Hot Oil Companies To Own For 2014

Some have wondered why gas prices haven't plunged while America's energy production booms. The simple answer is that oil is a global commodity and fairly easy to transport, so it's priced on the global market. Rising U.S. production has been mostly offset by Iranian sanctions. There's little net impact on price.

Natural gas is different. It's more difficult to transport, so prices tend to vary depending on location. America's energy boom has pushed natural gas prices down, hitting decade-lows last year. That has a big impact on home energy bills, as the Energy Information Administration noted this week:

Consumers spent 2.7% of their household income on home energy bills last year, the lowest percentage in 10 years. Aggregate home energy expenditures by U.S. households fell $12 billion in 2012 from the 2011 level. In 2012, prices for residential natural gas decreased 3% from the previous year, while household electricity prices stayed about the same.�

Hot Oil Companies To Own For 2014: Valero Energy Corporation(VLO)

Valero Energy Corporation operates as an independent petroleum refining and marketing company. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Ethanol, and Retail. The Refining segment engages in refining, wholesale marketing, product supply and distribution, and transportation operations. It produces conventional gasoline, distillates, jet fuel, asphalt, petrochemicals, lubricants, and other refined products. This segment also offers conventional blendstock for oxygenate blending, reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending, gasoline meeting the specifications of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), CARB diesel fuel, low-sulfur and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel. The Ethanol segment produces ethanol and distillers grains. The Retail segment sells transportation fuels at retail stores and unattended self-service cardlocks; convenience store merchandise and services in retail stores; and home heating oil to residential customers. Valero Energy Corpora tion markets its refined products through bulk and rack marketing network; and sells refined products through a network of approximately 6,800 retail and wholesale branded outlets under the Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Ultramar, Beacon, and Texaco names in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Aruba, and Ireland. As of December 31, 2011, it owned 16 petroleum refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.0 million barrels per day; and operated 10 ethanol plants with a combined nameplate production capacity of approximately 1.1 billion gallons per year. The company was formerly known as Valero Refining and Marketing Company and changed its name to Valero Energy Corporation in August 1997. Valero Energy Corporation was founded in 1955 and is based in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Robert Rapier: The oil refiners, that's an interesting story. You really have to stay on top of oil refiners and that is not a sector that I recommend for a buy and hold investor. When I joined the Energy Strategist a year ago, that's one of the first recommendations I made, was buy the oil refiners, Valero (VLO), Tesoro (TSO).

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  However, having additional pipeline capacity come online, when combined with all the crude oil hitting the rails, has caused the spread between globally traded Brent and U.S. benchmarked WTI to shrink to less than a dollar this week. This trend has hit refiners such as Valero (NYSE: VLO  ) hard. This past quarter the company reported an operating income drop of 42% over last year's totals, as its margins were affected by higher oil prices. On the other hand, oil producers such as Bakken-focused Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR  ) are poised to thrive this quarter, as the company can now get more for every barrel of oil it produces. That's one reason investors had bid its shares up an all-time high this week. The company could potentially produce a blowout quarter when it reports on Aug 7.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Lately, though, domestic crude has seen its cost advantage almost disappear, creating a potential reversal of the profit bonanza. Valero (NYSE: VLO  ) said last week that it expects discounts for domestic crude to return, restoring its long-term benefits, but in the meantime, its profits dropped 44% in its second-quarter report compared to year-ago levels.

Hot Oil Companies To Own For 2014: Chesapeake Energy Corporation(CHK)

Chesapeake Energy Corporation engages in the acquisition, development, exploration, and production of natural gas and oil properties in the United States. It also provides marketing and other midstream services. The company?s properties are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. As of December 31, 2010, it had interests in approximately 45,800 gross productive wells. The company?s proved reserves include 17.096 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent. Chesapeake Energy Corporation was founded in 1989 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Nearest Resistance: $25
  
  Nearest Support: $23.50
  
  Catalyst: Earnings

  The same exact thing is happening over at Chesapeake Energy (CHK) following the firm's second-quarter earnings numbers. Chesapeake earned 66 cents per share for the quarter, besting Wall Street's meager 41-cent expectations by a big margin. Shares are up more that 6% in today's session as a result.

  CHK looks strong from a technical standpoint too. While $25 looks like intraday resistance for CHK right now, it's not a particularly strong price ceiling. For investors who aren't risk-averse, I'd suggest putting on a position in today's session -- just keep a tight stop in place.

• [By The Science of Hitting]

  Aubrey McClendon, the CEO of Chesapeake Energy (CHK), came into the light this past week for a controversial ��ounder well participation program�� which has been in place at Chesapeake since 1993; the program, which allowed Mr. McClendon to take a small stake (2.5%) in the wells that the company drills, will be ended before its scheduled expiration in 2015, largely due to unwanted media focus around the questionable deal structure and related loans. Yet even with that saga drawing to a close, you rarely find just one cockroach in the kitchen: it has now emerged that a director responsible for setting Mr. McClendon�� compensation in the late 1990�� was simultaneously the provider of a personal loan to the CEO, a blatant conflict of interest.

10 Best Biotech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Apache Corporation(APA)

Apache Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. The company has exploration and production interests in the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, east Texas, the Permian basin, the Anadarko basin, and the Western Sedimentary basin of Canada; and onshore Egypt, offshore Western Australia, offshore the United Kingdom in the North Sea, and onshore Argentina, as well as on the Chilean side of the island of Tierra del Fuego. Apache Corporation sells its natural gas to local distribution companies, utilities, end-users, integrated oil and gas companies, and marketers; and crude oil to integrated oil companies, marketing and transportation companies, and refiners. As of December 31, 2009, it had total estimated proved reserves of 1,067 million barrels of crude oil, condensate, and natural gas liquids, as well as 7.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The company was founded in 1954 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  The first list of 24/7 Wall St. stocks under book value for the month of August are Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA), Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE: FDP), Genworth Financial Inc. (NYSE: GNW), Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM) and JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ: JBLU). We generally have�focused on net asset values and tangible book values, as well as forward price-to-earnings multiples, share price performance, analyst expectations via the Thomson Reuters consensus price target and more.

Hot Oil Companies To Own 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.

Hot Oil Companies To Own For 2014: Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP (BWP)

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP is a limited partnership company. The Company owns and operates three interstate natural gas pipeline systems including integrated storage facilities. Its business is conducted by its primary subsidiary, Boardwalk Pipelines, LP (Boardwalk Pipelines) and its subsidiaries, Gulf Crossing Pipeline Company LLC (Gulf Crossing), Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP (Gulf South) and Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (Texas Gas) (together, the operating subsidiaries), which consist of integrated natural gas pipeline and storage systems. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it formed Boardwalk Midstream, LP (Midstream), and its operating subsidiary, Boardwalk Field Services, LLC (Field Services), which is engaged in the natural gas gathering and processing business. In December 2011, Boardwalk HP Storage Company, LLC (HP Storage), a joint venture between Boardwalk Pipelines and Boardwalk Pipelines Holding Corp. (BPHC) acquired Petal Gas Storage, L.L.C. (Petal), Hattiesburg Gas Storage Company (Hattiesburg). In December 2011, it acquired a 20% equity interest in HP Storage.

The Company�� pipeline systems originate in the Gulf Coast region, Oklahoma and Arkansas and extend north and east to the midwestern states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. It serves a mix of customers, including producers, local distribution companies (LDCs), marketers, electric power generators, direct industrial users and interstate and intrastate pipelines. The Company provides a portion of its pipeline transportation and storage services, through firm contracts, under which the Company�� customers pay monthly capacity reservation charges. Other charges are based on actual utilization of the capacity under firm contracts and contracts for interruptible services. During 2011, approximately 82% of its revenues were derived from capacity reservation charges under firm contracts; approximately 14% of its revenues were derived from charges-based on actual utilization under firm contr! acts, and approximately 4% of its revenues were derived from interruptible transportation, interruptible storage, parking and lending (PAL) and other services. Its expansion projects include South Texas Eagle Ford Expansionand Marcellus Gathering System and HP Storage.

Pipeline and Storage Systems

The Company�� operating subsidiaries own and operate approximately 14,200 miles of pipelines, directly serving customers in twelve states and indirectly serving customers throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States through numerous interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. In 2011, its pipeline systems transported approximately 2.7 trillion cubic feet of gas. Average daily throughput on its pipeline systems during 2011 was approximately 7.3 billion cubic feet. Its natural gas storage facilities are comprised of eleven underground storage fields located in four states with aggregate working gas capacity of approximately 167.0 billion cubic feet. the Company operates the assets of HP Storage on behalf of the joint venture.

The principal sources of supply for our pipeline systems are regional supply hubs and market centers located in the Gulf Coast region, including offshore Louisiana, the Perryville, Louisiana area, the Henry Hub in Louisiana and the Carthage, Texas area. Its pipelines in the Carthage, Texas area provide access to natural gas supplies from the Bossier Sands, Barnett Shale, Haynesville Shale and other gas producing regions in eastern Texas and northern Louisiana. The Henry Hub serves as the designated delivery point for natural gas futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Its pipeline systems also have access to unconventional mid-continent supplies, such as the Woodford Shale in southeastern Oklahoma and the Fayetteville Shale in Arkansas. The Company also accesses the Eagle Ford Shale in southern Texas; wellhead supplies in northern and southern Louisiana and Mississippi; and Canadian natural gas through an unaffil! iated pip! eline interconnect at Whitesville, Kentucky.

Gulf Crossing

The Company�� Gulf Crossing pipeline system originates near Sherman, Texas, and proceeds to the Perryville, Louisiana area. The market areas are in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Florida through interconnections with Gulf South, Texas Gas and unaffiliated pipelines.

Gulf South

The Company�� Gulf South pipeline system is located along the Gulf Coast in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The on-system markets directly served by the Gulf South system are generally located in eastern Texas, Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. These markets include LDCs and municipalities located across the system, including New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, and other end-users located across the system, including the Baton Rouge to New Orleans industrial corridor and Lake Charles, Louisiana. Gulf South also has indirect access to off-system markets through numerous interconnections with unaffiliated interstate and intrastate pipelines and storage facilities. These pipeline interconnections provide access to markets throughout the northeastern and southeastern United States.

Gulf South has two natural gas storage facilities. The gas storage facility located in Bistineau, Louisiana, has approximately 78 billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity from which Gulf South offers firm and interruptible storage service, including no-notice service. Gulf South�� Jackson, Mississippi, gas storage facility has approximately five billion cubic feet of working gas storage capacity, which is used for operational purposes and is not offered for sale to the market.

Texas Gas

The Company�� Texas Gas pipeline system originates in Louisiana, East Texas and Arkansas and runs north and east through Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, K! entucky, ! Indiana, and into Ohio, with smaller diameter lines extending into Illinois. Texas Gas directly serves LDCs, municipalities and power generators in its market area, which encompasses eight states in the South and Midwest and includes the Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and Evansville and Indianapolis, Indiana metropolitan areas. Texas Gas also has indirect market access to the Northeast through interconnections with unaffiliated pipelines. Texas Gas owns nine natural gas storage fields, of which it owns the majority of the working and base gas. Texas Gas uses this gas to meet the operational requirements of its transportation and storage customers and the requirements of its no-notice service customers.

Field Services

In 2011, the Company formed its Field Services subsidiary and transferred to it approximately 100 miles of gathering and transmission pipeline. In 2012, the Company transferred to Field Services an additional 240 miles of pipeline and two compressor stations. Field Services is developing gathering and processing capabilities in south Texas and Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The overwhelming majority of Loews can be valued as the sum of its three largest subsidiary businesses that also have publicly trading stock: CNA Financial (CNA), Diamond Offshore (DO) and Boardwalk Pipeline�(BWP). The sum of these stakes is equivalent to 97.7% of the market capitalization of Loews. For almost ��ree,��imknvestors also get ownership of Boardwalk�� B shares and general partnership, a small national hotel chain, natural gas and oil E&P HighMount and the $4B in fungible assets on Loews�� corporate balance sheet…

• [By Sean Williams]

  This week, we'll turn our attention back to the energy sector and focus on a company that's set to benefit in a big way from the upcoming energy boom, Boardwalk Pipeline Partners (NYSE: BWP  ) .

Hot Oil Companies To Own For 2014: Vecta Energy Corp (VER)

Vecta Energy Corporation is engaged in the exploration for, and the acquisition, development and production of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Company has non-operated interests in three areas: the foothills of Alberta, northeast BC and the Brewster area in central Alberta. The Company has interest in the Brewster area of west central Alberta (in townships 42, 43 and 44; range 12-13, W5). These lands are prospective in the Belly River formation at depths of 1,500 to 2,000 meters, as well as deeper zones including Nordegg, Rock Creek, Ellerslie, Ostracod, Falher and Notikewin. A total of six wells have been drilled on Company acreage. The 102/01-26-043-13 W5 well is producing 350 to 400 thousand cubic feet of natural gas with liquids. The 15-11-043-13 W5 well is producing of 350 to 400 thousand cubic feet of natural gas with liquids.

Hot Oil Companies To Own For 2014: Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD)

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (Enterprise), incorporated on April 9, 1998, owns and operates natural gas liquids (NGLs) related businesses of Enterprise Products Company (EPCO). The Company is a North American provider of midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, NGLs, crude oil, refined products and certain petrochemicals. Its midstream energy asset network links producers of natural gas, NGLs and crude oil from supply basins in the United States, Canada and the Gulf of Mexico with domestic consumers and international markets. Its midstream energy operations include natural gas gathering, treating, processing, transportation and storage; NGL transportation, fractionation, storage, and import and export terminals; crude oil gathering and transportation, storage and terminals; offshore production platforms; petrochemical and refined products transportation and services; and a marine transportation business that operates on the United States inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems and in the Gulf of Mexico. Its assets include approximately 50,000 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines; 200 million barrels of storage capacity for NGLs, petrochemicals, refined products and crude oil; and 14 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage capacity. In addition, its asset portfolio includes 24 natural gas processing plants, 21 NGL and propylene fractionators, six offshore hub platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico, a butane isomerization complex, NGL import and export terminals, and octane isobutylene production facilities. The Company operates in five business segments: NGL Pipelines & Services; Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services; Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services; Offshore Pipelines & Services, and Petrochemical & Refined Products Services.

NGL Pipelines & Services

The Company�� NGL Pipelines & Services business segment includes its natural gas processing plants and related NGL marketing activities; approximately 16,700 miles of NGL pipel! ines; NGL and related product storage facilities; and 14 NGL fractionators. This segment also includes its import and export terminal operations. At the core of its natural gas processing business are 24 processing plants located across Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. Natural gas produced at the wellhead (especially in association with crude oil) contains varying amounts of NGLs. Once the mixed component NGLs are extracted by a natural gas processing plant, they are transported to a centralized fractionation facility for separation into purity NGL products. Once processed, this natural gas is available for sale through its natural gas marketing activities. Its NGL marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of NGLs it takes title to through its natural gas processing activities and open market and contract purchases from third parties. Its NGL marketing activities utilize a fleet of approximately 670 railcars, the majority of which are leased from third parties.

The Company�� NGL pipelines transport mixed NGLs and other hydrocarbons from natural gas processing facilities, refineries and import terminals to fractionation plants and storage facilities; distribute and collect NGL products to and from fractionation plants, storage and terminal facilities, petrochemical plants, export facilities and refineries, and deliver propane to customers along the Dixie Pipeline and certain sections of the Mid-America Pipeline System. Revenues from its NGL pipeline transportation agreements are based upon a fixed fee per gallon of liquids transported multiplied by the volume delivered. Certain of its NGL pipelines offer firm capacity reservation services. It collects storage revenues under its NGL and related product storage contracts based on the number of days a customer has volumes in storage multiplied by a storage fee. In addition, it charges customers throughput fees based on volumes delivered into and subsequently withdrawn from storage. Its ! principal! NGL pipelines include Mid-America Pipeline System, South Texas NGL Pipeline System, Seminole Pipeline, Dixie Pipeline, Chaparral NGL System, Louisiana Pipeline System, Skelly-Belvieu Pipeline, Promix NGL Gathering System, Houston Ship Channel pipeline, Rio Grande Pipeline, Panola Pipeline and Lou-Tex NGL Pipeline. It operates its NGL pipelines with the exception of the Tri-States pipeline.

The Company�� NGL operations include import and export facilities located on the Houston Ship Channel in southeast Texas. It owns an import and export facility located on land it leases from Oiltanking Houston LP. Its import facility can offload NGLs from tanker vessels at rates up to 14,000 barrels per hour depending on the product. During the year ended December 31, 2012, its average combined NGL import and export volumes were 132 thousand barrels per day. In addition to its Houston Ship Channel import/export terminal, it owns a barge dock also located on the Houston Ship Channel, which can load or offload two barges of NGLs or other products simultaneously at rates up to 5,000 barrels per hour.

The Company owns or have interests in 14 NGL fractionators located in Texas and Louisiana. NGL fractionators separate mixed NGL streams into purity NGL products. The primary sources of mixed NGLs fractionated in the United States are domestic natural gas processing plants, crude oil refineries and imports of butane and propane mixtures. Mixed NGLs sourced from domestic natural gas processing plants and crude oil refineries are transported by NGL pipelines and by railcar and truck to NGL fractionation facilities.

The Company�� NGL fractionation facilities process mixed NGL streams for third party customers and support its NGL marketing activities. It earns revenues from NGL fractionation under fee-based arrangements, including a level of demand-based fees. At its Norco facility in Louisiana, it performs fractionation services for certain customers under percent-of-liquids co! ntracts. ! Its fee-based fractionation customers retain title to the NGLs, which it processes for them. Its NGL fractionators include Mont Belvieu fractionator, Shoup and Armstrong fractionator, Hobbs NGL fractionator, Norco NGL fractionator, Promix NGL fractionators and BRF fractionators.

Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services

The Company�� Onshore Natural Gas Pipelines & Services business segment includes approximately 19,900 miles of onshore natural gas pipeline systems, which provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming. It leases salt dome natural gas storage facilities located in Texas and Louisiana and own a salt dome storage cavern in Texas, which are integral to its pipeline operations. This segment also includes its related natural gas marketing activities.

The Company�� onshore natural gas pipeline systems and storage facilities provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas from producing regions, such as the San Juan, Barnett Shale, Permian, Piceance, Greater Green River, Haynesville Shale and Eagle Ford Shale supply basins in the western United States. In addition, these systems receive natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico through coastal pipeline interconnects with offshore pipelines. Its onshore natural gas pipelines receive natural gas from producers, other pipelines or shippers at the wellhead or through system interconnects and redeliver the natural gas to processing facilities, local gas distribution companies, industrial or municipal customers, storage facilities or to other onshore pipelines.

Its onshore natural gas pipelines generates revenues from transportation agreements under which shippers are billed a fee per unit of volume transported multiplied by the volume gathered or delivered. Its onshore natural gas pipelines offer firm capacity reservation services whereby the shipper pays a contractually stated fee based on the level of through! put capac! ity reserved in its pipelines whether or not the shipper actually utilizes such capacity. Under its natural gas storage contracts, there are typically two components of revenues monthly demand payments, which are associated with a customer�� storage capacity reservation and paid regardless of actual usage, and storage fees per unit of volume stored at its facilities. The Company�� natural gas marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of natural gas obtained from third party well-head purchases, regional natural gas processing plants and the open market.

Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services

The Company�� Onshore Crude Oil Pipelines & Services business segment includes approximately 5,100 miles of onshore crude oil pipelines, crude oil storage terminals located in Oklahoma and Texas, and its crude oil marketing activities. Its onshore crude oil pipeline systems gather and transport crude oil in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas to refineries, centralized storage terminals and connecting pipelines. Revenue from crude oil transportation is based upon a fixed fee per barrel transported multiplied by the volume delivered.

The Company owns crude oil terminal facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma and Midland, Texas, which are used to store crude oil volumes for it and its customers. Under its crude oil terminaling agreements, it charges customers for crude oil storage based on the number of days a customer has volumes in storage multiplied by a contractual storage fee. With respect to storage capacity reservation agreements, it collects a fee for reserving storage capacity for customers at its terminals. In addition, it charges its customers throughput (or pumpover) fees based on volumes withdrawn from its terminals. It provides fee-based trade documentation services whereby it documents the transfer of title for crude oil volumes transacted between buyers and sellers at its terminals. The Company�� crude oil marketing activities generate revenues! from the! sale and delivery of crude oil obtained from producers or on the open market.

Offshore Pipelines & Services

The Company�� Offshore Pipelines & Services business segment serves active drilling and development regions, including deepwater production fields, in the northern Gulf of Mexico offshore Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. This segment includes approximately 2,300 miles of offshore natural gas and crude oil pipelines and six offshore hub platforms. Its offshore Gulf of Mexico pipelines provide for the gathering and transportation of natural gas or crude oil. Revenue from its offshore pipelines is derived from fee-based agreements whereby the customer is charged a fee per unit of volume gathered or transported multiplied by the volume delivered. Poseidon Oil Pipeline Company, L.L.C. (Poseidon), in which it has a 36% equity method investment, purchases crude oil from producers and shippers at a receipt point (at a fixed or index-based price less a location differential) and then sells quantities of crude oil at onshore Louisiana locations (at the same fixed or index-based price, as applicable).

The Company�� offshore platforms are components of its pipeline operations. Platforms are used to interconnect the offshore pipeline network; provide means to perform pipeline maintenance; locate compression, separation and production handling equipment and similar assets, and conduct drilling operations during the initial development phase of an oil and natural gas property. Revenues from offshore platform services consist of demand fees and commodity charges. Revenue from commodity charges is based on a fixed-fee per unit of volume delivered to the platform multiplied by the total volume of each product delivered.

Petrochemical & Refined Products Services

The Company�� Petrochemical & Refined Products Services business segment consists of propylene fractionation plants, pipelines and related marketing activities; a butane isom! erization! facility and related pipeline system; octane enhancement and isobutylene production facilities; refined products pipelines, including its Products Pipeline System, and related marketing activities, and marine transportation and other services.

The Company�� propylene fractionation and related activities consist of seven propylene fractionation plants (six located in Mont Belvieu, Texas and a seventh in Baton Rouge, Louisiana), propylene pipeline systems aggregating approximately 680 miles in length and related petrochemical marketing activities. This business includes an export facility and associated above-ground polymer grade propylene storage spheres located in Seabrook, Texas. Results of operations for its polymer grade propylene plants are dependent upon toll processing arrangements and petrochemical marketing activities. The toll processing arrangements include a base-processing fee per gallon (or other unit of measurement). Its petrochemical marketing activities include the purchase and fractionation of refinery grade propylene obtained in the open market and generate revenues from the sale and delivery of products obtained through propylene fractionation. The revenues from its propylene pipelines are based upon a transportation fee per unit of volume multiplied by the volume delivered to the customer. As part of its petrochemical marketing activities, it has refinery grade propylene purchase and polymer grade propylene sales agreements. Its butane isomerization business includes three butamer reactor units and eight associated deisobutanizer units located in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which comprise the commercial isomerization facility in the United States.

The Company�� commercial isomerization units convert normal butane into mixed butane, which is fractionated into isobutane, isobutane and residual normal butane. The uses of isobutane are for the production of propylene oxide, isooctane, isobutylene and alkylate for motor gasoline. These processing arrangements inclu! de a base! -processing fee per gallon (or other unit of measurement). Its isomerization business also generates revenues from the sale of natural gasoline created as a by-product of the isomerization process. The Company owns and operates an octane enhancement production facility located in Mont Belvieu, Texas, which produces isooctane, isobutylene and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). The products produced by this facility are used in reformulated motor gasoline blends. The isobutane feedstocks consumed in the production of these products are supplied by its isomerization units. The Company owns a facility located on the Houston Ship Channel, which produces high purity isobutylene (HPIB). The feedstock for this plant is produced by its octane enhancement facility located at its Mont Belvieu complex. HPIB is used in the production of alkylated phenols used as antioxidants, lube oil additives, butyl rubber and resins.

Refined products pipelines and related activities consist of its Products Pipeline System, equity method investment in Centennial Pipeline LLC (Centennial) and refined products marketing activities. The Products Pipeline System transports refined products, and petrochemicals, such as ethylene and propylene and NGLs, such as propane and normal butane. These refined products are produced by refineries and include gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, kerosene, distillates and heating oil. Refined products also include blend stocks, such as raffinate and naphtha. Blend stocks are used to produce gasoline or as a feedstock for certain petrochemicals. The Centennial Pipeline intersects its Products Pipeline System near Creal Springs, Illinois, and loops the Products Pipeline System between Beaumont, Texas and south Illinois. In addition, it has refined products terminals located at Aberdeen, Mississippi and Boligee, Alabama adjacent to the Tombigbee River and on the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena, Texas. Its related marketing activities generate revenues from the sale and delivery of refin! ed produc! ts obtained from third parties on the open market.

The Company�� marine transportation business consists of tow boats and tank barges, which are used to transport refined products, crude oil, asphalt, condensate, heavy fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas and other petroleum products along inland and intracoastal the United States waterways. Its marine transportation assets service refinery and storage terminal customers along the Mississippi River, the intracoastal waterway between Texas and Florida and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway system. It owns a shipyard and repair facility located in Houma, Louisiana and marine fleeting facilities in Bourg, Louisiana and Channelview, Texas. Other services consist of the distribution of lubrication oils and specialty chemicals and the bulk transportation of fuels by truck, in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Primarily covering the energy and natural resources sectors, master limited partnerships take advantage of favorable tax laws to distribute cash to investors in a tax-efficient way. Recently, the need for pipelines and other energy infrastructure to transport huge, newly-discovered oil and natural gas reserves has helped MLPs like Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP) and Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) to grow substantially while paying distribution yields of between 4 percent and 6 percent. Many MLPs pay even higher yields, however, and with those payouts often being tax-advantaged, you'll potentially lose less of your income to Uncle Sam. The downside: MLPs can make your tax preparation a lot harder, as complicated reporting requirements make them harder to deal with than an ordinary stock investment.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  That's good news for producers like BP, as well as a variety of service companies like Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD  ) . The company is one of the many that are providing the region with infrastructure critical to get the oil from production platforms to the Gulf Coast refining complexes. One of its projects, the Lucius Crude Oil Export Pipeline, will move 115,000 barrels of oil per day from the deepwater Gulf of Mexico to refiners. This is just one of the many solutions that Enterprise is providing producers in the Gulf, which will help to give a really solid return to investors as the oil boom continues.

Hot Oil Companies To Own For 2014: Whiting Petroleum Corporation(WLL)

Whiting Petroleum Corporation engages in the acquisition, development, exploitation, exploration, and production of oil and gas primarily in the Permian Basin, Rocky Mountains, Mid-Continent, Gulf Coast, and Michigan regions of the United States. As of December 31, 2010, its estimated proved reserves were 304.9 million barrels equivalent of oil; and had interests in 9,698 gross productive wells covering approximately 1,115,000 gross developed acres. The company sells its oil and gas to end users, marketers, and other purchasers. Whiting Petroleum Corporation was founded in 1983 and is Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) really is stepping up to the plate on spending this year. In addition to being one of the top stocks held by legendary energy investor T. Boone Pickens, it is expected to spend almost $2.4 billion this year to expand production. The consensus price target for the stock is $62. A move to the target would be a 20% gain for shareholders.

• [By Tony Daltorio]

  They constitute some of the best investments in energy now. Notice how they dominate a list of the leading producers in the three most prolific oil basins over the last year:

  Bakken: Continental Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLR), Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL), and Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES). Permian Basin: Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: OXY), Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE: PXD), and Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA). Eagle Ford: EOG Resources Inc. (NYSE: EOG), ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE: COG), and Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK).

  Two stocks from this list that investors should focus on are EOG Resources and Cabot Oil & Gas.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Whiting Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: WLL) reviewed recent achievements in the Bakken shale, including a 1,000 barrel per day test in Missouri Breaks driven by the new completion formula it had recently discussed on its second-quarter earnings conference call. The Raymond James price target is at $63, and the consensus target for Whiting is $62.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Whiting Petroleum (WLL) is one of Continental's biggest competitors in the Bakken. Whiting is the second-largest oil producer in North Dakota, averaging 82,500 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) of production in 2012, across more than 700,000 acres of leased land.

Dow Theory: Unequivocally Bullish

Dow Theory Forecasts has been published for over six decades. Editor Rich Moroney explains the goals of the service and the Dow Theory timing strategy, which recently confirmed its latest bull market signal.

Steve Halpern: We're here today with Rich Moroney. How are you doing today, Rich?

Rich Moroney: Good, good. Good to be with you.

Steve Halpern: Your newsletter, Dow Theory Forecasts, is widely considered to be among the nation's most prestigious financial services. In fact, having been published since 1946, it's also one of the oldest investment newsletters. Could you tell our listeners a bit about the history of Dow Theory?

Rich Moroney: Sure. Yeah, the newsletter, as you mentioned, originally started in 1946 by Leroy Evans. His son Bob still owns the company today.

Leroy Evans was a steel executive who got really interested in the stock market, and really interested in the Dow Theory, and started publishing a newsletter for, kind of, close associates, and then just kind of kept snowballing all through the 60s and 70s, and still today, it's among the most widely read investment newsletters in the nation.

I joined the company in 1989 and became editor in 1994. In 2000, we introduced our Quadrix stock rating system, which looks at stocks the way we've always looked at stocks at Dow Theory Forecast, that is, growth at a good price.

But it brought a more quantitative rigor. We rank about 4,000 stocks based on six categories to get a Quadrix overall score, and the results have been quite good.

Dow Theory Forecast is among a select group of newsletters that outperformed over the last 10 and 15 years according to the Hulbert Financial Digest, and our focus list, which represents our very best picks for year ahead gains, has outperformed since Hulbert began following it at the end of 1995, and that's despite having lower risk than the market.

Steve Halpern: Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but for the history of Dow Theory Forecasts, you've really had a focus on high-quality, long-term investing, as opposed to a trading mentality. Is that the case?

Rich Moroney: Yeah, that's still the case. Like I said, we're kind of focusing on growth at a good price. We're looking for high-quality companies that have sales momentum, earnings momentum, good track records, good balance sheets.

But we don't want to pay too much, so it's kind of a balancing of getting as high-quality companies as you can, but try and buy them at a discount, try and buy them, oh, and for some reason, we think there's the potential for positive surprises.

Steve Halpern: Now, the name of the newsletter comes from what's called the Dow Theory, which is a long-term market timing system that was developed by Wall Street Journal publisher Charles Dow. Could you share a brief overview of this system and how you incorporate that in your market outlook?

Rich Moroney: Sure. The Dow Theory is a method of putting market moves in context, and basically under the Dow Theory, you want to see both the Dow Industrials and Dow Transports reaching significant highs.

When both those averages are reaching significant highs, the primary trend is considered bullish and the odds favor higher prices ahead so significantly under the Dow Theory. Just last week, on Wednesday, both the Dow Industrials and the Dow Transports went above the highs reached in early August. With both averages reaching all-time closing highs, the Dow Theory is unequivocally in the bullish camp.

Basically you're looking for confirmation. The idea is that the majority money opinion doesn't always get things right, but it tends to get things right, and when it has doubts, you can see that in the averages, and basically how do you see it when both are reaching new highs? You take that as a verdict that the majority money opinion is bullish.

When there's divergence, one going to new high and one not for a sustained period, that kind of raises a yellow flag, suggests the majority money opinion is undecided, and when both are going to new lows, significant lows, that's suggests the trend is bearish and lower prices are likely.

Steve Halpern: Now, is it unusual for the stock market to pull back over the short-term following a confirmation of new highs?

Rich Moroney: No, that's what we've seen since Wednesday and it's not all that surprising. You tend to use up a lot of the market's buying energy getting to a new high.

There sometimes is resistance at those levels, and it kind of depletes the market's momentum a little bit to bust through, and then you sometimes do get this kind of give-back.

It's a little unusual, clearly, to have an event like Wednesday's, where the Fed is widely expected to do something and then they don't, and you get the market going to new highs, and since then, you've seen the averages kind of tail-back, and not really significantly.

But it is kind of interesting that that verdict that was seen in the averages, and which we do see as a valid signal, clearly Wall Street is having some second thoughts about what exactly the Fed meant by that Wednesday decision.

Steve Halpern: With the recent confirmation of new highs in both the Industrials and the Transports, as a result of that, you would suggest that long-term investors have close to a fully invested position now?

Rich Moroney: Yeah, I mean, we've been in the bullish camp for some time now and I would continue to remain in the bullish camp. Our buy lists have 94% to 98% in stocks, and the rest is in a short-term bond fund, so we're pretty much fully invested.

Steve Halpern: Well, thank you, we appreciate you taking the time to be with us today.

Rich Moroney: Sure, my pleasure.

Subscribe to Dow Theory Forecasts here...

The expert featured in this column, Richard Moroney, may or may not own positions in any investment vehicle mentioned here. The views and opinions expressed are his or her own.

'3 am moment'">Understanding your clients' '3 am moment'

We all have biases. We all jump to conclusions when words are said. It's a natural trait for most of the people in our industry who have been trained to read into people's words and assume that we are really hearing what others are saying. Yet, very often, after we have been in the business for some time, we end up making conclusions that are flat out incorrect. It's impossible to guess what people are thinking or read into words without the right questions being asked. There are two questions that every adviser should be able to answer:

1. What is the 3:00 a.m. moment for your client? When they wake up in the middle of the night with sweaty palms, what is it they are afraid of? What is it they ultimately want you to protect them from?

2. Are you actually helping to tackle the biggest fear that clients have?

From

How Currency Works

Hot Performing Stocks To Invest In 2014

Whether we pull out paper bills or swipe a credit card, most of the transactions we engage in daily use currency. Indeed, money is the lifeblood of economies around the world.

To understand why civilized societies have used currency throughout history, it's useful to compare it to the alternative. Imagine you make shoes for a living and need to buy bread to feed your family. You approach the baker and offer a pair of shoes for a specific number of loaves. But as it turns out, he doesn't need shoes at the moment. You're out of luck unless you can find another baker - one who happens to be short on footwear - nearby. Money alleviates this problem. It provides a universal store of value that can be readily used by other members of society. That same baker might need a table instead of shoes. By accepting currency, he can sell his goods and have a convenient way to pay the furniture maker.

In general, transactions can happen at a much quicker pace because sellers have an easier time finding a buyer with whom they want to do business.

There are other important benefits of money, too. The relatively small size of coins and dollar bills makes them relatively simple to transport. Consider a corn grower who would have to load a cart full of food every time he needed to buy something.

Additionally, coins and paper have the advantage of lasting a long time, which is something that can't be said for all commodities. A farmer who relies on direct trade, for example, may only have a few weeks before his assets spoil. With money, she can accumulate and store her wealth.

Various Forms

Today, it's natural to associate currency with coins or paper notes. However, money has taken a number of different forms throughout history. In many early societies, certain commodities became a standard method of payment. Around the 16th century, for example, the Aztecs often used cocoa beans instead of trading goods directly. However, commodities have clear drawbacks in this regard. Depending on their size, they can be hard to carry around from place to place. And in many cases, they have a limited shelf life.

These are some of the reasons why minted currency was an important innovation. As far back as 2500 BC, Egyptians created metal rings that they used as money, and actual coins have been around since at least 700 BC, when they were used by a society in modern-day Turkey. Paper money didn't come about until the Tang Dynasty in China, which lasted from 618-907 AD.

More recently, technology has enabled an entirely different form of payment: electronic currency. Using a telegraph network, Western Union (NYSE:WU) completed the first electronic money transfer way back in 1871. With the advent of mainframe computers, it became possible for banks to debit or credit each others' accounts without the hassle of moving large sums of cash.

Types of Currency

So, what exactly gives our modern forms of currency – whether it's an American dollar or a Japanese yen – value? Unlike early coins made of precious metals, most of what's minted today doesn't have much intrinsic value. However, it retains its worth for one of two reasons.

In the case of "representative money," each coin or note can be exchanged for a fixed amount of a commodity. The dollar fell into this category in the years following World War II, when central banks around the world could pay the U.S. government $35 for an ounce of gold.

However, worries about a potential run on America's gold supply led President Nixon to cancel this agreement with countries around the world. By leaving the gold standard, the dollar became what's referred to as "fiat money." In other words, it holds value simply because people have faith that other parties will accept it.

Today, most of the major currencies around the world – including the euro, British pound and yen – fall into this category.

Exchange-Rate Policies

Because of the global nature of trade, parties often need to acquire foreign currencies as well. Governments have two basic policy choices when it comes to managing this process. The first is to offer a fixed exchange rate.

Here, the government pegs its own currency to one of the major world currencies, such as the American dollar or the euro, and sets a firm exchange rate between the two denominations. To preserve the local exchange rate, the nation's central bank either buys or sells the currency to which it is pegged.

The main goal of a fixed exchange rate is to create a sense of stability, especially when a nation's financial markets are less sophisticated than those in other parts of the world. Investors gain confidence by knowing the exact amount of the pegged currency they can acquire, if they so desire.

However, fixed exchange rates have also played a part in numerous currency crises in recent history. This can happen, for instance, when the purchase of local currency by the central bank leads to its overvaluation.

The alternative to this system is letting the currency float. Instead of pre-determining the price of a foreign currency, the market dictates what the cost will be. The United States is just one of the major economies that uses a floating exchange rate.

In a floating system, the rules of supply and demand govern a foreign currency's price. Therefore, an increase in the amount of money will make the denomination cheaper for foreign investors. And an increase in demand will strengthen the currency – that is, make it more expensive.

While a "strong" currency has positive connotations, there are drawbacks. Suppose that the dollar gained value against the yen. Suddenly, Japanese businesses would have to pay more to acquire American-made goods, likely passing their costs on to consumers. This makes U.S. products less competitive in overseas markets.

The Impact of Inflation

Most of the major economies around the world now use fiat currencies. Since they're not linked to a physical asset, governments have the freedom to print additional money in times of financial trouble. While this provides greater flexibility to address challenges, it also creates the opportunity to overspend.

The biggest hazard of printing too much money is hyperinflation. With more of the currency in circulation, each unit becomes worth less. While modest amounts of inflation are relatively harmless, uncontrolled devaluation can dramatically erode the purchasing power of consumers.

If inflation reaches 5 percent annually, each individual's savings – assuming it doesn't accrue substantial interest – is worth 5 percent less than it was the previous year. Naturally, it becomes harder to maintain the same standard of living.

For this reason, central banks in developed countries usually try to keep inflation under control by indirectly taking money out of circulation when the currency loses too much value.

The Bottom Line

Regardless of the form it takes, all money has the same basic goals. It helps encourage economic activity by increasing the market for various goods. And it enables consumers to store wealth and therefore address long-term needs.

This Automobile Company May Be a Buy

Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles, and advanced electric vehicle powertrain components. Tesla cars are manufactured in a far different manner than traditional vehicles. They have one standard battery platform on which they can mount varying motors and bodies. The company stands at an advantage in achieving production efficiencies with its swappable production strategy.

Financials

Tesla's growing valuation now stands at $20.6 billion. This has infused the company with capital to aggressively invest in Superchargers, production, and international expansion. While Tesla has 1 percent of Ford Motor Company's (F) U.S. monthly sales, the electric car company already has nearly a third of Ford's $64 billion market capitalization. Tesla is now worth more than Suzuki Motor Co (SZKMF), Mazda Motor Corp (MZDAY), and Fiat, the majority owner of Chrysler Group, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The stock has almost quadrupled in value this year, so it's not surprising that most analysts believe the stock is too richly valued to buy at its current levels. With a forecast of 25% for Q4, Tesla has been continually growing its gross profit margins well above, and beyond what Ford and General Motors Company (GM) are capable of.

Growth Opportunities

The company's CEO, Elon Musk announced that the company is working on developing a driverless car. The car is supposed to get ready within three years. It is not alone in developing self-driving vehicle technology. The new Mercedes-Benz S550 offers the most advanced production self-driving car systems, including adaptive cruise control that can handle stop-and-go traffic, and a system called Traffic Assist, which steers the car at low speeds. When the Model S launched last year, it was missing one feature-set commonly found among its luxury competitors: driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, or lane departure warning. The company appears to! be addressing that lack, according to a recent statement by Musk.

The company plans to sell its first all-electric SUV, the Model X, next year. The Model X will be similarly transformational in rethinking the SUV or crossover. The 10-year-old car maker is currently targeting delivery of just 21,000 luxury sedans this year. Overseas, Tesla just opened a factory in the Netherlands, where eager Dutch, Belgian, and French customers are taking delivery of the hotly awaited Model S. Even though the company has yet to price the car in the market, at least 300 prospective customers have plunked down deposits of $5,000 to $42,500 to reserve Tesla in Hong Kong.

Tesla filed an application to trademark the "Model E" name last month. It's widely believed that this will be the name for the next generation of Tesla after the current Model S sedan and next year's Model X crossover. Musk has discussed having a more economically priced car on the market by 2017, which just so happens to be around the time that this driverless technology becomes available. So it's possible this technology would only be in the Model S and Model X, but not the more accessibly priced Model E.

Being a Game Changer

Tesla's charging stations aren't the typical electric vehicle charging station. On average, Tesla's Superchargers are about 16 times faster than most public charging stations. In fact, Model S owners can get a 50% battery charge in just 20 minutes at a Supercharging station. Its $20-billion valuation means that management has even more cash than they had planned for to make the necessary investments, or even ramp up production and expansion more rapidly. Musk says the company should hit its 25% gross profit margin target, excluding zero-emission vehicle credits, by the fourth quarter of 2013. Tesla's business model of selling directly to consumers is another factor that sets Tesla apart from traditional automakers.

My Takeaway

It is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in t! he auto i! ndustry today. Tesla's future is largely dependent on its ability to continue innovating. U.S. markets are saturated. Tesla and other automakers are looking for international customers for explosive growth, particularly in China. An investor may get rich with this growing trend as the automakers are poised to surge with China's middle class. China is already the world's largest auto market - and it's set to grow even bigger in coming years.

Entering the vehicle market without the normal constraints and biases that bog down traditional manufacturers has helped this California-based company become a wild success in the car market. All these factors are building the foundation for the company's eventual mass-market affordable car. And each factor helps to secure Tesla's spot among the big automotive companies, and change the auto industry forever.

Hot Stocks To Own Right Now

Just a few days ago, prosecutors in New York issued indictments in what is being described as the biggest computer hacking scheme in U.S. history.

Paul Fishman, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, was quoted by Bloomberg describing a "worldwide scheme that targeted major corporate networks, stole more than 160 million credit card numbers and resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses." 

Some of the companies affected include 7-Eleven, French retailer Carrefour SA (CA.PA), and Nasdaq OMX Group (Nasdaq: NDAQ). Eight hundred thousand bank accounts at Citigroup (NYSE: C) and PNC Financial Services Group (NYSE: PNC) were targeted in the attack.

 

The thieves used stolen account information to withdraw money from ATMs and make credit card purchases. Three of the affected corporations sustained losses of more than $300 million, and the indictment called the losses to individual consumers "immeasurable."

Hot Stocks To Own Right Now: Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc.(AMLN)

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of drug candidates for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. The company offers BYDUREON (exenatide extended-release for injectable suspension), a once-weekly diabetes treatment as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Its products include BYETTA (exenatide) injection for the treatment of type 2 diabetes; and SYMLIN (pramlintide acetate) injection for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The company develops a dual chamber cartridge pen configuration of BYDUREON that allow patients to mix and administer BYDUREON from a pre-filled pen device. The company markets its products to healthcare providers, managed healthcare organizations, hospitals, wholesalers and pharmacies, government purchasers, and other third-party payers primarily in the United States. It has collabora tion agreements with Alkermes Controlled Therapeutics, Inc. II for the development, manufacture, and commercialization of BYDUREON, as well as Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited to co-develop and commercialize pharmaceutical products for the treatment of weight management and/or obesity, glycemic control, and cardiovascular disease; and a strategic relationship with Biocon, Limited, to develop pharmaceutical products for diabetes. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Hot Stocks To Own Right Now: AER LINGUS GROUP PLC ORD EUR0.05(AERL.L)

Aer Lingus Group plc, an Irish airline, provides air travel services. It offers passenger and cargo transportation services; and runs a single economy class service on its short-haul route network operating approximately 80 routes to and from the United Kingdom and Continental Europe, as well as a two class service on its long haul network to 6 destinations in the United States. The company also involves in the provision of ancillary services, such as in-flight sale of merchandise, beverages, and hot and cold meals; car rentals; hotel accommodation and travel insurance; access to airport lounges; online currency conversion; and advertising in its in-flight magazine Cara. In addition, it provides mail transportation services between Ireland and the United Kingdom; cargo handling services; and aircraft financing services. The company operates a short haul fleet to 36 aircraft; and a long haul fleet of 8 A330 aircraft. Aer Lingus Group plc was founded in 1936 and is headquart ered in Dublin, Ireland.

Top Performing Companies To Watch In Right Now: AMCIL Ltd(AMH.AX)

Amcil Limited is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily manages separate client focused equity portfolios for its clients. It invests in the public equity markets of Australia. The firm invests in growth and value stocks of large cap and small cap companies to create its portfolios. It invests in companies from media, technology, communications, and entertainment sectors. Amcil Limited was founded in 1996 and is based in Melbourne, Australia.

Hot Stocks To Own Right Now: First South Bancorp Inc(FSBK)

First South Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for First South Bank that provides commercial banking services in North Carolina. Its deposit products include checking accounts, money market accounts, statement savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan products portfolio comprises residential mortgage loans, including single-family residential, multi-family residential, and construction loans; commercial loans and leases for commercial real estate, commercial construction, and commercial business; consumer loans comprising automobile loans, savings account loans, certificate of deposit loans, home equity loans, and miscellaneous other consumer loans; and loans secured by first mortgages on owner-occupied single-family residences. In addition, First South Bancorp provides securities brokerage services. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Washington, North Carolina.

Hot Stocks To Own Right Now: New York Community Bancorp Inc (NYCB)

New York Community Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company and a producer of multi-family mortgage loans in New York City, with an emphasis on apartment buildings that feature below-market rents. It has two bank subsidiaries: New York Community Bank (the Community Bank),New York Commercial Bank (the Commercial Bank. The Community Bank has 241 branches and operates through seven divisional banks. The Commercial Bank has 34 branches in Manhattan and operates 17 of its branches under the divisional name Atlantic Bank.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, all of the one-to-four family loans the Company originated was sold to government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). In New York, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through Roslyn Savings Bank, with 55 branches on Long Island; Queens County Savings Bank, with 34 branches in the New York City borough of Queens; Richmond County Savings Bank, with 22 branches in the borough of Staten Island, and Roosevelt Savings Bank, with eight branches in the borough of Brooklyn. As of December 31, 2011, in the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County, the Company had four branches that operated directly under the name New York Community Bank.

In New Jersey, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through 51 branches that operate under the name Garden State Community Bank. In Florida and Arizona, where it has 25 and 14 branches, respectively, the Company serves its customers through the AmTrust Bank (AmTrust) division of the Community Bank. In Ohio, the Company serves its Community Bank customers through 28 branches of Ohio Savings Bank. Customers of the Community Bank and the Commercial Bank have access to their accounts through 261 of its 285 automatic teller machines (ATMs) locations in five states. The Company also serves its customers through three Websites, which include www.myNYCB.com, www.NewYorkCommercialBank.com and www.NYCBfamily.com.

Lending Activities

The Company�� principal asset is l! oans. Its loan portfolio consists of three components: covered loans, non-covered loans held for sale and non-covered loans held for investment. As of December 31, 2011, the balance of covered loans was $3.8 billion, of which $3.4 billion were one-to-four family loans. Non-covered loans held for sale consists of the one-to-four family loans that are originated for sale, primarily to GSEs. At December 31, 2011, the held-for-sale loan portfolio totaled $1.0 billion

As of December 31, 2011, loans held for investment consisted of loans that it originates for its own portfolio, and totaled $ 25.5 billion.

In addition to multi-family loans, loans held for investment include commercial real estate loans (CRE); acquisition, development and construction (ADC) loans; commercial and industrial loans (C&I), and one-to-four family loans. As of December 31, 2011, its multi-family loans represented $17.4 billion, or 68.3%, of total loans held for investment, and represented $5.8 billion, or 64.1%, of the total loans that it originated for investment. The multi-family loans it originates are typically secured by non-luxury apartment buildings in New York City. It also makes multi-family loans to property owners who are seeking to expand their real estate holdings by purchasing additional properties.

As of December 31, 2011, CRE loans represented $6.9 billion, or 26.9%, of total held for investment; ADC loans represented $445.7 million, or 1.7%, of total loans held for investment. Its ADC loan portfolio consists of loans that were originated for land acquisition, development, and construction of multi-family and residential tract projects in New York City and Long Island.

C&I loans represented $600.0 million, or 2.4%, of total held for investment. It also offers a range of loans to small and mid-size businesses for working capital (including inventory and receivables), business expansion, and the purchase of equipment and machinery. Non-covered one-to-four family loans totaled $127! .4 millio! n at December 31, 2011.

Investment Activities

The Company�� securities portfolio primarily consists of mortgage-related securities, and debt and equity (other) securities. Its investments include GSE certificates, GSE collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and GSE debentures. The Community Bank and the Commercial Bank are members of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLB-NY), one of 12 regional Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs) consisting of the FHLB system. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� securities represented $4.5 billion, or 10.8%, of total assets. As of December 31, 2011, 93.7% of its securities portfolio consisted of GSE obligations; held-to-maturity securities represented $3.8 billion, or 84.0%, of total securities, and its investment in bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) was $769.0 million.

Source of Funds

The Company has four primary funding sources. These include the deposits that it added through its acquisitions or gathered through its branch network, and brokered deposits; wholesale borrowings, primarily in the form of FHLB advances and repurchase agreements with the FHLB and various brokerage firms; cash flows produced by the repayment and sale of loans, and cash flows produced by securities repayments and sales. As of December 31, 2011, deposits totaled $ 22.3 billion, which included certificates of deposit (CDs) of $7.4 billion; negotiable order withdrawal (NOW) and money market accounts of $8.8 billion; savings accounts of $ 4.0 billion, and non-interest-bearing accounts of $2.2 billion. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� borrowed funds totaled $14.0 billion, loan repayments and sales generated cash flows of $15.0 billion, and securities sales and repayments generated cash flows of $4.2 billion.

Subsidiary Activities

As of December 31, 2011, Community Bank had 34 subsidiary corporations. Of these, 22 are direct subsidiaries of the Community Bank and 12 are subsidiaries of Community Bank! -owned en! tities. The 22 direct subsidiaries of the Community Bank include DHB Real Estate, LLC, Mt. Sinai Ventures, LLC, NYCB Community Development Corp., NYCB Mortgage Company, LLC, Eagle Rock Investment Corp., Pacific Urban Renewal, Inc., Somerset Manor Holding Corp., Synergy Capital Investments, Inc., 1400 Corp., BSR 1400 Corp., Bellingham Corp., Blizzard Realty Corp., CFS Investments, Inc., Main Omni Realty Corp., NYB Realty Holding Company, LLC, O.B. Ventures, LLC, RCBK Mortgage Corp., RCSB Corporation, RSB Agency, Inc., Richmond Enterprises, Inc. and Roslyn National Mortgage Corporation.

The 12 subsidiaries of Community Bank-owned entities include Bronx Realty Funding Company, LLC, Columbia Preferred Capital Corporation, Ferry Development Holding Company, Peter B. Cannell & Co., Inc., Roslyn Real Estate Asset Corp., Walnut Realty Funding Company, LLC, Woodhaven Investments Inc, Your New REO, LLC, Ironbound Investment Company, Inc.,The Hamlet at Olde Oyster Bay, LLC, The Hamlet at Willow Creek, LLC and Richmond County Capital Corporation.

The two direct subsidiaries of the Commercial Bank include Beta Investments, Inc., and Gramercy Leasing Services, Inc. The two subsidiaries of Commercial Bank-owned entities include Omega Commercial Mortgage Corp. and Long Island Commercial Capital Corp.

Hot Stocks To Own Right Now: Sound Global Ltd. (E6E.SI)

Sound Global Ltd., an investment holding company, provides water and wastewater treatment solutions in the People�s Republic of China. The company offers design, procurement, engineering, and construction services for turnkey facilities for the treatment of municipal wastewater or sewage, and industrial wastewater from various industries for release into the environment; and facilities for the treatment of tap water, as well as constructs water and wastewater facilities for its build, operate, and transfer projects. It also provides professional operations and maintenance services to local or municipal governments, which include operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment facilities. In addition, the company manufactures standard and customized water and waste water treatment equipment, such as grit removers, sludge scrappers, sludge dehydrators, oxidation ditches and SBR equipment, and sludge scrappers for tap water treatment plants; and sells treated wat er. Further, it offers equipment procurement services comprising technical advice and assistance to customers on the equipment that they need for their treatment facilities; procuring equipment for the customers from third party equipment manufacturers based on their technical requirements; and technical and design services to municipal governments, industrial enterprises, and other water and wastewater treatment facilities contractors. The company was formerly known as Epure International Ltd. and changed its name to Sound Global Ltd. in May 2010. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Beijing, the People�s Republic of China. Sound Global Ltd. is a subsidiary of Sound Water (BVI) Limited.

The Deal: Tarullo Overlooked in Race to Head Fed

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - The battle over the Obama administration's pick to be the next Federal Reserve chairman -- whether it is Larry Summers, Janet Yellen or someone else -- raises overlooked questions about a key position directly below the central bank chief- that of the Fed's top bank supervisor.

Since 2009, that role has been filled by Daniel Tarullo, a member of the Fed's board of governors, in a semi-formal basis. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who most observers agree will step down by the end of the year, has largely given Tarullo free rein to carry out his own ambitious regulatory agenda for big banks, including tough capital and leverage restrictions that could eventually drive some large financial institutions to downsize and divest assets or raise billions of dollars in capital.

All of this has made Tarullo persona non-grata with the bank lobby. "The banks are unhappy with Tarullo because he is trying to make changes to how they do business," said a former top bank regulator.

The former Georgetown University law professor has often succeeded at getting reluctant Fed governors to back his efforts and he has unveiled a to-do list of harsh restrictions to come, including a measure that would set forth just how much long-term debt and equity a megabank must maintain so that its collapse doesn't cause collateral damage to the markets. Tarullo's effort in this regard is particularly notable because Sunday marks the five-year anniversary of the failure of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., the first in a series of big bank collapses that wreaked havoc on our economy. The delay in implementing these changes, which are enshrined in the post-crisis Dodd-Frank Act approved three-years ago, demonstrates the difficulty Tarullo and other bank regulators have faced implementing banking rules since the crisis abated. As the Obama administration looks to replace Bernanke at the top of the central bank, it is unclear whether Tarullo will remain in control of the Fed's bank capital and rule-setting agenda. Some observers contend that Tarullo -- already at the Fed for four-and-a-half years -- will resign unless he is installed formally as vice-chairman for supervision at the Federal Reserve, a position that was authorized as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. A Fed spokeswoman declined to comment.

That slot has remained unfilled so far, partly due to Republican opposition on Capitol Hill. Backers argue that Tarullo would be a perfect fit. Sheila Bair, former chief of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., argues that the Dodd-Frank provision creating a Senate-confirmed vice-chairman position in charge of bank supervision is important because it would permanently elevate the status of bank supervision at the central bank. Many have pointed to the 2008 financial crisis as proof that the Fed historically has given short shrift to its bank supervision duties.

"The [Fed] governors still spend much of their time on monetary policy, yet monetary policy only works if you have a stable banking sector," Bair said.

Whoever the Obama administration nominates for the role would have a difficult time obtaining the filibuster-proof 60 votes to be approved by the Senate for the position. Opponents contend that Tarullo would have a particularly hard time gaining approval.

"They [Republicans] think he's a big government guy who is too close to Obama," said Brookings Institution fellow Douglas Elliott. "The Republicans have chosen to say that Dodd-Frank didn't do anything and was a sell-out to the banks and blocking a confirmation of Tarullo or any Obama pick in this position fits in that narrative." It is also unclear whether Tarullo would have the same working relationship with a new Fed chief as he did with Bernanke. People familiar with Tarullo and Summers, who is a top candidate for the Fed chairman job, point out that they are friends who speak frequently. However, they also note that the two individuals are also strong-willed and might butt heads on approaches to bank supervision as well as responsibilities. Some believe the hands-on Summers would try taking authority away from Tarullo if he can. Michael Krimminger, former general counsel at the FDIC, said he believes it is likely that Tarullo leaves the central bank if Summers is appointed. "Perhaps they could work together as they interacted in the transition, but both have strong personalities," Krimminger said. A Fed with Yellen in charge would likely move in lock-step with Tarullo's agenda. Yellen, another leading candidate for the job, previously telegraphed that she supports an approach championed by Tarullo to implement steeper capital surcharges on firms that pose the greatest risk to financial stability. She recently said she is opposed to "blunt approaches" like limits on bank size or the resurrection of Glass-Steagall-style separation of commercial banking from investment banking. Tarullo recently said that restoring the Depression-era law was not high on his list of priorities.

Nevertheless, Tarullo has outlined a long-list of regulatory initiatives for reform and his departure would raise questions about the central bank's direction and whether his items would receive any priority if he departs.

For example, the Fed governor is a leading advocate for a controversial leverage ratio proposal introduced by regulators in July requiring big banks to hold significantly more equity against their total assets than currently recommended by international bank capital guidelines. The proposal, once adopted, could require large financial institutions to raise billions in additional capital or divest assets to meet the requirement. People tracking the Fed's deliberations argue that Tarullo worked hard to bring the measure to fruition by getting some reluctant Fed governors to back it. Backers hope the Fed will adopt the limit before Bernanke leaves, which is expected at the end of the year.

He also appears to support the concept of "bail-in" capital, that would have big banks hold a special kind of capital that would act like debt in good times, but convert into common equity in a crisis. The idea would be for big banks to provide their own life support in a crisis.

"The concept of bail-in capital appears to have substantial intellectual appeal to Tarullo," said John Dearie, a former Fed official who is now an executive vice president of the big bank lobby group, the Financial Services Forum. The Fed governor also is an eager advocate to hike capital requirements for large firms that substantially depend on short-term funding. Recently, the Fed governor noted that letting banks rely on short term funding played a substantial role in the 2008 collapse of Lehman and Bear Stearns. Another initiative on Tarullo's agenda: The so-called Volcker Rule. Named after former Fed chairman Paul Volcker, the measure would prohibit big insured banks from trading derivatives and stocks with their own money. It also requires banks to cut their holdings in new hedge funds and buyout shops down to 3% within a year. Tarullo has pushed for a tough rule, according to people familiar with the Fed, but so far the provision has become bogged-down with inter-agency disputes.

With Syria on the back-burner, the Fed chief could be picked as early as next week. But only time will tell if Tarullo and his agenda remain at the Fed.

Written by Ronald Orol in New York

Beanie Babies Creator Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Best Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now

Louis Lanzano/APBeanie Baby creator and chief executive Ty Warner, left, is pictured in this 2003 photo. CHICAGO -- The billionaire creator of Beanie Babies, Ty Warner, was charged Wednesday with tax evasion and agreed to plead guilty and pay a penalty of almost $53.6 million, according to prosecutors and his attorney. Warner, 69, ranked as the 209th richest American by Forbes, "went to great lengths" to hide from his accountants and the Internal Revenue Service more than $3.1 million in foreign income generated in a secret Swiss bank account, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago. Warner has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $53,552,248 million for failure to file a Foreign Bank Account Report, according to a statement from Warner's attorney Gregory Scandaglia. "Mr. Warner accepts full responsibility for his actions with this plea agreement," Scandaglia said. Warner is the second taxpayer to be charged in federal court in Chicago in connection with an ongoing investigation of U.S. taxpayer clients of Union Bank of Switzerland and other overseas banks that hid foreign accounts from the IRS, according to prosecutors. As part of a 2009 agreement with the United States, UBS (UBS) provided the government with the identities of certain customers, prosecutors said. The federal charge alleges that in 2002, Warner earned more than $3.1 million through investments held in his UBS account, but didn't tell his accountants and failed to report it on his 2002 tax form. He failed to pay $885,300 in taxes owed for 2002, according to federal officials. Beanie Babies, small plush toys sold for between $5 and $7, have been popular with collectors. During their peak of popularity in the 1990s, some collectors would pay hundreds of dollars for a rare character on the resale market, according to press accounts. Warner's net worth was listed this week by Forbes as $2.6 billion.

10 Best Safest Stocks To Own Right Now

At this point, many energy investors know that Cheniere Energy (NYSEMKT: LNG  ) is poised to become the first U.S. company to export liquefied natural gas, or LNG, in significant quantities. Investing in energy exports is a smart move; however, LNG exports won't become a reality until 2015, while the U.S. is already�a net exporter of petroleum products. In this video, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy explains why investors should focus on companies that are already making money in the export game, including one company that is behind a whopping 25% of America's energy exports, and two other companies that are flying under the radar.

Enterprise Products Partners is known best for its processing and fractionating footprint, but this midstream is poised to ramp up exports in 2013. To help investors decide whether Enterprise Products Partners is a buy or a sell today, click here now to check out The Motley Fool's brand-new premium research report on the company.

10 Best Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Fluor Corporation(FLR)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Fluor Corporation�� (NYSE:FLR) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David Seaton, and Chief Financial Officer, Biggs Porter, will give a presentation to investors at the Credit Suisse 2012 Engineering & Construction Conference in New York on Thursday, June 7 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

10 Best Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(The)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides investment banking, securities, and investment management services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and high-net-worth individuals worldwide. Its Investment Banking segment offers financial advisory, including advisory assignments with respect to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense, risk management, restructurings, and spin-offs; and underwriting securities, loans and other financial instruments, and derivative transactions. The company?s Institutional Client Services segment provides client execution activities, such as fixed income, currency, and commodities client execution related to making markets in interest rate products, credit products, mortgages, currencies, and commodities; and equities related to making markets in equity products, as well as commissions and fees from executing and clearing institutional client transactions on stock, options, and fu tures exchanges. This segment also engages in the securities services business providing financing, securities lending, and other prime brokerage services to institutional clients, including hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, and foundations. Its Investing and Lending segment invests in debt securities, loans, public and private equity securities, real estate, consolidated investment entities, and power generation facilities. This segment also involves in the origination of loans to provide financing to clients. The company?s Investment Management segment provides investment management services and investment products to institutional and individual clients. This segment also offers wealth advisory services, including portfolio management and financial counseling, and brokerage and other transaction services to high-net-worth individuals and families. In addition, it provides global investment research services. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Top Heal Care Companies To Buy Right Now: Under Armour Inc.(UA)

Under Armour, Inc. develops, markets, and distributes performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youth primarily in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers products made from moisture-wicking synthetic fabrics designed to regulate body temperature and enhance performance regardless of weather conditions. The company provides its products in three fit types: compression (tight fitting), fitted (athletic cut), and loose (relaxed) extending across the sporting goods, outdoor, and active lifestyle markets. Its footwear offerings comprise football, baseball, lacrosse, softball, and soccer cleats; slides; performance training footwear; and running footwear. The company also provides baseball batting, football, golf, and running gloves, as well as licenses bags, socks, headwear, custom-molded mouth guards, and eyewear that are designed to be used and worn before, during, and after competition. Under Armour sells its products through retai l stores, as well as directly to consumers through its own retail outlets and specialty stores, Website, and catalogs. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Mora]

  Under Armour provides athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories to a growing health and wellness, athletic, and fitness enthusiast population around the world. The stock has been on a powerful move towards higher prices that has led to it trading at all-time highs. Earnings and revenue figures have increased over most of the last four quarters which has led to excited investors. Relative to its peers and sector, Under Armour has led in year-to-date performance by a wide margin. Look for Under Armour to OUTPERFORM.

10 Best Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras(PBR)

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. primarily engages in oil and natural gas exploration and production, refining, trade, and transportation businesses. The company?s Exploration and Production segment involves in the exploration, production, development, and production of oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas in Brazil. This segment supplies its products to the refineries in Brazil, as well as sells surplus petroleum and byproducts in domestic and foreign markets. Its Supply segment engages in the refining, logistics, transportation, and trade of oil and oil products; export of ethanol; and extraction and processing of schist, as well as holds interests in companies of the petrochemical sector in Brazil. The Gas and Energy segment involves in the transportation and trade of natural gas produced in or imported into Brazil; transportation and trade of LNG; and generation and trade of electric power. In addition, the segment has interests in natural gas transportation and d istribution companies; and thermoelectric power stations in Brazil, as well engages in fertilizer business. The Distribution segment distributes oil products, ethanol, and compressed natural gas in Brazil. The International segment involves in the exploration and production of oil and gas, as well as in supplying, gas and energy, and distribution operations in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Further, the company involves in biofuel production business. Petroleo Brasileiro was founded in 1953 and is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Mora]

  Petrobras provides essential energy products and services to growing populations, industries, and economies around the world. The stock has not done too well in recent times, in fact, it is currently trading near multi-year lows. Earnings and revenue figures have been decreasing over recent quarters so investors in the stock have not been pleased. Relative to its peers and sector, Petrobras has trailed significantly in year-to-date performance. STAY AWAY from Petrobras stock for now.

• [By Dave Friedman]

  Institutional investors bought 78,663,680 shares and sold 101,125,380 shares, for a net of -22,461,700 shares. This net represents 0.23% of common shares outstanding. The number of shares outstanding is 9,872,826,100. The shares recently traded at $27.61 and the company’s market capitalization is $170,178,700,000.00. About the company: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras explores for and produces oil and natural gas. The Company refines, markets, and supplies oil products. Petrobras operates oil tankers, distribution pipelines, marine, river and lake terminals, thermal power plants, fertilizer plants, and petrochemical units. The Company operates in South America and elsewhere around the world.