Top 5 Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Murphy Oil Corp (MUR)

Murphy Oil Corporation, incorporated on June 29, 1964, is a worldwide oil and gas exploration and production company with retail and wholesale gasoline marketing operations in the United States and refining and marketing operations in the United Kingdom. In August 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the spin-off of its United States retail marketing business into an independent public company called Murphy USA Inc.

Murphy's exploration and production activities are subdivided into five geographic segments, including the United States, Canada, Malaysia, the Republic of the Congo and all other countries. Murphy's refining and marketing activities are subdivided into segments for the United States and the United Kingdom.

Exploration and Production

During the year ended December 31, 2012, Murphy's principal exploration and production activities were conducted in the United States by wholly owned Murphy Exploration & Product ion Company - USA (Murphy Expro USA), in Malaysia, Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Suriname, Australia, Brunei, the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Cameroon, Vietnam and Equatorial Guinea by wholly owned Murphy Exploration & Production Company - International (Murphy Expro International) and its subsidiaries, in Western Canada and offshore Eastern Canada by wholly owned Murphy Oil Company Ltd. (MOCL) and its subsidiaries, and in the U.K. North Sea and the Atlantic Margin by wholly owned Murphy Petroleum Limited.

Murphy's crude oil and natural gas liquids production in 2012 was in the United States, Canada, Malaysia, the Republic of the Congo and the United Kingdom; its natural gas was produced and sold in the United States, Canada, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. MOCL owns a 5% undivided interest in Syncrude Canada Ltd. in northern Alberta, one of the producers of synthetic crude oil. Murphy's worldwide crude oil, condensate and na! tural gas liquids production in 2 012, averaged 112,591 barrels per day. The Company's worldwi! de sales volume of natural gas averaged 490 million cubic feet per day in 2012.

In the United States, Murphy primarily has production of oil and/or natural gas from fields in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, in the Eagle Ford Shale area of South Texas and onshore in South Louisiana. The Company produced approximately 26,100 barrels of oil per day and 53 million cubic feet of natural gas per day in the U.S. in 2012. During 2012, approximately 54% of total U.S. hydrocarbon production was produced at fields in the Gulf of Mexico. The Company holds a 60% interest at Medusa in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 538/582, which produced total daily oil and natural gas of about 4,300 barrels and for million cubic feet, respectively, in 2012. At December 31, 2012, the Medusa field had total proved oil and natural gas reserves of approximately 9.2 million barrels and 9.4 billion cubic feet, respectively. Murphy has a 62.5% working interest in the Front Runner field in Green Canyon Bl ocks 338/339. Oil and natural gas production at Front Runner averaged about 3,900 barrels of oil per day and four million cubic feet per day in 2012. The Company also acquired additional working interests in the Thunder Hawk field in Mississippi Canyon Block 734 in 2012 and holds 62.5% of this field. In 2012 oil production from this field averaged 2,800 barrels per day and 1.7 million cubic feet per day and 3.2 million cubic feet per day due to a new well completed in 2012.

The Company is primarily concentrating drilling efforts in the areas of the Eagle Ford where oil is the primary hydrocarbon produced. Totals for 2012 oil and natural gas production in the Eagle Ford area were approximately 13,300 barrels per day and 13 MMCF per day, respectively. On a barrel of oil equivalent basis, Eagle Ford production accounted for 44% of total U.S. production volumes in 2012. At December 31, 2012, the Company's proved reserves in th! e Eagle F! ord Shale area totaled 113.6 mi llion barrels of oil and 108.7 billion cubic feet of natural! gas. Tot! al proved U.S. oil and natural gas reserves at December 31, 2012 were 142.6 million barrels and 209.7 billion cubic feet, respectively. The Company is developing the Dalmatian field located in DeSoto Canyon Blocks 4 and 48 in the Gulf of Mexico.

In Canada, the Company owns an interest in three non-operated assets - the Hibernia and Terra Nova fields offshore Newfoundland in the Jeanne d'Arc Basin and Syncrude Canada Ltd. in northern Alberta. In addition, the Company owns interests in one heavy oil area, two natural gas areas and light oil prospective acreage in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). Murphy has a 6.5% working interest in Hibernia, while at Terra Nova the Company's working interest is 10.475%. Oil production in 2012 was about 5,300 barrels of oil per day at Hibernia and 1,700 barrels per day at Terra Nova. Total proved oil reserves at December 31, 2012 at Hibernia and Terra Nova were approximately 10.6 million barrels and 5.9 million barre ls, respectively.

Murphy owns a 5% undivided interest in Syncrude Canada Ltd., a joint venture located about 25 miles north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Syncrude utilizes its assets, which include three coking units, to extract bitumen from oil sand deposits and to upgrade this bitumen into a synthetic crude oil. Production in 2012 was about 13,800 barrels of synthetic crude oil per day. Total proved reserves for Syncrude at year-end 2012 were 119.1 million barrels. Daily production in 2012 in the WCSB averaged about 7,500 barrels of mostly heavy oil and about 217 million cubic feet of natural gas. Through 2012, the Company has acquired approximately 144 thousand net acres of mineral rights in the Montney area, including Tupper and Tupper West.

In Malaysia, the Company has majority interests in six separate production sharing contracts (PSCs). The Company serves as the operator of all these areas other! than the! Kakap field. The production sharing cont racts cover approximately 2.79 million gross acres. Murphy h! as an 85%! interest in discoveries made in two shallow-water blocks, SK 309 and SK 311, offshore Sarawak. About 7,400 barrels of oil per day were produced in 2012 at Blocks SK 309/311, with almost 75% of this at the West Patricia field and the remainder mostly associated with gas liquids produced at other Sarawak fields. Total net natural gas sales volume offshore Sarawak was about 174 million cubic feet per day during 2012 . Total proved reserves of oil and natural gas at December 31, 2012 for Blocks SK 309/311 were 10.3 million barrels and 284.7 billion cubic feet, respectively.

The Company made a discovery at the Kikeh field in deepwater Block K, offshore Sabah, Malaysia. Total gross acreage held by the Company in Block K as of December 31, 2012 was 80,000 acres. Production volumes at Kikeh averaged 44,900 barrels of oil per day during 2012. Total proved reserves booked in Block K as of year-end 2012 were 85.4 million barrels of oil and 72.9 billion cubic feet of natur al gas.Total proved reserves booked in Block K in 2012, were 85.4 million barrels of oil and 72.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Total gross acreage held by the Company at year-end 2012 in Block H was 1.40 million acres. Murphy has a 75% interest in gas holding agreements for Kenarong and Pertang discoveries made in Block PM 311, located offshore peninsular Malaysia.

The Company had interests in Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) covering two offshore blocks in Republic of the Congo - Mer Profonde Sud (MPS) and Mer Profonde Nord (MPN) during 2012. These interests covered approximately 1.33 million gross acres with water depths ranging from 490 to 6,900 feet, and the Company operated both blocks. Total oil production in 2012 averaged 2,100 barrels per day at Azurite for the Company's 50% interest. Anticipated production in 2013 is 1,500 barrels per day.

The Company holds six exploratio! n permits! in Australia and serves as operator of four of the m. Block NT/P80 in the Bonaparte Basin, offshore northwester! n Austral! ia, was acquired in June 2009 and covers approximately 1.20 million gross acres. In May 2012, Murphy was awarded permit WA-476-P in the Carnarvon Basin, offshore Western Australia. The Company holds 100% working interest in the permit which covers 177,000 gross acres. In August 2012, Murphy was awarded permit WA-481-P in the Perth Basin, offshore Western Australia. The permit covers approximately 4.30 million gross acres, with water depths ranging from 20 to 300 meters. The Company holds a 40% working interest. The work commitment calls for tw0- dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) seismic acquisition and processing, geophysical work and three exploration wells. In November 2012, Murphy acquired a 20% non-operated working interest in permit WA-408-P in the Browse Basin. This block is adjacent to AC/P36 and is in the midst of a two-well exploration campaign. The permit comprises approximately 417,000 gross acres.

The Company has interests in four explorati on licenses in Indonesia and serves as operator of all these concessions. . Following contractually mandated acreage relinquishment in 2012, the block covers approximately 745 thousand gross acres. The Company has a 28.3% interest in the block which covers about 543 thousand gross acres after a required partial relinquishment of acreage during 2012. The permit calls for a 3D seismic program and three exploration wells. Murphy has a 100% interest in the block which covers 1.22 million gross acres. In November 2012, the Company signed a production sharing contract with Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group and PetroVietnam Exploration Production Company, whereby it acquired 65% interest and operatorship of Blocks 144 and 145. The blocks cover approximately 4.42 million gross acres and are located in the outer Phu Khanh Basin. In late 2012, the Company was granted Vietnam's government approval to acquire a 60% w! orking in! terest and operatorship of Block 11-2/11.

The Co mpany operates and holds a 50% interest in the block. The Ce! ntral Doh! uk block covers approximately 153 thousand gross acres and is located in the Dohuk area of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. The Company shot seismic in 2011 and drilled an unsuccessful exploration well in 2012.The Company acquired a 100% working interest and operatorship of Block 48 offshore Suriname. The block encompasses 794 thousand gross acres with water depths ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 meters. Murphy relinquished Block 37 in July 2012.

Murphy was granted government approval to acquire a 50% working interest and operatorship of the NTEM concession. The working interest was acquired from Sterling Cameroon Limited (Sterling) via a farm-out agreement of the existing production sharing contract. Sterling retained a 50% non-operated interest in the block. The NTEM block, situated in the Douala Basin offshore Cameroon, encompasses 573 thousand gross acres, with water depths ranging from 300 to 1,900 meters. In October 2012, Murphy signed an agreement with Perenco C ameroon to acquire a 50% interest in the Elombo production sharing contract, immediately adjacent to the NTEM concession. The Company received government approval to acquire the acreage in December 2012. Perenco retained a 50% operating interest in the block. The Elombo block, situated in the Douala Basin offshore Cameroon, between the shoreline and the NTEM block, encompasses 594 thousand gross acres with water depths ranging up to 1,100 meters.

In December 2012, Murphy signed a production sharing contract for block W offshore Equatorial Guinea. Murphy has a 45% working interest and has been designated the operator. The government is expected to ratify the contract early in 2013. The block is located offshore mainland Equatorial Guinea and encompasses 557 thousand gross acres with water depths ranging from 60 to 2,000 meters. The initial exploration period of five years is divided i! nto two s! ub-periods, a sub-period of three years and a second sub-period of two years. The sub-period may be extended one year and with this! extensio! n is the obligation to drill one well. Murphy has produced oil and natural gas in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea for many years. In 2012, Murphy entered into several contracts to sell all of its oil and gas properties in the United Kingdom.

Murphy's total proved undeveloped reserves at December 31, 2012 increased 42.0 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE) from a year earlier. Approximately 44.0 MMBOE of proved undeveloped reserves were converted to proved developed reserves during 2012. During 2012, there were 26.6 million barrels of oil per day of positive revisions for proved undeveloped reserves. At December 31, 2012, proved reserves are included for several development projects that are ongoing, including natural gas developments at the Tupper West area in British Columbia and offshore Sarawak Malaysia, and an oil development at Kakap, offshore Sabah Malaysia. Total proved undeveloped reserves associated with various development projects at December 31, 2012 were approximately 219 million barrels of oil per day, which is 36% of the Company's total proved reserves.

Murphy Oil USA, Inc. (MOUSA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corporation and markets its refined products through a network of Company stations, unbranded wholesale customers and bulk products customers in a 30-state area, primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States. Murphy's Company stations are located in 23 states and are primarily located in the parking lots of Walmart Supercenters using the brand name Murphy USA. The Company stations also include stand-alone locations using the Murphy Express brand. During 2012, Company stations sold over 3.8 billion gallons of motor fuel. At December 31, 2012, the Company marketed fuel and convenience merchandise through 1,165 Company stations. Of these Company stations, 1,015 are located on! parking ! lots of Walmart Supercenters or other Walmart stores and 150 are stand-alone Murp hy Express locations.

The Company owns land und! erlying 9! 08 of the Company stations on Walmart parking lots. No rent is payable to Walmart for the owned locations. For the remaining 104 Company stations located on Walmart property that are not owned, Murphy has master agreements that allow the Company to rent land from Walmart. The master agreements contain general terms applicable to all rental sites on Walmart property in the United States. In addition to the motor fuel sold at the Company's Company stations, its stores carry a broad selection of snacks, beverages, tobacco products, and other non-food merchandise. The Company's merchandise offerings include two private label products, an isotonic drink offered in several flavors and a private label energy drink. In 2012, the Company purchased more than 88% of its merchandise from a single vendor, McLane's Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

Murphy owns an interest in a crude oil pipeline that connects storage at the Louisiana Offshor e Oil Port (LOOP) at Clovelly, Louisiana, to the formerly owned Meraux refinery. Murphy owns a 40.1% interest in its 22 miles of this pipeline from Clovelly to Alliance, Louisiana, and 100% of the remaining 24 miles from Alliance to Meraux. Murco Petroleum Limited (Murco), a wholly owned U.K. subsidiary, owns 100% interest in a refinery at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The refinery is located on a 938 acre site owned by the Company; 430 acres are used by the refinery and the remainder is rented for agricultural use. The refinery consistently performed near nameplate capacity during 2012. Murphy has announced its intention to sell the Milford Haven refinery and United Kingdom marketing assets.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Joshua Bondy]

  Murphy Oil (NYSE: MUR  ) has already spun off its US retail operations into Murphy Oil USAandis expl! oring the! possibility of spinning off its U.K. refining operations. Divesting its refineries will help direct excess cash to developing new fields.

• [By The Value Investor]

  Shareholders in Murphy Oil (MUR) have to check their broker statements today. After the spin-off of its former retail marketing business is complete, shareholders now hold shares in both the former Murphy Oil as well as in the newly formed Murphy USA.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-industrial-disributor-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Invest In Right Now: ARMOUR Residential REIT Inc (ARR)

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc.( ARMOUR), incorporated on February 5, 2008, is an externally-managed Maryland corporation managed by ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. The Company invests primarily in hybrid adjustable rate, adjustable rate and fixed rate residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS). These securities are issued or guaranteed by a United States Government-sponsored entity (GSE), such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), or are guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Administration (Ginnie Mae) collectively, Agency Securities. From time to time, a portion of its portfolio may be invested in unsecured notes and bonds issued by United States Government-chartered entities, collectively, Agency Debt. As of December 31, 2012, Agency Securities account for 100% of its portfolio.

The Company seeks long-term investment returns by investing its equity capital and borrowed funds in its targeted asset class of Agency Securities. The Companys assets have been invested in Agency Securities or money market instruments, primarily deposits at federally chartered banks. The Company borrows against its Agency Securities using repurchase agreements. Its borrowings generally have maturities that may range from one month or less, up to one year, although occasionally it may enter into longer dated borrowing agreements to more closely match the rate adjustment period of its Agency Securities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Thomas Bradshaw]

  Armour Residential REIT (ARR) is an interesting REIT that was set up to invest in Agency residential mortgage backed securities. It seems like quite a simple model: buy mortgages that are primarily guaranteed by Fannie Mae (even throw in some Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae) and hold those to maturity, collecting coupons on the way. Since the assets would be h! eld to maturity, no need to worry about the market value of the securities because we know what the fixed income stream will be and the face value of the securities won't change over time.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-integrated-utility-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now.html

Top 5 Rising Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top 5 Rising Stocks To Buy Right Now: Panasonic Corp (PCRFF)

Panasonic Corporation is a Japan-based electronics manufacturer. The Audio-Visual Computer (AVC) Network segment offers audio and video equipment. The Appliance segment provides household air-conditioning machines. The System Communications segment provides system network and mobile communications-related products and services. The Eco-solutions segment consists of riding, energy system, housing system and others. The Automotive systems segment provides automotive multimedia-related equipment and others. The Device segment provides electronic components, semiconductors and optical devices. The Energy segment provides solar system and lithium-ion batteries. The Others segment consists of health care, manufacturing solutions and PanaHome. On October 1, 2013, it announced it had set up a research and development center in Singapore. In December 2013, it transferred its 66.7% stake in a Japan-based subsidiary. In December 2013, it acquired a Turkey-based company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- A rising Japanese yen and weak results from Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) overnight sent Tokyo-listed shares lower in early Thursday trade, with the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) falling 0.4% to 14,363.59, while the Topix also lost 0.4%. With the U.S. dollar remaining below the 98-yen level amid concerns about the health of China's largest banks, some currency-sensitive shares extended their losses after driving the Nikkei Average down 2% in the previous session. Among them, trading house Mitsui & Co. (JP:8031) (MITSY) fell 1.3%, retail major J. Front Retailing Co. (JP:3086) lost 1.2%, auto maker Nissan Motor Co. ! (JP:7201) (NSANY) retreated 0.6%, and Fujitsu Ltd. (JP:6702) (FJTSY) traded 1% lower. The below-forecast quarterly results and outlook cut from U.S. construction-equipment maker Caterpillar sent its Japanese rivals tumbling, with Komatsu Ltd. (JP:6301) (KMTUF) dropping 3.5% and Hitachi Construction Macheriny Co. (JP:6305) (HTCMF) falling 3.1%. On the upside, Hitachi Ltd. (JP:6501) (HTHIF) soared 5.4% after raising its profit and revenue guidance for the fiscal first hal

• [By Victor Selva]

  Of course, a great bet also involves many risks. Even though LCD technology became very popular in these last few years, both in TV screens and computer monitors, we should never miss the fact that technological markets are often exposed to products becoming obsolete due to the development of new, more efficient technology. Without going any further, its easy to recall the plasma display panel (PDP) fiasco, an apparently promising market in the 1990s and early 2000s but quickly replaced by LCDs (by 2008 LCDs sell 21.1 million units, almost 10 times PDP sales on the same year). Even Panasonic Corporation (PCRFF) announced it will interrupt production of PDP on 2014.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-rising-stocks-to-buy-right-now.html

What Does Apple Have Planned in China in 2014?

Over the past several years, tech giant Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) has doubled down on China to be one of its key growth engines.

Source: Apple

For the first time in a while, Apple experienced less-than-outstanding results from China in the second half of its calendar year in 2013. In Apple's fiscal third quarter, it saw sales from this key region decline on a year-over-year basis. Apple managed to recover in the fourth quarter, although the growth figures the company posted from China were lower than in many past quarters.

As Apple turns the page to a new fiscal year, it once again has big plans for China, including several opportunities to grow its sales. For starters, Apple plans to open several new Apple Stores in China. However, perhaps more importantly, the company also plans to double down on its growing network of outlets and third-party distributors, which should enable Apple to tap into the largely overlooked rural consumers.

Beyond that, there's also always hope for Apple to strike a deal with China Mobile (NYSE: CHL  ) . And although no one disputes how significant a deal between Apple and China Mobile would be, it's also hard to say when such a deal might actually be struck.

In this video, tech and telecom analyst Andrew Tonner looks at Apple plans for China next year in greater detail.

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Toll Brothers Profit Fueled by Higher Home Prices

Hot Penny Companies To Invest In Right Now

Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Toll Brothers' quarterly profit more than doubled as a recovering housing market allowed the largest U.S. luxury homebuilder to sell more homes at higher prices, sending its shares up 4 percent. The company, which sells homes that can cost more than $2 million, has been able to perform better during the past few quarters than most large U.S. homebuilders as its buyers were less affected by a recent rise in mortgage rates. Toll's average selling price rose about 22 percent to $706,000 in the second quarter ended April 30 -- a period well into the spring selling season, which is to homebuilders what the holiday shopping season is to retailers. Toll (TOL), which mainly builds single-family houses, handed over 1,218 homes in the quarter, up 36 percent from a year earlier. While the company's sales remain strong, it decided last year to build and rent apartments to cater to the demand for rentals as higher interest rates and slow income growth pushes home ownership out of reach for many Americans. Permits to build multifamily housing such as apartment blocks rose 19.5 percent in the United States last month, compared with a 0.3 percent rise in permits for single-family homes. Toll Brothers said Wednesday it had about 1,500 rental units under construction and that it controlled sites for another 3,800. Lennar (LEN), the second-largest U.S. homebuilder, is the only other builder that is offering apartment rental units. 'Impressive Results' Toll's net income soared to $65.2 million, or 35 cents a share, in the second quarter from $24.7 million, or 14 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue jumped 67 percent to $860.4 million. Orders stayed almost flat at 1,749 homes, compared with a 6 percent fall in the first quarter. "We are in a leveling period in the early stages of the housing recovery with significant pent-up demand building," Chief Executive Officer Douglas Yearley said in a statement. UBS analyst David Goldberg called the results impressive but said they were already reflected in the company's valuation. Toll trades at 17.7 times 12-months forward earnings, and is expensive compared to an average of 14 times for top five U.S. builders D.R. Horton (DHI), Lennar, PulteGroup (PHM), NVR (NVR) and KB Home (KBH), according to Thomson Reuters StarMine. Toll's shares were up 3.7 percent at $36.95 in early trading. Shares of D.R. Horton, Lennar, PulteGroup and KB Home also rose. -.

Weekly CFO Sells Highlight

According to GuruFocus Insider Data, the largest CFO sells during the past week were: Lorillard Inc, Texas Instruments Inc, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Informatica Corporation, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

Lorillard (LO): Executive VP and CFO David Taylor Sold 250,069 Shares

Executive VP and CFO David Taylor sold 250,069 shares of LO stock on Oct. 25 at the average price of $49.44. David H. Taylor owns at least 97,296 shares after this. The price of the stock has increased by 3.94% since.

Lorillard has a market cap of $18.93 billion; its shares were traded at around $51.39 with a P/E ratio of 16.20 and P/S ratio of 2.81. The dividend yield of Lorillard stocks is 4.22%. Lorillard had an annual average earnings growth of 16.10% over the past 5 years.

5 Best Construction Material Stocks To Own For 2015

Lorillard has recently released its third quarter 2013 results. The company reported third quarter net sales increase of 10% over the prior year quarter, and an increase in non-GAAP operating income of 12.5% to $541 million. GAAP EPS decreased 4.2% over last year to $0.69.

Executive Vice President Randy Spell sold 116,395 shares of LO stock on Oct. 28 at the average price of $50.32. Vice President and Treasurer Houghton Lewis sold 18,527 shares of LO stock on Oct. 25 at the average price of $49.49.

Texas Instruments (TXN): Sr. Vice President & CFO Kevin March Sold 180,000 Shares

Sr. Vice President & CFO Kevin P March sold 180,000 shares of TXN stock on Oct. 25 at the average price of $40.03. Kevin March owns at least 344,777 shares after this. The price of the stock has increased by 5% since.

Texas Instruments has a market cap of $46.28 billion; its shares were traded at around $42.03 with a P/E ratio of 21.70 and P/S ratio of 3.86. The dividend yield of Texas Instruments stocks is 2.55%. Texas Instruments had an annual average ear! nings growth of 7.60% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated Texas Instruments the business predictability rank of 2-star.

Texas Instruments recently reported third quarter revenues of $3.2 billion, a decrease of 4% over the prior year quarter. Net income was $629 million ($0.56 per share) compared to $784 million ($0.67 per share) in the third quarter of 2012. Third quarter 2013 free cash flow was $1.07 billion, a decrease of 4% over last year.

Sr. Vice President Melendy Lovett sold 30,000 shares of TXN stock on Oct. 30 at the average price of $41.93.

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC): EVP Finance and CFO John Rathbone Sold 116,407 Shares

EVP Finance and CFO John Rathbone sold 116,407 shares of NSC stock on Oct. 24 at the average price of $84.52. John P Rathbone owns at least 133,787 shares after this. The price of the stock has increased by 2.93% since.

Norfolk Southern Corporation has a market cap of $26.88 billion; its shares were traded at around $87.00 with a P/E ratio of 15.30 and P/S ratio of 2.48. The dividend yield of Norfolk Southern Corporation stocks is 2.34%. Norfolk Southern Corporation had an annual average earnings growth of 10.60% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated Norfolk Southern Corporation the business predictability rank of 4-star.

Third quarter 2013 net income increased by 20% to $482 million, and diluted EPS rose 23% to $1.53.

Exec. VP - Administration Cynthia Earhart and multiple other insiders have all also sold shares of NSC stock over the past week.

Informatica Corporation (INFA): CFO, CAO, EVP-GCS, Secretary Earl Fry Sold 110,000 Shares

CFO Earl Fry sold 110,000 shares of INFA stock on Oct. 31 at the average price of $38.68. Earl Fry owns at least 261,767 shares after this. The price of the stock has decreased by 1.45% since.

Informatica Corporation has a market cap of $4.12 billion; its shares were traded at around $38.12 with a P/E ratio of 55.20 and P/S ratio of 4.67. Informatica Corporation had an an! nual aver! age earnings growth of 16.10% over the past 5 years.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc (HOT): Vice Chairman & CFO Vasant Prabhu Sold 104,573 Shares

Vice Chairman & CFO Vasant Prabhu sold 104,573 shares of HOT stock on Oct. 25 at the average price of $72.87. Vasant Prabhu owns at least 156,033 shares after this. The price of the stock has increased by 2.42% since.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc has a market cap of $14.29 billion; its shares were traded at around $74.63 with a P/E ratio of 22.40 and P/S ratio of 2.37. The dividend yield of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide stocks is 1.67%. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc had an annual average earnings growth of 12.70% over the past 5 years.

Starwood generated third quarter 2013 EPS from continuing operations of $0.71 and adjusted EBITDA of $301 million. Net income decreased to $157 million from $170 million last year.

For the complete list of stocks that Sold by their CFOs, go to: Insider Buys.

Related links:GuruFocus Insider DataThe business predictability rank of 4-star

3 Huge Stocks on Traders' Radars

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Put down the 10-K filings and the stock screeners. It's time to take a break from the traditional methods of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept that's known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market.

Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd.

While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. Today, we'll leverage the power of the crowd to take a look at some of the most active stocks on the market today.

>>5 Stocks Insiders Love Right Now

These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity.

Without further ado, here's a look at today's stocks.

Hewlett-Packard

Nearest Resistance: $33.60

Nearest Support: $31.50

Catalyst: Earnings

First up is technology giant Hewlett-Packard (HPQ). Shares of the $64 billion stock are up more than 6% as I write this afternoon, buoyed by second-quarter earnings numbers that came in line with analyst expectations. H-P earned 88 cents per share last quarter, the same number that Wall Street was hoping for. The firm's cost-cutting measures are drawing buyers this afternoon, following news that the firm plans to lay off as many as 16,000 additional employees, trimming a cost structure that investors have been criticizing of late.

From a technical standpoint, H-P is still consolidating sideways in a price channel. But it's attempting to break out above an important resistance level at $33.60 in today's session. If shares can close above that high water mark, expect and extended rally from this tech name this summer.

Aeropostale

Nearest Resistance: $4

Nearest Support: N/A

Catalyst: Earnings

Teen apparel retailer Aeropostale (ARO) is getting shellacked this afternoon, dragged more than 21% lower in today's session following the firm's first quarter earnings numbers. The firm announced that sales dropped more than 12% for the quarter, as the firm's clothes failed to resonate with fickle teen shoppers. Worse, the firm announced that it expects a bigger loss than previously expected for next quarter.

Technically speaking, this chart is broken. While ARO has been in a downtrend for the better part of the last year, today's double-digit breakdown is pushing shares below the bottom of the downtrending channel that's constrained price action to date. That means that an acceleration in the selloff looks likely. Avoid being a buyer in ARO here.

Aruba Networks

Nearest Resistance: $19

Nearest Support: $16

Catalyst: Earnings

Fiscal third-quarter earnings are to blame for selling in Aruba Networks (ARUN) today: Shares are off more than 15% this afternoon thanks primarily to guidance numbers that missed the mark. While the firm's loss for the quarter narrowed to 18 cents per share, Q4 estimates fell short. That guidance miss is driving selling pressure in the wireless equipment maker today – and the technicals look rough going forward.

ARUN broke down below its trend line support level with today's selling. Support at $16 looks like the next-closest reprieve for shareholders. If you're looking for an opportunity to buy this stock, wait for support to get established at $16 before jumping in.

Top Gas Utility Companies To Buy Right Now

To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.



-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

RELATED LINKS:

>>3 Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

>>5 Airline Stocks to Trade for Flyaway Gains in 2014

>>3 Stocks Under $10 Triggering Breakouts

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

Average 30-year mortgage rate falls to 4.14%

WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages fell this week for a fourth straight week. The low rates could give a boost to the spring home-buying season, which has started slowly.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for a 30-year loan declined to 4.14% from 4.20% last week. The average for the 15-year mortgage eased to 3.25% from 3.29%.

Warmer weather has yet to boost home-buying as it normally does. Rising prices and higher rates have made affordability a problem for would-be buyers.

U.S home construction surged in April to its highest pace in five months, the government reported last Friday, but nearly all the increase came from the volatile apartment sector — a sign that Americans are still struggling to buy single-family homes.

And sales of existing U.S. homes rebounded in April, but the pace of buying remained below last year's level, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

AFFORDABILITY: More homes are beyond reach of middle class

Home sales and construction have faltered since last fall, slowing economic growth. A harsh winter, higher buying costs and a limited supply of available homes have discouraged many potential buyers.

Mortgage rates still are nearly a full percentage point above record lows reached about a year ago. The increase over the year was driven in part by speculation that the Federal Reserve would reduce its bond purchases, which have helped keep long-term interest rates low. Indeed, the Fed has announced four declines in its monthly bond purchases since December because the economy appears to be steadily healing. But the Fed has no plans to raise its benchmark short-term rate from record lows.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen has told Congress that the economy is improving but noted that the job market remains "far from satisfactory" and that inflation is still below the Fed's target rate. She said she expects the Fed's near-zero target for short-term rates to rem! ain appropriate for a "considerable time" after the bond purchases end.

To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country between Monday and Wednesday each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.

The average fee for a 30-year mortgage was unchanged from a week earlier at 0.6 point. The fee for a 15-year loan declined to 0.5 point from 0.6 point.

The average rate on a one-year adjustable-rate loan was steady at 2.43 percent. The average fee slipped to 0.4 point from 0.5 point.

The average rate on a five-year adjustable mortgage fell to 2.96 percent from 3.01 percent. The fee held at 0.4 point.

VW Passat diesel is elegant mileage champ

The current Volkswagen Passat diesel is being shown the door, with its engine to be replaced later this year by a new diesel that will be widely used in VW's U.S. lineup.

Other updates are due next year for the 2016 Passat.

But the current diesel model remains popular — 42% of Passats sold in April were diesel. And it was a good month for Passat, so that's 42% of a strong number.

VW's usual "take" rate for the TDI — VW's name for the diesel — is about 23%, so VW either was giving away the diesel Passat last month, or people suddenly realized that diesels are a good way to boost mileage without the complexity of a gas-electric hybrid.

A heavily promoted bonus for buyers — a $1,000 card for diesel fuel — surely helped. Based on recent diesel prices and the car's combined city/highway mileage rating for the car, the card is worth roughly 8,600 free miles.

Test Drive wanted to say farewell to the current Passat TDI with a reminder drive, hoping for more insight into why so many sold last month. And insights we got, though not all strictly related to the TDI powerplant:

Expect good but not stupendous mileage in the city. That's what hybrids are for. Diesels excel on longer runs.

We notched about 25 mpg in short-hop suburban schlepping; about 29 in longer suburban trips; and about 50 on the highway.

Auto editor Fred Meier reported an astonishing 53.1 mpg with a different but similarly outfitted Passat TDI in 1,579 mostly highway miles from the East Coast over the mountains to the Midwest and back and driven, shall we say, not always gently.

That tester was similar to VW's record-setting Passat that got 77.99 mpg in 8,122 miles through the Lower 48 states. The record-setter, though, had special tires and was driven strictly for mileage, without much regard for speed, convenience or comfort.

The 53.1 was in the real world: 800 pounds of people and cargo, AC on, keeping up with, or passing, the Joneses on the turnpike.

Don't expect gee-w! hiz electronics. For example, the backup camera has a dimmer image than some rivals, making it harder to use in low light. And phone pairing was non-pairing with our too-hip Windows phone. IPhone had better luck, maybe you will, too.

Be delighted by the very roomy back seat. Look for opportunities to carry passengers back there. Remarkable.

Renew your understanding of "elegant," an oft-misused word meaning high-class simplicity. Passat's interior is laudable for the elegance of its straightforward dash, gauges, upholstery and trim. The exterior is likewise applause-worthy for not trying too hard in pursuit of "styling."

Reacquaint yourself with comfort. Passat's seats are close to the Goldilocks Baby Bear standard: just right. Firm, supportive but not back-breakers, as in some Europeans. Great for road trips.

Be reminded how pleasant it is to pilot an engaging car. No-drama corners. Treat-filled steering and stopping.

We found the ride could turn a bit choppy on wrinkled asphalt, which sounds like a "duh," but other test vehicles have handled that area more gracefully.

What about that new EA288 diesel due in a few months? VW says it's rated 150 horsepower, up 10 hp, with the same 236 pounds-feet of torque. And it says emissions-reducing changes also result in better throttle response. We'd vote for that. While the test car wasn't sluggish, especially once it picked up a bit of speed, it could have felt perkier.

Passat strikes us as a very good sedan, able to satisfy practical needs and driving enthusiast longings. Equip it with the TDI and it enjoys a "green" credential hard to find elsewhere.

But if we were writing the check, we'd wait to try the new engine, or perhaps even bide our time until the updated 2016 model next year, hoping it has friendlier electronics and a handful of other updates. Without losing its elegance, of course.

WHAT STOOD OUT

Highway mpg: 50 or more without trying.

Comfort: Lots of room, great seats.

! Driving feel: Nice mix of comfy, sporty.

ABOUT THE 2014 VW PASSAT

What? Midsize, front-drive, five-passenger, diesel-power sedan; VW calls its diesels TDI.

Where? Built at Chattanooga, Tenn.

How long? Current-design Passat on sale Since September 2011. New diesel engine's coming this summer and overall freshening of the car a year after that.

How much? Passat TDI SE, the lowest-price diesel, starts at $27,115, including $820 shipping, $2,350 more than most similar gasoline model. Top diesel model, TDI SEL Premium, starts at $33,815.

What makes it go? 2-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel rated 140 horsepower at 4,000 rpm, 236 pounds-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm. Six-speed manual standard, six-speed automatic optional.

How big? Within an inch of Honda Accord all around. Passat has 102 cubic feet of passenger space, 15.9 cu. ft. in the trunk. Weighs 3,393 lbs. (163 lbs. more than gasoline model).

Rated to carry 1,155 lbs. (manual) or 1,237 lbs. (automatic) of people, cargo, accessories.

How thirsty? Manual rated 31 mpg city, 43 highway, 35 combined. Automatic: 30/40/34. Burns low-sulfur diesel, holds 18.5 gal.

Manual test car registered 25.8 mpg (3.88 gallons per 100 miles) in mainly short suburban hops, 29.8 mpg (3.36 gal./100 mi.) in longer suburban trips.

Colleague driving similarly equipped 2012 model recently got 53.1 mpg (1.88 gal./100 mi.) in about 1,500 miles of mostly highway, 30.2 mpg (3.31 gal./100 mi.) in city/suburb mix.

Overall: A charmer, despite some annoyances.

Is Russia’s Deal with China a Threat to Canadian LNG?

With Russia's $400 billion deal to supply natural gas to China, the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market just got a bit more complicated. And that should be a wake-up call to the various constituencies in Canada that have taken the country's resource riches for granted by repeatedly stymying the energy sector's efforts to develop export infrastructure.

Although much of the entrenched political opposition is certainly in earnest, you don't have to be a cynic to note that these projects eventually get approved once each party has extracted their requisite pound of flesh. Of course, this process not only increases the cost of regulatory compliance, it also further delays projects that already take years to build.

It turns out Canada didn't have the luxury of time these players thought it did. Indeed, if all goes according to plan, the first gas will flow through Russian pipelines to China in 2018, about a year ahead of when Canada's first export facility is expected to be ready to ship LNG to Asia.

The good news is that global demand for Canadian LNG should still be ample. But now that China has secured a significant amount of natural gas at a favorable price, the question remains how this deal will affect LNG prices.

Production from prolific shale plays has created a veritable glut of cheap natural gas in the US and Canada, which has helped keep prices low in North America, recently near USD4.39 per MMBtu.

By contrast, the Asian supply of natural gas has failed to keep pace with growing demand, which means the region must import significant quantities of LNG. As such, there's a huge spread between prices of North American natural gas and LNG that's shipped to Asia.

For instance, the forward price of the generic contract for LNG scheduled for delivery to northeast Asia in the next month is currently USD14.40, though that price was as high as USD18.95 last November.

The opportunity to exploit the pricing differential between these two markets has prompted numerous energy companies operating in at least two dozen countries to pile into the LNG export arena.

In Canada, at present, there are 14 LNG projects proposed for construction along British Columbia's coast that have filed for export licenses with the country's National Energy Board, with seven licenses granted so far. Malaysian state-owned energy company Petronas' Pacific NorthWest LNG is expected to be the first project to actually commence commercial operations, in early 2019, assuming it decides to proceed with building it.

In fact, The Wall Street Journal notes that no company has formally committed to constructing an LNG export facility in Canada thus far, in part because of uncertainty over British Columbia's tax and environmental policies. Underscoring the lackadaisical approach resulting from thorny provincial politics is BC Premier Christy Clark's wan optimism that they'll get final investment decisions on "one or two" projects later this year.

Of course, she expressed the same sentiment almost exactly a year ago. And negotiations have been protracted despite the fact that she's championed LNG because she believes these projects will spur both employment growth and tax receipts for the province.

But we probably shouldn't give Canadian politicians too much of a hard time. After all, it wasn't like the deal between China and Russia happened overnight. Indeed, it was only consummated after about 10 years of negotiations, which included prior supply agreements with pricing a perpetual sticking point–until now.

Western efforts to isolate Russia both financially and politically for its involvement in Ukraine's political crisis may have caused it to finally make the pricing concessions necessary to overcome the impasse.

According to Leslie Palti-Guzman, a senior energy analyst at New York-based Eurasia Group, political fallout from the Ukra! ine crisi! s threatened Russian access to Western credit in the short term, while likely eroding Russia's share of the European gas market in the long term.

Moscow's sudden financial needs coalesced with China's aggressive environmental strategy to curb emissions by switching from coal to gas-fired power generation–the country wants cleaner-burning natural gas to account for 10 percent of its fuel mix by 2020, up from 6 percent currently. As a bonus, both countries also get to demonstrate their political and economic independence from Western powers.

The deal signed between Russia's state-controlled OAO Gazprom and the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) encompasses a 30-year contract to supply 38 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year, with the potential to expand pipeline capacity to 61 bcm per year.

Although the two countries did not disclose many of the terms of the deal, including pricing, analysts estimate China will be paying around USD10 per MMBtu, which is far less than the cost of LNG imports and even somewhat cheaper than gas supplied to China via an existing pipeline from Turkmenistan. Not only that, this price is lower than the USD12 per MMBtu reportedly necessary for Gazprom to break even when accounting for pipeline construction.

In exchange for this rock-bottom pricing, it's believed that China will prepay about USD22 billion in order to help finance the construction of about 4,000 kilometers of pipelines, which are expected to cost about USD55 billion altogether.

Even though the numbers involved appear staggering, there's still plenty of space at the Asian LNG table for Canada.

For one, both Japan and South Korea are also major importers of LNG. And according to analysts with Calgary-based Ziff Energy, these two countries are unlikely to secure a similar deal, in part because exporters won't be able to ship gas to them as cheaply since they're "victims of geography." For this reason, one analyst with the firm even went so far ! as to ass! ert that the deal with Russia would have "zero impact" on Canadian LNG projects.

Beyond Japan and South Korea, China also remains in play. Because of the Middle Kingdom's enormous and growing energy demand, its contract with Russia only covers a slim percentage of future energy demand.

By 2020, China is projected to consumer around 420 bcm per year, which means that roughly two years after gas starts flowing from Eastern Siberia to China, the imports under this contract will only account for about 9 percent of the country's demand. And the International Energy Agency forecasts China's natural gas demand will quadruple by 2035.

China's insatiable demand means that it can't rely on any one country for supply, regardless of proximity or abundance of resources. Indeed, the country intends to fulfill its energy needs by diversifying among a number of different countries and even has ownership stakes in LNG projects in both Canada and Australia.

Though massive energy projects often face substantial domestic political opposition, in the end Canada boasts one other attraction that Russia does not: dependability. As Ms. Clark observed in the wake of the deal's announcement, "We've certainly seen the way that Russia likes to do business these days, and we certainly know that the Chinese want a dependability of supply. We can supply that."

The key now is for Canada to greenlight its export infrastructure quickly and for its gas producers to reliably export a high-quality, low-cost product. Fortunately, analysts say that most Canadian LNG projects can run economically at USD10 per MMBtu to USD13 per MMBtu, which puts them in the competitive pricing zone. The rest is up to the country's government.

5 Best Restaurant Stocks To Buy For 2015

5 Best Restaurant Stocks To Buy For 2015: Richoux Group PLC (RIC)

Richoux Group plc is a United Kingdom-based company engaged in the operation of restaurants. The Company has three segments: Richoux, Villagio Zippers and Dean's Diner. Richoux restaurants operate in the areas of central London. The restaurants are open all day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. The restaurants also offers patisserie. Zippers is a spacious, stylish and contemporary restaurant with a relaxed ambience. Dean's Diner offers a range of freshly prepared dishes. Villagio is a modern local Italian restaurant with a menu suitable for the whole family. The Company's subsidiaries include Newultra Limited and Richoux Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Richmont Mines (RIC) engages in the mining, exploration and development of mining properties, principally gold in Canada. This stock closed up 2.4% to $1.68 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $1.61-$1.68
  
  52-Week Range: $1.31-$5.50
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 76,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 101,786

  From a technical perspective, RIC bounced higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $1.59 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $1.31 to its recent high of $1.71. During that move, shares of RIC have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of RIC within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if RIC manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $1.71 to $1.80 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RIC as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $1.59 or above more near-term support levels at $1.50 to $1.44 and then once it sustains ! a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 101,786 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then RIC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.10 to $2.20. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give RIC a chance to tag its 200-day moving average at $2.48.

• [By Sally Jones]

  
  Richmont Mines Inc. (RIC)

  Down 70% over 12 months, Richmont Mines Inc. has a market cap of $56.23 billion, and trades with a P/B of 0.60.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-restaurant-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

5 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves

 DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success. >>5 Rocket Stocks Ready for Blastoff With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside.

Stock quotes in this article: VTNR, SMSI, CYNI, RBSN, EVRY 

EveryWare Global

EveryWare Global (EVRY) provides tabletop and food preparation products for the consumer, foodservice and specialty markets. This stock closed up 8.5% to $1.02 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $0.86-$1.05
52-Week Range: $0.67-$13.74
Tuesday's Volume: 215,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 147,747

From a technical perspective, EVRY spiked sharply higher here with above-average volume. This stock has been absolutely destroyed over the last six months, with shares moving lower from over $8 to its recent 52-week low of 67 cents per share. During that move, shares of EVRY have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of EVRY are now starting to spike higher off that 67 cent per share low and it's breaking out into its recent gap-down-day zone from a few days ago that started near $1.50. Traders should now look for long-biased trades in EVRY as long as it's trending above Tuesday's low of 86 cents per share and then once it sustains a move or close above Tuesday's high of $1.05 with volume that hits near or above 147,747 shares. If that move starts soon, then EVRY will set up to re-fill more of its gap-down-day zone that started near $1.50.

Stock quotes in this article: VTNR, SMSI, CYNI, RBSN, EVRY 

Top Stocks For 2015

Rubicon Technology

Rubicon Technology (RBCN), an electronic materials provider, develops, manufactures and sells monocrystalline sapphire and other crystalline products for light-emitting diodes, radio frequency integrated circuits, blue laser diodes, optoelectronics and other optical applications. This stock closed up 2% to $7.42 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $7.26-$7.58
52-Week Range: $6.84-$14.67
Tuesday's Volume: 586,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 663,387

From a technical perspective, RBCN jumped higher here right above some near-term support at $7.07 with decent upside volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last month and change, with shares moving lower from its high of $14.67 to its recent low of $6.93. During that downtrend, shares of RBCN have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of RBCN are now starting to bounce off that recent low of $6.93 and off oversold levels, since its relative strength index reading is coming off sub-30 readings. Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RBCN as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at $7.07 or at $6.93 and then once it sustains a move or close above Tuesday's high of $7.58 to some more near-term overhead resistance at $7.92 with volume that hits near or above 663,387 shares. If that move materializes soon, then RBCN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $8.50 to $9.50. Any high-volume move above $9.50 will then give RBCN a chance to re-fill some of its recent gap-down-day zone that started at $10.30.

Stock quotes in this article: VTNR, SMSI, CYNI, RBSN, EVRY 

Cyan

Cyan (CYNI) provides various carrier-grade networking solutions that transform legacy networks into open high-performance networks in North America, Asia and Europe. This stock closed up 4.1% to $3.49 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $3.29-$3.56
52-Week Range: $3.18-$13.92
Tuesday's Volume: 126,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 348,921

From a technical perspective, CYNI ripped higher here right above some near-term support at $3.29 with lighter-than-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of CYNI within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if CYNI manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3.57 to $3.64 with high volume. Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CYNI as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $3.29 or above its 52-week low of $3.18 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 348,921 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then CYNI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at its 50-day moving average of $4.07 to possibly even $4.50.

Stock quotes in this article: VTNR, SMSI, CYNI, RBSN, EVRY 

Smith Micro Software

Smith Micro Software (SMSI) provides software and services that simplify, secure and enhance the mobile experience. This stock closed up 6.1% to 86 cents per share in Tuesdays trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $0.80-$0.86
52-Week Range: $0.66-$2.69
Tuesday's Volume: 144,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 456,676

From a technical perspective, SMSI trended sharply higher here right above some near-term support at 80 cents per share to 75 cents per share with lighter-than-average volume. This stock recently gapped down sharply from over $1.40 to its 52-week low of 66 cents per share with heavy downside volume. Following that move, shares of SMSI have now started to rebound off its 52-week low and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if SMSI manages to take out some key near-term overhead resistance levels at 86 to 89 cents per share and then once it clears its gap-down-day high of 95 cents per share with high volume. Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SMSI as long as it's trending above some key near-term support levels at 80 cents to 75 cents per share and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 456,676 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then SMSI will set up to re-fill some of its previous gap-down-day zone that started just above $1.40.

Stock quotes in this article: VTNR, SMSI, CYNI, RBSN, EVRY 

Vertex Energy

Vertex Energy (VTNR), an environmental services company, provides various services designed to aggregate, process and recycle industrial and commercial waste streams, as well as off-specification commercial chemical products. This stock closed up 6.8% to $8.00 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $7.32-$8.02
52-Week Range: $2.35-$9.19
Thursday's Volume: 300,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 332,353

From a technical perspective, VTNR ripped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $6.87 with decent upside volume. This spike higher on Tuesday is quickly pushing shares of VTNR within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if VTNR manages to take out Tuesday's intraday high of $8.02 to some more key near-term overhead resistance levels at $9.14 to its 52-week high at $9.19 with high volume. Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VTNR as long as it's trending above Tuesday's low of $7.32 or above its 50-day at $6.87 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 332,353 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then VTNR will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $10 to $12. To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr. -- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis. RELATED LINKS:   >>3 Stocks Spiking on Unusul Volume   >>3 Big Stocks to Trade (or Not)   >>5 Stocks Ready to Break Out Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Stock quotes in this article: VTNR, SMSI, CYNI, RBSN, EVRY  At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned. Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

Week Ahead: Alibaba Rival IPO, Fed Minutes, Home Sales, Microsoft

Markets remain jumpy despite recent highs for stocks, and the jitters could continue in the week ahead with the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's last meeting and two crucial updates on U.S. home sales – all of which can be ultra sensitive to traders and their algorithms.

The language used in the Fed minutes is always pored over for hints on when interest rates will be allowed to rise from their historic lows, and home sales data is central to the confidence of the U.S. economy. Federal Reserve officials make a number of speeches throughout the week.

JD.com, China's second-biggest e-commerce firm behind Alibaba Group, is expected to raise as much as $1.7 billion in a U.S. initial public offering.

Earnings due this week from home improvement companies Home Depot and Lowe's will give further clues to broader economic conditions.

And new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is expected to unveil at least one new version of the company's Surface tablet as it attempts to compete with products from Apple and other rivals.

Monday sees former Fed chairman Ben Bernanke speaking in Dallas, as well as current San Francisco Fed president John Williams and Dallas Fed president Richard Fisher.

Monday also brings a conference at the U.S. Financial Stability Oversight Council to consider whether the asset management industry is systemically important enough to warrant supervision by the Federal Reserve.

Earnings expected Monday include results from Urban Outfitters and Campbell Soup.

Tuesday sees earnings from Home Depot, Staples, Dick's Sporting Goods and Salesforce.com, and a new product launch from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadela as he seeks to dazzle the market with at least one new version of Microsoft's Surface tablet.

Tuesday also brings speeches by Philadelphia Fed president Charles Plosser and New York Fed president William Dudley, and the annual meeting of JPMorgan Chase which will see a potentially controversial  vote on its executive compensation plans.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve will provide the minutes from the April 29-30 meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee that reduced further the Fed's unconventional bond-buying stimulus measure that has helped keep interest rates near zero for more than five years.

Expect traders and their ultra high-frequency trading algorithms to twitch and gyrate – rightly or wrongly — on any nuance in the language.

Around the same time as the FOMC minutes are released, Fed chair Janet Yellen will be speaking at a graduation ceremony for New York University at Yankee Stadium.

Also expected as early as Wednesday, retail website JD.com, China's second-biggest e-commerce firm behind Alibaba Group, is expected to raise as much as $1.7 billion in a U.S. initial public offering. The whole of JD.com could be worth up to $24.6 billion, according to analysts.

Wednesday also brings earnings from retailers Target, Tiffany, Lowe's and American Eagle Outfitters, as well as an update on U.S. mortgage applications.

Thursday will bring big updates on U.S. existing home sales, leading indicators, initial jobless claims, and earnings from Hewlett-Packard, Gap, Dollar Tree and Best Buy.

Financially Savvy Gifts For New Graduates

Top Consumer Service Stocks To Own Right Now

GWImages/Shutterstock LOS ANGELES -- Americans typically spend nearly $5 billion on gifts for graduates, with a little over half giving cash and a third offering gift cards, according to last year's National Retail Federation survey. Those surveyed spent an average of $49, which won't buy a laptop, a retirement fund or many of the other gifts often touted as "financially savvy." If you actually want to do some future good with your gift, here are some money-smart suggestions for grads from personal finance experts, college consultants and recent graduates: Living Life Experiences give us more happiness than stuff, according to various researchers. You can put those findings to practical use in a variety of ways. "I'm a sucker for experiences over products, so I might give a gift certificate or Groupon (GRPN) to a nice restaurant or a Paint Nite with a few friends," said personal finance columnist Kathy Kristof, Los Angeles-based author of "Taming the Tuition Tiger" and mother of a recent college graduate. (For her own daughter, Kristof bought the airline tickets for four months spent "kicking around the world.") College consultant Shirley Bloomquist of Great Falls, Virginia, sometimes buys gift certificates for lunch, dinner or a theater outing for the graduate and a friend. Cooking Essentials Learning to fix meals from scratch at home will save your graduate a fortune. A good basic cookbook, such as Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything," is one option. Kitchen starter sets are another. Ikea has 7-piece cookware sets for $25 to $50, while Caphalon and Oxo have kitchen gadget sets for $40 to $50. College consultant Bloomquist recently gave a gift certificate for a cooking class to a law school graduate that she could share with some buddies. Help Being Grown Up Transitioning to the work world often isn't easy. Grads may benefit from the services of a resume doctor, a career counselor, a wardrobe stylist, a fee-only financial planner -- or other professionals. "I know someone who had an interior designer just spend a day rearranging things in their apartment," said Zac Bisonnette, author of "Debt-Free U" and "Good Advice from Bad People." Such help, he said, "can turn an ad hoc sort of deal into something more adult." Professional help isn't cheap, however. The cost for any of these services can be $150 an hour, or more. Some may offer discounted initial sessions, but givers on a budget may have to resort to self-help books instead. For career advice, Lynn O'Shaughnessy, author of "The College Solution," recommends "Getting from College to Career: Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World," by Lindsey Pollak and "Graduate to a Great Job: Make Your College Degree Pay Off in Today's Market," by David DeLong. Some other titles to consider: "Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties," by Beth Kobliner. "Style Bible: What to Wear to Work," by Lauren A. Rothman. "Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure," by Maxwell Ryan. Prepaid Cards If you're still leaning toward a cash gift, you might consider a reloadable prepaid card that allows users to track their spending and offers some protection against loss, theft or fraud. "The main advantage over cash is that cash tends to disappear quickly," said Curtis Arnold, founder of CardRatings.com and BestPrepaidDebitCards.com. "I have a son that graduated a year ago, and I would never give him a cash gift ... even though I required him to take a personal finance class during college." A prepaid card that charges fat fees is, however, the exact opposite of a financially savvy gift. Arnold recommends two lower-cost options: Serve from American Express (AXP) and Chase Liquid (JPM). Serve has a $1 monthly maintenance fee, free point-of-sale transactions and none of the typical hidden third-party costs such as ATM and cash load fees, he said. Users can also send money by email, text and Facebook (FB) and set up subaccounts to easily share money among family members, Arnold said. Chase Liquid offers unlimited free withdrawals at Chase ATMs. Point-of-sale transactions are free and there are no cash load fees. The card can be used for paying bills and its "sophisticated mobile apps" are well worth the $4.95 monthly maintenance fee, Arnold said. The card you choose could well become the gift that keeps on giving. "Once they spend your gift, they will hopefully consider reloading the card later rather than using a credit card and running the risk of increasing their debt load," Arnold said. (.)

If 'clean,' big data can improve U.S. health care

SAN FRANCISCO — Less medical privacy may be good for your health.

A growing body of research has found that information Americans share on social media websites about their health and lifestyle is more up to date and accurate than what they share with doctors, employers, insurance companies and government agencies.

In other words, we're more honest with our friends than we are with those who control our access to medical care.

While that may simply reflect human nature, it has huge implications for health care as patients and providers look to the analysis of so-called big data to improve diagnosis and treatment.

The findings suggest that improvement in medical services may depend as much on widespread availability of accurate patient data as it does on advances in technologies and procedures.

"The little secret of big data is that a lot of it isn't clean," says Eva Ho, a partner with the early-stage venture capital firm Susa Ventures and a former executive at both Google and Factual, an upstart Internet-search company.

In health care, that means a patient's medical records can be filled with outdated or conflicting information that makes an accurate diagnosis more difficult.

With the federal government now requiring all patient data to be digital, there's a big opportunity for companies that can integrate health data from a variety of sources and ensure its accuracy, says Ho, a co-founder of Applied Semantics, which Google acquired in 2003 for its Web-analytics technology.

The most accurate source may be what patients themselves share on their social media accounts, research shows.

One recent study analyzed Facebook ad campaigns alongside public health records from the Census Bureau, National Vital Statistics System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and birth and death records from hundreds of U.S. counties from 2010 to 2013. It found something startling about the predictive ability of health-related social media data:

Knowing what ! Facebook users "Like" led to more accurate predictions about how long people will live, how often they exercise or smoke, and what their chances are of getting a serious illness or disease, such as diabetes, obesity or heart attacks.

By combining the Facebook data with medical-record analysis, predictions for some health outcomes — such as whether an infant would have low birth weight or whether an adult would be in general poor health — were two to four times more accurate than those based on medical or socio-economic data alone, according to the study done by New York-based MKTG.

"The power of 'Likes' is that they represent behavior," wrote Steve Gittelman, a veteran of online market research who co-authored the report "Facebook Likes: A New Source of Data for Public Health Surveillance," along with Elaine Trimarchi and Victor Lange.

The findings echo those of other studies that have hinted at the power of social media to improve medical diagnosis and treatment.

One showed that two-thirds of regular smokers keep their habit a secret from doctors and health insurers — which is why smoking-cessation plans that are shared with Facebook "friends" have proved more effective than traditional strategies for quitting smoking.

Yet another study found that tracking the Twitter accounts of new mothers could help determine how likely they were to develop postpartum depression.

While the analysis of such personal data may make privacy advocates cringe, some in the medical community predict that making it publicly available in electronic form can revolutionize health care.

Dr. Leslie Saxon, chief of cardiology at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, is among them.

One of her lectures on the subject carried the provocative title "Privacy is Bad for Your Health."

"We need indiscriminate, continuous, multisourced data streams to realize the great potential of digital health," Saxon says.

More American consumers seem to agree.! Millions! of them are tracking health and lifestyle activity using smartphones or wearable wireless devices — then sharing that data on Facebook and Twitter.

Employers and health insurers, meanwhile, are already using social media tools to boost worker participation in programs that promote exercise and healthier diets.

The State of Colorado, working with Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealth Plans, used location check-ins and social gaming to boost such participation rates by 650% last year.

"Health managers can use incentives and rewards to encourage consumer behavior," says Jeff Margolis, CEO of Welltok, a Denver-based start-up that designed the plan called Race to the Moon, used by Colorado state workers.

Welltok is using IBM's Watson supercomputer to improve the recommendations made by its social-based health platform, called CafeWell.

Analyzing health and lifestyle data from many sources — including social media accounts — can help create highly customized personal health management services for consumers, says Claudia Fan Munce, managing director of IBM's venture capital group, which invested in Welltok.

But only if the information is clean — and shared.

John Shinal has covered tech and financial markets for more than 15 years at Bloomberg, BusinessWeek,The San Francisco Chronicle, Dow Jones MarketWatch, Wall Street Journal Digital Network and others. Follow him on Twitter: @johnshinal.

3 Stocks Paying Out Steady Dividends

Popular Posts: 2 Slow, Steady Stocks to Buy for Long-Term ProfitsBuy This Semiconductor Stock to Power Your Portfolio2 Safe, Cheap Stocks You Need to Buy Now Recent Posts: 3 Stocks Paying Out Steady Dividends Brokerage Stocks Are Too Rich to Buy Buy This Semiconductor Stock to Power Your Portfolio View All Posts

The search for income is getting more difficult by the day. We have a fair amount of retirees in my neighborhood, and just about every gathering or party around here has people talking about the difficulty of finding income investments to fund day-to-day expenses.

Source: Flickr

Many of the traditional alternatives such as blue-chip stocks and REITs have seen their prices pushed up to very high levels as a result of yield chasing the past few years. Income investors are going to need to be more involved in the management of their portfolios to reach their goals.

One approach to income investing is to find stocks with high yields that also have Piotroski F-scores that are in the top third of the 9-point scale. Companies with above-average F-scores are seeing improvements in their fundamental business conditions and their financial strength is improving. This should give us a portfolio of stocks that can outperform the market as well as provide high levels of dividend income.

I would suggest buying stocks that qualify and holding the shares as long as the F-score stays the same or improves, and selling if the score declines below 6. It is more of an active strategy, but it should provide cash flow and keep your capital invested in stocks with solid fundamentals. Although our major concern is income, I don't want to overpay for shares so I would limit my purchases to those that traded for less than their Graham number valuation.

Oaktree Capital (OAK)

Oaktree Capital (OAK) is one of the best investment management firms in the world today. CEO Howard Marks has proven himself to be a brilliant investment manager, WHICH has helped the firm grow to more than $74 billion in assets under management.

Oaktree specializes in distressed assets, high-yield bonds, real estate and equities. The company currently earns an F-score of 6 and yields 7.7%, so the stock is an excellent fit for our active income portfolio. The stock trades at a slight discount to its Graham number valuation of $54. Oaktree is a best-in-class investment manager and has the potential for solid appreciation in addition to the high yield.

Capital Products Partners (CPLP)

Capital Products Partners (CPLP) is a Greece-based shipping company that is involved in both petroleum products and the dry goods business. It currently has a fleet of 30 vessels comprised of 22 tankers and 8 dry bulk and container vessels.

CPLP reaffirmed its commitment to paying the dividend of 93 cents per share going forward, and at that level the shares yield 8.65%. The F score is 7, so conditions are improving for the company and the stock is actually trading at a more than a 35% discount to its Graham number valuation of $16.

Courier Corporation (CRRC)

Courier Corporation (CRRC) publishes and prints books that are distributed through a variety of retail outlets. It publishes books on things like landscaping, gardening and home improvement that are found in many of the leading home and garden stores. Courier also publishes more than 700 test preparation and study guides for teachers and students as well books for religious institutions.

Courier isn’t the world's most exciting company, but we’re looking for dividends, not excitement. The stock yields 6.2% and has an F-score of 7 right now. The stock trades at a discount of about 15% to its Graham Number valuation of $15.25.

Income is getting harder to find. Using F-scores and the Graham number should help investors find cash flow producing stocks that are reasonably valued and can meet their income needs.

Like what you see? Sign up for our Dividend Insights e-letter and get income investment advice delivered to your inbox every Friday!

As of this writing, Tim Melvin was long CPLP and CRRC.

Amazon Tops America's Most Reputable Companies 2014

America's 25 Most Reputable Companies 2014

In a 12,000-word New Yorker magazine story about Amazon.com this February, investigative journalist George Packer details how the 20-year-old Seattle online retailing behemoth has chewed up and spit out the U.S. publishing business and run hundreds of small bookshops out of business. Thousands of retailers, both online and off, are battling to stay alive in the face of Amazon's onslaught. The company has also been the subject of several exposés about the exploitative working conditions in its giant, un-air-conditioned warehouses. Given all that, I would have thought that a ranking of US companies by reputation would have put Amazon well down on the list. Instead Amazon has taken the No. 1 slot this year among 150 large publicly traded US companies rated by Reputation Institute (R.I.), a 17-year-old reputation management consulting firm based in New York and Copenhagen. (See the bottom of this post for the complete list of companies.)

BlackBerry's Plan to Regain Ground in Emerging Markets

Achmad Ibrahim/APBlackBerry CEO John Chen speaks at the launch of the new Blackberry Z3 smartphone in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. BlackBerry (BBRY) launched a low-cost touchscreen device in Jakarta, the Z3, as the embattled smartphone maker looks to revive sales in emerging markets like Indonesia where its once-fervent following has shriveled. The handset, unveiled at a glitzy launch event in the Indonesian capital Tuesday, is the first in a line of devices being made with FIH Mobile, a unit of the giant Taiwanese Foxconn Technology Group best known for assembling gadgets like iPhones and iPads for Apple (AAPL). The success of the handset retailing for less than $200 could well decide the outcome of both BlackBerry's tie-up with the contract manufacturing giant and its own future in smartphones. The Z3 Jakarta Edition will hit store shelves on May 15. "If this device allows them to grow again, even if it's just small, steady growth, that's a success in itself. That says there is still room for BlackBerry in Indonesia," said Ryan Lai, market analyst at consultancy IDC. The Z3 is the first phone to be launched by BlackBerry since new Chief Executive Officer John Chen took the helm late last year. After Indonesia it will be gradually introduced in six other countries including the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Malaysia. Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry hopes that the device and others to follow will help it claw back some of the collapse in its market share, ceded to Apple's iPhone and Samsung Electronics' line of Galaxy devices powered by Googles (GOOG) Android operating system. "If the market doesn't receive this product well, then we definitely have some negative issues to deal with," Chen said at the launch at Jakarta's Ritz-Carlton hotel. BlackBerry said it doesn't have an official sales target for the device, but Chen said he expects to sell millions of Z3 handsets around the world, without disclosing further details. Market-Share Slide Just two years ago, the Canadian firm had a 40 percent share of the Indonesian market, shipping more than 600,000 handsets per quarter in a country once known as "BlackBerry Nation." But the launch of the premium, high-priced BlackBerry 10 last year failed to attract buyers in a country where nearly 40 percent of the population live on about $2 a day. The company's market share has slumped to just 4 percent, with shipments of around 100,000 devices in the first quarter this year, according to IDC. Indonesia is now dominated by Samsung, which sells about one of every three smartphones in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Chen hopes that the Z3 and other devices to follow spark a change in the company's fortunes. The Z3 is being launched at a price point below $200 to address one of the big turnoffs for consumers in emerging markets -- BlackBerry 10 devices being too pricey. "From conception to delivery, the BlackBerry Z3 Jakarta Edition was designed specifically with our Indonesian customers in mind," Chen said in a statement. The device will allow users to type in Bahasa and come with a special set of BlackBerry Messenger or BBM Stickers featuring local characters. Later this year, BlackBerry will launch a new, non-touchscreen device dubbed the BlackBerry Classic in partnership with Foxconn. The handset will see a return of the command keys that include "Menu," "Back," "Send" and "End" buttons, along with a trackpad. BlackBerry hopes the move will address the concerns of those users who found their new devices hard to navigate. For Foxconn, the tie-up fits with plans to set up a manufacturing plant in Indonesia to build smartphones and other electronic devices. The Taiwanese company's ambitions have been on hold since 2012 due to drawn-out talks over tax breaks, property and import restrictions. -.

The Rise of the Working Stay at Home Mom

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- When Delaine Moore became a single mother of three kids six years ago, she explored full-time work but found these positions weren't flexible enough. The divorce recovery coach needed a job that allowed her to work three to fours a day so that she could pick up her children after school.

"I continue to look at job postings on a daily basis," said Moore whose children are 13, 12 and 10 years old. "If I could find a flexible employer I would work full time."

Instead, Delaine works from home. "A 9-to-5 means being separate from my children and not being there for them 8 to 10 hours a day," Moore told MainStreet. "I chose to be there for my kids during their formative years and to worry about my career later in life." Luckily, Delaine's memoir The Secret Sex Life of a Single Mom, (Seal Press, 2012), was optioned and acquired by Lifetime Television. "I was paid enough to get by on with my kids for a little while," Moore said. The author is not alone in opting to stay at home and work from home. According to a Pew Research Center government data survey, the number of stay at home mothers increased to 29% from 23% in 1999. >>Read More: Sorry, Mom, I Can't Afford a Mothers Day Gift This Year "Entrepreneurship is a vital key to allowing women to enjoy both motherhood and the stimulation of work," said Margie Baldock, author of the book The Mother Lode Manifesto (Star Fire Books 2013).

The Pew survey found that an increase in stay-at-home mothers is a result of rising immigration and a downturn in women's labor force participation set against a backdrop of public ambivalence about the impact of working mothers on young children. "Myself and other women executives earned money for our families, but somehow we internalized our absences as being bad parents," said Francesca Kuglen, who launched a hair products company called Jontee Accessories that was subsequently acquired by Newell-Rubbermaid. The Pew study found that 34% of stay-at-home mothers are living in poverty compared to 12% of working mothers.

"I changed professions and earned less," said Moore. "Something has to give."

The more affluent stay-at-home mothers with median family income of $132,000 were found to be older than married stay-at-home mothers with working husbands. Just 19% were younger than 35 years old, and 53% of this affluent demographic had at least one child younger than 5 years old.

"It takes courage for women to step out of the prescribed role of Suzy Homemaker," said Kuglen, who raised two daughters with her husband. "It takes just as much courage for a woman to focus on breastfeeding and organic baby food despite holding a prestigious MBA and acute edge for statistical analysis." Those who are married with working husbands generally are better off financially. They are more highly educated, and only 15% live in poverty compared to the majority of other stay-at-home mothers. "Money is so important, because not having it mostly means that women have to spend time away from their families," Baldock told MainStreet. "And not having the time you wish to have with your family is a tragedy. Every mother should be in a position to make a choice about this and not be forced by money constraints to work when she wishes to be with her family." Traditional married stay-at-home mothers with working husbands make up about 10.4 million of the nation's stay at home mothers. "The choice of husband is the most powerful indicator of how successfully a woman will be able to find balance and success," Kuglen told MainStreet. "My husband and I agreed from the beginning that there was no such thing as women's work. Dirty diapers, food shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, sewing, car pooling, ironing, making lunch, paying bills, financial planning and potty training are all equal opportunity jobs." >>Read More:  ObamaCare Really Is Encouraging Unemployment and That's a Good Thing Working Moms' Labor Struggles The Ninja's Guide to Complete Social Life Restructuring --Written by Juliette Fairley for MainStreet

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015

Last night, Coca-Cola’s (KO) partnership with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) was the pop heard round the world, as Coke placed a big bet on home carbonation. Today, investors are trying to figure out what it means for SodaStream International (SODA) and its own home carbonation business.

Getty Images for SodaStream

KeyBanc’s Akshay Jagdale and Lubi Kutua expect SodaStream, which had dropped 28% so far this year, to keep losing its fizz. They write:

We believe [Coca-Cola's] decision to partner with [Green Mountain Coffee Roasters] on its cold beverage platform validates the home carbonation category (i.e., significantly mitigates fears of ��ad��risk), but, more importantly, signals who�[Coca-Cola] believes the leader in the category is likely to be.

Given�[Coca-Cola's] endorsement of�[Green Mountain Coffee Roasters] as its single-serve partner in the fast-growing home carbonation category, as well as [SodaStream's] recent poor operating results (the Company negatively preannounced 4Q13 earnings on January 13, 2014), we believe investors are likely to view�[Green Mountain Coffee Roasters] as the emerging leader in home carbonation, and we, therefore, expect that the recent negative sentiment on�[SodaStream's] stock is likely to deteriorate further. As such, we believe current developments in the home carbonation category warrant a more cautious view on�[SodaStream's] stock, and we are therefore downgrading our rating to a HOLD (from a BUY) until we see a more compelling reason to own the name.

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Craft Brew Alliance Inc (BREW)

Craft Brew Alliance, Inc., incorporated on May 4, 1981, is an independent craft brewer. The Company is engaged in brewing, marketing and selling of craft beers in the United States. The Company operates two segments: Beer related operations and Pubs and Other. Beer related operations include the brewing and sale of craft beers from its five breweries. Pubs and Other operations primarily include its five pubs, four, of which are located adjacent to its breweries. The Company brews its Widmer Brothers, Redhook and Kona beers in each of its three mainland production breweries, including New Hampshire Brewery, Oregon Brewery and Washington Brewery. The Company also owns and operates a small manual style brewery, primarily used for small batch production at the Rose Quarter in Portland, Oregon. The Company�� beer portfolio is consisted of the Widmer Brothers, Redhook and Kona brand families. On May 2, 2011, the Company sold 42% interest in Fulton Street Brewery, LLC.

The Company�� Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen is a golden, cloudy wheat beer with a pronounced citrus aroma and flavor. This beer is usually served with a lemon slice. Its Drifter Pale Ale is brewed with generous amounts of summit hops. It also includes Drop Top Amber Ale and Rotator India Pale Ale. Initial beers in the series 924 series include the Nelson Imperial IPA and the Pitch Black IPA, which is a Pacific Northwest twist on a traditional IPA, brewed in the style of a Cascadian Dark. Beers in this brand are offered as a draft product and as a four pack for bottles. Widmer Brothers beers include Brothers��Reserve and Alchemy Project. Widmer Brothers seasonal beers are Citra Blonde, Okto, Brrr and W series.

The Redhook family of beers is consisted of sessionable (lower alcohol by volume) and approachable beers. Its Long Hammer IPA is the beer within the brand family and is English pub-style bitter ale with a bold hop aroma and profile that is not overpoweringly bitter. Its

Redhook Pilsner is a crisp, easy-! drinking, golden lager that is modeled after beers originally brewed in Plzen, Czechoslovakia. Redhook ESB is rich, full-bodied amber ale with a smooth flavor profile featuring toasted malts and a pleasant finishing sweetness. Its Copperhook Ale is copper-colored ale with caramel notes and a clean refreshing finish. The Company�� Blueline Series brand is offering from the Redhook brand family for the West Coast beer drinker. These beers are hand crafted by the brewers and are available at its Washington Brewery pub, as well as at select restaurants, bottle shops and public houses in the Seattle, Washington area. Its Brewery Backyard Series is produced at its New Hampshire brewery as a draft product available at the brewery�� pub and at select local establishments. Redhook seasonal beers include Nut Brown Ale, Winterhook Winter Ale and Wit.

The Company�� Kona Beers brand family is consisted of beers that deliver the essence of the Hawaiian Islands that is Always Aloha. The Company�� Longboard Island Lager is a traditionally brewed lager with a delicate, slightly spicy hop aroma that is complimented by a fresh, malt-forward flavor and a smooth, refreshing finish. Its Fire Rock Pale Ale is a crisp, Hawaiian Style pale ale with pronounced citrus and floral hop aromas and flavors that are backed up by a generous malt profile.

Kona seasonal beers include Koko Brown Ale, American brown ale with a deep amber color and rich mahogany hues. This ale has a smoky, roasted nut aroma and flavor, with a coconut twist. Koko Brown Ale is Kona�� spring seasonal. Its Pipeline Porter is smooth and dark, with a roasty aroma and earthy flavor. This ale is brewed with fresh 100% Kona coffee. Its Wailua Wheat is golden, sun-colored ale with a bright, citrusy flavor. This beer is brewed with a touch of tropical passion fruit to impart a slightly tart and crisp finish. Kona offers two variety packs: Island Hopper variety 12-packs and Big Kahuna variety 24-packs. Both packages include the brewe! ry�� Lo! ngboard Island Lager along with Fire Rock Pale Ale and then two of its Aloha series seasonal offerings: Koko Brown, Wailua Wheat and Pipeline Porter.

The Company competes with Heineken, Corona Extra and Guinness.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Katje]

  Publicly traded Craft Brew Alliance (BREW) is the owner of three key craft beer brands. The company, through two mergers, owns the brands Redhook, Widmer, and Kona. One of those brands (Redhook) has a partnership coming with Buffalo Wild Wings that could create coverage of the company's stock and blow revenue estimates out of the water.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  The fantastic performance and growth of this company was noted by Portfolio Grader back in August and the stock was upgraded to an A. Shares of SAM stock remain a “strong buy” at the current price. When it comes to beer stocks to buy now, this is one of the most tempting.

  Best Booze Stocks to Buy Now -�Craft Brew Alliance (BREW)

  Craft Brew Alliance (BREW) makes craft beers under three very popular brands for beer aficionados. The Widmar Brothers, Redhook and Kona brands of beer have all received rave reviews … and that’s just one reason BREW is one of the best beer stocks to buy now.

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Frontier Beverage Company Inc (FBEC)

Frontier Beverage Company, Inc., incorporated on November 18, 2002, is in the business of development, marketing and distribution of New Age/Alternative Beverages and snack products. New Age/Alternative Beverages is an industry categorization for a group of products that include energy drinks/infused water, fruit juices and drinks, dairy and dairy substitutes, and bottled/canned teas. In October 2013, the Company announced that it has acquired holding company 22 Social Club Productions Inc. and its subsidiaries Blue 22 Entertainment.

The Company markets, sells and maintain inventories of Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc. known as UnWind Ultimate Relaxation (UnWind) in Citrus Orange, Goji Grape and Pom Berry flavors in cases of twelve, 12-ounce slim cans. In addition to 12-ounce cans of UnWind, the Company also developed and test marketed a product line known as Bulldozer, which was a concentrated version of the canned UnWind beverage packaged in three-ounce containers. The Company's point-of-sale line includes posters, statics, info cards, suction racks and suction stickers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Beeston Enterprises Ltd (OTCMKTS: BESE) and HD Retail Solutions Inc (OTCMKTS: HDRE) surged 33.33% and 11.54%, respectively, on Black Friday while Frontier Beverage Company Inc (OTCMKTS: FBEC) sank 18.18%. And while Black Friday might be the most important shopping day of the year for retailers, its probably not a day that sees a lot of action from investors and traders still digesting their Thanksgiving meals (or busy looking for deals at their favorite retailers). So what direction will these three small cap stocks do for investors and traders this week? Here is a closer look to help you decide:

Top 5 Cheapest Companies To Buy Right Now: Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (FMX)

Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA), incorporated on May 30, 1936, is a holding company. The Company conducts its operations through principal holding companies, each of which it refers to as a principal sub-holding company. These companies are Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. (Coca-Cola FEMSA), which engages in the production, distribution and marketing of soft drinks, and FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V. (FEMSA Comercio), which operates convenience stores. The Company�� convenience store chain OXXO operated a total of 7,492 stores as of March 31, 2010. Compania Internacional de Bebidas, S.A. de C.V. (CIBSA) owns a 53.7% interest in Coca-Cola FEMSA. On April 30, 2010, FEMSA announced the closing of the transaction, pursuant to which FEMSA agreed to exchange 100% of its beer operations conducted by FEMSA Cerveza for a 20% economic interest in the Heineken Group. In February 2009, Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired with The Coca-Cola Company the Brisa bottled water business in Colombia from Bavaria, a subsidiary of SABMiller. Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired the production assets and the rights to distribute in the territory, and The Coca-Cola Company obtained the Brisa brand.

Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V.

Coca-Cola FEMSA is a bottler of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Coca-Cola FEMSA operates in various territories, including Mexico, a substantial portion of central Mexico (including Mexico City and the states of Michoacan and Guanajuato) and southeast Mexico (including the Gulf region); Central America, including Guatemala (Guatemala City and surrounding areas), Nicaragua (nationwide), Costa Rica (nationwide) and Panama (nationwide); Colombia; Venezuela; Argentina, including Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, and Brazil, including the area of greater Sao Paulo, Campinas, Santos, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the state of Minas Gerais and part of the state of Goias.

Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages, own brands and b! rands licensed from the Company. The Coca-Cola trademark beverages include sparkling beverages (colas and flavored sparkling beverages), water, and still beverages (including juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and isotonics). Out of the more than 100 brands and line extensions of beverages sold and distributed by Coca-Cola FEMSA, its most important brand, Coca-Cola, together with its line extensions, Coca-Cola light, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola light caffeine free, accounted for 61.4% of total sales volume during the year ended December 31, 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� next largest brands, Ciel (a water brand from Mexico), Fanta (and its line extensions), Sprite (and its line extensions), ValleFrut and Hit, accounted for 10.5%, 5.8%, 2.6%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively, of total sales volume in 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term line extensions to refer to the different flavors in which it offers its brands.

Coca-Cola FEMSA produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola trademark beverages in each of its territories in containers authorized by The Coca-Cola Company, which consist of a variety of returnable and non-returnable presentations in the form of glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephtalate (PET). Coca-Cola FEMSA uses the term presentation to refer to the packaging unit in which it sells its products. Presentation sizes for its Coca-Cola trademark beverages range from a 6.5-ounce personal size to a 3-liter multiple serving size. For all of its products excluding water, Coca-Cola FEMSA considers a multiple serving size as equal toor larger than one liter. In addition, it sells some Coca-Cola trademark beverage syrups in containers designed for soda fountain use, which it refers to as fountain. It also sells bottled water products in bulk sizes, which refers to presentations equal to or larger than five liters, which have a much lower average price per unit case than its other beverage products.

In Mexico, Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio consis! ts of Coc! a-Cola trademark beverages, and includes Mundet trademark beverages licensed from FEMSA in some Mexican territories. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product sales in Latincentro consist predominantly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Per capita consumption of its sparkling beverages products in Colombia and Central America was 92 and 146 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009. Its product portfolio in Venezuela consists of Coca-Cola trademark beverages. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Venezuela was 174 eight-ounce servings during 2009. Coca-Cola FEMSA�� product portfolio in Mercosur consists mainly of Coca-Cola trademark beverages, and the Kaiser beer brand in Brazil, which Coca-Cola FEMSA sells and distributes on behalf of FEMSA Cerveza. Sparkling beverages per capita consumption of its products in Brazil and Argentina was 214 and 359 eight-ounce servings, respectively, in 2009.

The Company competes with Pepsi Beverage Company, Grupo Embotelladores Unidos, S.A.B. de C.V., Grupo Jumex, Groupe Danone, Cadbury Schweppes, Big Cola, Consorcio AGA, S.A. de C.V., Postobon, Florida Ice and Farm Co. S.A., Cerveceria Nacional, S.A., Pepsi-Cola Venezuela, C.A., AmBev and Quilmes Industrial S.A.

FEMSA Comercio, S.A. de C.V.

FEMSA Comercio operates a chain of convenience stores in Mexico, under the trade name OXXO. OXXO stores are concentrated in the northern part of Mexico, but also have a presence in central Mexico and the Gulf coast. FEMSA Comercio is the largest single customer of FEMSA Cerveza and of the Coca-Cola system in Mexico. During 2009, a typical OXXO store carried 1,954 different store keeping units (SKUs) in 31 main product categories.

The Company competes with 7-Eleven, Super Extra, Super City, Circle-K and AM/PM.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Fomento Economico Mexicano (FMX), better known as FEMSA, isn't another ascending triangle trade this week, unfortunately for shareholders. Instead, FEMSA is currently forming the bearish opposite of the pattern in Wells Fargo and Citi: a descending triangle.

  The descending triangle is formed by downtrending resistance above shares and a horizontal support level to the downside. In this case, that price floor comes in just below $90. The lower highs that form resistance in FMX signal that buying pressure is waning above the $100 level as long-suffering sellers opt to take gains near the high-end of this stock's recent range. Once that glut of demand at $90 gets taken out, a lot more downside looks likely for FMX.

  But now, MTB is forming a rounding bottom, a bullish setup that indicates a gradual shift in control of shares from sellers to buyers. The rounding bottom pattern looks exactly like it sounds, and even though MTB's pattern is actually at the top of its recent range, the trading implications are exactly the same. A breakout above $118 is the signal that the pattern is completed and it's time to be a buyer.

  With high short interest in MTB right now, a short squeeze could add some fuel to the fire on a breakout. Support looks reasonably strong at $110 -- that's the spot to keep your stop.

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: California Grapes International Inc (CAGR)

California Grapes International, Inc., formerly China Food Services, Corp., incorporated in 1992, conducts its primary business operations as an importer, exporter and distributor of staple, organic, specialty, and gourmet foods and beverages, catering to the Asian Pacific Rim. The Company owns and operates Golden Dragon Food & Beverage Import & Export Company of Hong Kong, Ltd. (GDHK) in central Hong Kong and Beijing Flying Golden Dragon International Trading Co., Ltd. in China (BFGD). Golden Dragon Holdings, Inc. has agreements with the United State food manufacturers. It acts as a buying agent for GDHK, negotiating vendor contracts and services with the United States food and beverage industry partners.

The Company focuses to offer wholesale food distribution to grocery chains and independent food stores throughout China. The Company focuses on purchasing goods directly from manufactures in the United States, Latin America and Europe, and distributes these products to distributors, grocery stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets throughout China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sam Stovall]

  1) He could have owned the S&P 500 all year long from April 30, 1990 through October 25, 2013. He would have earned a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.0%, excluding dividends reinvested.

• [By Damian Illia]

  Expanding its channels, improving sales force effectiveness and strengthening its strategic marketing are strategies being considered to grow in actual markets. With respect to new markets or the ones that are not penetrated so much, ADT plans to invest in growth platforms, with focus on market for small businesses and penetration of residential markets. The company麓s estimations about those markets indicate that was about $13 billion in 2012, and had grown at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of about 1% to 2% over the past five years.

• [By Julie Young]

  In 2013 the Microsoft Business segment generated revenue of $24.7 billion with a three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%. Operating income grew steadily ending 2013 at $16.2 billion with a three-year CAGR of 11%. Revenue in the Microsoft Business segment is primarily derived from Office products which generate over 90% of sales for the segment. This segment appears set for continued growth as demand remains high for Office products.

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: MOJO Organics Inc (MOJO)

MOJO Organics, Inc., incorporated on August 2, 2007, engages in product development, production, marketing and distribution of CHIQUITA TROPICALS. CHIQUITA TROPICALS are a 100% fruit juice, produced under license agreement from Chiquita Brands. The Company�� product flavors include Banana Strawberry, Mango, Passion Fruit, and Pineapple.

The Company�� juices are produced without preservatives and without added sugar. The Company produces and packages the CHIQUITA TROPICALS products through production facilities and services on a contract basis.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Catalog & Mail Order Houses: The industry gained 1.13% by 10:15 am. The top performer in this industry was Mojo Organics (OTC: MOJO), which gained 6.6%. Mojo Organics shares have jumped 361.54% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 16.18% in the same period.

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Remy Cointreau SA (RCO)

Remy Cointreau SA is a France-based company engaged in the production and distribution of wines and spirits. The Company's activities are divided into two segments. Cognac, which offers a range of products under the Remy Martin brand and Liqueurs and Spirits, distributing liquors under the Cointreau, Izarra and Passoa brand names, as well as spirits under such brand names as Mount Gay (rum), St Remy (brandy), Ponche Kuna (rum) and Metaxa (brandy). The Company is a sole distributor of the Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck brands, as well as Piper Sonoma (the sparkling wine brand). The Company's subsidiaries include production companies, such as E. Remy Martin & Cie, and distribution companies, such as Remy Cointreau USA Inc. In August 2013, it completed the sale of Larsen Cognac to the Finnish group Altia. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Remy Cointreau SA (RCO) jumped 6 percent, the most since January. Chinese cognac shipments increased 20.5 percent in August, rising for the first time since January, according to UBS AG, citing from BNIC, a trade association of cognac makers.

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  European stocks dropped, following a two-day gain, as Remy Cointreau SA (RCO) and Pernod Ricard SA dragged food-and-beverage makers lower. U.S. index futures and Asian shares were little changed.

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  EasyJet Plc and International Consolidated Airlines Group SA climbed as oil prices fell after the U.S. and Russia agreed on a plan to destroy Syrian chemical weapons. Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMB) advanced to a three-year high after sales topped estimates. Remy Cointreau SA (RCO) soared the most in almost four years as Chinese cognac shipments increased.

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Beam Inc (BEAM)

Beam Inc. (Beam), incorporated on October 1, 1985, is a premium spirits company that makes and sells branded distilled spirits products in markets worldwide. The Company's principal products include bourbon whiskey, tequila, Scotch whisky, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac, rum, cordials, and ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktails. The Company's portfolio consists of brands the Company identifies as Power Brands, Rising Stars, Local Jewels and values Creators. The Power Brands are the Company's core brand equities, with global reach in premium categories. Rising Stars are smaller premium brands. Brands identified as Local Jewels act as Power Brands in local markets. Value Creators include a variety of brands. The Company's three reportable segments are the geographic regions, which consists of North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific/South America (APSA). Each segment is engaged in the manufacture and sale of distilled spirits products. In May 2012, the Company acquired the Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum brands and certain related assets (Pinnacle assets) from White Rock Distilleries, Inc. In January 2012, Beam acquired Cooley Distillery plc (Cooley), an Irish whiskey producer.

The Company�� Power Brands include Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Courvoisier Cognac, Canadian Club Whisky, Teacher's Scotch and Pinnacle Vodka. Beam�� Rising Stars brand includes Laphroaig Scotch, Knob Creek Bourbon, Basil Hayden's Bourbon, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Skinnygirl Cocktails and Sourz Liqueurs. The principal markets for the Company's spirits products are the United States, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada, and the Company continues to invest in emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Central Europe, Asia, and other geographies.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, Power Brands, Rising Stars, and combined Local Jewels/Value Creators (including non-branded sales) repre! sent approximately 60%, 15%, and 25%, respectively, of the Company's net sales. Approximately 55% of its consolidated net sales were generated in the United States (based on country of destination) during 2012. In the United States, the Company sells its products either to wholesale distributors for resale to retail outlets or, in those states that control alcohol sales, to state governments who then sell them to retail customers and consumers. In the Company's other global markets, the Company uses a variety of route-to-market models, including third party distributors, global or regional duty free customers, other spirits producers and its joint ventures with The Edrington Group Ltd.

The Company competes with Bacardi Limited, Brown-Forman Corporation, Constellation Brands, Inc., Davide Campari Milano-S.p.A., Diageo PLC, Pernod Ricard S.A. and Remy Cointreau S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marshall Hargrave]

  Action to take --> Ackman's activist campaigns appear to have run their course for a number of his top holdings, including Canadian Pacific, General Growth and Beam (NYSE: BEAM). For investors looking to invest in stocks that could still benefit from Ackman's activist expertise, I would consider Air Products and Procter & Gamble. Ackman appears to be sticking with what he knows; one of his biggest wins of late was at Canadian Pacific, an industrial stock, and so it's no surprise his newest campaign is at yet another industrial company, Air Products. Both P&G and Air Products should also be big benefactors of a rebounding economy. If you really want to invest like Ackman, be on the lookout for next year's planned IPO of Pershing Square Holdings, which will allow investors to invest in Ackman's hedge fund through a shell company.

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: CirTran Corp (CIRC)

CirTran Corporation, incorporated on March 23, 1987, manufactures, markets, and distributes internationally an energy drink under a license with Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (Playboy) through its subsidiary, CirTran Beverage Corporation. It operates in Beverage Distribution and Contract Manufacturing segments. In the United States, it provides a mix of high- and medium-volume turnkey manufacturing services and products using various high-tech applications for electronics original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the communications, networking, peripherals, gaming, law enforcement, consumer products, telecommunications, automotive, medical, and semiconductor industries. The Company�� services include pre-manufacturing, manufacturing, and post-manufacturing services.

Beverage Distribution

CirTran Beverage Corporation (CirTran Beverage) manufactures, markets, and distributes Playboy-licensed energy drinks, flavored water beverages, and related merchandise through various distribution channels. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 65 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Australia, the Pacific, and the Middle East.

Contract Marketing

CirTran Products Corp. pursues contract-manufacturing relationships in the domestic consumer products markets, including products in areas, such as home/garden, kitchen, health/beauty, toys, licensed merchandise, and apparel for film, television, sports, and other entertainment properties. The Company concentrates its product development efforts into three areas: home and kitchen appliances, beauty products, and licensed merchandise. Through CirTran - Asia, Inc., the Company designs, manufactures, and supplies products in the international electronics, consumer products, and general merchandise industries for various marketers, distributors, and retailers selling overseas. This subsidiary provides manufacturing services to the direct-response and retail consumer markets.

The Company competes with Hansen�! � Energy, Diet Red, Monster Energy, Lost Energy, Joker Mad Energy, Ace Energy, Unbound Energy, Rumba energy juice, Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle, No Fear, Amp, Adrenaline Rush, 180, Extreme Energy Shot, Red Devil, Rip It, NOS, Boo Koo, and Vitaminenergy.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Last Friday, CIRC remained (0.00%) +0.000 at $.0005 at the close (ref. google finance August 30, 2013 ��Close).

  CirTran Corporation has recently filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2013, showing continued growth in sales and a dramatic improvement in profits. CirTran�� sales were again driven by its Playboy Energy Drink line, which has grown to represent nearly 98% of revenues.

  For the quarter, CirTran previously reported sales of $1,096,691, a 247% increase over the $315,755 reported for the same period a year ago. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, CirTran reported sales of 1,964,843, a 110% improvement over the $934,455 reported for the first half of 2012.

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc (DPS)

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (DPS), incorporated on October 24, 2007, is an integrated brand owner, manufacturer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a diverse portfolio of flavored (non-cola) carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and non-carbonated beverages (NCBs), including ready-to-drink teas, juices, juice drinks and mixers. The Company operates in three segments: Beverage Concentrates, Packaged Beverages and Latin America Beverages. The Company primarily serves two groups of customers: bottlers and distributors and retailers. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 20 manufacturing facilities across the United States and Mexico, excluding its manufacturing facility for its joint venture with Acqua Minerale San Benedetto. Effective March 1, 2013, it acquired Dr. Pepper/7-UP Bottling Co of the West, a producer and wholesaler of bottled soft drinks.

Beverage Concentrates

The Company�� Beverage Concentrates segment is principally a brand ownership business. In this segment the Company manufactures and sells beverage concentrates in the United States and Canada. Most of the brands in this segment are CSD brands. Its brand portfolio includes CSD brands, such as Dr Pepper, Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Squirt, Penafiel and Schweppes. Beverage concentrates are shipped to third party bottlers, as well as to its own manufacturing systems, who combine them with carbonation, water, sweeteners and other ingredients, package it in PET containers, glass bottles and aluminum cans, and sell it as a finished beverage to retailers. Beverage concentrates are also manufactured into syrup, which is shipped to fountain customers, such as fast food restaurants, who mix the syrup with water and carbonation to create a finished beverage at the point of sale to consumers. Its Beverage Concentrates brands are sold by its bottlers, including its own Packaged Beverages segment, through all retail channels, including supermarkets, fountains, mas! s merchandisers, club stores, vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, small groceries, drug chains and dollar stores.

Packaged Beverages

The Company�� Packaged Beverages segment is principally a brand ownership, manufacturing and distribution business. In this segment, it primarily manufacture and distribute packaged beverages and other products, including its brands, third party owned brands and certain private label beverages, in the United States and Canada. Key NCB brands in this segment include Hawaiian Punch, Snapple, Mott's, Yoo-Hoo, Clamato, Deja Blue, AriZona, FIJI, Mistic, Nantucket Nectars, ReaLemon, Mr and Mrs T, Rose's and Country Time. Key CSD brands in this segment include 7UP, Dr Pepper, A&W, Sunkist soda, Canada Dry, Squirt, RC Cola, Big Red, Sun Drop, Diet Rite, IBC and Vernors. Approximately 87% of its 2011 Packaged Beverages net sales of branded products come from its own brands, with the remaining from the distribution of third party brands, such as Big Red, AriZona tea, FIJI mineral water, Neuro beverages, Vita Coco coconut water and Hydrive energy drinks. A portion of its sales also comes from bottling beverages and other products for private label owners or others, which is also referred to as contract manufacturing. Its Packaged Beverages��products are manufactured in multiple facilities across the United States and are sold or distributed to retailers and their warehouses by itsown distribution network or by third party distributors. The Company sells its Packaged Beverages��products both through its Direct Store Delivery system (DSD), supported by a fleet of approximately 6,000 vehicles and 12,000 employees, including sales representatives, merchandisers, drivers and warehouse workers, as well as through its Warehouse Direct delivery system (WD), both of which include the sales to retail channels, including supermarkets, fountain channel, mass merchandisers, club stores, vending machines, convenience stores, gas stations, small groce! ries, dru! g chains and dollar stores.

Latin America Beverages

The Company�� Latin America Beverages segment is a brand ownership, manufacturing and distribution business. This segment participates mainly in the carbonated mineral water, flavored CSD, bottled water and vegetable juice categories, with particular strength in carbonated mineral water, vegetable juice categories and grapefruit flavored CSDs. Its brands include Squirt, Penafiel, Aguafiel, Crush and Clamato.

In Mexico, it manufactures and distributes its products through its bottling operations and third party bottlers and distributors. In the Caribbean, it distributes its products through third party bottlers and distributors. In Mexico, it also participate in a joint venture to manufacture Aguafiel brand water with Acqua Minerale San Benedetto. The Company sells its finished beverages through Mexican retail channels, including mom and pop stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and on premise channels.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola), PepsiCo, Inc. (PepsiCo), Nestle, S.A. (Nestle), Kraft Foods Inc. (Kraft) and The Cott Corporation (Cott).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Getty Images/Joe Raedle Nelson Peltz doesn't want to wash down his Fritos with a Pepsi -- at least, not if they're both sold by the same company. His investment firm, Trian Fund Management, is a major shareholder in PepsiCo (PEP), which owns both of those brands, and he's pushing for it to separate its beverage business from its snack foods. The proposal cuts at the foundation of PepsiCo's business strategy, which revolves around the perceived synergies between its liquid offerings and its foodstuffs. Not surprisingly, the company has been swift to reject Peltz's idea in the strongest possible terms. But before we toss it out with the recycling, let's take a look to see if the proposal could be beneficial, or if it's really just so much flat soda. On its website, PepsiCo's lineup of products appears under the category "Brands You Love." Indeed, you'd be hard-pressed to fine someone who isn't a fan of at least one -- Pepsi, Tropicana, Lipton, Quaker Oats, Doritos, Fritos, Lay's and Ruffles, among many others. Synergy Among a Portfolio of Lovable Brands But Peltz argues the familiarity and renown of those products has not translated into meaningful returns lately. In a letter Trian sent PepsiCo, it said that under the reign of current CEO Indra Nooyi, the firm's growth in earnings per share "has significantly trailed that of peers." Trian argues that separating the two businesses would eliminate the overhead that comes from a sprawling corporate structure, and make each of the resultant companies leaner and more "entrepreneurial." A glance at recent history seems to indicate otherwise. Look at the arc of a recent snack food divorcee, Mondelez International (MDLZ). The company, which divested itself of what is now Kraft Foods Group (KRFT) in October 2012, saw fourth-quarter 2013 revenues of just under $9.5 billion. This was slightly lower than the result in the same quarter last year, its first as a stand-alone entity. Attributable net ballooned more than th

• [By Damian Illia]

  Texas Instruments (TXN) designs and manufactures semiconductors and is one of the largest suppliers of analog and Digital Signal Processing (DPS) integrated circuits. Considering the sales reported in 2012, the three main products segments were analog (55% of revenue), embedded processing (15%) and wireless (11%).

Top 10 Beverage Companies To Invest In 2015: Celsius Holdings Inc (CELH)

Celsius Holdings, Inc., incorporated on April 26, 2005, is engaged in the development, marketing, sale and distribution of functional calorie-burning beverages under the Celsius brand name. The Company focuses to combine nutritional science with mainstream beverages by using its thermogenic (calorie-burning) MetaPlus formulation. The Company does not directly manufacture its beverages, but instead outsource the manufacturing process to established third-party co-packers. The Company provides its co-packers with flavors, ingredient blends, cans and other raw materials for its beverages purchased by the Company from various suppliers. Celsius, Inc. and Elite FX, Inc. are the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company.

The Company�� Celsius is a calorie-burning beverage. Celsius is available in seven flavors, lemon-lime, ginger ale, cola, orange and wild berry (which are carbonated) and non-carbonated green tea raspberry/acai and green tea/peach mango. Its beverages are sold in 12 ounce cans, although it has begun to market the ingredients in powdered form in individual On-The-Go packets. The Company�� customer�� include on-the-go women, age 25 to 54, who are looking for a way to burn calories and gain energy with beverages and natural alternatives to diet sodas, as well as sports enthusiasts of both sexes, who are seeking low sodium, preservative-free alternatives. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company developed its MetaPlus formulation into a powder that can be mixed with water.

The Company competes with The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, PepsiCo, Inc., Nestl茅, Waters North America, Inc., Hansen Natural Corp., and Red Bull.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Monster Beverage Corp (NASDAQ: MNST), a mid cap marketer and distributor of energy drinks and alternative beverages, has been a monster of a performer since the end of the financial crisis as the stock is up around 308% over the past five years, but could new or overlooked players like small cap beverage stocks�Jones Soda Co (OTCMKTS: JSDA), Celsius Holdings, Inc (OTCMKTS: CELH) and Konared Corp (OTCBB: KRED) repeat that performance? A look strictly at the long term performance of all three small caps might have you thinking otherwise. After all, none of these small cap beverage stocks are profitable while�the beverage industry can be a long hard expensive slog just to increase market share by one or two points when you are competing for shelf space with industry giants like Pepsi and Coke. But past performance is just that���the past and only part of the story as there is much more to consider about these small cap beverage stocks which could also make them potential acquisition targets by larger beverage players seeking to expand their product line up with innovative products: