7 Smart Ways to Take Advantage of Your Tax Refund

Alamy Tax season is a time of stress for many, but it can be a joyful time for the roughly 75 percent of Americans who receive income tax refunds. While the refund really means you're getting back money you loaned to the government at no interest, in practical terms it often means an unexpected infusion of cash into your wallet or bank account. Last year's average income tax refund was $2,755, according to the Internal Revenue Service. That's a nice chunk of change. It's a great problem to have: What do you do with your windfall? The best choice for one person may not be the best choice for another. But experts agree on one thing: If you have debt, apply your refund to paying it off, whether it's credit card debt, student loan debt or other consumer debt. "People should still be focusing first on paying down debt," says Meisa Bonelli, a Wall Street finance and tax professional whose Millennial Tax company advises entrepreneurs on business and tax strategy. Debt, particularly student loan debt, should be a primary target because it limits financial options, preventing people from doing what they want with their money, whether it's buying a house, buying a car or taking a vacation. "Get that debt gone," she says. "It holds you back from everything else you want to do in life." Eric Rosenberg, a financial analyst who writes the blog Narrow Bridge Finance, agrees. "The No. 1 thing anyone should do with a tax refund is pay down debt," he says. After he left graduate school with $40,000 in student loan debt, he focused on aggressively paying it off. Using all his tax refunds and bonuses, he made the final payment just two years and six days after his graduation. With his student loan debt cleared away, he began saving his tax refunds, with the goal of buying a home. He didn't apply any of his refund money to splurges -- instead, he saved for fun and vacation with his regular income. The refunds were earmarked for bigger things. "I treated it like it was extra money that I didn't need to live on," Rosenberg says. "I always encourage people to think long term, not short term." Others believe that giving yourself license to splurge with part of your refund helps you save the rest. Stephanie Halligan, a financial consultant and blogger, signs a contract with herself before she does her taxes, allocating 50 percent of her refund to student loans and 25 percent to long-term savings. She can spend the remaining 25 percent on whatever she wants. "It's easy to react on impulse and emotion when your refund hits, so prepare now for what you'll do with that moolah later," she advises on her personal finance website, The Empowered Dollar. If you're getting a big refund ­-- a check in the ballpark of $1,000 or more for taxpayers who don't have a side business -- consider adjusting your withholding so that you'll have that money available to you during the year. But those who don't have substantial savings want to avoid a scenario in which they owe four figures to the IRS at tax time. "I think people should withhold the maximum they can withhold," Bonelli says. Rosenberg concurs. As his businesses, running Narrow Bridge Finance and building websites, have grown, his refunds have shrunk. Last year he had to pay the IRS. Here are the seven smartest things you can do with your refund: Pay down debt. If you have any consumer debt -- student loans, credit card balances or installment loans -- pay those off before using your refund for any other purpose. Car payments and home mortgages aren't in this category, but you can consider paying extra principal. Add to your savings. "You can never save enough," Bonelli says. You can use the money to build up your emergency fund, your kids' college funds or put it toward a specific goal, such as buying a house or a car or financing a big vacation. Add to your retirement accounts. If you put $2,500 from this year's tax refund into an IRA, it would grow to $8,500 in 25 years, even at a modest 5 percent rate of return, TurboTax calculates. If you saved $2,500 every year for 25 years, you'd end up with more than $130,000 at that same 5 percent rate of return. Invest in yourself. This could mean taking a class in investing, studying something that interests you or even taking a big trip. "Do something that enriches yourself or adds value to your life," Bonelli says. She is planning to take a class in art therapy this year using money from her refund. Improve your home. Consider putting your refund to good use by adding insulation, replacing old windows and doors or other improvements that would save energy, and therefore money. Or perhaps it's time to remodel your bathroom or kitchen. You're adding value to your home at the same time you're improving your living experience. Apply your refund toward next year's taxes. This is common among self-employed taxpayers, who are required to pay quarterly taxes since they don't have taxes withheld. By applying any overpayment toward upcoming tax payments, you can free up other cash.

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014

Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld says exchange needs to focus on defensive driving after three-hour outage. Bloomberg News

Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. halted trading for three hours yesterday to protect the integrity of markets as a technology malfunction left some investors without stock quotes, Chief Executive Officer Robert Greifeld said in his first public remarks since the incident.

The exchange operator was in constant communication with rivals during the outage and decided to halt trading of listed stocks to prevent “information asymmetry” among traders, Greifeld said in interviews at Nasdaq's offices with Bloomberg Television's Betty Liu and Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC. Greifeld said he supports developing a backup data feed to prevent the issue from happening again.

“The general theme we're focused on going forward is that we have to improve our defensive driving ability,” Greifeld told Bloomberg TV. “This system has been around for 20 years, it works and it works remarkably well. Then things happen in the external environment that causes a problem.”

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: Deutsche Bank AG (SBND)

Deutsche Bank AG is a global investment bank. The Company offers a variety of investment, financial and related products and services to private individuals, corporate entities and institutional clients around the world. The Company operates through such divisions as: Private and Business Clients, Asset and Wealth Management, Corporate Banking and Securities, Global Transaction Banking and Non-Core Operations Unit. Deutsche Bank AG is active domestically and in various countries, through the network of numerous branches. In February 2014, the Company and its related bodies corporate ceases to a share holder in the capital of the Company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Donald van Deventer]

  Long-duration Treasury Exchange-Traded Funds: (TLH), , (IEF), (DTYL), (DLBL), (ILTB), (TENZ), (ITE), (TLO), (EDV), (VGIT), (VGLT), (TMF), (TYD), (LBND), (UBT), (UST), (TMV), (TYO), (DSTJ), (DSXJ), (SBND), (PST), (DTYS), (DLBS), (TBF), (TTT), (TYNS), (TYBS), (TBX).

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: GTT Communications Inc (GTT)

GTT Communications, Inc., formerly Global Telecom & Technology, Inc., incorporated on January 3, 2005, is a global network integrator providing a portfolio of Wide-Area Network (WAN), dedicated Internet access and managed data services. The Company combines multiple networks and technologies, such as traditional OC-x, MPLS and Ethernet, to deliver solutions designed for each client�� requirements. The Company improves its client performance through its Client Management Database (CMD), providing customers with an integrated support system for all of their services. It is provides solutions, project management and 24x7 global operations support. In May 2012, the Company acquired nLayer Communications Inc. In April 2013, Neutral Tandem Inc acquired the global data services business of Global Telecom & Technology Inc.

The Company�� global operations consist of two parts: global customer operations, and global network operations and engineering. Customer operations include project management and development of its CMD system. Global project management assures the implementation of a customer services after the sale. Network operations and engineering consists of global Network Operations Center (NOC) and Engineering and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The NOC receives, prioritizes, tracks and resolves network outages or other customer needs, along with provisioning and testing of services. Engineering provides support for the NOC and the sales team, as well as carrying out all provisioning for GTT Network Services. ICT manages all internal desktop, and network and server infrastructure.

The Company competes with Level 3, Qwest, KPN, XO Communications, COLT, Verizon Business, AT&T, British Telecom, NTT and Deutsche Telekom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By The GeoTeam]

  This brings us to Global Telecom (GTT), a company that provides customers with innovative connectivity solutions by utilizing its own network assets.

Top Up And Coming Stocks To Own Right Now: Graham Holdings Co (GHC)

Graham Holdings Company, formerly The Washington Post Company, incorporated on July 21, 2003, is a diversified education and media company whose principal operations include educational services, television broadcasting, cable television systems, and online, print and local TV news. The Company owns Kaplan, a provider of educational services to individuals, schools and businesses, serving over one million students annually with operations in more than 30 countries. Its programs include higher education, test preparation, language instruction and professional training. Its Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc owns six television stations which include WDIV-Detroit (NBC), KPRC-Houston (NBC),WPLG-Miami (ABC), WKMG-Orlando (CBS), KSAT-San Antonio (ABC) and WJXT-Jacksonville (independent). The stations also broadcast digital channels focusing on classic television and lifestyle programming, in addition to operating websites, mobile sites and mobile apps delivering breaking news, weather and community news. Its Cable ONE, headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, serves small-city subscribers in 19 midwestern, western and southern states. Cable ONE provides digital video, Internet and phone service to homes and businesses. The Company�� Slate Group is a daily online magazine that offers fresh angles on stories in the news and entertainment coverage, all with its signature wit and irreverence, publishing provocative commentary on topics such as politics, culture, business and technology. Slate V is a daily online video magazine offering original video about politics, culture, and business, technology.

The Company divested its interest in Avenue100 Media Solutions Inc., a digital marketing company headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, in 2012. The Company sold its interest in the Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited to the Province of Nova Scotia in 2012. In March 2013, the Company announced it has completed the sale of The Herald, a daily and Sunday newspaper and its other print and online products to Sound Publ! ishing, Inc.

Education

Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of the Company, provides a range of education and related services worldwide for students and professionals. Kaplan conducts its operations through three segments: Kaplan Higher Education, Kaplan Test Preparation and Kaplan International. Kaplan Higher Education (KHE) provides a wide array of certificate, diploma and degree programs on campus and online designed to meet the needs of students seeking to advance their education and career goals. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Kaplan�� United States-based KHE division businesses include Kaplan University and KHE Campuses.

Kaplan University specializes in online education, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and holds other programmatic accreditations. Kaplan University�� programs are offered online, while some are offered in a traditional classroom format at 12 campuses in Iowa, Maine, Maryland and Nebraska, and four Kaplan University Learning Centers in four additional states. Kaplan University also includes Concord Law School, a fully online law school. During 2012, Kaplan University had approximately 38,800 students enrolled in online programs and approximately 5,600 students enrolled in its classroom-based programs.

Also residing within Kaplan University is the School of Professional and Continuing Education (PACE). PACE offers a range of education solutions to assist professionals in advancing their careers by obtaining professional licenses, designations and certifications. This includes solutions for insurance, securities, real estate, mortgage and appraisal licensing exams and for advanced designations, such as CFA and CPA exams. PACE serves more than 2,900 business-to-business clients, including more than 70 Fortune 500 companies. In 2012, approximately 510,000 students used PACE's exam preparation offerings. As of December 31, 2012, the KHE Campuses business consis! ts of 59 ! schools in 17 states, which provides classroom-based instruction to approximately 21,100 students.

Kaplan International operates businesses in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. In Europe, Kaplan operates in the businesses, which are all based in the United Kingdom and Ireland: Kaplan UK, Kaplan International Colleges (KIC) and a set of higher education institutions. The Kaplan United Kingdom business in Europe is a provider of training, test preparation services and degrees for accounting and financial services professionals, including those studying for ACCA, CIMA and ICAEW qualifications. In addition, Kaplan United Kingdom provides legal and professional training, including the operation of a United Kingdom law school in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University�� Nottingham Law School. In 2012, Kaplan United Kingdom provided courses to approximately 66,000 students, of whom 49,000 were dedicated to accounting and financial services coursework.

The KIC business consists of university pathways business and an English-language training business. The university pathways business offers academic preparation programs especially designed for international students who wish to study in English-speaking countries. KIC operates university pathways programs in collaboration with nine U.K. universities. As of December 31, 2012, KIC�� university pathways business was serving approximately 2,700 students. The English-language business (previously operated as Kaplan Aspect) provides English-language training, academic preparation programs and test preparation for English proficiency exams, principally for students wishing to study and travel in English-speaking countries. KIC operates a total of 41 English-language schools, with 19 located in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and 22 located in the United States, where they operate under the name Kaplan International Centers. During 2012, the English-language business served approximately 65,000 stud! ents.

!

Kaplan also operates three higher education institutions in Europe, located in the United Kingdom and Ireland. These institutions are Dublin Business School, Holborn College and Kaplan Open Learning. As of December 31, 2012, these institutions enrolled an aggregate of approximately 6,500 students. In the Asia Pacific region, Kaplan operates businesses in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong and China. In Singapore, Kaplan operates three business units, Higher Education, Financial and Professional, which serve more than 16,700 students from various countries throughout Asia.

Kaplan Singapore�� Higher Education business provides students with the opportunity to earn bachelor�� and postgraduate degrees in various fields on either a part-time or full-time basis. Kaplan Singapore�� students receive degrees from affiliated educational institutions in Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. In addition, this division offers pre-university and diploma programs. Kaplan Singapore�� Financial business provides preparatory courses for professional qualifications in accountancy and finance, such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

In Australia, Kaplan delivers a broad range of financial services education and professional development courses. In 2012, this business provided courses to approximately 17,400 students through classroom programs and to more than 44,800 students through distance-learning programs. In 2012, Kaplan Australia underwent operational restructuring and offers its programs through three business units: English Language and Pathways; Vocational Education; and Higher Education.

The Vocational Education business of Kaplan Australia includes Kaplan Professional Education (KPE), Carrick Education Group and Franklyn Scholar. KPE offers financial services education programs and continuing professional development courses primarily to a business-to-business market, including banks and numerous! industry! sectors.. Approximately 43,000 students are taught through KPE each year. Carrick has traditionally offered English-language programs, vocational training and higher education courses in Australia. Kaplan is evaluating various strategic alternatives with respect to the Carrick business lines. As of December 31, 2012, Carrick was providing services to approximately 1,300 students. Franklyn Scholar offers a wide range of custom-developed programs to business clients. More than 16,000 students are taught through Franklyn Scholar each year.

The higher education business of Kaplan Australia comprises Kaplan Online Higher Education (KOHE) and Kaplan Business School (KBS), which offers diploma, bachelor�� and master�� degree programs. As of December 31, 2012, KBS has opened a new school in Brisbane and operates in four states in Australia teaching approximately 700 students each year. KOHE teaches approximately 1,800 students annually in postgraduate courses primarily in the financial services sector.

In Hong Kong, Kaplan offers a comprehensive array of programs, ranging from language education and standardized test preparation to corporate and financial training and higher education degree courses. During 2012, Kaplan�� Hong Kong business provided courses to more than 15,700 students.

In China, Kaplan provides foundation programs to Chinese students through partnerships with prestigious Chinese universities and high schools. Kaplan China offers foundation programs at 11 campuses and had more than 1,100 students enrolled at the end of 2012. Kaplan China also cooperates with several Chinese universities to provide ACCA training programs to the students. Cable ONE offers broadband Internet access service on virtually all of its cable systems and is the sole Internet service provider on those systems.

Kaplan International also includes the Kaplan Global Solutions business unit, which continues to develop partnerships with colleges, universities and non-p! rofit corp! orations and foundations. Kaplan Global Solutions, through its Colloquy business, enables its university partners to develop online educational programs by providing an array of research, marketing and design services. Through its Global Pathways programs, Kaplan Global Solutions enables its partner institutions in the Americas to enhance their brand globally and increase international student enrollments by designing and marketing custom programs aimed at student success.

Cable Television Operations

Through its subsidiary Cable One, Inc. (Cable ONE), the Company owns and operates cable television systems that provide video, Internet and voice service to subscribers in 19 midwestern, western and southern states. At the end of 2012, Cable ONE provided cable service to approximately 593,600 video subscribers, representing about 41% of the 1,439,740 homes passed by the systems, had approximately 459,200 subscriptions to high-speed data (HSD) service and 184,500 subscriptions to VoIP (digital voice) service. The video services offered by Cable ONE include certain premium, cable network and local over-the-air channels in high-definition television (HDTV) format. Cable ONE offers voice over Internet Protocol service, which permits users to make voice calls over broadband communications networks, including the Internet.

Other Activities

WaPo Labs is a digital team focusing on experimenting with emerging technologies. In 2012, WaPo Labs launched several projects in partnership with the Company�� media properties: Personal Post, a feature on washingtonpost.com that delivers personalized article recommendations based on a user�� interests and past reading behavior; The Fold, a video news program available on washingtonpost.com, Google TV and Android tablets, and The Root 100, which comprises 100 Android apps aggregating content about the Root 100 honorees, chosen for their impact and influence within the African-American community. In addition to working clo! sely with! the Company�� news websites, WaPo Labs oversees Washington Post Social Reader (Social Reader) and Trove. Social Reader is a Facebook-connected Website that delivers news articles based on a user�� interests and what their friends are reading. Social Reader aggregates content from the Post, Slate, Foreign Policy, Express, the Root and more than 90 other content partners to create a social stream of articles.

Social Code LLC (Social Code) is a marketing solutions company helping Fortune 500 brands maximize their marketing efforts on social media platforms. Celtic Healthcare, Inc. (Celtic) is a Medicare-certified provider of home health and hospice services headquartered in Mars, PA. Through its subsidiaries, Celtic is licensed to provide home health and hospice services throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. These services include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work, nutrition, chaplain and aid services. In addition, Celtic provides virtual care services to patients throughout its service territories. Celtic derives 74% of its revenue from Medicare, with the remaining sources of revenue being Medicaid, commercial insurance and private payors.

The Company competes with Edmunds.com, AutoTrader.com, Realtor.com, Zillow.com, Yelp, OpenTable, Google, Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and Yahoo!.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Emily Jane Fox]

  In the past year, millennials turned up the heat against low wages at Victoria's Secret, Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500), McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500), Wendy's (WEN), KFC (YUM, Fortune 500) and others like Kaplan (GHC), which runs tutoring centers.

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc (RH)

Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. (Restoration Hardware Holdings), incorporated on August 18, 2011, is a holding company. The Company is merchants of home furnishings. Restoration Hardware Holdings offers merchandise assortments across a number of categories, including furniture, lighting, textiles, bath ware, decor, outdoor, garden, and baby and child products. The Company�� business is integrated across its multiple channels of distribution, consists of its stores, catalogs and Websites. As of July 28, 2012, the Company�� operated a total of 73 retail stores, consisted of 71 Galleries and two full line Design Galleries, and 10 outlet stores throughout the United States and Canada. RH is a brand in the home furnishings. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Company opened five stores and closed 22 stores. In fiscal 2011, the Company distributed approximately 26.1 million catalogs, and its Websites logged over 14.3 million visits.

Restoration Hardware Holdings operates a Website for its Baby & Child brand at www.rhbabyandchild.com. The Company opened its two full line Design Galleries in Los Angeles in, June 2011 and Houston in November 2011. In May 2011, the Company launched catalog applications for Apple�� iPad and iPhone that enable customers to view and purchase its product assortment. Restoration Hardware Holdings operates three store types: the Company's full line Design Gallery format, approximately between 22,000 and 28,000 gross square feet; its Gallery format of approximately 7,000-15,000 gross square feet, and its Baby & Child Gallery format of approximately 2,000-3,000 gross square feet.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Can anything restore Restoration Hardware’s (RH) stock price following its big after-hours drop?

  After the close today, Restoration Hardware reported earnings of 28 cents a share, beating forecasts for 28 cents. The home-furnishing company also raised its full-year guidance to a range of $1.71 to $1.74, above its previous forecast for $1.65 to $1.70.

  All that good news, however, was rendered, if not meaningless, then at least less relevant by the announcement that co-CEO Carlos Alberini would be leaving the company to join Lucky Brand.

  Shares of Restoration Hardware have dropped 13% to $56.91 in after-hours trading. It had gained 94% so far this year.

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: Monarch Casino & Resort Inc (MCRI)

Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. (Monarch), incorporated in 1993, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Golden Road Motor Inn, Inc. (Golden Road), owns and operates the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa(the Atlantis), a hotel/casino facility in Reno, Nevada. Monarch�� other wholly owned subsidiaries, High Desert Sunshine, Inc. (High Desert) and Golden North, Inc. (Golden North), each own separate parcels of land located adjacent to the Atlantis. The Company owns and operates the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, which is located approximately three miles south of downtown in the area of Reno, Nevada. The Atlantis features approximately 61,000 square feet of casino space; a hotel with 824 guest rooms and suites; ten food outlets; an enclosed year-round pool with waterfall; an outdoor pool; a health spa; two retail outlets offering clothing and resort gift shop merchandise; a full service salon for men and women; an 8,000 square-foot family entertainment center; and approximately 52,000 square feet of banquet, convention and meeting room space. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired 1.5 acre parcel of developable land contiguous to the Riviera Black Hawk Casino.

In April 2012, it acquired Riviera Black Hawk, Inc.

The Atlantis Casino offers approximately 1,450 slot and video poker machines; approximately 39 table games, including blackjack, craps, roulette and others; a race and sports book; keno and a poker room. The Atlantis includes three contiguous high-rise hotel towers with 824 rooms and suites. The Atlantis includes three contiguous high-rise hotel towers with a total of 824 rooms and suites. The first of the three hotel towers contains 160 rooms and suites in 13 stories. The 19-story second hotel tower contains 278 rooms and suites. The third tower contains 386 rooms and suites in 28 stories.

The Atlantis hotel rooms feature designs and furnishings consistent with the Northern Nevada market, as well as nine-foot ceilings (most standard hotel rooms have eig! ht-foot ceilings), which create an open and spacious feel. The third hotel tower features a four-story waterfall with an adjacent year-round swimming pool in a climate controlled, five-story glass enclosure, which shares an outdoor third floor pool deck with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool and year round whirlpool. A full-service salon (the Salon at Atlantis) overlooks the third floor sundeck and outdoor seasonal swimming pool and offers salon-grade products and treatments for hair, nails, skincare and body services for both men and women. A health spa is located adjacent to the swimming areas, which offers treatments and amenities. The hotel rooms on the spa floor are designated as spa rooms and feature decor that is themed consistent with the spa. Certain spa treatments are also available in spa floor hotel rooms. The hotel also features glass elevators rising the full 19 and 28 stories, of the respective towers providing views of the Reno area and the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The Atlantis has eight restaurants, two gourmet coffee bars and one snack bar. It includes 160-seat Atlantis Steakhouse gourmet restaurant; the 200-seat upscale Bistro Napa featuring a centrally located wine cellar; the Oyster Bar restaurant in the Sky Terrace offering fresh seafood, soups and bisques made to order; the Sushi Bar, also in the Sky Terrace, offering a variety of fresh raw and cooked sushi specialties, including all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner selections. The Oyster Bar and Sushi Bar can accommodate up to 139 guests; The 178-seat 24-hour Purple Parrot coffee shop; the 122-seat Cafe Alfresco restaurant serving a full menu, pizzas prepared in a wood-fired, brick oven and a variety of gelato deserts; the 170-seat Manhattan Deli restaurant specializing in piled-high sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts; two gourmet coffee bars, offering specialty coffee drinks, pastries and desserts made fresh daily in the Atlantis bakery; a snack bar and soda fountain serving ice cream and arcade-style refreshmen! ts.

The Sky Terrace is a structure with a diamond-shaped, blue glass body suspended approximately 55 feet, and spanning 160 feet across, South Virginia Street. The Sky Terrace connects the Atlantis with additional parking on its 16-acre site across South Virginia Street from the Atlantis. The structure rests at each end on two 100-foot tall Grecian columns with no intermediate support pillars. The interior of the Sky Terrace contains the Oyster Bar, the Sushi Bar, a video poker bar, banks of slot machines and a lounge area with oversized leather sofas and chairs.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanina Egea] ong>Risks and Valuation

  Although the Chinese government will maintain its gambling restrictions in the mainland over the next decade, Sand Corp�� market share and leverage in fixed costs will continue to riel in strong revenue growth from this region. Fiscal 2013 marked a 24.80% revenue increase ($13.8 billion) and operating margins continue to expand at the same pace. Despite the inherent risk of an economic slowdown in Asia or a recession in the U.S., which could put a halt to leisure spending, the company is well prepared to balance out any short-term losses. The casino operator�� EBITDA growth of 65.30%, for example, is an impressive result when compared to the industry�� average of 4.90%.

  Looking forward, earnings per share are expected to continue their fast-paced upward trend, having jumped from $1.56 in 2011 to $2.79 at the end of fiscal 2013. The 21.6% return on equity, as well as 1.80% dividend yield should also be attractive to shareholders and future investors. Although Las Vegas Sand Corp is currently trading at a 24% price premium relative to the industry average of 22.60x trailing earnings, I feel very bullish about this firm�� long term profitability, given its strong market position in Asia.

  Disclosure: Vanina Egea holds no position in any stocks mentioned.

  
  Also check out: Andreas Halvorsen Undervalued Stocks Andreas Halvorsen Top Growth Companies Andreas Halvorsen High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Andreas Halvorsen keeps buying
  About the author:Vanina EgeaA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree Analytics

  Visit Vanina Egea's Website

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  What: Shares of Monarch Casino & Resort (NASDAQ: MCRI  ) were cooling off today, falling as much as 20% after the company's earnings report failed to impress.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Monarch Casino & Resort (MCRI) fell 15% to $18.71 after revenue missed forecasts today.

  Stamps.com (STMP) fell 6.2% today ahead of its earnings results. It beat earnings after the close today.

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: API Technologies Corp (ATNY)

API Technologies Corp. (API), incorporated on February 2, 1999, designs, develops and manufactures systems, subsystems, radio frequency (RF) and secure communications products, as well as provides electronics manufacturing and engineering services. Its product lines include engineered products (including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aiming systems and synthesizers), secure communications products (including TEMPEST and emanation security, encryption and secure networking products), subsystems and components (including custom hybrids, terminals, transistors and magnetics), RF and microwave products (including custom filters, amplifiers, connectors and antennas), sensors, and power systems. It operates in two segments: Systems & Subsystems, and Secure Systems & Information Assurance. In June 2013, API sold its Data Bus product line to Data Device Corporation.

The Company offers engineering services (including engineering and design for payloads, ground control systems and commercial product design) and electronics manufacturing services (EMS), such as new product introductions (NPI) and prototypes, turnkey manufacturing and printed circuit board (PCB) assembly. It operates in North America, the United Kingdom, Mexico and China.

Systems & Subsystems

The Systems & Subsystems segment includes the products and services of its operating subsidiaries Spectrum, API Defense Inc., API Defense USA Inc., API Systems Inc., SenDEC, National Hybrid Group, API Electronics, Inc., TM Systems, Keytronics, Filtran Limited and Microwave Technology, Inc. (CMT). Its products and services include RF /microwave solutions, Engineered Systems and Products, Subsystems and Hybrids, Electronics Manufacturing Services, Power Solutions, Sensors and Measurement and Engineering Services. It specializes in the development of custom Integrated Microwave Assemblies (IMAs). It develops and markets engineered systems and products, used for force protection, communication, surveillance and reconnai! ssance. Featured solutions include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and systems, Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) systems, aiming systems and synthesizers.

The Company�� Custom designed and off-the-shelf subsystems from API support mission critical applications, such as communication equipment, aircraft subsystems systems, computer peripherals, process control equipment, and instrumentation. Featured products include custom hybrids, terminals, transistors and magnetics solutions. It deliver Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS), including: New Product Introductions (NPI) and prototypes, turnkey manufacturing, Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly, electro-mechanical assembly, systems integration, test engineering, turnkey box build and supply chain services. Its power products offer commercial and defense customer�� superior power and energy efficiency. Products span power systems management, distribution, and panels, and custom-designed power supplies for defense and aerospace applications.

The Company offers a range of precision sensors and control products, including position sensing solutions for precision guided munitions, gyros, accelerometers, and inertial measurement sensors for defense and aerospace applications, and position and temperature sensors for industrial and commercial applications. It offers a range of design and engineering services for both defense and commercial customers. Featured areas of expertise include payloads, ground control systems, RF, microwave and millimeterwave.

Secure Systems & Information Assurance

The Secure Systems & Information Assurance segment includes the products and services of its subsidiaries Cryptek, Emcon Emanation Control Inc., Secure Systems and Technologies and the Ion Networks division. API offers customers various secure network and hardware solutions, including Emanation Security, Tempest and secures network access, ruggedized systems and secure networking products. Its products are marketed u! nder the ! Cryptek, ION, Emcon, SST and Netgard brand names. These product offerings are sold to governments and other international organizations that require the level of security in the areas of identity validation, network access management, TEMPEST network intrusion prevention, and secure and encrypted fax, computers and telephones.

The Company�� products and services include Emanation Security and TEMPEST Products, Secure Networking Products, Encryption and Professional Services. The Company�� emanation security products include computing systems, network and communications systems and office systems. Its security appliances and software intelligently enables secure information sharing and systems management across organizations and technologies. Service providers, IT and communications equipment manufacturers, enterprises and government agencies rely on its secure networking products for secure systems for remote management, database guards for secure information sharing and secure virtual enclaves.

The Company�� encryption products and services enable Federal, State and Local governments, Department of Defense agencies, the Department of Homeland Security and the Armed Services to interoperate securely across organizational boundaries and untrusted systems. Its professional services include information assurance and secure networking architecture and design solutions, emanation security testing and engineering and security certification and validation.

The Company competes with Aeroflex, Incorporated, Anaren Inc., Data Devices Inc., Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., DRS.Finmeccanica, Ducommun Incorporated, Cobham plc, Comtech EF Data Corp. and M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN), Emmis Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: EMMS), API Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: ATNY) Economic Releases Expected: Australian unemployment rate, Japanese consumer confidence, French industrial output, Italian industrial output, Bank of England interest rate decision, US initial and continuing jobless claims

  Friday

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: AsiaInfo-Linkage Inc.(ASIA)

AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. provides telecommunications software solutions and information technology (IT) products and services to telecommunications carriers and other enterprises in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers business and operation support systems product suites, including OpenBilling, a billing solution for telecommunications operators; OpenCRM, a CRM solution suite for telecommunications operators; OpenBOSS, a carrier-class business operation support system solution; OpenBI, a carrier-class operating analysis and decision support system platform; OpenPRM, a system that calculates, manages, and reconciles payment for intercarrier network access. It also provides network management solutions comprising NetXpert, a data and Internet protocol network management solution; and OpenXpert, an integrated telecommunications network management system. In addition, the company offers service applications products, such as Mail Center, an online messaging softwa re; Spam Patrol software for real time anti-spam control; and Net Disk, a network hard disk product, which facilitates Internet-based file transfer, sharing, and management, as well as supports other functions, such as data processing of short message folders and synchronization of mobile devices. Its service applications products also include Internet Short Messaging Gateway, a business support platform for value-added short messaging services; and Device Management Platform that enables mobile operators to manage various mobile devices and perform remote mobile device management, such as remote diagnosis and parameter setup. In addition, it offers software enhancement and maintenance, system integration, and other value-added IT consulting and planning services. The company was formerly known as AsiaInfo Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. in July 2010. AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republ ic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Burgos]

  ��arkets are entering a period of uncertainty,��said Yoji Takeda, Hong Kong-based head of Asian equities at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd., which oversees $1.5 billion. ��here�� a policy vacuum in Japan and the government isn�� going to come up with new policies until parliament resumes sessions in September. While the possible tapering of U.S. stimulus has been more or less priced in, people tend to be a little bit cautious until it happens.��

• [By Kana Nishizawa]

  ��he market is still optimistic about the detailed reform plan�� said Teresa Chow, a fund manager at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd., which oversees $1.5 billion. ��ince Hong Kong and China markets are underweighted by many fund managers, some of them might want to increase their weighting.��

• [By Rajhkumar K Shaaw]

  BNP Paribas Securities (Asia) Ltd., Macquarie Capital Securities (India) Pvt. and Ambit Capital Pvt. cut their Sensex targets as the Reserve Bank of India unexpectedly increased its benchmark interest rate to stem a record decline in the rupee and curb consumer prices in the world�� second-most populous nation. Strategists reduced their average profit estimate by 4.5 percent as higher borrowing costs threaten to worsen the slowest economic expansion since 2009.

• [By Bloomberg News]

  ��he prospects of Chinese equities are positive for the long-term, but near-term there are some execution risks with regard to implementing reforms,��said Teresa Chow, a Hong Kong-based money manager who helps oversee about $1.5 billion at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd. ��ainland investors seem to have more reasonable expectations.��

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: IGI Laboratories Inc. (IG)

IGI Laboratories, Inc. engages in developing, manufacturing, filling, and packaging topical semi-solid and liquid products for cosmetic, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical customers in the United States. The company�s products are used for various skin conditions, including the treatment of symptoms of dermatitis, acne, psoriasis, and eczema. It offers contract formulation and contract manufacturing services to a range of topical formulations, including creams, ointments, lotions, gels, and topical liquids. The company is also developing a portfolio of prescription generic formulations in topical dosage forms. IGI Laboratories, Inc., through its license agreement with Novavax, Inc., utilizes the Novasome lipid vesicle encapsulation and certain other technologies for applications in animal pharmaceuticals, biologicals, and other animal health products; foods, food applications, nutrients, and flavorings; cosmetics, consumer products, and dermatological over-the-counter and prescription products; fragrances; and chemicals, including herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, paints and coatings, photographic chemicals, and other specialty chemicals. The company was formerly known as IGI, Inc. and changed its name to IGI Laboratories, Inc. in May 2008. IGI Laboratories, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Buena, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  The Barclays Aggregate Index rose by 0.57% in 3Q13, having stood at a loss of -0.36% the day before the FOMC's declaration to not slow QE. Despite the bounce, the Index remains in negative territory YTD and for the trailing 12-months at -1.77% and -1.68%, respectively. In stark contrast to 2Q13, Investment Grade (IG) corporate spreads tightened 10bps during 3Q13, producing a positive nominal return of 0.82% and an excess return of 0.92%. The respective YTD total returns in IG remain a disappointing -2.62%, but excess returns are still positive at 0.61% YTD. The 1-Yr results for IG Credit now fall to a nominal -1.58%, but 1.79% in excess of Treasuries.

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: LG Display Co Ltd (LPL)

LG Display Co., Ltd. (LG Display), incorporated in 1985, manufactures thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels in a range of sizes and specifications primarily for use in televisions, notebook computers and desktop monitors, and the Company is a suppliers of high-definition television panels. The Company also manufactures TFT-LCDs for other application products, such as mobile phones, certain types of tablet personal computers and industrial and other applications, including entertainment systems, automotives, portable navigation devices, e-books, digital photo displays and medical diagnostic equipment. During the year ended December 31, 2010, LG Display sold a total of 160.4 million large-size (nine-inch or larger) TFT-LCD panels. In addition to TFT-LCD panels, the Company also manufactures organic light-emitting diode (OLEDs) and flexible displays. As of March 31, 2011, the Company held a total of 15,049 patents, including 6,724 in Korea and 8,325 in other countries, including in the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain and Taiwan.

In May 2010, the Company purchased the liquid crystal display module division of LG Innotek Co., Ltd. (LG Innotek), a subsidiary of LG Electronics. In June 2010, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Iriver Ltd. to establish L&I Electronic Technology (Dongguan) Ltd. in Dongguan, China. In August 2010, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. and AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd., to establish Eralite Optoelectronics (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.

As of December 31, 2010, the Company operated 12 panel fabrication facilities (five in Paju, Korea and seven in Gumi, Korea, and including expansions of certain facilities) and a total of nine module facilities (three in Nanjing, China, two in Guangzhou, China and one each in Gumi and Paju, Korea, Yantai, China and Wroclaw, Poland). In 2010, its display panels were included in products sold by LG Electronics, Appl! e, Toshiba, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Philips Electronics.

Televisions

The Company�� television panels range from 15 inches to 72-inch wide-format in size. The Company�� product portfolio includes panels of various sizes, such as 17-inch, 19-inch, 20-inch, 22-inch, 26-inch, 32-inch, 37-inch, 42-inch, 47-inch and 55-inch panels.As of december 31, 2010, 32-inch, 37-inch, 42-inch and 47-inch wide-format panels consists of principal products in this category in terms of sales revenue and sales volume.

Desktop Monitors

The Company�� desktop monitor display panels range from 15 inches to 30-inch wide-format in size in a variety of display resolutions and formats. In 2010, 19-inch and 21.5-inch display panels were its principal products in terms of sales revenue and sales volume in this category.

Notebook Computers

The Company�� display panels for notebook computers range from seven inches to 20.1-inch wide-format in size in a variety of display formats. In 2010, 15.6-inch, 9.7-inch and 14-inch panels were its principal products in this category.

Mobile and Other Applications

The Company�� product portfolio also includes panels for mobile and other applications, which utilize a wide array of display panel sizes, including mobile phones, certain types of tablet personal computers and industrial and other applications, including entertainment systems, automotives, portable navigation devices, e-books, digital photo displays and medical diagnostic equipment. TFT-LCD panels that are nine inches and smaller are referred to as small and medium-size panels, with those smaller than four inches being considered small-size panels. In 2010, sales of small-size panels constituted a significant majority in terms of both sales revenue and sales volume in the mobile and other applications category. Some of the panels the Company produces for industrial products, such as medical diagnostic equipment.

T! he Compan! y competes with Samsung Electronics, Samsung Mobile Display and Hydis Technologies, AU Optronics, Chimei Innolux, Chunghwa Picture Tubes, HannStar, Sharp, Hitachi, TMDisplay, Mitsubishi, IPS-Alpha, SAVIC, Infovision and BOE-OT.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  A Bendable TV? A Bendable TV!:
  Earlier this week, we mentioned the 105-inch curved television from LG Display Co. (NYSE: LPL). That's pretty tame compared to Samsung's 85-inch bendable television.

Top 10 Defensive Companies To Own For 2014: ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR)

ING Prime Rate Trust (the Trust) is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The Trust seeks to provide a high a level of current income together with the preservation of capital. It invests least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in United States dollar-denominated, floating-rate secured senior loans. It also invests a substantial portion of its assets in below investment-grade senior loans and other below investment-grade assets.

The Trust invests in sectors, such as healthcare, education and childcare; cable; chemicals, plastics and rubber; utilities; printing and publishing; leisure, amusement and entertainment; oil and gas; retail stores; data and Internet services, and beverage, food and tobacco. The Trust�� investment advisor is ING Investments, LLC. ING Prime Rate Trust�� sub-advisor is ING Investment Management Co. and its administrator is ING Funds Services, LLC. ING Investments, LLC, ING Investment Management Co. and ING Funds Services, LLC are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of ING Groep N.V.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Dowdee]

  The following 10 funds satisfied all of these conditions:

  BlackRock Float Rate Strategies (FRA). This CEF sells at a discount of 3%, which is low compared to an average premium of 2% over the past year. The distribution has been managed at 6.1% and a small amount (less than 10%) has been return of capital (ROC). However, this has not negatively affected net asset value (NAV) so has not been destructive. The fund holds 447 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. FRA utilizes 27% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.7%, including interest payments. Eaton Vance Floating Rate (EFR). This CEF sells at a 1% premium, which is low compared to an average premium of 5% over the past year. The distribution is 6.2%, none of which was ROC. The fund holds 800 securities, with 90% in floating rate loans. About 85% of the securities are from U.S. companies. EFR utilizes 35% leverage and has an expense ratio of 1.8% including interest payments. ING Prime Rate Trust (PPR). This CEF sells for a premium of 2%, which is below the average premium of 5%. It has a distribution of 6.8%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 350 holdings, virtually all in senior loans and from US companies. PPR utilizes 29% leverage and has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Dynamic Credit Opportunities (VTA). This CEF sells for a discount of 5%, which is below the average discount of 1%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has 495 holdings, with 76% in floating rate loans. About 25% of the loans are from non-US companies. VTA utilizes a relatively low 20% leverage but still has a high expense ratio of 2.1%, including interest payments. Invesco VK Senior Income (VVR). This CEF sells for a discount of 1%, which is below the average premium of 3%. It has a distribution of 7.1%, none of which was ROC. The fund has over 500 holdings, with 89% in floating rate loans. Almost all (95%) securities are from US companies. VVR ut

GM Halts Sales of Some Cruze Models

Late Thursday, General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) sent an email notice to all U.S. Chevrolet dealers to stop selling some 2013 and 2014 models of the company’s Cruze compact cars. The order is directed at models equipped with the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. No recall order has been issued.

GM gave no reason for the order and there was no indication of how many cars are affected.

Karl Brauer, a senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, offered this comment:

The timing of this stop sale order might appear unfortunate given the publicity surrounding GM’s ignition switch recall, but it actually illustrates a new approach by the automaker. Rather than waiting for a full understanding and planned fix for the Cruze, GM is apparently stopping sales at the first sign of a problem to remove the potential of endangering customers.

According to industry newspaper Automotive News, the Cruze is GM’s best-selling U.S. car, with total sales of 248,224 units in 2013. That could have a negative impact on the company’s April sales, unless GM can resolve the issue quickly. It seems reasonable to conclude that if the issue is serious enough for GM to order a halt to sales, it is very likely serious enough to warrant a recall.

There is no question that GM is spooked by the ignition switch defect that has been implicated in 11 deaths and resulted in the recall of 1.6 million cars. The company’s potential liability from the poor way they handled that issue and essentially covered it up is likely to cost it billions.

On one hand, if the company now chooses to err on the side of caution, no one can really blame it. On the other hand, the company cannot flinch every time an indicator light fails to come on. Once some details about this stop-order on the Cruze are available, we will get some idea of how the company plans to react.

Steelcase Inc (SCS): The Best Small Cap Office Furniture Stocks? HNI, KNL & VIRC

Small cap office furniture stock Steelcase Inc (NYSE: SCS) jumped 11.66% after beating earnings expectations, meaning it might be time to take a closer look at the stock along with potential office or commercial furniture stock peers like HNI Corp (NYSE: HNI), Knoll Inc (NYSE: KNL) and Virco Mfg. Corporation (NASDAQ: VIRC). After all, the performance of any company selling office or commercial furniture would tend to give some insights into the office or employment markets.

What is Steelcase Inc?

Founded in 1912, Steelcase's brands offer a comprehensive portfolio of workplace products, furnishings and services that are sold through a network of channels, including over 650 dealers. The company's brands include Steelcase®, Coalesse®, Designtex®, Details®, Nurture®, PolyVision® and Turnstone®.

As for potential office or commercial furniture stock peers, HNI Corp is the second largest office furniture manufacturer in the world and is also the nation's leading manufacturer and marketer of gas- and wood-burning fireplaces; Knoll Inc is recognized internationally for both workplace and residential designs; and Virco Mfg. Corporation is a leading manufacturer and supplier of furniture and equipment for K-12 schools.

What You Need to Know or Be Warned About Steelcase Inc

Yesterday after the market closed, Steelcase reported that fourth quarter revenue rose 8.0% to $779.4 million while net income came in at $23.9 million verses a net loss of $27.5 million (apparently due to some charges for the same period last year). For fiscal 2014, Steelcase reported $3.0 billion in revenue and net income of $87.7 million verses $2.9 billion in revenue and net income of $38.8 million. However, it should be noted that while the Americas and the Other category posted organic revenue growth of 5% and 2%, respectively, while EMEA experienced an 8% organic revenue decline for its third consecutive annual adjusted operating loss. The CFO did comment that: "We remain focused on the implementation of our multi-year strategy necessary to safeguard our global competitiveness and restore profitability in this region."

However and in the outlook or guidance, Steelcase noted that EMEA fourth quarter orders grew approximately 3% (driven by strength in February and improved orders from Germany) and customer order backlog at the end of the fourth quarter rose approximately 26% compared to the prior year – meaning there could be a recovery unfolding in Europe.

In the earnings call (whose transcript is available on Seeking Alpha here), management talked in detail about the EMEA situation and their efforts to turn the performance there around with the CFO commented:

Across manufacturing, we do not expect any significant benefits in 2015 related to the changes in the EMEA manufacturing footprint, as we do not believe they would be completed until late in the fiscal year. However, we do expect incremental operating costs and inefficiencies associated with these initiatives including the $5 million we estimate for the first quarter.

It also sounds like management expects a cyclical recovery in EMEA by 2016 or 2017.

The results along with the guidance led to Raymond James analysts Budd Bugatch and Bobby Griffin to upgrade Steelcase to Strong Buy (from Outperform) and to increase their 12-month target price to $19.00. They commented:

With strong management, diverse industry exposure, exciting new product introductions, and meaningful operating leverage, [Steelcase] is compelling for investors that want to benefit from the non-residential economic recovery. Given [Steelcase] underperformance YTD (SCS -8% vs ~0% for the SPX) we think it wise to use the recent lull as a buying opportunity.

Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that Steelcase has a trailing P/E of 58.56 and a forward P/E of 13.45 along with a forward dividend of $0.40 for a 2.7% dividend yield and a rather high 134% payout ratio according to Yahoo! Finance data – meaning its not exactly a bargain at the moment.

Share Performance: Steelcase Inc vs HNI, KNL, VIRC

On Wednesday, small cap Steelcase jumped 11.66% to $16.28 (SCS has a 52 week trading range of $12.16 to $16.95 a share) for a market cap of $2.02 billion plus the stock is up 2.5% since the start of the year, up 8.5% over the past year and up 226.2% over the past five years. Here is a look at the performance of small cap Steelcase verses HNI Corp, Knoll Inc and Virco Mfg. Corporation:

Top 10 High Tech Companies To Buy Right Now

As you can see from the above performance chart, school furniture maker Virco Mfg. Corporation has been an underperformer while the performance of Steelcase, HNI Corp and Knoll Inc have largely mirrored each other.

Finally, here is a look at the performance of all four office and commercial furniture stocks:

The Bottom Line. Given small cap Steelcase's run up after earnings along with its current P/E and rather high dividend payout ratio, it might be hard for new investors to justify jumping into the stock right now. But existing investors will have some piece of mind knowing the company expects improvement in the EMEA region.

Currencies Wallow In No Mans Land

What news event is going to get the forex market to stand up and take note? The remainder of this week is probably confined to a tight currency range with market participants continuing to look for the various reasons why currency pairs are moving. Yesterday's EUR bears were poised to commence a lap of honor, fuelled by hedge funding selling, only to find by day's end that the 18-member single currency ended up trading north again of the psychological €1.3800 handle after testing last weeks low. Despite the EUR making a strong recovery in the last 24-hours the underlying negative outlook still remains. Mostly the Chinese President telling the US that a political resolution to the crisis in Ukraine would serve the interests of all sides fueled yesterday's sharp gain. Dovish rhetoric from EU and ECB members flashing across the ticker that the EUR at €1.40 is too strong coupled with the Fed's hawkish stance should be capable of confining EUR rallies to a minimum. Initially, the markets conviction for a higher dollar and sooner than expected Fed hikes did start out strong, however, it seems to have flittered away since. Expect more traders to remain sidelined, looking to the next big data point for inspiration.

This morning's German Ifo data has left the single currency in the doldrums. The German Ifo index has come in at 110.7, modestly weaker than the market expected 111 print. The bulk of the weakness is due to the "expectations index" which is presently being dominated by the global outlook having become less certain as worries over China and Russia intensifying. The breakdown revealed that the current conditions index actually surprised to the upside – this is what the market should be focusing on when gauging what's happening in Germany (115.2 vs. 114.4). The Ukraine crisis appears to have been acknowledged in the survey but obviously not seen as a major headwind to German growth prospects just yet. For the EUR, only above €1.3920 would suggest a return to its recent high prints. Speculators remain reluctant to sell the EUR after losing heavily yesterday afternoon and after being burnt running long EUR positions into last week's FOMC meeting. Many will likely consider shutting up shop and wait for next week's key events (ECB, NFP), again leaving the currency pair vulnerable to liquidity constraints.

The tit-for-tat sanctions are widening. Earlier today G7 officials announced they would forego the planned G8 summit in Sochi this June in continued protest of Moscow annexation of the Crimea peninsula. Officials are hardening their stance following the swift Moscow-endorsed Crimea referendum as well as elevated concern over the presence of Russian troops amassing near the east Ukrainian borders. So far it seems that the Russian financial markets have shrugged off the news while the RUB continues to benefit from substantial seasonal tax payments. It would be interesting to see how much Russian interest has been behind keeping the EUR aloft in recent sessions.

The market should be more cognizant of "who says what" as official rhetoric continues to dominate most currency price moves, especially in Europe and Australia. The Aussie has been on a 'tear of late,' with real money demand being blamed as a factor in the last +25c climb higher. The currency pair seems to be eyeing market stops above the psychological $0.9160, last December's high. For the techies, failure to sustain gains above these levels should leave the currency vulnerable to pressures from the downside. The RBA's Governor Stevens is expected to speak on Wednesday in Hong Kong. Be forewarned, despite the frustrated efforts, Stevens continues to champion the cause for a lower AUD aggressively talking down his currency at most public opportunities.

Other Links:
Tighter US Yields Supports The Dollar

The post Currencies Wallow In No Mans Land appeared first on MarketPulse.

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: Forex Markets

Originally posted here...

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Apple In Talks with Comcast for Streaming TV Service

cinz/Flickr Apple (AAPL) is in talks with Comcast to enter into a deal for a streaming-television service that would allow Apple set-top boxes to bypass congestion on the Web, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The discussions are in early stages and there are a lot of hurdles to be crossed before a definitive agreement could be reached, the Journal said. Apple, which wants its TV service's traffic to be separated from public internet traffic over the "last mile" for faster transmission, is looking for special treatment from Comcast's (CMCSA) (CMCSK) cables to bypass congestion, the report said. Comcast and Apple declined to comment on the report. Apple has been in talks for a faster TV set-top box with Time Warner Cable (TWC), which recently agreed to be bought by Comcast. Apple's $99 TV box competes with similar streaming devices from Roku and Google (GOOG). Netflix agreed last month to pay Comcast for faster speeds, throwing open the possibility that more content companies will have to shell out for better service.

U.S. stocks fall most in 5 weeks; Treasurys rally

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks ended Thursday with the worst declines in more than five weeks, with the S&P 500 closing below a key technical level and turning negative year-to-date. Investors flocked to safety, bidding up Treasurys.

Strategists pointed to stretched fundamentals that made the market ready for an overdue correction. Technology and industrial sector stocks led the losses on the benchmark while all 30 components of the Dow industrials finished the day lower.

The S&P 500 (SPX)  closed 21.86 points, or 1.2%, lower at 1,846.34 and erased modest gains for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)  dropped 231.19 points, or 1.4%, to 16,108.89, falling for the fourth consecutive day.

SPX

The Nasdaq Composite (COMP)  shed 62.91 points, or 1.5%, at 4,260.42.

As selling of stocks intensified, traders sought safe havens. Gold (GCJ4) nudged up, while Treasurys rallied. The yield on the 10-year note (10_YEAR)  dropped 8 basis points to 2.65% as investors bought up government debt. The implied volatility on the S&P 500 as measured by the CBOE Vix index, dubbed "Wall Street fear gauge" jumped 12.1% to the highest level since early February.

Read the recap of our live stock market coverage.

Uri Landesman, president at Platinum Partners, says fund managers had been expecting a correction even as markets have been resilient up to this point.

"At these levels markets cannot tolerate any bad news. Fundamentals have been so stretched that we think we will have a significant correction by the end of this month," Landesman said.

"We are watching at what level the S&P 500 closes today, if it goes below 1,850 it might turn into the beginning of the correction," he added.

Hot Gold Companies To Buy Right Now

Earlier, a pair of better-than-expected economic reports, which showed a surprise drop in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits and an uptick in retail sales in February supported stocks. Then gains quickly turned into losses.

In the absence of major economic news, investors will focus on the Fed's policy-setting meeting, scheduled for March 18-19, at which the central bank is expected to keep up the pace of monetary stimulus reduction.

Investors are keeping an eye on a vote in Crimea this weekend when citizens will decide whether to stay with Ukraine or join Russia. Read also: Stock investors look past jobs to Yellen, Ukraine

Overseas markets

Asian markets were mixed, with the Nikkei 225 index (JP:NIK)  ending slightly lower, and the Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI)  falling 0.7% after data showed China's industrial production slowed in the January-February period, while retail sales in January eased.

The Shanghai Composite (CN:SHCOMP)  rose 1%. Some attributed this to comments by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who said he was confident the Chinese economy would meet its 7.5% growth goal for this year.

A Credit Junkie Fesses Up So We Can Learn From Her Mistakes

Top Tech Stocks For 2014

Shutterstock/kurhan When Beverly Harzog met her future husband, she never told him about her history of credit problems. In fact, she kept it a secret from him for the first 25 years of their marriage. He only found about her past self-proclaimed "credit card addiction" when she wrote an article about it a few years ago. It wasn't just her spouse: Harzog kept her debt a secret from everyone. "I didn't even tell my parents because I didn't want to worry them." Now, with the release of her new book, "Confessions of a Credit Junkie: Everything You Need to Know to Avoid the Mistakes I Made," Harzog has outed herself extremely publicly. And after all these years, Harzog said that one of her biggest regrets is keeping her credit addiction from her husband. "Now I realize that it's better to talk about it. Couples in a serious relationship talk about whether they want to have kids, but they should also talk about money." She Thought It Was Easy Money. She Was Wrong. Harzog got into trouble with credit card debt almost the minute she got out of college in the 1980s. She said she wasn't raised in a family with a lot of extra spending money, so when she got a good job and the credit card offers poured in, she accepted them all. She called this period her "decade of debt." "I maxed out seven credit cards on things like designer suits, expensive makeup and accessories and shoes. What's sad is that I had a degree in accounting, so I should have known better. But I worked with almost all men, and I thought I needed designer clothes to boost my confidence." The worst thing she did was book a cruise to Mexico with the one card that still had available credit, even though at that time she had about $1 in the bank. "I felt like I deserved it because I worked hard. It seemed normal to me to carry a balance on every credit card every month," she said. When she started being afraid to open her bills -- or add up how much she owed -- that Harzog realized she was in trouble. When she got up the nerve to face her financial truth, she was around $20,000 in debt -- an overwhelming amount in today's dollars, and even more so in the 1980s. That's when Harzog put herself on a strict cash budget and stopped relying on credit to fund a lifestyle she could not afford. She said she ate a lot of peanut butter sandwiches, avoided restaurants and didn't buy anything for about two years. Even now, she doesn't buy anything without waiting and thinking about whether she really needs it. Money Sense Should Be Part of Healthy Relationships "I became a CPA so I could increase my salary, and cut everything from my budget, so by the time I got married I had paid off all my debt." Although her debt issues were behind her, keeping her past a secret from her husband was not healthy. That's why she advises couples to put money front-and-center in their relationship and deal with past, existing and potential financial problems head-on. Harzog noted that financial secrets tend not to remain secret for long, especially when couples are co-mingling their money. "If you're hiding your debt problems, they'll come out when you try to buy a house together, or even if you try to take an anniversary trip and find that you don't have the cash or the credit available." Even after a marriage dissolves, money problems can linger. "If you have joint accounts, then there are legal implications for the debt, since you're both responsible even if only one person incurred the debt," she said. Harzog said she talked recently with a woman whose soon-to-be ex-husband was racking up debt to be vengeful. The woman froze the account as soon as she found out, but now both partners have lower credit scores, and the debt still has to be repaid. Credit Topics to Discuss Before you Get Married Harzog said couples should start talking about their attitudes toward credit and their own credit habits as soon as they're involved in a serious relationship. Here are a few of her suggestions: • Ask about his or her credit philosophy. You could be dating a "power user" who uses a rewards card for everything and pays the balance in full each month. But you need to know if you're getting serious with someone with significant credit card debt or who expects you to help repay it. • Ask if your partner knows his or her credit score. "You can share your own score or just say you have good or excellent credit," says Harzog. "You don't need to be judgmental if someone has a bad credit score. There are lots of reasons for this other than just bad money management." If you're living together or engaged and one has great credit and the other doesn't, don't cosign a credit card application, because you'll both be liable for the debt. If you're the one with good credit, you should be the one to make sure bills get paid on time and that spending is kept well below the credit limit. • Discuss whether you'll have joint or separate accounts. "Many older women that I talk to don't have any credit history of their own," she said. "It's fine to have a joint account, but you should each have a separate credit card account, too, so you can build your own credit history." • Don't let fear of a disagreement keep you from opening the subject: An inability to get on the same page about your joint finances is one of the most common reasons couples end up divorced. It's far better to have some potentially uncomfortable pre-wedding moments talking about money than to become one more statistic in the future.

Fate of Madoff employees in hands of the jury

NEW YORK — The criminal conspiracy case against five former Bernard Madoff employees went to a federal court jury shortly after noon Monday, starting the final phase of a complex trial that began in October.

The nine-woman-three-man jury started deliberations after U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain gave them final legal instructions on the 31-count indictment against the former co-workers.

Juror No. 2, a man, briefly covered his face with his trial notebook after the judge appointed him as the jury foreman.

The proceeding, now among the longest white-collar crime trials in Manhattan federal court history, covers the first Madoff-related cases to be weighed by a jury. The mastermind of the Ponzi scam that stole an estimated $20 billion from thousands of investors pleaded guilty without standing trial after the scam imploded in December 2008.

Madoff, now 75, is serving a 150-year prison term at a federal penitentiary in North Carolina. The ex-employees face decades behind bars themselves if the jury finds them guilty on charges they knowingly participated in and profited from the fraud.

The defendants include Daniel Bonventre, 67, the former back office manager of Madoff's investment advisory firm; Annette Bongiorno, 65, who handled the financier's top clients; JoAnn Crupi, 52, who oversaw the company's bank account; and former Madoff computer programmers Jerome O'Hara, 50 and George Perez, 48.

They pleaded innocent and insisted throughout the trial that they were unwittingly hoodwinked by Madoff into performing job assignments that enabled the scam to run for decades.

The judge's instructions included legal guidance on the concept of "conscious avoidance," which she defined as someone deliberately closing their eyes "to what would otherwise be obvious to him or her."

5 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Bonventre and Bongiorno took ! the stand in their own defense, a decision that enabled them to express their contentions directly to jurors — but also exposed them to cross-examination by prosecutors. Keenly aware of that legal risk, the other defendants opted not to take the witness stand.

Instead, much of the defense's legal strategy focused on trying to raise doubts about the nearly 40 witnesses and dozens of exhibits and other evidence presented by prosecutors.

The heart of the case for both sides was the testimony of Frank DiPascali, the Mini-me to Madoff's Dr. Evil who was a manager of the Manhattan-based company's investment advisory division. During weeks on the witness stand, the star prosecution witness testified that Madoff never did any of the financial trading promised to investors and specifically linked his former co-workers to the fraud.

DiPascali, who testified under a government cooperation agreement, faces a maximum 125-year prison term when he's sentenced for his self-confessed participation in the scheme. But he could receive less time for his assistance to federal prosecutors.

Defense lawyers characterized DiPascali as a convicted perjurer who would say and do anything to gain leniency. But prosecutors argued that DiPascali would face additional criminal charges and prison time if he lied during his testimony.

Best Casino Companies To Buy Right Now

Best Casino Companies To Buy Right Now: Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment PLC (BPTY)

bwin.party digital entertainment plc (bwin.party) is a holding company. The Company is an online gaming company. It operates in five segments: sports betting, casino & games, poker, bingo; and other (including network services, World Poker Tour, InterTrader.com, WIN.com, software services and the payment services business). Its sport betting segment includes bwin, betoto, Gamebookers, Gioco Digitale and PartyBets. It's Casino & games segment includes PartyCasino, bwin and GD Casino. Its poker segment includes PartyPoker, bwin and GD Casino. Its Bingo segment includes Foxy Bingo, Cheeky Bingo, Gioco Digitale and Binguez. The Company's subsidiaries include BES SAS, bwin Argentina SA, bwin Italia S.r.l., bwin.party Games AB and Cashcade Limited. Its subsidiaries are engaged in management and information technology (IT) services, marketing services, online gaming, transaction services, customer support services, marketing support services and Land-based poker events. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Namitha Jagadeesh]

  Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment Plc (BPTY) plunged 14 percent to 110 pence, the biggest drop since April 2011, after the online gaming company said 2013 sales will be 14 percent to 17 percent lower than last year's figures. Analysts on average had forecast a sales drop of 9.2 percent.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-casino-companies-to-buy-right-now.html

Top 5 Tech Stocks For 2014

Top 5 Tech Stocks For 2014: Intersil Corporation(ISIL)

Intersil Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits for applications in the industrial, computing, consumer, and communications electronics markets. The company?s industrial products include operational amplifiers, bridge drivers, isolated and non-isolated power management products, switches and multiplexers, video decoders, and other standard analog and power management products used in medical imaging, energy management, automotive, military, instrumentation, security surveillance, and factory automation markets. Its computing products comprise desktop, server, notebook, and network attached storage power management products, including core power devices and other power management products for peripheral devices, as well as lithium ion battery chargers. The company?s consumer products consist of handheld, display, gaming, light sensor, and class-D audio amplifier products for use in smartphones, LCD televisions, t ablet computers, electronic game systems, set top boxes, MP3 players, GPS systems, AV receivers, and home audio systems. Its communication products include line drivers, isolated and non-isolated power management, radiation-hardened products, digital power management products, broadband and hot plug power management products, and high-speed data converters for applications in DSL, home gateway, satellite, networking, cellular base station, and networking/switching equipment markets. The company markets its products through distributors and value added resellers to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, and contract manufacturers in China, the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Singapore, and Mexico. Intersil Corporation was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Milpitas, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]!

  Intersil (NASDAQ: ISIL) tumbled 4.81 percent to $10.92 after Evercore Partners downgraded the stock from Equal-Weight to Underweight.

  Texas Industries (NYSE: TXI) was down, falling 4.36 percent to $65.78 after Longbow Research downgraded the stock from buy to neutral.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Basic guidelines
  In this series, I examine inventory using a simple rule of thumb: Inventory increases ought to roughly parallel revenue increases. If inventory bloats more quickly than sales grow, this might be a sign that expected sales haven't materialized. Is the current inventory situation at Intersil (Nasdaq: ISIL  ) out of line? To figure that out, start by comparing the company's inventory growth to sales growth. How is Intersil doing by this quick checkup? At first glance, pretty well. Trailing-12-month revenue decreased 18.7%, and inventory decreased 19.5%. Comparing the latest quarter to the prior-year quarter, the story looks decent. Revenue shrank 15.6%, and inventory shrank 19.5%. Over the sequential quarterly period, the trend looks OK but not great. Revenue dropped 4.2%, and inventory dropped 3.1%.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-tech-stocks-for-2014.html

Top Insurance Stocks To Own Right Now

Top Insurance Stocks To Own Right Now: RSA Insurance Group PLC (RSA)

RSA Insurance Group plc is the holding company of the RSA group of companies whose principal activity is the transaction of personal and commercial general insurance business. The Company operates in four segments: Scandinavia, Canada, United Kingdom and Western Europe, and Emerging Markets. The Company provides insurance covers for a range of renewable energy technologies, including Wind Energy, which includes onshore and offshore facilities; Solar Energy, which includes photovoltaic, concentrated and thermal installations; Small Hydro, which includes power stations producing an output up to 50 megawatt, and Bio energy, which includes Biomass, Biogas and Waste to Energy plants. The Company works with both large and small brokers. The Company works with partners, such as building societies, banks, retailers, motor manufacturers, charities, utilities and unions to offer their customers appropriate insurance products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  RSA Insurance Group Plc (RSA), which insures cars, homes and ships in the U.K., Scandinavia and emerging markets, rose 0.8 percent to 114.1 pence. Morgan Stanley raised its rating on the stock to overweight, the equivalent of a buy recommendation, from underweight.

• [By Sarah Jones]

  RSA Insurance Group Plc (RSA) gained 0.8 percent to 114.1 pence after Morgan Stanley upgraded the insurer to overweight from underweight, saying the share price will benefit from a stronger prospective U.K. performance. The stock has declined 9.2 percent so far this year, while the FTSE 350 Insurance Index has rallied 10 percent.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-insurance-stocks-to-own-right-now.html

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014

Getty Images The daily pressures and stresses of poverty take up so much mental energy that it reduces cognitive function. According to a new study, published in Science today, being preoccupied with money can cause low income people to suffer a drop in IQ of 13 points on average. A few comparisons highlight how severe that is. That difference in IQ is about the same as the gap between a chronic alcoholic and a normal adult, according to The Atlantic. It's comparable to the cognitive drop people see when they've just pulled an all-nighter. In the researcher's first study, people across the income spectrum in New Jersey were asked how they would respond to a situation where their car suddenly required repair: Would they pay right away, borrow money, or put the repairs off for now. And how would they decide? Before giving a response, they were run through a series of "common fluid-intelligence and cognition tests." When the repairs were said to cost $150, poor and rich people performed cognitive tasks at the same level. When the number was $1,500, poor people performed far worse on those tasks, while wealthier individuals weren't affected. Poverty is often blamed on "the personal failings of the poor," co-author Jiaying Zhao says. This is evidence that the situation itself hurts people's ability to concentrate and make decisions. "Stress itself doesn't predict that people can't perform well - they may do better up to a point," Princeton professor and co-author Eldar Shafir says. "A person in poverty might be at the high part of the performance curve when it comes to a specific task and, in fact, we show that they do well on the problem at hand. But they don't have leftover bandwidth to devote to other tasks. The poor are often highly effective at focusing on and dealing with pressing problems. It's the other tasks where they perform poorly."

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: Sonde Resources Corp (SOQ)

Sonde Resources Corp. (Sonde) is engaged in the exploration for, and acquisition, development and production of, petroleum and natural gas with operations in Western Canada and North Africa. On June 23, 2011, the Company sold its interests in Block 5(c) and the assumption of certain liabilities in respect of the MG Block through the Niko Sale Agreement. On September 23, 2011, the Company acquired a block of producing and non-producing assets in Drumheller from a third party, which includes the bulk of producing interests in the Mannville I oil pool. On January 1, 2012, the Company amalgamated Seeker Petroleum Ltd., Challenger Energy Corp. and Sonde Resources Trinidad and Tobago Ltd. into Sonde Resources Corp. On February 8, 2012, the Company completed the sale of 26,240 gross undeveloped acres (24,383 net acres) in its Kaybob Duvernay play in Alberta. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  While Bakken formation oil and gas stocks have grabbed the attention of�American investors, small cap Alberta or Saskatchewan oil and gas stocks Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd (NYSE: AAV), Sonde Resources Corp (NYSEMKT: SOQ) and up and coming Centor Energy Inc (OTCBB: CNTO) have been largely overlooked as they seek to exploit oil and gas (including oil sands) in the resource rich Canadian provinces of Alberta or Saskatchewan or seek strategic alternatives for their assets in these areas or themselves. It should be mentioned that Canada�� oil reserves are third only to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia with over 95% of these reserves being the oil sands of Alberta plus that province contains much of the country�� conventional oil reserves as well. In addition, the province of Saskatchewan along with offshore areas of Newfoundland contain substantial production and reserves. Excluding oil sands, Alberta would have 39% of Canada�� remaining conventional oil reserves,�followed by�offshore Newfoundland with�28% and Saskatchewan with 27%.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: New Source Energy Partners LP (NSLP)

New Source Energy Partners L.P., incorporated on October 2, 2012, is engaged in the acquiring oil and natural gas properties in the United States. The Company�� properties consist of non-operated working interests in the Misener-Hunton formation (the Hunton Formation), a conventional resource reservoir located in east-central Oklahoma. As of June 30, 2012, of which approximately 58% were classified as proved developed reserves and of which approximately 76.4% were comprised of oil and natural gas liquids. As of June 30, 2012, the Company had 89,116 gross (31,554 net) acres, of which 6,796 gross (2,323 net) acres were undeveloped. As of June 30, 2012, the Company had 127 gross (28.5 net) proved undeveloped drilling locations, of which 66 gross (20.7 net) were infill drilling locations. In June 2013, New Source Energy Partners LP announced that it has acquired additional oil and natural gas properties from New Source Energy Corporation. In November 2013, New Source Energy Partners LP acquired MCE LP.

The Company�� properties are located in the Golden Lane field within the Hunton Formation of east-central Oklahoma and consist of mature, legacy oil and natural gas reservoirs. The Company�� properties consist of non-operated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage, including 215 gross (82.4 net) producing wells with working interests ranging from 21% to 87% (38.3% weighted average); and 127 gross (28.5 net) proved undeveloped drilling locations with working interests ranging from 1% to 84% (22.4% weighted average). As of June 30, 2012, the Company had 89,116 gross (31,554 net) acres in the Golden Lane field.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lee Jackson]

  New Source Energy Partner L.P. (NYSE: NSLP) is definitely a name for investors interested in yield. While the company faced some issues in the second quarter due to flooding in some of its drilling areas, production is back to normal and management is very positive for the remainder of 2013. Oppenheimer has a $23 price objective, while the consensus is at $24. Investors are paid a stellar 11% distribution.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  New Source Energy Partners (NYSE: NSLP) debuted in February 2013 as the year’s first initial public offering of an upstream master limited partnership, with an initial enterprise value (EV) of $186 million. The partnership is engaged in the development and production of liquids-rich conventional resource reservoirs in east-central Oklahoma.

• [By Robert Rapier] There were a half a dozen initial public offerings (IPOs) by master limited partnerships in the first half of the year, and all but one are now in the green while one has nearly doubled in value.
  
  The first MLP IPO of 2013 debuted on Jan. 15. USA Compression Partners (NYSE: USAC), which I mentioned in last week’s issue, provides compression services for the oil and gas industry. Units have advanced 36 percent since the IPO, and at the current price yield 7.3 percent.
  
  The day after the USA Compression Partners IPO, CVR Refining (NYSE: CVRR) made its debut.  CVRR was spun off from CVR Energy (NYSE: CVI), and both companies remain majority-owned by Carl Icahn. CVR Refining’s primary assets are two refineries located in Kansas and Oklahoma with a combined processing capacity of approximately 185,000 barrels per day (bpd). These refineries are strategically located near the major Cushing, Oklahoma shipment and storage hub, with easy access to discounted feedstock from the nearby Permian basin, as well as the Bakken shale and Canadian oil sands.
  
  But refiners have struggled with diminished margins in 2013 because of a much lower Brent-WTI differential. After the recently concluded second quarter, CVRR declared a distribution of $1.35 per unit, bringing its per-unit distributions for the first half of the year to $2.93. At the same time, CVR Refining lowered its annual distribution target to a range of $4.10 to $4.80 per unit. This was lower than the outlook issued in March, when it foresaw annual distributions of $5.50 to $6.50. CVRR units slid on the news, and are presently trading slightly below the $25 IPO price. The lower end of the revised forecast implies distributions of $1.17 per unit in the second half of the year, for a forward annualized yield of 10 percent based on the recent $23.50 unit price.
  
  SunCoke Energy Partners (NYSE: SXCP) was the third IPO to debut during a very busy third week of January. SXCP is the first M

Top Financial Companies To Buy Right Now: Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp (KOG)

Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. (Kodiak) is an independent energy company focused on the exploration, exploitation, acquisition and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States. Kodiak has developed an oil and natural gas asset base of proved reserves, as well as a portfolio of development and exploratory drilling opportunities on high-potential prospects with an emphasis on oil resource plays. The Company�� oil and natural gas reserves and operations are primarily concentrated in the Williston Basin of North Dakota. As of January 31, 2012, it had approximately 169,000 net acres under lease, including 157,000 net acres in the Bakken oil play in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana. In January 2012, the Company acquired Williston Basin oil and gas producing properties and undeveloped leasehold. On January 10, 2012, it acquired certain oil and gas leaseholds, overriding royalty interests and producing properties located in North Dakota. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  In North Dakota's Bakken shale, for instance, Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR  ) , the leading producer in the play, reported 58% production growth last year, while Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG  ) , a smaller operator that also has a major presence in the play, said production nearly tripled from 2011 to 2012.

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  The implications of this gas find could mean a large uptick in the company's reserves. With the company valued at $1.00 per thousand cubic feet equivalent of proved reserves, WPX is one of the lowest-valued gas company's on the market. Also, even though the company has a gas-heavy portfolio, its liquid component just happens to be in one of the best tight oil plays in the U.S. -- the Bakken. In this video, Fool.com contributor Tyler Crowe talks about how the low market value per proven reserve could be an opportunity to get in on a strong natural gas play that just also happens to have the same amount of proven oil reserves in the Bakken as Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG  ) .

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  What's most interesting is that these assets are natural-gas-gathering lines in the Bakken, which is known for its oil. What you might not know is that Bakken oil producers desperately need natural gas infrastructure. Kodiak Oil & Gas (NYSE: KOG  ) is an unfortunate example of this. While growing its oil volumes by 265% year over year it also grew its associated natural gas volumes by 398%. The problem here is that the company was forced to flare 3.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas after flaring 807 million cubic feet of gas the year before because it had no where else for the gas to go. This lack of natural gas gathering and takeaway capacity in the region has been a real problem and assets like Bison are an important solution in solving this problem.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: Turcas Petrol AS (TRCAS)

Turcas Petrol AS (Turcas) is a Turkey-based integrated energy holding company that operates in the fields of fuel distribution, oil refining, power generation & trading, and import & wholesale of natural gas. The joint venture company, Shell & Turcas Petrol AS (STAS), carries out the Company�� fuel distribution activities through a network of gas stations, delivering services across Turkey. Its Oil refining and petroleum production is undertaken by SOCAR & Turcas Energy (STEAS). The Company operates its power generation, trading and distribution activities through Turcas Energy Holding. The import, export and wholesale of natural gas are handled by Turcas Gas Trading. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lyubov Pronina]

  Akbank sank 4.2 percent in Istanbul, falling for a sixth straight day, the longest streak in almost two months. Turcas Petrol AS (TRCAS) lost 1.6 percent after the Turkish energy company said Finance Ministry officials started an inspection at its venture with Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: Clayton Williams Energy Inc (CWEI)

Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. (CWEI), incorporated on December 27, 1991, is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the exploration for and production of oil and natural gas primarily in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. The Company operates in two segments: oil and gas exploration and production and contract drilling services. As of December 31, 2012, its portfolio of oil and natural gas reserves is weighted in favor of oil, with approximately 77% of its proved reserves consisting of oil and natural gas liquids (NGLs) and approximately 23% consisting of natural gas. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company added proved reserves of 20,443 million barrels of oil equivalent (MBOE) through extensions and discoveries, had downward revisions of 6,615 MBOE and had purchases of minerals-in-place of 3,504 MBOE and had a sales of minerals-in-place of 725 MBOE. As of December 31, 2012, CWEI held interests in 3,031 gross (1749 net) producing oil and gas wells and owned leasehold interests in approximately 951,000 gross (471,000 net) undeveloped acres. On March 14, 2012, its wholly owned subsidiary, Southwest Royalties, Inc. (SWR), completed the mergers of each of the 24 limited partnerships, of which SWR is the general partner (SWR Partnerships) into SWR.

Permian Basin

The Company�� Permian Basin is a sedimentary basin in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico. The Permian Basin covers an area approximately 250 miles wide and 350 miles long and contains commercial accumulations of oil and gas in multiple stratigraphic horizons at depths ranging from 1,000 feet to over 25,000 feet. During 2012, the Company drilled and completed 87 gross (80.2 net) operated wells in the Permian Basin and conducted various remedial operations on other wells. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had two rigs in this area.

Giddings Area

The Company�� Austin Chalk formation is an upper Cretaceous geologic formation in the Gulf Coast region of the United States th! at stretches across numerous fields in Texas and Louisiana. The Austin Chalk formation is generally encountered at depths of 5,500 to 7,000 feet. Horizontal drilling is the primary technique used in the Austin Chalk formation. Its wells in this area were drilled as horizontal wells, many with multiple laterals in different producing horizons, including the Austin Chalk, Buda and Georgetown formations in East Central Texas. The Eagle Ford Shale formation lies immediately beneath the Austin Chalk formation where the Company have approximately 177,000 net acres in production. As of December 31, 2012, the Company is using one of its drilling rigs in the Giddings Area to drill horizontal wells in the Eagle Ford Shale formation.

South Louisiana

During 2012, the Company drilled and completed the Hassinger ETAL #1, an exploratory well in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The Company plan to commence drilling operations on the Macon Stringer Heirs #1, an exploratory well in Terrebonne Parish in 2013.

Natural Gas Services

The Company owns an interest in and operates natural gas service facilities in the states of Texas and Louisiana. These natural gas service facilities consist of interests in approximately 314 miles of pipeline, three treating plants, one dehydration facility, and seven wellhead type treating and/or compression stations. Its operated gas gathering and treating activities exist to facilitate the transportation and marketing of its operated oil and gas production.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Clayton Williams Energy (Nasdaq: CWEI  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings around April 24. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Clayton Williams Energy's revenues will decrease -8.9% and EPS will shrink -32.8%.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: World Point Terminals LP (WPT)

World Point Terminals, LP, incorporated on April 19, 2013, is a fee-based Delaware limited partnership formed to own, operate, develop and acquire terminals and other assets relating to the storage of light refined products, heavy refined products and crude oil. WPT GP, LLC is the general partner of the Company. It operates in a single reportable segment consists primarily of the fee-based storage and terminaling services it performs under contracts with its customers. The Company�� storage terminals are located in the East Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest regions of the United States and, as of May 31, 2013, had a combined available storage capacity of 12.4 million barrels. The Company provides terminaling and storage of light refined products, such as gasoline, distillates and jet fuels; heavy refined products, such as residual fuel oils and liquid asphalt, and crude oil. Most of its terminal facilities are located on waterways, and have truck racks. Several of its terminal facilities also have rail or pipeline access. As of May 31, 2013, approximately 93% of its available storage capacity was under contract.

The Company generates revenue from Storage Services Fees, Ancillary Services Fees and Additive Services Fees. Storage Services Fees are its customers pay base storage services fees, which are fixed monthly fees paid at the beginning of each month to reserve storage capacity in its tanks and to compensate it for receiving up to a base product volume on their behalf. The Company charges ancillary services fees to its customers for providing services, such as heating, mixing and blending its customers��products that are stored in its tanks; transferring its customers��products between its tanks; at its Granite City terminal, adding polymer to liquid asphalt, and rail car loading and dock operations. The Company generates revenue from fees for injecting generic gasoline, gasoline, lubricity, red dye and cold flow additives to its customers��products.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Emerson]

  Berman pioneered the idea of the World Poker Tour (WPT) and sold the concept to the Travel Channel. Watching poker on television had always been boring since the viewing audience could not see the down cards which the players held. Berman remedied that problem by allowing a camera to expose the down cards to the TV audience. That idea suddenly transformed Texas Holdem into a fascinating spectator�� sport. By the end of 2003 the stock had reached its book value of 15 dollars a share and I decided to take my profits, perhaps a bit prematurely. The stock quickly climbed to about 30 dollars a share on sheer momentum.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  World Point Terminals L.P. (NYSE: WPT) was initiated as Outperform with a $23 price target at Credit Suisse.

  See also more analyst upgrades and downgrades for Tuesday.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd (PBEGF.PK)

Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. (Petrobank) is engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas in western Canada. The Company operates in two segments: the Heavy Oil Business Unit (HBU) and PetroBakken Energy Ltd. (PetroBakken). Its operations are conducted through its HBU, as well as its technology subsidiary, Archon Technologies Ltd. The HBU operates its heavy oil projects using Petrobank�� THAI heavy oil recovery process in the field. In addition, Petrobank owns 59% of its subsidiary, PetroBakken. Whitesands Insitu Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, owns heavy oil leases in Alberta and oil sands and heavy oil licenses and leases in Saskatchewan, and operates the Kerrobert Project. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Petrobank completed the Kerrobert Project, with all 10 expansion well pairs drilled. On February 28, 2012, Petrobank completed the sale of May River Property. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Peace River's most notable producers:

  PennWest Exploration (PWE), see article here.Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A), see article here.Baytex (BTE), see article here.Strata Oil and Gas (SOIGF.PK), see article here.Petrobank Energy & Resources (PBEGF.PK), see article here.

  Cold Lake's most notable producers:

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: Natural Gas(NG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  He increased his holdings in gold companies in the fourth quarter accordingly. Gold stocks he found attractive in the fourth quarter are: Novagold Resources (NG), Randgold Resources (GOLD), Iamgold Corp. (IAG), Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX), Agnico Eagle (AEM) and International Tower Hill (THM).

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Moreover, highly speculative miners have also done badly. NovaGold Resources (NYSEMKT: NG  ) represented a $130 million investment for Paulson as of March 31, and it has lost more than 55% year-to-date as investors question whether the company will successfully get its Donlin Gold project in Alaska off the ground.

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: BG Group PLC (BRGXF.PK)

BG Group plc (BG Group) is a natural gas company. The Company is engaged in the exploration, development and production of natural gas and oil. It operates in three business segments: Exploration and Production (E&P), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Transmission and Distribution (T&D). Effective January 1, 2012, the Company was managed across three regions: Americas and Europe; Africa, Central and South Asia, and Australia and East Asia, supported by Global Energy Marketing and Shipping (GEMS) and BG Advance. The Company has interests in 25 countries on five continents. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired an interest in, and operatorship of, offshore blocks L10A (BG Group 40%) and L10B (BG Group 45%) in Kenya. During 2011, the Company acquired additional Marcellus shale properties in partnership with EXCO Resources, Inc. (EXCO). In June 2013, BG Group PLC announced that it has completed the sale of its 65.12% holding in Gujarat Gas Company Limited (GGCL). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Heather Ingrassia]

  On Thursday, August 15, GasLog (GLOG) announced that it had ordered two new 174K cbm Tri-Fuel Diesel Electric LNG carriers from Samsung Heavy Industries. These carriers are expected to be delivered in 2016 which is the same year the company will begin seven-year charters with BG Group (BRGYY.PK) (BRGXF.PK).

Top 10 Energy Stocks To Buy For 2014: SandRidge Mississippian Trust I (SDT)

SandRidge Mississippian Trust I (The Trust) is a statutory trust. The Trust was created to acquire and hold the Royalty Interests for the benefit of Trust unitholders. SandRidge conveyed to the Trust the Royalty Interests in specified oil and natural gas properties in the Mississippian formation in Alfalfa, Garfield, Grant, Major and Woods counties in Oklahoma (the Underlying Properties). These Royalty Interests were derived from SandRidge�� interests in a 36 wells and the equivalent of 123 horizontal development wells to be drilled in the Mississippian formation (Trust Development Wells) within an area of mutual interest (AMI), consisting of approximately 49,600 gross acres (42,000 net acres) in the counties where the Underlying Properties are located.

Effective January 1, 2011, the Royalty Interests entitle the Trust to receive 90% of the proceeds from the sale of oil and natural gas production attributable to its net revenue interest in the Initial Wells and 50% of the proceeds from the sale of oil and natural gas production attributable to SandRidge�� net revenue interest in the Trust Development Wells. As of December 31, 2011, the Trust�� properties consisted of Royalty Interests in the Initial Wells, 48 wells (equivalent to approximately 53 Trust Development Wells under the development agreement) and the equivalent of approximately 70 Trust Development Wells to be drilled in the Mississippian formation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  SandRidge Mississippian Trust I (NYSE: SDT  ) and Trust II (NYSE: SDR  )
  These trusts were created by SandRidge Energy (NYSE: SD  ) , with the first Mississippian Trust formed in 2010 and the second formed one year later. Both trusts own royalty interests in oil and gas properties targeting the Mississippian formation and have future upside as SandRidge drills wells as part of the areas of mutual interest.