W.P. Carey Acquires UK Government Office for $72 Million (WPC)

Real estate investment trust W.P. Carey Inc. (WPC) announced on Tuesday that it has acquired an UK government office facility for $72 million.

WPC has acquired an office facility from the Department of State for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) located in Manchester, UK. This office is leased to the DCLG on a 15 year triple net lease and is currently occupied by the UK’s tax department.

Jennifer Lucas, Director of WPC commented: “The recent staff consolidation into the facility demonstrates that this is an important location for HMRC and supports our proven business model of acquiring key operating assets let to single tenants on long-term net-leases.”

W.P. Carey shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Tuesday. The stock is up 27% YTD.

Gross 'not braggin' after short-term Treasuries call

Bill Gross got it right when he recommended short-maturity Treasuries this week.

“Not braggin' but what did we tell you,” Gross, who runs the world's biggest bond fund at Pacific Investment Management Co., wrote on Twitter Wednesday.

Gross: #Summers departure strengthens forward guidance approach on Wednesday – Still expect a #Taper – Buy front end.

— PIMCO (@PIMCO) September 16, 2013

Gross: Not braggin' but what did we tell you. Today marks the beginning of the #Yellen #Fed. Frontend friendly for a long time.

— PIMCO (@PIMCO) September 18, 2013

The difference between five- and 30-year yields widened to as much as 2.38 percentage points today, the most in almost six months. Gross wrote on Twitter on Sept. 15 that investors would demand more yield to own long bonds versus five-year notes after Lawrence Summers quit the race to head the Federal Reserve. The former Treasury secretary's decision ended speculation that he would undo the central bank's policies aimed at holding down borrowing costs.

Best Warren Buffett Companies To Own For 2014

The Fed unexpectedly refrained from reducing its $85 billion pace of monthly bond buying yesterday, saying it needs more evidence of lasting improvement in the economy. Futures contracts indicate investors are betting policy makers will wait longer before raising their target for overnight lending between banks, benefiting short-term Treasuries, those that are most sensitive what the central bank does with its benchmark.

Vice Chairman Janet Yellen, a supporter of Bernanke's policies, is the top candidate to succeed him, according to people familiar with the process.

Summers's decision to withdraw marks the beginning of the Yellen Fed, Gross said in his Twitter post Wednesday. Traders will have a “frontend friendly” market for a long time, he wrote, referring to the shortest Treasury maturities.Fund Performance

Gross' $251.1 billion Total Return Fund has fallen 2.5 percent this year, underperforming about two-thirds of its peers, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. During the past five years, it has gained an average of 7.5 percent annually, ranking in the 89th percentile.

Pimco

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now

Although Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) stock may look cheap compared to the S&P 500, there's good reason for the low price tag. Between a faltering PC market, anemic revenue growth, and profitability concerns, Intel investors have a lot of things to worry about. Together, these factors certainly beg the question: Should you sell your Intel stock today?

PC sales still top dog
As exciting as it is for Intel to develop cutting-edge technology that threatens ARM Holdings' mobile computing stronghold, the company remains deeply entrenched in the PC market. Intel reported its second-quarter earnings results last week, showing that more than 63% of the company's revenue came from its PC client group segment. With worldwide PC shipments as bad as they've been, it's not surprising that investor enthusiasm would be muted toward the company's mobile computing ambitions. Simply put, it's going to take a considerably large tail to wag this dog.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now: SYMPHONY INTERNATIONAL HLDGS LTD ORD NPV(SIHL.L)

Symphony International Holdings Limited is a private equity and venture capital firm focused on strategic long-term direct investment opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. The firm typically invests in private equity-type deals such as management buy-outs/buy-ins, restructurings, and the provision of later-stage development and expansion capital. It primarily invests in innovative and high-growth consumer businesses primarily in the healthcare, hospitality, and lifestyle sectors. The firm seeks to invest in the entire Asia Pacific region with special focus on India, China, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the emerging markets of Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. It seeks to be the lead or sole investor. Symphony International Holdings Limited is based in Singapore with additional offices in Central, Hong Kong and Road Town, British Virgin Islands.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now: Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC)

Uranium Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, extraction, and processing of uranium concentrates on projects located in the United States and Paraguay. As of July 31, 2012, it had mineral rights in uranium mining projects located in the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming, as well as in Paraguay. The company was formerly known as Carlin Gold Inc. and changed its name to Uranium Energy Corp. in January 2005. Uranium Energy Corp. was incorporated in 2003 and is based in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Top 10 Cheap Companies To Watch For 2014: Armstrong Industrial Corp Ltd (A14.SI)

Armstrong Industrial Corporation Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of foam and rubber components focusing on noise, vibration, and heat management for use in the automotive and electronics industries. The company offers rubber parts and components of electronic and other instruments; rubber products, hardware, industrial parts, and components; and precision die-cutting, die fabrication, rubber molding, stamping, vacuum forming, heat press molding, and EPP molding components, as well as provides related product�s tooling fabrication, processing, and sale services. It also provides automotive products; gasket connectors, crash stops/latch bumpers, insulators, and damper adhesives for the data storage industry; rubber/ foam rollers, insulation films/foams, dampers, rubber feet products, cushion pads, panel acoustics, reflectors/ scanner foam assemblies, and labels and separator pads used in the office automation industry; and acousti c foams, dust sealants, filter foams, foots, heat sink gaskets, lens film spacers, microphone holders, insulator films, motor gaskets, O-rings, and silicon plugs for the consumer electronics industry. The company�s solutions are used for dampening, insulation, sealing, cushioning, sound absorption, and related applications. In addition, it produces noise and vibration reduction components, silkscreen nameplates, labels, and stickers; provides architectural, engineering, and related technical consultancy services; and trades in various materials and machineries, as well as adhesive and foam products. The company primarily operates in the People's Republic of China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It has a strategic partnership with Odenwald-Chemie GmbH. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now: Cls Holdings(CLI.L)

CLS Holdings plc engages in the investment, development, and management of commercial properties, primarily office buildings. It leases its properties for office, industrial, residential, community centre, car parking, leisure, studios/workshops, nursing home, and education/hospital uses to various sectors, including government, business services, manufacturing, information technology, and finance. As of December 31, 2010, the company had a portfolio of 28 properties with an aggregate lettable area of 127,700 square meters in London, the United Kingdom; 26 properties covering an area of 96,500 square meters in France; 16 properties with 138,000 square meters of lettable space in Germany; and approximately an area of 45,500 square meters in Sweden. CLS Holdings plc was founded in 1987 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now: Volterra Semiconductor Corporation(VLTR)

Volterra Semiconductor Corporation engages in the design, development, and marketing of analog and mixed-signal power management semiconductors for computing, storage, networking, and consumer markets. The company?s products include integrated voltage regulator semiconductors, integrated power protection and distribution semiconductors, and scalable voltage regulator semiconductor chipsets that transform, regulate, deliver, and monitor the power consumed by digital semiconductors. Its analog and mixed signal power management semiconductor products are primarily used in applications that require voltage regulating performance, such as data networking equipment, desktop and notebook computers, digital televisions, digital video recorders, game consoles, enterprise storage equipment, graphics cards, hard disk drives, printers, raid cards, servers, telecommunications equipment, base stations, and workstations. The company sells its products primarily to original equipment man ufacturers, original design manufacturers, contract equipment manufacturers, and merchant power supply manufacturers directly through its internal sales force, as well as indirectly through distributors and outsourced suppliers. It has operations in the United States, China, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and Germany. Volterra Semiconductor Corporation was founded in 1996 and is based in Fremont, California.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now: Intel Corporation(INTC)

Intel Corporation engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of integrated circuits for computing and communications industries worldwide. It offers microprocessor products used in notebooks, netbooks, desktops, servers, workstations, storage products, embedded applications, communications products, consumer electronics devices, and handhelds. The company also provides system on chip products that integrate its core processing functionalities with other system components, such as graphics, audio, and video, onto a single chip. In addition, it offers chipset products that send data between the microprocessor and input, display, and storage devices, including keyboard, mouse, monitor, hard drive, and CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drives; motherboards designed for desktop, server, and workstation platforms, and that has connectors for attaching devices to the bus; and wired and wireless connectivity products consisting of network adapters and embedded wireless cards used to translate and transmit data across networks. Further, the company provides NAND flash memory products primarily used in portable memory storage devices, digital camera memory cards, and solid-state drives; software products comprising operating systems, middleware, and tools used to develop, run, and manage various enterprise, consumer, embedded, and handheld devices; and software development tools that enable the creation of applications. Additionally, it develops computing platforms, which are integrated hardware and software computing technologies designed to offer an optimized solution. The company sells its products principally to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, PC components and other products users, and other manufacturers of industrial and communications equipment. It has a strategic alliance with Scientific Conservation Inc. Intel Corporation was founded in 1968 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stoyan Bojinov]

  The Santa Clara-based semiconductor juggernaut Intel Corp. (INTC) revealed a slew of new products at this year’s Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.

  Intel unveiled a host of consumer electronics products that it hopes will catch on with the mobile revolution. One of the most exciting announcements was the first fanless ultrabook laptop, and the company plans to team up with tablet makers to gain a foothold in that market; by the upcoming U.S. holiday season, there should be more than 20 Android and Windows 8 tablets based on Intel’s new “Bay Trail” CPU. The company also plans to release a 20nm SoC chip for smartphones as well as number of “wearable” electronics including a watch as well as a bracelet based on Intel hardware.

  Intel shares sank lower on Wednesday, shedding 0.76% on the day. The company is up nearly 11% YTD.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now: Strikepoint Gold Inc (SKP.V)

StrikePoint Gold Inc., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold mineral properties in Canada. The company holds approximately 15,225 hectares of gold exploration properties in southeast Manitoba in the Rice Lake Greenstone Belt. It also has interest in a 5468 hectare gold/copper exploration property located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The company was formerly known as Marum Resources Inc. and changed its name to StrikePoint Gold Inc. in June 2009. StrikePoint Gold Inc. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top Low Price Companies To Invest In Right Now: Mgm Energy Corp (MGX.TO)

MGM Energy Corp. engages in the acquisition, development, exploitation, and production of oil and natural gas in northern Canada. It primarily owns oil and natural gas resources in the Mackenzie Delta and the central Mackenzie Valley regions of the Northwest Territories. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

10 Best Cars On The Market

PORTLAND, Ore. (TheStreet) -- In a world full of cheap accolades, myriad award shows and ubiquitous listicles, the superlative "best" has lost all meaning.

In the automotive world, it's almost completely subjective in areas where the metrics don't back it up. You can measure "best mileage" by how many miles the Environmental Protection Agency says your vehicle travels per gallon, but there are still plenty of variables both on U.S. roads and under the hood that can pitch that number in either direction. Best-selling vehicle? Are we including all vehicles in Ford's (F) F-Series of pickups, lumping the Chevrolet Silverado and its General Motors (GM)-built GMC Sierra doppelganger under the same umbrella and using all iterations of Toyota's (TM) Prius, or do we need to get even more specific?

Even Motor Trend has the good grace to call its top vehicle the "Car Of The Year." Is it necessarily the best? Meh. Do certain aspects of it stand out from the field and make it worthy of greater consideration? Absolutely.

That's usually how folks who don't work for automakers have to talk about cars. It's not the "best," it's the "most reliable," or "most affordable," or "most efficient." When second place is a mile per gallon or $500 away, "best" can be an overreach -- at best. And then there's the recent list of The 17 Best Cars You Can Buy from the folks at car ratings and sale site Edmunds. While the "best" part is, admittedly, the opinion of their editorial staff, the "You Can Buy" part is a bit of a stretch for a list that includes the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Range Rover, Bentley Continental GTC and, our favorite, the Ferrari FF as "Best Hatchback." Still, if you're looking to the get the conversation flowing and bring the fanboys out of the woodwork, only "best" will do as your superlative of choice. We've taken 10 of the cars Edmunds considers the "best" in their category and included them here for your approval or derision. Car buyers, start your engines:

Best large pickup 2014 Ram 1500 MSRP: $23,600

You're just juggling pinless hand grenades when you name any pickup truck the "best." Pickup owners are the most loyal vehicle owners in the U.S. and just about any pick you end up with is going to explode in your face.

Ram's sales are up 24% year-to-date, but Edmunds really likes the 2014 model and its eight-speed automatic transmission, a new fuel-efficient diesel engine with increased towing capacity and choice of rear coil springs or air suspension. Forget that both Ford's F-Series and Chevrolet's Silverado outsell the Ram by a wide margin. It's the options that are the key to wooing neutral buyers in the pickup wars.

Best small pickup 2013 Toyota Tacoma MSRP: $17,625

There hasn't been a major overhaul on this truck since 2005, and it really hasn't needed one. Toyota's truck sales are up 11% year-to-date with a lot of help from the Tacoma, which has all of two competitors in the small truck market and a large following among its quirky demographic that's been largely abandoned by the Detroit truck makers. Also see: 10 Cars From 2013 You Should Buy Now>>

Basically, it's the favorite of old Ford Ranger drivers who love to beat the stuffing out of a small truck and have it come back for more. Durability is a big deal in the Tacoma's world, where car buyers who don't feel they need all the size and strength of a Ford F-Series or Chevy Silverado are drawn to its off-road agility, flexible cargo options and easy handling. At a combined 23 miles per gallon, the base model Tacoma gets the mileage of a small SUV without sacrificing any of its midsized truck power. When you're content with fetching big items from the hardware store or taking a yardfull of leaf litter to the dump without flashing chrome or flexing muscle, this is the understated truck to buy, even if it's secondhand.

Best minivan 2014 Honda (HMC) Odyssey MSRP: $28,825

For families in the know, the minivan category isn't just some '90s throwback. It's an absolute essential that inspires pickup-style loyalty.

Hardliners swear by their Toyota Siennas, Nissan Quests and Dodge Grand Caravans. But the Odyssey can carry up to eight people with enough room behind them for a small grill. More importantly, it can carry five family members, collapse the third row and have 93.1 cubic feet for more storage. It doesn't matter if it's cool when second-row seats can be configured to fit three child seats and the Odyssey's removable center console has a flip-up and a "cool box" beverage cooler for sandwiches and drinks. Sure, the optional 16.2-inch split screen entertainment system that lets passengers watch two programs was once considered this van's killer app, but the addition of the HondaVac to this year's Odyssey Touring Elite gives shuttle-driving a helping hand when the Shop-Vac is miles away in the garage and the backseat is filled with beheaded animal crackers.

Best Five-passenger SUV 2013 Honda CR-V MSRP: $22,945

For all of you just catching up, the five-passenger SUV is this generation's station wagon/minivan/honkin' SUV that it's going to drive to college with, throw kegs in back of and basically sully all fairly G-rated memories of its childhood with. That's cool; it rarely looked up from the screen of its iDistraction long enough to get too attached to it anyway.

To today's parents, however, it's almost as big a step toward parenthood as actually having a child. It represents the end of freewheeling youth and light packing and ushers in an era of school, soccer practice, summer vacation and snow days. After the popular crossover's 2012 overhaul, it's only made that transition easier by adding a leather interior, heated seats and rearview windows and navigation system with controls mounted on the steering wheel. It's also trimmed fuel efficiency to a combined 27 miles per gallon while leaving all 70 cubic feet of cargo space untouched. Cherish the memories now, parents. Sooner than you realize, your family car will be some dorm floor's ticket to spring break.

Best Seven-passenger SUV 2014 Buick Enclave MSRP: $38,740

Edmunds could have picked the less-expensive GMC Acadia or Chevrolet Traverse for this list, but no: Of the Lambda platform trio of GM crossovers, it just had to pick the costliest one on the list. Ignoring the absolutely deplorable combined 20 miles per gallon of so-called efficiency, there isn't a whole lot separating this monster from its siblings. Also see: 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000>>

They all have roughly the same electronics package, they all seat eight passengers, they all have 116 cubic feet of combined cargo space -- the best in their class. So why the Enclave? We'll let Edmunds explain: The Enclave possesses near-luxury styling cues, high-quality cabin materials, extra sound insulation and greater standard feature content than its sedan brand mates. As a result, it's simply more special than its fellow Lambda triplets. See, it's a special little snowflake that just can't make it work for less than $30,000. Surely your family that would be using any of those three vehicles for the same utilitarian purposes deserves something super special for those mundane tasks, right?

Best Full-sized sedan 2013 Toyota Avalon MSRP: $30,990

Before this model year, the Avalon was basically a really nice Camry. It was the prototypical grandfather's car that claimed a load of luxuries, but couched them all in drab, rigid plastic. Oh, and it just soaked up gas like a garage chamois.

For 2013, however, Toyota put the Avalon on a Lexus ES frame, dropped the mileage to a combined 35 miles per gallon and spruced up the interior with some new tech toys and more luxurious detail. The pindrop-silent ride remains, but the Avalon feels just a little younger.

Best Midsized sedan 2013 Nissan (NSANY) Altima MSRP: $21,860

It's absolutely impossible to stifle a yawn at this category. It's like picking the best pair of loafers, the best Norah Jones song or the best bologna sandwich and chicken soup combo. Even if it's better than all the rest, it's still fairly boring.

Even the car-buying public just doesn't care anymore. Midsize car sales are absolutely flat at 0.8%. America still needs midsize cars, but it likely needs some new socks and an eye exam, too. It doesn't mean it's particularly excited any of the above. That said, the Altima is the best at boring the life out of the automotive market. It's like a cinderblock, a good tomato paste or Eli Manning's haircut -- steady, reliable, does its best when it's reminding you it's not there. Its combined 33 miles only comes up when families realize they haven't stopped for gas in a while. Its 15.4 cubic feet of cargo capacity isn't a whole lot, but it's enough to contain the groceries, a weekend's worth of luggage or any complaints about it not being larger. The cabin is quiet, the new tech features include satellite radio, Pandora, Bluetooth and hands-free texting, and safety options include blind-spot monitoring, a lane-departure warning system and a moving-object detector. It's enough to pique interest, but not so much that people might actually get excited about it. In the world of midsize vehicles, that's what it takes to be the best.

Best Compact sedan 2014 Ford Focus MSRP: $16,605

Again, a car doesn't have to be the best ever made to be named "best" in its category. It just has to be better than its peers.

The combined 32 miles per gallon of the standard model, the cooler perks including Microsoft's (MSFT) Sync system, its bevy of available apps, touchscreens, parking assist and other technology and the high-quality material in the cabin separate it from the small-sedan pack. The big-ticket options including heated leather seats, an all-electric model and a sport-tuned ST make the Focus far more exciting than its value-focused competitors.

Best subcompact 2013 Mini Cooper MSRP: $24,200

Admit it, you weren't exactly all over the Hyundai Excel or Accent. You wouldn't consider buying a Geo Metro for any reason other than its obscene 40+ miles per gallon fuel efficiency.

The only reason American car buyers would even consider a Ford Fiesta, Chevy Sonic, Fiat 500 or Honda Fit today is because the Mini Cooper showed them the big features an automaker could squeeze into a small car. Forget the combined 32 miles per gallon: Its deceptively little 121 horsepower engine, wide-stance stability control and sports-car gauges suddenly made large swaths of urban America into extras from The Italian Job. When there's some muscle under the hood and plenty of features in the cabin, U.S. buyers don't care how "mini" the car is.

Best hybrid 2013 Toyota Prius MSRP: $24,200

The original recipe Prius has a lot more competitors out there -- including a doppelganger in the Ford C-Max -- but none of them are as good at their jobs as the car that started it all. Even the Prius v wagon can't touch its older sibling's 50 miles per gallon, while the Prius c compact provides the same mileage in less space.

Its 21.6 cubic feet of cargo space isn't the largest in its class and its 98 horsepower is easily the pokiest among hybrids, but those aren't the numbers that matter to hybrid buyers. The fact is, when it comes to fuel economy for a hybrid without a plug, nobody else comes close. Considering there isn't a hybrid out there with a price significantly lower than that of the Prius, claiming it's the "best" isn't much of a gamble. 
-- Written by Jason Notte in Portland, Ore. >To contact the writer of this article, click here: Jason Notte. >To follow the writer on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/notteham. >To submit a news tip, send an email to: tips@thestreet.com. RELATED STORIES: >>10 Best 40-MPG-Or-Better Cars of 2013 >>5 Vehicles You Want To Drive In A Rainstorm >>Top 10 Cities For Car Sharing

Jason Notte is a reporter for TheStreet. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Esquire.com, Time Out New York, the Boston Herald, the Boston Phoenix, the Metro newspaper and the Colorado Springs Independent. He previously served as the political and global affairs editor for Metro U.S., layout editor for Boston Now, assistant news editor for the Herald News of West Paterson, N.J., editor of Go Out! Magazine in Hoboken, N.J., and copy editor and lifestyle editor at the Jersey Journal in Jersey City, N.J.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014

On Jul 6, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Newpark Resources Inc. (NR) to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Why the Upgrade?

The product and service provider to the oil and gas exploration industry delivered positive earnings surprises in three out of the last four quarters with an average beat of 3.8%.

With the international drilling market heating up, Newpark Resources has succeeded in winning quite a few contracts, thanks to its quality of products and services. In Jun 2013, Newpark Resources opened a state-of-the-art Laboratory Facility in Katy, Texas which will further ensure the supply of technically advanced products to its clients.

The company is scheduled to release its second quarter earnings in the latter half of this month. Newpark Resources��performance during the quarter indicates that it will again beat expectations this quarter.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Archer Ltd (ARCHER)

Archer Ltd, formerly Seawell Limited is a Bermuda-based global oilfield service company. The Company provides drilling services, such as platform drilling, land drilling, modular rings, directional drilling, drill bits, tubular services, drilling and completion fluids, cementing tools, plugs and packers, underbalanced services, rentals and engineering. It specialises also in well services, such as wireline intervention, specialist intervention, frac valves, wireline logging, integrity diagnostics, imaging, production monitoring, coiled tubing, completion services and fishing. As of January 3, 2012, the Company's organizational structure centered on four geographic and strategic areas: North America (NAM), North Sea (NRS), Latin America (LAM) and Emerging Markets & Technologies (EMT). As of December 31, 2010, it was active through a number of subsidiaries, namely Seawell, Allis-Chalmers Energy, Gray Wireline, Rig Inspection Services and TecWel, among others.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Halcon Resources Corp (HK)

Halcon Resources Corporation (Halcon Resources), incorporated on February 5, 2004, is an independent energy company focused on the acquisition, production, exploration and development of onshore liquids-rich oil and natural gas assets in the United States. The Company has oil and natural gas reserves located primarily in Texas, North Dakota, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Montana. On August 1, 2012, the Company acquired GeoResources by merger. On December 6, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of entities owning approximately 81,000 net acres prospective for the Bakken / Three Forks formations primarily located in Williams, Mountrail, McKenzie and Dunn Counties, North Dakota (the Williston Basin Assets), from Petro-Hunt, L.L.C. and Pillar Energy, LLC (the Petro-Hunt parties). As of December 31, 2012, the Company has working interests in approximately 128,000 net acres prospective for the Bakken / Three Forks formations in North Dakota and Montana.

The Company�� Woodbine / Eagle Ford acreage is prospective for the Woodbine, Eagle Ford and other formations, with targeted depths ranging anywhere from 7,000 feet to 10,400 feet. As of December 31, 2012, The Company has approximately 198,000 net acres leased or under contract primarily in Leon, Madison, Grimes, Brazos, and Polk Counties, Texas. The Company is the operator and has a 100% working interest in more than 12,000 net acres in Wichita and Wilbarger Counties, Texas that it is actively water flooding in shallow Cisco aged Pennsylvania sandstone and limestone reservoirs. As of December 31, 2012, the Company produced 484 million barrels of oil equivalent from approximately 700 active producing wells and approximately 230 active water injection wells.

The Company�� position in the La Copita Field covers 3,720 gross acres and 2,829 net acres in Starr County, Texas. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� average net daily production was 623 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The Company operates 100% of this production a! nd its working interest ranges from 75% to 100%. The Company has various other oil and natural gas properties with varying working interests located across the United States, including the Austin Chalk Trend and Eagle Ford Shale in Texas, the Fitts-Allen Fields in Central Oklahoma, and various other areas across South Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, and West Virginia.

Top 10 Safest Companies For 2014: Southern Union Company(SUG)

Southern Union Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the gathering, processing, transportation, storage, and distribution of natural gas in the United States. It operates in three segments: Transportation and Storage, Gathering and Processing, and Distribution. The Transportation and Storage segment engages in the interstate transportation and storage of natural gas in the Midwest and from the Gulf Coast to Florida. It also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminalling and regasification services. The Gathering and Processing segment involves in gathering, treating, processing, and redelivering natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in Texas and New Mexico. It operates a network of approximately 5,500 miles of natural gas and NGL pipelines, 4 cryogenic processing plants with a combined capacity of 415 MMcf/d, and 5 natural gas treating plants with a combined capacity of 585 MMcf/d. The Distribution segment engages in the local distribution of natural gas in Missouri and Massachusetts. This segment serves residential, commercial, and industrial customers through local distribution systems. The company was founded in 1932 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Williams Partners L.P.(WPZ)

Williams Partners L.P. focuses on natural gas transportation, gathering, treating and processing, storage, natural gas liquid fractionation, and oil transportation activities in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Gas Pipeline, and Midstream Gas and Liquids. The Gas Pipeline segment owns and operates approximately 13,900 miles of pipelines with annual throughput of approximately 2,700 trillion British thermal units of natural gas and delivery capacity of approximately 13 million dekatherms of gas. This segment also owns interests in joint venture interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline systems. The Midstream Gas and Liquids segment includes natural gas gathering, processing, and treating facilities; and crude oil gathering and transportation facilities that serve the producing basins in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, the Gulf of Mexico, and Pennsylvania. Williams Partners GP LLC serves as the general partner of the company. Williams Partners L.P . was founded in 2005 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Halliburton Company(HAL)

Halliburton Company provides various products and services to the energy industry for the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas worldwide. It operates in two segments, Completion and Production, and Drilling and Evaluation. The Completion and Production segment offers production enhancement services, completion tools and services, cementing services, and Boots & Coots. Its production enhancement services include stimulation and sand control services; completion tools and services comprise subsurface safety valves and flow control equipment, surface safety systems, packers and specialty completion equipment, intelligent completion systems, expandable liner hanger systems, sand control systems, well servicing tools, and reservoir performance services; cementing services consist of bonding the well and well casing, while isolating fluid zones and maximizing wellbore stability, and casing equipment; and Boots & Coots include well intervention services , pressure control, equipment rental tools and services, and pipeline and process services. The Drilling and Evaluation segment provides field and reservoir modeling, drilling, evaluation, and wellbore placement solutions that enable customers to model, measure, and optimize their well construction activities. Its services comprise fluid services, drilling services, drill bits, wireline and perforating services, testing and subsea services, software and asset solutions, and integrated project management and consulting services. The company serves independent, integrated, and national oil companies. Halliburton Company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Freedom Energy Holdings Inc (FDMF)

Freedom Energy Holdings, Inc. (FDMF), incorporated in June 2005, is a holding company with a focus on the identification of opportunities within the oil and energy sectors. KC-9000 is the Company�� heavy oil technology, to assist in the recovery of heavy oil. As of December 31, 2011, the Company research had developed and shown a new product SR-139 at breaking down asphalt shingles allowing the extraction and recovery of hydrocarbons.

KC-9000 is a micro-emulsion technology. KC 9000 is a micro-emulsion developed to assist in the recovery and extraction of heavy based hydrocarbons that are saturated with high metals and paraffin content. KC 9000 is used for tank cleaning processes. By injecting KC 9000 directly into the tank port holes, at the tank bottom, with the emulsifies turning into an easily extractable slurry.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Caiterra International Energy Corp (CTI.V)

CaiTerra International Energy Corporation (Caiterra), formerly Cyterra Capital Corp., is a Canada-based company is engaged in the exploration and development of oil and gas properties. The Company�� project includes Faust, Amadou and Lac La Biche. On March 9, 2012, the Company completed its qualifying transaction with West Pacific Petroleum Inc. (WPP), pursuant to which the Company acquired all of WPP�� working interests in certain petroleum and natural gas leases and an oil sand lease in the Lac La Biche and Amadou Projects located in Alberta, Canada and certain other assets (the QT Oil and Gas Properties) from West Pacific Petroleum Inc. (WPP). On December 17, 2012 the Company acquired the Faust Property located just north of the Swan Hills oil field and south of the Town of Slave Lake.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Occidental Petroleum Corporation(OXY)

Occidental Petroleum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an oil and gas exploration and production company primarily in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Oil and Gas; Chemical; and Midstream, Marketing, and Other. The Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and condensate and natural gas. Its domestic oil and gas operations are located in Texas, New Mexico, California, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, and West Virginia; and international oil and gas operations are located in Bahrain, Bolivia, Colombia, Iraq, Libya, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. As of December 31, 2010, this segment had proved reserves of approximately 3,363 million barrels of oil equivalent. The Chemical segment manufactures and markets basic chemicals, including chlorine, caustic soda, chlorinated organics, potassium chemicals, and ethylene dichloride products; vinyls, such as vinyl chloride monomer and polyvinyl chloride; and other chemicals comprising chlorinated isocyanurates, resorcinol, sodium silicates, and calcium chloride products. The Midstream, Marketing, and Other segment gathers, treats, processes, transports, stores, purchases, and markets crude oil that includes natural gas liquids and condensate, as well as natural gas and carbon dioxide. This segment also involves in the power generation; and trades around its assets comprising pipelines and storage capacity, as well as oil and gas, other commodities, and commodity-related securities. Occidental Petroleum Corporation was founded in 1920 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Early on Monday, analysts at Deutsche Bank lowered their price target on Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) to reflect a lower-than-expected valuation of an asset that the oil and gas exploration company is trying to sell.

  Though the analysts lowered OXY’s price target from $114 to $109, they still maintain a “Buy” rating on the stock. The new price target suggests a 22% upside to the stock’s Friday closing price of $89.49.

  Deutsche Bank analyst Paul Sankey said, “Bloomberg Finance LP reports that Oxy is seeking sale of 40% of Mideast operations for around $8bn, which would imply $20bn total value for the unit. However reportedly some suitors are valuing the asset at around $15bn. This is a relatively negative valuation against our previous view that Oxy would be seeking $25+bn for its MENA business. We are cutting our price target to $109/share to reflect this lower implied valuation.”

  Occidental Petroleum shares were up 96 cents, or 1.07%, during pre-market trading on Monday. The stock is up 16.81% year-to-date.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Abraxas Petroleum Corp (AXAS)

Abraxas Petroleum Corporation is an independent energy company primarily engaged in the acquisition, exploitation, development and production of oil and gas in the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� estimated net proved reserves were 29.0 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBoe), (including reserves attributable to its 34.7% equity interest in the proved reserves of Blue Eagle), of which 53% were classified as proved developed, 54% were oil and natural gas liquids (NGL��) and 94% by PV-10 were operated. Its daily net production during the year ended December 31, 2011, was 3,484 barrels of oil equivalent per day, of which 45% was oil or liquids. Its oil and gas assets are located in four operating regions in the United States, the Rocky Mountain, Mid-Continent, Permian Basin and onshore Gulf Coast, and in the province of Alberta, Canada.

The Company�� properties in the Rocky Mountain region are located in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana and in the Green River, Powder River and Unita Basins of Wyoming and Utah. In this region, its wells produce oil and gas from various reservoirs, including the Niobrara, Turner, Bakken and Three Forks formations. Well depths range from 7,000 feet down to 14,000 feet. The Company�� properties in the Mid-Continent region are primarily located in the Arkoma Basin and principally produce gas from the Hartshorne coals at 3,000 feet. Its properties in the Permian Basin region are primarily located in two sub-basins, the Delaware Basin and the Eastern Shelf. In the Delaware Basin, its wells are located in Pecos, Reeves, and Ward Counties, Texas and produce oil and gas from multiple stacked formations from the Bell Canyon at 5,000 feet down to the Ellenburger at 16,000 feet.

In the Eastern Shelf, its wells are principally located in Coke, Scurry, Midland, Mitchell and Nolan Counties, Texas and produce oil and gas from the Strawn Reef formation at 5,000 to 7,500 feet and oil from the shallower Clea! rfork formation at depths ranging from 2,300 to 3,300 feet. The Company�� properties in the onshore Gulf Coast region are located along the Edwards trend in DeWitt and Lavaca Counties, Texas and in the Portilla field in San Patricio County, Texas. In the Edwards trend, its wells produce gas from the Edwards formation at a depth of 14,000 feet and in the Portilla field, its wells produce oil and gas from the Frio sands and the deeper Vicksburg from depths of approximately 7,000 to 9,000 feet. In addition, the Company also owns a 34.7% equity interest in a joint venture targeting the Eagle Ford in South Texas. Its properties in the province of Alberta, Canada are located in the Pekisko fairway and the Nordegg/Tomahawk area of Central Alberta.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased approximately 20,835 net acres, primarily in counties located on the Nesson Anticline and in areas west, including Rough Rider and Lewis & Clark in North Dakota and in Sheridan County, Montana, which are prospective for the Bakken and Three Forks formations. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company drilled two operated wells and participated in an additional 19 gross (1.0 net) non-operated wells. In July 2011, Abraxas purchased a used Oilwell 2000 horsepower diesel electric drilling rig. In August 2010, the Company formed a joint venture, Blue Eagle, with Rock Oil to develop its acreage in the Eagle Ford Shale play. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 34.7% interest in Blue Eagle. During 2011, Blue Eagle drilled, completed or participated in three gross (2.4 net) wells and added approximately 3,800 net acres to its holdings, principally in McMullen County, Texas.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased a total of approximately 20,720 gross (17,800 net) acres in the southern Powder River Basin, of which 17,800 gross (15,700 net) acres were located in the Brooks Draw field of Converse and Niobrara Counties, Wyoming. In addition, it owns approximately 2,100 net acres in sout! hern Camp! bell County, Wyoming which are held by production and are near the Crossbow field operated by EOG Resources, Inc. and other recent horizontal activity. As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased 6,880 net acres in western Alberta. In 2011, it drilled or completed six gross (6 net) wells in the Twining area. In the emerging southern Alberta Basin Bakken play of Toole and Glacier Counties, Montana, the Company leased approximately 10,000 gross/net acres under long-term leases or direct mineral ownership. As of December 31, 2011, it leased approximately 5,600 gross/net acres in Nolan County, Texas. In 2011, the Company drilled three wells in the Spires Ranch offsetting the prolific Nena Lucia field.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Contango Oil & Gas Co (MCF)

Contango Oil & Gas Company (Contango) is an independent natural gas and oil company. The Company�� core business is to explore, develop, produce and acquire natural gas and oil properties onshore and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico in water-depths of less than 300 feet. Contango Operators, Inc. (COI), its wholly owned subsidiary, acts as operator on its properties.

Offshore Gulf of Mexico Activities

Contango, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, COI and its partially owned affiliate, Republic Exploration LLC (REX), conducts exploration activities in the Gulf of Mexico. COI drills, and operates its wells in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as attends lease sales and acquires leasehold acreage. As of August 24, 2012, the Company's offshore production was approximately 83.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, which consists of seven federal and five state of Louisiana wells in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. These 12 operated wells produce through the four platforms: Eugene Island 24 Platform, Eugene Island 11 Platform, Ship Shoal 263 Platform, Vermilion 170 Platform and Other Activities.

This third-party owned and operated production platform at Eugene Island 24 was designed with a capacity of 100 million cubic feet per day and 3,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services production from the Company�� Dutch #1, #2 and #3 federal wells. From this platform, the gas flows through an American Midstream pipeline into a third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facility at Burns Point, Louisiana, and the condensate flows through an ExxonMobil pipeline to on-shore markets and multiple refineries. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 22.5 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform. The Company finished laying six inches auxiliary flowlines from the Dutch #1, #2, and #3 wells to its Eugene Island 11 Platform and is in the process of redirecting production from the Eugene Island 24! Platform to the Eugene Island 11 Platform.

The Company�� Company-owned and operated platform at Eugene Island 11 was designed with a capacity of 500 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 6,000 barrels of oil per day. These platforms service production from the Company�� five Mary Rose wells, which are all located in state of Louisiana waters, as well as its Dutch #4 and Dutch #5 wells, which are both located in federal waters. From these platforms, it can flow its gas to an American Midstream pipeline through its eight inches pipeline and from there to a third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facility at Burns Point, Louisiana. It can flow its condensate through an ExxonMobil pipeline to on-shore markets and multiple refineries.

The Company�� gas and condensate can flow to its Eugene Island 63 auxiliary platform through its 20 inches pipeline, which has been designed with a capacity of 330 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 6,000 barrels of oil per day, and from there to third-party owned and operated on-shore processing facilities near Patterson, Louisiana, through an ANR pipeline. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 44.6 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform.

The Company�� owned and operated platform at Ship Shoal 263 was designed with a capacity of 40 million cubic feet equivalent per day and 5,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services natural gas and condensate production from our Nautilus well, which flows through the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline to onshore processing plants. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 3.0 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform. As of June 30, 2012, the Company owed a 100% working interest and 80% net revenue interest in this well and platform.

The Company�� owned and operated platform at Vermilion 170 was designed with a capacity of 60 million cubic feet equivalent per ! day and 2! ,000 barrels of oil per day. This platform services natural gas and condensate production from its Swimmy well, which flows through the Sea Robin Pipeline to onshore processing plants. As of August 24, 2012, it was producing approximately 13.4 million cubic feet equivalent per day, net to Contango, from this platform.

On July 10, 2012, the Company spud its South Timbalier 75 prospect (Fang) with the Spartan 303 rig. It has a 100% working interest in this wildcat exploration prospect. On July 3, 2012, the Company spud its Ship Shoal 134 prospect (Eagle) with the Hercules 205 rig. The Company purchased the deep mineral rights on Ship Shoal 134 from an independent third-party. It has a 100% working interest in this wildcat exploration prospect. On December 21, 2011, the Company purchased an additional 3.66% working interest (2.67% net revenue interest) in Mary Rose #5 (previously Eloise North). The Company has a 47.05% working interest (38.1% net revenue interest) in Dutch #5.

Offshore Properties

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), State Lease 19396 expired and was returned to the state of Louisiana. As of August 24, 2012, the interests owned by Contango through its affiliated entities in the Gulf of Mexico, which were capable of producing natural gas or oil included Eugene Island 10 #D-1, Eugene Island 10 #E-1, Eugene Island 10 #F-1, Eugene Island 10 #G-1, Eugene Island 10 #I-1, S-L 18640 #1, S-L 19266 #1, S-L 19266 #2, S-L 18860 #1, S-L 19266 #3 and S-L 19261, Ship Shoal 263, Vermilion 170 and West Delta 36. As of August 24, 2012, interests owned by Contango through its related entities in leases in the Gulf of Mexico included Eugene Island 11, East Breaks 369, South Timbalier 97, Ship Shoal 121, Ship Shoal 122, Brazos Area 543, Ship Shoal 134 and South Timbalier 75.

Onshore Exploration and Properties

As of August 24, 2012, the Company had invested in Alta Energy Canada Partnership (Alta Energy) to purchase over! 60,000 a! cres in the Kaybob Duvernay. Contango has a 2% interest in Alta Energy and a 5% interest in the Kaybob Duvernay project. On April 9, 2012, the Company announced that through its wholly owned subsidiary, Contaro Company, it had entered into a Limited Liability Company Agreement (the LLC Agreement) to form Exaro Energy III LLC (Exaro). The Company owns approximately a 45% interest in Exaro. Exaro has entered into an Earning and Development Agreement (the EDA Agreement) with Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. (Encana) to provide funding to continue the development drilling program in a defined area of Encana�� Jonah field asset located in Sublette County, Wyoming.

As of June 30, 2012, the Exaro-Encana venture had three rigs drilling, has completed five wells and achieved first production. As of August 24, 2012, the Company had invested to lease approximately 25,000 acres in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS), a shale play in central Louisiana and Mississippi.

Electronic Arts Names New CEO

On Tuesday, Electronic Arts (EA) announced that it has chosen its new corporate chief from within its own ranks.

Current Executive Vice President Andrew Wilson has been appointed CEO of the video game maker, ending a six month search for a successor to former CEO John Riccitiello. Interim CEO Larry Probst will remain as Electronic Arts’ executive chairman for an unspecified time, the Associated Press notes.

How Apple and Sony Are Changing Mobile Gaming

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Electronic Arts has been moving to adapt to a consumer shift toward mobile device gaming. The company has streamlined its operations and increased its concentration on its mobile and online businesses.

In March, Riccitiello resigned after the company experienced weak performance. A month later, rumors surfaced that the company was planning a new round of layoffs.

Last year, reports circulated suggesting that the struggling company was looking for a potential buyer.

Shares of Electronic Art were flat in pre-market trading on Wednesday.

Panera Bread CEO to Try Food-Stamp Budget

   

Ron Shaich, CEO of Panera Bread (PNRA), will live on a food-stamp budget of $4.50 a day for food for one week.

Shaich is living on the food-stamp budget as part of the SNAP challenge. SNAP is the system that replaced food stamps. Shaich started the challenge on Saturday and is documenting his challenge on LinkedIn (LNKD). Shaich took his $31.50, the average weekly budget for someone on SNAP, to a grocery store and bought cereal, pasta, lentils, chickpeas and some vegetables. He noted that it was a barren shopping cart and that he didn’t know if he would be able to sustain himself on the budget. Shiach spent $25.95 on the food he bought that day, which leaves him with $5.55 to buy food with for the rest of the week, reports Daily Finance.

“I haven't even felt the first pangs of hunger, and I'm already gaining a whole new perspective into challenges that so many people in this country face in dealing with food insecurity,” Shaich wrote on his blog.

3 High Yielders To Buy First After The 'October Surprise'

They are a rarity on the market today.

Most of the headlines over the summer have been about how the stock market is nearing all-time highs... making it difficult for investors to find a good entry point for many stocks.

But that could be changing. In August, the S&P 500 fell about 4.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 5.4%.

Could the bull market we've experienced over the past few years be coming to an end? It's entirely possible. As I reported last week, it all has to do with the looming Bernanke bond bubble burst or what I'm calling the "October surprise."

 

But a slow down, or a complete turnaround in the stock market, should not be looked at as a bad thing. It should be viewed as an opportunity.

What if there was a way to invest just 90 cents and get a full dollar's worth of interest-earning power? In other words, what if we could easily buy stocks discounted by 10% or more and boost the dividend yield we collect from them at the same time?

There is a way we can do that. But first, let me explain how we got to this point...

For the past few years, interest rates have been tilted in the borrower's favor, which has allowed companies to borrow cash cheaply and use it to quickly expand. But short-term interest rate hikes could throw a wrench into the works.

This isn't just a distant threat. Rates have already shot higher in recent weeks as traders prepare for a new reality without quantitative intervention from the Federal Reserve.

With historically low interest rates, the playing field is still tilted in the borrower's favor, but it's much tougher for companies to grow than it was just a few months ago. And asset prices have fallen accordingly.

But as stocks fall, there are some that go too low -- to the point of becoming bargains. And one of the easiest ways to find stocks that are trading as bargains is to look at closed-end funds.

Closed-end funds are simply mutual funds that hold stocks. Unlike open-end mutual funds, which most people hold in their 401(k) and offer as many shares as investors are willing to buy, closed-end funds carry a fixed amount of shares that investors can purchase on the market.

I could go through every detail, but basically because closed-end funds can't increase their share count, their market value can fluctuate and be much different than their "net asset value" (NAV), which represents how much the holdings are worth.

And if closed-end funds should sell off along with the rest of the market, it could mean we have an opportunity to buy a basket of quality stocks at discounts of 5%, 10% or more compared with what they're really worth.

Let me give you a real-life example to explain.

Consider the Zweig Fund (NYSE: ZF). It's a closed-end fund that has $340 million in net assets, which are invested in a diverse basket of blue-chip stocks such as PepsiCo, Apple, JPMorgan, Comcast, U.S. Bancorp and Qualcomm.

With 22.8 million shares outstanding, each share of the fund is worth $14.93 (according to the NAV). But here's the good part: You don't have to pay full price. ZF shares have dipped deep below NAV, so you can get $14.93 worth of dividend-paying stocks for just $13.00.

That means we can essentially buy shares in each of those quality companies at a 13% discount. If you bought this fund today, you'd pay just $424 for each share of Apple it holds -- which last traded around $487 per share on the market. You get the same 13% discount for all the other stocks held in the fund, too.

Not to mention you get to collect the dividend income from those stocks. But because you paid less for your shares, you're effectively getting higher yields. So instead of collecting a 2.5% yield from Apple, you're getting 2.87% ($12.20 per share dividend on $424 shares = 2.87% yield).

Now, that doesn't automatically make ZF a buy. If for no other reason, overall total returns have been lackluster over the long haul.

With that in mind, I conducted a screen for funds with lofty 5%-plus yields, no leverage (and no exposure to rising rates) and double-digit discounts to NAV. I also looked for funds with superior performance whose trailing three-year returns outrun their respective benchmarks.

Here's what I found:

The advantages of buying an income-paying fund at a double-digit discount are obvious, particularly when the stocks or bonds inside that portfolio are themselves undervalued.

If a quality fund that typically trades at a slight 1% to 2% discount suddenly slides to a 10% discount in a broad market pullback, there's an opportunity. There's usually a reversion to the mean. But don't automatically assume that a discounted fund will close the NAV gap -- some stay underwater for years, always showing somewhat of a discount. That's why it's more instructive to compare a fund's current discount with its historical average.

But this list is a good starting point to conduct more research on whether one of these funds would make a good investment. And if Bernanke & Co. do indeed decide to taper the Fed's bond purchasing program and the market takes a hit, which is very likely, these funds will be some of the first investments I'll look at to buy on a pullback.

P.S. -- As I mentioned earlier, I'm predicting an "October Surprise" in the market this year, and it's all Ben Bernanke's fault. Thanks to the Fed's reckless monetary policy, this collapse could affect millions of investors -- and anyone not prepared for it could lose a fortune. But I have a plan. To learn how I'm preparing for this collapse, read this special report.

Will Time Warner Cable Benefit from an Addition?

With shares of Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) trading around $115, is TWC an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Time Warner Cable is a provider of video, high-speed data, and voice services in the United States, with systems located in five geographic areas: New York state, the Carolinas, Ohio, Southern California, and Texas. The company offers its residential and business services customers video, high-speed data, and voice services over its broadband cable systems. With such a large and growing user base, look for Time Warner Cable to continue to see rising profits from its media, entertainment, and communications offerings.

Time Warner Cable is reportedly still in negotiations to acquire a stake in Hulu, even after Hulu's owners — Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), Disney (NYSE:DIS), and 21st Century Fox (NASDAQ:FOXA) — announced the site was no longer for sale. It is being reported that Time Warner Cable is interested in acquiring a 25 percent stake in the online television streaming service.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Strong

Time Warner Cable’s stock has been on a powerful run higher over the last several years. The stock is now trading at all-time high prices, and looks poised to continue on this path. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages.

What are the key moving averages? They are the 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Time Warner Cable is trading above its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Time Warner Cable options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Time Warner Cable Options	34.94%	63%	61%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a significant amount of call and put options contracts, compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
August Options	Flat	Average
September Options	Flat	Average

As of today, there is average demand from call buyers or sellers, and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a significant amount of call and put option contracts, and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and what that means for Time Warner Cable’s stock.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. The last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions can also help gauge investor sentiment on Time Warner Cable’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Time Warner Cable look like, and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3	2012 Q2
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	11.67%	-3.74%	140.70%	15.32%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	6.64%	9.85%	9.20%	9.30%
Earnings Reaction	-0.58%	-11.28%	-6.35%	2.73%

Time Warner Cable has seen increasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, it seems the markets have grown to expect a little more from Time Warner Cable’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Average Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Time Warner Cable stock done relative to its peers, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), DirecTV (NASDAQ:DTV), Dish Network (NASDAQ:DISH), and the overall sector?

	Time Warner Cable	Comcast	DirecTV	Dish Network	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	19.32%	19.00%	31.02%	22.80%	21.54%

Time Warner Cable has been an average performer, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Time Warner Cable is a provider of entertainment, voice, and high-speed data services to a growing customer base around the nation. The company is still searching for strategic acquisitions in order to compete, and have shifted towards Hulu, the online video streaming service. The stock has been on a strong run over the last several years, which has taken it to all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue figures have been on the rise, but investors in the company have grown to a expect a little more. Relative to its peers and sector, Time Warner Cable has been an average year-to-date performer. Look for Time Warner Cable to continue to OUTPERFORM.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now

Washington Post columnist Neil Irwin stopped by to discuss his book,�The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire.�It's a great read on the history of central banks, including how they responded to the financial crisis and the challenges they face in the future.

There are many different approaches the Fed could take when it comes time to "turn the dial" on an exit strategy. In this video segment, Neil explains some of the factors they'll have to balance, with timing being perhaps the most critical. A full transcript follows the video.

Morgan Housel: To the extent that the housing bubble last decade is what got us here, to the extent that that was caused by interest rates being held too low back then, it seems like the history of getting it wrong -- having the tools to do it right, but not the will to do it right -- the history points to the idea that they will not get it right at the right time. What does that mean for us, over the next decade?

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Liberte Investors Inc. (FAC)

First Acceptance Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in retailing, servicing, and underwriting non-standard personal automobile insurance and related products. Its primary business involves issuing automobile insurance policies to individuals who are categorized as non-standard based primarily on their inability or unwillingness to obtain insurance coverage from standard carriers due to various factors, including their payment history or need for monthly payment plans, and failure to maintain continuous insurance coverage or driving record. The company also offers optional products that provide ancillary reimbursements and benefits in the event of an automobile accident; and underwrites a tenant homeowner policy that provides contents and liability coverage to renters. In addition, it engages in activities related to the disposition of real estate held for sale. The company distributes its products through retail locations. As of March 31, 2012, it leased and op erated 378 retail locations. First Acceptance Corporation was founded in 1969 and is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Land Securities(LAND.L)

Land Securities Group PLC, a real estate investment trust, engages in the ownership, development, and management of commercial properties primarily in the United Kingdom. It provides customers with access to retail units in shopping centers, retail warehouses, shops, and other regional properties. The company also offers customers with access to offices and creates office developments supporting complementary uses, such as retail, public space, and residential. In addition, Land Securities Group enables customers to outsource the construction and maintenance of buildings, as well as leasing, developing, managing, refurbishing, repairing, and maintaining properties, facilities, and land in the area of public private partnership in sectors, such as education, waste defense training, and local government infrastructure. The company also involves in urban community development operations through its multi-billion pound development program, transforming regional city centers an d key sites in Central London. As of December 31, 2007, its property portfolio comprised 1.7 million square meters of retail accommodation; 1.1 million square meters of office and retail accommodation; and 3.1 million square meters properties in property outsourcing partnerships. The company was founded in 1944 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Hot China Stocks To Buy Right Now: First Horizon National Corp (FHN)

First Horizon National Corporation (FHN), incorporated in 1968, is a bank holding company. The Company provides financial services through its subsidiary, First Tennessee Bank National Association (the Bank), and its subsidiaries. The Company�� two brands First Tennessee and FTN Financial provide customers with a range of products and services. First Tennessee provides retail and commercial banking services throughout Tennessee. FTN Financial (FTNF) is engaged in fixed income sales, trading, and strategies for institutional clients in the United States and abroad. FHN has four operating business segments: regional banking, capital markets, corporate, and non-strategic. As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had $16.4 billion in total deposits and $16 billion in total net loans. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� subsidiaries had over 200 business locations in 17 the United States states, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, excluding off-premises automated teller machines (ATMs). As of December 31, 2011, the Bank had 183 branch locations in four states, which include 172 branches in metropolitan areas of Tennessee; two branches in northwestern Georgia; seven branches in northwestern Mississippi, and two branches in North Carolina. As of December 31, 2011, FTN Financial products and services were offered through 18 offices in total, including 16 offices in 14 states plus an office in each of Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The regional banking segment offers financial products and services, including traditional lending and deposit taking, to retail and commercial customers in Tennessee and surrounding markets. Regional banking provides investments, financial planning, trust services and asset management, credit card, cash management, and first lien mortgage originations within the Tennessee footprint. In addition, the regional banking segment includes correspondent banking, which provides credit, depository, and other banking related services to other financial institutions.

The capital markets se! gment consists of fixed income sales, trading, and strategies for institutional clients in the United States and abroad, as well as loan sales, portfolio advisory, and derivative sales. The corporate segment consists of gains on the extinguishment of debt, unallocated corporate expenses, expense on subordinated debt issuances and preferred stock, bank-owned life insurance, unallocated interest income associated with excess equity, net impact of raising incremental capital, revenue and expense associated with deferred compensation plans, funds management, low income housing investment activities, and charges related to restructuring, repositioning, and efficiency. The non-strategic segment consists of the wind-down national consumer lending activities, legacy mortgage banking elements, including servicing fees, and the associated ancillary revenues and expenses related to these businesses. Non-strategic also includes the wind-down trust preferred loan portfolio and exited businesses along with the associated restructuring, repositioning, and efficiency charges.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company provided services through its subsidiaries, which include general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments; through FTN Financial fixed income sales and trading, underwriting of bank, loan sales, advisory services and derivative sales; discount brokerage and full-service brokerage; correspondent banking; transaction processing, such as nationwide check clearing services and remittance processing; trust, fiduciary, and agency services; credit card products; equipment finance; investment and financial advisory services; mutual fund sales as agent; retail insurance sales as agent, and mortgage banking services.

As of December 31, 2011, the commercial, financial, and industrial (C&I) portfolio was eight billion dollars, and is consisted of loans used for general business purposes, and consisted of relationship customers in Tennessee and certain n! eighborin! g states, which are managed within the regional bank. Products include working capital lines of credit, term loan financing of owner-occupied real estate and fixed assets, and trade credit enhancement through letters of credit. As of December 31, 2011, the unpaid principal balance (UPB) of trust preferred loans totaled $447.2 million with the UPB of other bank-related loans totaling approximately $161.8 million. The commercial real estate portfolio includes both financings for commercial construction and non-construction loans. This portfolio is segregated between income commercial real estate (CRE) loans which contain loans, lines, and letters of credit to commercial real estate developers for the construction and mini- permanent financing of income-producing real estate, and residential CRE loans. The residential CRE portfolio includes loans to residential builders and developers for the purpose of constructing single-family detached homes, condominiums, and town homes. As of December 31, 2011, the residential CRE portfolio was $.1 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the consumer real estate portfolio was $5.3 billion, and is composed of home equity lines and installment loans. As of December 31, 2011, the credit card and other portfolios were $.3 billion, and primarily include credit card receivables, automobile loans, and over-the-counter (OTC) construction loans and other consumer related credits.

FHN�� investment portfolio consists of debt securities, including government agency issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and government agency issued collateralized mortgage obligations (CMO). During the year ended December 31, 2011, Government agency issued MBS and CMO, and other agencies averaged $2.9 billion. During 2011, the United States treasury securities and municipal bonds averaged $79.5 million. During 2011, investments in equity securities averaged $222.3 million.

During 2011, short-term funds (certificates of deposit greater than $100,000, federal funds purchased (! FFP), sec! urities sold under agreements to repurchase, trading liabilities, and other short-term borrowings) averaged $3.6 billion. During 2011, other borrowings increased to $.3 billion. Term borrowings include senior and subordinated borrowings and advances with original maturities greater than one year. During 2011, average term borrowings averaged $2.6 billion.

The Company competes with Regions Bank, SunTrust Bank, Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Bank of America N.A., and Pinnacle National Bank.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Freed]

  Trading at a 17% discount to peers in terms of tangible-book value, JPMorgan says First Horizon's valuation "reflects a mediocre franchise and one of the best management teams in the business."

  The report adds that management is moving the bank to become "one of the most profitable banks in the industry over time," and it "[encourages] investors to buy the stock at current levels and ahead of an expected 15-20% ROE and the valuation improvement that should coincide with this level of profitability."

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cr Bergamasco(CBGI.MI)

Credito Bergamasco S.p.A operates in the banking industry in Italy. It offers demand deposits and time deposits, as well as short-term loans and medium/long-term loans. The company also performs other activities, such as bills portfolio, foreign currency transactions and securities, and interbank deposits and financing. Credito Bergamasco was established in 1891 and is headquartered in Bergamo, Italy. Credito Bergamasco S.p.A. operates as a subsidiary of Banco Popolare Societa Cooperativa Scarl.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: IG GROUP HLDGS ORD GBP0(IGG.L)

IG Group Holdings plc operates as a financial spread betting company worldwide. The company offers financial spread bets and contracts for difference on forex, stock indices, shares, commodities, binaries, options, interest rates, and other financial markets; fixed odd bets on financial markets; and margined forex and binary options. It is also involved in spread bets and fixed odds bets on sporting and other events, as well as operates a regulated futures and options exchange. In addition, the company engages in the operation of an online casino; margin trading and futures brokerage; and software development. It offers its products and services primarily to retail clients, market professionals, and corporate entities. The company was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Valley National Bancorp(VLY)

Valley National Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for Valley National Bank that provides various commercial, retail, trust, and investment services. The company?s deposit products include savings accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, money market accounts, time deposits, certificates of deposit, and non-interest-bearing accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises floating and adjustable rate commercial and industrial loans, as well as fixed rate owner occupied and commercial real estate loans; and consumer loans, such as residential mortgage, automobile, home equity, and credit card loans, as well as lines of credit. The company also provides fixed rate investments, trading securities, and federal funds; and international banking services, such as standby letters of credit, documentary letters of credit, and related products, as well as ancillary services. In addition, it offers asset management advisory services that comprise investment services to ind ividuals and small to medium sized businesses; trust services, such as living and testamentary trusts, investment management, custodial and escrow services, and estate administration primarily to individuals; brokerage services; and title insurance agency and asset-based lending support services. Further, the company provides property and casualty, life, and health insurance; financing for general aviation aircraft, and servicing for existing commercial equipment leases; health care equipment and other commercial equipment leases; and owns real estate related investments. Valley National Bancorp also offers automated teller machines, telephone and Internet banking, overdraft facilities, drive-in and night deposit services, and safe deposit facilities. As of December 30, 2011, it operated 211 branches in 147 communities serving 16 counties throughout northern and central New Jersey, Manhattan, and Long Island. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. (HCC)

HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. underwrites non-correlated specialty insurance products worldwide. The company operates in five segments: U.S. Property & Casualty, Professional Liability, Accident & Health, U.S. Surety & Credit, and International. The U.S. Property & Casualty segment provides aviation, small account errors and omissions liability (E&O), public risk, contingency, disability, residual value, employment practices liability (EPLI), technical property, primary and excess casualty, and brown water marine insurance products, as well as title and mortgage reinsurance products in the United States. The Professional Liability segment offers directors� and officers� (D&O) liability, large account E&O liability, fiduciary liability, fidelity and bankers blanket bonds, and EPLI for the United States and International-based policyholders. The Accident & Health segment provides medical stop-loss, short-term domestic and international medical, HMO reinsurance, and medical excess coverages in the United States. The U.S. Surety & Credit segment offers contract surety bonds, commercial surety bonds, and bail bonds; credit insurance policies for export trade transactions and structured trade transactions; and political risk and letters of credit insurance products. The International segment provides energy, property treaty, liability, surety, credit, direct and facultative property, ocean marine, accident and health, and other smaller product lines for international customers. The company markets its products directly to consumers, as well as through a network of independent agents and brokers, producers, and managing general agents. HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: SeaBright Holdings Inc.(SBX)

SeaBright Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides multi-jurisdictional workers? compensation insurance for maritime customers, state act customers, and employers in the construction industry. It offers insurance coverage for prescribed benefits that employers are required to provide to their employees, who may be injured in the course of their employment. The company also involves in general liability insurance business in conjunction with workers? compensation insurance for construction projects written under a controlled insurance program. In addition, it provides medical bill review, utilization review, nurse and physician case management, and related services. SeaBright Holdings, Inc. distributes its products through independent insurance brokers, licensed wholesale insurance brokers, and third-party managing general agents. The company was formerly known as SeaBright Insurance Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to SeaBright Holdings, Inc. in May 2010. Se aBright Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Saratoga Investment Corp(SAR)

Saratoga Investment Corp. is a business development company specializing in buyout, acquisition, growth, recapitalization, and note financing transactions of private middle market companies. It structures its investments as debt and equity by investing through first and second lien loans, mezzanine debt, select high yield bonds, senior secured bonds, unsecured bonds, and preferred and common equity. It seeks to invest in the United States. The firm primarily invests in companies having EBITDA between $5 million and $50 million. It invests through direct lending as well as participation in loan syndicates. The firm was formerly known as GSC Investment Corp. Saratoga Investment Corp. is based in New York, New York with an additional office in Florham Park, New Jersey.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Equity Lifestyle Properties Inc. (ELS)

Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. is a publicly owned real estate investment trust (REIT). The firm engages in the ownership and operation of lifestyle oriented properties. Its portfolio of properties include various amenities and common facilities, such as a clubhouse, a swimming pool, laundry facilities, and cable television service, sauna/whirlpool spas, golf courses, tennis, shuffleboard and basketball courts, and exercise rooms. The firm leases developed sites to owners of manufactured homes referred to as resort homes, park models referred to as resort cottages, and recreational vehicles. It primarily invests in the markets of the United States. The firm primarily invests in land with lower maintenance costs and customer turnover costs, high quality real estate in and around major metropolitan areas, high barriers to entry, retirement and vacation destinations, growth markets, and appreciating component of real estate2. It was formerly known as Home Communities, Inc. The firm was founded in 1992 and is based in Chicago, Illinois with additional offices in Clearwater, Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, and Aurora, Colorado.

Rising Prices Stymie New Home Sales

The U.S. Census Bureau this morning released data on new single-family home sales for July. Sales dropped 13.4% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 394,000, from a downwardly revised June sales figure of 455,000. Economists had expected a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 487,000. The July rate is 6.8% above the rate for July 2012. At the peak in 2005, new home sales posted a seasonally adjusted annual rate of nearly 1.4 million.

The Census Bureau also reported that the median sales price for new homes sold in July was $257,200, about 3% above the June median, and the average sales price was $322,700, up about 9.3% from June. The median sales price for a new house in June was $249,700 and the average sales price was $295,000.

At the end of July, the number of new homes for sale totaled 171,000, a supply of 5.2 months, up from a supply of 3.9 months at the end of June.

Higher median prices and sharply higher average prices likely had a lot to do with the drop in new home sales in July. Coupled with higher mortgage interest rates, the incentives for buyers have begun to fade away. House prices are still well below their peak in 2005 to 2006 and interest rates remain below 5%. The perception among buyers, however, may be that houses are getting too expensive again.

Best Undervalued Companies For 2014

If you follow the investing world at all, you've likely heard the Warren Buffett quote: "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful." You can apply that to many different situations in the investing world and it will serve you well. I applied it to a situation recently in which I felt that two stocks were unfairly undervalued, and asked whether it was time to scoop up some shares while others are fearful of them? There's definitely a bearish case to be made about each stock, but I'll show you why each one has sustainable, profitable growth ahead.

First up
Ford (NYSE: F  ) has long been a favorite of mine; even after its recent climb in stock price, I feel it's undervalued. In my opinion it's undervalued mainly due to the dismal outlook from Europe, which weighs heavily ��an estimated $2 billion in losses ��on the balance sheet. Here's why I think investing in Ford now could be a good play.

Best Undervalued Companies For 2014: Charter Financial Corp.(CHFN)

Charter Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for CharterBank that provides various banking services to individuals and businesses in Georgia and Alabama. Its deposit products include demand, NOW, and money market accounts; savings deposits; time deposits; checking accounts; and certificates of deposit. The company's loan products comprise commercial real estate loans; one- to four-family residential mortgage loans; construction and development loans; commercial business loans; and consumer loans, such as home equity loans, lines of credit, auto loans, and second mortgage loans. It operates through 16 branch offices located in West Point, LaGrange, Newnan, Carrollton, Bremen, Covington, and Peachtree City, Georgia; and Auburn, Opelika, and Valley, Alabama, as well as through a loan production office located in Norcross, Georgia. The company was founded in 1954 and is based in West Point, Georgia. Charter Financial Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Fir st Charter, MHC.

Best Undervalued Companies For 2014: Walker Crips Weddle Beck(WCW.L)

Walker Crips Group plc, an integrated financial services company, offers investment management services in the United Kingdom. Its services include stock broking, fund management, administrating individual savings accounts, and managing clients? deposits in the course of conducting investment business. The company?s services also comprise corporate finance, pension management and advice, corporate trustee services, structured investments design, and personal financial services; and securities trading, ISA/CTF, custody, deposit, and nominee services. In addition, it provides financial advice to individuals, partnerships, and companies; unit trust fund management to private and corporate clients; and corporate broking, as well as pension administration services. Walker Crips Group plc was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 Oil Companies To Invest In 2014: ValueVision Media Inc.(VVTV)

ValueVision Media, Inc., an interactive retailer, engages in marketing, selling, and distributing products to consumers through televisions (TVs), telephone, online, mobile, and social media. The company offers fine and fashion jewelries comprising gold, sterling silver, and platinum products; gemstone products; and men?s and women?s watches. It also offers home and electronics products, such as home decor, mattresses, bed and bath textiles, kitchen appliances, dining accessories, and a various furnishings; and consumer electronics, including TVs, computers, GPS devices, cameras, camcorders, and video game systems. In addition, the company offers beauty products, such as skincare, cosmetics, and hair care products; and health and fitness products comprising nutritional supplements, and workout gear and accessories. Further, it offers fashion apparel, outerwear, and accessories, including handbags and footwear. Its principal form of product exposure is its TV shopping net work, ShopNBC, which markets brand name and private label products. The company?s other distribution channels also include its Internet retailing Web sites, such as ShopNBC.com and ShopNBC.TV, which provide a range of consumer merchandise; and digital platforms comprising mobile and social media. ValueVision Media, Inc. has strategic alliances with GE Capital Equity Investments, Inc. and NBC Universal, Inc. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now

LONDON -- With the FTSE 100 (FTSEINDICES: ^FTSE  ) down 564 points from its May 22 high of 6,876, up 0.11% for the day to 6,311 as of 8:25 a.m. EDT, it might seem strange to be talking of record prices. But the U.K.'s top index is still up 16% over the past 12 months, which in most years would be considered a cracking performance, and there are individual shares constantly breaking new ground.

So here are three shares from the various indexes that are setting new records today.

Whitbread (LSE: WTB  )
Whitbread is having a great week, with its shares climbing further to reach a new 52-week high of 2,967 pence today -- though they're back to 2,919 pence at the time of writing. Shares in the owner of the U.K.'s Costa Coffee and Premier Inn chains are now up 60% over the past 12 months.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Douglas Dynamics Inc.(PLOW)

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells snow and ice control equipment for light trucks in North America. It principally offers snowplows, sand and salt spreaders, and related parts and accessories. The company sells its products under the WESTERN, FISHER, and BLIZZARD brands. Douglas Dynamics sells its products through a distributor network primarily to professional snowplowers. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Astec Industries Inc.(ASTE)

Astec Industries, Inc. engages in the design, engineering, manufacture, and marketing of equipment and components for road building, utility, and related construction activities worldwide. The company?s Asphalt Group segment offers hot-mix asphalt plants, concrete mixing plants, and related components; heating and heat transfer processing equipment; and thermal fluid storage tanks for asphalt paving and other non-related industries. Its Aggregate and Mining Group segment provides jaw, cone, and impact crushers; vibrating feeders; inclined and horizontal screens; various crushing plants; digital crusher controllers; aggregate and ore processing equipment; mobile screening plants; screen structures; vibrating screens; stationary rockbreaker systems; articulated production and utility vehicles; hydraulic breakers; compactors; demolition attachments; and bulk material handling and minerals processing equipment primarily for the aggregate, metallic mining, and recycling market s. The company?s Mobile Asphalt Paving Group segment provides asphalt pavers, asphalt material transfer vehicles, milling machines, and asphalt reclaiming and soil stabilizing machinery; asphalt paver screeds; windrow pickup machines; asphalt rollers and screeds primarily for road construction markets; and dirt and asphalt compaction equipment. Its Underground Group segment produces heavy-duty trenchers, compact horizontal directional drills, high pressure diesel powered pump trailers; maxi drills, auger boring machines, and down-hole tooling for these units; and vertical drills, water well drills, oil and gas drilling rigs, material handling trailers, and tools for the oil and gas, geothermal, and water well industries. The company also offers whole-tree pulpwood chippers, biomass chippers, horizontal grinders, and blower trucks. Astec Industries, Inc. sells its products through sales agents, distributors, and dealers. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Chatta nooga, Tennessee.

Top Biotech Companies To Watch For 2014: Omega Flex Inc.(OFLX)

Omega Flex, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of flexible metal hoses primarily in North America and Europe. Its product lines include corrugated metal hoses in a range of sizes and alloys, including three grades of stainless steel, bronze, Inconel, and Hastelloy. The company also manufactures a range of pressure reinforcing braids for its hoses in metallic and synthetic constructions. Its products are used in conveying various liquids and gases primarily in the construction, transportation, steel, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, processing, and semiconductor industries, as well as for instrumentation. Omega Flex sells its products directly, as well as through independent sales representatives, distributors, fabricating distributors, wholesalers, original equipment manufacturers, and its Website. The company, formerly known as Tofle America, Inc., was incorporated in 1976 and is based in Exton, Pennsylvania.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Acegas(AEG.MI)

Acegas-Aps S.P.A. operates as a multi-utility company in north-eastern Italy. It engages in the management and distribution of water, electricity, and gas; and collection and treatment of waste primarily in the areas of Trieste and Padova, as well as in the production of electric energy. The company also offers public services, such as funeral services, facility management, district heating, public lighting, management of traffic lights system, and re-lining services. In addition, it involves in waste collection and recycling activities. The company serves families, block of flats, small and medium companies, big companies, sectoral trade associations, and public administrations. Acegas-Aps S.P.A. is headquartered in Trieste, Italy.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: 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 Robert Hsu]

  Baidu.com (NASDAQ: BIDU) is unveiling a new feature that will likely keep users on its site longer. The company will launch third-party offerings in Baidu’s application library directly on Baidu.com rather than on another website, providing a potential revenue boost for the company. For example, if a user searches for a specific online game, the new function will produce a pop-up window containing the game which can be played immediately without the user leaving the Baidu site.

  Earlier this month, Baidu tried to clear its consolidation period and break out of its current range, but couldn’t fight the overall undertow of the broad market and fell back to around its 10-week moving average. However, in the past few days the stock is again finding support and bouncing higher along with the market.

  Baidu stock has jumped 119% since January and 125% over the past 12 months. This could offer a buying opportunity, especially as the broader market heads higher. My buy limit for BIDU is $80.