Obama to Launch Jobs Tour

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Aiming to show he's still focused on creating jobs, President Barack Obama is beginning a series of quick trips around the country to resurrect ideas from his State of the Union address that became overshadowed by the intense debates over gun control, immigration, and automatic spending cuts.

Obama on Thursday was dropping in on Austin, Texas, and using that bustling state capital as a backdrop to talk about attracting jobs, providing skills training, and ensuring that hard work begets a decent living.

The president argued in February's State of the Union address that an economy that is growing and creating well-paying middle-class jobs must be the guiding principle for Washington policymakers. He proposed a broad expansion of pre-kindergarten to accommodate every 4-year-old, calling it a smart investment that will help improve educational outcomes, along with raising the federal minimum wage to $9 to help working families. Both ideas faced almost immediate resistance from some lawmakers who said the proposals cost too much and could stunt the economy, and Obama has barely discussed either proposal since then.

At the time of the speech, the debate over gun-control legislation was heating up following the December massacre of 20 first-graders and six educators at a Connecticut elementary school. A bipartisan group of senators was drafting a sweeping immigration bill desired by both political parties, and Congress and the White House were blaming each other for $85 billion in automatic spending cuts that would kick in March 1.

The series of field trips Obama begins Thursday marks an attempt by the president to remind the public that he hasn't forgotten about the issue that concerns them the most: the economy and jobs. The outing also comes amid questions about whether the second-term president has enough sway to get his agenda through a divided Congress before attention turns to the November 2014 midterm elections.

Since his second inauguration, Obama has lost a bid to expand background checks for gun buyers and was similarly unsuccessful at getting lawmakers to undo the spending cuts. On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin considering and voting on scores of proposed changes to the immigration bill, which is facing opposition from conservatives, religious leaders, and others.

His jobs proposals have stalled in Congress, with Republicans showing no interest in job-creation plans based on new federal spending. They also argue that Obama's regulatory regime and new health care law -- the president's signature domestic policy achievement to date -- are hindering more robust job growth.

Obama's effort to highlight jobs and the economy is buoyed by last Friday's positive jobs report, which found that the unemployment rate had dipped to a four-year low of 7.5 percent in April and employers had added 165,000 jobs -- and that far more jobs were added in in February and March than previously thought.

"He's focusing on economic issues that are at the core of his agenda, and have always been at the core of his agenda," White House press secretary Jay Carney said.

But the slowly improving economy masks the stagnant wages and fewer working hours that strike directly at the president's base of support -- young people, racial minorities and the less affluent. The average unemployment rate in the first three months of the year was 7.7 percent, but the rate was 13.6 percent for blacks and 9.5 percent for Latinos.

Before Obama departed Washington for a stay of about five hours in Texas, the White House announced a pair of initiatives it said would help the economy in the absence of action by Congress.

The administration announced the launch of a competition to create three new Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, partnerships among businesses, universities and government to help U.S.-based manufacturers and workers create good jobs. Five federal agencies -- Defense, Energy, Commerce, NASA and the National Science Foundation -- are putting $200 million toward the effort. The president also will ask Congress for a one-time investment of $1 billion to create a nationwide network of 15 such institutes.

The White House also announced an executive order and other steps to make government data more easily available to entrepreneurs, researchers and others who can then use the information to create new products and services, build businesses and create jobs.

Obama planned to visit Manor New Tech High School near Austin, where the curriculum is based on science, technology, engineering and math. He'll hold separate meetings with middle-class workers and technology entrepreneurs, and visit Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT  ) , a high-tech company whose products help make goods like smartphones, flat-screen TVs, and solar panels more affordable, according to its website.

Republicans have been critical of Obama's periodic announcements that he's focusing again on jobs; they say it's an issue he should never lose sight of.

"I see that the president has decided to 'pivot' once again to jobs," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said this week. "I can't even count how many times he's done one of these 'pivots' at this point, so I won't try. But I presume he'll jet off around the country to campaign-style rallies in order to bash Congress and claim that none of this is his fault."

Top Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2014

This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, our headlines include upgrades for both AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX  ) and Bankrate (NYSE: RATE  ) , but a downgrade for LabCorp Holdings (NYSE: LH  ) . Let's dive right in.

AMC no longer among the "walking dead"
First up, barely a week has passed since AMC Networks confirmed that the season finale of The Walking Dead scored a record-high viewership for the series. Now, analysts at B. Riley & Co. think they see signs of life in AMC shares. On Friday, B. Riley removed its sell rating from AMC stock, upgrading the shares to "neutral" and assigning a $61 price target.

Forgive investors if they're not exactly jumping out of their coffins with enthusiasm for the upgrade, though. After all, AMC�already costs more than $65 a share, so a prediction that the shares might be worth $61 a year from now is hardly cause for rejoicing.

5 Best Growth Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sibanye Gold Ltd (SBGL)

Sibanye Gold Limited (Sibanye Gold), formerly GFI Mining South Africa (Pty) Limited, incorporated on December 12, 2002, is a producer of gold in South Africa. Sibanye Gold is primarily engaged in underground and surface gold mining and related activities, including extraction, and processing. Sibanye Gold�� operations are located in South Africa. Its principal mining operations include Kloof-Driefontein Complex (KDC) and Beatrix. Exploration activities are focused on the extension of existing ore bodies and identification of new ore bodies at existing sites. As of January 10, 2013, Sibanye Gold mined only gold, with silver as a by-product.

KDC Operation

The KDC mine is located in the Gauteng Province of South Africa in the Far West Rand mining district, some 60 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg. KDC consists of the Driefontein and Kloof mines. As of January 10, 2013, KDC is consisted of 13 producing shaft systems that mine different contributions from pillars and open ground and five gold plants of which two process mainly underground ore and three process mainly surface material. Driefontein is situated some 70 kilometers west of Johannesburg. Kloof is situated in the Magisterial District of Westonaria, some 60 kilometers west of Johannesburg.

Beatrix Operation

The Beatrix operation is located in the Free State Province of South Africa, some 240 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg, near Welkom and Virginia, and consists of the Beatrix mine. Beatrix operates under mining rights covering a total area of approximately 16 800 hectares. As of January 10, 2013, Beatrix had four shaft systems, with five ventilation shafts to provide additional up-cast and down-cast ventilation capacity and is serviced by two metallurgical plants. It is a shallow to intermediate-depth mining operation, at depths between 700 meters and 2 200 meters below surface. The mine has a refrigeration and cooling infrastructure in both its North and West Sections. Beatrix is man! aged as three operational sections: the North Section (consists of Shaft No. 3), the South Section (consists of Shaft No. 2 and Shaft No. 1) and the West Section (consists of Shaft No. 4).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Gold: This industry rose 0.65% by 10:25 am ET. The top performer in this industry was Sibanye Gold (NYSE: SBGL), which gained 4.9%. Gold futures fell 0.17% to trade at $1,216.70 an ounce.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Gold: This industry jumped 1.20% by 11:40 am. The top performer in this industry was Sibanye Gold (NYSE: SBGL), which rose 3.2%. Gold futures gained 0.44% to trade at $1,281.00 an ounce.

Top Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2014: Fairway Group Holdings Corp (FWM)

Fairway Group Holdings Corp., incorporated on September 29, 2006, operates in the retail food industry, selling fresh, natural and organic products, prepared foods, and specialty and gourmet offerings along with a assortment of conventional groceries. The Company focuses on perishable product categories, which include produce, natural and organic, deli, specialty, cheese, butcher, seafood, bakery, coffee and kosher foods. Its non-perishable product categories consist of conventional groceries, as well as specialty foods. It operates two stores on the West Side of Manhattan, New York. As of September 24, 2012, it operated 11 locations in the Greater New York City metropolitan area, three of which include Fairway Wines & Spirits stores.

The Company�� natural and organic product categories include fruits and vegetables, natural and fresh juices, organic OBE beef and organic chicken, fresh organic peanut butter and natural almond butter, fresh roasted coffees and loose teas, dried fruits and nuts, full assortment of natural and organic groceries, cold cuts and cheeses, breads, supplements (homeopathy, vitamins, herbs), nutritional bars and protein powders, health and beauty aids, dairy, including Fairway-branded organic milk, eggs, including Fairway-branded organic eggs, vegetarian dairy alternatives, frozen foods, e gluten-free selections, baby food and baby care items and cleaning products. It offers a classic New York deli counter. It carries smoked salmon prepared using its own recipe and hand-craft its own fresh mozzarella daily.

The Company�� Specialty Imports and Specialty Grocery departments provide shoppers with specialty and gourmet items, such as Lapalisse pure and virgin nut oils; authentic Sicilian foodstuffs; Burgundy's organic La Trinquelinette fruit preserves made in small batches using only unrefined raw cane sugar; ready-to-eat vacuum-packed beets from the Loire Valley; L'Herbier de Milly La Foret verbena, hibiscus, peppermint and linden blossom infusions; L! a Quiberonnaise Vintage Sardines from Brittany, France; Pruneaux d'Agen (stuffed prunes), and Royal Medjool dates, Quercy's soft dried figs and apricots. It carries approximately 115 varieties of specialty olive oil, including numerous imported unfiltered olive oils, and offer all-day, every day tasting of olive oils in each of its stores.

The Company has meat delivered every day and it is cut and packaged at each of its stores within 24 hours of receipt. It also receives daily deliveries of fresh ice-packed chicken. It offers 50 to 80 different selections of fresh fish and seafood in each store every day. It utilizes a combination of on-site and centralized bakeries to produce our baked goods. Its full-service bakery prepares its signature cookies, tarts, cupcakes, baguettes and bagels. It offers over 100 types of artisanal coffee beans sold by the pound, as well as over a dozen varieties of Fair Trade certified and organic coffee.

The Company offers an array of kosher options, including Fairway's branded products, its conventional and specialty groceries, its coffee, as well as its baked goods, dairy, organic, gluten-free, imported and frozen items. It offers a variety of cuts of kosher poultry, red meat and seafood. It carries a range of conventional grocery items. Its grocery aisles are stacked high with the national brand names Tide, Bounty, Kleenex, Charmin, Lysol, Poland Spring, Oreo, Cheerios, Lipton, Hershey's, Coke, Green Giant, and many more. In addition, it offers an array of ethnic groceries that cater to each store's local demographic.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Charles Sizemore]

  All of this points to a rosy picture for premium grocery chains. Yet the stock performancee paint a very different picture. Compare the performance of publicly traded premium grocers — Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM), The Fresh Market (TFM), and Fairway Group Holdings (FWM) — against that of the ultimate common-man�� grocer, Walmart. Since last October, Walmart is the only grocer stock that hasn�� seen substantial declines. What gives? I have one word for you: valuation.

Top Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2014: Smithfield Foods Inc.(SFD)

Smithfield Foods, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and marketing of fresh meat and packaged meats products in the United States and internationally. The company involves in the production of hog; and produces various fresh pork, beef, poultry, and packaged meats products. It sells fresh pork to retail customers as unprocessed and trimmed cuts, such as butts, loins, picnics, and ribs; packaged meats products, including smoked and boiled hams, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and deli and luncheon meats; specialty products, such as pepperoni and dry meat products; and ready-to-eat prepared foods comprising pre-cooked entrees, and pre-cooked bacon and sausages. The company offers its products to supermarket chains; wholesale distributors; the foodservice industry, including fast food, restaurant and hotel chains, hospitals, and other institutional customers; export markets; and other further processors. It sells its products through its salespersons an d independent commission brokers. Smithfield Foods, Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Friday, Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD  ) will release its latest quarterly results. The once-quiet corner of the food-production market got a big jolt when Smithfield got a buyout offer from a Chinese company, but even with the offer outstanding, it's important to check on the health of Smithfield's underlying business.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Virginia-based pork producer Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD  ) recently released a less-than-stellar earnings announcement, largely due to increasing feed prices coupled with heavy pricing pressure at the grocery store. But the earnings have been far from the headlines as the company looks to close out on its sale to China's largest meat processing company. To add to the fray, 6% activist owner Starboard Value believes that the buyout offer undervalues Smithfield, and that a breakup of the company offers shareholders a better alternative. Let's take a look at both options, and try to determine where the cards are stacked.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Finally, beyond the Dow, Pilgrim's Pride (NASDAQ: PPC  ) soared 22% on apparent speculation that the poultry giant might be next on the chopping block as a target for a big acquisition. The proposed buyout of pork producer Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD  ) by a Chinese company was controversial in large part because of the geopolitical implications of international buyers purchasing U.S. food-industry assets, but business analysts have rightly looked instead at the implications for further consolidation in the industry. With no formal announcement from Pilgrim's Pride, today's move could invite scrutiny from the SEC and other regulators should any sort of definitive buyout bid materialize in the days to come.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD  ) were smoking today, gaining as much as 31% after a Chinese company agreed to buy the meat processor for $7.1 billion.

Top Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2014: lime energy co.(LIME)

Lime Energy Co. provides energy engineering, consulting, and implementation solutions to the commercial, industrial, utilities, governmental, and energy services markets in the United States. The company?s energy efficiency solutions enable its clients to reduce energy-related expenditures and the impact of their energy use on the environment. Its services include energy consulting, integrated energy engineering, and multi-measure project development and implementation; mechanical/electrical upgrade services; water conservation; weatherization; and renewables across a range of facilities, including office buildings, manufacturing plants, retail sites, mixed use complexes, and large government sites. The company?s energy consulting and technical services comprise utility program management and implementation, energy project development, energy engineering, consulting, and planning. Lime Energy Co. also provides energy asset development and management services comprising p roject feasibility and technology assessment; sourcing, qualifying, and structuring investment opportunities; project financing; design and construction process management; and asset management. Its customers include commercial and industrial businesses, property owners and managers, utilities, energy service companies, government entities, and educational institutions. The company was formerly known as Electric City Corp. and changed its name to Lime Energy Co. in September 2006. Lime Energy Co. was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  The trick to profitable trading (though few great traders would ever admit it) is being in the right place at the right time. To do that, however, requires a great deal of patience waiting on the market's best "would be" trades to begin that potential moves. Enter MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) and Lime Energy Co. (NASDAQ:LIME)... two of the market's almost-great ideas right now. Though neither is off and running, both LIME and MNKD are on the verge and worth putting on your watchlist. Here's what we need to see for both to become worth taking a swing on.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Lime Energy Co.(LIME) fired Chief Executive John O’Rourke while simultaneously promoting President and Chief Operating Officer Adam Procell to the top post.

Top Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2014: Destination XL Group Inc (DXLG)

Destination XL Group, Inc., formerly Casual Male Retail Group, Inc., incorporated in 1976, is a specialty retailer of big and tall men�� apparel with retail operations in the United States and London, England and direct businesses throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Its direct business includes several catalogs and e-commerce sites, which supports its brands and product extensions. As of January 28, 2012, it operated 360 Casual MaleXL retail stores, 60 Casual MaleXL outlet stores, 16 DestinationXL stores and 14 Rochester Clothing stores. During the third quarter of fiscal 2011, the Company launched its new DestinationXL e-commerce site which, similar to its DXL store concept, brings all of its existing websites together, making it easier for its customer to shop the full array of product selection that it have to offer from all of its brands with the ease of one shopping cart. Full product assortments from Casual MaleXL, Rochester Clothing, ShoesXL and LivingXL can be found at www.destinationxl.com. In addition to its e-commerce and catalog businesses, it operated 7 international Web stores serving twenty-six European countries during fiscal 2011.

Casual MaleXL Outlet

The Company�� 60 Casual MaleXL outlet stores, with their supporting direct business, B&T Factory Direct, generates approximately 12% of the Company's business. It offers a private-label program, specifically for its Casual MaleXL outlet stores and its B&T Factory Direct businesses, which is similar to its lifestyle private label lines found in its full-price retail stores but made at lower costs and sold at lower price points for its value-oriented customers. It carries Canyon Ridge, which is similar in style to its Harbor Bay product line, 555 Turnpike, which is targeted towards its younger customers, and Fuse, a contemporary line similar in style to its Synrgy product line Traveler Technology is a traditional line similar to its Gold Series.

Casual MaleXL Retail

Th! e Casual Male business offers a selection of sportswear, dress clothing, footwear and accessories for the big and tall customer at moderate prices. Its full-price Casual Male merchandise is sold through its 360 Casual MaleXL retail stores, Casual MaleXL catalogs and e-commerce site. The majority of the Casual Male merchandise is basic or fashion-neutral items, such as jeans, casual slacks, tee-shirts, polo shirts, dress shirts and suit separates. Casual Male�� clothing has features specifically designed for its customer, such as waist-relaxer pants, stretch belts, zipper ties, wide band socks, neck-relaxer shirts and clothing with comfort-stretch technology and reinforced stress points. In addition to its many private label lines, it carry several well-known brands of merchandise including: Polo Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Geoffrey Beene, Nautica Jeans Co., Levi��, Dockers, Calvin Klein, Reebok and

Rochester Clothing

At January 28, 2012, it operated 14 Rochester Clothing stores, located in major cities throughout the United States and one store in London, EnglandAn important element to the Company's business is its high-end, luxury fashion apparel offered by Rochester Clothing. Its Rochester Clothing stores carry a selection of apparel, at higher price points, from branded manufacturers, such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Robert Graham, Lacoste, Facconable, DKNY, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Brioni, Cutter and Buck, Tommy Bahama, Tommy Hilfilger, Thomas Dean, Paul & Shark and others. The Rochester customer is able to find a range of apparel from traditional and modern sportswear to suits and accessories.

B&T Factory Direct

The Company�� B&T Factory Direct Web store enhances its existing Casual MaleXL outlet stores. The merchandise offered in its B&T Factory Direct catalogs and on its Website is a selection but similar to the merchandise that can be found in its Casual MaleXL outlet stores. In addition, B&T Factory Direct often features a special clearance o! pportunit! ies of product and provides opportunities of product obtained from Casual MaleXL and Rochester Clothing, offering the B&T Factory Direct customer the ability to purchase branded product.

LivingXL

The LivingXL business, which includes its LivingXL Web store and catalogs, specializes in the selling of selected products. The types of products sold on its Website and in its catalogs for both men and women and include chairs, outdoor accessories, travel accessories, bed and bath and fitness equipment.

ShoesXL

Its ShoesXL Web store carries a line of men�� footwear in extended sizes, offering customers a range of footwear. The assortment on ShoesXL is a reflection of its apparel, with an assortment from moderate to luxury and from casual to formal. ShoesXL has a more than 500 styles of shoes, ranging in sizes from 10M to 18M and widths up to 5E. It carries a number of designer brands including Cole Haan, Allen Edmonds, Timberland, Calvin Klein, Lacoste and Bruno Magli. In addition, it has added the expanded shoe assortments within its existing Casual MaleXL and Rochester Clothing catalogs.

Destination

From the DestinationXL homepage, the customers can also search across all of its brands without having to specifically shop Casual Male versus Rochester. By searching for a shirt in their size, DestinationXL provides them product selection from all three of its concepts.

The Company offers selected Casual Male merchandise on their websites at www.Sears.com and www.Sears.ca. It operates 7 online stores for both its Casual MaleXL and Rochester Clothing brands that penetrate 26 European countries, including the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. It engages GSI Commerce, Inc. (GSI) for the design, development and operations of the seven online stores. Subsequent to year end, it decided to discontinue its international Web stores including terminating its contract with GSI.

The Comp! any compe! tes with Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney Company Inc, Kohl�� and Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, SA.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Calling all cash flows
  When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Destination XL Group (Nasdaq: DXLG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Destination XL (NASDAQ: DXLG  ) results for the company's Q1 have been released. For the quarter, sales were $93.6 million, a decline from the $95.5 million in the same period the previous year. Net income suffered a steeper fall, dropping to just over $1 million ($0.02 per diluted share) from the Q1 2012 result of $2.3 million ($0.05).

• [By John Udovich]

  As we head into Black Friday and the holiday shopping season, small cap apparel retail stocks Cache, Inc (NASDAQ: CACH), Stein Mart, Inc (NASDAQ: SMRT), Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc (NASDAQ: PSUN) and Destination XL Group Inc (NASDAQ: DXLG) have the distinction of being the best performing small cap apparel retail stocks for this year (according to Finviz.com) with gains of 111.6%, 92.7%, 88.7% and 65.7%, respectively. What are these high flying small caps doing right in the apparel retail space and will they continue delivering a stellar performance for Black Friday and the all important holiday season for�investors? Here is what new and existing investors and traders alike need to know or consider:

Top Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2014: SPS Commerce Inc.(SPSC)

SPS Commerce, Inc. provides on-demand supply chain management solutions worldwide. It offers integration, collaboration, connectivity, visibility, and data analytics over the Internet using a software-as-a-service model. SPS Commerce, Inc. provides its solutions through SPSCommerce.net, a hosted software suite that enables suppliers, retailers, distributors, and other customers to manage and fulfill orders. The company?s platform delivers various solutions to suppliers and retailers, including trading partner integration, trading partner enablement, trading partner intelligence, and various peripheral solutions. It also operates Retail Universe, a collaborative online Website that facilitates relationships and communications with members of the retail ecosystem. The company was formerly known as St. Paul Software, Inc. and changed its name to SPS Commerce, Inc. in May 2001. SPS Commerce, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  SPS Commerce (Nasdaq:SPSC), a leading provider of on-demand supply chain management solutions, and Wicresoft, a leading global IT solution service provider specializing in providing consulting, information technology and business process outsourcing, and IT infrastructure services, have partnered to provide supply chain solutions in China, Hong Kong and Japan.

Top Forestry Stocks To Watch For 2014: Comtech Telecommunications Corp.(CMTL)

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. engages in the design, development, production, and marketing of products, systems, and services for advanced communications solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Telecommunications Transmission, Mobile Data Communications, and RF Microwave Amplifiers. The Telecommunications Transmission segment provides satellite earth station equipment and systems, over-the-horizon microwave systems, and forward error correction technology, which are used in various commercial and government applications, including backhaul of wireless and cellular traffic, broadcasting (including HDTV), IP-based communications traffic, long distance telephony, and secure defense applications. The Mobile Data Communications segment provides mobile satellite transceivers, and computers and satellite earth station network gateways and associated installation, training, and maintenance services; supplies and operates satellite pac ket data networks, including arranging and providing satellite capacity; and offers microsatellites and related components. The RF Microwave Amplifiers segment designs, develops, manufactures, and markets satellite earth station traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTA) and broadband amplifiers. Its amplifiers are used in broadcast and broadband satellite communication; defense applications, such as telecommunications systems and electronic warfare systems; and commercial applications comprising oncology treatment systems, as well as to amplify signals carrying voice, video, or data for air-to-satellite-to-ground communications. The company serves satellite systems integrators, wireless and other communication service providers, broadcasters, defense contractors, military, governments, and oil companies. Comtech markets its products through independent representatives and value-added resellers. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Melville, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (CMTL) designs, develops, produces, and markets products, systems, and services for communications solutions. December 9th the company increased its quarterly dividend 9.1% to $0.30 per share. The dividend is payable February 19, 2014, to stockholders of record on January 17, 2014. The yield based on the new payout is 3.6%.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Shares of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (CMTL) �rose 6.2% to $33.24 on moderate volume after the company beat Wall Street estimates for the fiscal first quarter and raised its guidance.

Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2015

Best Integrated Utility Stocks For 2015: Jasper Mining Corp (JSP)

Jasper Mining Corporation (Jasper) is an exploration-stage company engaged in the exploration for and development of base and precious metals in Canada. Its properties consist of the Vowell Creek property, the Lydy property, the McFarlane property, the Cascade property, the Faith property, the Isintok property, the Alaric property, the Proximal property, the Erie Creek property, the Irony property and Crawford property. The Vowell Creek property consists of 12,750 hectares located approximately 35 kilometers south of Golden, British Columbia. The Cascade property is located approximately 55 kilometers north of the community of Kaslo, British Columbia and is comprised of approximately 1,545 hectares (3,819 acres), on the west side of the Lardeau River. The Irony property is located north of Revelstoke, British Columbia and southwest of Mica Dam, consisting of 2,375 hectares (5,869 acres). The Company's properties include lead, zinc, gold and silver. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jessica Summers]

  Indias S&P BSE Sensex (SENSEX) extended this weeks drop to 3 percent, the most since five days ended March 24. Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSP) plunged 7.6 percent, leading a gauge of 10 metal companies to its lowest close in more than four years. ICICI Bank Ltd. fell to an 11-month low, pacing losses among its peers. The rupee slid 1.1 percent, capping its biggest weekly drop in almost two years.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/best-integrated-utility-stocks-for-2015.html

Top Life Sciences Companies To Buy Right Now

Top Life Sciences Companies To Buy Right Now: Humboldt Capital Corp (HMB)

Humboldt Capital Corporation (Humboldt) is an investment company with its holdings concentrated in the resource sector. The Company's principal business is to purchase securities for investment income and capital appreciation over the long term. The Company provides early-stage risk capital, business experience and guidance to junior oil and gas enterprises. Humboldt is engaged in making investments in a range of very small to large companies, which are in turn engaged in the exploration, development, production and acquisition of crude oil and natural gas or minerals, or companies, which provides services to such companies. Humboldt also makes investments in other businesses that have potential for growth. Humboldt has investments in western Canadian energy companies, international oil and gas companies and in the mining sector, with particular emphasis on companies exploring or producing commodities. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Ladbrokes (LAD) Plc plunged to its lowest price in almost a year after issuing a profit warning for its digital division. Thomas Cook Group Plc slid 6.6 percent after it said winter bookings have slowed. Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMB), Europe's second-biggest clothing retailer, rose to its highest price after posting third-quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates.

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Zurich Insurance Group AG (ZURN) lost 3.6 percent after second-quarter profit missed analysts' estimates. Hennes & Mauritz AB (HMB) declined the most in seven weeks as Europe's second-biggest clothing retailer reported worse-than-expected sales. BG Group Plc, which derives 20 percent of its oil-and-gas production from Egypt, slipped 2.4 percent as the death toll from nationwide violence in the most populous Arab country climbed above 500.

  source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-life-sciences-companies-to-buy-right-now-2.html

Hot China Companies To Watch In Right Now

With shares of Qualcomm�(NASDAQ:QCOM) trading around $73, is QCOM an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Qualcomm is engaged in the design and manufacturing of digital communications products and services. The company operates in four segments: Qualcomm CDMA technologies, Qualcomm technology licensing, Qualcomm wireless and Internet, and Qualcomm strategic initiatives. It develops and supplies integrated circuits and system software based on CDMA, OFDMA, and other technologies for uses in voice and data communications, networking, application processing, multimedia, and global positioning system products.

Chinese regulators have launched an anti-trust investigation into Qualcomm, the U.S. mobile chipmaker said on Monday, and some experts suggested China’s government may be seeking leverage in royalty negotiations.�China’s largest cellphone carrier is preparing a major move to 4G wireless technology next year, and Qualcomm has been hoping that will provide it with a major new source of royalty revenue. The company said it was not aware of any antitrust violations but would cooperate with the probe by China’s National Development and Reform Commission.

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Invest In Right Now: New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.(EDU)

New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. provides private educational services primarily in the People?s Republic of China. It offers a range of educational programs, services, and products consisting primarily of English and other foreign language training; test preparation courses for admissions and assessment tests; primary and secondary school education; development and distribution of educational content; software and other technology; and online education. The company?s language training courses primarily consist of various types of English language training courses, and other foreign languages, including German, Japanese, French, Korean, and Spanish. It offers test preparation courses for language and entrance exams used by educational institutions in the United States, the People?s Republic of China, and commonwealth countries. The company also operates primary and secondary schools in Yangzhou. In addition, New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. deve lops and edits content for educational materials for language training and test preparation, such as books, software, CD-ROMs, magazines, and other periodicals. It distributes these materials through various distribution channels consisting of own classrooms and bookstores, as well as third-party distributors. Further, the company offers various online education programs on its Web site, koolearn.com. Additionally, it provides consulting services to help students through the application and admission process for overseas educational institutions, as well as post-secondary educational programs to help students seek career opportunities; and operates two pre-schools. The company offers educational services under the ?New Oriental? brand name. As of May 31, 2010, it offered education programs, services, and products through a network of 48 schools, 319 learning centers, and 25 bookstores. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of New Oriental Education & Technology Group (NYSE: EDU) were 9.62 percent to $23.48 after the company reported FQ3 results. New Oriental's quarterly net income surged 50.2% y/y to US$42.1 million versus US$28.0 million.

• [By Mark Skousen]

  Millions of Chinese are learning English, the international language of commerce, and preparing for exams. Those are the two principal occupations of New Oriental Education & Technology Group (EDU).

• [By Belinda Cao]

  New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (EDU), China�� largest private educational company, fell 11 percent last week to a one-month low of $16.07. Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Ella Ji said April 2 that students may avoid large gatherings because of the flu, impacting New Oriental.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  New Oriental Education & Technology Group (NYSE: EDU  ) reported earnings on April 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended Feb. 28 (Q3), New Oriental Education & Technology Group met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Hot China Companies To Watch In Right Now: Mindray Medical International Limited (MR)

Mindray Medical International Limited, through its subsidiary, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd., develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices worldwide. It operates in three segments: Patient Monitoring and Life Support Products, In-Vitro Diagnostic Products, and Medical Imaging Systems. The Patient Monitoring and Life Support Products segment offers patient monitoring devices that track the physiological parameters of patients, such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and temperature. This segment?s patient monitoring devices are suitable for adult, pediatric, and neonatal patients and are used principally in hospital intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency rooms. This segment provides single and multiple-parameter monitors, mobile and portable multifunction monitors, central stations that could collect and display multiple patient data on a single screen, and an electro-cardiogram monitoring device; veterinary monitoring devi ces; and anesthesia machines, as well as defibrillators, surgical beds, and surgical lights. The In-Vitro Diagnostic Products segment offers data and analysis on blood, urine, and other bodily fluid samples for clinical diagnosis and treatment. This segment also provides semi-automated and fully-automated in-vitro diagnostic products for laboratories, clinics, and hospitals. In addition, this segment offers hematology analyzers and biochemistry analyzers, and reagents. The Medical Imaging Systems segment provides ultrasound systems, which are employed in medical fields consisting of urology, gynecology, obstetrics, and cardiology; digital radiography systems; and a magnetic resonance imaging system. The company serves distributors, original design manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, and hospitals and government agencies. Mindray Medical International Limited was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  China is set to ease the one child policy, something that could benefit Chinese stocks in general but be especially beneficial to insurance stocks like China Life Insurance Company Ltd (NYSE: LFC) and CNinsure Inc (NASDAQ: CISG) plus health care stocks like Mindray Medical International Ltd�(NYSE: MR) and Concord Medical Services Hldg Ltd (NYSE: CCM). First, let�� be clear that China is NOT abolishing the one child policy as the changes will merely�allow married couples to have two children if one spouse is an only child plus it will be up to China�� 34 province-level administrations to revise�their laws and put the new policy into effect. Moreover, China�� family-planning bureaucracy employs more than 500,000 full-time workers and six million part-time workers all the way down to the village level to�collect billions of dollars in fines and these bureaucrats have fought for years against policy changes���meaning they could throw up roadblocks if not placated. With that said, the insurance and health care sectors are two sectors with publicly Chinese stocks that look set to�take advantage of the coming changes.

• [By Keith Speights]

  It's easy to place too much attention on the immediate negatives and too little attention on the bigger positives. I made this mistake in 2011 after buying shares in Mindray Medical (NYSE: MR  ) . I ended up selling my shares for a loss when the stock fell due to weaker-than-expected demand for its medical devices in Europe and the U.S.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Medical device manufacturer Mindray Medical (NYSE: MR  ) announced this morning that it has appointed a co-CEO for the company.

  Cheng Minghe, who currently serves as�the company's chief strategic officer -- a position he will maintain -- will join company President�Li Xiting in leading the device maker.

Hot China Companies To Watch In Right Now: Spreadtrum Communications Inc.(SPRD)

Spreadtrum Communications, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops, and markets baseband processor and RF transceiver solutions for wireless communications and mobile television markets. It offers a portfolio of integrated baseband processor solutions that support a range of wireless communications standards, including global system for mobile communication (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), and high speed packet access (HSPA), as well as offer an array of multimedia capabilities, such as MP3 digital audio playback, touch screen, JAVA acceleration, digital camera support, motion JPEG, MPEG4, AVS and H.264 digital video playback, and 64-channel polyphonic ringtone playback. The company also provides single-chip CMOS multi-mode RF transceivers that perform across various standards covering GSM/GP RS, EDGE, wideband code division multiple access, TD-SCDMA, and high speed uplink/downlink packet access. In addition, it designs, develops, and markets a CMMB-based channel demodulator and audio/video decoder processor solution for the mobile television market. The company sells its products directly, as well as through distributors to brand manufacturers, independent design houses, and original design manufacturers primarily in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Spreadtrum Communications, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of smartphone chip maker Spreadtrum Communications (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) popped 13% today after Chinese state-owned company Tsinghua Unigroup agreed to acquire it for about $1.8 billion.

• [By Bloomberg News]

  The Bloomberg China-US 55 Index (CH55BN), the measure of the most- traded U.S.-listed Chinese companies, added 0.2 percent in New York yesterday. Spreadtrum Communications Inc. (SPRD) gained after Bank of America Corp. said rising smartphone use will boost Asian semiconductor makers.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of Chinese smartphone chip maker Spreadtrum Communications (NASDAQ: SPRD  ) surged 17% today after Tsinghua University, through its subsidiary Tsinghua Unigroup, offered to acquire it for $1.4 billion.

Hot China Companies To Watch In Right Now: 51job Inc.(JOBS)

51job, Inc. provides integrated human resource services primarily in the People?s Republic of China. . The company provides recruitment related advertising services, including print advertising services through 51job Weekly, which is a city-specific recruitment advertising publication that is published once a week and is distributed as an insert in local newspapers and/or on a stand-alone basis; and online recruitment services through its Website, www.51job.com. It also offers other human resource related services, such as business process outsourcing, which consist of social insurance and welfare payment processing, regulatory compliance, and payroll processing; and executive search services, as well as conducts training seminars in the areas of business management, leadership, sales and marketing, human resource, negotiation skills, financial planning and analysis, public administration, manufacturing, secretarial, and other skills for the general public and corporate cl ients. In addition, the company provides campus recruitment services; conducts salary, employee retention, and other human resource related surveys; organize and host annual human resource conferences and events, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities for human resource professionals; and provides assessment tools to assist human resource departments in evaluating capabilities and dispositions of job candidates and existing employees, aiding employee placement, and allocating employee resources, as well as hiring and support services to employers on select recruitment projects. It provides recruitment and other human resource related services to employers through its sales offices, as well as through its sales and customer service call center. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Rooney]

  51job (JOBS), an online job search website similar to Monster.com (MWW), has surged more 60% this year.

  But there is one notable Chinese dot-com stock that's sitting out the big rally. Shares of Renren (RENN), the social network known as China's Facebook (FB, Fortune 500), are down 3% for the year.

Hot China Companies To Watch In Right Now: Suntech Power Holdings Co. LTD.(STP)

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., a solar energy company, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of photovoltaic (PV) products. The company also provides engineering, procurement, and construction services to building solar power systems for certain related party and third party customers. Its products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon PV cells; PV modules; and building-integrated photovoltaics products. In addition, the company provides PV system integration services, including designing, installing, and testing PV systems used in lighting for outdoor urban public facilities, as well as in farms, villages, and commercial buildings; and project development services. Its products are used to provide electric power for residential, commercial, industrial, and public utility applications. The company sells its products through value-added resellers, such as distributors and system integrators; and to end users, such as project develo pers primarily in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Benelux, Greece, the United States, Canada, China, the Middle East, Australia, and Japan. Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Wuxi, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Is Suntech still alive?
  Rumors swirled this week that Suntech Power (NYSE: STP  ) would be acquired by Warren Buffett's subsidiary MidAmerican Energy. Suntech has defaulted on U.S. loans, and its Chinese operations are in insolvency, so it's unknown exactly what Buffett would be buying. Then there's the fact that Suntech doesn't meet any of Buffett's normal investing rules, so there are few industry observers who think an acquisition would go through.

Hot China Companies To Watch In Right Now: Trina Solar Limited(TSL)

Trina Solar Limited, through its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells photovoltaic (PV) modules worldwide. The company offers monocrystalline PV modules ranging from 165 watts to 185 watts in power output; and multicrystalline PV modules ranging from 215 watts to 240 watts in power output that provide electric power for residential, commercial, industrial, and other applications. It also involves in the design and production of various PV modules, such as colored modules for architectural applications and larger sized modules for utility grid applications based on customers? and end-users? specifications. Trina Solar Limited sells and markets its products primarily to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Changzhou, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  The last few weeks haven�� been great for Chinese manufacturers of photovalic (PV) panels. Share prices for key solar panel producers like Trina Solar (TSL) and Yingli Green Energy (YGE) have basically imploded since reaching March highs. YGE alone is down about 40% since then.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another potential earnings short-squeeze candidate is integrated solar-power products maker Trina Solar (TSL), which is set to release numbers on next Monday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Trina Solar to report revenue of $645.68 million on earnings of 15 cents per share.

  The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Trina Solar is extremely high at 24.5%. That means that out of the 76.94 million shares in the tradable float, 18.88 million shares are sold short by the bears. If the bulls get the earnings news they're looking for, then shares of TSL could easily rip sharply higher post-earnings as the bears move to cover some of their positions.

  From a technical perspective, TSL is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bearish. This stock recently formed a double bottom chart pattern at $8.67 to $9.04 a share. Shares of TSL have now started to rebound off those support levels and it's quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade post-earnings above some key near-term overhead resistance levels.

  If you're bullish on TSL, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $10.72 to $11.19 a share and then above its 50-day moving average of $11.17 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 5.17 million shares. If that breakout materializes post-earnings, then TSL will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 200-day moving average of $12.49 to $14 a share, or even $14.50 to $15 a share.

  I would avoid TSL or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some near-term support levels at $10 a share to those double bottom support levels at $9.04 to $8

• [By Travis Hoium]

  Why should an investor choose SunPower over SolarCity?
  SolarCity has definitely become a larger player in leasing but it gets supply from low-cost suppliers like Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL  ) and Yingli Green Energy, which we know it has contracted with in the past. Werner thinks this presents a risk for SolarCity long term (which I'll cover more in a moment) and allows SunPower to differentiate itself to both installers and customers.

Top 10 Logistics Stocks For 2015

Top 10 Logistics Stocks For 2015: Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1)

Deutsche Boerse AG is a Germany-based international financial marketplace operator. It operates four business segments: Xetra; Eurex; Clearstream, and Market Data & Analytics. The Xetra business segment comprises three business areas: cash market using the Xetra electronic trading system and Xetra Frankfurt specialist trading; central counterparty for equities, and admission of securities to listing. The Eurex business segment comprises four business areas: electronic derivatives market trading platform Eurex; electronic options trading platform ISE; over-the-counter trading platforms Eurex Bonds, Eurex Repo, and Eurex Clearing. The Clearstream business segment comprises three business areas: custody, administration and settlement services for securities; global securities financing services, and investment funds services. The Market Data & Analytics business segment comprises two business areas: sales of price information and information distribution, and index development a nd sales. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nikolaj Gammeltoft]

  The mishap followed others earlier in the week. An Oct. 30 malfunction interrupted data transmission at Deutsche Boerse AG (DB1)s International Securities Exchange, while Nasdaq was unable to distribute prices for its benchmark stock indexes for almost an hour on Oct. 29. The breakdowns refocused concern that the distribution of trading over dozens of mostly automated venues has made U.S. securities markets fundamentally flawed.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-logistics-stocks-for-2015.html

Hot Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now

Before Friday�� opening bell, a number of big name dividend stocks were the subject of analyst moves. Below, we highlight the important analyst commentary for investors.

Topeka Upgrades Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corp (AVY) has been upgraded to “Buy” at Topeka Capital and has been given a $59 price target. This price target suggests an 18% upside from the stock’s current price of $49.88. AVY has a dividend yield of 2.33%.

Argus Upgrades Alliant Techsystems to “Buy”

Argus reported that it has raised its rating on Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) from “Hold” to “Buy,” and has given the company a $139 price target. This price target suggests an 11% increase from the stock’s current price of $125.25. The firm sees an upside for the company as it is now relying more on consumer business and less on government contracts. ATK currently has a dividend yield of 0.83%.

Top 5 Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Invest In Right Now: S&P Smallcap 600(PH)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

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

• [By Mani]

  Parker-Hannifin Corporation (NYSE:PH) has significant opportunities to expand its operating margins, especially within the Aerospace segment where significant longer term business has already been won, and aftermarket opportunities should increase.

• [By Dividend]

  Big names on the Buyback side were Pfizer (PFE), AbbVie, Canadian National Railway (CNI), Parker Hannfin (PH), Nielsen (NLSN) and CarMax (KMX).

  In total, 27 stocks announced a new, additional or increased share buyback program. The total buyback volume for the future is over USD $25 billion.

Hot Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: H&R Block Inc. (HRB)

H&R Block, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides tax preparation, retail banking, and various business advisory and consulting services. It operates in three segments: Tax Services, Business Services, and Corporate. The Tax Services segment offers H&R Block At Home, an income tax preparation software, as well as a range of online tax services, including tax advice, professional and do-it-yourself tax return preparation, and electronic filing services through its Web site at hrblock.com primarily in the United States, Canada, and Australia. This segment also provides the H&R Block Prepaid Emerald MasterCard and Emerald Advance lines of credit through H&R Block Bank, as well as other retail banking services, including checking and savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and certificates of deposit; and sells refund anticipation loans and refund anticipation checks offered by third-party lending institutions, as well as offers income tax return preparation course s to the public. The Business Services segment provides tax and consulting services, wealth management, and capital markets services to middle-market companies. The Corporate segment engages in various operations, which include interest income from the United States passive investments, interest expense on borrowings, net interest margin and gains or losses relating to mortgage loans held for investment, real estate owned, residual interests in securitizations and other corporate expenses principally related to finance, legal, and other support departments. The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By U.S. News]

  Alamy Personal finance author Barbara Stanny realized she was earning too little money when she interviewed women bringing home six figures or more for one of her books. "Of the first 15, three of them were writers. It was such an empowering thing for me to see. There were people doing what I was doing, but they were making more," she recalls. She committed to follow their lead, and before she finished her book, she had started earning six figures herself. Earning too little money, which Stanny defines as earning less than you need or desire, despite efforts to do otherwise, is a problem so common that Stanny started giving workshops on the topic. Eventually, it became the subject of her next book, "Overcoming Underearning." Others have also tackled the issue: Underearners Anonymous, a support group based on a 12-step program, is dedicated to helping people who find themselves trapped in a low-income cycle. And Bari Tessler Linden, a popular financial therapist, addresses the topic in her work, too. Tom Anderson, a freelance writer based in New York, wrote about visiting an Underearners Anonymous meeting for the financial website LearnVest earlier this year. "The median age was mid-40s, and it was a pretty diverse bunch of people from all different socioeconomic backgrounds," he told U.S. News. The session focused on improving time management skills, goal setting and being more career focused, he says. After the meeting, he says, "I did adjust my own expectations for my finances and what revenue targets I wanted to hit." Anderson says he would recommend the experience to anyone who is comfortable with the spiritual side of 12-step programs and who is not doing a good job of valuing their time, which often has a negative impact on earning power. (Underearners Anonymous did not respond to requests for comment.) Financial therapist Linden says in order to overcome her own struggle with underearning (in her 20s, she worked in hospice and as a counselor, and

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Shutterstock In a new program dubbed the "H&R Block Budget Challenge," the world's largest tax services company is offering $3 million to help kids get smarter about money matters. As H&R Block (HRB) explains, "By learning strong budgeting skills and fiscal discipline early, kids can gain the knowledge and confidence to manage their own financial future." To help that process, Block has set up a free online game that schoolteachers can use to improve teen financial literacy. Real Life, Online Within the program, students take on the role of recent college graduates, gainfully employed and equipped with "a regular paycheck, a checking account [and] a 401(k) savings account." Students must then use their income and assets to navigate situations that should be familiar to any adult, such as "paying bills, managing expenses, saving money, investing in retirement, paying taxes and more." Points can be earned for "maximizing 401(k) savings, paying bills on time and responding correctly to quiz questions." Conversely, students who trip up and leave themselves open to paying late fees on bills, overdraft fees for overdrawing their accounts, and finance charges for carrying too much credit card debt will see their scores hurt. For bonus points, students can take quizzes to test their knowledge of financial concepts over the course of the game. Teamwork Pays Off Classrooms play as a team, scored for the average performance of students within each classroom, and competing with other student classrooms for a total of as much as $3 million in potential grants and scholarships. These break down like so: 60 classroom grants worth up to $5,000 apiece. 132 opportunities for student scholarships of $20,000 each. One grand prize scholarship of $100,000. Periodic student incentives that can be won during game-play. When you add all those up, H&R Block may end up paying out slightly more than $3 million from this program. Each classroom has the potential to win

• [By Rebecca McClay]

  In earnings news today, a few companies are reporting after the closing bell, including H & R Block Inc. (NYSE: HRB), which is up about 1%. Pike Electric Corp. (NYES: PIKE), Guidewire Software Inc. (NYSE: GWRE), and Sigma Designs Inc. (Nasdaq: SIGM) are also reporting quarterly earnings late this afternoon.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Abbvie (ABBV)
  Ameren Corp. (AEE)
  Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG)
  E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. (DD)
  ENSCO (ESV)
  Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD)
  General Mills (GIS)
  H&R Block (HRB)
  Hancock Holding (HBHC)
  Kraft Foods Group (KRFT)
  Lorillard (LO)
  Magellan Midstream Partners LP (MMP)
  MarkWest Energy Partners L P (MWE)
  McDonald’s (MCD)
  Microchip Technology (MCHP)
  NextEra Energy (NEE)
  Regency Centers (REG)
  TELUS Corp. (TU)
  West Corp. (WSTC)
  Williams Companies (WMB)

Hot Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: DTE Energy Company(DTE)

DTE Energy Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an electric and natural gas utility company in Michigan. It also involves in non-utility operations. The company?s Energy Utility segment engages in the generation, purchase, distribution, and sale of electricity in southeastern Michigan. It generates electricity from various fuels, including coal, as well as from nuclear and hydro facilitates. As of December 31, 2010, this segment owned and operated approximately 674 distribution substations and approximately 412,100 line transformers; and supplied electricity to 2.1 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan. The company?s Gas Utility segment engages in the purchase, storage, transmission, distribution, and sale of natural gas in Michigan. As of December 31, 2010, this segment?s distribution system included approximately 19,000 miles of distribution mains, 1,036,000 service lines, and 1,319,000 active meters. It also o wned approximately 2,000 miles of transmission lines that deliver natural gas; and supplied natural gas to approximately 1.2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout Michigan, as well as to approximately 17,000 customers in Adrian, Michigan. The company?s non-utility operations include natural gas pipelines and storage; unconventional gas exploration, development, and production; power and industrial projects, and coal transportation and marketing; and energy marketing and trading operations. Its customers include electric utilities, merchant power producers, integrated steel mills, and industrial companies. DTE Energy Company was founded in 1995 and is based in Detroit, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE) slipped 1.4 percent to 9.21 euros. Europe�� second-largest telephone company traded without the right to a dividend today.

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) lost 0.6 percent as a gauge of banks posted the largest drop of the 19 industry groups in the Stoxx Europe 600 Index. Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE) advanced 2.2 percent as a gauge of telecom companies rose the most on the Stoxx 600.

Hot Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: Paragon Shipping Inc.(PRGN)

Paragon Shipping Inc. provides shipping transportation services worldwide. The company engages in the ocean transportation of various drybulk cargoes and containers. Its fleet consists of 11 drybulk vessels with a total carrying capacity of 747,994 dwt. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in Voula, Greece.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  This industry fell 1.80% by 11:00 am ET. Paragon Shipping (NASDAQ: PRGN) shares dropped 3.9% in today's trading. Paragon Shipping's trailing-twelve-month ROE is -21.70%.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 name shipping player that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Paragon Shipping (PRGN), which is engaged in transporting drybulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along shipping routes worldwide. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up sharply by 114%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Paragon Shipping, you'll notice that this stock just recently took out its 50-day moving average of $4.19 a share with strong upside volume. Shares of PRGN are showing relative strength today, despite the overall market weakness, which shows this stock is in strong demand at current levels. This move is now starting to push shares of PRGN within range of triggering a big breakout trade

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in PRGN if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $4.90 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 25,811 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PRGN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $5.70 a share. If that level gets taken out with volume, then PRGN could easily tag its next major overhead resistance levels at $7 to $8.35 a share.

  Traders can look to buy PRGN off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of $4.19 a share, or below its 200-day moving average at $3.74 a share. One can also buy PRGN off strength once it clears $4.90 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point. I would add to either position once PRGN takes out its 52-week high at $5.70 a share with strong upside volume flows.

Hot Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: SPX Corporation(SPW)

SPX Corporation provides flow technology products, test and measurement products, thermal equipment and services, and industrial products and services worldwide. The company?s Flow Technology segment provides products and solutions that are used to process, blend, filter, dry, meter, and transport fluids. This segment?s primary offerings include engineered pumps, mixers, process systems, heat exchangers, valves, and dehydration and drying technologies for food and beverage, general industrial, and power and energy markets. Its Test and Measurement segment provides diagnostic service tools, fare-collection systems, and portable cable and pipe locators for the transportation, telecommunications, and utility industries. The company?s Thermal Equipment and Services segment engineers, manufactures, and services cooling, heating, and ventilation products, including dry, wet, and hybrid cooling systems for the power generation, refrigeration, HVAC, and industrial markets, as well as boilers, heating, and ventilation products for the commercial and residential markets. This segment also provides thermal components and engineered services. Its Industrial Products and Services segment designs, manufactures, and markets power systems; industrial tools and hydraulic units; precision machine components for the aerospace industry; crystal growing machines for the solar power generation market; television, radio, and cell phone and data transmission broadcast antenna systems; communications and signal monitoring systems; and precision controlled industrial ovens and chambers. SPX Corporation markets its products through various channels, including stocking distributors, manufacturing representatives, third-party distributors, direct sales, and retailers. The company was formerly known as Piston Ring Company and changed its name to SPX Corporation in 1988. SPX Corporation was founded in 1911 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damon Churchwell]

  These companies manufacture processing products used by industries such as food and beverages, oil & gas, and wastewater treatment, among others. They serve a wide range of end markets that are mostly poised for increased earnings and are likely to spend on capital projects. While these positive trends persist, flow technology companies' prospects ought to remain favorable. Let's�highlight several sector participants, starting with a top selection,�SPX�(NYSE: SPW),.

• [By CRWE]

  SPX Corporation (NYSE:SPW) reported that Jeremy Smeltser, currently transitioning into the CFO role at SPX, will present at the Nomura Inaugural U.S. Industrials Summit in New York City on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The big question now: What impact will the closure happen to the fund’s biggest stock holding? As an activist investor, Relational doesn’t take many small positions. It holds 1.5% of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) shares, for instance, 15% of SPX Corp. (SPW), 3.5% of B/E Aerospace (BEAV) and 4.6% of Timken (TKR).

Best Asian Companies To Watch For 2014

November 22, 2013: U.S. equity markets opened mixed Friday morning with the DJIA opening lower after its record-setting close above 16,000 on Thursday. An interesting JOLTS report from the Labor Department indicates that U.S. workers may be making some progress. All three major indexes closed the day and the week with a gain.

European markets closed mixed and Asian and Latin American markets closed higher today.

Monday�� calendar includes the following scheduled data releases and events (all times Eastern):

10:00 a.m. – Pending home sales index 10:30 a.m. – Dallas Fed manufacturing survey 11:30 a.m. – 3- and 6-month bill auctions 1:00 p.m. – 2-year note auction

Here are the closing bell levels for Friday:

S&P500 1804.76 (+8.91; +0.50%) DJIA 16064.77 (+54.78; +0.34%) NASDAQ 3991.65 (+22.49; +0.57%) 10YR TNOTE 2.753% (+0.3125) Gold $1,244.10 (+0.50; flat), down 3.4% for the week WTI Crude oil $94.84 (-0.60; -0.6%), up 1.1% for the week Euro/Dollar: 1.3549 (+0.0068; +0.50%)

Big Earnings Movers: The Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) is down 1.3% at $41.32 after reporting earnings last night. Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P) is down 1.5% at $29.23. Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) is up 5.4% at $14.57.

Best Companies To Watch In Right Now: Volkswagen AG (VLKAY)

Volkswagen AG is a Germany-based automobile manufacturer. The Company develops vehicles and components, and also produces and sells vehicles, in particular Volkswagen brand passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The Company consists of two divisions: Automotive and Financial Services division. The Automotive division is responsible for the development of vehicles and engines, the production and sale of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and buses, and the genuine parts business. The Financial services division's portfolio of services includes dealer and customer services in the field of financing, leasing, directbank, insurance and fleet business. The Company's brands include Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Skoda, Scania and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and each brand offers a product range from low-consumption small cars to luxury class vehicles, as well as pick ups, busses and heavy trucks in the commercial vehicle sector.

During 2009, the Company introduced two additions to the Audi5 model series: Audi A5 Cabriolet and the Audi A5 Sportback. In addition, Audi A4 allroad Quattro, Audi TT RS, Audi RS Spyder and the Audi 8 were introduced. During 2009, Audi brand delivered 950 thousand vehicles to customers worldwide. The SEAT launched the Exeo in the B segment. This sporty midsized saloon marks the arrival of the Spanish brands. Bentley introduced the Bentley Mulsanne. This saloon includes proportioned interiors. It also introduced GTC Speed and the Bentley Continental Supersports.

The Company has various delivery centers, including Western Europe, China, Brazil, United States and Mexico. During 2009, deliveries of vehicles were 6336222 worldwide.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Volkswagen (NASDAQOTH: VLKAY  ) has had bad luck as well, with first-quarter profits down 38%, even though unit sales increased 5%. The company trades even more appealingly, with an EV/EBITDA of 7.7. On a trailing basis, return on equity has been an impressive 27.6%.

Best Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: Danaher Corp (DHR)

Danaher Corporation (Danaher) designs, manufactures and markets professional, medical, industrial and commercial products and services. The Company�� research and development, manufacturing, sales, distribution, service and administrative facilities are located in more than 50 countries. It operates in five segments: Test & Measurement; Environmental; Life Sciences & Diagnostics; Dental; and Industrial Technologies. In April 2011, the Company sold its Pacific Scientific Aerospace (PSA) business. On June 30, 2011, the Company acquired Beckman Coulter, Inc. (Beckman Coulter). In January 2012, the Company sold its Accu-Sort businesses. In February 2012, the Company sold its Kollmorgen Electro-Optical (KEO) business. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired EskoArtwork, On February 6, 2012, L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. acquired Kollmorgen Electro-Optical unit of the Company. In January 2013, the Company acquired Navman Wireless.

TEST & MEASUREMENT

The Company�� Test & Measurement segment is a provider of electronic measurement instruments and monitoring, management and optimization tools for communications and enterprise networks and related services. The segment�� products are used in the design, development, manufacture, installation, deployment and operation of electronics equipment and communications networks and services. Customers for these products and services include manufacturers of electronic instruments; service, installation and maintenance professionals; manufacturers who design, develop, manufacture and install network equipment, and service providers who implement, maintain and manage communications networks and services.

The Company�� business designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of compact professional test tools, thermal imaging and calibration equipment for electrical, industrial, electronic and calibration applications. These test products measure voltage, current, resistance, power quality, frequency, p! ressure, temperature and air quality. Typical users of these products include electrical engineers, electricians, electronic technicians, medical technicians, and industrial maintenance professionals. Its business also offers general purpose test products and video test, measurement and monitoring products used in electronic design, manufacturing and advanced technology development. The business��general purpose test products, including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, signal sources and spectrum analyzers, are used to capture, display and analyze streams of electrical data. The Company sells these products into a variety of industries with electronic content, including the communications, computer, consumer electronics, education, military/aerospace and semiconductor industries.

Typical users include research and development engineers who use its general purpose test products to design, de-bug, monitor and validate the function and performance of electronic components, subassemblies and end-products. Its video test products include waveform monitors, video signal generators, compressed digital video test products and other test and measurement equipment used to enhance a viewer�� video experience. Typical users of these products include video equipment manufacturers, content developers and traditional television broadcasters. Products in this business are marketed under the FLUKE, TEKTRONIX, KEITHLEY, RAYTEK, FLUKE BIOMEDICAL, AMPROBE and MAXTEK brands.

The communications businesses offer network management solutions, handheld and fixed diagnostic equipment and security solutions, as well as related installation and maintenance services, for a range of private network applications, as well fixed and mobile communications systems. Typical users of the business��products include network engineers, installers, operators, and technicians. Its network management tools help network operators continuously manage network performance and optimize the utilization, uptime and servi! ce qualit! y of the network. Products in this business are marketed under the TEKTRONIX, FLUKE NETWORKS, ARBOR, VISUAL NETWORKS and AIRMAGNET brands.

Matco Tools manufactures and distributes professional tools, toolboxes and automotive equipment through independent mobile distributors, who sell primarily to professional mechanics under the MATCO brand. Hennessy Industries is a North American full-line wheel service equipment manufacturer, providing brake lathes, vehicle lifts, tire changers, wheel balancers, and wheel weights under the AMMCO, BADA and COATS brands. Typical users of these products are automotive tire and repair shops. Sales are generally made through its direct sales personnel, independent distributors, retailers, and original equipment manufacturers.

ENVIRONMENTAL

The Company�� Environmental segment provides products that help protect its water supply and air quality and serves two primary markets: water quality and retail/commercial petroleum. Danaher�� water quality business is engaged in water quality analysis and treatment, providing instrumentation and disinfection systems to help analyze and manage the quality of ultra pure, potable and waste water in residential, commercial, industrial and natural resource applications. Its water quality operations design, manufacture and market a range of analytical instruments, related consumables, and associated services that detect and measure chemical, physical, and microbiological parameters in ultra pure, potable and waste water as well as groundwater and ocean bodies; ultraviolet disinfection systems, which disinfect billions of gallons of municipal, industrial and consumer water every day in more than 35 countries, and industrial water treatment solutions, including chemical treatment solutions intended to address corrosion, scaling and biological growth problems in boiler, cooling water and industrial waste water applications, as well as associated analytical services. Typical users of its analytical in! struments! , ultraviolet disinfection systems, industrial water treatment solutions and related consumables and services include professionals in municipal drinking water and waste water treatment plants and industrial process water and waste water treatment facilities, third-party testing laboratories and environmental field operations. Its water quality business provides products under a variety of well-known brands, including HACH, HACH/LANGE, TROJAN TECHNOLOGIES and CHEMTREAT. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, and Asia.

The Company has served the retail/commercial petroleum market through its Veeder-Root business. Gilbarco Veeder-Root is a provider of products and services for the retail/commercial petroleum market, including environmental monitoring and leak detection systems; vapor recovery equipment; fuel dispensers; point-of-sale and secure electronic payment technologies for retail petroleum stations; submersible turbine pumps, and remote monitoring and outsourced fuel management services, including compliance services, fuel system maintenance, and inventory planning and supply chain support. Typical users of these products include independent and Company-owned retail petroleum stations, high-volume retailers, convenience stores, and commercial vehicle fleets. The Company markets its retail/commercial petroleum products under a variety of brands, including GILBARCO, VEEDER-ROOT, and GILBARCO AUTOTANK. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Sales are generally made through independent distributors and its direct sales personnel.

LIFE SCIENCES & DIAGNOSTICS

The Company�� diagnostics businesses offer a range of analytical instruments, reagents, consumables, software and services that hospitals, physician�� offices, reference laboratories and other critical care settings use to diagnose disease and make treatment decisions. Its life sciences businesses offer a range of research and clinical ! tools tha! t are used by scientists to study cells and cell components to gain a better understanding of complex biological matters. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, medical schools and research institutions use these tools to study the causes of disease, identify new therapies and test new drugs and vaccines. The diagnostics business consists of its core lab, acute care and pathology diagnostics businesses.

The Company�� core lab diagnostics business is a manufacturer and marketer of biomedical testing instrument systems, tests and supplies that are used to evaluate and analyze samples made up of body fluids, cells and other substances. The information generated is used to diagnose disease, monitor and guide treatment and therapy, assist in managing chronic disease and assess patient status in the hospital, outpatient and physician office settings. Its chemistry systems use electrochemical detection and chemical reactions with patient samples to detect and quantify substances of diagnostic interest in blood and other body fluids. Commonly performed tests include glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, electrolytes, proteins and enzymes.

The Company�� immunoassay systems also detect and quantify chemical substances of diagnostic interest in body fluids, particularly in circumstances where more specialized diagnosis is required. Commonly performed immunoassay tests assess thyroid function, screen and monitor for cancer and cardiac risk and provide important information in fertility and reproductive testing. Its cellular analysis business includes hematology, flow cytometry and coagulation products. The business��hematology systems use principles of physics, optics, electronics and chemistry to separate cells of diagnostic interest and then quantify and characterize them, allowing clinicians to study formed elements in blood (such as red and white blood cells and platelets). The business also distributes coagulation products, which rely on clotting, chromogenic! and immu! nologic technologies to provide the detailed information that clinicians require to diagnose bleeding and clotting disorders and to monitor anticoagulant therapy. It also offer systems and workflow solutions that allow laboratories to automate a number of steps from the pre-analytical through post-analytical stages including sample barcoding/information tracking, centrifugation, aliquotting, storage and conveyance. These systems along with the analyzers above are controlled through laboratory level software that enables laboratory managers to monitor samples, results and lab efficiency.

The Company�� acute care diagnostics business is a provider of instruments and related consumables and services that are used in both laboratory and point-of-care environments to rapidly measure critical parameters, including blood gases, electrolytes, metabolites and cardiac markers. Typical users of these products include hospital central laboratories, intensive care units, hospital operating rooms and hospital emergency rooms. Its pathology diagnostics business is engaged in the anatomical pathology market, offering a suite of instrumentation and related consumables used across the entire workflow of a pathology laboratory. Its pathology diagnostics products include tissue embedding, processing and slicing (microtomes) instruments and related reagents and consumables; chemical and immuno-staining instruments, reagents, antibodies and consumables; slide coverslipping and slide/cassette marking instruments, and imaging instrumentation including slide scanners, microscopes, cameras and associated software. Typical users of these products include pathologists, lab managers and researchers. Its diagnostics business generally markets its products under the BECKMAN COULTER, LEICA BIOSYSTEMS, RADIOMETER and SURGIPATH brands. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The businesses sell to customers primarily through direct sales personnel and to a lesser extent through ! independe! nt distributors.

The Company�� microscopy business is a provider of professional microscopes designed to manipulate, preserve and capture images of, and enhance the user�� visualization of, microscopic structures. Its microscopy products include laser scanning (confocal) microscopes; compound microscopes and related equipment; surgical and other stereo microscopes; specimen preparation products for electron microscopy; and digital image capture and manipulation equipment. The Company also offers workflow instruments and consumables that help researchers analyze genomic, protein and cellular information. Key product areas include sample preparation equipment, such as centrifugation and capillary electrophoresis instrumentation and consumables; liquid handling automation instruments and associated consumables; flow cytometry instrumentation and associated antibodies and reagents; and particle characterization instrumentation. The business also offers genome profiling services. Researchers use the business��products to study biological function in the pursuit of basic research, therapeutic and diagnostic development. Typical users of these products include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, medical schools and research institutions and in some cases industrial manufacturers.

The Company�� mass spectrometry business is a provider of high-end mass spectrometers. Mass spectrometry is a technique for identifying, analyzing and quantifying elements, chemical compounds and biological molecules, individually or in complex mixtures. Its products utilize various combinations of quadrupole, time-of-flight and ion trap technologies, and are typically used in conjunction with a third party liquid chromatography instrument. Its mass spectrometer systems are used in numerous applications, such as drug discovery and clinical development of therapeutics as well as in basic research, clinical testing, food and beverage quality testing and environmental testing. To s! upport it! s installations around the world, it provides implementation, validation, training, maintenance and support from its global services network. Typical users of its mass spectrometry products include molecular biologists, bioanalytical chemists, toxicologists, and forensic scientists, as well as quality assurance and quality control technicians. It also provides high-performance bioanalytical measurement systems, including microplate readers, automated cellular screening products and associated reagents, and imaging software. Typical users of these products include biologists and chemists engaged in research and drug discovery, who use these products to determine electrical or chemical activity in cell samples. Its life sciences business generally markets its products under the LEICA MICROSYSTEMS, BECKMAN COULTER, AB SCIEX and MOLECULAR DEVICES brands. Manufacturing facilities are located in Europe, Australia, Asia and North America.

DENTAL

The Company�� Dental segment is a provider of a range of consumables, equipment and services for the dental market, which encompasses the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and ailments of the teeth, gums and supporting bone. Its dental businesses develop, manufacture and market dental consumables and dental equipment orthodontic bracket systems and lab products; impression, bonding and restorative materials; endodontic systems and related consumables; infection prevention products, and diamond and carbide rotary instruments. Typical customers and users of these products include general dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, dental laboratories and other oral health professionals, as well as educational, medical and governmental entities. Its dental products are marketed primarily under the KAVO, GENDEX, iCAT, INSTRUMENTARIUM DENTAL, SOREDEX, PELTON & CRANE, DEXIS, ORMCO, KERR, PENTRON, SYBRON ENDO and TOTAL CARE brands.

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES

The Company�� Industrial Technologies segment ! designs a! nd manufactures components and systems that are typically incorporated by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and systems integrators for sale into a diverse set of applications and end-markets. The businesses in this segment also provide service and support, including helping customers with integration and installation and providing services to ensure performance and up-time. Danaher�� product identification business is a global provider of equipment and consumables for variable printing, marking and coding on a variety of consumer and industrial products. Its businesses design, manufacture, and market a variety of equipment used to print bar codes, date codes, lot codes, and other information on primary and secondary packaging. Its equipment can apply alphanumeric codes, logos and graphics to a range of surfaces at a variety of line speeds, angles and locations on a product or package.

EskoArtwork, the business is a service solutions provider for the digital packaging design and production market. Typical users of the product identification business��products include food and beverage manufacturers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, retailers and commercial printing and mailing operations. Its product identification products are primarily marketed under the VIDEOJET, LINX, FOBA and ESKOARTWORK brands. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The Company is a provider of electromechanical motion control solutions for the industrial automation and packaging markets. Its businesses provide a range of products including standard and custom motors; drives; controls, and mechanical components, such as ball screws, linear bearings, clutches/brakes, and linear actuators.

The products are sold in various precision motion markets, such as the markets for packaging equipment, medical equipment, robotics, circuit board assembly equipment, elevators and electric vehicles (such as lift trucks). Its motion products are marketed under a vari! ety of br! ands, including KOLLMORGEN, THOMSON, DOVER and PORTESCAP. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Its sensors and controls products include instruments that monitor, sense and control discrete manufacturing variables such as temperature, position, quantity, level, flow and time. Users of these products span a wide variety of manufacturing markets. Certain businesses included in this group also make and sell instruments, controls and monitoring systems used by the electric utility industry to monitor their transmission and distribution systems, as well as automatic identification solutions. The products are marketed under a variety of brands, including DYNAPAR, HENGSTLER, IRIS POWER, WEST, GEMS SENSORS, SETRA and QUALITROL. Sales are generally made through our direct sales personnel and independent distributors.

The Company�� defense business designs, manufactures, and markets energetic material systems. Typical users of these products include defense systems integrators and prime contractors. defense products are typically marketed under the PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC ENERGETIC MATERIALS COMPANY brand. The KEO business designs, develops, manufactures and integrates highly engineered, stabilized electro-optical/ISR systems that integrate into submarines, surface ships and ground vehicles. Jacobs Vehicle Systems (JVS) is a supplier of supplemental braking systems for commercial vehicles, selling JAKE BRAKE brand engine retarders for class 6 through 8 vehicles and bleeder and exhaust brakes for class 2 through 7 vehicles. Customers are primarily manufacturers of class 2 through class 8 vehicles, and sales are typically made through its direct sales personnel. Manufacturing facilities of its sensors and controls, defense and JVS businesses are located in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alexis Xydias]

  Bears say the failure of earnings to keep up with prices signals the bull market is in its last stages, as companies from Caterpillar Inc. and Danaher Corp. (DHR) forecast slower profit growth and the Federal Reserve prepares to reduce stimulus. Optimists point to expanding multiples as proof individual investors are growing confident enough in the economy to return to stocks. History shows the final phases of rallies have provided some of the biggest gains.

• [By victorselva]

  General Electric has a current ratio of 10% which is lower than all the comps: 3M Company (MMM), Danaher Corp. (DHR), Carlisle Companies Incorporated (CSL), Koninklijke Philips N.V (PHG) and Raven Industries Inc. (RAVN).

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Intuitive Surgical has fallen 4.4% to $381.39 today, but doesn’t seem to be having much of an impact on comparable companies. Hologic (HOLX) has ticked up 0.2% to $22.06, Danaher (DHR) has fallen -.4% to $72.05 and Varian Medical Systems (VAR) has gained 0.2% to $78.70.

Best Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: Silver Standard Resources Inc(SSRI)

Silver Standard Resources Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral resource properties in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. The company primarily explores for silver, gold, tin, zinc, lead, and copper deposits. Its principal projects include Pirquitas project located in the Province of Jujuy, Argentina; San Luis project in central Peru; Pitarrilla and San Agustin projects in Durango State, Mexico; and Diablillos project in Salta Province, Argentina. The company was formerly known as Consolidated Silver Standard Mines Limited and changed its name to Silver Standard Resources Inc. on April 9, 1990. Silver Standard Resources Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Once again, rather than making a wish on burning match bets, I prefer to buy out of favor companies at a steep discount to their asset and business value. And a�look at the silver miners shows deep discounts to the value of corporate assets that could lead to significant profits.

  Pan American Silver (PAAS) trades at just 65% of book value and has fallen by about 75% over the past few years. Couer Mines (CDE) is fetching just 54% of book and has fallen by around 80% since 2006. Silver Standard Resources (SSRI) trades at 55% of book and for less than the value of the cash the company has in the bank.

  In reality, silver just needs to stop falling in price for these stocks to start to recover. If the analysts are right and silver hits a new high in the next decade, these could easily be the best investments you ever make in your lifetime.

Best Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: Alterra Capital Holdings Ltd(ALTE)

Alterra Capital Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides specialty insurance and reinsurance products to corporations, public entities, and property and casualty insurers in North America, Europe, and internationally. It offers professional liability products, which include errors and omissions insurance, employment practices liability insurance, and directors and officers insurance; excess liability products, such as excess umbrella liability insurance, excess product liability insurance, excess medical malpractice insurance, and excess product recall insurance; and property insurance, as well as provides airline, general aviation, and aerospace insurance. The company also offers reinsurance products consisting of agriculture, auto, aviation, credit/surety, general casualty, marine and energy, medical malpractice, professional liability, property, whole account, and workers? compensation reinsurance. In addition, it offers general liability, inland mari ne, and ocean marine insurance; accident and health insurance and reinsurance, financial institutions insurance, and surety reinsurance; and employers? and public liability insurance, and medical malpractice insurance, as well as life and annuity reinsurance. The company was formerly known as Max Capital Group Ltd. and changed its name to Alterra Capital Holdings Limited in May 2010. Alterra Capital Holdings Limited was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Steve Symington]

  About that whale...
  If that weren't enough, Markel also announced this morning it has officially completed its $3 billion acquisition of Alterra (NASDAQ: ALTE  ) , which, as I noted back in February, was a radical departure from Markel's typically smaller buyout targets. While it will undoubtedly take some time to fully integrate Alterra's operations, management expressed excitement for Alterra's ability to help Markel expand its global footprint in the insurance and reinsurance market.

Best Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: BRF SA (BRFS)

BRF - Brasil Foods S.A. (BRF), incorporated on August 18, 1934, is a food company, which focuses on the production and sale of poultry, pork, beef cuts, milk, dairy products and processed food products under several brands. The Company�� processed products include marinated, frozen, whole and cut Chester rooster and turkey meats, specialty meats, frozen processed meats, frozen prepared entrees, portioned products and sliced products. It also sells margarine, juices, soy products, animal feed, fresh pasta, sweet specialties and sandwiches. During the year ended December 31, 2010, it launched 333 new products, including Meu Menu (My Menu) portfolio, which is targeted at single people.

Poultry

The Company produces frozen whole and cut poultries, partridges and quail. During 2010, it sold 1,895 thousand tons of frozen chicken and other poultry products. During 2010, it produced 1,694 million day-old chicks, including chickens, Chester roosters, turkeys, partridge and quail. It hatches these eggs in its 25 hatcheries. As of December 31, 2010, it had a fully automated slaughtering capacity of 31.2 million heads of poultry per week.

Pork and Beef

The Company produces frozen pork and beef cuts, such as loins and ribs, and whole carcasses. During 2010, it sold 427 thousand tons of pork and beef cuts. Iits sales of pork cuts are to its export markets. As of December 31, 2010, it had a beef slaughtering capacity of 1,797 heads per week.

Milk

The Company produces pasteurized and ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk, which it sells in its domestic market. During 2010, it sold 873 thousand tons of pasteurized and UHT milk. It produces dairy products in 15 plants. It receives milk from a network of over 11,000 milk producers in more than 553 cities.

Processed Food Products

The Company produces processed foods, such as marinated, frozen chicken, Chester rooster and turkey meat, specialty meats, frozen processed foo! ds, frozen prepared entrees, dairy products, portioned products and sliced products. During 2010, it sold 2,472 thousand tons of processed foods. It processes pork to produce specialty meats, such as sausages, ham products, bologna, frankfurters, salamis, bacon and cold meats. It also processes chicken and other poultry to produce specialty meats, such as chicken sausages, chicken hot dogs and chicken bologna. It produces a range of frozen processed poultry, beef and pork products, including hamburgers, steaks, breaded meat products, kibes, meatballs and ready-to-eat snacks. It also produces soy-based vegetarian products, such as hamburgers and breaded products. It produces marinated and seasoned chickens, roosters and turkeys.

The Company produces several varieties of lasagna and pizza. It produces the meat used in these products and buys other raw materials in the domestic market, except for the durum flour used to make the noodles for the lasagna, which it imports. It sells a range of frozen vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, peas, French beans, French fries and cassava fries, through its Escolha Saudavel line of products. It produces a range of pies and pastries, such as chicken and heart-of-palm pies and lime pies. It produces the meat, sauces and toppings used in its pies and pastries, and it purchases other raw materials, such as heart-of-palm, lime and other fillings from third parties.

Other

The Company produces animal feed mainly to feed poultry and hogs raised by it. It also sells a portion of its animal feed production to its integrated outgrowers or to unaffiliated customers. It produces a range of soy-based products, including soy meal and refined soy flour.

The Company competes with Sadia, Aurora, Marfig, Danone, Nestle, Paulista, Frangosul, Plamplona and Aurora.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  And with very quick gains of 9% in BRF SA (NYSE ADR: BRFS), 5.2% in South American agricultural play Adecoagro SA (NYSE: AGRO) and 1.6% in high-tech agribusiness player Neogen Corp. (Nasdaq: NEOG), we're doing well with our plays on (pockets of) accelerating U.S. inflation.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  BRF S.A. (NYSE: BRFS) should be safe on the surface as a meat-producing and dairy giant. Apparently being defensive doesn’t help either. At $18.50, its 52-week range is $18.34 to $26.35. This ADR is down just over 10% so far in 2014.

Best Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: UniTek Global Services Inc.(UNTK)

UniTek Global Services, Inc. provides outsourced infrastructure and technical services to the wireless and wireline telecommunications, satellite television, and broadband cable industries in the United States and Canada. Its services include network engineering and design services for underground plant construction, aerial infrastructure, and multi-dwelling content delivery; and construction and project management services for the cable and wireline telecommunication industries, which comprise systems engineering, aerial and underground construction, regular maintenance of the distribution facilities and networks, emergency services for accidents or storm damage, routine replacements, and upgrades of network overhauls. The company?s services also include comprehensive installation and fulfillment services that comprise residential and commercial installation, warehousing/logistics, call centers, inventory management, customer service compliance, fleet management, and ris k and safety related services. In addition, it offers wireless telecommunication infrastructure services, which include communications infrastructure equipment construction and installation; radio frequency and network design, and engineering; radio transmission base station installation and modification; in-building network design, engineering, and construction; and site acquisition services. Further, the company provides systems integration services for communications projects for transportation, public safety, entertainment, hospitality, and enterprise-grade commercial real estate projects. UniTek Global Services, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: Accretive Health, Inc (NYSE: AH), Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), UniTek Global Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNTK) Economic Releases Expected: Eurozone interest rate decision and PPI data, US National Employment Report, British construction PMI

  Thursday

• [By CRWE]

  UniTek Global Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTK), a premier provider of permanently outsourced infrastructure services to the telecommunications, broadband cable, wireless, two-way radio, transportation, public safety and satellite industries, reported that Chief Financial Officer and Co-Manager of the Interim Office of the CEO, Ronald J. Lejman, will present at the Credit Suisse Engineering & Construction Conference on Thursday, June 7th at 1:55 p.m. Eastern time.

Best Asian Companies To Watch For 2014: ValueClick Inc.(VCLK)

ValueClick, Inc. provides various products and services that enable marketers to advertise and sell their products through online marketing channels primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company?s Affiliate Marketing segment provides technology platforms, advertising network, and customer services, which enable advertisers to create their own commissioned online sales force comprising third-party Website publishers. This segment offers its services under the Commission Junction brand. Its Media segment provides digital marketing services and tailored programs under ValueClick Media brand name that enable marketers to create and increase awareness for their products and brands; attract visitors; and generate leads and sales through the Internet and mobile applications. The company?s Owned & Operated Websites segment offers its services through various Websites comprising Pricerunner and Smarter.com Websites, which enable consumers to research and comp are products from online and/or offline merchants; Couponmountain.com Website that enables consumers to locate coupons and deals related to products and services; and Investopedia.com Website, which provides information on various financial and investment topics, including a proprietary dictionary of financial terms. This segment also operates vertical content Websites that offer consumers information and reference material in various topics in healthcare, finance, travel, home and garden, education, and business services. Its Technology segment operates as an application service provider and offers technology infrastructure tools and consultative services that enable marketers to implement and manage their online display advertising, search engine marketing, and email campaigns. The company serves direct marketers, advertisers, advertising agencies, and traffic distribution partners. ValueClick, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Westlake Village, California.< /p> Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  ValueClick got toggled off
  Google's�mini-rival in the market for online ads, ValueClick (NASDAQ: VCLK  ) , beat earnings by a couple of cents in yesterday's earnings report. Unfortunately, this good news isn't translating into good grades on Wall Street, as a whole series of analysts cut their ratings on the stock to various flavors of "hold." Stephens and Cantor Fitzgerald, Craig-Hallum and Raymond James -- one and all, the analysts are downgrading ValueClick today -- but why?

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of digital marketing company ValueClick (NASDAQ: VCLK  ) plummeted 17% today after its quarterly results and outlook disappointed Wall Street.