Investor Beat -- February 28, 2014

MercadoLibre is up big today after reporting earnings, beating on both the top and bottom lines. Nicknamed "The eBay of Latin America," the company has shown four straight years of more than 30% growth per year, but has had a very rough go of things during the past several months.

In this video from Friday's edition of Investor Beat, host Chris Hill and Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio analyst Ron Gross take a look at MercadoLibre, and its success despite its geographical headwinds. They also look at the incredible growth of the stock that eBay doesn't have, and whether or not the company can maintain this pace.

Then, guidance has proven to be more important to the market than earnings for Deckers Outdoor today, as the company reported good Q4 results, but surprised everyone by forecasting a loss for the upcoming Q1. The company has put the blame for the coming loss on the cost of opening new stores and increased marketing, but the market reacted poorly to the news. Ron notes that the business is doing well, but despite today's pullback, he still sees it as pricey. He's also concerned because the company still relies heavily on the trendy UGG brand footwear. As a result, he isn't interested in buying Deckers today.

Pier 1 Imports has cut full-year guidance for the second time in as many months. Like many other retailers, it blames the exceptionally severe winter weather for the reduced foot traffic the company experienced this winter. Pier 1 was even forced to close some of its locations temporarily, which hurt the company's sales even further. Chris and Ron discuss Pier 1 and the trend of retailers citing the weather for this quarter's troubles. They also talk about why the market gives some companies a pass with this excuse, but why it didn't let Pier 1 off the hook this time.

Finally, Ron takes a look at Costco. The company reports earnings next week, and Ron tells investors that this is one of his personal favorite stocks, but that the Million Dollar Portfolio service has had the stock as a "hold" for a while now after it ran up above $115. Ron will be watching the earnings closely, as he would love to have a reason to upgrade Costco back to a buy.

Two retailers still dominating in this rapidly shifting space
To learn about two retailers with especially good prospects, take a look at The Motley Fool's special free report: "The Death of Wal-Mart: The Real Cash Kings Changing the Face of Retail." In it, you'll see how these two cash kings are able to consistently outperform and how they're planning to ride the waves of retail's changing tide. You can access it by clicking here.

Appeals court to hear Detroit bankruptcy…

DETROIT — The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear an appeal to Detroit's eligibility for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.

The Cincinnati-based court Friday agreed to accept a direct appeal, which means the case will bypass the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan. The move could mark the case's first step on the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

STORY: What to expect from bankruptcy exit plan
STORY: Detroit now largest city to enter bankruptcy

Several major creditors, including the city's largest union — Michigan Council 25 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — and the city's two pension funds, filed appeals challenging Judge Steven Rhodes' December order allowing the case to proceed.

Detroit's bankruptcy will proceed while the appeal, which will not take place on an expedited basis, is being heard.

Top Cheap Companies For 2015

One of the most contentious issues in the case is whether the city should have promised not to cut pensions as a condition of filing for bankruptcy. The state's Constitution bars public pension cuts, but Rhodes ruled that pensions are contracts that can be severed under federal bankruptcy law.

To be eligible for bankruptcy, Detroit must prove it is insolvent, obtain the state's authority and show it has negotiated in good faith with creditors or that it's not longer possible to do so.

The 6th Circuit's decision comes as the city Friday is expected to file its proposed bankruptcy restructuring plan, which is likely to included proposed cuts for pensioners.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015

This past week was one and a half days shorter than a normal trading week, but it was still jam-packed with economic reports. Monday gave us a report on housing construction spending, which rose 0.5% in May. Tuesday brought auto industry sales numbers and U.S. factory orders, which were both higher for the period. On Wednesday it was the trade report, which showed a big jump in the trade deficit in May, and we also got a better-than-expected ADP jobs report. Of course, Thursday was quiet on Wall Street but perhaps noisy in your neighborhood as the sun went down. Finally, Friday brought the Labor Department's jobs report, which came in with similar fashion as the ADP report, beating estimates and wowing investors.

And, after all that, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) managed to move higher by 226.24 points, or 1.51%, and now sits at 15,135.84. The other major indexes also rose higher this past week. The S&P 500 increased by 1.59%, while the Nasdaq gained 2.23%. But even though in general the markets moved higher, we can still find a few stocks within the Dow that fell into the red for the week.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: KBR Inc. (KBR)

KBR, Inc. operates as an engineering, construction, and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services, minerals, civil infrastructure, power, and industrial sectors worldwide. Its Downstream business unit provides front end engineering design; detailed engineering; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC); EPC management; and program management services to petrochemical, refining, coal gasification, and syngas markets. The company?s Government and Infrastructure business unit provides program and project management, contingency logistics, operations and maintenance, construction management, engineering, and other services to military and civilian branches of governments and private clients. Its Services business unit delivers engineering, construction, construction management, fabrication, maintenance, and turnaround services. It also offers maintenance, construction, and drilling support services for offshore oil and gas producing facili ties using semisubmersible vessels. This segment serves oil, gas, petrochemicals, and hydrocarbon processing industries, as well as power, alternate energy, pulp and paper, industrial and manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries. The company?s Technology business unit offers various process technologies, including value-added technologies in the coal monetization, petrochemical, refining, and syngas markets. Its Upstream business unit constructs liquefied natural gas, gas-to-liquids, onshore oil and gas production facilities, offshore oil and gas production facilities, and onshore and offshore pipelines. The company?s Ventures business unit invests in and manages projects, where the company provides engineering, construction, construction management or operations, and maintenance services. KBR, Inc. was founded in 1901 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  KBR (NYSE: KBR) is expected to post its Q3 earnings at $0.70 per share on revenue of $1.99 billion.

  Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is estimated to post a Q3 loss at $0.04 per share on revenue of $142.67 million.

• [By Rich Smith]

  This umbrella contract authorizes four separate contractors -- privately held CH2M Hill Constructors and Environmental Chemical Corp, and publicly traded KBR (NYSE: KBR  ) and URS (NYSE: URS  ) -- to bid for individual task orders under it. In total, across the contract's one-year "base period" and the up to four subsequent one-year optional extensions, this contract is estimated to have a maximum dollar value of $800 million. It is not to exceed 60 months in duration and so should expire in June 2018.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Raytheon's rockets will be deployed to defend the base, while Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT  ) is managing the overall project. And last week, we found out who will build it, when government contractor KBR (NYSE: KBR  ) was awarded $134 million to turn the 430-acre site into a missile base.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Harsco have gained 4.7% to $26.43 today at 1:16 p.m., outpacing other construction & engineering companies. Dycom (DY) has advanced 0.5% to $30, KBR Inc. (KBR) has ticked up 0.1% to $33.03, Worthington Industries�(WOR) has risen 2.8% to $38.85�and Tutor Perini (TPC) has rallied 3.6% to $22.46.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: HSIL Ltd (HSIL)

HSIL Limited is engaged in manufacturing of sanitaryware products. The Company operates in two segments: sanitaryware and glassware. Its products include Sanitaryware, Faucets, Tiles, Kitchen appliances, Container Glass, PET Bottles and Wellness products. Its brands include Hindware, Hindware Art, Hindware Italian Collection, Raasi, Benelave and Queo. It also operates in two divisions: Building Products and Container Glass. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012, it launched 25 new sanitaryware products under the Hindware portfolio, two series of faucets under the Benelave brand, two new varieties of tiles (double charge tiles and three dimensional tiles) and six kitchen appliances. Its manufacturing facilities are located at Bahadurgarh, Haryana; Somanypuram, Bibinagar, Andhra Pradesh, and Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. On August 12, 2011, the Company acquired Garden Polymers Private Limited. On March 20, 2013, it disinvested/sold its entire investment in AGI Glasspack Ltd.

Top 10 Cheap Companies To Invest In Right Now: Heijmans NV (HEIJ.AS)

Heijmans NV is a Netherlands-based engineering and construction company that provides solutions ranging from concept and design to maintenance and management. It divides its activities into five divisions: Property Development, Residential Building, Non-Residential Building, Technical Services, and Roads and Civil. The Property Development division focuses on the development of projects, as well as develops and sells housing. The Residential Building division includes new build developments, as well as the reconstruction and renovation of housing. The Non-residential Building division is engaged in the reconstruction and renovation of schools, care institutions, airports and offices. The Technical Services activity is operated by the subsidiary Burgers Ergon BV. This company develops and maintains electrical engineering and mechanical systems. The Roads and Civil division�� activities involve designing and maintaining infrastructure above and below the ground.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (JEC)

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides professional, technical, and construction services. Its services include engineering, design, and architectural services; construction and construction management services; operations and maintenance services; and process, scientific, and systems consulting services. The company serves a range of companies and organizations comprising industrial, commercial, and government clients across multiple markets and geographies. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides its services to various industries and markets consisting of oil and gas exploration, production, and refining; environmental programs; pharmaceuticals and biotechnology; chemicals and polymers; buildings; infrastructure; power; technology and manufacturing; consumer products; and pulp and paper. The company provides its services through its offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. was founded in 1947 and is based in Pa sadena, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  URS Corp, which competes with the likes of Fluor (FLR), Jacobs Engineering (JEC) and Tetra Tech (TTEK), said it would earn between $3.20 and $3.30 a share in 2013–the previous range had been between $4.10 and $4.25 a share–and also offered guidance for 2014 that was well below analyst forecasts. On the plus side, URS said it would buy its shares back at a faster pace than previously announced.

• [By Rich Smith]

  The U.S. Department of Defense awarded nine new contracts on Monday worth some $1.121 billion in aggregate. The largest of these awards, however, swallowed more than 85% of the funds on offer. Split among five publicly traded companies, and one privately owned, this monster IT contract envisions paying out $960 million over the course of time to contractors:

  Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT  ) Raytheon (NYSE: RTN  ) Harris� (NYSE: HRS  ) L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL  ) TYBRIN Corp., a subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering Group (NYSE: JEC  ) SRA International

  The multiple award, indefinite- delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract was awarded under the U.S. Air Force's Network-Centric Solutions-2 (NETCENTS-2) Application Services program, which the Air Force describes as being one of its primary vehicles for purchasing "sustainment, migration, integration, training, help desk support, testing and operational support" services. Over the course of the contract, the six named contactors will be the only ones entitled to bid (against each other) for task orders awarded under the umbrella IDIQ contract.

• [By Rich Smith]

  The Department of Defense had a slow day Thursday, announcing only five new defense contracts, with a combined value of only $109.5 million. Of these contracts, only two went to publicly traded defense contractors:

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: Chicago Bridge & Iron Company NV (CBI)

Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (CB&I) is one of the integrated engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services providers and process technology licensors, delivering solutions to customers primarily in the energy, petrochemical and natural resource industries. CB&I consist of three business sectors: Steel Plate Structures, Project Engineering and Construction, and Lummus Technology. Through these business sectors, the Company offers services both independently and on an integrated basis.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had more than 900 projects in process in more than 70 countries. On February 13, 2013, it acquired The Shaw Group Inc. (Shaw).

Steel Plate Structures

Steel Plate Structures provides engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction services, including mechanical erection services, for the hydrocarbon, water and nuclear industries. Projects include above ground storage tanks, elevated storage tanks, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tanks, pressure vessels, and other specialty structures, such as nuclear containment vessels. Customers include international energy companies, such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell; national energy companies, such as ADNOC (Abu Dhabi), CNOOC (China) and Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia); and regional energy companies, such as Kinder Morgan (United States) and Suncor (Canada).

Project Engineering and Construction

Project Engineering and Construction provides engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction services for upstream and downstream energy infrastructure facilities. Projects include LNG liquefaction and regasification terminals, gas processing plants, refinery units, petrochemical complexes and a wide range of other energy-related projects. Customers include international energy companies, such as British Petroleum, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell; national energy companies, such as Ecopetrol (Colombia) and ORPIC (Oman); and regio! nal energy companies, such as Dominion (United States), Gazprom (Russia), Nexen (United Kingdom), and Woodside (Australia).

Lummus Technology

Lummus Technology provides licenses, services, catalysts and equipment for the hydrocarbon refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Customers include international energy companies, such as Chevron and Shell; national energy companies, such as Pemex (Mexico), Petrochina (China), Rosneft (Russia) and Sabic (Saudi Arabia); and regional refiners and chemical and gas processing companies, such as China Coal (China), IRPC (Thailand), Kazakhstan Petrochemical (Kazakhstan), and Williams Energy Services (United States).

Power provides a range of services, including design, EPC, technology and consulting services, primarily to the fossil and nuclear power generation industries. Plant Services provides electric power refueling outage maintenance, turnaround maintenance, routine maintenance, offshore maintenance, modifications, capital construction, off-site modularization, fabrication, reliability engineering, plant engineering, plant support and specialty services. Additionally, it provides services to restore, rebuild, repair, renovate and modify industrial and electric power generation facilities, and offers predictive and preventive maintenance services. Environmental & Infrastructure (E&I) provides full-scale environmental and infrastructure services for government and private-sector clients. These services include program and project management, design-build, engineering and construction, sustainability and energy efficiency, remediation and restoration, science and technology, facilities management and emergency response and disaster recovery. Fabrication and Manufacturing is a worldwide supplier of fabricated piping systems primarily to the electric power, petrochemical and refinery industries, supporting both external clients and other Shaw business sectors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Last quarter, Buffett sold his stakes in�Archer Daniels Midland�(ADM) and�General Dynamics�(GD), and added to a position�in�International Business Machines�(IBM). He also bought shares of�Chicago Bridge & Iron�(CBI), an old favorite of mine from my trading days.�

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Chicago Bridge & Iron (NYSE: CBI  ) and Family Dollar. Chicago Bridge and Iron offers construction and engineering services to the energy and natural resources sectors, working on projects related to the water, hydrocarbon, and nuclear industries. It has been boosting�its revenue growth rate lately, and its latest earnings report featured a $1.9 billion gain in awards, growing its hefty backlog to $25.5 billion. The company bought Shaw Group last year, which is known for constructing nuclear-related buildings. The stock is up 60% over the past year and has averaged�annual growth of about 18.5% over the past decade. Analysts at Lazard Capital, which rate the stock a "buy," recently upped�their price target for it from $65 to $75.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Another area that is intriguing to us is the North American energy sector which looks to have a number of interesting catalysts currently. While the energy sector is at present only a modest overweight in the portfolios, we have been encouraged by several trends taking place for a number of years. These positive developments are also having an impact that goes far beyond the energy sector itself. Many believe that the U.S. will become energy independent and possibly a net exporter of natural gas and oil (currently restricted by law) in the next decade. This opinion is based primarily on the development of new drilling techniques (i.e. horizontal drilling, and high pressure fracking) that have enabled companies to access oil and natural gas reserves in shale formations that were previously not economically viable. The ability to tap into this acreage is a game-changer in our view and is already having a tremendous impact on the economy. Employment rates in these mostly rural areas surrounding the shale basins are very high and companies thus find hiring extremely competitive. Strong labor markets tend to create strong local economies. Oil States International (OIS) has been able to capitalize on this trend by providing housing and other services to oil service workers that are in demand in the area. CST Brands (CST) operates gas stations in Texas, but it is increasingly looking to broaden its product offering beyond fuel. Rail companies like Union Pacific (UNP), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU) and Genesee and Wyoming (GWR) have also benefited substantially. Given that shale areas are rural and often lacking infrastructure, substantial investment must be made to support drilling and production activities. Without pipelines in place, railroads have been the primary takeaway mechanism for moving production to the various clusters of refining capacity around the United States. In order to serve this demand, massive investment in railcars has been nee

• [By Louis Navellier]

  However, there some pockets of opportunity in the infrastructure space. Chicago Bridge and Iron (CBI) doesn�� build many bridges anymore, but it does build storage tanks for liquids and gasses, which gives them an early edge in the rush to build liquefied natural gas facilities. The stock received an upgrade from Jeffries last week and is starting to attract some attention from Wall Street. The steady improvements in business conditions were picked up in Portfolio Grader, and the stock was upgraded to a ��uy��in August.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: Clean Wind Energy Tower Inc (CWET)

Clean Wind Energy Tower, Inc. (Clean Wind), incorporated on January 22, 1962, focuses on becoming a provider of green energy. As of December 31, 2011, Clean Wind had designed and was preparing to develop, and construct Downdraft Towers that use non-toxic elements to generate electricity and clean water by integrating and synthesizing a range of proven, as well as emerging technologies.

The Downdraft Tower is a hollow cylinder with a water spray system at the top. Pumps deliver water to the top of the Downdraft Tower to spray a fine mist across the entire opening. The water evaporates and cools the hot dry air at the top. The cooled air is denser and heavier than the outside warmer air and falls through the cylinder at speeds up to and in excess of 50 miles per hour (mph), driving the turbines located at the base of the structure. The turbines power generators to produce electricity.

The Company competes with Southern California Edison Company, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Arizona Public Service Company, Florida Power & Light Company, enXco, Inc., PPM Energy, Inc. and UNS.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: HSIL Ltd (HSNT.NS)

HSIL Limited is engaged in manufacturing of sanitaryware products. The Company operates in two segments: sanitaryware and glassware. Its products include Sanitaryware, Faucets, Tiles, Kitchen appliances, Container Glass, PET Bottles and Wellness products. Its brands include Hindware, Hindware Art, Hindware Italian Collection, Raasi, Benelave and Queo. It also operates in two divisions: Building Products and Container Glass. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012, it launched 25 new sanitaryware products under the Hindware portfolio, two series of faucets under the Benelave brand, two new varieties of tiles (double charge tiles and three dimensional tiles) and six kitchen appliances. Its manufacturing facilities are located at Bahadurgarh, Haryana; Somanypuram, Bibinagar, Andhra Pradesh, and Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. On August 12, 2011, the Company acquired Garden Polymers Private Limited. On March 20, 2013, it disinvested/sold its entire investment in AGI Glasspack Ltd.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: Stanley Black & Decker Inc.(SWK)

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. manufactures tools and engineered security solutions worldwide. The company?s Security segment provides a range of mechanical and electronic security products and systems, as well as various security services consisting of security integration systems, software, and related installation, maintenance, monitoring services; automatic doors, door closers, and exit devices; healthcare storage and supply chain solutions; patient protection products; hardware; and locking mechanisms. This segment sells its products to retailers; educational, financial, and healthcare institutions; and commercial, governmental, and industrial customers through direct sales forces and third party distributors. Its Industrial segment offers mechanics tools and storage systems, including wrenches, sockets, electronic diagnostic tools, tool boxes, and industrial storage and retrieval systems; engineered healthcare storage and retrieval systems; hydraulic tools and accessor ies; plumbing, heating, and air conditioning tools; assembly tools and systems; and specialty tools. This segment sells its products to industrial customers through third party distributors and direct sales forces. The company?s Construction & Do-It-Yourself segment manufactures hand tools, including measuring and leveling tools, planes, hammers, demolition tools, knives and blades, saws, chisels, and consumer tackers; consumer mechanics tools; storage units comprising plastic and metal tool boxes; and pneumatic tools and fasteners for use in construction, remodeling, furniture making, pallet and manufacturing applications. This segment sells its products to professional end users and consumers through retailers, including home centers, mass merchants, hardware stores, and retail lumber yards. The company was formerly known as The Stanley Works and changed its name to Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. in March 2010. Stanley Black & Decker was founded in 1843 and is based in New B ritain, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $1.38 per share on revenue of $2.82 billion.

  Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.18 per share on revenue of $22.03 billion.

• [By Caroline Bennett]

  The Board of Directors for industrial tool producer Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK  ) has approved an increase to its quarterly dividend. The company's payout will go up $0.01 to a total of $0.50 per share, and will be payable on Sept. 17 to recorded shareholders as of Sept. 6.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: Amcol International Corp (ACO)

AMCOL International Corporation (AMCOL), incorporated on December 3, 1959, is focused on the development and application of minerals and technology products and services to various industrial and consumer markets. It operates in five segments: performance materials, construction technologies, energy services, transportation and corporate. Its performance materials segment previously referred to as its minerals and materials segment is a supplier of bentonite related products. Its construction technologies segment previously referred to as its environmental segment provides products for non-residential construction, environmental and infrastructure projects worldwide. Its energy services segment previously referred to as its oilfield services segment offers a range of patented technologies, products and services for both upstream and downstream oil and gas production. Its transportation segment serves domestic subsidiaries, as well as third parties, is a dry van and flatbed carrier and freight brokerage service provider.

Performance Materials Segment

The Company supplies chromite and leonardite, and operates more than 25 mining or production facilities worldwide. It mines chromite, an iron chromium oxide, from open cast mines in South Africa and transport it to our nearby processing facility. Its primary uses include metalcasting, drilling fluid additive, and agricultural applications. Its performance materials segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and investments in affiliates and joint ventures throughout the world. It consists of four product lines: metalcasting; specialty materials; basic minerals, and pet products. Its principal products are marketed under various registered trade names, including VOLCLAY, PANTHER CREEK, PREMIUM GEL, ADDITROL, ENERSOL, and Hevi-Sand.

The Company�� metalcasting products include blended mineral binders containing sodium and calcium bentonite and organic additives sold under the trade name ADDITROL. I! n the ferrous casting market, the Company specializes in blending bentonite of various grades by themselves or with mineral binders containing sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, seacoal and other ingredients. It also has a line of formulated additives that introduce silicon and carbon in the melt phase of the casting process. In the steel alloy casting market, it sells a chromite product with a particle size distribution specific to a customer�� needs.

The Company�� specialty materials products contain bentonite and synthetic additives offering solutions for consumer and industrial applications. It also offers products for bio-agricultural applications. The markets and applications of its specialty materials products include fabric care, personal care, basic materials and pet products. It supply high-grade, agglomerated bentonite and other mineral additives used in fabric care products. It manufactures adsorbent polymers and purified grades of bentonite for sale to manufacturers of personal skin care products. The adsorbent polymers are used to deliver high-value actives in skin-care products. Microsponge and Poly-Pore are the principal trade names under which these products are sold. Its basic minerals product line supplies minerals to a variety of markets and industrial applications, including drilling fluid additives, ferro alloys and other industrial.

The Company�� pet products include sodium bentonite-based scoopable (clumping), traditional and alternative cat litters, as well as specialty pet products sold to grocery and drug stores, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs and pet specialty stores throughout the United States. It is primarily a private-label producer of cat litter, and its products are marketed under various trade names. These products are sold solely in the United States from three principal sites from which it package and distribute finished goods. Its transportation segment provides logistics services and is a component of its capability in supplyi! ng custom! ers on a national basis.

Construction Technologies Segment

The Company�� construction technologies segment serves customers engaged in a range of construction projects, including site remediation, concrete waterproofing for underground structures, liquid containment on projects ranging from landfills to flood control, and drilling applications including foundation, slurry wall, tunneling, water well and horizontal drilling. Its construction technologies segment conducts its business through wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures throughout the world. This segment consists of four product lines: building materials; contracting services; drilling products, and lining technologies.

The Company sells lining and other products for a variety of applications, most of which are directed to preserving or remediating environmental issues. It helps customers protect ground water and soil through the sale of geosynthetic clay liner products containing bentonite. It market these products under the BENTOMAT and CLAYMAX trade names principally for lining and capping landfills, mine waste disposal sites, water and wastewater lagoons, secondary containments in tank farms, and other contaminated sites. It also provides associated geosynthetic materials for these applications, including geotextiles and drainage geocomposites.

The Company�� lining technologies product line also includes specialized technologies to mitigate vapor intrusion in new building construction. It also provides reactive capping technologies and solutions to contain residual contamination, reduce costs associated with ex-situ remedies, and aid in environmental protection. Products offered include Liquid Boot, a liquid applied vapor barrier system; REACTIVE CORE-MAT, an in-situ sediment capping material; ORGANOCLAY, which absorbs organic containments, and QUIK-SOLID, a super absorbent media.

The Company offer a variety of active and passive waterproofing and greenroof technolog! ies for u! se in protecting the building envelope of non-residential constructions, including buildings, subways, and parkway systems. Its products include VOLTEX, a waterproofing composite comprised of two polypropylene geotextiles filled with sodium bentonite; ULTRASEAL, an advanced membrane using a active polymer core, and COREFLEX, featuring heat-welded seams for protection of critical infrastructure. In addition to these membrane materials, it also provides roofing products and a variety of sealants and other accessories required to create a functional waterproofing system.

The Company drilling products are used in environmental and geotechnical drilling applications, horizontal directional drilling, mineral exploration and foundation construction. The products are used to install monitoring wells, facilitate horizontal and water well drilling, and seal abandoned exploration drill holes. VOLCLAY GROUT, HYDRAUL-EZ, BENTOGROUT and VOLCLAY TABLETS are among the trade names for products used in these applications. It also offer a range of drilling products used in the excavation of foundations for large buildings, bridges and dams; these products include SHORE PAC and PREMIUM GEL. Contracting services, which involve installation of products, are occasionally offered to customers for select projects.

Energy Services Segment

The Company�� energy services segment provides services to improve the production, costs, compliance, and environmental impact of activities performed in the oil and gas industry. Operating as CETCO Energy Services, it offer a range of patented technologies, products and services for all phases of oil and gas production, transportation, refining, and storage throughout the world. It provide both land-based and offshore water treatment, well testing, pipeline separation, nitrogen, coil tubing and other services to the oil and gas industry. The Company provides its services through subsidiaries located in Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Ki! ngdom, an! d the United States, principally in the Gulf of Mexico and the surrounding on-shore area. Its principal services include water treatment, coil tubing, well testing, nitrogen services and pipeline. The Company helps customers comply with regulatory requirements by providing equipment, technologies, personnel and filtration media to treat waste water generated during oil production.

The Company's coil tubing services utilize metal piping, which comes spooled on a large reel. It provide both equipment and operating personnel to perform services ranging from acid stimulation, reverse circulation, cementing, pressure control, nitrogen injection, and other operations that involve pumping fluids into a well. Horizontal wells and shale completions are a large component of its operations. It provide equipment and personnel to help customers control well production, as well as to clean up, unload, separate, measure component flow, and dispose of fluids from oil and gas wells. Nitrogen services are provided in jetting wells that are loaded with fluid; stimulating wells, including fracturizing and acidizing; displacing completion fluids prior to perforating; inflating flotation devices for offshore installations, and pressure testing and other maintenance activities.

Transportation Segment

The Company operates a long-haul trucking business through Ameri-Co Carriers, Inc., and a freight brokerage business through Ameri-Co Logistics, Inc. primarily for delivery of finished products throughout the continental United States. These services are provided to its subsidiaries, as well as third-party customers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO  ) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 26. 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 AMCOL International's revenues will grow 1.6% and EPS will wither -16.9%.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  In trading on Friday, Basic Materials shares were relative leaders, up on the day by 0.78 percent. Top gainer in the sector was AMCOL International (NYSE: ACO), up 9 percent.

10 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2015: Combined Group Contracting Co SAKC (CGC)

Combined Group Contracting Company KSCC is a Kuwait-based public shareholding company that operates in the construction industry. The Company�� activities include general contracting, mechanical and engineering works, construction of industrial and commercial buildings, bridges, and highways; manufacture and import of building materials; trade and packaging of cement, sand and related materials; ready-mix works; asphalt production; owning the transportation intermediaries for the Company�� activities, and the investment of excess funds in portfolios managed by specialized companies. The Company operates mainly in the State of Kuwait and other Gulf countries. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� subsidiaries included Combined Group for Trading and Contracting Co WLL, Combined International Real Estate Company KSCC and Combined Group Contracting Company KSC, among others.

Merrill Lynch Continues to Add Top Stocks to Its Sell List

It has been impossible not to notice a marked increase in Underperform and Sell ratings emerging from the top firms on Wall Street. When you have a 30% market increase that is immediately followed by a 6% downdraft right after the new year starts, some firms start to look for stocks that need to be taken off the table. As we have pointed out recently, some names are simply fully valued. With other names, something may be broken and will not be fixed anytime soon.

In a new daily research report, the Merrill Lynch analysts again encourage investors to sell certain stocks that had been big favorites in the past. In an odd twist, while they keep many of the names as Sell-rated but lift their price targets. In some cases, the targets are raised dramatically. Here are additional names that are Sell-rated at Merrill Lynch.

BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ: BBRY) has been circled by short sellers for years. Despite countless efforts to reboot the company, the smartphone revolution has knocked the company from former lofty heights to single digits. Short sellers covered 14,193,136 shares, or 13.2% of the outstanding shares sold short, in January. The Merrill Lynch price target for the stock is $6. The Thomson/First Call consensus price target for the stock is $7.15. BlackBerry closed Friday at $8.98.

Burger King Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: BKW) recently beat fourth-quarter earnings estimates, but it missed on revenues. Even though Burger King posted higher earnings in the quarter, its revenues have been soft due to difficult consumer discretionary environment in the United States. Government budget cuts, high tax rates and still-tightened credit availability continue to hurt consumers’ discretionary spending. Investors are paid a 1.1% dividend. The Merrill Lynch price target goes from $18 to $20. The consensus estimate is at $25.78, very close to where the stock closed Friday at $25.63. This could simply be a valuation call.

Entergy Corp. (NYSE: ETR) is also a stock to Sell at UBS and hit its list recently. The company has decided to stay the course with its nuclear power plants, and that does not sit that well with the UBS team. Possible litigation risks and the always possible nuclear accident risks are outweighing the positive dividend and demand for energy. Investors are paid a 5.3% dividend. Merrill Lynch raised its price objective from $60 to $62. The consensus target is $63.13. Entergy closed Friday at $64.49.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NASDAQ: GT) may also be a straight valuation call. The stock roared last week on the back of good earnings. With bad weather severely slowing new car sales, and the stock very close to 52-week highs, the logic is there. Much of Wall Street does not seem to agree. Investors are paid a tiny 0.7% dividend. The Merrill Lynch target is raised again from $11 to $18. The consensus target is $27.20. Goodyear closed Friday at $26.76.

Lexmark International Inc. (NYSE: LXK) is another name that has slowly, but surely, lost its cache as an industry leader. Once one of the premiere names in high-end printers, the company continues to lose market share. It also has very little to offer in terms of innovation and new and exciting products. The stock does pay shareholders a solid 2.9% dividend. The Merrill Lynch price target is $31, and the consensus price target is $31.75. That is far below Friday’s closing price of $41.12.

Molson Coors Brewing Co. (NYSE: TAP), like many beer companies, has seen beer consumption drop in favor of wine and liquor. The only standout in the recent poor numbers was an increase in sales of “above-premium beers.” Despite a new brewer opening up almost every day in the United States, Molson Coors accounts for nearly one of every three additional brews sold at the craft-brew level. Shareholders are paid a 2.7% dividend. Merrill Lynch lifts the price target from $50 to $52. The consensus target is $58.25. The stock closed Friday at $55.02.

We will continue to track the major firms on Wall Street for their Sell ratings. The sooner we can get that information to our readers, the better. Big institutional clients often get the reach around when it comes to rating changes, the smaller investors are not quite as lucky. That is a practice not likely to change anytime soon.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now

NEW YORK (AP) ��Pizza Hut plans to start offering pizza by the slice for the first time in two test locations this week, as the chain looks to keep pace with trendy competitors offering quick, made-to-order pies.

The chain says the two locations ��one in York, Neb. and Pawtucket, R.I. ��will open on Tuesday.

A slice will cost between $2 and $3 and take three to four minutes to heat up. They'll be made with new recipes more in line with the thinner pies sold in the Northeast.

The tests reflect how established restaurant chains are scrambling to reinvent themselves to keep pace with a rapidly changing industry. Diners are increasingly flocking to places such as Chipotle, where they feel they can get restaurant-quality food for just a little more than they would pay at fast-food chains such as Burger King.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Smiths Group(SMIN.L)

Smiths Group plc engages in the development, manufacture, sale, and support of products and services for the threat and contraband detection, energy, medical devices, communications, and engineered components markets worldwide. The company offers security equipment, including trace detection, millimetre-wave, infrared, biological detection, and diagnostics that detect and identify explosives, narcotics, weapons, chemical agents, biohazards, nuclear and radioactive material, and contraband. It also provides mechanical seals, seal support systems, engineered bearings, power transmission couplings, specialist filtration systems, and other hardware products for the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, and mining sectors. In addition, the company offers medical devices aligned to specific therapies, primarily airway, pain and temperature management, infusion, needle protection, critical care monitoring, and vascular access. Further, it provides electronic and radio frequency products that connect, protect, and control critical systems for the wireless telecommunications, aerospace, defense, space, medical, rail, test, and industrial markets; and engineered components comprising ducting, hose assemblies, and heating elements that move and heat fluids and gases for the aerospace, medical, industrial, construction, and domestic markets. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Panther Secs(PNS.L)

Panther Securities P.L.C. invests and deals in real estate properties and securities in the United Kingdom. It invests primarily in commercial properties, such as offices, retail units, and bars. The company also invests in residential properties and industrial estates. In addition, it provides real-time information systems, including bookmaking, broadcasting, and digital signage. The company was incorporated in 1934 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2015: Hsbc Hdg(HSBA.L)

HSBC Holdings plc provides various banking and financial products and services. The company?s Retail Banking and Wealth Management business offers a range of personal banking products, including current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit cards, debit cards, and local and international payment services; and wealth management services comprising insurance and investment products, and asset management and financial planning services. Its Commercial Banking business provides overdrafts, term and syndicated loans, acquisition and project finance, and asset finance; receivables finance; payments and cash management services, such as payments and collections, liquidity management, and account services; commercial cards; international trade finance; treasury and capital market products; commercial cards; insurance; and cash and derivatives in foreign exchange and rates, as well as online and direct banking services. The company?s Global Banking and Market s business offers treasury and capital markets services consisting of foreign exchange; currency, interest rate, bond, credit, equity, and other derivatives; government and non-government fixed income and money market instruments; precious metals and exchange-traded futures; equity services; capital markets instruments; securities services, which include custody and clearing services, and funds administration; and financing, advisory, and transaction services. Its Global Private Banking provides a range of private banking, investment management, trust solution, and corporate finance solutions to high net worth individuals and families. The company operates through a network of approximately 7,200 offices in 85 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Rey Resources Ltd(REY.AX)

Rey Resources Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of coal properties in Canning Basin, Western Australia. It primarily explores for thermal coal deposits in the Duchess Paradise project located on a pastoral station approximately 30 kilometers south of the Great Northern Highway between Derby and Fitzroy Crossing. The company also holds two petroleum exploration permits. Rey Resources Limited was incorporated in 2005 and is based in West Perth, Australia.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Uranium Participat Com Npv (U.TO)

Uranium Participation Corporation operates as an investment holding company. The company invests its assets substantially in uranium oxide in concentrates (U3O8). U3O8 is primarily used as a fuel for nuclear power plants. Denison Mines, Inc. operates as the manager of the company. Uranium Participation was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: ENGlobal Corporation (ENG)

ENGlobal Corporation provides engineering and professional services principally to the energy sector in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Engineering and Construction, and Automation. The Engineering and Construction segment offers services relating to the development, management, and execution of projects requiring professional engineering and related project services primarily to the midstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, as well as to chemical and petrochemical manufacturers, utilities, and alternative energy developers. Its services include conceptual studies, project definition, cost estimating, engineering design, environmental compliance, material procurement, project management, facility inspection, and construction management. This segment also provides engineering, design, electrical and instrument installation, and operation and maintenance services for facilities to government, public sector, and internat ional facilities. The Automation segment offers services related to the design, fabrication, and implementation of process distributed control and analyzer systems, advanced automation, information technology, and heat tracing projects primarily to the upstream and downstream sectors. This segment also designs, assembles, integrates, and services control and instrumentation systems for specific applications in energy and processing related industries. ENGlobal Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

  
  The Rise and Fall of Tontine Asset Management and ENGlobal (ENG)

  
  Gendell rarely conducted interviews, almost never publicizing his stock selections or his theories in regard to investing. The average investor had never heard of him or his hedge fund; however anyone who tracked money managers closely, was well aware the outstanding returns which were flowing into the pockets of the clients at Tontine. In 2003 and 2004, Gendell recorded near miraculous gains, approximately doubling the value of his portfolios, in back to back years.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

   

  ENGlobal (ENG) provides engineering and professional services principally to the energy sector in the U.S. and internationally. This stock closed up 9% to $1.60 in Thursday's trading session.

   

  Thursday's Range: $1.48-$1.63
  
  52-Week Range: $0.30-$1.88
  
  Thursday's Volume: 245,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 59,090

   

  From a technical perspective, ENG spiked sharply higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $1.50 with above-average volume. This move pushed shares of ENG into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $1.59. Shares of ENG are now starting to move within range of triggering another near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if ENG manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $1.66 to $1.71 with high volume.

   

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ENG as long as it's trending above Thursday's low of $1.48 or above more support at $1.40 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 59,090 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ENG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $1.88. Any high-volume move above that level will then give ENG a chance to tag $2 to $2.20.

   

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI.V)

DNI Metals Inc., a development stage company, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for diamond, molybdenum, nickel, uranium, vanadium, zinc, copper, cobalt, silver, gold, scandium, lithium and thorium, and other rare metal deposits. Its principal properties include the Alberta polymetallic black shale SBH property comprising 36 metallic and industrial mineral permits located in the Athabasca region, northeast Alberta; and the Attawapiskat Diamond property consisting of a 16 square kilometer land position in the Attawapiskat region located in the James Bay Lowlands in Ontario. The company was formerly known as Dumont Nickel Inc. and changed its name to DNI Metals Inc. in May 2010. DNI Metals Inc. was incorporated in 1954 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Nokia Oyj (NOK)

Nokia Corporation (Nokia) has three operating segments: Devices & Services; NAVTEQ, and Nokia Siemens Networks. Devices & Services is responsible for developing and managing the Company�� portfolio of mobile products, as well as designing and developing services, including applications and content. NAVTEQ is a provider of digital map information and related location-based content and services for mobile navigation devices, automotive navigation systems, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. Nokia Siemens Networks provides mobile and fixed network infrastructure, communications and networks service platforms, as well as professional services and business solutions, to operators and service providers. In April 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of Novarra, Inc. and MetaCarta Inc. In September 2010, Nokia acquired Motally, Inc. In December 2010, Renesas Electronics Corporation acquired Nokia�� Wireless Modem business. In August 2012, the Company sold a portfolio consisting of over 500 patents and patent applications worldwide to Vringo Inc.

Mobile Phones

Nokia produces a range of mobile phones based on the Series 30 and Series 40 operating systems. These products have voice capability, basic messaging and calendar features, and, increasingly, color displays, radios, basic cameras and Bluetooth functionality. Series 30-based mobile phones do not provide Internet connectivity, access to Ovi or offer opportunities for application development by third parties. During 2010, its portfolio of Series 30-based mobile phones included the Nokia 1616, equipped with a long-lasting anti-dust keypad, frequency modulation (FM) radio, a flashlight, and a display that makes viewing information on the small screen easier. Its Series 40 operating system powers the mobile phone models and supports more functionalities and applications, such as Internet connectivity and access to its services.

Series 40 is open to third-party developers! to build Java and Adobe Flash Lite applications and content, which they can make available through the Ovi Store. It combines a touchscreen and a traditional phone keypad, is equipped with a five megapixel camera, quad-band for voice calling and third generation (3G), high speed packet access (HSPA) and wireless fidelity (WiFi) connectivity for data in a bushed aluminum finish. Other additions to the Company�� portfolio included the Nokia C3 Touch & Type, a stainless steel device, which also combines the touch screen and traditional phone keypad, and the Nokia 2690, memory card slot, and which gives access to Ovi Mail and features an FM radio and video graphics array (VGA) camera. It is also incorporating some of the software features and related services popular in its smartphones into the Series 40-based mobile phones. These include the new Ovi Web browser, which is based on the browser technology. It also offers Ovi Mail, a free e-mail service designed for users in emerging markets with Internet-enabled devices.

Smartphones

Nokia�� smartphones are based on the Symbian operating system, which supports an array of functionalities and provides opportunities for the development of applications and content by third parties. During 2010, Nokia also offered a product built on the Linux-based Maemo operating system. The Company makes smartphones for a range of consumer groups, offering Internet access, entertainment, location-based and other services, applications and content. With smartphones, its product categories include music players, cameras, pocketable computers, gaming consoles and navigation devices.

During 2010, the Company introduced a family of smartphones based on a new generation of the Symbian operating system. These were the Nokia N8, a smartphone crafted from anodized aluminum and available in a range of colors, and which offers imaging, video and entertainment capabilities; the Nokia C7, a sleek, full-touch smartphone crafted from stainless stee! l and gla! ss that is designed to appeal to social networkers; the Nokia C6-01, a smaller, full-touch smartphone that features Nokia ClearBlack display technology for outdoor visibility; and the Nokia E7, a business smartphone equipped with a full keyboard and 4-inch touchscreen display also featuring Nokia ClearBlack technology.

During 2010, the Company introduced a number of models based on the Symbian operating system, including the Nokia C6-00, a messaging-optimized smartphone with a 3.2-inch high definition (HD) touchscreen display, a slide out four-row QWERTY keyboard and a five megapixel camera; and the Nokia E5, a messaging-optimized QWERTY smartphone that builds on the Nokia E71 and Nokia E72. The Company also manufactures and sells luxury mobile devices under the Vertu brand. Vertu has more than 600 points of sale globally, including more than 90 Vertu boutiques, in almost 70 countries worldwide.

NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ Corporation (NAVTEQ) offers context and geographical services through Ovi Maps to a range of location-based services, such as pedestrian navigation, traffic and public transport information, local services and city guides, integration with social networks and contextual advertising. In January 2010, Nokia introduced a new version of Ovi Maps for its smartphones, which includes navigation to the user, and it is using NAVTEQ�� digital map information and related location-based content in this offering. This new version of Ovi Maps includes car and pedestrian navigation features, such as turn-by-turn voice guidance. During 2010, the Company�� NAVTEQ launched its new advanced mapping collection technology, NAVTEQ True. During 2010, its NAVTEQ launched Natural Guidance, a product to enable guidance in a human manner through the use of descriptive reference cues.

NAVTEQ�� map database enables the Company�� customers to offer navigation, route planning, location-based services and other geographic information-based products and services to con! sumer and! commercial users. NAVTEQ provides its database to mobile device and handset manufacturers, automobile manufacturers and dealers, navigation systems manufacturers, software developers, Internet portals, parcel and overnight delivery services companies and governmental and quasi- governmental entities, among others. The products and services incorporating NAVTEQ map data include Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Dynamic navigation, Route planning, Location-based services and Geographic information systems. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems are in-vehicle applications that require geographic data, such as curve, slope, speed limits and highly detailed geometry. Dynamic navigation is real-time, detailed turn-by-turn route guidance, which can be provided to end-users through vehicle navigation systems, as well as through Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled handheld navigation devices, and other mobile devices.

Route planning consists of driving directions, route optimization and map display through services provided by Internet portals and through computer software for personal and commercial use. Location-based services include location-specific information services, providing information about people and places that is tailored to the proximity of the specific user. The applications using NAVTEQ�� map database include points of interest locators, mobile directory assistance services, emergency response systems and vehicle-based telematics services. Geographic information systems render geographic representations of information and assets for management analysis and decision making. In addition, NAVTEQ has a traffic and logistics data collection network in which it processes traffic incident and event information, along with traffic flow data collected through its network of roadside sensors and from GPS data records from Nokia devices and other NAVTEQ customers, in order to provide detailed traffic information to radio and television stations, in-vehicle and mobile navigation systems! , Interne! t sites and mobile device users.

NAVTEQ�� map database is a representation of road transportation networks in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and other regions around the world. This database offers geographic coverage, including data at various levels of detail for 84 countries on six continents, covering more than 19 million miles of roadway worldwide. The most detailed coverage includes road, route and related travel information, including attributes collected by road segment that are essential for routing and navigation, such as road classifications, details regarding ramps, road barriers, sign information, street names and addresses and traffic rules and regulations. In addition, the database includes over 50 million points of interest, such as airports, hotels, restaurants, retailers, civic offices and cultural sites.

Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks has three business units: network systems; global services; and business solutions. Nokia Siemens Networks is jointly owned by Nokia and Siemens. Nokia Siemens Networks is a provider of telecommunications infrastructure hardware, software and professional services globally. Nokia Siemens Networks��customers include network operators, such as Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telecom, France Telecom, Telefonica O2 and Vodafone, as well as service providers, such as Unitech and XO Communications. Nokia Siemens Networks has a products and services portfolio designed to address the needs of communication service providers. Nokia Siemens Networks provides its products and services to more than 600 communication service providers in over 150 countries and has systems serving in excess of 1.5 billion subscribers.

Network systems offers communication service providers both fixed and mobile network infrastructure, including Nokia Siemens Networks��Flexi Multiradio base stations, a software defined radio supporting global system for mobile (GSM), 3G and LTE radio technologies, packet product! s, optica! l transport systems and broadband access equipment. For wireless networks, Network Systems develops and manufactures GSM/EDGE and WCDMA/HSPA radio access networks for network operators. It also develops products, such as I-HSPA and new technologies, such as LTE to support the uptake of mobile data services. For fixed line networks, Network Systems focuses on transport networks. Network Systems provides the fundamental elements for high-speed transmission through optical and microwave networks, including packet-oriented technologies, such as Carrier Ethernet and traditional protocols, such as time-division multiplexing (TDM).

Global services business unit offers network operators a range of professional services, including network planning and optimization, the management of network operations and the care and maintenance of software and hardware, and a range of network implementation and turnkey solutions. As of December 31, 2010, 180 million global subscribers were managed througt Nokia Siemens Networks��global delivery hubs. Global services consists of three businesses, which include managed services, which offers network planning and optimization and the management of network operations, with the market share position in India, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa; care, which offers software and hardware maintenance, proactive and multi-vendor care and competence development services, dealing with one million global hardware service transactions, and network implementation, which offers project management and turnkey implementations and energy efficient sites, remotely activating a site every two minutes, 365 days per year.

Business solutions offers products to communication service providers for business and operations support systems and customer experience management, such as charging and billing software, service management software and subscriber database management, and products that enable enhancement and delivery of services across multiple networks and d! evices an! d convergent service control and network security, together with services related to consulting, product implementation, support and care, systems integration and managed services. Business solutions offer products for five areas, as well as services relating to consulting, product implementation, support and care, systems integration and managed services includes business support systems; operations support systems; customer experience management; service enablement and delivery, and converged service control.

The Company competes with Google, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Tele Atlas, CISCO, NEC and Motorola.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the move: Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) is up 31.5% at $5.13 on the announcement that Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) will acquire the Finnish firm�� mobile phone business for $7.2 billion. Chinese solar energy stocks are getting a boost again today, with Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) up more than 15.9% and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) up 14.9%.

• [By Rebecca McClay]

  Nokia Corp. (NYSE ADR: NOK) rose more than 44% Monday after announcing a deal with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT). Microsoft said it will purchase substantially all of Nokia's Devices & Services business, license Nokia's patents, and license and use Nokia's mapping services in a more than $7 billion deal.

• [By John Udovich]

  The latest earnings report from Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) was a mixed bag for investors as there was some good news along with other news that�wasn�� so good or could even be considered bad.�I should mention that�we have Nokia in our�SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio and we are up over 12% since early May. Nevertheless, an investment here is not for the risk adverse. With that in mind, here is a quick rundown as to where investors stand after the Nokia earnings report:

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. (ED)

Consolidated Edison, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides electric, gas, and steam utility services in the United States. It provides electric service to approximately 3.3 million customers and gas service to approximately 1.1 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, as well as provides steam service to office buildings and apartment houses in parts of Manhattan. The company also provides electric service to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and in adjacent areas of northern New Jersey, and northeastern Pennsylvania; and gas service to approximately 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York and adjacent areas of northeastern Pennsylvania. In addition, Consolidated Edison involves in the sale and related hedging of electricity to wholesale and retail customers; operation of generating plants; participation in other infrastructure projects; and provision of energy-efficiency services, including the design and installation of lighting retrofits, high-efficiency heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, and other energy saving technologies to government and commercial customers. It serves residential, industrial, and large commercial customers. The company was founded in 1884 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Electric utilities have never been the most exciting opportunities in the stock market, but lately, one stock in the group has been underperforming the stock market as a whole, and performing particularly poorly relative to its peers to boot: Consolidated Edison (NYSE: ED  ) . Why?

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Early on Wednesday, analysts at Goldman Sachs upgraded utility company Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED), noting that rate case concerns are already priced into the stock’s current valuation.

  The analysts upgraded ED from “Sell” to “Neutral” and see shares reaching $57, up from the previous target of $55. This new price target suggests a slight upside to the stock’s Tuesday closing price of $55.28.

  “While ED faces a challenging rate case in New York, we see this risk as well understood by the market now,” Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Lapides said.

  Con Edison shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Wednesday. The stock is down a fraction year-to-date.

• [By Dividend Growth Investor]

  Even stodgy utilities, which investors regard as safe investments could deliver their fair share of losses. For example, in 1974 Con Edison (ED) skipped dividends for one quarter and then initiated them back at a rate that was 55% lower than prior to the cut. This was prompted by the fact that the company used oil for its power generation facilities, and the oil embargo made it unable to pass price increases to consumers quickly enough. In addition, it was burdened by construction projects used to increase capacity, all of which caused a shortage of cash. This probably surprised many investors, who were relying on dividends of otherwise stable utilities. In fact, when I look at records of utilities companies in the Dow Jones Utilities Index, there are just a few that have never cut dividends. This goes on to show, that time and again, dividend investors might fall in love with a certain sector, be it master limited partnerships, financials, consumer staples or real estate investment trusts. If they are not careful however, and overexpose themselves to certain sectors, they increase the riskiness of their portfolios.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  This week a few companies answered the call and rewarded their shareholders with higher cash dividends:
  
  Consolidated Edison Inc. (ED) engages in regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2.4% to $0.63 per share. The dividend is payable March 15, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 12, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 4.7%.
  
  Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ), a real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, develops, and manages real estate portfolio, as well as performs certain real estate-related services. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 66.7% to $0.075 per share. The dividend is payable February 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.8%.
  
  Wisconsin Energy Corporation (WEC) generates and distributes electric energy, as well as distributes natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Utility Energy and Non-Utility Energy. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 2% to $0.3900 per share. The dividend is payable March 1, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 14, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 3.8%.
  
  BlackRock Inc. (BLK) is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors. January 16th the company increased its quarterly dividend 14.9% to $1.93 per share. The dividend is payable March 24, 2014, to stockholders of record on March 7, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.4%.
  
  ONEOK Inc. (OKE) operates as a diversified energy company in the United States. January 15th the company increased its quarterly dividend 5.3% to $0.40 per share. The dividend is payable February 18, 2014, to stockholders of record on February 10, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 2.5%.
  
  Omega Healthcare Investors Inc. (OHI) is a real es

Top 10 High Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now: China BAK Battery Inc.(CBAK)

China BAK Battery, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture, commercialization, and distribution of various standard and customized lithium ion rechargeable batteries. The company offers various products, including aluminum-case prismatic, cylindrical, lithium polymer, and high-power lithium battery cells. Its battery cells are the principal component of rechargeable batteries used to power cellular phones and smart phones; notebook computers, tablet computers, and e-book readers; portable consumer electronics, such as digital cameras, portable media players, portable gaming devices, personal digital assistants, camcorders, and Bluetooth headsets; and electric bicycles, light electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, cordless power tools, and uninterruptible power supplies. The company serves battery pack manufacturers, original equipment manufactures, and replacement battery manufacturers primarily in the People?s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hon g Kong, India, the United States, the Middle East, Italy, Germany, and Turkey. China BAK Battery, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is based in Shenzhen, China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ant贸nio Costa]
  China BAK Battery Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAK) still looks pretty good on the technical daily chart with volume expanding as it moves higher, MACD crossover too. CBAK continues to look bullish and had a decent day Friday. ( click to enlarge )

GM restores sinkhole-damaged Corvettes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Once engineers figure out the best way to scoop eight historic Corvettes from a sinkhole that opened up under the National Corvette Museum, General Motors design staff will oversee their restoration, GM officials announced Thursday.

The museum retained a construction company to shore up the 40-foot-wide sinkhole that formed early Wednesday and repair the building where the floor caved in, Executive Director Wendell Strode said.

STORY: Watch sinkhole swallow 8 Corvettes

About 25 cars were on display inside the Sky Dome, a separate building joined by a hallway to the main museum, before the collapse. All but the eight that tumbled into the hole were moved to safety.

"The vehicles at the National Corvette Museum are some of the most significant in automotive history," Mark Reuss, executive vice president of General Motors Global Product Development said in a statement from his offices in Warren, Mich. "There can only be one 1 millionth Corvette ever built. We want to ensure as many of the damaged cars are restored as possible so fans from around the world can enjoy them."

Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design, will supervise the vehicles' restoration, he said.

When the cars are recovered, they will be shipped to the Mechanical Assembly facility, a small specialty shop within GM design, where the best restoration approach will be determined, GM said. Mechanical Assembly restores many of GM's historical concept cars.

"Safety will be paramount, but we will also want to save the cars as fast as we can," Strode told the Park City Daily News in Bowling Green.

Construction crews will begin work Friday to repair the museum and will take up to three weeks to stabilize and secure the area, Mike Murphy, Scott, Murphy &a! mp; Daniel Construction's chief executive said at a news conference. His company will secure the sinkhole and surrounding areas to prevent future sinkholes from affecting the museum.

Once the area is secured, crews will need up to six days to extract the cars. The ground beneath the museum will be replaced, and a new flooring system will be installed, Murphy said.

“Safety will be paramount, but we will also want to save the cars as fast as we can.”

— Wendell Strode, National Corvette Museum

The cost of the damage has not been determined. The non-profit museum is accepting donations, which are tax-deductible, to help in its repairs.

The damaged cars' value could be $1 million, Strode said. A new 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe, an all-new design for this model year, starts at $51,000.

Some time before 5:30 a.m. CT Wednesday, the sinkhole started to form, and by 5:44 a.m. motion detectors at the museum just off Interstate 65 north of Bowling Green started going off. No one was at the museum at the time.

When emergency personnel arrived, they discovered the 40-foot crevasse that is now 25 to 30 feet deep.

Engineers determined that the building did not sustain any damage to its walls because the sinkhole opened up in the middle of the Sky Dome, museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli said.

"The structure of the building is intact and it's fine," she said.

The cars damaged are these:

1962 black Corvette1984 PPG pace car for the Indy 5001992 white 1 millionth-built Corvette1993 ruby red 40th anniversary Corvette1993 ZR1 Spyder on loan from General Motors, a design study that was never built. 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette, a one-off tuner model.2009 white 1.5 millionth-built Corvette.2009 ZR1 "Blue Devil" on loan from General Motors, the show car for the re-introduction of the ZR1, last built in the early 1990s.

Best Managed Healthcare Stocks For 201! 4

Of the eight cars, the black 1962 Corvette — the oldest one in the hole — may be the easiest to extract, Strode told the Bowling Green paper.

Portions of the building's roof or side panels may have to be removed after the sinkhole is filled and the ground is stabilized so a crane can remove the damaged cars, he told CNN.

The sinkhole hasn't expanded since it opened up, said Jason Polk, a professor of geology and geography at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green who was part of the team investigating the collapse Wednesday.

<!--iframe-->

Bowling Green — about 60 miles northeast of Nashville and 100 miles southwest of Louisville — is in a karst region where caves, springs and sinkholes are common. The main entrance to Mammoth Cave National Park is about 30 miles northeast of the city, but that cave system has more than 400 miles that have been explored and covers more than 400 square miles, according to the National Park Service.

Erosion of porous limestone from runoff, groundwater and underground streams created many of the caves, and the caves continue to expand, Polk said. Sinkholes can form when the roof of a cave becomes too thin and gives way.

A U.S. Geological Survey map shows large swaths of Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky are prone to sinkholes.

The museum, which houses more than 80 Corvettes, remains open. But the Sky Dome will be closed until repairs are complete. GM's Bowling Green Corvette plant, the only factory that builds Corvettes, is across a highway less than a half-mile from the museum and was not affected.

While the museum does not have a timetable for fixing the damage, it does have a goal: Its 20th anniversary is this year. Festivities are planned Aug. 28-30 and thousands of Corvette enthusiasts are expected to arrive in caravans from across the country.

And in one way or another, expect to see the damaged 'vettes back in the museum again: Officials already were think! ing about! a "survivors" exhibit for 2015 or 2016 of Corvettes damaged in famous accidents.

Before Thursday's offer of assistance from GM, Frassinelli told WBKO-TV, Bowling Green that some of this week's famous cars just might show up there.

Contributing: Heidi Hall, The Tennessean

Bond market poised for first loss since 1999

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Treasury prices fell Tuesday after a round of mixed economic data, putting the market on track for yearly losses, as the benchmark note yield climbed over a full percentage point in 2013.

The Barclays U.S. Aggregate index, which follows the broader bond market, is down 1.92% on the year, it's first losses since 1999 and worst losses since 1994. The Barclays U.S. Treasury Index is set for annual losses of 2.63%, its worst performance since 2009.

Treasury yields began rising sharply in May as the Federal Reserve signaled that it may ease up on its bond-buying stimulus program. The wind-down of that program was announced earlier in December, pushing the 10-year Treasury note (10_YEAR)  yield to close above 3% for the first time since 2011.

/quotes/zigman/4868283/delayed 10_YEAR 3.01, +0.03, +1.04% 10-year Treasury yield in 2013

The benchmark 10-year note yield, which rises as prices fall, was up 2 basis points on the day at 2.993%, as it continued to crisscross the 3% threshold that is emblematic of a rising-rate environment.

"10-year Treasury yields at 3% leaves us on the cusp of a renewed push to new highs in yield, the next level being the 3.20% high from July 1st 2011, ahead of a more serious break to the 3.60/70% high area from Feb-April 2011," said Richard Gilhooly, U.S. director of interest-rate strategy at TD Securities, in a note.

The benchmark note is on track to close out the year roughly 123 basis points higher than where it began, the quarter 38 basis points higher, and the month 25 basis points higher, according to FactSet.

The 30-year bond (30_YEAR)  yield rose half a basis point on the day to 3.911%. The 5-year note (5_YEAR)  yield rose a basis point to 1.724%.

Data released on Tuesday were mixed. The Conference Board said that consumer confidence regained its momentum as its index jumped to 78.1% in December from 72.0% in November.

A survey on business conditions in the Chicago area fell in December, but remained strong. The Chicago Business Barometer slipped to 59.1% from 63.0% in the previous month.

The Case-Shiller home-prices index rose 0.2% in October and 13.6% in the past 12 months, the largest yearly gain since February 2006. Nonetheless, the report was cautious about the pace of price increases in 2014.

Improving data in recent months prompted the Federal Reserve to announce that it would begin tapering its $85 billion in monthly bond-buying stimulus. The central bank said it would keep its key policy rate low until the unemployment rate fell well below 6.5%.

"Investors have already 'priced in' both the Fed's taper announcement and the economy's improved economic growth. This has helped temper the recent rise in interest rates," said William Riegel and Lisa Black, of TIAA-CREF, in a Monday note.

More from MarketWatch:

5 things you don't know about champagne.

Stimulus withdrawal could hit U.S.and China.

Insurers scramble to complete Obamacare enrollments

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now

Gambling revenue growth on the Chinese island of Macau fell to its lowest level in 15 months in January, rising just 7% to $3.6 billion. The drop is attributed to slowing economic growth in China, and the even worse news for casino operators is that high-rollers (called VIPs) who account for about two-thirds of Macau�� revenues are also keeping their hands on their wallets.

The impact of the report from Macau�� gambling commission sent shares of Las Vegas Sands Inc.�� (NYSE: LVS) Sands China Ltd. shares down 7.5% in Hong Kong trading. That�� the biggest one day drop since October 2011 according to a report at Bloomberg News.

In the U.S., casinos with significant exposure to Macau are also taking a hit. Las Vegas Sands is down the least, at about 1.3% at the noon hour Tuesday. MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is down nearly 2%, Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ: WYNN) is down about 2.6%, and Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. (NASDAQ: MPEL) is down about 4.5%.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Telus Corporation Com Npv (T.TO)

TELUS Corporation provides telecommunications products and services primarily in Canada. Its telecommunications products and services include wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, and television. The company operates through two segments, Wireless and Wireline. The Wireless segment provides digital personal communications, equipment sales, and wireless Internet services. The Wireline segment offers voice local and voice long distance services; data services, which include television, and managed and legacy data services, as well as Internet, enhanced data, and hosting services; and other telecommunications services. As of December 4, 2012, it has 13 million customer connections, including 7.6 million wireless subscribers, 3.5 million wireline network access lines, 1.3 million Internet subscribers, and 635,000 TELUS TV customers. TELUS Corporation was founded in 1993 and is based in Burnaby, Canada.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: StarTek Inc.(SRT)

StarTek, Inc. provides business process outsourcing services for the communications industries in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Costa Rica, and Honduras. It offers technical and product support services through telephone, e-mail, chat, facsimile, and Internet; sales support services comprising receiving and closing sales on inbound sales inquiries, and cross-selling and up-selling its clients? products; provisioning and complex order processing services, including order management and technical sales support for wire-line, wireless, data, and customer premise equipment communications, as well as services for its clients direct to consumer order processing and transfer of accounts between client service providers; and receivables management services, such as billing, credit card support, and first party collections. The company also provides industry-specific processes, which include technical support; phone number portability services comprising automated an d live agent interaction, facilitate pre-port validation, data collection, automatic processing of port-out/in requests, direct and automated interface with the service order activation platform, fallout management tool, and port request tracking and archiving; and directory management services. StarTek, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Best Oil Stocks To Own For 2015: Sonic Healthcare Ltd(SHL.AX)

Sonic Healthcare Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides medical diagnostic services, and administrative services and facilities to medical practitioners. The company offers pathology/clinical laboratory services, and radiology and diagnostic imaging services to medical practitioners, hospitals, community health services, and their collective patients. It has operations in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Ireland. The company was formerly known as Sonic Technology Australia Limited and changed its name to Sonic Healthcare Limited in 1995. Sonic Healthcare Limited is headquartered in Macquarie Park, Australia.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Armstrong Industrial Corp Ltd (A14.SI)

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

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Cygam Energy Inc (CYG.V)

CYGAM Energy Inc., an oil and gas company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and gas permits, primarily in Italy, Tunisia, and the Mediterranean Basin. It holds various interests in 7 exploratory permits in Italy and 3 exploratory permits in Tunisia encompassing approximately 2.7 million gross acres. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Northwest Bancshares Inc.(NWBI)

Northwest Bancshares, Inc. operates as the holding company for Northwest Savings Bank that offers various banking and consumer finance services. The company offers consumer and commercial deposits, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, term certificate accounts, and individual retirement accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises one- to four-family residential real estate loans, multifamily residential and commercial real estate loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, and commercial business loans, as well as consumer loans, including automobile loans, sales finance loans, unsecured personal loans, credit card loans, and loans secured by deposit accounts. It also offers trust, investment management, actuarial and benefit plan administration, brokerage services, title insurance, and municipal bonds, as well as involves in the ownership and operation of properties. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 171 community-banking of fices in northwest, southwest, and central Pennsylvania; western New York; eastern Ohio; Maryland; and southeastern Florida. It also operated 51 consumer finance offices in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in Warren, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Northwest Bancshares (NASDAQ: NWBI  ) announced today that it will be paying a special dividend of $0.12 per share in May to�supplement the regular dividend for the first quarter of 2013, which it prepaid back in December in a bid to�accelerate the distribution of cash�to help shareholders offset some of the risk of higher taxes.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Comtech Telecommunications Corp.(CMTL)

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. engages in the design, development, production, and marketing of products, systems, and services for advanced communications solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Telecommunications Transmission, Mobile Data Communications, and RF Microwave Amplifiers. The Telecommunications Transmission segment provides satellite earth station equipment and systems, over-the-horizon microwave systems, and forward error correction technology, which are used in various commercial and government applications, including backhaul of wireless and cellular traffic, broadcasting (including HDTV), IP-based communications traffic, long distance telephony, and secure defense applications. The Mobile Data Communications segment provides mobile satellite transceivers, and computers and satellite earth station network gateways and associated installation, training, and maintenance services; supplies and operates satellite pac ket data networks, including arranging and providing satellite capacity; and offers microsatellites and related components. The RF Microwave Amplifiers segment designs, develops, manufactures, and markets satellite earth station traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTA) and broadband amplifiers. Its amplifiers are used in broadcast and broadband satellite communication; defense applications, such as telecommunications systems and electronic warfare systems; and commercial applications comprising oncology treatment systems, as well as to amplify signals carrying voice, video, or data for air-to-satellite-to-ground communications. The company serves satellite systems integrators, wireless and other communication service providers, broadcasters, defense contractors, military, governments, and oil companies. Comtech markets its products through independent representatives and value-added resellers. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Melville, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Comtech Telecommunications (CMTL) is another company with a solid dividend whose shares trade at a decent price. The company makes advanced telecommunication products and sells to a wide range of users, including satellite systems integrators, wireless providers, broadcasters and defense contractors — as well as the U.S. government. The company has seen some weakness as military and government orders have slowed and the marketplace remains very competitive, but the long-term outlook is pretty strong. The company has been actively buying back stock and has spent almost $25 million in purchases in the past nine months. Comtech has more than enough cash on hand and very little debt, so the balance sheet is solid and the stock yields 4.5% right now. The company should be able to increase the dividend at a double-digit pace for the next several years at least.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Maybe there's something to this whole "sequestration" phenomenon after all -- because for all intents and purposes -- and certainly in comparison with recent trends -- Department of Defense spending has come to a screeching halt in recent days. On Wednesday, for example, DoD issued a grand total of three new contracts, totaling a mere Pentagon pittance of just $44.4 million.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Comtech Telecommunications (NASDAQ: CMTL) reported upbeat fiscal fourth quarter results and issued a strong full-year outlook. Comtech shares jumped 11.12% to $26.77 in the after-hours trading session.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation (ANH)

Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. It invests primarily in the United States agency mortgage-backed securities (agency MBS) guaranteed by the United States government, including pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and other types of MBS, such as mortgage derivative securities and mortgage warehouse participations, as well as in other mortgage related assets. The company's agency MBS portfolio includes adjustable-rate agency MBS, hybrid adjustable-rate agency MBS, fixed-rate Agency MBS, and agency floating-rate CMOs. It also invests in non-agency mortgage-backed securities comprising floating-rate CMOs. The company qualifies as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT it would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation was founded in 1997 and is b ased in Santa Monica, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By alicet236]

  Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation (ANH) Reached the Five-Year Low of $4.47

  The prices of Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation (ANH) shares have declined to close to the five-year low of $4.47, which is 49.3% off the five-year high of $8.340. Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation is owned by one Guru we are tracking. Among them, one added to his positions during the past quarter. Two reduced their positions. Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation has a market cap of $639.1 million; its shares were traded at around $4.47 with a P/E ratio of 7.10 and P/S ratio of 5.96. The dividend yield of Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation stocks is 12.80%.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Externally managed real estate investment trust Anworth Mortgage Asset (NYSE: ANH  ) announced yesterday that it is increasing the conversion rate on its�6.25% Series B cumulative convertible preferred stock from�3.8695�shares of its common stock to 3.9202 shares effective July 9.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Externally managed REIT�Anworth Mortgage Asset (NYSE: ANH  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past three quarters after cutting the payout 17% from $0.18 per share. The quarter before that, the REIT had cut the dividend 14% more.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Anworth Mortgage Asset (NYSE: ANH) announced an additional 5 million share repurchase program. Anworth Mortgage shares rose 0.97% to $4.18 in after-hours trading.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Wolverine Exploration Inc (WOLV)

Wolverine Exploration Inc. (Wolverine), incorporated on February 23, 2006, is an exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged in the business of acquisition and exploration of base and precious metal mineral properties. As of May 31, 2012, the Company�� exploration was focused on mineral properties located in Labrador, Canada. The Company�� Labrador Claims are located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Goose Bay, Labrador, a small town on the Atlantic Coast of northern Canada. The Labrador Claims together make up an aggregate area of 11,225 hectares. The Labrador Claims cover an area with approximate dimensions of 20 kilometers east-west (12.5 miles) and 10 kilometers north-south (6.25 miles). The Labrador Claims consist of a total of 429 mineral claims covering 11 separate licenses. As of May 31, 2012, Wolverine held a 90% interest and Shenin held a 10% interest in a total of 429 claims.

The Labrador Claims are easily accessible by the Trans-Labrador Highway, which runs through the central portion of the Labrador Claims. The Labrador Claims are unencumbered and in good standing and there are no third party conditions which affect the Labrador Claims other than conditions defined by the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador).

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Texada Software Inc(TXS.V)

Texada Software Inc. provides enterprise asset management and rental management software for equipment rental companies and other organizations primarily in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. It offers Systematic Rental Management System, a software package that manages rental operations from counter to customer with Web integration, complete financials and back-office, and fleet management from purchasing through maintenance to disposal; Systematic Dashboard, a business intelligence tool that delivers data on rental-specific metrics; Systematic Portal, a customer relationship management tool that allows Internet interactivity between a company and its customers; and Dynamic Reports, a tool to retrieve data, access existing reports, customize standard reports, and create new reports. The company also provides its Systematic Rental Management System in software-as-a-service model; and implementation, support, and training services for its software. Texada Software h as a strategic partnership with PROIV Technology, LLC to provide software development tools to the company. The company is headquartered in Guelph, Canada.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Formation Capital Com Npv(FCO.TO)

Formation Metals Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and refining of mineral properties in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The company owns 100% interest in the Idaho Cobalt project, which consists of 241 claims covering an area of approximately 4,080 acres located in Lemhi County, Idaho; and the Big Creek Hydrometallurgical refining complex located in Shoshone County, near the town of Kellogg, Idaho. It also explores for silver, gold, copper, uranium, lead, zinc, and rare earth elements, as well as base and precious metals. The company was formerly known as Formation Capital Corporation and changed its name to Formation Metals Inc. in November 2009. Formation Metals Inc. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Hot Net Payout Yield Companies To Buy Right Now: Poligrafici Edt(POLI.MI)

Poligrafici Editoriale SpA. operates in the publishing industry in Italy. The company publishes folders, newspapers, magazines, and catalogues, as well as illustrated and scolastic books. It also provides advertising services. The company was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Bologna, Italy. Poligrafici Editoriale SpA. is a subsidiary of Monrif S.p.A.