Top Stocks For 2017, Into Top Stocks Broker: April 2014

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A Conversation with Influential Investors Ken Griffen (Citadel) and Steve Schwarzman (Blackstone)

Combined, Ken Griffen and Steve Schwarzman have assets under management that touch almost every asset class on earth.

In the video below they discuss their outlook for various asset classes as well as touch on other issues.

About the author:Canadian Valuehttp://valueinvestorcanada.blogspot.com/

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Sunday, April 27, 2014

Top 10 Trucking Stocks To Own For 2014

Top 10 Trucking Stocks To Own For 2014: Fresh Start Private Management Inc (CEYY)

Fresh Start Private Management, Inc. (FSPM), incorporated on January 28, 2008, is an alcohol treatment and rehabilitation company. The Company has developed a patented treatment that delivers target therapeutic levels of Naltrexone that significantly reduce patients' cravings for alcohol.

The program is administered on an outpatient basis with patients need not missing more than a day of work and can receive treatment without co-workers or even family members being aware. The Company operates in the Unites States.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks Fresh Start Private Management Inc (OTCMKTS: CEYY), 7 Star Entertainment Inc (OTCMKTS: SAEE) and Refill Energy, Inc (OTCMKTS: REFG) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters thanks to paid promotions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with a properly disclosed promotional or investor relations campaign, but unwary investors or traders could find themselves in trouble if they are not careful. So do these three small caps have what it takes to remain hot? Here is a quick reality check before you invest or trade:
Fresh Start Private Management Inc (OTCMKTS: CEYY)is Expecting "Exponential Revenue Growth"
Small cap Fresh Start Private Management is an alcohol treatment and rehabilitation company on the leading edge of alcohol addiction treatment. On Friday, Start Private Management rose 13.99% to $0.044 for a market cap of $5.19 million plus CEYY is down 92.7% since last March according to Google Finance.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-trucking-stocks-to-own-for-2014.html

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Polaris Industries's Earnings Beat Last Year's by 15%

Polaris Industries (NYSE: PII ) reported earnings on July 23. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Polaris Industries met expectations on revenues and beat slightly on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue expanded. GAAP earnings per share grew significantly.

Margins increased across the board.

Revenue details
Polaris Industries booked revenue of $844.8 million. The 12 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ hoped for revenue of $847.1 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 12% higher than the prior-year quarter's $763.7 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at $1.13. The 12 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated $1.11 per share. GAAP EPS of $1.13 for Q2 were 15% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.98 per share.

Top 10 Electric Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 30.8%, 130 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 14.7%, 20 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 9.3%, 20 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 337 members out of 375 rating the stock outperform, and 38 members rating it underperform. Among 132 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 123 give Polaris Industries a green thumbs-up, and nine give it a red thumbs-down.

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Friday, April 25, 2014

Stocks Slide as Ukraine Tensions Rise; Pandora, Ford Disappoint

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. markets traded lower Friday amid rising tension in Ukraine, while companies from Pandora (P) to Ford (F) disappointed on the earnings front. Consumer sentiment beat expectations, though service sector growth slowed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.81% to 16,361.78, while the S&P 500 lost 0.81% to 1,863.41. The Nasdaq tumbled 1.75% to 4,075.56. The Dow, S&P and Nasdaq for the entire trading week declined 0.29%, 0.08% and 0.49%, respectively. Amazon (AMZN) lost nearly 10% after reporting first-quarter revenue of $19.74 billion, a 22.8% increase from the year-earlier quarter. Amazon forecast an operating loss for the second quarter as it continues to invest heavily both internationally and at home. Ford was down 3.13% after missing first-quarter earnings estimates by 6 cents at 25 cents a share. Visa was off 4.4% after it expressed caution about a slowdown in revenue growth in the current quarter. Domestic economic reports were mixed. The U.S. services sector expanded at a slower rate in April, with Markit announcing its flash services PMI hit 54.2, down from March's reading of 55.3. Consumer sentiment beat expectations to rise to 84.1 in April from a March level of 80, according to the University of Michigan and Thomson Reuters. It was the highest reading since last July. Ukraine is making the headlines following fatalities that resulted from a clash between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia protestors. The surge in violence triggered concerns about Russia intervention, as Russia responded with new military exercises near the Ukrainian border shortly after the deadly clash. Simultaneously, the U.S. reasserted the possibility of carrying out harsher sanctions on Russia. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services slashed its rating on Russia to one notch above junk, factoring in large capital outflows in the first quarter. Russia's central bank hiked interest rates to 7.5% Friday as it faces heightened inflation risks. In other news, the U.S. and Japan failed to make a deal on free trade. Microsoft (MSFT) rose 0.13% after reporting better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings and in-line revenue amid a surge in Azure, Office 365 and Surface sales. Starbucks (SBUX) climbed 0.51% after posting in-line fiscal second-quarter earnings on Thursday, helped by lower coffee costs, but revenue fell short of Wall Street's estimates. Colgate-Palmolive (CL) said first-quarter earnings fell 16% as an exchange rate charge offset a slight lift in sales. Colgate shares were 0.29% lower. Stock losers included Masco (MAS) and Pandora (P) which fell 7.4% and 16.6%, respectively. Masco, an installer of home insulation, reported first-quarter earnings which missed estimates by a wide margin. Pandora's profit forecast also fell short of expectations after the company said it would bolster spending on marketing. In international markets the Hang Seng closed 1.50% lower while the Nikkei gained 0.17%. Germany's DAX dropped 1.54% while the U.K. FTSE was 0.25% lower.

-- By Jane Searle, Andrea Tse and Joe Deaux in New York

Stock quotes in this article: ^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC, F, V, MSFT, AMZN, SBUX, CL

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Top Media Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top Media Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cablevision Systems Corporation (CVC)

Cablevision Systems Corporation provides telecommunications and media services. It operates in two segments, Telecommunications Services and Other. The Telecommunications Services segment is involved in television business, including video, high-speed data, and VoIP operations, as well as the provision of commercial data and voice services. The Other segment offers Newsday, a daily newspaper; amNewYork, a free daily newspaper; and Star Community Publishing, a group of weekly shopper publications; and newsday.com and exploreLI.com. This segment also engages in motion picture theatre business, Clearview Cinemas; provision of the News 12 Networks, a regional news programming services; and the MSG Varsity network, a network covering high school sports and activities, and other local programs, as well as cable television advertising. Cablevision Systems Corporation was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Bethpage, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Will Ashworth]
If other cable companies — like Charter Communications (CHTR), Cablevision (CVC) and Cox Communications — decide to merge in order to keep pace with Comcast, content providers could be under the gun once more.
[By Tom Reese]
Regional cable TV and Internet provider Cablevision Systems Corporation (CVC) on Friday announced better-than-expected third quarter earnings results, reversing a year-ago loss.

Cablevision’s Q3 Earnings in Brief
- Net income totaled $294.6 million, or $1.10 per share, reversing last year’s loss of $3.79 million, or -1 penny per share.
- Revenue rose 1.8% from last year to $1.57 billion.
- Analysts expected much lower earnings of just 11 cents per share, on matching revenue.

Latest Dividend Reiterated; Yield Surpasses Peers
In its earnings release, Ca! blevision announced it would continue its dividend payout of 15 cents per share. The latest dividend will be paid on Dec. 13 with an ex-dividend date of Nov. 20. The company has not raised its dividend payout since May of 2011.

Despite the lack of dividend raise, CVC’s dividend yield of 3.84% compares favorably with other stocks in its industry. Time Warner Cable (TWC) offers a yield of 2.2%, while Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) yields just 1.65%. The average dividend yield for S&P 500 companies is around 2.5%, so Cablevision’s yield is well above both its industry average as well as the wider market average. Still, its lofty yield has come more as a result of poor price performance, rather than dividend increases

Shares Rise, but Still Tail Indexes
Cablevision shares rose more than 2% in early trading on Friday, but the company’s stock performance has lagged the wider markets for quite some time. Year-to-date, CVC has gained about 6%, compared with a 24% gain in the benchmark S&P 500 index. The stock was trading around the $38 level as recently as early 2011, so its dividend yield has risen significantly as its stock price plunged to around $16.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-media-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now

In the past, one of the key advantages of buying a Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ) Windows PC was for its backwards compatibility with applications designed for previous versions of Windows. For the end user, it meant you wouldn't have to repurchase all of your software when upgrading to a new Windows PC. Nowadays, the rise of cloud computing and Web applications has changed the collective mind-set that backwards compatibility is a must-have feature.

A new world
Gartner believes that the public cloud computing industry will grow by 18.5% to become a $131 billion worldwide industry this year. The software-as-a-service market, which consists of Web-based applications, is expected to become a $19.3 billion sub-industry. For the end user, the beauty of the cloud is that your applications will often work on a host of different devices, meaning you have more flexibility to be operating system-agnostic. In this context, the operating system becomes less important and the focus becomes geared toward the user experience.

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: Givaudan SA (GIVN)

Givaudan SA is a Switzerland-based holding company engaged in the fragrance and flavor industry. The Company has two business divisions: Fragrances and Flavors. The Fragrances business segment comprises the manufacture and sale of fragrances into three global business units: Fine Fragrances, comprising signature fragrances and line extensions, Consumer Products, comprising fabric and personal care, hair and skin care, household and air care, as well as oral care, and Fragrance Ingredients. The Flavors business division comprises the manufacture and sale of flavors into four business units: Beverages, comprising flavors for soft drinks, fruit juices and instant beverages; Dairy, comprising ice cream, yoghurt, desserts and yellow fats; Savory, covering soups and sauces, among others; and Confectionery. The Company is also engaged in research and development activities, which comprises the development of a palette of perfumery raw materials, both synthetic and natural. Advisors' Opinion:

[By Celeste Perri]
Nestle SA (NESN) is selling Givaudan (GIVN) SA shares worth $1.27 billion at yesterday�� closing price to institutional investors, winding down its stake in the world�� largest flavorings maker.

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: Xoom Corp (XOOM)

Xoom Corporation (Xoom), incorporated on October 10, 2012, is engaged in online international money transfer service. Its customers use Xoom to send money to family and friends in 30 countries. The Company generates revenue from transaction fees charged to customers and from foreign exchange spreads on transactions where the payout currency is other than United States dollars. In February 2014, Xoom Corp acquired BlueKite, LTD, a technology company that develops solutions and applications.

The Company�� solutions are designed to offer customers a convenient, fast and cost-effective way to send money to family and friends at any time, from any Internet-enabled location. The Company�� solutions include Origination, Funding, Disbursement and Transaction Processing.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Udovich]
Small cap money transfer stock Euronet Worldwide, Inc (NASDAQ: EEFT) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc (NYSE: WMT) have announced an exclusive money transfer service called "Walmart-2-Walmart,��meaning its time to take a closer look at the stock along with the performance of peers like Moneygram International Inc (NASDAQ: MGI), Xoom Corp (NASDAQ: XOOM) and The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) which fell 17.68%, 4.32% and 4.98%, respectively.
[By Alex Planes]
What: Shares of Xoom (NASDAQ: XOOM ) have rocketed higher today and are now sitting 15% above yesterday's close after obliterating analyst estimates with strong earnings.
[By John Kell]
Xoom Corp.(XOOM) swung to a fourth-quarter profit as the international money-transfer provider reported a jump in revenue. But the company’s full-year earnings outlook fell short of Wall Street’s expectations. Shares dropped 13% to $24.46 premarket.

5 Best Growth Stocks To Buy Right Now: CECO Environmental Corp.(CECE)

CECO Environmental Corp. provides air-pollution control technology products and services worldwide. The company offers engineered equipment, cyclones, scrubbers, dampers, diverters, regenerative thermal oxidizers, component parts, and monitoring and managing services. Its Engineered Equipment Technology and Parts Group segment provides air handling equipment and systems for filtering, cooling, heating, and capturing emissions in the metal industries; systems for corrosion protection, fugitive emissions control, evaporative cooling, and other ventilation and air handling applications; and fume exhaust systems that provide control of oil mist and fumes, as well as remove liquid particles and vapor phase emissions from rolling mill, machining, and other oil mist generating processes. This segment also markets a strip cooler under the JET*STAR name designed to cool metal strip coatings. The company?s Contracting/Services Group segment offers oil mist collection, dust collecti on, industrial exhaust, chip collection, make-up air, and automotive spray booth systems, as well as industrial and process piping, and other industrial sheet metal works. This segment also engages in fabricating parts, engineered subassemblies, and customized products for air pollution and non-air pollution systems from sheet, plate, and structurals. Its Component Parts Group segment manufactures and markets component parts for industrial air systems to contractors, distributors, and dealers. The company markets its products and services under the Kirk & Blum, CECO Filters, Busch International, CECO Abatement Systems, KB Duct, Effox, Fisher-Klosterman, Buell, A.V.C., FKI, and Flextor names. It serves aerospace, brick, cement, steel, ceramics, metalworking, printing, paper, food, foundries, utilities, metal plating, woodworking, chemicals, glass, automotive, ethanol, pharmaceuticals, and refining industries. CECO Environmental Corp. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered i n Cincinnati, Ohio.

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 CECO Environmental (Nasdaq: CECE ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII)

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. designs, builds, overhauls, and repairs ships primarily for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. It offers nuclear-powered ships, such as aircraft carriers and submarines; and non-nuclear ships, including surface combatants, expeditionary warfare/amphibious assault, coastal defense surface ships, and national security cutters, as well as engages in the refueling and overhaul, and inactivation of nuclear-powered ships. The company also operates as a full-service systems provider for the design, engineering, construction, and life cycle support of major programs for surface ships; and a provider of fleet support and maintenance services for the U.S. Navy. In addition, it provides a range of support services, including fabrication, construction, equipment, and technical services, as well as product sales to commercial nuclear power plants, fossil power plants, and other industrial facilities, as well as government customers. The company is based in Newport News, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rich Smith]
The contracts in question awarded to major martial shipbuilders Huntington Ingalls (NYSE: HII ) and Bath Iron Works (the General Dynamics (NYSE: GD ) subsidiary), respectively, are worth a combined $6.2 billion and commission the two defense contractors to build a total of nine Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyers.
[By Rich Smith]
Shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII ) will build a sixth National Security Cutter (NSC) for the U.S. Coast Guard, Huntington announced Wednesday.

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: Cyberonics Inc (CYBX)

Cyberonics, Inc. (Cyberonics), incorporated in 1987, is a medical device company. The Company is engaged in the design, development, sales and marketing of implantable medical devices that provide a neuromodulation therapy, vagus nerve stimulation therapy (VNS Therapy), for the treatment of refractory epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and other device solutions for the management of epilepsy.VNS Therapy System includes an implantable pulse generator to provide stimulation to the vagus nerve; a lead that connects the generator to the vagus nerve; equipment to assist with implantation surgery; equipment to assist with setting the stimulation parameters for each patient; instruction manuals, and magnets to suspend or induce stimulation manually. The VNS Therapy pulse generator and lead are surgically implanted into patients generally during an outpatient procedure. The VNS Therapy System consists of a pulse generator, a bipolar lead, a programming wand and software and a tunneling tool.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Company's VNS Therapy System in July 1997 for use as an adjunctive therapy in epilepsy patients over 12 years of age for reducing the frequency of partial onset seizures that are refractory or resistant to antiepileptic drugs. Regulatory bodies in Canada, the European Economic Area, certain countries in Eastern Europe, Russia, South America, Africa, Australia and certain countries in Asia, including Japan, China and Taiwan, have approved the VNS Therapy System for the treatment of epilepsy, many without age restrictions or seizure-type limitations. In July 2005, the FDA approved the Company's VNS Therapy System for the adjunctive long-term treatment of chronic or recurrent depression for patients 18 years of age or older who are experiencing a depressive episode and have not had an adequate response to four or more adequate anti-depressant treatments. Regulatory bodies in the European Economic Area, Canada and Israel have approv! ed the Company's VNS Therapy System for the treatment of chronic or recurrent depression in patients who are in a treatment-resistant or treatment-intolerant depressive episode without age restrictions.

In February 2011, the Company announced FDA approval of its fifth generation generator, the AspireHC generator. In August 2011, the Company announced that the Company discovered a hardware-related design issue with the AspireHC Model 105 and AspireSR (Seizure Response) Model 106 generators. In December 2011, the FDA approved the Company's re-designed AspireHC generator, and the Company resumed its limited commercial release of the generator in the United States.

Pulse Generator

The pulse generator is an implantable, programmable signal generator designed to be coupled with the bipolar lead to deliver mild electrical pulses to the vagus nerve. The pulse generator is a battery-powered device. Before or upon depletion of the battery, the pulse generator may be removed and a new generator implanted in a short, outpatient procedure. The Model 102 (Pulse), Model 102R (Pulse Duo ), Model 103 (Demipulse), Model 104 (Demipulse Duo) and Model 105 (AspireHC), are the VNS Therapy pulse generators the Company offers and are similar in design and manufactures to a cardiac pacemaker.

Bipolar Lead

The bipolar lead conducts the electrical signal from the pulse generator to the vagus nerve. The lead incorporates electrodes, which are self-sizing, minimizing mechanical trauma to the nerve. The lead's two electrodes and anchor tether wrap around the vagus nerve, and the connector end is tunneled subcutaneously to the upper chest area, where it attaches to the pulse generator. The Company offers three lead models in the United States. The leads are available in two inner spiral diameter sizes to ensure optimal electrode placement on different-sized nerves.

Programming Wand and Software

The Company's programming wand and software are us! ed to int! errogate the implanted pulse generator and to transmit programming information from a handheld computer to the pulse generator via an inductive coupling. Programming capabilities include modification of the pulse generator's programmable parameters (pulse width, amplitude and frequency and stimulation ON and OFF intervals) and storage and retrieval of telemetry data.

Tunneling Tool

The tunneling tool is a single use, sterile, disposable surgical tool designed to be used during surgical placement of the bipolar lead. The tool is used for subcutaneous tunneling of the lead between the nerve site in the neck and the pulse generator site in the upper chest area.

Accessory Pack

The accessory pack includes two resistor assemblies used to test the function of the device prior to implantation, the bipolar lead tie-downs and one hex screwdriver. The patient kit includes two magnets, one watch-style and one pager-style.

The Company competes with Medtronic, Inc., NeuroSigma Inc. and CerboMed GmbH.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Benjamin Shepherd]
The rise of public health services, improvements in sanitation and access to clean drinking water have led to a huge improvement in human life expectancy, which has jumped from only about 30 years five centuries ago to more than 75 years in most industrialized countries today.

Advances in medical science have also played a major role, such as the development of antibiotics to treat once deadly infections, surgical interventions to correct once fatal injuries and medications to treat chronic conditions.

We have yet to reach the limit of human ingenuity and today the trend is towards harnessing technology to break the reliance on long-term medication usage to treat chronic conditions. One area where huge strides are being made in that direction is the treatment of epilepsy.

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disease in the world, affecting more than 9 million people in developed countries alone, and epileptics have a mortality rate more than 25 times higher than the general population. The costs associated with dealing with the disease run in excess of $13.5 billion in the US alone.

The disease is typically treated using a drug regime that includes several pills a day, including anti-convulsants and sedatives which can have unpleasant side effects. Drug therapy is typically successful in controlling seizures in about 70 percent of patients, but about a third of those who don�� respond to medication find themselves undergoing surgery to essentially remove the area of the brain triggering the seizures.

Cyberonics (NSDQ: CYBX) is making headway into an alternative treatment for the disease, called vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy, which can reduce the number or even eliminate the need for the drugs epileptics depend upon and requires only minor surgery.

During an outpatient procedure conducted under general anesthesia, two small incisions are made, one in the upper chest area and the other in the neck. At t

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: Gramercy Property Trust Inc (GPT)

Gramercy Property Trust Inc., formerly Gramercy Capital Corp., incorporated on April 1, 2004, is an integrated, self-managed real estate investment and asset management company. The Company�� principal business is to acquire and manage industrial and office properties, net leased to tenants in major markets throughout the United States. The Company owns, directly or in joint venture, a portfolio of 112 buildings totaling approximately 4.2 million square feet of office and 1.5 million square feet of industrial, net leased on a long-term basis to tenants, including Bank of America, Nestle Waters, Philips Electronics and others. In September 2013, it closed on five new acquisitions. In October 2013, it acquired an approximately 220,000 square foot food-grade cold storage and distribution facility located in Yuma, Arizona. In October 2013, the Company acquired approximately 120,350 square foot industrial facility in Austin, Texas. In November 2013, the Company announced the acquisition of six new properties.

In June 2013, the Company announced that it has closed on the acquisition of a build-to-suit of an approximately 120,0000 square foot industrial facility located in Hialeah, Gardens, Florida in the Miami Metropolitan Statistical Area. In July 2013, Gramercy Property Trust Inc closed on four acquisitions; a wholesale automotive auction facility in Dallas, Texas, an industrial cold storage facility in Southern New Jersey and two cross-dock truck terminals located in Houston, Texas and Orlando, Florida.

The Company's property management business, operating under the name Gramercy Asset Management, manages for third-parties commercial properties leased primarily to regulated financial institutions and affiliated users throughout the United States. The Company is actively acquiring industrial and office assets leased to companies in a variety of industries. The Company will primarily acquire long-term leased assets, but will acquire shorter leases with risk adjusted returns.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Chris DeMuth Jr.]
This article is intended to update our readers on the progress on Gramercy Property Trust (GPT) through 2Q 2013. For background you may want to go back and read our previous articles. In this particular article, I will focus on 4 particular points:

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: FMC Corporation (FMC)

FMC Corporation, a chemical company, provides solutions, applications, and products for agricultural, consumer, and industrial markets. The company operates in three segments: Agricultural Products, Specialty Chemicals, and Industrial Chemicals. The Agricultural Products segment develops, markets, and sells a portfolio of crop protection, pest control, and lawn and garden products. It produces insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides to protect crops, including cotton, sugarcane, rice, corn, soybeans, cereals, fruits, and vegetables from insects and weed growth; and for non-agricultural applications, including pest control for home, garden, and other specialty markets, as well as for turf and roadside applications. The Specialty Chemicals segment focuses on food ingredients, pharmaceutical excipients, biomedical technologies, and lithium products. It produces microcrystalline cellulose that is used as drug dry tablet binder and disintegrant, and food ingredient; carrageena n, which is used as food ingredient for thickening and stabilizing; encapsulant for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications; alginates that are used as food ingredients, and for pharmaceutical excipient, wound care, orthopedic uses, and industrial uses; and lithium that is used in pharmaceuticals, polymers, batteries, greases and lubricants, air conditioning, and other industrial applications. The Industrial Chemicals segment produces inorganic materials, such as soda ash for glass, chemicals, and detergents; specialty peroxygens for pulp and paper, chemical processing, detergents, antimicrobial disinfectants, environmental applications, electronics, and polymers; and zeolites and silicates for detergents, car tires, pulp, and paper. It has operations in North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Marc Courtenay]
Some other names to consider as takeover targets would include FMC Technologies, Inc. (FTI), which provides technology solutions for the energy industry worldwide and hit a 52-week high on April 11th. Another less conspicuous target is the diversified chemical company FMC Corp. (FMC), which has a market cap of only $8 billion plus a forward PE of less than 13.
[By Ben Levisohn]
Timing of the transaction completion is mid 2015, following final approval of the BoD, receipt of favorable opinion on tax free status from IRS, shareholder approval, & all regulatory approvals. As a point of interest we have seen several announcements recently where an announcement of the split drives the stocks up 10% and quickly fades as timing sets in and market risk still exists. recent examples [Hertz (HTZ), FMC Corp (FMC), Agilent (A), Noble (NE), CBS (CBS)]. I would expect the stock to fade hard from these levels
[By Rich Duprey]
Just as Monsanto is enjoying a surge in sales of Roundup, pesticide makers are witnessing greater sales of pesticides to combat these superbugs. Revenues at Sygenta (NYSE: SYT ) rose 1.5% to $4.2 billion, FMC's (NYSE: FMC ) sales were 5% higher, and American Vanguard's (NYSE: AVD ) surged 39% last quarter. The three companies account for three-quarters of all ground pesticides sold in the United States.

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: Interleukin Genetics Inc (ILIU.PK)

Interleukin Genetics, Inc., incorporated on March 28, 2000, is a personalized health company, which develops genetic tests to provide information to manage health and specific health risks. The Company�� business focuses on personalized health, by providing genetic tests with clinical value. Its tests are made available through marketing partners or directly to end users. The Company's primary business focus and strategy is to continue the Company's commercialization efforts with its PST genetic test. In addition, the Company plans to continue to develop and sells tests for its own business needs under the Inherent Health brand.

The Company's genetic tests that are being commercialized includes PST is a genetic test, which analyzes genetic variations associated with inflammation and identifies individuals who are at increased risk for more severe periodontal disease; Weight Management Genetic Test determines whether a low fat, low carbohydrate or balanced diet may normal or vigorous exercise, which is needed to lose existing body fat; Bone Health Genetic Test is designed to identify whether an individual is more likely to be susceptible to spine fractures and low bone mineral density associated with osteoporosis; Heart Health Genetic Test is designed to identify genetic predisposition to excess inflammation, which is a risk factor for heart attack, and Wellness Select Genetic Test allows buyers to purchase any combination of Inherent Health genetic tests at a discounted price. The Company is also focusing its genetic test development efforts on the development of an Osteoarthritis, or OA, genetic test to identify individuals at increased risk for severe OA.

Genetic Test for Risk of Periodontal Disease

PST is a genetic test that analyzes genetic variations associated with inflammation and identifies individuals who are at increased risk for more severe periodontal disease. The PST genetic test identifies specific polymorphisms (genetic variations) in genes that! regulate the production of interleukin cytokines.Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is well-established as one of the critical regulators of periodontal disease, and studies in non-human primates have shown that drugs specifically blocking IL-1 alone or IL-1 plus TNFa reduces tissue destruction even when the bacterial challenge is not reduced.

Inherent Health Brand of Genetic Tests

The Company's Weight Management Genetic Test helps take the guesswork out of finding an effective diet and exercise solution by revealing actionable steps to achieve weight goals based on genetics. The test provides new information beyond traditional assessments, so that nutritional intake and fitness routines can be tailored for improved, sustainable results. This test identifies five SNPs in four human genes: fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2); adrenergic receptor beta 2 (ADRB2 two variations); adrenergic receptor beta 3 (ADRB3); and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR- ). These markers are involved in certain physiological pathways relating to body weight. Certain patterns of markers are associated with differential response to certain diet and exercise regimens.

The Company has conducted a number of studies that demonstrate a gene-diet interaction based on the multi-locus patterns . In the original study, 311 overweight/obese (body mass index, 27-40 kg/m2), nondiabetic, premenopausal, generally healthy women were randomly assigned for 12 months to either the Atkins-like ( low carbohydrate), Zone-like (low carbohydrate), LEARN-like (balanced), or Ornish-like (low fat) diets for the primary purpose of losing weight. The data collected in that study included dietary intake assessment (three unannounced 24-hour recalls for each time point administered by a dietitian and analyzed using NDS-R, University of Minnesota), anthropometric measures including weight, and related physiological variables, all collected at baseline, two, six, and 12 months.

Bone Health Genetic T! est

The Company's Bone Health Genetic Test is designed to identify whether an individual is more likely to be susceptible to spine fractures and low bone mineral density associated with osteoporosis. Although it typically starts later in life, early intervention can help prevent osteoporosis. Preventive measures can reduce the risk for bone loss and fractures, which in the case of vertebral fractures leads to a hunched over appearance. The test identifies a SNP in each of three genes involved in processes that affect bone; estrogen receptor alpha (ER1 Xba1), vitamin D receptor (VDR), and interleukin-1 (IL-1). Certain patterns of variations are associated with increased risk of spine fracture and/or low bone mineral density. The test can be used as an aid to making diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices to maintain and improve bone health.

Nutritional Needs Genetics Test

The Company's Nutritional Needs Genetics Test is designed to identify DNA variations in genes crucial to B-vitamin metabolism and the ability to manage oxidative stress. Individuals with certain variations in these genes may be at increased risk for ineffective utilization of B-vitamins and potential for cell damage caused by oxidative stress, both of which can in some cases lead to increased risk for certain diseases. The test identifies the presence or absence of human genotypic markers methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and transcobalamin II (TCN2) involved in vitamin B metabolism and markers superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), glutathione S-transferase 1 deletions (GSTM1), paraoxonase 1 (PON1), X-ray repair cross complementing group 1 (XRCC1) in response to oxidative stress. Certain variations are associated with less efficient B-vitamin metabolism or reduced activity of endogenous anti-oxidant systems. The test may be used to aid individuals in deciding whether to supplement their diet with B vitamins and/or antioxidants.

Genetic Test Pipeline

The Company is focusing! its gene! tic test development efforts on programs, including Osteoarthritis Genetic Test. OA is the common adult joint disease, increasing in frequency and severity in all aging populations. The estimated U.S. prevalence is 20-40 million patients or five times that of rheumatoid arthritis. The Company's OA program plans to investigate whether interleukin gene variations together with several other inflammatory gene variations is associated with the occurrence of multi-joint OA for the development of a genetic risk assessment test.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Brian Marckx]
Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (ILIU.PK) develops genetic tests focused on personal health. Through applied genetics research and scientific collaborations, the company has made significant progress in understanding how genetic make-up can affect an individual's predisposition and risk of suffering from certain diseases. Interleukin's research has specifically focused on a form of genetic variation called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and how it can have an impact on a person's health. The company has applied this knowledge in the development of genetic tests focused on areas such as weight management, cardiovascular health and periodontal disease. Interleukin sells its Inherent Health line of tests, which launched in 2009, to the consumer market and maintains a CLIA-certified lab at its headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, where consumers send test samples for processing.

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In Right Now: pSivida Corp.(PSDV)

pSivida Corp., together with its subsidiaries, develops drug delivery products for treatment of back-of-the-eye diseases that are administered by implantation, injection, or insertion. The company?s lead product candidate includes Iluvien, which is in Phase III clinical trials and delivers fluocinolone acetonide (FA) for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), a cause of vision loss. It is also conducting Phase II clinical trials with Iluvien for the treatment of wet and dry form of age-related macular degeneration, and retinal vein occlusion. In addition, the company?s products include Retisert for the treatment of posterior uveitis, an autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation of the posterior of the eye that can cause sudden or gradual vision loss; and Vitrasert for cytomegalovirus retinitis, a blinding eye disease that occurs in individuals with advanced AIDS. It is developing the Latanoprost product, an injectable, bioerodible drug delivery implant i n Phase I/II dose-escalating study for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension; the Posterior Uveitis product candidate in a Phase I/II study for the treatment of posterior uveitis; BioSilicon technology system, which is nano-structured porous silicon designed for use as a drug delivery platform and to deliver smaller molecules; and Tethadur, which utilizes BioSilicon to deliver large biologic molecules, including peptides and proteins. It has strategic collaborations with Bausch & Lomb Incorporated; Alimera Sciences, Inc.; Pfizer, Inc.; and Intrinsiq Materials Cayman Limited. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By John Kell]
Specialty pharmaceutical firm pSivida Corp.(PSDV) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn’t approve a treatment for an eye disease found in patients with diabetes. The company’s stock tumbled 47% to $2 premarket, while shares of Alimera Sciences Inc.(ALIM) were down 39% to $1.66, as the treatment is licensed and sold by Alimera in other markets.
[By Smith On Stocks]
This note focuses on the implications of the complete response letter (CRL) received by Alimera (ALIM) for Iluvien. This product was developed by pSivida (PSDV) but was partnered with Alimera. This report deals only with the investment significance for pSivida.

Best Healthcare Equipment Companies To Watch In 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 John Divine]
Another victim of a weak earnings call, shares of security company ADT (NYSE: ADT ) lost 6.9% after posting profits that rose just 2%. Despite adding more than 300,000 new customers, revenue failed to meet expectations, coming in at $821 million -- analysts were calling for about $824 million. While today's slide was extreme, the company isn't exactly in major trouble. It just seems to be in a phase of slow, steady growth.�
[By Michael Robinson]
CSD also holds shares in a stock that has prospered after being spun-off from troubled Tyco��he ADT Corp. (ADT), which is best known as a leading home security firm.
[By Damian Illia]
The ADT Corporation (ADT) is a provider of electronic security, interactive home and business automation and related monitoring services in the U.S. and Canada (about 6.5 million residential and small business customers).
[By Michael Lewis]
Home and small-business security company ADT (NYSE: ADT ) debuted on the markets in October of last year as a spinoff of conglomerate Tyco. While spinoffs are often misunderstood or neglected investment opportunities, this one came out priced high and covered well, eliminating the opportunity for a value play. Since its IPO, the stock has only ticked up around 6% while sales and profits continue to rise. In the past quarter, the company added more than 300,000 new customers, with plenty of room to grow. It's no doubt that ADT is an industry leader, but is the stock still too expensive to warrant a buy?

The Real Estate Market Meets the Internet: How Zillow Came to Be

The Fool is exploring Seattle. Today, CEO Spencer Rascoff introduces us to Zillow (NASDAQ: Z ) , telling us how the online home and real estate marketplace works, what he considers its greatest strengths, and what investors should know about it.

Spencer recounts how the idea for Zillow was born of his time at Expedia, and how far the company has come since then. He also offers some insight on what investors should look for when evaluating any tech company.

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Austin Smith: Hey Fools Austin Smith here, joined by Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Zillow.com. Thanks again for sitting down with us today.

Spencer Rascoff: Thank you.

Austin: Let's just jump right into it. Tell us a little bit about Zillow, maybe how it got started and the background, for those who aren't familiar.

Spencer: Sure. Zillow is the largest real estate website. We have about 50 million people that use Zillow every month, on desktop and on mobile. We started the company about seven years ago with the vision of empowering people with access to information so they could make smarter decisions.

We started with home valuations, telling people the "Zestimate" on their home -- what every house in the country is worth. We then expanded into real estate listings, rental listings, mortgage information and, more recently, home improvement.

We're about 700 employees. We're based here in Seattle, and we're the largest real estate site, nationwide.

Austin: Obviously you're leading Zillow today, but you've had other tech roles prior to this, notably Expedia.com. What do you see as the central qualities that investors should be looking for in tech leaders today?

Spencer: I think the most important thing, when an investor looks at investing in a company, and backing that leadership team, that management team, is passion for the product. Does the executive, and does the whole management team -- ideally, does the whole company -- care deeply about their own product and the way their users interact with it, and the way their advertisers benefit from it?

In my case, I live and breathe this product. I'm constantly talking to users through social media or through email or at conferences or trade shows or elsewhere, talking to the agents that use Zillow, talking to the lenders and rental professionals that use Zillow and talking to our consumers, and taking back what I learn about how people use the product, into how we develop software here.

Austin: Why make the leap to Zillow from Expedia? Why the transition?

Spencer: I started a company called Hotwire in 1999, which I sold to Expedia, and then at Expedia I helped run the hotel business for Expedia and Hotels.com. In 2005-2006 we were at Expedia and we were looking at other verticals that hadn't yet been "Internetted," hadn't been empowered by the Internet, where there was still a lot of customer frustration about lack of information.

To our surprise, the real estate industry still felt very anachronistic in terms of consumer empowerment. There was all this great data and information locked up in secret industry-only databases or in county courthouses.

We said, "Why don't we liberate that information and empower consumers with information?" There's still a critical role for the real estate professional, though. The real estate professional is there to help the consumer interpret all of this information.

In that regard, Zillow has partnered with tens of thousands of agents in most every major brokerage in the country and most MLSs in the country, so that the real estate industry views us as a participant and a helper to their business goals.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

5 States With the Most Home Foreclosures

There are few statistics that better illustrate our economic travails over the last few years than the number of homes that continue to be foreclosed upon on a monthly basis.

The good news is that the number is shrinking. According to a new report from CoreLogic, there were a total of 52,000 completed foreclosures in May. While this was 3.5% higher than the previous month, it was nevertheless 27% below the same month last year.

The bad news is that we still have a long way to go before things normalize. Between 2000 and 2006, CoreLogic estimates that there was an average of only 21,000 completed foreclosures each month. The current rate will need to fall by 60% to get back to that level.

That being said, the state of the foreclosure market is not uniform across the country. What follows, in turn, are the five states with the most foreclosures over the past 12 months.

State

Completed Foreclosures Over the Past 12 Months

Foreclosure Inventory as a Percent of Mortgaged Homes

Florida	103,000	8.8%
California	76,000	1.2%
Michigan	64,000	1.1%
Texas	51,000	1.1%
Georgia	47,000	1.7%

Source: CoreLogic.

The fact that Florida and California are at the top of the list should come as little surprise. This is because, as you can see in the chart below, these states experienced some of the most dramatic volatility in home prices before, during, and after the housing bubble.

So why does this matter? At least in the banking space, regional economic figures like these can make a big difference for the success or failure of lenders. It goes a long way, for instance, in explaining the problems at SunTrust Banks (NYSE: STI ) , which is based in Georgia, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC ) , which assumed Wachovia's heavy Florida presence, and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) , which has a significant footprint in California that was added to via its purchase of Countrywide Financial.

It also goes a long way toward explaining why investors like Warren Buffett are so interested in smaller, high-quality lenders that have proven themselves to be bastions of safety and profit.

The cream of the crop in this regard is the bank discussed in our free report on the stock that Buffett wishes he could own but can't because of its size. Since this bank's inception, it's returned more than 5,000% to shareholders in both dividends and share-price appreciation. It's no wonder, in turn, that it's regularly selected as among the top banks in the country time and time again. You can learn the identity of this bank instantly and for free simply by clicking here now.

Monday, April 21, 2014

UAW drops NLRB case to organize Volkswagen

Workers on the VW assembly line in Chattanooga.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) The United Auto Workers has dropped its challenge of a vote to organize workers at Volkswagen's only U.S. plant that went against the union.

The National Labor Relations Board was set to start a hearing Monday on the UAW's complaint that Republican politicians improperly interfered before the Feb. 14 vote at the Chattanooga, Tenn. plant, which the union lost 712 to 626.

But the union issued a statement Monday saying it was dropping its appeal because fighting the election through the NLRB could have dragged on for years.

"The UAW is ready to put February's tainted election in the rear-view mirror," said UAW President Bob King in a statement.

The union said even if the NLRB ordered a new election -- the board's only available remedy under current law -- nothing would stop politicians and anti-union organizations from again interfering.

But some experts had suggested that the union stood little chance of winning a new vote, even if the NRLB ruled in its favor.

"Most people thought they'd win the first time around," said Gary Chaison, professor of industrial relations at Clark University. "I think the chances of winning a second vote will be more difficult than winning the first vote."

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., one of the politicians the UAW accused of improperly interfering in the election, also claimed the union was dropping its effort because it knew it couldn't win a new vote.

"This 11th hour reversal by the UAW affirms what we have said all along -- that their objection was nothing more than a sideshow to draw attention away from their stinging loss in Chattanooga," he said.

The UAW's efforts to organize nonunion plants is seen as crucial to its long-term survival.

So far the UAW has been limited to representing plants operated by U.S. automakers General Motors, (GM, Fortune 500) Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) and Chrysler Group, as well as their suppliers. Plant closings over the last 15 years have cut into UAW membership. Meanwhile, automakers from Asia and Europe have opened more than 30 plants in the United States, and more than two-thirds of those plants are in the South.

Unlike most employers facing a union-organizing election, Volkswagen had stayed neutral on the vote. It even seemed to be encouraging workers to vote for the union, saying it hoped to set up a "works council" to improve productivity at the plant.

VW, which has German union members on its board, uses works councils at most of its plants worldwide. But U.S. labor law makes such councils difficult without an independent union in place

But Corker, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and other leading Republican elected officials suggested that if the union won the organizing election it would scare away other companies looking at opening factories in the state, where unions are relatively rare. There were even threats that the state would deny VW $300 million in tax breaks it is seeking to expand the plant if the union won the vote.

The UAW says it will ask Congress to examine the use of federal funds in the state's incentives threat.

"Frankly, Congress is a more effective venue for publicly examining the now well-documented threat," King said.

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Chaison said it could cause problems for the UAW and other unions should the NLRB rule politicians can't weigh in on labor disputes such as organizing efforts or strikes.

"If opponents of the union can be told to refrain from interfering, friends of the union can be told the same thing," he said. "Chattanooga is an unusual place for unions to or! ganize. M! ost of the places where unions would organize -- places like New York, Las Vegas or Detroit -- politicians would stand in line to support a union. That would provide ammunition to employers to object if they lost an organizing vote."

Opponents of the union say the workers decided on their own that they didn't want or need the union. Workers at the VW plant make roughly $19 an hour, compared with about $26 to $28 an hour for veteran hourly workers at the Detroit automakers, although new hires at the unionized plants are making closer to $17.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Why the Dow Will Close Higher

Blue-chip stocks are making up at least some of the ground lost over the last few weeks, thanks to better-than-expected data on durable-goods orders and home sales. With roughly an hour left in the trading session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI ) is up by 107 points, or 0.73%.

A bevy of reports from the housing sector seems to be the clear impetus for investors' optimism. The Federal Housing Finance Agency released statistics (link opens PDF) this morning showing that home prices around the country rose by 0.7% in April over the preceding month and 7.4% from the same month last year. The direction of home prices was confirmed by a separate Standard & Poor's report (link opens PDF) that estimated sequential and annual increases of 2.5% and 12.1%, respectively.

According to an economist quoted by Bloomberg News: "Housing's doing really well and I don't think the backup in mortgage rates to date is going to derail it. We're still well off the highs, but price increases could continue for the next several years."

Furthermore, the Department of Commerce today released its estimate (link opens PDF) for new-home sales in the month of May. The data showed that sales of new single-family houses came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 476,000 last month. That's 2.1% better than the revised rate for April and a staggering 29% higher than May of 2012.

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And if this weren't enough, the nation's third-largest homebuilder by unit sales, Lennar (NYSE: LEN ) , released earnings for its fiscal second quarter. Thanks in large part to the preceding trends, Lennar had a good quarter: Among other things, its year-over-year deliveries of new homes surged by 39%, new orders rose by 27%, and its backlog spiked 55%.

As CEO Stuart Miller observed, "Against the backdrop of recent investor concerns over mortgage rate increases, we believe that our second quarter results together with real time feedback from our field associates continue to point toward a solid housing recovery."

On a separate economic front, the Department of Commerce reported (link opens PDF) this morning that new orders for manufactured economic goods -- an important economic gauge -- increased last month by 3.6% over April. And the Commerce Board said its index of consumer confidence rose to 81.4 this month from a reading of 74.3 in May. The measure is now at its highest level since January of 2008.

With all this data in mind, it's little surprise that stocks are reclaiming lost ground today. At present, 27 of the Dow's 30 components are in the green, with only Microsoft, Merck, and UnitedHealth Group down.

The best-performing component is Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) , the nation's second-largest bank by assets. B of A's performance, as well as that of other banks, is tied in large part to the health of the housing market. Higher home prices increase the value of collateral and reduce delinquency and foreclosure rates. And higher new-home sales boost mortgage-underwriting activity -- a lucrative source of non-interest income for most banks. At present, shares of Bank of America are up by 3%.

Meanwhile, one of the worst-performing stocks in the broader market today is Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS ) , down more than 17%. The ailing bookseller announced its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings today, revealing just how much trouble it's in. Revenue in its Nook division fell by 34% for the quarter, while same-store sales dropped 8.8%. In response, the company said it will stop producing the tablet versions of its Nook product line.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Does This Pipeline Promise Tomorrow's Blockbuster Sales?

Nearly every big pharma player has been hit with patent expirations that have hit hard on sales lately, and Merck (NYSE: MRK ) is no exception. Merck's one of the industry's biggest giants, but the loss of patent protection on former top blockbuster drug Singulair and other leading medications has threatened this company's future. While leading drugs such as Januvia are holding up Merck's foundation, the company's pipeline will make or break its long-term success.

Just how strong is Merck's pipeline? Let's take a look at this firm's portfolio of developmental drugs and see what investors should think of Merck's potential.

No shortage of drug candidates
Merck's pipeline isn't lacking for quantity. The company currently has six drugs and indications under review for regulatory approval, with 15 more therapies undergoing phase 3 trials as of May 6. Those 21 drugs in total match up well with some of the top pipelines in the business. As a comparison, Pfizer (NYSE: PFE ) , whose pipeline I've singled out for praise in the past, currently has six drugs undergoing regulatory review and 16 therapies in phase 3 trials as of May 9. Pfizer's future looks strong with its robust pipeline that boasts 74 total drugs in development, and at least in late-stage candidates, Merck looks strong as well, with another 23 therapies in phase 2 development.

However, it's the quality, not the quantity, of the pipeline that matters.

Insomnia aid suvorexant and osteoporosis drug odanacatib remain two of Merck's most promising drugs in its late-stage pipeline. Suvorexant's on track for approval soon, particularly after a Food and Drug Administration panel gave a thumbs-up to the drug's safety and efficacy in May. Still, don't get too carried away with this drug's potential. Suvorexant might not even hit blockbuster potential, as average analyst estimates peg its peak sales at just $650 million by 2018. That won't be enough to replace the more thanthe $1.6 billion Singulair alone lost in 2012.

Analysts give more weight to odanacatib's potential, but this drug has hit hurdles of its own recently. Merck earlier delayed its expected filing for odanacatib's approval until 2014, and while peak sales estimates are optimistic -- analysts say the drug could hit up to $3 billion in peak sales -- investors will have to be patient with this therapy.

Odanacatib has competition as well. Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN ) has its own bone therapy drugs, Prolia and Xgeva, each of which are expected to succeed. Morningstar in May said that it expects Amgen's osteoporosis and fracture-preventing drugs, respectively, to generate more than $3 billion in peak sales. There's an opportunity for odanacatib to thrive alongside Amgen's two drugs, but competition for the top spot in this niche will be a battle to watch.

Singulair and odanacatib aren't Merck's only drugs in the pipeline. Hepatitis-C therapy vaneprevir is an early phase 3 candidate to watch, and the drug performed well in its phase 2 trial efficacy. Considering that hep-C affects more than 150 million people across the globe, with a market for new medications estimated at $20 billion by Bloomberg, an approval here could be a big win for Merck. Don't expect vaneprevir to reach the regulatory approval stage any time soon, however.

Atherosclerosis treatment and cardiovascular therapy anacetrapib is another promising candidate to watch. The drug's a successor in a long line of developmental drugs to promote HDL cholesterol -- many of which have flamed out -- but Merck pushes on. Anacetrapib's a long shot, but if the drug pans out, it could be a multibillion-dollar blockbuster for Merck. It's currently in phase 3 trials, and Merck investors will likely have a long time to wait on this candidate.

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Even this faces competition, however. Sanofi (NYSE: SNY ) and Regeneron's (NASDAQ: REGN ) competing LDL cholesterol-reducing therapy REGN727 launched phase 3 trials last year, and while the drug likely will see a long wait for results, some analysts are optimistic about its potential. Peak sales estimates range from $2.5 billion to $6 billion -- no chump change for sure -- and Sanofi's hoping the drug can clear regulators by 2015 in time to beat Merck's and other competing therapies to the market.

Is all this enough for Merck to beat back patent loss-related sales? Current leading drugs should help, as diabetes-fighting Januvia and Janumet continue to fortify Merck's revenue, and other leaders such as Gardasil have grown strongly in recent years despite exceeding blockbuster status. Still, you'll need to keep an eye on Merck's pipeline. While this company has plenty of drugs and indications under development, it'll have to hit on promising potential blockbusters like odanacatib and anacetrapib in order to stabilize Merck's future. Anything less, and the patent cliff could be a much bigger worry than expected.

Can Merck beat the patent cliff?
This titan of the pharmaceutical industry stumbled into 2013 and continues to battle patent expirations and pipeline problems. Is Merck still a solid dividend play, or should investors be looking elsewhere? In a new premium research report on Merck, The Fool tackles all of the company's moving parts, its major market opportunities, and reasons to both buy and sell. To find out more click here to claim your copy today.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

PepsiCo 1Q Jumps on Snack Sales, Cost Cuts

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PepsiCo Products Ahead Of Earnings Data Susana Gonzalez/Bloomberg via Getty Images PepsiCo (PEP) reported a stronger-than-expected first-quarter profit as the company slashed costs and sold more snacks around the world. The company, which makes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Mountain Dew and Tropicana, said global snack volume rose 2 percent while beverages were even from a year ago. Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said on CNBC that the results show the company's snack and beverage units are "really performing terrifically" together. Johnston compared the combination to peanut butter and jelly, saying that "snacks and beverages are bought together 55 percent of the time." His comments seemed to address ongoing calls by activist investor Nelson Peltz of Trian Fund Management for PepsiCo to split up the two units. Peltz says the company's stronger snack unit is being overshadowed by the underperforming beverage unit, which has long trailed Coca-Cola. PepsiCo has steadfastly rejected the suggestion. In its closely watched North American beverage unit, PepsiCo said volume was even for the quarter ended March 22. A 1 percent decline in sodas was offset by growth in other drinks. Core revenue rose as the company raised prices. For its Frito-Lay North America unit, volume rose 3 percent. In Europe, snack and beverage volume each rose by 3 percent. In the unit encompassing Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the company said revenue growth was driven by higher snack volume. For the quarter, the company earned $1.22 billion, or 79 cents a share. Not including one-time items, it earned 83 cents a share, above the 75 cents a share Wall Street expected. A year ago, it earned $1.08 billion, or 69 cents a share. Revenue edged up to $12.62 billion, higher than the $12.39 billion analysts expected. PepsiCo, based in Purchase, N.Y., stood by its outlook for the year. It expects adjusted earnings per share to grow by 7 percent.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

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3 Stocks Near 52-Week Highs Worth Selling

The markets may have plunged yesterday on concerns that the Federal Reserve may soon pare back its $85 billion monthly bond-buying program, but you could hardly tell with new 52-week highs still outpacing new 52-week lows by a margin of three to two. For skeptics like me, that's an opportunity to see whether companies have earned their current valuations.

Keep in mind that some companies deserve their current valuations. Allegiant Travel (NASDAQ: ALGT ) , for example, is creating cash flow hand over fist by luring in passengers with low ticket fees and then utilizing hefty optional fees such as on checked baggage, carry-on baggage, and food, which are almost pure margin plays, to add to its bottom line. The beauty of Allegiant's model is that many of these ancillary fees are purchased online or at electronic points of sale, meaning few employee costs.

Still, other companies might deserve a kick in the pants. Here's a look at three companies that could be worth selling.

Where's the beef, DexCom?
Sometimes a company's products make a lot of sense on paper, but the practical application doesn't go nearly as smoothly. This is how I'd describe medical monitoring device maker DexCom (NASDAQ: DXCM ) , which has an array of glucose monitoring devices to help diabetes patients better manage their disease. Make no mistake about it; the number of diabetes diagnoses in this country is rising in accord with our obesity rate. Therefore, a company like DexCom, which makes the DexCom G4 System monitor, could be a big hit, and certainly has a wide enough audience to cater to.

The key word here, though, is "could," as the practical application of DexCom's monitoring devices hasn't resulted in profits for DexCom. In the first quarter, DexCom did report robust product sale growth of 49%, but only squeaked by Wall Street's expectations with a loss of $0.16 per share. It does have solid partnerships in place, but it could be two or more years before it even turns a quarterly profit with investment in R&D taking up such a large slice of its available cash.

Another key point to note here is that competition among glucose monitoring devices is fierce. DexCom is likely going to have to spend through the nose in advertising just to differentiate its product from the rest of the field, further delaying its profitability.

Until DexCom can pull itself out of the red, I'd suggest monitoring a different company in the glucose monitoring industry.

Anything but smoothie
Fruit smoothie and juice maker Jamba (NASDAQ: JMBA ) recently completed a 1-for-5 reverse split to make its share price more attractive to more risk-averse investors and Wall Street institutions. However, no amount of cosmetic changes is enough to hide the lack of progress at Jamba over the past six years.

Call it Krispy Kreme syndrome or Starbucks envy, but Jamba fell under the same spell of success that many posh drink and doughnut makers did in the mid-2000s and expanded willy-nilly. Unfortunately for Jamba, it simply assumed that having more stores would lead to big profits and everything would work itself out in the end. Needless to say, "cross your fingers economics" hasn't worked out too well for Jamba. It's closed stores and cut jobs in order to reduce costs, yet it hasn't turned an annual profit since 2005.

The more troubling aspect I find with Jamba is its expansion plans, which call for 125 new stores in California. That's right, an additional 125 stores, all clustered in one state where it already operates. Not only is it planning to add to its network of locations, but it's doing so in a market where sales are essentially flat!

If Jamba can somehow encourage more people to drink its products from a health perspective it might be able to build its brand image faster. However, Starbucks has pretty much written the book on building a brand and has courted many of the organic and natural-food seekers in the juice and drink market with numerous partnerships. Unless Jamba has something magical up its sleeve, I'm not sure it will ever push its way out of being a middle-of-the-pack kind of chain.

Furnishing fantasies
Home furnishings company Restoration Hardware (NYSE: RH ) has certainly come a long way from where it was just a few years ago. Back then it was deep in the red, riding excess levels of inventory, and discounting everything in sight just to keep the hamster wheel turning. Now, with the company focused on a higher-end customer and better quality merchandise, Restoration Hardware is slowly trickling back into the black.

The concern I have is that this is still a very fragile housing recovery, and Restoration Hardware is hardly racking up the big bucks -- yet its share price has practically doubled since its IPO less than a year ago.

In May, the company boosted its first-quarter EPS guidance to a profit of $0.02-$0.04 from a previous expectation of breakeven results to a $0.01 per share loss. It cited lower inventory and better customer response to its product line as the impetus for its upped guidance. As for me, I'm flabbergasted that a minor bump higher in EPS and a $15 million (about 5%) boost in sales is enough to cause the stock to effectively double!

As soon as the Federal Reserve pares back its bond-buying program, you can expect mortgage rates to tick slightly higher and, I suspect, mortgage applications to dry up. Restoration Hardware's business relies on a strong housing market to drive its bottom line. With the company barely on the cusp of profitability, now is not the time to be diving headfirst into a company still in the process of completing a turnaround and trading at a whopping 34 times next year's earnings.

Foolish roundup
Yet again, history has told me pretty much everything I need to know about these three companies. With a long history of losses and an ongoing restructuring at Jamba and Restoration Hardware, the chance of these stocks seeing big bottom-line gains and maintaining them for an extended period of time seems slim to me.

I'm so confident in my three calls that I plan to make a CAPScall of underperform on each one. The question is: Would you do the same?

Top Food Stocks To Own Right Now

One company near its 52-week high that could head higher
The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock it is in the special free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

10 Best Trucking Stocks To Buy For 2014

10 Best Trucking Stocks To Buy For 2014: DST Systems Inc. (DST)

DST Systems, Inc. provides information processing and software services and products. The company operates in two segments, Financial Services and Customer Communications. The Financial Services segment offers various solutions primarily to the asset management, brokerage, retirement, insurance, and healthcare industries. It provides proprietary software systems, including shareowner recordkeeping and distribution support systems for the United States and international mutual fund companies, broker/dealers, and financial advisors; and a defined-contribution participant recordkeeping system for the United States retirement plan market. This segment also offers investment management systems for the United States and international investment managers and fund accountants; a business process management and customer contact system for various industries; and medical and pharmacy claims administration processing systems and services for providers of healthcare plans, third party administrators, medical practice groups, and pharmacy benefit managers. The Customer Communications Segment helps businesses deploy customer communications while improving operational performance across critical business functions, such as sales, marketing, customer service, technology, finance, operations, and compliance. This segment helps clients deliver information in the desired combination of print, digital, and archival formats. Its product offering combines data insights and analysis with business decision-making tools, and multi-channel execution and delivery designed to help businesses acquire, grow, retain, and win back customers. The company also owns and operates real estate properties, as well as has investments in equity securities, private equity funds, and other financial interests. It has operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Austra! lia, and internationally. DST Systems, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri.< /p> Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rich Duprey]
Data center operator DST Systems (NYSE: DST ) will pay a second-quarter dividend of $0.30 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter after switching from a semiannual payout schedule to a quarterly one, the company announced yesterday.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/10-best-trucking-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Why You Never Learn From Your Investment Mistakes

Study successful investors, and you'll notice a common denominator: They are masters of psychology. They can't control the market, but they have complete control over the gray matter between their ears.

And lucky them. Most of us, on the other hand, are mental catastrophes. As investor Barry Ritholtz once put it:

You're a monkey. It all comes down to that. You are a slightly clever, pants-wearing primate. If you forget that you're nothing more than a monkey who has been fashioned by eons on the plains, being chased by tigers, you shouldn't invest. You have to be aware of how your own psychology affects what you do.

Take one of the most powerful theories in behavior psychology: cognitive dissonance. It's the term psychologists use for the uncomfortable feeling you get when having two conflicting thoughts at the same time. "Smoking is bad for me. I'm going to go smoke." That's cognitive dissonance.

We hate cognitive dissonance, and jump through hoops to reduce it. The easiest way to reduce it is to engage in mental gymnastics that justifies behavior we know is wrong. "I had a stressful day and I deserve a cigarette." Now you can smoke guilt-free. Problem solved.

Humans are one of the only creatures that engage in this self-deluding behavior. In their excellent book Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson write:

A dog may appear contrite for having been caught peeing on the carpet, but she will not try to think up justifications for her misbehavior. Humans think; and because we think, dissonance theory demonstrated that our behavior transcends the effects of rewards and punishment and often contradicts them.

Yes, when it comes to learning from bad behavior, you are at a disadvantage to an incontinent puppy.

Cognitive dissonance is especially toxic in the emotional cesspool that is managing money. Raise your hand if this is you:

You criticize Wall Street for being a casino while checking your portfolio twice a day. You sold your stocks in 2009 because the Fed was printing money. When stocks doubled in value soon after, you blamed it on the Fed printing money. You put $1,000 on a hyped penny stock your brother convinced you is the next Facebook. After losing everything, you tell yourself you were just investing for the entertainment. You call the government irresponsible for running a deficit while simultaneously saddling yourself with an unaffordable mortgage. You buy a stock only because you think it's cheap. When you realize you were wrong, you decide to hold it because you like the company's customer service.

Almost all of us do something similar with our money. We have to believe our decisions make sense. So when faced with a situation that doesn't make sense, we fool ourselves into believing something else.

Worse, another bias -- confirmation bias -- causes us to bond with people whose self-delusions look like our own. Those who missed the rally of the last four years are more likely to listen to analysts who forecast another crash. Investors who feel burned by the Fed visit websites that share the same view. Bears listen to fellow bears; bulls listen to fellow bulls.

Before long, you've got a trifecta of failure: You make a bad decision, rationalize it by fighting cognitive dissonance, and reinforce it with confirmation bias. No wonder the average investor does so poorly.

Great investors are different. They are practically allergic to these biases.

Value investor Mohnish Pabrai has an outstanding long-term track record, but he spends an inordinate amount of time analyzing his mistakes.

In an interview last year, Pabrai told me about his response to 2008, when he (and nearly everyone else) lost a lot of money. Rather than rationalizing his poor performance by blaming Wall Street, he set out to learn from what were, after all, his investment decisions. "I clearly studied my own mistakes, and I went back systematically and documented why we lost money on these different investments," he said. Studying his mistakes eventually led to a checklist Pabrai now consults before making new investments. "The checklist significantly brought down the error rate," he said.

Most investors don't think like this. Which is why Pabrai outperforms most investors.

Billionaire Ray Dalio is similar. His hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, has a policy that every employee must always speak their mind, even if it means telling a superior they're wrong.

"Successful people ask for the criticism of others and consider its merit," Dalio writes in his employee handbook. "Remember that your goal is to find the best answer, not to give the best one you have."

Most investors don't do this. They assume their opinion (or the opinion of those who agree with them) must be right, and will delude themselves into justifying a belief when shown opposing facts. Dalio doesn't put up with this behavior -- which is part of why he's a billionaire, and you and I are not.

"The brain is designed with blind spots," Tavris and Aronson write, "and one of its cleverest tricks is to confer on us the comforting delusion that we, personally, do not have any." Alas, you do. And they're preventing you from becoming a better investor. Fight them as hard as you can.

Check back every Tuesday and Friday for Morgan Housel's columns on finance and economics.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Why I Would Buy PPG Industries

5 Best Construction Stocks To Own Right Now

PPG Industries Inc. (PPG) is a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, glass and fiber glass.

In this article, I'll take a look at this company and try to explain to investors the reasons this is an apparently appealing investment.

Diversified Business

PPG Industries derived nearly a third of its revenues from emerging markets. In 2012, Sales in Latin America, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa accounted for 27% of the total. Growth in these fast growing regions minimizes the risks associated with a specific geographical region, lowering the impact of economic headwinds faced by in a particular region or market.

Strategic Acquisitions

In January 2013, PPG has completed the sale of its $2.5 billion commodity chemicals business to Georgia Gulf. The agreement resulted in the formation of a new company that was renamed Axiall Corp. On April 2013, PPG finalized the acquisition of the North American architectural coatings business of Akzo Nobel N.V., Amsterdam, for $1.05 billion. This was the second-largest acquisition in the company's history with expected synergies at around $200 million within the first three years. The deal will extend PPG's architectural coatings business in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Product offerings are now available in more than 15,000 outlets across North America. Moreover, PPG Industries has acquired specific assets of privately-held specialty coatings company Deft Incorporated. The acquisition enhances the coatings capabilities of PPG's aerospace business.

Dividend & Share Repurchases

Looking at the financials, the company has a strong balance sheet: good cash that allows the company to hike its dividend payout to $0.61 per share ($2.44 per share annualized), reflecting a dividend yield of 1.28%. Furthermore, last year the company repurchased up to $1 billion of the company's common stock.

Analyst Recommendation

The firm is currently Zacks Rank # 3–Hold, and it also has a longer-term recommendation of "Neutral". A Hold rating indicates that the stock, over the next 1 to 3 months, will perform at an annualized rate of 10.56%, very similar to the S&P 500. For investors looking for a Zacks Rank # 1–Strong Buy, Methanex Corporation (MEOH) could be the option.

Relative Valuation, Earnings and ROE

In terms of valuation, the stock sells at a trailing P/E of 8.8x, trading at a discount compared to the industry mean. Earnings per share (EPS) has increased by 44.71% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago, $1.78 per share for the fourth quarter. In the next graph we include the stock price because EPS often lead the stock price movement. As we can appreciate in the chart, the price performance as well as EPS had an upward trend over the last five years.

Finally, I always like to see one of the most important financial ratios applying to stockholders, the best measure of performance for a firm's management: the return on equity. The ratio has increased from the same quarter one year prior. This is a clear sign of strenght within the company.

Let´s compare the current ratio with the peer group in the next table:

Ticker	Company Name	ROE (%)
PPG	PPG Industries Inc.	65.51
MEOH	Methanex Corporation	19.86
AIQUY	Air Liquide SA	15.41
AKZOY	Akzo Nobel NV	-29.48
CBT	Cabot Corporation	7.84
CE	Celanese Corporation	21.5
HUN	Huntsman Corporation	6.46
KRO	Kronos Worldwide, Inc	-10.91
OLN	Olin Corporation	16.22

The company has an extremely good ratio of 65.51% which is higher than the ones registered by all others comps.

Final Comment

The company aims to achieve more consistent earnings growth by improving its mix of businesses through expanding its international markets and strategic acquisitions. Additionally, the company has a rich history of raising dividends, 42 years of dividend increase. For these reasons, I feel bullish on PPG Industries.

I would recommend investors to consider adding the stock for their long-term portfolios. Hedge fund gurus have also been active in the company in the fourth quarter of 2013. Gurus like Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio), Ray Dalio (Trades, Portfolio), Steven Cohen (Trades, Portfolio) and Paul Tudor Jones (Trades, Portfolio) have taken long positions on it.

Disclosure: Victor Selva holds no position in any stocks mentioned.

Also check out: Mario Gabelli Undervalued Stocks Mario Gabelli Top Growth Companies Mario Gabelli High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Mario Gabelli keeps buying Paul Tudor Jones Undervalued Stocks Paul Tudor Jones Top Growth Companies Paul Tudor Jones High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Paul Tudor Jones keeps buying

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