Top 5 Performing Stocks To Watch For 2015

Ford Headquarters. Photo Courtesy of Ford Motor Company.

I've been a Ford (NYSE: F  ) supporter since Alan Mulally took over as CEO in 2006. Ford's been one of my most profitable investments, and one of the most intriguing business turnarounds to follow in decades. I'm a long-term investor so the short-term speed bumps that the company's stock will hit don't matter as much to me, but for those whose focus is only a few months it could be a bumpy ride.

Early bird gets the worm
One of the first issues that could cause a sell-off of Ford stock is people simply taking profits. Take a look at the graph below to see how far Ford's share price has surged this past year:

F data by YCharts

Ford's 52-week range is between $8.82 and $17.25, and those who bought exactly a year ago have realized an 86% increase at the time of this writing. That's a healthy gain. In such a volatile industry where a company's stock can tank, regardless of how well it's performing, because of outside economic factors, such a gain could tempt people to take their profits now. In a market where the early seller typically gets the largest profit, it can make for a vicious cycle as people run to the exit.�

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Watch For 2015: BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc.(BCRX)

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, designs, optimizes, and develops small-molecule pharmaceuticals that block key enzymes involved in infectious diseases, cancer, and inflammatory diseases. It uses structure-based drug design, which incorporates multiple scientific disciplines, including biology, crystallography, medicinal chemistry, and computer to develop new therapeutic candidates. The company has three novel late-stage compounds in development, which include Peramivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor for the potential treatment of influenza; BCX4208, a purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) inhibitor for gout; and Forodesine, a PNP inhibitor for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Peramivir is being developed under a contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Forodesine has been granted orphan drug status by the FDA for thr ee indications, which include T-cell non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma, including CTCL; CLL and related leukemias, including T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, adult T-cell leukemia, and hairy cell leukemia; and for treatment of B-ALL. The FDA has also granted fast track status to the development of forodesine for the treatment of relapsed or refractory T-cell leukemia, and special protocol assessment from the FDA for forodesine to conduct a pivotal clinical trial in CTCL with an oral formulation. The company announced the initiation of a Phase 2b study of BCX4208 as add-on therapy in gout patients who have not responded to allopurinol therapy alone. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals utilizes crystallography and structure-based drug design to discover additional compounds and to progress others through pre-clinical and early development to address the unmet medical needs of patients and physicians. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Perhaps no shareholders jumped for more joy over the past week than those of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BCRX  ) , whose shares shot up 88% this week on word of a positive early-stage clinical trial for BCX4161. In a different context, shares have now jumped 155% in just the past two weeks. The oral experimental drug, BCX4161, which is designed to treat a rare condition known as hereditary angioedema (HAE), was considered safe and well tolerated among patients, and the company anticipates moving on to mid-stage testing soon. However, as the Fools Brian Orelli was quick to point out, this data came from a subset of healthy volunteers, and there's little guarantee it will translate into success in future trials on patients that do suffer from HAE.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  BioCryst�Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: BCRX) was started as Outperform with a $7 to $9 price target range at Wells Fargo.

  Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (NYSE: CP) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral and the price target was raised to $144 from $139 at Credit Suisse.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 name in the bio therapeutic space that's starting to move within range of triggering a major breakout trade is BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX), which designs, optimizes and develops novel drugs that block key enzymes involved in cancer, viral infections and autoimmune diseases. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up a whopping 380%.

  If you take a look at the chart for BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, you'll notice that this stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $6.07 to $6.24 a share. Following that bottom, shares of BCRX are now starting to spike higher right off its 50-day moving average of $6.50 a share. That spike is quickly pushing shares of BCRX within range of triggering a major breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in BCRX if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $6.88 to $6.89 a share, and then once it takes out more resistance at $7.56 to its 52-week high at $7.80 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.51 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then BCRX will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory above $7.80, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $10 to $12 a share.

  Traders can look to buy BCRX off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below those key near-term support levels at $6.24 to $6.07 a share. One can also buy BCRX off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Watch For 2015: OmniAmerican Bancorp Inc.(OABC)

OmniAmerican Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for OmniAmerican Bank, which is a federally-chartered savings bank that provides banking services to consumers and businesses in Texas. The company involves in accepting deposits from the general public and investing those deposits together with funds generated from operations and borrowings in loans and investments. Its deposit products consist of savings accounts, interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing demand accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s loan products include residential real estate loans, such as one-to-four-family and home equity loans; commercial loans consisting of real estate construction, commercial real estate, and commercial business loans; and consumer loans, which include direct automobile, indirect automobile, and unsecured loans. It operates through its main office in Fort Worth, Texas and 15 branches located in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and Hood County, Texas. The company was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Omniamerican Bancorp (NASDAQ: OABC) shares fell 1.40% to touch a new 52-week low of $21.08. Omniamerican Bancorp's trailing-twelve-month ROA is 0.44%.

Hot Gas Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Vornado Realty Trust(VNO)

Vornado Realty Trust is a privately owned real estate investment trust. The trust engages in investment, ownership, and management of commercial real estate. It invests in the real estate markets of United States. The trust primarily invests in office, industrial and retail properties. Vornado Realty Trust is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Hsu]

  And Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) is one of these big buyers.

  The Manhattan-based real estate investment trust (REIT) owns more than 28 million square feet of high-end office, retail, and residential space in its home town. (You can tour its New York properties right here.)

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Watch For 2015: Big Tree Group Inc (BIGG)

Big Tree Group Inc., formerly Transax International Limited (Transax), incorporated on January 28, 1987, is engaged in the business of toys sourcing, distribution and contractual manufacturing targeting international and domestic distributors and customers in the toys industry. The Company's main business focus is to function as a one stop shop for the sourcing, distribution and specialty manufacturing of toys and related products. The Company conducts these operations through both its BT Brunei and BT Shantou subsidiaries.

The Company sources a wide variety of more than 300,000 toys made of plastic, wood, metal, wool, and electronic materials, primarily targeting at children from infants to teenagers. These toys include, but are not limited to, infant appliances, games, balls, dolls, stuffed toys, transformers, racing track sets, play sets, water toys, and educational toys. The offered toys can be operated by battery, manual power, wire control, remote control, voice control, infrared ray control, and other applications.

The Company's Big Tree Magic Puzzle (3D) cater to consumers ranging from minor children to adults. Big Tree Magic Puzzle (3D) consists of 18 assembly parts made of ABS environmental-friendly plastic materials in multiple shapes including, but not limited to, squares, triangles, right-angled connectors, etc. The Big Tree Magic Puzzle (3D) adopts a plug-in design that goes beyond the traditional planar and linear plug-in to achieve the transformations among the common and unconventional shapes such as diamond, sphere and dynamic warping, etc. Each assembly part offers 10 color choices that encourage children to learn colors and shapes in an interesting and attractive playing environment. The Company has developed over 10 series of Big Tree Magic Puzzle (3D) including about 200 product items.

The Company's customers for the Company's toy sourcing business consist of distributors, trading companies, and wholesalers primarily located in mainland Chi! na, Hong Kong, Europe, South America, Asia and the United States. The Company's Big Tree Magic Puzzle (3D) is marketed directly to consumers in China through the Company's sales locations in Dennis Department Stores and its online store at Taobao Mall (www. Tmall.com).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd (OTCMKTS: DKAM), 7 Star Entertainment Inc (OTCMKTS: SAEE), Rising India Inc (OTCMKTS: RSII) and Big Tree Group Inc (OTCMKTS: BIGG) have all been attracting attention thanks to paid promotions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed and paid for promotions or investor relation activities, but they can backfire on unwary investors and traders alike. So are stock promoters blowing a bunch of hot air regarding these four small cap stocks or are they actually potential winners? Here is a quick reality check to help you decide:

Top 5 Performing Stocks To Watch For 2015: Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund (ETO)

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund (the Fund) is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of after-tax total return. The Fund pursues its objective by investing primarily in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks.

The Fund�� top 10 equity holdings include Freeport-McMoran Copper, Veolia Environment, Southern Copper Corp., Societe Generale, Chevron Corp., Occidental Petroleum Corp., Exelon Corp., Total SA Spon ADR, Entergy Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc. Top 10 equity holdings represented 25.3% of total investments as of April 30, 2007.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Special Purpose Funds- Eaton Vance Tax-Adv. Global Dividend Oppor. Fund (ETO) | Yield: 7.3%
  - The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (GLU) | Yield: 6.2%
  - Pimco Global Stocksplus Income Fund (PGP) | Yield: 9.5%
  - LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) | Yield: 7.0%