance. On February 9, 2012, the Company acquired GGECO University, Inc. (GGECO). On March 21, 2012, the Company acquired Cannabis Consulting Inc. (CCI Group).

The Company is engaged in medical marijuana research and development. The Company works with world authorities on phytocannabinoid science targeting critical illnesses, and adheres to scientific methodologies to develop, produce, and commercialize phytocannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Burrows]

    But it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:

  • [By John Udovich]

    The SEC has halted trading of small cap marijuana stock Growlife Inc (OTCMKTS: PHOT) after a relatively brief trading halt for Advanced Cannabis Solutions, Inc (OTCMKTS: CANN), but Tranzbyte Corp (OTCMKTS: ERBB), Cannabis Science Inc (OTCMKTS: CBIS) and Medical Marijuana Inc (OTCMKTS: MJNA) are still very much alive. However and as I have noted (repeatedly) in the past (see here), Medical Marijuana Inc has a former CEO who has been indicted for a multi-state mortgage fraud scam/ponzi scheme while Medbox Inc (OTCMKTS: MDBX) is another marijuana stock with some "issues" that were summed up nicely in a Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation article cleverly entitled: Tinkerer, Lawyer, Hustler, Lies: One Man's Path to a Dope Fortune. Obviously, investing in marijuana s! tocks is not for conservative. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of good or bad news for investors in the marijuana sector to inhale, including the following:

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    Much like Nuvilex, Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCMKTS:CBIS) appears to simply be another conventional biotech outfit. And, truth be told, that's what CBIS is. It just happens to be developing two drugs based on cannabinoids... one to reat HIV/AIDS, and the other to treat cancer. Both drugs are in preclinical trials right now, so an actual marketable product is still years down the road for Cannabis Science Inc. But, as a legitimate biotechnology that isn't aiming to simply fuel tokers' needs, it's not going to hit any regulatory or law-enforcement roadblocks.

  • [By John Udovich]

    One almost has to feel sorry for old school small cap marijuana stocks like Medical Marijuana Inc (OTCMKTS: MJNA), Cannabis Science Inc (OTCMKTS: CBIS) and Hemp Inc (OTCMKTS: HEMP) which have been around awhile and increasingly have to contend with the marijuana newswires getting flooded with news from every small cap OTC stock along with your mother's uncle's fifth cousin trying to grab a piece of the marijuana hype. We alone had two specific articles (Small Cap Marijuana Stocks Aiming for a High With News: MCIG, FRTD & SKTO and Four Marijuana Small Caps Giving Investors Highs or Lows: ENRT, VMGI, NVLX & RTXBQ) covering about half a dozen different wannabe marijuana stocks with news for just this week along with another article (Putting My Call on Latteno Food in Perspective, Take-Two (LATF, MJNA, ERBB)) about another small cap that's infusing food with weed. 

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-biotech-stocks-for-2015-3.html

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2015

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2015: ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA)

ThyssenKrupp AG is a Germany-based technology holding company operating in seven business areas. The Steel Europe division produces carbon steel flat products. The Steel Americas division is engaged in production, processing and marketing of high-grade carbon steels. The Materials Services division is engaged in global distribution of materials and the provision of complex technical services for the production and manufacturing sectors. The Elevator Technology division is engaged in the area of passenger transportation systems. The Plant Technology division focuses on specialty and large-scale plant construction. The Components Technology division is engaged in manufacturing components for the automotive, construction and engineering sectors as well as for wind turbines. The Marine Systems division focuses on naval and civil shipbuilding. Apart from its business areas, it provides business services, which are diversified into Business Services and Information Technology (IT) Services. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Corinne Gretler]

    Telekom Austria (TKA) slid 1.6 percent to 5.63 euros. Second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell to 330.3 million euros ($439 million) from 364.8 million euros a year earlier. That compared with the average 332.7 million-euro analyst estimate.

  • [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

    ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA), Germanys largest steelmaker, rose to a five-week high. YOC AG (YOC) surged the most in more than three months after the mobile-phone advertising company said it sold 1.3 million euros ($1.7 million) of shares to increase capital. Lanxess AG (LXS), the chemical maker that joined the DAX in September, retreated 3.4 percent.

  • [By Corinne Gretler]

    ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA) slumped 9.3 percent after Germanys largest steelmaker raised 882.3 million euros ($1.21 billion) through a share sale. Standard Chartered! Plc lost 8.1 percent. Sage Group (SGE) Plc, the U.K.s biggest software maker, rose 6.8 percent after reporting revenue growth that exceeded analysts estimates. AZ Electronic Materials SA surged 43 percent after Merck KGaA (MRK) agreed to buy it for about 1.6 billion pounds ($2.6 billion).

  • source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-industrial-conglomerate-companies-for-2015-2.html

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Top Gas Utility Companies To Own In Right Now

Financial advisers who integrate technologies will pay more than those who buy separate software solutions, but they stand to gain in annual income as well as future positioning.

"You're going to pay more for integration because you get more," said Cameron Sheehan, director of adviser services for Tamarac AdvisorServices, at the Financial Planning Association's national conference in Orlando on Saturday. "All changes are synchronized among all the systems when they are integrated."

Advisers who integrated technology, or linked their software to communiate with each other, earned an extra 20% in income per adviser, about $181,000 compared to $151,000 for those with standalone systems, Mr. Sheehan said, quoting an April study by Aite Group.

Top 10 Promising Companies To Watch For 2015: Seagate Technology.(STX)

Seagate Technology Public Limited Company designs, manufactures, markets, and sells hard disk drives for enterprise, client compute, and client non-compute market applications worldwide. The company?s products are used in enterprise servers, mainframes, and workstations; desktop and notebook computers; digital video recorders; personal data backup systems; portable external storage systems; and digital media systems. It also provides data storage services for small to medium-sized businesses, including online backup, data protection, and recovery solutions; and ships external backup storage solutions under its Free Agent Go and Free Agent Go Flex product lines. The company sells its products primarily to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Seagate Technology Public Limited Company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Selena Maranjian]

    Bucking the trend is hard-drive specialist Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX  ) , which surged 88%. It yields 3.3%, and has been upping its payout considerably in recent years. Seagate looks like a cheap stock, with its P/E ratio around seven, and significant free cash flow. It has been hurt by the decline of the PC, but there's still hope, as cloud computing takes off and requires storage, and if solid-state and hybrid drives grow in demand. Some are wary, though, thinking its margins can't grow much, and that it might not be able to shrink its share count as much as it wants to.

Top Gas Utility Companies To Own In Right Now: Nuvo Research Inc (NRI)

Nuvo Research Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in building a portfolio of products for the treatment of pain through internal research and development (R&D), in-licensing and acquisition. The Company�� product portfolio includes Pennsaid, Pliaglis and Synera. Through its subsidiary Nuvo Research AG, the Company is also developing the compound WF10, for the treatment of immune related diseases. The Company�� Pain Group located in West Chester, Pennsylvania is focused on the development and commercialization of topically delivered pain products, including Pennsaid. On May 12, 2011, the Company obtained control of ZARS Pharma, Inc. On December 13, 2011, the Company acquired remaining 40% interest in Nuvo Research AG. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By GuruFocus]

    There are at least three kinds of P/E ratios used by different investors. They are Trailing Twelve Month P/E Ratio or P/E (ttm), forward P/E, or P/E (NRI). A new P/E ratio based on inflation-adjusted normalized P/E ratio is called Shiller P/E, after Yale professor Robert Shiller.

Top Gas Utility Companies To Own In Right Now: California Grapes International Inc (CAGR)

California Grapes International, Inc., formerly China Food Services, Corp., incorporated in 1992, conducts its primary business operations as an importer, exporter and distributor of staple, organic, specialty, and gourmet foods and beverages, catering to the Asian Pacific Rim. The Company owns and operates Golden Dragon Food & Beverage Import & Export Company of Hong Kong, Ltd. (GDHK) in central Hong Kong and Beijing Flying Golden Dragon International Trading Co., Ltd. in China (BFGD). Golden Dragon Holdings, Inc. has agreements with the United State food manufacturers. It acts as a buying agent for GDHK, negotiating vendor contracts and services with the United States food and beverage industry partners.

The Company focuses to offer wholesale food distribution to grocery chains and independent food stores throughout China. The Company focuses on purchasing goods directly from manufactures in the United States, Latin America and Europe, and distributes these products to distributors, grocery stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets throughout China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Omar Venerio]

    As we can see in the next chart, the stock price has an upward trend in the five-year period. If you had invested $10,000 five years ago, today you could have $10,211, which represents a 0.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

Top Gas Utility Companies To Own In Right Now: Canadian/Yen (HY)

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, engineering, manufacture, sale, and service of a line of lift trucks and aftermarket parts worldwide. It offers components, such as frames, masts, and transmissions; and assembles lift trucks. The company markets its products primarily under the Hyster and Yale brand names to independent Hyster and Yale retail dealerships. It also sells aftermarket parts under the UNISOURCE, MULTIQUIP, and PREMIER brands to Hyster and Yale dealers for the service of competitor lift trucks. The company was incorporated in 1991 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Vera Yuan]

    ��ift truck manufacturer Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. (HY) declined after the company provided qualitative guidance for the remainder of 2014 that may have been viewed negatively by some investors. Revenues and pre-tax income both increased during the quarter, but after-tax net income declined as a result of a higher tax rate.

  • [By Holly LaFon]

    The Financial sector was the best performer in the Barclays Aggregate Index during 3Q13, generating nominal and excess returns of 1.54% and 1.40%, respectively. Spreads in High Yield (HY) issues tightened substantially, propelling Ba/B credits to a 2.07% nominal and 1.74% excess return. Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) also reacted positively to the Fed decision, as Agency MBS outperformed comparable duration Treasuries with a 1.03% nominal and 0.95% excess return. Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS) were resilient as well, finishing 1.02% higher in nominal terms and 0.66% excess in 3Q13. Non-Corporate Credit issues fared positively in 3Q13, but with a relatively weaker 0.37% nominal and 0.41% excess return.

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    Lift trucks aren't the sexiest business in the stock market, but for a long time, Hyster-Yale Materials Handling (NYSE: HY  ) rode the recovery in construction and manufacturing to big gains for its forklift business. Yet so far this year, Hyster-Yale stock has performed badly, as investors started to worry about the health of the global economy. After Hyster-Yale released its third-quarter results, some investors focused almost solely on the company's extremely strong results. Yet despite what Hyster-Yale said, the real question for the company remains whether the macroeconomic trends that have propelled the U.S. forward will spread across the world, or whether the sluggishness we've seen in Europe and elsewhere will eventually cause a slowdown in the U.S. as well. Let's take a closer look at how Hyster-Yale did last quarter.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Heavy-equipment maker�Hyster-Yale Materials Handling� (NYSE: HY  ) announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.25 per share for both its Class A and Class B stock.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Top 10 Solar Companies To Own For 2014

Solar financing is still a relatively new phenomenon but it's come a long way in just the last few years. Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A  ) recently sold $1 billion in financing for a utility-scale project, and SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR  ) and SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY  ) are two of the leasing leaders who have developed financing that brings in tax equity.�

The next step is securitization, REITs, and MLPs, which may not be far off. Motley Fool contributor Travis Hoium covers where the industry has been and where it's going in the video below.�

Solar isn't the only technology transforming the energy industry. There are a few companies making domestic energy both cheaper and more abundant and the Motley Fool is offering a comprehensive look at three energy companies set to soar during this transformation. To find out which three companies are spreading their wings, check out the special free report, "3 Stocks for the American Energy Bonanza." Don't miss out on this timely opportunity; click here to access your report -- it's absolutely free.�

Top 10 Recreation Companies To Buy Right Now: DAQQ New Energy Corp.(DQ)

Daqo New Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells polysilicon in China. The company sells its polysilicon to photovoltaic product manufacturers for use in the processing of ingots, wafers, cells and modules for solar power solutions. It also produces and sells mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline modules to photovoltaic system integrators and distributors in China and internationally under its Daqo brand. The company was formerly known as Mega Stand International Limited and changed its name to Daqo New Energy Corp. in August 2009. Daqo New Energy Corp. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered Wanzhou, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ) shares gained 12.78% to $33.58 on quarterly results.

    SINA (NASDAQ: SINA) rose 7.26% to $51.29 after the company reported upbeat quarterly results.

  • [By Ali Berri]

    In trading on Friday, energy shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.42 percent. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Daqo New Energy (NYSE: DQ), up 9.4 percent, and Goodrich Petroleum (NYSE: GDP), up 6.2 percent.

  • [By Garrett Cook]

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

Top 10 Solar Companies To Own For 2014: Ascent Solar Technologies Inc.(ASTI)

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

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

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

Top 10 Solar Companies To Own For 2014: Canadian Solar Inc.(CSIQ)

Canadian Solar Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of solar power products in Canada and internationally. The company offers solar cell and solar module products that convert sunlight into electricity for various uses. Its products include a range of standard solar modules for use in a range of residential, commercial, and industrial solar power generation systems. The company also designs and produces specialty solar modules and products consisting of customized modules that its customers incorporate into their products, such as solar-powered bus stop lighting; and specialty products, such as portable solar home systems and solar-powered car battery chargers. In addition, it sells solar system kits, a package consisting of solar modules produced by it and third party supplied components, such as inverters, racking system, and other accessories, as well as implements solar power development projects. The company sells its products under the Canad ian Solar brand name. Canadian Solar Inc. offers its standard solar modules through a direct sales force and sales agents primarily to distributors, system integrators, and original equipment manufacturer customers, as well as to solar projects; and specialty solar modules and products to the automotive, telecommunications, and light-emitting diode lighting sectors. The company was founded in 2001 and is based in Kitchener, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) jumped 10% today after the company announced a major supply agreement.

    So what: Canadian Solar will supply 91 MW of modules by the end of the year to Soleq Solar for a solar power plant in Thailand. This is a big development because the company is trying to reduce reliance on Europe and with growth in Japan last quarter and now Thailand in the remainder of 2013, the company is in a better position than many competitors. �

  • [By Harry Boxer]

    HARRY:  I think it could be double or triple in the next you know year or two.  The lower priced ones that I like are Canadian Solar (CSIQ), SUNE that’s SunEdison, and I also SolarPower (SPWY), SunPower excuse me.

Top 10 Solar Companies To Own For 2014: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rebecca McClay]

    The tech market's news today includes a plunge in Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: HSOL) shares, which are down 5% in morning trade after its second-quarter loss narrowed to $0.32 per share from a loss of $0.43 in Q1.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 6.8% at $3.68. Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: HOV) is up 2.2% at $5.15.

    Stocks on the move: Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) is up 9.3% at $21.74 after being adding to the S&P 500 index. BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ: BBRY) is up 6.4% at $11.53 on reports that a former board member has nearly lined up financing to take the company private. Molex Inc. (NASDAQ: MOLX) is up 31.6% at $38.60 following an agreement to be acquired by Koch Industries Inc.

Top 10 Solar Companies To Own For 2014: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd.(JASO)

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of photovoltaic solar cells and solar products, which convert sunlight into electricity in the People's Republic of China. The company?s principal products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells, as well as various solar modules. It also provides silicon wafer and solar cell processing services. The company sells its products primarily under the JA Solar brand name, as well as produces equipment for original equipment manufacturing customers under their brand names. It sells its solar cell and module products primarily to module manufacturers, system integrators, project developers, and distributors in the Germany, Italy, the United States, Hong Kong, Spain, India, the Czech Republic, France, and South Korea. The company has strategic partnerships with various solar power companies, such as BP Solar, Solar-Fabrik, and MEMC/SunEdison. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) stands to benefit from the increased demand for solar power from China. That country is set to overtake Europe, the U.S., and Japan as the world�� largest consumer of solar panels and modules. That�� good for the Chinese solar makers, but it will be difficult for U.S. analysts and investors to figure out exactly what�� happening with the individual companies due to the lack of real transparency into their operations.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

      Most Popular Will Bank Stocks Continue To Move Lower On Bad News? Analysts Almost Unanimously Bullish On Candy Crush Maker Earnings Scheduled For May 7, 2014 Benzinga's Top Downgrades Will Microsoft Unveil Its iPad Mini-Killer On May 20? Five Star Stock Watch: Oracle Corporation Related Articles (HIMX + JASO) Benzinga's Top #PreMarket Gainers Earnings Scheduled For May 8, 2014
  • [By Anna Prior]

    Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Citigroup Inc.(C), JA Solar Holdings(JASO) Co and Chindex International Inc.(CHDX)

  • [By Jonathan Yates]

    For investors looking to profit from shorting stocks in the sector, JA Solar Holdings (NASDAQ: JASO) and LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) are both vulnerable. For those looking to go long, Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) is very strong in natural gas, which is expected to increase its market share, according to a recent report from the Department of Energy.

Top 10 Solar Companies To Own For 2014: Renesola Ltd.(SOL)

ReneSola Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar wafers and solar power products. It offers virgin polysilicons, monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar wafers, and photovoltaic cells and modules. The company also provides cell and module processing services. Its products are used in a range of residential, commercial, industrial, and other solar power generation systems. The company sells its solar wafers primarily to solar cell and module manufacturers. It principally operates in Mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, and the United States. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Jiashan, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Big earnings movers: Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) is up 12.5% at $49.11 and posted a new 52-week high of $49.94 today. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD) is down $15 at $19.74. Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) is up 12.8% at $55.18 after posting a new 52-week high of $55.83 earlier today. Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) is up 2.3% at $35.42. ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) is up 8% at $4.75.

  • [By John Kell var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(func]

    ReneSola Ltd.(SOL) said it is being probed as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s antidumping investigation of solar products imports. The Chinese solar-products company said it has temporarily stopped shipping products to the U.S. that fall within the scope of the probe and it intends to fully cooperate with the investigation proceedings. Shares dropped 3.6% to $3.78 premarket.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Provided that the Chinese government either encourages or permits consolidation, any of these three could be an acquirer. The likeliest target, of course, is SunTech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), which is reorganizing and which the government has already seemed to give up on. Other possible targets include ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) and JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: JKS).

  • [By James Brumley]

    Which solar power stocks are the proverbial picks of the litter, though? Here are the first five a newcomer might want to consider.

    ReneSola Ltd. (SOL)

    While most solar stocks have done incredibly well so far in 2014, ReneSola (SOL) wasn’t one of them. In fact, SOL stock is a bit unusual in that it’s trading well under its October high of $6 per share. That’s not a bad thing, though. In fact, it may work to your advantage because it gives new buyers a chance to scoop up ReneSola shares at a bargain price before their next big run-up.

Top 10 Solar Companies To Own For 2014: First Solar Inc.(FSLR)

First Solar, Inc. manufactures and sells solar modules using a thin-film semiconductor technology. It also designs, constructs, and sells photovoltaic solar power systems. The company?s solar modules employ a thin layer of semiconductor material to convert sunlight into electricity. Its integrated solar power systems activities include the project development; engineering, procurement, and construction services; operating and maintenance services; and project finance. The company sells solar modules to project developers, system integrators, and operators of renewable energy projects; and solar power systems to investor owned utilities, independent power developers and producers, and commercial and industrial companies, as well as other system owners. It operates in the United States, Germany, France, Canada, and internationally. The company was formerly known as First Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to First Solar, Inc. in 2006. First Solar was founded in 1999 a nd is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Friday’s session are WellCare Health Plans Inc.(WCG), First Solar Inc.(FSLR) and Ellie Mae Inc.(ELLI)

Monday, February 9, 2015

Top 10 China Stocks To Buy For 2014

Most Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark index retreating from a two-month high, after a private survey showed China�� manufacturing contracting at a faster-than-estimated pace.

PetroChina Co., the country�� No. 1 energy producer, sank 2 percent in Hong Kong. Kao Corp., a maker of household and chemical products, fell 6.2 percent in Tokyo after giving an update on a product recall. LG Innotek Co. and Inventec Corp. led gains among Apple Inc. suppliers in Asia after the iPhone and iPad maker topped analysts��earnings projections in the third quarter.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.1 percent to 137.07 as of 6:23 p.m. in Hong Kong, reversing gains of as much as 0.2 percent. About five shares declined for every four that rose on the gauge. The measure dropped 4.9 percent through yesterday from this year�� high on May 20 amid signs China�� economic slowdown is deepening and concern the Federal Reserve will start tapering monetary stimulus as the U.S. economy improves.

Top 10 Up And Coming Companies To Invest In 2015: Xueda Education Group(XUE)

Xueda Education Group provides tutoring services for primary and secondary school students in the People?s Republic of China with a focus on offering personalized tutoring services. Its services include consultation and assessment, formulation of a customized study plan, personalized tutoring, and delivery of supporting services. The company also provides course offerings that cover various academic subjects taught in primary and secondary schools, such as mathematics, English, physics, Chinese, and chemistry; and self-designed courses beyond the standard curriculum in certain subjects, as well as in subjects not taught at public primary and secondary schools. As of December 31, 2010, its tutoring service network comprised 207 learning centers and approximately 9,650 full-time service professionals, serving customers located in 53 economically developed cities across 27 of China?s 31 provinces and municipalities. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Beij ing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Leading and Lagging Sectors
    In trading on Friday, non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 0.09 percent. Among the leading sector stocks, gains came from Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) and Xueda Education Group (NYSE: XUE). Financial sector was the leading decliner in the US market today.

Top 10 China Stocks To Buy For 2014: Baidu Inc.(BIDU)

Baidu, Inc. provides Chinese and Japanese language Internet search services. Its search services enable users to find relevant information online, including Web pages, news, images, multimedia files, and blogs through the links provided on its Websites. The company also offers online community-based products and entertainment platforms; an instant messaging service; and a consumer-oriented e-commerce platform. In addition, it designs and delivers online marketing services and auction-based P4P services that enable its customers to reach users who search for information related to their products or services. The company serves online marketing customers consisting of small and medium sized enterprises, large domestic corporations, and Chinese divisions or subsidiaries of multinational corporations primarily operating in the medical, machinery, education, franchising, electronic products, e-commerce, ticketing, tourism, information technology, consumer products, real estate, entertainment, and financial services industries. It sells its online marketing services directly, as well as through its distribution network. The company was formerly known as Baidu.com, Inc. and changed its name to Baidu, Inc. in December 2008. Baidu, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) shares gained 7.80% to $171.85 in the pre-market session after the company reported higher Q3 profit. Brean Capital upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy.

Top 10 China Stocks To Buy For 2014: Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd.(QIHU)

Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. provides Internet and mobile security products in the People's Republic of China. Its principal products include 360 Safe Guard, an Internet security product for Internet security and system optimization; 360 Anti-Virus, an anti-virus application to protect users? computers against trojan horses, viruses, worms, adware, and other forms of malware; and 360 Mobile Safe, a security program for the Google Android, Apple iOS, and Nokia Symbian smartphone operating systems. The company?s platform products comprise 360 Safe Browser, a Web browser; 360 Personal Start-up Page, a default homepage of 360 Safe Browser and a key access point to popular and preferred information and applications; 360 Application Store, a key access point to securely obtain and manage software and applications; and 360 Safebox, a solution that protects users against thefts of personal account information. It also provides online advertising services, including online marketi ng services and search referral services; and Internet value-added services comprising the operation of Web games developed by third-parties, remote technical support, and cloud-based services. The company was formerly known as Qihoo Technology Company Limited and changed its name to Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. in December 2010. Qihoo 360 Technology Co. was founded in 2005 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU  ) may be taking a page out of the Bing playbook.

    Reports late last week claim that the new Chinese dot-com darling is in talks to acquire Sohu.com's (NASDAQ: SOHU  ) Sogou search engine.

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Is it a coincidence that Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU  ) rolled out a rival search engine last summer and that Baidu has come up short in each of its first two reporting periods where it had to compete with Qihoo 360 for the entirety of the quarter?

Top 10 China Stocks To Buy For 2014: Sina Corporation(SINA)

SINA Corporation provides online media and mobile value-added services (MVAS) in the People?s Republic of China. It provides advertising, non-advertising, and free services through SINA.com, Weibo.com, and SINA Mobile. SINA.com offers free interest-based channels that provide region-focused format and content, including news, sports, automobile-related news, finance, entertainment, luxury, technology, digital, tools, collectibles, video, music, and wireless application protocol, as well as interactive platform for fashion-conscious users to share comments and ideas on a range of topics, such as health, cosmetics, and beauty. The company's microblogging platform, Weibo.com, enables its users to follow the hottest topics being discussed online, as well as discussions related to people they know. Weibo accounts consist of celebrities, commercial enterprises, government entities, and grass root Internet users. Its SINA Mobile service allows users to receive news and informatio n, download ring tones, mobile games and pictures, and participate in dating and friendship communities. The company also offers SINA Game, which serves as an interactive platform that provides users with downloads and gateway access to popular online games; SINA eReading, a shop for book reviews; SINA.net, an enterprise solutions platform to assist businesses and government bodies; and SINA Mall, an online shopping Website. In addition, it provides a platform for Chinese bloggers; photo-sharing platform; free email, VIP mail, and corporate email for enterprise users; audio and video-based instant messaging tools; proprietary search technology; and classified advertising services, as well as hosts topic-specific discussion forums in Chinese language; and creates user-maintained and supported online communities. The company has strategic cooperation agreement with China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited. SINA Corporation was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the Peop le?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    On Thursday, SINA (NASDAQ: SINA  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The key to making smart investment decisions on stocks reporting earnings is to anticipate how they'll do before they announce results, leaving you fully prepared to respond quickly to whatever inevitable surprises arise.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Shares of SINA (NASDAQ: SINA) were also up, gaining 6.89 percent to $56.66 Weibo successfully IPO'ed Thursday morning.

    SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) shares were also up, gaining 10.24 percent to $83.62 after the company reported upbeat Q1 results. Morgan Stanley raised the price target on the stock from $82.00 to $90.00.

  • [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

    Sina is an online media company that aims to serve Chinese consumers in and outside of China. The stock is now resting after seeing large declines in the last few years. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue numbers have improved, which has pleased investors. Relative to its peers and sector, Sina has been a poor relative performer, year-to-date. WAIT AND SEE what Sina does in coming quarters.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Over the past 12 months, shares of Qihoo 360 are up more than 200%, compared with gains of about 46% at Sina Corp. (NASDAQ: SINA) and about 20% at Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), two other booming Chinese Internet players.

Top 10 China Stocks To Buy For 2014: Mindray Medical International Limited (MR)

Mindray Medical International Limited, through its subsidiary, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices worldwide. It operates in three segments: Patient Monitoring and Life Support Products, In-Vitro Diagnostic Products, and Medical Imaging Systems. The Patient Monitoring and Life Support Products segment offers patient monitoring devices that track the physiological parameters of patients, such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and temperature. This segment?s patient monitoring devices are suitable for adult, pediatric, and neonatal patients and are used principally in hospital intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency rooms. This segment provides single and multiple-parameter monitors, mobile and portable multifunction monitors, central stations that could collect and display multiple patient data on a single screen, and an electro-cardiogram monitoring device; veterinary monitoring devi ces; and anesthesia machines, as well as defibrillators, surgical beds, and surgical lights. The In-Vitro Diagnostic Products segment offers data and analysis on blood, urine, and other bodily fluid samples for clinical diagnosis and treatment. This segment also provides semi-automated and fully-automated in-vitro diagnostic products for laboratories, clinics, and hospitals. In addition, this segment offers hematology analyzers and biochemistry analyzers, and reagents. The Medical Imaging Systems segment provides ultrasound systems, which are employed in medical fields consisting of urology, gynecology, obstetrics, and cardiology; digital radiography systems; and a magnetic resonance imaging system. The company serves distributors, original design manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and hospitals and government agencies. Mindray Medical International Limited was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    China is set to ease the one child policy, something that could benefit Chinese stocks in general but be especially beneficial to insurance stocks like China Life Insurance Company Ltd (NYSE: LFC) and CNinsure Inc (NASDAQ: CISG) plus health care stocks like Mindray Medical International Ltd�(NYSE: MR) and Concord Medical Services Hldg Ltd (NYSE: CCM). First, let�� be clear that China is NOT abolishing the one child policy as the changes will merely�allow married couples to have two children if one spouse is an only child plus it will be up to China�� 34 province-level administrations to revise�their laws and put the new policy into effect. Moreover, China�� family-planning bureaucracy employs more than 500,000 full-time workers and six million part-time workers all the way down to the village level to�collect billions of dollars in fines and these bureaucrats have fought for years against policy changes���meaning they could throw up roadblocks if not placated. With that said, the insurance and health care sectors are two sectors with publicly Chinese stocks that look set to�take advantage of the coming changes.

  • [By Keith Speights]

    It's easy to place too much attention on the immediate negatives and too little attention on the bigger positives. I made this mistake in 2011 after buying shares in Mindray Medical (NYSE: MR  ) . I ended up selling my shares for a loss when the stock fell due to weaker-than-expected demand for its medical devices in Europe and the U.S.

Top 10 China Stocks To Buy For 2014: 51job Inc.(JOBS)

51job, Inc. provides integrated human resource services primarily in the People?s Republic of China. . The company provides recruitment related advertising services, including print advertising services through 51job Weekly, which is a city-specific recruitment advertising publication that is published once a week and is distributed as an insert in local newspapers and/or on a stand-alone basis; and online recruitment services through its Website, www.51job.com. It also offers other human resource related services, such as business process outsourcing, which consist of social insurance and welfare payment processing, regulatory compliance, and payroll processing; and executive search services, as well as conducts training seminars in the areas of business management, leadership, sales and marketing, human resource, negotiation skills, financial planning and analysis, public administration, manufacturing, secretarial, and other skills for the general public and corporate cl ients. In addition, the company provides campus recruitment services; conducts salary, employee retention, and other human resource related surveys; organize and host annual human resource conferences and events, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities for human resource professionals; and provides assessment tools to assist human resource departments in evaluating capabilities and dispositions of job candidates and existing employees, aiding employee placement, and allocating employee resources, as well as hiring and support services to employers on select recruitment projects. It provides recruitment and other human resource related services to employers through its sales offices, as well as through its sales and customer service call center. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

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

    Andy Wong/AP Alibaba (BABA) is the new belle of the dot-com ball in China. The e-commerce juggernaut pulled off a record initial public offering in September when it raised $25 billion on the way to becoming a public company. Analysts love Alibaba. They were able to initiate coverage on Wednesday, following the 40-day quiet period that follows an IPO's debut. Only one of its underwriters -- Goldman Sachs -- failed to tap it as a buy recommendation. It's easy to see the appeal. Alibaba helped 231 million active buyers place 11.3 billion orders totaling $248 billion in transactions last year, and it's just getting started. However, the stock, with its nearly $250 billion market cap, isn't cheap. Let's look at some Chinese dot-coms that have been trading longer and could be more compelling bargains. Baidu (BIDU) China's leading search engine posted another blowout quarter on Wednesday, just as analysts were gushing all over Alibaba. The company behind China's largest search engine saw revenue soar 52 percent over the prior year's third quarter. Earnings climbed just 27 percent, but that was twice as fast as analysts were expecting. Baidu is investing in low-margin online specialties including travel, video and mobile app storefronts, and that weighs on bottom-line growth. Baidu remains one of China's biggest winners. It went public nine years ago at a split-adjusted price of $2.70, and now it trades north of $200. Baidu fulfills roughly two-thirds of all queries, and it is rocking at a time when its profitability is still suppressed. 51job (JOBS) Matching employees to potential hires started out with old-school tech for 51job. It got its start by inserting weekly job listings in more than two dozen leading Chinese newspapers. Then the Internet came along, allowing 51job to convert its thick Rolodex and respected brand into a leading online recruiter. It's working: 51job is growing its revenue in the low double digits. It's trading at a reasonable 22 time

  • [By Ben Rooney]

    51job (JOBS), an online job search website similar to Monster.com (MWW), has surged more 60% this year.

    But there is one notable Chinese dot-com stock that's sitting out the big rally. Shares of Renren (RENN), the social network known as China's Facebook (FB, Fortune 500), are down 3% for the year.

  • [By John Udovich]

    As US and global economies recover, hiring should increase with overlooked recruitment related stocks like Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc (NASDAQ: CSOD), 51job, Inc (NASDAQ: JOBS) and Staffing 360 Solutions Inc (OTCBB: STAF) being among the first to benefit aside from those who have found employment:

Top 10 China Stocks To Buy For 2014: China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited(CHOP)

China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited engages in the manufacture and sale of cold-rolled narrow strip steel products in the People's Republic of China. The company converts steel manufactured by third parties into thin steel sheets and strips. It sells its products directly to its customers in a range of industries, including food and industrial packaging, construction and household decorations materials, electrical appliances, and telecommunications wires and cables industries. The company was formerly known as Golden Green Enterprises Limited and changed its name to China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited in December 2009. China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited is based in Zhengzhou, China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    China Gerui Advanced Materials Group (NASDAQ: CHOP) is expected to report its Q2 earnings.

    Ambarella (NASDAQ: AMBA) is estimated to post its Q2 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $44.67 million.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Leading and Lagging Sectors
    On Tuesday, the basic materials sector proved to be a source of strength for the US market after Yellen statement. Huntsman (NYSE: HUN) shares surged 2.62 percent after reporting strong quarterly earnings, while China Gerui Advanced Materials Group (NASDAQ: CHOP) gained around 2.5 percent.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Can Samsung Squeeze Apple Where It Hurts?

Perhaps Tim Cook's best-known claim to fame is that he constructed what's widely regarded as the best supply chain in the world for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) . Market researcher Gartner even ranks companies based on supply chain prowess, and Apple takes the cake by a long shot. The Mac maker's composite score in the 2012 rankings put it ahead of McDonald's, one of the largest fast food chains in the world, as well as the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart. Apple outscored rival Samsung by nearly three-fold.

Apple is known for making billions of dollars of inventory component prepayments to secure supply, a figure that currently stands at $3.6 billion.

Source: SEC filings. Calendar quarters shown.

Can Samsung squeeze Apple's supply chain?

Main squeeze
One of Samsung's biggest strengths in the battle for smartphone dominance has been its vertical integration, an infrastructure it built as an Apple supplier itself. The South Korean conglomerate sources the majority of its components internally, everything from applications processors to memory to displays. That's given it cost advantages and it also contributes to the operational efficiency that facilitates Samsung's "fast follower" strategy, where it can quickly replicate a rival's offering with breathtaking agility.

However, as the company has risen to become the largest smartphone vendor in the world by volume, its need for crucial ingredients has similarly increased. That's put a strain on its ability to source from within, and Samsung has now increasingly begun tapping third-party vendors -- many of which have relationships with Apple.

That includes companies like Sharp, which provides LCD panels to Apple. Samsung has also been tapping Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM  ) more, including in its newest Galaxy S4. Samsung and Apple primarily tap Qualcomm for different chips, though: Samsung uses Snapdragon processors while Apple only purchases basebands. Some analysts think that using Snapdragons could adversely affect Samsung's image of having differentiated hardware (like its Exynos chips), since a wide range of OEMs use Snapdragons.

That notion deserves more context. Samsung's Exynos chips use standard cores licensed from ARM Holdings; the latest Exynos 5 family uses ARM Cortex-A15 cores. Qualcomm, on the other hand, licenses an ARM instruction set and makes its "Krait" cores from scratch, meaning Snapdragons are more differentiated. It just so happens that everyone uses them, so they've become the standard. Samsung was also reportedly facing challenges in power consumption with its Exynos 5 Octa. Qualcomm is happy to play both sides, though, and has overcome its supply constraints of yesteryear that were related to Taiwan Semiconductor.

An estimated 80% of Galaxy S4 component profits are generated within Samsung's own divisions, so the vast majority of Samsung's ingredients still be produced internally. As Samsung continues to push its own internal limits, it will find itself competing more directly with Apple for component supply.

It's a good thing that Apple has those prepayments.

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

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Are Markets in the Middle of the Next Big Run?

Here's a simple question with big implications: Was 2009 the start of the next secular bull market?

Earlier this month I sat down with Liz Ann Sonders, chief market strategist of Charles Schwab, and got her take on what stage of the market cycle the Dow Jones (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) may be in. Have a look (transcript follows):

Sonders: Let's assume it's coming to the end and starts to go down again. We will look back and say that the secular bear that started in March of 2000 is ongoing and that all we got in the last four years was just a pop back to 2000 and 2007 highs.

Secular bull and bear markets by definition are really only figured out in hindsight. I mean, it's wonderful if you were the analyst or the strategist out there saying it's a secular bull, and then you find out years later that that's how it was classified, but we won't know probably for some time.

Top Energy Stocks To Invest In 2015

I think the fact that the things typically in place at the beginning of a new secular bull market all were in place back in the beginning of 2009. You had negative real interest rates. You actually, interestingly, had a high and still rising unemployment rate, and a lot of people look at that and think, "Well, why would that suggest the beginning of a bull market?" Because that's the most lagging of indicators, and that has always been in place when we've started a new secular bull.

Where people quibble is whether valuations got low enough at the low in 2009 relative to other secular-bull lows. On the surface, you could argue no, but I think you can't look at valuation in a vacuum; you have to look at the inflation environment. And although in the early '80s we bottomed at about a six or seven P/E, we had double-digit and rising inflation -- very, very different than having, say, a nine or a ten P/E in 2009 in a deflationary environment. So I think if you make that adjustment, subtle or otherwise, you can check off pretty much all of those things that have been in place at the beginning of secular bull markets in the past back in March of 2009.

More from the Motley Fool
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Friday, February 6, 2015

Investing In The Smart Home Boom

The corporate race is on to dominate the rapidly expanding market for smart homes, dwellings in which appliance, heating, entertainment and security systems communicate with each and can be controlled remotely via smart phones and other digital devices.

Consumers want to save time, energy and money, and the automated home market could reach by $71 billion by 2018 — up from $33 billion in 2013, according to a recent study by Juniper Research.

Platform wars

How best to invest in the smart home boom? The real winners will be the companies that win the platform wars.

[Related -How the Chinese Slowdown Will Impact Your Investments]

Rival corporate alliances are vying to control the communication protocols and software standards to allow different home systems to talk to each other.

There are various smartphone apps out there that control a single functions such as the Google (GOOG) Nest smart thermostats, the LG (LGEPF) Smart ThinQ refrigerators and Sonos speakers.

Trouble is, these systems don't speak to the same language.

Google and Apple

To change all that, Google Nest recently purchased Revolv, a hub that let's consumers control all of their automated home devices from one master app on their smartphones.

[Related -Most Investors Will Miss This Powerful Buy Signal on Amazon's Chart]

Apple (AAPL) is preparing a new software platform dubbed HomeKit that centers around the iPhone that would work with with security systems, lights and household appliances that might enhance demand for its franchise smartphone.

Not to be outdone, Samsung is working on its Smart Home platform that would sync with its Galaxy line-up.

Other contenders include Belkin's WeMo, which is making a serious run to be the dominant player in the connected home with wireless technology that will control power and appliances.

It recently introduced Belkin's WeMo Smart LED Bulbs that will bring it into competition with other brands such as Philips Hue Personal Wireless Lighting and General Electric's (GE) Link lighting products.

Microsoft

For its, part Microsoft (MSFT) has chosen startup 10 companies, including Chai Energy, Heatworks, and Red Balloon Security, to participate in its accelerator program, in which companies receive investments and technical training to develop commercially viable strategies.

Amazon.com (AMZN) is reaching out to developers for various smart home projects and has devoted $55 million for such research at its Silicon Valley engineering center, Lab126.

10 Best European Stocks For 2015

There's the possibility that open standards such as SmartThings and ZigBee could prevail, which could through the market wide open.

And the telcos are in the race as well. Take the Time Warner Cable's Intelligent Home program that offers energy management and 24-hour video security services.

Much will ride on how enthusiastically consumers embrace these technologies.

A survey by research firm icontrol networks published earlier this suggested that tech enthusiasts are most likely to be interested in automated homes.

These younger consumers are most interested in family security and the convenience of automating the functions inside their homes.

 

Click to Enlarge

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Confessions of an Out-of-Control Penny-Pincher

US Penny on Blue Stacy Newman/Getty Images . I was a pretty lucky child growing up in a suburb of New Orleans. I attended summer camp, went to private schools and learned to play the piano and dance ballet. With their upper-middle class incomes, my parents were able to provide for me in a way that many families can't. Courtesy: Victorine LamotheVictorine's penny-pinching only elevated her anxiety over money. But while I never knew what it was like to want for anything, my parents did think it was important for me to learn the value of money. Once I became a teenager, they encouraged me to get a part-time job, so I could foot the bill for hanging out with my friends and any shopping excursions. At 14, I got my first gig as a babysitter, moving on to restaurant host and daycare worker during the rest of my high school years. My paychecks were mine to manage, and I had my own checking account. By the time I graduated, I felt financially independent because I was responsible for all my own spending money. So I naturally figured I would be able to juggle jobs with school in much the same way once I got to college. But college was a totally different world -- and it didn't take me long to realize that "having enough" would take on a whole new meaning. My Path to Obsessive Penny-Pinching In the fall of 2007, I entered Barnard College in New York City. And although I was a straight-A student in high school, keeping up with undergraduate coursework was decidedly more difficult. From 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., I attended classes, studied, wrote papers and managed to sneak in meals. Unlike many of my fellow classmates, my parents didn't give me spending money. They took care of my tuition, room and board, and plane tickets home, but I was responsible for scrounging up money for day-to-day expenses. Because of my nonstop schoolwork, I could work only on the weekends. By my senior year I'd held a medley of odd jobs: babysitter, translator, English tutor, dog sitter, house sitter, model and personal organizer. I never made a lot of money -- $200 a week at most -- and that didn't go very far in Manhattan. As a result, I developed some extremely frugal habits that helped me reduce my spending and save some of the little money I was making -- but also launched me on a path to a near-crippling obsession with cutting costs. My groceries and toiletries were all generic brands. I didn't shop for new clothes. I didn't go out to bars or clubs with cover charges. I also looked up campus events where free food was advertised. I even went to a meeting for a campus organization that I was completely uninterested in just so I could take some cookies -- that was breakfast for the next two days. Even when I had a little extra, I felt the need to save it for the weeks when I couldn't find work or didn't have time to work because of my studies. I never got a credit card because I was afraid of spending more than I earned, and I never asked my parents for help because I felt like I needed to be an adult and figure things out on my own. Looking back on my college years, I realize my stress levels were much higher than my classmates' because -- in addition to worrying about grades -- I was constantly worried about money. Why My Problem Only Got Worse Post-Graduation When I graduated in May of 2011, I landed my dream job at a publishing company. I thought that having a steady paycheck would help alleviate some of my financial stress, but despite my frugal ways, I still wasn't prepared for the reality of living on an entry-level salary. After taxes, medical insurance and other payroll deductions -- except for retirement, which was a pipe dream at that point -- I had $1,600 a month to live on. In some cities, that's doable, but it doesn't go very far in New York. Determined to stay in the city and advance my career, I had to find a way to make that money work.

I avoided most social situations that involved spending money -- it got to the point where I'd only accept invitations from friends who I knew would pay for my dinner, coffee or drinks.

This meant finding new levels of frugality that put my cheap college habits to shame. First, there was the little matter of rent. I found some decent roommate situations in nice neighborhoods, where I would have paid between $800 to $1,000 a month. But once I calculated how much disposable cash I'd actually have, I decided the best option would be to rent a room in a not-completely-safe area for $550 a month. Then I came up with detailed spreadsheets to track every single penny spent. I only allotted money for rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, toiletries, cleaning supplies and other essentials. Dinner usually consisted of $3 microwavable meals, and going out was out of the question. I also couldn't bring myself to shop, even when I was sorely in need of a new outfit. I remember showing up to work once in a hole-ridden dress and overhearing some co-workers snickering about me behind my back. And what little I managed to save always seemed to get eaten up by unexpected expenses -- like getting stuck with a $500 "lab fee" from my doctor's office. I was always in fear of the next financial emergency. My anxiety over finances meant that I lived a pretty lonely existence. I avoided most social situations that involved spending money -- it got to the point where I'd only accept invitations from friends who I knew would pay for my dinner, coffee or drinks. I was upfront about the fact that I was uncomfortable spending money, and most of my friends would say they understood -- but deep down I felt like nobody really could. It wasn't until I met Cecilia that I realized my frugal ways were getting out of hand. Reaching My Thrifty Tipping Point I met Cecilia at work, where she noticed that whenever I'd get invited to an after-work party, I'd order the cheapest thing on the menu -- or nothing at all. When we started dating, I made her aware that I wasn't making much money, so she footed the bill on a lot of our dates. Cecilia accepted my cheapness, but there were times when it created tension between us. The turning point for me came when we were celebrating her birthday as a couple for the first time. For my birthday, she had gone all-out with a night at a hotel and dinner at a nice restaurant. When her birthday rolled around, I was incapable of purchasing a real present, mainly because my cheap mentality had become so engrained in me. My gift? A bagel with lox, because I knew it was one of her favorite foods. She smiled when I offered it to her, but mentioned later that she would like a "real" present for her next birthday. While she made a joke of it, I could see in her face that she would have liked for me to make an exception to my cheapness for her birthday.

I realized my frugality went from being a good habit to an unhealthy obsession when I couldn't even buy the person I love a proper gift.

I knew it was time for me to let up on my extreme frugality. Now that we're married, I haven't completely changed my ways, but I have loosened my grip on money. Cecilia and I have mostly separate bank accounts, but we do have a joint checking account for household expenses. Although I still track all my spending, I also know that splurging on a nice restaurant isn't the end of the world. To be sure, I'm not saying that being thrifty didn't, and doesn't, have its benefits. A lot of my friends live paycheck to paycheck, either because they don't make much or because they feel pressured to consume -- whether it's a $15 cocktail or the latest tech gadget. Many of them have racked up thousands of dollars in credit card debt. By contrast, I never draw my checking account down to zero, I've started contributing to retirement and I have enough savings to cover myself for five months if I lost my job. I'm never caught off-guard when confronted with an unexpected expense, and am now focused on saving up for a down payment on a home. Compared to other 20-somethings in New York, I feel like I'm ahead of the game. But I realized my frugality went from being a good habit to an unhealthy obsession when I couldn't even buy the person I love a proper gift. Looking back, there were times when I could have let myself have fun, make some memories, and allow myself the occasional splurge -- as long as those things were the exception and not the rule. Most of us spend a ton of time researching our options when we first sign up for a plan or policy, then forget all about it and make monthly payments like a robot. But this can cost you.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

5 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now

Considering Joe's Jeans Inc. (NASDAQ:JOEZ) is currently trading 22% below where it closed on Monday, it would understandably be easy to assume the company was a mess and the stock was best left avoided. Just because JOEZ is being punished for a bad quarter, however, doesn't mean the punishment fits the crime. For that matter, it's not entirely clear the stock deserves to be punished at all... making this week's big plunge a buying opportunity.

The catalysts for the selloff was (and if you're reading this, you may already know) falling short of earnings estimates for last quarter. JOEZ earned $0.02 per share, shy of estimates of $0.03. Net income was off by 17% despite the fact that revenue was up 8% on a year over year basis.

True, Joe's Jeans Inc. was supposed to post a bigger bottom line that it did - an expectation largely created by the company, which talked a big game a few months ago and then failed to deliver when its lower-end "Else" brand led to thinner margins. But, it looks as if traders put too much emphasis on the one quarter without thinking about the bigger picture here.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: Navios Maritime Partners LP (NMM)

Navios Maritime Partners L.P. (Navios Partners) is an international owner and operator of dry cargo vessels formed by Navios Holdings. Navios GP L.L.C. (the General Partner), a wholly owned subsidiary of Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (Navios Holdings) acts as the general partner of Navios Partners and received a 2% general partner interest in Navios Partners. Navios Partners is engaged in the seaborne transportation services of a range of drybulk commodities, including iron ore, coal, grain and fertilizer, chartering its vessels under medium to long-term charters. On May 19, 2011, Navios Partners acquired from Navios Holdings the Navios Orbiter, a 76,602 deadweight Panamax vessel. On May 19, 2011, Navios Partners acquired from Navios Holdings the Navios Luz. In June 2012, the Company purchased the Navios Buena Ventura, a 2010 South-Korean-built Capesize vessel of 179,259 dwt from Navios Maritime Holdings Inc.

The Company is an international owner and operator of drybulk carriers formed by Navios Maritime Holdings Inc., a vertically integrated seaborne shipping company. Its vessels are chartered-out under medium to long-term time charters with an average remaining term of approximately four years to a group of counterparties, consisting of Cosco Bulk Carrier Co. Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., Samsun Logix, STX Panocean, Sanko Steamship Co. Ltd., Daiichi Chuo Kisen Kaisha, Augustea Imprese Maritime, Rio Tinto, Constellation Energy Group and Mansel.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fleet consisted of 11 Panamax vessels, six Capesize vessels and one Ultra-Handymax vessel. Its fleet of dry cargo vessels has an average age of approximately 5.6 years. Panamax vessels are flexible vessels capable of carrying a range of drybulk commodities, including iron ore, coal, grain and fertilizer. All of its vessels operate under medium to long-term time charters of three or more years at inception with counterparties. It also operates vessels in the spot market until the vessels have! been fixed under appropriate medium to long-term charters.

The Company competes with China Ocean Shipping, China Shipping Group, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Kawasaki Kisen, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Cargill, Pacific Basin Shipping, Bocimar, Zodiac Maritime, Louis Dreyfus/Cetragpa, Cobelfret and Torvald Klaveness.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Igor Greenwald]

    Our Aggressive Portfolio already includes one beneficiary of these trends��avios Maritime Partners (NMM), a partnership with 25 dry bulk carriers, and now, five newly-acquired container ships.

5 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now: New Century Bancorp Inc.(NC)

New Century Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for New Century Bank that provides commercial and retail banking services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in southeastern North Carolina. Its deposit product line comprises checking, savings, NOW, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit, and non-interest-bearing demand and time deposits. The company?s loan portfolio includes one-to-four family and multi-family residential loans; construction loans; home equity lines of credit; commercial real estate loans; commercial and industrial loans; and loans to individuals. It operates main office in Dunn; and branch offices in Clinton, Goldsboro, Lillington, Greenville, Fayetteville, Lumberton, Pembroke, and Raeford. The company is headquartered in Dunn, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Industrial conglomerate�NACCO Industries� (NYSE: NC  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.25 per share, the same rate it paid in February, which reflected the spinoff of Hyster-Yale Materials Handling�last September.

5 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now: CECO Environmental Corp.(CECE)

CECO Environmental Corp. provides air-pollution control technology products and services worldwide. The company offers engineered equipment, cyclones, scrubbers, dampers, diverters, regenerative thermal oxidizers, component parts, and monitoring and managing services. Its Engineered Equipment Technology and Parts Group segment provides air handling equipment and systems for filtering, cooling, heating, and capturing emissions in the metal industries; systems for corrosion protection, fugitive emissions control, evaporative cooling, and other ventilation and air handling applications; and fume exhaust systems that provide control of oil mist and fumes, as well as remove liquid particles and vapor phase emissions from rolling mill, machining, and other oil mist generating processes. This segment also markets a strip cooler under the JET*STAR name designed to cool metal strip coatings. The company?s Contracting/Services Group segment offers oil mist collection, dust collecti on, industrial exhaust, chip collection, make-up air, and automotive spray booth systems, as well as industrial and process piping, and other industrial sheet metal works. This segment also engages in fabricating parts, engineered subassemblies, and customized products for air pollution and non-air pollution systems from sheet, plate, and structurals. Its Component Parts Group segment manufactures and markets component parts for industrial air systems to contractors, distributors, and dealers. The company markets its products and services under the Kirk & Blum, CECO Filters, Busch International, CECO Abatement Systems, KB Duct, Effox, Fisher-Klosterman, Buell, A.V.C., FKI, and Flextor names. It serves aerospace, brick, cement, steel, ceramics, metalworking, printing, paper, food, foundries, utilities, metal plating, woodworking, chemicals, glass, automotive, ethanol, pharmaceuticals, and refining industries. CECO Environmental Corp. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered i n Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Calling all cash flows
    When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on CECO Environmental (Nasdaq: CECE  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

5 Best Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    One under-$10 stock that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Hanwha SolarOne (HSOL), which manufactures a number of silicon ingots, PV cells and PV modules using advanced manufacturing process technologies. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up 301%.

    If you take a look at the chart for Hanwha SolarOne, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $2.60 to its recent high of $4.28 a share. During that uptrend, shares of HSOL have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of HSOL within range of triggering a big breakout trade.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HSOL if it manages to break out above its 52-week high at $4.28 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.61 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HSOL will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are its next major overhead resistance levels at $6 to $7 a share.

    Traders can look to buy HSOL off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average at $3.40 a share, or near more support at $3.35 a share. One can also buy HSOL off strength once it clears $4.28 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Solar stocks are shooting higher again today as the strong run in 2013 continues. LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK  ) , Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ  ) , Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE  ) , Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) , and JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS  ) led the way, gaining between 10% and 22% today.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 13.9% at $4.36. D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is up 4.7% at $18.91 on good earnings boosted by land sales.

  • [By Rebecca McClay]

    The tech market's news today includes a plunge in Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: HSOL) shares, which are down 5% in morning trade after its second-quarter loss narrowed to $0.32 per share from a loss of $0.43 in Q1.