Top Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014

In the ongoing bidding war for Clearwire (NASDAQ: CLWR  ) , DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH  ) has sent a letter to the Clearwire board with an offer to purchase the wireless firm for $4.40 a share in cash.

The bid from DISH is a 29% premium over an earlier $3.40-a-share bid for the Clearwire shares it doesn't already own from Sprint (NYSE: S  ) . With a Clearwire shareholders meeting on the Sprint offer set for tomorrow, DISH Network is making the offer public, "in light of the limited time remaining," the company said in its press release. Reuters is reporting that two sources are saying Clearwire is expected to postpone the vote on the Sprint offer.

Clearwire's largest minority shareholder, Crest Financial, has been campaigning against the Sprint bid, arguing the company should hold out for a higher bid, perhaps from another suitor.

In a letter dated Wednesday to John Stanton, the chairman of Clearwire, DISH Network chairman and co-founder Charlie Ergen said, "We have reviewed your recently amended merger agreement with Sprint Nextel Corporation ... and we continue to believe we can provide a meaningfully superior alternative to your stockholders, so we are presenting a transaction valued at $4.40 per share." The letter from DISH Network also notes its board had approved the offer, and it is "not subject to any financing contingency."

Hot Prefered Companies To Buy For 2015: BHP Billiton Limited(BHP)

BHP Billiton Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified natural resources company worldwide. The company engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas; mining and refining of bauxite into alumina, and smelting of alumina into aluminum metal; and mining of copper, silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, gold, diamonds, and titanium minerals, as well as development of potash deposits. It also involves in the mining and production of nickel products, manganese ore, and manganese metal and alloys, as well as in the mining of iron ore, metallurgical coal, and thermal coal. BHP Billiton Limited sells its copper, lead, and zinc concentrates, and alumina to smelters; copper cathodes to wire rod mills, brass mills, and casting plants; uranium oxide to electricity generating utilities; rough diamonds to diamond buyers and diamond manufacturers; nickel products to stainless steel, specialty alloy, foundry, chemicals, and refractory ma terial industries; metallurgical coal to steel producers; and energy coal to power stations, power generators, and industrial users. The company, formerly known as BHP Limited, was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  This hasn't been a great year for mining stocks, and for iron ore miners in particular, as slower growth in China has cut into demand, while past investments in new mines have added to supply. But shares of Vale have decidedly underperformed shares of competitors such as BHP Billiton (BHP) and Rio Tinto (RIO) because of the uncertainty of this tax case. The amount of the government claim is, after all, three times net profit from 2012. In the last 12 months, shares of Vale were down 5.03% as of November 19, while shares of BHP Billiton were up 4.04% and shares of Rio Tinto were ahead 10.37%.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Cliff’s Natural Resources have gained 6% to $23.21 at 11:10 a.m. today, trumping the 1.1% rise in Rio Tinto (RIO), the 1.2% gain in BHP Billiton (BHP) and the 1.5% advance in Vale (VALE).

Top Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014: Renegade Petroleum Ltd (RPL)

Renegade Petroleum Ltd. (Renegade) is an exploitation and exploration focused light oil producer. Renegade's primary focus areas are located in southeast Saskatchewan in various pools, such as Bakken, Souris Valley, Frobisher, Midale and Kisby, as well as the Dodsland area of the Viking play in west-central Saskatchewan. It also has working interests in North Dakota pursuant to a farm-in agreement respecting land in Renville County that is prospective for Bakken, Threeforks/Sanish and Frobisher light oil. In addition the Company has a light oil opportunity in the Spearfish play in Manitoba. It has two geographic segments: western Canada and the State of North Dakota, the United Sates. In December 2012, the Company acquired certain strategic light oil assets. In February 2014, the Company closed the disposition of certain oil and gas assets in southeast Saskatchewan. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Many American oil and gas investors are probably familiar with the major large and small cap players in the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana, but few American investors are probably familiar with�the active players further to the north in the�oil and gas rich Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta�with small cap stocks like Alexander Energy Ltd (CVE: ALX), Renegade Petroleum Ltd (CVE: RPL) and Centor Energy Inc (OTCBB: CNTO) along with large cap Suncor Energy Inc (NYSE: SU) being among those�pumping out their share of noteworthy news lately. I should point out that�Canada�� oil reserves are ranked #3 after to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia with over 95% of these reserves being the controversial�oil sands of Alberta while the neighboring province of Saskatchewan (which the Bakken formation actually stretches into) along with offshore areas of Newfoundland also containing substantial production and reserves. Moreover and excluding the oil sands, Alberta would have 39% of Canada�� remaining conventional oil reserves,�followed by�offshore Newfoundland with�28% and Saskatchewan with 27%.

Top Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014: The Bon-Ton Stores Inc.(BONT)

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates department stores in the mid-size and metropolitan markets of the United States. Its stores offer brand-name fashion apparel and accessories for women, men, and children, as well as provide cosmetics, home furnishings, and footwear. As of November 1, 2011, the company operated 275 stores under various nameplates, including the Bon-Ton, Bergner?s, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger?s, and Younkers in 23 northeastern, midwestern, and upper Great Plains states; and under the Parisian nameplate in Detroit, Michigan. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in York, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Notable earnings released on Tuesday included:

  Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR) reported a fourth quarter loss of $1.49 on revenue of $2.08 billion, compared to last year�� loss of $3.75 on revenue of $2.02 billion. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc (NYSE: AEO) reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.27 on revenue of $1.04 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.55 on revenue of $1.12 billion. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.�(NASDAQ: BONT) reported fourth quarter EPS of $3.04 on revenue of $914.90 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $3.73 on revenue of $1.03 billion.

  Pre-Market Movers

• [By John Kell and Lauren Pollock var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); ]

  Bon-Ton Stores Inc.(BONT) said Chief Executive and President Brendan L. Hoffman won’t renew his deal to keep leading the retailer when his contract expires in February 2015. Mr. Hoffman, who took over as CEO in February 2012 when he was 43 years old, will also resign his role as a director on the company’s board. He cited personal reasons for his decision. Shares declined 8% to $10 premarket.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Bon-Ton Stores Inc.(BONT) slashed its expectations for the year and the retailer warned poor winter weather in the majority of its markets led to lower traffic and hampered promotional events tied to the Christmas holiday. Shares slid 19% to $12.60 premarket.

Top Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy For 2014: iShares MSCI Germany ETF (EWG)

iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the German market, as measured by the MSCI Germany Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the German equity market. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mark Salzinger]

  iShares MSCI Germany (EWG) and iShares MSCI Switzerland (EWL) continue to have relatively attractive valuations.

  EWG recently sported an average price/earnings (P/E) ratio on 2013's projected earnings of 12.6 and a price/book value (P/B) of just 1.4.

• [By Matthew McCall]

  iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSE: EWG)

  The mess in the Ukraine has spread to Western Europe. Germany led the region lower with a three percent loss this morning. The German economy is the largest in Europe and with their trading ties to Eastern Europe, it is not surprising to see the country falling on the news. Many Western Europe ETFs have gotten ahead of themselves in the short-term and the pullback on the conflict could result in a great buying opportunity by the end of the week, depending on how the situation plays out.

• [By Mary Anne & Pamela Aden]

  If you're a new buyer and concerned that it's too late to buy, consider buying on weakness. If you want to buy, and or, add to your positions, we'd stick with our strongest stocks, which are: the Powershares NASDAQ (QQQ), the MSCI Germany ETF (EWG), Microsoft (MSFT), and Market Vector Retail ETF (RTH).

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014

Actionable Items:

Highest Positive Spread: Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Term Fund (JLS)Focus Stock: LMP Real Estate Income Fund (RIT)Last Week's Focus Stock: ASA Gold and Precious Metals (ASA)

ECB cuts its rates: The European Central Bank (ECB) will cut its benchmark rate a quarter-of-a-point to 0.5%.

Why? The European Union's official statistics agency Tuesday said the rate of unemployment across the 17 countries that share the euro rose to 12.1% from 12.0%, the highest level since records began in 1995. The unemployment rate was highest in Spain at 26.7%, followed by 17.5% in Portugal, while the unemployment rate was lowest in Austria at 4.7%, followed by Germany at 5.4%.

Now for U.S. Unemployment: The Federal Reserve will apply $85 billion (more or less) to the mortgage markets to rebuild constructions and the sales of homes. However, construction employment was basically flat after 10 months of reasonably strong growth. Manufacturing employment was also level.

Top Financial Stocks To Buy Right Now: Crocs Inc.(CROX)

Crocs, Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of footwear, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and children. The company primarily offers casual and athletic shoes, and shoe charms. It also designs and sells a range of footwear and accessories that utilize its proprietary closed cell-resin, called Croslite. The company?s footwear products include boots, sandals, sneakers, mules, and flats. In addition, it provides footwear products for the hospital, restaurant, hotel, and hospitality markets, as well as general foot care and diabetic-needs markets. Further, the company offers leather and ethylene vinyl acetate based footwear, sandals, and printed apparels principally for the beach, adventure, and action sports markets; and accessories comprising snap-on charms. The company sells its products through the United States and international retailers and distributors, as well as directly to end-user consumers th rough its company-operated retail stores, outlets, kiosks, and Web stores primarily under the Crocs Work, Crocs Rx, Jibbitz, Ocean Minded, and YOU by Crocs brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 164 retail kiosks located in malls and other high foot traffic areas; 138 retail stores; 76 outlet stores; and 46 Web stores. Crocs, Inc. operates in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was formerly known as Western Brands, LLC and changed its name to Crocs, Inc. in January 2005. Crocs, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Niwot, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

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

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. engages in the ownership, operation, and franchise of restaurants in the United States. The company provides quick casual and casual dining services, as well as serves bottled beers, wines, and liquor. As of July 26, 2011, it had 773 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in 45 states in the United States, as well as in Canada. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Leo Fasciocco]

  Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) has annual revenues of $1.3 billion. Its owned and franchised restaurants feature a variety of boldly flavored, made-to-order menu items, including Buffalo, New York-style chicken wings spun in one of their signature sauces.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  After the market closed, Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) reported its second quarter results. The company announced an EPS of $1.25, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19. Revenue of $366.0 million beat the consensus estimate of $358.85 million. Shares were trading lower by 4.62 percent at $159.42 following the earnings release.

• [By Mick Weinstein]

  ��The bull case for Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) .

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: CNO Financial Group Inc. (CNO)

CNO Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the development, marketing, and administration of health insurance, annuity, individual life insurance, and other insurance products for senior and middle-income markets in the United States. The company markets and distributes Medicare supplement insurance, interest-sensitive and traditional life insurance, fixed annuities, and long-term care insurance products; Medicare advantage plans through a distribution arrangement with Humana Inc.; and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans through a distribution and reinsurance arrangement with Coventry Health Care. It also markets and distributes supplemental health, including specified disease, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance products; and life insurance to middle-income consumers at home and the worksite through independent marketing organizations and insurance agencies. In addition, the company markets primarily graded benefit and simplified issue life insurance products directly to customers through television advertising, direct mail, Internet, and telemarketing. It sells its products through career agents, independent producers, direct marketing, and sales managers. CNO Financial Group, Inc. has strategic alliances with Coventry and Humana. The company was formerly known as Conseco, Inc. and changed its name to CNO Financial Group, Inc. in May 2010. CNO Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  Many other insurers are trading lower today, chief among them Aflac (AFL), down 3.65%. CNO Financial (CNO) fell 1%. The best performer: life insurance giant Prudential (PRU), whose shares rose more than 1%.

• [By David Fried, Editor, The Buyback Letter]

  Insurance holding company CNO Financial Group (CNO) and its insurance subsidiaries��rincipally Bankers Life and Casualty Company, Washington National, and Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company��erve pre-retiree and retired Americans.

• [By Vanin Aegea]

  I have heard many people comment about the insurance policies for cars, houses, life, assets, etc. The arguments always revolve around the same issue: Is it really necessary? What are the chances to be hit by a Hurricane, or to meet a sudden death? Well, nobody really knows. Some individuals however, sleep better when they know a policy backs their life investments. Here, I will look into three insurance companies that concentrate on different policies, or geographies. These are: China Life (LFC), and Conseco (CNO).

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Up first is CNO Financial Group (CNO), a mid-cap financial stock that's rocketed close to 60% higher since the calendar flipped over to January. Yup, it's been a great year for the market, but it's been a far better one for investors who own CNO. But that strong performance isn't showing any signs of slowing yet. In fact, CNO looks primed for even more upside in the fourth quarter.

  That's because CNO is currently forming a bullish pattern called an ascending triangle. The ascending triangle pattern is formed by a horizontal resistance level above shares -- in this case at $14.75 -- and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as CNO bounces in between those two technical price levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above that $14.75 resistance level. When that breakout happens, it's time to become a buyer.

  ACCO's price action isn't exactly textbook. After all, the pattern is coming in at the bottom of a downtrend, not after an uptrend. But ultimately, that doesn't change the trading implications of a move through that $7.50 level.

  Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of those buyers and sellers. Ascending triangles and other pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

  That $7.50 resistance level is a price where there has been an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to step in and take gains than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes a breakout above it so significant. The move means that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level.

  Don't be early on this trade.

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Medifast, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and sale of weight management and disease management products, and other consumable health and diet products in the United States. The company?s product lines include weight and disease management, meal replacement, and vitamins. It also operates weight control centers that offer Medifast programs for weight loss and maintenance, customized patient counseling, and inbody composition analysis. The company markets its products under the Medifast and Essential brand names, including shakes, appetite suppression shakes, women?s health shakes, diabetics shakes, joint health shakes, coronary health shakes, calorie burn drinks, calorie burn flavor infusers, antioxidant shakes, antioxidant flavor infusers, bars, crunch bars, soups, chili, oatmeal, pudding, scrambled eggs, hot cocoa, cappuccino, chai latte, iced teas, fruit drinks, pretzels, puffs, brownie, pancakes, soy crisps, crackers, and omega 3 and digestive health products. Medifast Inc. sells its products through various channels of distribution comprising Web, call center, independent health advisors, medical professionals, weight loss clinics, and direct consumer marketing supported via the phone and the Web; Take Shape for Life, a physician led network of independent health coaches; and weight control centers. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Last Friday, small cap dieting stock Weight Watchers International, Inc (NYSE: WTW) lost weight for investors when shares tumbled�27.73% to $22.10, meaning its probabaly a good idea to take a closer look�at the stock along with�other small cap weight loss or dieting stocks like NutriSystem Inc (NASDAQ: NTRI), Medifast Inc (NYSE: MED) and Reliv International, Inc (NASDAQ: RELV). Why did Weight Watchers International loose weight last Friday? The company reported its fourth straight quarterly sales decline as fewer people attended meetings and bought its products and also projected earnings that trailed analysts' estimates with the blame being placed on new mobile applications and bracelets that track calories���thus�hurting traditional diet companies.

• [By Robert Hanley]

  Consumer-goods marketer Blyth (NYSE: BTH  ) , owner of weight-loss upstart ViSalus, has been in the doghouse lately, sitting near a 52-week low due to poor results in its weight-loss unit.� Despite a large potential customer base of overweight people worldwide, the industry has had difficulty generating growth lately, with data provider Marketdata Enterprises estimating that industry sales rose only 1.7% in 2012.� However, Blyth caught a bid in late October from a proposed combination with marketing-services provider CVSL, indicating that some people see incremental value in Blyth's businesses.�So, should small investors bet on this small cap or should they focus their attention on Weight watchers International (NYSE: WTW  ) and Medifast (NYSE: MED  ) instead?

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: Thoratec Corporation(THOR)

Thoratec Corporation engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of proprietary medical devices used for circulatory support. The company?s primary product lines include ventricular assist devices, such as HeartMate II, an implantable left ventricular assist device consisting of a rotary blood pump to provide intermediate and long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS); and HeartMate XVE, an implantable and pulsatile left ventricular assist device for intermediate and longer-term MCS. Its ventricular assist devices also comprise Paracorporeal Ventricular Assist Device, an external pulsatile ventricular assist device, which provides left, right, and biventricular MCS approved for bridge-to-transplantation (BTT), including home discharge, and post-cardiotomy myocardial recovery; and Implantable Ventricular Assist Device, an implantable and pulsatile ventricular assist device designed to provide left, right, and biventricular MCS approved for BTT comprising hom e discharge, and post-cardiotomy myocardial recovery. The company also provides CentriMag, an extracorporeal full-flow acute surgical support platform that offers support up to 30 days for cardiac and respiratory failure. In addition, it offers PediMag and PediVAS extracorporeal full-flow acute surgical support platforms designed to provide acute surgical support to pediatric patients. The company sells its products through direct sales force in the United States, as well as through a network of distributors internationally. Thoratec Corporation was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Pleasanton, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Todd Campbell]

  Competing for heart pump market share
  Abiomed's products provide circulatory support for up to six hours and are designed for use in cardiac cath labs or during heart surgery, but competitors Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR  ) and Heartware (NASDAQ: HTWR  ) target the intermediate- and long-term-use market instead.

• [By Anna Prior]

  Medical device company Thoratec Corp.(THOR) has purchased Apica Cardiovascular Ltd., in a deal that includes $35 million in cash upfront and potential milestone payments of up to $40 million.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of medical device company Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR  ) sank 12% today after its quarterly results missed Wall Street expectations. �

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: TrueBlue Inc.(TBI)

TrueBlue, Inc. provides temporary blue-collar staffing services in the United States. It supplies on demand general labor to various industries under the Labor Ready brand; skilled labor to manufacturing and logistics industries under the Spartan Staffing brand; and trades people for commercial, industrial, and residential construction, and building and plant maintenance industries under the CLP Resources brand. The company also provides mechanics and technicians to the aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul, aerospace manufacturing, and assembly industries, as well as to other transportation industries under the Plane Techs brand; and temporary drivers to the transportation and distribution industries under the Centerline brand. It primarily serves small and medium-size businesses. The company was formerly known as Labor Ready, Inc. and changed its name to TrueBlue, Inc. in December 2007. TrueBlue, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  For those looking to invest in real estate stocks, highly recommended is the Dr. Housing Bubble blog. In a recent posting, the "Dr." pointed out that there was a "Lost Generation" when it came to household income. That has not happened for those investing in staffing industry stocks such as Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI), TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE: TBI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

• [By idahansen]

  The entire demand labor industry should do well as the US Department of Labor just reported that 169,000 more jobs were added to the American economy. The more work there is, the more demand there is for the services of staffing solutions firms such as Labor SMART, Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), and Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI).

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of staffing agency TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI  ) jumped 10% today after the company reported earnings.

  So what: Revenue jumped 19%, to $422.3 million, and beat estimates of $420.2 million from Wall Street. Adjusted earnings per share were also up 19%, to $0.31, outpacing estimates by $0.05.�

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  Even though the stock market rallied on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA) and Standard & Poor's 500 Index (NYSE: SPY) surging, the long term winners will be stocks in the staffing industry such as Paychex(NASDAQ: PAYX), TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), Robert Half (NYSE: RHI), and Labor SMART (OTCBB: LTNC).

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: Nordstrom Inc.(JWN)

Nordstrom, Inc., a fashion specialty retailer, offers apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and accessories for women, men, and children in the United States. It offers a selection of brand name and private label merchandise. The company sells its products through various channels, including Nordstrom full-line stores, off-price Nordstrom Rack stores, Jeffrey? boutiques, treasure & bond, and Last Chance clearance stores; and its online store, nordstrom.com, as well as through catalog. Nordstrom also provides a private label card, two Nordstrom VISA credit cards, and a debit card for Nordstrom purchases. The company?s credit and debit cards feature a shopping-based loyalty program. As of September 30, 2011, it operated 222 stores, including 117 full-line stores, 101 Nordstrom Racks, 2 Jeffrey boutiques, 1 treasure & bond store, and 1 clearance store in 30 states. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  On Tuesday, Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (NASDAQ: ULTA  ) will release its quarterly report, and shareholders haven't been able to recover from steep losses toward the end of 2013. But with department-store retailers Macy's (NYSE: M  ) and Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN  ) working hard to capture their own share of the beauty market, Ulta Salon will have to work even harder to woo customers into its doors and make the most of the opportunity once they arrive.

• [By Sue Chang]

  Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) �on Thursday reported a fourth-quarter earnings of $1.37 a share, marginally down from $1.40 a share a year earlier. The retailer also forecast full-year profit of $3.75 to $3.90 a share and first-quarter profit of 60 cent to 70 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet were looking for a profit of $4.07 a share for the year and 79 cents a share in the first quarter. Shares of Nordstrom were down 1.1% in after-hours trading.

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Alamy You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From the release of a new video game console to an earnings report out of the world's largest retailer, here are some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Host in the Machine: Most Internet users take web-hosting for granted, but leading websites and apps wouldn't be available if it wasn't for the growing fleet of servers manned by companies specializing in getting websites up and running. Rackspace (RAX) is a market darling among web hosts, and on Monday it will serve up its latest financials. This has become a competitive market as providers aim to host websites and cloud computing solutions. The end result is that analysts see Rackspace growing its revenue by a hearty 15 percent, but they also see profitability declining during the quarter. Tuesday -- KFC in China: Yum! Brands (YUM) is the parent company behind the fast food team of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. A surprisingly large portion of Yum! Brands' business in recent years has come from expanding its chicken chain in China. But the market has been challenging lately. Same-store sales for Chinese KFC locations plunged 14 percent in its latest quarter. As a result of its poor performance in the world's most populous nation, Yum! Brands is temporarily offering monthly same-store sales updates. It will offer an update on how October went on Tuesday after the market close. Wednesday -- Panic at the Cisco: It may seem like a long time ago, but there was a brief moment in time -- just before the dot-com bubble popped -- that Cisco (CSCO) commanded the largest market capitalization in the country. The Internet was all the rage with investors, and Cisco was the leading provider of routers, switches, and other networking gear that kept the whole web connected. The past few years have been volatile for Cisco, with the tech bellwet

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Another major company that won�� be opening its 261 stores on Thanksgiving is Nordstrom�� Inc. (NYSE: JWN). Nordstrom�� big annual sales event comes in July and it is a bigger profit-maker for the store than is Black Friday. Staying open would likely add little to the company�� coffers and the backlash from consumers is probably just not worth the aggravation to Nordstrom��. The store�� upscale image would also likely take a hit from being one of the mob open on the holiday.

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2014

In this video, Blake Bos examines some of the fundamentals of DryShips� (NASDAQ: DRYS  ) . The past quarter results were negative all around, but the simple metrics of revenues and costs bode ill for the company. For example, the revenue received per vessel per day is around $11,300, a 40% decline from 2011 rates. The daily ship expense rate is $5,000, and the daily debt expense per vessel is about $8,100. So, it costs DryShips about $13,100/day to operate its ships, while it receives only $11,300/day in revenue. Aggravating all this is $4.4 billion in debt, which is partially offset by DryShips' equity stake in Ocean Rig (NASDAQ: ORIG  ) .�All around, if you want to invest in a shipping company, an outfit with newer vessels like Diana Shipping Inc.�looks like a better bet than DryShips.�

The best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report, "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich," names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of.�Click here now�to keep reading.

Best Heal Care Companies To Invest In Right Now: Ultra Petroleum Corp.(UPL)

Ultra Petroleum Corp., an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and operation of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. It primarily focuses on developing a tight gas sand trend located in the Green River Basin of southwest Wyoming; and assessing, exploring, and developing its position in the Marcellus Shale and other horizons located in the north-central Pennsylvania area of the Appalachian Basin. As of December 31, 2011, the company owned interests in approximately 53,000 net acres in Wyoming covering approximately 190 square miles; 258,000 net acres in Pennsylvania; and 130,000 net acres in eastern Colorado?s Denver Julesburg Basin. Ultra Petroleum Corp. was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  For those investors looking for natural gas companies with a bit more ��omph,” energy stock Ultra Petroleum (UPL) could be the prime portfolio play. As of the end of 2012, UPL�� mix of production included about 96% dry natural gas. While that seems awfully scary given just how much prices for the fuel have swayed, Ultra is a low-cost leader ��just like both SWN and COG.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  My first earnings short-squeeze play is oil and gas exploration player Ultra Petroleum (UPL), which is set to release numbers on Friday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Ultra Petroleum to report revenue of $234.98 million on earnings of 42 cents per share.

  During the last quarter, this company reported revenue of $225.6 million and GAAP reported sales were 0.2% lower than the prior-year quarter's $226.1 million. Also last quarter, this company reported non-GAAP EPS of 38 cents per share and GAAP EPS was 11 cents per share, which was 80% lower than the prior-year quarter's 55 cents per share.

  The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Ultra Petroleum is extremely high at 22.8%. That means that out of the 149.85 million shares in the tradable float, 33.80 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 3.6%, or by about 1.17 million shares. If the bears are caught pressing their bets into a bullish quarter, then shares of UPL could easily rip higher post-earnings as the shorts rush to cover some of those bets.

  From a technical perspective, UPL is currently trending above its 200-day moving average and just below its 50-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been trending sideways for the last two months, with shares moving between $19.52 on the downside and $22.47 on the upside. A high-volume move above the upper end of its recent range post-earnings could trigger a big breakout trade for shares of UPL.

  If you're bullish on UPL, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $21.96 to $22.47 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that registers near or above its three-month average volume of 3.10 million shares. If that breakout hits, then UPL will set up to r

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2014: Fair Isaac Corp (FICO)

Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), incorporated on May 15, 1987, provides products and services that enable businesses to automate, improve and connect decisions to enhance business performance. The Company operates in three segments: Applications, which include pre-configured Decision Management applications designed for a specific type of business problem or process; Scores, which includes the Company's business-to-business scoring solutions and services, its myFICO solutions for consumers, and associated professional services, and Tools segment, which include software tools that clients can use to create their own custom Decision Management applications, as well as associated professional services. In May 2012, the Company acquired Entiera Inc. In September 2012, it acquired Adeptra Ltd. On April 1, 2013, FICO acquired Infoglide Software Corp.

Applications

The Company develops industry-tailored Decision Management applications, categorized as Applications, which apply analytics, data management and Decision Management software to specific business challenges and processes. These include credit offer prescreening, insurance claims management and others. The Company's Applications primarily serve clients in the banking, insurance, healthcare, and retail sectors. The chief offerings for marketing are the Company's FICO Analytic Offer Manager and FICO Customer Dialogue Manager. These solutions offer a suite of products, capabilities and services designed to integrate the technology and analytic services needed to perform context-sensitive customer acquisition, cross-selling and retention programs and deliver mathematically optimized offers.

The Company provides solutions that enable banks, credit unions, finance companies, installment lenders and other companies to automates and improve the processing of requests for credit or service. The Company provides customer management solutions for banking, where it�� account and customer management product is the FICO TRIAD! Customer Manager. The Company markets and sells TRIAD end-user software licenses, maintenance, consulting services, and strategy designs and evaluation. The Company's fraud management products improve the Company's clients' profitability by predicting the likelihood that a given transaction or customer account is experiencing fraud.

The Company's solutions are designed to detect and prevent a range of fraud and risk types across multiple industries, including credit and debit payment card fraud; e-payment fraud; deposit account fraud; technical fraud and bad debt; healthcare fraud; Medicaid and Medicare fraud, and property and casualty insurance claims fraud, including workers' compensation fraud. FICO fraud solutions protect financial institutions, insurance companies and government agencies from losses and damaged customer relationships caused by fraud and related criminal behavior.

FICO Fraud Predictor with Merchant Profiles is used in conjunction with Falcon Fraud Manager on payment card monitoring for credit and debit to improve fraud detection rates through the inclusion of merchant profiles. In addition to the Falcon products, the Company offers FICO Card Alert Service. Card Alert Service is a solution for fighting ATM debit fraud. The Card Alert Service identifies counterfeit payment cards and reports them to issuers. The Company offers FICO Economic Impact Service, which uses time series modeling of the macro economy to allow lenders to forecast future credit risk performance based on their views of the economy. Adeptra's software as a service (SaaS) platform enables financial services institutions and other businesses to take advantage of the explosion in mobile communication in order to manage risk, fight fraud and improve the customer experience, all in real time.

The Company competes with Acxiom, Epsilon, Equifax, Experian, Harte-Hanks, InfoUSA, KnowledgeBase, Merkle, TargetBase, CGI, NICE Systems, BAE, SAS, ACI Worldwide, Emdeon, Ingenix, ViPS, MedSt! at, Veris! k Analytics and IBM.

Scores

The Company develops credit scores based on third-party data. The Company's FICO Scores are used in most United States credit decisions, by the banks and credit card organizations, as well as by mortgage and auto loan originators. These scores provide a consistent and objective measure of an individual's credit risk. Credit grantors use the FICO Scores to prescreen candidates for solicitation, to evaluate applicants for new credit and to review existing accounts. The FICO Scores are calculated based on scoring models and implemented on third-party data. The version of the FICO Score for United States and Canadian lenders is the FICO 8 Score. The Company's other solutions include The FICO Credit Capacity Index and The FICO Economic Impact Index.

The Company competes with Experian and Experian-Scorex (U.S. partner), TransUnion and TransUnion International, Equifax, VantageScore, CRIF, LexisNexis and ChoicePoint.

Tools

The Company provides software products that businesses use to build their own tailored Decision Management applications. In contrast to its packaged Applications developed for specific industry applications, the Company�� Tools support the addition of Decision Management capabilities to virtually any application or operational system. These tools are sold as licensed software, and can be used by themselves or together to advance a client�� Decision Management initiatives. The Company uses these tools as common software components for its own Decision Management applications. The principal products offered are software tools include Rules Management, Predictive Modeling and Optimization.

The Company competes with IBM, SAS, Pegasystems and Angoss.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Alamy You've probably heard by now that in some vague way, your credit rating has something to do with the premiums your auto insurance company charges you for coverage. But if you're like me, you've probably never quite understood the details of how this work. Fortunately, the good folks at InsuranceQuotes.com -- a subsidiary of Bankrate (RATE) -- recently published a report that draws back the curtain on this little-understood quirk of the insurance industry. Blame it on FICO Used to be, the rate you paid for insuring your car was tied primarily to demographic and personal factors that were clearly connected to the risk that you'd damage your car and ask the insurance company to pay for it: things like your age, sex, marital status, and driving history. It won't surprise anyone that younger, unmarried men are more likely to be risky drivers than soccer moms, and should therefore pay higher premiums. But about 20 years ago, the folks at Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) found a correlation between low credit scores and a higher risk of filing an insurance claim. That's not causation, of course -- having bad credit doesn't somehow cause you to crash your car. But according to FICO, "people who choose to effectively manage their finances are also less likely to have future insurance losses." Conversely, there is a "statistical correlation between a person's credit score and the likelihood that he or she will file an auto insurance claim in the future." Suddenly, FICO had a new way to hawk its credit histories to insurance companies -- and insurance companies had a new excuse to raise your rates. News Flash: Everybody Does It Ever since, insurance companies have used this finding to tweak the rates they charge you for insurance. Today, says InsuranceQuotes, "about 97 percent of U.S. insurance companies" do it. But how do they do it, exactly?

• [By Blake Ellis]

  FICO (FICO) announced Monday that it plans to allow any lender using FICO scores to make the scores available to consumers for free through a program called FICO Score Open Access. Barclaycard US and First Bankcard (the credit card business of First National Bank of Omaha) are the first to sign on, with free scores being made available to credit card customers starting today.

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2014: Ulta Salon Cosmetics and Fragrance Inc (ULTA)

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (Ulta), incorporated on January 9, 1990, is a beauty retailer, which provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon products and salon services in the United States. During the year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Company opened 61 new stores. It operates full-service salons in all of its stores. Its Ulta store format includes an open and modern salon area with approximately eight to 10 stations. The entire salon area is approximately 950 square feet with a concierge desk, skin treatment room, semi-private shampoo and hair color processing areas. Each salon is a full-service salon offering hair cuts, hair coloring and permanent texture, with salons also providing facials and waxing.

The Company offers products in the categories, such as cosmetics, which includes products for the face, eyes, cheeks, lips and nails; haircare, which includes shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and hair accessories; salon styling tools, which includes hair dryers, curling irons and flat irons; skincare and bath and body, which includes products for the face, hands and body; fragrance for both men and women; private label, consisting of Ulta branded cosmetics, skincare, bath and body products and haircare, and other, including candles, home fragrance products and other miscellaneous health and beauty products. The Company has combined its three operating segments: retail stores, salon services and e-commerce, into one reportable segment.

The Company competes with Macy��, Nordstrom, Sephora, Bath & Body Works, CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart, Regis Corp., Sally Beauty and JCPenney salons.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading DOWN
  Shares of Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance (NASDAQ: ULTA) were down 21.05 percent to $93.18 after the company reported downbeat third-quarter results and issued a weak fourth-quarter outlook. Piper Jaffray downgraded the stock from Overweight to Neutral and lowered the target price from $129 to $113.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Ulta (ULTA) �shares rose 6.9% to $95.70 on moderate volume after the company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $1.09 a share on revenue of $868.1 million.

• [By Caroline Bennett]

  Want to make a pretty stock selection? Makeup company Ulta (NASDAQ: ULTA  ) may be just the company to help beautify your portfolio. During its latest earnings call, it revealed that several key financial metrics have jumped impressively.

Top 5 Shipping Stocks To Buy For 2014: Ambarella Inc (AMBA)

Ambarella, Inc., incorporated on January 15, 2004, is a developer of semiconductor processing solutions for video that enable high-definition (HD), video capture, sharing and display. The Company combine its processor design capabilities with its video and image processing, algorithms and software to provide a technology platform. It sells solutions into the camera and infrastructure markets, with approximately 27 million system-on-a-chips (SoCs) shipped since our inception. In the camera market, its solutions enable the creation of video content for wearable sports cameras, automotive aftermarket cameras, Internet Protocol (IP), security cameras, digital still cameras (DSCs), telepresence cameras, camcorders and pocket video cameras. In the infrastructure market, its solutions manage IP video traffic, broadcast encoding and IP video delivery applications. In 2012, the Company released its Wireless Camera Developers Kit. In 2012, it also launched S2 SoC, which enables Ultra High-Definition IP security cameras.

The Company sells its solutions to original design manufacturers (ODMs), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), globally. In the camera market, its video processing solutions are designed into products from OEMs, including Robert Bosch GmbH and affiliated entities, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Woodman Labs, Inc., doing business as (d/b/a) GoPro, or GoPro, who source its solutions from ODMs, including Ability Enterprise Co., Ltd., Asia Optical Co. Inc., Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd., DXG Technology Corp., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. and Sky Light Digital Ltd. In the infrastructure market, its solutions are designed into products from OEMs, including Harmonic Inc., Motorola Mobility, Inc. (owned by Google, Inc.) and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, who source its solutions from ODMs, such as Plexus Corp.

AmbaClear

The Company�� image signal processing architecture, known as AmbaClear, incorporates advanced algorithms to convert raw senso! r data to high-resolution still and high-definition video images concurrently. Image processing algorithms include sensor, lens and color correction, demosaicing, which is a process used to reconstruct a full color image from incomplete color samples, noise filtering, detail enhancement and image format conversion.

AmbaCast

The Company�� HD video processing architecture, known as AmbaCast, incorporates advanced algorithms for motion estimation, motion-compensated temporal filtering, mode decision and rate control. It supports all three compression profilesbaseline, main and highas specified in the H.264 standard. Its solutions for the broadcast infrastructure market allow OEMs to offer both the H.264 and MPEG-2 encoding formats.

Design Methodology

The Company test and verify its algorithms on its architectural model prior to implementing algorithms in hardware. Its advanced verification methodology validates its approach through simultaneous modeling of architecture, algorithms and the hardware itself.

SoC Solution

The Company�� SoC designs integrate HD video processing, image processing, applications processing and system functions onto a single chip, delivering video and image quality with features, including advanced wireless connectivity. In addition, its SoCs integrate mixed signal (analog/digital) functionality and high speed interfaces required for interfacing to advanced high-speed CMOS sensors and industry standard interfaces, such as USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.4. Its A7L SoC, which it introduced in September 2011, is fabricated in edge 32 nanometer (nm) process technology and integrates AmbaClear and AmbaCast technology.

Software Development Kit for Connectivity

The Company�� video streaming technology enables the camera�� image to be previewed on a smartphone. To enable this functionality, end customers deploy its Wireless Camera Developer�� Kit, or the Kit, which enables the design of ca! meras tha! t combine still photography and Full HD video with wireless video streaming to smartphones. The Kit is available for its A7L SoC product family, providing full 1080p60 HD video with photography and low power consumption.

The Company competes with CSR Plc, Fujitsu Limited, HiSilicon Technologies Co., Ltd., Texas Instruments Incorporated, Canon Inc., Panasonic Corporation, Sony Corporation, Novatek Microelectronics Corp., Sunplus Technology Co. Ltd., Intel Corporation, Magnum Semiconductor, Inc., Texas Instruments Incorporated, Broadcom Corporation, NVIDIA Corporation, Qualcomm Incorporated and Samsung.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Oberweis]

  Ambarella's (AMBA) processor design capabilities, combined with expertise in video and image processing, algorithms, and software, together provide a technology platform that is easily scalable across multiple applications, and enables rapid, and efficient product development.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now

Ben Graham said: “Investment is most intelligent when it is most businesslike.” These are the nine most important words ever written about investing.

–Warren Buffett

If you were asked to name the most successful investors of the past century, the following names would probably be on your short list: Ben Graham, Warren Buffett, Seth Klarman,  John Templeton, Joel Greenblatt, and Peter Lynch. All these people share something in common — they practice value investing.

What is value investing?

What Value Investing is Not

First, let me emphasize what it is not. It does not involve trading where one believes in the ability to predict a stock’s short-term price movements. Yet it also does not involve index investing where one believes in the efficient market hypothesis and the inability to beat the market. It is not throwing caution to the winds and gambling your entire net worth on a “can’t miss” investment.  It is not buying an exciting “story stock” in a high-growth industry. And it certainly is not chart reading and buying a stock simply because its price is going up. Rather, value investing could be considered the exact opposite of all of these things.

Top Construction Material Stocks To Own For 2015: ANSYS Inc (ANSS)

ANSYS, Inc. (ANSYS) develops and globally markets engineering simulation software and services used by engineers, designers, researchers and students across a range of industries and academia, including aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, electronics, biomedical, energy and defense. The Company distributes its ANSYS suite of simulation technologies through a global network of independent resellers and distributors (collectively, channel partners) and direct sales offices in global locations. The Company�� product portfolio consists of ANSYS Workbench, multiphysics product, structural mechanics, fluid dynamics, explicit dynamics, electromagnetic, system simulation, simulation process and data management, academic, high-performance computing (HPC), geometry interfaces, meshing and Apache design low-power electronic solutions. On August 1, 2011, the Company acquired Apache Design, Inc.

ANSYS Workbench

ANSYS Workbench is the framework upon which the Company�� suite of advanced engineering simulation technologies is built. The ANSYS Workbench platform delivers productivity, enabling Simulation Driven Product Development.

Multiphysics

The Company�� multiphysics product suite allows engineers and designers to create virtual prototypes of their designs operating under multiphysics conditions. ANSYS multiphysics software enables engineers and scientists to simulate the interactions between structural mechanics, heat transfer, fluid flow and electromagnetics all within a single, engineering simulation environment.

Structural Mechanics

The Company�� structural mechanics product suite offers simulation tools for product design. These tools have capabilities that cover a range of analysis types, elements, contacts, materials, equation solvers and coupled physics capabilities all focused towards understanding and solving complex design problems.

Fluid Dynamics

The Company�� fluid dynamics product suit! e offers modeling of fluid flow and other related physical phenomena. Fluid flow analysis capabilities provide all the tools needed to design new fluids equipment and to troubleshoot already existing installations. The fluid dynamics product suite contains general-purpose computational fluid dynamics software and specialized products to address specific industry applications.

Explicit Dynamics

The Company�� explicit dynamics product suite simulates events involving short-duration, large-strain, large-deformation, fracture, complete material failure or structural problems with complex interactions. This product suite is used for simulating physical events that occur in a short period of time and may result in material damage or failure.

Electromagnetics

The Company�� electromagnetics product suite provides field simulation software for designing high-performance electronic and electromechanical products. The software streamlines the design process and predicts performance - all prior to building a prototype - of mobile communication and Internet-access devices, broadband networking components and systems, integrated circuits (IC) and printed circuit boards (PCB), as well as electromechanical systems such as automotive components and power electronics equipment.

System Simulation

The Company delivers the ability to perform complete simulation studies as a system for some of the product designs. This is accomplished through a complete set of physics solutions that are integrated into a multiphysics capabilities set. A collaborative simulation environment provides modeling scalability for evaluating entire systems, including three dimensional (3-D) high-fidelity models, multibody dynamics, circuit reduced-order models, and any combination of these.

Simulation Process and Data Management

ANSYS Engineering Knowledge Manager (ANSYS EKM) is a solution for simulation-based process and data management. ANSY! S EKM pro! vides solutions to all levels of a company, enabling an organization to address the issues associated with simulation data, including backup and archival, traceability and audit trail, process automation and intellectual property protection.

Academic

The Company�� academic product suite provides a portfolio of academic products based on several usage tiers: associate, research and teaching. Each tier includes various noncommercial products that bundle a range of physics and advanced coupled field solver capabilities. The academic product suite provides entry-level tools intended for class demonstrations and hands-on instruction. It provides flexible terms of use and more complex analysis suitable for doctoral and post-doctoral research projects. The Company also provides a product suitable for student use at home.

High-Performance Computing

The Company�� HPC product suite enables insight into product performance. The HPC product suite delivers cross-physics parallel processing capabilities for the full spectrum of the Company�� simulation software by supporting structural, fluids, thermal and electromagnetic simulations in a single HPC solution.

Geometry Interfaces

The Company offers geometry handling solutions for engineering simulation in an integrated environment with direct interfaces to all CAD systems, support of additional readers and translators. It also offers an integrated geometry modeler focused on analysis.

Meshing

Creating a mesh that transforms a physical model into a mathematical model is a critical and foundational step in almost every engineering simulation study. The Company�� meshing technology provides a means to balance these requirements, obtaining the right mesh for each simulation in the most automated way possible.

Apache Design Low-Power Electronic Solutions

The Company�� suite of Apache software delivers power analysis and optimization pl! atforms a! long with integrated methodologies that provide capabilities for managing the power budget, power delivery integrity, and power-induced noise in an electronic design, from initial prototyping to system sign-off. These solutions deliver correlation to silicon measurement, and the capacity to handle an entire electronic system, including IC, package, and PCB.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Northrop Puckett]

  The company is facing headwinds in the broader economy. This can be seen in declining sales in many areas of their business. Regionally, the U.S was flat; Northern Europe was up; Southern Europe was down; and emerging markets were down. Autodesk also lowered quarterly and yearly revenue expectations. This lowering of guidance by Autodesk also matches the same guidance changes made by competitors Parametric Technology (PMTC) and ANSYS (ANSS), so it is not necessarily losing out to its rivals in this case.

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Diebold Inc (DBD)

Diebold, Incorporated, incorporated in August 1876, is engaged in providing integrated self-service delivery and security systems and services to the financial, commercial, government and retail markets. Sales of systems and equipment are made directly to customers by the Company�� sales personnel, manufacturers��representatives and distributors globally. The sales and support organizations work closely with customers and their consultants to analyze and fulfill the customers��needs. The Company has two lines of business: Self-Service Solutions and Security Solutions. The Company�� segments are consisted of two sales channels: Diebold North America (DNA) and Diebold International (DI). In September 2012, it acquired GAS Tecnologia (GAS).

The DNA segment sells and services financial and retail systems in the United States and Canada. The DI segment sells and services financial and retail systems over the remainder of the globe through wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and independent distributors in countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and in the Asia Pacific region, excluding Japan and Korea.

Self-Service Solutions

The Company offers an integrated line of self-service technologies and services, including comprehensive automated teller machine (ATM) outsourcing, ATM security, deposit and payment terminals and software. The Company is a global supplier of ATMs and related services. The Company offers a range of self-service solutions. Self-service products include a range of ATMs and teller automation, including deposit automation technology, such as check-cashing machines, bulk cash recyclers and bulk check deposit. The Company offers software solutions consisting of multiple applications, which process events and transactions. These solutions are delivered on the appropriate platform. From analysis and consulting to monitoring and repair, the Company provides value and support to its customers every step of the way. ! Services include installation and ongoing maintenance of its products, OpteView remote services, branch transformation and distribution channel consulting. Outsourced and managed services include remote monitoring, troubleshooting for self-service customers, transaction processing, currency management, maintenance services and full support through person to person or online communication.

Security Solutions

The Company provides its customers with the technological advances to protect their assets. The Company provides physical and electronic security systems, as well as facility transaction products, which integrate security, software and assisted-service transactions, providing total security systems solutions to financial, retail, commercial and government markets. The Company provides security solutions and facility products, including in-store bank branches, pneumatic tube systems for drive-up lanes, vaults, safes, depositories, bullet-resistive items and undercounter equipment. The Company provides a range of electronic security products, including digital surveillance, access control systems, biometric technologies, alarms and remote monitoring and diagnostics. The Company provides security monitoring solutions, including fire, managed access control, energy management, remote video management and storage, as well as logical security.

Integrated Solutions

The Company provides end-to-end outsourcing solutions with a single point of contact for customer�� self-service channel. Its solution includes hardware, software, services or a combination of all three components. The Company provides value to its customers by offering a range of integrated services and support. The Company�� service organization provides analysis and planning of new systems, systems integration, architectural engineering, consulting and project management, which encompass all facets of a financial self-service implementation. The Company also provides design, products, ser! vice, ins! tallation, project management and monitoring of electronic security products to financial, government, retail and commercial customers.

Election Systems

The Company is a provider of voting equipment and related products and services in Brazil. The Company provides elections equipment, networking, tabulation and diagnostic software development, training, support and maintenance.

The Company competes with NCR Corporation, Wincor-Nixdorf, Grg Equipment Co., Nautilus Hyosung, Itautec and Perto.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Asit Sharma]

  Diebold (NYSE: DBD  ) , the transaction and security firm that most of us know for its ATM technology, owns a magnificent, shareholder-friendly streak, having increased its dividend annually for the last 60 years. That's a current record among U.S. equities. The company's dividend also yields an attractive 3.9%.

• [By Rich Smith]

  North Canton, Ohio-based Diebold (NYSE: DBD  ) has a new CEO.

  On Thursday, the manufacturer of "ATM" machines announced it has named Andy W. Mattes as the company's new president and chief executive officer. Mattes was chosen after a four-month search, and plucked from a position as senior vice president for global strategic partnerships at flash memory maker Violin Memory. He is keeping an advisory role at Violin, even as he takes over the top job at Diebold.

• [By Mark Morelli]

  How will the potential disruption impact business and affect investors? Should the executives at ATM manufacturers such as Diebold (NYSE: DBD  ) �be worried? Credit�and debit card processors like MasterCard (NYSE: MA  ) and Visa (NYSE: V  ) �are already benefiting from the trend to a cashless society. Could things get even better?

• [By Rich Smith]

  Ohio-based Diebold (NYSE: DBD  ) scored a win on Wednesday, when the company announced that North Carolina-based State Employees' Credit Union has hired it to upgrade more than 1,100 of SECU's automated teller machines to Diebold's Opteva configuration.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Target Energy Ltd (TEXQY)

Target Energy Limited is an Australia-based company engaged in the development, production and exploration of oil and gas in the United States of America. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, the Company continued to develop and explore its oil and gas prospects in Texas and Louisiana. The Snapper wells in St Martin Parish, the Pine Pasture #1 and #2 wells in the East Chalkley field, the Merta #1 well at the Highway 71 prospect continued to produce. The Merta #1 well at the Highway 71 prospect continued to produce. Drilling commenced in the Fairway project on September 10, 2011, with the BOA 12 #1 well being completed as a producer. On August 12, 2012, the Darwin #1 well was drilled to a total depth of 3,070 meter. It is located three kilometer north-east of the BOA wells and will test both the Wolfberry and Fusselman formations. The Company�� subsidiaries include TELA (USA) Inc, TELA Louisiana Limited Inc, TELA Texas Holdings Limited Inc and Target Energy Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Target Energy Limited (OTCQX:TEXQY, ASX:TEX) (http://targetenergy.com.au/)�is an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and trading under ticker “TEX” and OTC Markets�trading under�ticker “TEXQY”.

  Today (June 19), Target Energy Limited ticker (OTCQX:TEXQY)��has remained�(0.00%) +0.000 at $7.90 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 3:45PM EDT June 19, 2013), and Target Energy Limited on the Australian Securities Exchange ticker (ASX:TEX) remained�(0.00%) +0.000 at $.065 (ref. google finance June 17, 2013 – Close).

  Target Energy Limited�previously reported that the company is continuing drilling operations at the Pine Pasture #3 oil well on their East Chalkey Oil Field in Parish, Louisiana. The Company had independent studies which indicated that put upside recoverable reserves for Pine Pasture #3 range between 250,000 and 450,000 barrels of oil. In addition, the report also revealed that the East Chalkey Field has an upside estimate of 4 million barrels of oil.

• [By CRWE]

  Target Energy Limited (OTCQX:TEXQY, ASX:TEX) (http://targetenergy.com.au/) is an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and trading under ticker “TEX” and OTC Markets trading under ticker “TEXQY”.

  Today�(July 11), Target Energy Limited ticker (OTCQX:TEXQY) has surged (+1.23%) up� +0.08 at $6.56 with 200 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance 12:08PM EDT�July 11, 2013), and Target Energy Limited on the Australian Securities Exchange ticker (ASX:TEX) had surged (+1.47%) +0.001 at $.069 with�15,000 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance July 11, 2013 – Close).

• [By CRWE]

  Target Energy Limited (OTCQX:TEXQY, ASX:TEX) (http://targetenergy.com.au/) is an oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and trading under ticker “TEX” and OTC Markets trading under ticker “TEXQY”.

  Today (June 27), Target Energy Limited ticker (OTCQX:TEXQY) has remained (0.00%) +0.000 at $7.00 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed:�9:32AM EDT June 27, 2013 – Close), and Target Energy Limited on the Australian Securities Exchange ticker (ASX:TEX) �surged�(+4.92%)+0.003 at $.064 with 230,000 shares in play at the close (ref. google finance June 27, 2013 – Close).

  Target Energy Limited previously reported that the company is continuing drilling operations at the Pine Pasture #3 oil well on their East Chalkey Oil Field in Parish, Louisiana. The Company had independent studies which indicated that put upside recoverable reserves for Pine Pasture #3 range between 250,000 and 450,000 barrels of oil. In addition, the report also revealed that the East Chalkey Field has an upside estimate of 4 million barrels of oil.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Core Laboratories N.V. (CLB)

Core Laboratories N.V. engages in the provision of reservoir description, production enhancement, and reservoir management services to the oil and gas industry worldwide. The company�s reservoir description services comprise the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, fluid, and gas samples; and provision of analytical and field services to characterize properties of crude oil and petroleum products. Its production enhancement products and services relate to reservoir well completions, perforations, stimulations, and production, as well as include integrated services to evaluate the effectiveness of well completions and to develop solutions to increase the effectiveness of enhanced oil recovery projects. The company�s reservoir management services consist of the combination and integration of information from reservoir description and production enhancement services to increase production and enhance recovery of oil and gas from clients' reservoirs. Core Laboratori es N.V. markets and sells its services and products through sales representatives, technical seminars, trade shows, and print advertising, as well as through direct sales force, technical experts, operating managers, sales representatives, and distributors in various markets. The company was founded in 1936 and is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tyler Crowe]

  Potential market slowdown?
  U.S. production has had a pretty good run over the past 18 months, but there may be some signals that the run could end. Brent crude prices are below $100 for the first time in almost a year, and WTI, the American benchmark, is below $90. Core Laborotories (NYSE: CLB  ) CEO David Demshur recently stated that his company expects a large pullback in U.S. oil exploration if U.S. crude prices were to remain below $90 for a sustained amount of time. Core believes that the rate of return on plays that are outside the sweet spot of the best plays in the U.S. is just not worth it if prices remain that low. If this prediction were to come true, this could deal another blow to Nabors. A slowdown in production would be seen in companies such as Nabors before almost any other part of the oil industry.�

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: ENSCO plc(ESV)

Ensco plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides offshore contract drilling services to the oil and gas industry. The company engages in the drilling of offshore oil and natural gas wells by providing its drilling rigs and crews under contracts with international, government-owned, and independent oil and gas companies. As of February 15, 2010, it owned and operated 42 jackup rigs, 4 ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rigs, and 1 barge rig. The company also has 4 ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rigs under construction. It operates in Asia, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa, and North and South America. The company was formerly known as Ensco International plc and changed its name to Ensco plc in March 2010. Ensco plc was founded in 1975 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By J. Royden Ward]

  Ensco PLC (ESV) owns and operates shallow water and ultra-deepwater rigs, located in many parts of the world.

  Two new drilling rigs are ready to begin multi-year contracts with major international oil companies. Six more rigs are under construction.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Ensco PLC (NYSE: ESV) last year took delivery of ENSCO 121, the second of four ultra-premium harsh environment jackup rigs in its ENSCO 120 Series. ENSCO 121 is an enhanced version of Keppel’s proprietary KFELS Super A Class design. The rig has been contracted in the North Sea at a day rate of approximately $230,000. Shareholders are paid an outstanding 6.2% dividend. The consensus target is $55.53. Ensco closed Thursday at $50.32. Trading close to a 52-week low, with poor sentiment toward drillers, this may be an outstanding stock to buy now with such an outstanding dividend cushion.

• [By David Smith]

  Or there's Ensco (NYSE: ESV  ) , owner of the world's second-largest drilling fleet, which earlier this week reported a surprisingly high 20% year-over-year growth in earnings. That's what happens when dayrates climb by 15%. Despite that, the company's forward P/E sits near a paltry 7.4 times. That, despite a forward indicted dividend yield of 3.60%.

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Lakes Entertainment Inc.(LACO)

Lakes Entertainment, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, finances, and manages Indian owned casino properties. It has development and management or financing agreements with three separate tribes for casino operations in Michigan and California. The company manages the Red Hawk Casino for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians situated in El Dorado County, California, which features 2,200 slot machines, 70 table games, 7 poker tables, 5 restaurants, 4 bars, retail space, a parking garage, and a child care facility and arcade. It also develops and finances a casino to be built on the reservation of the Jamul Indian Village located to the east of San Diego, California. In addition, Lakes Entertainment, Inc. engages in developing, financing, and managing non-Indian casino projects in Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, and Ohio. The company was formerly known as Lakes Gaming, Inc. and changed its name to Lakes Entertainment, Inc. in 2002. Lakes Entertainment, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Emerson]

  I will conclude Part one of Reflections from 20 Years of Investing (2001- 2008) with the discussion of three more sizable winners: Forward Industries (FORD), Lake Gaming (LACO) and Fairchild (FA).

10 Best Warren Buffett Stocks To Buy Right Now: Caseys General Stores Inc.(CASY)

Casey?s General Stores, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates convenience stores under the Casey?s General Store, HandiMart, and Just Diesel names in 11 Midwestern states, primarily Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois. Its stores offer foods, beverages, dairy and bakery products, sandwiches, fountain drinks, donuts, cookies, brownies, Danish rolls, ham and cheese sandwiches, pork and chicken fritters, sausage sandwiches, chicken tenders, popcorn chicken, breakfast croissants and biscuits, breakfast pizza, hash browns, quarter-pound hamburgers and cheeseburgers, and potato cheese bites. The company?s stores also provide nonfood items, which include tobacco products, health and beauty aids, school supplies, house wares, pet supplies, photo supplies, and automotive products. In addition, it offers gasoline or gasohol for sale on a self-service basis. As of July 31, 2011, the company operated 1,665 stores. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Casey's General Stores (Nasdaq: CASY  ) is expected to report Q4 earnings around June 12. 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 Casey's General Stores's revenues will expand 4.5% and EPS will expand 3.3%.

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  It�� been a mighty weird year for Casey�� General Stores (CASY). The company has had some tough quarters, but just when things are looking bleak, the team got some runners on base and drove a few home.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now

Indonesia is among the largest coal exporters in the world. However, it has historically been plagued by illegal exports. This exacerbates the global coal glut and reduces tax rolls. The country is taking steps to solve that problem.

Right in the thick of things
Located above Australia, Indonesia is centrally located to supply growing Asian nations with raw materials. That has been a boon to the country's economy in recent years. However, as a collection of islands, keeping track of everything that goes on can be difficult.

Source: Sean Baker, via Wikimedia Commons)

That's why illegal exports are such an issue. The government has attempted to regulate this problem in the past, but recently appears to be taking a different approach. It's planning to build 14 coal terminals across two key islands so it has boots on the ground and, thus, a bigger hand in what goes in and out of the country.

10 Best Oil Service Stocks To Buy For 2015: Providence Resources Corp (PV)

Providence Resources Corp. (Providence) is a Canada-based exploration stage company engaged in the evaluation and exploration of its interests in the Iron Range property (the property) located in south-eastern British Columbia near the community of Creston. The Iron Range Project is located near Creston, in Southeastern British Columbia, and spans 56,200 hectares (560 square kilometers). The project is a Joint Venture between Providence Resources (60%) and Eagle Plains Resources Ltd (40%) and has no underlying royalties or encumbrances. The Iron Range property covers over 50 kilometers(km) strike length of the Iron Mountain Fault (IMF) complex which consists of a number of north-striking faults which occur across an east-west extent of about three kilometers and a strike extent of approximately 90 kilometers. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

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

• [By John McCamant]

  Of interest, INCY's guidance assumes no meaningful contribution from a Jakafi approval in polycythemia vera (PV), which could occur before yearend. PV is a type of blood cancer.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Hi Crush Partners LP (HCLP)

Hi Crush Partners LP, formerly Hi-Crush Partners LP, is a domestic producer of monocrystalline sand, a specialized mineral that is used as a proppant to enhance the recovery rates of hydrocarbons from oil and natural gas wells. The Company reserves consist of Northern White sand, a resource existing in Wisconsin and limited portions of the upper Midwest region of the United States. It owns, operates and develops sand reserves and related excavation and processing facilities and will seek to acquire or develop additional facilities. The Company's 561-acre facility with integrated rail infrastructure, located near Wyeville, Wisconsin, enables it to process and deliver approximately 1,600,000 tons of frac sand per year. In June 2013, Hi Crush Partners LP announced the completion of its acquisition of D&I Silica, LLC (D&I).

The Company�� frac sand production is sold to investment grade-rated pressure pumping service providers under long-term, contracts that require its customers to pay a specified price for a specified volume of frac sand each month. The Company owns and operates the Wyeville facility, which is located in Monroe County, Wisconsin and, as of December 31, 2011, contained 48.4 million tons of proven recoverable sand reserves of mesh sizes it has contracted to sell. From the Wyeville in-service date to March 31, 2012, it had processed and sold 555,250 tons of frac sand.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Tuesday
  Hi-Crush Partners (NYSE: HCLP  ) checks in on Tuesday. This is another high-yielding limited partnership that went public last year. Hi-Crush is a producer of monocrystalline sand that's primarily used in the fracking process.

• [By John Udovich]

  Yesterday, small cap fracking stock CARBO Ceramics Inc (NYSE: CRR) surged 28.32% after reporting earnings while fracking peer U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE: SLCA) jumped 9.50% and Hi-Crush Partners LP (NYSE: HCLP) rose 3.20%���no doubt on positive sentiment. However, are investors missing anything with CARBO Ceramics and�is it too late to get in on the action there?

Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: ONEOK Partners L.P.(OKS)

ONEOK Partners, L.P. engages in the gathering, processing, storage, and transportation of natural gas in the United States. The company?s Natural Gas Gathering and Processing segment gathers and processes natural gas produced from crude oil and natural gas wells located in the Mid-Continent region; and gathers natural gas in the Williston Basin, which spans portions of Montana and North Dakota, and the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Its Natural Gas Pipelines segment primarily owns and operates regulated natural gas transmission pipelines, natural gas storage facilities, and natural gas gathering systems for non-processed gas. It also provides interstate natural gas transportation and storage services. This segment?s interstate natural gas pipeline assets transport natural gas through FERC-regulated interstate natural gas pipelines in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. In addition, it transports intra state natural gas through its assets in Oklahoma; and owns underground natural gas storage facilities in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. Its Natural Gas Liquids segment gathers, fractionates, and treats natural gas liquids (NGLs), as well as stores NGL products primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. This segment owns FERC-regulated natural gas liquids gathering and distribution pipelines in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Wyoming, and Colorado; terminal and storage facilities in Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois; and FERC-regulated natural gas liquids distribution and refined petroleum products pipelines in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana that connect its Mid-Continent assets with Midwest markets, including Chicago, Illinois. ONEOK Partners GP serves as the general partner of the company. The company was formerly known as Northern Border Partners, L.P. and changed its name to ONEOK Partners, L.P. in May 2006. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  Midstream companies are having an excellent 2013 so far, but ONEOK Partners (NYSE: OKS  ) has more or less missed out, as shares are down about 1% year to date. The partnership and its general partner ONEOK (NYSE: OKE  ) report earnings on Tuesday, and the results will hopefully shed some light on whether or not things will pick up this year. Here are three things to watch for when ONEOK Partners reports.

• [By Jim Jubak, Senior Markets Editor, MoneyShow.com]

  Units of ONEOK Partners (OKS), a member of my Dividend Income portfolio, have dropped 12.2% from March 28 to the close on August 23. That's brought the yield on this MLP (master limited partnership) to 5.69%.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: CRB Futures Index(CR)

Crane Co. manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in five segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Engineered Materials, Merchandising Systems, Fluid Handling, and Controls. The Aerospace & Electronics segment offers pressure, fuel flow, and position sensors and subsystems; brake control systems; coolant, lube and fuel pumps; and seat actuation products. This segment also provides power supplies and custom microelectronics for aerospace, defense, medical, and other applications; and electrical power components, power management products, electronic radio frequency, and microwave frequency components and subsystems for the defense, space, and military communications markets. The Engineered Materials segment manufactures fiberglass-reinforced plastic panels for the truck trailer and recreational vehicle markets, industrial markets, and the commercial construction industry. The Merchandising Systems segmen t offers vending solutions, such as food, snack, and beverage vending machines; and vending machine software and online solutions, as well as payment solutions, including coin accepters and dispensers, coin hoppers, coin recyclers, bill validators, and bill recyclers. The Fluid Handling segment manufactures and sells various industrial and commercial valves and actuators; provides valve testing, parts, and services; manufactures and sells pumps and water purification solutions; distributes pipe, pipe fittings, couplings, and connectors; and designs, manufactures, and sells corrosion-resistant plastic-lined pipes and fittings. The Controls segment produces ride-leveling, air-suspension control valves for heavy trucks and trailers; pressure, temperature, and level sensors; ultra-rugged computers, measurement and control systems, and intelligent data acquisition products; and water treatment equipment. Crane Co. was founded in 1855 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Engineered industrial products manufacturer Crane (NYSE: CR  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.30 per share, a 7% increase in the payout it made to investors of $0.28 per share.�

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Howard Gold]

  In recent years, Congress has passed continuing resolutions (CR) instead of formal budgets to fund the government. The latest runs out on October 1, which is when fiscal year 2014 begins. Without that funding, the government would begin shutting down.

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  Next, I run graphs on liquidity ratios and additional data on various valuation ratios to include price to book value (pb), price to cash flow (pcfl), price to free cash flow (pfcfl) and others that can be seen as options on the navigation bar to the left of the sample graph which only plots the current ratio (cr), a quick ratio (qr) and for those diehards concerned with volatility [size=11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">��/p>

5 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014

Its worth taking a much�closer look at small Cap specialty retail stock Tuesday Morning Corporation (NASDAQ: TUES) verses the performance of potential retail ETF peers like the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT), Market Vectors Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: RTH) and Direxion Daily Retail Bull 3X Shares (NYSEARCA: RETL). In case you are not familiar with the stock, an activist shareholder (who became the Chairman of the Board) complained about the company�� performance (or rather�a wider net loss that�TUES had reported) back in 2012 and this�lead to the firing of CEO Kathleen Mason who then turned around and filed a discrimination claim claiming she was fired after 12 years in the role after she disclosed that she was being treated for breast cancer. Late in 2012, Tuesday Morning Corporation also fired�its chief merchandise officer after only five months on the job and then hired a new CEO.

Hot Communications Equipment Stocks To Buy For 2015: Puget Technologies Inc (PUGE)

PUGET TECHNOLOGIES, INC., incorporated on March 17, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in the distribution of luxury wool bedding sets produced in Germany. The Company�� product includes Lama Wool, Camel Wool, Cashmere Wool and Merino Wool.

The Company�� Lama Wool is consists of 50% Lama Wool hair, and 50% Merino wool hair. The Camel wool is consists of 50% Camel wool hair, and 50% Merino wool hair. The Cashmere wool is blended with Merino wool.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Inscor, Inc (OTCMKTS: IOGA), Puget Technologies Inc (OTCBB: PUGE) and PTA Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: PTAH) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters or investor alerts. However, two of these small caps have been the subject of paid promotions while the third is getting attention largely because its in the growing marijuana or cannabis business. With that in mind, are these stocks really all that hot or not? Here is a quick reality check:

5 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014: Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS)

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (Barnes & Noble), incorporated on November 19, 1986, is a bookseller. The Company is a content, commerce and technology company that provides customers access to books, magazines, newspapers and other content across its multi-channel distribution platform. As of April 27, 2013, it operated 1,361 bookstores in 50 states, 686 bookstores on college campuses, and operates one of the Web eCommerce sites, and develops digital content products and software. Barnes & Noble operates in three segments: B&N Retail, B&N College and NOOK. The Company�� principal business is the sale of trade books (generally hardcover and paperback consumer titles), mass market paperbacks (such as mystery, romance, science fiction and other popular fiction), children�� books, eBooks and other digital content, NOOK and related accessories, bargain books, magazines, gifts, cafe products and services, educational toys & games, music and movies direct to customers through its bookstores or on barnesandnoble.com.

Of the Company�� 1,361 bookstores, 675 operate primarily under the Barnes & Noble Booksellers trade name. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC (B&N College), a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, operates 686 college bookstores at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble Retail (B&N Retail) operates the 675 retail bookstores. Retail also includes the Company�� eCommerce site and Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. (Sterling or Sterling Publishing), a leader in general trade book publishing.

B&N Retail

This segment includes 675 bookstores as of April 27, 2013, primarily under the Barnes & Noble Booksellers trade name. These stores generally offer a dedicated NOOK area, a comprehensive trade book title base, a cafe, and departments dedicated to Juvenile, Toys & Games, DVDs, Music, Gift, Magazine and Bargain products. The stores also offer a calendar of ongoing events, including author appearances and children�� activities. The B&! N Retail segment also includes the Company�� eCommerce website, barnesandnoble.com, and its publishing operation, Sterling Publishing. Barnes & Noble stores range in size from 3,000 to 60,000 square feet depending upon market size, with an overall average store size of 26,000 square feet. During the fiscal year ended April 27, 2013 (fiscal), the Company reduced the Barnes & Noble store base by 0.3 million square feet, bringing the total square footage to 17.7 million square feet. The Company�� B&N Retail segment purchases physical books on a regular basis from over 800 publishers and over 50 wholesalers or distributors. As of April 27, 2013, Barnes & Noble had stores in 162 of the total 210 Designated Market Area markets.

Sterling Publishing is a publisher of non-fiction trade titles. It is a range of non-fiction and illustrated books and kits across a range of imprints, in categories, such as health and wellness, music and culture, food and wine, crafts and photography, puzzles and games, history and current affairs, as well as a children�� books.

B&N College

B&N College sells new and used textbooks in campus bookstores and online. As of April 27, 2013, B&N College operated 686 stores nationwide. The Company�� customer base, which is mainly consisted of students and faculty, can purchase various items from their campus stores, including textbooks and course-related materials, emblematic apparel and gifts, trade books, computer products, NOOK products and related accessories, school and dorm supplies, convenience and cafe items.

As of April 27, 2013, B&N College operates 651 traditional college bookstores and 35 academic superstores, which are generally larger in size, offer cafes and provide a sense of community that engages the surrounding campus and local communities in college activities and culture. The traditional bookstores range in size from 500 to 48,000 square feet. The academic superstores range in size from 8,000 to 75,000 square feet. B&! N College! �� three customer constituencies are students, faculty members and campus administrators.

NOOK

This segment includes the Company�� digital business, which includes the Company�� eBookstore, digital newsstand and sales of NOOK devices and accessories to third party distribution partners, as well as to B&N Retail and B&N College. Barnes & Noble�� NOOK digital bookstore and Reading Apps provide customers the ability to purchase and read their digital content and access to their Lifetime Library on a range of digital platforms, including Windows 8 PCs and tablets, iPad, iPhone , Android smartphones and tablets, PC and Mac. Barnes & Noble has implemented features on its digital platform to ensure that customers can access their NOOK content from almost all of today�� most popular devices.

The Company competes with Target, Books-A-Million, Waldenbooks, Amazon.com, Apple, Wal-Mart and Costco.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Investors seems to believe that J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) showed signs of life when it released earnings, and that Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) admitted it was doomed. No matter which side Wall Street takes of either case, all of the evidence shows that neither has made any advance against its real enemy — Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)

• [By Steve Symington]

  Shares of�Barnes & Noble� (NYSE: BKS  ) plummeted more than 17% Tuesday after the company turned in�dismal fiscal fourth-quarter results. But does this mean all hope is lost for the struggling company to survive over the long term?

5 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014: Natural Grocers By Vitamin Cottage Inc (NGVC)

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., incorporated on April 9, 2012, is a specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements. The Company operates within the natural products retail industry. The Company offers products and brands, including a selection of natural and organic food, dietary supplements, body care products, pet care products and books.

The Company offers its customers an average of approximately 18,000 store-keeping units (SKUs) of natural and organic products per store, including an average of approximately 7,000 SKU of dietary supplements. As of June 30, 2012, the Company operated 55 stores in 11 states, including Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as a bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center in Colorado. The size of its stores varies from 5,000 selling square feet to 14,500 selling square feet, and a new store averages 9,500 selling square feet.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Large cap natural and organic foods supermarket giant Whole Foods Market, Inc (NASDAQ: WFM), otherwise known as ��hole Wallet��r ��hole Paycheck,��is not the only player in the natural or organics supermarket space for consumers and investors alike as mid cap Sprouts Farmers Market Inc (NASDAQ: SFM) and small caps Fairway Group Holdings Corp (NASDAQ: FWM) and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc (NYSE: NGVC) are also players in the space. It should be mentioned that Whole Foods Market is down 15.7% since the start of the year and has a downward trending technical chart, but�shares are�still up 13% over the past year, up 426.3% over the past five years and up 3,108.6% since January 1992.

• [By David Mamos]

  The Fresh Market Inc. (Nasdaq: TFM), Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. (NYSE: NGVC), and privately held Trader Joe's are others crowding into the field.

5 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Invest In 2014: FTD Companies Inc (FTD)

FTD Companies, Inc. (FTD), incorporated on April 25, 2008, is a floral and gifting company. The Company provides floral, gift and related products and services to consumers and retail florists, as well as to other retail locations offering floral and gift products primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The Company operates in one segment, which includes floral and related products and services. Its business uses the FTD and Interflora brands, both supported by the Mercury Man logo. The Company�� portfolio of brands also includes Flying Flowers, Flowers Direct, and Drake Algar in the United Kingdom. On November 1, 2013, United Online, Inc. (United Online) completed the separation of United Online into two independent, publicly traded companies: FTD Companies, Inc. and United Online, Inc.

The Company�� products revenues are derived primarily from selling floral, gift and related products to consumers and the related shipping and service fees. Products revenues also include revenues generated from sales of hard goods, software and hardware systems, cut flowers, packaging and promotional products, and a range of other floral-related supplies to floral network members. Its services revenues related to orders sent through the floral network are variable based on either the number of orders or on the value of orders and are recognized in the period in which the orders.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock One day out of 365, we pay homage to our sainted mothers. Those of us who are members of this long-suffering, uncomplaining, self-sacrificing class may get some soggy French toast in bed, (don't worry, kids; mom will clean up the kitchen), a chance to read in peace, or perhaps time to indulge in a long, hot bath. Bringing Home the Bacon If you really want to pay back mom for all she's done, get ready to pony up big. A card and some carnations (the official flower of Mother's Day, who knew?) just won't cut it. The cost of replacing mom as nurturer, nurse, cleaner and cook -- according to Insure.com's 2014 Mother's Day salary index -- would run you $62,985 a year, up from $59,862 in 2013. Breaking down the price of having someone else handle her various duties: Cooking and cleaning, $12,230 Child care, $21,736 Homework help, $7,290 Chauffeur, $5,672 Shopping, yard work, party and activity planning, finances, etc., $15,019 And my personal favorite, finding out what the kids are up to (paid in the equivalent value of a private detective), $1,036. Salary.com placed a higher value on moms in its 2014 Mother's Day salary survey, concluding that stay-at-home moms were worth $118,905 and working moms worth $70,107 (this does not include any paid salary from their job), with both groups putting more than 56 hours of overtime at home. These numbers are all up from last year's survey. Cooking It Up in a Pan Mom helps to pay for other things, too. Thanks to the Department of Agriculture, you can see what it costs to raise a child in the U.S. to 18. As of August 2013, the average cost is $241,080. This does not cover college, and hopefully dear old dad is contributing. In 2012, there were 10.3 million single U.S. mothers with children under 18, and one-third of women who gave birth in 2012 were single moms. By becoming moms, women give up time to do other things, what economists call an "opportunity cost." Particularly if your mother st