10 Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2014

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) is unveiling new technology for cloud applications. The semiconductor and processor giant is bringing out new systems-on-chip (SoCs) to optical fiber for cloud-optimized products on network, storage, microservers and rack designs. Most investors know that Intel has missed out on much of the move to mobile processing, but now Intel is trying to rapidly expand other areas outside of its traditional dominance in processors for PCs and servers.

The company’s new portfolio of data center products and technologies is targeted toward cloud service providers, with greater efficiency and flexibility into infrastructure.

The market for servers and network and storage infrastructure is said to be migrating into the microserver, cold storage and entry networking segments. Intel plans to help cloud providers boost their utilization rates while driving down costs.

Intel’s new SoCs are the first Intel products based on the Silvermont micro-architecture and are coming out nine months after the previous generation. Supporting billions of devices and users simultaneously is changing how data centers have to operate. Intel claims to be providing “the key innovations that original equipment manufacturers, telecommunications equipment makers and cloud service providers require to build the data centers of the future.��/p>

Top 5 Healthcare Technology Companies To Invest In Right Now: Belden Inc (BDC)

Belden Inc. (Belden), incorporated on May 18, 1988, designs, manufactures and markets cable, connectivity, and networking products in markets including industrial, enterprise, and broadcast. The Company operates in three segments: the Americas segment, the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) segment and the Asia Pacific segment. The Company�� offers cable, connectivity and networking products, including power generation and distribution, data centers, oil and gas, broadcast, transportation, healthcare and industrial automation. In December 2012, Carlisle Companies Inc acquired Thermax-Raydex business from the Company. In December 2012, the Company sold Consumer Electronics Assets in China to Shenzhen Woer Heat-Shrinkable Material Co Ltd. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company acquired Miranda Technologies Inc. (Miranda).

The categories of cable products are copper cables, including shielded and unshielded twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, and stranded cables, fiber optic cables, which transmit light signals through glass or plastic fibers and composite cables, which are combinations of multiconductor, coaxial, and fiber optic cables jacketed together or otherwise joined together to serve complex applications and provide ease of installation. Connectivity products include fiber and copper connectors for the enterprise, broadcast, broadband, and industrial markets. Networking products include Industrial Ethernet switches and related equipment and security features, fiber optic interfaces and media converters used to bridge fieldbus networks over long distances, networking infrastructure for the television broadcast, cable, satellite and IPTV industry, and load-moment indicators for mobile cranes and other load-bearing equipment.

For industrial end markets, the Company supplies cable, connectivity, and networking products for applications ranging from advanced industrial networking and robotics to traditional instrumentation and control systems. The Compa! ny�� cable products are used in discrete manufacturing and process operations involving the connection of computers, programmable controllers, robots, operator interfaces, motor drives, sensors, printers and other devices. The Company sells its industrial products primarily through value-added resellers, industrial distributors, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). It designs, manufactures and markets Industrial Ethernet switches and related equipment, both rail-mounted and rack-mounted, for factory automation, power generation and distribution, process automation, and infrastructure projects, such as bridges, wind farms and airport runways. It also designs, manufactures and markets fiber optic interfaces and media converters. In addition, it designs, manufactures, and markets a range of industrial connectors for sensors and actuators, cord-sets, distribution boxes, and fieldbus communications. These products are used both as components of manufacturing equipment and in the installation and networking of such equipment. The Company also designs, manufactures and markets load-moment indicators. Its switches, communications equipment, connectors, and load-moment indicators are sold directly to industrial equipment OEMs and through a network of distributors and system integrators.

For enterprise end markets, the Company supplies structured cabling solutions, connectors, and networking products for the electronic and optical transmission of data, sound, and video over local- and wide- area networks. Products for this market include copper cables including 10-gigabit Ethernet technologies, fiber optic cables, connectors, wiring racks, panels, interconnecting hardware, intelligent patching devices, and cable management solutions for complete end-to-end network structured wiring systems. End-use customers include hospitals, financial institutions, governments, service providers, and data centers. Its systems are installed through a network of trained system integrators and are supplied t! hrough au! thorized distributors.

For broadcast end markets, the Company is a provider of hardware and software solutions for the television broadcast, cable, satellite and IPTV industry. Its solutions also span the full breadth of television operations, including production, playout and delivery. The Company also manufactures a variety of multiconductor and coaxial cable and connector products, which distributes audio and video signals for use in broadcast television including digital television and high definition television, broadcast radio, pre- and post-production facilities, recording studios, and public facilities such as casinos, arenas, and stadiums. Its audio/video cables are also used in connection with microphones, musical instruments, audio mixing consoles, effects equipment, speakers, paging systems, and consumer audio products.

The Company manufactures networking infrastructure products for the television broadcast, cable, satellite and IPTV industry. Its primary market channels for this broadcast, music, and entertainment products are broadcast specialty distributors and audio systems installers. It also sells directly to music OEMs and the television networks including ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. The Company also provides specialized cables for security applications such as video surveillance systems, airport baggage screening, building access control, motion detection, public address systems, and advanced fire alarm systems. It manufactures flexible, copper-clad coaxial cable and associated connector products for the high-speed transmission of data, sound, and video (broadband) that are used for the drop section of cable television (CATV) systems and satellite direct broadcast systems.

For the broadband end market, Belden manufactures and develops connectivity solutions in several product categories: coax connector products that allow for connections from the provider network to the subscribers��devices, hardline connectors that allow service providers to dist! ribute th! eir services within a city, a town or a neighborhood and entry devices that serves to manage and remove network signal noise that could impair performance for the subscriber, and traps and filtering devices that allow service providers to control the signals that are transmitted to the subscriber.

During 2012, the Americas segment contributed approximately 64% of its consolidated revenues. This segment sells the full array of its products for the industrial, enterprise,and broadcast markets. The EMEA segment contributed approximately 19% of its consolidated revenues. This segment sells the full array of its products for the industrial, enterprise,and broadcast markets. The Asia Pacific segment contributed approximately 17% its consolidated revenues. This segment sells the full array of its products for the industrial, enterprise,and broadcast markets.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Belden (NYSE: BDC  ) reported earnings on May 2. Here are the numbers you need to know.

    The 10-second takeaway
    For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Belden met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Signal transmission specialist�Belden� (NYSE: BDC  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.05 per share, the same rate it has paid since 2004 when it first began making a payout.

10 Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2014: Houston Wire & Cable Co (HWCC)

Houston Wire & Cable Company, incorporated in 1997, provides wire and cable and related services to the United States market. The Company offers its customers with a single-source solution for wire and cable, hardware and related services. The Company offers products in categories of wire and cable, including continuous and interlocked armor cable, control and power cable, electronic wire and cable, flexible and portable cords, instrumentation and thermocouple cable, lead and high temperature cable, medium voltage cable, premise and category wire and cable, wire rope and wire rope slings, as well as nylon slings, chain, shackles and other related hardware. It also offers private branded products, including its brand LifeGuard, a low-smoke, zero-halogen cable. On January 1, 2011, the acquired companies were merged into HWC Wire & Cable Company.

The Company�� products are used in repair and replacement, also known as maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), and related projects, larger-scale projects in the utility, industrial and infrastructure markets and a diverse range of industrial applications, including communications, energy, engineering and construction, general manufacturing, mining, construction, oilfield services, infrastructure, petrochemical, transportation, utility, wastewater treatment, marine construction and marine transportation. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company served approximately 6,000 customers.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

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

10 Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2014: Fabrinet (FN)

Fabrinet, incorporated on August 12, 1999, provides optical packaging and precision optical, electro-mechanical and electronic manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of complex products, such as optical communication components, modules and sub-systems, industrial lasers and sensors. The Company offers a range of optical and electro-mechanical capabilities across the entire manufacturing processes, including process design and engineering, supply chain management, manufacturing, advanced packaging, final assembly and test.

The products that the Company manufactures for its OEM customers includes optical communications devices, such as selective switching products, such as reconfigurable optical add-drop modules (ROADMs), optical amplifiers, modulators and other optical components and modules that collectively enable network managers to route signals through fiber traffic at various wavelengths and over various distances; tunable transponders and transceivers that eliminate the need to stock individual fixed wavelength transponders and transceivers used in voice and data communications networks; and active optical cables providing high-speed interconnect capabilities for data centers and computing clusters, as well as Infiniband, Ethernet, fiber channel and optical backplane connectivity.

Solid state, diode-pumped, gas and fiber lasers (industrial lasers) used across a array of industries, including semiconductor processing (wafer inspection, wafer dicing, wafer scribing), biotechnology (DNA sequencing, flow cytometry, hematology, antibody detection), metrology (instrumentation, calibration, inspection), and material processing (photo processing, textile cutting, annealing, marking, engraving); and sensors, including differential pressure, micro-gyro, fuel and other sensors that are used in automobiles, and non-contact temperature measurement sensors for the medical industry. The Company also designs and fabricates application-specific crystals, pri! sms, mirrors, laser components and substrates (customized optics) and other custom and standard borosilicate, clear fused quartz, and synthetic fused silica glass products (customized glass).

The Company competes with Sanmina-SCI Corporation, Celestica Inc., Venture Corporation Limited, Benchmark Electronics, Inc, Browave Corporation, Fujian Castech Crystals, Inc., Research Electro-Optic, Inc. and Photop Technologies, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Fabrinet (NYSE: FN) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $0.35 per share on revenue of $172.02 million.

    Sky-mobi (NASDAQ: MOBI) is projected to report its Q2 results.

10 Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2014: Gigamon Inc (GIMO)

Gigamon Inc., incorporated on January 2, 2009, has developed solution that delivers visibility and control of traffic across networks. Its solution, which it refers to as its traffic visibility fabric, consists of distributed network appliances that provide an advanced level of network traffic intelligence. Its fabric enables information technology (IT) organizations to forward traffic from network infrastructure to management, analysis, compliance and security tools in a manner that is optimized for specific uses or locations. Its flow mapping technology that identifies and directs incoming traffic to single or multiple tools based on user-defined rules implemented from a centralized management console. Its products consist of GigaVUE, GigaSECURE, GigaSMART and GigaTAP products. Its traffic visibility fabric is deployed by enterprises and service providers. Its traffic visibility fabric is built on the GigaVUE family of products.

The Company generates product revenue primarily from sales of perpetual software licenses installed on physical appliances for its traffic visibility fabric solutions to channel partners, including distributors and resellers, as well as directly to end user customers. The Company generates services revenue primarily from the sale of maintenance and support services for its products. As of March 31, 2012, the Company had sold products to over 825 end user customers across many vertical markets, including the United States retailers, United States banks and financial services companies, United States integrated telecommunication service providers, United States managed healthcare providers, United States cable and satellite providers and global securities and commodities exchanges. It offers purpose-built physical appliances that are integrated with its software and enable its end user customers to design traffic visibility fabric architectures optimized for a range of scale and performance requirements from one gigabit appliances to one terabit chassis-based solu! tions.

Its appliances range from a single rack unit appliance to a modular multi-slot chassis that accommodates a range of its line cards. The GigaVUE product family consists of G Series and H Series of products. The GigaVUE G Series consists of a range of purpose-built, small form-factor traffic visibility appliances. Its GigaSECURE products provide in-line packet distribution specifically designed for use with security-based tools, such as intrusion prevention systems (IPS). The GigaSECURE products are designed to support two-way traffic communications and provide bypass protection allowing packets to be distributed to multiple IPS devices where they are screened, and then aggregated back together for entry back to the network. The GigaVUE H Series utilizes a robust Linux-based operating platform enabling configurations. The series includes both large blade-based chassis configurations and a fixed configuration product specifically designed to aggregate 10 gigabit traffic links together.

The Company also offers ongoing technical support with its hardware and software products. Its primary support offering, SupportCARE, provides two-tiered support levels, including premium-level support coverage. It offers end user customers ongoing maintenance services for both hardware and software, which enables them to receive ongoing software updates, upgrades, bug fixes and repairs. It also offers DesignCARE in the North America region, which provides end user customers with professional services that range from the architectural design of a Traffic Visibility Fabric for their customized requirements to the complete implementation and configuration of GigaVUE appliances across multiple locations. Its support personnel are based in Milpitas, California and Reading, United Kingdom.

The Company competes with Cisco Systems, Inc. and Juniper Networks, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Mark Thompson]

    Shares in Gigamon (GIMO) were down more than 2% before the open, after plunging a whopping 33% on Tuesday. The technology company had lowered its revenue guidance for the second quarter.

10 Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2014: Ubiquiti Networks Inc (UBNT)

Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (Ubiquiti), incorporated on June 24, 2010, is a communications technology Company. designs, manufactures and sells broadband wireless solutions worldwide. The Company offers a portfolio of wireless networking products and solutions, including systems, high performance radios, antennas and management tools, designed for wireless networking and other applications in the unlicensed radio frequency (RF) spectrum. The Company offers solutions that incorporate its RF technology, antenna design and firmware technologies, which it refers to as AirTechnologies. It offers a portfolio of communications networking products and solutions and it recently introduced products in the video surveillance, wireless backhaul and machine-to-machine communication markets.

The Company�� business is driven by a community of network operators, service providers, distributors, value added resellers (VARs) and system integrators, which it refers to as the Ubiquiti Community. As of June 30, 2013, Ubiquiti�� AirTechnologies included, UBNT, airMAX, UniFi, mFi, EdgeMAX, airVision, airFiber, airOS, NanoStation, airGrid, NanoBridge, and a number of trademark applications and registrations in the United States and other countries. The Company technology enables it to provide end to end wireless networking solutions for network operators and service providers in underserved and underpenetrated markets. It designs its products and solutions using hardware and industry standard chipsets to enable these providers to deliver carrier class wireless broadband access and services to their subscribers.

Enterprise WLAN - UniFi

Unifi hardware utilizes MIMO technology, works with 802.11 standards, and uses a single cable for data transmission and power-over-ethernet. Unlike other enterprise Wi-Fi systems that utilize a hardware Wi-Fi switch, Unifi uses a virtual controller that allows for on-site management or remote management through the cloud. Each UniFi access point a! nd can be managed centrally with the UniFi Controller software. The UniFi Controller enables enterprise WLAN managers to centrally configure and administer a UniFi network and individual access points without any special training and through secure access from any Web browser. The UniFi Controller provides automatic UniFi access point detection, firmware updates, real-time status, map loading and advanced security options.

Video Surveillance - airVision

The H.264 cameras use a single cable for data transmission and power-over-ethernet. AirVision, its management controller software, can be used to manage multiple AirCam H.264 IP cameras as well as manage other digital video recorder devices. AirVision software is available for download at no cost on its Website and only manages Ubiquiti Network camera devices. Similar to its other network management products, airVision can be accessed securely from any Web browser, provides statistical reporting and analytics and provides a management console with camera settings and event recordings.

Machine-To-Machine Communication - mFi

In June 2012, the Company announced mFi, which includes hardware sensors, power devices, and management software that allows devices to be controlled remotely. For example, mFi allows users to manage and monitor their building temperature and power consumption. The management controller software is IP based and can be accessed from any browser locally or through the cloud. MFi software allows management to create rules using if/then statements to control numerous devices.

The Company competes with Motorola, Trango, Cisco Systems, Proxim, Mikrotikls, Senao, Ceragon Networks, DragonWave, Ruckus Wireless, TP-LINK Technologies CO., LTD, Andrew Corporation, PCTEL, Aruba Networks, Inc, Vivotek, Inc., Axis Communications AB , Mobotix Corp, Cambium Networks , SAF Tehnika, EnergyHub, Inc., AlertMe.com Ltd and Radio Waves Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Ubiquiti Networks (NASDAQ: UBNT) shares tumbled 25.81 percent to $30.69 on Q3 results. Ubiquiti reported its quarterly earnings of $0.50 per share on revenue of $148.30 million.

  • [By Robert Eberhard]

    What:�Shares of�Ubiquiti Networks� (NASDAQ: UBNT  ) have climbed today by as much as 26% after the company reported earnings last night.

10 Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2014: Zoom Technologies Inc (ZOOM)

Zoom Technologies, Inc. (Zoom), incorporated on February 29, 2002, is engaged in design, production, marketing, sales, and support of broadband and dial-up modems, voice over Internet Protocol or (VoIP) products and services, Bluetooth wireless products, and other communication-related products. The Company through its wholly owned holding-company subsidiary, Gold Lion Holding Limited (Gold Lion) is the owner of 100% of Profit Harvest Corporation Ltd. (Profit Harvest) and through Gold Lion's wholly owned subsidiary, Jiangsu Leimone Electronics Co., Ltd. (Jiangsu Leimone) is the owner of 80% of Tianjin Tong Guang Group Digital Communication Co., Ltd. (TCB Digital). The Company through its subsidiaries is engaged in manufacturing, research and development, and sales of electronic and telecommunication products for the latest generation mobile phones, wireless communication circuitry, and related software products. On January 4, 2011, the Company acquired 100% ownership of Celestial Digital Entertainment, Ltd., (CDE). During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired 55% of Portables.

TCB Digital is engaged in electronic and telecommunication product design, development, and manufacturing for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) customers and for its own products under the brand name of Leimone. The Company offers electronic manufacturing service (EMS) to both domestic and global customers including Samsung, Beijing Tianyu Langtong, CECT, Danahar and Spreadtrum. Its primary products include mobile phones, wireless telecommunication modules, digital cameras, cable television (TV) set-top boxes and global positioning system ( GPS) equipment.

The Company has developed mobile phones and Smartphones based on both of the main network technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and beginning in 2010 also 3G CDMA2000 capable products. As of December 31, 2011, the Company markets its mobile phone products through di! stributors in China and also supplies GSM, CDMA and 3G CDMA2000 mobile phones to customers, including one of China's main mobile operators, China Telecom. The Company through its Portables subsidiary operates a wholesale distributor business for T-Mobile products and services in the United States. The Company also has the right to sell branded mobile handsets including those carrying the Zoom brand name and related peripherals in the retail stores managed by Portables under the agreement with T-Mobile.

The Company competes with Bird Ningbo Co., Ltd, Haier Telecom Co. Ltd., Konka Group Co., Ltd, Lenovo Group Limited, TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited, LG Electronics Ltd., Motorola Inc., Nokia Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (China) Co., Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Shares of Zoom Technologies Inc.(ZOOM) soared� 37% to $5.90 after the Chinese mobile and telecommunications investor inked an all-stock deal to acquire an online business travel provider.

10 Best Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2014: WiLan Inc (WILN)

WiLAN Inc. (WiLAN), incorporated on May 14, 1992, is a licensing company. WiLAN develops, acquires, and licenses a range of intellectual property that drives products in communications and consumer electronics markets. Through both internal research and development and acquisitions from third parties, the Company has acquired intellectual property in the form of patents and patent applications in many countries that it has licensed to more than 255 companies in telecommunications markets around the world. As of December 31, 2011, WiLAN had a portfolio of approximately 3,000 patents, including issued and pending patents and foreign equivalents. WiLAN has five directly wholly-owned subsidiaries, Wi-LAN Capital Inc. (WiLAN Capital), Wi-LAN International Inc. (WiLAN International), Wi-LAN International Hong Kong Inc. (WiLAN Hong Kong), Wi-LAN International Japan Inc. (WiLAN Japan) and Wi-LAN International Taiwan Inc. In July 2012, it acquired a global portfolio of more than 40 patents and applications from Siemens AG related to telecommunication network management and mobile multimedia. In October 2012, the Company acquired a global portfolio of more than 150 patents and patent applications from Alvarion Ltd. In June 2013, WiLan Inc acquired a portfolio of patents from Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. In November 2013, the Company acquired a portfolio of semiconductor patents from IXYS CH GmbH related to microcontroller technology.

In the Company's licensing business, the Company has signed licenses with companies that sell products utilizing technologies, including CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access-a cellular telecommunications specification); Wi-Fi (the underlying technology of wireless local area networks based on various IEEE 802.11 specifications); WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access-a standards-based broadband wireless technology that provides metropolitan area network connectivity based on IEEE 802.16 specifications); LTE (Long Term Evolution-high performance air! interface for cellular mobile communication systems designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks), and ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line-a standards-based access technology that provides broadband Internet access over twisted pair telecommunications wiring). The Company has also signed licenses with companies that sell products utilizing technologies, including DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications-a standards-based access technology that provides broadband Internet access over cable networks); Bluetooth (a wireless protocol for exchanging data over short distances between fixed and mobile devices), and V-Chip (a technology that permits the blocking of television programs at a receiver (such as a television, multi-media equipped personal computer or set-top box) by viewers based on ratings information carried on the television signal).

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    Often accused of being a patent troll,�non-performing entity�WiLAN� (NASDAQ: WILN  ) wrangled a settlement out of Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) with details of the deal remaining confidential.

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Breaking news

    Wi-LAN (NASDAQ: WILN) today announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a process to explore and evaluate a broad range of strategic alternatives for the Company to enhance shareholder value. To read the full news, click here. MannKind (NASDAQ: MNKD) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged the resubmission of a New Drug Application (NDA) for AFREZZAċş (insulin human [rDNA origin]) Inhalation Powder. To read the full news, click here. lululemon athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) today announced that Tara Poseley has been appointed to its Senior Leadership Team as Chief Product Officer. To read the full news, click here. Nice Systems (NASDAQ: NICE) reported a drop in its third-quarter profit. To read the full news, click here.

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Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Invest In Right Now

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 49 million people in the United States lived in households struggling to find enough food to eat. Nearly 16 million are children, who are far more likely to have limited access to sufficient food than the general population. While 15.9% of Americans lived in food-insecure households, 21.6% of children had uncertain access to food.

Feeding America ��the largest hunger relief charity and network of food banks in the U.S. ��created Map the Meal Gap, a study measuring food-insecurity among the general population and children at the state and county levels. While hunger remains a problem nationally, some areas of the country had nearly double the national rate. Food-insecurity rates among children were as high as 41% in Zavala County, Texas. At the state level, New Mexico led the nation with 29.2% of children living in food-insecure households.

Top 5 Beverage Companies To Own For 2015: Comfort Systems USA Inc. (FIX)

Comfort Systems USA, Inc. provides installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement services for the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in the mechanical services industry in the United States. The company engages in the design, engineering, integration, installation, and start-up of HVAC, building automation controls, and related systems; and maintenance, repair, replacement, reconfiguration, and monitoring of HVAC systems and industrial process piping. It also provides specialized applications, such as building automation control systems, fire protection, process cooling, electronic monitoring, and process piping, as well as electrical and plumbing services. The company offers its services for office buildings, retail centers, apartment complexes, and manufacturing plants, as well as healthcare, education, and government facilities. It serves building owners and developers, general contractors, architects, consulting engineers, and property manag ers in the commercial, industrial and institutional HVAC markets. Comfort Systems USA, Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

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

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Invest In Right Now: CalAmp Corp (CAMP)

CalAmp Corp. (CalAmp) develops and markets wireless technology solutions that deliver data, voice and video for critical networked communications and other applications. The Company has two business segments: Wireless DataCom, which serves commercial, industrial and government customers, and Satellite, which focuses on the North American Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) market. In May 2012, CalAmp Corp announced that it has entered into a five-year supply agreement to provide fleet tracking products to Navman Wireless. As part of the transaction, CalAmp has acquired certain products and technologies from Navman Wireless and established a research and development center in Auckland, New Zealand. The assets acquired by CalAmp include technology for Mobile Display Terminals (MDT) and an MDT product line marketed to telematics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally. In March 2013, it completed the acquisition of the operations of Wireless Matrix Corporation.

Wireless DataCom

The Wireless DataCom segment provides wireless technology, products and services for industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) market segments for a range of applications, including optimizing and automating electricity distribution and ancillary utility functions; facilitating communication and coordination among emergency first-responders; increasing productivity and optimizing activities of mobile workforces; improving management control over valuable remote and mobile assets, and enabling emerging applications in a wirelessly connected world.

The Company's Wireless DataCom segment is comprised of a Wireless Networks business and an MRM business. CalAmp's Wireless Networks business provides products, systems and services to industrial, utility, energy and transportation enterprises and state and local governmental entities for deployment where the ability to communicate with mobile personnel or to command and control remote assets is crucial. Utilities! , oil and gas, mining, railroad and security companies rely on CalAmp products for wireless data communications to and from outlying locations, permitting real-time monitoring, activation and control of remote equipment. Applications include remotely measuring freshwater and wastewater flows, pipeline flow monitoring for oil and gas transport, automated utility meter reading, remote Internet access and perimeter monitoring. CalAmp is among the leaders in the application of wireless communications technology to Smart Grid power distribution automation for electric utilities.

MRM wireless solutions include global positioning system (GPS) location, cellular data modems and programmable events-based notification firmware as key components, allowing customers to know where and how their assets are performing, no matter where those mobile assets are located. Commercial organizations, vehicle finance providers, city and county governments, and a range of other enterprises rely on CalAmp products and systems to optimize delivery of services and protect valuable assets. Applications include fleet management, asset tracking, student and school bus tracking and route optimization, stolen vehicle recovery, remote asset security, remote vehicle start, and machine-to-machine communications. In addition to functioning as an OEM supplier of location and communications hardware for MRM applications, CalAmp is a total solutions provider of turn-key systems incorporating location and communications hardware, cellular airtime and Web-based remote asset management tools and interfaces.

The Company competes with Motorola Solutions, GE-MDS, Freewave, Sierra Wireless, GenX, Spireon, Novatel Wireless-Enfora and Xirgo.

Satellite

The Satellite segment develops, manufactures and sells DBS outdoor customer premise equipment and whole home video networking devices for digital and high definition satellite television (TV) reception. CalAmp's satellite products are sold primarily to ! EchoStar,! an affiliate of Dish Network.

The Company's DBS reception products are installed at subscriber premises to receive television programming signals transmitted from orbiting satellites. These DBS reception products consist principally of outdoor electronics that receive, process, amplify and switch satellite television signals for distribution over coaxial cable to multiple set-top boxes inside the home that can acquire, recognize and process the signal to create a picture.

The Company competes with Sharp, Wistron NeWeb Corporation, Microelectronics Technology, Pro Brand and Global Invacom.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP) reported upbeat fiscal second-quarter results. CalAmp shares jumped 9.90% to $20.54 in the after-hours trading session.

    Analysts expect Xyratex (NASDAQ: XRTX) to post its Q3 earnings at $0.05 per share on revenue of $209.31 million. Xyratex shares gained 0.18% to close at $11.16 yesterday.

  • [By Luke Jacobi]

    CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP) shot up 14.24 percent to $21.35 after the company reported upbeat fiscal second-quarter results.

    HomeAway (NASDAQ: AWAY) was up as well, gaining 8.17 percent to $29.74 on speculation of takeover talks with Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN).

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Invest In Right Now: FreightCar America Inc (RAIL)

FreightCar America, Inc. (America) is engaged in manufacturing of aluminum-bodied railcars in North America. America is also a manufacturer of coal cars. During the year ended December 31, 2011(2011), the Company was specialized in the production of coal cars, which represented 93% of its deliveries of railcars. The Company also refurbishes and rebuilds railcars and sells forged, cast and fabricated parts for all of the railcars it produces, as well as those manufactured by others. During 2011, its primary customers were railroads, shippers and financial institutions, which represented 83%, 2% and 1%, respectively, of its total sales attributable to each type of customer. During 2011, it delivered 6,188 railcars, including 4,500 aluminum-bodied coal cars. It offers railcar leasing and refurbishment alternatives to its customers. Through its newly formed subsidiary FreightCar Rail Services, LLC (FCRS), it provides railcar repair and maintenance, inspections, and railcar fleet management services for all types of freight railcars. Its railcar manufacturing facilities are located in Danville, Illinois and Roanoke, Virginia.

The Company also leases freight cars through its JAIX Leasing Company subsidiary. In addition, the Company manufactures coal cars for export to Latin America and manufactures intermodal railcars for export to the Middle East. With operations in Colorado, Indiana and Nebraska, it services freight cars and unit coal trains utilizing rail corridors in the Midwest and Western regions of the United States. The Company designs and manufactures aluminum-bodied and steel-bodied railcars that transport a range of various products. It manufactures two primary types of coal cars, such as gondolas and open-top hoppers. The BethGon is the aluminum-bodied coal gondola railcar segment, which is used in North America. Its aluminum bodied open-top hopper railcar, the AutoFlood, is a five-pocket coal car equipped with a bottom discharge gate mechanism. AutoFlood II and AutoFlood III design! incorporates the automatic rapid discharge system, the MegaFlo door system and a mechanism that uses an over-center locking design, enabling the cargo door to close with tension rather than by compression.

The Company also manufactures a range of other types of aluminum and steel-bodied coal cars, including triple hopper, hybrid aluminum/stainless steel hoppers and gondolas and flat bottom gondola railcars. The Company�� portfolio of other railcar types include the AVC Aluminum Vehicle Carrier design, which is used to transport commercial and light vehicles (automobiles and trucks) from assembly plants and ports to rail distribution centers; the Articulated Bulk Container railcar designed to carry dense bulk products, such as waste products in 20 foot containers; Intermodal Double Stack railcars, including a stand-alone, 40 foot well car and the DynaStack articulated, 5-unit, 40 foot and 3-unit, 53 foot well cars for transportation of containers; a Small Cube Covered Hopper railcar, which is used to transport products, such as roofing granules, fly ash, sand and cement; a Mill Gondola Railcar, which is used to transport steel products and scrap; Slab and Coil steel railcars, which is designed for transportation of steel slabs and coil steel products, respectively; Flat Railcars, Bulkhead Flat Railcars and Centerbeam Flat Railcars, which is designed to transport a range of products, including machinery and equipment, steel and structural steel components (including pipe), forest products and other bulky industrial products; a Woodchip Gondola Railcar, which is designed to haul woodchips and municipal waste, and a range of non-coal carrying open top hopper railcars designed to carry aggregates, iron ore, taconite pellets, petroleum coke and other bulk commodities.

The Company has established a licensing arrangement with a railcar manufacturer in Brazil pursuant to which its technology is used to produce various types of railcars in Brazil. In addition, it manufacture coal car! s for exp! ort to Latin America and have manufactured intermodal railcars for export to the Middle East. Railroads outside of North America have a range of track gauges that are sized differently than in North America, which requires it, in some cases, to alter manufacturing specifications for foreign sales. The Company has added 10 new or redesigned products to its portfolio in the last five years, including the AVC, slab and coil steel railcar, triple hopper and hybrid aluminum/stainless steel railcars, ore cars, ballast cars and aggregate cars. The Company�� manufacturing process involves four basic steps: fabrication, assembly, finishing and inspection. In its fabrication processes, it employ standard metal working tools, many of which are computer controlled. Each assembly line typically involves 15 to 20 manufacturing positions, depending on the complexity of the particular railcar design. It uses mechanical fastening in the fitting and assembly of its aluminum-bodied railcar parts, while it uses welding for the assembly of its steel-bodied railcars.

The Company competes with Trinity Industries, Inc., National Steel Car Limited, The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. and American Railcar Industries, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    FreightCar America (NASDAQ: RAIL  ) has found an internal candidate to be its new COO and president. The company named CFO Joseph McNeely to the position, effective immediately.

  • [By SA Pro Top Ideas]

    Stock Movers and Great Calls
    Alpha-Rich long and short ideas regularly move stocks and identify stocks that are about to move. Some notable recent calls subscribers had early access to:

    On July 24, Mike Williams explained why FreightCar America's (RAIL) shares could double by 2015 as it returned to historic profitability. Shares are +16.3% to date after a strong earnings report this week. Read article » Vince Martin said on June 17 that Cray's (CRAY) sell-off after Q1 earnings was way overdone, offering investors a great deal. After a strong earnings report last week, shares now stand +45% from where they were before the article. Read article »

    To Come Today
    Don't forget to check your SA Pro dashboard later today for the latest Alpha-Rich ideas. Any thoughts to share on the latest Alpha-Rich ideas? Leave a comment here.

    SA Pro Editors
    …............

    The SA Pro team is Eli Hoffmann (Editor in Chief), Rachael Granby (Editorial Product Manager), Daniel Shvartsman, Samir Patel, Michael McDonald, and Jeffrey Fischer (Senior Pro Editors). You can reach us at pro-editors@seekingalpha.com.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    FreightCar America (NASDAQ: RAIL  ) has found an executive to lead its finance team. The company announced that it appointed Charles Avery as its CFO, vice president of finance, and treasurer, replacing Joseph McNeely. Avery will take up his position on Aug. 1.

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Invest In Right Now: iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEI)

iShares Lehman 3-7 Year Treasury Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the intermediate-term sector of the United States Treasury market as defined by the Lehman Brothers 3-7 Year U.S. Treasury Index (the Index). The Index includes all publicly issued the United States Treasury securities that have a remaining maturity of greater than or equal to three years and less than seven years, and have $250 million or more of outstanding face value. In addition, the securities must be denominated in United States dollars, and must be fixed-rate and non-convertible securities. Excluded from the Index are certain special issues, such as flower bonds, targeted investor notes, and state and local government series bonds, and coupon issues that have been stripped from assets that are already included in the Index.

The Index is a market capitalization-weighted index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities in the Index, which has a similar investment profile as the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisor.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Donald van Deventer]

    Shorter-duration Treasury Exchange-Traded Funds: (SHY), (SHV), (IEI), (BIL), (TUZ), (FIVZ), (DTUL), (VGSH), (DTUS), (DFVS), (DFVL), (SST), (ISTB), (TBZ).

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Invest In Right Now: iShares Dow Jones US Energy Sector Fund (IYE)

iShares Dow Jones U.S. Energy Sector Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the oil and gas sector of the United States equity market. The Index includes companies in industry groups, such as oil and gas producers, and oil equipment, services and distribution. The Index is a subset of the Dow Jones U.S. Total Market Index and is capitalization weighted. The Index is reconstituted quarterly.

The Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Louis Navellier]

    The ishares Dow Jones U.S. Energy Sector Fund (IYE) tracks the performance of 99 major energy stocks in the U.S. IYE is actually up 20% for the year, but it has been trending downward over the past month. Meanwhile, the ishares S&P Global Energy Sector Fund (IXC) is up just 10% so far for the year. This fund, which also contains 99 holdings from all over the world, provides perhaps the best view of how the energy sector is faring on the global level. It has also fallen in the past month.

  • [By Aaron Levitt]

    Fellow InvestorPlace contributor Lawrence Meyers recently recommended the Energy SPDR (XLE) as good ETF to hold for life. I like the pick and you could certainly do worse, but my personal favorite way�to play WTI crude would be the iShares U.S. Energy ETF (IYE).

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Invest In Right Now: Chino Commercial Bancorp (CCBC)

Chino Commercial Bancorp, incorporated on March 2, 2006, is a bank holding company of Chino Commercial Bank, N.A. (the Bank). The Bank provides a wide variety of lending products for both businesses and consumers. The Bank offers an array of personal, consumer and commercial services generally offered by a locally-managed, independently-operated bank. The Bank provides a range of deposit instruments and general banking services, including checking, savings accounts (including money market demand accounts), certificates of deposit for both business and personal accounts; Internet banking services, such as cash management and Bill Pay; telebanking (banking by phone); and courier services. The Bank operates three full-service banking offices.

Lending Activities

Commercial loan products include lines of credit, letters of credit, term loans, equipment loans, commercial real estate loans, construction loans, accounts receivable financing, working capital financing. Financing products for individuals include auto, home equity, overdraft protection lines and, through a third party provider, MasterCard debit cards. Real estate loan products include construction loans, land loans, mini-perm commercial real estate loans, and home mortgages. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had total assets of $109.7 million and net loans of $55.2 million. Its lending activity is concentrated primarily in real estate loans, which constituted 81.3% of the Company�� loan portfolio as of December 31, 2011, and commercial loans, which constituted 17.6%, of the Company�� loan portfolio as of December 31, 2011.

Investment activities

The Company�� investment security portfolio consists of United States government agency securities, mortgaged-backed securities, municipal bonds and corporate bonds. Investment securities held to maturity are carried at cost, which equates to the unpaid principal balances adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discounts.

Sources of funds

Deposits are the Company�� primary source of funds. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� total deposits were $98.1 million. As of December 31, 2011, its deposits included demand deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW), savings deposits, money market and time deposits.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Regional - Pacific Banks: This industry rose 1.54% by 10:40 am ET. The top performer in this industry was Chino Commercial Bancorp (OTC: CCBC), which gained 10.2%. Chino Commercial Bancorp's trailing-twelve-month operating margin is 27.57%.

Top 10 Heal Care Companies To Invest In Right Now: Convergys Corporation (CVG)

Convergys Corporation provides relationship management solutions in North America and internationally. Its Customer Management segment offers agent-assisted, self-service, and intelligent technology care solutions, including customer service, customer retention, sales, technical support, social interaction, collections management, back office, business-to-business, customer experience applied analytics, and intelligent interaction solutions for communications, financial services, technology, retail, healthcare, and government markets. This segment also provides premise-based and hosted automated self-care and technology solutions; speech recognition solutions; and license, professional, consulting and maintenance, and software support services. Convergys Corporation was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Convergys (NYSE: CVG) was also up, gaining 12.44 percent to $23.46 after the company announced its plans to acquire Stream Global Services for $820 million in cash. Convergys also reaffirmed its outlook for 2013.

Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now

When Supersize Me --�a documentary about the health problems one man got from eating nothing but McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) fast food -- came out in 2004, McDonald's almost immediately stopped using the term. People no longer wanted to "supersize" their meals.

Not surprisingly, there was a sharp increase in the company's healthy eating index corresponding to about the same time. Sadly, according to a study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, McDonald's and its cohorts still haven't done a good enough job of improving the quality of what is being served to customers.

A 14-year study yields minimal improvements
Back in 1997, researchers sampled food offerings from McDonald's, Berkshire Hathaway's�Dairy Queen, PepsiCo's�Taco Bell (now owned by Yum!), Yum! Brands' (NYSE: YUM  ) KFC, and Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN  ) , among others.

Top 10 Solar Stocks To Invest In Right Now: George Risk Industries Inc (RSKIA)

George Risk Industries, Inc. (GRI), incorporated on February 21, 1961, is engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of computer keyboards, push button switches, burglar alarm components and systems, pool alarms, thermostats, EZ Duct wire covers and water sensors. GRI is a diversified manufacturer of electronic components, consisting of the security industries variety of door and window contact switches, environmental products, proximity switches and custom keyboards. The Company operates in two segments: security alarm products and security alarm products GRI�� security burglar alarm products comprise approximately 84% of net revenues and are sold through distributors and alarm dealers/installers. These products are used for residential, commercial, industrial and government installations. Its products include security products/ magnetic reed switches, data entry peripherals, pushbutton switches, custom engraved keycaps and proximity sensors.

The security segment has approximately 3,000 customers. One of the distributors, ADI accounts for approximately 40% of the Company's sales of these products. The keyboard segment has approximately 800 customers. Keyboard products are sold to original equipment manufacturers to their specifications and to distributors of off-the-shelf keyboards of proprietary design. GRI owns and operates its main manufacturing plant and offices in Kimball, Nebraska with a satellite plant 40 miles away in Gering, Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Geoff Gannon] ombination of not really cheap on a P/E basis and just barely cheap on a cash basis ��and it was connected to homebuilding.

    I could go on like that. But I�� not sure I understand why knowing anything about the perceptions of others actually helps my own investment decisions. I�� also not sure the reasons I��e offered for the cheapness of those stocks are actually the reasons anybody else had for selling the stock, not buying it, etc. In fact, I think those are just plausible reasons I made up.

    But that�� not the problem with wanting to know why a stock is cheap. The problem is how that knowledge ��or the quest for it ��directs your attention. And attention is the scarcest resource an investor has.

    Once you know what somebody else�� perception is, you try to either prove or disprove that perception. In essence, I see the problem of thinking about market sentiment ��of worrying about the Keynesian beauty contest ��as being like one of those optical illusions. Like the duck-rabbit illusion. In fact, this concern of mine is one of the reasons why I��e suggested investors read Kuhn.

    They often talk about some past period ��like the 1920s or 1950s ��with a total misunderstanding of what people were looking for in a stock back then. Of how they thought about stocks. Of what they thought stocks were. This isn�� a misanalysis of the facts. It�� a misclassification.

    When Ben Graham started on Wall Street there was none of this ��tocks for the Long Run��stuff. There was no talk of asset classes. There were investments called bonds. And there were speculations called stocks. And it was heresy when Ben Graham basically said a cheap stock is a better investment than an expensive bond.

    You become a bad financial historian when you confuse your own perceptions ��your own way of classifying stocks and noting the aspects of a stock ��with how people really thought about stocks back then.

    In the same wa

  • [By Geoff Gannon] things I said was that I knew George Risk's materials cost was higher than some competitors' selling price. The fact that any company could survive under conditions like that immediately suggested that dollars paid for the product was not the key concern for this product.

    Perceived costs had to involve other concerns like customization, shipping speed, reliability, etc. Because it was a low cost product going into a higher cost product going into very high cost projects it seemed likely there was the opportunity to raise prices if needed. And that's what they ended up doing. The important clue for me in that investigation was the severe cost disadvantage George Risk had. You couldn�� compete at such a cost disadvantage unless price was less important than I initially thought.

    I think you will find that most of these insights are not available in the financial statements. They come from reading the 10-Ks of all companies in the industry, reading articles about the companies, listening to all conference call transcripts, etc.

    For example, there is not much in the financial statements of Carnival (CCL) that explains how the cruise business really works. But all of the companies in the industry (CCL, RCL and NCL) freely discuss the economics of their business in great detail. They break out costs before and after fuel. They give you per-passenger prices of how much newly built ships cost. They give you lots and lots of details. They explain how they price their product (the way airlines do) and so on. There is an extreme level of detailed explanation of the business in the various conference calls, 10-Ks, etc.

    A great source for this information is going back to the time the company went public or at least finding the S-1 of a competitor. When a company goes public it often gives much more detail into product economics, etc., than it will later on when it reports annual results.

    That is also a good place to learn about market share, com

  • [By Geoff Gannon] or even just above book value. It's a darn good business so I'm getting high quality assets and earnings power. That gets less clear when looking at lower quality businesses.

    For example:

    Solitron (SODI) sells at 74% of NCAV, has decent z- and f-scores, a FCF margin of 5.3% and an ROA of 12%.

  • [By Geoff Gannon] >Ark Restaurants (ARKR). When I bought them - and even now - I think their return on buyback would be high and I'd be in favor of it. However, the stocks are illiquid and their free cash flow relative to the dollar value of freely traded shares is not high. As a result, I'm always in favor of RSKIA and ARKR buying back stock. But, I understand it's very hard for them to do in practice unless there is a meaningful holder who signals he wants out of the stock.

    My approach to buybacks is pretty simple. One, I prefer them. Two, I look at the share count history over the last 10 to 20 years as my guide to what the company might do in the future - I want a pattern of predictable behavior. Generally, that means a continuously shrinking share count that shrinks in bull markets and bear markets, panics and recessions and booms and busts and so on. Three, if I'm a buyer of the stock - then the company should be a buyer of its own stock. No questions asked on that one. If the stock is good enough for me to buy it's clearly good enough for the company to buy. Finally, I look for the return on buyback. I tend to focus on the earning power the company is buying relative to the net cash it is spending. If a company has cash on its balance sheet, the amount of net cash consumed by a buyback will be less than it appears because I will end up with a greater percentage ownership of the resulting balance sheet as well as the income statement.

    I want the return on buyback to always be at least 10%. As a rule, the average company will only get returns on its buybacks of 10% or higher if it pays less than 15 times normal earnings. In special cases - fast growing companies, companies where free cash flow vastly exceeds reported income, etc. - it is possible that buybacks above 15 times earnings will return more than 10%. It almost never makes sense for a company to buy back stock at over 25 times earnings. So, for most companies, under 15 times earnings is the green zone for bu

Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Spectral Diagnostics Inc (DIAGF)

Spectral Diagnostics Inc. (Spectral), incorporated on July 29, 1991, focuses on the development and commercialization, in North America, treatment for severe sepsis and septic shock. The Company also manufactures and sells certain reagents. Its products include Rapid Diagnostics for Sepsis, Endotoxin Activity Assay (EAA) and Toraymyxin. As of December 31, 2011, Spectral�� EAA endotoxin measurement was the only the United Sates Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared diagnostic on the market. Spectral Diagnostics (US) Inc. and Spectral Diagnostics (New Brunswick) Inc. are its subsidiaries.

The Company has developed a rapid diagnostic test for detection of components of gram negative bacterial cell wall (endotoxin). The EAA instrument is manufactured under contract for use in the hospital setting. The Toraymyxin hemoperfusion device removes endotoxin from the bloodstream and is manufactured by Toray Industries Inc. of Japan. The product is sold in Japan and Europe and has been used over 80,000 patients worldwide. As of December 31, 2011, Spectral was conducting clinical trials for the purpose of seeking regulatory approval in the United States. Spectral develops, produces and markets recombinant proteins, antibodies and calibrators. These materials are sold for use in research and development, as well as in products manufactured by other diagnostic companies. Royalty revenues are earned from these license arrangements based on a percentage of end user sales of Troponin I.

The Company competes with Eli Lilly, Agennix AG, AstraZeneca, Eisai, Gambro, InflammaGen Therapeutics, Fresenius and CytoSorbents.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By maarnio]

    Spectral Diagnostics (DIAGF) develops and commercializes theranostic treatment for severe sepsis in North America.

    Shares outstanding (March 31, 2014)

Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: ()

DGS Minerals Inc., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. It primarily explores for gold. It holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Gordon Creek property, an epithermal precious metals project consisting of 4 mineral claims with an area of 2,066.08 hectares and is located northeast of Merritt, British Columbia. The company was formerly known as Challenger Development Corp. and changed its name to DGS Minerals Inc in April 2013. DGS Minerals Inc. was incorporated in 1990 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Vera Yuan]

    Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes)

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    Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote)

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Best Quality Stocks To Buy Right Now: Ryland Group Inc (RYL)

The Ryland Group, Inc., incorporated on March 28, 1967, is a homebuilders and a mortgage-finance company. In addition, Ryland Mortgage Company and its subsidiaries, and RMC Mortgage Corporation (collectively referred to as RMC) provide mortgage financing and related services. All of the Company's business is conducted and located in the United States. The Company's operations span aspects of the home buying process from design, construction and sale to mortgage origination, title insurance, escrow and insurance services. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the homebuilding operations were consisted of approximately 97% of consolidated revenues. The homebuilding segments generate their revenues from sales of completed homes, with sales of land and lots. The Company builds homes for entry-level buyers, as well as for first- and second-time move-up buyers. In July 2012, the Company acquired Charlotte and Raleigh operations and assets of Timberstone Homes. In December 2012, the Company acquired Phoenix operations and assets of Trend Homes. In June 2013, Ryland Group Inc acquired LionsGate Homes Corp. Effective July 19, 2013, Ryland Group Inc acquired Cornell Homes, a media-based construction company.

Homebuilding

The Company's homes are built on-site and marketed in four geographic regions or segments: North, Southeast, Texas and West. Its North segment includes Baltimore, Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Its Southeast include Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Orlando and Tampa. Texas includes Austin, Houston and San Antonio. West includes Denver, Las Vegas and Southern California. During 2012, within each of those segments, the Company operated in the metropolitan areas of North, Southeast, Texas and West. Each of its homebuilding divisions across the country consists of a division president; a controller; management personnel focused on land entitlement, acquisition and development, sales, construction, customer service and purchasin! g, and accounting and administrative personnel. The Company markets attached and detached single-family homes. In the Company's single-family detached home communities, it offers at least four different floor plans. The Company's attached home communities offer different floor plans with two, three or four bedrooms. The Company relies on its own architectural staff and also engages unaffiliated architectural firms to develop new designs. Homebuyers are able to customize certain features of their homes by selecting from options and upgrades displayed in the Company's model homes and design centers. In all of the Company's communities, a range of options is available to homebuyers for additional charges. The number and complexity of options increase with the size and base selling price of the home. During 2012, custom options contributed 16.9% of homebuilding revenues.

The Company's financial services segment provides mortgage-related products and services, as well as title, escrow and insurance services, to its homebuyers. The Company's financial services segment includes RMC, RH Insurance Company, Inc. (RHIC), LPS Holdings Corporation and its subsidiaries (LPS), and Columbia National Risk Retention Group, Inc. (CNRRG). By aligning its operations with the Company's homebuilding segments, the financial services segment leverages this relationship to offer its lending services to homebuyers.

During 2012, RMC's mortgage origination operations consisted of the Company's homebuilder loans, which were originated in connection with sales of the Company's homes. During 2012, mortgage operations originated 3,039 loans, which used for purchasing homes built by the Company and for purchasing homes built by others, purchasing existing homes or refinancing existing mortgage loans. RMC arranges various types of mortgage financing, including conventional, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Administration (VA) mortgages, with various fixed- and adjustable-rate features. The Compa! ny sells ! the loans it originates, along with the related servicing rights, to others. Cornerstone Title Company, doing business as Ryland Title Company, is a 100 % subsidiary of RMC, provides escrow and title services and acts as a title insurance agent primarily for the Company's homebuyers. As of December 31, 2012, it provided title services in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Texas and Virginia. Ryland Insurance Services (RIS), a 100 % owned subsidiary of RMC, provides insurance services to the Company's homebuyers. As of December 31, 2012, RIS was licensed to operate in all of the states in which the Company's homebuilding segments operate. During 2012, it provided insurance services to 41.5 % of the Company's homebuyers. CNRRG, a 100 %-owned subsidiary of the Company and some of its affiliates, offer insurance, specifically structural warranty coverage, to protect homeowners against liability risks arising in connection with the homebuilding business of the Company and its affiliates.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

    Alamy You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From the world's largest consumer tech company posting its iEarnings to a pivotal end to the trading month, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Growing Apples: Lately, Apple (AAPL) hasn't been the growth stock darling that it was through most of the past decade, but it seems to be turning the corner. Apple is expected to post growth in revenue and earnings when it reports fiscal first quarter results on Monday afternoon. It's not likely to be much. Analysts see revenue and earnings per share climbing by no more than 5 percent over last year's holiday quarter. That may seem low given the success of the iPhone 5S and iPad Air that hit the market late last year. However, it's been hard to overcome the slide in Mac and iPod sales. Tuesday -- Comcast Stems the Bleeding: Another company showing renewed signs of life is Comcast (CMCSK). The country's largest cable provider hasn't had a problem growing its Internet and broadband phone services, but it's been struggling since 2007 to keep its pay TV customers around. Comcast finally surprised investors earlier this month by announcing that it closed out the fourth quarter with more subscribers than it had three months earlier. This is the first time that Comcast has posted a sequential increase in video customers after 26 quarters of declines. Comcast reports on Tuesday. Hopefully it will shed some light on this welcome development, letting us know if the cord cutter fears are in the past. Wednesday -- Are We Friends Again: It will be Facebook (FB) hoping that the market clicks "Like" on the leading social networking website's quarterly financials on Wednesday. Facebook had a rocky start as a public company two years ago, going public at $38 and falling into the teens several months later. However, explosive top- and bottom-l

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Toll Brothers (TOL) has gained 1.6% to $31.70, KB Home (KBH) has risen 1.4% to $16.67 and Lennar (LEN) has advanced 1.1% to $32.95. The Ryland Group (RYL) has jumped 1.9% to $35.52 and PulteGroup (PHM) is up 0.8% at $16.19.

  • [By Jeremy Bowman]

    What: Homebuilder shares tanked today as companies including Pulte Group (NYSE: PHM  ) , DR Horton (NYSE: DHI  ) , and Ryland Group (NYSE: RYL  ) were all down by more than 10% at one point as investors bet that the change in Fed policy could kill the housing rally.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Watch Right Now

This water utility offers a steady stream of dividends, however, Harvey Jones of The Motley Fool UK, says it comes with a hefty price tag.

I'm out shopping for shares again. Should I add Severn Trent (LSS:SVT) to my wish list?

Cry me a river

When I last looked at water company Severn Trent in December, its share price had plummeted 15% to 15.50p after a wet summer had hit agricultural demand, and regulator Ofwat had made ominous rumbles over water company profits. That was a big concern, with the current regulatory agreement set to expire in 2015. Invesco Perpetual's Neil Woodford sold his entire stake in Severn Trent in 2010, fearing that water company dividends would be diluted if Ofwat got too tough. At 17 times earnings, I concluded the risk wasn't worth the price. But is it better value today?

Severn Trent's share price has had a flat 12 months, aside from a bout of takeover excitement in May, which pushed the stock to a 12-month high of 20.90p. But management rejected the bid, claiming it failed to recognize the value in the business, and the excitement trickled away. Now it trades at 7.20p. That still represents of rise of 23% over three years and 29% over five years, against 18% and 26% for the FTSE 100 respectively. So there is growth to be had, although being a utility, most investors will focus on the income. Right now, Severn Trent yields 4.41%. That is less than fellow water company United Utilities Group (UUGRY), which yields 5.05%, but still comfortably above the FTSE 100 average of 3.54%.

Hot Promising Stocks To Buy Right Now: Agent155 Media Corp (AGMC)

Agent155 Media Corp., formerly Freshwater Technologies Inc., incorporated on December 10, 1999, is a development-stage company. It will offer a free, online presence for the global artistic and athletic communities through its Website, Agent155.com. Agent155.com provides fashion, performer, art, sports, music, film, writer professionals and amateurs a multi-media content management solution, enabling a collaborative forum to network and develop through www.agent155.com. It also provides talent agencies, agents, producers, directors, and recording companies a location to search and view the profiles. It also re-distributes member content through traditional media channels, such as television, radio, film and print. It will produce films, music tours, commercials, and various events using talent from Agent155.com.directors, and recording companies a location to search and view the profiles and work of talent. In addition, the Company will provide targeted advertising opportunities for members and businesses.

Agent155 Media Corp fulfills the role of a matchmaker allowing talented individuals direct access to those who seek specific talents. Agent155 Media Corp provides talent agencies, agents, producers, directors and recording companies a location to search and view pool of profiles and work of talent.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks Profitable Developments Inc (OTCMKTS: PRDL), Dynamic Applications Corp (OTCMKTS: DYAP) and Agent155 Media Corp (OTCMKTS: AGMC) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters. One of these small caps has been getting attention thanks to paid promotions while another saw a trading volume spike for the first three days of last week and the last one has seen a steady rise in share price over October. So what�� going on with these small cap stocks? Here is a quick reality check to help you decide how hot they might be or become:

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Watch Right Now: China Banking Corp (CHIB)

China Banking Corporation (CHIB) is a Philippines-based company engaged in the business as the privately owned local commercial bank in the Philippines. The Bank caters to the Chinese-Filipino commercial sector, retail and consumer segments. The Bank�� market consists of the corporate, commercial, middle and retail markets. Its businesses include deposit taking, corporate and middle market lending, retail loans including mortgage and auto loans, investment banking, insurance products through its subsidiaries, treasury and foreign exchange trading, trust and investment management, wealth management, cash management, Internet banking and mobile banking services, inward remittances through tie-ups with remittance companies and exchange houses in the Middle East, Asia and United States cities. Effective January 17, 2014 China Banking Corp acquired a 84.77% interest in Planters Development Bank. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By pamatlarge]

    Investors looking to short a particular sector can choose from several Global X long ETFs. The Global X China Consumer ETF (CHIQ) concentrates its investments in consumer cyclical goods and consumer defense goods. The Global X China Energy ETF (CHIE) primarily holds stocks in coal, oil and utility companies. The Global X China Financials ETF (CHIX) only invests in financial services companies and real estate companies. The Global X China Industrials ETF (CHII) holds stocks in industrial companies and basic materials companies. The Global X China Materials ETF (CHIM) invests in basic materials stocks. The Global X China Technology ETF (CHIB) holds technology stocks as the core of its investments. All of these ETFs are particularly sensitive to sector downturns and general economic contractions.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Watch Right Now: ADT Corp (ADT)

The ADT Corporation (ADT), incorporated on January 18, 2012, is a provider of electronic security, interactive home and business automation, and monitoring services for residences and small businesses in the United States and Canada. The Company�� products and services include ADT Pulse interactive home and business solutions, and home health services. ADT provides business security intrusion detection, which protect the business from burglary, robbery and intruders. Its electronic access control limits unauthorized entry and employee access to the business, as well as complete access. Effective August 2, 2013, The ADT Corp acquired Devcon Security Services Corp, a provider of security protection services, from Devcon International Corp. In November 2013, Kastle Systems International announced that it had acquired Mutual Central Alarm Services and Stat-Land Security Systems from ADT Corporation.

The Company's video surveillance views events in multiple areas of facility, which has control over loss and oversees business. On October 1, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of Absolute Security.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Matt Thalman]

    On a more somber note, shares of security system provider ADT (NYSE: ADT  ) fell 5.79% today, after the company announced that it will repurchase 10.24 million shares from hedge fund Corvex Management. The agreed-upon amount was Friday's closing price of $44.01 per share. While Corvex currently owns 11.2 million shares of ADT, this is a massive cut to its holding amount and comes despite ADT's reporting of earnings growth in recent quarters as its customer base grows and the housing industry becomes healthier. Corvex founder Keith Mieister will resign from the ADT board now that it will no longer own 5.3% of the outstanding shares. While current shareholders should be happy the company agreed to buy back those shares, it does seem odd that such a large investor would dump nearly its entire holding. And that's probably why investors pushed the price lower today.

  • [By Shauna O'Brien]

    Security system provider ADT Corp (ADT) announced on Monday that it has named Michael Geltzeiler as its chief financial officer.

    Geltzeiler is currently the CFO and group executive vice president at NYSE Euronext (NYX). At ADT, he will be responsible for directing the company’s financial strategy to achieve higher and profitable business growth and higher shareholder value.

    ADT’s CEO Naren Gursahaney noted: “Michael has a proven track record serving as CFO at public companies with subscriber-based revenue models.”

    “His extensive capital markets experience, operational skills and financial acumen will help us to deliver value for our shareholders. Under Michael’s leadership, we will build on the important step we recently took towards executing on a capital structure plan that supports our overall business strategy. We are pleased to have him join our executive team.”

    ADT shares were up 19 cents, or 0.48%, during Monday morning trading. The stock is down 15% YTD.

  • [By Chuck Carnevale]

    Although most of these companies are still expected to grow at above-average rates, most of them are not expected to grow at the same rate they historically have. However, the majority are expected to grow at rates greater than the average dividend paying company found in other sectors. Moreover, the majority of these candidates also offer above-market dividend yields and below-market average valuations. Automatic Data Processing (ADT) is an exception and only included because it has historically been priced at a premium valuation to its earnings growth.

  • [By MONEYMORNING]

    No doubt, The ADT Corp. (NYSE: ADT) is best known as a leading home security firm. But in reality, it offers much more than that.

    Its advanced sensor technology also is making ADT's home automation an integral part of the company's services that play off the mobile revolution.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Watch Right Now: Smart Ventures Inc (SMVR)

Smart Ventures, Inc., incorporated on November 22, 2006, is an exploration-stage company. The Company focuses on exploring, acquiring, developing and producing mineral reserves. The Company had purchased certain mineral claims located in the Laurentides Region near Mont Laurier, Quebec. In June 2011, the Company acquired Metal Assets S.A. In February 2014, Smart Ventures Inc announced the closing of its acquisition of The Sanday Corporation oil and gas drilling Services Company.

As of December 31, 2009, the Company had not generated any revenues. The Company focuses on establishing and exploiting deposits of both base and precious metals.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap marijuana stocks Smart Ventures Inc (OTCMKTS: SMVR) and Vitamin Blue Inc (OTCMKTS: VTMB) jumped 40.28% and 38.6%, respectively, while hemp stock Astika Holdings Inc (OTCBB: ASKH) fell 13.75% on Friday. Moreover, only one of these small cap stocks seems to have been the subject of a few paid promotions or investor relations types of activities. So will all three of these marijuana or hemp stocks keep producing highs or lows for investors and traders alike? Here is a quick reality check:

    Smart Ventures Inc (OTCMKTS: SMVR) Plans to Enter the Marijuana Edibles Business

    Small cap Smart Ventures Inc is an independent energy company engaged in engineering extended reach drilling services, acquisition, development, production, and exploration of oil, gas and minerals internationally. On Friday, Smart Ventures Inc rose 40.28% to $0.07 for a market cap of $2.31 million plus SMVR is up 600% over the past year and down 93.3% in intermittent trading since December 2009 according to Google Finance.

Top 10 Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now

Top 10 Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: Habit Restaurants Inc (HABT)

The Habit Restaurants, Inc. is a fast-casual restaurant company. The Company is engaged in preparing char-grilled burgers and sandwiches. The Company offers tri-tip steak, grilled chicken and sushi-grade albacore tuna cooked over an open flame. In addition, it offers prepared salads and a selection of sides, shakes and malts. The Company prepares its burgers with char-grilled preparation, topped with caramelized onions and fresh produce. The Company offers burgers, paired with fries, and offers a range of non-burger items, such as grilled albacore sandwich made with sushi-grade tuna, grilled chicken sandwich topped with crisp bacon and ripe avocado, Cobb salad, offered with a variety of dressings, and tempura green beans. As of October 20, 2014, the Company operates 99 restaurants in 10 markets in four states. The Company has operations in California, including Bay area, Central California, Greater La, Inland Empire, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego; Arizona; Utah and New Jersey. The Company's wholly-owned subsidiaries include The Habit Restaurants, LLC and the Continuing LLC.

The Company's Char burgers menu includes Double Char burger, Mushroom Swiss Char, Teriyaki Char burger, Barbecue (BBQ) Bacon Char burger and Santa Barbara Style. Its Sandwich menu includes Chicken, Tri-tip, Albacore Tuna, Veggie burger, Chicken club and Pastrami. It offers a range of salads, including Garden salad, Grilled chicken salad, Grille Chicken Caesar and BBQ chicken salad. In addition, it offers a range of shakes and malts, which consists of Shakes, including chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mocha, coffee flavors; Malts, including chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, mocha, coffee flavors; Cones and Sundaes, including Vanilla ice cream, Hershey's chocolate, whipped cream and nuts. Additionally, it offers French fries, Onion rings, Sweet! potato fries, Side salad, Side Caesar salad, Tempura green beans, Chicken nuggets and Grilled cheese.

The Company's restaurants are furnished with natural l! ight, hardwood accents, polished stone countertops and a dining area featuring vinyl booths, high-top tables and community table seating. The Company offers destination for a range of occasions, including lunch options, after-school hangouts, a social venue and restaurant for families. The Company also provides Habit Trucks to provide Char burgers at events. Each truck is equipped with a kitchen, digital menu board, and sound system. The Habit Truck can book with a food minimum of approximately $1250 regardless of the guest count.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    christianz1969/Flickr Americans lately have been transferring their love of fast-casual restaurant food to stocks of companies in the segment. Late last month, "better burger" specialist The Habit Restaurants (HABT) launched an initial public offering that doubled in price within hours of hitting the market. Like a meal from one of The Habit's more traditional fast-food rivals, though, the feeling of satisfaction didn't last: The shares started to drop after the initial euphoria. But that isn't stopping other fast-casual operators from listing on the exchange. They're finding, though, what works in the kitchen isn't necessarily successful on the market. IPOh Yes IPOs of fast-casual chain operators are coming to the market faster than you can get a refill at a soda machine. This year alone has seen the market debut not only of The Habit, but also the Mediterranean-flavored Zoe's Kitchen (ZOES) and West Coast chicken griller El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO), among others. Like The Habit, the stocks of the latter two saw impressive first-day rises (although they didn't pop quite as high as those of the burger purveyor). Why the excitement? Some of it can certainly be ascribed to the IPO market itself, which has had a frothy year! . As of t! his writing, 262 companies have gone public, a 25 percent rise over the same period of 2013. In terms of total proceeds from IPOs, 2014 is set to be the best year for at least the past decade. Building a Better Burrito But likely a bigger factor is that the fast-casual segment has one great model that investors are hoping the newcomers can at least partially replicate -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG). Since going public in 2006, the stock of the now-ubiquitous chain has gone through the roof. Its IPO was priced at $22 a share and doubled in its first day of trading. Since then, its shares have ballooned -- at the moment, they trade at nearly $660, for a hard-to-believe 2,900-plus-percent rise from the issue price. It's not t

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-quality-stocks-to-watch-right-now.html

Top Promising Stocks For 2014

Investors have always been interested in stocks that pay dividends, but lately, low interest rates on bonds and other fixed-income investments have made solid dividend payers even more valuable. Among the most promising dividend stocks in the market is Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE: CL  ) , and one big reason is that it is one of the few exclusive companies to make the list of Dividend Aristocrats. In order to become a member of this elite group, a company must have raised its dividend payouts to shareholders every single year for at least a quarter-century. Only a few dozen stocks manage to make the cut, and those that do tend to stay there for a long time.

Colgate-Palmolive is well-known for its impressive stable of consumer products. Doing business around the world, the company has delivered not only solid dividends for decades, but also the growth prospects that investors always like to see in a stock. Let's take a closer look at Colgate-Palmolive to see whether it can sustain its long streak of rewarding dividend payouts to investors.

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Buy Right Now: Microvision Inc.(MVIS)

MicroVision, Inc. engages in the development of miniature laser display and imaging engines based upon its proprietary PicoP display engine technology. Its technology uses two dimensional micro-electrical mechanical systems, lasers, optics, and electronics to create a video or still image from a small form factor device. The company offers Pico projector displays intended to be used for users of mobile consumer devices, such as smartphones, media players, tablet PCs, and other consumer electronics products. Its products also comprise automotive head-up displays that project high-resolution images onto the windshield of an automobile providing the driver with information consisting of GPS mapping images, audio controls, and other automobile instrumentation information related to the car's operation. In addition, the company offers near-eye wearable display platform to provide personal viewing of information from a mobile device through a wired or wireless connection. Furthe r, it offers ROV hand held bar code scanners, and bar code scanner enabled enterprise solutions through distributors and original equipment manufacturers, as well as directly to end users through its online store. The company serves customers operating in the consumer, defense, industrial, and medical markets. MicroVision, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By James E. Brumley]

    Did you miss the first big runup from Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS) a couple of weeks ago? If you were regretting it then, it may have all worked out for the best. Though MVIS jumped from a close of $1.35 on the 19th to a peak of $3.38 on the 21st, it was also on the 21st that the weight of that big gain started to bear down. By the 25th, Microvision shares hit a low of $2.01, basically cutting in half the 150% gain that has been made in just a couple of days.

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    If the cash you have available is money you absolutely need to invest safely and wisely because you need it (and its appreciation) to love on in retirement, then let me stop you right now - the rest of what you're about to read probably isn't for you. On the other hand, if you and your qualified financial adviser agree you've got some money you can gamble with [i.e. if you lose it all, it won't matter], then may I direct your attention to Microvision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS)? Long story made short, MVIS has dropped hints of a brewing rebound.

  • [By Charley Blaine]

    Shares of MicroVision Inc. (NASDAQ: MVIS) were jumping for a second day in a row Friday on the heels of Sony Inc.’s (NYSE: SNE) introduction of a new handheld projector that uses Microvision’s technology.

Top Promising Stocks For 2014: SOHM Inc (SHMN)

SOHM, Inc. is a global generic pharmaceutical manufacturer, developer and marketer having a range of products, covering the therapeutic segments. The Company has its presence in healthcare segments, such as nutraceuticals, dermatology and all other therapeutic segments.

The Company�� generic pharmaceuticals are exported globally with a focus on distribution in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. The Company�� products has presence in analgesic, anti-flammatory, drops, suspensions, vitamins and tonics, antibiotics, beta-lactum antibiotics, injections, syrups, anti-cold, capsules, nutraceutical and tablets.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Peter Graham]

    Small cap stocks VizStar Inc (OTCMKTS: VIZS), SOHM Inc (OTCMKTS: SHMN) and American Soil Technologies, Inc (OTCMKTS: SOYL) have been getting some attention in various investment newsletters with two out of three of these stocks being the subject of paid promotions. However, there is nothing wrong with some paid for attention so long as everything is properly disclosed, but its going to be up to investors and traders alike to ultimately decide whether any of these stocks have what it takes to be the next hot stock. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about all three small cap stocks:

Top Promising Stocks For 2014: Wajax Corp (WJX)

Wajax Corporation (Wajax), is engaged in the sale and after-sales parts and service support of equipment, power systems and industrial components. Wajax�� three business divisions include equipment,power systems and industrial components. Its equipment division is engaged in the distribution, rental, modification and servicing of mobile equipment from manufacturers. It Power Systems is engaged in the distribution, rental and servicing of engines, transmissions and generators for on-highway, off-highway and electric power generation applications. Industrial components is engaged in the distribution, servicing, custom design and assembly of industrial components for in-plant customers and original equipment manufacturers. The Company�� products include excavators, lift trucks, mining trucks and shovels, forest harvesting equipment, utility equipment, loader backhoes, container handlers, cranes, diesel and natural gas engines, transmissions and power generators and bearings. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Heinzl]

    For example, BMO Nesbitt Burns analyst Bert Powell recently raised his price target on Wajax (WJX) to $41.50 from $35.50 because, as he explained in a note, he believes the company is poised for a recovery. The new target reflects his expectation that the stock will trade at 11 times his 2015 earnings per share estimate of $3.77��ts average P/E multiple historically.

Top Promising Stocks For 2014: Concurrent Computer Corporation(CCUR)

Concurrent Computer Corporation provides solutions that enable the seamless delivery, management, and monetization of video on any screen. Its screen-independent video delivery and media data solutions create a 360 degree view of the consumer video experience, which is built on video firsts and patented technology. The company provides advanced advertising to customers in the cable, telecommunications, wireless, Web, advertising, and content development industries by harnessing the full potential of video. Its video solutions consist of software, hardware, and services for streaming video and collecting media data based on cross services data aggregation, logistics, and intelligence applications; and real-time products consist of Linux and other real-time operating systems, and software development tools to various companies seeking high-performance, real-time computer solutions in the military, aerospace, financial, and automotive markets around the world. Concurrent Comp uter Corporation was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Magic Diligence]

    Edgewater is an organizational consulting firm, offering technical, HR, and other advisory services. Revenues have been steady, but margins have improved sequentially in each of the last few years. Edgewater is also financially strong, with almost $26 million in cash (32% of market cap), and no debt. With an earnings yield approaching 12%, the stock is legitimately cheap, as well.

    Concurrent Computer Corp (CCUR)

    Concurrent develops high-performance, real-time, multi-screen video solutions, providing "turn-key" solutions including software, hardware, and services. While the company is not really growing revenues (which have been steady at around $70 million for a decade), operating margins have improved substantially in the last few years, the firm has an outstanding, debt-free balance sheet, and the stock now pays a dividend yield approaching 7%. At just a $65 million market cap, Concurrent also looks like attractive acquisition bait for a larger tech company looking to build out its video offerings. The stock is trading near a 52-week low right now, with an earnings yield exceeding 13%.

Top Promising Stocks For 2014: Mountain China Resorts Holding Ltd (MCG)

Mountain China Resorts (Holding) Limited (MCR) is a Canada-based investment holding company. The Company is a Mountain resort developer in the People�� Republic of China. The Company�� subsidiaries engaged in the development and operation of mountain resorts and provision of hotel services in the People's Republic of China. The Company holds 100% interest in Mountain China Resorts Investment Limited, which in turn holds 100% interest in Mountain China Resorts Limited. The Company owns and operates the ski resort in the People�� Republic of China, Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort in Heilongjiang Province. The Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort also has two luxury five star hotels, restaurants, spa, retail, and conference facilities. It holds 140 million square meters of land for commercial development purpose around the Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� resort real estate development project was at the Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By ICRAOnline]

    Apart from the Data Center Group, Intel expects the Axxia deal to boost the performance of the other two segments ��Internet of Things Group (IoTG) and Mobile and Communications Group (MCG).

Top Promising Stocks For 2014: TotalFinaElf S.A.(TOT)

TOTAL S.A., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated oil and gas company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemicals. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas. It also involves in the transportation, trade, and marketing of natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as in LNG re-gasification and natural gas storage operations. In addition, this segment engages in the shipping and trade of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); power generation from gas-fired power plants, nuclear, or renewable energies; production, trade, and marketing of coal, as well as in solar power systems and technology operations. As of December 31, 2010, it had combined proved reserves of 10,695 Mboe of oil and gas. The Downstream segment involves in refining, marketing, trading, and shipping crude oil and petroleum products. It also produces a range of specialty products, s uch as lubricants, LPG, jet fuel, special fluids, bitumen, marine fuels, and petrochemical feedstock. This segment holds interests in 24 refineries located in Europe, the United States, the French West Indies, Africa, and China, as well as operates a network of 17,490 service stations. The Chemicals segment produces base chemicals, including petrochemicals and fertilizers, as well as engages in rubber processing, resins, adhesives, and electroplating activities. TOTAL S.A. was founded in 1924 and is based in Paris, France.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    Total S.A. (NYSE: TOT) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.

    Webster Financial Corp. (NYSE: WBS) was raised to Buy from Neutral with a new $28 price target at Sterne Agee.

  • [By Aaron Levitt]

    But BP wasn�� done yet. The second major deal for BP was a huge $45 billion project with partners such as Norway�� Statoil (STO) and France’s Total (TOT). This project will tap the plethora of natural gas trapped under Azerbaijan�� massive Shah Deniz field, then pipe that bounty all the way into Italy and Europe. Bringing gas from Azerbaijan to Europe is being seen a strategic move that will lessen the reliance on Russian exports and Gazprom�� (OGZPY) current monopoly.

  • [By Dan Carroll]

    Outside the defense sector, Chevron's (NYSE: CVX  ) among the only Dow stocks making any headway today: The oil giant's shares are up about 0.2%. Chevron agreed to sell its retail network in Egypt to French competitor Total (NYSE: TOT  ) in a deal announced by the latter today. With more than 1.4 million tons of annual sales in a network consisting�of 66 service stations and other assorted infrastructure, it's a big move for Total as it looks to develop its reach outside of Europe.