China Gengsheng Minerals Leaves No Doubt (CHGS)

If you're reading this, then odds are you already know that China Gengsheng Minerals Inc. (NYSEMKT:CHGS) shares are up a whopping 60% today. And, odds are good you're struggling to find a reason why CHGS are running so hard. Here's some advice - discontinue the hunt. You're not going to find a reason for all this bullishness in the headlines. Yet, there's a reason. It's just a bigger, almost too big to spot kind of reason. Either way, would-be traders can take the hint at face value.

CHGS is, as the name implies, in the mineral business. That's not a description that does the Chinese company and supplier to the Chinese market justice, however. China Gengsheng Minerals makes specialized industrial materials. Though business was tough in 2012 and even tougher in 2013, there's something of a light at the end of the tunnel now. That light's been evident since October, when shares cleared a key technical hurdle. In the meantime the stock's put some distance between itself and that technical hurdle. In fact, the technical strength has been so good, that the momentum has become trade-worthy.

The chart of China Gengsheng Minerals below illustrates just how big - and precise - the reversal has been thus far, and points to how much room there is for the stock to keep rising. In June of last year, CHGS began a V-shaped pivot, and proved that pivot was, well, a pivot, in October by punching through a former, falling resistance line. It was about that time the stock hurdled the key 200-day moving average line (green) as well.

Even then, however, there was some lingering doubt, with the stock pulling back from the October surge. As it turns out, it was only the calm before the storm. Using those key long-term moving average lines as a pushoff point allowed CHGS to spark the current rally to higher highs. Better still, the volume behind this second wave of bullishness has been notably higher than any of the volume seen during the weak periods, or even the sideways periods. It's a clue that this uptrend is gathering participants, which is often a missing ingredient with failed rallies.

Bottom line: While we may get something of a bearish pushback after such a red-hot runup today, China Gengsheng Minerals are in a new uptrend, as the bulls have tipped their hand. The reason for the buying interest will be revealed eventually. For now, the key is simply to find a good entry spot into the uptrend.

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Jim Cramer's 6 Stocks in 60 Seconds: TSLA UA CRM WFM TTWO AAL (Update 1)

Hot Oil Stocks To Own For 2015

Check out Jim Cramer's latest trading recommendations on "Action Alerts Plus".

(Updates from 10:44 a.m. ET with closing information.)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Here's what Jim Cramer had to say on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" Tuesday.

Wedbush Securities is bullish on Tesla Motors (TSLA) after it sold a handful of vehicles in Beijing, China. "So let's buy Tesla," Cramer said sarcastically, referring to the beating that Apple (AAPL) is taking after selling 50 million iPhones in the previous quarter. "What a double standard the world has," he added. Apple is a holding in Cramer's charitable trust, Action Alerts PLUS. TSLA jumped 5.2% to close at $178.38.

Under Armour (UA) is a "very cheap stock when it comes to long-term growth," Cramer said. He added that CEO Kevin Plank is doing the right things. UA rose 3.4% to $85.78. Pacific Crest likes Salesforce.com (CRM) and Cramer said analysts have been coming out to support high-flying names after the selling seems to have subsided. "Enough is enough," he said, adding that CEO Marc Benioff is doing a good job. CRM was up 4% to $59.37. Sterne Agee cut its price target on Whole Foods Market (WFM) to $61. Cramer said co-CEOs Walter Robb and John Mackey are "doing a great job." He said the current trading level in the stock could be a possible good entry point. WFM was up 1.9% to $52. Stifel Nicolaus maintains its buy rating on Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO), but raised its price target to $22. Cramer also likes the company, saying, "I think the stock goes to $20." TTWO was up 2.1% to $18.62. American Airlines (AAL) is higher after reporting earnings. Cramer is optimistic, saying, "This is the beginning of the next leg of growth for American Air." He said investors should own the stock. AAL flew 5.9% to $31.96. To sign up for Jim Cramer's free Booyah! newsletter, with all of his latest articles and videos, please click here. -- Written by Bret Kenwell in Petoskey, Mich. Follow @BretKenwell

Stock quotes in this article: TSLA, AAPL, UA, CRM, WFM, TTWO, AAL 

This Chart Pattern Says Star Scientific is Prepping a Monster-Sized Move (STSI)

The last time I looked at Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ:STSI) was in mid-August, when I pointed out how the stock looked like it was finally beginning a breakout via a move above that nagging ceiling at $2.11. I didn't revisit it in the meantime because STSI peeled back under that key resistance level, and even back under its short-term moving lines. It wasn't a dramatic or painful pullback, but it was more than enough to put the breakout idea on the shelf until further notice.

Consider this that notice.

Though not yet back above the key horizontal ceiling at $2.11, STSI has wiggled its way back above the 20-day (blue) and 50-day (purple) moving average lines today after finding resistance at both of them for the better part of September and early October. That's a huge first step. We've also seen Star Scientific shares leave behind a shallow trail of higher lows since late September, hinting that this isn't just a little volatility.

To fully appreciate the potential upside of Star Scientific, Inc., however, you have to zoom out to a weekly chart where you can see the bigger picture.

As you can see, STSI is already in the midst of a significant recovery effort. It hit a low of $1.15 (again) in June, moved higher, and has at least been holding the line around $1.80 ever since. But, if the stock can move above the $2.11 mark now, it wouldn't just be a catalytic move - it could spark a monster-sized breakout.

See, the shape of the chart since early this year is - so far anyway - a cup and handle pattern. The bowl-shaped dip from February to the April/June low and back up to the $2.11 area in August forms the cup portion of the pattern, and the much shallower lull and rebound effort in the meantime has formed a handle for the cup. The key to the pattern becoming explosive is a move above the brim-line at $2.11. If Star Scientific, Inc. can just move above that line, it could catapult the stock, as is so often the case with this now-rarely-seen long-term chart pattern. It's definitely worth the wait, and putting on your watchlist.

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Fallen Soldiers, Dead Gang Members, Mass Shootings: Who Cares?

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- I didn't grow up during the Vietnam War. I arrived on Earth shortly thereafter. But I assume, when soldiers came back in body bags, it was a big deal. Imagery from some of my favorite rock-n-roll icons -- Springsteen and Joel, for instance -- and a somewhat close inspection in college suggests Americans considered the human toll headline news.

Or maybe not. We had already fought several "good wars." Maybe, by Vietnam, we became desensitized to seeing men (and women) in uniform go down. That reflection on history is neither here nor there because, as it stands today, news of an American death in Afghanistan or Iraq is effectively an afterthought in print and on television.

Top Gold Stocks To Own For 2015

Often, when a soldier dies, its not front and center on national news. Usually it appears in some weekly roundup that lists the name, hometown and rank of multiple people lost. If the death comes as part of some larger-scale attack, usually pulled off by a terrorist group, the media sometimes gives it preference. Occasionally, it's even the lead story.

When we invaded Iraq the first time, Afghanistan and Iraq the second time, I watched CBC's (Canadian Broadcasting Company) nightly newscast "The National" almost every evening. I remember remarking to my wife how Canadians made such a "big deal" on the relatively rare occasion they lost somebody in one of these conflicts. Then, on Saturday evening, during Hockey Night in Canada, Don Cherry would make emotional mention of the dead during Coach's Corner, a Canadian pop culture institution. He still does. The phrase "big deal" might sound crass or disrespectful, but it's not. Please don't take it that way. It was the only way I could articulate the difference between the way we react to the war dead in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Dead servicemen and women rank only slightly above dead gang members and other victims of America's epidemic of urban, inner-city mayhem. Here in Los Angeles, the news rarely reports anything at all about the fallen in South LA unless a baby was caught in the crossfire or something else spectacular went down. Even growing up in Buffalo during the 1980s, the media used gang violence like a promotional gimmick, using a homicide count around the holidays to see if "we" could "beat" the previous year's tally. Sick.

Monday morning, at least six people died in a shooting at Washington's Navy Yard. I'll leave details of what happened to the folks whose job it is to cover this stuff. I don't envy them. I prefer being a diversion focused on the relatively meaningless. But I just can't get past the notion that -- after Aurora, after Newtown, after every big, small, random, coordinated mass murder, murder-suicide, whatever -- we've done nothing, as a nation, to truly address the situation.

For example, we still have virtually zero productive discourse on mental health in this nation.

I can't live with myself writing about Apple, but ignoring the stuff that really matters. I'm all right with being a diversion, but not an apathetic fool.

Last week -- after something happened involving a gun somewhere in America -- a Canadian Twitter follower sent me this direct message: My 10 y/o said last night "daddy how come the u.s. let's people have guns and keep talking about war, its good we don't in canada" My daughter turns 10 this year. As such, that hits home more than it would have otherwise. Admittedly, I have no real answers. I'm as helpless as the next guy. But I write because I want to, if at all possible, play a small role in making sure we do not become desensitized to the casualties mass shootings and guns in general trigger like we have so much other loss of life in this country. It's just not OK that other countries not only don't have to deal with this the way we do, but that they live and breath in cultures that couldn't even imagine such sick reality in the first place. Follow @rocco_thestreet --Written by Rocco Pendola in Santa Monica, Calif.

Rocco Pendola is a columnist and TheStreet's Director of Social Media. Pendola makes frequent appearances on national television networks such as CNN and CNBC as well as TheStreet TV. Whenever possible, Pendola uses hockey, Springsteen or Southern California references in his work. He lives in Santa Monica.

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014

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

Cache, Inc.�A nationwide, mall-based specialty retailer of lifestyle sportswear and dresses targeting style-conscious women, Cache, Inc has approximately 250 centrally located stores in 41 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands�located in high-traffic, upscale malls. In mid-November, Cache, Inc� reported a 3.1% net sales increase to $47.2 million, a 6% comparable store sales increase, a 150 basis point gross profit margin expansion to 33.5% (primarily due to lower design, production and sourcing costs plus a decrease in markdowns and higher sales) and an adjusted net loss of $7.4 million verses an�adjusted net loss of $4.9 million. Cache, Inc�� Chairman expressed confidence in the upcoming�holiday season and that the company���overarching goal remains to maximize�their white space opportunity which has been defined as ��he events in a woman�� life.���n Tuesday, small cap Cache, Inc fell 2.66% to $5.12 (CACH has a 52 week trading range of $2.00 to $6.83 a share) for a market cap of $110.90 million plus the stock is up 111.6% since the start of the year and up 162.6% over the past five years.

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: Vangold Resources Ltd. (VAN.V)

Vangold Resources Ltd., a development stage company, engages in the identification, acquisition, and exploration of mineral properties. It primarily explores for gold, copper, silver, nickel, platinum, and cobalt ores. The company is also involved in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. It holds interests in mineral properties located in North America, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda; and holds oil and gas concessions in Armenia. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSM)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a Taiwan-based company principally engaged in the research, development, manufacture and distribution of integrated circuit (IC) related products. The Company operates its businesses through wafer manufacture, mask production, wafer testing and packaging components. The Company also involves in the provision of production management, customer services and design services. Its products and services are applied in the manufacture of personal computers and peripheral products, information related products, wire and wireless communication systems, automobile and industrial equipment, as well as consumer electronic products, such as digital disk players, digital televisions (TVs), game consoles, digital cameras, among others. Its customers include Altera, AMD, Broadcom, Marvell, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Analog Devices, Freescale, NXP and Texas Instruments, among others. In July 2010, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. acquired mechanical and engineering equipment from ASML HONG KONG LTD. In September 2010, the Company acquired a set of equipments from ASML HONG KONG LTD. In December 2010, the Company acquired a set of equipment from TOKYO ELECTRON LTD., KLA-TENCOR CORP. and NOVELLUS SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL,B.V. In January 2011, the Company announced that it had acquired a set of equipment from KLA-TENCOR CORP., a set of equipment and facility, and another set of equipment from VARIAN SEMI. EQUIP. ASSOCIATES GmbH. In March 2011, the Company acquired a set of equipments from Rudolph Technologies, Inc.In March 2011, the Company acquired a set of equipments from Rudolph Technologies, Inc. In May 2011, it acquired a set of equipments form APPLIED MATERIALS SOUTH EAST ASIA PACIFIC LTD., Hamatech APE Gmbh and CO. KG, TOKYO ELECTRON LTD., DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD., and VARIAN SEMI. EQUIP. ASSOCIATES GMBH.

TSMC's customers include semiconductor companies, ranging from fabless semiconductor and systems companies, such as Advanced Micro Devices, In! c., Altera Corporation, Broadcom Corporation, Marvell Semiconductor Inc., MediaTek Inc., nVidia Corporation and Qualcomm Incorporated, to integrated device manufacturers, such as LSI Corporation, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments Inc. Fabless semiconductor and system companies accounted for approximately 80%, and integrated device manufacturers accounted for approximately 20% of its net sales as of December 31, 2009.

The Company manufactures semiconductors using CMOS and BiCMOS processes. The BiCMOS process combines the speed of the bipolar circuitry and the power consumption and density of the CMOS circuitry. It uses the CMOS process to manufacture logic semiconductors, memory semiconductors, including static random access memory (SRAM), flash memory, mixed-signal/ radio frequency (RF) semiconductors, which combine analog and digital circuitry in a single semiconductor, micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS), which combines micrometer featured mechanical parts, analog and digital circuitry in a single semiconductor, and embedded memory semiconductors, which combine logic and memory in a single semiconductor. The BiCMOS process is used to make high-end mixed-signal and other types of semiconductors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ashraf Eassa]

  Is the tide turning?
  According to Digitimes, chip manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM  ) , or TSMC, has apparently begun to see an uptick in orders from PC-levered names such as AMD (NYSE: AMD  ) and NVIDIA. (Intel builds its chips at its own manufacturing plants). While this is mildly positive for TSMC, which is also levered to the fast-growing mobile markets, it could end up being very positive for Intel and the PC-levered names in general.

• [By Alex Planes]

  Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE: TSM  ) fit the bill? Let's look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Own Right Now: Yadkin Valley Financial Corporation(YAVY)

Yadkin Valley Financial Corporation operates as the holding company for Yadkin Valley Bank and Trust Company that provides consumer and commercial banking services in North Carolina and South Carolina. The company accepts various deposit products that include demand deposits, checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial, financial, and agricultural loans; construction, land development, and other land loans; real estate- 1-4 family mortgage loans; real estate- commercial and other loans; home equity lines of credit; installment loans to individuals; and other loans. In addition, the company offers mortgage brokerage services, investment services, and insurance services, as well as act as a trustee on real estate loans. It operates 38 full-service banking offices. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Elkin, North Carolina.

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: NuVasive Inc.(NUVA)

NuVasive, Inc., a medical device company, engages in the design, development, and marketing of minimally disruptive surgical products and procedures for the spine. The company?s products focus on applications for spine fusion surgery. It offers products primarily for the thoracolumbar spine and cervical spine. The company?s principal products include a minimally disruptive surgical platform called Maximum Access Surgery (MAS), as well as cervical, biologics, and motion preservation products. Its MAS platform combines four categories of product offerings, including NVM5 and NVJJB, its proprietary software-driven nerve monitoring systems; MaXcess system that provides access to the spine with minimal soft tissue disruption; specialized implants that are used for interbody disc height restoration for fusion and stabilization of the spine, as well as biologic products comprising FormaGraft, a collagen-based synthetic bone substitute and Osteocel Plus, an allograft cellular ma trix. Its biologic products also comprise AttraX, a synthetic bone graft material; and Triad, an allograft cellular matrix containing viable mesenchymal stem cells. In addition, the company offers a range of bone allograft in patented saline packaging; disposables and spine implants under the CoRoent brand name; and fixation devices, such as rods, plates, and screws. Further, it provides intra-operative monitoring services for insight into the nervous system during spine and other surgeries. Additionally, the company is developing total disc replacement devices for lateral lumbar spine and cervical spine applications. NuVasive, Inc. sells its products through directly-employed sales shareowners, independent sales agents, and distributors to surgeons and hospitals in the United States and internationally. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Bank of America Corp.(BAC), Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd.(CHTP) and NuVasive Inc.(NUVA)

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: Templeton Global Income Fund Inc. (GIM)

Templeton Global Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Franklin Resources Inc. It is managed by Franklin Advisers Inc. The fund invests in the fixed income markets across the globe. It invests in government bonds. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the J.P. Morgan Global Government Bond Index. Templeton Global Income Fund was formed on March 17, 1988 and is domiciled in the United States.

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: HIGHCROFT INVESTMENTS ORD GBP0.25(HCFT.L)

Highcroft Investments PLC operates as a real estate investment trust that has a portfolio of property and equity investments in the United Kingdom. The company?s portfolio includes commercial property comprising retail outlets, offices, and warehouses; and residential property consisting of single-let houses. Its financial assets include exchange-traded equity investments. The company is based in Kidlington, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: Nwm Mining Corp (NWM.V)

NWM Mining Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as silver and copper deposits. It principally holds a 100% interest in the Lluvia de Oro/La Jojoba gold project covering an area of approximately 5,075 hectares located in Sonora, northwestern Mexico. The company was formerly known as Columbia Metals Corporation Limited and changed its name to NWM Mining Corporation in June 2008. NWM Mining Corporation was incorporated in 1949 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: SVB Financial Group(SIVB)

SVB Financial Group, a diversified financial services company, provides various banking and financial products and services. The company offers deposit products, such as traditional deposit and checking accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and sweep accounts, as well as lockbox and merchant services; and lending products and services, including traditional term loans, equipment loans, asset-based loans, revolving lines of credit, accounts-receivable-based lines of credits, capital call lines of credits, and credit cards. It also provides cash management products and services comprising wire transfer and automated clearing house payment services, collection services, disbursement services, electronic funds transfers, and online banking services. In addition, the company offers foreign exchange services; letters of credit, including export, import, and standby letters of credit; investment services and solutions; brokerage; asset management; investment a dvisory services, such as outsourced treasury services; and non-banking products and services, such as funds management, venture capital/private equity investment, and equity valuation services. Further, it provides private banking services comprising mortgages, home equity lines of credit, restricted stock purchase loans, and other secured and unsecured lending services. As of March 09, 2012, the company operated 26 offices in the United States and 7 offices internationally. It serves customers in the technology, venture capital/private equity, life science, wine, and clean tech industries. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Will Ashworth]

  While airlines have their ups and downs, Copa is about the best I can think of to weather the storm.

  Best Stocks #4 (Midcap): SVB Financial (SIVB)
  

  I never would have thought one of my picks for the next 20 years would be a bank — let alone one that focuses on entrepreneurs — but here I am.

• [By John Maxfield]

  Given that you clicked on this article, it seems safe to assume you either own stock in SVB Financial (NASDAQ: SIVB  ) or are considering buying shares in the near future. If so, then you've come to the right place. The table below reveals the nine most critical numbers that investors need to know about SVB Financial stock before deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold it.

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited (CCM)

Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates a network of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers in the People�s Republic of China. The company�s services comprise linear accelerators external beam radiotherapy, gamma knife radiosurgery, head gamma knife systems, body gamma knife systems, proton beam therapy, diagnostic imaging, and other treatment and diagnostic modalities. It offers clinical support services; develops treatment protocols for doctors; and organizes joint diagnosis between doctors in its network and clinical research. The company also operates a specialty cancer hospital, as well as leases medical and diagnostic equipment. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a network of 121 centers with 68 hospital partners that cover 46 cities and 24 provinces, and administrative regions in China. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People�s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

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

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: Domino's Pizza Inc(DPZ)

Domino?s Pizza, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a pizza delivery company in the United States and internationally. The company sells and delivers pizzas under the Domino?s Pizza brand name. As of January 1, 2012, it operated through a network of 9,742 stores, including 394 company-owned stores and 9,348 franchise stores located in the 50 states and approximately 70 international markets. Domino?s Pizza, Inc. was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  What do Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) and Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ  ) have in common? Both companies will now deliver food to your door in Seattle and Los Angeles, after the former company expanded its AmazonFresh grocery deliveries to only its second metropolitan area. Beyond that, there isn't much similarity between the two companies -- yet. However, in a few years, the men and women who schlep the hot pizza or cold produce to your door in hopes of a decent tip might just be replaced by unmanned drone helicopters.

• [By James O'Toole]

  In Congress, a group of 53 lawmakers sent letters Wednesday expressing support for higher wages to McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500), Wendy's (WEN), Domino's Pizza (DPZ), Burger King (BKW) and Yum! Brands (YUM, Fortune 500), which operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

• [By Rich Smith]

  That's less than half the rise of the broader S&P 500 index of companies. It's four times less than the 37% gain seen at Papa John's (NASDAQ: PZZA  ) , and less than a tenth of the gains at skyrocketing Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ  ) . But why is Pizza Hut's owner underperforming, and why might its laggard performance continue for longer than investors expect?

Top 5 Specialty Retail Companies To Own For 2014: Marifil Mines Limited (MFM.V)

Marifil Mines Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of mineral resource properties in Argentina. It explores for silver, gold, copper, nickel, limestone, potash, sulfur, zinc, lithium, lead, indium, platinum, cobalt, uranium, and base metals, as well as for oil and gas in Rio Negro, San Luis, Chubut, Neuquen, Mendoza, Salta, Santa Cruz, and Catamarca provinces. The company was incorporated in 2003 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Commercial Bancshares

Our favorite conservative investment for the coming year is a bank headquartered in Upper Sandusky, Ohio; it has been around since 1920 and has a great franchise, writes Doug Hughes, editor of The Bank Newsletter.

Commercial Bancshares (CMOH) operates as the holding company for The Commercial Savings Bank, with just over $300,000 in assets and $259,000 million in loans. This small, but very strong bank had 5% loan growth last year and net charge-offs of just 0.23%.

The management seems to be very focused on cutting costs and growing earnings, which should be, at least, $3.00 a share in 2014. If you wipeout the top management salaries, that is another $1.00 per share in earnings, so $4.00 in earning power per share is possible on a $44.00 a share takeover price.

Book value is growing by 12% a year, and since they currently only pay a 2.6% cash dividend, look for that dividend to double this year, or for them to announce a large stock buyback.

With their book value at over $26.00 a share and management always buying stock themselves, they will want to do the right thing for shareholders one day soon. Management also owns over 12% of the shares outstanding. Since they have decent growth, a big player like Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) will buy them one day.

They have only 1.18 million shares outstanding, so buy it slowly, and use limits as always, but this one seems to trade enough each week to get a nice position.

This bank stock is about as safe as it comes, with almost no downside risk, the lowest P/E we have seen in a while, very strong asset quality, solid loan growth, and operations in a good market area of Ohio.

It seems like Ohio gets many deals; better yet, a strong deal price of $45.00 a share, or more, is possible for this powerhouse. There are not many stocks left with over 100% upside and 5% downside risk. Buy all day long and sleep well with this one, it will make you rich one day.

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For More 2014 Top Stock Picks

4 New Plays For Retirement Investors

With the end of quantitative easing (QE) closer to becoming a reality, interest rates slowly climbing up, bonds bleeding value and the market swinging in all directions, investors are looking everywhere for new places to put their money.  

Let me say up front that stocks are the best way to build wealth over time, but diversification is important, and "alternative" strategies are certainly worth considering.

Unfortunately, for those hunting that kind of escape route, most alternative assets -- hedge funds, private equity, real estate and anything else you can invest in beyond stocks, bonds and cash -- have generally been reserved for the "elite class" of accredited investors with a lot of wealth, high incomes or both.

The theory is that while a big institutional portfolio can benefit from a touch of exposure to these vehicles, a more concentrated dose can be deadly to a nest egg or other retail-level account if the asset class sours.

But don't worry -- there are still plenty of investable options for the everyday investor. And I've come up with a list of four alternative assets that deserve consideration.

Let's take a look at four possibilities that I like right now.

1. Commodities

Commodities have become popular as an inflation hedge, and you're probably already significantly exposed to the asset class through more conventional instruments like S&P 500 index funds, which typically have 14% to 15% of their assets invested in mining and oil stocks. Top 10 Dividend Stocks For 2014 More direct commodity positions historically required a special brokerage account to buy or sell futures, but in the last few years a series of exchange-traded products have emerged to hold the physical assets for retail and institutional investors alike. The broadest is probably the PowerShares DB Agriculture Index fund (NSYE: DBA), which invests in agricultural commodities, industrial metals, gold and a substantial (60%) weighting to oil, gas and other fuels. On the other extreme, plenty of single-metal and crop funds have hit the market, although so far very few of them are anywhere near as liquid as the underlying commodity markets.

 

2. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

The REIT is another alternative vehicle that's gone mainstream in recent years. Hundreds of broad-based and specialized real estate companies and ETFs are available, and after a correction a few months ago, many are on the cheap side. Like any other alternative, this should be a seasoning for your portfolio and not the sauce itself. For most retail investors, a stake in an indexed fund like the SPDR Dow Jones REIT (NYSE: RWR) should be more than adequate, or look into the companies that provide services to the REIT industry like HFF (NYSE: HF) and Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL).

 

3. Private Equities

Private equities are also no longer an exclusive asset class for ultra-high-net-worth investors. You may not be able to buy into Bain Capital's funds, but you can certainly own shares of elite management companies like Blackstone (NYSE: BX) and Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO) and share a piece of their behind-the-scenes expertise and financial success.

 

4. Collectibles

Collectibles are also an option, especially if you're looking for an exotic investment. I'm talking about classic cars, vintage wine, rare coins, fine art -- all of which are technically "alternative assets" and offer some of the diversification advantages of their more standardized counterparts. Although, if you're considering collectibles, it is important to note that there's a big difference between investment-grade property and stuff you happen to just find appealing. Evaluating collectibles takes money and deep knowledge of long-term market trends. If you do decide to invest in these alternatives, I recommend you also keep at least some of your entire portfolio in bonds. These are wealth preservation vehicles, not high-performance wealth accumulators. While you shouldn't be fully invested in bonds, it does not hurt to have a few in your portfolio. Just remember to diversify your money to limit risk.

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Top Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014

Watch out, Vanguard. Capital Group wants the active investing crowd to up its game.

The group, which has about $1.2 trillion of investor and institutional assets under management (or roughly half of Vanguard’s global AUM) in its American Funds and other products, released a study on Monday highlighting how often its funds have beaten the S&P 500. It’s also beefing up its sales force in the hopes of stemming recent outflows and finding more ways to work with financial advisors.

According to Capital Group, the American Funds general sales force, which works with all types of financial advisors, will be expanded to 145 from 115 over the next six to eight months. The organization also has a separate group of institutional wholesalers, 10 of whom focus on the RIA channel.

“Recently, conversations about investing have become too narrowly focused,” said James F. Rothenberg, chairman of Capital Group, in a press release. “It has become apparent that there is only one voice out there, a voice contending that passive investing is more attractive. We need to challenge that assumption.”

Top Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Keller Group(KLR.L)

Keller Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides ground engineering services to the construction industry in Europe, North America, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia. It offers piling and earth retention systems, including diaphragm walls and marine piles that help in the installation of structural elements to transfer foundation loads through weak soils to stronger underlying ground; grouting services, which strengthen target areas in the ground and control ground water flow through rocks and soils by reducing their permeability; and ground improvement services to prepare the ground for new construction projects and to reduce the risk of liquefaction in areas of seismic activity. The company also offers anchors, soil nails, and minipiles; and post-tension cable systems that are used to reinforce concrete foundations and structural spans. Its services are used across the construction sector in infrastructure, industrial, commercial, residential, and environmen tal projects. The company was founded in 1860 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Top Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: RigNet Inc.(RNET)

RigNet, Inc. provides remote communications services for the oil and gas industry. It offers remote communications services through a controlled and managed Internet protocol/multiprotocol label switching (IP/MPLS) global network, enabling drilling contractors, oil companies, and oilfield service companies to communicate. The company offers a communications package of voice, data, video, networking, and real-time data management to offshore and land-based remote locations. It primarily provides voice-over-Internet-protocol, data, and high-speed Internet access, as well as other value-added services, such as video conferencing solutions, TurboNet solutions for wide area network, real-time data management solutions, Wi-Fi hotspots and Internet kiosks, wireless intercoms, and handheld radios. The company also offers Secure Oil Information Link, a managed members-only communications network hub that enables collaborative partners, suppliers, and customers to transfer and share data. It serves the owners and operators of offshore drilling rigs and production facilities, land rigs, remote offices, and supply bases primarily in the United States, Brazil, Norway, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Australia. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Best High Tech Stocks To Watch For 2014: NetApp Inc.(NTAP)

NetApp, Inc. engages in the design, manufacturing, marketing, and technical support of networked storage solutions. It supplies enterprise storage and data management software, and hardware products and services. The company offers Data ONTAP, an operating system that supports storage area network (SAN) and network-attached storage (NAS) environments; storage efficiency technologies, including FlexVol, FlexClone, and Deduplication technologies; storage management and application integration software, such as OnCommand management software; fabric-attached storage unified storage systems, which support a range of data for users on various platforms; and virtual storage tier; V-Series network-based virtualization solutions that provide SAN and NAS access to the data stored in heterogeneous storage arrays. It also provides data protection software products, including Snapshot, SnapRestore, SnapVault, and Open Systems SnapVault techologies; MetroCluster products; and SnapMirror data replication solution. In addition, the company offers data retention and archive products, and Flash Cache modules; and storage security products for data security and key management in IP SAN, NAS, and tape backup environments; StorageGRID that enables intelligent data management and secure content retention; and professional services, global support solutions, and customer education and training. It serves energy, financial services, government, high technology, Internet, life sciences and healthcare services, manufacturing, media, entertainment, animation and video postproduction, and telecommunications industries. It offers its products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. The company was formerly known as Network Appliance, Inc. and changed its name to NetApp, Inc. in March 2008. NetApp, Inc. was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Network storage specialist NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP  ) , also held by this technology ETF, surged 38%. The company initiated a dividend this year, and it's yielding 1.6%. The company's operating system, ONTAP, has been rated well, and has gained market share, too. Some wonder whether NetApp might end up acquired by another major data player, such as Oracle, while others are hoping that an activist investor might help the company's prospects. Meanwhile, the stock is significantly shorted, and the company has announced layoffs, and boosted its share buyback plans. It still looks attractive to some, in part due to strong free cash flow.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Network Appliances Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) was downgraded to Equal Weight from Overweight with a new $46 price target by Barclays.

  PHH Corp. (NYSE: PHH) was downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

Top Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Jinpan International Limited(JST)

Jinpan International Limited engages in the design and manufacture of cast resin transformers for voltage distribution equipment. Its cast resin transformers allow high voltage transmissions of electricity to be distributed to various locations in lower, more usable voltages. The company provides medium voltage cast resin transformers for various end uses and applications, including industrial, infrastructure, and municipal projects, such as factories, real estate developments, airports, and subway systems. It also offers switchgears, which enable operators of a power distribution network to switch equipment in and out of the network; line reactors that limit current, filter waveforms, and attenuate electrical noise and harmonics associated with the inverter and driver output of wind powered turbines; and unit substations, which are integrated assemblies comprising high voltage switchgear, a transformer, a low voltage switchgear, a power meter, and a power factor compensat ion device interconnected with cables or buss bars. The company?s unit substations function as miniature power distribution stations and are used in applications related to the construction and maintenance of city power networks. Jinpan International sells its products in the People?s Republic of China, the United States, and Europe. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Haikou, the People's Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Jinpan International Ltd (Nasdaq:JST), a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of cast resin dry type transformers, recently reported that its subsidiary Hainan Jinpan Electric Co. Ltd. successfully developed a 40,000KVA / 35KV cast resin dry type power transformer. The Company has shipped the transformer to the customer’s site in China’s Anhui province for installation in a transformer substation that will deliver power to gas liquification systems.

Top Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Praemium Ltd (PPS.AX)

Praemium Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides investment administration and portfolio management services to financial institutions in Australia and the United Kingdom. The company offers V-Wrap, a virtual investment wrap platform and online portfolio administration service that provides multi-asset administration, corporate action processing, and tax and investment reporting solutions; V-Wrap Adviser, which offers live market data services, real time client reporting services, and portfolio review tools for financial advisers and brokers; V-Wrap Investor that provides portfolio reporting and investment information; and V-Wrap Mobile, which enables a V-Wrap user to access portfolio information and market data services through hand-held mobile phone. It also offers Separately Managed Accounts technology, which enables online access for model providers, advisers, and clients; online account set up and maintenance; daily rebalancing of models; netting of buy/sell transactions across models; transfer of assets; customizations, including stock substitutions and holding locks; capital gain scenario modeling and optimization; various options for fee payments; badging; and others. Praemium Limited offers its solutions for accountants, financial planners, stockbrokers, and self managed super fund administrators. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Top Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Loans4less.Com Inc (LFLS.PK)

Top Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Freescale Semiconductor Inc (FSL)

Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. provides embedded processing solutions for automotive, networking, industrial, and consumer markets worldwide. The company�s embedded processor products comprise microcontrollers, such as ultra low power, low end 8-bit, and 32-bit products with on-board flash memory, which provide the digital logic or intelligence for electronic applications; single-and multi-core microprocessors; and applications processors with embedded memory, and special purpose hardware and software for multimedia applications. It also offers wireless connectivity products for low power wireless communications functionality; communications processors that perform tasks related to control and management of digital data, and network interfaces; and radio frequency (RF) devices, which consist of power transistors, amplifiers, receivers, and tuners for amplifying RF signals. In addition, the company provides analog, mixed-signal, and power management integrated circuits (ICs ) that include switches, power management devices, battery and motor control devices, CAN/LIN network transceivers, and signal conditioners that perform audio processing, backlight management/control, power management, and charging functions; sensors comprising pressure, inertial, magnetic, and proximity sensors, which act as an interface between an embedded system and external environment; and cellular products consisting of baseband processors, power management ICs, and RF subsystems. It sells its products to original equipment manufacturers, distributors, original design manufacturers, and contract manufacturers through its direct sales force and distributors. The company was formerly known as Freescale Semiconductor Holdings I, Ltd. and changed its name to Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. in April 2012. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Freescale Semiconductor, Ltd. is a subsidiary of Freescale Holdings L.P.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Freescale Semiconductor Ltd. (NYSE: FSL) also has a less than 10% exposure in sales to Cisco. With a large percentage of sales, totaling close to 30% to the growing automotive sector, Freescale may be able to dodge lower orders for its digital networking chips. The consensus price target for the stock is $19.

Top Heal Care Stocks To Buy For 2014: Ssp Offshore Inc (SSZ.V)

SSP Offshore Inc., together wit its subsidiaries, engages in the development and commercialization of its proprietary technology for the oil and gas industry. The company�s SSP FPSO platform technology is related to the floating, production, storage, and offloading of vessels for crude oil, compressed natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas, as well as SSP320 Plus floater for drilling operations used in various water applications. It also provides pipe-in-pipe technology for oil, hot oil, methanol, and refrigerated gas; and steel catenary riser-top connector to connect flexible steel catenary riser to surface production vessels, as well as designs and installs various platforms for marginal field developments in shallow water. The company offers its products primarily in Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, North Sea, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The company, formerly known as OPE holdings Ltd., was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Will Al Qaeda's Legion of Doom Destroy America's Economy?

Surgically implanted bombs, the most serious threats the U.S. has seen in years, and Al-Qaeda "chatter" similar to what was seen right before 9/11 are just some of the threats U.S lawmakers say prompted increased security, and the closure of embassies across the Middle East, recently.

The U.S. State Department also issued a global travel warning, saying that terrorist organizations are aggressively focusing on kidnapping, torturing, and bombing Americans traveling abroad. Moreover, this all has the ability to affect America's shaky economy. But there are ways to prepare -- just in case.

Image: CIA, via Wikimedia Commons. 

The increase in terrorist activity
In the past few weeks, the U.S. closed 22 U.S. embassies across the Middle East and North Africa, because of "credible threats" that terrorist organizations are planning a massive attack. So far, U.S. intelligence agencies haven't stated where, or when, these attacks will take place, but they did say the threats appeared to originate in Yemen, indicating a high probability they're Al-Qaeda-related.

Further, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland, told ABC that Al-Qaeda's "operatives are in place" and that it'd be a "major attack." And Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., the lead on the House Homeland Security subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence, told ABC that "Al Qaeda is in many ways stronger than it was before 9/11, because it's mutated and it spread and it can come at us from different directions."

What to prepare for
Luckily, lawmakers are taking these threats seriously. But, considering that on Sept. 10, 2001, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) closed at 9,605.51, and on Sept. 17, the day the Dow reopened, it closed at 8,920.70, a 7.13% decrease -- and then it didn't recover for a month -- there are a few things investors should keep in mind. 

First ...
A terrorist attack, particularly a massive one, could have an emotional impact on the market. The Dow dropped 7.13% on Sept. 17, but it finished the week down 14.3% -- the largest single-week drop in U.S. history. This drop was probably exacerbated by the attack's occurrence at the heart of the U.S. financial system, though leading reports indicate that location wasn't solely responsible for this decline. In addition, while initial reports indicated that the Sept. 11 attacks slowed GDP, later Congressional Research service reports state that GDP slowed before Sept. 11, and was not a result of the terrorist attack. This finding indicates that the sudden decrease in the market was largely emotionally driven. Consequently, a short-term drop in the market is possible following a major attack.

Second ...
A surge in oil prices is probable. One of the reasons the U.S. closed embassies in the Middle East and North Africa is that these areas are likely spots for terrorist attacks; particularly the Arabian Peninsula. That directly affects the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC.

In 2012, petroleum net imports accounted for 40% of the total petroleum used in the United States. Of that amount, 55% was imported from OPEC, which includes Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. In fact, in 2012, 18% of U.S. imported petroleum came from Saudi Arabia.

Further, in July, OPEC crude output hit a four-month low because of the conflict in Libya and Iraq and had a direct effect on July's gas prices. According to AAA, July gas prices rose $0.14 per gallon because of increased demand and unrest in the Middle East. Oil price increases are usually good for ETFs such as the United States Oil Fund (NYSEMKT: USO  ) , and PowerShares DB Oil Fund (NYSEMKT: DBO  ) , but a rise in oil prices can also be detrimental to the economy.  

Recently, The World Bank Development Research Group Environment and Energy Team analyzed a wide body of research on oil prices' impact on the economy. They concluded that an increase in oil price negatively affects global GDP but is especially damaging to emerging and developing countries, such as China, because of their reliance on oil-intensive manufacturing industries. Consequently, a rise in oil prices, following an attack, could negatively affect the United States' slowly recovering economy -- and the global economy.

Third ...
As Secretary of State John Kerry said, "Deploying diplomats today is much cheaper than deploying troops tomorrow." The Middle East is a hotbed for terrorist activity, and one way America fosters diplomacy is through its embassies. Consequently, they make ideal targets for terrorist attacks. However, a physical assault on an embassy isn't the most effective way a terrorist group could attack the United States. And I think they know that.

In 2009, under the direction of Al-Qaeda, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the "underwear bomber," tried to blow up a flight headed to Detroit. Following the failed attack, the U.S. deployed L-3 Communications Holdings' body scanners that had a three-year initial estimated cost of $3 billion (since reduced). 

Last September, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters successfully targeted six banks, including Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. This attack, along with others, spurred the U.S. to invest heavily in cybersecurity initiatives such as the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center -- which partners with Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT  ) and its subcontractor CACI international (NYSE: CACI  ) . In fact, analysts expect that while defense budgets are cut, cybersecurity-related spending will  increase. 

Pre-9/11, the Congressional Budget Office stated: "Under current policies, total surpluses would accumulate to an estimated $2 trillion over the next five years and $5.6 trillion over the coming decade. Such large surpluses would be sufficient by 2006 to pay off all debt held by the public that will be available for redemption." Then 9/11 happened.  

America is a defense superpower, and Al-Qaeda doesn't stand a chance in a frontal attack. But through their past actions, they've cost the U.S. trillions. Fortunately, or not so fortunately depending on how you look at it, the U.S. has already invested heavily in counterterrorism measures, so a sharp increase in defense spending is unlikely. Still, an attack by Al-Qaeda on the U.S. is likely to spur defense spending -- even if we are in the middle of sequestration. Just look at what happened following North Korea's missile launch: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel stated that the U.S. would be shifting "resources" to boost funding to Lockheed Martin's Aegis missile defense system, and beefing up missile defense -- to the tune of $1 billion.  

A grim wrap
The Department of State believes that now to the end of August is when the terrorists plan to attack. But the good news is that for now, this is all still hypothetical -- and hopefully it remains that way. But if a "major attack" does occur, the best thing you can do as a Foolish investor is to look at what's happened in the past, and not panic. The market may go nuts, oil prices could increase, and it could have an overall impact on the economy, but I don't think it'll be long-lived. And as Fools invest for the long run, the best thing you can do is stock up while the market's low.

Sept. 11 had a major impact on the stock market and the economy, but one thing hasn't changed: Dividend stocks can make you rich. While they don't garner the notability of high-flying growth stocks, they're also less likely to crash and burn. And over the long term, the compounding effect of the quarterly payouts, as well as their growth, adds up faster than most investors imagine. With this in mind, our analysts sat down to identify the absolute best of the best when it comes to rock-solid dividend stocks, drawing up a list in this free report of nine that fit the bill. To discover the identities of these companies before the rest of the market catches on, you can download this valuable free report by simply clicking here now.

4 Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume recently.

ReachLocal

ReachLocal (RLOC) provides a suite of online marketing and reporting solutions to small and medium-sized businesses primarily in North America, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Brazil and India. This stock closed up 4.2% at $13.95 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 363,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 95,927

Volume % Change: 266%

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Stomp the S&P in 2014

From a technical perspective, RLOC jumped sharply higher here right above its 200-day moving average of $13.16 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of RLOC within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if RLOC manages to take out Wednesday's high of $14 to some past overhead resistance at $14.45 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RLOC as long as it's trending above its 200-day at $13.16 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 95,927 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then RLOC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels $15.26 to $16. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give RLOC a chance to tag its next major overhead resistance level at $17.39.

Newport

Newport (NEWP) and its subsidiaries provide technology products and systems for scientific research, microelectronics, defense/security, life and health sciences and industrial markets worldwide. This stock closed up 7.2% at $19.01 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 544,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 153,646

Volume % Change: 273%

>>4 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves

From a technical perspective, NEWP ripped sharply higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $17.29 with strong upside volume. This move pushed shares of NEWP into breakout and new 52-week-high territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $18.49. Shares of NEWP are now quickly moving within range of triggering another major breakout trade. That trade will hit if NEWP manages to take out Wednesday's high of $19.10 to its 2012 high of $19.50 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in NEWP as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $17.29 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 153,646 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then NEWP will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $23 to $25.

KBR

KBR (KBR) operates as an engineering, construction and services company worldwide. This stock closed up 5.7% at $33.62 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 5.98 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.92 million

Volume % Change: 258%

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

From a technical perspective, KBR spiked sharply higher here back above both its 200-day moving average of $32.13 and its 50-day moving average of $32.49 with heavy upside volume. This move is starting to push shares of KBR within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if KBR manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $35.27 to its 52-week high at $36.70 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KBR as long as it's trending above its 200-day at $32.13 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 1.92 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then KBR will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $40 to $45.

Mellanox Technologies

Mellanox Technologies (MLNX), a fabless semiconductor company, produces and supplies semiconductor interconnect products for computing, storage and communications applications in the high-performance computing, Web 2.0, storage, financial services, database, cloud and embedded markets. This stock closed up 7.6% at $43.74 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 1.58 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 677,054

Volume % Change: 185%

From a technical perspective, MLNX ripped sharply higher here and broke out above some key overhead resistance levels at $41.19 to $42.45 with strong upside volume. This breakout pushed shares of MLNX outside of its recent sideways trading chart pattern and above a key downtrend line that started back in October. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if shares of MLNX can manage to take out Wednesday's high of $44.18 to its 200-day moving average of $44.45 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MLNX as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $40.01 and then once it sustains a move or close above $44.18 to $44.45 with volume that's near or above 677,054 shares. If we get that move soon, then MLNX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $55 to $59.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>2 Stocks Under $10 Triggering Breakouts

>>5 Big Tech Stocks to Sell Now

>>The Case for a Correction in Stocks

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

The Straddle and Measured Move Targets

Today I want to talk about the purest volatility options trade there is. The at the money straddle. A straddle is being both long or short the call and put with the same strike price. If you own the straddle you want the underlying asset to move more than you paid for it and if you are short it you want as little movement as possible. The straddle price  in its collective wisdom of supply vs demand shows what the market thinks the trading range will be during the lifetime of the option.

For instance,  let's look at the SPY March at the money straddle. The 184 straddle is closest to being at the money  and is trading at 7.50 (3.70 in the call and 3.80 in the put).This means that the market believes the trading range until the March expiration will be 176.50 to 191.50 (translating to 1765 to 1915 in the S&P 500). We call these prices the measured move targets.

Two factors aside from a move in the underlying asset will affect the straddle price. Time and implied volatility. The straddle decays with time and every day nothing happens the straddle will get cheaper. If implied volatility goes up the straddle will widen in price as the measured move targets get farther apart. This means that the straddle is not an up/down directional play, it is a play purely based on movement. 

Keep in mind that selling a straddle is riskier than buying it. You cannot lose more than you pay for it but the seller has potentially unlimited losses. Buying the straddle is by no means a safe trade, however, particularly in times of high implied volatility. Volatility can collapse like a bad souffle, taking the straddle with it. Time decay also counts when the market is closed, such as over weekends and holidays.

In short, I believe the straddle is best used as an indicator of what the market thinks the measured move targets are rather than as a good risk vs reward trading strategy.



.....

Top 10 Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy For 2014

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

Posted-In: Options Markets Trading Ideas

Originally posted here...

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AIG Seeks to Add 600 Advisors in Annuities Push

Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) — American International Group Inc. plans to add 600 advisors in a push to increase sales of retirement products as some rivals retreat from annuities.

The insurer will increase the number of career agents at its newly named AIG Financial Network to 2,000 by 2019 from about 1,400, John Deremo, chief distribution officer for AIG Financial Distributors, said in an interview. The New York-based company is rebranding its American General career agent force and adding annuities and other retirement products to the life insurance that the advisors have traditionally sold, according to a statement today.

“What we’re really doing is moving a bit upscale into a more mass-affluent space, incorporating retirement planning into the protection focus,” Deremo said. “While a lot of companies are pulling back or pulling out of markets, we are expanding.”

Chief Executive Officer Robert Benmosche, 69, is focusing on annuities as more Americans approach retirement and competitors including MetLife Inc. limit sales. AIG has the capacity to grow because it sold fewer of the products than some rivals in prior years, when guarantees were more generous, Jay Wintrob, CEO of the life and retirement business, said in November.

Best Growth Companies To Own In Right Now

“Bob Benmosche is quite bullish on our financial services business,” Deremo said. “He believes in this employee-driven affiliated distribution, and we plan to aggressively grow it.”

Agents, Banks

AIG Financial Network has 50 regional offices and about 100 satellite locations, Deremo said. The insurer has another career agency force, with 1,200 advisors, under the Valic brand and also sells life and retirement products via independent agents, banks, brokerage firms and its own broker-dealer network.

“We are capitalizing on the best of AIG to build an unparalleled financial network,” Benmosche said in the statement.

AIG stock (AIG) has advanced 48% in the past year, beating the 25% rally of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

AIG expanded its independent broker-dealer network with the acquisition of Woodbury Financial Services from Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. in 2012. Benmosche last year named Erica McGinnis as CEO of the network. That operation has more than 6,000 financial advisors who don’t get salaries from AIG and are able to sell insurance and retirement products offered by other companies.

Market Fluctuations

AIG was the No. 2 seller of U.S. individual annuities in the first nine months of 2013, up from the sixth largest a year earlier, according to data compiled by industry group Limra. MetLife, the largest U.S. life insurer, is scaling back from capital-intensive businesses such as variable annuities as CEO Steven Kandarian works to cut risk tied to market fluctuations.

Annuities can help retirees secure a stream of lifetime income. In variable annuities, account values can change based on fluctuations in stocks and bonds. Some insurers sold the contracts with a guarantee that the values would rise over time. Those promises burned insurers when stocks crashed in the financial crisis, and companies including Hartford and Sun Life Financial Inc. have retreated from the business. Prudential Financial Inc., the second-largest U.S. life insurer, has reduced some variable-annuity guarantees to expand margins, weighing on sales.

Life Insurance

AIG sells property-casualty coverage globally and life and retirement products mainly in the U.S. The life division generated $4.5 billion in pretax profit in the first nine months of last year and the property-casualty unit made $3.8 billion. The company divested international life insurers to help repay a U.S. bailout that began in 2008 and swelled to $182.3 billion.

AIG is renaming retirement products that had been offered under brands including SunAmerica and American General to put them under its own name.

Benmosche has been rebuilding the AIG brand that then-CEO Edward Liddy dismissed in 2009 as “wounded and disgraced” by the rescue. In the crisis, AIG marketed to consumers under the names of subsidiaries. The company restored its name to its life insurance and property-casualty businesses in 2012 and struck a deal to sponsor New Zealand rugby teams as part of its branding revival.

AIG acquired American General in 2001 for about $23 billion. American General, founded in 1926, traces its roots to a life insurer started in 1850, according to the company’s website.

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Check out Demand Is Growing for Retirement Income Products on ThinkAdvisor.

Caterpillar Has a Huge Problem on Its Hands

Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) and Joy Global (NYSE: JOY  ) have a problem: China. No, I'm not talking about the Chinese economy here, I am in fact talking about the quality of mining equipment being manufactured within China, which has drastically improved in recent years.

It used to be the case that mining companies, such as Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO  ) , would stay away from native mining equipment manufacturers within China as the kit was usually of an inferior quality, although the equipment was cheaper. However, now the Chinese companies are catching up. Indeed, according to comments from Rio Tinto CEO Sam Walsh given in an interview with the Wall Street Journal:

The Chinese manufacturers are really improving in this field and can now be compared to the major US manufacturers... funnily enough [on the rail cars] the quality actually was much higher [compared to the miner's traditional supplier]...Instead of spot welds, for example, on the sheet metal they were actually continuous welds.

Spot welds are usually weaker than a continuous weld. As a result, Walsh revealed that Rio had actually been increasing its purchases of heavy equipment from Chinese and Indian companies. Now, I don't want to speculate but I would say that the Chinese are able to put more effort into the production of their equipment due to lower labor and construction costs, while Western companies are skimping on quality to save costs.

Unfortunately, it would appear that the quality of Chinese mining equipment is only going to improve from here on out while costs continue to fall.

I say this because according to a study entitled China Mining Equipment Industry 2013-2017 published back in June 2013, China's domestic mining and quarrying equipment manufacturing industry is expected to expand by about 22% by 2017 increasing economies of scale. The study also highlights the fact that China's producers will emerge as industry favorites due to their low cost.

Best Dividend Companies To Invest In 2014

All in all, this means that miners like Rio will be able to buy better heavy equipment for a lower cost. In addition, it is likely that as the quality of the equipment continues to improve, maintenance costs will fall. This is really bad news for companies like Joy and Caterpillar, which are already struggling to grapple with rapidly decline resource sector capital spending.

Getting worse
Actually, mining capex is declining faster than originally thought. Specifically, during 2012 JPMorgan analysts predicted that global mining capex would decline 14% from a high of $136 billion during 2012, to $117 million annually by 2014. However, global mining capex is estimated to be around $100 billion this year, a 26% decline already.

Unfortunately, Joy and Caterpillar are already suffering from this downturn, and it looks as if things will only get worse for these companies, even before we consider the effect of an increase of Chinese equipment in the market.

Joy's fiscal fourth quarter results reveal how serious this slowdown already is. In particular, the company reported that quarterly earnings per share declined 47% year on year. Additionally, sales collapsed 26% year on year, and bookings for new equipment declined by 20% year on year.

In comparison, Caterpillar reported a similar 43% year-on-year decline in earnings for the fiscal third quarter. Caterpillar also, within its fiscal third quarter earnings announcement, issued a primary 2014 outlook stating: "We're not seeing bright spots in mining yet, but the turnaround will happen at some point, and when it does, we'll be ready to respond."

So all in all, with the world's largest mining equipment producer taking such a pessimistic view on the future it's hard for individual investors to remain positive.

Foolish summary
So overall, it is not secret that capex in the mining industry is falling, and this is bound to hurt the industry's largest capital equipment manufacturers, Joy and Caterpillar. Nonetheless, the speed of the decline in capex has surprised many, and further bad news continues to hit the market in the form of improved competition from China. All in all, the outlook for Joy and Caterpillar is bleak, and it could get worse.

A safer bet
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3 Stocks I'm Watching Closely This Earnings Season

Earnings season kicks off this week, which means a lot of early mornings and long nights for Wall Street analysts. For us Fools, earnings season is really just a time to check in with the companies we own, in order to make sure the investment thesis remains intact. That being said, there are some companies that do need to be watched a bit more closely, which is why I'm going to be paying special attention to the following three names.

Nuverra Environmental Solutions (NYSE: NES  )
It was a tough quarter for Nuverra as its name change didn't help boost its stock price, which declined by almost 33%. Other than slightly missing earnings due to weather issues, it was a fairly quiet quarter for the company. The only other real news during the quarter was the company's acquisition of a solid waste disposal site in the Bakken.

This quarter I'll be looking to see if the company changes its guidance for full-year revenue and adjusted EBITDA. The guidance numbers to watch are revenue of $750 million-$825 million and adjusted EBITDA range of $200 million-$225 million, which the company held steady even after missing guidance last quarter due to the aforementioned weather problems. If Nuverra misses again, causing it to reduce guidance, it could signal that the company is experiencing deeper problems than expected. Meanwhile, reaffirming guidance at the upper end of the range would be a welcome sign that its full-cycle environmental solution is really beginning to catch on with customers.

SandRidge Energy (NYSE: SD  )
While all has been quiet at Nuverra, the same can't be said for SandRidge. The company, which was under pressure from activist investors, decided it was time to show founder and former CEO Tom Ward the door. Now with new leadership in place, SandRidge needs to move past its past and begin to live up to its promise.

That promise is as vast as its massive 1.85 million net acre position in the Mississippian Lime formation. With enough capital to develop the play through 2015, the key for the company now is to simply execute on its plan to produce high rates of return from the play. That means I'll be keeping an eye on well costs as well as oil production. The key numbers here are well costs below $3 million per well and oil production growth of at least 64% in the Mississippian. If SandRidge can remain on pace to meet or exceed those numbers this quarter, it should bode well for its future.

Magnum Hunter Resources (NYSE: MHR  )
The last company I'll be watching this quarter is Magnum Hunter, which will finally be delivering its first quarter results on July 9. The company has been behind in providing investors with results this year after it fired its auditors, which caused its annual report, and subsequent first-quarter report, to be delayed.

I'll not only be interested to see what management has to say about its first quarter, which ended in March, but also what it has to say about the just ended June quarter. The key areas to watch are the company's liquidity as well as an update on its Utica drilling program. While the sale of its Eagle Ford acreage added to the company's financial flexibility, there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room looking ahead to next year. That's why it will be important to see if the company has made any progress on its non-core asset sales. Execution on those asset sales, as well as on the Utica, is key for investors if the company is to deliver solid gains in the years ahead.

Final Foolish thoughts
I'm most interested to hear what the new management team at SandRidge has to say. The company has vast potential and its trading at a real discount to that potential. The problem is that the company's checkered past seems to be clouding its future potential. 

Finally, while all three stocks are benefiting from the elevated price of oil, I wouldn't say that these are the best three names to play oil these days. To get those names, you need to check out The Motley Fool's "3 Stocks for $100 Oil." For FREE access to this special report, simply click here now.

3 Stocks to Sell in January

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With stocks extended and sentiment at extremes, the market has been taking a breather so far in 2014 with the major averages off to their worst start to a year since 2005.

Source: Flickr

Negative catalysts are beginning to reappear. Partisan rancor has returned to Washington and another debt ceiling fight looms as politicians cross swords over extending unemployment benefits. Emerging-market stocks are breaking down. The Federal Reserve looks ready for more tapering, pulling back on its bond purchase stimulus as interest rates rise.

As a result, more opportunities for stocks to sell and even short are popping up on my screens — with a focus on retailers. There’s good reason for this: The 2013 holiday shopping season was a dud because consumers were pressured by stagnant wage growth and a higher cost of living that resulted in a dip in savings and an increase in borrowing. Without a turnaround in wages, this isn’t sustainable.

According to ShopperTrak, store foot traffic dropped nearly 15% this holiday season, a huge decline from the 2.5% increase seen in 2012. Retailers also over-purchased, and given weak sales, are burdened with too much inventory. That’ll pressure profit margins when Q4 earnings are released.

That sets up the following look at three retailers to sell or short right now:

Stocks to Sell #1: Best Buy (BBY)

Click to Enlarge Best Buy (BBY), the well-known electronics giant, went on a tear in 2013 as its price-match policy helped win back market share from Amazon (AMZN) and other online competitors. Shares more than quadrupled at one point, returning to levels not seen since 2010.

But BBY stock is cooling its heels now as the bloom comes off the idea, with electronics sales flat during the holiday shopping season, as well as the lack of a major tech wave to drive customer traffic the way HDTVs did during Best Buy’s heyday.

BBY stock is in a confirmed downtrend, rolling down its lower Bollinger band. A move to the 200-day moving average would be worth a 15% decline from here. I’ve added BBY short to my Edge Letter Sample Portfolio.

Stocks to Sell #2: Office Depot (ODP)

Click to Enlarge Office Depot (ODP) recently completed its acquisition of smaller rival OfficeMax, consolidating a troubled office supply sector that’s being pinched by cheaper alternatives and a lack of a clear reason for existence when paper, pens and toner can be found just about anywhere nowadays.

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Like Best Buy, ODP stock has been on a tear as investors — hopeful that consolidation in the industry would boost profitability — bid shares up from a low of $1.51 in late 2012 to a high of $5.85 in October.

But after consolidating for the past four months, Office Depot shares have broken out of a pennant pattern, setting the stage for a return to the September lows — a 13% decline from here.

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

Stocks to Sell #3: PetSmart (PETM)

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

After a huge uptrend between 2009 and early 2012, PETM stock has been sliding sideways near $70 in a narrowing consolidation pattern. After a downgrade from Deutsche Bank analysts on Monday, PETM broke down and is now in free fall below its 200-day moving average on a surge of negative volume.

Disclosure: Anthony has recommended BBY and ODP short to his clients.

Benzinga's Top #PreMarket Gainers

Kandi Technolgies Group (NASDAQ: KNDI) shares jumped 16.44% to $12.04 in pre-market trading. Kandi Technolgies shares have jumped 159.15% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 29.11% in the same period.

Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX) shares gained 9.83% to $14.64 in the pre-market after the company reported that it will receive a $200 million investment from Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX).

VisionChina Media (NASDAQ: VISN) soared 5.13% to $32.80 in the pre-market trading. VisionChina's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $98.39 million.

The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) surged 0.90% to $45.00 in the pre-market session. Dow Chemical's trailing-twelve-month revenue is $56.61 billion.

Posted-In: PreMarket GainersNews Pre-Market Outlook Markets Movers

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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