Against the current economic and fiscal backdrop, the most prudent course of action is to focus on large-cap consumer and information technology stocks that are less vulnerable to unexpected political shocks and the market�� ups-and-downs.
However, investors worried about the contractionary effects of ��equestration��don�� have to sit on the sidelines. They can take a defensive stance and still enjoy growth.
Accordingly, our latest ��est Buy��is Home Depot (HD), from the Growth Portfolio�� consumer discretionary sleeve. The stock is a timely play on rising home prices and the pick-up in construction activity.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: MakeMyTrip Limited(MMYT)
MakeMyTrip Limited, an online travel company, provides travel products and solutions in India and the United States. Its products and services include air tickets, hotels, packages, rail tickets, bus tickets, car hire, and ancillary travel requirements, such as travel insurance and visa processing. The company, through its Website, makemytrip.com, allow travelers to research, plan, and book a range of travel services and products in India and internationally. MakeMyTrip Limited also provides its products and services through other technology-enhanced distribution channels, such as call centers, travel stores, and travel agents? network. Its customers comprise leisure travelers and small businesses. The company was formerly known as International Web Travel Private Limited and changed its name to MakeMyTrip Limited in April 2010. MakeMyTrip Limited was founded in 2000 and is based in Gurgaon, India.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: Cadence Design Systems Inc (CDNS.O)
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Cadence) develops electronic design automation (EDA), software, hardware, and silicon intellectual property (IP). Cadence licenses software and IP, sells or leases hardware technology and provides engineering and education services worldwide to help manage and accelerate electronics product development processes. The Company�� customers use its products and services to design and develop complex integrated circuits (ICs) and electronics systems. The Company combines its products and technologies into platforms for four design activities: Functional Verification; Digital IC Design and Implementation; Custom IC Design and Verification, and System Interconnect Design. It sells software using three license types: subscription, term and perpetual. It also offers a number of fee-based services, including engineering and education services. In June 2010, Cadence acquired Denali Software, Inc. (Denali). In May 2011, it acquired Altos Design Autom ation, Inc. On July 11, 2011, the Company acquired Azuro, Inc. In July 2012, the Company acquired Sigrity, Inc.
The four Cadence design platforms are branded as Incisive functional verification, Encounter digital IC design, Virtuoso custom design and Allegro system interconnect design. In addition, the Company augments these platform product offerings with a set of design for manufacturing (DFM), products that service both the digital and custom IC design flows. These solutions and their constituent elements are marketed to users who specialize in areas, such as system design and verification, functional verification, logic design, digital implementation, custom IC design and printed circuit board (PCB), and IC package / SiP design.
Functional Verification
Cadence�� functional verification offerings consist of two categories: Logic Verification and System Design and Verification. Logic Verification offering consists of planning, pro perty checking, testbench simulation, verification IP, and! e! nvironment capabilities within the Incisive functional verification platform. This offering enables the Company�� customers to employ enterprise-level verification process automation, including metric-driven verification planning, process tracking and management. System Design and Verification offerings consist of hardware-assisted verification with emulation and acceleration, including the verification computing platform Palladium XP, Palladium and Xtreme platforms, system-level design capabilities, verification IP, estimation of system-on-chip (SoC), consulting services, and methodologies. The QuickCycles program allows customers access to its simulation acceleration and emulation products, either on their secure Internet site or remotely over a secure network connection. The products obtained through the acquisition of Denali include verification IP, memory models, and design IP.
Digital IC Design and Implementation
Cadence�� Digital IC offe rings are used by its customers to create logical representations of a digital circuit or IC. The Company�� Digital IC offerings include two categories: Logic Design and Physical Implementation. Logic Design offering consists of formal verification, equivalency checking, synthesis and test capabilities within the Encounter digital IC design platform and property checking, simulation, and environment capabilities within the Incisive functional verification platform. This offering provides chip planning, design, verification and test technologies and services to customers across all digital design end markets. Physical Implementation offering consists of a range of the Encounter digital IC design platform capabilities. The Physical Implementation offering includes timing analysis, signal integrity, power analysis, extraction, physical verification, and place and route capabilities within the Encounter digital IC design platform. It enables the customers to create a physical representation of logic models, analyze electrical and ! physi! ca! l chara! cteristics of a design and prepare a design for manufacturing.
Custom IC Design and Verification
Cadence�� Custom IC Design and Verification offerings are used by its customers to create schematic representations of circuits down to the transistor level for analog, mixed-signal, custom digital, memory and radio frequency (RF) designs. These logical representations are verified using simulation tools optimized for each type of design. The offering includes the environment, IC layout and simulation capabilities within the Virtuoso custom design platform. Other tools in the Custom IC portfolio are used to prepare the designs for manufacturing.
System Interconnect Design
Cadence�� System Interconnect Design offerings are used by its customers to develop printed circuit board (PCBs), and IC packages. The offerings include the capabilities within the Allegro system interconnect design platform: PCB, IC package, SiP, des ign management and collaboration. The Company�� offerings also include the simulation capability within the Virtuoso custom design platform. These offerings enable engineers who are responsible for the capture, layout and analysis of advanced PCB and IC packages to design electronic products across the domains of IC, IC package and PCB. For PCB customers, the Company provides the OrCAD family of offerings that is marketed worldwide through a network of resellers.
The Company competes with Synopsys, Inc., Mentor Graphics Corporation and Magma Design Automation, Inc.
Top Insurance Stocks To Own For 2014: OptimumBank Holdings Inc.(OPHC)
OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for OptimumBank that provides community banking products and services to individuals and corporate customers in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties, Florida. Its deposit products include demand interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing accounts, money market deposit accounts, NOW accounts, and time deposits, as well as direct deposits. The company also provides residential and commercial real estate loans, and consumer loans to individuals and small businesses, and other organizations. In addition, it offers credit cards, cash management, notary services, money orders, night depository, travelers? checks, cashier?s checks, domestic collections, savings bonds, bank drafts, automated teller services, drive-in tellers, and banking by mail services. Further, the company provides Internet banking services. It conducts operations from its Fort Lauderdale headquarters and three branch offices in Fort Lauder dale, Plantation, and Deerfield Beach. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: First Niagara Financial Group Inc.(FNFG)
First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. operates as the holding company for First Niagara Bank, N.A. that provides retail and commercial banking, and other financial services to individuals, families, and businesses. It offers retail deposit accounts, which include savings, negotiable order of withdrawal, checking, money market, and certificate of deposit accounts, as well as provides business savings and checking, money market, cash management accounts, and municipal deposit accounts. The company?s loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate and multi-family loans; commercial business loans; residential real estate loans; home equity loans; and consumer loans consisting of indirect mobile home loans, and personal secured and unsecured loans. It also sells insurance products, including commercial and personal insurance, surety bond, life, disability, and long-term care coverage products. In addition, the company offers risk management consulting services comprising altern ative risk and self-insurance services, claims investigation and adjusting services, and third party administration services for self insured workers? compensation plans. Further, it provides employee benefits plan and compensation consulting services. Additionally, First Niagara Financial Group offers wealth management services that manage client funds utilizing various third party investment vehicles consisting of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and annuities, as well as other investment products, such as individual retirement accounts, education savings plans, and retirement plans. As of December 31, 2010 it operated 257 bank branches, including 115 in Upstate New York and 142 branches in Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1870 and is based in Buffalo, New York.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NAVB)
Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Navidea), formerly Neoprobe Corporation, incorporated in 1983, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of precision diagnostic agents. As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� radiopharmaceutical development programs included Lymphoseek (Lymphoseek, Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m for Injection), a radiopharmaceutical agent for lymph node mapping; AZD4694, an imaging agent, and RIGScan, a tumor antigen-specific targeting agent. In January 2012, the Company executed an option agreement with Alseres Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alseres) to license [123I]-E-IACFT Injection, also called Altropane, an Iodine-123 radiolabeled imaging agent, being developed as an aid in the diagnosis of Parkinson�� disease, movement disorders and dementia. In August 2011, the Company sold its gamma detection device line of business (the GDS Business) to Devicor Medical Products, Inc.
Lymphoseek
Navidea�� pipeline includes clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical agents used to identify the presence and status of disease. Lymphoseek (Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m for Injection) is a lymph node targeting agent intended for use in intraoperative lymphatic mapping (ILM) procedures and lymphoscintigraphy employed in the overall diagnostic assessment of certain solid tumor cancers. The lymph system is a component of the body�� immune system. The key components of the lymph system are lymph nodes-small anatomic structures that contain disease-fighting lymphocytes, filter lymph of bacteria and cancer cells, and signal infection in response to heightened levels of pathogens. In Navidea�� Phase III clinical studies of Lymphoseek, it detected over 99% of positive nodes identified by vital blue dye (VBD). As of December 31, 2011, Navidea, in co-operation with UC, San Diego affiliate (UCSD), completed or initiated five Phase I clinical trials, one multi-center Phase II trial and three multi-center Phase II trials inv! olving Lymphoseek. Two Phase III studies were completed in subjects with breast cancer and melanoma. During the year ended December 31, 2011, data from NEO3-09 were released, which indicated that all primary and secondary endpoints for the study were met. As of December 31, 2011, third Phase III clinical trial for Lymphoseek in subjects with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (NEO3-06) was in progress.
AZD4694
AZD4694 is a Fluorine-18 labeled precision radiopharmaceutical candidate for use in the imaging and evaluation of patients with signs or symptoms of cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). It binds to beta-amyloid deposits in the brain that can then be imaged in positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Amyloid plaque pathology is a required feature of AD and the presence of amyloid pathology is a supportive feature for diagnosis of probable AD. Patients who are negative for amyloid pathology do not have AD. AZD4694 has been studied in several clinical trials. Clinical studies through Phase IIa have included more than 80 patients to date, both suspected AD patients and healthy volunteers. No significant adverse events have been observed. Results suggest that AZD4694 has the ability to image patients quickly and safely with high sensitivity.
RadioImmunoGuided Surgery
As of December 31, 2011, RIGScan had been studied in a number of clinical trials, including Phase III studies. Navidea has conducted two Phase III studies, NEO2-13 and NEO2-14, of RIGScan in patients with primary and metastatic colorectal cancer, respectively. Both studies were multi-institutional involving cancer treatment institutions in the United States, Israel, and the European Union.
The Company competes with Pharmalucence, Eli Lilly, Bayer Schering, General Electric and GE Healthcare.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: Raven Industries Inc.(RAVN)
Raven Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures various products for industrial, agricultural, energy, construction, and military/aerospace markets primarily in North America. It operates in four segments: Applied Technology, Engineered Films, Aerostar, and Electronic Systems. The Applied Technology segment designs, manufactures, sells, and services precision agriculture products and information management tools enabling growers to enhance farm yields. Its products include field computers, application controls, GPS-guidance and assisted-steering systems, automatic boom controls, and yield monitoring planter controls, as well as an integrated real time kinematic and information platform called Slingshot. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, as well as through after market distributors. The Engineered Films segment produces rugged reinforced plastic sheeting for industrial, construction, geomembrane, and agricultural appli cations. It sells plastic sheeting to independent third-party distributors through its sales force. The Aerostar segment sells high-altitude research balloons and tethered aerostats for government and commercial research. It produces military parachutes, uniforms, and protective wear for the U.S. government agencies as a subcontractor; and other sewn and sealed products on a contract basis. The Electronic Systems segment provides electronics manufacturing services for commercial customers. It manufactures assemblies, including avionics, communication, environmental controls, and other products. The company was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: Klondike Gold Corp. (KG.V)
Klondike Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, copper, lead, sullivan type, and zinc deposits. It holds interests in various properties located in British Columbia, Ontario, and Yukon. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: UTStarcom Inc.(UTSI)
UTStarcom Holdings Corp. designs and sells Internet protocol (IP)-based telecommunications infrastructure products to telecommunications service providers and operators worldwide. It provides solutions in IPTV, interactive (iD) TV, Internet TV, and broadband, as well as related installation and maintenance services. It offers multimedia communications products, including RollingStream, an IPTV solution that enables a service provider to deliver broadcast television and on-demand video services to residential and commercial premises over a switched network architecture; mSwitch, a next generation network solution that enables service providers to migrate from existing circuit platforms to a next generation IP-based switch architecture, or to launch new applications in new deployment environments that have no legacy infrastructure; and a personal access system, as well as provides related consulting, technical, project, quality, and maintenance support-level services. The co mpany also provides broadband infrastructure products comprising broadband access products consisting of multi-service access node products; digital subscriber line (DSL) products, such as DSL modems, set-top boxes, and voice over the internet devices for residential and business customers; and gigabit Ethernet passive optical network products, as well as optical transport products, including packet optical transport network products, multi-service transport platform, and resilient packet ring. It sells its products through direct sales, original equipment manufacturers, distributors, resellers, agents, and licensees primarily in China, Japan, India, and other Asian markets; the United States; Latin America; and Europe. The company was formerly known as UTStarcom, Inc. and changed its name to UTStarcom Holdings Corp. in June 2011. UTStarcom Holdings Corp. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: CSG Systems International Inc.(CSGS)
CSG Systems International, Inc. provides business support solutions primarily to the communications industry. Its suite of solutions comprises Advanced Convergent Platform, a billing and customer care, and business optimization platform; Singleview suite, an integrated customer care, billing, and real-time rating and charging solution; Total Service Mediation (TSM) framework supports offline, and real-time mediation requirements, as well as service activation; and Wholesale Business Management (WBM) solution, a wholesale settlement and routing solution that handles various types of traffic consisting of voice, data, and content. The company?s solutions also include customer interaction management solutions that deliver interactive voice, SMS/text, print, email, Web, and fax messages on behalf of clients; analytics and intelligence services suite delivers an approach for enhancing the customer experience, increasing sales opportunities, and optimizing business; and Content Direct solutions, which enable content providers to manage subscriber preferences and offer digital content. It also licenses software products, such as WBM solution, TSM, and Singleview products; and offers professional services to implement these software products. The company also provides its services to financial services, healthcare, utilities, entertainment, and content distribution industries. It operates in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.
Top 10 Defensive Companies To Invest In Right Now: U.S. Bancorp(USB)
U.S. Bancorp, a financial services holding company, provides various banking and financial services in the United States. It generates various deposit products, including checking accounts, savings accounts, money market savings, and time certificates of deposit accounts. The company originates a portfolio of loans comprising commercial loans and lease financing; commercial real estate; residential mortgage; and retail loans consisting of credit cards, retail leasing, home equity and second mortgages, and other retail loans. It also offers wholesale lending, equipment finance, small-ticket leasing, depository, treasury management, capital markets, foreign exchange, and international trade services to middle market, large corporate, commercial real estate, and public sector clients. In addition, U.S. Bancorp provides telebanking and automated teller machine (ATM) services, as well as cash management services. The company, through other subsidiaries, provides trust, private banking, financial advisory, investment management, retail brokerage services, insurance, and custody and fund services; and payment services, including consumer and business credit cards, stored-value cards, debit cards, corporate and purchasing card services, consumer lines of credit, and merchant processing. U.S. Bancorp primarily serves individuals, estates, foundations, business corporations, and charitable organizations. It operates a network of approximately 3,031 banking offices and 5,310 ATMs. The company was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Philip van Doorn]
U.S. Bancorp (USB_) of Minneapolis, for example, recorded a 2012 operating return on average assets (ROA) of 1.62%, according to Thomson Reuters Bank Insight, making it one of the best performers among large-cap banks. This performance was not an aberration, as the company was in the top five for return on average equity among actively traded U.S. bank stocks from the beginning of 2006 through the third quarter of 2012.
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