1 Number Microsoft Stock Investors Should Know Ahead of Earnings

How painful is it to own shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) stock right now? Plenty. Just when shares of Mr. Softy were rallying on news that the company was making a smart and well-times appeal to small-business owners who have yet to upgrade to Windows 8, IDC reports that the PC business is coming apart at the seams. Shares of Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) , Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ  ) , and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) also fell sharply following the report.

The timing stinks for Microsoft, which is due to report earnings on Thursday. It's a sure bet investors will be looking for an update on not only on WIndows 8 licenses sold (60 million, according to Mr. Softy's last estimate) but also on Windows 8 PCs in use today. IDC's data isn't encouraging.

For its part, Wall Street is expecting Q1 revenue to grow 18.8% to $20.68 billion, resulting in $0.76 of profit per share. The company beat earnings estimates in three of the past four quarters, only to suffer a 5.4% miss in the September quarter, according to data supplied by Yahoo! Finance. Microsoft stock is down nearly 7% over that period.

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Would a beat help Microsoft stock kick off a sustained rally? Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova weighs in on this question in the following video. Please watch and then leave a comment to let us know whether you would buy, sell, or short Microsoft stock at current prices.

For further analysis of Microsoft's global ambitions, try our newest premium research report in which we dissect Mr. Softy's sprawling empire and tell you what the company is really worth, and whether the stock deserves a place in your portfolio. Access your report now by clicking here.

S&P downgrades Target following 4Q results

NEW YORK (AP) — Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered its rating on Target following weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results that were dragged down by a massive data breach and a disappointing foray into Canada.

The rating agency said Friday that it lowered its ratings one notch down to "A'' from "A+." The rating is still four grades above speculative or junk status. S&P says the outlook is still "Stable," implying further changes are not imminent.

"The downgrade reflects our expectations for limited recovery of credit metrics given continued operating losses at the Canadian division as well as potential costs related to the data breach," said S&P's credit analyst Ana Lai.

The move comes more than a month after the nation's second-largest discounter reported its fourth-quarter profit fell 46% on a revenue decline of 5.3% as the breach scared off customers worried about the safety of their personal data.

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Target expects business to be muted for some time: It issued a profit outlook for the current quarter and full year that missed Wall Street estimates because it faces hefty costs related to the breach.

S&P noted that it expected that the breach will have a "somewhat lingering effect on customer traffic at least through the first half of fiscal 2014, but this should moderate over time." It said that while the costs related to the breach are difficult to forecast, it believes these expenses could be "significant but manageable given Target's good cash flow generation."

The ratings agency expects that Target's performance at its Canadian stores should improve this year as the retailer ramps up the new stores and resolves its out-of-stock issues. Last year, Target made its first foray outside the U.S. in Canada with 124 stores, but sales were below expectations and it reported a hefty loss for the division in the first! year.

Target's shares were unchanged at $59.98 in after-hours trading Friday after rising 24 cents in regular trading. The stock is down about 12% in the past 12 months.

America's 10 Most Popular Cars

There is more than one way to look at how popular car models are. The most traditional is monthly and annual sales. This list has been dominated by full-sized pickups, such as the Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) F-150, and fuel-efficient, inexpensive cars like the Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) Camry. Another measure of vehicle popularity is which vehicles people search for online. Since at least some portion of people who go to cars sites plan to buy, search volume and intent likely lead to real sales sometimes.

One notable thing about actual unit sales and number of online searches for vehicles is that sales and searches do not always match. Some of the most searched vehicles were not among the top 20 selling vehicles in February at all.

Edmunds, the car research site, keeps records of search volume by vehicle. The most recent figures, which cover the top 50 most recent cars, SUVs and light trucks, cover the month of February.

Here is a look at the Edmunds top 10 and its comments on each.

1. Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) Accord. “The 2014 Honda Accord earns top honors in the midsize sedan class with its mix of excellent packaging, superb fuel economy and rewarding performance.” The Accord was the eighth best-selling vehicle in the United States in February at 23,712. But its sales dropped 16% from February 2013.

2. Honda CR-V. “Roomy, fuel-efficient and loaded with family-friendly features, the 2014 Honda CR-V is our top choice among compact crossover SUVs.” The 13th best-selling car in February at 20,759, roughly flat from the same month last year.

3. Toyota Highlander. “With more room for people and their things, the 2014 Toyota Highlander remains an excellent choice for a do-all family vehicle.” Not among the top 20 cars based on sales in February.

4. Jeep Grand Cherokee. “If you want a midsize SUV that does a little of everything, the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is tough to beat. Its well-trimmed cabin is comfy for five, and it can handle a daily commute as easily as it does an off-road trail.” Also not among the top 20 best-selling cars.

5. Mazda CX-5.”In many ways, the 2014 Mazda CX-5 is quite a conventional compact crossover. However, its sharp styling and engaging driving experience set it apart from the pack.” Another not among the top 20 best-selling cars in February.

6. Subaru Forester. “A full redesign brings better fuel efficiency as well as greater interior room and refinement for the 2014 Subaru Forester. It’s a top pick for a small to midsize crossover SUV.” Yet another car not among the 20 best sellers last month.

7. Mazda MAZDA3. “Purposeful styling, fuel-efficient engines and an ideal ride and handling balance keep the 2014 Mazda 3 among the favorites in the compact car class.” One more not among the top 20.

8. Honda Civic. “Honda has made another major round of improvements to the Civic for 2014. As a result, the 2014 Honda Civic is one of the best compact cars you can buy.” The 12th best-selling vehicle in February, with sales of 21,575, down 5% from the same month in 2013.

9. Ford Escape. “The 2014 Ford Escape is one of our favorite small crossover utility vehicles, thanks to athletic driving dynamics, an inviting cabin and useful high-tech features.” The ninth best-selling car last month, with 23,145 in sales, down 4%.

10. Ford F-150. “America’s top-selling pickup is offered in a substantial array of trims and powertrains to accommodate all manner of towing, hauling or off-road needs.” The longtime sales champion among American vehicles, with February units of 55,882, up 3% from the same month a year earlier

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To show sales and searches are not completely disconnected: popular cars on the 11th through 20th spots on the Edmunds search list do include vehicles that were in the top 20 in actual sales in February. Among these were the Toyota RAV4, Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion.

Get Ready for the Battle of the Bitcoin Funds

Latest Bitcoin news: SecondMarket, which already operates a Bitcoin hedge fund for wealthy investors, this week said it plans to expand the reach of that fund to retail investors.

Whether SecondMarket's Bitcoin Investment Trust becomes the first Bitcoin fund open to ordinary investors is now up to financial regulators, but it is expected to win approval before the end of the year.

The other contender is the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust, a Bitcoin ETF (exchange-traded fund) that twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss submitted to regulators last year.

The Bitcoin Investment Trust fund opened its doors to high-roller investors last September, but so far the less well-heeled have had few options for investing in Bitcoin aside from buying the digital currency directly.

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The SecondMarket Bitcoin fund, which has $54 million in assets under management, would trade on the electronic marketplace run by OTC Markets. SecondMarket now must await approval from OTC Markets and FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Even though the Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF has a months-long head start in the regulatory process, it faces higher hurdles as an ETF - it requires the pre-approval of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

While the SecondMarket Bitcoin fund will probably beat the Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF to the market, the Winklevoss option might prove safer for retail investors, as it will have SEC approval and will be denominated in dollars, not bitcoins.

Apart from the SecondMarket Bitcoin fund, it was another busy week for Bitcoin news...

Latest Bitcoin News: The Pros Are Getting on Board

Investing in Bitcoin was a major theme of the week. In addition to the SecondMarket announcement, Fortress Investment Group, Benchmark Capital, and Ribbet Capital said on Tuesday that they were buying stakes in San Francisco-based Pantera Bitcoin Partners.

Pantera runs a Bitcoin hedge fund that as of December was worth $147 million. Pantera Chief Executive Officer Dan Morehead said his company, which was founded in 2003 as a macro hedge fund operation, has completely shifted its focus to digital currencies.

It's just one more piece of evidence that major players in the investing world are getting serious about Bitcoin...

Researcher Aite Group LLC reported on Thursday that Bitcoin startups in North America have attracted $98.6 million in venture capital to date. Worldwide, Aite said $117 million of venture capital has gone into Bitcoin startups.

So it's no surprise that on Thursday, none other than Bill Miller, the Chairman and CEO of Legg Mason Inc. (NYSE: LM) subsidiary LMM, told Bloomberg Television that "Bitcoin is like making a venture bet. The potential return is huge."

Miller gained notoriety as the manager of the Legg Mason Capital Management Value Trust fund, which beat the Standard & Poor's 500 index for 15 consecutive years, from 1991 through 2005.

The Latest Bitcoin News - Quick Hits It's a Miracle! The bankrupt Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox announced late Thursday that it had "discovered" 200,000 bitcoins in an "old-format wallet." Mt. Gox said in February that it had lost 750,000 of its customers' bitcoins, as well as 100,000 of its own. Just as with the sketchy explanation for the original problems that led to the bankruptcy, the sudden discovery of a huge trove of "lost" bitcoins was met with widespread suspicion. One thing is certain: The Mt. Gox story is far from over. Bitcoin Payments Soaring: According to a Monday story in CNNMoney, the largest processor of Bitcoin payments, BitPay, is growing exponentially. The number of businesses using the service worldwide has zoomed from just 1,000 in 2012 to 26,000 now. Don't Count China Out: When the Chinese government announced restrictions on the use of Bitcoin last fall, Bitcoin prices plummeted, and many believed that Bitcoin in China was finished. But on Thursday the head of BTC China, the biggest Bitcoin exchange in that nation, told Bloomberg TV that Bitcoin is not banned in China and that the digital currency is continuing to gain traction.

Will you be investing in Bitcoin when the SecondMarket fund and Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF go live later this year? Tell us on Twitter @moneymorning or Facebook using #bitcoin.

In another corner of the tech world, Apple Inc. has quietly been putting together a strategy that will allow it to gain the upper hand in a wearable tech market that is forecast to explode over the next few years. Here's how Apple plans to dominate wearable tech...

Related Links:

The Wall Street Journal:
SecondMarket Seeks to Open Bitcoin Fund to Ordinary Investors

Assume a Frictionless Market

I think it's important to remind my readers of a basic premise when I discuss various option strategies. I assume a frictionless market. What do I mean by that?

* I take no account of commissions. I have no idea what your transaction costs are.

* I assume liquidity. That means that I assume equal ease of entry into a position as well as exit from a position. Oh, and by the way, ease of exit is far more important than ease of entry.  I assume a narrow bid/offer spread as well.

* I assume full execution of all orders. Meaning that I do not account for partial fills or slippage (being filled at a different price than intended). Don't forget, to avoid  this I always counsel using limit orders and never market orders.

* I do not factor in your cost of money. By that I mean that I assume you may borrow and lend money at the same rate.

* I take no account of tax consequences. Obviously, I have no way of knowing your tax bracket and taxation is very far from my area of expertise in any case.

Of course, in real life the markets are anything but frictionless. None of this makes the strategies you read  less illustrative but honesty compels me to remind everyone of my assumptions.


...

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Markets Trading Ideas

Originally posted here...

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United Capital Launches Liquidity Program for Advisors

United Capital announced Monday a liquidity program that allows advisors who have been with the firm for at least six years to convert up to 25% of holdings in company stock to cash.

“We’ve been growing the company now for going on nine years, and virtually all of the advisors who join us, join us through a sale of their previous business,” Gary Roth, CFO of United Capital, told ThinkAdvisor on Thursday. He noted that those advisors typically take a portion — “sometimes a very substantial portion” — of the purchase price in stock.

“We thought it was the right time to start a program internally to create some liquidity for the people who have been holding the shares for at least six years,” he said.

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United Capital announced the program to its advisors in the fourth quarter of last year and began the first round of liquidity in January and February.

Clive Cholerton, a managing director with United Capital based in Boca Raton, Fla., was one of the advisors who participated. He joined the firm in February 2007.

“When United purchased my independent practice, part of the deal was I took stock in the company,” Cholerton told ThinkAdvisor. “Now, this event gave me the opportunity to realize some of the actual investment that I had in the company.”

Cholerton said that he first heard of United Capital when he hired Angie Herbers (who is a writer for Investment Advisor and ThinkAdvisor) as an independent consultant as he tried to separate his partnership with accounting firms who were minority shareholders. “We started to realize that our paths were going in different directions, so we looked for a way of unwinding the partnership,” he said. “What was so appealing to me was here was a company that was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing, only doing it better, and with bigger and better toys.”

Roth, who is based at the firm’s headquarters in Newport Beach, Calif., noted that the firm recently acquired a round of private equity capital. “The vast majority of that is earmarked toward other acquisitions and new growth strategies, but we all agreed to use a portion of the money on our balance sheet to create a liquidity pool for our advisors,” he said.

Advisors can only cash out up to 25% of their holdings in United Capital stock because, as Roth said, “the goal isn’t to cash people out, per se, it’s just to allow people to take some chips off the table and diversify if they need to take care of some things in their lives.”

In fact, United Capital advisors are fairly young and not nearing retirement yet. Roth estimated the average advisor at the firm is likely “mid- to late 40s.”

Most advisors eligible for the program took advantage of it, but Roth said that the majority of those didn’t take the maximum allowed. “It’s a good validation for us that we were creating the flexibility for people to be able to create some liquidity, but when people had the option and did their own analysis, people felt really good about continuing to hold onto the stock,” he said.

Roth said the program will be an annual event. “Each year, a new group become eligible based on their tenure with the firm, so that the next priority will go to people who haven’t had a chance to sell anything yet and we’ll go from there.

“We’ve had terrific feedback from the people involved and terrific feedback from the people who will be eligible in the future. So far, it’s been one of the best-received programs that we’ve ever had.”

Cholerton noted that one of the benefits of the liquidity program is confidence in the firm. “Any time you go into any of these deals when some of it’s being paid for in stock,” he said, you have to ask yourself, “is that going to have value in the future?”

In the case of United Capital, he said, “Here’s a company that went through the financial downturn, still found a way to continue to grow revenue each and every one of those years, still has continued to build shareholder value at a very impressive rate. For me as a shareholder, when you take that leap of faith going into it, it’s nice to see it realized.”

Investors Flock to Buy Inflation Protection

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Demand for inflation linked bond securities and various types of inflation protection are on the increase, as investor expectations of US inflation hit all-time highs.

Since the beginning of the year, a steady stream of economic news has sharpened investor concerns about the threat of inflation. This data includes increased wage growth, a rebound in the labor market and higher energy prices. These economic metrics indicate growth; they also mean that as the economy improves companies will more easily pass on increased costs.

In fact, investor expectations for inflation over the next five years, as measured by comparing yields on Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and nominal Treasury bonds, known as the break-even, have hit a new high in their long-term average, at 1.97, and a daily market high on March 13 of 1.86 (See Chart A), levels not seen in a year. 

Chart A: US Inflation Expectations are on the Rise

Created with Y Charts

Furthermore, the intraday price on five-year inflation expectations rose briefly above 2 percent in early March for the first time in seven months, after a report showed the economy added more jobs than forecast in February, according to Bloomberg data.

Break-even inflation is the difference between the nominal yield on a fixed-rate investment and the real yield (fixed spread) on an inflation-linked investment of similar maturity and credit quality. If inflation averages more than the break-even, the inflation-linked investment will outperform the fixed-rate. Conversely, if inflation averages below the break-even, the fixed-rate will outperform the inflation-linked.

! Meanwhile, the high demand for TIPS indicates investors believe the market is underpricing future inflation. In early March, funds that invest in TIPS took in a net of $359 million, the largest weekly inflow since May 2012, according to EPFR Global. This is the first gain since last April, when Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke's stimulus tapering caused an initial sell-off as investors repositioned their portfolios out of a fear that the economy was weak.

The Data Driving Expectations

Since the beginning of the year, several positive economic reports have bolstered the Federal Reserve's contention that the economy has been improving and no longer needs stimulus. However, the improvement in economic growth also suggests the central bank's efforts have been successful in spurring inflation to achieve its stated goal of reduced unemployment.

Below, we take a look at the numbers behind energy prices, unemployment, wage gains, and consumer confidence to more closely discern the underlying fundamentals that are driving investors’ new inflation expectations.

Energy Prices on the Rise

The single biggest new development that has prompted investors to seek inflation protection this year has been the steady increase in energy prices.

This is a state of affairs that will likely continue, according to Robert Rapier, chief investment strategist at Investing Daily’s The Energy Strategist, our sister publication. Rapier argues that natural gas prices will remain at elevated levels after demand increased for natural gas as a result of the arctic weather that blasted the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

Rapier makes the case for why oil has been stubbornly high and will continue:

“In a nutshell, it's the demand side of the equation keeping pace with the growing supply. Over the past decade, demand in the US and the EU fell, but this was more than compensated for by growing demand in developing countries. This kept the price of oil high,! despite ! supply/demand fundamentals that in isolated countries would have encouraged lower prices.”

But the world's oil markets aren't local. And now demand in the US is starting to regain strength, recently rising to the highest level since 2008, he argues.

The International Energy Agency has estimated that global demand for oil will increase this year by 1.2 million barrels a day. For perspective, over the past five years the world has increased oil production by nearly 3.9 million barrels (2 million of which was from the US) — an average increase each year of 770,000 barrels per year. “I believe the long-term direction for both commodities [natural gas and oil] is inevitably higher prices,” Rapier concludes.

Unemployment and Wage Gains

As my Inflation Survival Letter colleague Benjamin Shepherd identified last week in his analysis entitled, “The Mixed Picture on Jobs,” the economy added 175,000 new jobs last month and a more-than-expected 129,000 in December, but the unemployment rate actually ticked up from 6.6 percent in January to 6.7 percent in February.

To explain this ostensible discrepancy, Shepherd points to analysis by HSBC as to how inflation becomes increasingly unpredictable after the official unemployment rate falls below 6.5 percent, with inflation about as likely to go up as to go down.

We have long contended (and Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen has acknowledged) that one of the challenges of the central bank is identifying the number of unemployed to gauge its monetary policy. The headline number, many have argued, does not seem to be representative of what is going on in the real economy, given the high numbers of long-term unemployed that are failing to be counted. This oversight increases the chances that the Federal Reserve will fail to time its stimulus and contain inflation.

Responding to the higher rate of unemployment that was reported, Vice Chair Stanley Fischer, the nominee to be Federal Reserve C! hair Jane! t Yellen's top lieutenant, asserted on March 13 that the US economy still needs unprecedented accommodation amid high joblessness.

"At 6.7 percent, the unemployment rate remains too high," Fischer said in remarks prepared for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.

The number of people who applied for US unemployment benefits fell by 9,000 to 315,000 in the week ended March 8, marking the lowest level since the end of November, the US Labor Department reported. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch expected claims to total 330,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The average of new claims over the past month, a more reliable gauge than the volatile weekly number, declined by 6,250 to 330,500. That’s the lowest level since early December and a reminder that, though sluggish, the economy is improving.

Meanwhile, between discussions of raising the minimum wage and new indications of wage growth, many investors are watching these developments closely and forming new inflation expectations.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported average weekly earnings rose 0.3 percent in March from a year ago, using the data from the consumer prices report to adjust for inflation. That's a static growth rate but wages overall are up since the recession’s start. They’re down from the end of 2008, broadly flat over the past decade, and on an inflation-adjusted basis, wages peaked in 1973, fully 40 years ago. Regardless of these fluctuations, the wage trend points to continued economic recovery.

Consumer Spending on the Rise

Consumer confidence rose last week to the second-highest level since August, as Americans grew more upbeat about the economy. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index climbed to minus 27.6 in the period that ended March 9 from minus 28.5 the prior week. The advance was the fifth straight and the reading was second only to the minus 27.4 in the week ended Dec. 22, which was the strongest si! nce mid-A! ugust.

Consumers surveyed were more optimistic about the economy than at any time in the last seven months, reflecting stocks near record highs and a labor market that's showing signs of improving, according to Bloomberg. At the same time, “discussions about raising the minimum wage are probably helping lift spirits at the bottom of the income scale,” the Bloomberg report surmised. This improvement in consumer confidence was also confirmed by the widely watched University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of sentiment rose to 81.6 last month from 81.2 in January. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for the measure to hold at its preliminary reading of 81.2. Sustained sentiment indicates spending may pick up after bad winter weather across much of the US caused some Americans to stay close to home rather than shop at the mall.

Furthermore, the Michigan sentiment survey's index of expectations six months from now increased to a six-month high of 72.7 from 71.2 last month. The preliminary reading was 73. The gauge of current conditions, which measures Americans' view of their personal finances, dropped to 95.4 in February from 96.8 a month earlier. The initial reading for February was 94.

Another report from the US Commerce Department in late February showed the economy expanded in the fourth quarter at a 2.4 percent annual rate, slower than initially estimated.

The upshot: The seeds have been planted for higher inflation and you should get ready now.

Prospecting for Tech Gains

Rob DeFrancesco, editor of Tech-Stock Prospector, reviews his portfolio and highlights several leading technology stocks that recently reported both strong quarterly earnings and guidance.

Steve Halpern: Joining us today is technology sector expert, Rob DeFrancisco, editor of the Tech-Stock Prospector Newsletter. How are you doing today, Rob?

Rob DeFrancesco: Hi, Steve. Doing well, thanks. How about yourself?

Steve Halpern: Very good. Now you follow the full spectrum of high-tech companies, but today we're going to focus on a group of firms that have reported strong fourth quarter earnings and have also issued strong earnings guidance, so let's begin with one of the companies you like. It's called Workday (WDAY).

Rob DeFrancesco: Yeah, it did come up. It was a strong Q4 earnings season and a lot of these names, particularly the momentum names in software, did well. Workday, which provides cloud-based human resources and financials software competes with legacy vendors like Oracle (ORCL) and SAP (SAP).

They had revenue growth of 74%, driven by subscription revenue of 86% and the stock ran up to 116. It's pulled back now to around 103. The numbers were great. Back log of over 600 million plus unearned revenue of over 400 million and they're looking for 2014 revenue growth of 54%.

Then, another name similar competes is NetSuite (N), which does something similar to Workday, in the same area, but it concentrates on some smaller companies. Workday tends to go after larger enterprises.

NetSuite had Q4 revenue growth of 37%, which is the best performance since Q4 of '08 and, actually, in 2013, was the fourth consecutive year of accelerated top line growth, 34% versus 31% in 2012. They're looking at a little slower earnings revenue growth, 30% in 2014 and that stock has also come down.

That was up to $120, back around $100. The thing is, a lot of these first quarters tend to be a seasonally slow quarters for techs so we may get more of a pullback if expectations are high going into the Q1 numbers, but we may get a better entry point for some of these stocks.

Steve Halpern: Now, you also like a company called Splunk (SPLK). Can you tell us what that company does?

Rob DeFrancesco: Splunk provides a software that analyzes machine data. It's a big data play, or Internet of things, so analyzing any type of—even something like manufacturing facilities and you can even analyze flow of elevators in buildings to see where—just basically any type of tick data where you're analyzing information for a machine.

They reported Q4 revenue of 53% growth and they now have 7,000 customers. They added record of 500 in Q4 and the revenue this year is expected to be up over 50%.

And that's another one where it went right up to around 106, back down to around 85, so that's another example of one that's pulled back but still has strong growth potential.

Steve Halpern: Okay. Next on your list is a company called ServiceNow (NOW). What's the attraction there?

Rob DeFrancesco: ServiceNow is disrupting the IT management space. They're cloud-based. They're going against legacy vendors like BMC (BMC). And ServiceNow, that's another strong revenue grower, up 50% expected for this year, 38% for next year.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Next Page The expert featured in this column, Rob DeFrancesco, may or may not own positions in any investment vehicle mentioned here. The views and opinions expressed are his or her own.

5 Best Energy Stocks To Own For 2014

5 Best Energy Stocks To Own For 2014: Memorial Production Partners LP (MEMP)

Memorial Production Partners LP incorporated on April 4, 2011, is a limited partnership formed by Memorial Resource to own, acquire and exploit oil natural gas properties in North America. As of December 31, 2012, the Company's total estimated proved reserves were approximately 609 Billions of Cubic Feet Equivalent (Bcfe), of which approximately 62% were natural gas and 59% were classified as proved developed reserves. As of December 31, 2012, the Company produced from 1,671 gross (731 net) producing wells across its properties, with an average working interest of 44%. On April 1, 2012, it acquired oil and natural gas producing properties in East Texas from Memorial Resource Development LLC. In May 2012, it acquired oil and natural gas properties in East Texas and North Louisiana. Effective April 1, 2012, the Company acquired certain oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Memorial Resource Development LLC. In October 2012, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Goodrich Petroleum Corporation. On December 12, 2012, the Company acquired oil and gas producing properties offshore Southern California from Rise Energy Partners, LP. In March 2013, the Company announced that it has closed its acquisition of certain oil and natural gas producing properties in East Texas and North Louisiana from its sponsor, Memorial Resource Development LLC. In September 2013, Memorial Production Partners LP closed two separate transactions to acquire certain oil and natural gas properties from third parties in East Texas and in the Rockies. In October 2013, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin, East Texas, and the Rockies.

The Company's properties are located in South and East Texas and consist of mature, legacy onshore oil and natural gas reservoirs. The Part! nership Properties consist of operated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage and in ide ntified producing wells in South and East Texas, and non-ope! rated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 58% of its estimated proved reserves and approximately 53% of its average daily net production were located in the East Texas/North Louisiana region. Its East Texas/Louisiana properties include wells and properties located in Navarro, Anderson, Wood, Upshur, Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Panola, Leon, Polk, Smith, Tyler and Shelby Counties, Texas and De Soto and Lincoln Parishes, Louisiana. Its East Texas/North Louisiana properties include properties in the Joaquin and Carthage fields in Panola and Shelby Counties, the Willow Springs field located in Gregg County, the East Henderson field located in Rusk County, and the Terryville field located in Lincoln Parish.

As of December 31, 2012, approximately 27% of its estimated proved reserves and approximately 35% of average daily net production were located in the South Texas region. Its South Texas properties inc lude wells and properties in numerous natural gas weighted fields located in McMullen, Live Oak, Duval, Jim Hogg, Webb and Zapata Counties, Texas, including the NE Thompsonville, Laredo and East Seven Sisters fields. The Company's South Texas properties contained 167 Bcfe of estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2012. The Company's Beta properties, consist of a 51.75% working interest and a 35.03% average net revenue interest in three Pacific Outer Continental Shelf blocks (P-0300, P-0301 and P-0306); a 4.575% overriding royalty interest in the Beta unit; a 51.75% undivided interest in two wellbore production platforms with permanent drilling equipment systems and one production handling and processing platform, and a 51.75% controlling equity interest in a 17.5-mile pipeline and an onshore tankage and metering facility. The Company's Beta! properti! es include a 51.75% undivided interest in Ellen and Eureka platforms. The Beta properties include a controlling interest in the San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company, which owns a! nd operat! es a 16-inch diameter oil pipeline.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  In our September chat, I was asked about Memorial Production Partners (Nasdaq: MEMP), another upstream MLP like BreitBurn Energy Partners (Nasdaq: BBEP). I addressed this question in the September article Upstream Turbulence Yields Bargains, writing that Breitburn looked attractive as a cheaper alternative to MEMP. Since that time, MEMP is down 0.6 percent and BBEP is up 6.4 percent. So the discount has narrowed somewhat since September.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Memorial Production Partners LP(MEMP) unveiled a secondary offering of about 7.1 million units. Memorial Production said the offering represents interests owned by sponsor Memorial Resource Development LLC, which will receive all the net proceeds from the offering. Shares slid 3.8% to $19.67 premarket.

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  Distributions are incredibly important to master limited partnerships -- they are the reason many investors buy in, and ultimately what drive the market performance for this asset class. As news of distribution increases trickle in for the third quarter, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy takes a look at the payouts from Genesis Energy (NYSE: GEL  ) , Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE: PAA  ) , and Memorial Production Partners (NASDAQ: MEMP  ) , as all three MLPs are leading the way with the biggest distribution increases.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/5-best-energy-stocks-to-own-for-2014.html

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR)(JASO) Q4 Earnings Preview: Cloudy Today, Sunny Back-Half of 2014?

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO)  will hold a conference call on Monday, March 17, 2014, at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong Time), to discuss the Company's fourth quarter and full year 2013 results. The Company will release its fourth quarter and full year 2013 results before the market opens that same day.

Wall Street anticipates that the sun stock will earn $0.01 per share for the quarter, which is $2.66 more than last year's loss of $2.65 per share. iStock expects JASO  to hit Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is $0.01, too.

The big jump in EPS won't be matched with a corresponding hike ins sales, but analysts are forecasting a year-over-year (YoY) increase of 8.9%. The consensus revenue estimate for Q4 is $291.82 million, up from last year's $268.09 million.

[Related -Stocks Tumble Amid Weak Jobs Data; Kandi Technolgies Corp. (KNDI) Spikes]

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (JA Solar) is engaged in the business of designing, developing, manufacturing and selling solar cell and solar module products. The Company is also engaged in the manufacturing and sales of solar cells. Its principal products are monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells, and it also manufacture a variety of standard and specialty solar modules.

JASO earnings history is pretty wild, with a range of missing by as much as -1700% to topping the consensus by 164.29% in the last 13 quarters. During the same timeframe, the solar company delivered eight bullish surprises and five bearish surprises. The average positive surprise was 34.95 more than forecasted while average miss was, whoa… 498.10 less than anticipated.

[Related -Futures Fall After ADP Jobs Data; Apple Inc. (AAPL) Slips]

Fear must be in the eye of shareholders when misses like that cross the ticker tape.

EPS-driven price-sensitivity turned the bullish v. bearish surprise ratio upside-down. JASO's price fell eight times, from as little as -0.08% to as much as -11.21% with an average loss of -7.37%. Meanwhile, the handful of sunny reactions averaged 20.86% (a whopping 68.98% gain skews the number) with a range of 2.12% to 68.98% as we mentioned already. Take out the outlier and the average slips to 8.83%.

Of late, the solar industry has been plagued by oversupply. In macro-econ 101 terms, more supply than demand, which everybody knows hurts prices and profits. Volume, in terms of megawatts delivered, can outrun revenue increases, as a result i.e. units delivered ramps big-time YoY, but prices fall and revenue increases are marginal – see 8.9% for JASO in Q4 2013 compared to Q4 2012.

Considering current overcapacity, it is iStock's opinion that investors will pay particular attention to JA Solar's forward guidance. Although the demand/supply equation is unfavorable at the moment, Shyam Mehta from greentechmedia.com says, "there are definite signs that at long last, balance between supply and demand in the PV market has not just been restored, but is beginning to trend in the opposite direction from the past few years -- with the very real possibility of a supply shortage in the offing. Once again, it is a reminder that when it comes to the PV market, the winds of change can blow very quickly."

In all likelihood, the rebalance will happen in the second half of 2014, which could coincide with JASO unleashing its conversion efficiency of over 19% for its multicrystalline silicon (multi-Si) solar cells for commercial manufacturing lines.

Overall: JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd.'s (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO) history suggests the odds favor a bullish surprise with the stock price backpedalling. However, if Shyam Mehta's analysis is correct, any correction might be a buying opportunity as the 2nd half of 2014 could be sunny for JASO and solar companies in general. 

SeaWorld Cruises Ahead Despite 'Blackfish' Backlash

Getty Images/Orlando Sentinel/MCT/Joshua C. Cruey SeaWorld Entertainment (SEAS) may not have a lot of fans among the growing number of people who have watched the scathing documentary "Blackfish," but it's hard to say that protestors are leaving much of a dent. The marine life park operator posted another period of revenue growth during the holiday quarter, and it's targeting positive growth for 2014. It seems as if SeaWorld has survived the worst of the fallout behind last year's documentary, which took it to task for keeping killer whales in captivity. The Splash Zone Includes Losing Some Performers During last week's earning's announcement, SeaWorld reported that revenue climbed 3 percent during the fourth quarter as well as for all of 2013. Attendance fell 4.1 percent last year, but revenue is growing because those that are showing up are spending more to get in and spending more once they are inside. However, if one would think SeaWorld's attendance would deteriorate as more people were exposed to "Blackfish," reality has painted a different picture. Attendance across its empire of theme, amusement, and water parks dipped just 1.4 percent during the period -- and actually increased at its SeaWorld-branded parks. This is a welcome surprise. This is, after all, the first full quarter since "Blackfish" was broadcast on CNN and became a streaming entry on Netflix (NFLX). The furor against keeping orcas in captivity to entertain park guests should be growing, but the numbers don't bear that out. Successful grassroots campaigns forced many musical acts to bow out of an annual SeaWorld music festival, and a California lawmaker is proposing a bill that would ban killer whales from being held in captivity. There are two sides to every story, and just because the "Blackfish" documentary filmmakers went first doesn't mean that they will have the final say on public perception. SeaWorld has refuted many of the claims made in the movie. Diving Into a New Year and Predicting a Strong One SeaWorld sees revenue clocking in between $1.49 billion and $1.52 billion for 2014, implying growth of as much as 4 percent. It sees operating results improving by even more than that. SeaWorld has exposed some of the inconsistencies in "Blackfish," and it has ramped up efforts to educate the market on its marine life rescue initiatives. A documentary may have painted it as a villain, but the company feels it does right on most counts. If SeaWorld ended its iconic killer whale shows, its parks would continue to be magnetic, and it would win back guests that have tried to take boycotts viral. The problem, naturally, is that it would open the door to folks arguing that dolphins, sea lions, penguins and other ocean critters shouldn't be in the park's habitats, either. It's a movement that could eventually sting local zoos. In the end, registers don't lie. SeaWorld is making record sums of money, and that's something that bad publicity hasn't been able to wash away.

American Airlines euphoria: Be very afraid

Euphoria is the best word to describe what's happened to American Airlines (AAL) stock since the company's merger with US Airways. In just three months, American Airlines shares have soared more than 50%, reaching a new high just short of $40 earlier this week.

This came after the company's valuation had already risen more than 50% between when the merger was announced in early 2013 and when the merger closed near the end of the year. All in all, American's market value has grown from an estimate of $11 billion last February to $28 billion today.

While this has happened, analysts and investors have continually increased their expectations for the new American Airlines' earnings. This cycle of rising expectations and a rising stock price is unsustainable. American Airlines stock is likely to correct sharply lower later this year as reality sets in again.

Expecting a record profit

Last year, American Airlines reported a solid profit of $1.95 billion before special items. That was vastly higher than the company's 2012 adjusted profit of $407 million, primarily due to cost savings related to American's bankruptcy filing, as well as profit growth at US Airways. (All of these figures combine the results of American Airlines and US Airways.)

American should be able to build on that profit in 2014 as it realizes additional cost savings from the bankruptcy process, replaces inefficient aircraft with better planes, and reaps early revenue synergies from its expanded network.

However, many analysts and investors are now looking for a lot more than "earnings growth." Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg projected on average that American Airlines will nearly double its profit this year to $3.5 billion! These bullish estimates seem out of control.

First signs of trouble

To some extent, the rapid rise in investor expectations was driven by the strong Q1 guidance that American provided in late January. At that time, the company projected a 6%-8% Q1 operating margin.

Earli! er this week, American Airlines released its February traffic statistics, and the company noted that it had canceled 28,000 flights in the first two months of the year. American reiterated its unit revenue guidance but cautioned that costs would come in higher than expected. Despite this disclosure, the average analyst EPS estimate has barely budged, dropping just $0.01.

Four specific headwinds

Looking ahead, American Airlines faces four particular demand-side headwinds that will hit in the next year or two -- leaving aside the risk of integration problems. These all involve increased competition in markets where American is particularly strong.

1. A real competitor in London

First, since creating a joint venture with British Airways several years ago, the American Airlines/British Airways alliance has dominated travel between the U.S. and London's Heathrow Airport. Most notably, the two partners offer 17 daily nonstops between New York and London, including 12 nonstops on the JFK-Heathrow route. This is by far the most important international route for business travelers from the U.S.

However, Delta Air Lines (DAL) recently received antitrust approval for its joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Later this month, the two carriers are implementing a coordinated schedule consisting of nine daily roundtrips between New York and London.

Delta still can't match the presence of American and British Airways on this route. However, its new joint venture makes Delta a lot more competitive. Combine this with Delta's brand-new terminal at JFK Airport and a leading position in the New York air travel market, and Delta is in a position to win market share among profitable business travelers.

2. A new threat in the transcontinental market

Second, American is the clear market leader on the busy transcontinental route from JFK Airport to Los Angeles, as well as a major player on the route from JFK to San Francisco. These routes have very high fares, and American is deploy! ing its b! rand-new A321T aircraft on both routes. With 10 first class seats and 20 business class seats on these planes, American needs very high fares to be profitable.

However, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) is upping its game in the transcontinental market beginning this summer. Not only is it boosting its economy class capacity by 33% from JFK to Los Angeles and by 59% from JFK to San Francisco, but it's also deploying flat-bed premium seats on those routes for the first time ever.

JetBlue and American will both be using the A321 aircraft on these routes, yet JetBlue outfits them with 159 seats, compared to just 102 seats for American. If rising premium cabin seat inventory on these routes cuts into premium fares, American Airlines could face margin pressure due to its focus on high-fare traffic for the transcontinental routes.

3. New competition in Dallas

American Airlines has also benefited from its dominant position in the Dallas-Fort Worth area ever since Delta closed its rival hub there in 2005. Southwest Airlines (LUV ) operates a focus city at Love Field in Dallas, but it has been banned from offering nonstop long-haul flights at Love Field. This limited its ability to compete with American's massive hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Southwest is adding lots of long-haul flights in Dallas this fall and in 2015. Photo: Southwest Airlines.

However, Southwest will be allowed to fly from Dallas to anywhere in the U.S. starting in October. Within the next year or so, Southwest will start service to 20 new cities from Love Field -- and if it gets access to additional gate space at Love Field, it will add 12 more new destinations.

American Airlines currently has the only nonstop service on many of these routes. It holds a dominant seat share on many of the others. New competing service on Southwest will drive down fares on many of these routes starting in Q4 and ramping up next year.

4. Low-cost carriers arrive in D.C.

Lastly, American will see marg! in pressu! re at its highly profitable Reagan Airport hub near Washington, D.C., starting later this year. US Airways has held a dominant share of Reagan Airport slots, and faced very little competition on most of its routes from the legacy carriers that held most of the other slots.

As part of the American Airlines-US Airways merger, the companies had to sell off dozens of Reagan Airport slots to low-cost carriers. JetBlue, Southwest, and Virgin America will all be expanding at Reagan Airport later this year, and most of their new flights will attack American Airlines-dominated routes. More competitors and more capacity will inevitably drive fares lower.

Foolish bottom line

I have great respect for American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and the rest of his leadership team. However, good management cannot change the fact that the airline business is ultra-competitive and has few barriers to entry.

Several artificial barriers to entry that have protected American Airlines are falling this year. Delta and Virgin Atlantic were given antitrust immunity to coordinate schedules, Southwest's base at Love Field in Dallas is opening to long-haul flights, and American was forced to divest slots at Reagan Airport to competitors.

Some of these three big changes -- as well as JetBlue's unrelated decision to introduce a premium cabin on transcontinental flights -- will start impacting American next quarter. However, the biggest impacts will come at the end of this year and through 2015. Investors should steer clear of American Airlines stock until the euphoria wears off and the market starts to rationally weigh the merger benefits against headwinds like these.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Best Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now

Best Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: S&P Smallcap 600(PH)

Parker Hannifin Corporation manufactures fluid power systems, electromechanical controls, and related components worldwide. Its Industrial segment offers pneumatic and electromechanical components, and systems; filters, systems, and instruments to monitor and remove contaminants from fuel, air, oil, water, and other liquids and gases; connectors that control, transmit, and contain fluid; hydraulic components and systems for builders and users of industrial and mobile machinery and equipment; critical flow components for process instrumentation, healthcare, and ultra-high-purity applications; and static and dynamic sealing devices. This segment sells its products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their replacement markets in the manufacturing, transportation, and processing industries. The company?s Aerospace segment provides flight control systems and components, including hydraulic, electrohydraulic, electric backup hydraulic, electrohydrostatic, and electro -mechanical components for precise control of aircraft rudders, elevators, ailerons, and other aerodynamic control surfaces. It also provides electronics thermal management heat rejection systems, and single-phase and two-phase heat collection systems for radar, ISAR, and power electronics. This segment markets its products primarily to OEMs in the commercial, military, and general aviation markets, as well as to end users. Its Climate and Industrial Controls segment offers systems and components primarily for use in the mobile and stationary refrigeration, and air conditioning industry; and in fluid control applications in various industries, such as processing, fuel dispensing, beverage dispensing, and mobile emissions. This segment serves OEMs and their replacement markets. Parker-Hannifin Corporation markets its products through direct-sales employees, independent distrib! utors, wholesalers, and sales representatives. The company was founded in 1918 and is headquartered i n Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Motion and control technology manufacturer Parker-Hannifan (PH) raised its quarterly dividend 7% to 48 cents per share, payable on Mar. 7 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 10.
  PH Dividend Yield: 1.69%

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Parker Hannifin Corp.'s(PH) fiscal second-quarter earnings rose 40% as the maker of motion and control equipment’s orders continued to grow and gains from a joint-venture agreement with General Electric Co.(GE) (GE) offset a costly write-down. Adjusted earnings were ahead of expectations, yet the company lowered its per-share earnings estimate for the year. Shares dropped 3.8% to $122 premarket.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  But don’t just buy any company, DeBlase says. Instead, focus on those that have EPS momentum, which has generated outperformance in 10 of the past 11 years, DeBlase says. As a result, investors should prefer Terex (TEX), her top pick, and Agco (AGCO), which she rates Outperform. John Deere (DE) and Parker Hannifin (PH) get tarred with Underweight ratings.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Motion and control systems manufacturer Parker-Hannifin (PH) raised its quarterly dividend 4.6% to 45 cents per share, payable on Dec. 6 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 8. The increase marks the 57th consecutive annual dividend increase.
  PH Dividend Yield: 1.55%

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

Top Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014

Top Bank Stocks To Watch For 2014: National Bank of Greece SA (NBGA)

National Bank of Greece SA (the Bank) is a Greece-based financial institution. It provides a range of financial services including retail and commercial banking, asset management, brokerage, investment banking, insurance and real estate at a global level. Its segments are: Retail Banking, which mainly offers different types of loans, deposits and investment products; Corporate and Investment Banking, which includes financial and investment advisory services, deposit accounts, loans, foreighn exchange and trade service activities; Global Markets and Asset Management, which includes all treasury activities, private banking, asset management, custody services, private equity and brokerage; Insurance; International Banking Operations; Turkish Banking Operations, as well as Other. In September 2013, state-owned Hellenic Financial Stability Fund acquired an 84.39% interest in the Company. On December 30, 2013, it sold a 66% of its subsidiary National Pangaea REIC to Invel Real Esta te II BV. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By codyeustice1@google]

  National Bank of Greece (ETE),(NBGA),(NBG) is a Greece global banking and financial service company with its headquarters in Athens, Greece. The bank offers financial products, and services, brokerage, insurance, asset management, shipping finance, leasing and factoring markets. It was founded by Swiss banker Jean-Gabriel Eynard and George Starvros in 1841 as a commerical bank. From its inception until the establishment of the Bank of Greece in 1928, it had the right to issue banknotes. The bank listed on the Athens Stock Exchange right after its founding in the 1880s.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-bank-stocks-to-watch-for-2014.html

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now

Top Dow Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Natural Gas(NG)

NovaGold Resources Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties primarily in North America. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, copper, zinc, and lead ores. It holds interests in the Donlin Creek property covering 81,361 acres and the Ambler property comprising 90,614 acres located in Alaska; and the Galore Creek property comprising 293,838 acres located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. The company was formerly known as NovaCan Mining Resources (1985) Limited and changed its name to NovaGold Resources Inc. in March 1987. NovaGold Resources Inc. was founded in 1984 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The worst performer in the sector was NovaGold Resources (NYSEMKT: NG  ) , which fell 13% yesterday as it scrambles to make sense of its Donlin Gold project in Alaska, the biggest known undeveloped gold deposit anywhere. The joint venture with Barrick has essentially been in limbo since NovaGold's partner said last year it no longer made economic sense to pursue it.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  NovaGold Resources (NYSE: NG) is expected to post a Q3 loss at $0.03 per share.

  Premier Exhibitions (NASDAQ: PRXI) is projected to post its Q2 earnings.

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

Top Chemical Stocks To Buy For 2014

Top Chemical Stocks To Buy For 2014: Koninklijke DSM NV (RDSMY.PK)

Koninklijke DSM N.V. (DSM), incorporated on December 28, 1966, is engaged in creating products and services in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences. DSM's products and services are used in a range of markets and applications. End markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. The activities of DSM are grouped into five clusters: Nutrition, Pharma, Performance Materials, Polymer Intermediates, and Base Chemicals and Materials. In May 2010, Orascom Construction Industries announced that the acquisition of the Company's agro and melamine businesses has been finalized. DSM completed the disposal of DSM Energie Holding B.V. (DSM Energy) to TAQA Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC on September 30, 2009. In September 2010, the Company acquired Microbia, Inc. from Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In December 2010, the Company completed the sale of D SM Special Products B.V. to Emerald Performance Materials. In February 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of Martek Biosciences Corporation. In May 2011, the Company sold DSM Elastomers to Lanxess AG. In June 2012, the Company acquired Kensey Nash Corporation (Kensey Nash).

Nutrition

The Nutrition cluster comprises DSM Nutritional Products and DSM Food Specialties. The nutrition and food ingredients businesses serve the food, feed, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries DSM holds positions in the markets for ingredients for human and animal nutrition and health. DSM Nutritional Products is the supplier of vitamins, carotenoids, nutritional ingredients, ultra-violet (UV) filters and premixes for human and animal nutrition and health. DSM Nutritional Products is organized around two entities: Animal Nutrition and Health (ANH) and Human Nutr! ition and Health (HNH). DSM Food Specialties is a global manufacturer of food enzymes, cultures, yeast extracts and other specialty ingredients for the food and b! everage industries.

DSM Food Specialties comprises two business units and an Ingredients Development Unit. Enzymes & Dairy Ingredients supplies a range of food enzymes for applications such as dairy, baking, fruit processing, brewing and wine, starter cultures for cheese and yogurt, preservation solutions for cheese and meat, and tests for the detection of residues of antibiotics in milk. Savoury Ingredients is a major supplier of ingredients for flavorings and flavor enhancers (such as yeast extracts) used in products, such as soups, instant meals, sauces and savory snacks.

Pharma

The Pharma cluster comprises the business groups DSM Pharmaceutical Products (DPP) and DSM Anti-Infectives. DSM is an independent supplier to the pharmaceutical industry. DSM Pharmaceutical Products is a provider of custom contract manufacturing and development services to the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

DSM P harmaceutical Products consists of three business units: DSM Pharma Chemicals (custom chemical manufacturing services for complex registered intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), including DSM Exclusive Synthesis (custom manufacturing services for the crop protection industry), DSM Biologics (biopharmaceutical manufacturing technology and services) and DSM Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (finished-dose-form manufacturing services). DSM BioSolutions focuses on custom manufacturing services based on microbial fermentation. DSM Anti-Infectives holds global leadership positions in penicillin G, penicillin intermediates (6-APA and 7-ADCA), active pharmaceutical ingredients such as semi-synthetic penicillins and semi-synthetic cefalosporins (beta-lactams), and other active ingredients, such as nystatin.

Performance Materials

The Perfor! mance Mat! erials cluster comprises the business groups DSM Engineering Plastics, DSM Dyneema and DSM Resins. T he products are used in a variety of end-use markets: the au! tomotive ! industry, the aviation industry, the electrical and electronics industry, the sports and leisure industries, the paint and coatings industry and the construction industry.

DSM Engineering Plastics is a global player in polyamides, polyesters, polycarbonates and adhesive resins. These materials are used in components for the electrical and electronics, automotive, engineering and packaging industries. DSM produces Dyneema fiber and UD (unidirectional textile sheets) in Heerlen (Netherlands) and in Greenville (North Carolina, United States) through its gel-spinning process. DSM Resins consists of four business units: DSM NeoResins+, DSM Powder Coating Resins, DSM Desotech and DSM Composite Resins.

Polymer Intermediates

The Polymer Intermediates cluster consists of DSM Fiber Intermediates. DSM Fibre Intermediates produces caprolactam and acrylonitrile, which are raw materials for synthetic fibers and engineering plastics. Other products i nclude ammonium sulfate (a fertilizer), diaminobutane, sodium cyanide and cyclohexanone. DSM's caprolactam production capacity is more than 600,000 tons per annum.

Base Chemicals and Materials

The Base Chemicals and Materials cluster consists of DSM Agro, DSM Melamine, DSM Elastomers and a number of activities that have been carved out from other clusters. DSM Agro produces fertilizers and is active in Northwestern Europe. DSM Melamine is a producer of melamine, used in wood-based panels and laminates for furniture and flooring. DSM Elastomers manufactures synthetic rubbers (EPDM) for use in cars and other transportation vehicles, white goods, various industrial products and construction materials and as motor-oil additives.

DSM Agro is a producer of ammonia and high-nitrogen fertilizers for grasslands and agricultura! l crops; ! products and services for responsible fertilization. DSM Agro sells about 2.4 million tons of fertilizers per year. The Base Chemicals and Materials cluster also includes! several ! activities that have been carved out from other clusters. These include Citric Acid, DSM Special Products and the Maleic Anhydride and derivatives business.

Other activities

Other activities comprise various activities and businesses that do not belong to any of the five reporting clusters. It consists of both operating and service activities and also includes a number of costs that cannot be logically allocated to the clusters. Other activities includes the DSM Innovation Center, DSM Venturing and a number of other activities, such as Sitech Services, EdeA, DSM Insurances and part of the costs of corporate activities. Sitech Services provides technological consultancy, expertise in energy and auxiliary materials, the supply of utilities and human resources.

EdeA VoF owns, operates and maintains most of the production and distribution facilities for utilities (for example steam, power and water) at the Chemelot site in Sittard-Geleen ( Netherlands). EdeA VoF is a joint venture with Essent, an energy production and distribution company. DSM's stake is 50%. DSM retains a limited part of its Property Damage and Business Interruption and Product Liability risks via a captive insurance company. DSM has a share in a limited number of associates.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  BioAmber expects its advanced bio-based specialty chemicals to compete with petrochemical equivalents that are proven in the market and manufactured by established companies, such as Gadiv Petrochemical Industries, Kawasaki Kasei, DSM (RDSMY.PK) and numerous small Chinese producers including Anqing Hexing Chemical, and Anhui Sunsing Chemicals. In addition, BioAmber's products will compete against other companies in the bio-based specialty chemical industry, both early stage ! companies! , such as Genomatica (for bio-based 1,4 BDO) and Myriant Corporation (for bio-succinic acid), and established companies, such as a collaborative venture between DSM and Roquette Frères S.A. and a collaborative venture between BASF (BASFY.PK) and Purac (both for bio-succinic acid).

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-chemical-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html

Best Medical Stocks To Own For 2015

Best Medical Stocks To Own For 2015: Vocera Communications Inc (VCRA)

Vocera Communications, Inc. (Vocera), incorporated on February 16, 2000, is a provider of mobile communication solutions. The Company's solutions consist of its Voice Communication, Messaging and Care Transition solutions. Its Voice Communication solution, which includes a communication badge and a software platform, enables users to connect with other hospital staff. The Company's Messaging solution delivers text messages and alerts directly to and from smartphones. Its Care Transition solution is a voice and text-based software application that captures, manages and monitors patient information when responsibility for the patient is transferred or handed-off from one caregiver to another, or when the patient is discharged from the hospital. Users can communicate with others using the Vocera communication badge or through Vocera Connect client applications available for BlackBerry, iPhone and Android smartphones, as well as Cisco wireless Internet protocol (IP) phones and other mobile devices. In January 2014, Vocera Communications Inc announced the acquisition of mVisum.

Communication solution can also be integrated with nurse call and other clinical systems to alert hospital workers to patient needs. The Company's solutions are deployed in over 800 hospitals and healthcare facilities, including hospital systems, hospitals, and clinics, surgery centers and aged-care facilities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company had shipped over 400,000 communication badges to its customers. The Company outsources the manufacturing of its products. Vocera offers a range of services, including clinical workflow design, wireless assessment, solution configuration, training and project management. It also provides a classroom-based curriculum for systems administrators, information technology professionals and clinical! educators. The Company provides around-the-clock technical support to its customers through its support c enters in San Jose, California, and Reading, United Kingdom.!

Voice Communication solution

The Company's Voice Communication solution consists of a software platform that connects communication devices, including its hands-free, wearable, voice-controlled communication badges, Vocera-branded smartphones and third-party mobile devices that use its software applications to become part of the Vocera system. The system transforms the way mobile workers communicate by enabling them to connect with the right person simply by the name, function or group name of the person they want to reach, often while remaining at the point-of-care. Its system responds to over 100 voice commands.

Vocera's Voice Communication solution is a software platform that runs on its customers' Windows-based servers. In addition, it controls the calling and messaging functions of the mobile client devices and maintains profiles for users and groups that enable customization of workflow patterns for each customer. The Compa ny's communication badge is a wearable device that operates over customers' wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks. The badge is worn clipped to a shirt or on a lanyard. It can be used to conduct hands-free communication. It enables two-way voice conversations without the need to remember a phone number or use a handset. Its badge also incorporates automatic diagnostic mechanisms that feed data on wireless network performance back to the software platform for reporting and diagnosis of problems. In October 2011, it introduced the Vocera B3000 badge. In 2012, the Company added Cisco wireless IP phones to the list of mobile devices it supports.

Messaging solution

The Company's Messaging solution delivers text messages, alerts and other information, directly to and from smartphones. Its solution consists of a software platform and client ! applicati! ons that run on BlackBerry, iPhone or Android devices. Its Messaging solution includes a range of client applications, including Alert, Chat and Commander.

Care! Transition Solution

The Company's platform, which includes modules for patient transfers, shift changes, physician sign-outs and patient and family information exchanges, allows hospitals to standardize and monitor patient hand-offs. Its Care Transition solution can be deployed through either a hosted software-as-a-service model or as a server-on-site model and has been deployed by over 120 hospitals.

The Company competes with Cisco Systems, Ascom and Polycom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  On Dec.24, Mario Gabelli, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GAMCO Investors, Inc. added Communications Systems Inc. (JCS) at an average price of $11.05 and currently holds 330,172 shares of the stock. It was the 5th time he added the stock during this year, which makes me feel that he is betting in favor of a positive future for the consumption of network capacity.
  Recommendations of the Board
  Communications Systems is engaged in the manufacture and sale of modular connecting and wiring devices for voice and data communications, digital subscriber line filters, and structured wiring systems, and through its Transition Networks business unit in the manufacture of media and rate conversion products for telecommunications networks.
  Few months ago the firm announced a series of actions to increase revenues and improve profitability. The first change was to operate as a holding company, monitoring and supporting all the business units: Suttle, Transition Ne tworks (TN) unit and JDL Technologies. With this "new format", each unit will operate with a high degree of autonomy. This will result in the reduction of labor costs, the emphasizing of accountability in the units as well as better recognition of performance. "While difficult decisions for the Board, ! we believ! e the changes we have taken to restructure our parent company as a holding company and to focus on individual business unit performance is in the best interest of our shareholders and will increase shareholder value" said Curtis A. Sampson, the Company's Board Chair and Interim CEO. Furthermore, strategic investments in the TN unit such as marketing, sales and product development will boost revenues in the future.
  Severe Warning Signs
  Not all are good news, we found three severe warning signs issued by GuruFocus: Piotroski F-Score of 2 is low, which usually implies poor business operation; revenue has been in decline over the past 3 years and operating margi n has been in 5-year

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Vocera Communications (NYSE: VCRA  ) have gotten slaughtered by 38% today after the company reported earnings.

  So what: Revenue in the first quarter came in at $22.4 million, which translated into a non-GAAP net loss of $0.07 per share. Both figures were significantly worse than the $24.3 million in revenue and $0.02 per share adjusted loss that the Street was expecting. CEO Bob Zollars conceded that management was disappointed with the results.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-medical-stocks-to-own-for-2015-2.html

Smith & Wesson Defies Gun Sales Trend, Aims Higher

Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: SWHC) reported fiscal third quarter 2014 earnings after markets closed on Tuesday. For the quarter, the gun maker posted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.35 on revenues of $145.9 million. In the same period a year ago, the company reported EPS of $0.26 on revenues of $136.24 million. Third-quarter results compare to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate for EPS of $0.29 on $142.7 million in revenues.

S&W bucked the recent trend among gun makers for missing estimates on weak sales. Sturm Ruger & Co. (NYSE: RGR) posted increases to both revenues and profits, but still fell well short of estimates when it reported results last week. To prove a point — firearms and ammo sales at Cabela's Inc. (NYSE: CAB) were said to be down 50% in just the first six weeks of 2014 compared with a year ago.

Smith & Wesson's CEO said:

We maintained our focus on increasing market share of our Smith & Wesson M&P polymer pistol family of products and thereby delivered handgun revenue growth of nearly 30% … Our financial results were highlighted by our delivery of double-digit growth in net income and the ongoing expansion of our gross margins, all while we continued to drive a number of initiatives designed to strengthen our business and return increased value to our stockholders.

For its fourth fiscal quarter, S&W guided revenue from continuing operations at $159 to $164 million and a GAAP EPS from continuing operations in a range of $0.37 to $0.40. The consensus estimate called for revenue of $164.54 million and EPS of $0.36.

For the 2014 fiscal year that ends in April, S&W expects sales from continuing operations to total $615 to $620 million. Full-year GAAP EPS is forecast at $1.39 to $1.42. The consensus estimates call for EPS of $1.33 on sales of $617.49 million.

S&W handily whacked estimates for the third quarter, much to our surprise. But the company's revenue forecasts for next quarter and for the full fiscal year are right in line with the consensus estimates, leaving S&W with little room for error.

S&W's shares are up nearly 7% in after-hours trading today, at $12.59 in a 52-week range of $8.25 to $15.56. The consensus target price for the shares was around $16.15 before today's report.

Did Carl Icahn Go Too Far in His eBay Letter?

On Monday, activist investor Carl Icahn delivered a swift jab at eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) leadership in a terse letter questioning the loyalties of certain board members and the competence of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Donahoe.

In a letter to eBay shareholders, Icahn charged eBay leadership with the most "blatant disregard" for accountability that his firm Icahn Enterprises "has ever seen."

The bare-knuckled blame includes charges of pseudo-insider trading, gross mismanagement, and failure to address "conflicts of interests" among board members, while calling, yet again, for a spin-off of eBay's surging PayPal division.

eBay responded on Monday to his letter line by line, defending its leadership.

The battle is now heating up, as Icahn pushes for the replacement of specific board members.

We've seen this behavior from Icahn in the past.

As a bullish shareholder, he publicly sparred with hedge fund manager Bill Ackman over the future of Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF), a battle he has handsomely won as the stock price surged. He called out the board of Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) over its glut of cash on hand, pushing for a $50-billion stock buyback. He even had no qualms about taking Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) private, a move that would have wrestled control of the company away from its founder and CEO Michael Dell, who started the company in 1984 from a college dorm room.

But the new charges against eBay leaders raise a question of whether Icahn has gone too far this time...

The PayPal Battle Heats Up Here's the crux of Icahn's position on eBay, his outlook, and his principle concerns about the company:

"We have recently accumulated a significant position in eBay's common stock because we believe there is great long-term value in the business. However, after diligently researching this company we have discovered multiple lapses in corporate governance. These include certain material conflicts of interest, which we believe could put the future of our company in peril. We have found ourselves in many troubling situations over the years, but the complete disregard for accountability at eBay is the most blatant we have ever seen."

Icahn makes several serious charges, accusing CEO John Donahoe's of "ineptitude" in addressing Icahn's concerns.

First, Icahn accuses director Scott Cook, a current board member of Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), a minor competitor of eBay, of working for the enemy. Icahn believes Cook is interfering in eBay's hiring practices.

Second, he accuses board member and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen of "routinely funding competitors while buying companies from eBay and reaping significant personal riches." The charge comes in the wake of Andreesen's efforts, as part of an investment group, to purchase 70% of Skype from eBay for $2.75 billion, a figure that was slightly less than what the company paid for it just four years earlier. He charges Andreesen with investing in at least five direct competitors of eBay in the mobile payment and online money management sectors.

In Icahn's mind, both Andreesen and Cook are directly competing against eBay's interests. Writes Icahn: "How can Mr. Andreessen be trusted to objectively advise Mr. Donahoe and the eBay Board about the strategic direction of PayPal when he has vested interest in so many of its competitors?"

eBay defended both board members in their reply, citing the "extraordinary insight, expertise, and leadership" that they bring to the company's board.

The charges are brash. But as an activist investor, Icahn believes it's his job to stand up on behalf of fellow investors against acts of mismanagement by the board and executives (of course, while making a lot of money in the process)...

His forte is focusing on great companies and stocks held back by poor management. This is why critics have accused Icahn of being a corporate raider, drawing comparisons to Gordon Gecko, the fictional tycoon from the 1987 movie "Wall Street." Business Insider even labeled him "The Most Dangerous Man on Wall Street" in March 2013.

So, will he get his way again?

eBay's Reaction to Carl Icahn Ultimately, Icahn wants eBay to spin off the highly profitable PayPal division that is competing with Amazon, Google, MasterCard, and other financial services companies.

Icahn's letter doesn't provide much new evidence that wasn't already brought up by gurus in the past. Certainly, his concerns are valid, and a PayPal spin-off would be beneficial in the short term due to the significant premium it would likely draw from investors. So Icahn is using his name and purse to shine a brighter light on the matter and bring it to the front page of every major financial news outlet.

A PayPal spin-off is likely of PayPal in the future. For the time being, however, eBay seems content in having a diversified business model. eBay leaders believe that PayPal benefits right now from having access to its customers, technology, and financing. In a highly competitive, uncertain, and fast-growing industry, the company may need eBay's resources as it continues to innovate and carve out its share of the digital payment marketplace.

So if recent history is any indicator, we're in store for a long battle between Icahn and eBay leaders.

Tesla stock has been on a tear this year, up 69% in 2014 and up 665% since the start of 2013. But Tesla's "Gigafactory" could really send its stock through the roof...

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015

Integrys (NYSE: TEG  ) announced this week that it's selling off one of its hydro dams, marking yet another utility's unease with hydroelectric power. Let's take a closer look to see whether this power company's piddling away profits -- or making smart moves for its future.

Integrys' exit
Integrys subsidiary Wisconsin Public Service is handing over ownership of its Otter Rapids dam to Renewable World Energies, a privately run Midwest company with 22 hydroelectric facilities to its name. According to the press release, Otter Rapids' "size and location" make it a mismatch for Integrys' generation portfolio, despite a regulatory license lasting through 2037.

It seems that one man's trash is another man's treasure, as Renewable World Energies is confident that it will be able to make a series of improvements, optimizing power output for years to come.

Water works?
Integrys' latest move is more and more common in the world of utilities. NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE  ) made a similar motion last December, when it announced it was selling all 351 MW of its hydro generating assets to Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners, another hydro specialist. NextEra President and CEO Armando Pimentel spoke of the need to "further optimize our power generation portfolio" and concentrate on growth opportunities.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: Vodafone Group PLC (VOD)

Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone), incorporated in 1984, is a mobile communications company operating across the globe providing a range of communications services. The Company offers a range of products and services, including voice, messaging, data and fixed-line solutions and devices to assist customers in meeting their total communications needs. Vodafone has a global presence, with equity interests in over 30 countries and over 40 partner markets worldwide. It operates in three geographic regions: Europe, Africa and Central Europe; Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and has an investment in Verizon Wireless in the United States. In October 2010, Vodafone Global Enterprise, the business within Vodafone, announced the acquisition of two telecom expense management (TEM) companies, Quickcomm and TnT Expense Management. In November 2011, the Company sold 24.4% interest in Polkomtel in Poland. In March 2012, Verizon Wireless, which is a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone, purchased the operating assets of Cellular One of Northeast Pennsylvania from the Company. In April 2012, its Netherlands-based division, Vodafone Libertel BV, acquired Telespectrum-DJ. On October 31, 2012, the Company acquired TelstraClear Limited. In May 2013, Vodafone Group Plc announced launch of its carrier services business unit.

In Europe, the Company�� mobile subsidiaries and joint venture operate under the brand name Vodafone. Its associate in France operates as SFR and Neuf Cegetel, and its fixed-line communication businesses operate as Vodafone, Arcor, Tele2 and TeleTu. Vodafone�� subsidiaries in Africa and Central Europe operate under the Vodafone brand, or in the case of Vodacom and its mobile subsidiaries, the Vodacom and Gateway brands. Its joint venture in Poland operates as Polkomtel and its associate in Kenya operates as Safaricom. The Company�� subsidiaries and joint venture in Fiji operate under the Vodafone brand, and its joint venture in Australia operates under the brands V! odafone and 3. The Company�� associate in the United States operates under the brand Verizon Wireless.

Vodafone has an international customer base with 370 million mobile customers across the world as of March 31, 2011. Vodafone also caters to all business segments ranging from small-office-home-office (SoHo) and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) to corporates and multinational corporations. Through its subsidiaries, Vodafone directly owns and manages approximately 2,200 stores around the world. The Company also has around 10,300 Vodafone-branded stores run through franchise and exclusive dealer arrangements.

The Company�� range of handsets covers all its customer segments and price points, and is available in a variety of designs. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), 14 new handsets were released under its own brand and it shipped 5.8 million. In addition to handsets, it supplies a range of connected smart devices. It supplies the iPhone in 19 markets. During fiscal 2011, the Company launched its USB stick based on 4G/LTE technology in Germany and Verizon Wireless launched in the United States.; Vodafone WebBox; a smartphone roaming data plan that allows the European customers to use their home data plan abroad for only 2 a day to access the Internet, emails and applications; the Android-powered Vodafone 845 and 945 devices; Vodafone TV services; Vodafone 252, which comes pre-loaded with Vodafone M-Pesa for mobile payment services and a prepaid balance indicator that helps customers to keep track of their phone credit to avoid overspending; Vodafone M-Pesa in South Africa, Qatar and Fiji; 3G services in India, and LTE services by acquiring LTE spectrum in Germany.

The Company is a carrier of mobile voice traffic in the world providing domestic, international and roaming voice services to more than 370 million customers. Its networks sent and received over 292 billion text, picture, music and video messages during fiscal 2011. The Company ! serves mo! re than 75 million customers with data services, which allow access to the Internet, email and applications on their phones, tablets, laptops and netbooks. The Company provides a range of data products, including Machine-to-machine (��2M�� connections, which allow devices to communicate with one another via built-in mobile SIM cards; Third party billing; Financial services; Near field communication (��FC��, and Mobile advertising. The Company, as of March 31, 2011, served 5.3 million M2M connections around the world. NFC allows communication between devices when they are touched together or brought within a few centimetres of each other. The Company has mobile advertising business in 18 countries with a range of capabilities. Over six million customers use its fixed broadband services in 13 markets to meet their total communications needs. In addition, through Gateway, it provides wholesale carrier services to more than 40 African countries. Other service revenue includes business managed services, such as secure remote network access, and revenue from mobile virtual network operators generated from selling access to its network at the wholesale level. The Company�� enterprise customers range from small-office-home-office (��oHo�� businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises (��MEs��, through to domestic and multinational companies. The Company has 34 million enterprise customers accounting for around 9% of all customers and around 23% of service revenue. The Company focuses on SoHos and SMEs to provide customers with integrated fixed and mobile communications solutions. Vodafone Global Enterprise manages the communication needs of over 560 of the multinational corporate customers. It provides a range of managed services, such as Central Ordering, Device Manager, Spend Manager Solutions, Invoice Manager, Vodafone Neverfail and Telecoms management. The Company offers a range of total communications applications, as well as services for enterprise and consumer customers. Vodafone Alw! ays Best ! Connected software enables customers to stay connected to the Internet on the available connection wherever they are by automatically managing the switching between connection types including mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and LAN. Vodafone PC Backup is an online back-up and restores service that enables users to remotely store data securely and automatically via their Internet connection.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By G. A. Chester]

  Today, I'm putting telecommunications giant�Vodafone�Group� (LSE: VOD  ) (NASDAQ: VOD  ) under the microscope.

  Current dividend policy
  Vodafone unveiled a new dividend policy when it announced its annual results this week:�"The Board ... going forward aims at least to maintain the ordinary dividend per share at current levels."

• [By CNNMoney Staff]

  Investors will also be keeping tabs on Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500). The telecom giant is expected to announce a record $49 billion bond sale to help fund its Verizon Wireless purchase from Vodafone (VOD), according to news reports.

• [By DAILYFINANCE]

  John Minchillo/AP NEW YORK -- Verizon posted fourth-quarter net income of $5.07 billion, boosted by continued growth in the number of phones and tablets connected to its network. The largest U.S. cellphone carrier reported increases in both the number connected devices and its wireless subscriber population. Its results reported Tuesday beat Wall Street predictions. New York-based Verizon (VZ) said overall service revenue rose 8 percent to $17.7 billion. The company added 1.7 million net retail wireless connections during the quarter, excluding acquisitions and adjustments. Of that total, 1.6 million were connections that involved monthly service contracts. As of Dec. 31, Verizon had a total of 102.8 million retail connections, marking a 5 percent increase over the same time a year ago. The 2013 total included 96.8 million connections with monthly contracts. Francis Shammo, Verizon's executive vice president and CFO, said on a conference call with investors that the company got a big boost from new contracts for tablet service, which totaled 790,000 and marked the largest quarterly total since tablets were first introduced in 2010. Meanwhile, Verizon's overall population of retail wireless subscribers increased 4.5 percent to 35.1 million, with each customer having an average of 2.8 connected devices. The company's wireline division, which provides landlines along with the company's FIOS internet and TV services, also saw growth. Consumer revenues at that division rose 6 percent to $3.8 billion, as FIOS-related consumer revenue jumped 15 percent to nearly $2.8 billion. Shammo also said on Tuesday's call that Verizon expects its $130 billion acquisition of Vodafone Group's (VOD) 45 percent stake in its wireless division to close Feb. 21. Once that happens, Verizon will no longer have to share its wireless revenue with the British cellphone company. For the quarter ended Dec. 31, Verizon's profit amounted to $1.76 a share. The company lost $4.23 billi

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

   

  Nearest Resistance: N/A
  
  Nearest Support: $31
  
  Catalyst: Verizon Stake Buyout

   

   

  Shares of Vodafone Group (VOD) are up big today after news that Verizon Communications (VZ) could pay as much as $130 billion for the 45% of Verizon's wireless business that Vodafone owns. The possibility that the deal could be completed this week is spiking shares of VOD by as much as 8% in this afternoon's trading, as investors salivate over a balance sheet flush with cash.

   

  From a technical standpoint, things don't get much better than Vodafone: shares of the UK-based phone carrier gapped up to a new high this morning on the news. Making new highs is significant from an investor psychology standpoint because it means that everyone who has bought shares in the last year is sitting on gains. As a result, the "back to even" mentality is less of a concern than it would be for a name with a higher proportion of shareholders sitting on losses.

   

  Investors who aren't risk-averse may want to consider jumping in here; just keep a tight stop in place.

   

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: Lumos Networks Corp (LMOS)

Lumos Networks Corp. is a fiber-based service provider in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Company provides data, broadband, voice and Internet protocol (IP) services over fiber optic network. The Company offers a range of data and voice products supported by approximately 5,800 fiber-route miles in Virginia, West Virginia, and portions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Kentucky. Its products and services include metro Ethernet, IP services, business advantage bundle, managed router service, broadband, voice services and Web hosting. On October 14, 2011, NTELOS Holdings Corp. announced a distribution date of October 31, 2011, for the spin-off of Lumos Networks Corp.

The Company�� broadband services include Business DSL, Dedicated Business Service, Managed Router Services, Business Broadband XL, Business PC Services and Web Hosting. Its IP services include Integrated Access, IP Trunking, IP Centrex and IP Phones. Its voice service include Business Voice, Business Advantage Bundle, nTouch, Intelligent Messaging, Simultaneous Ring, Conference Calling and Long Distance. Its data services include Metro Ethernet and Quality of Service. Lumos Networks Business DSL provides up to six megabits per second downstream and one megabit per second upstream. Its managed router support service equipment includes staging, installation, configuration, and maintenance while support provides around-the-clock monitoring, management and trouble resolution and direct access to networking experts. Its Business Broadband XL offers a selection of high download speeds. Lumos Networks' Integrated Access solution can integrate local voice, long distance, voicemail, and broadband Internet access. Lumos Networks nTouch brings voicemail linking IP Centrex and nTelos Wireless phone.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Lumos Networks Corp. (NASDAQ: LMOS) is a leading provider of fiber-based bandwidth infrastructure and IP services in key mid-Atlantic markets. It announced last month it had launched its cloud-based hosted call center solution, which provides best-in-class automated call distribution, integrated voice response and call reporting to help organizations manage call volumes more effectively and efficiently. The service operates over Lumos’s carrier-grade, premium optical network, which provides high-speed, resilient access to the call-center cloud service. The consensus price target for the stock is $20.50. Investors are paid a reasonable 2.7% dividend. Lumos closed Thursday at $20.77.

Best Stocks To Own For 2015: Eutelsat Communications SA (ETL)

Eutelsat Communications SA is a France-based holding company that provides fixed satellite services. It provides four types of services, including broadcast services, such as direct-to-home and professional broadcasting; broadband services, comprising broadband Internet access; telecoms and data services to ensure permanent communications links from all points of the globe, establish or restore communications in an emergency and multicast content; as well as mobile and maritime communications, such as fleet management and on- and off-shore broadband maritime communications. It operates a fleet of satellites covering Europe, the Middle East, North and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of Asia and the Americas. In January 2014, it acquired Satelites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. and together with SES SA have completed the sale to EchoStar Corp. of Solaris Mobile Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Eutelsat Communications SA (ETL) declined 6.2 percent to 21.02 euros after predicting sales will grow by more than 2.5 percent for the year 2013 to 2014. The company, which operates 31 satellites, forecast growth of more than 5 percent for the following two years through June 2016. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its price target for the stock to 24 euros from 33 euros, saying analysts��will probably reduce their estimates following the company�� revised guidance.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: Intelsat SA (I)

Intelsat S.A., incorporated on July 18, 2011, is a satellite services business, providing a layer in the global communications infrastructure. The Company operates satellite capacity, holds orbital location rights, contract backlog, serve commercial customers and deliver services. It provides diversified communications services to the world�� media companies, fixed and wireless telecommunications operators, data networking service providers for enterprise and mobile applications, multinational corporations and Internet service providers (ISPs). It is also the provider of commercial satellite capacity to the United States government and other select military organizations and their contractors.

The Company has a satellite fleet comprised of more than 50 satellites, covering 99% of the Earth�� populated regions. Its fleet, combined with the IntelsatOne terrestrial fiber network and a collection of teleports, form a singular unmatched global infrastructure to meet any communications requirement. As the provider of satellite services, the Company provides mission critical communication services.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Satellite services provider Intelsat (NYSE: I  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.71875 per share on its 5.75% Series A mandatory convertible junior non-voting preferred stock, which trades on the NYSE under the symbol I.PRA.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: TechnoConcepts Inc (TCPS)

TechnoConcepts, Inc. (TCI), incorporated in May 2003, is in the business of designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing wireless communications semiconductors. The Company has begun manufacturing wireless transmitter and receiver microchips, based on its technology, and produced its engineering run in August 2006. The technology, which TCI calls True Software Radio, is designed to improve the way that wireless signals are received and transmitted, by making possible device-to-device communication across otherwise incompatible networks and wireless standards. On October 17, 2005, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Asante Acquisition Corp. completed reorganization with RegalTech Inc. RegalTech's name was changed to Asante Networks Inc. (Asante).

In December 2005, the Company formed Jinshilin Techno Ltd. (Jinshilin Techno) as its wholly owned subsidiary based in Shanghai, China. The Company organized Jinshilin Techno to provide marketing, sales and technical support for True Software Radio technology in China. On April 21, 2006, Jinshilin Techno acquired Internet television (IPTV) set-top box (STB) technology through license agreements with Jinshilin Technologies Development Company Ltd. (Jinshilin). Jinshilin Techno offers an IPTV set-top box that features voice over Internet protocol (VOIP), capability and can receive Internet protocol (IP) data transmissions through the household electrical power grid.

Asante Networks Inc. provides Ethernet networking solutions for Apple Computer and the small-to-medium business retail markets, offering the IntraCore and FriendlyNET product families, integrating voice, data, and video over wireless and wired networks with unified management and authentication. In April 2006, Asante announced the release of 2-chip switch solution, the IntraCore 38480. The IntraCore 38480 provides no frame loss and full-wire speed with minimized latency. With 96-gigabit switching fabric, the IntraCore 38480 supports full-wire speed on all ! ports. It has advanced traffic control based on L2-L7 data of incoming frames.

The Company's True Software Radio technology makes possible for wireless transmitters and receivers, as well as the radio signal processing, to be fully controlled and reconfigured by software commands across a range of frequencies and frequency bands. Its True Software Radio technology is a delta-sigma microchip architecture that converts radio frequency signals directly into digital data for the wireless receiver and directly from digital data into radio signals for the wireless transmitter. True Software Radio microchips replace the analog front end, intermediate frequency (I/F) processing, analog-to-digital conversion (ADC), and digital filtering sections of conventional wireless transmitters and receivers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap tech stocks TechnoConcepts, Inc (OTCMKTS: TCPS), Unisource Corporation (OTCMKTS: USRC) and Strategic Global Investments, Inc (OTCMKTS: STBV) have been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters thanks to promotions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with properly disclosed promotions, but they can backfire on the unwary as its really up to investors or traders alike to do their own due diligence before investing or trading. With that in mind, here is a quick reality check about three small cap tech stocks getting a bit of attention lately:

  TechnoConcepts, Inc (OTCMKTS: TCPS) Has the Yield Sign Replaced on Its OTC Page

  Small cap TechnoConcepts is a wireless technology company currently holding patents and other intellectual property. On Friday, TechnoConcepts fell 0.45% to $15.58 for a market cap of $415.28 million plus TCPC is up 1.1% over the past year and up 6% since April 2012 according to Google Finance.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: Softbank Corp (SFTBF)

SOFTBANK CORP. is a Japan-based company that provides digital information services. The Company has six business segments. The Mobile Communication segment provides cellular phone services and sells attached cellular phone terminals. The Broadband and Infrastructure segment provides high-speed Internet access services, Internet protocol (IP) phone service, and contents. The Fixed Communication segment provides transmission services for audio and data, as well as exclusive line and data center services. The Internet Culture segment is engaged in the Internet advertising, broadband portal and auction businesses. The Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) segment sells personal computers (PCs), peripheral devices and software for PC use, as well as provides business-to-business and business-to-customer e-commerce services. The Others segment is involved in the broadcasting media, technology service, media marketing and overseas fund businesses.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks rose Wednesday after a lower open, managing solid gains with most other Asian markets were closed for the Christmas holiday. The Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) climbed 0.8% to 16,009.99, its first close above the 16,000 level since late 2007. The broader Topix ended with a more modest 0.1% rise. Seven & I Holdings Co. (JP:3382) (SVNDF) , operators of the 7-Eleven convenience-store chain, rose 1.5% as a Nikkei Asian Review report said it planned to pay about 楼5 billion yen to purchase nearly half of Bals, which runs home-and-kitchen-furnishings retailer Francfranc. Chip maker Renesas Electronics Corp. (JP:6723) (RNECY) was a strong performer, rallying 6.5% after suffering a sizeable drop in the previous session. On the downside, shares of Softbank Corp. (JP:9984) (SFTBF) fell 0.5%, after a separate article in the Nikkei saying that previously reported plans by the firm to buy T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS) through its newly acquired Sprint (S) unit would value the transaction at more than 2 trillion yen ($19 billion) and would take place as early as next spring. Auto-maker stocks were mostly higher after trading mixed following the release of Japanese car-sales data for November. Toyota Motor Corp. (JP:7203) (TM) added 0.2%, Honda Motor Co. (JP:7267)

• [By Jonathan Berr]

  Opposition to the latest wireless rumored wireless merger might have come as a surprise to Sprint’s CEO/pitchman Daniel Hesse and Masayoshi Son, the head of Japan’s SoftBank (SFTBF), which acquired a controlling interest in Sprint for $1.9 billion last year. For one thing, it’s hard to imagine the new company posing much of a competitive threat. A combined Sprint/T-Mobile would have 53 million users — significantly greater than their individual parts, but still less than half the 110 million served by AT&T and the 120 million subscribers under the Verizon flag.

• [By Daniel Inman]

  Softbank (JP:9984) � (SFTBF) �rose 2% in Tokyo following a Nikkei report that said the telecoms company�� group operating profit for the first half of the fiscal year likely rose 70% on-year to more than 楼700 billion ($7.13 billion).

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: Sprint Corp (S&LS)

Sprint Corporation, incorporated on May 10, 2012, offers a range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumers, businesses and government users. On July 10, 2013, the Company, SoftBank Corp. and Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint Nextel) completed the merger. In the Merger, Sprint Corporation was merged into Sprint Nextel, New Sprint became the parent company of Sprint Nextel, with Sprint Nextel becoming its direct wholly owned subsidiary, and Sprint Nextel changed its name to Sprint Communications, Inc.

The Company develops, engineers and deploys technologies, including the first wireless fourth generation (4G) service from a national carrier in the United States; offering mobile data services, prepaid brands, including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities, and a global Tier 1 Internet Service. The Company also offers unlimited data services.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Since Wilmers & Co. took over M&T Bank in 1983 the bank has acquired 23 banks and Savings and Loans (S&Ls) ��expanding from a single state to seven ��and assets have grown from $2 billion to $110 billion. M&T's branch count has grown from 60 to over 870. The bank currently boasts a customer base of over 2 million retail household customers and nearly 220,000 commercial customers.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: KDDI Corp (KDDIF)

KDDI CORPORATION is a telecommunications company. The Mobile Telecommunication segment is engaged in the provision of mobile communications services, including voice and data services, and mobile WIMAX services, as well as the sale of mobile communication terminals and the provision of contents. The Fixed-line Telecommunication segment provides broadband services, including fiber to the home (FTTH) and cable television (TV) services, as well as domestic and overseas communication services, data center services and information and communication technology (ICT) solution services. The Others segment is involved in the operation of call centers and the development of research and advanced technology. On December 2, 2013, it transferred all shares of a wholly owned subsidiary, JAPAN CABLE NET LIMITED to another subsidiary. In December 2013, the Company acquired the entire share capital in Yugen Kaisha Cosmos. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks opened sharply higher Monday, with the Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NIK) advancing 1.1% to 14,242.86 after falling 2.8% Friday, as end-of-the-week gains for U.S. shares and some earnings news helped lift the market. The Topix also saw solid gains, up 0.8% in early moves. Major advances included a 2.5% rise for Hitachi Ltd. (JP:6501) (HTHIF) , a 4.1% surge for Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (JP:7211) (MMTOF) , and a 2.6% improvement for KDDI Corp. (JP:9433) (KDDIF) after the Nikkei business daily said the telecom will report a 50% increase for operating profit in the fiscal first half compared to a year earlier. Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) added 2% after scoring a Credit Suisse upgrade to outperform. Shares of NTT DoCoMo Inc. (JP:9437) (NTDMF) traded 1.1% higher after posting above-forecast quarterly results Friday, while JFE Holdings Inc. (JP:5411) (JFEEF) fell 3.2% after the steel producer also reported earnings.

• [By Daniel Inman]

  In Tokyo, telecoms firm KDDI Corp. (JP:9433) � (KDDIF) �rose 2% after a Nikkei report said that the firm will likely report a record first-half group operating profit, with a 50% on-year increase. TDK Corp. (JP:6762) � (TTDKF) , however, dropped 0.2% after a separate Nikkei report said that the electronics-component producer will report an 8% increase in operating profit over the same period.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS)

T-Mobile US, Inc., formerly MetroPCS Communications, Inc., incorporated on March 10, 2004, is a wireless telecommunications carrier, which offers wireless broadband mobile services primarily in metropolitan areas in the United States, including the Atlanta, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando/Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco and Tampa/Sarasota metropolitan areas. Its flagship brands include T-Mobile and MetroPCS. As of December 31, 2012, it held licenses for wireless spectrum suitable for wireless broadband mobile services covering a total population of 144 million people in and around many of the metropolitan areas in the United States. It provides its services using code division multiple accesses (CDMA) networks using 1xRTT technology and evolution data optimized (EVDO) and fourth generation long term evolution (4G LTE).

The Company has roaming agreements with other wireless broadband mobile carriers that allow them to offer its customers service in many areas when they are outside its service area. These roaming agreements, together with the area it serve with its own networks, allows its customers to receive service in an area covering over 280 million in total population under the Metro USA brand. The Company sells products and services to customers through its Company-owned retail stores, as well as indirectly through relationships with independent retailers and third party dealers. Its service allows its customers to place unlimited local calls from within its local service area and to receive unlimited calls from any area while in its service area, for a flat-rate monthly service fee. For additional usage fees, it also provide certain other value-added services. All of these plans require payment in advance for one month of service. If no payment is made in advance for month of service, service is suspended at the end of the month that was paid for by the customer and, if the customer does not pay within 30 day! s, the customer is terminated. It believes its service plans differentiate them from the more complex plans and long-term contract requirements of traditional wireless carriers.

The Company voice services allow customers to place voice calls to, and receive calls from, any telephone in the world, including local, domestic long distance, and international calls. Its voice services also allow customers to receive and make calls while they are located in areas served by its networks and in those geographic areas served by the networks of certain other wireless broadband mobile carriers with whom it has roaming arrangements. The Company�� data services include text messaging services (domestic and international); multimedia messaging services; mobile Internet access; mobile instant messaging; location-based services; social networking services; push e-mail; multimedia streaming and downloads; and services provided, depending on the network and locale, through the Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless, or BREW, Blackberry, Windows, and the Android platforms, such as ringtones, ring back tones, games, content, and applications.

The Company�� Custom calling features offers custom calling features, including caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling and voicemail. Its Advanced handsets sells a variety of feature phones, and increasingly, smartphones, predominately manufactured by nationally recognized manufacturers for use on its network, including models that have cameras, include HTML browsers, play music, play streaming audio, display streaming video and downloaded video, and have other features facilitating digital data. It sells a variety of handsets using vendor or handset specific operating systems, such as BREW, Blackberry, Windows, and the Android operating system.

The Company provides its wireless broadband mobile services using paired personal communications services (PCS), spectrum and advanced wireless services, or AWS, spectrum. In addition, it holds a! license ! for 12 MHz of paired 700 MHz Lower Band A spectrum in the Boston-Worcester, MA/NH/RI/VT basic economic area (BEA), which, unless it receives a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), of the four year construction requirements, it plans to construct in the first half of 2013. In each of its metropolitan areas where irt provides service. As of December 31, 2012, it holds between 10 mega hertz (MHz) and 60 MHz of paired spectrum and on average it has approximately 22 MHz of paired spectrum in the metropolitan areas it serves. In the aggregate, as of December 31, 2012, it offers wireless broadband mobile services using its own network.

The Company operates 1xRTT CDMA networks in all of the metropolitan areas it serves and it has upgraded its networks to 4G LTE in all of metropolitan areas. It also has deployed EVDO at selected high use sites in its CDMA network to increase network data capacity to meet the growing data needs of iy customers. Its network includes a mobile switching center (for CDMA), enhanced packet core (for 4G LTE), and IP core. These serve several purposes, including routing traffic, managing call handoffs, and managing access to the public switched telephone network (for CDMA) or the Internet (CDMA and 4G LTE). These network elements also provide access to voicemail and other value-added services, base stations (for CDMA) or eNodeBs (for 4G LTE), cell sites or distributed antenna system (DAS), nodes, and backhaul facilities, which carry traffic to and from its cell sites and its switching or enhanced packet core facilities, consisting of a combination of dedicated circuits, cable, fiber, and microwave facilities.

Its cell sites in the network are co-located, meaning its equipment is located on leased facilities that are owned by third parties who retain the right to lease the locations to additional carriers and in many cases other wireless broadband mobile service providers already have facilities at such locations. The switching centers and na! tional op! erations center provide around-the-clock monitoring of its network. Its switches connect to the public switched telephone network through fiber rings leased from third-parties, which transmit originating and terminating traffic between its equipment and local exchange and long distance carriers. It also has negotiated interconnection agreements with relevant local exchange carriers, or LECs, in its service areas. It uses third-party providers for domestic and international long distance services, international SMS interconnection with the public switched network and other carriers, roaming services, and the majority of its backhaul services.

The Company competes with AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA , Deutsche Telekom, Clearwire, Dish Network , Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Cox Communications, Cricket Communications, Leap Wireless International and Google.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Price�� new buys in the quarter were Oenok (OKE), Dolby Labs (DLB) and T-Mobile (TMUS). I don�� find any of those particularly exciting at current levels, but I�� willing to acknowledge that Michael Price is a lot smarter than I am and probably sees value I am missing in these stocks. What I find much more interesting was that Price was doing a lot more selling than buying in the third quarter.

• [By DAILYFINANCE]

  John Moore/Getty Images NEW YORK -- The stock market continued its upward climb Thursday as traders went back to work after the Christmas holiday, adding to what has already been a historic year for the market. Traders were encouraged by an unexpectedly large drop in claims for unemployment benefits last week, the latest sign that the U.S. job market is improving. Trading volume was very low, however, as most portfolio managers have closed out their positions for the year The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, a benchmark for many kinds of loans, briefly crossed above the psychologically important 3 percent mark. It hasn't been that high since September. The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) rose 122.33 points, or 0.8 percent, to 16,479.88. It was the 50th record high close for the Dow this year. The index is up 25.8 percent so far in 2013, on pace to have its best year since 1996. The Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) rose 8.70 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,842.02 and the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) was up 11.76 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,167.18. With Thursday's gains, the S&P 500 is up 29.2 percent for the year, or 31.3 percent when dividends are included. The S&P is on track for its best year since 1997. Bond prices fell, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to 2.99 percent from 2.98 percent Tuesday. The note briefly traded above 3 percent. Yields have been climbing since late November as economic reports have suggested that the U.S. recovery is gaining momentum. The increase accelerated last week after the Federal Reserve announced it was cutting back on its bond-buying program. The yield last touched 3 percent in September. It hasn't been consistently above 3 percent since July 2011. "There's a silver lining to see bond yields rise like this, because it's a sign that the economy is getting stronger," said John De Clue, chief investment officer of U.S. Bank Wealth Management. Yields on Treasury securities like the 10-year

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  T-Mobile USA (NYSE: TMUS  ) had a successful debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.�

  Investors bought into the company that consists of the merged T-Mobile and smaller MetroPCS. Deutsche Telekom (NASDAQOTH: DTEGY  ) will retain a 74% stake in the combined company.

• [By Markos Kaminis]

  Whether the stock is overvalued or not does not matter at this point, because an impact to its subscriber base due to the data sharing news would probably change market expectations for the company's operations and affect both earnings estimates and valuation multiples. It would probably drive the shares lower in my view, and I see no reason to risk that by holding the stock. Long-term holders, of course, have tax considerations to consider, and the news is still filing out. If Verizon's peers are also implicated clearly, perhaps with the aid of a Verizon PR push, this issue would be effectively mitigated. Though even in that case, there could be market share loss by all major American firms, with companies like T-Mobile US (TMUS) and Virgin Media (VMED) benefiting, whether they have also been involved or not. In any event, for new stakeholders, or those willing to deal with tax implications; or for those interested in a potential short opportunity, I would sell the stock today. I see no reason to bear risk while this issue and its implications are still unraveling, and while VZ has thus far not been significantly discounted for it.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: Ruckus Wireless Inc (RKUS)

Ruckus Wireless, Inc (Ruckus), incorporated August 19, 2002, is a provider of Wi-Fi solutions. The Company�� solutions, which it calls Smart Wi-Fi, are used by service providers and enterprises to solve network challenges. The Company�� products include gateways, controllers and access points. These products incorporate its technologies, including Smart Radio, Smart QoS, Smart Mesh, SmartCell and Smart Scaling. The Company sells its products to service providers and enterprises globally, and as of December 31, 2012, had sold its products to over 21,700 end-customers worldwide. During 2012, the Company added over 10,100 new end-customers. The Company�� enterprise end-customers are typically mid-sized organizations in a variety of industries, including hospitality, education, healthcare, warehousing and logistics, corporate enterprise, retail, state and local government and public venues, such as stadiums, convention centers, airports and outdoor public areas. Effective July 23, 2013, Ruckus Wireless Inc acquired YFind Technologies Pte Ltd.

The Company sells directly and indirectly to a range of service providers, including mobile operators, cable companies, wholesale operators and fixed-line carriers. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had over 65 service provider end-customers, including Bright House Networks, The Cloud (a BSkyB Company), KDDI, Tikona Digital Networks, Time Warner Cable and Towerstream. The Company�� Smart Wi-Fi solutions are marketed under the SmartCell, ZoneDirector, ZoneFlex and FlexMaster brands and include a range of indoor and outdoor access points (APs), long range point-to-point and point-to-multipoint bridges, wireless local area network (LAN), controllers, network management software and gateway systems with integrated advanced wireless software.

The Company�� core Smart Wi-Fi technologies include Smart Radio, Smart QoS, Smart Mesh, SmartCell and Smart Scaling. Smart Radio is a set of advanced hardware and software capabilities that auto! matically adjust Wi-Fi signals to changes in environmental conditions. A primary component of Smart Radio technology is BeamFlex, a smart antenna system that makes Wi-Fi signals stronger by focusing them only where they are needed and dynamically steering them in directions that yield the highest throughput for each receiving device. Another component is ChannelFly, a performance optimization capability that automatically determines, which radio frequencies or channels deliver the network throughput based on actual observed capacity, a key benefit for high-density, noisy Wi-Fi environments.

Smart QoS is a software technology that manages traffic load to enhance the user experience. Smart QoS was developed to handle the increasing volumes of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and streaming video traffic. Smart QoS offers automatic prioritization of different traffic types through intelligent analytics that classify, prioritize and schedule traffic for transmission. Smart QoS employs advanced queuing techniques and dedicated software queues on a per device basis to ensure fairness and optimize overall system performance. Smart QoS includes its band steering, rate limiting, client load balancing and airtime fairness techniques.

Smart Mesh is software technology that uses advanced self-organizing network principles to create Wi-Fi backbone links between access points. Smart Mesh automatically establishes wireless connections between individual access points using patented smart antenna technology and self-heals in the event of a failed link.

SmartCell is a key technology behind the Company�� SmartCell Gateway platform that integrates software and specialized hardware deployed at the edge of service provider networks to facilitate the integration of Wi-Fi and cellular infrastructures. SmartCell includes a set of modular software components ,as well as standard network interfaces into the mobile core that enable Wi-Fi to become a standard access mechanism for service ! providers! . Management components provide configuration, user management, analytics, accounting and other operational and maintenance functions.

Smart Scaling uses advanced database management techniques to enable the support of hundreds of thousands to millions of client devices across the Wi-Fi network. Smart Scaling employs intelligent data distribution techniques to extend client information, statistics and other vital user information across any number of nodes within the system without a single point of failure and with linear scalability. Smart Scaling is incorporated in its purpose-built hardware and software, making it capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of access points and user session workloads at the scale required by service providers.

SmartCell Gateway is a platform that integrates software and specialized hardware deployed at the edge of service provider networks to facilitate the integration of Wi-Fi and cellular infrastructures. The Company�� SmartCell Gateway is designed to be vendor-agnostic and can control third-party APs. SmartCell Gateway provides standard-based interfaces into existing and future mobile networks to simplify integration.

SmartCell access point addresses the capacity and density needs of service providers deploying networks within urban environments. SmartCell APs employ modular multimode architecture to enable service providers to deploy Wi-Fi, 3G/4G small cell cellular technology and Wi-Fi mesh backhaul within a single device. This provides operators with the ability to enhance and extend their macro networks, injecting much needed capacity into high traffic user environments with the flexibility to deploy Wi-Fi with Smart Mesh backhaul and upgrade to Wi-Fi with 3G/LTE when and where desired without any mounting or backhaul changes.

The Company�� ZoneDirector Smart WLAN controllers use a intuitive Web user interface to make configuration and administration extremely simple. This software includes a variety of ! advanced ! capabilities such as adaptive meshing, integrated client performance tools, authentication support, simplified guest access and user policy, wireless intrusion prevention, automatic traffic redirection, integrated Wi-Fi client performance tools and robust network management. ZoneFlex access points incorporate BeamFlex adaptive antenna array technology to deliver robust Wi-Fi performance, reliability and capacity. These devices support multiple virtual wireless LANs, Wi-Fi encryption and advanced traffic handling. The Company�� ZoneFlex outdoor Smart Wi-Fi access points and point-to-point and multipoint bridges can be deployed as stand-alone APs or be centrally managed.

In addition to the Company�� hardware products, the Company also sells software products. FlexMaster is a Linux-based Wi-Fi management service platform used by enterprises and service providers to monitor and administrate networks. FlexMaster provides configuration, fault detection, audit, performance management and optimization of remote Ruckus access points or wireless LAN controllers. It offers a single point for management and a number of automated and customized facilities such as an intuitive dashboard. FlexMaster is designed to operate with existing operational support system and features tiered administration to provide managed wireless LAN or cloud-based wireless services.

The Company competes with Cisco Systems, Ericsson; Hewlett-Packard, Motorola and Aruba Networks.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Monday
  The market kicks off a new trading week with Ruckus Wireless (NYSE: RKUS  ) reporting quarterly results on Monday. The provider of wireless systems for the mobile Internet infrastructure market went public in November at $15. It moved lower initially, but the stock has crept into the high teens ahead of Monday's report.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Ruckus Wireless Inc. (NYSE: RKUS) is a favorite to maintain a healthy top line growth, with the increased popularity and success of its products and services in the Wi-Fi marketplace. Also, with the sustained shift from the use of PCs to smartphones and tablets, the need for Wi-Fi capacity and coverage solutions will steadily increase. The Deutsche Bank target price for the stock is $14 and should rise, while consensus for this top mid cap name is $23.

• [By gurujx]

  Ruckus Wireless (RKUS): CFO Seamus Hennessy Sold 50,000 Shares

  CFO Seamus Hennessy sold 50,000 shares of RKUS stock on Sept. 6 at the average price of $15.12. The price of the stock has increased by 1.19% since.

Best Wireless Telecom Companies To Watch For 2015: Stream Group Ltd (SGO)

Stream Group Limited, formerly LongReach Group Limited, is an Australia-based company operating in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. The Company is engaged in the design, integration, installation and maintenance of integrated information and communications technology based products and services to the defense, public safety and security sectors, as well as for government, telecommunications and corporate customers, both locally and internationally. The Company together with its subsidiaries is also engaged in the provision of consulting services to certain key defense organizations. In January 2013, the Company sold its C4i business. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Saint-Gobain (SGO) dropped 3.7 percent to 36.87 euros. Morgan Stanley cut its rating on the stock to underweight, similar to a sell recommendation, from equal weight, saying it doesn�� see a recovery yet in the European building industry and the contribution from emerging markets will slow.