Top Income Companies For 2014

Are RIAs and other financial professionals guilty until proven innocent? Not quite, but the burden of proof on the part of the SEC against those accused is so low it might appear that way. It could easily result in a lifetime bar from the advisors' main source of income.

Russell Ryan, a former assistant director of the SEC's division of enforcement, exposes the mark regulators must reach to win their case. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Monday, Ryan argues the SEC can impose quasi-criminal penalties based on the mere “preponderance of evidence.”

Using the trial of ex-Goldman Sachs vice president Fabrice Tourre, set to begin this week, as a jumping off point, he employs a sports metaphor to indicate just what Tourre will face.

“Envision a one-possession football game with the government team receiving the kickoff,” Ryan writes. “Beyond reasonable doubt requires the government to score a touchdown to win; clear and convincing evidence requires a field goal; and preponderance of evidence requires advancing the ball at least an inch past the 50-yard line.”

Top Defensive Stocks To Buy Right Now: Enbridge Energy Partners LP (EEP)

Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. (the Partnership) owns and operates crude oil and liquid petroleum transportation and storage assets, and natural gas gathering, treating, processing, transportation and marketing assets in the United States. The Company was formed by its Enbridge Energy Company, Inc. (General Partner), to own and operate the Lakehead system, which is the United States portion of a crude oil and liquid petroleum pipeline system extending from western Canada through the upper and lower Great Lakes region of the United States to eastern Canada. A subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. (Enbridge), owns the Canadian portion of the Mainline system. Enbridge, which is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a provider of energy transportation, distribution and related services in North America and internationally. Enbridge is the ultimate parent of its General Partner. As of December 31, 2011, its portfolio of assets included the approximately 6,500 miles of crude oil gathering and transportation lines and 32 million barrels of crude oil storage and terminaling capacity; natural gas gathering and transportation lines totaling approximately 11,500 miles; nine natural gas treating and 25 natural gas processing facilities with an aggregate capacity of approximately 3,255 million cubic feet per day, including plants; trucks, trailers and railcars for transporting natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and carbon dioxide, and marketing assets, which provide natural gas supply, transmission, storage and sales services. The Company conducts its business through three business segments: Liquids, Natural Gas and Marketing.

Liquids Segment

The Company�� Lakehead system consists of crude oil and liquid petroleum common carrier pipelines and terminal assets in the Great Lakes and Midwest regions of the United States. The Mainline system serves refining centers in the Great Lakes and Midwest regions of the United States and the Province of Ontario, Canada. Its Lakehead system spans a distance ! of approximately 1,900 miles, and consists of approximately 5,100 miles of pipe with diameters ranging from 12 inches to 48 inches, and is transporter of crude oil and liquid petroleum from Western Canada to the United States. In addition, the system has 61 pump station locations with a total of approximately 900,000 installed horsepower and 72 crude oil storage tanks with capacity of approximately 13.9 million barrels. The Mainline system operates in a segregation, or batch mode, allowing the transport in excess of 50 crude oil commodities, including light, medium and heavy crude oil, condensate and NGLs.

The Company�� Mid-Continent system is located within PADD II and is consisted of its Ozark pipeline and storage terminals at Cushing and El Dorado, Kansas. Its Mid-Continent system includes over 430 miles of crude oil pipelines and 17.3 million barrels of crude oil storage capacity. Its Ozark pipeline transports crude oil from Cushing to Wood River where it delivers to ConocoPhillips��Wood River refinery and interconnects with the Woodpat Pipeline and the Wood River Pipeline. The storage terminals consist of 91 individual storage tanks ranging in size from 58,000 to 575,000 barrels. Of the 17.3 million barrels of storage capacity on its Mid-Continent system, the Cushing terminal accounts for 16.1 million barrels. A portion of the storage facilities are used for operational purposes, while it contracts the remainder of the facilities with various crude oil market participants for their term storage requirements. Contract fees include fixed monthly capacity fees, as well as utilization fees, which it charges for injecting crude oil into and withdrawing crude oil from the storage facilities.

The Company�� Mid-Continent system operates under month-to-month transportation arrangements and both long-term and short-term storage arrangements with its shippers. Its North Dakota system is a crude oil gathering and interstate transportation system servicing the Williston basin in! North Da! kota and Montana, which includes the Bakken and Three Forks formations. The crude oil gathering pipelines of its North Dakota system collect crude oil from points near producing wells in approximately 22 oil fields in North Dakota and Montana. Its North Dakota system is made at Clearbrook to its Lakehead system and to a third-party pipeline system. As of December 31, 2011, its North Dakota system included approximately 240 miles of crude oil gathering lines connected to a transportation line, which is approximately 730 miles long, with a capacity of approximately 210,000 barrels per day. Its North Dakota system also has 21 pump stations, one delivery station and 11 storage facilities with an aggregate working storage capacity of approximately 870,000 barrels. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it added 25,000 barrels per day of capacity from Berthold, North Dakota to the international border near Lignite, North Dakota.

Natural Gas Segment

The Company owns and operates natural gas gathering, treating, processing and transportation systems, as well as trucking, rail and liquids marketing operations. It purchases and gathers natural gas from the wellhead and delivers it to plants for treating and/or processing and to intrastate or interstate pipelines for transmission to wholesale customers, such as power plants, industrial customers and local distribution companies. As of December 31, 2011, it had nine active treating plants and 25 active processing plants, including two hydrocarbon dewpoint control facilities (HCDP) plants. Its treating facilities have a combined capacity, which approximates 1,240 million cubic feet per day while the combined capacity of its processing facilities approximates 2,015 million cubic feet per day, including 350 million cubic feet per day provided by the HCDP plants.

The Company�� natural gas business consists of East Texas system, Anadarko system and North Texas system. East Texas system includes approximately 3,900 miles of nat! ural gas ! gathering and transportation pipelines, eight natural gas treating plants and five natural gas processing plants, including two HCDP plants. Anadarko system consists of approximately 2,900 miles of natural gas gathering and transportation pipelines in southwest Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle, one natural gas treating plant and 11 natural gas processing plants. North Texas system includes approximately 4,700 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines and nine natural gas processing plants located in the Fort Worth basin. Its East Texas system is located in the East Texas basin. Natural gas on its North Texas system is produced in the Barnett shale area within the Fort Worth basin conglomerate. Its Anadarko system is located within the Anadarko basin.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� Elk City system includes one carbon dioxide treating plant and three cryogenic processing plants with a total capacity of 370 million cubic feet per day, and a NGL production capability of 20,000 barrels per day. It also includes its trucking and NGL marketing operations in its Natural Gas segment. These operations include the transportation of NGLs, crude oil and other products by truck and railcar from wellheads and treating, processing and fractionation facilities to wholesale customers, such as distributors, refiners and chemical facilities. In addition, its trucking and NGL marketing operations resells these products. Its services are provided using trucks, trailers and rail cars, pipeline capacity, fractionation agreements, product treating and handling equipment. Its trucking operations transport NGLs, condensate and crude oil from its processing facilities and from third party producers to its United States Gulf Coast customers. As of December 31, 2011, its fleet consisted of approximately 220 trucks and 375 trailers. Its trucking and NGL marketing operations are wholesale customers, such as refineries and propane distributors. Its trucking and NGL marketing operations also market products to whol! esale cus! tomers, such as petrochemical plants.

Marketing Segment

The Company�� Marketing segment transacts with various counterparties to provide natural gas supply, transportation, balancing, storage and sales services. Its Marketing business uses third-party storage capacity to balance supply and demand factors within its portfolio. Its Marketing business pays third-party storage facilities and pipelines for the right to store gas for various periods of time. These contracts may be denoted as firm storage, interruptible storage or parking and lending services. Its Marketing business leases third-party pipeline capacity downstream from its Natural Gas assets under firm transportation contracts. This capacity is leased for various lengths of time and at rates.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  Given the overall performance of the midstream industry during the past year and a half, a company that repeatedly offers up a poor performance come earnings time is going to stand out. Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP  ) is one such company. In this video, Fool.com contributor Aimee Duffy takes a quick look at what is hurting EEP, how it compares to its midstream peers, and whether or not this master limited partnership has a bright future ahead of it.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Now compare this with an extremely popular and much larger midstream company in Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE: EEP  ) . The payouts between the two companies are actually quite similar, with Enbridge yielding 6.7% and Boardwalk yielding 6.6%. However, profit margins are considerably higher for Boardwalk, and its annual dividend growth history is certainly more appealing. Enbridge shareholders have seen their payout grow by an average of 2.4% per year since 2006 while Boardwalk, even excluding its very first payout, which would skew the results, grew its yield by an average of 5.8% per year. Furthermore, trailing-12-month operating cash flow as a percentage debt is higher for Boardwalk as compared with Enbridge, signaling the stability of its debt relative to its cash-generating capabilities. I have absolutely nothing against Enbridge Energy Partners, but Boardwalk is statistically the better-looking midstream MLP!

Top Income Companies For 2014: Firstbank Corporation(FBMI)

Firstbank Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides commercial banking products and services. It accepts checking, savings, and time deposits. The company also provides commercial, mortgage, agricultural, real estate, real estate mortgage, real estate construction, home improvement, automobile, and consumer loans. In addition, it offers trust, security brokerage, and title insurance services, as well as armored car services. The company operates 53 branch offices in central Michigan. Firstbank Corporation was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Alma, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  A great example of these small banks with big potential is Firstbank Corp. (FBMI), a $155 million market-cap stock that operates 53 branch offices in central Michigan. Firstbank provides commercial banking products and services, including traditional deposit accounts and loans tailored to meet the needs of its business customers. FBMI also offers trust, security brokerage and title insurance services, and even armored car services. This bank stock has been rated an “A” all year, and the fundamentals just keep getting better. FBMI shares remain a “strong buy” at current prices.

Top Income Companies For 2014: BJ's Restaurants Inc.(BJRI)

BJ?s Restaurants, Inc. owns and operates casual dining restaurants in the Unites States. The company operates restaurants under the BJ?s Restaurant & Brewery, BJ?s Restaurant & Brewhouse, BJ?s Pizza & Grill, or BJ?s Grill names, which offer deep-dish pizzas, handcrafted beers, appetizers, entrees, pastas, sandwiches, specialty salads, desserts, non-alcoholic beverages, wine, other craft beers, and spirits. As of February 27, 2012, it owned and operated 116 restaurants comprising 10 BJ?s Restaurant & Brewery restaurants, 98 BJ?s Restaurant & Brewhouse restaurants, 7 BJ?s Pizza & Grill restaurants, and 1 BJ?s Grill. The company operates restaurants in California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, and Washington. BJ?s Restaurants, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is based in Huntington Beach, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steve Symington]

  It's fine to boast a restaurant concept with mouthwatering growth prospects, but BJ's Restaurants, (NASDAQ: BJRI  ) has found putting all the pieces together to deliver that growth is a tall order.

Top Income Companies For 2014: Essar Energy Plc (ESSR)

Essar Energy plc is a holding company. The Company is an energy company with assets across the power and oil and gas industries. The Company operates in the areas petroleum refining and marketing, exploration and production and power transmission and generation. The Refining and Marketing business in India comprises of the Vadinar refinery located on the west coast of India and a retail franchise network of around 1,400 fuel stations across India and the Refining, and Marketing business in the United Kingdom comprises of the Stanlow refinery located near Liverpool, north west England and on the south bank of Manchester ship canal. The Company�� exploration and production segment includes a portfolio of 15 blocks and fields in the various stages of exploration and production of oil and gas in India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Vietnam. In Power segment, the Company operates coal fired, captive fuel and gas based power plants in India and Canada together with a number of mining assets. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sarah Jones]

  Essar Energy Plc (ESSR) climbed 2.5 percent to 122 pence after reporting that revenue rose 24 percent to $27.3 billion in the 12 months through March. The company cited higher margins and volumes at its Vadinar refinery in India and its Stanlow refinery in the U.K.

Top Income Companies For 2014: PetSmart Inc(PETM)

PetSmart, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of products, services, and solutions for pets in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The company offers consumables, such as pet food, treats, and litter; and hardgoods, which include pet supplies and other goods comprising collars, leashes, health care supplies, grooming and beauty aids, toys, apparel, and pet beds and carriers, as well as aquariums and habitats, accessories, d�or, and filters for fish, birds, reptiles, and small pets. It also provides fresh-water fish, small birds, reptiles, and small pets; and pet services, such as grooming, including precision cuts, baths, nail trimming and grinding, and teeth brushing, as well as training, boarding, and day camp services. In addition, the company operates PetsHotels that offer boarding for dogs and cats; provides personalized pet care, an on-call veterinarian, temperature controlled rooms and suites, daily specialty treats and p lay time, and day camp services for dogs; and operates veterinary hospitals, which offer services comprising routine examinations and vaccinations, dental care, a pharmacy, and surgical procedures. As of January 29, 2012, it operated 1,232 retail stores; 192 PetsHotels; 791 veterinary hospitals under the trade name of Banfield, The Pet Hospital; and 8 hospitals operated through other third parties in Canada. The company also offers its products through an e-commerce and community site, PetSmart.com. PetSmart, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Orelli]

  Fourth-quarter revenue at�PetSmart� (NASDAQ: PETM  ) �was up 15% thanks to the addition of new stores and increasing same-store sales; earnings jumped an impressive 36% year over year. Over the last five years, shares are�up more than 200%, proving that�pets need food and get sick even in bad times, making the industry somewhat recession-proof.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  PetSmart (NASDAQ: PETM) shares moved up 12.21% to $67.11. The volume of PetSmart shares traded was 908% higher than normal. PetSmart surged on news that activist investor Barry Rosenstein had acquired a 9.9% stake and will seek a review of strategic alternatives.

• [By Anthony Mirhaydari]

  I’ve also added ODP short to my Edge Letter Sample Portfolio.

  Stocks to Sell #3: PetSmart (PETM)

  
  Click to Enlarge PetSmart (PETM) is another specialty retailer that had been surging higher, but now amid a slowing of same-store sales and customer traffic, is rolling over.

Top Income Companies For 2014: Tempur-pedic International Inc (TPX)

Tempur-Pedic International Inc. manufactures, markets, and distributes bedding products in North America and internationally. Its products include pillows, mattresses, and adjustable beds, as well as various cushions and other comfort products. The company sells its mattresses and pillows under the TEMPUR and Tempur-Pedic brand names through furniture and bedding, specialty, and department stores; direct response, Internet, and own stores; chiropractors, medical retailers, hospitals, and other healthcare markets; and third party distributors. Tempur-Pedic International Inc. was founded in 1989 and is based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Burgos]

  Hong Kong�� Hang Seng Index lost 0.1 percent. Japan�� Topix Index (TPX) slid 1 percent, while Taiwan�� Taiex index fell 0.4 percent. South Korea�� Kospi index dropped 0.7 percent.

• [By Yoshiaki Nohara]

  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index retreated 7.5 percent through yesterday from May 20, which was the highest close since June 2008. Asia�� benchmark gauge traded at 13 times average estimated earnings yesterday, compared with 14.9 for the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index and 13.1 for the Stoxx Europe 600 Index, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Japan�� Topix (TPX) index was trading at 15.05 today, about 11 percent cheaper than the average since the start of 2010.

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Watch Right Now

"Fiscal 2013 was a great year for Nike (NYSE: NKE  ) , driven by our innovative products and the power of our brands," said Nike CEO Mark Parker in the company's fourth-quarter and full-year earnings release. But don't let his optimism fool you. Management will need to step up their game if they want to live up to investors' expectations for Nike stock.

Good, but not good enough
For the 12 months ending May 31, Nike's EPS from continuing operations were up 11%. Going forward, analysts (on average) expect EPS to grow by about 11.4% per annum. All of this sounds terrific, right? Not when we take into consideration Nike's premium valuation at 25 times earnings.

Let's do the math.

First, let's identify long-term growth rates that could help us establish Nike's growth trajectory as a business. The company's five-year average EPS growth rate is 10%. What about its free cash flow (arguably a better measure of underlying value)? A five-year compound growth rate stands at just 6.3%. Finally, there are those bullish estimates from the analysts covering Nike stock, with expectations for 11.4% EPS growth per annum for the next five years.

5 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch Right Now: Wartsila Oyj Abp (WRT1V.HE)

Wartsila Oyj Abp is a Finland-based company. Its operations are divided into four segments: Power Plants, Ship Power, Services and PowerTech. The Power Plants segment offers multi-fuel solutions for power generation markets, such as gas power plants, dual-fuel power plants, oil power plants and liquid biofuel power plants, among others. The Ship Power segment offers a range of products and services to both shipyards and ship owners, such as medium-speed and low-speed engines, seals and bearings, automation systems, ship design and ballast water treatment systems, among others. The Services segment offers solutions, such as basic support, installation and commissioning, performance optimization and upgrades, among others. The PowerTech segment comprises research and development for medium-speed engines and other operations, with a focus on gas, environmental solutions and Smart Power Generation drives. It has operations in more than 160 locations in over 70 countries around the world. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Wall var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(fu]

  The British company tried to strengthen its maritime engine business through a $10 billion takeover of Finland�� W盲rtsil盲 Oyj (WRT1V.HE) which rebuffed Rolls-Royce’s preliminary approach. The attempted acquisition of a company of that size surprised investors who hadn�� realized expansion was on management�� agenda so soon after its full takeover of Tognum, a German engineering company originally acquired in partnership with Daimler.

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Watch Right Now: ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA)

ThyssenKrupp AG is a Germany-based technology holding company operating in seven business areas. The Steel Europe division produces carbon steel flat products. The Steel Americas division is engaged in production, processing and marketing of high-grade carbon steels. The Materials Services division is engaged in global distribution of materials and the provision of complex technical services for the production and manufacturing sectors. The Elevator Technology division is engaged in the area of passenger transportation systems. The Plant Technology division focuses on specialty and large-scale plant construction. The Components Technology division is engaged in manufacturing components for the automotive, construction and engineering sectors as well as for wind turbines. The Marine Systems division focuses on naval and civil shipbuilding. Apart from its business areas, it provides business services, which are diversified into Business Services and Information Technology (IT) Services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA), Germany�� largest steelmaker, rose to a five-week high. YOC AG (YOC) surged the most in more than three months after the mobile-phone advertising company said it sold 1.3 million euros ($1.7 million) of shares to increase capital. Lanxess AG (LXS), the chemical maker that joined the DAX in September, retreated 3.4 percent.

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Telekom Austria (TKA) slid 1.6 percent to 5.63 euros. Second-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization fell to 330.3 million euros ($439 million) from 364.8 million euros a year earlier. That compared with the average 332.7 million-euro analyst estimate.

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  ThyssenKrupp AG (TKA) slumped 9.3 percent after Germany�� largest steelmaker raised 882.3 million euros ($1.21 billion) through a share sale. Standard Chartered Plc lost 8.1 percent. Sage Group (SGE) Plc, the U.K.�� biggest software maker, rose 6.8 percent after reporting revenue growth that exceeded analysts��estimates. AZ Electronic Materials SA surged 43 percent after Merck KGaA (MRK) agreed to buy it for about 1.6 billion pounds ($2.6 billion).

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Watch Right Now: Siemens AG (SI)

Siemens AG (Siemens), incorporated on August 28, 1996, is a globally operating technology company with core activities in the fields of energy, healthcare, industry and infrastructure. Siemens business activities focus on four sectors, Energy, Healthcare, Industry and Infrastructure & Cities. These sectors form four of Siemens reportable segments. In addition to the four sectors, Siemens has two additional reportable segments: Equity Investments and Siemens Financial Services (SFS). The Energy sector comprises four divisions: Power Generation, Wind Power, Power Transmission and Energy Service. The Healthcare Sector includes four divisions: Imaging & Therapy Systems, Clinical Products, Diagnostics and Customer Solutions; and one sector-led Business Unit, Audiology Solutions. The Industry sector consists of three divisions: Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services; and one sector-led Business Unit, Metals Technologies. The Infrastructure & Cities sector consists of five divisions: Rail Systems, Mobility and Logistics, Low and Medium Voltage, Smart Grid, and Building Technologies. In July 2013 Siemens sold its stake in the Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) joint venture to Nokia and OSRAM Licht AG was spun off from Siemens.

Industry

The Industry Sector offers a broad spectrum of products, solutions and services that help customers use resources and energy. The Sector�� integrated technologies and holistic solutions primarily address industrial customers, particularly those in the process and manufacturing industries. The portfolio spans industry automation, industrial software, drive products and services, system integration, and solutions for industrial plant businesses. The Industry Sector consists of three Divisions: Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services. The Sector also includes a sector-led Business Unit, Metals Technologies. In addition to its Sector-level financial results, Industry also breaks out financial results for the Indust! ry Automation Division and the Drive Technologies Division. The Industry Automation Division offers a range of standard products and system solutions for automation technologies used in the manufacturing and process industries. The Division�� offerings include automation systems and software, motor controls, machine-to- machine communication products, sensors, product and production lifecycle management products, and software for simulating and testing mechatronic systems. The Drive Technologies Division offers products and comprehensive systems across the entire drive train. These offerings are customized to the respective application and include numerical control systems, inverters, converters, motors (geared and gearless), drives and couplings. In addition, Drive Technologies supplies integrated automation systems for machine tools and production machines. The Division also offers integrated lifecycle solutions and services for industries such as shipbuilding, cement, mining, and pulp and paper. The Customer Services Division offers a comprehensive portfolio of services and supports industrial customers.

Energy

The Energy Sector offers a spectrum of products, solutions and services for generating and transmitting power, and for extracting, converting and transporting oil and gas. The Fossil Power Generation Division offers products and solutions for fossil-based power generation. The Division concentrates on products and solutions for gas and steam turbines, turbo generators, heat recovery steam generators including control systems, with an emphasis on combined-cycle power plants. It also develops solutions for instrumentation and control systems for all types of power plants and for use in power generation. The Wind Power Division manufactures wind turbines for onshore and offshore applications, including both geared turbines and direct drive machines. The product portfolio is based on four product platforms, two for each of the onshore and offshore applications. The Oil ! & Gas Div! ision has a comprehensive portfolio of rotating machinery (gas turbines, steam turbines, compressors with associated equipment) and electrical, instrumentation and telecommunication (EIT) solutions. The Power Transmission Division provides customers with turnkey power transmission solutions as well as discrete products, systems and related engineering and services. It covers high-voltage transmission solutions, power and distribution transformers, high-voltage switching and non-switching products and systems, and alternating and direct current transmission systems. The Energy Service Division offers comprehensive services for products, solutions and technologies, covering performance enhancements, maintenance services, customer trainings and consulting services for the Divisions Fossil Power Generation, Wind Power and Oil & Gas. The Wind Power Division is active in both the onshore and the offshore market segments globally. Power Transmission Division is expanding infrastructure in emerging countries, equipment replacement and modernization in mature economies, and integration of renewable energies.

Healthcare

The Healthcare Sector offers customers a comprehensive portfolio of medical solutions across the treatment chain-ranging from medical imaging to in-vitro diagnostics to interventional systems and clinical information technology systems-all from a single source. In addition, the Sector provides technical maintenance, professional and consulting services, and, together with Financial Services (SFS), financing to assist customers in purchasing the Sector�� products. The Healthcare Sector includes four Divisions: Imaging & Therapy Systems, Clinical Products, Diagnostics and Customer Solutions. The Sector also includes one sector-led Business Unit, Audiology Solutions. In addition to its Sector-level financial results, Healthcare also separately breaks out financial results for the Diagnostics Division.

The Imaging & Therapy Systems Division provides large-scale! medical ! devices for diagnostic imaging and for image-guided therapies. Imaging equipment includes computed tomographs, magnetic resonance imaging equipment, angiography systems for diagnostics, and positron emission tomography. The Clinical Products Division mainly comprises the business with ultrasound and X-ray equipment including mammography. The Diagnostics Division offers products and services in the area of in-vitro diagnostics. The Division�� product portfolio represents a comprehensive range of diagnostic testing systems and consumables, including offerings for clinical chemistry and immunodiagnostics, molecular diagnostics, hematology, hemostasis, microbiology, point-of-care testing and clinical laboratory automation solutions. The Customer Solutions Division provides healthcare information technology (HIT) systems. It is responsible for the Sector�� service business and customer relationship management on a global level.

Equity Investments

The Equity Investments comprises equity stakes held by Siemens that are accounted for by the equity method, at cost or as current available-for-sale financial assets and for strategic reasons are not allocated to a Sector, SFS, Centrally managed portfolio activities, Siemens Real Estate (SRE), Corporate items or Corporate Treasury. Its main investments within Equity Investments are its stake of 50% in BSH Bosch and Siemens Hausgerate GmbH (BSH), its stake of 17% in OSRAM Licht AG (OSRAM) as well as its 49% stake in Enterprise Networks Holdings B.V. (EN).

Financial Services

Financial Services provides a variety of financial services and products to other Siemens units and their customers and to third parties. SFS has three strategic pillars: supporting Siemens units with finance solutions for their customers, managing financial risks of Siemens and offering third-party finance services and products. SFS��business can be divided into capital business and fee business. The Commercial Finance Business Unit offers! a compre! hensive range of solutions for equipment financing, leasing, rental and related financing for equipment supplied by Siemens or third-party providers. The Venture Capital Business Segment�� main task, together with Siemens��Sectors, is to identify and finance young companies worldwide. The Treasury Business Unit operates the global Corporate Treasury of the Siemens Group, with SFS employee�� thereby managing liquidity, cash and financial risks (interest, foreign exchange, commodities) on behalf of Corporate Treasury. The Financing & Investment Management Business Unit manages fee-based receivables and offers investment management services. The Insurance Business Unit acts primarily as an insurance broker for Siemens and external customers.

Infrastructure & Cities

The Infrastructure & Cities Sector offers a range of technologies for the sustainability of metropolitan centers and urban infrastructures worldwide, such as integrated mobility solutions, building and security systems, power distribution equipment, smart grid applications and low and medium-voltage products. The Sector consists of five Divisions: Rail Systems; Mobility and Logistics; Low and Medium Voltage; Smart Grid; and Building Technologies. The Rail Systems Division comprises Siemens��rail vehicle business, encompassing the entire spectrum of rolling stock-including high-speed trains, commuter trains, passenger coaches, metros, people movers, light rail vehicles, locomotives, bogies, traction systems and rail-related services. The Mobility and Logistics Division primarily provides products, solutions (including IT solutions) and services for rail transportation operating systems, such as central control systems, interlockings and automated controls. The Division also provides offerings for road traffic, including traffic detection, information and guidance systems.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louie Grint]

  A discouraging diagnosis
  Second, here's a well-known global leader in most of its key businesses: Siemens AG (NYSE: SI  ) .

  In this case, the company reported a lackluster fourth quarter, with a year-over-year decrease in both revenue and earnings. Revenue and orders dropped 1% to 21.2 billion euros and 21 billion euros, respectively.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Siemens provides a range of valuable technology products and services to a number of industries around the world. The company is set to cut 7,500 jobs as it restructures in an effort to compete in the industry. The stock has struggled in recent years but is now trading at highs for the year. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues are mixed, which has produced conflicting feelings among investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Siemens has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Siemens does this quarter

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Siemens A.G. (NYSE: SI) was raised Buy from Hold in overseas coverage by Societe Generale.

  Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) was started as Buy with a $62 price target at Canaccord Genuity.

Top 5 Industrial Conglomerate Stocks To Watch Right Now: Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (KWHIY)

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd (KHI), incorporated on October 15, 1896, is a global manufacturer of transportation equipment and industrial goods. KHI manufactures ships, rolling stock, aircraft and jet engines, gas turbine power generators, environmental and industrial plants, and range of manufacturing equipment and systems. KHI also produces consumer products, such as Kawasaki-brand motorcycles and personal watercraft. KHI�� business is divided into seven operations: shipbuilding, rolling stock and construction machinery, aerospace, gas turbines and machinery, plant and infrastructure engineering, consumer products and machinery, and hydraulic machinery.

Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation, which is the company of this segment, is engaged in building gas carriers and submarines, which require advanced design and construction technologies. It offers

a range of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, extending from small carriers with cargo tank capacities of 19,000 cubic meters to large carriers with capacities of 177,000 cubic meters. It also developed and offered in its lineup a pressure build-up type LNG carrier for short distance and small-volume transportation. The Company�� shipbuilding operations include products, such as LNG carriers, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers, container ships, very large crude carriers (VLCCs) and other types of tankers, bulk carriers, high speed vessels, submarines, maritime application equipment.

KHI�� rolling stock production systems are located in Hyogo and Harima in Japan and in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Yonkers, New York, in United States. Kawasaki completed its light rail vehicle (LRV), dubbed SWIMO. It also is developing efSET (Environmentally Friendly Super Express Train) which achieves a service speed of 350 kilometers per hour (km/h). Regarding the construction machinery business, Kawasaki has arranged a business alliance with Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., and TCM Corporation. As of April 1, 2009, the Compa! ny split off its construction machinery business as a wholly owned subsidiary of KHI, KCM Corporation.

KHI is the prime contractor for the development of the MOD�� large-scale XP-1 and C-X aircraft. In the commercial aircraft field, KHI delivered a test model of Boeing�� 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft. KHI is a partner corporation in the development and production of the 787 Dreamliner.

The Gas Turbines & Machinery segment has a range of products for the energy and transportation equipment field. KHI focuses to expand its global business by offering solutions for its customers that include a lineup of in-house developed gas turbines together with product support and maintenance. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the 8MW-class power-generating capacity Kawasaki Green Gas Engine had 4,000 hours of operational testing.

The plant and infrastructure engineering segment encompasses the operations of Kawasaki Plant Systems, Ltd. (K Plant), which undertakes projects to supply energy-related, industrial infrastructure, environmental preservation systems and equipment, and the operations of the parent company�� Industrial Facilities and Tunneling Equipment Division, which mainly focuses on LNG tanks and diverse other storage tanks along with shield machines and tunnel-boring machines. The Anhui Conch Kawasaki Energy Conservation Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (CKM) is engaged in the manufacturing of PH boiler parts that are employed in waste heat power plants. CKM has commenced the manufacturing and sales of environmental preservation related products, including cement plant components, such as vertical mills, boilers for waste heat recovery power generation systems, and waste gasification systems and sewage treatment systems that can be integrated with cement kilns to enable municipal waste recycling.

The consumer products and machinery segment includes the manufacture of motorcycles, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility vehicles, personal! watercra! ft, general purpose gasoline engines and industrial robots. In the motorcycle line, Kawasaki launched the ZRX1200 DAEG and the Ninja ZX-6R. In the cruiser segment, Kawasaki launched its Vulcan 1700 series with developed engine and chassis. This series includes the Vulcan 1700 Voyager, a full-dress V-twin engine tourer with a load of long-distance touring equipment. In the utility vehicle category, KHI equipped the Teryx 750 series with an electronic fuel injection system, mainly for recreational use. The MULE utility-oriented vehicle series was restyled with the launch of the MULE 4010 series.

The hydraulic machinery operations include Kawasaki Precision Machinery Ltd. (KPM). It has five manufacturing and marketing facilities, which comprises KPM�� headquarters plant and the facilities

of Kawasaki Precision Machinery (U.K.) Limited; Kawasaki Precision Machinery (U.S.A.), Inc.; China based Kawasaki Precision Machinery (Suzhou) Ltd.; and Korea-based Flutek, Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.MARKETWATCH.COM]

  LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks have ended with losses in every session this week, and sure enough, the Nikkei Average (JP:NIK) was down 0.6% in early Friday trade, though off an opening 0.8% defecit, while the Topix carried a 0.7% loss. Overnight losses for the U.S. and further strength in the yen (with the dollar falling to 楼101.28 from 楼101.56 a day earlier) helped drag the market lower, as did results from Fast Retailing Co. (JP:9983) (FRCOF) , the shares of which hold the heaviest weighting on Nikkei Average. Fast Retailing said that while its Uniqlo brand was doing great business, weakness for its J Brand luxury demin label helped send September-May profit down 4% and prompted another cut to Fast's full-year outlook. Consequently, its shares traded 0.7% lower, though rivals Takashimaya Co. (JP:8233) and J. Front Retailing Co. (JP:3086) (JFROF) also saw losses of 0.6% and 0.5%, respectively. Among other decliners, Sony Corp. (JP:6758) (SNE) lost 0.7%, Toshiba Corp. (JP:6502) (TOSYY) fell 2.1%, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (JP:7012) (KWHIY) fell 1.5%, Toyota Motor Corp. (JP:7203) (TM) and Nissan Motor Co. (JP:7201)

Top Oil Service Companies To Buy Right Now

The term "fracking" -- referring to the hydraulic fracturing of rock formations to tap into seams of natural gas deep underground -- is controversial. Consumers have expressed concerns that fracking may cause groundwater contamination, and regulators are studying the issue.

The good news: Proper safeguards can help fracking unlock America's vast trove of natural gas in ways that don't despoil the environment, and several companies are gearing up to help the cause. Oil services giant Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB), for example, is now selling fracking fluids that have a much more benign environmental footprint, and rivals are coming up with their own solutions as well.

 

Still, for these fluids to work effectively, fresh water needs to be trucked in, and post-fracking wastewater needs to be trucked away from drilling sites. One of the leading companies in that effort also happens to be one of the most unloved stocks in the market right now. That's largely due to a major acquisition made nine months ago that has weighed on recent quarterly results. Yet that deal should start to generate more solid results in coming quarters, and when that happens, this stock should pivot back into investor favor and deliver solid upside.

5 Best Services Stocks To Own Right Now: Statoil ASA (STO)

Statoil ASA (Statoil), incorporated on September 18, 1972, is an integrated energy company primarily engaged in oil and gas exploration and production activities. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had business operations in 41 countries and territories. Effective from January 1, 2011, the Company�� segments were Development and Production Norway; Development and Production International; Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy; Fuel & Retail, Other. As of 31 December 2011, the Company had proved reserves of 2,276 million barrels (mmbbl) and 3,150 billion cubic meters (bcm) (equivalent to 17,681 trillion cubic feet (tcf)) of natural gas, corresponding to aggregate proved reserves of 5,426 mmboe. In December 2011, the Company acquired Brigham Exploration Company. On April 14, 2011, Statoil's formation of a joint venture and sale of 40% of the Peregrino field off the coast of Brazil to the Sinochem Group was closed. With effect from January 2011, Statoil formed a joint venture with PTTEP of Thailand in its oil sands business and, as part of that transaction, sold PTTEP a 40% interest in the leases in Alberta, Canada. Statoil retains 60% ownership and operatorship of the oil sands project. In June 2012, the Company divested its 54% interest in Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA to Alimentation Couche-Tard.

Development and Production Norway

Development and Production Norway (DPN) consists of the Company�� field development and operational activities on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). Development and Production Norway is the operator of 44 developed fields on the NCS. Statoil's equity and entitlement production on the NCS was 1.316 mmboe per day in 2011, which was about 71% of Statoil's total production. Acting as operator, DPN is responsible for approximately 72% of all oil and gas production on the NCS. In 2011, its average daily production of oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) on the NCS was 693 mboe, while its average daily gas production on the NCS was 99.1 mmcm (3.5 b! illion cubic feet (bcf)). The Company has an ownership interests in exploration acreage throughout the licensed parts of the NCS, both within and outside its production areas. It participates in 227 licenses on the NCS and is the operator for 171 of them. As of 31 December 2011, Statoil had a total of 1,369 mmbbl of proved oil reserves and 444 bcm (15.7 tcf) of proved natural gas reserves on the NCS. Total entitlement liquids and gas production in 2011 amounted to 1,316 mmboe per day.

Statoil's NCS portfolio consists of licenses in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. It has organized its production operations into four business clusters: Operations South, Operations North Sea West, Operations North Sea East and Operations North. The Operations South and Operations North Sea West and East clusters cover its licenses in the North Sea. Operations North covers the Company�� licenses in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea, while partner-operated fields cover the entire NCS and are included internally in the Operations South business cluster. During 2011, it two Statoil-operated oil discoveries: the Aldous discovery (PL265) in the North Sea and the Skrugard discovery (PL532) in the Barents Sea. The Aldous Major South discovery in PL265 on the Utsira Height in the Sleipner area is situated 140 kilometers west of Stavanger and 35 kilometers south of the Grane field. The Skrugard discovery is located about 250 kilometers off the coast from the Melkoya LNG plant in Hammerfest.

As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fields under development included the Gudrun, Valemon, Visund South, Hyme, Stjerne, Vigdis North-East, Skuld, Vilje South, Skarv, and Marulk. In 2011, the Company�� total entitlement oil and NGL production in Norway was 252 mmbbl, and gas production was 36.2 bcm (1,287 bcf). The main producing fields in the Operations South area are Statfjord, Snorre, Tordis, Vigdis, Sleipner and partner-operated fields. Operations North Sea East is a gas area tha! t also co! ntains quantities of oil. The area includes the Troll, Fram, Vega, Oseberg and Tune fields. The Company�� producing fields in the Operations North area are Asgard, Mikkel, Yttergryta, Heidrun, Kristin, Tyrihans, Norne, Urd, Alve, Njord, Snohvit and Morvin.

Development and Production International

Development and Production International (DPI) is responsible for the development and production of oil and gas outside the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). In 2011, the segment was engaged in production in 12 countries: Canada, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Azerbaijan, Russia and the United Kingdom. In 2011, DPI produced 28.9% of Statoil's total equity production of oil and gas. Statoil has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran) and Europe and Asia (the Faeroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). The main sanctioned development projects in which DPI is involved are in the United States, Angola and Canada. The Brigham Exploration Company acquisition added production of approximately 21 mboe per day (as of December) to Statoil's production and gave access to 1,500 square kilometers (375,000 acres) in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin.

The Company has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran), and Europe and Asia (the Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). It completed 16 wells in 2011. Five were announced as discoveries: the Mukuvo and Lira discoveries in Angola, the Gavea and Peregrino South discovery in Brazil and the Logan discovery in Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Statoil acquired in! terests i! n six new licenses in Indonesia in 2011. Statoil has activities in the United States, with approximately 300 exploration leases in the GoM and 66 in Alaska. It is also an operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. Statoil is operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland (11,138 square kilometers). It has exploration licenses in Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania. The Company has licenses in Libya, Iran, Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia. In 2011, Statoil's petroleum production outside Norway amounted to an average of 334 mboe per day of entitlement production and 534 mboe per day of equity production.

The Company has activities in the United States Gulf of Mexico, the Appalachian region, south-west Texas, the Williston Basin, off the East Coast of Canada and in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. It also has a representative office in Mexico City. Offshore, the Company has production interests in Hibernia and Terra Nova, and interests in two development projects. Its development and production activities in South America and sub-Saharan Africa comprise the Peregrino operatorship in Brazil, the Petrocedeno project in Venezuela, the Agbami offshore field in Nigeria and four Angolan offshore blocks. Statoil's development and production in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, primarily encompassed Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The Company�� Development and Production in Europe and Asia primarily comprises Azerbaijan, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland.

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy

Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy (MPR) is responsible for the transportation, processing, manufacturing, marketing and trading of crude oil, natural gas, liquids and refined products, and for developing business opportunities in renewables. It runs two refineries, two gas processing plants, one methanol plant and three crude! oil term! inals. MPR is also responsible for marketing gas supplies originating from the Norwegian state's direct financial interest (SDFI). In total, it is responsible for marketing approximately 80% of all Norwegian gas exports. In 2011, Statoil sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. The Natural Gas business cluster is responsible for Statoil's marketing and trading of natural gas worldwide, for power and emissions trading and for overall gas supply planning. In 2011, the Company sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the NCS on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. In addition, it sold 5.5 bcm (0.2 tcf) of gas originating from its international positions, mainly in Azerbaijan and the United States, of which 2.7 bcm (0.1 tcf) was entitlement gas. As technical service provider (TSP), Statoil is responsible for the operation, maintenance and further development of the Karsto gas processing plant on behalf of the operator Gassco.

Statoil is the seller of crude oil, operating from sales offices in Stavanger, Oslo, London, Singapore, Stamford and Calgary and selling and trading crude oil, condensate, NGL and refined products. Statoil holds the lease for the South Riding Point crude oil terminal in the Bahamas, which includes, oil storage as well as loading and unloading facilities. It also operates the Mongstad terminal and has shared ownership with Petoro. The Company is a majority owner (79%) and operator of the Mongstad ref! inery in ! Norway, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It is the sole owner and operator of the Kalundborg refinery in Denmark, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 118,000 barrels per day. In addition, it has rights to 10% of production capacity at the Shell-operated refinery in Pernis in the Netherlands, which has a crude oil distillation capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The Company�� methanol operations consist of an 81.7% interest in the gas-based methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, which has a design capacity of 0.95 million tons per year. It also operates the Oseberg Transportation System (36.2% interest), including the Sture crude oil terminal.

Technology, Projects and Drilling

Technology, Projects and Drilling (TPD) is responsible, as a global service provider to Statoil, for delivering projects and wells and for providing support through global expertise, standards and procurement. TPD is also responsible developing and implementing new technological solutions. Statoil's research and development portfolio is organized in seven programs covering the upstream building blocks. The research and development organization operates and develops laboratories and test facilities and has an academia program that addresses cooperation with universities and research institutes.

Global Strategy and Business Development

Global Strategy and Business Development (GSB) was established in 2011, with its main office in London. GSB sets the direction for Statoil and identifies, develops and delivers opportunities for global growth.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sara Murphy]

  HSBC recently conducted an analysis that looked at European oil majors' at-risk carbon reserves. The study found Norway's�Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) �to be the worst affected, with approximately 17% of its market capitalization at risk. HSBC also calculated that 6% of�BP's� (NYSE: BP  ) reserves are at risk, along with 5% of�Total's (NYSE: TOT  ) and 2% of�Shell's� (NYSE: RDS-A  ) .�

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But another reason for the rise is that so many Europe-based companies have global exposure that never truly justified a big European discount. France's Total (NYSE: TOT  ) and Norway's Statoil (NYSE: STO  ) both found themselves trading at discounts to other global energy players, despite the fact that both Total and Statoil have massive exposure to international projects in the same areas around the world as U.S. and other global energy players. Similarly, in the pharmaceutical industry, Switzerland's Novartis (NYSE: NVS  ) didn't do as well as some of its U.S. rivals. Yet Novartis hasn't really faced any tougher a road than its global counterparts in fighting against the industrywide patent cliff and coming up with new promising treatments.

Top Oil Service Companies To Buy Right Now: Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund (ETO)

Eaton Vance Tax-Advantaged Global Dividend Opportunities Fund (the Fund) is a closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of after-tax total return. The Fund pursues its objective by investing primarily in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks.

The Fund�� top 10 equity holdings include Freeport-McMoran Copper, Veolia Environment, Southern Copper Corp., Societe Generale, Chevron Corp., Occidental Petroleum Corp., Exelon Corp., Total SA Spon ADR, Entergy Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc. Top 10 equity holdings represented 25.3% of total investments as of April 30, 2007.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  Special Purpose Funds- Eaton Vance Tax-Adv. Global Dividend Oppor. Fund (ETO) | Yield: 7.3%
  - The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (GLU) | Yield: 6.2%
  - Pimco Global Stocksplus Income Fund (PGP) | Yield: 9.5%
  - LMP Real Estate Income Fund Inc. (RIT) | Yield: 7.0%

Top Oil Service Companies To Buy Right Now: Deutsche Grundstuecksauktionen AG (DGR)

Deutsche Grundstuecksauktionen AG is a Germany-based auction house specialized in the auction and agency sale of land and buildings. The Company�� main activities comprise the placement and sale of properties, as well as the provision of real estate assets management and appraisal services. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned such subsidiaries as Saechsische Grundstuecksauktionen AG, Norddeutsche Grundstuecksauktionen AG, Plettner & Brecht Immobilien GmbH and Westdeutsche Grunstuecksauktionen AG, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roadmap2Retire]

  AT&T is a Dividend Aristocrat & Dividend Champion having raised dividends for 30 years in a row. The stock is a high yielder (current dividend is 5.31%) and as a result, the dividend growths are comparatively smaller. The 5-yr dividend growth rate (DGR) is 2.4% and 10-yr DGR is 4.9%.

Top Oil Service Companies To Buy Right Now: MEG Energy Corp (MEGEF.PK)

MEG Energy Corp. is a Canada-based oil sands company focused on in situ development and production in the southern Athabasca oil sands region of Alberta. The Company has identified two steam assisted gravity drainage projects, the Christina Lake project and the Surmont project. The Company owns a 100% interest in over 900 sections of oil sands leases in the Athabasca region of northern Alberta and is primarily engaged in a steam assisted gravity drainage oil sands development at its 80 section Christina Lake Regional Project (Christina Lake Project). The development includes co-ownership of Access Pipeline, a dual pipeline to transport diluent north from the Edmonton area to the Athabasca oil sands area and a blend of bitumen and diluent south from the Christina Lake Project into the Edmonton area. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Athabasca's most notable producers:

  Suncor Energy (SU) (Part 1), see article here.Suncor Energy (Part 2), see article here.Athabasca Oil (ATHOF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources, see article here.Imperial Oil, see article here.Cenovus Energy (CVE), see article here.MEG Energy (MEGEF.PK), see article here.Devon Energy, see article here.Royal Dutch Shell, see article here.Ivanhoe Energy (IVAN), see article here.Nexen (CNOOC) (CEO), see article here.

  An analysis of the current operations of the company will be examined with the objective to provide the most complete information available to potential investors before deciding to seize the opportunity that the 54,132 square miles of the Carbonate Triangle has to offer. Let's start by introducing Athabasca, a famous and most prolific region in the Canadian oil sands as well as one of the largest reserve in the world.

Top Oil Service Companies To Buy Right Now: Deltathree Inc (DDDC)

deltathree, Inc. (deltathree), incorporated January 27, 1998, is a provider of integrated video and voices over Internet Protocol (VoIP), telephony services, products, hosted solutions and infrastructure. deltathree offers a range of private label VoIP products and services, as well as back-office platforms. The Company's operations management tools include account provisioning; e-commerce-based payment processing systems; billing and account management; operations management; Web development; network management; and customer care. The Company's direct-to-consumer channel includes its joip Mobile application, iConnectHere offering (which provides VoIP products and services directly to consumers and small businesses online using the same primary platform) and its joip offering (which serves as the exclusive VoIP service provider embedded in the Globarange cordless phones of Panasonic Communications).

Products

Deltathree�� products include joip Mobile Application, Digital Video and Voice-over-IP Services, Broadband Phone and personal computer (PC)-to-Phone. The Company's joip Mobile application is a cellular phone application providing low cost mobile calls over third-generation (3G) cellular networks, as well as wireless fidelity (WiFi) networks. Cellular operating systems supported by joip Mobile include the iPhone, Google Android. Nokia Symbian and Blackberry. Through the use of the Company's network it offers a white-label solution in which its customers have the ability to customize, implement and rapidly launch digital next generation communications offerings with minimal risk and investment. For the Company's potential partners, the Company offers a range of service provider back-end support services, including network management, billing, provisioning, e-commerce, as well as custom Web and application development.

The Company's Broadband Phone product is a phone replacement solution available to business and retail customers over the last mile through br! oadband connections through cable modem, digital subscriber line (DSL) or fixed wireless. Broadband Phone enables a user to conveniently operate features and retrieve voice mail through e-mail, Web or a phone interface. The Company's PC-to-Phone offering enables a user to conveniently and inexpensively place a call to a standard telephone anywhere in the world directly from a personal computer while remaining on-line.

Services

deltathree operations management tools include video mail, account provisioning, payment processing systems, billing and account management, customer care and network operations care. The Company provides a video mail feature for its video phones applications. The Company provides its service provider and reseller customers with a Web page through which it can order additional services or accounts, generate and activate PINs and perform other customary implementation functions. It provides the customers with a fraud detection and prevention system to permits secure credit card transactions over the Web.

The Company provides the customers with real-time, Web-based access to billing records to check billing and usage information or to increases prepaid accounts. It has moved and consolidated traditional first tiers customer care functions onto the Web for ease and flexibility and support this with second tier customer care. The Company provides a Network Operations Center (NOC), automated troubles ticket system, which enables its customers to submit, manage, and follow-up with technical questions and issues online. The provision of VoIP products and services through the Company's service provider and reseller sales channel and its direct-to-consumer channel accounted for 75.4% and 23.3% of its total revenues during 2011, respectively.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Bardin, who previously ran online-video startup Intercast Networks and co-founded online-calling service Deltathree Inc. (DDDC), has increased his presence in the Israeli startup scene in recent years, speaking at conferences and appearing at technology-industry events.

Top Oil Service Companies To Buy Right Now: Websense Inc. (WBSN)

Websense, Inc. provides unified Web, data, and email content security solutions to protect data and users from cyber-threats, information leaks, legal liability, and productivity loss. The company?s Web security solutions include Web Filter that enables employers to proactively analyze, report, and manage employee access to Web sites; Web Security, which enables organizations to manage, as well as block access to sites associated with spyware, phishing, keylogging, and other threats; Web Security Gateway, a network-based Web security solution; and Web Security Gateway Anywhere, and data loss prevention technology and hybrid deployment options to protect against data leaks via the Web, and allow IT administrators to create unified policies throughout the organization, as well as offers V-Series Appliances as standard server hardware platforms optimized for its software products. Its Data Security solutions include Data Security Suite, Data Discover, Data Monitor, Data Prote ct, and Data Endpoint to protect against the loss of confidential information and data due to internal threats, such as inadequate business process controls, employee error and malfeasance, and theft, including undetected malicious code embedded in the networks. The company?s email security technologies include Hosted Email Security and Email Security to provide protection from spam and email-borne viruses, as well as basic inbound and outbound content filtering. In addition, it offers TRITON Enterprise solutions that provide Web, data, and email security across the enterprise; and technical support and professional services. The company offers its products and services to public sector entities, enterprise customers, small and medium sized businesses, and Internet service providers through a network of value-added resellers and original equipment manufacturers worldwide. Websense, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Websense (NASDAQ: WBSN  ) shareholders have until June 25 to decide on a $24.75-a-share acquisition offer by Vista Equity Partners.

  The board of cyber attack security specialist Websense has agreed to be acquired by Vista Equity Partners in the $903 million deal announced earlier this month. This morning, the companies announced that the�tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Websense common stock has begun.

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy For 2015

Top 5 Electric Utility Companies To Buy For 2015: Charles River Laboratories International Inc. (CRL)

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. provides research models and laboratory animal support expertise to help its global partners advance their research and drug development efforts. The company offers a portfolio of services to support discovery and imaging, preclinical and early-phase clinical studies, and biopharmaceutical and endotoxin products and services for manufacturing and quality control. Its portfolio spans the entire research and drug development process, from IND consultation to discovery through market approval, allowing customized approaches to support both single-study or broad-based programs. Charles River Laboratories International serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as government agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damian Illia]

  Based in Valencia, Calif., and founded in 1991, MannKind Corporation (MNKD) is a development stage biopharmaceutical company. It is engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutic products for diseases like diabetes. The company's lead and only late stage pipeline candidate for this year is Afrezza, an inhalation powder which is an ultra insulin therapy for the treatment of adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes to control their hyperglycemia. Currently, it is in late-stage clinical trials and a final decision from the U.S. regulatory body is expected by April 15, 2014. There is great concern revolving around this decision, as MannKind has already received two complete response letters (CRL) for Afrezza from the FDA, and it was requested to conduct two phase III trials with the next-generation inhaler. Further delay in approval or another setback related to this candidate could be a great danger for the company. Over and probably excessive! depende nce on Afrezza as the company discontinued any other reasearch in other candidates is something to worry about. The company has generated no revenue last year round and its shares have experienced a total annual loss of $0.64 so far.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-5-electric-utility-companies-to-buy-for-2015-3.html

Oil Price Views Move From Glass Half-Full To Half-Empty

By: Robert Mitkowski

Oil prices have pulled back as demand has eased and supplies have increased. But volatility is par for the course in the drilling business, and the pendulum may well swing back the other way before long.

Demand for oil began the year on an up note, given the abnormally cold temperatures in North America last winter that charged up demand. Both the regional and international pricing benchmarks, West Texas Intermediate and Brent, traded above $100 a barrel early in 2014. For a time, speculation that the long-standing ban on exporting oil from the United States might be overturned provided additional support for prices.

But supplies in North America continued to build. In 2013, the amount of oil calculated by the Department of Energy to be on hand carved out a new five-year high for most months, and that has continued to be the case in 2014. Shipments from Libya, while still not completely reliable, have recovered somewhat, as well.

Moreover, economic growth in Europe began to slip as the tensions with Russia over its foray into Crimea and Ukraine took a toll on business in the region. That has reduced petroleum demand prospects somewhat, as has less-than-spectacular growth in China.

As a result of the reduced possibilities for growth abroad, the International Energy Agency, a Paris-based consulting group, recently reduced its forecast for oil demand growth to 900,000 barrels a day, down from 1.2 million barrels a day earlier in the year.

Another factor hurting oil prices is the strength of the U.S. dollar. Since oil is priced in dollars, a strong greenback goes further when it comes to filling oil requirements. In recent months, the dollar has strengthened notably against the euro, owing to Europe's relatively poorer prospects compared with the United States.

Finally, seasonal weakness has played a role in the recent slide in oil prices, since late summer and early fall are periods when petroleum demand tends to be at its weakest. All things considered, oil prices have eased into the $90-a-barrel range, from above $100 previously in 2014.

The bad news aside, oil prices remain comparatively elevated on a historical basis, and are likely to remain so for several reasons. Those include the high likelihood of further periodic disruption of supplies from politically unstable producing countries in the Middle East and Africa. There is no getting around the fact there are a number of unstable regimes among OPEC's 11 producing members. It is never clear when problems in one or more of them might materialize, but oil quotations seem to be carrying a permanent premium because of that uncertainty.

Also on the plus side for oil prices are the most recent set of sanctions placed on the Russian energy sector by the European Union and the United States. Those actions point to less supply growth coming out of Russia, both in the short-term and the long-run. Sanctions on Russia have caused Dow-30 component Exxon Mobil (XOM – Free Exxon Stock Report) to wind down its thrust into drilling in the Russian Arctic through a joint venture with Rosneft. That initiative, in one of the coldest and most forbidding places on earth, north of the Arctic Circle, shows the lengths oil companies have been forced to go in order to secure fresh supplies. If nothing else, such a difficult endeavor underlines the fact that oil has a significant intrinsic value, given the high cost of drilling in the Arctic.

Long-term investors and contrarians might wish to take advantage of the recent weakness in oil prices to pick up shares that have backed off in sympathy. In addition to Exxon, stocks fitting that theme include oil major Chevron (CVX – Free Chevron Stock Report), large-cap independent Anadarko (APC), and oilfield services provider Baker Hughes (BHI).

About the author:Robert MitkowskiSmart investors know Value Line is the go-to source for unbiased, expert analysis and guidance. Our world-class analysts make a company's financial picture and future earnings potential clear. Their unique insight and straightforward commentaries on companies, industries, markets and economies give you the edge.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Watch For 2014

In an effort to expand its footprint in China, Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY) said in a statement Thursday that it will acquire Chinese candy maker Shanghai Golden Monkey Food Joint Stock Co. The People’s Republic is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for sweets, and Hershey has increased its investment in the country over the past several years.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but the Pennsylvania-based company said its wholly owned subsidiary, Hershey Netherlands, will acquire 80% of privately held Shanghai Golden Monkey (SGM), which is based in Shanghai and sells such goods as honey-peach hard candies and Xylitol-branded chewing gum. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014 and is subject to Chinese regulatory and SGM shareholder approval.

Hershey has become one of the fastest growing confection companies in the Asian nation. Hershey officials said the company hopes to expand international sales to 25% of global sales by 2017. It is currently 10% of global sales. Revenue for SGM has been growing by double-digit percentages and is expected to reach $225 million for 2013. About 75% of SGM net sales come from its candy segments, with the rest concentrated in the fast growing protein-based bean products and other snack categories. Overall sales of chocolate, candies and gum in China was estimated at near $13 billion in 2012.

10 Best Machinery Stocks To Watch For 2015: Liquidmetal Technologies Inc (LQMT)

Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (Liquidmetal Technologies), incorporated in 1987, is materials technology company that develops and commercializes products made from amorphous alloys. The Company's Liquidmetal family of alloys consists of a variety of bulk alloys and composites that utilize the advantages offered by amorphous alloy technology. The Company designs develop and sell products and components from bulk amorphous alloys to customers in various industries. The Company also partners with third-party manufacturers and licensees to develop and commercialize Liquidmetal alloy products. The Company focused to commercializes its Liquidmetal alloys on three identified product areas, such as Components for Non-Consumer Electronic Products, Sporting Goods and Leisure Products and Medical Devices. On December 1, 2011, the Company entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with LMTK Holdings, Inc. (LMTK Holdings) to sell its former Korean subsidiary and manufacturing facility, Liquidmetal Technologies Korea (LMTK). Under the Share Purchase Agreement, the Company sold all of LMTK�� shares of common stock to LMTK Holdings.

The Company designs, develops and produces components for non-consumer electronic devices utilizing its bulk Liquidmetal alloys. The product categories in the non-consumer electronics field include, but are not limited to, parts for high end printers, commercial imaging devices, aerospace components, medical devices and industrial machines. The Company is also developing a variety of applications for Liquidmetal alloys in the sporting goods and leisure products area.

The Company develops a variety of applications for Liquidmetal alloys in the sporting goods and leisure products area. In the sporting goods industry the Company focuses on products that meet its design criteria. The Company has produced prototype rings made from an amorphous Liquidmetal platinum alloy that is harder, in the leisure products category. The Company emphasis on surgical instrument appl! ications for Liquidmetal alloys. These include, but are not limited to, specialized blades, orthopedic instruments utilized for implant surgery procedures, dental devices and general surgery devices

The Company is engaged in product development efforts relating to various medical devices that could be made from bulk Liquidmetal alloys. The properties of bulk Liquidmetal alloys provide a combination of performance that makes them a replacement to incumbent materials, such as stainless steel and titanium.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  On Wednesday, small cap Liquidmetal Technologies Inc (OTCBB: LQMT) spiked 223.2% on renewed speculation about Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) having won a patent for a process to mass produce Liquidmetal, but what�� the whole story for investors?

• [By James E. Brumley]

  While it may be melodramatic to say my following of Liquidmetal Technologies Inc. (OTCBB:LQMT) has been something of a 'saga', it wouldn't be unfair to say it's one of those small cap stocks that's had its fair share of twists and turns. Yours truly turned explicitly bullish on LQMT back on November 22nd, after the stock broke above a key falling resistance lines. Then, on January 14th, I made a point of saying the rally had run its course, and it was time to lock in your 47% gain on Liquidmetal Technologies and walk away... at least for a while.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: Amkor Technology Inc.(AMKR)

Amkor Technology, Inc. provides outsourced semiconductor packaging and test services in the United States and internationally. It offers package formats and services using wirebonding and flip chip interconnect technologies that connect the die to the package carrier. The company?s package carriers include leadframe packages that utilize metal and place the electrical interconnect leads to the system board around the perimeter of the package; substrate packages, which utilize a laminate as the package carrier; and wafer-level packages. It provides chip scale packages comprising stacked chip scale packages for chipsets and memory applications; package-on-package solutions for the integration of logic and memory in a single footprint; and system-in-package modules that integrate two or more chips and passive device elements into a single package. The company also offers ball grid array packages comprising flip chip ball grid array packages that are used with silicon nodes f or small devices and other applications; and plastic ball grid array packages, which use wirebond technology. In addition, it provides other packaging services, such as wafer bumping services. Further, the company offers semiconductor testing services, including wafer testing or probe, final testing, strip testing, and end-of-line test services; and specialized logistical services, such as security certification and anti-counterfeit measures. It primarily serves the communications, consumer, computing, networking, automotive, and industrial markets. Amkor Technology, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Amkor Technologies (AMKR) outsources semiconductor packaging and test services both in the U.S. and around the world. Amkor has 16 facilities with over 5.5 million square feet of space in seven countries right now. Analysts expected the company to have a very weak first quarter, but Amkor exceeded expectations by a wide margin.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Amkor Technology (NASDAQ: AMKR) shares gained 1.63% to touch a new 52-week high of $7.46. Amkor Technology's PEG ratio is 0.94.

  Abraxas Petroleum (NASDAQ: AXAS) shares gained 2.94% to reach a new 52-week high of $4.55. Abraxas Petroleum shares have jumped 93.01% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 17.50% in the same period.

• [By Alex Planes]

  What: Shares of Amkor Technology (NASDAQ: AMKR  ) are up by over 10% today after beating expectations on both top and bottom lines in its first-quarter earnings report.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: Transportadora de Gas del Sur SA (TGS)

Transportadora de Gas del Sur S.A. (TGS) is engaged in the transportation of natural gas and production and commercialization of natural gas liquids (NGL). TGS�� pipeline system connects major gas fields in southern and western Argentina with gas distributors and industries in those areas and in the greater Buenos Aires area. The Company also renders midstream services, which consist of gas treatment, removal of impurities from the natural gas stream, gas compression, wellhead gas gathering and pipeline construction, operation, and maintenance services. The Company operates in three segments: natural gas transportation services through its pipeline system; NGL production and commercialization, and other services, which include midstream and telecommunication services.

During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company�� gas transportation represented approximately 42% of total net revenues. During 2009, its NGL production and commercialization segment accounted for 50% of the total revenues of the Company. During 2009, its other services segment accounted for 8% of total revenues of the Company. Its other services segment consists of midstream and telecommunications services. Through midstream services, TGS provides integral solutions related to natural gas from wellhead up to the transportation systems. The services consists of gas gathering, compression and treatment, as well as construction, operation and maintenance of pipelines, which are generally rendered to natural gas and oil producers at wellhead. The customers��portfolio also includes distribution companies, industrial users, power plants and refineries.

During 2009, the Company provided a range of technical services to different customers. The services consisted of connections to the transportation system, engineering inspections, project management and professional technical counseling. Telecommunication services are provided through Telcosur S.A. (Telcosur), who renders services both as an independent c! arrier of carriers and to corporate clients within its area. Telcosur has a digital land radio connection system.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividend]

  Transportadora de Gas Del Sur S.A. (TGS) has a market capitalization of $308.26 million. The company employs 829 people, generates revenue of $466.44 million and has a net income of $43.33 million. Transportadora de Gas Del Sur�� earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $170.33 million. The EBITDA margin is 36.52 percent (the operating margin is 27.41 percent and the net profit margin 9.29 percent).

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Telecom Italia SpA (TIT) lost 1.8 percent as Standard & Poor�� said it may downgrade the phone company�� debt to non-investment grade. TGS Nopec Geophysical Co. (TGS) tumbled the most in two years after reducing its revenue forecast. Celesio AG jumped to a three-year high on a report that McKesson Corp. may buy the German drug distributor.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: Polypore International Inc(PPO)

Polypore International, Inc., a technology filtration company, develops, manufactures, and markets specialized microporous membranes used in separation and filtration processes. It operates in two segments, Energy Storage and Separations Media. The Energy Storage segment offers membranes that provide the function of separating the cathode and anode in applications, including lithium-ion batteries that are used in portable electronic devices, energy storage systems, cordless power tools, and electric drive vehicles; and lead-acid batteries used in automobiles, other motor vehicles, forklifts, and uninterruptible power supply systems. The Separations Media segment provides membranes that are used as high technology filtration element in various medical and industrial applications. This segment?s membranes and membrane modules are used in applications, such as hemodialysis, blood oxygenation, plasmapheresis and various high-performance microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and g asification/degasification applications. Polypore International, Inc. sells its products to manufacturers and converters who incorporate its products into their finished goods. The company sells its products and services in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia through its direct sales force, and distributors and agents. The company is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  When most people think of electric vehicle stocks, they probably think of troubled Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) or one of the several Chinese stocks active in the space, but North America based large cap Magna International Inc (NYSE: MGA) and small caps Polypore International, Inc (NYSE: PPO), UQM Technologies Inc (NYSEMKT: UQM) and Green Automotive Company (OTCMKTS: GACR) are all players, one way or the other, in the electric vehicle space that most investors have probably overlooked or just aren�� aware of. Of course, we can argue�about whether or not purely electric vehicles or some sort of hybrid vehicles are the way of the future, but what cannot be argued about is the fact that the following electric vehicle stocks are at the forefront of EV or�hybrid technology and design:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Shares of Polypore International (NYSE: PPO) got a boost, shooting up 14.54 percent to $39.77 after the company reported Q1 results. DA Davidson upgraded Polypore from Neutral to Buy and lifted the price target from $36.00 to $42.00.

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Watch Right Now

10 Best Railroad Stocks To Watch Right Now: Horsehead Holding Corp.(ZINC)

Horsehead Holding Corp., together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells specialty zinc and zinc-based products in North America. The company?s products include PW zinc metal, which is used to provide a protective coating to various fabricated products, including pipe and guard rails, heat exchangers, and telecommunications towers, as well as for the production of brass; and SSHG zinc metal that is used as feed for the manufacture of high-purity zinc powder and zinc alloys. It also offers zinc oxide for the production of tire and rubber products, chemicals, ceramics, plastics, paints, lubricating oils, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the company recycles electric arc furnace dust, a hazardous waste generated by steel mini-mills. Further, it provides special zinc powders, which are used in general chemical and metallurgical applications, as well as in friction applications, such as brake linings for automobiles; battery grade zinc powders that are used in alkaline, me rcuric oxide, silver oxide, and zinc-air batteries; and copper-based powders, including brass, bronze, and nickel-silver powders, which are used in various applications comprising brazing, infiltrating, and powdered metallurgical hardware, such as lock bodies, valves, and gears. Additionally, the company offers short-line railroad service for the movement of materials. It primarily serves galvanizers and brass producers; alkaline battery industries; and manufacturers of tire and rubber products, lubricating oils, chemicals, paints, ceramics, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. The company was incorporated in 2003 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Basic materials shares jumped about 1.72 percent in Monday's trading. Leading the sector was strength from Century Aluminum Co (NASDAQ: CENX) and Horsehead Holding (NASDAQ: ZINC). In trading on Mon! day, utilities shares dropped by 0.13 percent.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Basic materials shares jumped about 1.72 percent in Monday's trading. Leading the sector was strength from Century Aluminum Co (NASDAQ: CENX) and Horsehead Holding (NASDAQ: ZINC). In trading on Monday, utilities shares dropped by 0.13 percent.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-railroad-stocks-to-watch-right-now-2.html

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014

Key Value Drivers for Agenus Through 2015

I am initiating coverage of Agenus (AGEN) with a Buy. I have just published a basic report on my website, which goes into detail on the company's two core technology platforms: (1) the heat shock protein technology that is the basis of therapeutic and preventive vaccines for cancer and infectious disease, and (2) the QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant that is being used by Agenus and other vaccine developers to enhance the effectiveness of their vaccines. This report is a summary of that more detailed report.

Glaxo (GSK) is Agenus' primary partner for QS-21 and currently has 19 vaccines in development that use QS-21, four of which are in late stage Phase III development and are critical to my investment thesis. They are:

1. The MAGE A-3 cancer vaccine that is being used as adjunctive therapy in surgically resected stage IIIb and IIIc melanoma. Topline data on this Phase III trial will be reported in 2H, 2013. If the trial is successful, I think the product could be launched in the US and Europe in early 2015.

10 Best Prefered Stocks To Own For 2015: Synutra International Inc.(SYUT)

Synutra International, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and distribution of dairy based nutritional products primarily in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers powdered infant and adult formula products for adults and children under the Super, U-Smart, My Angel, Mingshan, and Helanruniu brand names; prepared baby food for babies and children under the Huiliduo brand name; and nutritional ingredients and supplements, such as chondroitin sulfate, microencapsulated Docosahexanoic Acid, and Arachidonic Acid. It also sells milk powder, whey protein, and raw milk to industrial customers. The company markets its products under Shengyuan or Synutra brands. It sells its products through sales and distribution network covering 30 provinces and provincial-level municipalities in China. Synutra International, Inc. is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Synutra International (Nasdaq: SYUT  ) reported earnings on June 13. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q4), Synutra International missed estimates on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Synutra International (Nasdaq: SYUT  ) is expected to report Q4 earnings on June 13. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Synutra International's revenues will contract -9.1% and EPS will decrease -84.6%.

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: Rackspace Hosting Inc(RAX)

Rackspace Hosting, Inc. operates in the hosting and cloud computing industry. It provides information technology (IT) as a service, managing Web-based IT systems for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large enterprises worldwide. The company?s service suite includes dedicated hosting comprising customer management portal and other management tools that manage data center, network, hardware devices, and operating system software; and cloud computing that enables customers to provide and manage a pool of computing resources, as well as delivery of computing resources to business when they need them. It offers cloud servers, cloud files, and cloud sites, as well as cloud applications, such as email, collaboration, and file back-ups; and hybrid hosting that provides a combination of dedicated hosting and cloud computing services. The company also offers customer support services. It sells its service suite through direct sales teams, third-party channel partners, an d online ordering. The company was formerly known as Rackspace.com, Inc. and changed its name to Rackspace Hosting, Inc. in June 2008. Rackspace Hosting, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Investometrica]

  Servers: Server revenue is also in a dangerous position. The graph shows how the market changed from 2008 through 2012, favoring the Iaas (infrastructure as a service) hosting business model (Amazon (AMZN) and Rackspace (RAX)), while leaving the server-side infrastructure business model in great trouble. At this point, the trend towards adoption of hosted Iaas as a replacement for traditional in-house server-side infrastructure can't possibly be reversed.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX) were down 13.47 percent to $42.67 after the company reported a 40 percent drop in its third-quarter net income.

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: McDonald's Corporation(MCD)

McDonald?s Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a worldwide foodservice retailer. It franchises and operates McDonald?s restaurants that offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages. As of December 31, 2009, the company operated 32,478 restaurants in 117 countries, of which 26,216 were operated by franchisees; and 6,262 were operated by the company. McDonald?s Corporation was founded in 1948 and is based in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Valuentum]

  Global fast food giant McDonald's (MCD) announced that it will increase its quarterly cash dividend 5% to $0.81 per share--an annual run-rate of $3.24 per share. This is in-line with our prediction that McDonald's next dividend increase would be 5% to $3.24 per annum. Interestingly, this will be the second consecutive year that McDonald's increased its dividend at a single-digit pace.

5 Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Buy For 2014: Hauppauge Digital Inc.(HAUP)

Hauppauge Digital Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of analog and digital TV tuner products for the personal computer (PC) market in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It offers video recorder products, such as USB-Live2, a standard definition video recorder used to record video tapes and other types of video into a PC; HD PVR, a high-definition video recorder for making real-time H.264 compressed video recordings at resolutions up to 1080i, and to record old home video tapes into an AVCHD format; and Colossus to record high definition video from a cable TV or satellite set top box, or an Xbox 360 or Sony playstation 3 game console. The company also provides TV receivers, including Broadway that connects to a TV signal and then transmits that TV signal through a Wi-Fi network or the Internet; analog TV tuners to enable a PC user to watch analog cable TV in a resizable window; digital TV receivers and hybrid analog/digital TV receivers, which allow a PC user to watch digital television in a resizable window on a PC or laptop screen; and PCTV TV tuner products that allow users to view television programming on their computers. In addition, it offers non-TV tuner products comprising WinTV application, a PC-based TV watching, pause, and recoding application; WinTV Extend software product, a PC-based Internet video server that streams live TV or other video content to remote devices; Impact video capture board for PC-based video conferencing and video capture in industrial applications; MediaMVP-HD, a Linux-based digital media device that links TV sets and PCs; and MediaMVP to watch and listen to PC-based videos, music, and pictures on a TV set through a home network, as well as provides an on-TV-screen display of media directory listings. The company sells its products through retailers, PC manufacturers, and distributors. Hauppauge Digital Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Hauppauge, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Hauppauge Digital (NASDAQ: HAUP) shares fell 8.70% to touch a new 52-week low of $0.42. Hauppauge Digital shares have dropped 61.02% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 18.17% in the same period.