5 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch For 2015

5 Best Telecom Stocks To Watch For 2015: Neustar Inc (NSR)

NeuStar, Inc., incorporated on December 8, 1998, is a provider of real-time information and analysis. The Company operates in three segments: carrier services, enterprise services and information services. The Company combines data sets to develop algorithms, models, point solutions and complete work flow solutions. The Company provides services, such as database services (telephone number databases, domain names, short-codes and fixed Internet protocol (IP) addresses), analytics platforms used for Internet security services, caller identification services, Web performance monitoring services and real-time information and analytics services. In October 2013, Neustar, Inc acquired Aggregate Knowledge, Inc.

Carrier Services

The Companys carrier services include numbering services, order management services and IP services. Its numbering services enable the dynamic routing of calls and text messages. In particular, the Company provides near real- time updates to the North American telephone numbering system that is essential for the accurate routing of telephone calls and text messages. In addition, it also facilitates order management and work-flow processing among carriers, including telephone number inventory management, and allow carriers to manage and optimize the addressing and routing of IP communications. The numbering services the Company provides to its carrier customers using these databases include number portability administration center services (NPAC Services), in the United States and Canada and local number portability (LNP), services in Taiwan and Brazil, or international LNP solutions, and number inventory and allocation management. The Companys order management services permit its carrier customers to exchange essential operating information with multiple carriers in order to provision and manage services. The Company provides these services through a single interface or on-premise install! ation s.. In addition, it offers inventory management services that! allow its carrier customers to manage their assigned telephone numbers and associated resources. The Company provides scalable IP services to global carriers and service providers that allow them to manage access for the routing of IP communications, such as multimedia messaging service. Its solutions also provide accurate and reliable routing of text messages and voice calls by identifying terminating service provider networks. In addition, it provides a solution for carriers to migrate from the public switched telephone network to IP Interconnect through mapping a phone number to an IP address for accurate and reliable routing to a carriers network.

Enterprise Services

The Companys Enterprise Services include Internet infrastructure services and registry services. It provides Internet infrastructure services that its customers use in order to direct, prioritize and manage Internet traffic. In addition, enterprise customers rely on its ser vices to optimize their Website performance, including protecting against malicious traffic. Enterprises use its infrastructure and its datasets to identify the location of their online customers for a variety of purposes, including fraud prevention and marketing. It also operates the authoritative common short codes registry on behalf of the United States wireless industry. The Company provides a suite of domain name systems (DNS) services to its enterprise customers built on a global directory platform. These services play a key role in directing and managing Internet traffic flow, resolving Internet queries, providing security protection against distributed denial of service attacks, providing geolocation services used to enhance fraud prevention and online marketing, and monitoring, testing and measuring the performance of Websites and networks. The Company operates the authoritative registries of Internet domain names for the .biz, .us, .co, .tel and .travel top-! level d o! mains. It also provides international registry gateways for! China! s .cn and Taiwans .tw country-code top-level domains. All Internet communications routed to any of these domains must query a copy of its directory to ensure that the communication is routed to the appropriate destination. The Company also operates the authoritative common short codes registry on behalf of the United States wireless industry. In addition, it operates the user authentication and rights management system, which supports the UltraViolet digital content locker that consumers use to access their entertainment content.

Information Services

The Companys Information Services include identification services, verification and analytics services, and local search and licensed data services. It utilizes databases and solutions to inform real-time decisions on customer initiated interactions over the telephone, Internet and at points of sale. Its services correlate attributes, such as demographic information, projected buying behaviors and location. Its business listings identity management services manage the placement of its customers online local business listings on search engines, improving brand awareness and targeted advertising. The Company provides Caller ID services to carriers in the United States and real-time identification and location services to over 1,000 businesses in the United States across multiple industries. Its location service enables clients to match a 10-digit phone number to a latitude and longitude, and is used for a number of applications, including intelligent site planning, market scoring, and Web-based location lookup. In addition, it provides services that enable clients to remarket to non-converting prospects and to help identify whether an inbound inquiry is coming from an existing customer or a prospect. The Company provides lead verification services that allow clients to validate customer data, enhance leads and assign a lead quality rating to each lead to provide! a c lie! nt the ability to contact a customer. The Company provide! s an onli! ne local business listing identity management solution that serves local search platforms, national brands, authorized channel partners and local businesses. This service provides businesses and channel partners the essential tools to verify, enhance and manage the identity of local listings on local search platforms across the Web, and offers local search platforms an accurate, complete and up-to-date database of local business listings for online publishing.

The Company competes with Accenture plc, Computer Sciences Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Company, International Business Machines Corporation, Noblis, Inc., Nortel Networks Corporation, Pearson Education, Inc., Perot Systems Corporation, Telcordia Technologies, Inc., VeriSign, Inc., Afilias Limited, Oracle Corporation, Synchronoss Technologies, Inc., Syniverse Technologies, Inc., Akamai Technologies, Inc., F5 Networks, Inc., Keynote Systems, Inc., Compuware Corporation, TNS, Inc., eBureau, LLC, Acxiom, Nie lsen Holdings N.V., DataLogix International Inc. and infoGROUP Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rex Moore]

  You may not have heard of NeuStar (NYSE: NSR  ) , but the services it provides can affect you greatly. This $3 billion company is also handily beating the market as it shifts its focus to move deeper into the information and analytics industry.

• [By Magic Diligence]

  Neustar (NSR) is a provider of a wide array of communications information services. Examining all of the different services Neustar provides is an article in itself, but let's try to order them in importance to the company from a standpoint of revenue.

• [By Magic Diligence]

  Short sellers have been mouthing off about GameStop since at least 2008, and all the stock did was go up - all the way to a high of over $55 back in October. So forgive me if I'm not sold on digital distribution and smartphone gaming "killin! g" the co! mpany just yet! There were 2 catalysts for the recent drop. One, the stock was probably overvalued in the $50's, considering its less-than-stellar growth prospects. Two, the firmreported a 22.5% drop in new software sales during the holidays. That's not great, but console transitions have historically caused disruptions in software sales. In the meantime, GameStop continues to buy back large amounts of shares and the dividend yield is now over 3%. WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION.

  Neustar (NSR) - down 31.3%

  We've written about Neustar recently, with a positive opinion of the company. However, I also commented that the number portability contract renewal was a key risk. That risk looks even more acute considering the firm's comments about a second proposal being rejected by NAPM. It is rather mind-boggling that management would goof on such an important piece of business - it is well over half of the company's revenue. But a Neustar without that contract is an entirely different company altogether, and the risks are too large now. PASS.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/5-best-telecom-stocks-to-watch-for-2015-5.html

Is That Finance Internship Worth It?

Landing an internship is a major undertaking. It requires you to track down and research internship opportunities, write a resume and tailor it to each position you apply for, compose numerous cover letters and, if all goes well, prepare for and attend several interviews. If you receive one or more offers, you must then evaluate what kind of experience each one is likely to offer you and how much those experiences will help you after graduation.

Finally, if your top choice happens to be unpaid and you're struggling to pay for college, there's the question of whether sacrificing a summer's or semester's worth of income at a paid, but less-relevant, job is worth the opportunity the internship offers. Here are some insights from several experts to help you make these difficult decisions.

Deciding Whether an Internship Is Worthwhile
Broadly speaking, it's a good idea to do an internship while you're in college; you'll be at a disadvantage without this experience. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), "Nearly two-thirds of graduating seniors from the Class of 2013 took part in an internship or a cooperative education assignment during their years pursuing a bachelor's degree."

Most students, especially within the same major, have all completed similar courses. Sometimes the student's alma mater offers an advantage in getting hired, but for employers attempting to choose from among many similar candidates, the things that separate one applicant from another are essential.

"A primary separator for an employer is internship experience," says Michael Schnur, an economics professor and job placement coordinator at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va., which has a highly ranked business and economics school. Internship experience demonstrates that a student can move from academia to the professional environment, he says. For students, the internship lets them experience their chosen profession and perhaps rethink their long-term plans.

The value of an internship is particularly compelling when it comes to Wall Street internships. "Most of these firms will try to hire directly from their intern pool and may not consider someone who has not interned because it may be too risky," says Stuart Mease, director of career advancement and employer relations for Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business in Blacksburg, Va.

If you want to work on Wall Street after graduation and you can land a Wall Street internship, take it. Sometimes getting your foot in the door at the company you want to work for is the most valuable aspect of an internship. But other internship decisions aren't so simple.

"If your potential internship isn't willing to give you a truly valuable experience with a variety of hands-on projects and task, it's best to turn it down and look for something better," says Nathan Parcells, co-founder and chief marketing officer of InternMatch, an online platform that helps students find internships and helps companies hire talented students.

Aside from reading the internship description carefully and asking questions about the position during the interview process, you can ask your school's internship or career office if other students from your school have interned at the company you're considering and find out what their experiences were like.

The Value of Unpaid Internships
The NACE survey found that only slightly more than half of internships were paid. Should you take an unpaid internship, especially if you're borrowing your way through school?

Financial considerations are always a factor in our daily decisions, Schnur says. "If a student truly needs the financial support, then it would absolutely be more appropriate to obtain a paid position outside the chosen profession over the unpaid opportunity." However, many internships are paid, and students who need the money should focus on these opportunities, he says. An internship, no what matter the position, can help your resume.

The more in-demand an industry or company is, the more likely an unpaid internship for academic credit is the model for entering that field, Mease says. "Certainly, everyone's personal financial situation is different, but if you want to be in that field badly enough, you will do what it takes regardless of your situation," he says.

Even if an internship is unpaid, the best thing an internship can get you is experience and help in determining if the career in question is something you want to pursue, says Adam Koos, the president, portfolio manager and senior financial advisor of Libertas Wealth Management Group in Dublin, Ohio. "Too many college students walk into a major, thinking they want to do business or finance or economics, only to find out they hate the jobs associated with the major, or worse yet, their personality doesn't align with the career," he says.

Joel Gross says despite the financial struggle at the time, he would never take back his Merrill Lynch internship experience. The reason he can comfortably repay his loans now is because his company has a strong financial foundation thanks to the skills he gained during his internship. Gross is the CEO and founder of Coalition Technologies, a web-design and search-engine optimization firm based in Los Angeles and Seattle. "I think anyone interested in pursuing a career in business should consider a financial internship," he says. It will give them the basic skills they need without having to get a separate degree or pursue further education in that field.

Parcells feels strongly that students should take an internship that pays at least minimum wage. He suggests that students examine whether an unpaid position meets the Department of Labor's standards for an unpaid internship.

Signs of a Worthwhile Internship
A paid offer is a good sign, but it isn't enough to guarantee a good internship, says Flore Dorcely-Mohr, assistant director of the internship program at Drew University in Madison, N.J., and a member of the Nationwide Internship Consortium, which provides access to internship listings for students at 18 U.S. colleges and universities. "I have seen employers think it is OK to abuse good workers simply because they are paying them an hourly wage. And, conversely, we have several employers start their interns unpaid but invest a great deal of time in orientation and training in various aspects of the business," she says.

Here are some questions Dorcely-Mohr says students should ask themselves when evaluating an internship opportunity:
Was there a person you could contact or an online description you could review to understand the important elements of the business? How detailed was the job description? When the company called you for the interview, did you get screened or have the chance to ask a few basic questions, or did it seem like they were just scheduling another appointment? What was the application and interview process like? "At every step of the process, an intern should be evaluating whether the organization is showing that they value their internship program and aren't just looking for unpaid gophers to do their drudgery," she says. Every job has administrative duties, but these should not be the major focus of the intern's responsibilities.

Company Considerations
"Students often want to work at the big firms like Morgan Stanley or JP Morgan because of perceived stability, growth potential and name recognition on their resume," says Dorcely-Mohr. "I encourage them to also consider smaller but prospering financial service firms where we at the career center may have a strong alumni presence or have established a good professional connection." She says bigger is not always better; what matters is the richness of the learning experience the company offers.

Parcells says that while many students have their hearts set on big-name companies, they end up completely happy with their experiences at a smaller, lesser-known company. "You should consider any company willing to give you a valuable educational experience and training within your industry," he says. "A big-name company with a large intern salary doesn't guarantee you'll be getting an experience worthy for your resume."

Schnur says it is definitely worthwhile to take an internship that is not with a company that you hope to one day work for. Not all internships are designed to lead directly to a job, he says, but "the internship offers an opportunity for a student to experience the real world and also expand their resume," and it also enhances networking prospects. In addition, an internship allows a student to get recommendations not only from academia, but from financial professionals. Furthermore, the opportunity to interact with those professionals can help a student obtain guidance for their chosen profession, Schnur says.

Branching Out
Say you're a finance major and you want to go into investment banking, but the only internship you've been accepted to is for an insurance company. Is it worth your time?

Parcells says internships are a chance to test the waters in a variety of fields before starting your career. "While it's important to gain experience in the field you're interested in pursuing, taking on an internship in another field won't hurt you in the end," he says. "Many internships offer a chance to gain transferable skills that will be valuable to the future of your career."

Schnur says obtaining an internship within the student's chosen major or field gives them an opportunity to determine if that is truly the area they want to proceed with. In certain fields, any relevant internship will enhance a student's experience and resume, but other fields require prior experience that shows that the applicant can perform the required skills specific to that field.

What if You Don't Land an Internship?
Your financial career isn't ruined before you've even begun if you can't land the right internship or even any internship at all.

"Most media messages will have people believe that the internship is essential in getting a full-time job, and it is certainly wonderful to have relevant work experience, but a close examination of data from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech will reveal the internship is not as essential as many believe," Mease says.

Only two-thirds of the firms that attend Pamplin's job fair want interns, he says, and on average, firms are trying to fill twice as many full-time positions as intern positions. What's more, there are more undergraduates seeking internships than there are graduates seeking jobs. "So there are twice as many students going for half as many positions with only two-thirds of the companies coming to campus for the annual mega job fair," Mease says. The chances are much better to get a job as a senior than an internship as an underclassmen. "This may not be the norm at other schools, but it is the reality at Pamplin," he says.

The Bottom Line
In general, doing at least one internship during your undergraduate years is a good idea. Assuming you're getting real experience in the field and not just fetching coffee and making photocopies, an internship offers the opportunity to conduct informal informational interviews, to network, to gain professional work experience and to secure professional recommendations. It also offers a chance to re-evaluate your anticipated career and perhaps adjust your coursework and your major if your internship experience causes you to change your mind about where you're headed.

Allegheny Prices $500 Million Senior Notes - Analyst Blog

Top 10 Recreation Companies To Watch In Right Now

Specialty metals manufacturer company Allegheny Technologies Inc. (ATI) announced the pricing of public offering of its senior notes. The company will issue and sell $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.875% Senior Notes due 2023.

Allegheny will be paying semi-annual interest in arrears at a rate of 5.875% per year on the Senior Notes. The notes, if not redeemed or repurchased earlier, will mature on Aug 15, 2023. The offering is being made following the effective shelf registration statement filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC).

Allegheny plans to utilize the proceeds from the offering to fund the general corporate purposes, which may include repurchases, repayment or refinancing of debt, capital expenditures, additions to working capital, and the financing of future acquisitions or strategic combinations.

The joint book-running managers for the offering are Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (BAC); and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, the non-bank subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM).

Earlier, in Jan 2011, Allegheny had announced the pricing of another set of senior notes due 2021. The offering comprised $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.950% senior notes due 2021. Allegheny paid semi-annual interest in arrears at a rate of 5.950% per year on the senior notes. The notes, if not redeemed or repurchased earlier, will mature on Jan 15, 2021.

Allegheny intended to utilize the net proceeds from the issuance of senior notes to fund the cash portion of the merger consideration for the acquisition of Ladish Co., Inc. (Ladish) and pay related fees and expenses. The remaining net proceeds were to be used for general corporate purposes.

J.P. Morgan, Citi, Morgan Stanley (MS)! and BofA Merrill Lynch acted as the joint book-running managers for the Jan 2011 offering.

The public offering of senior notes is expected to enable Allegheny to attain financial flexibility and position the company well to pursue investment opportunities and acquisitions. This would facilitate the company's top-line improvement in the near term.

Allegheny, which holds a Zacks Rank #5 (Sell), is set to announce its second- quarter 2013 results on Jul 24

Top Electric Utility Companies To Invest In 2015

Top Electric Utility Companies To Invest In 2015: Silicon Image Inc.(SIMG)

Silicon Image, Inc. provides wireless and wired high-definition (HD) connectivity solutions that enable the distribution and presentation of HD content for consumer electronics, mobile, and personal computer (PC) markets. It delivers its technology via semiconductor and intellectual property products. The company?s consumer electronics products include high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port processors, HDMI and mobile high-definition link (MHL) transmitters, MHL-to-HDMI bridges, and HDMI receiver products; PC products comprise MHL/HDMI-to-HDMI bridges and digital visual interface receivers; and storage products consist of a line of serial advanced technology attachment controllers used in PC, DVR, and network attached storage applications. Its products are deployed by the electronics manufacturers in various devices, such as desktop and notebook PCs, DTVs, Blu-ray disc players, and audio-video receivers, as well as mobile phones, tablets, and digital cameras. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides manufacturers comprehensive standards interoperability and compliance testing services; and acts as an agent for promoting and administering HDMI and MHL specifications, and for licensing the serial port memory technology memory interface specification. It sells its products to original product manufacturers worldwide through direct sales force, as well as through a network of distributors and manufacturer?s representatives. The company has operations in the United States, Taiwan, Japan, China, and Korea, as well as Europe and internationally. Silicon Image, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anna Prior]

  Silicon Image Inc.(SIMG) cut its revenue outlook for the second quarter amid lower-than-expected shipments to a ! significant customer and a delay of certain expected royalty revenue. Shares fell 10% to $4.49 in recent premarket trading.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Technology shares dropped by 0.14 percent in the US market today. Among the sector stocks, Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT) was down more than 11.2 percent, while Silicon Image (NASDAQ: SIMG) tumbled around 6.7 percent.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Quick - what do Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE:SPG), Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE:DPS), and Silicon Image, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIMG) have in common? If you said absolutely nothing, you'd be about 99% right. There's one common thing between SIMG, SPG, and DPS right now, however. What's that? All three stocks are on my personal "buy" list this week.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-electric-utility-companies-to-invest-in-2015-3.html

Top 10 Casino Companies To Own For 2015

Top 10 Casino Companies To Own For 2015: Monarch Casino & Resort Inc (MCRI)

Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. (Monarch), incorporated in 1993, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Golden Road Motor Inn, Inc. (Golden Road), owns and operates the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa(the Atlantis), a hotel/casino facility in Reno, Nevada. Monarch's other wholly owned subsidiaries, High Desert Sunshine, Inc. (High Desert) and Golden North, Inc. (Golden North), each own separate parcels of land located adjacent to the Atlantis. The Company owns and operates the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, which is located approximately three miles south of downtown in the area of Reno, Nevada. The Atlantis features approximately 61,000 square feet of casino space; a hotel with 824 guest rooms and suites; ten food outlets; an enclosed year-round pool with waterfall; an outdoor pool; a health spa; two retail outlets offering clothing and resort gift shop merchandise; a full service salon for men and women; an 8,000 square-foot family entertainment center; and approximately 52,000 sq uare feet of banquet, convention and meeting room space. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired 1.5 acre parcel of developable land contiguous to the Riviera Black Hawk Casino.

In April 2012, it acquired Riviera Black Hawk, Inc.

The Atlantis Casino offers approximately 1,450 slot and video poker machines; approximately 39 table games, including blackjack, craps, roulette and others; a race and sports book; keno and a poker room. The Atlantis includes three contiguous high-rise hotel towers with 824 rooms and suites. The Atlantis includes three contiguous high-rise hotel towers with a total of 824 rooms and suites. The first of the three hotel towers contains 160 rooms and suites in 13 stories. The 19-story second hotel tower contains 278 rooms and suites. The third tower contains 386 rooms and suites in 28 stories.

!

The Atlantis hotel rooms feature designs and furnishings consistent with the Northern Nevada market, as we ll as nine-foot ceilings (most standard hotel rooms have eig! ht-foot ceilings), which create an open and spacious feel. The third hotel tower features a four-story waterfall with an adjacent year-round swimming pool in a climate controlled, five-story glass enclosure, which shares an outdoor third floor pool deck with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool and year round whirlpool. A full-service salon (the Salon at Atlantis) overlooks the third floor sundeck and outdoor seasonal swimming pool and offers salon-grade products and treatments for hair, nails, skincare and body services for both men and women. A health spa is located adjacent to the swimming areas, which offers treatments and amenities. The hotel rooms on the spa floor are designated as spa rooms and feature decor that is themed consistent with the spa. Certain spa treatments are also available in spa floor hotel rooms. The hotel also features glass elevators rising the full 19 and 28 stories, of the respective towers providing views of the Reno area and the Sierra Nevada mount ain range.

The Atlantis has eight restaurants, two gourmet coffee bars and one snack bar. It includes 160-seat Atlantis Steakhouse gourmet restaurant; the 200-seat upscale Bistro Napa featuring a centrally located wine cellar; the Oyster Bar restaurant in the Sky Terrace offering fresh seafood, soups and bisques made to order; the Sushi Bar, also in the Sky Terrace, offering a variety of fresh raw and cooked sushi specialties, including all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner selections. The Oyster Bar and Sushi Bar can accommodate up to 139 guests; The 178-seat 24-hour Purple Parrot coffee shop; the 122-seat Cafe Alfresco restaurant serving a full menu, pizzas prepared in a wood-fired, brick oven and a variety of gelato deserts; the 170-seat Manhattan Deli restaurant specializing in piled-high sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts; two gourmet co! ffee bars! , offering specialty coffee drinks, pastries and desserts made fresh daily in the Atlantis bakery; a snack bar and soda fountain serving ice cream and arcade-style refreshmen! ts.

The Sky Terrace is a structure with a diamond-shaped, blue glass body suspended approximately 55 feet, and spanning 160 feet across, South Virginia Street. The Sky Terrace connects the Atlantis with additional parking on its 16-acre site across South Virginia Street from the Atlantis. The structure rests at each end on two 100-foot tall Grecian columns with no intermediate support pillars. The interior of the Sky Terrace contains the Oyster Bar, the Sushi Bar, a video poker bar, banks of slot machines and a lounge area with oversized leather sofas and chairs.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanina Egea] ong>Risks and Valuation

  Although the Chinese government will maintain its gambling restrictions in the mainland over the next decade, Sand Corp's market share and leverage in fixed costs will continue to riel in strong revenue growth from this region. Fiscal 2013 marked a 24.80% revenue increase ($13.8 billion) and operating margins continue to expand at the same pace. Despite the inherent risk of an economic slowdown in Asia or a recession in the U.S., which could put a halt to leisure spending, the company is well prepared to balance out any short-term losses. The casino operator's EBITDA growth of 65.30%, for example, is an impressive result when compared to the industry's average of 4.90%.

  Looking forward, earnings per share are expected to continue their fast-paced upward trend, having jumped from $1.56 in 2011 to $2.79 at the end of fiscal 2013. The 21.6% return on equity, as well as 1.80% dividend yield should also be attractive to shareholders and future investors. Although Las Vegas Sand Corp is currently trading at a 24% price premium relative to the industry average of 22.60x trailing earnings, I feel very bullish about this firm's long term profitab! ility, gi! ven its strong market position in Asia.

  Disclosure: Vanina Egea holds no position in any stocks mentioned.

  
  Also check out: Andreas Halvorsen Undervalued Stocks Andreas Halvorsen Top Growth Companies Andreas Halvorsen High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Andreas Halvorsen keeps buying
  About the author:Vanina EgeaA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree Analytics

  Visit Vanina Egea's Website

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Monarch Casino & Resort (MCRI) fell 15% to $18.71 after revenue missed forecasts today.

  Stamps.com (STMP) fell 6.2% today ahead of its earnings results. It beat earnings after the close today.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Monarch Casino & Resort (NASDAQ: MCRI  ) were cooling off today, falling as much as 20% after the company's earnings report failed to impress.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-casino-companies-to-own-for-2015.html

5 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2014

MoneyShow's Jim Jubak assesses the current market environment and explains how he is handling one of his recommendations that has exceeded his initial upside target.

The stock market is at record highs. We've had 16,000 on the Dow, we've got 4000 on the NASDAQ, we've got 1600 and something on the S&P; all of these are records or approaching records. The NASDAQ is getting back to where it was before it collapsed in the dotcom bubble. The question is, what do you do? Do you buy into this rally? Do you not? I think if you're taking kind of a big picture look and trying to guess where the indexes are going to go, I think you're really talking about guessing. I would much prefer to try to do it on a stock-by-stock basis. For example, there is a stock that I own in the Jubak's Picks portfolio called Chicago Bridge and Iron (CBI). It's a construction company. It builds things like power plants, natural gas facilities, and infrastructure, and all that stuff. I liked it because it's exposed to the US energy sector, which is showing a pretty good boom. My target price on this has been $74 a share and recently the stock hit it. The question is, because it's hit that target price, do you sell it?

Top 5 Casino Stocks To Own For 2015: Walter Bau AG (WTB)

Walter Bau AG is an international construction group based in Augsburg, southern Germany. The Company's core construction-related services are planning, financing, project development and facilities management. It is active in the fields of turnkey construction, civil engineering, international construction and transportation infrastructure. Its subsidiary, DYWIDAG-Systems International markets the Company's products and systems worldwide, particularly in the field of post-tensioning and geotechnics, as well as special civil engineering processes. Walter Bau also provides operation and financing solutions, as well as developing commercial and residential real estate projects. Facilities Management is offered by DYWIDAG Service GmbH. Its Logistics Competence Center in Augsburg bundles the Company's Germany-wide activities as a general contractor in the planning, construction and support of distribution centers. The Company commenced insolvency proceedings in April 2005. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Whitbread Plc (WTB) added 4.1 percent to 3,114 pence, its largest advance since September 2012. Oriel Securities Ltd. raised its rating on the shares to buy from hold, citing improvement in the U.K. hotel market.

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) and Rio Tinto Group, the world�� biggest mining companies, fell at least 3 percent. Whitbread Plc (WTB) dropped 2.8 percent after UBS AG downgraded the owner of the Costa Coffee chain. British Land Co., the U.K.�� second-largest real estate investment trust, advanced 1.2 percent after saying it bought commercial property in London for 470 million pounds ($707 million).

5 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2014: Ply Gem Holdings Inc (PGEM)

Ply Gem Holdings, Inc. (Ply Gem Holdings), incorporated on January 23, 2004, is a manufacturer of residential exterior building products in North America. The Company operates in two segments: Siding, Fencing, and Stone and Windows and Doors. These two segments produce a product line of vinyl siding, designer accents, cellular polyvinyl chloride (PVC) trim, vinyl fencing, vinyl and composite railing, stone veneer and vinyl windows and doors used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling in the United States and Western Canada. It also manufactures vinyl and aluminum soffit and siding accessories, aluminum trim coil, wood windows, aluminum windows, vinyl and aluminum-clad windows and steel and fiberglass doors, enabling it to bundle complementary and color-matched products and accessories with its core products. The Company�� subsidiaries includes including Ply Gem Industries, MWM Holding, AWC Holding Company, MHE, and Pacific Windows. On July 30, 2012, Ply Gem acquired substantially all of the assets of Greendeck Products, LLC.

Siding, Fencing, and Stone Segment

In the Siding, Fencing, and Stone segment, its principal products include vinyl siding and skirting, vinyl and aluminum soffit, aluminum trim coil, J-channels, wide crown molding, window and door trim, F-channels, H-molds, fascia, undersill trims, outside/inside corner posts, rain removal systems, injection molded designer accents, such as shakes, shingles, scallops, shutters, vents and mounts, vinyl fence, vinyl and composite railing, and stone veneer. It sells its siding and accessories under its Variform, Napco, Mastic Home Exteriors, and Cellwood brand names and under the Georgia-Pacific brand name through a private label program. It also sells its Providence line of vinyl siding and accessories to Lowe�� under its Durabuilt private label brand name. Its vinyl and vinyl-composite fencing and railing products are sold under its Kroy and Kroy Express brand names. Ply Gem Holdings stone veneer produ! cts are sold under its United Stone Veneer brand name.

The Company sells the siding and accessories to specialty distributors (one-step distribution) and to wholesale distributors (two-step distribution). Its specialty distributors sell directly to remodeling contractors and builders. Its wholesale distributors sell to retail home centers and lumberyards who, in turn, sell to remodeling contractors, builders and consumers. In the specialty channel, it has developed a network of approximately 800 independent distributors, serving over 22,000 contractors and builders nationwide.

Windows and Doors Segment

In the Windows and Doors segment, its principal products include vinyl, aluminum, wood and clad-wood windows and patio doors, and steel, wood, and fiberglass entry doors that serve both the new home construction and the repair and remodeling sectors in the United States and Western Canada. Its products in its Windows and Doors segment are sold under the Ply Gem Windows, Great Lakes Mastic by Ply Gem, and Ply Gem Canada brands.

The Company competes with Alsco, Gentek, U.S. Fence, Homeland, Westech, Bufftech, Royal, Azek., Eldorado Stone, Coronado Stone, Jeld-Wen, Simonton, Pella and Andersen, MI Home Products, Atrium, Weathershield, Milgard, Jeld-Wen, Gienow, All Weather and Loewen.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Ply Gem Holdings (NYSE: PGEM) shares reached a new 52-week low of $11.48 after the company reported wider-than-expected Q4 loss and issued a weak Q1 revenue forecast.

• [By Matt Jarzemsky]

  Installed Building Products��debut follows mixed performance from shares of some newly public building-products companies. Through Tuesday, siding manufacturer Ply Gem Holdings Inc.(PGEM)�� shares were down 39% from the offer price in its $381 May debut. Wood-products maker Boise Cascade Co.(BCC) was up 46% from its $284 million February IPO.

5 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2014: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (JEC)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top losers in the sector included Chart Industries (NASDAQ: GTLS), Jacobs Engineering Group (NYSE: JEC), and ABB (NYSE: ABB).

  Top Headline
  Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) reported a 7% rise in its first-quarter profit. Merck's quarterly profit surged to $1.71 billion, or $0.57 per share, compared to a year-ago profit of $1.59 billion, or $0.52 per share. Excluding certain items, Merck earned $0.88 per share, up from $0.85 per share Its revenue dropped 4% to $10.26 billion versus $10.67 billion. However, analysts were estimating earnings of $0.79 per share on revenue of $10.43 billion. Merck reiterated its full-year earnings forecast of $2.15 to $2.47 per share.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Most of the time, investors can figure out where the better investment opportunities are. Take the growth of heavy construction (commercial, manufacturing, energy production, institutional, etc) as an example. To capture the post-recession rebound in that segment of the construction market, most people have turned to names like Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (NYSE:CBI) and Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC), both of which take on major construction projects. Big construction companies like Jacobs Engineering Group and Chicago Bridge & Iron Company aren't the only ways to play the recovery of the industry, though. Investors interested in looking one step beyond the obvious possibilities will find that a company like CES Synergies Inc. (OTCBB:CESX) is actually the better opportunity.

5 Best Construction Stocks To Watch For 2014: Tile Shop Holdings Inc (TTS)

Tile Shop Holdings, Inc., incorporated on June 21, 2012, is a specialty retailer of manufactured and natural stone tiles, setting and maintenance materials, and related accessories in the United States. The Company sells over 4,500 products from around the world, including ceramic, porcelain, glass, and stainless steel manufactured tiles and, marble, granite, quartz, sandstone, travertine, slate, and onyx natural tiles. It purchases its tile products and accessories directly from producers. The Company manufactures its own setting and maintenance materials, such as thinset, grout, and sealers under its brand name. The Company operates 70 stores in 22 states, with an average size of 23,000 square feet. It also sells its products on its Website. In January 2014 Tile Shop Holdings Inc launched its first retail store in Oklahoma City.

The Company offers a complete assortment of tile products, generally sourced directly from producers, including ceramic, porcelain, glass, and stainless steel manufactured tiles, and marble, granite, quartz, sandstone, travertine, slate, and onyx natural tiles. The Company also offers a range of setting and maintenance materials, such as thinset, grout and sealers, and accessories, including installation tools, shower and bath caddies, drains, and similar products.

The Company competes with Home Depot, Tile America, World of Tile, Century Tile, and Floor and Decor, Dal-Tile and Florida Tile.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One home improvement stores player that insiders are active in here is Tile Shop (TTS), which operates as a specialty retailer of manufactured and natural stone tiles, setting and maintenance materials, and related accessories in the U.S. Insiders are buying this stock into major weakness, since shares are off by 38% so far in 2014.

  Tile Shop has a market cap of $573 million and an enterprise value of $652 million. This stock trades at a premium valuation, with a trailing price-to-earnings of 45 and a forward price-to-earnings of 26. Its estimated growth rate for this year is -20.5%, and for next year it's pegged at 35.5%. This is not a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $3.53 million and its total debt is $96.15 million.

  A director just bought 70,000 shares, or about $683,000 worth of stock, at $9.77 per share.

  From a technical perspective, TTS is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bearish. This stock has been uptrending over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $9.06 to its recent high of $11.58 a share. During that uptrend, shares of TTS have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of TTS within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade.

  If you're bullish on TTS, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above some near-term support at $10.50 and then once it breaks out above some near-term overhead resistance at $11.58 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 688,592 shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then TTS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $12 to its 50-day moving average of $12.99. Any high-volume move above $12.99 will then gi

• [By Roberto Pedone]

   

  Another under-$10 home improvement stores player that's starting to move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade is Tile Shop (TTS), which operates as a specialty retailer of manufactured and natural stone tiles, setting and maintenance materials, and related accessories in the U.S. This stock has been hammered lower over the last six months, with shares down sharply by 40%.

  If you look at the chart for Tile Shop, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways over the last few weeks, with shares moving between $9.11 on the upside and $8.16 on the downside. This trend is occurring below both of TTS's 50-day and 200-day moving averages, although the 50-day moving average is not far off from current levels. Shares of TTS are now starting to bounce a bit above the lower-end of its range and it's begging to approach a breakout trade.

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in TTS if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $8.68 to $9.11 a share and then above its 50-day moving average of $9.20 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 501,409 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then TTS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $10.14 to $11.19 a share.

  Traders can look to buy TTS off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support at $8.16 a share. One can also buy TTS off strength once it starts to bust above those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

  Must Read: 10 Stocks Billionaire John Paulson Loves in 2014

• [By Jason Hall]

  On the other hand, stocks in peer�specialty retailers�Lumber Liquidators� (NYSE: LL  ) and Tile Shop Holdings� (NASDAQ: TTS  ) have been getting killed on falling comparable-store sales and profits:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Stocks on the Move: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co. (NASDAQ: HMHC) is up 32.2% at $15.86 after its IPO today. Tile Shop Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: TTS) is down 39% at $12.95 following a short seller�� claim that profits were overstated. Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) is down 5.4% at $25.07 after halting sales of its Chromebook laptop due to an overheating charger problem.

6.3% Yield From An Energy Stock Our Expert Loves

A big part of my job as managing editor of StreetAuthority involves talking with our premium newsletter experts to get a sense of what they like in the market, where they think it's headed and how they plan to help their followers profit.

 

That means I get paid to hear from some of the top investing minds in the country on a regular basis. What could be better?

I want to share some of that wisdom. Starting today I will feature insights and top picks from each of our experts over the next couple weeks as a way of saying thanks for being a StreetAuthority.com reader. 

Today's pick comes courtesy of Nathan Slaughter.

Prior to taking over the reins at High-Yield Investing this summer, Nathan successfully managed three income portfolios at several other StreetAuthority newsletters over the past 10 years. Nathan racked up gains of 45.9% for the positions in his "Yield Maximizer" portfolio in just three years, and even after those gains the average yield was 5.7%. He also managed the "Dependable Income" portfolio from November 2011 to April 2012. In that span, the average return on the positions in his portfolio was 14.8%, and the average yield at the end of the period was 7.1%. And in his "High Income" portfolio, Nathan racked up gains of 61.3% in three and a half years, and the average yield after those gains was 5.5%.

Here's more from Nathan:

	Nathan Slaughter High-Yield Investing

This 6.3%-Yielder Loves Cheap Natural Gas
It's no secret that the United States is awash in natural gas right now. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy is forecasting average daily output to surpass 70 billion cubic feet this year. That means between now and December 31, more than 12 trillion cubic feet of gas will be brought to the surface from prolific sources such as Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale.

That's good news for midstream energy companies whose pipeline systems gather and transport all that gas. Surging production also stokes demand for natural gas processors, whose plants "clean" the raw gas by stripping out fluids, contaminants and other impurities.

Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ) is an industry leader in both aspects, with 15,000 miles of interstate transmission mainline and nearly two dozen processing and treating facilities. The company singlehandedly moves one-seventh of the nation's natural gas supply through its pipelines.

Even before this energy super-cycle kicked into gear, Williams had already lifted its dividend distributions by 143% since 2006 (to $0.85 from $0.35 per unit) and delivered compounded annual returns of 18.3%. On Tuesday, the company announced a further 9% increase in its dividend to just over 86 cents per unit, payable Aug. 9 to shareholders of record on Aug. 2.

Top 5 Airline Stocks To Own For 2015

The company is arguably in a stronger position now than ever before. First, most of the heavy spending is in the rear-view mirror, with capital expenditures expected to taper off to $1.8 billion in 2015 from $3.7 billion in 2012. At the same time, new expansion projects are projected to boost annual cash flows by 60%, to $2.7 billion from $1.7 billion.

So profits are rising and capital outlays are falling -- leaving a couple billion more on the table for unit-holders. But I've saved the best catalyst for last.

Prices of natural gas liquids (NGLs) have collapsed lately, and many companies are cursing. Ethane, for example, is so cheap that in some cases it's essentially worthless to extract and recover. But if it's a bad time to be selling this commodity, it's a great time to be buying.

Williams is cashing in hand over fist. The company's Geismar petrochemical facility in Louisiana turns inexpensive ethane feedstock into valuable ethylene (a building block to make plastics). This plant is capitalizing on a widening "crack spread" by converting 57,000 barrels of ethane each day into ethylene.

The powerful economics of this commodity environment -- coupled with the firm's growing fee-based income stream -- should pave the way for continued dividend hikes (the yield is already 6.3%) and meaningful unit-price momentum over the remainder of the year.

Note: With so many great strategists on our team, it can be easy to miss out on promising opportunities like the ones mentioned above. But there is a way for you to get all the picks from every advisory as they happen. If you're interested in how to get access along with a free lifetime subscription to our newest service, click here.

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now

Best Dow Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Vanguard Industrials Etf (VIS)

Vanguard Industrials ETF (the Fund), formerly known as Vanguard Industrials VIPERs, is an exchange-traded share class of Vanguard Industrials Index Fund. The Fund employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) US Investable Market Industrials Index (the Index). The Index is an index of stocks of large, medium and small United States companies in the industrials sector, as classified under the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). This GICS sector is made up of companies whose businesses are dominated by activities, such as the manufacture and distribution of capital goods (including aerospace and defense, construction, engineering and building products, electrical equipment, and industrial machinery); the provision of commercial services and supplies (including printing, employment, environmental and office services), or the provision of transportation services (inc luding airlines, couriers, marine, road and rail, and transportation infrastructure).

The Fund attempts to replicate the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index, holding each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the Index. It also may sample its target Index by holding stocks that, in the aggregate, are intended to approximate the Index in terms of key characteristics, such as price/earnings ratio, earnings growth and dividend yield.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Viscofan SA (VIS) fell 9.6 percent, its largest weekly drop in more than five years, after saying it may miss its targets for 2013 because of weak currencies. The Spanish maker of sausage casings in July predicted annual net income of 107 million euros to 108 million euros and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of ! as much as 195 million euros.

• [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]

  Unusual volume (at least 5X ADV): iShares Utilities ETF (NYSE: IDU), First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: FXU), iShares MSCI Germany Small Cap ETF (NYSE: EWGS), iShares MSCI USA ETF (NYSE: EUSA), SPDR S&P Emerging Europe ETF (NYSE: GUR), PowerShares Water Resources (NYSE: PHO) and the Vanguard Industrials ETF (NYSE: VIS).

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-dow-dividend-companies-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Buy For 2015

Best Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Buy For 2015: Orkla ASA (ORK)

Orkla ASA is a Norway-based company active in various sectors. The Companys operations are structured into two segments: Branded Consumer Goods and Other Businesses. The Branded Consumer Goods segment is divided into five units: Orkla Foods, which comprises the Companys food businesses in the Nordic region and the Baltics; Orkla Confectionery, which comprises five branded consumer goods businesses which serve the Nordic region and the Baltics as their home markets; Orkls Home & Personal consists of five branded consumer goods businesses, including Lilleborg, Lilleborg Profesjonell, the Axellus Group, Pierre Robert Group and House Care; Orkla Food Ingredients cover product categories, including margarine, marzipan, bread improvers and mixes, and yeast, and Orkla International includes branded consumer goods companies outside the Nordic region and the Baltics. The Other Businesses segment covers the Companys operation in aluminum, real estate and hydropower sectors, am ong others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Orkla ASA (ORK), the Norwegian industrial conglomerate transforming itself into a consumer-goods producer, slumped 11 percent to 46.78 kroner, the largest drop since November 2011. The company reported second-quarter pretax profit of 514 million kroner ($86 million), missing estimates of 965 million kroner in a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-industrial-conglomerate-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-2.html

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2015

10 Best Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2015: Bowl America Inc (BWL.A)

Bowl America Incorporated, incorporated in July 22, 1958, is engaged in the entertainment business. The Company operates in one segment. Its principal source of revenue consists of fees charged for the use of bowling lanes and other facilities and from the sale of food and beverages for consumption on the premises. Merchandise sales, including food and beverages, were approximately 30% of operating revenues. The balance of operating revenues (approximately 70%) represents fees for bowling and related services. During the fiscal year ended July, 1 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries operated 19 bowling centers. These 19 bowling centers contain a total of 756 lanes. As of September 1, 2012 the Company and its subsidiaries operated 10 bowling centers in the greater metropolitan area of Washington, D.C., one bowling center in the metropolitan area of Baltimore, Maryland, one bowling center in Orlando, Florida, three bowling centers in the metropol itan area of Jacksonville, Florida, and four bowling centers in the metropolitan area of Richmond, Virginia.

These establishments are air-conditioned with facilities for service of food and beverages, game rooms, rental lockers, and meeting room facilities. All centers provide shoes for rental, and bowling balls are provided free. In addition, each center retails bowling accessories. Most locations are equipped for glow-in-the-dark bowling, popular for parties and non-league bowling. The bowling equipment essential for the Company's operation is readily available. Two of the Company's bowling centers are located in leased premises, and the remaining seventeen centers are owned by the Company.

The Company competes with Brunswick Corporation and AMF Bowling Worldwide, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Fredrik Arnold]

  The balance of the top ten included one technology firm, AT&T Inc. (T) in fourth place;! one consumer goods, Altria Group Inc. (MO), placed fifth; Bowl America Class A (BWL.A) in seventh place was the lone service dog. Two utilities, Northwest Natural Gas (NWN), and Consolidated Edison (ED), in ninth and tenth places completed the representation of market sectors in the champions index.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-recreation-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-4.html

Take Advantage of eBay's Earnings Dip

Despite eBay's (NASDAQ: EBAY  ) earnings results leaving investors wanting more in the form of guidance, the long-term story remains intact. As a result, this temporary setback has created a buying opportunity for those who are committed to long-term growth investing.

Breaking it down
For the second quarter, the e-commerce giant reported revenues of $3.9 billion, a 14% year-over-year increase, which translated to non-GAAP net income growth of 13%, to $822 million. Combined, the company enabled over $51 billion of commerce, representing an increase of 21% year over year. During the quarter, eBay's mobile engagement enjoyed 90% year-over-year growth by attracting 3 million new customers across its platforms, reinforcing the belief that the company is well positioned for the age of mobile computing and multiple screens.

During the quarter, eBay's core marketplaces business remained strong. It experienced revenue growth of 10% year over year, 3.5 million new accounts, and a gross merchandise volume increase of 13%, to $18 billion. PayPal was also no slouch, with its 20% year-over-year revenue growth, and 4.7 million new accounts added during the quarter, bringing the grand total to 132 million active PayPal accounts.

Where eBay went wrong was with its guidance. The Street was expecting eBay to earn $0.65 a share on revenue of $3.97 billion in the third quarter, slightly above eBay's forecast of earning $0.61 to $0.63 a share with sales of $3.85 billion to $3.95 billion. Because it's totally unacceptable for a company to miss on guidance, shares pulled back over 6% on the news.

Two 800-pound gorillas
Currently, there are about 2 billion Internet users in the world, a number that's expected to double in the next three to five years. With the majority of these users expected to experience the Internet for the first time on a mobile device, eBay has placed an emphasis on developing localized mobile e-commerce solutions as a way to reduce cultural friction. But what really sets eBay apart from the competition in mobile is the fact that its revenue is exactly the same regardless of medium. As a comparison, companies like Google and Facebook have faced revenue headwinds as they try to capitalize on mobile.

Now, just because eBay is a leader in facilitating worldwide online commerce doesn't mean that the company wouldn't mind becoming a powerful force in the offline world. To that end, the company has partnered with Discover Financial, allowing PayPal to be accepted at over 2 million U.S. brick-and-mortar locations by the year's end. The great part about this opportunity is that PayPal only needs to capture 1% of the offline point-of-sale market for PayPal's entire business to double. Granted, this may sound relatively easy to accomplish, but the competition is fierce, and the threat of Apple entering the mobile payments space may disrupt PayPal's plan. 

Don't miss out!
Long-term investors love short-term setbacks because it allows them to invest in an excellent business for an even better price. In the case of eBay, investors were hoping its short-term earnings guidance was more in-line with their seemingly lofty expectations, which has little to do with the long-term growth story. With the buying opportunity presenting itself, and the evidence backing the idea that eBay's core businesses remain strong, what else are you waiting for?

It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped by just a handful of companies like eBay. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.

Top Telecom Companies To Watch In Right Now

Hot Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2015

Hot Construction Material Stocks To Buy For 2015: CEMEX SAB de CV (CX)

CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. (CEMEX), incorporated on January 20, 1931, is a global cement manufacturer with operations in North America, Europe, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The Company is a holding company engaged through the operating subsidiaries in the production, distribution, marketing and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and clinker. As of December 31, 2009, the Companys cement production facilities were located in Mexico, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Latvia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Egypt, the Philippines and Thailand.

The Company manufactures cement through a closely controlled chemical process, which begins with the mining and crushing of limestone and clay, and, in some instances, other raw materials. The clay and limestone are then pre-homogenized, a process which consists of combining diffe rent types of clay and limestone. The mix is typically dried, then fed into a grinder, which grinds the various materials in preparation for the kiln. The raw materials are calcined, or processed, at a very high temperature in a kiln, to produce clinker. Clinker is the intermediate product used in the manufacture of cement.

Ready-mix concrete is a combination of cement, fine and coarse aggregates, admixtures (which control properties of the concrete including plasticity, pumpability, freeze-thaw resistance, strength and setting time), and water. The Company is a supplier of aggregates primarily the crushed stone, sand and gravel, used in virtually all forms of construction.

Mexican Operations

During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Mexican operations represented approximately 21% of the Companys net sales. CEMEX Mexico is a direct subsidiary of CEMEX and is both a holding company for some of the operating comp! anies in Mexico a nd an operating company involved in the manufacturing and ma! rketing of cement, plaster, gypsum, groundstone and other construction materials and cement by-products in Mexico. CEMEX Mexico, indirectly, is also the holding company for the international operations. The Company owns Tolteca, Monterrey, Maya, Anahuac, Campana, Gallo, and Centenario brands in Mexico. As of December 31, 2009, the Company owned 100% of CEMEX Mexico.

The Company competes with Holcim Ltd., Sociedad Cooperativa Cruz Azul, Cementos Moctezuma, Grupo Cementos Chihuahua and Lafarge Cementos in Mexico.

U.S. Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Companys operations in the United States represented approximately 19% of the Companys net sales. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX, Inc. As of December 31, 2009, CEMEX had a cement manufacturing capacity of approximately 17.9 million tons per year in the United States operations. As of December 31, 2009, the Company operated 14 cement plants located in Al abama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. As of December 31, 2009, it also had 48 rails or water served active cement distribution terminals in the United States. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had 336 ready-mix concrete plants located in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington and aggregates facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

Spanish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the operations in Spain represented approximately 5% of the Companys net sales. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held approximately 99.8% of CEMEX Espana, the main operating subsidiary in Spain. The cement activities in Spain are conducted by CEMEX Espana. The ready-mix concrete activities in Spain are conducted by Hormicemex, S.! A., a sub! sidiar y of CEMEX Espana, and the aggregates activities in Spain ar! e conduct! ed by Aricemex S.A., also a subsidiary of CEMEX Espana.

U.K. Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Companys operations in the United Kingdom represented approximately 8% of the Companys net sales. As of December 31, 2009, it held 100% of CEMEX Investments Limited, the holding subsidiary in the United Kingdom. The Company is a provider of building materials in the United Kingdom with vertically integrated cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and asphalt operations. It is also a provider of concrete and precast materials solutions, such as concrete blocks, concrete block paving, roof tiles, flooring systems and sleepers for rail infrastructure.

The Company competes with Lafarge, Heidelberg, Tarmac, and Aggregate Industries in the United Kingdom.

German Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the operations in the Rest of Europe consisted of the operations in Germany, France, Ireland, Poland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Austria and Hungary, as well as the other European assets. The Company is a provider of building materials in Germany, with vertically integrated cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates and concrete products operations (consisting mainly of prefabricated concrete ceilings and walls). It maintains a network for ready-mix concrete and aggregates in Germany. As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Deutschland AG, the holding subsidiary in Germany.

The Company competes with Heidelberg, Dyckerhoff, Lafarge, Holcim and Schwenk in Germany.

French Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX France Gestion (S.A.S.), the holding subsidiary in France. It is a ready-mix concrete producer and aggregate producer in France. As of December 31, 2009, the Company operated 239 ready-mix concrete plants in France, one maritime cement terminal located in LeHavre, on the nort! hern coas! t of Franc e, 20 land distribution centers and 42 aggregates quarries.

The Company competes with Lafarge, Holcim, Italcementi, Vicat, Lafarge, Italcementi, Colas (Bouygues) and Eurovia (Vinci) in France.

Irish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held approximately 61.2% of Readymix Plc, the operating subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland. The operations in Ireland produce and supply sand, stone and gravel, as well as ready-mix concrete, mortar and concrete blocks. As of December 31, 2009, we operated 43 ready-mix concrete plants, 27 aggregates quarries and 15 block plants located in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. The Company imports and distributes cement in the Isle of Man.

The Company competes with CRH, the Lagan Group and Kilsaran in the Republic of Ireland.

Polish Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Polska Sp. z.o.o. (CEMEX Polska), the holding subsidiary in Poland. It is a provider of building mat erials in Poland serving the cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates markets. As of December 31, 2009, CEMEX operated two cement plants and one grinding mill in Poland, with a total installed cement capacity of three million tons per year. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated 39 ready-mix concrete plants and nine aggregates quarries in Poland. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated 10 land distribution centers and two maritime terminals in Poland.

The Company competes with Heidelberg, Lafarge, CRH and Dyckerhoff in Poland.

Southeast European Operations

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held 100% of CEMEX Hrvatska d.d. (Hrvatska), the operating subsidiary in Croatia. As of December 31, 2009, it operated three cement plants in Croatia, with an installed capacity of 2.4 million tons per year. As of December 31, 2009, the Company also operated ten land distribution centers, three ! maritime ! cement terminals, e ight ready-mix concrete facilities and one aggregates quarry! in Croat! ia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Vulcan have gained 7.6%, and given a lift to other cement makers today, including Martin Marietta Materials (MLM), which has risen 4.9% and reports earnings on Thursday, Cemex (CX), which has advanced 1.5%, and Texas Industries (TXI), which is up 4.9%.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/hot-construction-material-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-3.html

Best Biotech Stocks To Buy For 2015

Best Biotech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Galena Biopharma Inc (GALE)

Galena Biopharma, Inc. (Galena), formerly RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, incorporated on April 3, 2006, is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies addressing unmet medical needs using targeted biotherapeutics. The Company is pursuing the development of cancer therapeutics using peptide-based immunotherapy products, including its main product candidate, NeuVaxTM (E75), for the treatment of breast cancer and other tumors. NeuVax is a peptide-based immunotherapy intended to reduce the recurrence of breast cancer in low-to-intermediate HER2-positive breast cancer patients not eligible for trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech/Roche). On January 19, 2012, the Company initiated enrollment in its Phase 3 PRESENT clinical trial for NeuVax (E75 peptide plus GM-CSF) vaccine in low-to-intermediate HER2 1+ and 2+ breast cancer patients in the adjuvant setting to prevent recurrence (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01479244). The Preventio n of Recurrence in Early-Stage, Node-Positive Breast Cancer with Low to Intermediate HER2 Expression with NeuVax Treatment study is a randomized, multicenter, multinational clinical trial that will enroll approximately 700 breast cancer patients. The Companys Phase 2 trial of NeuVax achieved its primary endpoint of disease-free survival (DFS). On April 13, 2011, the Company completed its acquisition of Apthera, Inc.,(Apthera).

The Company focuses to start a Phase 2 trial comparing NeuVax in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) versus trastuzumab, alone, in a 300-patient, randomized study in the adjuvant breast cancer setting. The Company's second product candidate, Folate Binding Protein-E39 (FBP), is a vaccine, consisting of the peptides E39 and J65, aimed at preventing the recurrence of ovarian, endometrial, and breast cancers. On February 14, 2012, the Company announced the initiation of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in two gynecological can! cers: ovarian and endometrial adenocarcinomas. Folate binding protein has very limited tissue distribution and expression in non-malignant tissue and is over-expressed in more than 90% of ovarian and endometrial cancers, as well as in 20% to 50% of breast, lung, colorectal and renal cell carcinomas.

In April 2011, the Company acquired Apthera Inc and its NeuVax product candidate. The Company focuses on developing a pipeline of immunotherapy product candidates for the treatment of various cancers based on the E75 peptide, the advanced of which is NeuVax, which is targeted at preventing the recurrence of breast cancer. NeuVax has had positive Phase 1/2 clinical trial results for the prevention of breast cancer recurrence in patients who have had breast cancer and received the standard of care treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy as indicated). The Company had also initiated its Phase 3 PRESENT clinical trial of NeuVax for the prevention of breast cancer recurrence in early-stage low-to-intermediate HER2 breast cancer patients. NeuVax directs killer T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells that express HER2/neu, a protein associated with epithelial tumors in breast, ovarian, pancreatic, colon, bladder and prostate cancers. NeuVax is comprised of a HER2/neu-derived peptide called E75. E75 is a nine-amino acid sequence that is immunogenic (produces an immune response) and GM-CSF is a commercially available protein that acts to stimulate and activate components of the immune system such as macrophages and dendritic cells.

The Company also develops novel applications for NeuVax based on preclinical studies and phases 2 clinical trials which suggest that combining NeuVax and trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech/Roche) can increase antigen presentation by tumor cells by promoting receptor internalization and subsequent proteosomal degradation of the HER2 protein. The Company also is pursuing additional therapeut ic indications for NeuVax that are in Ph! ase 1/2 c! linical trials. RXI-109, is a dermal anti-scarring therapy that targets connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and that may inhibit connective tissue formation in human fibrotic disease.

The Company competes with Roche Laboratories, Inc., Pfizer Inc., Bayer HealthCare AG, Sanofi-Aventis, US, LLC, Amgen, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Renovo Group plc, CoDa Therapeutics, Inc., Sirnaomics, Inc., FirstString Research, Inc., Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Capstone Therapeutics, Halscion, Inc., Garnet Bio Therapeutics, Inc., AkPharma Inc., Promedior, Inc., Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eyegene, Derma Sciences, Inc., Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, Pharmaxon, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Marina Biotech, Inc., Tacere Therapeutics, Inc., Benitec Limited, OPKO Health, Inc., Silence Therapeutics plc, Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rosetta Genomics Ltd., Lorus Therapeutics, Inc., Tekmira Pharmaceuti cals Corporation, Arrowhead Research Corporation, Regulus Therapeutics Inc. and Santaris.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Douglass and David Williamson]

  Galena Biopharma (NASDAQ: GALE  ) announced this morning that it has licensed the rights to sell Zuplenz for $5 million in stock and cash, in addition to royalties, milestones, and an upfront payment.

• [By Sean Williams]

  The waiting game
  The tables are clearly stacked against small biotech companies developing cancer drugs. History has shown that few (if any) have successfully had the Food and Drug Administration approve a late-stage cancer drug. While mid-stage trials of Galena Biopharma's (NASDAQ: GALE  ) HER2-targeting breast cancer vaccine have been promising thus far, the chances of an approval seem a long way off.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/best-biotech-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-3.html

Top 10 Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015

Top 10 Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: Iliad SA (ILIAF.PK)

Iliad SA is a France-based holding company active in the integrated telecommunications sector. The Company provides Internet access services, hosting services and others. Iliad SA is also focused on fixed-line telephony services and the provision of wireless fidelity (WiFi) cards, among several others. In addition, Iliad SA sells via Internet a range of insurance policies. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had a number of subsidiaries, which include Free SAS, Centrapel SAS, Freebox SAS, Telecom Academy SARL, Free Frequences SAS, Iliad 1 SAS, Iliad 2 SAS, Protelco SAS, IFW SAS, IRE SAS, Management Centre De Relation Abonne (MCRA), F Distribution SAS, and Centrapel SAS, among others. Its Fixe subsidiary is a landline business-provider of broadband Internet services. As of year-end 2012, the Company was active as a operator in more than 35 countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mike Arnold]

  I normally don't look at charts much, but comparing Orange to its competitors in the French telecommunications market is quite fascinating. As one can see, incumbents Bouygues (BOUYF.PK) and Vivendi (VIVHY.PK) (owner of SFR) saw similar price declines. The market, on the other hand, rapidly bid up the price of new entrant Iliad SA (ILIAF.PK), as a result of forecasts for Iliad to capture significant mobile market share (which it did, around 10%). The wide divergence in price relative to changes in underlying value favor going long the incumbents, including Orange. Because this time it's different.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-10-telecom-companies-to-watch-for-2015-2.html

Top 10 Diversified Bank Companies To Buy Right Now

Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil both recently announced incredibly expensive, incredibly ambitious offshore projects in the Gulf of Mexico. The massive oil reserves that exist beneath the ocean floor are increasingly being targeted by the oil majors in their quest to increase production. In this video, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy looks at the company's behind three new offshore innovations that will make big oil's big challenge safer, and more efficient.

National Oilwell Varco is perhaps the safest investment in the energy sector due to its industry-dominating market share. This company is poised to profit in a big way; its customers are both increasing the number of new drilling rigs and updating aging fleets of offshore rigs. To help determine if it could be a good fit for your portfolio, you're invited to check out The Motley Fool's premium research report featuring in-depth analysis on whether NOV is a buy today. For instant access to this valuable investor's resource, simply click here now to claim your copy.

Hot Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Post Properties Inc. (PPS)

Post Properties, Inc., a real estate investments trust (REIT), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, ownership, and management of multifamily apartment communities in the United States. As of December 31, 2007, the company owned 22,578 apartment units in 63 apartment communities, including 1,747 apartment units in 2 communities held in unconsolidated entities and 2,266 apartment units in 7 communities. It is also developing and selling 535 for-sale condominium homes in 4 communities and converting 349 apartment homes into for-sale condominium homes in 2 communities. The company primarily operates in Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Washington, D.C.; and Tampa, Florida metropolitan areas. Post Properties has elected to be taxed as REIT under the Internal Revenue Code and would not be subject to federal income taxes, if it distributes approximately 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1971 and is based in Atlanta, Ge orgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Philip Springer]

  Post Properties Inc. (NYSE: PPS): 14.7%

  
  Here are the largest homebuilders and their shares’ performance so far this year:
  
  Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN): -2.3%

• [By Sally Jones] ng>Rate of Return: 30.76%

  Down 6% over 12 months, Post Properties Inc., a residential REIT, has a market cap of $2.46 billion; its shares were traded at around $45.02. The tangible book value is 20.98. PPS trades with a P/E ratio of 29.00 and a P/B of 2.10. The earnings yield is 2.80%.

  Guru Action: As of Sept. 30, 2013, Third Avenue Management holds 422,734 shares values at around $20.9 million.

  PPS is a relatively new holding for the firm, first bought in the second quarter of 2013. The firm bought 422,734 shares at an average price of $49.04, for a loss of 8.2%.

  Track historical pricing, revenue and net income since 1993:

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  Valley National Bancorp (VLY)

  Rate of Return: 26.4%

  Up 5% over 12 months, Valley National Bancorp has a market cap of $2.07 billion; its shares were traded at around $10.40. The tangible book value is 5.28. VLY trades with a P/E ratio of 14.60 and a P/B of 1.30. The earnings yield is 3.80%.

  Guru Action: As of Sept. 30, 2013, Third Avenue Management holds 1,462,501 shares values at around $13.8 million.

  VLY is another new holding for Third Avenue, first buying 1,462,501 shares in the second quarter of 2013, at an average price of $9.34, for a gain of 11.3%.

  Track historical pricing, revenue and net income since 1990:

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  Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD)

  Rate of Return: 23.14%

  Up 11% over 12 months, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. has a market cap of $3.35 billion; its shares were traded at around $26.94. The tangible book value is 5.97. BKD trades with a P/B of 3.30. The earnings yield is 1.80%.

  Guru Action: As of Sept. 30, 2013, Third Avenue Management holds 658,866 shares values at around $17.429 million.

  Bought in the second quarter of 2013, BKD is another new holding for Third Avenue. The firm made a new buy of 658,866 shares at an average price of $27.55, for a 2.2% loss.

  Track historical pricing,

Top 10 Diversified Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: NMI Holdings Inc (NMIHZ)

NMI Holdings, Inc. (NMIH), incorporated on May 19, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company through its subsidiaries provides private mortgage insurance in the United States. The Company�� wholly owned subsidiaries include National Mortgage Insurance Corporation and National Mortgage Reinsurance Inc One.

On April 24, 2012, NMI Holdings, Inc. (NMI) closed an agreement with MAC Financial Ltd. to acquire MAC Financial Holdings Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. On September 30, 2013, the Company merged MAC Financial Holding Corporation into NMIH, with NMIH surviving the merger, and it merged NMRI Two into NMIC, with NMIC surviving the merger.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zachary Tracer]

  NMI Holdings Inc. (NMIHZ), a mortgage insurer backed by funds tied to Carlyle Group LP (CG) and Kyle Bass, filed to sell shares in an initial public offering as investors bet on a housing-market rebound.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Zweig Fund Inc (ZF)

The Zweig Fund, Inc. (the Fund), incorporated on June 30, 1986, is a closed-end, diversified management investment company. The Fund�� objective is to increase capital primarily with investment in equity securities, consistent with capital preservation and reduction of risk. The Fund�� principal stock market sectors as on June 30, 2007, included information technology, financials, industrials, energy and healthcare.

The Fund�� investment adviser is Phoenix/Zweig Advisers LLC. As of June 30, 2007, its principal industrial positions included Cisco Systems, Corning Inc., EMC Corp., Ford, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, PowerShares QQQ, Nike, Nokia Corp. and Valero Energy.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nathan Slaughter]

  Consider the Zweig Fund (NYSE: ZF). It's a closed-end fund that has $340 million in net assets, which are invested in a diverse basket of blue-chip stocks such as PepsiCo, Apple, JPMorgan, Comcast, U.S. Bancorp and Qualcomm.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO)

iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the Russell 2000 Index, and measures the performance of the small-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index and consists of those companies or portion of a company, with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth within the Russell 2000 Index.

The Index represents approximately 50% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 2000 Index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index Fund's investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Gary Gordon]

  The hottest ETFs have taken the biggest hit over the past five trading days. Global X Social Media (SOCL), Market Vectors Biotech (BBH) and iShares Russell 2000 Small Cap Growth (IWO) have shed 7.0%, 6.5% and 4.0% respectively. Most attribute the over-sized losses to generalized anxiety over the debt ceiling showdown between Congress and the White House. On the other hand, the highest percentage gainers of 2013 may be dropping more precipitously for a different reason.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap custom carry and protective solutions stock Forward Industries, Inc (NASDAQ: FORD) jumped 22.51% earlier today as an apparent turnaround continues, meaning its worth taking a closer look at a stock that�� in a decidedly niche area plus look at the performance of potential investment benchmarks like the iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWM), iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWO) and iShares Russell 2000 Value Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWN).

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, Luna Innovations Incorporated (NASDAQ: LUNA), a rather unusual and innovative small cap stock,�soared some 23.26%���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with its performance verses the performance of small cap benchmarks like the iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWM), the�iShares Russell 2000 Value Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWN) or the iShares Russell 2000 Growth Index ETF (NYSEARCA: IWO).

Top 10 Diversified Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Cereplast Inc (CERPQ)

Cereplast, Inc. (Cereplast), incorporated on September 29, 2001, is engaged in developing and commercializing bio-based resins through two product families: Cereplast Compostables Resins, which are compostable, renewable, ecologically sound substitutes for petroleum-based plastics, and Cereplast Sustainables resins (including the Cereplast Hybrid Resins product line), which replaces up to 90% of the petroleum-based content of traditional plastics with materials from renewable resources. The Company primarily conducts its operations through product families, such as Cereplast Compostables resins, Cereplast Hybrid Resins and Cereplast Algae Plastic resins. In October 2011, the Company purchased a manufacturing plant in Assisi (Cannara).

Cereplast Compostables resins are compostable and bio-based, ecologically sound substitutes for petroleum-based plastics targeting primarily compostable bags, single-use food service products and packaging applications. The Company offers 13 commercial grades of Compostable resins in this product line. Cereplast Sustainables resins are partially or fully bio-based, ecologically sound substitutes for fully petroleum-based plastics targeting primarily durable goods, packaging applications. The Company offers six commercial grades of Sustainable resins in this product line. Cereplast Hybrid Resins products replace up to 55% of the petroleum content in conventional plastics with bio-based materials, such as industrial starches sourced from plants. The Hybrid resins line is designed to offer similar properties to traditional polyolefins, such as impact strength and heat deflection temperature, and is compatible with existing converter processes and equipment. The first commercial product with Cereplast Algae Plastic resin is being produced and sold as part of the Company's Sustainables resin family.

The Company's Compostable resins are renewable substitutes for petroleum-based plastics targeting primarily single-use disposables. The Company's Compost! able Resins have been used to produce foodservice ware, including the first line of fully biodegradable and compostable foodservice ware. Cereplast Hybrid Resins uses renewable materials such as starches from corn and tapioca.

Cereplast competes with BASF, Dow Chemical, Lyondell Basell, DuPont, SABIC, Novamont, NatureWorks and Telles.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  The whole thing may seem a little "out there" at first glance, but truth be told, what Metabolix, Inc. does isn't terribly unusual anymore. It's just a little less sexy than what traders and stock speculators usually want to see and hear with their picks. Kraton Performance Polymers Inc. (NYSE:KRA) and the now-bankrupt Cereplast Inc. (OTCMKTS:CERPQ) are/were in the same business, along with several others. [Don't let the Cereplast bankruptcy filing deter you - it wasn't a lack of opportunity that up-ended CERP.]

Top 10 Diversified Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Cognex Corporation(CGNX)

Cognex Corporation provides machine vision products that capture and analyze visual information to automate tasks primarily in manufacturing processes. It operates in two divisions, Modular Vision Systems and Surface Inspection Systems. The Modular Vision Systems division develops, manufactures, and markets modular vision systems that are used to automate the manufacture of discrete items, such as cellular phones, aspirin bottles, and automobile wheels by locating, identifying, inspecting, and measuring them during the manufacturing process. The Surface Inspection Systems division develops, manufactures, and markets surface inspection vision systems that are used to inspect the surfaces of materials processed in a continuous fashion, including metals, papers, nonwoven, plastics, and glass. The company serves customers in factory automation, semiconductor and electronics capital equipment, and surface inspection markets. Cognex Corporation sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through a network of integration and distribution partners worldwide. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of Cognex (NASDAQ: CGNX) got a boost, shooting up 14.94 percent to $43.45 after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly results and issued a strong Q3 revenue outlook.

Top 10 Diversified Bank Companies To Buy Right Now: Symmetricom Inc.(SYMM)

Symmetricom, Inc. provides timekeeping technologies, instruments, and solutions worldwide. Its Communications business unit provides timing technologies and services for communications infrastructure. The Communications business unit products comprise primary reference sources; edge clocks and distribution products for synchronization outside the network core; building integrated timing supply and sync supply unit for the central office; the PackeTime product suite; data over cable service interface specifications timing interface systems; network management and monitoring software; and embedded hardware and software solutions for integration with various elements of the communications ecosystem, such as silicon, routers, switches, microwave backhaul, and base stations. The company?s Government business unit offers time technology products for aerospace/defense, IT infrastructure, power infrastructure, and science and metrology applications. The Government business unit p roduct portfolio comprises timescale clock sources; network time servers; network time displays; time code generators; bus level timing cards; primary reference standards, such as rubidium and cesium oscillator standards; high stability masers; chip-scale atomic clocks; ruggedized crystal oscillators; and custom time and frequency systems. It offers timekeeping in GPS satellites, national time references, and national power grids, as well as in critical military and civilian networks, which enable data, voice, mobile, and video networks and services. The company sells its products through distributors, systems integrators, and manufacturer sales representatives. It serves various markets, including communications service providers; network equipment manufacturers; silicon suppliers; aerospace/defense; power utility infrastructure; IT infrastructure; underwater exploration and navigation; and science and metrology. The company was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San J ose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Microsemi Corp.(MSCC) agreed to pay almost $298 million to acquire Symmetricom Inc.(SYMM), a deal that will expand the power-management supplier’s exposure into the aerospace and defense industries while also immediately adding to earnings. Shares in Symmetricom soared.

• [By Rich Smith]

  San Jose, Calif.-based Symmetricom (NASDAQ: SYMM  ) has a new chief executive officer.

  On Tuesday, the "precise time" computer announced a series of changes in upper management. Current CEO David G. Cote is leaving the company "to pursue other interests" and has been replaced by new CEO Elizabeth A. Fetter, a current board member. Details on Fetter's compensation have yet to be filed with the SEC.