Undervalued Stocks To Buy For 2020: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top 10 US Stocks To Buy Right Now: Blackrock Corporate High Yield Fund Inc (HYT)

BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund VI, Inc. is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Fund seeks to provide current income by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of fixed-income securities.

The investments are rated in the lower rating categories of the rating services (Ba or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or BB or lower by Standard & Poor's Corporation) or are unrated securities of comparable quality. BlackRock Advisors, LLC. is the manager of the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Aaron Levitt]
MMT comes with a hefty 6.76% distribution yield and is currently trading for a nearly 12% discount to its underlying value. Thats well over the normal discount range for the fund. Expenses for MMT run 1.00% — or $100 per $10,000 invested — per year.
BlackRock Corporate High Yield Fund (HYT)
Discount to NAV: 7.11%
Distribution Yield: 7.86%

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-us-stocks-to-buy-right-now.html

Top 5 Promising Companies To Invest In 2014

IMAX (NYSE: IMAX ) reported results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2013. Non-GAAP earnings fell 9% year over year to $0.08 per share. Sales came in 10.3% lower, at $49.9 million. Analysts had expected adjusted earnings of $0.09 per share on $54.1 million in revenue.

The big-screen ciena technologist installed six full-theater systems, and four joint revenue-sharing venues in this quarter, compared to eight full and eight joint installations in the year-ago period. The backlog of system orders increased from 261, to 283. Production and remastering revenue rose 4.3%. Box office from remastered titles was stable year over year, but average box office per screen fell by 14%.

"We are excited about the promising upcoming lineup of films in IMAX, particularly in the second quarter," said IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond. The second quarter includes high-profile IMAX releases such as Star Trek: Into Darkness, the next Iron Man sequel, and Superman reboot Man of Steel.

Hot Biotech Stocks To Own For 2015: Atwood Oceanics Inc. (ATW)

Atwood Oceanics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in offshore drilling, and the completion of exploratory and developmental oil and gas wells. The company owns semisubmersible rigs, semisubmersible tender assist rigs, jack-up drilling rigs, and submersible drilling rigs. As of November 22, 2010, it operated nine mobile offshore drilling units located in offshore southeast Asia, offshore Africa, offshore Australia, offshore South America, and the Mediterranean Sea. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Aaron Levitt]
For investors, focusing on the stocks right in the middle could be the key to long-term outperformance and portfolio gains. Here are five midcap energy stocks to buy now:
Midcap Energy Stocks To Buy #1: Atwood Oceanics (ATW)
The offshore contract drilling sector is dominated by larger firms like Transocean (RIG) and Noble (NE). However, with a market cap of just $3 billion, Atwood Oceanics (ATW) could be in the sweet spot for investors looking at midcap energy stocks.
[By Charles Mizrahi]
Companies rely on third party contractors, such as Atwood Oceanics (ATW) to provide rigs in these deep-water environments. High utilization rates have resulted in rig shortages, creating upward pressure on prices. Atwood's largest customers include Chevron (Australia), Noble, and Kosmos Energy Ghana.
[By Ben Levisohn]
There’s been a lot of bearish talk about offshore drillers recently–and Atwood Oceanics (ATW) earnings results aren’t likely to dispel those concerns, despite an earnings beat.
[By Ben Levisohn]
The beatings that Seadrill (SDRL),�Transocean�(RIG),�Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO),�Atwood Oceanics (ATW) and Rowan (RDC) have taken this year has left them looking attractive to some value investors. Barclays, however, doesn’t think the stocks are as cheap as they look.

Top 5 Promising Companies To Invest In 2014: American Strategic Income Portfolio Inc (ASP)

American Strategic Income Portfolio Inc. (the Fund) is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Fund's primary investment objective is to provide a high level of current income. Its secondary investment objective is capital appreciation. The Fund invests in mortgage-related assets that directly or indirectly represent a participation in or are secured by and payable from mortgage loans. American Strategic Income Portfolio Inc. may also invest in the United States Government securities, corporate debt securities, preferred stock issued by real estate investment trusts and mortgage servicing rights.

The Fund's portfolio includes the United States Government Agency mortgage-backed securities, commercial loans, multi-family loans, preferred stocks, corporate notes, short-term securities and single-family loans. The Fund's investment advisor is FAF Advisors, Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. Bank National Association.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By jaggom]
However, the good news for the investors is that this trend of strong prices is set to continue and the company is expected to yield better financial and operating results with surging demand for these products in the market. For example, a 16% jump in the average selling prices (ASP) of DRAM along with a 6% jump in volume propelled revenue from the segment 23% higher, while an 8% increase in NAND flash prices led to a 7% jump in revenue from this segment.
[By Nicolas73]
We can go through a long list of complicated reasoning, but the reason is very simple: Seagate increased its gross margin by around 50% (31.6% vs. 19.5%). This was accomplished thanks to the increased average selling price (ASP) of the hard disk drives.

Top 5 Promising Companies To Invest In 2014: American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (AEL)

American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, through its subsidiaries, operates in the insurance business in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The company underwrites fixed annuities, including fixed index annuities and fixed rate annuities, as well as single premium immediate annuities. It also offers life insurance products comprising traditional ordinary and term, universal life, and other interest-sensitive life insurance products. The company markets its products through a brokerage distribution network of approximately 60 national marketing organizations and approximately 24,000 independent agents. American Equity Investment Life Holding Company was founded in 1995 and is based in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Louis Navellier]
American Equity Life (AEL) specializes in fixed-rate and index annuities, and business has been booming as cautious investors and savers look for places to put their money. The company has posted four consecutive positive earnings surprises, causing analysts to raise their estimates for 2014 in the past few months. The shares are still cheap when viewed thought the lenses of the P/E ratio, but more importantly, AEL has the type of solid fundamentals and investor demand that signify a potential winning stock. Shares of American Equity were upgraded to an ��grade back in August, and AEL remains a ��trong buy.��/p>
[By CRWE]
American Equity Investment Life Holding Company (NYSE:AEL), a leading underwriter of index and fixed rate annuities, reported that Wendy C. Waugaman, Chief Executive Officer and President, will take a medical leave of absence, effective immediately. She will remain on American Equity�� Board of Directors and will participate in certain management and strategic discussions as her health permits.
[By U.S. News]
In at least one Texas bank and one Ohio credit union, 3D video banking is currently undergoing testing, according to TheFinancialBrand.com, a website for bank and credit union marketing executives. Three-dimensional video banking is similar to a consumer video conference with a bank representative –- only in this case, the executive looks like a living, breathing person sitting across from you. Thanks to theater surround sound, the representative also sounds as if they're in the same room. And since the consumer is interacting with a real person and not an automated hologram, the experience apparently isn't much different than the real thing. Banking and managing money isn't what it used to be. The 1970s and 1980s brought us the rise of the ATM. Consumers became acquainted with online banking during the 1990s and the first decade of the 2000s. The 2010s are shaping up as the era of mobile banking. That was underscored Sept. 10-11 in New York City when Mitek Systems Inc. (MITK), a San Diego-based technology company, debuted its Mobile Photo Account Opening product at Finovate, a trade show where banking tech products are often unveiled. The product allows consumers to open a bank account within 60 seconds. If you have your bank's app, you can use your smartphone's camera to take a photo of the front and back of your driver's license, and presto, your new checking, savings or credit card account is open. Here's a look at other financial products and services personal financial experts think we'll be using in the future. Within 10 years. "The economic payments system will begin to 'know us,' either through biometrics, optical sensor or facial recognition," says Joshua Siegel, managing principal of StoneCastle Partners, a New York-based asset management firm that invests in banks. That's already happening to some extent with smartphones –- the new Apple (AAPL) iPhone 5S, for example, uses fingerprint scanning to unlock the phone. Meanwhile, some fi

Top 5 Promising Companies To Invest In 2014: Valhi Inc.(VHI)

Valhi, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates in the chemicals, component products, and waste management businesses. Its Chemicals segment produces and markets titanium dioxide pigment, a white inorganic pigment used to impart whiteness, brightness, and opacity for applications, such as coatings, plastics and paper, inks, food, and cosmetics. It also mines ilmenite in Norway. The company?s Component Products segment manufactures mechanical and electrical cabinet locks and other locking mechanisms, including disc tumbler locks, pin tumbler locking mechanisms, and electronic locks for the postal, transportation, furniture, banking, vending, general cabinetry, and other industries. Its security products are used in various applications, including ignition systems, mailboxes, file cabinets, desk drawers, tool storage cabinets, vending and gaming machines, high security medical cabinetry, electrical circuit panels, storage compartments, gas station security, bank bags, and p arking meters. It also provides furniture components comprising precision ball bearing slides and ergonomic computer support systems for use in applications, such as file cabinets, desk drawers, computer related equipment, home appliances, tool storage cabinets, imaging equipment, and automated teller machines. In addition, this segment manufactures and distributes stainless steel exhaust components, gauges, throttle controls, hardware, and accessories primarily for performance boats. Valhi?s Waste Management segment engages in processing, treating, storing, and disposing hazardous, toxic, and low-level radioactive wastes. This segment serves chemical, aerospace, and electronics businesses, as well as governmental agencies. Valhi also offers insurance brokerage and risk management services; holds marketable securities; provides utility services; and owns and develops properties. The company was founded in 1932 and is based in Dallas, Texas. Valhi, Inc. is a subsidiary of Co ntran Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Ben Levisohn]
Typically, when the chairman of a company dies, its shares drop. That hasn’t been the case for Valhi (VHI), Kronos Worldwide (KRO) and NL Industries (NL), which have all advanced today after Harold Simmons passed away.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Top Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2015

Top Heal Care Stocks To Own For 2015: Commo nwealth Bank of Australia (CBAUF)

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (the Bank) is engaged in the provision of a range of banking and financial products and services to retail, small business, corporate and institutional clients. The Bank is a provider of integrated financial services, including retail, business and institutional banking, superannuation, life insurance, general insurance, funds management, broking services and finance company activities. Its operating segments include Retail Banking Services, Business and Private Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, Wealth Management, New Zealand, Bankwest and Other. Its retail banking services include home loans, consumer finance, retail deposits and distribution. In December 2013, the Bank and its related bodies corporate had ceased to be the substantial holder of Reject Shop Ltd. In January 2014, the Bank and its related bodies corporate had ceased to be the substantial holder of Southern Cross Media Group Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

[By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australia stocks enjoyed early Monday gains after an advance for commodities and U.S. stocks since the last session, with a relatively good reception for earnings. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) improved by 0.4% to 5,376.30, with miners tracking gains in gold and copper. Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) added 1.3%, and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) traded 1.1% higher, while gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) an! d Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd. (AU:KCN) (KSKGF) rallied 2.2% and 4.7%, respectively. Banks rose after Wall Street shares climbed on Friday, with National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) up 1% and Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) adding 0.9%, though Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) dropped 2.4% as it traded without rights to its latest dividend. Coal transport firm Aurizon Holdings Ltd. (AU:AZJ) (QRNNF) tacked on 2.1% as its fiscal first-half underlying profit increased 18%, though net profit f
[By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks started Monday trade higher, with the S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) up 0.8% at 5,206.40 after a strong finish for Wall Street at the end of last week. Resource shares got a lift from gains for commodities prices since the previous trading session, with strong advances for gold and copper and a more than 2% rise for New York-traded crude-oil futures. Among the leading gainers, Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) added 1.2%, Oil Search Ltd. (AU:OSH) (OISHF) climbed 1.3%, and gold miners Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) ! ! and Evolution Mining Ltd. (AU:EVN) (CAHPF) improved by 3.9% and 6.4%, respectively. The heavily weighted banking sector also enjoyed solid gains, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) up 1%, Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) trading 1.3% higher, and National Australia Bank Ltd. (AU:NAB) (NAUBF) rising 1.1% as the U.K.'s Sunday Times reported the lender is considering a £2 billion ($3.3 billion) float of its British operations, which the report said had dragged on NAB's results in recent years.
[By MARKETWATCH]
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australia stocks rose early Thursday, with miners leading the way higher after a positive production report from Rio Tinto Ltd. (AU:RIO) (RIO) , while overall sentiment got a lift from U.S. gains overnight. The S&P/ASX 200 (AU:XJO) improved by 0.6% to 5,274.30, with shares of Rio Tinto rising 2.2% after reporting record high iron-ore shipments for 2013 and a sold gain for copper output. Rio's peers also advanced, with BHP Billiton Ltd. (AU:BHP) (BHP) up 1.7%, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. (AU:FMG) (FSUMF) ahead by 3.2%, and Oz Minerals Ltd. (AU:OZL) ! ! (OZMLF) adding 2.4%. Among the gold producers, Newcrest Mining Ltd. (AU:NCM) (NCMGF) surged 7.2% as J.P. Morgan raised its rating on the shares to overweight from neutral. Banks weren't as lucky, however, with Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (AU:ANZ) (ANEWF) down 0.3%, while Westpac Banking Corp. (AU:WBC) (WEBNF) and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (AU:CBA) (CBAUF) lost 0.7% each as Citibank downgraded the trio t

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-heal-care-stocks-to-own-for-2015.html

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Hot Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now

While we are approaching the end of another calendar year, there are still some memories of 2012. The biggest fear in 2012 was: the world is coming to an end on 21st December, 2012. Well, it is more than a year – and the world has yet not ended.

At the same time, one may wonder if the world has changed dramatically. Let us look at some of the events that took place in 2013. These events shook our long-held beliefs.

In the beginning of the year, the safest asset – gold, after having a decade long bull run, saw weakness. What happened in April was unbelievable for most – In a sudden move, gold prices (in Indian Rupees) were down more than 20 percent from their peak. Barring a surge in July-August due to the weakness of Indian Rupee against world currencies, Gold has been quite lackluster throughout the year. Before the year began, it was believed to be a safe haven.

The popular belief was that in times of crisis, one rushes to Gold. Well, the safe haven is roughly 17 percent down compared to last year’s price.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies For 2015: OmniVision Technologies Inc.(OVTI)

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. designs, develops, and markets semiconductor image-sensor devices. The company offers CameraChip image sensors, which are single-chip solutions that integrate various functions, such as image capture, image processing, color processing, signal conversion, and output of a processed image or video stream for use in various consumer and commercial mass-market applications; and CameraCube imaging devices that are image sensors with integrated wafer-level optics. It also provides companion chips used to connect its image sensors to various interfaces, including the universal serial bus and other industry standard interfaces; and companion digital signal processors that perform compression in standardized still photo and digital video formats. In addition, the company designs and develops software drivers for Linux, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows, as well as for embedded operating systems, such as Blackberry OS, Palm OS, Symbian, Windows CE, Windows Embedded, and Windows Mobile. Its products are used in mobile phones, notebooks, Webcams, digital still and video cameras, commercial and security and surveillance, and automotive and medical applications, as well as in entertainment devices. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers and value added resellers, as well as indirectly through distributors worldwide. OmniVision Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is based in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Shares of OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: OVTI) got a boost, shooting up 8.27 percent to $17.54 after the company posted better-than-expected Q3 results.

Hot Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: AMAG Pharmaceuticals Inc.(AMAG)

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of a therapeutic iron compound to treat iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Its principal product includes Feraheme (ferumoxytol) injection for intravenous (IV) use, which was approved for marketing in the United States in June 2009 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for use as an IV iron replacement therapy for the treatment of IDA in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The company is pursuing marketing applications in the European Union, Canada, and Switzerland for Feraheme for the treatment of IDA in CKD patients. AMAG Pharmaceuticals was founded in 1981 and is based in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Udovich]
The start of 2014 shows that biotech is still a hot area with the sector along with small cap biotech stocks like AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ: AMAG), Mast Therapeutics Inc (NYSEMKT: MSTX), Cell Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: CTIC), Imprimis Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: IMMY) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) producing news or returns�plus Auspex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ASPX), Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CARA), Egalet (NASDAQ: EGLT), Flexion Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FLXN) and Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: RARE) are among the (many�� planned biotech IPOs that have recently been announced publicly:
[By Monica Gerson]
AMAG Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMAG) shares fell 16% to $18.38 in the pre-market trading after the company received a CRL from the FDA for the supplemental NDA for Feraheme for broader IDA indication.

Hot Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Labor Smart Inc (LTNC)

Labor Smart, Inc., incorporated in May 31, 2011, provides temporary blue-collar staffing services. The Company supplies general laborers on demand to the light industries, including manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing, skilled trades��people, and general laborers to commercial construction industries. It provides unskilled and semi-skilled temporary workers to its customers. It pays its workers the same day they perform the job. In May 2013, the Company acquired Qwik Staffing Solutions Inc.

The Company is a provider of temporary employees to the construction, manufacturing, hospitality, restoration and retail industries. At March 31, 2012, the Company operated four branches located in two states.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jonathan Yates]
Even though the stock market rallied on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA) and Standard & Poor's 500 Index (NYSE: SPY) surging, the long term winners will be stocks in the staffing industry such as Paychex(NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), Robert Half (NYSE: RHI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).
[By Jonathan Yates]
When looking at small cap stocks, it is useful to compare the company with others that have expanded in both share price and size. For those considering investing in the $100 billion staffing industry, the growth of TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) shows what could be the potential path for Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC), as both operate in the $29 billion demand labor sector. Other firms have done well in the staffing industry include Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) and ManPower Group (NYSE: MAN).

Hot Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Makism 3D Corp (MDDD)

Makism 3D Corp., incorporated on May 4 2010, is a three dimensional (3D) printer manufacturing company. The Company produces consumer and professional grade 3D printers. The Company�� flagship product, branded as the Wideboy family of printers, offers packaging designed to fit any office or professional space.

Its 3D printers utilize British and German engineered components. Its printers are assembled in Cambridge (United Kingdom).

Advisors' Opinion:

[By James E. Brumley]
They say the great ones withstand the test of time. If that's true of stocks (and it is), then it's becoming increasingly safer to say Makism 3D Corp. (OTCMKTS:MDDD) is one of the great ones within the 3D printing world. No, it's neither as big nor as prolific as 3D printer names like 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) or Stratasys, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS). Then again, everything is relative; MDDD may well be packing more of a punch for its investors than SSYS or DDD have in a long time.
[By John Udovich]
Small cap OTC stocks Sovereign Lithium Inc (OTCMKTS: SLCO), Life Stem Genetics Inc (OTCMKTS: LIFS), Nevada Gold Corp (OTCMKTS: NVGC), Guar Global Ltd (OTCMKTS: GGBL) and Makism 3D Corp (OTCMKTS: MDDD) all saw their trading halted late last year by the SEC, but now all of these stocks are trading again. So what's going on and why the sudden crackdown? First, here is a quick look at what happened to the following five small cap stocks:

Hot Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: TFS Financial Corporation(TFSL)

TFS Financial Corporation operates as a holding company for Third Federal Savings and Loan Association of Cleveland. The company provides retail consumer banking, including mortgage lending, deposit gathering, and other financial services in Ohio and Florida. Its deposit accounts consist of savings accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, certificates of deposit accounts, individual retirement accounts, and other qualified plan accounts. The company also offers residential real estate mortgage loans, home equity loans, lines of credit, residential construction loans, and consumer loans. It operates 39 full-service branches and 8 loan production offices. TFS Financial Corporation, through its subsidiary, Third Capital, Inc. engages in net lease transactions of commercial buildings; maintains minority investments in private equity funds, and provide escrow and settlement services; and reinsures private mortgage insurance on residential mortgage loans. The company w as founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Jim Royal]
The special situation
For those of you following my Special Situations portfolio, Investors Bancorp is in a spot similar to First Financial Northwest (NASDAQ: FFNW ) and TFS Financial (NASDAQ: TFSL ) , both of which are featured substantially in the portfolio. While Investors Bancorp is still only a partially demutualized thrift (like TFS Financial today), it will soon become a fully public institution, like First Financial.

Hot Safest Stocks To Buy Right Now: Eurobank Ergasias SA (EUROB)

Eurobank Ergasias SA, formerly EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA, is a banking and financial services group located in Greece. It is organized into five segments: Retail, incorporating customer current accounts, savings, deposits and investment savings products, credit and debit cards, consumer loans, small business banking and mortgages; Corporate, incorporating direct debit facilities, current accounts, deposits, overdrafts, loan and other credit facilities, foreign currency and derivative products to corporate entities; Wealth Management, incorporating private banking services, including total wealth management, to medium and high net worth individuals, insurance, mutual fund and investment savings products, and institutional asset management; Global and Capital Markets, incorporating investment banking services including corporate finance, merger and acquisition and equity brokerage, as well as International. On December 27, 2013, it merged by absorption of the New TT Hellenic Postbank SA. Advisors' Opinion:

[By Corinne Gretler]
National Bank of Greece surged 24 percent and Eurobank Ergasias SA (EUROB) more than doubled. The lenders��planned merger has been postponed and not canceled, Bank of Greece Governor George Provopoulos said, after statements on April 8 that they will be recapitalized separately.

Friday, June 27, 2014

A Few Reasons to Invest in LinkedIn for Solid Growth

Best Transportation Companies To Buy Right Now

In the last few years, growth of social media has overwhelmed people across the globe to such an extent that everyone from big business houses to small scale investors is trying to reap some benefit by participating in the tide. It is extremely difficult for any player to just rush into the space and establish its business among the likes of Facebook (FB) and Twitter. However, LinkedIn (LNKD) is one such company that has astutely carved out a niche market for itself and created immense value for its shareholders.

The Company Knows the Most Important Part: Good Products

The employment crisis prevailing in countries across Asia and Europe benefited LinkedIn as more and more people got on-board during the quarter to look out for opportunities. As reported, approximately 65% of its members are outside of the U.S. Besides this, the launch of relevant and innovative products throughout the quarter secured greater customer engagement.

The company released various products with the sole motive of making things convenient for its users. May it be the LinkedIn Contacts, which makes it easier for users to track meaningful conversations or empowering members to add rich media content to their profiles, LinkedIn has adopted the right strategy to survive in this industry — consistent innovation.

As per analysts, LinkedIn's PEG ratio on a five year forecast is around 2.6, which makes it a reasonable buy as compared to its peers. I say this is a justified valuation keeping in mind that the company is still very young and has a plethora of growth opportunities ahead. Also, the way it is investing money and efforts in innovation, it is sure to pay off handsomely in the near future. The company also saw a commendable increase of 68% in revenue from premium subscriptions, which testifies to the excellent quality of its offerings.

Facebook Is Trying Hard

Facebook's Graph Search has the potential to become a dangerous threat to LinkedIn as users are using it vigorously to establish professional connections and recruiters are using it to find the best candidates.

It is evident that Facebook is trying every measure possible in order to engage users on the website. Moving ahead, the company will be banking heavily on these new products to get more people on-board. I believe Facebook's share price will successfully sustain the momentum because of the stupendous growth in mobile ad revenue and frequent launch of new products/features.

Invest in LinkedIn's Growth

Getting straight to the point, I would happily invest in LinkedIn at this point, not because of its hype but for the growth opportunities that lie ahead. It is difficult to survive in an industry with such fierce competition, but LinkedIn has done it in a magnificent way. The reason for this success lies in its well-placed strategies.

An explosive growth in the next few years will come from mobile and the company has already started working on it. In April 2013, it launched a new iOS and Android app, which saw a 40% lift in mobile engagement than the previous app. I am happy to see that LinkedIn has realized the potential of mobile and started working on it to revamp the experience of its users.

One of the things that has made Google so huge is valuable and mindful acquisitions. Well, LinkedIn has cleverly followed a similar path by adding new businesses to its portfolio with the overall objective of satisfying users. Last year, it acquired the content sharing platform Slideshare, a move that is going to generate huge returns very soon.

To sum it all up, Linkedin is a superb investment for its products, opportunities and an efficient management team.

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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Top 5 Safest Companies To Buy For 2015

Top 5 Safest Companies To Buy For 2015: Kiwibox.com Inc (KIWB)

Kiwibox.Com, Inc. (Kiwibox), incorporated on April 19, 1988, is an early stage company. The Company owns and operates Kiwibox.com, which is a social networking Website. The Company has equipped the Website with the advertising features, which enable sponsors to self-direct their message to specific target audiences based on gender, age, geographic region, education, and interests. As of December 31, 2011, the Company generated the majority of its revenue from advertising/sponsorships. On September 30, 2011 Kiwibox.com acquired 100% interests in the social network, KWICK!! Community GmbH & Co. KG, and interest of its general partner, Kwick!! Community Beteiligungs GMBH. On March 7, 2011 the Company acquired Pixunity.DE a German photo book community.

Kiwibox.com has developed a monitoring model. The Kiwibox.com platform is equipped with technology features, which includes the private sphere configuration of users, contact blocs, anti-spam protection and intellig ent self-learning user-scoring feature.

The Company competes with Facebook.com, Twitter and MySpace.com.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Peter Graham]
Last Friday, small cap stocks Kiwibox.com Inc (OTCMKTS: KIWB), Eyes on The Go Inc (OTCMKTS: AXCG) and Green Endeavors Inc (OTCMKTS: GRNE) were sinking 37.5%, 28.57% and 23.9%, respectively. Moreover, it should be mentioned that all three small cap stocks have been the subject of recent paid promotions or investor relation campaigns which have gotten them mentions in various investment newsletters or investor alerts. So are the promotional or investor relation campaigns over with for these three small caps? Here is a quick look to help you decide:
Kiwibox.com Inc (OTCMKTS: KIWB) Makes an Acquisition in Germany and Reports Surging Registrations
Small cap Kiwibox.com Inc owns and operates social networking sites like Kiwibox.com, a site that has over over 14 y! ears experience as social network. On Friday, Kiwibox.com Inc sank 37.5% to $0.005 for a market cap of $3.41 million plus KIWB is down 58.3% over the past year and down 63% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-safest-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

5 Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now

"Prophesy is a good line of business, but it is full of risks." - Mark Twain

Hope over a deal in Washington, combined with expectations of a dovish Fed led by Janet Yellen, have put a bid back into stocks which had been hovering around some key technical levels in the US. Emerging markets continue to power higher, and the meme remains that "every dip is bought." This is of course true until it isn't and mentality breaks. Reflation remains the underlying hope for all bulls, even though it simply has not existed in 2013 based on how intermarket trends have behaved. That does not mean that inflation expectations can't rise from here, but rather that there is still much skepticism given that this is the first time QE has failed to juice fear over rising prices in the economy and a true pickup of economic growth.

Despite big swings up and down, money may finally be starting to pay attention. There has been notable improvement in defensive sectors which seem to be on the verge of reversing their divestment relative behavior. Take a look below at the price ratio of the SPDR S&P Dividend Index ETF (SDY) relative to the S&P 500 (SPY). As a reminder, a rising price ratio means the numerator/SDY is outperforming (up more/down less) the denominator/SPY.

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Federal-Mogul Corporation(FDML)

Federal-Mogul Corporation supplies powertrain and safety technologies worldwide. The company?s Powertrain Energy segment offers powertrain components, such as engine pistons, piston rings, piston pins, cylinder liners, camshafts, valve seats and guides, and ignition products under the Federal-Mogul, AE, Champion, Goetze, Nural, and Daros brand names. Its Powertrain Sealing and Bearings segment provides dynamic seals, bonded piston seals, combustion and exhaust gaskets, static gaskets and seals, rigid heat shields, engine bearings, industrial bearings, bushings and washers, sintered engine and transmission components, and metallic filters, as well as polymer bearings primarily under the Federal-Mogul, Deva, Fel-Pro, FP Diesel, Glyco, Metafram, Metagliss, National, Payen, and Poral brand names. The company?s Vehicle Safety and Protection segment offers brake disc pads, brake linings, brake blocks, element resistant systems protection sleeving products, flexible heat shield s, brake system components, chassis products, windshield wipers, fuel pumps, and lighting products under the Federal-Mogul, Abex, Anco, Bentley-Harris, Beral, Champion, Ferodo, Moog, ThermoQuiet, and Wagner brands. Its Global Aftermarket segment provides aftermarket products to distributors, retail parts stores, and mass merchants who distribute these products to professional service providers and do-it-yourself consumers under the Abex, AE, ANCO, Beral, Carter, Champion, Fel-Pro, Ferodo, FP Diesel, Glyco, Goetze, MOOG, National, Necto, Nural, Payen, Sealed Power, ThermoQuiet, and Wagner brand names. The company serves original equipment manufacturers of automotive, as well as light, medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles; and agricultural, marine, rail, aerospace, off-road, and industrial applications, as well as the aftermarket sector. The company was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. Federal-Mogul Corporation is a subsidiary of Icahn Enterpr ises L.P.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Sean Williams]
What: Shares of Federal-Mogul (NASDAQ: FDML ) , an auto parts and vehicles components supplier, soared 26% after the company handily topped Wall Street's EPS expectations in the second quarter.
[By Rich Smith]
Southfield, Mich.-based Federal-Mogul (NASDAQ: FDML ) already has one chief executive officer, but as the Russians like to say, "Too much is better than not enough" -- so today, the company hired another.

5 Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: TriQuint Semiconductor Inc.(TQNT)

TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. provides radio frequency (RF) solutions and technology for communications, defense, and aerospace companies worldwide. The company designs, develops, and manufactures RF solutions with gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride, bipolar high electron mobility transistor, surface acoustic wave (SAW), temperature compensated surface acoustic wave, bulk acoustic wave (BAW), copper flip, and wafer level packaging technologies. The company offers an array of filtering, switching, and amplification products for RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave applications. It sells electronic components for mobile phones, including transmit modules, RF filters, power amplifiers and power amplifier modules, duplexers, switches, other RF devices, and integrated products to mobile device manufacturers. The company also offers signal amplification and filtering products, including a portfolio of GaAs microwave monolithic integrated circuits and transistors, and SAW and BAW filter components that support the transfer of voice, data, and video across wireless or wired infrastructure. Its network products comprise millimeter wave power amplifiers, frequency converters, and voltage controlled oscillators. In addition, the company provides defense and aerospace devices, including packaged products, die-level integrated circuits (ICs), microwave monolithic ICs, and multi-chip modules to military contractors serving the U.S. government for use in various communications and phased array radar programs, such as ship-based, airborne, and battlefield systems, as well as sat-com, electronic warfare, and guidance applications. Further, TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. offers foundry services. The company sells its products through independent manufacturers? representatives, independent distributors, and direct sales staff. TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Alex Planes]
According to Credit Suisse, LTE handset volumes will double to 537 million units this year, and will grow by another 33% per year for the next several years, which is clearly a monster opportunity for Skyworks -- and for its rivals TriQuint (NASDAQ: TQNT ) and RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ: RFMD ) . These competitors recently agreed on a merger to secure more business from mobile top dogs Apple and Samsung. Apple and Samsung together accounted for nearly half of Skyworks' revenue in fiscal 2013, so this is clearly a threat that could diminish its otherwise-sterling growth prospects.

5 Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: Microvision Inc.(MVIS)

MicroVision, Inc. engages in the development of miniature laser display and imaging engines based upon its proprietary PicoP display engine technology. Its technology uses two dimensional micro-electrical mechanical systems, lasers, optics, and electronics to create a video or still image from a small form factor device. The company offers Pico projector displays intended to be used for users of mobile consumer devices, such as smartphones, media players, tablet PCs, and other consumer electronics products. Its products also comprise automotive head-up displays that project high-resolution images onto the windshield of an automobile providing the driver with information consisting of GPS mapping images, audio controls, and other automobile instrumentation information related to the car's operation. In addition, the company offers near-eye wearable display platform to provide personal viewing of information from a mobile device through a wired or wireless connection. Furthe r, it offers ROV hand held bar code scanners, and bar code scanner enabled enterprise solutions through distributors and original equipment manufacturers, as well as directly to end users through its online store. The company serves customers operating in the consumer, defense, industrial, and medical markets. MicroVision, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Charley Blaine]
Shares of MicroVision Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS) were jumping for a second day in a row Friday on the heels of Sony Inc.’s (NYSE: SNE) introduction of a new handheld projector that uses Microvision’s technology.
[By James E. Brumley]
Did you miss the first big runup from Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS) a couple of weeks ago? If you were regretting it then, it may have all worked out for the best. Though MVIS jumped from a close of $1.35 on the 19th to a peak of $3.38 on the 21st, it was also on the 21st that the weight of that big gain started to bear down. By the 25th, Microvision shares hit a low of $2.01, basically cutting in half the 150% gain that has been made in just a couple of days.
[By Bryan Murphy]
If the cash you have available is money you absolutely need to invest safely and wisely because you need it (and its appreciation) to love on in retirement, then let me stop you right now - the rest of what you're about to read probably isn't for you. On the other hand, if you and your qualified financial adviser agree you've got some money you can gamble with [i.e. if you lose it all, it won't matter], then may I direct your attention to Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS)? Long story made short, MVIS has dropped hints of a brewing rebound.

5 Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: International Speedway Corporation(ISCA)

International Speedway Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, promotes motorsports themed entertainment activities in the United States. The company?s motorsports themed event operations consist of racing events at its motorsports entertainment facilities. Its motorsports entertainment facilities promoted approximately 100 stock car, open wheel, sports car, truck, motorcycle, go-kart racing, and other racing events. The company is also involved in souvenir merchandising operations; food and beverage concession operations; the provision of catering services in suites and chalets; creation of motorsports-related programming content, including national satellite radio service; the usage of its track facilities for testing for teams, driving schools, riding experiences, car shows, auto fairs, concerts and settings for television commercials, print advertisements, and motion pictures; and rents show cars for promotional events. As of November 30, 2011, it owned and/or op erated 13 motorsports entertainment facilities. The company was formerly known as Daytona International Speedway Corporation and changed its name to International Speedway Corporation in 1968. International Speedway Corporation was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Monica Gerson]
International Speedway (NASDAQ: ISCA) is estimated to post a Q3 loss at $0.01 per share on revenue of $118.60 million.

IDT (NYSE: IDT) is projected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $397.40 million.
[By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on International Speedway (Nasdaq: ISCA ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.
[By Michael Flannelly]
Before the opening bell on Thursday, motorsports and entertainment company International Speedway Corporation (ISCA) reported that its third quarter loss widened compared to the previous year despite an increase in revenues. The higher losses were mostly due to a number of one-time costs.

The Daytona Beach, Florida-based company posted a third quarter net loss of $7.9 million, or 17 cents per share, versus last year’s third quarter loss of $1.04 million, or 2 cents per share.

Excluding various one-time items, International Speedway Corp. said its adjusted net income came in at $2.3 million, or 5 cents per share, in the third quarter. According to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, the company was expected to see an adjusted loss of 1 cent per share for the quarter.

International Speedway’s third quarter revenues were $117.05 million, up slightly from the $115.93 million in revenues posted last year. On average, analysts were expecting the company to post revenues of $118.6 million in the quarter.

“We remain encouraged with our quarter and year-to-date financial results; generating increased total revenue for the periods,” stated ISC Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy. “Adjusting for comparable events, our attendance revenue, which has been our principal risk, was down less than one percent for the quarter delivering results within our range of expectations and showing further signs of stabilization in our business.”

Looking forward, the company maintained its fiscal 2013 guidance. It expects full year revenues to come in between $610.0 million and $625.0 million, with adjusted earnings coming in between $1.35 and $1.55 per share. However, the company said it feels more comfortable expecting full year results to be at the low-to-mid range of this guidance.

International Speedway Corp shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Thursday. The stock is up 20.76% year-to-date

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now

Top 10 Low Price Companies To Own In Right Now: Shanda Games Ltd (GAME)

Shanda Games Limited (Shanda Games), incorporated on June 12, 2008, is engaged in the development and operation of online games and related businesses in the People's Republic of China. Some of its online games are also Web games, which the Company categorizes as either massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) or advanced casual games, rather than as a separate category of online games. As of February 29, 2012, Shanda Games operated 35 online games. Its game player base, which consisted of 20.4 million average monthly active users and 4.5 million average monthly paying users for the three-month period ended December 31, 2011. In April 2011, the Company acquired a 51.85% interest in a game operating company, which provides services in East Asia.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 149 software copyrights. As of December 31, 2011, it owned or licensed 53 trademarks. As of December 31, 2011, it owned or licensed 329 registered domain nam es, including its official Website and domain names registered in connection with each of the games the Company offers. As of December 31, 2011, it had 17 patent applications pending with the State Intellectual Property Office of China. The Company operates MMORPGs, advanced casual games and Web games in China. Its MMORPGs are action adventure-based and draw upon themes, such as martial arts adventure, fantasy, strategy and historical events. The Company develops and sources an array of game content through multiple channels, including in-house development, licensing, investment and acquisition, and joint operation. Through these channels, it has built a diversified game portfolio and a game pipeline.

The Company licenses games from international and domestic developers. As of February 29, 2012, 13 of its 35 online games were licensed from thir! d-party developers, including Mir II. It invests in independent game development and operating studios identified by 18 Capital. The Company acquire intellectual property rights t! o online games; equity rights in online game development and operating studios, or an option to acquire equity interests in online game development and operating studios in the future.

The Company operates its business in People's Republic of China, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, which consist of Shengqu Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Shengqu), Shengji Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Shengji), Lansha Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Lansha) and Kuyin Software (Shanghai) Co., Ltd (Kuyin); its variable interest entities and their subsidiaries (VIEs), which consist of Shanghai Hongli Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Hongli) and Shanghai Shulong Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Shulong) and their wholly owned subsidiaries, Shanghai Shulong Computer Technology Co., Ltd. (Shulong Computer), Nanjing Shulong Computer Technology Co., Ltd. (Nanjing Shulong), Chengdu Youji Technology Co., Ltd. (Chengdu Youji), Tianjin Youji Technology Co., Ltd. (Tianjin Youji), Chengdu Aurora Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Chengdu Aurora), and Chengdu Simo Technology Co., Ltd. (Chengdu Simo).

The Company competes with Tencent Holdings Limited, NetEase.com, Changyou.com Limited, Perfect World Co., Ltd., Giant Interactive, Kingsoft Corporation Limited, KongZhong Corporation, NetDragon Websoft Inc., Nineyou International Limited, The9 Limited, Activision Blizzard, Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Zynga Inc., NCSoft Corporation, and Nexon Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By James E. Brumley]
In a perfect world, Oasis Petroleum Inc. (NYSE:OAS) and Shanda Games Limited (NASDAQ:GAME) would always reflect the true underlying value of their respective companies. In reality, GAME and OAS are both well-watched, and frequently-traded, stocks ! that can ! take on a life of their own, reflecting ever-changing opinions of the companies rather than the companies' actual value. There's an upside to that disconnect, however - knowing each chart may or may not reflect the actual value of Shanda Games Limited and Oasis Petroleum means you can take the clues given to us by their chart. After all, since charts are just a reflection of public opinion, and since public opinion is actually rather predictable, the way things appear to be - visually - may actually be the way things are. And in this case, the way things are with OAS happens to be a polar opposite with the way things are with GAME.
[By Eric Volkman]
Shanda Games (NASDAQ: GAME ) saw a decline in bottom line for its Q3, but still beat analyst estimates. The China-based company posted revenue of 1.12 billion yuan ($183 million), modestly higher than the 1.09 billion yuan ($178 million) in the same period the previous year. Attributable net income came in at just under 399 million yuan ($65 million; $0.24 per diluted American depositary share), compared with Q3 2012's 405 million yuan ($66 million; $0.24).
[By Lauren Pollock]
Shanda Games Ltd.'s(GAME) third-quarter earnings fell 1.6% despite growth in the game developer’s revenue driven by its mobile-game segment. Morgan Stanley(MS) analysts aren’t impressed with the company’s PC game pipeline, while sales of its top PC games dropped in the latest period. Shares declined 5.1% to $3.90 premarket.
[By Kevin Chen]
Two companies that seem on an unstoppable path of profits are Giant Interactive (NYSE: GA ) and NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES ) . Meanwhile, Shanda Games (NASDAQ: GAME ) and Perfect World (NASDAQ: PWRD ) haven't done as well.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-low-price-companies-to-own-in-right-now! -2.html

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Utility Sector Rises; Elizabeth Arden Shares Slide Over 3.6%

Related EDN Micron Gains On Upbeat Earnings; Elizabeth Arden Shares Slide Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Mostly Higher; Walgreen Profit Misses Estimates

Approaching the last hour of trading on Tuesday, the Dow traded down 0.43 percent to 16,864.02 while the NASDAQ gained 0.10 percent to 4,392.94. The S&P dipped down 0.31 percent to 1,956.56.

Leading and Lagging Sectors

Utilities shares rose around 0.45 percent in trading on Tuesday. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte S.A. (NYSE: EDN), up 4.7 percent, and Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP), up 3.9 percent.

Basic materials sector was the top loser in the US market on Tuesday. Top decliners in the sector included Kraton Performance Polymers (NYSE: KRA), Molycorp (NYSE: MCP), and AuRico Gold (NYSE: AUQ).

Top Headline

Walgreen Co (NYSE: WAG) reported weaker-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings.

Walgreen’s quarterly profit increased to $722 million, or $0.75 per share, from a year-earlier profit of $624 million, or $0.65 per share. Its adjusted earnings gained to $0.91 from $0.85 per share.

Its net sales surged 5.9% to $19.40 billion from $18.31 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $0.94 per share on sales of $19.49 billion.

Equities Trading UP

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) shares shot up 41.12 percent to $94.00 after the company reported that its two phase 3 studies of Lumacaftor in combination with ivacaftor met the primary endpoint.

Shares of Wix.com (NASDAQ: WIX) got a boost, shooting up 9.96 percent to $19.54 after the company announced that it had surpassed 50 million registered users worldwide.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) shares were also up, gaining 4.64 percent to $32.71 after the company reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings. Micron posted its adjusted earnings of $0.79 per share, beating analysts’ estimates of $0.69 per share.

Equities Trading DOWN

Shares of Elizabeth Arden (NASDAQ: RDEN) were down 3.67 percent to $27.26 on restructuring news. The company announced its plans to reduce jobs and exit some retail doors. It also announced the closing of its Puerto Rico affiliate.

Walgreen Co (NYSE: WAG) shares fell 0.71 percent to $73.21 after the company reported weaker-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings.

Carnival (NYSE: CCL) was down, falling 1.73 percent to $38.73 after the company reported its Q2 earnings of $0.10 per share and raised its forecast.

Commodities

In commodity news, oil traded down 0.40 percent to $105.75, while gold traded up 0.24 percent to $1,321.60.

Silver traded up 0.45 percent Tuesday to $21.01, while copper rose 0.03 percent to $3.15.

Eurozone

European shares were mostly lower today.

The eurozone’s STOXX 600 declined 0.12 percent, the Spanish Ibex Index dropped 0.05 percent, while Italy’s FTSE MIB Index fell 0.28 percent.

Meanwhile, the German DAX rose 0.20 percent and the French CAC 40 gained 0.06 percent while UK shares slipped 0.10 percent.

Economics

The ICSC–Goldman Sachs store sales index gained 2% in the week ended Saturday versus the earlier week.

The Johnson Redbook retail sales index declined 1.7% in the first weeks of June versus May.

The FHFA house price index remained unchanged in April, versus economists’ expectations for a 0.50% growth.

US home prices increased 1.1% in April versus March, according to S&P/Case-Shiller's composite index. After seasonal adjustments, US home prices gained 0.2% in April. The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index rose to a reading of 168.71 in April, versus a prior reading of 166.80. However, economists were expecting a reading of 169.09.

Sales of new US homes rose at an annual rate of 504,000 in May, versus economists’ expectations for a 439,000 gain.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to 85.20 in June, versus a previous reading of 83.00. However, economists were expecting a reading of 83.50.

The Richmond Fed manufacturing index fell to 3.00 in June, versus a prior reading of 7.00. However, economists were expecting a reading of 7.00.

Posted-In: Earnings News Emerging Markets Eurozone Futures Economics Intraday Update Markets Movers Tech

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4 Big Stocks on Traders' Radars

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

>>Buy These 5 Rocket Stocks to Beat the Market

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

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

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

>>5 Blue-Chip Stocks to Trade for Gains

These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity.

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

Lululemon Athletica

Nearest Resistance: $45 
Nearest Support: $35 
Catalyst: Founder Rumors

Shares of athletic apparel stock Lululemon Athletica (LULU) are up more than 3% this afternoon, buoyed by rumors that founder Chip Wilson has been meeting with bankers at Goldman Sachs (GS) over possible strategic alternatives after a prolonged drop in LULU's share price. Wilson, who serves on the board and is a major shareholder (with 27% of LULU's shares), has been a controversial figure in the past -- but after a 32% tumble in the last 12 months, investors are getting excited about the prospect of a major change.

For now, the price action isn't that compelling. LULU continues to trade below the trend line resistance level that's acted like a price ceiling for the last year. Until that changes, it's best to stay away from the long-side of this stock.

Ericsson

Nearest Resistance: $12.50 
Nearest Support: $12 
Catalyst: Technical Setup

Handset maker Ericsson (ERIC) is seeing big volume for technical reasons this afternoon, up 1.26% after a big block trade hit shares this morning, bidding shares higher to start the session. The timing is convenient for shareholders right now -- ERIC is testing a key resistance level at $12.50, the top of this stock's ascending triangle pattern. A breakout above that $12.50 price ceiling is the buy signal for shares.

If ERIC can make the breakout happen, then look for $1 of upside potential as shares move up to the "R2" level on the chart above. When it happens, keep a protective stop just below $12.

American Apparel

Nearest Resistance: $0.80 
Nearest Support: $0.60 
Catalyst: Founder Drama

Small-cap clothing stock American Apparel (APP) is seeing another consecutive day of big volume, the aftermath of a battle between founder Dov Charney and the firm's board. American Apparel has publicly struggled under the weight of a heavy debt load in recent months, and the recent ouster of the firm's controversial chief executive is still causing a stir, particularly if a battle distracts new leadership from running the ship. Shares are down more than 2% this afternoon, following the latest updates, which included news that the firm's largest private shareholder wasn't planning on supporting Charney in a proxy fight.

But bulls may still have the last laugh. Shares of APP have been forming a bullish ascending triangle setup for the last month, bumping up against resistance at $0.80. A breakout above that $0.80 cent price level is the buy signal for shares of American Apparel in June.

Rite Aid

Nearest Resistance: $8.50 
Nearest Support: $7 
Catalyst: Technical Setup

Last up is drugstore chain Rite Aid (RAD), a name that's been in "buy-the-dips mode" since the beginning of 2014. Now, with shares testing support for a fifth time this year, investors are getting a change to buy another dip on big volume.

Waiting for a bounce is important for two key reasons: It's the spot where shares have the furthest to move up before they hit resistance, and it's the spot where the risk is the least (because shares have the least room to move lower before you know you're wrong). Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring RAD can actually still catch a bid along that line before you put your money on shares.

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

-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

Best Food Companies For 2015

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

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>>5 Stocks Setting Up to Break Out

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

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

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

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

Monday, June 23, 2014

Forget Procter & Gamble, Investors Need to Check Out Nestle

It sounds ridiculous to suggest that a $247 billion company could possibly fly under anyone's radar. But when you think of consumer staples stocks, chances are the usual suspects like Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG ) come to mind. There's obviously good reason for this, since P&G is one of the biggest companies in America with dozens of universally known brands.

And yet, P&G is a smaller company than the one I'm referring to. The company I'm alluding to is Nestle (NASDAQOTH: NSRGY ) , the largest consumer goods company in the world.

Despite its huge size and stature, Nestle might not be as well-known as some of its American counterparts. Nestle is headquartered in Switzerland, and doesn't trade on a major U.S. exchange. In fact, Nestle shares trade over the counter. But in no way does that make Nestle less deserving of your attention.

Brand strength and diversity provides scale
There's a reason Nestle has resisted calls to split itself or spin off certain brands. Management believes that operating a company of its size holds inherent advantages, particularly when it comes to research and development. R&D investments in one area of the business, such as in nutrition on the health sciences side, which can directly aid other groups. This allows it to keep overall costs low and produce strong profitability, even while sales growth remains modest.

Nestle sells everything from candy bars, to bottled water, to pet food. In all, Nestle holds more than 2,000 brands and it offers them in more than 80 countries. To some, this may be considered reason to pursue a spin-off. Some investors believe that the company's parts are worth more than the whole.

But keeping its massive brand portfolio under one umbrella hasn't held Nestle back. In fact, Nestle produced 4% organic sales growth last year along with 11% growth in earnings per share in constant currencies. This is a testament to the company's powerful brands and its ability to effectively manage costs.

And, Nestle's global reach means the company is realizing strong growth from the emerging markets. Last year, Nestle produced 9% organic sales growth in the emerging markets, compared to just 1% in the developed markets.

A huge and diversified brand portfolio is what makes P&G such a strong company as well. P&G has been in business for 176 years, and sells its products in more than 180 countries across the globe. It holds 25 brands, which each bring in at least $1 billion in annual sales. Just a few of its core brands include Tide, Crest, and Gillette.

This has allowed P&G to post strong, consistent results year in and year out for decades. In turn, shareholders have been rewarded handsomely. P&G has passed along increases to its dividend for 58 years in a row. Likewise, Nestle maintains a serious commitment to paying a strong dividend, which gives investors income in addition to growth.

Nestle has plenty to offer
Nestle might not be your first choice in the consumer staples space, but you'd be wise to consider it, if you're looking for a company that can offer both growth and income. Nestle has a huge portfolio of well-known brands, which provide dependable profits that allow it to pay a solid 3% dividend. And before you get to thinking that this is a lumbering giant, you should know that the company is growing, particularly in emerging markets.

Best High Tech Companies To Watch For 2015

Nestle management contends its size is an advantage, because it allows the company to "scale up" research and development costs. So despite its size, it's by no means out of room to grow.

Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early-in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Top 5 India Companies To Own In Right Now

Top 5 India Companies To Own In Right Now: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd(RDY)

Dr. Reddy?s Laboratories Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a pharmaceutical company. It produces finished dosage forms, active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates, and biotechnology products. The company also conducts research in the areas of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, inflammation, and bacterial infection. In addition, it involves in the contract manufacture generic prescription and over-the-counter products for branded and generic companies in the United States. The company primarily focuses on therapeutic categories of cardiovascular, diabetes management, gastro-intestinal, and pain management. It markets its products in India, the United States, Europe, and the Russian Federation. The company has a co-development and commercialization agreement with Rheoscience A/S for the development and commercialization of Balaglitazone/DRF 2593, a partial PPAR-gamma agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes; an agreement with ClinTec Internatio nal for the development of an anti-cancer compound, DRF 1042; collaboration with the National Cancer Institute in Maryland; and an agreement with Argenta Discovery Limited for the joint development and commercialization of a novel approach to the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It also has an agreement with 7TM Pharma for drug discovery collaboration on selected drug targets; and an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline plc to develop and market pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, oncology, gastroenterology, and pain management. Dr. Reddy?s Laboratories Limited was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Hyderabad, India.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Benjamin Shepherd] We’re now into day 15 of the US government shutdown, as House Republicans stubbornly try to defund Obamacare. No matter what sort of deal is eventually struck, health care costs aren’t likely to ! come down any time soon. And that’s good news for generic drug makers.

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (NYSE: RDY) is one of the biggest players in generic drugs, offering more than 200 off-brand medications in the areas of cardiovascular disease, pain management and oncology, among others. In fact, this India-based company has become one of the largest makers of generics in the world, helping to drive more than 20 percent annual compounded earnings growth at the company over the past decade.
[By Ben Levisohn]
Teva has dropped 7.7% to $37.85 today at 3:23 p.m. but doesn’t seem to be spreading though the generic drug space. Taro Pharmaceuticals (TARO) ha gained 1.1% to $79, while Actavis (ACT) has gained 1.2% to $156.25 and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (RDY) has advanced 1% to $40.24. Mylan (MYL) has dropped 0.7% to $38.40.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-india-companies-to-own-in-right-now.html

Is the Backdoor Roth Closing?

High-income taxpayers have felt the brunt of tax changes over the past year, as new taxes on upper-bracket taxpayers could cost a lot of extra money this April. Yet some believe that yet another benefit currently open to high-income taxpayers could disappear: the ability to use a backdoor Roth IRA.

In the following video, Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning, looks at the backdoor Roth and why it could go away. Dan explains how the backdoor Roth works, with high-income taxpayers using a nondeductible traditional IRA and then converting it to a Roth if they have no other traditional IRAs outstanding. But Dan points to the hostility toward high-income taxpayers both in past law changes and in the administration's latest budget proposal, which would put caps on retirement assets, change rules on required minimum distributions, and other changes. Dan concludes that "harmonizing" income limits on conversions and contributions to Roth IRAs wouldn't be a huge stretch, and he recommends keeping an eye on lawmakers to see if they make any attempts to move in that direction.

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Friday, June 20, 2014

An Easy Way to Make the IRS Contribute to Your Retirement

C5D9FG Worried about the taxes retirement couple paperwork man; woman; depressed; depression; utility; bills; bill; gas; electri Alamy Saving for retirement is tough, especially for those who have trouble making ends meet on a modest salary. But the federal government wants to help with a tax credit that's worth as much as $2,000 to eligible taxpayers who make contributions to qualifying retirement accounts. How the Savers Credit Works The Savers Credit is designed to help taxpayers below certain income limits reduce their tax bills or boost their refunds when they save for retirement. The credit applies to the first $2,000 you contribute to a retirement account, or $4,000 for joint filers. With a maximum credit amount of 50 percent, that means that singles can get a credit of as much as $1,000, while joint filers can collect up to $2,000. Just about every type of retirement account is eligible, including Individual Retirement Accounts and 401(k) plans, but also the 403(b) plans for school employees and those who work for tax-exempt organizations, as well as 457 plans for state and local government employees. The Technical Details The credit is available to single taxpayers with incomes up to $29,500 for contributions made for the 2013 tax year, and joint filers with incomes as high as $59,000. For tax year 2014, the eligibility thresholds rise by $500 for single filers and $1,000 for joint filers. The amount of the match depends on where your income falls within these limits. For single filers making up to $17,750 and joint filers with income up to $35,500, the Savers Credit will give you 50 cents for every $1 you contribute to a retirement plan or IRA. If you're single and earn between $17,750 and $19,250, or file jointly with income between $35,500 and $38,500, then you'll only get a 20 percent match on your contributions. And those above the upper end of that range who still qualify for the credit get a 10 percent match. For the 2014 tax year, each of those breakpoints goes up by $250 and $500 respectively for singles and joint-filing taxpayers. How the Savers Credit Works With Other Tax Benefits In addition, the Savers Credit doesn't take away any tax benefits of contributing to a retirement account. For instance, if you use a traditional IRA or 401(k) as your retirement-savings vehicle, then you'll still be entitled to the ordinary deduction for the amount you contribute on your tax return. It's not too late to take advantage of the Savers Credit for 2013. You have until April 15 to make an IRA contribution for the 2013 tax year, and if you do, you can claim the Savers Credit on the 2013 tax return that you're about to file. For 401(k) contributions and other employer plans, however, money needs to go in on or before Dec. 31 in order to qualify for a particular year's Savers Credit. The only problem with the Savers Credit is that it's a nonrefundable credit. That means if your tax liability is less than the amount of your entitled Savers Credit, you won't get the full credit. You also can't carry any unused credit forward to future years; if you can't use it all in that particular year, you lose what you don't use. Despite that shortcoming, the Savers Credit is still useful. By putting some extra money in your pocket, the IRS will make it worth your while to start putting money into a retirement account today. For more on the Savers Credit, check this page on the IRS website.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Is This MannKind's Biggest Risk?

Shares of clinical-stage biotech MannKind Corp. (NASDAQ: MNKD ) have skyrocketed by 51% over the past month, catalyzed by a positive Advisory Committee vote for the company's inhaled insulin product, Afrezza. Since then, a contentious debate has broken out between bulls and bears on whether this rally is driven by fundamentals or emotional speculators.

MNKD Chart

MNKD data by YCharts

The bull thesis centers on a large and growing diabetes market that already sports two megablockbuster insulin products by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

By contrast, the short thesis primarily revolves around Afrezza's potential market share and its use in the real world. Namely, shorts are suggesting that Afrezza will be relegated to a specialty niche within the diabetes market, falling well short of blockbuster status as a result.

Whether you are a bull or a bear, I think there is an even more critical risk factor for MannKind's growth prospects that is only now starting to be fully appreciated.

MannKind's partnership could be a defining moment for the company
MannKind's management has repeatedly stated that it plans on partnering for Afrezza because the drug will require a substantial sales force to market properly and an educational effort to communicate the benefits of the product to medical professionals.

And by its own admission, MannKind presently does not have the cash to launch this product on their own at this time. In fact, MannKind's management has stated that they only have enough cash on hand to get through Afrezza's target Prescription Drug Fee User Act date of July 15.

Although we've heard that MannKind is in ongoing discussions with potential partners, I think there are some key issues investors should consider going forward. First and foremost is the issue of how a partnership would be structured.

The problem is that MannKind's dwindling cash position puts it in a position of weakness at the negotiating table. Simply put, large pharmas know that MannKind would have to resort to major dilutive financing in order to market the product alone at this point, and this issue will likely be used as leverage when putting together a deal. Indeed, this is why many developmental biotechs try to get a deal done during the research phase if they are bent on partnering.

What might a deal look like?
I don't think it's a secret that MannKind needs and wants the deal to be front loaded with milestone payments -- and a double-digit royalty base would be nice as well. If they are unable to get a hefty milestone payment upfront, for example, they will have to raise additional funds to continue their operations without an interruption.

Large pharmas with extensive experience in the diabetes market, however, may not be willing to give MannKind what it desires. Besides the fact that MannKind is in a position of weakness from a financial standpoint, I don't believe the industry is sold on the commercial potential of an inhaled insulin for a few reasons.

First off, I suspect this is the case because large pharmas haven't pursued their own inhaled products since the Exubera calamity that cost Pfizer $2.8 billion. Second, we haven't seen any interest from the industry in terms of either a possible takeover or a even a partnership with MannKind.

The bottom line is that a deal at this point would probably focus more on sales targets for Afrezza and may not include milestone payments for development. Deals that include milestone payments for regulatory and clinical achievements are usually signed prior to approval, not after. And this issue may be the reason why MannKind hasn't accepted an offer from one of its negotiating partners as of yet.

Foolish wrap-up
MannKind shareholders have been handsomely rewarded by their faith in the company so far. The key issue going forward, however, is likely to be the details of a partnership. Perhaps we'll see another twist to this tale with a lucrative partnership or maybe we'll see the company decide a go-it-alone approach is best. Nonetheless, until the details of Afrezza's commercialization are known, I think it's difficult to properly assess the company's value moving forward.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Mortgage Rates Inch Up in Latest Week

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AP WASHINGTON -- Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose this week but remained near historically low levels. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate for the 30-year loan increased to 4.33 percent from 4.28 percent last week. The average for the 15-year mortgage edged up to 3.35 percent from 3.33 percent. Mortgage rates have risen about a full percentage point since hitting record lows roughly a year ago. The increase was driven by speculation that the Federal Reserve would reduce its $85 billion-a-month bond purchases. Deeming the economy to be gaining strength, the Fed proceeded last month with planned reductions of its bond purchases, which have helped keep long-term interest rates low. The housing market is expected to deliver another year of solid gains, helped by an improving economy. Most economists expect home sales and prices to keep rising this year, but at a slower pace. They forecast that both will likely rise by about 5 percent, down from double-digit gains in 2013. Government data released Wednesday showed that U.S. home construction fell in January for a second straight month, but the weakness in both months reflected severe winter weather in many parts of the country. In a similar vein, U.S. homebuilders' confidence in the housing market declined sharply this month as the rough weather battering much of the nation keeps many would-be buyers at home, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index issued Tuesday.