Saturday, June 7, 2014

Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now

Best Logistics Companies To Own In Right Now: Basilea Pharmaceutica AG (BSLN)

Basilea Pharmaceutica AG is a Switzerland-based company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. The Company focuses on pharmaceutical products in the therapeutic areas of bacterial infections, fungal infections and oncology. The Company has a range of drugs to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections, systemic fungal infections and drug-resistant tumors. The Company's anti-infectives, including isavuconazole and ceftobiprole are in late-stage clinical development, while the novel antibiotic, BAL30072 and the oncology compound, BAL101553 are in clinical phase I. The Company's subsidiaries include Basilea Pharmaceutica China Ltd., Basilea Pharmaceuticals A/S, Basilea Pharma SAS, Basilea Pharmaceutica Deutschland GmbH, Basilea Pharmaceutica International Ltd., BPh Investitionen Ltd., Basilea Medical Ltd. and Basilea Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Corinne Gretler]

    Basilea Pharmaceutica AG (BSLN) increased 2.1 percent to 107.10 francs. The Swiss drug developer said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted orphan-drug designation to its isavuconazole for the treatment of zygomycosis, a life-threatening fungal infection.

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-logistics-companies-to-own-in-right-now.html

Best Shipping Companies To Invest In 2015

Best Shipping Companies To Invest In 2015: Verisk Analytics Inc (VRSK)

Verisk Analytics, Inc. (Verisk) is a provider of information about risk to professionals in insurance, healthcare, mortgage, government, supply chain, and risk management. Verisk enable risk-bearing businesses to understand and manage their risks. The Company provides its customers by supplying data that, combined with its analytic methods, creates embedded decision support solutions. Verisk organizes its business in two segments: Risk Assessment and Decision Analytics. Its Risk Assessment segment provides statistical, actuarial and underwriting data for the United States property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. Its Decision Analytics segment provides solutions its customers use to analyze the processes of the Verisk Risk Analysis Framework: Prediction of Loss, Detection and Prevention of Fraud, and Quantification of Loss. On June 17, 2011, it acquired the net assets of Health Risk Partners, LLC (HRP). On April 27, 2011, it acquired 100% interest of Bloodhound Techn ologies, Inc. (Bloodhound).

Risk Assessment Segment

Verisks Risk Assessment segment serves P&C insurance customers and focuses on the first two decision making processes in its Risk Analysis Framework: loss prediction, and selection and pricing of risk. The Company also provides solutions to help its insurance customers comply with their reporting requirements in each United States in which they operate. The Companys customer includes most of the P&C insurance providers in the United States. It aggregates the data and, as a licensed statistical agent in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, it reports these statistics to insurance regulators. The Company uses its technology to assemble, organize and update amounts of detailed information submitted by its customers. It supplements this data with publicly available information. Each year, P&C insurers send the Company approximately 2.9 billion detailed indivi! dual records of i nsurance transactions, such as insurance premiums collected ! or losses incurred. It maintains a database of over 15.8 billion statistical records, including approximately 6.1 billion commercial lines records and approximately 9.7 billion personal lines records. It collects unit-transaction detail of each premium and loss record, which enhances the validity, reliability and accuracy of the data sets and its actuarial analyses.

The Company provides actuarial services to help its customers price their risks as they underwrite. It projects future losses and loss expenses utilizing a range of data. It provides loss costs by coverage, class, territory, and many other categories. Its customers can use its estimates of future loss costs in making independent decisions about the prices charged for their policies. It makes a number of actuarial adjustments, including loss development and loss adjustment expenses before the data is used to estimate future loss costs. Its actuarial services are also used to create the analytics unde rlying its industry-standard insurance programs. In addition, its actuarial consultants provide customized services for its clients, which include assisting them with the development of independent insurance programs, analysis of their own underwriting experience, development of classification systems and rating plans, and a wide variety of other business decisions. It also supplies information to a range of customers in other markets, including reinsurance, government agencies and real estate.

The Company gathers information on individual properties and communities. Its property-specific rating and underwriting information allow the customers to understand, quantify, underwrite, mitigate, and avoid potential loss for residential and commercial properties. Its database contains loss costs and other vital information on over 3.3 million commercial buildings in the United States and also holds information on more than six million individua! l busines! ses occupying t hose buildings. It also provides analytic measures of the ab! ility of ! individual communities to mitigate losses from important perils. It provides field-verified and validated data on the fire protection services for more than 46,000 fire response jurisdictions. It also offers services to evaluate the effectiveness of community enforcement of building codes. It provides information on the insurance rating territories, premium taxes, crime risk, and hazards of windstorm, earthquake, wildfire, and other perils.

The Company competes with National Independent Statistical Service, the Independent Statistical Service, American Association of Insurance Services, Mutual Services Organization, Overland Solutions, Inc., Regional Reporting, Inc., CDS, Inc., Deloitte Consulting LLP, Pinnacle Consulting and EMB.

Decision Analytics Segment

In the Decision Analytics segment, the Company supports all four phases of its Risk Analysis Framework. It develops predictive models to forecast scenarios and produce both standard and customized analytics. It is a provider of fraud-detection tools for the P&C insurance industry. Its fraud solutions improve its customers profitability by both predicting the likelihood that fraud is occurring and detecting suspicious activity after it has occurred. When a claim is submitted, its system searches its database and returns information about other claims filed by the same individuals or businesses (either as claimants or insurers), which help the customers determine if fraud has occurred. Its system also includes name and address searching to perform intelligent searches and improve the overall quality of the matches.

The Company provides data, analytic and networking products for professionals involved in estimating all phases of building repair and reconstruction. It provides solutions for every phase of a buildings life, including quantifying the ultimate cost of repair or reconstruction of damaged or destr! oyed buil! dings; aiding in th e settlement of insurance claims, and tracking the process o! f repair ! or reconstruction and facilitating communication among insurers, adjusters, contractors and policyholders. It also offers customers access to wholesale and retail price lists, which include structural repair and restoration pricing for 467 separate economic areas in North America.

The Companys database contains information on nearly 800 million claims. Insurers and other participants submit new claim reports, more than 239,000 a day on average, across all categories of the United States P&C insurance industry. It also provides a service allowing insurers to report thefts of automobiles and property; a service that helps owners and insurers recover stolen heavy construction and agricultural equipment; a scoring system that helps distinguish between suspicious and meritorious claims, and products that use link-analysis technology to help visualize and fight insurance fraud. The Company is a provider of automated fraud detection, compliance and decision-support tools for the mortgage industry. Utilizing its own loan level application database combined with actual mortgage loan performance data, it has established a risk scoring system which increases its customers ability to detect fraud.

The Company provides solutions that detect fraud through each step of the mortgage lifecycle and provide regulatory compliance solutions that perform instant compliance reviews of each mortgage application. Its database contains more than 21 million current and historical loan applications collected over the past ten years. This database contains data from loan applications, as well as supplementary third-party data. It also provides forensic audit services for the mortgage origination and mortgage insurance industries. Its predictive screening tools predict, which defaulted loans are the candidates for full audits for the purpose of detecting fraud.

The Company offers solutions that hel! p healthc! are claims payors detec t fraud, abuse and overpayment. It runs its customers cla! ims throu! gh its analytic system to identify potential fraud, abuse and overpayment, and then a registered nurse, physician or other clinical specialist skilled in coding and reimbursement decisions reviews all suspect claims and billing patterns. It analyzes the patterns of claims produced by individual physicians, physicians practices, hospitals, dentists, and pharmacies to locate the sources of fraud. It also offers Web-based reporting tools that let payors take definitive action to prevent overpayments or payment of fraudulent claims. The tools provide the documentation that helps to identify, investigate and prevent abusive and fraudulent activity by providers.

The Company is a provider of healthcare business intelligence and predictive modeling. It provides analytical and reporting systems to health insurers, provider organizations and self-insured employers. Those organizations use its solutions to review their healthcare data, including information on claims, m embership, providers and utilization, and provide cost trends, forecasts and actuarial, financial and utilization analyses. It also provides its customers healthcare services using complex clinical analyses to uncover reasons behind cost and utilization increases. It provides financial and actuarial analyses, clinical, technical and implementation services and training services to help its customers manage costs and risks to their practices.

The Company competes with Risk Management Solutions, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, MSB, Solera, Computer Sciences Corporation, Fair Isaac Corporation, OptumInsight, McKesson, Medstat, MedAssurant, iHealth, CoreLogic and DataVerify Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By WWW.GURUFOCUS.COM]

    Shares of Verisk Analytics, Inc. (VRSK), a provider of data and analytics to insurance, health care and financial end markets, declined on t! epid resu! lts for the fourth quarter 2013. Trends in its health care unit improved modestly, although this strength was offset by slightly slower growth in its core insurance units. Verisk is investing aggressively across its businesses to broaden and deepen its set of data and analytics, particularly in healthcare, where we believe the long-term opportunity is significant. While this investment weighs on near-term margins, we are confident that this strategy will lead to sustained organic growth.

  • [By Lauren Pollock]

    Verisk Analytics Inc.(VRSK) agreed to acquire EagleView Technology Corp. for $637 million, a move the company expects will enhance its position in the imagery analytics market.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-shipping-companies-to-invest-in-2015.html

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now

Investors really didn’t like Larry Summers.

REUTERS

Markets are set to open higher this morning after Summers took his name out of contention to replace Ben Bernanke as Federal Reserve chief. Dow Jones Industrial Futures have gained 156 points this morning, S&P 500 futures have risen 17.90 points and Nasdaq 100 futures are up 31.75 points. The big gains follow last week’s rise across all benchmarks.

Shares of�Blackstone�(BX) have gained 3.4% to $23.61 in pre-open trading after it was raised to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Huntsman (HUN) has gained 2.5% to $19.75 after the chemical company’s shares were raised to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) has advanced 1.9% to $44.37 after the pharmaceutical company’s shares were upgraded to Overweight from Neutral by JPMorgan.

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: Calgon Carbon Corp (CCC)

Calgon Carbon Corporation is a provider of products, services, and solutions for purifying water and air. The Company operates in three reportable segments: Activated Carbon and Service, Equipment, and Consumer. The Activated Carbon and Service segment manufactures granular and powdered activated carbon for use in applications to primarily remove organic compounds from water, air and other liquids and gases. The service aspect of the segment consists of reactivation and the leasing, monitoring and maintenance of carbon adsorption equipment. The Equipment segment provides solutions to customers��air and water purification problems through the design, fabrication, installation, and sale of equipment systems that utilize a combination of the Company�� enabling technologies: carbon adsorption, ultraviolet light (UV), Ballast Water Treatment (BWT), and advanced ion exchange separation (ISEP). The Consumer segment primarily consists of the manufacture and sale of carbon cloth. On March 31, 2011 the Company completed the acquisition of Calgon Carbon Japan KK (CCJ).

Activated Carbon and Service

The sale of activated carbon is the principle component of the Activated Carbon and Service business segment. Activated carbon is a porous material that removes organic compounds from liquids and gases by a process known as adsorption. In adsorption, unwanted organic molecules contained in a liquid or gas are attracted and bound to the surface of the pores of the activated carbon as the liquid or gas is passed through. The primary raw material used in the production of the Company�� activated carbons is bituminous coal which is crushed, sized and then processed in low temperature kilns followed by high temperature furnaces. The Company also markets activated carbons from other raw materials, including coconut shell and wood. The Company produces and sells a range of activated, impregnated or acid washed carbons in granular, powdered or pellet form. Granular activated carbon (GAC) particl! es are irregular in shape and generally used in fixed filter beds for continuous flow purification processes.

Another component of the Activated Carbon and Service business segment are the optional services associated with supplying the Company�� products and systems required for purification, separation, concentration, taste and odor control. The Company offers a variety of treatment services at customer facilities, including carbon supply, equipment leasing, installation and demobilization, transportation and spent carbon reactivation. Other services include feasibility testing, process design, performance monitoring and maintenance of Company-owned equipment. The central component of the Company�� service business is reactivation of spent carbon and re-supply. The Company provides reactivation/recycling services in packages ranging from a 55 gallon drum to truckload quantities.

Equipment

Along with providing activated carbon products, the Company has developed a portfolio of standardized, pre-engineered, adsorption systems capable of treating liquid flows from 1 gallons per minute to 1,400 gallons per minute, which can be delivered and installed at treatment sites. These self-contained adsorption systems are used for vapor phase applications, such as volatile organic compound (VOC) control, air stripper off-gases, and landfill gas emissions. Liquid phase equipment systems are used for applications of potable water, process purification, wastewater treatment, groundwater remediation and de-chlorination. The Company produces a range of odor control equipment, which typically utilizes catalytic activated carbon to control odors at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and pumping stations. The Company�� variety of equipment systems treats the odors that emanate from municipal wastewater treatment facilities and the sewage collection systems that bring the waste to the treatment plant.

The ISEP (Ionic Separator) continuous ion exchange units ! are used ! for the purification and recovery of many products in the food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. The ISEP Continuous Separator units perform ion exchange separations using countercurrent processing. The ISEP and CSEP (chromatographic separator) systems are used at over 300 installations worldwide in more than 40 applications in industrial settings, as well as in environmental applications, including perchlorate and nitrate removal from drinking water. The Hyde GUARDIAN System was developed as a chemical-free, International Maritime Organization (IMO) type approved, ballast water management solution. The system is designed to meet the needs of ship owners to install treatment system.

Consumer

The primary product offered in the Consumer segment is carbon cloth. Carbon cloth, which is activated carbon in cloth form, is manufactured in the United Kingdom and sold to the medical, military, and specialty markets. Zorflex Activated Carbon Cloth can be used in numerous additional applications, including sensor protection; filters for ostomy bags; wound dressings; conservation of artifacts, and respiratory masks.

The Company competes with Norit, N.V., Mead/Westvaco Corporation, Siemens Water Technologies, Trojan Technologies, Inc., Xylem, Wedeco Ideal Horizons, Panasia, Alfa Lavel Tumba AB, Hyde Marine, Inc. and Wartsila.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Aaron Levitt]

    Calgon Carbon Corporation (CCC) is one of the largest manufacturers of activated carbon and filtration systems in the world, with activated carbon capacity of around 75,000 tons per year. That�� a good position to be in, as carbon filters are some of the most effective methods at removing chlorine, sediment and other volatile organic compounds from wastewater. They are also one of the cheapest methods for utilities to implement.

  • [By Inyoung Hwang]

    Computacenter Plc (CCC) slipped 4.5 percent to 543 pence, its biggest drop since June. UBS AG lowered the technology-services provider to neutral from buy, citing its valuation. The shares have climbed to 13.18 times estimated earnings from 11.81 times at the end of last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: Koppers Holdings Inc (KOP)

Koppers Holdings Inc. (Koppers), incorporated on November 12, 2004,is a global provider of carbon compounds and commercial wood treatment products and services. The Company's products are used in a variety of niche applications in a diverse range of end-markets, including the aluminum, railroad, specialty chemical, utility, concrete and steel industries. The Company serves its customers through a global manufacturing and distribution networks, with manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Australia, China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark. The Company operates in two business segments: Carbon Materials & Chemicals and railroads & Utility Products.

The Company's operations are, to a substantial extent, vertically integrated. Through the Company's Carbon Materials & Chemicals business, the Company processes coal tar into a variety of products, including carbon pitch, creosote, naphthalene and phthalic anhydride, which are intermediate materials necessary in the production of aluminum, the pressure treatment of wood, the production of high-strength concrete, and the production of plasticizers and specialty chemicals, respectively. Through the Company's Railroad & Utility Products business, the Company believes that the Company is thesupplier of railroad crossties to the North American railroads.

Carbon Materials & Chemicals

Carbon pitch, naphthalene, and creosote are produced through the distillation of coal tar, a by-product generated through the processing of coal into coke for use in steel and iron manufacturing. Coal tar distillation involves the conversion of coal tar into a variety of intermediate chemical products in processes beginning with distillation. During the distillation process, heat and vacuum are utilized to separate coal tar into three primary components: carbon pitch (approximately 50%), chemical oils (approximately 20%) and creosote (approximately 30%).

The Company's Carbon Materials & Chemicals business! (CM&C) manufactures principal products, including carbon pitch, a critical raw material used in the production of aluminum and steel; naphthalene, used for the production of phthalic anhydride and as a surfactant in the production of concrete; phthalic anhydride, used in the production of plasticizers, polyester resins and alkyd paints, and creosote and carbon black feedstock, used in the treatment of wood or as a feedstock in the production of carbon black. The Company also uses naphthalene as a feedstock in the manufacture of phthalic anhydride. The primary markets for phthalic anhydride are in the production of plasticizers, unsaturated polyester resins and alkyd resins. The Company is a producer of carbon pitch for the aluminum industry.

Creosote is used as a commercial wood treatment chemical to preserve railroad crossties and lumber, utility poles and piling. The majority of the Company's domestically produced creosote is sold to its Railroad & Utility Products business. In Australia, China and Europe, creosote is sold primarily into the carbon black market for use as a feedstock in the production of carbon black. In Europe and China creosote is also sold to wood treaters. The Company's wood treating plants in the United States purchase substantially all of their creosote from the Company's tar distillation plants.

Other products include the sale of refined tars, benzole and specialty chemicals. The Company's CM&C business manufactures its primary products and sells them directly to the Company's global customer base under long-term contracts or through purchase orders negotiated by its regional sales personnel and coordinated through its global marketing group in the United States. The Company's nine coal tar distillation facilities including joint ventures and four carbon materials terminals give the Company the ability to offer customers multiple sourcing and a consistent supply of products.

Railroad & Utility Products

The Company's Railroad ! & Utility! Products business (R&UP) sells treated and untreated wood products, rail joint bars and services primarily to the railroad and public utility markets in the United States and Australia. The Company also produces concrete crossties, a complementary product to its wood treatment business, through a joint venture in the United States.

Railroad products include procuring and treating items such as crossties, switch ties and various types of lumber used for railroad bridges and crossings. Railroad products also include manufacturing and selling rail joint bars, which are steel bars used to join rails together for railroads. Utility products include transmission and distribution poles for electric and telephone utilities and piling used in industrial foundations, beach housing, docks and piers. The R&UP business operates 13 wood treating plants, one rail joint bar manufacturing facility, one co-generation facility and 13 pole distribution yards located throughout the United States and Australia. The Company's network of plants is strategically located near timber supplies to enable the Company to access raw materials and service customers effectively. In addition, the Company's crosstie treating plants are typically adjacent to its railroad customers' track lines, and its pole distribution yards are typically located near its utility customers.

In the United States, hardwood lumber is procured by the Company from hundreds of small sawmills throughout the northeastern, midwestern and southern areas of the country. The crossties are shipped via rail car or trucked directly to one of the Company's crosstie treating plants, all of which are on line with a railroad. The crossties are either air-stacked for a period of six to twelve months or artificially dried by a process called boultonizing. Once dried, the crossties are pressure treated with creosote, a product of the Company's CM&C business.

The Company's R&UP business' customer base is the North American Class I railroa! d market,! which buys approximately 80% of all crossties produced in the United States and Canada. The Company also has relationships with many of the approximately 550 short-line and regional rail lines. This also forms the customer base for the Company's rail joint bar products. The railroad crosstie market is a mature market with approximately 23 million replacement crossties (both wood and non-wood) purchased during 2012. The Company supplies all seven of the North American Class I railroads and have contracts with six of them. The Company treats poles with a variety of preservatives, including pentachlorophenol, copper chrome arsenates and creosotes .In the United States the market for utility pole products is characterized by a number of small producers selling into a price-sensitive industry. The utility pole market is fragmented domestically, with over 200 investor-owned electric and telephone utilities and 2,900 smaller municipal utilities and rural electric associations.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jeremy Bowman]

    What: Shares of Koppers Holdings (NYSE: KOP  ) were looking rusty today, falling as much as 12% after the company cut its outlook for the current quarter.

5 Best Japanese Stocks To Watch Right Now: LSB Industries Inc (LXU)

LSB Industries, Inc., incorporated on January 21, 1977, is a diversified holding company involved in manufacturing and marketing operations through its subsidiaries. The Company together with its wholly owned subsidiaries owns Chemical Business and Climate Control Business. Chemical Business manufactures and sells nitrogen-based chemical products produced from four facilities located in El Dorado, Arkansas; Cherokee, Alabama; Pryor, Oklahoma, and Baytown, Texas for the agricultural, industrial, and mining markets. Climate Control Business manufactures and sells a range of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products in the niche markets the Company serves consisting of geothermal and water source heat pumps, hydronic fan coils, large custom air handlers, modular geothermal and other chillers and other related products used to control the environment in commercial/institutional and residential new building construction, renovation of existing buildings and replacement of existing systems. On October 31, 2012, Zena Energy LLC acquired working interests in certain natural gas properties located in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, within the Marcellus Shale.

Chemical Business

The Company�� products in the Chemical Business include high purity and commercial grade anhydrous ammonia for industrial and agricultural applications, industrial and fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate (AN), urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), sulfuric acids, nitric acids in various concentrations, nitrogen solutions, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) and various other products. The Company�� Chemical Business is a supplier to chemical and industrial companies. Its other products include anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate ammonia solution for agricultural applications, blended and regular nitric acid, mixed nitrating acids, and industrial grade AN and solutions for the mining industry. The Company sells hese agricultural products to farmers, ranchers, fertilizer dealers and distributors primarily in the ran! ch land and grain production markets in the United States. The Company�� Chemical Business establishes long-term relationships with wholesale agricultural distributors and retailers and also sells directly to agricultural end-users through its network of wholesale and retail distribution centers. The Company�� Chemical Business manufactures and sells industrial acids and other chemical products primarily to the polyurethane, paper, fibers, fuel additives, emission control, and electronics industries. Its Chemical Business is also a niche market supplier of industrial and high purity ammonia for many specialty applications, including the reduction of air emissions from power plants.

Climate Control Business

The Company�� Climate Control Business manufactures and sells a range of standard and custom designed geothermal and water source heat pumps and hydronic fan coils, as well as custom air handlers and modular chiller systems, including modular geothermal chillers and simultaneous heating and cooling modules. These products are for use in commercial/institutional and residential HVAC systems. Its products are installed in some of the commercial/institutional developments in the United States, including the Prudential Tower, Rockefeller Plaza, Trump Tower, Time Warner Center and many others. In addition, it has presence in the lodging sector with installations in numerous Hyatt, Marriott, Four Seasons, Starwood, Ritz Carlton and Hilton hotels, among others. Its Climate Control Business manufactures and distributes its products from seven facilities located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Company also provides geothermal heat pumps in residential and commercial/institutional applications. Its products are sold to the commercial/institutional markets, as well as single and multi-family residential new construction, renovation and replacements. The Company is a provider of hydronic fan coils targeting commercial and institutional markets. It manufactures its products in many! sizes an! d configurations, as required by the purchaser, to fit the space and capacity requirements of hotels, motels, schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, office buildings and other commercial/institutional or residential structures. The Climate Control Business sells its products primarily to mechanical contractors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and distributors. Its Climate Control Business market includes commercial/institutional and residential new building construction, renovation of existing buildings and replacement of existing systems.

The Company competes with Agrium, CF Industries, Coffeyville Resources, Dyno Nobel, Koch, Potash Corporation, Yara International, Carrier, Trane, Nortek, McQuay, and Bosch.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Roberto Pedone]

    LSB Industries (LXU) manufactures and sells geothermal and water source heat pumps and air handling products and chemical products. This stock closed up 4.6% at $33.72 in Friday's trading session.

    Friday's Volume: 543,000

    Three-Month Average Volume: 147,784

    Volume % Change: 252%

    From a technical perspective, LXU ripped higher here right above some near-term support at $31.45 and back above its 50-day moving average of $32.51 with heavy upside volume. This stock also flirted with its 200-day moving average at $35.22, before closing just below that level at $33.72.

    Traders should now look for long-biased trades in LXU as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $32.51 and then once it sustains a move or close above its 200-day at $35.22 to Friday's high of $36 with volume that's near or above 147,784 shares. If we get that move soon, then LXU will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $40.37 to $42.79.

  • [By James E. Brumley]

    With a market cap of only $893 million, it's not like LSB Industries, Inc. (NYSE:LXU) is the kind of company that garners a ton of attention. On the other hand, over the past several months, LXU has garnered far more attention than it likely wanted. The turbulence seems to be mostly behind it, however, and though the stock is now overbought thanks to the proverbial clearing of the dust, for long-haul investors, LSB Industries may be worth a closer look.

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: Stepan Co (SCL)

Stepan Company, incorporated on February 19, 1959, produces specialty and intermediate chemicals, which are sold to other manufacturers and then made into a variety of end products. The Company serves principal markets, such as manufacturers of cleaning and washing compounds (including detergents, shampoos, fabric softeners, toothpastes and household cleaners), paints, cosmetics, food and beverages, agricultural products, plastics, furniture, automotive equipment, insulation and refrigeration. The Company has three segments: surfactants, polymers and specialty products. The Company operates in the geographical regions of North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. As of December 31, 2012, the Surfactants segment accounted to 72%, Polymers segment accounted to 24% and Specialty segment accounted to 4% of the Company�� revenues. On March 22, 2012, the Company increased its controlling interest in Stepan Philippines Inc from 89% to 100%.

Surfactants

Surfactants are used in a variety of consumer and industrial cleaning compounds as well as in agricultural products, lubricating ingredients, biodiesel and other specialized applications. The Surfactants are principal ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning products, such as detergents for washing clothes, dishes, carpets, floors and walls, as well as shampoos, body washes, toothpastes and fabric softeners. Surfactants are manufactured at six North American sites (five in the United States and one in Canada), three European sites (United Kingdom, France and Germany), and three Latin American sites (Mexico, Brazil and Colombia), and one Asian site (Philippines and Singapore). The Company also holds a 50% ownership interest in a joint venture, TIORCO, LLC (TIORCO), that markets chemical solutions for increasing the production of crude oil and natural gas from existing fields.

Polymers

Polymers generate its revenues primarily from the sale of polyols and phthalic anhydride used in plastics, buildi! ng materials and refrigeration systems. It includes two primary product lines: polyols and phthalic anhydride. Polyols are used in the manufacture of rigid laminate insulation board for thermal insulation in the construction industry. Polyols are also a base raw material for flexible foams, coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers.

Phthalic anhydride is used in unsaturated polyester resins, alkyd resins and plasticizers for applications in construction materials and components of automotive, boating and other consumer products. In addition, phthalic anhydride is used internally in the production of polyols. In the United States, polymer product lines are manufactured at the Company�� Millsdale, Illinois, site. In Europe, polyols are manufactured at the Company�� subsidiaries in Germany and Poland. In Asia, polyols are produced at the Company�� 80% owned joint venture in Nanjing, China.

Specialty Products

Specialty products are used in food, flavoring and pharmaceutical applications. It includes flavors, emulsifiers and solubilizers used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Specialty products are primarily manufactured at the Company�� Maywood, New Jersey, site.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Stepan Company (NYSE: SCL) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $0.93 per share on revenue of $467.40 million.

    Lennox International (NYSE: LII) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.28 per share on revenue of $877.87 million.

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: PetroLogistics LP (PDH)

PetroLogistics LP owns and operates propane dehydrogenation (PDH) facility. The Company is located in the vicinity of the Houston Ship Channel. As of April 23, 2012, the Company had an annual production capacity of approximately 1.45 billion pounds of propylene. Its PDH facility uses a CATOFIN dehydrogenation technology pursuant to a fully-paid license from CB&I Lummus. It derives its sales from three different sources: propylene sales, hydrogen sales, and mixed stream of butane and butylenes (C4 mix stream) and heavier hydrocarbons (C5+ stream) sales.

Contracted Propylene Sales

The Company has propylene sales contracts with The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc. (Total), and INEOS Olefins and Polymers USA (INEOS), each of which use the propylene it supplies in the acrylic acid, polypropylene and acrylonitrile plants. Effective January 1, 2012, it added BASF Corporation (BASF) and LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (LyondellBasell) as additional contracted customers. It delivers propylene to these customers through its integrated pipeline system, which connects its facility to the Dow and Total plants and the LyondellBasell system, and through interconnected third-party pipelines, which connect its facility to INEOS and BASF and to other potential propylene customers.

Spot-Market Propylene Sales

Through the Company�� integrated pipeline system, the Company accesses other consumers of propylene, which it is able to supply on a spot basis with its excess production capacity. It manages its contract and spot portfolio.

Hydrogen Gas Sales

As part of the PDH process, the Company produces commercial quantities of hydrogen. Hydrogen is consumed in refinery processes, including fuel desulphurization.

C4 Mix/C5+ Streams Sales

The Company produces commercial quantities of C4 mix/C5+ streams. It sells the C4 mix stream to specialty chemical consumers or refiners and these customers tran! sport the purchased volumes from its facility by truck. The C5+ stream, which is heavy in aromatics, is transported by its pipeline to a Kinder Morgan terminal, and then sold to Texas Aromatics for use in the chemical or gasoline markets.

The Company competes with Enterprise, Chevron Phillips, ExxonMobil Chemical, Shell Chemical, Flint Hills and the Williams Companies.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    PetroLogistics (NYSE: PDH  ) reported earnings on July 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

    The 10-second takeaway
    For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), PetroLogistics met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

  • [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 PetroLogistics (NYSE: PDH  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of propane company PetroLogistics (NYSE: PDH  ) fell as much as 10% today after reporting earnings.

    So what: Sales dropped 18% from a year ago to $159.4 million but the company swung to a net income of $41.4 million. On an adjusted basis net income fell from $64.4 million a year ago to $37.8 million in the second quarter. �

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: Balchem Corp (BCPC)

Balchem Corporation incorporated on Jan 30, 1967, is engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of specialty performance ingredients and products for the food, nutritional, feed, pharmaceutical and medical sterilization industries. The Company operates in three segments: Specialty Products, Food, Pharma & Nutrition and Animal Nutrition & Health. The Company sells its products through its own sales force, independent distributors and sales agents. The Company operates five wholly owned domestic subsidiaries, such as BCP Ingredients, Inc., Aberco, Inc., Balchem BV, Balchem Trading BV and Balchem Italia Srl.

Food, Pharma & Nutrition

The Food, Pharma & Nutrition (FPN) segment provides microencapsulation solutions to a variety of applications in food, pharmaceutical and nutritional ingredients to enhance performance of nutritional fortification, processing, mixing, and packaging applications and shelf-life. Major product applications are baked goods, refrigerated and frozen dough systems, processed meats, seasoning blends, confections, and nutritional supplements. The Company also markets human grade choline nutrient products through this segment for wellness applications.

Specialty Products

The Company's Specialty Products segment operates in industry as ARC Specialty Products. Ethylene oxide, at the 100% level, is sold as a sterilant gas, primarily for use in the health care industry. It is used to sterilize a wide range of medical devices because of its versatility and effectiveness in treating hard or soft surfaces, composites, metals, tubing and different types of plastics. The Company's 100% ethylene oxide product is distributed in uniquely designed, recyclable, double-walled, stainless steel drums. Contract sterilizers, medical device manufacturers, and medical gas distributors are the Company's principal customers for this product. In addition, the Company also sells single use canisters with 100% ethylene oxide for uses in medical dev! ice sterilization.

The Company markets and sells propylene oxide as a fumigant to aids in the control of insects and microbiological spoilage and to reduce bacterial and mold contamination in shell and processed nut meats (except peanuts), processed spices, cacao beans, cocoa powder, raisins, figs and prunes. The Company distributes its propylene oxide product primarily in recyclable, single-walled, carbon steel cylinders The Company also sells propylene oxide to customers seeking smaller quantities and whose requirements include utilization in various chemical synthesis applications, to make paints more durable and for manufacturing specialty starches and textile coatings.

Animal Nutrition & Health

The Company's Animal Nutrition & Health (ANH) segment provides the animal nutrition and health markets with products derived from the Company's microencapsulation, chelation, and basic choline chloride technologies. Commercial sales of REASHURE Choline, a microencapsulated choline, NITROSHURETM, a microencapsulated urea, and NIASHURETM, the Company's microencapsulated niacin for dairy cows, boosts health and milk production in transition and lactating dairy cows, delivering nutrient supplements that survive the rumen and are biologically available, providing required nutritional levels. The Company's AMINOSHURE-L product, a rumen-protected lysine for use in dairy rations, gives nutritionists and dairy producers a precise and consistent source of rumen-protected lysine. The Company also markets chelated mineral supplements for uses in animal feed throughout the world. ANH also manufactures and supplies basic choline chloride, an essential nutrient for animal health, predominantly to the poultry and swine industries. The ANH segment also includes choline and certain derivatives manufactured and sold into various industrial applications, predominately as a component for hydraulic fracturing of shale natural gas wells, and methylamines which are a primary building block fo! r the man! ufacture of choline products and are also used in a wide range of industrial applications.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading UP
    Balchem (NASDAQ: BCPC) shares shot up 14.18 percent to $59.51 after the company announced its plans to acquire SensoryEffects for $567 million.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Equities Trading UP
    Balchem (NASDAQ: BCPC) shares shot up 15.27 percent to $60.08 after the company announced its plans to acquire SensoryEffects for $567 million.

  • [By Lisa Levin]

    Balchem (NASDAQ: BCPC) surged 13.56% to $59.19. The volume of Balchem shares traded 499% higher than normal. Balchem announced its plans to aquire SensoryEffects for $567 million.

  • [By John Udovich]

    Small cap ingredients stock Balchem Corporation (NASDAQ: BCPC) jumped 22.76% yesterday on news about an acquisition, meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock along with potential peers like small cap MGP Ingredients Inc (NASDAQ: MGPI) and the PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage ETF (NYSEARCA: PBJ).

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: Olin Corp (OLN)

Olin Corporation, incorporated on August 13, 1892, is a manufacturer focused in three business segments: Chlor Alkali Products, Chemical Distribution and Winchester. Chlor Alkali Products manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide. Chemical Distribution manufactures bleach products and distributes caustic soda, bleach products, potassium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. Winchester products include sporting ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, and industrial cartridges. On August 22, 2012, the Company acquired K. A. Steel Chemicals Inc. (KA Steel). KA Steel is a distributor of caustic soda in North America and manufactures and sells bleach in the Midwest.

The Company's subsidiary, Olin Canada ULC, operates one chlor alkali facility in Becancour, Quebec, which sells chlor alkali-related products within Canada and to the United States and also sells and distributes ammunition within Canada. The Company's subsidiary, Winchester Australia Limited, loads and packs sporting and industrial ammunition in Australia.

Chlor Alkali Products

The Company is engaged in the United States chlor alkali industry. Chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen are co-produced commercially by the electrolysis of salt. These co-products are produced simultaneously, and in a fixed ratio of one ton of chlorine to 1.1 tons of caustic soda and 0.03 tons of hydrogen. The Company also manufactures and sells other chlor alkali-related products. These products include chemically processed salt, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite (bleach), hydrogen, and potassium hydroxide. The Company refers to these other chlor alkali-related products as co-products. During the year ended December 31, 2012, sales of co-products represented approximately 32% of Chlor Alkali Products' sales.

The Company's chlorine/caustic soda products are used in pulp and paper processing, chemical! manufacturing, water purification, manufacture of vinyl chloride, bleach, swimming pool chemicals and urethane chemicals. Its sodium hypochlorite are used in household cleaners, laundry bleaching, swimming pool sanitizers, semiconductors, water treatment, textiles, pulp and paper, and food processing. Its hydrochloric acid are used in steel, oil and gas, plastics, organic chemical synthesis, water and wastewater treatment, brine treatment, artificial sweeteners, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and ore and mineral processing. Its potassium hydroxide is used in fertilizer manufacturing, soaps, detergents and cleaners, battery manufacturing, food processing chemicals and deicers. Its hydrogen is used in fuel source, hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid.

The Company competes with Dow Chemical Company and the Occidental Chemical Corporation.

Chemical Distribution

The Company's KA Steel comprises the Chemical Distribution segment. KA Steel is a distributor of caustic soda in North America and manufacturers and sells bleach in the Midwest. KA Steel also sells small quantities of potassium hydroxide and maintains infrastructure to be, a distributor of hydrochloric acid.

The Company competes with Univar Inc. and Brenntag AG.

Winchester

Winchester is a developer and manufacturer of small caliber ammunition for sale to domestic and international retailers (commercial customers), law enforcement agencies and domestic and international militaries. The Company's Winchester product line includes gauges and calibers of shotgun shells, rimfire and centerfire ammunition for pistols and rifles, reloading components and industrial cartridges. Its Winchester sporting ammunition, which include shot-shells, small caliber centerfire and rimfire ammunition, are used by hunters and recreational shooters, and law enforcement agencies. Its small caliber military ammunition are used in infantry and mounted weapons. Its industrial products, which i! nclude ei! ght gauge loads & powder-actuated tool loads, are used in maintenance applications in power and concrete industries and powder-actuated tools in construction industry.

The Company competes with Alliant Techsystems Inc. and Remington Arms Company, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Johanna Bennett]

    Dow isn�� the only chemical play gaining on the news. �Axiall (AXLL) rose 9.3% to $49.58 in Monday market action. Olin (OLN) rose 6.1% to $26.36. And Westlake Chemical (WLK) rose 2.2% to $115.10.

  • [By Victor Selva]

    The company has a current ratio of 17.8% which is higher than the industry mean of 6.55%. Also, it's higher than the one registered by Akzo Nobel NV (AKZOY), Cabot Corporation (CBT) and Olin Corporation (OLN). For investors looking for a higher ROE, PPG Industries Inc. (PPG) could be the option.

  • [By Dan Dzombak]

    Olin (NYSE: OLN  ) is a chemical company that also owns Winchester Ammunition. The company distributes its ammunition under the Super X, Supreme, Supreme Elite, AA, and Winlite brand names, among others. While the company trades at a P/E ratio of 13, Winchester only makes up 20% to 25% of the business, so you are mainly investing in a chemical company. If you are looking for a pure play on firearms, you are better off looking elsewhere.

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: Basf SE (BASFY)

BASF SE is a chemical company. The Company operates in six segments: Chemicals, Plastics, Performance Products, Functional Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. Chemicals segment offers products in the chemical, electronic, construction, textile, automotive, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Plastics segment offers a range of products, system solutions and services. Performance Products help its customers to improve their products and processes. Functional Solutions segment bundles system solutions and products for customers and industries. The Company�� Agricultural Solutions segment includes crop protection products, which guard against fungal diseases, insects and weeds. Its Oil & gas segment is a producer of oil and gas. On April 9, 2009, the Company acquired Ciba Holding AG. In April 2010, Intertek Group plc acquired the Regulatory and Safety Testing businesses of Ciba Expert Services (Ciba ES) from the Company. In December 2010, the Company completed its acquisition of Cognis Holding GmbH from Cognis Holding Luxembourg S.a r.l.

Chemicals

The Company�� Chemicals segment portfolio ranges from basic chemicals, glues and electronic chemicals for the semiconductor and flat panel display industry, to solvents and plasticizers, as well as starting materials for detergents, plastics, textile fibers, paints, coatings and pharmaceuticals. This segment is organized into three divisions: Inorganics, Petrochemicals and Intermediates. The important basic products of the Inorganics division are ammonia, methanol, sodium hydroxide, chlorine, as well as sulfuric and nitric acid. The Petrochemicals division produces products, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene and benzene, which are produced in steam crackers from naphtha or natural gas. In further processing stages, it produces alcohols, solvents and plasticizers for the chemicals and plastics industries. BASF SE�� Intermediates division develops, produces and markets a range of intermediates of all produc! ers worldwide. The product lines include amines, diols, polyalcohols, acids and specialties. They serve as starting materials for products, such as coatings, plastics, pharmaceuticals, textile fibers, crop protection products, as well as detergents and cleaners.

Plastics

BASF�� Plastics segment is organized into two divisions: Performance Polymers and Polyurethanes. The Performance Polymers division is a supplier of engineering plastics, polyamides and polyamide intermediates, foams and specialty plastics. The Company offers its customers a portfolio of engineering plastics based on polyamide 6 and polyamide 6,6. This is complemented by products Ultradur, Ultraform and Ultrason. For the packaging, textile and food industries, it offers Ultramid, a base product for the manufacturing of fibers and foils. BASF SE�� product range also includes Ecoflex and Ecovio, biodegradable specialty plastics for the packaging industry. Styropor and its refinement Neopor are styrene-based precursors for foams used in insulating material for construction and packaging. The Polyurethanes division is a supplier of basic products, systems and specialties. The Company offers polyurethane products for numerous customer applications. Under brand names, such as Elastoflex and Elastopor, polyurethanes are used, as rigid or flexible foams in construction for furniture and household appliances.

Performance Products

The Performance Products segment consists of the Acrylics & Dispersions, Care Chemicals and Performance Chemicals divisions. Acrylics & Dispersions produces acrylic acid, as well as its derivatives superabsorbents and polymer dispersions. Superabsorbents are used particularly in diapers. Polymer dispersions are used in the production of glues, coatings, nonwoven materials and construction chemicals. The Company�� product portfolio for the paper industry consists of binders, process chemicals and kaolin pigments. Its Care Chemicals portfolio consists of products f! or cleani! ng, care, cosmetics and hygiene. Performance Chemicals pools specialties for various customer industries. The product portfolio consists of antioxidants, pigments, light stabilizers and specialty additives. The division also makes chemicals for the production and finishing of leather and textiles.

Functional Solutions

The Functional Solutions segment consists of the Catalysts, Construction Chemicals and Coatings divisions. The Catalysts division develops catalysts and adsorbents. It produces catalysts that transform pollutants in the exhaust flows of vehicles into harmless chemical and plastics. The Construction Chemicals division is engaged in development of concrete admixtures, such as concrete plasticizers, deferrers and curing agents. It also produces and markets construction systems. The Coatings division is a provider of coatings solutions for automotive and industrial applications. Its brands Glasurit and R-M are for the car refinish business.

Agricultural Solutions

The Agricultural Solutions segment consists of the Crop Protection division. The Company develops and produces active ingredients and formulations for the improvement of crop health and yields, and markets them worldwide. Its portfolio includes fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and seed treatments. Its product Headline contains the active ingredient F500, which is not only used for corn and soybean, but also for numerous other crops.

Oil & Gas

BASF�� oil and gas activities are bundled in the Wintershall Group. Wintershall and its subsidiaries operate in the business sectors exploration and production, and natural gas trading. In the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, the Company focuses on oil and gas regions in Europe, North Africa and South America, as well as Russia and the Caspian Sea region. The Mittelplate oil field in the North Sea tidal flats is the cornerstone of the Company�� oil production in Germany. Wintershall and RWE-D! EA each h! old a 50% interest in this field. During the year ended December 31, 2009, it acquired 25% interest in Cuxhaven concession. It operates 26 offshore platforms in Mittelplate region, of which 19 are actually controlled. In Libya, Wintershall operates eight onshore oil fields in the concessions 96 and 97 and exploits the associated gas released during crude oil production in a gas utilization plant for the local demand. In Mauritania, it operates two onshore exploration blocks. In 2008, Wintershall acquired stakes of 50% each in two exploration areas in the Canadon Asfalto Basin. It supplies Germany and several other European countries. The gas pipeline network operated by WINGAS TRANSPORT connects the markets in Western Europe with a natural gas infrastructure that runs through Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation all the way to the gas fields in Siberia. Other components portfolio include natural gas storage facility in Western Europe, in Rehdn, Germany, and the natural gas storage facility in Haidach, Austria.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Maxx Chatsko]

    It was only a matter of time. Last month BASF (NASDAQOTH: BASFY  ) , the world's largest chemical company, announced three separate developments that will thrust it from being a mediocre player in industrial enzymes to a dominant force. BASF acquired Henkel's detergent enzyme technology, licensed the C1 biotechnology platform from Dyadic, and befriended Direvo Industrial Biotechnology from Germany for a next-generation animal feed enzyme.

  • [By Dan Carroll]

    Firms across Germany's DAX have caught on. BASF (NASDAQOTH: BASFY  ) shares haven't had a great year so far, but the world's largest chemicals firm is looking around the world for growth. The company seeks to double its customer base in the Asia-Pacific region by 2020 in its chemicals and materials business, projecting sales in Asia to double from last year's 12.5 million euros to 25 million euros by that year. That kind of global growth will benefit investors, and the less BASF and other German stocks rely on Europe for sales, the better shareholders will do.

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: AZ Electronic Materials SA (AZEM)

AZ Electronic Materials SA is a producer and supplier of specialty chemical materials. AZ operates in four segments: IC Materials, which includes products for use in integrated circuits and devices; Optronics, which includes products used in the production of flat panel displays for use in televisions, computer monitors and similar equipment and light emitting diode technology; Printing and Other, which includes printing and similar products used in photo lithographic processes, and Corporate. The Company�� products enable the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs) and flat panel displays (FPDs) that are integral to a range of electronic devices and applications, including computers and tablet devices, flat screen televisions, mobile communication devices, industrial and automotive applications and the developing light and energy markets. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Corinne Gretler]

    AZ Electronic (AZEM) surged 43 percent, the most since its at least November 2010, after Merck on Dec. 5 said it had agreed to buy the company for about 1.6 billion pounds. Merck added 0.4 percent. Shareholders will get 403.5 pence for each share, Merck said. The price is 53 percent above the Dec. 4 closing level in London trading.

Top 10 Chemical Companies To Own In Right Now: Braskem SA (BRKM5)

Braskem SA is a Brazil-based company primarily engaged in the manufacture of basic petrochemical products. The Company operates in five segments: Basic petrochemicals, Polyolefins, Vinyls, International businesses and Chemical Distribution. The Company�� products portfolio includes ethylene, propylene, butadiene, toluene, xylene, benzene, gasoline, diesel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as well as thermoplastic resins, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Additionally, Braskem is also engaged in the import and export of chemicals, petrochemicals and fuels; the production, supply and sale of utilities, such as steam, water, compressed air, industrial gases, as well as the provision of industrial services, and the production, supply and sale of electric energy for its own use and use by other companies. The Company also invests in other companies, either as a partner or shareholder. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Harry Suhartono]

    Brazil�� Ibovespa rose for a third day as traders pared bets on higher borrowing costs in Brazil, boosting the outlook for companies that sell in the local market. B2W Cia. Digital led gains among retailers, with Lojas Americanas SA (LAME3) and Natura Cosmeticos SA (NATU3) also trading higher. Petrochemicals producer Braskem SA (BRKM5) was the worst performer on the equity gauge after O Estado de S.Paulo reported Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4) is seeking to raise prices of naphtha sold to the company by 5 percent.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Top Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) ��An Internet connection and a bunch of stolen identities are all it takes for crooks to collect billions of dollars in bogus federal tax refunds. And the scam is proving too pervasive to stop.

A government report in November said the IRS issued $4 billion in fraudulent tax refunds over the previous year to criminals who were using other people's personal information. Attorney General Eric Holder said this week that the "scale, scope and execution of these fraud schemes" has grown substantially and the Justice Department in the past year has charged 880 people.

Who's involved? In a video message released ahead of the April 15 tax filing deadline, Holder said the scams "are carried out by a variety of actors, from greedy tax return preparers to identity brokers who profit from the sale of personal information to gangs and drug rings looking for easy access to cash."

Top Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Symantec Corporation(SYMC)

Symantec Corporation provides security, storage, and systems management solutions internationally. The company?s Consumer segment delivers Internet security, PC tune-up, and online backup solutions and services to individual users and home offices. Its Security and Compliance segment provides solutions for endpoint security and management, compliance, messaging management, data loss prevention, encryption, and authentication services to large, medium, and small-sized businesses, as well as offers solutions through its software-as-a-service (SaaS) security offerings. This segment?s products enable customers to secure, provision, and remotely manage their laptops, PCs, mobile devices, and servers. The company?s Storage and Server Management segment provides storage and server management, backup, archiving, and data protection solutions across heterogeneous storage and server platforms, as well as solutions delivered through its SaaS offerings to large, medium, and small-s ized businesses. Symantec?s Services segment offers implementation services and solutions, including consulting, business critical services, education, and managed security services. The company also provides various enterprise support offerings, such as annual maintenance support contracts, including content, upgrades, and technical support. It sells its products through its eCommerce platform, as well as through distributors, direct marketers, Internet-based resellers, system builders, ISPs, and retail locations worldwide. Symantec markets and sells its products through distributors, retailers, direct marketers, Internet-based resellers, original equipment manufacturers, system builders, and Internet service providers; and its e-commerce channels, as well as direct sales force, value-added and large account resellers, and system integrators. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Symantec Corp. (SYMC) �shares dropped 7% to $19.44 on heavy volume, after a brief halted at the closing bell, as the security software company fired Chief Executive Steve Bennett.

  • [By Tom Taulli]

    In a sudden move, Symantec (SYMC) has terminated its CEO, Steve Bennett. And Wall Street is definitely concerned, as SYMC stock is off about 12% in today�� trading.

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Symantec Inc. (NASDAQ: SYMC) reported second fiscal quarter 2014 results after markets closed on Wednesday. For the quarter, the network security software maker posted adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.50 on revenues of $1.64 billion. In the same period a year ago, the company reported EPS of $0.45 on revenues of $1.7 billion. Second-quarter results compare to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimates for EPS of $0.44 and $1.69 billion in revenues.

Top Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Yahoo! Inc.(YHOO)

Yahoo! Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital media company that delivers personalized digital content and experiences through various devices worldwide. It offers online properties and services to users; and a range of marketing services to businesses. The company?s communications and communities offerings include Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, Flickr, and Connected TV, which provide a range of communication and social services to users and small businesses enabling users to organize into groups and share knowledge, common interests, and photos. Its search products comprise Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Local, available free to users to navigate the Internet and discover content. The company?s marketplaces offerings and services include Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Travel, Yahoo! Real Estate, Yahoo! Autos, and Yahoo! Small Business, which allow users to research specific topics, products, services, or areas of interest by review ing and exchanging information, obtaining contact details, or considering offers from providers of goods, services, or parties with similar interests. Its media offerings comprise Yahoo! Homepage, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo! Finance, My Yahoo!, Yahoo! Toolbar, Yahoo! Entertainment & Lifestyles, Yahoo! Contributor Network, and Yahoo! Pulse, which are designed to engage users with online content and services on the Web. The company also offers marketing services, such as display and search advertising, listing-based services, and commerce-based transactions to advertisers. In addition, it provides software and platform offerings for third-party developers, advertisers, and publishers, such as Yahoo! Developer Network, Yahoo! Open Strategy, Yahoo! Application Platform, Yahoo! Updates, Yahoo! Query Language, and Yahoo! Search BOSS. The company has strategic alliances with Nokia and ABC News, Inc. Yahoo! Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Californi a.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jeff Reeves]

    Unlike blanket sites like HotJobs from Yahoo (YHOO) or Monster Worldwide (MWW), Dice is compartmentalized with properties that includes tech portal Slashdot, oil and gas site Rigzone and finance site eFinancial Careers and medical career site Health Callings.

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO  ) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) reported quarterly results this week. The market enjoyed Yahoo!'s performance and soured when Google came to the plate, but both companies offered similar snapshots of the challenge in monetizing mobile.

Hot Telecom Stocks To Buy Right Now: IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI)

IAC/InterActiveCorp engages in the Internet business in the United States and internationally. The company�s Search segment develops, markets, and distributes various downloadable toolbars; provides search, reference, and content services through its destination search and other Websites, including Ask.com and Dictionary.com; and aggregates and integrates local advertising and content for distribution to publishers on Web and mobile platforms, as well as markets and distributes mobile applications through which it provides search and additional services. Its Match segment offers subscription-based and advertiser-supported online personals services through its Websites comprising Match.com, Chemistry.com, OurTime.com, BlackPeopleMeet.com, and OkCupid.com, as well as through mobile applications and Meetic-branded Websites. The company�s ServiceMagic segment offers Market Match service that matches consumers with service professionals; Exact Match service, which enables con sumers to review service professional profiles and select the service professional that meets their specific needs; and 1800Contractor.com, an online directory of service professionals. This segment also offers Website design and hosting services. Its Media and Other segment operates CollegeHumor.com, an online entertainment Website that targets young males; Vimeo, a Website on which users can upload, share, and view video; and Pronto.com, a comparison search engine. This segment also engages in the creation of video content for various distribution platforms; and operates as an Internet retailer of footwear and related apparel and accessories, as well as focuses on multimedia business. The company was formerly known as InterActiveCorp and changed its name to IAC/InterActiveCorp in July 2004. IAC/InterActiveCorp was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Rhyu joins the company from IAC's (NASDAQ: IACI  ) Match.com, where he has filled the roles of both CFO and chief administrative officer since 2011. Previous to that, he was a senior vice president at News Corp's (NASDAQ: FOXA  ) Dow Jones & Company. He also served as corporate controller for both Sirius XM Radio and GrafTech International (NYSE: GTI  ) .

  • [By Mani]

    IAC InterActive Corp. (NASDAQ:IACI) should see improved margins and revenue from its Match business as subscriber growth could be boosted by favorable secular trends and new monetizing opportunities.

  • [By Eric Volkman]

    AP/Jim Mone Is Bitcoin a slam-dunk as the currency of the future? The Sacramento Kings seem to think so. The NBA team recently became the first pro sports franchise to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. Basketball fans will be able not only to purchase tickets and merchandise online with the digital cryptocurrency, but also to use it to buy souvenirs at the arena come game time. The team is the latest in a growing number of commercial entities finding a slot in their virtual cash registers for Bitcoin. Little by little, momentum is building for a widespread acceptance of the upstart currency. Overstocking The Kings' drive towards the Bitcoin basket comes a week after the big online retailer Overstock.com (OSTK) announced it would start accepting payments in the currency. The move was an instant hit -- the first day the company had the nifty Bitcoin button as an option in its shopping cart, its customers used it to make more than 800 transactions for total sales of around $130,000. Overstock.com was by no means the first online marketplace to accept the currency. Numerous web retailers have been doing so for some time. It's a natural fit, %VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks in a way, since Bitcoin exists solely in the digital realm. Customers booking flights on discount travel operator CheapAir.com, for example, can use Bitcoin to buy their tickets, as can love seekers on dating site OkCupid, owned by IAC/InteractiveCorp (IACI). These digital players are going to have plenty of company. Earlier this month, online games purveyor Zynga (ZNGA) started to dip its toes in the water, announcing that it was testing Bitcoin payments for some of its titles in conjunction with specialist transaction facilitator BitPay. But if Overstock.com didn't get there first, it's still the largest and most prominent e-retailer to take the Bitcoin plunge thus far. This is a big win for the currency and its advocates, and Overstock.com will surely be followed by more well-known comp

Top Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: eBay Inc.(EBAY)

eBay Inc. provides online platforms, services, and tools to help individuals and merchants in online and mobile commerce and payments in the United States and internationally. Its Marketplaces segment operates ecommerce platform eBay.com; vertical shopping sites, such as StubHub, Fashion, Motors, and Half.com; and classifieds Websites, including Den Bl�Avis, BilBasen, Gumtree, Kijiji, LoQUo, Marktplaats.nl, mobile.de, Alamaula, Rent.com, eBay Anuncios, eBay Kleinanzeigen, and eBay Annunci, as well as provides advertising services. The company?s Payments segment offers payment and settlement services for consumers and merchants on and off eBay Websites and other merchant Websites. This segment operates PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to send and receive payments online and through mobile devices; Bill Me Later that enables the United States merchants to offer, the United States consumers to obtain, credit at the point of sale for ecommerce and mobile tra nsactions; Zong, which allows users with mobile phones to purchase digital goods and have the transactions charged to their phone bill; and BillSAFE that enables customers pay for purchases upon receipt of an invoice. Its GSI segment offers an ecommerce services suite for enterprise clients that operate in general merchandise categories, including apparel, sporting goods, toys and baby, health and beauty, and home; and marketing services comprising full-service digital agency, enterprise email marketing, mobile advertising, affiliate marketing, advertisement retargeting, and in-depth analytics services. The company also offers X.commerce platform that provides software developers access to the company?s applications programming interfaces to develop functionality for various merchants; and Magento Connect, which allows developers to market and sell add-on functionality and solutions to merchants that use a Magento storefront. eBay Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquarter ed in San Jose, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rex Crum]

    IBM (IBM) �rose $1.39 a share to $186.16 and eBay (EBAY) �shares rose almost 2% to $54.37. Both companies are scheduled to report quarterly results next week.

Top Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Google Inc.(GOOG)

Google Inc. maintains an index of Web sites and other online content for users, advertisers, and Google network members and other content providers. It offers AdWords, an auction-based advertising program; AdSense program, which enables Web sites that are part of the Google Network to deliver ads from its AdWords advertisers; Google Display, a display advertising network that comprises the videos, text, images, and other interactive ads; DoubleClick Ad Exchange, a real-time auction marketplace for the trading of display ad space; and YouTube that provides video, interactive, and other ad formats for advertisers. The company also provides Google Mobile that optimizes Google?s applications for mobile devices in browser and downloadable form; and enables advertisers to run search ad campaigns on mobile devices, as well as Google Local that provides local information on the Web; and Google Boost for small businesses to participate in the ads auction. In addition, it offers And roid, an open source mobile software platform; Google Chrome OS, an open source operating system; Google Chrome, a Web browser; Google TV, a platform for the consumers to use the television and the Internet on a single screen; and Google Books platform to discover, search, and consume content from printed books online. Further, the company provides Google Apps, a cloud computing suite of message and collaboration tools, which includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Sites; Google Search Appliance that offers real-time search of business and intranet applications, and public Web sites; Google Site Search, a custom search engine; Google Commerce Search for online retail enterprises; Google Checkout to make online shopping and payments streamlined and secure; Google Maps Application Programming Interface; and Google Earth Enterprise, a firewall software solution for imagery and data visualization. Google Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rex Moore]

    Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) is hoping to take the lowly netbook to a whole new level with its high-end Chromebook Pixel.

    In this first of a two-part series, Motley Fool analyst Rex Moore takes a look at the Pixel's impressive hardware features. Part two looks at the software aspects, and whether this netbook is worth its lofty price tag.

  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    John Raoux/AP Beats Electronics and Beats Music won't turn Apple (AAPL) into a streaming-audio rock star overnight, but for $3 billion, Apple gets to add a leading maker of premium headphones and a young, promising streaming music service to its lineup. More importantly, the deal gives Apple hip hop icon Dr. Dre and legendary record producer Jimmy Iovine as key executives who can perhaps breathe new life into its fading iTunes music platform. Right now, the tech giants seem to have it all. Apple, Google (GOOG), and aging software behemoth Microsoft (MSFT) have tens of billions in the bank and long track records of success. But none of them have found cracking the streaming music market to be easy. All three dot-com giants have invested in their own online music platforms, but it's Spotify and Pandora (P) that are turning heads -- and connecting to headphones. The Unlikely Kings of Music Spotify and Pandora have different formulas, but both have been successful -- for them. Sweden's Spotify, with more than 10 million premium subscribers, offers users the ability to pick the tracks they want to hear, and customers are willing to pay as much as $10 a month for the right to take their commercial-free playlists to mobile devices. Its on-demand model became a sensation through Europe before hitting the U.S. three summers ago. Pandora doesn't allow listeners to pick the tracks. It uses algorithms to develop playlists based on user preferences. It is primarily consumed as a free service with ad blocks. Just 3.3 million of its 76 million active listeners pay to enjoy Pandora as a commercial-free experience. They enjoyed 1.7 billion hours of audio content last month Microsoft and Google decided to follow Spotify's model with Xbox Music in late 2012 and Google Music a few months later. Neither company has offered up metrics on their success, but that's likely telling in and of itself. Apple chose Pandora's discovery model when it rolled out iTunes Radio last Septemb

Top Internet Stocks To Invest In 2015: Amazon.com Inc.(AMZN)

Amazon.com, Inc. operates as an online retailer in North America and internationally. It operates retail Web sites, including amazon.com and amazon.ca. The company serves consumers through its retail Web sites and focuses on selection, price, and convenience. It also offers programs that enable sellers to sell their products on its Web sites, and their own branded Web sites. In addition, the company serves developer customers through Amazon Web Services, which provides access to technology infrastructure that developers can use to enable virtually various type of business. Further, it manufactures and sells the Kindle e-reader. Additionally, the company provides fulfillment; miscellaneous marketing and promotional agreements, such as online advertising; and co-branded credit cards. Amazon.com, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jason Moser]

    Online sales grew 16% last year in the U.S. alone, yet still only accounted for about 5% of total consumer-goods sales. That number is expected to double over the coming five years thanks to companies like Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) and even Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT  ) , which is focusing more resources on its e-commerce division. While it's true that Amazon's total revenue is less than 14% of �what Wal-Mart brings in each year, on the flip side of that coin Walmart's online sales of about $8 billion annually are only about 12.5% of Amazon's total sales.

  • [By Patricio Kehoe] push through their video on demand or SVOD services, Discovery is bound to benefit from licensing agreements in the future.

    International Expansion Boosts Valuation

    Discovery�� most recent acquisition of Prosieben�� SBS Nordic assets and a 20% stake in TF1�� Eurosport are strategically well-placed deals, given the company�� strong presence in the Western European market. This is reflected in the firm�� annual revenue growth of 13.2%, well above the industry average of 3.3%. For the next five years, revenue is expected to average an 11% growth rate, while the current 20% EBITDA growth margin is expected to reach a five-year average of 42%. These margin boosts will be the consequence of the company�� international expansion, where a 59% revenue increase closed the fiscal 2013 metrics at $4.5 billion.

    Although advertising represents 50% of Discovery�� revenue income, which could be problematic in the case of a recession, I believe this company�� business model and 41% operating margins will solidly balance out headwinds. Furthermore, the outstanding 185.10% returns on capital (ROC - Greenblatt), as well as the strong 24% EPS growth rate, leave me feeling very bullish about this media giant's future. In fact, earnings per share will progressively grow from $2.50 in 2013 to $3.96 in quarter four of 2015. And despite the stock�� trading price premium of 47% compared to the industry�� average of 19.2x, I think investors would benefit from entering the market now, given the growing price trend.� �

    Disclosure: Patricio Kehoe holds no position in any stocks mentioned.


    Also check out: Lee Ainslie Undervalued Stocks Lee Ainslie Top Growth Companies Lee Ainslie High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Lee Ainslie keeps buying
    About the author:Patricio KehoeA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree Analytics
  • [By Steve Symington]

    On Tuesday,�Amazon.com� (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) �stock closed within 1% of its 52-week-high as the company announced Amazon Birthday Gift, "a new way for customers to surprise friends on their birthdays by joining together to send Amazon.com Gift Cards with birthday messages" on Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) .

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is involved in yet another internal restructuring of sorts, and the company has done what it can to manage its shares higher and higher. In fact, shares were up a sharp 28% year-to-date before Thursday. Now a new wave of networking coverage from Credit Suisse is casting a dark shadow on Cisco, and the implication is that shares could fall some 15%, if the thesis turns out to be accurate.

Credit Suisse initiated new coverage on shares of Cisco with a very unambitious Underperform rating. The firm issued a $21.00 price target, versus a $24.80 closing price on Wednesday.

Analyst Kulbinder Garcha believes that software-defined networking is going to be a threat to the traditional networking giants. He still thinks that Cisco is a high-quality company, but it also may�be the most vulnerable of the old oligarchy. His biggest concern is that software-defined networking will shrink gross margins, even as Cisco tries to increase its services in the revenue mix.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: Powershares Water Resource Portfolio (PHO)

PowerShares Water Resources Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield of an equity index called the Palisades Water Index (the Index). The Palisades Water Index includes water companies drawn from sectors, which include water utilities, treatment, analytical and monitoring, infrastructure and distribution, water resource management, and conglomerate water companies. The Index includes companies that focus on the provision of potable water, the treatment of water and the technology and services that are directly related to water consumption. The Palisades Water Index was created by Hydrogen Ventures, LLC.

The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in American depositary receipts (ADRs) and common stocks of companies in the water industry. For purposes of this 80% policy, a company will be considered to be in the water industry if at least 50% of its revenues come from water-related activities. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its total assets in ADRs and common stocks that comprise the Index. The Fund, using an indexing investment approach, attempts to replicate the performance of the Index. The Fund generally will invest in the stocks comprising the Index in proportion to their weightings in the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Todd Shriber, ETF Professor]

    Unusual volume (at least 5X ADV): iShares Utilities ETF (NYSE: IDU), First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX Fund (NYSE: FXU), iShares MSCI Germany Small Cap ETF (NYSE: EWGS), iShares MSCI USA ETF (NYSE: EUSA), SPDR S&P Emerging Europe ETF (NYSE: GUR), PowerShares Water Resources (NYSE: PHO) and the Vanguard Industrials ETF (NYSE: VIS).

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: Nestle SA (NESN)

Nestle SA is a Swiss Company engaged in the nutrition, health and wellness sectors. It is the holding company of the Nestle Group, which comprises subsidiaries, associated companies and joint ventures throughout the world. It has such business units as Food and Beverage, Nestle Waters and Nestle Nutrition. It is also active in the pharmaceutical sector. It divides its products into Powdered and liquid beverages, Water, Milk products and Ice cream, Nutrition, Prepared dishes and cooking aids, Confectionery, PetCare and Pharmaceutical products. In February 2011, the Company acquired CM&D Pharma Ltd. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Corinne Gretler]

    Swiss stocks fell for a second day, their first back-to-back losses this month, as Nestle (NESN) SA retreated after reporting slower growth in sales.

Top Industrial Disributor Stocks To Own For 2015: Immunomedics Inc.(IMMU)

Immunomedics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of monoclonal, antibody-based products for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune, and other serious diseases in the United States and Europe. The company?s products include epratuzumab, a Phase III clinical trail product for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma; Veltuzumab, a Phase I/II clinical study completed product for the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Yttrium Y 90 Clivatuzumab tetraxetan, a humanized monoclonal antibody for pancreatic cancer that is in Phase Ib/II clinical trail; and Yttrium Y 90 epratuzumab tetraxetan, a Phase I/II clinical study product for patients with non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma. Its early phase clinical trial products comprise Milatuzumab, a transmembrane protein product for antibody-drug conjugate therapy. The com pany also develops Dock-and-Lock methodology for making fusion proteins and multifunctional antibodies, as well as a new method of delivering imaging and therapeutic agents selectively to disease, primarily different solid cancers. In addition, it markets and sells a diagnostic product, LeukoScan, which is used to treat infection and inflammation in bones for patients with suspected osteomyelitis, including patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Immunomedics, Inc. has a license and collaboration agreement with Nycomed GmbH to develop, manufacture, and commercialize veltuzumab in the subcutaneous formulation for the treatment of various non-cancer indications; and a partnership and cross-licensing agreement with Alexis Biotech Ltd., to develop vaccines against cancers that include melanoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and infectious diseases, such as AIDS. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Morris Plains, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By George Budwell]

    Immunomedics (NASDAQ: IMMU  ) develops monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other life-threatening diseases. The company has six products in clinical trials for a variety of diseases. Shares of Immunomedics have fallen hard and fast since the company announced the termination of a licensing deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical over veltuzumab last month. Even positive clinical trial results for 90-Y clivatuzumab, a treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer, failed to slow the fall. And last week, the pace of the decline picked up to the tune of a 15% drop on heavy volume.

  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Immunomedics Inc. (IMMU) �shares rose 19% to $6.18 on heavy volume after the small cap biotech said it just started treating patients with its pancreatic cancer drug in a late-stage clinical trial.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: D.R. Horton Inc.(DHI)

D.R. Horton, Inc. operates as a homebuilding company in the United States. The company?s Homebuilding segment engages in the acquisition and development of land, and construction and sale of residential homes on the land in 26 states and 72 markets in the United States primarily under the name of D.R. Horton and America?s Builder. This segment also builds traditional single-family detached homes, as well as attached homes, such as town homes, duplexes, triplexes and condominiums, which share common walls and roofs. Its Financial Services segment involves in originating and selling mortgages, as well as provides title insurance policies, examination, and closing services to homebuyers. The company markets and sells its homes through commissioned employees and independent real estate brokers. The company was founded in 1978 and is based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Maxfield]

    Sometimes, the most important data about a company is the hardest to come by. In this case, I'm referring to historic sales figures from�D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI  ) , the nation's largest homebuilder by units sold. While this is the single-most accurate reflection of D.R. Horton's performance -- not to mention, it provides valuable insight into the condition of the overall housing market -- a comprehensive data set containing the figures is nowhere to be found.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: Arca Biopharma Inc.(ABIO)

ARCA biopharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of genetically-targeted therapies for cardiovascular diseases. Its principal product candidate, Gencaro (bucindolol hydrochloride), is an investigational, pharmacologically unique beta-blocker and mild vasodilator being developed for the treatment of chronic heart failure and also for the prevention of atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure. The company has identified common genetic variations in the cardiovascular system that it believes interact with Gencaro?s pharmacology and may predict patient response. ARCA has collaboration with Laboratory Corporation of America to develop the Gencaro Test, a companion test for the genetic markers that identify these common genetic variations. The company is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ant贸nio Costa]

    Arca Biopharma Inc (NASDAQ: ABIO) OBV Indicator continues its uptrend showing investor interest. A restest of 1.8 seems very likely. Last week, Dawson James initiated coverage on shares with a buy rating and a $3.75 target price.

    During the day I tweet many times to my readers. I encourage everybody to subscribe AC Investor Blog twitter and newsletter, so you can receive my trade ideas and stock news in real time.

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    Were you listening back on December 20th when yours truly suggested Arca Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ABIO) was a budding bullish play? I hope so. If you stepped in then, you'd now be up 9.3%. No, it's not a lot. Then again, it's been less than two weeks. Regardless of whether or not you got into ABIO then, though, as of today, Arca Biopharma have cleared a hurdle that suggests the best is yet to come.

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    I don't come hear to pat myself on the back, however. I come hear to let you know the same conditions that made American Community overbought and ripe for a reversal and suggested Real Goods Solar, Inc. was ready to rally are now saying - respectively - ParkerVision, Inc. (NASDAQ:PRKR) shares are due for a pullback and Arca Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ABIO) is on the verge of a big bullish thrust.

  • [By Bryan Murphy]

    Congratulations if you were in a GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ:GWPH) position anytime before today's open. Now get out. Not only is the party over for GWPH, there's something better you could do with your money now. It's a not-so-obscure-any-longer biotech called Arca Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ABIO), and though the stock's up pretty nicely since two Fridays ago, ABIO is also just getting started.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: First Trust Global Wind Energy (FAN)

First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield, of an equity index called the ISE Global Wind Energy Index. The Fund will normally invest at least 90% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks that comprise the Index or in depositary receipts that may include American depositary receipts (ADRs), global depositary receipts (GDRs), European depositary receipts (EDRs) or other depositary receipts (collectively, Depositary Receipts) representing securities in the Index. The Fund invests in sectors, which include Consumer Discretionary, Energy, Industrials, Materials and Utilities. First Trust Advisors L.P. (First Trust) is the Investment Advisor of the Fund. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Small cap wind stock Broadwind Energy Inc (NASDAQ: BWEN) is up 203.7% since the start of the year, but investors might want to contain their excitement when they look closer at the�stock and�consider its�long term performance along with the performance of other wind investments like First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (NYSEARCA: FAN) and wind energy stocks Vestas Wind Systems (OTCMKTS: VWDRY) and China Ming Yang Wind Power Group Ltd (NYSE: MY) to see whether BWEN is just blowing more hot air.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: ProShares UltraShort S&P500 (SDS)

ProShares UltraShort S&P500 (the Fund), formerly UltraShort S&P500 ProShares, seeks daily investment results that correspond to twice the inverse daily performance of the S&P 500 Index. The S&P 500 Index is a measure of large-cap United States stock market performance. The S&P 500 Index is a capitalization-weighted index of 500 United States operating companies and real estate investment trusts (REITs) selected by an S&P committee through a non-mechanical process that factors criteria, such as liquidity, price, market capitalization, financial viability and public float.

The S&P 500 Index is a price return index. Reconstitution of the Index occurs both on a quarterly and on an ongoing basis. The Fund takes positions in securities and/or financial instruments that, in combination, should have similar daily return characteristics as 200% of the daily return of the index. The Fund�� investment advisor is ProShare Advisors LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    The so-called Hindenburg Omen predicting a major market crash is increasingly popping into the headlines; but regardless of whether or not you believe in the prophecy,�short ETFs like ProShares UltraShort S&P500 ETF (NYSEARCA: SDS), ProShares Short Dow30 ETF (NYSEARCA: DOG) and�ProShares UltraShort QQQ ETF (NYSEARCA: QID) can off you some protection or insurance. We have also periodically added short ETFs to our�SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio as a�hedge against short-term�market downturns or�short-term trend reversals and right now, we have the ProShares UltraShort S&P500 ETF in our portfolio.

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: Hudson Global Inc (HSON)

Hudson Global, Inc. (Hudson) incorporated on January 1, 2003, provides specialized professional-level recruitment and related talent solutions worldwide. The Company's Core service offerings include Permanent Recruitment, Contract Consulting, Legal eDiscovery, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Talent Management solutions. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated in 20 countries with three geographic business segments: Hudson Americas, Hudson Asia Pacific, and Hudson Europe. The Company's core service offerings include Permanent Recruitment, Contract Consulting, Legal eDiscovery,RPO and Talent Management Solutions.

The Company's Permanent Recruitment services leverage the firm's more than 1,200 consultants, supported by the Company's psychologists and other scientific specialists in the development and delivery of its methods to identify, select and engage the best-fit talent for critical client roles. In Contract Consulting, Hudson provides a range of project management, interim management and professional contract staffing services. Hudson's Legal eDiscovery services consists of eDiscovery solutions, managed document review including logistical deployment, project management, process design and productivity management, and contract attorney staffing. Hudson's RPO delivers outsourced recruitment solutions tailored to the individual needs of mid- to large-cap multinational companies. Hudson RPO services include complete recruitment outsourcing, project-based outsourcing, contingent workforce solutions and recruitment consulting. Hudson's Talent Management Solutions capability encompasses services such as talent assessment, interview training, executive coaching, employee development and outplacement.

The Company's clients include small to large-sized corporations and government agencies. As of December 31, 2012 , there were approximately 460 Hudson Americas clients, 1,200 Hudson Asia Pacific clients and 2,700 Hudson Europe clients.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. Having a consolidation strategy that is well suited for the highly fragmented temporary staffing industry, small cap Staffing 360 Solutions intends to become a major international publicly-held staffing organization with diversified staffing services by engaging in a targeted accretive acquisition strategy. Staffing 360 Solutions has already developed a significant pipeline of acquisition targets in the IT, financial, accounting, healthcare and banking industries. Moreover, its executive chairman Brendan Flood spent seven years at Hudson Global Inc (NASDAQ: HSON) in various roles in Europe and the United States, culminating with him leading the company's IPO and listing of its common stock on the Nasdaq National Market in 2003. During 2004 and 2005 he was the CFO/COO for Hudson North America (returning the business to profitability after several loss-making years) while�prior to the IPO, it should be noted that Hudson was part of what is now Monster Worldwide, Inc (NYSE: MWW). CEO Matt Briand also has 17 years of staffing industry experience from various recruitment, sales, management and executive roles. On Wednesday, Staffing 360 Solutions issued an updated forecast for the next three fiscal quarters is as follows: $24.1 million for the quarter ending May 31, 2014, $30.2 million for the quarter ending August 31, 2014, and $32.1 million for the quarter ending November 30, 2014. Staffing 360 Solutions has also recently completed the acquisition of�PeopleSERVE, which�provides IT professional and management consultants on a contract and direct hire basis to state and local government, multinational and regional businesses and entrepreneurial firms throughout the greater Boston area.�On Wednesday, Staffing 360 Solutions fell 0.50% to $1.99 (STAF has a 52 week trading range of $0.55 to $2.10 a share) for a market cap of $60.98 million plus the stock is down 0.5% since the start of the year, up 20.6% over the past year and up 165.3% ove

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: AstraZeneca PLC (AZN)

AstraZeneca PLC (AstraZeneca), incorporated on June 17, 1992, is a global biopharmaceutical company. AstraZeneca discovers, develops and commercializes prescription medicines for six areas of healthcare: Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Infection, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Respiratory and Inflammation. It has a range of medicines that includes treatments for illnesses, such as its antibiotic, Merrem/Meronem and Losec/Prilosec for acid related diseases. AstraZeneca�� products include Crestor, Atacand,Seloken/Toprol-XL, Plendil, Onglyza, Zestril, Symbicort and Zoladex. The Company owns and operates a range of research and development (R&D), production and marketing facilities worldwide. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries, including China, Mexico, Brazil and Russia. On August 31, 2011, the Company completed the sale of the Astra Tech business to DENTSPLY International Inc. On June 19, 2012, the Company acquired Ardea Biosciences Inc (Ardea), a biotechnology company in San Diego, California. In July 2012, the Company acquired a portfolio of neuroscience assets from Link Medicine Corporation. In August 2012, Alliance Pharma plc�� wholly owned subsidiary, Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited, acquired the antimalarial brands Paludrine, Avloclor and Savarine from AstraZeneca UK Limited. In August 2012, the Company and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced the acquisition of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. In June 2013, the Company acquired Pearl Therapeutics.

Cardiovascular

The Company�� marketed products include Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium), Atacand2 (candesartan cilexetil), Seloken/Toprol-XL (metoprolol succinate), Tenormin (atenolol), Plendil (felodipine), Zestril3 (lisinopril dihydrate), Brilinta/Brilique (ticagrelor), and Axanum, (acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Crestor1 is a statin used for the treatment of dyslipidaemia and hypercholesterolemia. In some markets, it is also indicated to slow the progression of atherosclerosis and to re! duce the risk of first cardiovascular (CV) events. Atacand2 is an angiotensin II antagonist used for the 1st line treatment of hypertension and symptomatic heart failure. Seloken/Toprol-XL is a beta-blocker once-daily tablet used for 24-hour control of hypertension and for use in heart failure and angina.

Tenormin is a cardioselective beta-blocker used for hypertension, angina pectoris and other CV disorders. Plendil is a calcium antagonist used for the treatment of hypertension and angina. Zestril3 is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used for the treatment of a wide range of CV diseases, including hypertension. Brilinta/Brilique is an oral antiplatelet for the treatment of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Axanum is a fixed dose combination indicated for prevention of CV events in high-risk CV patients in need of daily low-dose ASA treatment and who are at risk of gastric ulcers.

The Company�� marketed products for diabetes include Komboglyze ((saxagliptin and metformin HCl), Kombiglyze XR (saxagliptin and metformin XR) and Onglyza (saxagliptin). Komboglyze is an immediate release fixed dose combination indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adult patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on their maximally tolerated dose of metformin alone or those already being treated with the combination of saxagliptin and metformin as separate tablets. Kombiglyze XR is an extended release fixed dose combination indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus when treatment with both saxagliptin and metformin is appropriate. Onglyza is a DPP-IV inhibitor used for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

Gastrointestinal

AstraZeneca�� marketed products include Nexium (esomeprazole), Losec/Prilosec (omeprazole) and Entocort (budesonide). Nexium is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used for the treatment of acid-related diseases to offer clini! cal impro! vements over other PPIs and other treatments. Losec/Prilosec is used for the short-term and long-term treatment of acid-related diseases. Entocort is a corticosteroid used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Nexium is marketed in approximately 120 countries and is available in oral (tablet/capsules and oral suspension) and intravenous (i.v.) dosage forms for the treatment of acid-related diseases.

Infection

The Company�� marketed products include Merrem/Meronem (meropenem), Cubicin (daptomycin) and FluMist/Fluenz (influenza vaccine live, intranasal). Merrem/Meronem is a carbapenem anti-bacterial used for the treatment of serious infections in hospitalised patients. Cubicin is a cyclic lipopeptide anti-bacterial used for the treatment of serious infections in hospitalised patients. FluMist/Fluenz is an intranasal live, attenuated, trivalent influenza vaccine.

Neuroscience

AstraZeneca�� marketed products include Seroquel IR (quetiapine fumarate), Seroquel XR (an extended release formulation of quetiapine fumarate), Zomig (zolmitriptan), Diprivan (propofol), Vimovo (naproxen/esomeprazole magnesium), Naropin (ropivacaine), Xylocaine (lidocaine) and EMLA (lidocaine and prilocaine). Seroquel IR is an atypical anti-psychotic drug used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (mania, depression and maintenance). Seroquel XR is used for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, MDD and in some territories for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).

Zomig is used for the treatment of migraines with or without aura and Zomig Nasal Spray is indicated for the acute treatment of cluster. Diprivan is an intravenous general anaesthetic used in the induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia, for use in intensive care sedation and conscious sedation for surgical as well as diagnostic procedures. Vimovo is a fixed-dose combination of enteric-coated naproxen (an NSAID) with the gastroprotection of immediate release ! esomepraz! ole (a proton pump inhibitor) for the relief of signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, and to decrease the developing of gastric ulcers in patients at risk of developing NSAID-associated gastric ulcers. Naropin is used as a long-acting local anaesthetic, for surgical anaesthesia and acute pain management. Xylocaine is a used short-acting local anaesthetic. EMLA is used as a local anaesthetic for topical application.

Oncology

AstraZeneca�� marketed products include Arimidex (anastrozole), Zoladex (goserelin acetate implant), Casodex (bicalutamide), Iressa (gefitinib), Faslodex (fulvestrant), Nolvadex (tamoxifen citrate) and Caprelsa (vandetanib). Arimidex is an aromatase inhibitor used for the treatment of early breast cancer. Zoladex, in one- and three-month depots, is a luteinising hormone-releasing hormone agonist used for the treatment of prostate cancer, breast cancer and certain benign gynaecological disorders. Casodex is an anti-androgen therapy used for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    www.take2games.com Sometimes, the right answer when a potential suitor appears before you on bended knee is "Yes." But there's been no shortage of attractive offers getting spurned on Wall Street. Sometimes those offers just don't make sense: Boards aren't ready to sell; shareholders think their stock is worth more, and vote down the deals. AstraZeneca (AZN) recently became the latest big company to refuse a suitor's advances. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (PFE) was shot down last week after making a $117 billion offer for AstraZeneca. Pfizer claims that was its final offer; apparently, it wasn't enough. Sometimes, those disinterested companies are better off on their own. However, for every Facebook (FB) that correctly scoffed at a large figure (offered $1 billion, it's worth north of $150 billion today), there are many companies that lived to regret turning down. Here are five companies whose owners really should have taken the money and run. Circuit City Circuit City is gone. The consumer electronics superstore chain filed for bankruptcy, liquidating all of its stores in 2009. It didn't have to go out that way. There was no shortage of companies proposing to take over the once-vibrant retailer. It turned down private equity firms that wanted to pay $8 a share in 2003 and then $17 a share in 2005. Blockbuster Video -- yes, that Blockbuster -- even started to make buyout overtures in 2008. Blockbuster was hoping that teaming up with Circuit City would create "an $18 billion retail enterprise uniquely positioned for the convergence of media content and electronic devices." It never panned out. Circuit City was out of business less than a year later. Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) Weeks before Take-Two Interactive's "Grand Theft Auto IV" hit stores in 2008, Electronic Arts (EA) initiated a hostile takeover. It offered to pay $26 a share for Take-Two, but with the game expected to set industry sales records (which it eventually did), there was little reason

10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now: Waste Management Inc.(WM)

Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste management services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. The company also owns, develops, and operates waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Its collection services involves in picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility, or disposal site; and recycling operations include collection and materials processing, plastics materials recycling, and commodities recycling. In addition, it provides recycling brokerage, which includes managing the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties; and electronic recycling services, such as collection, sorting, and disassembling of discarded computers, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment. Further, the company e ngages in renting and servicing portable restroom facilities to municipalities and commercial customers under the Port-o-Let name; and involves in landfill gas-to-energy operations comprising recovering and processing the methane gas produced naturally by landfills into a renewable energy source, as well as provides street and parking lot sweeping services. Additionally, it offers portable self-storage, fluorescent lamp recycling, and medical waste services for healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and individuals, as well as provides services on behalf of third parties to construct waste facilities. The company was formerly known as USA Waste Services, Inc. and changed its name to Waste Management, Inc. in 1998. Waste Management, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dividends4Life]

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  • [By Arjun Sreekumar]

    For instance, Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) has amassed a fleet of around 2,000 trucks that are powered by compressed natural gas and plans to add more, while UPS (NYSE: UPS  ) recently announced plans to purchase 285 more gas-powered trucks next year.

  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Some of the companies most dependent on government for revenue are Harris Corp. (HRS) �with 80% of revenue government-derived; Granite Construction Inc. (GVA) �with 58%; Flir Systems Inc. (FLIR) �with 54%; and Waste Management Inc. (WM) � and Republic Services Inc. (RSG) �both with 50%, according to Goldman Sachs.