Amazon's Glass Is Definitely Half-Full (or More)

Is Amazon.com's (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) corporate glass half-full or half-empty? I take the positive side of the debate.

Amazon chief Jeff Bezos recently sought to reassure his shareholders that all is well. In a recent letter to stockholders, he stressed, "As I write this, our recent stock performance has been positive but we constantly remind ourselves of an important point -- as I frequently quote famed investor Benjamin Graham in our employee all-hands meetings: 'In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.'"

That's no doubt uplifting but the thing is, skeptics might just be weighing Amazon's long-term prospects ever since they came across the findings of an intriguing Forrester research report. 

Forrester polled 4,500 adult U.S. online and discovered that in all prominent consumer classifications -- except for travel -- shoppers said that visiting a store counted as the most critical piece of research before making a purchase.

Hmmm. What do those data portend for Amazon -- and have we amateur sociologists actually been wrong all these years about what drives the passion of the American consumer? 

According to conventional wisdom, we have. To be sure, the U.S. Census Bureau statistics note that e-commerce buys represent a scant 5% of the nation's total retail sales. 

Don't panic, Amazon shareholders! It should be noted as well that -- and can't you see the sunny Mr. Bezos beaming as he reads these data? -- this percentage has jumped more than three times the level of the dawn of the 21st century and it looks like consumers continue to warm to electronic commerce purchases as they become more familiar with the practice.

The half-full/empty conundrum can seem to be everywhere when the discussion centers on Amazon's performance and prospects. If you're a stockholder, you already know this by heart, right?

Remember, Amazon's stock price is up about 9% year to date while the benchmark S&P 500 index has jumped 11%. Year over year, Amazon has added 45% compared with the S&P's figure of 15%.

For his part, Bezos doesn't let his judgment get clouded by fits and starts in the stock market, which is actually good news for his stockholders. He displays an interest in managing beyond the three-month quarterly earnings cycle, and this, too, should mightily reassure Amazon holders. Chasing short-term stock market gains is a sucker's game, whether you're an individual trader or the head of Amazon.

"We don't celebrate a 10% increase in the stock price like we celebrate excellent customer experience," Bezos wrote to his shareholders. "We aren't 10% smarter when that happens and conversely aren't 10% dumber when the stock goes the other way. We want to be weighed, and we're always working to build a heavier company."

Top 5 Medical Stocks To Watch For 2014

Bezos has his priorities straight. For this reason alone, Amazon stockholders should probably feel optimistic about the future of the company and the prospects for their shareholder interests. I agree with Bezos that a pedigree of satisfied Amazon customers matters much more in the long run than a fleeting gain in the stock price -- or a sudden drop.

Amazon can control its customer service performance while its stock market results sometimes seem to be at the mercy of the whims of quixotic stock market analysts, moody Wall Street stock pickers, and frenetic day traders and short sellers. 

Speaking of stellar customer service, I recently purchased a DVD on Amazon for about $21.99. To be exact, it was a MusiCares concert tribute to the songwriting and music of Neil Young. The package arrived at my door when Amazon said it would. It was not damaged or nicked up in any way, either. 

I had an ideal customer service experience with Amazon. I will certainly be using Amazon again to make a purchase. Someone, please tell Forrester. 

Somewhere, Jeff Bezos is smiling. Ka-ching.

GM recalls new pickups, SUVs

GM has recalled all of its 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks — its best-selling line of vehicles — as well as its brand-new 2015 Chevrolet Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs with 6-speed transmissions.

The truck and SUV recall, which covers 490,200 units in the U.S., is aimed at fixing a "transmission oil cooler line that is not securely seated in its fitting," GM said in a statement.

Related story: GM recalls Chevy Cruze for axle defect

Related story: GM adds 907,700 newer vehicles to switch recall

The situation has created at least three "incidents" with no injuries, GM said.

"If the line is not securely seated and transmission oil leaks from the fitting, the oil could contact a hot surface and result in a vehicle fire," GM said.

In addition to the big truck recall, GM also recalled in the past few days about 172,000 Chevy Cruze sedans for a front axle defect and added 907,700 vehicles to its recall for defective ignition switches.

The latest recalls come as GM CEO Mary Barra is scheduled to testify before Congressional committees on Tuesday and Wednesday to explain GM's actions in its expanded switch recall of 2.53 million vehicles.

In those cars, faulty ignition switches can shut off the engine and disable the airbags. GM says it knows of 31 accidents and 12 deaths linked to the switches.

The cars recalled for the switch are the 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007-10 Pontiac G5, 2003-10 Saturn Ion, 2006-11 Chevrolet HHR, 2006-10 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-10 Saturn Sky.

GM says its engineers say the cars are safe to drive if drivers use only the ignition key with nothing attached, not even the key fob.

'Fast Money' Recap: Looking for the Upside

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The S&P 500 closed higher by 0.46% on Friday. 

On CNBC's "Fast Money" TV show, Tim Seymour, managing partner of Triogem Asset Management, said the S&P 500 is only 2% off its highs despite many individual momentum stocks doing much worse lately. He said financial and industrial stocks have upside. 

Pete Najarian, co-founder of optionmonster.com and trademonster.com, pointed out the S&P 500 and the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX.X) are essentially unchanged from one month ago. He suggested that if momentum stocks begin to rebound the broader market could move significantly higher. 

Brian Kelly, founder of Brian Kelly Capital, said the market should have an easier time rallying as geopolitical issues and international growth concerns begin to diminish. Guy Adami, managing director of stockmonster.com, said equities will be able to move higher if the financials sector goes higher, and if industrial and transport stocks can bottom out. Tesla Motors (TSLA) bounced 2.5%. Seymour said he was not a buyer based on forward valuation.  Kelly was a buyer of Tesla, saying investor optimism over the company's future is strong, which is a reason to buy in the short term. Najarian said investors who are long Tesla could purchase put options as a hedge against a price decline. 

Adami said to buy General Motors (GM) with support at $34.  Najarian found a bullish options trade in Yahoo! (YHOO) where someone purchased 15,000 of the June $40/$45 bull call spreads. He added that the stock is not overvalued at current levels.  Kelly said Cisco Systems (CSCO) has a low valuation, solid dividend and is making a push into the cloud business, which has higher growth.  Colin Gillis, director of research and senior tech analyst at BGC Financial, was a guest on the show. He has a sell rating on BlackBerry (BBRY) with an $8 price target. He said CEO John Chen is good at turning around companies and is doing a good job so far at BlackBerry. However, the company continues to experience declining revenue, which fell 62% year over year.

Gillis said the stock has upside potential but it is dependent on the company turning around its core business. Only time will tell, he said, but BlackBerry is at least focusing on physical keyboards and its enterprise customers again.  Kelly called Facebook (FB) a "mini Google (GOOG)," and said he likes the stock. He added that shares traded well near the $60 level.  Connor Storck, a student at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, was a guest on the show. He was a buyer of Netflix (NFLX) due to the company's original programming, high acceptance from the younger generation and its streaming efforts. He was also a buyer of Cisco because of its advances in the cloud. He was a seller of MannKind (MNKD). -- Written by Bret Kenwell in Petoskey, Mich. Follow @BretKenwell

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Stock quotes in this article: VIX.X, TSLA, GM, YHOO, CSCO, BBRY, FB, GOOG, NFLX, MNKD 

Top Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now

Top Oil Companies To Watch In Right Now: Pembina Pipeline Corp (PBA)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (Pembina) is a Calgary-based company, engaged in providing transportation and midstream services. It owns and operates: pipelines that transport conventional and synthetic crude oil and natural gas liquids produced in western Canada; oil sands, heavy oil and diluent pipelines; gas gathering and processing facilities; and, an oil and natural gas liquids infrastructure and logistics business. It has facilities located in western Canada and in natural gas liquids markets in eastern Canada and the United States. Pembina also offers a spectrum of midstream and marketing services. Pembina's Midstream business is organized into two segments: crude oil and NGL. The crude oil segment represents the Company's midstream operations. The NGL segment includes two operating systems: Redwater West and Empress East. Pembina's Conventional Pipelines business consists of a pipeline network, located 7,850 kilometers, that extends across much of Alberta and Britis h Columbia. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanin Aegea]

  Two companies that have been around for some time now are Imperial Oil (IMO) and Pembina Pipeline (PBA). Political instability in the Middle East has also given an extra relevance to the reserves found at this region, so let us see what the future holds and what gurus think of them.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Midstream operator Pembina Pipeline  (NYSE: PBA  )  announced yesterday its monthly dividend for May of $0.135 per share, which is designated an "eligible dividend" for Canadian income tax purposes. For non-resident shareholders, Pembina's dividends are considered "qualified dividends" and are subject to Canadian withholding tax.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-oil-compa! nies-to-watch-in-right-now.html

Top Safest Companies To Watch In Right Now

Top Safest Companies To Watch In Right Now: Wipro Limited(WIT)

Wipro Limited provides information technology (IT) products and services, consumer care and lighting products, and infrastructure engineering services primarily in India, the United States, and Europe. The company?s IT Services segment offers IT and IT enabled services, including software application development, application maintenance, research, and development services for hardware and software design, data center outsourcing services, and business process outsourcing services. Its IT Products segment produces and sells a range of Wipro personal desktop computers, Wipro servers, and Wipro notebooks. This segment also operates as a reseller of desktops, servers, notebooks, storage products, networking solutions, and packaged software for various international brands. The company?s Consumer Care and Lighting segment manufactures, distributes, and sells personal care products, baby care products, lighting products, and hydrogenated cooking oils in India and rest of Asia. W ipro Limited also manufactures and sells hydraulic cylinders, truck cylinders, and their components and solutions to original equipment manufacturers, as well as provides water treatment systems and solutions. The company was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Bangalore, India.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Stoffel]

  That helps explain why Accenture and IBM, the industry's two biggest players, have been able to gobble up so much market share. But there's a second tier of technology-consultants -- in terms of sheer size -- as well. That's where Cognizant, as well as its main competition -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY  ) and Wipro (NYSE: WIT  )  -- come in to play.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-safest-companies-to-watch-in-ri! ght-now.html

Armco Metals Could be the Next Surprise Breakout (AMCO)

It's still too soon to put it in your portfolio, but Armco Metals Holdings Inc. (NYSE:AMCO) most definitely deserves a place on your watchlist. This Chinese metal stock is poised for a breakout move. It just needs the right nudge, and a little help on a certain front to let AMCO take flight.

Yes, Armco Metals Holdings relies heavily on demand from Chinese metal users, and with economic worries starting to surface in and around the country, demand for steel could wane. As has been the case far more often than not in recent years, however, those worries have more bark than bite. Translation: AMCO should be fine.

In support of that idea is the fact that steel prices have remained strong - and even gotten stronger - over the past twelve months, even if steel stocks haven't. Specifically, steel prices have advanced from $100 per tonne in July of last year to about $380 per tonne this month. While rolled steel (hot and cold) have tapered off a little more than raw steel have of late, they're also tapering off from multi-month highs hit in February. Iron ore prices have been pretty centered at $125 per tonne since this time last year. Iron ore is stable at $150 per tonne. Point being, if China's consumption were drying up and/or Armco Metals Holdings was being thrown into a situation that wasn't favorable, it would have shown up on steel price charts already. It hasn't happened, though.

So what needs to happen to make AMCO a buy? It needs to clear a major resistance line at $0.57. That level has kept the lid on the last three breakout efforts from Armco Metals Holdings Inc. (since October of last year), and the $0.57 level was pretty much where the stock topped in early 2013 too. At the same time, the stock's horizontal ceiling has been matched by a horizontal support line around $0.25, since late 2012. The net result is a chart that's been doing nothing but moving sideways for the better part of two years. Take a look.

Though the stock hasn't budged in a long while, that's not to say things haven't been brewing - there's two years' worth of pent-up bullishness that needs to be let out. Once it's unleashed, it's all apt to be unleashed in a hurry, much like the pent-up energy of a slingshot is rapidly unleashed when the pocket is released, propelling a rock or a small ball a major distance in a short period of time.

As far what suggests Armco Metals Holdings Inc. shares will be hurdled upward rather than downward when-and-if the trading range finally lets go is the massive volume we've seen materialize behind the bullishness from AMCO we've seen in two of the past three weeks. There are a lot of buyers here, which was one of the missing ingredients with prior breakout attempts.

Bottom line? Keep Armco Metals Holdings handy, looking out for a move above $0.57. That could be what opens the floodgates.

For more trading ideas and insights like these, be sure to sign up for the free SmallCap Network newsletter. You'll get stock picks, market calls, and more, every day. Here's what you've missed recently.

3 Huge Tech Stocks on Traders' Radars

 

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

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept thats known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market. Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd. While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. Today, we'll leverage the power of the crowd to take a look at some of the most active stocks on the market today. >>5 Rocket Stocks Worth Buying This Week These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. That's especially true now that earnings season is officially underway. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity. Without further ado, heres a look at today's stocks. Frontier Communications Nearest Resistance: N/A

Nearest Support: $5

Catalyst: Technical Setup >>5 Stocks Poised for Breakouts Mid-cap communications stock Frontier Communications (FTR) is up 1.3% on high volume this afternoon, following through to new highs after breaking out above $5 resistance on Monday. That price action makes $5 a new support level for shares, and makes more upside the likely trade for shares. Making new highs is significant from an investor psychology standpoint because it means that everyone who has bought shares in the last year is sitting on gains. As a result, the "back to even" mentality is less of a concern than it would be for a name with a higher proportion of shareholders sitting on losses. If you decide to be a buyer here, I'd recommend keeping a stop under the lower support level at $4.90. FTR still pays out a whopping 7.6% dividend yield at current prices.

Stock quotes in this article: ORCL, FSLR, FTR 

Oracle

Nearest Resistance: $39.50

Nearest Support: $37.50

Catalyst: Earnings

>>5 Stock Charts Screaming "Buy" in March

Large-cap enterprise software firm Oracle (ORCL) is off 1.2% on high volume this afternoon, following news that the firm missed fourth quarter earnings by 2 cents. Analysts were expecting profits to reach 70 cents per share, but they came in at 68 cents. It's a modest miss, and from a technical standpoint, shares are holding up that it's not a particularly significant one. In short, the uptrend in Oracle remains intact. Shares are re-testing trend line support at $37.50 this afternoon, but that resembles a buying opportunity more than a cause for concern. The fact that buyers are stepping in at support bodes well for ORCL's upside in the next month. First Solar Nearest Resistance: N/A

Nearest Support: $65

Catalyst: Earnings Guidance First Solar (FSLR) is up more than 13% this afternoon, following the firm's release of guidance for 2014 and beyond. The firm expects revenue to fall between $3.7 and $4 billion this year, besting the consensus estimate that falls at the bottom of that range. Most important, it forecasts impressive numbers for 2015 and 2016 that include much higher levels of profitability than the firm sees today. FSLR is testing a key breakout to new highs this afternoon as shares press up through previous resistance at $65. That $65 level has acted like a price ceiling in the past, so the fact that First Solar is catching a bid above it bodes well for buyers. If shares can hold $65 through the close, consider FSLR a buy. To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.

 -- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore. RELATED LINKS:   >>Hedge Funds Are Selling These 5 Stocks -- Should You?   >>5 Big Health Care Stocks to Trade for Gains   >>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Stock quotes in this article: ORCL, FSLR, FTR  At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned. Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation. Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

GM Staff, Media Flagged Ignition Fault Long Before Recall

Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg via Getty Images General Motors' own engineers, along with newspaper auto writers, were talking about the ignition switch defect in several GM (GM) models almost a decade before the carmaker announced plans last month to recall 1.6 million vehicles. On June 19, 2005, the New York Times (NYT) reported that Chevrolet dealers were telling Cobalt owners to shed items from heavy key rings so they wouldn't bump the ignition into the off position. The reporter wrote that his own wife had knocked a Cobalt's steering column with her knee and found the engine "just went dead." GM, in a statement at the time, called that scenario rare. The Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper scorned GM's response as a "knee-slapper." Meanwhile, as early as 2004, two GM engineers involved in the Cobalt said there had been discussions about how the model's engines could cut out when the keys were bumped. In 2005, a Chevy dealer said a customer brought one of the cars back to the dealership, too frightened to drive it. The almost decade-old discussions of the defects -- those voiced publicly as well as within GM -- are contained within more than 32,000 pages of documents and depositions gathered by Lance Cooper, a Georgia lawyer who argued that a Cobalt engine outage years later, in 2010, resulted in a crash that killed a Georgia pediatric nurse. Cobalt, Deaths Documents from the suit, reviewed by Bloomberg News, are coming to light in the weeks after GM recalled the Cobalt and some other small Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn vehicles from the 2003 to 2007 model years, that had been involved in accidents killing at least a dozen people. The documents are fueling curiosity over what GM executives could have known about the defect, and are likely to provide insight into GM's answers as it responds to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's request to answer, by April 3, 107 questions about its executives knowledge of the defective parts. GM quickly provided NHTSA a timeline of what its executives knew about the faulty ignition switches for the Cobalt and Pontiac G5. Wednesday, it provided a supplemental timeline for complaints it investigated on the Saturn Ion and the three other recalled U.S. models. GM's initial NHTSA timeline was consistent with dates in the Georgia lawsuit, including GM's acknowledgment that employees were aware of the situation in 2004. GM settled the suit with Cooper's clients for an undisclosed amount in September 2013. Tough Claim "It appears that the company did know about this problem. The question is why didn't they do something about it," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond who studied the recall of Toyotas (TM) tied to sudden acceleration. It will be increasingly difficult for GM to claim its high-level executives were unaware of an issue that appeared in the Times in 2005 and drew a formal media statement, he added. The Justice Department has also opened a probe into whether GM executives violated criminal or civil laws by failing to notify regulators, said people familiar with the action. U.S. House and Senate committees have said they will investigate. GM has said it is cooperating with the probes and has also opened its own internal investigation. GM has said it's sorry about the issue and that it is working to address it quickly. "The chronology shows that the process employed to examine this phenomenon was not as robust as it should have been," GM North America President Alan Batey said in a Feb. 25 statement. The documents GM filed Wednesday indicate the company got an early indication of the ignition-switch problems as it developed the Saturn Ion in 2001. It thought the problem was fixed. Then, in 2003, an engineer investigating a consumer complaint was able to replicate engine stalls while driving. GM ended up using the same switch in the Cobalt, the G5 and three other U.S. models. Redacted Passages The depositions in Cooper's lawsuit included several passages that were redacted as part of what Cooper's firm said was a protective order entered during the GM proceedings. Mark Hood, an engineering expert who was hired by Cooper to look at GM documents and reports, said two GM engineers who were deposed had long known about the ignition-switch issue. Gary Altman, who in his own deposition identified himself as the engineering manager for the 2005 Cobalt, and Ray DeGiorgio, who was the design release engineer for the Cobalt ignition switches, were aware of it as early as 2004, Hood said in the deposition. He testified that Altman experienced the failure when he bumped the ignition with his knee, and said there were meetings and discussion about the flaw prior to the sale of the vehicle in August of 2004. DeGiorgio said in his April 29 deposition that he shut off the ignition of a Cobalt while going about 25 mph in his neighborhood and was able to keep it under control. 30,000 Deaths Greg Martin, a GM spokesman, declined to comment on the depositions or make any of the executives named in them available for comment. While a dozen deaths over a decade is noteworthy in any context, about 30,000 people die as a result of auto accidents each year in the U.S., according to NHTSA. Automakers in the U.S. have recalled more than 38 million vehicles through 1,217 recalls in the past two years, according to NHTSA records. Brian Stouffer, a GM engineer who took over the investigation of the ignition issue in 2011, said in a deposition for Cooper last year that he looked through GM's database and for the 500,000 or so Cobalt models. He said he was able to find about 100 complaints that seemed to meet the criteria. "I have 100 complaints for that, which is a very, very low complaint rate," he said in the deposition. Never Again The first press account cited in Cooper's depositions was a May 26, 2005, review of the 2005 Cobalt appearing in the Daily Item of Sunbury, Pa. "Unplanned engine shutdowns happened four times during a hard-driving test last week," reviewer Gary Heller wrote. "I never encountered anything like this in 37 years of driving and I hope I never do again." The next month in the New York Times, auto reviewer Jeff Sabatini described his wife's misadventure. "During my time with the Cobalt, I encountered the problem once, or rather, my wife did," he wrote in a follow-up article to his review of a Cobalt. "She was driving on a freeway when the car "just went dead,'' in her words. She recalled bumping her knee against the steering column just before the car shut off. She was able to coast to the shoulder of the road, where, once parked, the car started and behaved normally." 'Rare Cases' Sabatini included a comment from a GM spokesman, Alan Adler. "In rare cases when a combination of factors is present, a Chevrolet Cobalt driver can cut power to the engine by inadvertently bumping the ignition key to the accessory or off position while the car is running," Adler said in the article. "Service advisers are telling customers they can virtually eliminate this possibility by taking several steps, including removing nonessential material from their key rings." Writing a week later in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Chris Jenson quoted from the full GM statement issued following Sabatini's story. "The Cobalt is still controllable" when engine power is cut, the statement read. "The engine can be restarted after shifting to neutral." Wrote Jensen: "So, if you're whisking along at 65 mph or trying to pull across an intersection and the engine stops, that's what you do. Only a gutless ninny would worry about such a problem. Real men are not afraid of temporary reductions in forward momentum." Adler declined a request to make additional comments beyond those GM has offered on the recall. Frightened Owner Cooper also deposed Victor Hakim, identified as working in a GM department that studies how vehicles perform in the field. He testified about 90 incidents in which customers from Alabama to New York brought cars that had been stalling into dealerships. As part of his deposition, Hakim reviewed those statements, including one from a New Jersey service manager who said an owner brought her car to the dealership in April 2005. "This woman is scared to death of this vehicle," the service manager said in a copy of the report read into the deposition. "She takes care of her grandchildren and she is afraid one day she is going to be riding around with them and kill them." Hakim said in the deposition that several GM employees had noted issues with the ignition placement in Saturn Ion models, which are also part of the recall. Tall Employee "On several occasions I inadvertently turned the ignition key off with my knee while driving down the road," a GM employee said in a Feb. 19, 2004, report read as part of the deposition. "For a tall person, the location of the ignition key should be moved to a place that will not inadvertently be switched to the off position." GM described the issue in a so-called technical service bulletin -- a notice to dealers about a potential vehicle issue and a fix that stops short of a recall -- in December 2005. The automaker said the bulletin, which is described in several depositions and in the timeline GM provided to NHTSA, resulted in repairs for 474 customers. In some of the cases Hakim discussed, customers weren't informed of the potential fix, according to the deposition. The interviews with GM engineers show the company knew it had a problem and a solution, Cooper said. "They know the system is defective. People under ordinary driving conditions are having keys turn off. But they decide they're going to say it's safe by blaming the problem on the driver," he said. Detent Plunger In 2013, Cooper won a two-year fight to get access to company documents and learned, he said, that the switch had been changed. Engineers he hired to examine ignition switches discovered that starting in 2006, some cars had incorporated a replacement switch. The switch, while bearing the same part number as the old part, had a bigger and stronger spring than the one pulled from the car of the Georgia pediatric nurse, Brooke Melton. When shown a 2008 ignition switch for a Cobalt that had a design change in a part called a "detent plunger" from what was in the 2005 switch, DeGirogio, the engineer, said no one at GM had approved the change, as far as he knew. "I was not aware of the detent plunger switch change," he said in his April 29, 2013, deposition. "We certainly did not approve a detent plunger design change."

Fed Changes Interest Rate Policy, Linking to Wider Data Range

The Federal Reserve gave itself room to keep borrowing costs low at least until next year by dropping a linkage between the benchmark interest rate and a specific level of unemployment.

“A highly accommodative stance of monetary policy remains appropriate,” the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement on Wednesday following a meeting in Washington that was the first led by Chair Janet Yellen. In determining how long to keep rates low, the committee will assess progress towards its goals of maximum employment and 2 percent inflation, it said.

That assessment takes into account a “wide range of information,” including labor market conditions, inflation expectations and financial markets. The Fed also reduced the monthly pace of bond purchases by $10 billion, to $55 billion.

The Fed is overhauling forward guidance after unemployment declined toward 6.5 percent, its previous threshold for a rate increase, faster than policy makers predicted. Yellen last month told lawmakers that the unemployment rate alone isn’t an adequate gauge of economic health and “there’s a great deal of slack in the labor markets still that we need to work to eliminate.”

Stocks and Treasuries declined as the Fed’s new forecasts showed more officials predicting the benchmark rate, now close to zero, would rise at least to 1 percent at the end of 2015 and 2.25 percent by the end of the following year.

Yellen News Conference

Yellen, in a news conference, played down the importance of the forecasts, saying they are not as important as the FOMC statement.

“These dots are going to move up and down over time,” she said in a reference to the forecasts, which are illustrated as dots on a chart. They moved up “ever so slightly,” she added. “The committee’s views on policy will likely evolve.”

The FOMC repeated that it will reduce asset purchases “in further measured steps at future meetings.” At the same time, “asset purchases are not on a preset course.” The committee announced $10 billion reductions in purchases at the previous two meetings.

“Growth in economic activity slowed during the winter months, in part reflecting adverse weather conditions,” the Fed said. Even so, “there is sufficient underlying strength in the broader economy to support ongoing improvement in labor-market conditions.”

Consumer Prices

The central bank’s preferred gauge of consumer prices climbed 1.2 percent in the year through January and hasn’t exceeded its 2 percent goal since March 2012. That gives policy makers “ample scope to continue to try to promote a return to full employment,” Yellen testified to lawmakers Feb. 27.

Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota dissented, saying the statement “weakens the credibility of the committee’s commitment to return inflation to the 2 percent target from below and fosters policy uncertainty that hinders economic activity.”

Seventy-six percent of economists in a Bloomberg survey March 14-17 predicted the Fed would drop its unemployment threshold. Economists also predicted a $10 billion reduction in the monthly pace of bond purchases, according to the median of responses.

Yellen, 67, took over as Fed chair last month after three years as deputy to Ben S. Bernanke. In that role, she helped shape the communications policies the Fed wielded as it sought to nurture a recovery from the worst recession since the Great Depression.

Zero Rates

After cutting interest rates to zero in 2008, the Fed embarked on large-scale asset purchases as well as forward guidance intended to convince investors that borrowing costs would stay low for a long time.

Starting in December 2012, the FOMC said the federal funds rate would stay low at least as long as unemployment was higher than 6.5 percent and the outlook for inflation didn’t exceed 2.5 percent.

With the jobless rate at 6.7 percent last month, that guidance was fast becoming obsolete.

“It’s a relic of days of yore,” Brian Jacobsen, who helps oversee $241 billion as chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Advantage Funds in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, said before the FOMC statement.

Policy makers met this week as economic reports indicated the world’s largest economy is pulling out of a slowdown linked to unusually harsh winter weather.

Production Rises

Factory production rose in February by the most in six months as assembly lines churned out more cars, business equipment and chemicals, a month after snowstorms hampered deliveries of parts and materials.

Employers last month added more workers than projected following the weakest two-month hiring gain in more than a year. The jobless rate rose from 6.6 percent, a five-year low, as more people entered the workforce.

Retail sales climbed in February for the first time in three months, claims for unemployment benefits declined and consumer confidence improved, reports showed last week.

“The economy is getting better, and it’s likely the softer patch we’re seeing is weather related,” Josh Feinman, the New York-based global chief economist for Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management and a former Fed senior economist, said before the statement. “I don’t know that all the headwinds are gone, but they’re clearly blowing with a lot less intensity.”

Stock Gains

Consumers are getting a boost from stock-market gains fueled by the Fed’s unprecedented stimulus. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index jumped 30 percent last year for the best advance since 1997.

“The consumer, as far as the disposable income, is improving a little bit,” Larry Young, chief executive officer of Plano, Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., the third-largest U.S. soda maker, said at a March 12 investor conference. “We are seeing a pickup.”

As the economy improves, the Fed is slowly scaling back the large-scale bond purchases that have expanded its balance sheet to a record $4.18 trillion. The purchases have prompted concern among some policy makes that the Fed is fueling asset-price bubbles.

The Fed on Dec. 18 announced its first reduction in bond purchases, to $75 billion from $85 billion, then followed up with an equal cut in January to $65 billion.

“The task for monetary policy will be to provide continued support as long as necessary, and to return policy to a normal stance over time without sparking inflation or financial instability,” Fed Governor Jerome Powell told lawmakers last week. “This will require a careful balancing, as there are risks from removing monetary accommodation too soon as well as too late.”

Darden Restaurants, Inc. Q3 Earnings Dip; Matches Estimates; Declares Dividend (DRI)

Before the opening bell on Friday morning, Darden Restaurants (DRI) reported its third quarter earnings, posting lower overall sales compared to last year’s third quarter.

DRI’s Earnings in Brief

DRI reported third quarter sales of $2.23 billion, which were slightly below last year’s Q3 sales of $2.26 billion. Net earnings for the quarter came in at $109.7 million, down from last year’s Q3 figure of $134.5 million. The company's diluted EPS came in at 82 cents, which is significantly than last year’s Q3 EPS of $1.02. DRI met analysts’ estimates of 82 cents EPS, but came in slightly below revenue expectations of $2.26 billion. The company placed some of the blame for its lower earnings on higher direct costs and severe winter weather. Darden affirmed that diluted net EPS for FY2014 will decline between 15% and 20% compared to last year.

DRI’s Dividend

Darden declared a quarterly dividend of 55 cents, which is payable on May 5 to all shareholders on record as of April 10. The stock goes ex-dividend on April 8.

Stock Performance

DRI stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, Darden stock is down 7.95%.

Top 10 Insurance Stocks To Invest In 2014

Top 10 Insurance Stocks To Invest In 2014: Triad Guaranty Inc (TGICQ)

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

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

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zachary Tracer]

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

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-insurance-stocks-to-invest-in-2014.html

Top 5 Companies To Buy Right Now

Top 5 Companies To Buy Right Now: Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc (SUPN)

Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Supernus), incorporated on March 30, 2005, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products for the treatment of central nervous system diseases, including neurological and psychiatric disorders. Supernus is developing several product candidates in neurology and psychiatry to address opportunities in epilepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Supernus's two epilepsy product candidates are SPN-538 and Epliga. Epliga is in Phase III clinical trials. Supernus ADHD product candidates include SPN-810 (molindone hydrochloride), a treatment for impulsive aggression in patients with ADHD, and SPN-812, a non-stimulant treatment for ADHD. Both of these programs are in Phase II. In addition to these four products candidates, Supernus has several additional product candidates in various stages of development, including SPN-809. Its wholly owned subsidiary includes TCD Royalty Sub LLC.

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Supernus's Late-Stage Neurology Portfolio

SPN-538 is an oral once-daily extended release topiramate product for the treatment of epilepsy. Topiramate is marketed by Johnson & Johnson under the brand name Topamax and is available in a generic form. As of December 31, 2009, Topiramate was available only in immediate release form and is indicated for monotherapy and adjunctive therapy of epilepsy and for the treatment of migraine. It works by enhancing the inhibitory effect of the Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) neurotransmitter that regulates neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system, blocking the excitatory effect of the glutamate neurotransmitter, blocking the sodium channel and inhibiting the carbonic anhydrase enzyme.

Epliga is an oral once-daily extended release formulation of oxcarbazepine. As of December 31, 2009, Epliga was ! in Phase III trials. Oxcarbazepine is marketed by Novartis under the brand name Trileptal and is availa ble in a generic form. Trileptal is indicated for monotherap! y and adjunctive therapy of epilepsy. Oxcarbazepine is an active voltage-dependent sodium channel blocker.

Supernus's Psychiatry Portfolio

SPN-810 (molindone hydrochloride) is a treatment for impulsive aggression in patients with ADHD. As of December 31, 2009, it was in Phase II. SPN-810 is based on molindone hydrochloride. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had completed four clinical trials for SPN-810, including a Phase IIa trial, in which it tested the safety and tolerability of immediate release molindone hydrochloride in children with ADHD who suffer from serious persistent conduct problems. This open-label, dose-ranging trial randomized 78 children, 6-12 years of age, into one of four treatment groups, which were given four different doses of immediate release molindone hydrochloride, between 10 milligram and 40 milligram per day, depending on weight, three times a day over a six-week treatment period, after 2-5 weeks of titration. SPN- 810 was well tolerated in the trial with no clinically meaningful changes in standard hematology, clinical chemistry values, vital signs or electrocardiogram results. SPN-810 also showed improvements on the primary and secondary outcome measures, such as conduct problem and ADHD scales, across all four treatment groups. SPN-812 is a non-stimulant treatment for ADHD. As of December 31, 2009, SPN-812 was in Phase II. SPN-812 is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.

Supernus's Technology Platforms

The Company has a long track record of developing products by applying technologies to known drugs to improve existing therapies and to enable the treatment of new indications. Supernus's main technology platforms include: Microtrol (multiparticulate delivery platform), Solutrol (matrix delivery platform) and EnSoTrol (osmotic delivery s! ystem). T! he Company's technologies have been used in the approved and marketed products, including Carbatrol (carbamazepine), Equetro (carbamazepine), Adderall XR (mixe! d ampheta! mine salts), Sanctura XR (trospium chloride), Oracea (doxycycline) and Intuniv (guanfacine).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN) is expected to post a Q4 loss at $0.55 per share on revenue of $7.78 million.

  Geron (NASDAQ: GERN) is projected to post a Q4 loss at $0.07 per share on revenue of $350.00 thousand.

• [By Sara Sjolin]

  Shares of Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN)  could also be active, after the company jumped 20% after-hours on Monday after a drug on which the firm collaborated received Food and Drug Administration approval.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Shares of Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN)  jumped 20% after hours Monday after a drug on which the firm collaborated received Food and Drug Administration approval.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-companies-to-buy-right-now.html

Best Oil Companies To Invest In Right Now

Best Oil Companies To Invest In Right Now: Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL)

Woodside Petroleum Ltd (Woodside) is an Australia-based oil and gas company. Woodside, along with its subsidiaries is engaged in hydrocarbon exploration, evaluation, development, production and marketing. As of December 31, 2011, the Company produced around 700,000 barrels of oil equivalent each day from a portfolio of facilities, which it operates on behalf of some of the major oil and gas companies. It operating facilities include six liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains, five offshore platforms and four oil floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. It is one of the non-government operators LNG plants. The Company operates six segments: North West Shelf Business Unit, Australia Oil Business Unit, Pluto Business Unit, Browse Business Unit, United States Business Unit and Other. In September 2012, it sold a minority portion of its equity in the proposed Browse LNG Development to Japan Australia LNG (MIMI Browse) Pty Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Burgos]

  Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., the nation's third-largest lender, slid 2.3 percent in Hong Kong. Yamada Denki Co. sank 4.8 percent in Tokyo after the consumer electronics retailer missed its full-year profit forecast. Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (WPL), Australia's second-biggest oil producer, jumped 9.7 percent after announcing plans to return cash to shareholders.

• [By Yoshiaki Nohara]

  Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index retreated 0.7 percent, led by energy and financial shares. Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (WPL), Australia's second-biggest oil and gas producer, dropped 2 percent to A$34.67. Westpac Banking Corp. (WBC), Australia's No. 2 lender by market value, shed 1.2 percent to A$27.47.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/bes! t-oil-companies-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Under Armour shares jump on stock split

Under Armour continues to be a stock market over-achiever.

Its stock jumped 2.3% on Monday in early morning trading, up more than $2.80 to $120.15, after the trendy athletic gear maker announced that its board had approved a 2-for-1 stock split. This mark's the Baltimore-based company's second stock split since going public in November 2005. Its last stock split was in July 2012.

CEO Kevin Plank said in a statement that Baltimore-based company believes the stock split may broaden its investor base and improve the stock's trading liquidity.

The move comes at a time of a still-expanding stock market, even as other high-profile stock splits have recently been announced. Last week, tech mega-giant Google announced plans for its first-ever stock split during the company's fourth quarter earnings call.

Best High Dividend Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Under Armour has been on a tear since the winter Olympics, when the company's high-tech outfits were initially the unwarranted scapegoat for the poor performance of the U.S. speedskating team in Sochi. Company executives, however, never wavered and not only stood by their techy suits, but doubled down, and committed to sponsoring the team through 2022.

Last week, Under Armour announced that it had launched in Brazil. The brand will be available in over 70 of the country's premium points of sale and e-commerce hubs, such as Centauro, Netshoes and Paquetá.

Under Armour Inc. said Monday that the additional shares issued due to the stock split will be distributed on April 14 to shareholders of record on March 28.

Contributing: Associated Press

5 Best Paper Stocks To Invest In 2015

Prudential’s midyear market and economic outlook gathering always gathers smart analysts, but in this year’s gathering in New York on Wednesday, the consensus for economic growth was varied.

“When we write these white papers,” said panelist Ed Keon (left), managing director of Quantitative Management Associates, “we usually get four or five people to sign on, but not this time.” That’s because Keon’s fairly bullish view on the economy—“I expect next year we’ll see several quarters of 5% GDP growth”—wasn’t fully shared by fellow speakers, including Quincy Krosby and John Praveen. Keon’s argument for greater growth next year was based on his belief that the drags on the economy that we’ve seen this year, including tax increases and the sequester, would no longer be such an influence in 2014.

5 Best Paper Stocks To Invest In 2015: TriStar Wellness Solutions Inc (TWSI)

TriStar Wellness Solutions, Inc., formerly Biopack Environmental Solutions Inc., incorporated on August 28, 2000, is engaged in developing, marketing and selling, NCP's Beaute de Maman product lines, which is a line of skincare and other products specifically targeted for pregnant women, as well developing the Soft and Smooth Assets. The Company supplied biodegradable food containers and industrial packaging products to multinational corporations, supermarket chains and restaurants located across North America, Europe and Asia. In May 2013, the Company acquired HemCon Medical Technologies Inc.

The Company�� priority direct-to-consumer target markets are focused on women�� health and wound care. The second core product area is directed at the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) wound care market space. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company focused the sales and marketing resources for the Beaute de Maman brand on efficient Internet portals via the brand Website and selected Web-based retailers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Last Friday, small cap stocks Tristar Wellness Solutions Inc (OTCMKTS: TWSI) jumped 14.94% while Hybrid Coating Technologies (OTCBB: HCTI) and Bulova Technologies Group, Inc (OTCMKTS: BTGI) sank 23.53% and 13.04%, respectively. It should be mentioned that only one of these small cap stocks appears to be the subject of paid promotions or investor relations type activities. So what will these three small cap stocks do for investors this week? Here is a quick reality check to help you decide on a trading or investing strategy:

5 Best Paper Stocks To Invest In 2015: Fibria Celulose SA (FBR)

Fibria Celulose S.A. (Fibria), formerly Votorantim Celulose e Papel S.A., incorporated on July 25, 1941, is a producer of market pulp. During the year ended December 31, 2010, Fibria produced 5,054 kilotons of eucalyptus pulp (including 50.0% of the pulp production of Veracel). The Company also produces coated and uncoated paper, carbonless paper and thermal paper at its Piracicaba paper mill, located in the State of Sao Paulo with an annual production capacity of 190 kilotons. During 2010, it produced 115 kilotons of paper products and recorded consolidated net revenues. Fibria produces bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp at three pulp mills, the Aracruz pulp mill located in the State of Espirito Santo, which has an annual production capacity of 2.3 million tons; the Tres Lagoas pulp mill located in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, which has an annual production capacity of 1.3 million tons, and the Jacarei pulp mill located in the State of Sao Paulo, which has an annual production capacity of 1.1 million tons. The Company has a 50% interest in Veracel, which owns and operates a pulp mill in the municipality of Eunapolis, State of Bahia, with an annual production capacity of 1.1 million tons.

Pulp

Fibria produces bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp from planted eucalyptus trees. Bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp is a range of hardwood pulp. Eucalyptus is a hardwood tree, and its pulp has short fibers and is generally suited to manufacturing tissue, coated and uncoated printing and writing paper and coated packaging boards. Short fibers are optimal for manufacturing wood-free paper with good printability, smoothness, brightness and uniformity. Market pulp is the pulp sold to producers of paper products. Kraft pulp is pulp produced in a chemical process using sulphate. During 2010, it produced 5,054 kilotons of pulp (including 50.0% of the pulp production of Veracel).

Paper

During 2010, Fibria produced 115 kilotons of paper. The Company produced coated printing an! d writing paper, which is a coated woodfree paper used for promotional materials, folders, internal sheets and cover of magazines, books, tabloids, inserts and mailing; uncoated printing and writing paper, which is a uncoated woodfree paper in reels and sheets; carbonless paper, which is used to produce multi-copy forms, POS, invoices and other applications in place of traditional carbon paper, and thermal paper, which is traditionally used in fax machines; POS, bar code labels, toll tickets, water and gas bills and receipts for automated teller machines (ATMs) and credit card machines. It manufactures thermal paper products with technology licensed byOji Paper Co., Ltd (Oji Paper).

The Company competes with APRIL, Arauco, APP, Georgia Pacific, CMPC, Sodra, Stora Enso, Weyerhaeuser and Suzano.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Fibria Celulose (NYSE: FBR  ) reported earnings on July 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Fibria Celulose met expectations on revenues and missed expectations on earnings per share.

Top Casino Companies To Watch In Right Now: Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund(CFP)

Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund is a closed-ended equity fund of fund launched and managed by Cornerstone Advisors, Inc. The fund invests funds investing in the public equity markets of the United States. It invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund was formed on April 26, 2007 and is domiciled in the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But you can see in several places the consequences of the stampede toward high yield. Here are just a few:

  Closed-end funds Cornerstone Progressive (NYSEMKT: CFP  ) and Pimco High Income (NYSE: PHK  ) both make fixed payments back to fund shareholders on a monthly basis, and their distribution yields are truly extraordinary, at about 17% and 12%, respectively. Those dividends have enticed shareholders to pay $1.30 to $1.40 or more for each $1 of assets in the funds. Yet during most months, a substantial portion of those distribution payments has simply been a return of investor capital rather than true income from the funds' investments. A recent study discussed in The Wall Street Journal found that returns on a portfolio with a combined value and dividend-income strategy outperformed a strategy focused more exclusively on maximizing dividends by an average of 1.7 percentage points per year, a huge edge in long-run returns. In the dividend ETF arena, most funds tend to focus on maximizing yield. Although the popular Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (NYSEMKT: VIG  ) ETF bucks the trend by screening first for consistent dividend growth and only then looking at yield as a factor, many rival ETFs start with high-yielding stocks as their baseline and only then consider other desirable traits. Others focus solely on high-dividend niches of the market, such as iShares FTSE NAREIT Mortgage-Plus (NYSEMKT: REM  ) and its concentration on high-yield mortgage REITs.

  When dividend stocks get too popular, their prices get out of line with both their dividend income and the fundamentals of the businesses that underlie those stocks. In simpler terms, when dividend stocks become bad values, it's time to consider looking elsewhere for a margin of safety.

5 Best Paper Stocks To Invest In 2015: Bemis Company Inc (BMS)

Bemis Company, Inc., incorporated on May 18, 1885, is a manufacturer of packaging products and pressure sensitive materials. The Company's business activities are organized around its three reportable business segments, U.S. Packaging , Global Packaging and Pressure Sensitive Materials. The majority of the Company�� products are sold to customers in the food industry. Other customers include companies businesses, such as chemical, agribusiness, medical, pharmaceutical, personal care, electronics, automotive, construction, graphic industries and other consumer goods. In July 2013, Bemis Company Inc acquired all of the common stock of Foshan New Changsheng Plastics Films Co., LTD.

The Company�� flexible packaging businesses has a technical base in polymer chemistry, film extrusion, coating, laminating, printing, and converting. The Company�� pressure sensitive materials business specializes in adhesive technologies. On August 22, 2012, the Company acquired two flexible packaging businesses in Australia and New Zealand.

U.S. Packaging segment

The U.S. Packaging segment represents all food, consumer, and industrial products packaging-related manufacturing operations located in the United States. This segment manufactures multilayer polymer, blown and cast film structures to produce packaging sold for food and personal care product applications as well as non-food applications. Additional products include custom thermoformed packaging, and multiwall paper bags. Markets for these products include processed and fresh meat, liquids, frozen foods, cereals, snacks, cheese, coffee, condiments, candy, pet food, bakery, seed, lawn and garden, tissue, fresh produce, personal care and hygiene, disposable diapers, agribusiness, and minerals. This segment has 35 manufacturing plants located in 16 states, of which 32 are owned directly by the Company or its subsidiaries and three are leased from outside parties.

Global Packaging segment

The ! Global Packaging segment includes all packaging-related manufacturing operations located outside of the United States as well as global medical device and pharmaceutical packaging manufacturing operations. This segment manufactures multilayer polymer, blown and cast film structures to produce packaging sold for a variety of food, medical, pharmaceutical, personal care, and industrial applications. Additional products include injection molded plastic and folding carton packaging. Markets for these products include processed and fresh meat, liquids, snacks, cheese, coffee, condiments, candy, bakery, tissue, fresh produce, personal care and hygiene, disposable diapers, agribusiness, pharmaceutical, and medical devices. This segment has 32 manufacturing plants located in three United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and ten non-United States countries, of which 26 are owned directly by the Company or its subsidiaries and six are leased from outside parties.

Pressure Sensitive Materials segment

The Pressure Sensitive Materials segment is a global manufacturer of pressure sensitive adhesive coated paper and film substrates sold into label, graphic, and technical product markets. Products for label markets include narrow-Web rolls of pressure sensitive paper, film, and metalized film printing stocks used in high-speed printing and die-cutting. Products for graphic markets include pressure sensitive films used for decorative signage through computer-aided plotters, digital and screen printers, and photographic overlaminate and mounting materials including optically clear films with built-in ultraviolet (UV) inhibitors. Products for technical markets include micro-thin film adhesives used in delicate electronic parts assembly and pressure sensitive applications utilizing foam and tape based stocks to perform fastening and mounting functions. This segment has seven manufacturing plants located in three states and two non-United States countries, all of which are owned directly b! y the Com! pany or its subsidiaries.

The Company competes with Amcor Limited, Berry Plastics Corporation, Bryce Corporation, Exopack Company, Hood Packaging Corporation, Printpack, Inc., Sealed Air Corporation, Sonoco Products Company, Wihuri OY, Winpak ltd, 3M, Acucote, Inc., Avery Dennison Corporation, FLEXcon Corporation, Green Bay Packaging Inc., Ricoh Company, Ltd., Ritrama Inc., Spinnaker Industries, Inc., Technicote Inc., UPM-Kymmene Corporation, and Wausau Coated Products Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jessica Alling]

  Leaders and laggards
  Merck (NYSE: MRK  ) is at the top of the class this morning with a 5.19% gain following some extremely encouraging news about its latest experimental drug,�lambrolizumab. Aimed at unleashing the powers of a patient's own immune system, the drug disables the immune system cells' prevention method that curbs its attack on cancer cells -- a protein called the programmed death 1 receptor, or PD-1. Merck's drug has shown a 38% rate in tumor reduction in patients with advanced melanoma, and up to 52% in patients who received the highest dosage of the drug. Though the patients have not undergone the trial for a long enough period yet, the results are attracting attention for matching the current treatments from two Bristol-Meyers Squibb (NYSE: BMS  ) drugs, Yervoy and nivolumab, with potentially milder side effects. The news is great for Merck investors, as the company has only played a small part in oncology treatments to date.

• [By The Part-time Investor]

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

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

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

5 Best Paper Stocks To Invest In 2015: UPM-Kymmene Corporation (UPM1V)

UPM-Kymmene Corporation is a Finland-based paper and forest products company. The Company operates, along with its subsidiaries, in three segments: the Energy and Pulp segment is divided into three units: Energy, which includes the Company�� hydropower plant and shares in energy companies; Pulp, which includes the Company�� pulp mills, and Foster and Timber, which includes forests, wood procurement, sawmills and further processing; the Paper segment includes the Company�� paper mills, producing magazine paper, newsprint, fine papers, and specialty papers, and the Engineered materials segment is structured into two units: Label, which includes label-stock factories and slitting, and distribution terminals, and Plywood, which includes plywood mills. The Company�� other operations include the wood plastic composite unit, development units and logistic services. On October 2, 2013, it completed the sale of the wood processing mill in Aigrefeuille d'Aunis, to Groupe FP Bois. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  UPM-Kymmene Oyj (UPM1V) fell 3.9 percent to 12.18 euros. UBS AG lowered Europe�� second-largest papermaker to sell from neutral. The brokerage said that demand for the company�� product will not recover in Europe and that the industry will probably reduce its capacity next year.

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Spdr S&P Retail Etf (XRT)

SPDR S&P Retail Exchange Traded Fund (The Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before expenses, the performance of an index derived from the retail segment of the United States total market composite index. The Fund uses a passive management strategy designed to track the total return performance of the S&P Retail Select Industry Index (the Retail Index).

The Retail Index represents the retail sub industry portion of the S&P TMI. The S&P TMI tracks all the United States common stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), American Stock Exchange (AMEX), National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (NASDAQ) National Market and NASDAQ Small Cap exchanges.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com has a shocking post entitled, "20 Facts About The Great U.S. Retail Apocalypse That Will Blow Your Mind," which might make you want to consider shorting or reevaluating any investment strategies involving retail or retail ETFs like the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT), PowerShares Dynamic Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: PMR), Market Vectors Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: RTH) and Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSEARCA: RETL). Before you dismiss something from a blog with the words "Economic Collapse" in it (they are, after all, peddling "doom and gloom") because the Obama administration plus Joe Biden and their surrogates in the media keep telling you there is an economic recovery along with growth in jobs, consider just the following retail store closure plans or job cuts mentioned in the post:

• [By Don Lucek]

  It's a well-run affair that beat the S&P 500 (SPX) and the S&P Retail (XRT) over the recent past. While I'd be careful about entry, I think GPS will remain a stock market win! ner into the longer term (at least one to three years).

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-warren-buffett-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Top Bank Stocks To Own For 2014

Top Bank Stocks To Own For 2014: Swedbank AB (SWDBY.PK)

Swedbank AB is the parent company of Swedbank. Swedbank consists of subsidiaries, associates and a joint venture. The Company operates in six business areas: Swedish Banking, Baltic Banking, International Banking, Swedbank Markets, Asset Management and Ektornet. On January 20, 2009, Swedbank Robur AB acquired Banco Fonder AB from Alfred Berg. In February 2010, the Company acquired a 15% equity stake in OAO Swedbank from European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). During the year ended December 31, 2009, Swedbank sold four branches to Sparbanken Nord, three branches to Sparbanken Dalsland, two branches to Sparbanken Rekarne, one branch to Tidaholms Sparbank and one branch to Sparbanken 1826.

Swedish Banking

Swedish Banking is engaged in offering a range of financial products and services to private customers, corporates, organisations and municipalities through close to 400 branches, as well as the telephone bank and Internet bank in S weden. Swedbank's products are also sold through the cooperating savings banks, which account for another 275 branches. The subsidiary in Luxembourg, with a representative office in Spain is included in the business area as well.

Baltic Banking

Baltic Banking offers a range of financial products and services to private and corporate customers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It offers its services through 226 branches, as well as the telephone bank and Internet bank.

International Banking

International Banking consists of operations outside Swedbank's home markets, primarily the banking operations in Ukraine and Russia. In addition to Ukraine and Russia, the business area includes the branches in Denmark, Norway, the United States and China, as well as the representative office in Japan. The branch network in Ukraine, consists of 1! 56 branches, serves both private and corporate customers. The Nordic branches offer corp orate customers, mainly Swedish customers with operations in! the Nordic markets, a range of financial products and services.

Swedbank Markets

Swedbank Markets has operations in equity, fixed income and currency trading, corporate finance, as well as project, export and acquisition financing. In addition to its operations in Swedbank's home markets, the business area includes the subsidiaries First Securities ASA in Norway and Swedbank First Securities LLC in New York.

Asset Management

Asset Management, which consists of the subsidiary Swedbank Robur Group, offers services in fund management, institutional and discretionary asset management in all of Swedbank's home markets. Its customers include private customers, as well as institutions, foundations, municipalities, county councils and other investors. Its products are sold and distributed primarily by Swedish Banking and Baltic Banking and the savings banks in Sweden.

Ektornet

Ektornet is an independe nt subsidiary of Swedbank AB. It focuses on managing the Company's repossessed assets and developing them over time. Most of the collateral consists of real estate, the part of which will be in the Baltic countries, though also in the Nordic region and the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Hunkar]

  Current Dividend Yield: 5.16%
  Sector: Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels
  Country: France

  Company: Swedbank AB (SWDBY.PK)

  Current Dividend Yield: 6.50%
  Sector: Banking
  Country: Sweden

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-bank-stocks-to-own-for-2014.html

Best Insurance Stocks To Own Right Now

Best Insurance Stocks To Own Right Now: Euler Hermes SA (ELE)

Euler Hermes SA is a France-based credit insurance company. It offers a range of services, including loan assurance, risk assessment, trade debt collection, compensation of losses due to buyer insolvency, bonding and guarantees for companies, reinsurance of loans to individuals and fidelity insurance covering companies against financial loss caused by fraudulent acts. It operates a number of subsidiaries, including Euler Hermes SFAC, Euler Hermes ACI Holding Inc., Euler Hermes Reinsurance AG, among others. On January 1, 2012, the Company completed the simplification of its legal structure in Europe by grouping 13 of its former subsidiaries into one insurance company, Euler Hermes Europe, located in Brussels. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Iberdrola SA (IBE), Spain's biggest power company, fell 3.4 percent to 3.87 euros. Endesa SA (ELE) slumped 4.6 percent to 16 euros, while Acciona SA (ANA), which owns more than 4 gigawatts of wind farms in the country, tumbled 8.5 percent to 37.95 euros. Red Electrica Corp. slid 7.5 percent to 38.34 euros.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-insurance-stocks-to-own-right-now-2.html

Top 5 Cheapest Stocks To Buy For 2015

Top 5 Cheapest Stocks To Buy For 2015: Highway 50 Gold Corp (HWY)

Highway 50 Gold Corp. is an exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged principally in the acquisition and exploration of exploration and evaluation assets. The Company owns, or has the right to acquire an interest in, two projects located in Nevada (the Golden Brew Property and the Porter Canyon Project). Porter Canyon Project consists of 201 unpatented claims located in Lander County, Nevada that cover the projected north-eastern terminus of the Eastgate volcanic trough under pediment cover outboard of the Quito Mine. The Golden Brew claims (Golden Brew) consists of 153 claims prospective for Carlin-style gold mineralization. The gold mineralization at Golden Brew consists of a zone of gold bearing jasperoid measuring 2,500 feet long and up to 200 feet wide, hosted in thin bedded platey Cambrian-aged carbonates. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  It wasn’t all good news, however. Healthways (HWY) plunged 30% to $11.41, making it the S&P 1500′s biggest loser, while Cameron International (CAM) fell 18% to $53.25, making it the S&P 500′s weakest stock. Both released disappointing earnings reports this week.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-cheapest-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

Financial Advisor Background Checks Omit Crucial Information Under "Veil of Secrecy"

By Hal M. Bundrick for MainStreet

NEW YORK (MainStreet) Investors are always urged to perform due diligence when hiring a financial advisor, and one platform often recommended is the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) BrokerCheck tool. But the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA) says due to a "veil of secrecy," consumers are being misled with "crucial" information being excluded from the database.

The PIABA says that the extent of omitted "red flag" background information is so serious that unwitting investors could hire a financial advisor that they would not even consider if they had access to the more complete information now being hidden.

"The veil of secrecy that exists in the current BrokerCheck system should be lifted to allow consumers access to a comprehensive, reliable source so that they can make informed decisions about a profession that has extraordinary influence over their life savings," said Christine Hines, consumer and civil justice counsel with Public Citizen, a non-profit consumer rights advocacy group. "It is indefensible for FINRA to withhold critical information, already under its control, from the public." Many state securities agencies offer more complete financial advisor background information than that offered by FINRA, according to the PIABA. The organization believes this data should be incorporated into the BrokerCheck system so that investors can tap comprehensive advisor data from a single source. "All investors should be able to obtain complete and consistent information about brokers. Period. The quality of the disclosure you get about brokers should not depend on which state you live in," says attorney Jason R. Doss, president of the PIABA. "There is no rational basis for FINRA to hide key 'red flag' information that investors in some states can get from state-level agencies. Given that FINRA has failed repeatedly to take action to increase the disclosures in BrokerCheck, Congress and the SEC need to compel them to do so if necessary." PIABA compared FINRA BrokerCheck and state-level disclosures for a number of brokers and found the following discrepancies: When a broker-dealer fired a registered broker, the FINRA BrokerCheck system excluded the reason for the termination, as well as other information regarding the matter. Information about whether a broker was ever under internal review "for fraud or wrongful taking of property, or violating investment-related statutes, regulations, rules or industry standards of conduct" is not reported by BrokerCheck. A personal bankruptcy filed by a broker is also not reported by FINRA. A federal tax lien filed against a broker in excess of $100,000 is not disclosed by BrokerCheck, but is disclosed in state reports. Information about failed tests for industry qualification examinations is not disclosed through BrokerCheck, which does not reveal the scores achieved and the number of times a broker failed such tests. It only shows which exams were passed but not the score or how many times a broker may have failed before finally passing. FINRA maintains the Central Registration Depository (CRD) database and BrokerCheck tool, drawing from the same pool of information as state securities agencies. --Written by Hal M. Bundrick for MainStreet

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now

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The grades of four Fashion and Apparel stocks are better this week, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Every one of these stocks has an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”) rating.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Ultra Clean Holdings Inc.(UCTT)

Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, engineering, manufacture, and sale of critical modules and subsystems primarily to original equipment manufacturers in semiconductor capital equipment, flat panel, medical, energy, and research industries. It offers gas delivery systems that control the flow, pressure, sequencing, and mixing of specialty gases into and out of the reaction chambers of semiconductor manufacturing tools; chemical mechanical planarization modules; chemical delivery modules, which deliver gases and reactive chemicals from a centralized subsystem to the reaction chamber; and top-plate assemblies that form the top portion of the reaction chamber. The company also provides frame assemblies that form the support structure to which other assemblies are attached and include pneumatic harnesses and cables that connect other critical subsystems together; process modules, which are subsystems of semiconductor manufacturing tools that process integrated circuits onto wafers; and other high level assemblies for use in semiconductor manufacturing, research, flat panel, energy, and medical equipment industries. It sells its products through its direct sales force primarily in North America, Asia, and Europe. Ultra Clean Holding, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Hayward, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell]

  Ultra Clean Holdings Inc.(UCTT) swung to a fourth-quarter profit as the company recorded a surge in revenue. The company also issued a rosy first-quarter outlook, pushing shares up 17% to $13.94 premarket.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: IZEA Inc (IZEA)

IZEA, Inc. (IZEA), formerly IZEA Holdings, Inc., incorporated in February 2006, is a marketplace for consumer generated advertising, connecting advertisers with social media publishers, such as bloggers, tweeters and others in order to develop and distribute content throughout the blogosphere and social networks. The Company is a social media sponsorship, operating multiple marketplaces, which include WeReward, SponsoredTweet, SocialSpark, PayPerPost and InPostLinks. It generates its revenue through the sale of social media sponsorships (SMS) to its customers. Each platform the Company operates is designed to facilitate SMS transactions. Each platform provides advertisers with access to a network of publishers, workflow management, content control, payment processing, performance tracking and legal compliance. It has more than 50,000 registered advertisers in 157 different countries. Its publishers publish sponsored content to blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare and reach other existing platforms, such as Tumblr, LinkedIn, Google and Bing through syndication of that content. On May 12, 2011, the Company acquired IZEA Innovations, Inc. In December 2012, the Company acquired Twitter marketing platform FeaturedUsers.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company derived 80% its revenue from advertisers for the use of its network of social media publishers to fulfill an advertiser sponsor requests for a blog post, tweet, click, purchase, or action. During 2011, it derived the remaining 20% revenue from various service fees charged to advertisers and publishers. Service fees to advertisers include fees charged for management of advertising campaigns through its platforms and inactivity fees for dormant accounts. Service fees to publishers include upgrade account fees for obtaining greater visibility to advertisers in advertiser searches in its platforms and inactivity fees for dormant accounts.

SocialSpark

SocialSpark is the Company�� blog marketing platf! orm. Through SocialSpark it provides robust targeting and detailed analytics to advertisers. The site allows advertisers to develop lists of blogs based on various criteria, such as relevancy, traffic and demographic data. The platform also enables advertisers to create social media campaigns with the click of a button and to observe campaign results in real time. SocialSpark is also used by brands interested in engaging in conversations with their consumer bases. This platform is an automated, scalable version of other blogger outreach services conducted by public relations agencies, such as Porter Novelli, Edelman and Ketchum.

SponsoredTweets

SponsoredTweets is an online marketplace, which allows consumers to connect directly with advertisers to engage in sponsored conversations through Twitter. Marketers pay for Twitter advertising campaigns on either a cost per tweet (CPT) or cost per click (CPC) basis. SponsoredTweets allows advertisers to hand pick individual tweeters, including celebrities, to participate in Twitter advertising campaigns.

WeReward

WeReward is a social-mobile incentive platform, which allows brands to drive purchases, reward loyalty and understand their customers. WeReward promotes businesses, consumer products and mobile applications through its application, which can be downloaded on iPhone and Android devices. Consumers are able to earn WeReward points at more than 15 million businesses in the United States. WeReward points act as a cash rebate through PayPal to create value for users. This platform is similar to CheckPoints.

PayPerPost and InPostLinks

PayPerPost and InPostLinks are online marketplaces designed to facilitate search engine and allow advertisers to connect directly with bloggers to develop relevant blog post content and place text link advertising within blog posts. Both systems allow advertisers to compensate bloggers with cash in exchange for content and links back to Websites.

! IZEAMedia and Staree

IZEAMedia (in Pilot) allows advertisers to place display advertising next to sponsored blog content. Staree (in Development) is an online platform designed to help celebrities better monetize multimedia content through SMS.

The Company competes with Facebook, Glam Media, Federated Media, BlogHer, Ad.ly, Mom Central, Foursquare and Groupon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap tech, mobile or cloud computing stocks SofTech, Inc (OTCMKTS: SOFT), Firstin Wireless Technology Inc (OTCMKTS: FINW) and Izea Inc (OTCMKTS: IZEA) have been getting some extra attention lately in various investment newsletters or alerts. That�� because at least one of these stocks appears to be the subject of paid third party promotions while another is the focus of an apparent investor relations campaign. Keeping that in mind, are these three tech orientated stocks going to bring profits to investors and traders or bring out the luddite in them? Here is a closer look:

Best Long Term Companies To Watch For 2015: Zix Corporation(ZIXI)

Zix Corporation provides Internet-based applications in software as a service model that enables the use of secure email for sensitive information exchange primarily in the healthcare, financial services, insurance, and government sectors in the United States. It offers email encryption service, a secure messaging service, which allows an enterprise to use policy-driven rules to determine which emails should be sent securely to comply with regulations or policies. The company also provides a solution that analyzes and encrypts email communications. Its services offer users the ability to deliver encrypted email to any email user at any email address by using the ZixCorp Best Method of Delivery protocol that automatically determines the direct and appropriate means of delivery, based on the sender?s and recipient?s communications environment and preferences. Zix Corporation sells its services through a direct sales force, and a network of resellers and other distribution partners. The company was formerly known as ZixIt Corporation and changed its name to Zix Corporation in 2002. Zix Corporation was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Zix (NASDAQ: ZIXI) shares reached a new 52-week high of $4.82. ZixCorp's trailing-twelve-month profit margin is 18.08%.

  Official Payments Holdings (NASDAQ: OPAY) shares surged 0.23% to touch a new 52-week high of $8.65. Official Payments shares have jumped 87.61% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.68% in the same period.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Zix (Nasdaq: ZIXI  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on April 23. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Zix's revenues will expand 15.0% and EPS will wither 0.0%.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Skyworks Solutions Inc.(SWKS)

Skyworks Solutions, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, offers analog and mixed signal semiconductors worldwide. The company provides power amplifiers and front-end solutions for cellular devices from entry level to multimedia platforms and smart phones. Its product portfolio consists of amplifiers, attenuators, detectors, diodes, directional couplers, front-end modules, hybrids, infrastructure RF subsystems, mixers/demodulators, phase shifters, PLLs/synthesizers/VCOs, power dividers/combiners, receivers, switches, and technical ceramics. Skyworks also offers MIS silicon chip capacitors, transceivers, and modulators. The company markets its products to automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, energy management, industrial, medical, military, and cellular handset applications. Skyworks sells its products primarily through its direct sales force, as well as through independent manufacturers? representatives and distribution partners. The company was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Carlson]

  The final stock I'll mention on the list is Skyworks Solutions (SWKS). The company's high-performance analog semiconductors are used in a variety of markets, including handsets, wireless infrastructure, aerospace/defense, automotive, CATV, energy, medical, and test and measurement.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Skyworks Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: SWKS) claims about a $3.00 parts cost in both the iPhone 5c and 5s, so Sterne Agee sees a strong tailwind for the stock in 2014, especially in the first half of the year. The stock was trading up 1.6% in Monday’s premarket after closing at $27.68 on Friday, in a 52-week range of $19.57 to $28.61. The consensus FY 2015 EPS estimate is $2.80, and the forward P/E ratio is 9.89. Sterne Agee�� price target on the stock is $31, for an upside potential of about 12%.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: CEPHEID(CPHD)

Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company, engages in developing, manufacturing, and marketing integrated systems for testing in the clinical market, as well as for application in legacy biothreat, industrial, and partner markets. Its systems enable molecular testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases by automation. The company offers GeneXpert system that integrates sample preparation in addition to DNA amplification and detection; and SmartCycler system, which integrates DNA amplification and detection to allow rapid analysis of a sample. The GeneXpert system is designed for reference laboratories, hospital central laboratories, and satellite testing locations, such as emergency departments and intensive care units within hospitals and doctors? offices. Cepheid also provides GeneXpert Infinity System for high volume testing. The company offers tests for the GeneXpert and the SmartCycler systems in the areas of healthcare associated infections, critical infectious d isease, genetics, women?s health, and oncology. These tests include U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared products, CE marked products, analyte specific reagents, and research use only tests in the clinical market. In the industrial market, it sells its SmartCycler system along with general use polymerase chain reaction reagents and reaction tubes. Cepheid sells its products its direct sales force and through third-party distributors worldwide. It has collaboration agreements with Novartis, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Life Technologies Corporation, and Northrop Grumman Corporation. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Cepheid (NASDAQ: CPHD) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, but the firm actually raised its price target to $41 (versus a $39.04 close).

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Johnson & Johnson(JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices and Diagnostics. The Consumer segment provides products used in baby care, skin care, oral care, wound care, and women?s health care fields, as well as nutritional, over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, and wellness and prevention platforms under the brands of JOHNSON?S, AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, JOHNSON?S Adult, NEUTROGENA, RoC, LUBRIDERM, DABAO, LISTERINE, REACH, BAND-AID, CAREFREE, STAYFREE, SPLENDA, TYLENOL, SUDAFED, ZYRTEC, MOTRIN IB, and PEPCID AC. The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in various therapeutic areas, such as anti-infective, antipsychotic, contraceptive, dermatology, gastrointestinal, hematology, immunology, neurology, oncology, pain management, and virology. Its principal products include REMICADE for the treatment of immune me diated inflammatory diseases; STELARA for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis; SIMPONI, a treatment for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; VELCADE for the treatment of multiple myeloma; PREZISTA and INTELENCE for treating HIV/AIDS patients; NUCYNTA for moderate to severe acute pain; INVEGA SUSTENNAtm for the acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adults; RISPERDAL CONSTA for the management of bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia; and PROCRIT to stimulate red blood cell production. The Medical Devices and Diagnostics segment primarily offers circulatory disease management products; orthopaedic joint reconstruction, spinal care, and sports medicine products; surgical care, aesthetics, and women?s health products; blood glucose monitoring and insulin delivery products; professional diagnostic products; and disposable contact lenses. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in Ne w Brunswick, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) is scheduled to release its quarterly earnings report tomorrow, and as a huge health-care conglomerate with a strong presence in consumer health-care products, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals, the company has drawn investors' interest throughout 2013, gaining about 30% year to date. Even as its competitors -- including some of its compatriots among the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) -- have looked to break themselves into smaller parts, J&J has thus far held itself together as a giant in the industry.

• [By Dan Carroll]

  Merck's diabetes drug pair, Januvia and Janumet, paid off in a big way for investors last year with more than $5.7 billion in sales. However, Januvia's sales dipped surprisingly in the first quarter, and more headaches could be on the way. Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ  ) newly approved diabetes treatment, Invokana, has already shown some benefits over Januvia in certain clinical trials and could be poised to take a bite out of Merck's sales. Along with the FDA's investigation into pancreatitis concerns for Januvia patients, Merck's star drug isn't having its best time right now. Any threat to its billions of dollars in sales could drastically hurt this firm's future.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  As earnings season continues, investors need to focus on how well different sectors of the economy perform. So far, the recent stampede toward consumer-oriented stocks Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG  ) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) indicate most investors' defensive posture, with those stocks seeing their valuations rise substantially. Yet even they may not provide complete protection from the end of the bull market if the economy can't strengthen in the years to come.

• [By Dividend Growth Investor]

  Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. This dividend aristocrat has managed to raise distributions for 51 years in a row. Over the past decade, it has managed to reward shareholders with 11.70% in annual dividend raises on average. Currently, the stock trades at 16.50 times forward earnings, and yields 3%. Check my analysis of Johnson & Johnson.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Zoom Technologies Inc (ZOOM)

Zoom Technologies, Inc. (Zoom), incorporated on February 29, 2002, is engaged in design, production, marketing, sales, and support of broadband and dial-up modems, voice over Internet Protocol or (VoIP) products and services, Bluetooth wireless products, and other communication-related products. The Company through its wholly owned holding-company subsidiary, Gold Lion Holding Limited (Gold Lion) is the owner of 100% of Profit Harvest Corporation Ltd. (Profit Harvest) and through Gold Lion's wholly owned subsidiary, Jiangsu Leimone Electronics Co., Ltd. (Jiangsu Leimone) is the owner of 80% of Tianjin Tong Guang Group Digital Communication Co., Ltd. (TCB Digital). The Company through its subsidiaries is engaged in manufacturing, research and development, and sales of electronic and telecommunication products for the latest generation mobile phones, wireless communication circuitry, and related software products. On January 4, 2011, the Company acquired 100% ownership of Celestial Digital Entertainment, Ltd., (CDE). During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired 55% of Portables.

TCB Digital is engaged in electronic and telecommunication product design, development, and manufacturing for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) customers and for its own products under the brand name of Leimone. The Company offers electronic manufacturing service (EMS) to both domestic and global customers including Samsung, Beijing Tianyu Langtong, CECT, Danahar and Spreadtrum. Its primary products include mobile phones, wireless telecommunication modules, digital cameras, cable television (TV) set-top boxes and global positioning system ( GPS) equipment.

The Company has developed mobile phones and Smartphones based on both of the main network technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and beginning in 2010 also 3G CDMA2000 capable products. As of December 31, 2011, the Company markets its mobile phone products through di! stributors in China and also supplies GSM, CDMA and 3G CDMA2000 mobile phones to customers, including one of China's main mobile operators, China Telecom. The Company through its Portables subsidiary operates a wholesale distributor business for T-Mobile products and services in the United States. The Company also has the right to sell branded mobile handsets including those carrying the Zoom brand name and related peripherals in the retail stores managed by Portables under the agreement with T-Mobile.

The Company competes with Bird Ningbo Co., Ltd, Haier Telecom Co. Ltd., Konka Group Co., Ltd, Lenovo Group Limited, TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited, LG Electronics Ltd., Motorola Inc., Nokia Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (China) Co., Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Shares of Zoom Technologies Inc.(ZOOM) soared� 37% to $5.90 after the Chinese mobile and telecommunications investor inked an all-stock deal to acquire an online business travel provider.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Insys Therapeutics Inc (INSY)

Insys Therapeutics, Inc., incorporated on June 15, 1990, is a pharmaceutical company that develops and seeks to commercialize pharmaceutical products that target the unmet needs of cancer patients, with an initial focus on cancer-supportive care. The Company�� pharmaceuticals portfolio consists of one approved product and a number of product candidates targeting cancer-supportive care and cancer therapy. The Company�� product candidate includes Subsys, Dronabinol SG Capsule, Dronabinol RT Capsule, Dronabinol Oral Solution, Dronabinol Inhalation Device, and Dronabinol IV Solution. The Company is also developing cancer therapeutics, which is LEP-ETU, a formulation of paclitaxel, the active ingredient in the cancer drugs Taxol and Abraxane. On August 19, 2011, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved its Dronabinol SG Capsule product, a generic equivalent to Marinol, for the treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), and anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Subsys

The Company's Subsys is a single-use product that delivers fentanyl, an opioid analgesic, in seconds for transmucosal absorption underneath the tongue. Subsys is a transmucosal product to show pain relief when measuring the sum of pain intensity difference at five minutes in a Phase 3 breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) clinical trial using fentanyl.

Dronabinol Product Family

The Company has an approved dronabinol product and is developing several dronabinol product candidates for the treatment of CINV and appetite stimulation in patients with AIDS, as well as other indications where dronabinol could have potential therapeutic benefits. Dronabinol, the active ingredient in Marinol, is a synthetic cannabinoid whose chemical name is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Its portfolio consists of its Dronabinol SG Capsule product and Dronabinol RT Capsule product candidate, which are intended to be generic equi! valents to Marinol, in addition to three formulations, including Dronabinol Oral Solution. Dronabinol SG Capsule is a dronabinol soft gelatin capsule intended to be a generic equivalent to Marinol. Dronabinol RT Capsule is a dronabinol soft gel capsule that is stable at room temperature. Dronabinol Oral Solution is a ynthetic THC in an oral liquid formulation.

Cancer Therapeutics

In addition to its cancer-supportive care products, the Company intends to develop cancer therapeutics targeting limitations of existing commercial products. LEP-ETU, it advanced cancer therapeutic, is a NeoLipid liposomal, or microscopic membrane-like structure created from lipids, formulation that incorporates paclitaxel. LEP-ETU completed a Phase 2 clinical trial of 70 patients with metastatic breast cancer.

The Company competes with Cephalon, Inc., BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., ProStrakan Group plc, Nycomed International Management GmbH, Archimedes Pharma Ltd., TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Akela Pharma Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Pharmaceutical International, Inc., Par Pharmaceutical Companies Inc., sanofi-aventis, Eisai Inc., Helsinn Group, Roche Holding AG, Par Pharmaceutical Companies Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, ProStrakan Group plc, Merck & Co, GW Pharmaceutical, A.P. Pharma, Inc., Aphios Corp., Roche Holding, Tesaro, Inc., Cornerstone Pharmaceutical, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Laboratories, Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca PLC., Bayer AG, Biogen Idec Inc., Eisai Co., Ltd., F. Hoffmann- LaRoche Ltd., Johnson and Johnson, Merck and Co., Inc., Novartis AG, Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Pfizer Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  Among companies that went public in the U.S. last year, FireEye has seen the second-biggest share rally since its IPO, trailing only pharmaceutical company Insys Therapeutics Inc.(INSY)

• [By Louis Navellier]

  INSYS Therapeutics (INSY) is a biotech company that focuses on developing pharmaceutical products that target the unmet needs of cancer patients, with a focus on cancer-supportive care. Their products include drugs that help patients deal with pain form the disease and help alleviate nausea and pain from chemotherapy. The company reported earnings this week and both profits and sales have exploded higher.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation(LSCC)

Lattice Semiconductor Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets programmable logic products and related software. The company offers field programmable gate array (FPGA) products, including LatticeECP family for deployment in wireless infrastructure and wireline access equipment, as well as in video and imaging applications; and LatticeXP for the security, surveillance, and display markets. It also provides programmable logic device (PLD) products comprising various versions of ispMACH4000 in-system programmable complex programmable logic device family; MachXO family that is designed for a range of low density applications; platform manager, power manager, and ispClock programmable mixed signal devices; and software development tools and intellectual property cores. The company sells its products directly to end customers through a network of independent manufacturers? representatives and indirectly through a network of independent sell-in and sell-through distributors. It primarily serves original equipment manufacturers in the communications, computing, consumer, industrial, military, automotive, and medical end markets. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Lattice Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: LSCC) is a top chip stock to buy at Jefferies. The company announced last month three new complete reference designs that will make it easier for electronic OEMs to deliver media-rich experiences to their end users by taking advantage of low-cost, industry-standard MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) camera, application processor and display technologies. The Jefferies price objective for the stock is $6.50, and the consensus is also at $6.50. Lattice closed yesterday at $4.63.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: ePlus Inc.(PLUS)

ePlus inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in selling, leasing, financing, and managing information technology (IT) and other assets in the United States. Its Technology Sales segment involves in the direct marketing of IT equipment and third-party software solutions of Cisco Systems, HP, VMWare, NetApp, IBM, and Microsoft; and the provision of proprietary software for enterprise supply management, including order-entry and order-management, procurement, spend management, asset management, document management, distribution, and electronic catalog content management software and services. This segment also provides professional technology services in the areas of data center, storage, security, cloud enablement, and IT infrastructure that cover Internet telephony and communications, collaboration, cloud computing, virtual desktop infrastructure, network design and implementation, storage, security, virtualization, business continuity, visual communications, audio/visual technologies, maintenance, and implementation services. The company?s Financing segment offers a range of leasing and financing options for IT and capital assets, such as computers, associated accessories and software, communication-related equipment, medical equipment, industrial machinery and equipment, office furniture and general office equipment, transportation equipment, and other general business equipment. It also leases and finances equipment, as well as supplies software and services directly and through relationships with vendors and equipment manufacturers. ePlus sells its products primarily through direct sales force, inside sales representatives, and business development associates to commercial customers; federal, state, and local governments; K-12 schools; and higher education institutions. The company was formerly known as MLC Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to ePlus inc. in 1999. ePlus was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: DiaMedica Inc (DMA)

DiaMedica Inc. (DiaMedica) is a development-stage company. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of diabetes and related diseases. DiaMedica's compound, DM-199, is a recombinant human protein for the treatment of both Type I and Type II diabetes and their complications. DiaMedica is starting a Phase I/II clinical trial for DM-199. DM-199 is a recombinant human protein, which improves glucose control, protects beta cells through the expansion of a population of antigen-specific immunosuppressive cells (Tregs), and proliferates insulin producing beta cells through the activation of certain growth factors. The Company�� DM-204 is a G-protein-coupled receptor agonist (GPCR) monoclonal antibody to treat Type II diabetes and some of the associated complication's. activating a receptor resulted in insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion and vasodilation. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Richard Rhodes]

  Given this economic backdrop, and developing pressure on corporate revenues, margins, and earnings, we feel that risk is being misplaced at current levels.

  The 14-day and 40-day models are now overbought. Now, the 14-day and 40-day are peaking, which would certainly indicate a correction stands as the highest probability.
  
  The % of stocks above their 10-day moving average (dma) is at the 70%-level; still a major divergence with prices.
  
  The % of stocks above their 200-dma stands at 77%. The 87% level marked previous highs. The 50-dma/150-dma cross breakdown now confirms a larger correction. Bottoms form between 30%-40%.
  
  Overall, the risk-reward remains skewed to the downside, regardless of whether prices remain above trendline resistance, as our model group suggests a correction to the 110-day moving average, currently at S&P 1711.
  
  

  A clear breakdown at that level would accelerate the decline towards the wide 200-dma and 380-dma range, between 1657-1571.

Top 5 Tech Companies To Invest In Right Now: Shanda Games Ltd (GAME)

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

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

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

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

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Shanda Games (NASDAQ: GAME  ) have popped today by as much as 11% after the game maker launched a new title with early success.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Shanda Games Ltd.'s(GAME) third-quarter earnings fell 1.6% despite growth in the game developer’s revenue driven by its mobile-game segment. Morgan Stanley(MS) analysts aren’t impressed with the company’s PC game pipeline, while sales of its top PC games dropped in the latest period. Shares declined 5.1% to $3.90 premarket.