Disney Plans Massive Share Buyback (DIS)

Walt Disney Corporation (DIS) announced that it will be increasing its share buyback in fiscal 2014.

In the last few years, Disney has been buying back approximately $4 billion in shares every year, but that was planned to be $6 billion next year. The company has now announced that fiscal 2014 will see $8 billion in share buybacks, sending Disney’s stock surging for the day.

The company also promises to approach high budget films with a higher sense of caution after a disastrous summer movie season that saw films like “The Lone Ranger” flop; that film is now expected to lose around $190 million when all is said and done.

Disney shares were up $1.55, or 2.37%, at market close today. The stock is up over 31% this year.

10 Best Income Stocks To Invest In Right Now

10 Best Income Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Air Methods Corporation(AIRM)

Air Methods Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides air medical emergency transport services and systems in the United States. It transports persons requiring intensive medical care from either the scene of accident or general care hospitals to highly skilled trauma centers or tertiary care centers. The company operates through three segments: Community-Based Services, Hospital-Based Services, and United Rotorcraft. The Community-Based Services segment provides air medical transportation services, including aircraft operation and maintenance, medical care, dispatch and communications, and medical billing and collection services. This segment operates 201 helicopters and 15 fixed wing aircraft in 29 states. The Hospital-Based Services segment offers air medical transportation services, and medically equipped helicopters and airplanes for hospitals. It operates 212 helicopters and 6 fixed wing aircraft in 34 states. The United Rotorcraft segment designs, manufa ctures, installs, and certifies modular medical interiors, multi-mission interiors, and other aerospace and medical transport products for domestic and international customers, as well as provides quality assurance and certification services. Air Methods Corporation was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Shares of Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) saw a boost, shooting up 12.5 percent to $59.81 on upbeat quarterly results.

  NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) shares were also up, gaining 8.8 percent to $19 after the company posted higher Q2 earnings and issued a strong revenue forecast for the current quarter.

• [By Ali Berri]

  Shares of Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) got a boost, shooting up 11.86 percent to $59.50 on upbeat quarterly results.
  

  NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) shares were also up, gaining 7.22 percent to $18.72 after the company posted higher Q2 earnings and issued a strong revenue forecast for the current quarter.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/10-best-income-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now-3.html

5 Best Life Sciences Stocks To Buy For 2016

5 Best Life Sciences Stocks To Buy For 2016: Labor Smart Inc (LTNC)

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

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  For those looking to invest in real estate stocks, highly recommended is the Dr. Housing Bubble blog. In a recent posting, the "Dr." pointed out that there was a "Lost Generation" when it came to household income. That has not happened for those investing in staffing industry stocks such as Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI), TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE: TBI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  When looking at small cap stocks, it is useful to compare the company with others that have expanded in both share price and size. For those considering investing in the $100 billion staffing industry, the growth of TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI) shows what could be the potential path for Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC), as both operate in the $29 billion demand labor sector. Other firms have done well in the staffing industry include Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) and ManPower Group (NYSE: MAN).

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  Even though the stock market rallied on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke! 's remarks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA) and Standard & Poor's 500 Index (NYSE: SPY) surging, the long term winners will be stocks in the staffing industry such as Paychex(NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), Robert Half (NYSE: RHI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

• [By idahansen]

  Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC) is proving my pick right as it booked record revenues for August.

  The entire demand labor industry should do well as the US Department of Labor just reported that 169,000 more jobs were added to the American economy. The more work there is, the more demand there is for the services of staffing solutions firms such as Labor SMART, Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), and Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI).

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-life-sciences-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top 5 Semiconductor Stocks To Buy Right Now: Broadcom Corporation(BRCM)

Broadcom Corporation designs and develops semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. It provides a portfolio of system-on-a-chip (SoC) and software solutions for the manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices, which enable the delivery of voice, video, data, and multimedia content to the home, office, and mobile environment. Its broadband communications products include cable modem SoCs; femtocell SoCs; MPEG/AVC/VC-1 encoders and transcoders; xDSL, passive optical network, and cable modem customer premises equipment and central office solutions; powerline networking SoCs; digital cable, direct broadcast satellite, terrestrial, and Internet protocol (IP) set-top box integrated receiver demodulators; high definition television and standard definition TV SoCs; and Blu-ray disc SoCs. The company?s mobile and wireless products comprise Wi-Fi and Bluetooth SoCs, wireless connectivity com bo chips, global positioning system SoCs, multimedia processors, applications processors, power management units, VoIP SoCs, mobile TV SoCs, and near field communications tags. Its infrastructure and networking products include Ethernet copper transceivers, Ethernet controllers and switches, backplane and optical front-end physical layer devices, security processors and adapters, and broadband processors. The company markets and sells its products through direct sales force, distributors, and manufacturers? representatives in the United States, as well as through regional offices, and a network of independent distributors and representatives in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By FinanceGuru]

  Now that Broadcom (BRCM) has finally thrown in the towel on its cellular business after years of failing to succeed, the! company is trying to shop around the division. The company's management team claims that the product pipeline that was under development had significant technical merit, but that the economics of running that business just couldn't support a $700 million-a-year operating expense run rate. That said, if Broadcom can successfully shop the business, Apple (AAPL) seems the most likely buyer.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-semiconductor-stocks-to-buy-right-now-3.html

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Buy Right Now: Liberty Media Corp (LMCB)

Liberty Media Corporation, formerly Liberty Spinco, Inc., incorporated on August 10, 2012, focuses on the media, communications and entertainment industries through its ownership of interests in subsidiaries and other companies. Its businesses and assets include consolidated subsidiaries, Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc. and TruePosition, Inc., its equity affiliates Sirius XM Radio Inc. and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and minority investments in public companies such as Barnes & Noble, Inc., Time Warner Inc., Time Warner Cable, Inc., Viacom Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corporation. On January 11, 2013, Liberty Media Corporation and Starz announced the completion of the spin-off of Liberty from Starz. In connection with the spin-off, Liberty changed its name from Liberty Spinco, Inc. to Liberty Media Corporation. In January 2013, the Company announced that it held approximately 50.7% interest of Sirius XM Radio Inc. In May 2013, Liberty Media Corp acquired a 27.38% stake in Charter Communications Inc.

Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc., or ANLBC, a wholly owned subsidiary, owns and operates the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise and five minor league baseball clubs (the Gwinnett Braves, the Mississippi Braves, the Rome Braves, the Danville Braves and the GCL Braves). TruePosition is a wholly owned subsidiary that develops and markets technology for locating wireless phones and other wireless devices enabling wireless carriers, application providers and other enterprises to provide E-911 services domestically and other location-based services to mobile users both domestically and worldwide. Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Sirius) broadcasts its music, sports, entertainment, comedy, talk, news, traffic and weather channels in the United States on a subscription fee basis thro! ugh its two satellite radio systems. Subscribers can also receive certain of its music and other channels over the Internet, includin g through applications for mobile devices.

Sir! ius XM Radio Inc. satellite radios are primarily distributed through automakers (OEMs), retail locations nationwide, and through its Website. Sirius offers a dynamic programming lineup of commercial-free music, sports, entertainment, talk, news, traffic and weather. The channel line-ups for its services vary in certain respects and are available at siriusxm.com. Sirius offers a selection of music genres, ranging from rock, pop and hip-hop to country, dance, jazz, Latin and classical. Within each genre it offers a range of formats, styles and recordings. Sirius offers a range of national, international and financial news, including news from BBC World Service News, Bloomberg Radio, CNBC, CNN, FOX News, HLN, MSNBC, NPR and World Radio Network. Barnes & Noble, Inc., is a content, commerce and technology company providing customers easy and convenient access to books, magazines, newspapers and other content across its multi-channel distribution platform. As of April 28, 2012, Ba rnes & Noble operated 1,338 bookstores in 50 states, including 647 bookstores on college campuses, operates one of the Internet's e-Commerce sites and develops digital content products and software.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Liberty Media (LMCA)   (LMCB)  class A shares fell 3% to $141.06 on light volume.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-healthcare-technology-stocks-to-buy-right-now.html

S&P 1500 Pension Plan Funding at Highest Point Since 2008

Constant talk of underfunded pensions and municipal bankruptcies does little to quell anxiety in the topsy-turvy market, but a new report from research and consulting firm Mercer could lessen fears.

It finds funding levels of pension plans sponsored by S&P 1500 companies continued a strong rebound in 2013, with the aggregate deficit decreasing by $10 billion during the month of July to $212 billion. While deficits in the billions might seem worrisome, it’s actually the lowest level since the economic crisis first hit in 2008.

Equity markets staged a strong performance during the month with the S&P 500 index rising 5.1%. However, discount rates dropped back slightly in July after sharp increases in May and June, dampening the improvement slightly.

According to Mercer analysis, an estimated 17% of plan sponsors had assets in excess of their pension obligations as of July 31, compared to only 4% at Dec. 31, 2012. Mercer also estimates that if discount rates rose another 1%, the number of sponsors with fully funded pension obligations could exceed 40%.

“So far, plan sponsors are having a great year in terms of funded status improvement,” Jonathan Barry, a partner in Mercer’s Retirement consulting group, said in a statement.  “As a result, many sponsors are beginning to take preparatory steps not only in terms of asset allocation changes but also in preparing for pension buyouts and cash outs that entail a series of transition, legal and administrative steps. Sponsors don’t want to be caught napping as these opportunities arise“

The estimated aggregate value of pension plan assets of the S&P 1500 companies as of Dec. 31, 2012, was $1.59 trillion, compared with estimated aggregate liabilities of $2.14 trillion. Allowing for changes in financial markets through July 31, 2013, changes to the S&P 1500 constituents and newly released financial disclosures, the estimated aggregate assets were $1.76 trillion, compared with the estimated aggregate liabilities of $1.98 trillion.

-----

Check out The Hunt for a Pension Crisis Fix at ThinkAdvisor.

Best Low Price Companies To Buy For 2015

I have been getting a lot of questions lately about natural gas prices, so this seems like a good time to update the picture. This is a sneak preview �of a more comprehensive report that will appear in next week�� Energy Strategist.

Over the last 18 months my thesis has been that natural gas prices would have to move higher over the long term. But in December 2011, with natural gas prices above $3/million Btu (MMBtu), I predicted lower natural gas prices for 2012. The unusually warm winter that followed reduced demand even as shale production added to the supply glut, and the price fell below $2/MMBtu by April 2012. The average price for natural gas in 2012 was $2.75/MMBtu, the lowest in 13 years.

I did not feel that this low price could be sustained, so I began to recommend natural gas producers to investors. I wasn�� sure how long they would have to wait, but felt pretty certain that gas prices had to go up. We began adding natural gas producers to the various Energy Strategist portfolios.

Top 5 Energy Stocks For 2016: Alliance Capital Management Holding L.P. (AB)

AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. provides investment management and related services in the United States and internationally. It offers institutional services, including separately-managed accounts, sub-advisory relationships, structured products, collective investment trusts, mutual funds, hedge funds, and other investment vehicles to unaffiliated corporate and public employee pension funds, endowment funds, domestic and foreign institutions, and governments. The company also provides retail services comprising retail mutual funds, sub-advisory relationships with mutual funds sponsored by third parties, and separately managed account programs sponsored by various financial intermediaries and other investment vehicles. In addition, it provides separately managed accounts, hedge funds, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles for private clients, including high-net-worth individuals, trusts and estates, charitable foundations, partnerships, and private and family corporat ions. Further, AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. offers research services to institutional investors through research, portfolio analysis, and brokerage-related services; and equity capital markets services to issuers of publicly-traded securities. Additionally, it provides distribution, shareholder servicing, and administrative services to its sponsored mutual funds. AllianceBernstein Corporation serves as the general partner of the company. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. was founded in 1987 and is based in New York, New York. AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. operates as a subsidiary of AXA.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By J. Royden Ward]

  AllianceBernstein LP (AB), a master limited partnership, is one of the largest US investment advisors. It actively manages stock and bond accounts for institutions, mutual funds, and well-heeled clients.

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Investors had declared the stock of AllianceBernstein Holding LP (AB) a loser. From Jan. 1, 2010, to Aug. 23, 2012, it had declined 43 percent compared with a 33 percent gain for the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index. Nevertheless, on that day, Credit Suisse Group AG analyst Craig Siegenthaler lifted his rating on the New York-based money manager�� shares to a buy.

Best Low Price Companies To Buy For 2015: TriQuint Semiconductor Inc.(TQNT)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Among holdings in which Graham Capital Management increased its stake was TriQuint Semiconductor (NASDAQ: TQNT  ) . The stock recently received an upgrade to "buy" from analysts at Charter Equity, but my colleague Rich Smith thinks the stock is still overvalued. Anyone thinking the stock is on the rich side won't be happy about the company's stock-buyback plans. Its last earnings report was disappointing, but management sees better days ahead due to the introduction of many new products, along with a growing market.

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  RF Micro shares jumped 21% yesterday after the Greensboro, N.C.-based company agreed to buy rival TriQuint Semiconductor Inc. (Nasdaq: TQNT) for $1.59 billion, a so-called "merger of equals" that should return the company to profitability.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  TriQuint Semiconductor (Nasdaq: TQNT  ) reported earnings on April 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 30 (Q1), TriQuint Semiconductor met expectations on revenues and missed expectations on earnings per share.

Best Low Price Companies To Buy For 2015: Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc (APAM)

Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc., incorporated on October 25, 2012, is an independent investment management company that provides a range of 12 equity investment strategies spanning different market capitalization segments and investing styles in both United States and non-United States markets. It manages investments primarily through mutual funds and separate accounts. It offers its investment management capabilities primarily to institutions and through intermediaries that operate with institutional-like decision-making processes and have longer-term investment horizons. It manages separate accounts for pension and profit sharing plans, trusts, endowments, foundations, charitable organizations, governmental entities, investment companies and similar pooled investment vehicles, and also provide investment management and administrative services to Artisan Funds, a family of mutual funds. Its operations are based principally in the United States, but it is expanding its operations outside the United States.

As of December 31, 2012, Artisan Funds consisted of 53%, of the Company�� assets under management. It also serves as the investment manager and promoter of Artisan Global Funds. The Company manages separate accounts primarily for institutional clients, such as pension and profit sharing plans, trusts, endowments, foundations, charitable organizations, governmental entities, investment companies and similar pooled investment vehicles. Separate accounts consisted of 47%, of its assets under management as of December 31, 2012. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 (fiscal 2012), fees from separate accounts, including United States -registered mutual funds, non- United States funds and collective investment trusts it sub-advises, represented 33%, of its revenues. The Company derives all of its revenues from investment management fees. The Company�� clients access its investment strategies through mutual funds and separate accounts, which include mutual funds and non-United ! States funds it sub-advises, as well as collective investment trusts that pool retirement plan assets together in a single portfolio maintained by a bank or trust company and are managed by it on a separate account basis.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  WisdomTree�� future appears bright. In the December ETF Deathwatch list, only five of its ETFs appeared out of the total 61. Like all asset managers, it�� not perfect, but it is the only publicly traded ETF pure-play available. So if you believe in ETFs, as I do, this is the bet to make.

  Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM)

  With approximately $97 billion in assets under management,�Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM) uses a decentralized and autonomous investment style that has made it very successful among asset managers. The stock went public in March 2013 at $30 per share, so investors who still held at the end of December were sitting on unrealized gains of 117% in just 10 months. That�� good in anybody�� book.

Best Low Price Companies To Buy For 2015: Viasystems Group Inc.(VIAS)

Viasystems Group, Inc. provides multi-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electro-mechanical solutions worldwide. The company?s products and services are used in a range of applications, including, automotive engine controls, data networking equipment, telecommunications switching equipment, complex medical, technical and industrial instruments, and flight control systems. Its PCBs products include circuitry and mounting surfaces to interconnect discrete electronic components, such as integrated circuits, capacitors, and resistors. The company?s electro-mechanical solutions comprise assembly of backplanes, assembly of printed circuit boards, fabrication of custom and standard metal enclosures, cabinets, racks, sub-racks and bus bars; systems integration; final assembly; and product testing and fulfillment. It also offers various manufacturing services consisting of design and prototyping, PCB and backpanel fabrication, backpanel assembly, PCB assembly, custom metal e nclosure fabrication, full system assembly and test, packaging and global distribution, after-sales support, and supply chain management. The company markets its products and services to original equipment manufacturers and contract electronic manufacturers in automotive, industrial and instrumentation, telecommunications, computer and data communications, and military and aerospace markets through its own sales and marketing organization, and through relationships with independent sales agents. The company was formerly known as Circo Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to Viasystems Group, Inc. in January 1997. Viasystems Group, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Best Low Price Companies To Buy For 2015: Simplicity Bancorp Inc (SMPL)

Simplicity Bancorp Inc., formerly K-Fed Bancorp, is a federally-chartered stock holding company. K-Fed Bancorp is a wholly owned subsidiary of K-Fed Mutual Holding Company (the MHC), a federally-chartered mutual holding company. K-Fed Bancorp operates through its subsidiary, Kaiser Federal Bank (the Bank), a federally chartered stock savings bank, which provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals and business customers from its nine branch and financial service center locations throughout California. The Bank is a community-oriented financial institution offering a variety of financial services. The Bank�� principal business activity consists of attracting retail deposits from the general public and originating primarily loans secured by first mortgages on owner-occupied one-to-four family residences and multi-family residences located in its market area and, to a lesser extent, automobile and other consumer loans. Its revenues are derived principally from interest on loans and mortgage-backed and related securities. It also generates revenue from service charges and other income. The Bank offers a variety of deposit accounts having a range of interest rates and terms, which generally include savings accounts, money market accounts, demand deposit accounts and certificate of deposit accounts with varied terms ranging from 90 days to 5 years.

Lending Activities

The Bank originates consumer loans, primarily automobile loans. As of June 30, 2010, its net loan portfolio totaled $758 million, which constituted 87.4% of its total assets. As of June 30, 2010, the Bank�� first lien one-to-four family residential mortgage loans totaled $335.6 million, or 43.5%, of its gross loan portfolio. It originates one-to-four family mortgage loans on a fixed rate and adjustable rate basis. As of June 30, 2010, the Bank�� one-to-four family adjustable rate mortgage loan portfolio totaled $58.6 million, or 7.6% of its gross loan portfolio. As of June 30, 2010, the fixed r! ate one-to-four family mortgage loan portfolio totaled $276.9 million, or 35.9% of its gross loan portfolio. Included in non-accrual loans at June 30, 2010, were $2.9 million in adjustable rate one-to-four family mortgage loans and $21.9 million in fixed rate one-to-four family mortgage loans.

The Bank also offers multi-family residential real estate loans. These loans are secured by real estate located in its primary market areas, within the state of California. As of June 30, 2010, multi-family residential loans totaled $278.4 million, or 36.1%, of its gross loan portfolio, and consists of 415 loans outstanding with an average loan balance of approximately $670,000. It offers a variety of secured consumer loans, including home equity lines of credit, new and used automobile loans, and loans secured by savings deposits. It also offers a limited amount of unsecured loans. At June 30, 2010, the Bank�� consumer loan portfolio, exclusive of automobile loans, totaled $13.8 million, or 1.8%, of its gross loan portfolio.

Investment Activities

The Bank is authorized to invest in various types of liquid assets, including the United States Treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies, certain certificates of deposit of insured banks and savings institutions, certain bankers��acceptances, repurchase agreements and federal funds. At June 30, 2010, the Bank�� investment portfolio totaled $6 million and consisted principally of investment grade collateralized mortgage obligations and mortgage-backed securities. It invests in mortgage-backed securities insured or guaranteed by Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) or Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). As of June 30, 2010, it also had an investment in an affordable housing fund totaling $1.2 million.

Sources of Funds

The Bank�� sources of funds are deposits, payment of principal and interest ! on loans,! interest earned on or maturity of investment securities, borrowings, and funds provided from operations. It offers a variety of deposit accounts to consumers with a range of interest rates and terms. Its deposits consist of time deposit accounts, savings, money market and demand deposit accounts. The Bank�� borrowings consist of advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. It may obtain advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco upon the security of its mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities. As of June 30, 2010, the Bank had $137 million in Federal Home Loan Bank advances outstanding. At June 30, 2010, it had available additional advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of San Francisco in the amount of $219.1 million.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  HBCP stock is trading at 94% of book value and is very attractive at the current price.

  Simplicity Bancorp (SMPL)

  Simplicity Bancorp (SMPL) in Covina, Calif., started out decades ago as a credit union for employees of the Kaiser Foundation Hospital. It has since grown to a nine-branch bank with $834 million in assets. SMPL had its conversion IPO back in 2010, and is an extremely attractive takeover target right now. The bank’s equity-to-asset ratio is 16, and nonperforming assets are less than 2% of the total, so that’s a solid financial condition to be in.

Top 10 Oil Service Companies To Invest In 2016

Top 10 Oil Service Companies To Inve st In 2016: Sally Beauty Holdings Inc.(SBH)

Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution and retail of professional beauty supplies primarily in North America, South America, and Europe. The company operates in two segments, Sally Beauty Supply and Beauty Systems Group. The Sally Beauty Supply segment operates a chain of cash and carry retail stores that provide various third-party branded and exclusive-label professional beauty supplies, including hair color products, hair care products, hair dryers and hair styling appliances, skin and nail care products, and other beauty items to retail consumers and salon professionals. This segment sells various third-party brands, such as Clairol, Revlon, and Conair, as well as a selection of exclusive-label merchandise. The Beauty Systems Group segment distributes professional brands of beauty products directly to salons and salon professionals through its sales force and professional-only stores. This segment operates stores under the Co smoProf service mark. It sells a range of third-party brands, such as Paul Mitchell, Wella, Sebastian, Goldwell, Joico, and TIGI. As of September 30, 2011, the company operated a multi-channel platform of 4,128 company-owned stores, 181 franchised stores, and 1,116 professional distributor sales consultants in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Chile, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Denton, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another earnings short-squeeze prospect is professional beauty supplies specialty retailer Sally Beauty (SBH), which is set to release numbers on Thursday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Sally Beauty to report revenue of $945.38 mil! lion on earnings of 40 cents per share.

  The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Sally Beauty is notable at 4.6%. That means that out of 146.18 million shares in the tradable float, 6.77 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 1.3%, or by 91,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a strong quarter, then shares of SBH could easily rip higher post-earnings as the bears scramble to cover some of their positions.

  From a technical perspective, SBH is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last four months, with shares moving higher from its low of $24.09 to its recent high of $29.73 a share. During that uptrend, shares of SBH have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of SBH within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above some key overhead resistance levels.

  If you're bullish on SBH, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $29.53 to $29.73 a and then above its 52-week high at $31.86 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that registers near or above its three-month average action of 939,032 shares. If that breakout develops post-earnings, then SBH will set up to trend towards $35 to $40 a share.

  I would simply avoid SBH or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  From a practical perspective, the biggest issue concerns what this means for Home Depot’s near-term traffic. In a very low case, if we assume that Home Depot comps are down -1% to flat in 3Q (vs. our current est. of a 5% gain; a big change), it could shave $0.! 05-$0.10 ! off our current estimate of $1.12. However, we don’t think the fallout will be that severe. We believe Home Depot was comping in the mid-to-high single digit range through Labor Day and the next two months represent a smaller pro rata share of the quarter. Also, the fact that multiple breaches have occurred at several different retailers probably means that consumers are less likely to put the blame on each subsequent victim. Said another way, there’s a growing chance consumers increasingly accept the idea that fraud is a cost of the digital economy. We have no proof, but suspect that will be the case…For some context, we looked at Target (TGT), Sally Beauty Holdings (SBH), Michaels Co mpanies (MIK), and others who have experienced data breaches. We found that most companies saw a sequential comp improvement in the quarter subsequent to the breach. But, the average stock performance lagged the S&P in the 2 months following the announcement.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  AlamyWebsites can help direct you to beauty-related freebies. Inner beauty matters most in my book, but trying to look your best outwardly can be important, too. Striving for beauty on the outside by using beauty products can help boost your confidence and show others that you take good care of yourself. On average, Americans spend more than $400 a year on personal care products. Although cosmetics and beauty products can add up to a pretty penny, beauty doesn't need to come with a hefty price tag. Here are some tips to manage beauty on a budget. 1. Free Samples Marketers love giving out free samples so consumers have the chance to try new products and fall in love with their products. The hope is that if you try a little, you'll like it enough to buy the full-size product at its full retail price. For frugal shoppers, free samples can be a tool that allows us the chance to stretch our dollars. By taking advantage of a variety of free beauty samples from many manufacturers, over time we c! an end up! with enough free sample products to replace a few full-size ones. One woman who has perfected the search for freebies is Heather Hernandez, founder of Freebies4Mom.com. She started her site, which curates the best free samples available online, back in 2007. By signing up for her free e-mail newsletter you can be notified when new free samples are available and where to get them. Besides visiting Freebies4Mom.com, Heather shares two of her favorite sources for online freebies: SampleSource and PinchMe. SampleSource.com is a relatively new site that allows users to get free brand name samples. She recently received a free shampoo and new toothbrush from their site, which is free to join. PinchMe.com allows consumers to try free products in exchange for providing feedback on a short survey. On her last visit to the site, she got to select a free nail polish in the color of her choice PinchMe has become very popular, so she recommends that you "pay attention to

• [By John Kell and Tess Stynes var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); p]

  Sally Beauty Holdings Inc.(SBH) on Monday said credit-card data from fewer than 25,000 customer records were illegally accessed and may have been stolen. The beauty-supplies company said it is working with the U.S. Secret Service on the agency’s preliminary investigation of the situation. The company also said it continues to work with Verizon Communications Inc.(VZ), which has helped with Sally Beauty’s internal probe since the breach was identified.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-oil-service-companies-to-invest-in-2016.html

Why the Dow Should Have Ended Higher Than It Did Last Week

Last week the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) rose 99.53 points, or 0.64%. The index set new all-time record highs during a number of the days last week and currently sits at a new high at 15,658.36. But the Dow should have ended the week much higher than it did. Only seven of the 30 components ended the session lower, while the other 23 moved higher. Of those 23, 12 climbed by more than 1% -- and eight of those 12 increased more than 2%. Among those seven losers, six moved lower by more than 1%, and only two dropped more than 2%.

So what happened? The problem was that some of the Dow's most heavily weighted stocks were the big decliners, while some of the more lightly weighted ones were the top winners. Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) , ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM  ) , and Verizon, the Dow's biggest losers last week, fell by a respective 2.04%, 2.99%, and 1.5% -- and combined, those stocks carry 13.1% of the Dow's total weight.

Meanwhile, the index's top three winners -- DuPont, Cisco, and Hewlett-Packard -- rose a respective 3.92%, 2.7%, and 3.88%, but together they account for just 5.54% of the index.

Furthermore, the Dow's most heavily weighted stock, IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) , lost 1.11% this week. Combine that with all the Dow's losers this past week (the others were Alcoa, Intel, and Coca-Cola), and you get an index weighting of 26.17%. But with no weighting, seven stocks out of 30 would account for just 23.33% of the index.

In short, the Dow's weighting system kept it from reaching even greater all-time highs.

Many of my colleagues have spoken on the subject of trying to find a better alternative to the Dow's weighting system. Many would argue that the S&P 500's (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) system -- which goes by each stock's market capitalization -- is better than the Dow's system, which assigns weighting by stock price alone. The problem is that even the S&P 500 misses out on the dividends investors receive and how those payments affect the overall return of a stock or the market in general.

One thing investors can do if they want dividends added into their calculations for market growth is to follow the Standard & Poor's Total Return Index, which takes those quarterly payments into account.

In the end, all weighting systems have their problems, but understanding their limitations can at least help you see why indexes like the Dow don't always perform the way you might expect them to. But these systems are the best we have, and for better or worse, we're probably stuck with them.

More Foolish insight
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Top 10 Long Term Stocks To Buy For 2016

Top 10 Long Term Stocks To Buy For 2016: CoStar Group Inc (CSGP)

CoStar Group, Inc. (CoStar), incorporated on February 2, 1998, is a provider of information, analytics and marketing services to the commercial real estate industry in the United States and United Kingdom. The Company's suite of online service offerings includes information about space available for lease, comparable sales information, tenant information, information about properties for sale, Internet marketing services, analytical capabilities, information for clients' Websites, information about industry professionals and their business relationships, data integration and industry news. Its service offerings span all commercial property types, including office, industrial, retail, land, mixed-use, hospitality and multifamily. In April 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of LoopNet, Inc.

The Company's subscription-based information services consist primarily of CoStar Property Professional, CoStar Tenant, CoStar COMPS Professional and FOCUS servi ces. CoStar Property Professional, CoStar Tenant, and CoStar COMPS Professional are generally sold as a suite of similar services and through its mobile application, CoStarGo, and consists of its primary service offering in its United States operating segment. FOCUS is its primary service offering in its International operating segment. As of January 31, 2013, our database of real estate information covered the U.S., London, England and other parts of the U.K., and contained information about approximately 1.6 million sale and lease listings; approximately 4.2 million total properties; approximately 9.0 billion square feet of sale and lease listings; Approximately 5.8 million tenants; approximately 1.9 million sales transactions valued in the aggregate at approximately $4.5 trillion, and approximately 13.8 million digital attachments, including building photographs, aeria! l photographs, plat maps and floor plans.

CoStar Property Professional

CoStar P roperty Professional (CoStar Property) is the Company's fl! agship service. It provides subscribers an inventory of office, industrial, retail and multifamily properties and land in markets throughout the United States and United Kingdom, including for-lease and for-sale listings, historical data, building photographs, maps and floor plans. Commercial real estate professionals use CoStar Property to identify available space for lease, evaluate leasing and sale opportunities, value assets and position properties in the marketplace. Its clients also use CoStar Property to analyze market conditions by calculating current vacancy rates, absorption rates or average rental rates, and forecasting future trends based on user selected variables. When used together with CoStar Connect, CoStar Property enables subscribers to share space surveys and transaction-related documents with their clients, accessed through their corporate Website. CoStar Property, along with all of CoStar's other core information, analytics and marketing services, is delivered solely via the Internet.

CoStar COMPS Professional

CoStar COMPS Professional (COMPS Professional) provides coverage of comparable sales information in the United States and United Kingdom commercial real estate industries. COMPS Professional offers subscribers numerous fields of property information, access to support documents (deeds of trust) for new comparables, demographics and the ability to view for-sale properties alongside sold properties in three formats, plotted on a map, aerial image or in a table.

CoStar Tenant

CoStar Tenant is a detailed online business-to-business prospecting and analytical tool providing commercial real estate professionals with the commercial real estate-related the United States and United Kingdom tenant information available. CoStar Tenant profiles tenants occupying spa! ce in com! mercial buildings across the United States and provides updates on lease expirations, as well as occupa ncy levels, growth rates and numerous other facts. Deliverin! g this in! formation through the Internet allows users to target prospective clients quickly through a searchable database that identifies only those tenants meeting certain criteria.

CoStarGo

CoStarGo is an iPad application, which integrates and provides mobile access to subscribers of its property, tenant and comparable sales information in our suite of online service offerings-CoStar Property Professional, CoStar Tenant and CoStar COMPS Professional. CoStarGo provides a single, location-centric mobile interface that allows users to access and display information on millions of properties and gain instant access to analytic data and demographic information from the field.

CoStar Advertising

CoStar Advertising offers property owners and brokers a targeted and way to market a space for lease or a property for sale directly to the CoStar subscribers looking for that type of space through interactive advertising. With the CoStar Adverti sing program, when the advertiser's listings appear in a results set, they receive priority positioning and are enhanced to stand out. The advertiser can also purchase exposure in additional submarkets, or the entire market area so that this ad will appear even when this listing would not be returned in a results set.

PPR

The Company's subsidiary, PPR, and its United Kingdom subsidiary, PPR United Kingdom, offer products and services designed to meet the research needs of commercial real estate investors and lenders. PPR covers metropolitan areas throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Europe, with offerings, including historical and forecast market data and analysis by market and property type, and services, including access to PPR's analysts, economists, and strategists to develop and deliver custom research solu! tions. PP! R Portal is PPR's primary delivery platform for research, forecasts, analytics, and granular data surrounding a specific address and property type. PPR COMPASS is PPR's ! premier c! ommercial real estate risk management tool.

Resolve Portfolio Maximizer

Resolve Portfolio Maximizer is an industry real estate portfolio management software solution. Resolve Portfolio Maximizer allows users to model partnership structures, calculate waterfall distributions and fees, model and analyze debt obligations, and create multiple what if scenarios for alternative investment decision.

Resolve Request

Request is the business intelligence software solution built specifically for managing commercial real estate investments. Request helps users eliminate some of the difficulties of consolidating real estate investment data from disparate sources and facilitates standardization of information presentation and reporting across an organization. Request also provides a platform for users to develop business intelligence and reporting capabilities.

VP Corporate Edition

The Company's subsidiary, Vi rtual Premise, offers VP Corporate Edition, a real estate management software solution designed for corporate real estate managers, company executives, business unit directors, brokers and project managers. VP Corporate Edition helps users connect real estate initiatives with company strategic goals, streamline portfolio operations, automate the process for collecting and managing space requests, reduce occupancy costs with analytics that track location performance against targets, and maximize location performance through proactive portfolio management. Virtual Premise also provides lease abstraction and data review services in order to facilitate the effective implementation of this software solution.

VP Retail Edition

VP Retail Edition is a real estate management software solution designed for company executives, rea! l estate ! dealmakers and store planning and construction managers. VP Retail Edition helps users to utilize and real-time data to est ablish goals and store strategies, manage the execution of r! eal estat! e strategies, summarize critical portfolio data and prerequisite store-level information and metrics for maximizing location performance through proactive portfolio management. Virtual Premise also provides lease abstraction and data review services in order to facilitate the effective implementation of this software solution.

LoopNet Basic and Premium Membership

The Company's subsidiary, LoopNet, offer two types of memberships on the LoopNet marketplace, basic and premium. As of January 31, 2013, LoopNet had approximately 6.8 million registered members, of which 82,915 were premium members. LoopNet Premium Lister is designed for commercial real estate professionals and other customers who seek the broadest possible exposure for their listings, access to leads lists, and advanced marketing and searching tools. LoopNet Premium Searcher is designed for members searching for commercial real estate who need unlimited marketplace searching access, prof essional-quality reports and advanced searching tools.

LoopLink

LoopLink is an online real estate marketing and database services suite that enables commercial real estate firms to showcase their available properties both on the LoopNet marketplace and on the brokerage firm's Website using hosted search software. Within LoopNet, each LoopLink listing is branded with the client's logo and is hyperlinked to the client's Website. The LoopNet import service offers the opportunity to simplify the process of submitting listings to LoopNet from the client's internal databases, and features advanced data matching and data integrity rules and file conversion capabilities. LoopNet charges a monthly subscription fee to commercial real estate firms for the LoopLink service.

LandsofAmerica and LandAnd! Farm

LandsofAmerica and LandAndFarm are online marketplaces for rural land for sale. Sellers pay a fee to list their land for sal e, and interested buyers can search LoopNet's listings for f! ree.

BizBuySell and BizQuest

BizBuySell and BizQuest are online marketplaces for operating businesses for sale. Business sellers pay a fee to list their operating businesses for sale, and interested buyers can search LoopNet's listings for free. The BizBuySell and BizQuest Franchise Directories allow interested business buyers to search hundreds of franchise opportunities, and franchisors can list their availabilities in the directory on a cost per lead basis.

FOCUS

The Company's the United Kingdom subsidiary, CoStar U.K. Limited, offers several services; its primary service is FOCUS. FOCUS is a digital online service offering information on the United Kingdom commercial real estate market. This service seamlessly links data on individual properties and companies across the United Kingdom, including comparable sales, available space, requirements, tenants, lease deals, planning information, socio-economics and demographics, credit ratings, photos and maps.

Grecam

The Company's French subsidiary, Grecam S.A.S., provides commercial real estate information throughout the Paris region through its Observatoire Immobilier D' Entreprise (OIE) service offering. The OIE service provides commercial property availability and transaction information to its subscribers through both an online service and market reports.

The Company competes with commercialsearch.com, PropertyLine.com, Reed Business Information Limited, officespace.com, MrOfficeSpace.com, TenantWise, Inc., www.propertyshark.com, WorkplaceIQ, RealPoint LLC, estatesgazette.com, Xceligent, Inc., eProperty Data, CBRE Economic Advisors, Marshall & Swift, Yale Robbins, Inc., Reis, Inc., Real Capital Analytics, Inc., The Smith Guide, Inc., Catalyst, the National A! ssociatio! n of Realtors, CCIM Institute, Society of Industrial and Office Realtors the Commercial Association of Realtors Data Services, the Association of Industrial Realtors, Cougar Software, Yardi Systems, MRI ! Software,! Altus, Intuit Inc., Accruent, Tririga, Manhattan Software and AMT.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Financial sector was the top gainer in today’s trading. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included CoStar Group (NASDAQ: CSGP), up 11.5 percent, and Intermountain Community Bancorp (NASDAQ: IMCB), up 10.36 percent.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach]

  It's been a tough year for Internet stocks, but you wouldn't know it looking at a hot stock offering by CoStar Group Inc.(CSGP) late last week.

• [By Dave and Donald Moenning]

  Internet Software & Services has been the place to be in 2013. In addition to Shutterstock (SSTK), just take a look at these constituents of this red-hot sub-industry: Pandora Media (P), Facebook (FB), j2 Global (JCOM), Yelp (YELP), CoStar Group (CSGP),LinkedIn (LNKD), etc. The list of superb stocks in the Internet Software & Services space goes on and on. Focusing on stocks in the top-performing sub-industries usually helps bullish trades, so today, let's take a closer look at Shutterstock Inc for a short-term long trade.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-long-term-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html

Obama Nominates Furman as Top Economic Adviser

WASHINGTON (AP) -- For someone with a reputation for seeking varying points of view before staking out a position or offering advice, Jason Furman was once, well, quite the risk taker.

President Barack Obama's new nominee to a top White House economic advisory post years ago took the stereotype of "on the one hand, on the other hand" economic rumination to a different place.

He juggled. Knives, specifically. On the streets of New York as a teenager. Sometimes, a bowling ball, an egg, and an apple.

These days, Furman, 42, is a senior economic advisor who has been involved in economic policy since the Clinton administration. He has advised President Barack Obama through the depths of the recession to the current modest recovery. He is a senior economist in a Democratic White House with friends and admirers among conservatives.

On Monday, Obama nominated Furman to be the next chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers. If confirmed by the Senate he would replace Alan Krueger, who is returning to his teaching post at Princeton University.

Unlike his three predecessors, who came from the world of academics, Furman is a member of the Washington economic establishment. He has been an advisor at the World Bank, to President Bill Clinton, has worked at the Brookings Institution think tank, advised John Kerry on economic policy during his presidential run in 2004 and has counseled Obama since his 2008 campaign.

"He's a guy who's really different from the previous senior economic people in that he's kind of a Washington insider who has nurtured strong relationship with people on both sides of the aisle," said Kevin Hassett, a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. Hassett was among the guests invited to attend the White House announcement Monday.

Furman's college advisor and friend is conservative Harvard economist Greg Mankiw; his early mentor was liberal economist Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz. If confirmed, Furman would follow in their footsteps. Mankiw was chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Bush; Stiglitz was chairman under President Clinton.

Obama, in perhaps a nod to that reputation, praised Furman as a valued and brilliant economic guide.

"When the stakes are highest, there's no one I'd rather turn to for straightforward, unvarnished advice that helps me to do my job," Obama said. "He understands all sides of an argument, not just one side of it."

Furman's nomination is not likely to signal a sharp change in Obama's fiscal and economic policies, though some liberals would prefer that Obama drop his attempt to win a "grand bargain" with congressional Republicans over fiscal policy. They believe Obama will give up more than he will get if he continues to push for spending cuts, tax increases and lower spending on entitlement programs.

"No economic advisor is going to get the House GOP to accept a more sensible budget approach or help us generate jobs," said Lawrence Mishel, president of the liberal Economic Policy Institute. "Hopefully, they'll abandon the grand bargain approach."

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Buy For 2016

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Buy For 2016: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation(CCMP)

Cabot Microelectronics Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) consumables to the semiconductor industry primarily in the United States, Asia, and Europe. CMP is a polishing process used by integrated circuit (IC) device manufacturers to planarize or flatten the multiple layers of material that are deposited upon silicon wafers in the production of advanced ICs. The company offers CMP slurries, which are liquid solutions composed of high-purity deionized water, proprietary chemical additives, and engineered abrasives that chemically and mechanically interact with the surface material of the IC device at an atomic level; and CMP polishing pads that are engineered polymeric materials designed to distribute and transport the slurry to the surface of the wafer and distribute it evenly across the wafer. Its CMP slurries are used for various polishing applications, including materials that conduct electrical signal s, such as tungsten, copper, tantalum, and aluminum; the dielectric insulating materials that separate conductive layers within logic and memory IC devices; and the disk substrates and magnetic heads used in hard disk drives. The company also designs and produces precision polishing and metrology systems to attain shape and surface finish on various optical components, such as mirrors, lenses, and prisms. It serves producers of logic IC devices and memory IC devices, as well as IC foundries. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Aurora, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Whitney Kisling]

  That alert proved too optimistic and the exchange pushed back the open another 15 minutes. By 3:25 p.m., Nasdaq stocks started ticking again. With the close about 35 minutes away, both the Nasdaq Composite Index (C! CMP) and the Nasdaq 100 Index began to rise.

• [By Nikolaj Gammeltoft]

  Not all of Granville's best calls were in the distant past. On March 11, 2000, the day after the Nasdaq Composite Index (CCMP) jumped to a record 5048.62, Granville wrote that investors in technology stocks "will soon be burned." The index, heavy on computer-related companies, tumbled about 78 percent before bottoming on Oct. 9, 2002.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-heal-care-companies-to-buy-for-2016.html

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015

General Motors plans to mostly withdraw its Chevrolet brand from Europe in a sharp reversal of its global strategy for its most iconic brand.

The move, which the company announced at about 3 a.m. Eastern time in a press release Thursday, means GM will record net special charges of about $700 million to $1 billion, including about $300 million of non-cash charges, mostly in the fourth quarter.

GM spokesman Dave Roman said in an email that the Chevrolet decision will not affect the automaker's plan to break even in Europe by mid-decade.

GM's Chevrolet sales in Europe fell 18% through October to 121,621 units. The Opel and Vauxhall brands posted a 3% decrease to 702,481 vehicles.

The company has lost money in Europe every year of this century, including $499 million this year through September, down from $1.2 billion during the same period in 2012.

Top 10 Logistics Companies To Own For 2016: Alumina Ltd (AWC)

Alumina Limited, through its 40% equity interest in Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals, engages in the bauxite mining, alumina refining, and aluminum smelting businesses. It has interests in eight alumina refineries and eight bauxite mines, as well as operates two aluminum smelters in Victoria, Australia. The company also owns interests in a network of mines, refineries, and smelters in the United States, Guinea, Suriname, Jamaica, Brazil, and Spain. In addition, it owns and operates a shipping operation that transports alumina, aluminum, and raw materials worldwide. The company, formerly known as WMC Limited, was founded in 1970 and is based in Southbank, Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Alcoa have dropped 3.3% to $7.90 today at 9:30 a.m. The downgrade has also hit other aluminum producers this morning. Alumina (AWC) has fallen 1.1% to $3.73, Kaiser Aluminum (KALU) has declined 0.7% to $71.17, and BHP Billiton (BHP), of which aluminum is but a small piece, is off 0.3% at $66.22.

• [By Tim Melvin]

  One such company is Alumina Limited (NYSE ADR: AWC), an Australian aluminum company.

  Alumina, which mines and refines aluminum, operates eight refineries and two aluminum smelters and owns or has interest in seven mining operations. It has a shipping operation that transports aluminum-related raw materials.

• [By Peter Krauth]

  Prospects are strong, as AA continues to push productivity gains and further penetrate sectors like aerospace and automotive. As automobiles look to improve fuel consumption, the average U.S. car will likely go from about 14 lbs. to 55 lbs. of aluminum in just the next three years. Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld thinks cars will contain 135 lbs. of aluminum within twelve years.

  The Even Better-Looking Sister Is... Another way to play aluminum might be through Alumina Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE: AWC).

  Alumina owns 40% of the world's largest alumina business, Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC), with Alcoa owning and managing the other 60%.

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015: IBERIABANK Corporation (IBKC)

IBERIABANK Corporation operates as the holding company for IBERIABANK that provides commercial and retail banking products and services in the United States. It offers a range of commercial, consumer, mortgage, and private banking products and services; cash management services; deposit and annuity products; and investment brokerage services. The company, through its subsidiaries, also engages in financial services-related activities, including brokerage services and sales of variable annuities, life, health, dental, and accident insurance products. In addition, it offers various title insurance and loan closing services for residential and commercial customers; family residential mortgage loans; equity research, institutional sales and trading, and corporate finance services; and wealth management and trust services to high net worth individuals, pension funds, corporations, and trusts, as well as invests in an aircraft and purchased tax credits. As of February 25, 2013, the company had 278 combined offices, including 184 bank branch offices in Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas; 21 title insurance offices in Arkansas and Louisiana; and mortgage representatives in 62 locations in 12 states. IBERIABANK Corporation was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. Avg. High Yield Price
  2. 20-Year DCF Price
  3. Avg. P/E Price
  4. Graham Number
  
  CTBI is trading at a premium to all four valuations above. The stock is trading at a 53.5% premium to its calculated fair value of $29.43. CTBI did not earn any Stars in this section.
  
  Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. Free Cash Flow Payout
  2. Debt To Total Capital
  3. Key Metrics
  4. Dividend Growth Rate
  5. Years of Div. Growth
  6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15%
  
  CTBI earned one Star in this section for 1.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1988 and has increased its dividend payments for 33 consecutive years.
  
  Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description:
  
  1. NPV MMA Diff.
  2. Years to > MMA
  
  The negative NPV MMA Diff. means that on a NPV basis the dividend earnings from an investment in CTBI would be less than a similar amount invested in MMA earning a 20-year average rate of 3.41%. If CTBI grows its dividend at 1.5% per year, it will never equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.41%.
  
  Memberships and Peers: CTBI is, a member of the Broad Dividend Achieve

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015: Bluforest Inc (BLUF)

Bluforest Inc., formerly Greenwood Gold Resources, Inc., incorporated on March 26, 2008, is a carbon offset credit trading company with land assets in South America. Global Environmental Investments Limited (GEIL) sold all of the rights and interests held by GEIL pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, on March 30, 2012, to the Company regarding the Property, which consists of approximately 105,000 hectares. It consists of 100% of GEIL�� rights, title and interests in and to the timber, minerals, substances and the rights to receive from the Property, and 100% of the right, title and interests of GEIL in all existing oil, gas and/or mineral unitization, pooling and/or communization agreements, declarations, and/or orders and the properties covered or included in the units, which relate to the Property.

The Property consists of 100% of the right, title and interests of GEIL in all existing and agreements, including sales and sales related contracts, operating agreements and other agreements and contracts, which relate to Fundacion Nelson Velasco Aguirre (NVA), the Property or which relate to the exploration, development, operation or maintenance of the Property or the treatment, storage, transaction or marketing of production from or allocated to the Property. The 105,000 hectares also consists of 100% of the right, title and interests of GEIL in and to all materials, supplies, machinery, equipment, improvements, and other personal property and fixtures relating to the Property, and all wells, wellhead equipment, pumping units, flow lines, tanks, buildings, injection facilities, salt water disposal facilities, compression facilities, gathering systems and other equipment, all easements, rights-of-way, surface leases and other surface rights, all permits and licenses and all other appurtenances, used or held for use in connection with or related to the exploration, development, operation or maintenance of any of the Property.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks BluForest Inc (OTCMKTS: BLUF), Dephasium Corp (OTCMKTS: DPHS) and IceWEB, Inc (OTCBB: IWEB) have been getting some attention for at least a few weeks now thanks to paid for promotional activity. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed stock promotions, but one of these stocks also has a former shareholder who has filed a civil action against it alleging there is an illegal ��ump and dump��scheme going on. So what�� the whole story and more importantly, what will happen with these small cap stocks when the well from promoters eventually goes dry? Here is a closer look and a quick reality check:

• [By Peter Graham]

  What�� the Catch With Multi-Corp International Inc? According to various disclosures, no transactions have occurred to mention Multi-Corp International in various investment newsletters. Moreover, I am not seeing any recent news on the newswires about the company with the latest press release dating from late July about the posting of a blanket bond. However and as I noted in an earlier about BluForest Inc (OTCMKTS: BLUF), the company has been named in a Freedom of Information request with the SEC by George Sharp (of Pumps&Dumps.com) for all complaints filed against Jim Can. George apparently contends that Jim controls BluForest along with Multi-Corp International, but the former has recently won an injunction against the latter for ��lleged, completely false, defamatory claims and statements.��Otherwise, investors should be aware that Multi-Corp International�� most recent financials date from the end of September of last year ��meaning its investor beware until they get current.

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap green stocks Eco-Tek Group Inc (OTCMKTS: ETEK) and BluForest Inc (OTCMKTS: BLUF) have been getting some attention lately thanks to some green���as in paid for promotions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed promotions, but one of these stocks happens to be getting a considerable amount of attention as its been the subject of numerous transactions. With that in mind, will investors see some green with these green small cap stocks? Here is a quick reality check:�

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015: Renesola Ltd.(SOL)

ReneSola Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of solar wafers and solar power products. It offers virgin polysilicons, monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar wafers, and photovoltaic cells and modules. The company also provides cell and module processing services. Its products are used in a range of residential, commercial, industrial, and other solar power generation systems. The company sells its solar wafers primarily to solar cell and module manufacturers. It principally operates in Mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, India, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, and the United States. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Jiashan, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: UTi Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: UTIW), Renesola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL), Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY), Kroger Company (NYSE: KR), Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: DMND) Economic Releases Expected: US factory orders, French unemployment rate, Bank of England interest rate decision, US GDP

  Friday

• [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 Paul Ausick]

  Provided that the Chinese government either encourages or permits consolidation, any of these three could be an acquirer. The likeliest target, of course, is SunTech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), which is reorganizing and which the government has already seemed to give up on. Other possible targets include ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) and JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: JKS).

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Photovoltaic module and wafer manufacturer ReneSola (NYSE: SOL  ) has been contracted to�provide 7,200 250-watt high-efficiency polycrystalline solar PV modules for a project in Roswell, N.M.

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015: Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd.(HSOL)

Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd., an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture and sale of silicon ingots, silicon wafers, and PV cells and modules. The company also offers mono crystalline and multi crystalline silicon cells; and provides PV module processing services. It sells its products to solar power system integrators and distributors primarily in Germany, Italy, Australia, the United States, the Czech Republic, Spain, and China. The company was formerly known as Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. in December 2010. Hanwha Solarone Co., Ltd. was founded in 2004 and is based in Qidong, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Lights out, China
  China may have its fair share of struggles -- which has caused its strong economy to back off its 30-year average growth rate of 10% -- but when push comes to shove, plenty of investors are still paying close attention to multinational companies making investments in China. However, if there were one sector with a gigantic "beware" stamp attached to it, it would be Chinese solar panel producers like Hanwha SolarOne (NASDAQ: HSOL  ) .

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Co. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 13.9% at $4.36. D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) is up 4.7% at $18.91 on good earnings boosted by land sales.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Hanwha SolarOne Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 6.8% at $3.68. Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: HOV) is up 2.2% at $5.15.

  Stocks on the move: Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) is up 9.3% at $21.74 after being adding to the S&P 500 index. BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ: BBRY) is up 6.4% at $11.53 on reports that a former board member has nearly lined up financing to take the company private. Molex Inc. (NASDAQ: MOLX) is up 31.6% at $38.60 following an agreement to be acquired by Koch Industries Inc.

• [By Rebecca McClay]

  The tech market's news today includes a plunge in Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: HSOL) shares, which are down 5% in morning trade after its second-quarter loss narrowed to $0.32 per share from a loss of $0.43 in Q1.

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015: Aspen Technology Inc.(AZPN)

Aspen Technology, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated process optimization software solutions for manufacturers in process industries, and engineering and construction firms. It designs and develops aspenONE suite software applications for use in the engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain business areas. The company?s aspenONE engineering software includes Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS, which are process modeling software products for conceptual design, optimization, and performance monitoring; Aspen Basic Engineering, a workflow tool that allows engineers to build, re-use, and share process models and data; Aspen Economic Evaluation, an economic evaluation software for estimating costs of conceptual process designs; and Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating, a software used to design, simulate, and optimize the performance of heat exchangers. Its aspenONE manufacturing software comprises Aspen InfoPlus.21, a data historian software that collects and stores data for analysis and reporting; and Aspen DMCplus, a multi-variable controller software capable of processing multiple constraints. The company?s aspenONE supply chain software products comprise Aspen Collaborative Demand Manager, Aspen Petroleum Scheduler, Aspen PIMS, Aspen Plant Scheduler, Aspen supply chain planner, Aspen Inventory Management & Operations Scheduling, Aspen Petroleum Supply Chain Planner, and Aspen Fleet Optimizer that are designed to enable process manufacturers to reduce inventory levels, increase asset efficiency, and optimize supply chain decisions. It also offers customer support, professional, and training services. The company serves manufacturers in process industries, such as energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, consumer packaged goods, power, metals and mining, pulp and paper, and bio-fuels, as well as engineering and construction firms. Aspen Technology, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  AspenTech (NASDAQ: AZPN  ) will be led by a new individual starting this autumn. The company announced that it has tapped Antonio Pietri to be its president and CEO, effective Oct. 1. He will replace Mark Fusco, who according to the firm is retiring to spend more time with his family.

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2015: CDI Corporation(CDI)

CDI Corp. provides engineering and information technology project outsourcing solutions and professional staffing services primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It operates in four segments: ES, MRI, Anders, and ITS. The ES segment provides engineering, design, project management, staffing, and outsourcing solutions to oil, gas, refining, alternative energy, power generation and energy transmission, chemicals, and heavy manufacturing industries; engineering, design, logistics, and staffing services to the defense industry, primarily in marine design, systems development, and military aviation support; engineering, design, project management, staffing, and facility start-up services to pharmaceutical, bio-pharmaceutical, and regulated medical services industries; and architecture, civil and environmental engineering, communication technology, and consulting services to governmental, educational, and private industry customers. The MRI segment opera tes as a global franchisor that does business as MRINetwork and provides the use of its trademarks, business systems, and training and support services to its franchisees who engage in the search and recruitment of executive, technical, professional, and managerial personnel for employment by their customers. It also provides training, implementation services, and back-office services to enable franchisees to pursue staffing opportunities. The Anders segment provides contract and permanent placement candidates to customers in the areas of architecture, building services, rail, commercial and industrial construction, consulting engineering, facilities management, interior design, surveying, and town planning. The ITS segment offers various information technology related services, which include staffing augmentation, permanent placement, outsourcing, and consulting. The company was founded in 1950 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Philadelphia-based CDI Corp. (NYSE: CDI  ) has won a $36 million contract to provide watercraft engineering and marine services to the U.S. Navy.

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

5 Best Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now

5 Best Computer Hardware Stocks To Own Right Now: IceWEB Inc (IWEB)

IceWEB, Inc. (IceWEB), incorporated in 1994, manufacture and market unified data storage, purpose built appliances, network and cloud attached storage solutions and deliver on-line cloud computing application services. The Companys customer base includes the United States government agencies, enterprise companies, and small to medium sized businesses (SMB). The Company has three product offerings: Iceweb Unified Data Network Storage line of products, Purpose Built Network/Data Appliances and Cloud Computing Products/Services. In October 2013, IceWEB Inc completed its acquisition of Computers and Tele-Comm, Inc. and KC-NAP, LLC of Kansas City (collectively CTC).

IceWEB Unified Data Storage line of products

IceWEB is a provider of Unified Data Storage solutions. Its storage systems make it possible to operate and manage files and applications from a single device and consolidate file-based and block-based access in a single storage platform, whi ch supports Fibre Channel SAN, IP-based SAN (iSCSI), and NAS (network attached storage). A unified storage system simultaneously enables storage of file data and handles the block-based I/O (input/output) of enterprise applications. One advantage of unified storage is reduced hardware requirements. The IceWEB Storage System is an all-inclusive storage management system, which includes de-duplication; unlimited snapshots; thin provisioning; local or remote, real-time or scheduled replication; capacity and utilization reporting, and integration with virtual server environments.

Purpose Built Network and Data Appliances

Purpose Built Network and Data Appliances are devices, which provide computing resources (processors and memory), data storage, and specific software for a specific application. The primary appliance products that IceWEB has built have been centered on a single large business partner, ESRI Corporation. IceWEB and ESRI h! ave collaborated to create ultra-high performance IceWEB/ESRI GIS systems that allow customers to access data with speed. ESRI Corporation takes responsibility for marketing to their customers and business partners, via their worldwide sales and consultancy organization.

Cloud Computing Products and Services

Cloud computing products and services consist of cloud computing services and cloud storage appliances. IceWEB provides IceMAIL, a packaged software service that provides network hosted groupware, e-mail, calendaring and collaboration functionality. Online services were expanded to include IcePORTAL, which provides customers with a complete Intranet portal and IceSECURE a hosted e-mail encryption service. Originally such hosted services were referred to as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Such services, hosted across the Internet are commonly referred to as Cloud Computing. A cloud storage appliance is a purpose built storage device configured for either branch off ice or central site deployment, which allows the housing and delivery of customer data across not only their internal networking infrastructure, but also to make that data available to employees or business partners securely via the Internet (often called the cloud).

The Company competes with EMC, Network Appliance, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, Compellent Technologies and Isilon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Whats the Catch with Dephasium Corp? According to various disclosures, transactions of $2k, $2.5k, $3k, $4k, $7.5k, $12.5k and $15k have or will occur to mention Dephasium Corp in various investment newsletters. Dephasium Corp has been getting plenty of off and on attention for a couple of months now, but whats been pretty strange is the company issuing a press release to announce that an unidentified third party, without the DPHSs approval, has listed its shares on the Boerse Berlin Stock Exchange. The press r! elease wa! rned that this could be the first salvo in a significant naked shorting attack directed at the Company given that the Berlin exchange is one of few stock exchanges in the world that allows listing and trading of a company's stock without the consent or authorization of the company being listed in order to facilitate short-selling. A quick look at Dephasium Corps financials reveals no revenues; net losses of $10k (most recent repor ted quarter), $17k and $11k plus net income of $388k; and $51k to cover $9k in current liabilities at the end of March. In other words, Dephasium Corp isnt making money but someone else is trying to make some from it.

  IceWEB, Inc. (OTCBB: IWEB) Seems to Be Making Progress

  Small cap IceWEB is a provider of Unified Data Storage appliances for cloud and virtual environments, as well as the highly secure, scalable IceBOXTM BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Private Digital Cloud Solution. On Friday, IceWEB fell 8.57% to $0.0320 for a market cap of $9.01 million plus IWEB is down 54.3% over the past year and down 81.7% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/5-best-computer-hardware-stocks-to-own-right-now-2.html

A Hidden Reason That TETRA Technologies's Earnings Are Outstanding

It takes money to make money. Most investors know that, but with business media so focused on the "how much," very few investors bother to ask, "How fast?"

When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to TETRA Technologies (NYSE: TTI  ) .

Let's break this down
In this series, we measure how swiftly a company turns cash into goods or services and back into cash. We'll use a quick, relatively foolproof tool known as the cash conversion cycle, or CCC for short.

Why does the CCC matter? The less time it takes a firm to convert outgoing cash into incoming cash, the more powerful and flexible its profit engine is. The less money tied up in inventory and accounts receivable, the more available to grow the company, pay investors, or both.

Top Insurance Companies To Watch In Right Now

To calculate the cash conversion cycle, add days inventory outstanding to days sales outstanding, then subtract days payable outstanding. Like golf, the lower your score here, the better. The CCC figure for TETRA Technologies for the trailing 12 months is 92.2.

For younger, fast-growth companies, the CCC can give you valuable insight into the sustainability of that growth. A company that's taking longer to make cash may need to tap financing to keep its momentum. For older, mature companies, the CCC can tell you how well the company is managed. Firms that begin to lose control of the CCC may be losing their clout with their suppliers (who might be demanding stricter payment terms) and customers (who might be demanding more generous terms). This can sometimes be an important signal of future distress -- one most investors are likely to miss.

In this series, I'm most interested in comparing a company's CCC to its prior performance. Here's where I believe all investors need to become trend-watchers. Sure, there may be legitimate reasons for an increase in the CCC, but all things being equal, I want to see this number stay steady or move downward over time.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Because of the seasonality in some businesses, the CCC for the TTM period may not be strictly comparable to the fiscal-year periods shown in the chart. Even the steadiest-looking businesses on an annual basis will experience some quarterly fluctuations in the CCC. To get an understanding of the usual ebb and flow at TETRA Technologies, consult the quarterly-period chart below.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FQ = fiscal quarter.

On a 12-month basis, the trend at TETRA Technologies looks very good. At 92.2 days, it is 10.7 days better than the five-year average of 102.9 days. The biggest contributor to that improvement was DSO, which improved 11.2 days compared to the five-year average. That was partially offset by a 9.0-day increase in DPO.

Considering the numbers on a quarterly basis, the CCC trend at TETRA Technologies looks good. At 98.3 days, it is little changed from the average of the past eight quarters. With both 12-month and quarterly CCC running better than average, TETRA Technologies gets high marks in this cash-conversion checkup.

Though the CCC can take a little work to calculate, it's definitely worth watching every quarter. You'll be better informed about potential problems, and you'll improve your odds of finding underappreciated home run stocks.

Is TETRA Technologies the right energy stock for you? Read about a handful of timely, profit-producing plays on expensive crude in "3 Stocks for $100 Oil." Click here for instant access to this free report.

Add TETRA Technologies to My Watchlist.

Hot US Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Each year for nearly half a century, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B) has provided an annual letter to shareholders that discusses the gains it has produced for holders of its common stock. In 2012, according to its letter, that gain was $24.1 billion. Some $1.3 billion of that gain was used to repurchase Berkshire shares, leaving a $22.8 billion ��ncrease in net worth��that the company retained. Over nearly 50 years, the company's shareholders��equity, or book value, has grown almost 20% annually. Below, we discuss how analyzing shareholders' or owners��equity is among the most important exercises for investors and shareholders.

What Do the Major Owners��Equity Sections Tell an Investor?

Berkshire Hathaway�� book value growth over time has been relatively easy to measure. This figure is relatively clean, because Chief Executive Warren Buffett rarely buys back stock or issues additional shares, and he has never paid a dividend. For this reason, its growth in book value is a relatively good gauge for the returns shareholders have earned over the company�� history. At the end of 2012, the company's total shareholders��equity grew to $191.6 billion and consisted primarily of retained earnings, which grew to $124.3 billion and is simply the earnings that have been reinvested back into the business over the years.

Berkshire Hathaway�� Shareholders��Equity Section - 2012:

Top 5 Warren Buffett Companies To Invest In Right Now: TASER International Inc.(TASR)

TASER International, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells electronic control devices (ECD) for use in the law enforcement, military, corrections, private security, and personal defense markets. ECDs transmit electrical pulses along the wires and into the body affecting the sensory and motor functions of the peripheral nervous system. Its products for the law enforcement, military, corrections, and professional security market include the TASER X26 product line, which consists of TASER X26, various cartridges, a digital power magazine, data download software and equipment, extended warranties, and a range of holstering options and accessories; TASER X3, a multi-shot ECD that would engage three separate targets; and ADVANCED TASER M26 product line comprising the ADVANCED TASER M26, various cartridges, rechargeable batteries, a battery charging system, data download software and equipment, extended warranties, and various holstering options and accessories. The company also provides TASER XREP, a self-contained, wireless ECD that deploys from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun; and TASER Shockwave security system for safety and stand-off capability during hostile situations. In addition, it manufactures TASER C2, TASER X26C, and ADVANCED TASER M26C devices for the personal defense market, as well as provides various cartridges and other accessories. The company sells its products worldwide through its direct sales force, distribution partners, online store, and third-party resellers. TASER International, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Taser International (TASR) has risen 6.1% to $20.26 after the maker of non-lethal weapons reported earnings of 13 cents a share, more than double analyst forecasts.

Hot US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Adcorp Holdings Ltd (ADR)

Adcorp Holdings Limited (Adcorp) is an investment holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries and associates, is engaged in providing, recruitment, human capital management and training services and business process outsourcing. It is organized into three operating divisions: group central costs, traditional resourcing business and new generation business. The group central costs division includes the items of income and expenditure related to Adcorp Holdings Limited, Group marketing, corporate social investment, shared services and the central head office. The traditional resourcing business includes blue-collar flexible resourcing services (including nursing), white-collar flexible-resourcing services, independent contracting and permanent recruitment services. In October 2013, Adcorp Holdings Ltd acquired Labour Solutions Australia. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  In fact, today the company announced that it will be launching a new universal life product for the Canadian market called Manulife UL by May 26 of this year. The new product will offer cost-effective insurance protection, as well as the opportunity for tax-advantaged investing, catering to customer�� demands for a more simplified insurance solution, which should help boost sales to some extent. Although the firm�� balance sheet is highly leveraged, exposing it to possible damages in the case of higher-than-expected policy liabilities, Manulife�� capital position has improved substantially over the past year. With a ratio of regulatory capital to capital required at 248%, the firm possesses excessive capital levels, well above competitors like Prudential Public Limited Company (ADR) (PUK), China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (ADR) (LFC), and Sun Life Financial Inc. (USA) (SLF), which all sport a 200% ratio. Moreover, the company�� excessive capital should allow it to maintain the above average dividend yield of 2.66% offered to shareholders.

• [By Tim Melvin]

  One such company is Alumina Limited (NYSE ADR: AWC), an Australian aluminum company.

  Alumina, which mines and refines aluminum, operates eight refineries and two aluminum smelters and owns or has interest in seven mining operations. It has a shipping operation that transports aluminum-related raw materials.

• [By Muhammad Bazil]

  Altria Group Inc (MO) is a producer of cigarettes and other tobacco related products. Two of its competitors include; British American Tobacco (ADR) (BTI) and Imperial Tobacco Group Plc (ADR) (ITYBY)

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  In other words, Allegion's offerings range from low-tech - steel doors and conventional locks - to high tech: automated-access and security systems, video monitoring, and systems integration. Its 23 business brands include:

  Interflex Datensysteme GmbH & Co. KG, which offers such workforce-management systems as time accounting and automated scheduling, as well as security systems that include ID and access-card production, closed-circuit (CCTV) video surveillance, and biometrics. CISA, a security pioneer that patented the first electrically controlled lock - back in 1926. It is also the first brand in the world to develop smart-card locks, which are used as electronic keys to safely and efficiently manage gates and entrances. CISA today develops and markets cylinders and locks for any kind of door, including electronic locks, panic bars, door closers, safes, and padlocks. aptiQ Smart Technology, which uses an "open-architecture" to design readers, credentials, and smartphone-based security applications. The aptiQ portfolio includes easy-to-use readers that can accommodate most magnetic-stripe cards. This product line also allows for the creation and use of proximity cards, aptiQ "smartcards," and the latest in so-called "near-field communications" (NFC) technology - the know-how behind our May 2012 recommendation of NXP Semiconductors NV (Nasdaq: NXPI), a stock that has more than doubled. (Coincidentally, NXP is a 2006 spinoff from Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV (NYSE ADR: PHG) - which underscores, again, the profit potential of "spin-off investing.") Bocom Systems, which specializes in video monitoring solutions for city and highway traffic, as well as for airports, government buildings, and general surveillance. That business unit designs, engineers, and installs both security alarm systems and more-complex closed-circuit-based security networks. And Schlage, a 90-year-old company that's one of the top nam

Hot US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Qatar Investment Fund PLC (QIF)

Qatar Investment Fund plc, formerly Epicure Qatar Equity Opportunities plc, is a closed-end investment company established to invest primarily in quoted equities of Qatar and other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries. Its investment objective is to capture, principally through the medium of the Qatar Exchange by investing in listed companies or companies to be listed. It also invests in listed companies, pre-initial public offer (IPO) companies, in other GCC countries. As of June 30, 2010, the Company had a portfolio of 22 investments in quoted companies in the Gulf, with 17 of them being in Qatar, four investments in United Arab Emirates and one in Kuwait. As at June 30, 2010, the top five holdings of the Company are Qatar National bank, Industries Qatar, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Qatar Islamic Bank and Rayan Bank. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiary is Epicure Qatar Opportunities Holdings Limited. The investment manager of the Company is Epicure Managers Qatar Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vivian Lewis]

  The fund also operates to cut tax liabilities. EXG executes timely trades to capture additional qualified dividend income (QIF) subject to capital gains taxes which are usually lower than income taxes.

Hot US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Rapier Gold Inc (RPR)

Rapier Gold Inc. is a Canada-based gold focused exploration company. On March 12, 2013, the Company closed a share purchase agreement with two subsidiaries of Rio Tinto plc, which control rights to all non-talc minerals on mineral claims, Pen Gold North Project. The Pen Gold North Project is approximately 5,600 hectares in area and some of the claims are held through a lease and sublease with IMERYS. The combination of Pen Gold North and Pen Gold South properties comprise 16,448 hectares (approximately 160 square kilometers) located on the western extension of the Porcupine-Destor Deformation (Fault) Zone. The Company has executed the license and option agreement with Rogue Iron Corp. to explore for gold on the Pen Gold South property, which totals approximately 10,848 hectares, with an option to purchase those claims. These claims are part of a contiguous block with the Pen Gold North claims. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Whitney George is Director of Investments, Managing Director, and a Portfolio Manager of Royce & Associates, LLC, investment advisor to The Royce Funds. He serves as portfolio manager for Royce Premier Fund (RPR), Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund (RLP), Royce Global Value Fund (RGV), Royce SMid-Cap Value Fund (RSV), and Royce Focus Trust (FUND). He also serves as assistant portfolio manager for Royce Micro-Cap Fund (RMC), Royce Value Fund (RVV), Royce Value Plus Fund (RVP), Royce Focus Value Fund (RFV), and Royce Capital Fund ��Micro-Cap Portfolio (RCM). Mr. George's thoughts in this interview concerning the stock market are solely his own and, of course, there can be no assurance with regard to future market movements.

Hot US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Medical Marijuana Inc (MJNA.PK)

Medical Marijuana Inc. (MJNA), incorporated on May 23, 2005, is the publicly held company vested in the medical marijuana and industrial hemp markets. The Company is comprised of a diversified portfolio of products, services, technology and businesses solely focused on the cannabis and hemp industries. These products range from patented based cannabinoid products, to whole plant or isolated high value extracts specifically manufactured and formulated for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries. In March 2013, it sold certain equipment and inventory, web domain names, phone numbers, and all existing and pending agreements with hemp production and processing facilities to CannaVEST Corp.

The Company�� services are varied, ranging from medical clinic management to the capitalization and development of existing industry business and product leaders. Services include development of cannabinoid based health and wellness products, and the development of medical grade compounds. MJNA provides over 50 and patented cannabinoid delivery methods that are more socially and medically acceptable than smoking.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alan Brochstein]

  Taking into account all of the data I have shared, I want to introduce my take on the most important names to follow. My initial list takes into account not only the market cap, but also business model and interest level. These are the stocks that I think merit the most attention (in alphabetical order):

  CannaVest (CANV.OB)GW Pharma (GWPH)MedBox (MDBX.PK)Medical Marijuana, Inc. (MJNA.PK)

  CANV doesn't really trade, as it is held closely by insiders (99.7%, including MJNA). I have a few concerns, including the valuation and some near-term financial challenges typical of a start-up with just one client looking to expand its customer base, but I like the focus and the fact that it is an SEC filer with a relatively clean history (i.e. none of the baggage of some of these other companies). I have spoken to its outsourced CFO and am impressed by his background (has been CFO or held key financial roles at publicly-traded healthcare companies). CANV is the partner to MJNA that is responsible for manufacturing the CBD (Cannibidiol, the cannabinoid in marijuana that is increasingly viewed as offering substantial medical benefits). I am very concerned about the near-term financials, but this is a pure-play with probably a two-year lead over other companies. I don't see a moat in terms of intellectual property or brands, but they have a good lead in terms of sourcing of supply and penetration into potential customers. Quite simply, they don't appear to have competition at present. The company, then, is a call option on CBD demand taking off. It appears that it could be a supplier to even Big Pharma should medical marijuana research move into the mainstream.

Hot US Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Office Depot Inc.(ODP)

Office Depot, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, supplies office products and services. Its North American Retail division sells an assortment of merchandise, such as general office supplies, computer supplies, business machines and related supplies, and office furniture under various labels, including Office Depot, Viking Office Products, Foray, Ativa, Break Escapes, Niceday, and Worklife through its chain of office supply stores. It also provides printing, reproduction, mailing, shipping, and other services, as well as personal computer support and network installation service. As of December 25, 2010, this division operated 1,147 office supply stores in the United States and Canada. The company?s North American Business Solutions division sells nationally branded and private brand office supplies, technology products, furniture, and services to small- to medium-sized customers through a dedicated sales force, catalogs, and Internet. Its International division sells o ffice products and services through direct mail catalogs, contract sales forces, Internet sites, and retail stores using a mix of company-owned operations, joint ventures, licensing and franchise agreements, alliances, and other arrangements. As of December 25, 2010, it sold its office products to customers in 53 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. This division operated, through wholly-owned or majority-owned entities, 97 retail stores in France, Hungary, South Korea, and Sweden; and participates under licensing and merchandise arrangements in South Korea, Thailand, India, Israel, Japan, and the Middle East. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Richard Drew/AP BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Office Depot is planning to close at least 400 U.S. stores, as its merger with OfficeMax resulted in an overlap of retail locations that can be consolidated. The combined company's financial results beat Wall Street estimates for the January-March quarter and it raised its full year forecast for operating income Tuesday. Office Depot (ODP) shares jumped 17 percent in morning trading. The office supply retailer had 1,900 stores in the U.S. at the end of the first quarter, so the plans call for closing about 21 percent of them. Office Depot and OfficeMax Inc. completed their $1.2 billion deal last November. Office Depot said it hasn't quantified the number of jobs that will be affected by the store closures but that it will look to place its best talent impacted by the store closings into new roles, wherever possible. Chairman and CEO Roland Smith said in a statement that one of the company's goals this year was to improve how its stores are positioned in North America to meet customer demand better and ensure that it's well positioned in the markets it serves. "The overlapping retail footprint resulting from the merger provides us with a unique opportunity to consolidate and optimize our store portfolio, while maintaining the retail presence necessary to serve our customer," Smith said. Office Depot said Tuesday that it expects to close 150 U.S. stores this year, mostly in the fourth quarter. It closed 14 stores in the first quarter, a company spokeswoman said. All of the store closures are anticipated to occur by the end of 2016. The store closings are expected to result in at least $75 million in annual savings by 2016's end and add to earnings starting next year. Office Depot, which is based in Boca Raton, Florida, said that it's still trying to determine expected working capital savings and costs related to the store closings. The company also reported its first-quarter financial results Tuesday, which includ

• [By Dan Burrows]

  Office supply retailers have long seen their market eroded by online rivals, notably Amazon (AMZN). That’s why Office Depot (ODP) merged with OfficeMax�last year.