Top Promising Companies To Own In Right Now

Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Monday’s session are Caterpillar Inc.(CAT), Apple Inc.(AAPL) and Rayonier Inc.(RYN)

Caterpillar said its fourth-quarter earnings rose 44%, as the heavy-equipment maker cut costs to help offset a continuing decline in mining-machinery revenue. Shares rose 7.1% to $92.30 in premarket trading as the results topped consensus estimates and the company gave a promising outlook for the just-started year.

Apple Inc. is laying the groundwork for an expanded mobile-payments service, leveraging its growing base of iPhone and iPad users and the hundreds of millions of credit cards on file through its iTunes stores. Additionally, the Justice Department filed opposition to Apple’s push to block a court-appointed monitor of its e-book pricing reform. In a court filing Friday, the Justice Department said Apple’s motion failed “to establish irreparable harm” from having a monitor. Shares edged up 0.9% to $550.75 premarket.

Top Income Stocks To Watch Right Now: YPF Sociedad Anonima(YPF)

YPF SOCIEDAD ANONIMA, an energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Argentina. The company also involves in refining, marketing, transportation, and distribution of oil and a range of petroleum products, petroleum derivatives, petrochemicals, LPG, and bio-fuels; and gas separation and natural gas distribution operations. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved reserves of approximately 531 million barrels of oil and 2,533 billion cubic feet of gas; and retail distribution network of 1,622 YPF-branded service stations for automotive petroleum products. The company?s crude oil transportation network includes approximately 2,700 kilometers of crude oil pipelines with approximately 640,000 barrels of aggregate daily transportation capacity of refined products; crude oil tankage of approximately 7 million barrels; and terminal facilities at 5 Argentine ports. In addition, it participates in 3 power stations with an aggregate installed capacity of 1,622 megawatts. The company was founded in 1977 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. YPF SOCIEDAD ANONIMA is a subsidiary of Repsol YPF, S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Carroll]

  That's all Chevron's stock has done today, however, falling along with the broader energy sector. Strangely, Chevron's stock is on the downswing despite a release of good news. The Supreme Court of Argentina unfroze Chevron's assets in the South American nation, lifting an earlier embargo that had gone on for months. Chevron is looking to team up with Argentinian state-run energy firm YPF (NYSE: YPF  ) in developing the Vaca Muerta shale field, the world's second-largest shale-oil basin.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  After lots of speculation, oil and gas giant Chevron (NYSE: CVX  ) has finally come to terms on a joint development agreement with Argentine national oil company YPF (NYSE: YPF  ) . The $1.24 billion deal will help further the development of oil and gas at Argentina's Vaca Muerta formation. Vaca Muerta, which in Spanish means "dead cow," holds more hope for both Chevron and Argentina than that name might imply, as it's estimated to hold 27 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil.

Top Promising Companies To Own In Right Now: Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings(LH)

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as an independent clinical laboratory company in the United States. The company offers a range of testing services used by the medical profession in routine testing, patient diagnosis, and in the monitoring and treatment of disease, as well as specialty testing services. Its routine tests include blood chemistry analyses, urinalyses, blood cell counts, thyroid tests, Pap tests, HIV tests, microbiology cultures and procedures, and alcohol and other substance-abuse tests. The company?s specialty tests and related services comprise viral load measurements, genotyping and phenotyping, and host genetic factors for managing and treating HIV infections; cytogenetic, molecular cytogenetic, biochemical, and molecular genetic tests for diagnostic genetics; oncology tests for diagnosing and monitoring certain cancers and treatments; clinical trials testing for pharmaceutical companies, which conducts clinical research trials on diag nostic assays; forensic identity testing used in criminal proceedings and parentage evaluation services, as well as testing services in reconstruction cases; allergy testing; and occupational testing for the detection of drug and alcohol abuse. Its customers include independent physicians and physician groups, hospitals, managed care organizations, governmental agencies, employers, pharmaceutical companies, and other independent clinical laboratories. The company operates a network of 51 primary laboratories and approximately 1,700 patient service centers. In addition, it delivers a co-branded electronic health records Lite solution for physician practices. The company works with university, hospital, and academic institutions, such as Duke University, The Johns Hopkins University, the University of Minnesota, and Yale University to license and commercialize new diagnostic tests. Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Burlingto n, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Lauchheimer]

  EXAS began their pivotal DeeP-C trial earlier this year, with 10,000 patients enrolled around the USA. Success in this trial formed a pivotal fulcrum for EXAS -- success would mean commercialization, and revenue, but failure means, well failure. In April, EXAS submitted the final module of this trial, and it reported significantly worse results than expected causing the company to sink 40%. Additionally, as reported in a detailed five part series, Seeking Alpha Contributor Alpha Exposure reported on the inflated numbers both in terms of scientific research data and market projections -- yet another reason to give investors pause before they decide to invest in EXAS. Additionally, EXAS has not formed a meaningful partnership with other molecular diagnostic companies. True, it formed a partnership with LabCorp (LH), but this partnership doesn't focus on the heart of EXAS product (and thus provide it with a measure of validation), but on a commercialization post approval.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Over the past week Chris Davis (Trades, Portfolio) of Davis Selected Advisers added to his holdings in Laboratory Corporation of America (LH).� The guru upped his stake 21.11% by purchasing 1,666,957 shares of the company�� stock.� He bought these shares at an average price of $91.37 per share, and since then the price per share is up about 1% to $92.57 per share.

Top Promising Companies To Own In Right Now: Knight Transportation Inc (KNX)

Knight Transportation, Inc. (Knight), incorporated on August 31, 1989, is a provider of multiple truckload transportation services, which generally involve the movement of full trailer or container loads of freight from origin to destination for a single customer. The Company is a provider of multiple truckload transportation services with a nationwide network of service centers through which it operates one of the tractor fleets. In addition to its own fleet, the Company also partners with third-party equipment providers to provide truckload capacity and a broad range of solutions to truckload shippers. The Company has five operating segments comprised of three asset-based operating segments: dry van truckload, temperature-controlled truckload and port services and two non-asset-based operating segments brokerage and intermodal services. Through its asset-based and non-asset-based capabilities the Company is able to transport, or can arrange for the transportation of, general commodities for customers throughout the United States and parts of Canada and Mexico.

The Company's asset-based businesses generally include dry van truckload, refrigerated truckload, dedicated truckload, and drayage services. Its non-asset-based services generally include rail intermodal and truckload brokerage services. However, within its asset-based services, the use of independent contractors to provide tractors lowers the capital investment in its dry van and refrigerated operations. In addition, drayage operations generally involve less expensive tractors with longer lives and do not require a investment in trailering equipment. As of December 31, 2012, it operated 3,627 company-owned tractors with an average age of 1.9 years. It also had under contract 507 tractors owned and operated by independent contractors. Its trailer fleet consisted of 9,564 53-foot long trailers with an average age of 5.5 years and includes 1,092 temperature-controlled trailers.

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 Knight Transportation (NYSE: KNX  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top Promising Companies To Own In Right Now: C&C Group PLC (CCGGY)

C&C Group plc, incorporated on March 19, 2004, is engaged the production, marketing and selling of cider and beer. The Company operates in five segments: Republic of Ireland (ROI), Cider United Kingdom (Cider UK), Tennent�� United Kingdom (Tennent�� UK), International, and Third Party Brands United Kingdom (Third Party Brands UK). The Company�� cider brands include Bulmers, Magners, Gaymers Cider, Blackthorn Cider, Olde English, Addlestones, Woodchuck Hard Cider, Wyder�� Cider and Hornsby��. Its other cider brands include Bulmers Berry, Bulmers Pear, Magners Pear, Magners Specials, Special Vat, K, Natch and Diamond White.

ROI includes the results from sale of all products in the Republic of Ireland (ROI), including Bulmers, Tennent��, Caledonia Smooth and third party brands. Cider UK segment includes the results from sale of the Company�� cider products in the United Kingdom, with Magners, Gaymers and Blackthorn the principal brands. Tennent�� UK segment includes the results from sale of the Company�� owned beer brand Tennent�� in the United Kingdom and sales of Caledonia Best in the United Kingdom. International segment includes the results from sale of the Company�� cider and beer products, principally Magners, Blackthorn, Hornsby��, Woodchuck and Tennent�� in all territories outside of the ROI and the United Kingdom. Third Party Brands UK segment relates to the distribution of third party brands and the production and distribution of private label products in the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  At C&C Group's (NASDAQOTH: CCGGY  ) annual meeting earlier this month, it was revealed that when it bought the Hornsby brand two years ago, it paid $25 million and got a 20% share of the market for its efforts. It paid more than 10 times that amount, or about $300 million, for Vermont Hard Cider and its top Woodchuck brand, and got another 42% share of the market. So C&C had almost two-thirds of the cider market all to itself.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  While�Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD  ) introduced some fruit-flavored margarita drinks and even Beam offered flavored bourbons to water down the market more,�the bigger threat may be coming from the explosive growth being witnessed in�hard cider.�Brewer Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM  ) rolled out its Angry Orchard cider brand just last year and has already catapulted to the top of the market, surpassing C&C Group's (NASDAQOTH: CCGGY  ) Vermont Hard Cider, the previous market leader.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The growth in 2012 follows the success of hard cider sales the year before, which saw a 40% increase. Yet the industry leader remains C&C Group's (NASDAQOTH: CCGGY  ) Vermont Hard Cider, whose Woodchuck Hard Cider has a 41% share of the market, though analysts say Angry Orchard owns nearly half of the on-premises market at the end of the first quarter.

Top Promising Companies To Own In Right Now: ADTRAN Inc.(ADTN)

ADTRAN, Inc. designs, manufactures, markets, and services communications network solutions that enable voice, data, video, and Internet communications across wireline and wireless networks worldwide. Its Carrier Networks division provides fiber and copper-based solutions for service providers to deliver voice, data, and video services to customers? premises and mobile network cell sites. Its products enable services, such as voice, VoIP, IP television, RF video, high speed Internet access, and data services based upon Ethernet, frame relay, TDM, and ATM networks, connecting the network with user components, such as switches, routers, gateways, integrated access devices (IADs), private branch exchanges (PBXs), and telephone key systems. This division serves local exchange carriers, independent operating companies, competitive local exchange carriers, utilities, municipalities, cable MSOs, international carriers, and wireless service providers. The company?s Enterprise Net works division provides Internetworking solutions for enterprise customers to construct voice, data, and video networks within their sites or among distributed sites. It offers Internetworking solutions, including IP business gateways, optical network terminals, virtual wireless LAN products, multi-service routers, managed Ethernet switches, IP PBX products, IP phone products, unified communications and unified threat management solutions, and carrier Ethernet network terminating equipment, as well as provides IADs. This division serves the retail, food service, healthcare, finance, government, education, manufacturing, military, transportation, hospitality, and energy/utility markets. ADTRAN, Inc. also provides digital data service and integrated services digital network products, high bit-rate digital subscriber line products, T1/E1/T3, channel service units/data service units, and fixed wireless products. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  ADTRAN�Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN) is set to report before the open on Wednesday. ADTRAN is not exactly the most significant hardware player in communications network solutions technology, but it is the first earnings report for the sector each earnings season. Shares have almost doubled from the 52-week low as well. Estimates are $0.22 EPS and $175.1 million in sales.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of ADTRAN (NASDAQ: ADTN  ) have run higher today by as much as 15% after the company reported first-quarter earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the first quarter was $143 million, topping the $139.8 million that the Street was expecting. That top-line beat translated into an even bigger bottom-line beat, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.17 easily besting the $0.08 per share that investors thought was in store.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  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 ADTRAN (Nasdaq: ADTN  ) .

Top Promising Companies To Own In Right Now: Black Box Corporation(BBOX)

Black Box Corporation provides network infrastructure services for communications systems worldwide. Its services include design, installation, integration, monitoring, and maintenance of voice, data, and integrated communications systems. The company also offers voice communications solutions, technology product solutions, premises cabling, and other data-related services, as well as provides technical support services for its solutions, which include hotline services, consultation, site surveys, design and engineering, project management, single-site and multi-site installations, remote monitoring, and certification and maintenance of voice, data, and integrated communication solutions. It sells its products and services to small organizations, corporations, and institutions through its catalogs, on-site services offices, and Internet Web site. The company was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Lawrence, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Black Box (NASDAQ: BBOX  ) have popped today by more than 19% after the company reported earnings and boosted its dividend.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top losers in the sector included China Unicom (Hong Kong) (NYSE: CHU), off 4.5 percent, and Black Box (NASDAQ: BBOX), down 3 percent.

  Top Headline
  The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) reported better-than-expected first-quarter profit. Boeing's quarterly profit declined to $965 million, or $1.28 per share, from a year-ago profit of $1.11 billion, or $1.44 per share. Its adjusted earnings surged to $1.76 per share compared to $1.73 per share. Its revenue climbed to $20.47 billion versus $18.89 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $1.57 per share on revenue of $20.24 billion. For the full year, Boeing expects adjusted earnings of $7.15 to $7.35 per share.

Top Promising Companies To Own In Right Now: Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc.(IDRA)

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, discovers and develops DNA- and RNA-based drug candidates for the treatment of infectious diseases, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and asthma and allergies, and for use as vaccine adjuvants. The company designs and creates proprietary Toll-Like Receptors (TLR) to modulate immune responses, including TLR agonist, a compound that stimulates an immune response through the targeted TLR; and TLR antagonist, a compound that blocks activation of an immune response through the targeted TLR. Its drug candidates include IMO-2125, a TLR9 agonist, which is in Phase 1 clinical trial for hepatitis C virus infection; and TLR7, 8, and 9 agonists that are in research stage for viral diseases. The company also develops IMO-3100, a dual TLR7/TLR9 antagonist, which is in preclinical development stage for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and colitis. In addition, its drug candidates also comprise TLR7 and TLR8 agonists that are in research stage for solid tumor cancers. The company has a licensing and collaboration agreement with Merck KGaA to research, develop, and commercialize TLR9 agonists for the treatment of cancer, excluding cancer vaccines; a license and research collaboration agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize therapeutic and prophylactic vaccine products containing its TLR7, 8, and 9 agonists in the fields of cancer, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer?s disease; and a research collaboration and option agreement, and a license, development, and commercialization agreement with Novartis International Pharmaceutical, Ltd. to discover, develop, and commercialize TLR9 agonists for the treatment of asthma and allergies. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc.(IDRA) said a recent clinical study of its plaque psoriasis treatment met its objectives, allowing the company to push forward with the treatment’s development. The company’s shares jumped 32% to $5.14 premarket.

• [By John Udovich]
  Follow-on Stock Offerings From Small Cap Biotech Stocks. Thanks to the boom in biotech IPOs along with the sector�� overall performance, already listed biotechs have the option to ask investors for more cash in the form of a follow-on offering. Recently, FierceBiotech.com noted how four small cap biotechs raised $276 million from follow-on offerings in just one day last week. These small caps�included Epizyme Inc (NASDAQ: EPZM) which raised $88 million, Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc (NASDAQ: HALO) which raised $100 million, Agenus Inc (NASDAQ: AGEN) which raised $52 million and Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: IDRA) which raised $36 million. FierceBiotech.com noted that the�steady flow of about $4.5 billion a year in venture cash�along with�more than $3.5 billion from IPOs last year plus all of the�follow-ons are helping to foster both company growth and�accelerate drug�development programs. Mixed Bag for Biotech IPOs. Last Wednesday also saw two small cap biotech IPOs fizzle in one day�with small cap T cell vaccine developer�Genocea Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ: GNCA) raising $60 million but then ending the day down 8.3% to close at $11 while Dutch drug developer uniQure NV (QURE) raised $81.9 million but fell more than 14% to $14.61. However, orphan drug stock Auspex Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ASPX), which is developing�drugs to treat orphan diseases like Tourette syndrome, saw a 30.5% gain to close at $15.66 and raise $84 million. The Boston Globe quoted Michael Ringel, a partner and managing director at Boston Consulting Group who focuses on health care business, as saying:

  ��he mood is incredibly positive. Capital is flowing. [The biotech IPOs]��have been burning hot. I think it�� too early to suggest that is changing. I can�� predict the overall economy any better than anyone else, but I would expect a pretty good year for IPOs.��/p>