Top Machinery Companies To Invest In Right Now

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This week, 12 stocks get F’s (“strong sell”) in Portfolio Grader‘s three main grading categories, Total Grade, Overall Fundamental Grade, and Quantitative Grade.

These are the worst of the worst in the entire Portfolio Grader database. This week, there are 4,259 stocks and only these 12 get failing marks in all categories to make the dreaded “Triple F” stocks list. Here they are:

5 Best High Tech Stocks To Invest In 2015: Emak SpA (EM)

Emak SpA is an Italy-based company primarily engaged in the manufacture of outdoor power equipment for gardening, forestry, agriculture and industry. The Company�� portfolio includes chainsaws, brush cutters, lawnmowers, garden tractors, water pumps, high pressure washers, transporters, rotary cultivators, motor hoes and power cutters, among others. It also manufactures spare parts, accessories and protective clothing. The Company sells its products under various brand names, such as Oleo-Mac, Efco, Bertolini, Nibbi and Staub. Emak SpA directly manages distribution in the Italian market and it sells products, through its commercial subsidiaries, in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, the countries of Benelux, Poland, Ukraine, among others.The Company is controlled by Yama SpA, which is an industrial holding company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Federico Zaldua]

  Brookfield Infrastructure has a number of potentially profitable areas for investment around the world but, above all, in infrastructure hungry Emerging Markets (EM) such as Brazil. According to Credit Suisse analysts, in Brazil, funds can be invested at Funds From Operations (FFO) yields above 12%. Therefore, the company's ability to grow its distribution yield, whether through acquisitions or organically, is critical to evaluate the company's value. Moreover, the currently conservative dividend payout ratio should allow Brookfield Infrastructure to self-finance on going opportunities.

Top Machinery Companies To Invest In Right Now: Weir Group PLC (WEIR)

The Weir Group PLC is engaged in engineering businesses. It operates in three segments: Minerals, Oil and Gas, and Power and Industrial. The Minerals segment provides slurry handling equipment and associated aftermarket support for abrasive high wear applications used in the mining and oil sands markets. The Oil & Gas segment provides products and service solutions to upstream, production, transportation, refining and related industries. The Power & Industrial segment designs and manufactures valves, pumps and turbines as well as providing specialist support services to the global power generation, industrial and oil and gas sectors. The Company�� subsidiaries include American Hydro Corporation, EnviroTech Pumpsystems Inc, Gema Industrigummi AB, Linatex Rubber Products Sdn Bhd and Mesa Manufacturing Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Weir Group Plc (WEIR) added 1.6 percent to 2,239 pence, the highest price in almost two months. The U.K.�� largest supplier of pressure pumps was raised to buy from hold at Berenberg Bank.

Top Machinery Companies To Invest In Right Now: First Majestic Silver Corp.(AG)

First Majestic Silver Corp. engages in the production, development, exploration, and acquisition of mineral properties with a focus on silver in Mexico. The company owns interests in La Encantada Silver Mine comprising 4,076 hectares of mining rights and 1,343 hectares of surface land located in Coahuila; La Parrilla Silver Mine consisting of mining concessions covering an area of 69,867 hectares; and San Martin Silver Mine comprising approximately 7,841 hectares of mineral rights and approximately 1,300 hectares of surface land rights located in Jalisco. It also holds interests in Del Toro Silver Mine consisting of 393 contiguous hectares of mining claims and an additional 129 hectares of surface rights located in Zacatecas; Real de Catorce Silver Project comprising 22 mining concessions covering 6,327 hectares located in San Luis Potosi state; and Jalisco Group of Properties consisting of mining claims totalling 5,240 hectares located in Jalisco. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  While many precious-metals companies have been in a slump of late, there is one that belongs perpetually in your portfolio: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) . The company is not like other miners -- including Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS  ) and First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) -- in that it has a unique business plan that insulates it against many of the vagaries of the mining business. Moreover, because silver will always have a significant industrial demand component, even with the heightened volatility you see in the silver market, maintaining exposure to silver is appropriate.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Tuesday

  Earnings Expected: Fossil Group (NASDAQ: FOSL), CST Brands (NYSE: CST), First Majestic Silver (NYSE: AG) Economic Releases Expected: US retail sales, US redbook, German ZEW economic sentiment, Chinese retail sales, Chinese industrial production

  Wednesday

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  It is no secret that precious metals companies have been taking a pounding for some time now. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: GLD  ) and iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT: SLV  ) , the gold and silver ETFs, have been hard hit and operating companies like First Majestic (NYSE: AG  ) and Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX  ) have been hit even harder. Through all of these struggles, and in some cases because of them, one precious metals company continues to look attractive for the long term: Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW  ) .

Top Machinery Companies To Invest In Right Now: MSC Industrial Direct Co Inc (MSM)

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (MSC), incorporated on October 25, 1995, is direct marketers and distributors of a range of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products to customers throughout the United States. The Company operates primarily in the United States, with customers in all 50 states, through a network of five customer fulfillment centers (four customer fulfillment centers are located within the United States and one is located in the United Kingdom and 106 branch offices (104 branches are located within the United States, one is located in the United Kingdom and the other is located in Mexico). The Company offers approximately 600,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) through its master catalogs, weekly, monthly and quarterly specialty and promotional catalogs, brochures and the Internet, including its Websites, mscdirect.com, mscmetalworking.com and use-enco.com (MSC Websites). In April 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of the North American distribution business (BDNA or the Business) of Barnes Group Inc.

The Company's customers include a range of purchasers of industrial supply products, from individual machine shops to Fortune 1000 companies, to government agencies, such as the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Defense. The Company uses its database of companies and contacts, and the Company also purchases information on prospective customers in the form of databases, mailing lists, and email lists to target the distribution of these various publications and other marketing vehicles to specific individuals within an organization whose purchasing history or other criteria suggest receptiveness to specific publication titles and promotions. The Company also provides electronic ordering capabilities (EDI and XML) to support its customers' purchase order processing.

The Company's products represent a range of MRO products that include cutting tools; measuring instruments; tooling component! s; metalworking products; fasteners; flat stock; raw materials; abrasives; machinery hand and power tools; safety and janitorial supplies; plumbing supplies; materials handling products; power transmission components; and electrical supplies. The Company provides product information and ordering capabilities on the Internet. The Company also maintains a hardware and software platform in support of its VMI program, which allows customers to integrate scanner-accumulated orders directly into its Sales Order Entry system.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected: WD-40 Company (NASDAQ: WDFC), MSC Industrial Direct Company (NYSE: MSM), CHC Group (NYSE: HELI) Economic Releases Expected:  Chinese trade balance, Australian unemployment rate

  Thursday

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  Meanwhile, stocks on the move this morning include Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ  ) and MSC Industrial (NYSE: MSM  ) , which both reported quarterly earnings results before the opening bell.�

Top Machinery Companies To Invest In Right Now: Deutz AG (DEZ)

DEUTZ AG is a Germany-based manufacturer of diesel engines. The Company produces engines with outputs of between 19 kilowatts (kW) and 520 kW for on-road as well as non-road applications. Its activities cover development, design, production, sales and services for diesel engines that are cooled by water, oil or air. DEUTZ AG divides its activities into two segments: DEUTZ Compact Engines and DEUTZ Customized Solutions. DEUTZ Customized Solutions segment focuses on air-cooled engines and large liquid-cooled engines with capacities of more than eight liters. The segment DEUTZ Compact Engines comprises liquid-cooled engines with capacities of less than four liters as well as engines with capacities of four to eight liters. The Company is the executive and operating company within the DEUTZ Group. It has a global reach with its production sites, ten distribution companies, nine sales offices, as well as over 800 distribution and service partners in more than 130 countries worldwide. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  RWE AG (RWE) jumped 6.4 percent, leading a gauge of utilities higher. Deutz AG (DEZ) plunged the most in more than two years after an investor sold a 8.4 percent stake in the manufacturer of diesel engines. ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG (PSM) dropped 1.1 percent after Telegraaf Media Groep NV sold its stake in the company.

Top Machinery Companies To Invest In Right Now: Katy Industries Inc (KATY)

Katy Industries, Inc. (Katy) is a manufacturer, importer and distributor of commercial cleaning and storage products. The Company�� commercial cleaning products are sold primarily to janitorial/sanitary and foodservice distributors that supply end users, such as restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities and schools. The Company�� storage products are primarily sold through home improvement and mass market retail outlets. Continental Commercial Products, LLC (CCP) is its wholly owned subsidiary and includes as divisions all of its business units. The Company�� business units are Continental, Contico, Container, Gemtex, Glit and Wilen. On October 4, 2011, the Company sold all assets and certain liabilities related to the DISCO division of CCP to DISCO Acquisition Corp. In February 2014, Katy Industries Inc completed the acquisition of Fort Wayne Plastics, Inc.

The Continental business unit is a plastics manufacturer and an importer and distributor of products for the commercial janitorial/sanitary maintenance, industrial and food service markets. Continental products include commercial waste receptacles, buckets, mop wringers, janitorial carts, and other products designed for commercial cleaning and food service. Continental products are sold under the brand names, such as Continental, Kleen Aire, Huskee, SuperKan, King Kan, Unibody, Tilt-N-Wheel, Wall Hugger, Collossus, Corner��Round, Rountop, Swingline, Kleen Tech and Structo Tuff.

The Contico business unit is a plastics manufacturer and distributor of home and tool storage products, sold primarily through home improvement and mass market retail outlets. Contico products include plastic home storage units, such as domestic storage containers, tool boxes, shelving and hard plastic gun cases and are sold under the brand names Contico and Tuffbin. Contico is a registered trademark used under license from Contico Manufacturing Limited.

The Container business unit is a plastics manufacturer and distributor ! of industrial storage drums and pails for commercial and industrial use. Products are sold under the Contico and Contico Container brand names.

The Gemtex business unit is a manufacturer and distributor of resin fiber disks and other coated abrasives for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), automotive, industrial and home improvement markets. Gemtex products are sold under the brand names Trim-Kut and Grind R.

The Glit business unit is a manufacturer and distributor of non-woven abrasive products for commercial and industrial use and also supplies materials to various OEMs. Glit non-woven products include floor maintenance pads, hand pads, scouring pads, specialty abrasives for cleaning and finishing, growth medium and roof ventilation products. These products are sold primarily in the commercial sanitary maintenance, food service, industrial and construction markets under the brand names, such as Glit, Kleenfast, Glit/Microtron, Fiber Naturals, Blue Ice, Brillo, Cyclone, Cyclone D, Sponge Pro, Wipe Clean Pro, Joey, Jackeroo, Buckaroo, Cocopad, Safire and WalnutPad. Brillo is a registered trademark used under license from Armaly Brands, Inc. and BAB-O is a registered trademark used under license from Fitzpatrick Bros., Inc.

The Wilen business unit is a manufacturer, importer and distributor of professional cleaning products that include mops, brooms, brushes and plastic cleaning accessories. Wilen products are sold primarily through commercial sanitary maintenance, industrial and food service markets, with some products sold through consumer retail outlets. Products are sold under the brand names, such as Wilen, Wax-o-matic, Rototech, ErgoWorx and Derma-Tek.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Mydlo]

  The guru, Mario Gabelli, purchased 724,729 shares of Katy Industries (KATY). According to the 13D filed with the SEC on March 21, 2014, Gabelli is deemed to have beneficial ownership of the securities owned by Gabelli Funds, GAMCO, Teton Advisors and MJG Associates. The total amount of shares owned is 1,711,045, representing 21.52% of the shares outstanding. Katy engages in the manufacture, import and distribution of commercial cleaning and storage products for commercial janitorial/sanitary maintenance, industrial, foodservice, mass merchant retail and home improvement markets in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Top Machinery Companies To Invest In Right Now: AGCO Corporation (AGCO)

AGCO Corporation manufactures and distributes agricultural equipment and related replacement parts worldwide. The company provides tractors, including compact tractors for small farms and specialty agricultural industries comprising dairies, landscaping, and residential areas; utility tractors, such as two-wheel and all-wheel drive versions for small and medium-sized farms, and specialty agricultural industries consist of dairy, livestock, orchards, and vineyards; and horsepower tractors for large farms and on cattle ranches for hay production. It also offers application equipment, which includes self-propelled, three and four-wheeled vehicles, and related equipment for use in the application of liquid and dry fertilizers, and crop protection chemicals; chemical sprayer equipment for planting crops; and related equipment that comprises vehicles for waste application, as well as provides combines. In addition, the company offers hay tools and forage equipment consisting rou nd and rectangular balers, self-propelled windrowers, disc mowers, spreaders and mower conditioners for harvesting and packaging vegetative feeds; and engines, such as diesel engines, gears, and generating sets. Further, it provides implements, including disc harrows for improving field performance; heavy tillage to break up soil and mix crop residue; and field cultivators for preparing smooth seed bed and destroy weeds, as well as offers tractor-pulled planters and loaders. Additionally, the company provides precision farming technologies to enhance productivity and profitability on the farm; and other advanced technology precision farming products to gather information, such as yield data, as well as offers wholesale financing and retail financing. It markets its products under the Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra brand names through a network of independent dealers and distributors. AGCO Corporation was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia .

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Kubota isn't the only company aggressively challenging Deere. AGCO (NYSE: AGCO  ) has made aggressive expansion efforts in Africa, working with specialty agricultural lender Rabobank to try to help farmers on the continent buy more farming equipment. Moreover, both AGCO and CNH Global (NYSE: CNH  ) have made emerging markets like Latin America a high priority, reaping benefits from the more rapidly expanding economies among Latin American nations. Deere has targeted Latin America as well, but it hasn't been as aggressive with its international efforts as its peers. Deere's stock price has reflected its lack of initiative in expanding globally:

Hot Oil Companies To Invest In 2014

Forbes Dividend Investor subscribers received this hotline on Jan. 15.

A recent recommendation was to buy gas station landlord Getty Realty (GTY). Today�� pick is another one from the fuel pumping world with a nice yield and discounted valuations��lus it will give you something to talk about with your friends, family or fellow saloon patrons if you watch the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia.

Moscow-based Lukoil was created in November 1991 from three state-run oil and gas companies in western Siberia and called LangepasUrayKogalymneft. It became Open Joint-stock Company LUKOIL in 1993 and it�� presently Russia�� third biggest integrated energy company in terms of market value behind Gazprom and Rosneft. It�� the second biggest oil driller and second only to Exxon Mobil in proven oil and gas reserves.

Russian gas station in Macedonia (LUKOIL) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Top 5 Solar Stocks To Invest In 2015: Western Refining Logistics LP (WNRL)

Western Refining Logistics, LP, incorporated on July 17, 2013, owns, operates, develops, and acquires terminals, storage tanks, pipelines, and other logistics assets. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� assets includes pipeline and gathering assets and terminalling, transportation, and storage assets in the Southwestern portion of the United States, which included approximately 300 miles of pipelines and approximately 7.9 million barrels of active storage capacity, as well as other assets. The Company's assets are integral to the operations of Western�� refineries located in El Paso, Texas, and near Gallup, New Mexico.

As of December 31, 2012, the Company owns and operates two refineries, in El Paso, Texas and Gallup, New Mexico, with a total crude oil throughput capacity of 153,000 barrels per day (bpd). The Company does not take ownership of the hydrocarbons or products (other than certain additives) that it handles or engages in the trading of any commodities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  It;s been a very robust year for master limited partnership IPOs to say the least. On Thursday, Western Refining (NYSE: WNR  ) successfully spun off its midstream logistics MLP, Western Refining Logistics (NYSE: WNRL  ) . The partnership became the 14th MLP to make its debut this year.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Western Refining Logistics (NYSE: WNRL) debuted on Oct. 10. The partnership was formed by Western Refining (NYSE: WNR) to own, operate, develop and acquire terminals, storage tanks, pipelines, and other logistics assets. WNRL’s assets include 300 miles of crude oil pipelines, gathering systems, and 566,000 barrels of crude oil storage located primarily in the Permian Basin. Most of its revenue is expected to be derived from two 10-year, fee-based agreements with Western Refining.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The full list: Buffalo Wild Wings, Cavium, CaesarStone (CSTE), Eclipse Resources, MobileIron (MOBL), Nextera Energy, Portland General Electric (POR), Rexnord Corp, Terex Corp, Western Refining Logistics (WNRL), and The Advisory Board.

Hot Oil Companies To Invest In 2014: Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.B)

Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell), incorporated on February 5, 2002, is an independent oil and gas company. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, investments in the numerous companies constituting Shell. Shell is engaged worldwide in the principal aspects of the oil and gas industry and also has interests in chemicals and other energy-related businesses. The Company operates in three segments: Upstream, Downstream and Corporate. Upstream combines the operating segments Upstream International and Upstream Americas, which are engaged in searching for and recovering crude oil and natural gas; the liquefaction and transportation of gas; the extraction of bitumen from oil sands that is converted into synthetic crude oil, and wind energy. Downstream is engaged in manufacturing; distribution and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals, in alternative energy (excluding wind), and carbon dioxide (CO2) management. Corporate represents the key support functions, comprising holdings and treasury, headquarters, central functions and Shell�� self-insurance activities. In October 2011, the Company bought a marine terminal on Canada's Pacific Coast as a possible site for a liquefied natural gas export terminal. In January 2012, the Company's 50% owned, Australia Arrow Energy Holdings Pty Ltd acquired all of the shares in Bow Energy Ltd. In January 2014, Royal Dutch Shell plc completed the acquisition of Repsol S.A.'s liquefied natural gas (LNG) portfolio outside North America.

Upstream International manages the Upstream businesses outside the Americas. It searches for and recovers crude oil and natural gas, liquefies and transports gas, and operates the upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver oil and gas to market. Upstream International also manages Shell�� entire liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) business, gas to liquids (GTL) and the wind business in Europe. Its activities are organized primarily within geographical units, although there are some activities that are mana! ged across the businesses or provided through support units.

Upstream Americas manages the Upstream businesses in North and South America. It searches for and recovers crude oil and natural gas, transports gas and operates the upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver oil and gas to market. Upstream Americas also extracts bitumen from oil sands that is converted into synthetic crude oil. Additionally, it manages the United States-based wind business. It comprises operations organized into business-wide managed activities and supporting activities.

Downstream manages Shell�� manufacturing, distribution and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals. These activities are organized into globally managed classes of business, although some are managed regionally or provided through support units. Manufacturing and supply includes refining, supply and shipping of crude oil. Marketing sells a range of products including fuels, lubricants, bitumen and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for home, transport and industrial use. Chemicals produces and markets petrochemicals for industrial customers, including the raw materials for plastics, coatings and detergents. Downstream also trades Shell�� flow of hydrocarbons and other energy-related products, supplies the Downstream businesses, markets gas and power and provides shipping services. Downstream additionally oversees Shell�� interests in alternative energy (including biofuels, and excluding wind) and CO2 management.

Projects and Technology manages the delivery of Shell�� major projects and drives the research and innovation to create technology solutions. It provides technical services and technology capability covering both Upstream and Downstream activities. It is also responsible for providing functional leadership across Shell in the areas of health, safety and environment, and contracting and procurement.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Cash Flow Investor]

  Using this alternative payout ratio has saved me from a few situations in which the traditional payout ratio indicated that the dividend was covered - only for the company to later declare a dividend freeze or cut when the free cash flow ran out. One specific example is Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.B), the global oil behemoth.

• [By Vinay Singh]

  Natural gas isn't as cheap as it was a year ago and that's leading to big changes in the energy market. That will be a good thing for Ultra Petroleum (UPL), Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.B) and Alliance Natural Resource Partners (ARLP).

Hot Oil Companies To Invest In 2014: QEP Midstream Partners LP (QEPM)

QEP Midstream Partners, LP (QEP), incorporated on April 19, 2013, is a limited partnership formed by QEP Resources, Inc. to owns, operates, acquires and develops midstream energy assets. The Company�� primary assets consist of ownership interests in four gathering systems and two Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)-regulated pipelines, through which it provides natural gas and crude oil gathering and transportation services. The Company�� assets are located in, or are within close proximity to, the Green River Basin located in Wyoming and Colorado, the Uinta Basin located in eastern Utah, and the portion of the Williston Basin located in North Dakota. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� gathering systems had 1,475 miles of pipeline and an average gross throughput of 1.8 million british thermal units per hour of natural gas and 18,224 barrels of crude oil.

Green River System

The Company�� Green River System, located in western Wyoming, consists of three complimentary systems owned by Green River Gathering, Rendezvous Gas and Rendezvous Pipeline and gathers natural gas production from the Pinedale, Jonah and Moxa Arch fields. In addition to gathering natural gas, the system also gathers and stabilizes crude oil production from the Pinedale Field, transports the stabilized crude oil to an interstate pipeline interconnect, and gathers and handles produced and flowback water associated with well completion activities in the Pinedale Field. The Green River Gathering assets are comprised of 405 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines, 61 miles of crude oil gathering pipelines, 81 miles of water gathering pipelines and a 60-mile, FERC-regulated crude oil pipeline located in the Green River Basin. The Rendezvous Gas assets consist of three parallel, 103-mile high-pressure natural gas pipelines, with 1,032 million cubic feet per day of throughput capacity and 7,800 basic hydrogen peroxide of gas compression. Rendezvous Pipeline�� sole asset is a 21-mile, FERC-regu! lated natural gas transmission pipeline that provides gas transportation services from QEP�� Blacks Fork processing complex in southwest Wyoming to an interconnect with the Kern River Pipeline.

Vermillion Gathering System

The Vermillion Gathering System consists of gas gathering and compression assets located in southern Wyoming, northwest Colorado and northeast Utah, which, when combined, include 454 miles of low-pressure, gas gathering pipelines and 23,197 basic hydrogen peroxide of gas compression. The Vermillion Gathering System is primarily supported by life-of-reserves and long-term, fee-based gas gathering agreements with minimum volume commitments, which are designed to ensure that it will generate a certain amount of revenue over the life of the gathering agreement by collecting either gathering fees for actual throughput or payments to cover any shortfall. The primary customers on our Vermillion Gathering System include Questar, Samson Resources Corporation (Samson Resources), QEP and Chevron USA, Inc. (Chevron).

Three Rivers Gathering System

Three Rivers Gathering is a joint venture between QEP and Ute Energy Midstream Holdings, LLC (Ute Energy) that was formed to transport natural gas gathered by Uintah Basin Field Services, L.L.C., an indirectly owned subsidiary of QEP (Uintah Basin Field Services), and other third-party volumes to gas processing facilities owned by QEP and third parties. The Three Rivers Gathering System consists of gas gathering assets located in the Uinta Basin in northeast Utah, including approximately 50 miles of gathering pipeline and 4,735 basic hydrogen peroxide of gas compression.

Williston Gathering System

The Williston Gathering System is a crude oil and natural gas gathering system located in the Williston Basin in McLean County, North Dakota. The Williston Gathering System includes 17 miles of gas gathering pipelines, 17 miles of oil gathering pipelines 239 basic hydrogen peroxide o! f gas com! pression, and a crude oil and natural gas handling facility, located primarily on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

The Company competes with Enterprise Products Partners, L.P., Western Gas and The Williams Companies, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  But things aren’t all bad. A spate of initial public offerings traded at nice prices Friday. Among them was QEP Midstream Partners (QEPM), an energy master limited partnership. (Press release here). More on IPOs from Bloomberg here.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  QEP Midstream Partners L.P. (NYSE: QEPM) was started as Buy at Janney Capital, and note that four other firms started coverage earlier this week.

  ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE: NOW) was started as Buy with a $55 price target at Canaccord Genuity.

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  QEP Resources Inc.(QEP) plans to separate its midstream business, QEP Field Services Co., into a separate entity, including its interest in QEP Midstream Partners LP(QEPM).

Hot Oil Companies To Invest In 2014: Pacific Drilling SA (PACD)

Pacific Drilling S.A., incorporated on March 22, 2011, is an international offshore drilling Company. The Company is a provider of ultra-deepwater drilling services to the oil and natural gas industry through the use of high-specification drilling rigs. The Company�� primary business is to contract its ultra-deepwater drilling rigs, related equipment and work crews, primarily on a dayrate basis, to drill wells for its customers. The Company is primarily focused on the ultra-deepwater market. The Company generally consider ultra-deepwater to begin at water depths of more than 7,500 feet and to extend to the maximum water depths, in which rigs are capable of drilling, which is approximately 12,000 feet.

The Company operates four drillships and has four drillships under construction, two of which are under customer contract. In connection with the Restructuring, the Company�� Predecessor was contributed to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company by a subsidiary of Quantum Pacific International Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Pacific Drilling (PACD) is an international offshore drilling contractor committed to becoming the preferred provider of ultra-deepwater drilling services to the oil and natural gas industry through the use of high-specification rigs. This stock closed up 1% to $9.94 in Thursday's trading session.

  Thursday's Range: $9.87-$10.00
  
  52-Week Range: $8.63-$10.99
  
  Thursday's Volume: 450,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 308,772

  From a technical perspective, PACD bounced modestly higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $9.67 with above-average volume. This stock has been trending sideways and consolidating for the last five months, with shares moving between $8.89 on the downside and $10.23 on the upside. Shares of PACD are now starting to trend within range of triggering a breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern. That trade will hit if PACD manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $10.14 to $10.23 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PACD as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $9.81 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 308,772 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PACD will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $10.71 to its 52-week high at $10.99. Any high-volume move above $10.99 will then put its all-time high at $11.47 within range for shares of PACD.

• [By David Smith]

  Chevron has been working hand-in-glove in implementing DGD with offshore rig operator Pacific Drilling (NYSE: PACD  ) . Pacific's drillship Pacific Santa Ana was specifically built to Chevron's DGD-enhancing specifications and is working for the big company in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hot Oil Companies To Invest In 2014: Cosan Ltd (CZZ)

Cosan Limited (Cosan), incorporated on April 30, 2007, is a holding company. The Company is engaged in the production of ethanol and sugar, the marketing and distribution of fuel and lubricants in Brazil, and logistics services in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Company imports, exports, produces and sells ethanol, sugar, sugarcane and other sugar by-products. It distributes and sells fuel and other fuel by-products. The Company produces and markets electricity, steam and other co-generation by-products. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 (fiscal 2011), it operated 24 mills. On February 18, 2011, Cosan, through its subsidiary Cosan S.A. Acucar e Alcool acquired 100% of the voting corporate capital of Cosan Araraquara Acucar e Alcool Ltda., (Usina Zanin).

The Company operates in three in segments: sugar and ethanol (S&E), fuel distribution and lubricants (CCL) and sugar logistics (Rumo Logistica). The sugar and ethanol segment operates and produces a range of sugar products, including raw, organic, crystal and refined sugars and consumer products under the Da Barra and Uniao brands, which are sold to a range of customers in Brazil and abroad, as well as produces and sells hydrous, anhydrous and industrial ethanol, which are sold to the Brazilian market. The sugar and ethanol segment also includes energy co-generation activities and land development businesses. Its fuel distribution and lubricants segment includes the distribution and marketing of fuels, mainly through franchised network of service stations under the brand Esso throughout the national territory, and production, distribution and marketing of lubricants licensed from ExxonMobil International Holdings B.V.. Its sugar logistics segment provides logistics services for the transport, storage and port lifting of sugar.

Sugar and Ethanol segment

As of March 31, 2011 the Company leased 437,698 hectares, through 2,128 land lease contracts with an average term of five years. During fiscal 2011,! it harvested from owned or leased lands 27.4 million tons, of the sugarcane and purchased from third-party growers the 26.8 million tons of sugarcane. During fiscal 2011, its accumulated sugar extraction was 139.0 kilograms of total sugar recovered (TSR) per ton of sugarcane and its agricultural yield was 91.4 tons of sugarcane per hectare. It produces ethanol through a chemical process called yeasting. It produces and sells three types of ethanol: hydrous ethanol and anhydrous ethanol for fuel and industrial ethanol. It sells ethanol through gasoline distributors in Brazil mainly at the mill that sell it to retailers that then sell it at the pump to customers.

During fiscal year 2011, the Company sold 4.3 million tons of sugar. The Company produces a range of standard sugars, including raw sugar, crystal sugar and organic sugar, and refined sugars, including granulated refined white sugar, amorphous refined sugar, refined sucrose liquid sugar and refined inverted liquid sugar. Its Sao Francisco mill and the Da Barra mill produce refined sugar. It also sells industrial alcohol, which is used in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. It sells sugar to a range of customers in Brazil and in the international markets. Its customers in Brazil include retail supermarkets, foodservice distributors and food manufacturers, for which it sells refined and liquid sugar.

Fuel distribution and lubricants

The Company�� fuel distribution business is engaged in sourcing, storing, blending and distributing primarily gasoline, ethanol, diesel and fuel oil through its retail network of approximately 4,500 Esso and Shell-branded stations. During fiscal 2011, it sold approximately 1.03 billion liters of fuels, consisting of 96.0% diesel and 4.0% gasoline, ethanol and other fuels to its industrial and wholesale clients. During fiscal 2011, Cosan Combustiveise Lubrificantes S.A. (CCL) sold a total of 166.4 million liters of lubricants. Its lubricant operations consist of a wholly o! wned Lubr! icants Oil Blending Plant (LOBP), located in Rio de Janeiro, with annual production capacity of 1.4 million barrels of lubricants per year, including 48,000 barrels of grease per year.

Sugar Logistics

The Company owns and operates a sugar-loading terminal at the Port of Santos in the State of Sao Paulo through its subsidiary Rumo Logistica. It offers logistics solution to sugar producers located in the Center South of Brazil by transporting sugar from the mill by truck or rail to be loaded at its bulk sugar port terminal in Santos. It also offer sugar storage services.

The Company competes with Copersucar, Sudzucker AG, Petrobras, Ultrapar S.A., Shell Brasil Ltda. and AleSat Combustiveis S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Partnership outlook
  I am still hoping that Codexis will be tapped by Raizen, a joint venture between Shell and sugar giant Cosan (NYSE: CZZ  ) , as its exclusive cellulase enzyme provider. Raizen has not been shy about its cellulosic ethanol ambitions -- planning a 10 million gallon per year facility -- but has yet to choose an enzyme technology. Investors should be careful not to assume that Codexis is a lock for the partnership (Raizen is the largest investor in Codexis), but with more than 580 million gallons of first-generation ethanol capacity the opportunity is enormous.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  ADM's renewable-fuel business grabs most of the attention from investors. The drought has also had a big impact in this segment as well, as ADM has had to idle ethanol production facilities because of low corn supplies following the drought. Moreover, with sugar-based ethanol competitors Bunge (NYSE: BG  ) and Cosan (NYSE: CZZ  ) already benefiting from pricing disparities between sugar and corn, prospects of potential tariffs on U.S. ethanol in Europe could give Brazilian sugar-based ethanol a competitive advantage, further hurting ADM.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Cosan (NYSE: CZZ) is estimated to post its Q1 earnings at $0.16 per share.

  ViaSat (NASDAQ: VSAT) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.11 per share on revenue of $348.98 million.

Hot Oil Companies To Invest In 2014: Memorial Production Partners LP (MEMP)

Memorial Production Partners LP incorporated on April 4, 2011, is a limited partnership formed by Memorial Resource to own, acquire and exploit oil natural gas properties in North America. As of December 31, 2012, the Company�� total estimated proved reserves were approximately 609 Billions of Cubic Feet Equivalent (Bcfe), of which approximately 62% were natural gas and 59% were classified as proved developed reserves. As of December 31, 2012, the Company produced from 1,671 gross (731 net) producing wells across its properties, with an average working interest of 44%. On April 1, 2012, it acquired oil and natural gas producing properties in East Texas from Memorial Resource Development LLC. In May 2012, it acquired oil and natural gas properties in East Texas and North Louisiana. Effective April 1, 2012, the Company acquired certain oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Memorial Resource Development LLC. In October 2012, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Goodrich Petroleum Corporation. On December 12, 2012, the Company acquired oil and gas producing properties offshore Southern California from Rise Energy Partners, LP. In March 2013, the Company announced that it has closed its acquisition of certain oil and natural gas producing properties in East Texas and North Louisiana from its sponsor, Memorial Resource Development LLC. In September 2013, Memorial Production Partners LP closed two separate transactions to acquire certain oil and natural gas properties from third parties in East Texas and in the Rockies. In October 2013, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin, East Texas, and the Rockies.

The Company�� properties are located in South and East Texas and consist of mature, legacy onshore oil and natural gas reservoirs. The Partnership Properties consist of operated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage and in identified producing wells in South and East Texas, and non-ope! rated working interests in producing and undeveloped leasehold acreage. As of December 31, 2012, approximately 58% of its estimated proved reserves and approximately 53% of its average daily net production were located in the East Texas/North Louisiana region. Its East Texas/Louisiana properties include wells and properties located in Navarro, Anderson, Wood, Upshur, Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Panola, Leon, Polk, Smith, Tyler and Shelby Counties, Texas and De Soto and Lincoln Parishes, Louisiana. Its East Texas/North Louisiana properties include properties in the Joaquin and Carthage fields in Panola and Shelby Counties, the Willow Springs field located in Gregg County, the East Henderson field located in Rusk County, and the Terryville field located in Lincoln Parish.

As of December 31, 2012, approximately 27% of its estimated proved reserves and approximately 35% of average daily net production were located in the South Texas region. Its South Texas properties include wells and properties in numerous natural gas weighted fields located in McMullen, Live Oak, Duval, Jim Hogg, Webb and Zapata Counties, Texas, including the NE Thompsonville, Laredo and East Seven Sisters fields. The Company�� South Texas properties contained 167 Bcfe of estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2012. The Company�� Beta properties, consist of a 51.75% working interest and a 35.03% average net revenue interest in three Pacific Outer Continental Shelf blocks (P-0300, P-0301 and P-0306); a 4.575% overriding royalty interest in the Beta unit; a 51.75% undivided interest in two wellbore production platforms with permanent drilling equipment systems and one production handling and processing platform, and a 51.75% controlling equity interest in a 17.5-mile pipeline and an onshore tankage and metering facility. The Company�� Beta properties include a 51.75% undivided interest in Ellen and Eureka platforms. The Beta properties include a controlling interest in the San Pedro Bay Pipeline Company, which owns a! nd operat! es a 16-inch diameter oil pipeline.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Memorial Production Partners LP (Nasdaq:MEMP) reported that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire certain oil and natural gas properties in East Texas from Goodrich Petroleum Corporation, for a purchase price of $95 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  The second, and riskier, option is to buy MLPs engaged in natural gas production. While these tend to have some portion of their output hedged against sharp price fluctuations, they retain much more exposure to the ups and downs of natural gas prices than the midstream partnerships, which function as toll collectors.�EV Energy Partners�(NASDAQ: EVEP),�Atlas Resource Partners�(NYSE: ARP),�BreitBurn Energy Partners�(NASDAQ: BBEP) and�Memorial Production Partners�(NASDAQ: MEMP) are some of the upstream (oil and gas production) partnerships in the US shale plays.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  VNR is one of 14 companies/partnerships that are categorized as exploration and production, or ��pstream.��Other notable entries in this category include BreitBurn Energy Partners (Nasdaq: BBEP), Linn Energy (Nasdaq: LINE), Memorial Production Partners (Nasdaq: MEMP), QR Energy (NYSE: QRE), Legacy Reserves (Nasdaq: LGCY), EV Energy Partners (Nasdaq: EVEP), and Mid-Con Energy Partners (Nasdaq: MCEP).

Top Oil Companies To Own For 2015

Top Oil Companies To Own For 2015: Red Fork Energy Ltd (RDFEY)

Red Fork Energy Limited is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused in the midcontinent of the United States. The Company's Big River project is exploiting the oil and liquids rich gas bearing Mississippi limestone formation (the Mississippi Play). The Company's East Oklahoma project is located east of Tulsa in Oklahoma. The Company's subsidiaries include Red Fork (USA) Investments, Inc. and EastOK Pipeline LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sally Jones] urrent RDFEY share price is 3.69, or 53.6% off the 52-week high of $7.95.

  Down 49% over 12 months, RDFEY has a market cap of $164.78 million, and trades at a P/B of 1.40.

  Red Fork Energy Limited is engaged in shale gas and oil exploration and production in USA. Red Fork Energy has a large landholding in Oklahoma with producing oil and gas fields, as well as highly prospective development acreage. The company has positioned itself in a premier on-shore, horizontal oil resource play, with a large and growing position in the Mississippi Lime oil and gas play.

  The company reported second quarter 2013 financial results with record sales of $6.985 million for the quarter, representing a 72.5%% increase from the previous quarter. The company had record gross production of 174.8 million barrels oil equivalents, a 33.4% increase from the previous quarter.

  Revenue and net income tracking:

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-oil-companies-to-own-for-2015.html

Best European Stocks To Buy For 2015

Best European Stocks To Buy For 2015: Flamel Technologies S.A.(FLML)

Flamel Technologies S.A., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of controlled-release therapeutic products based on its proprietary polymer based technology in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, France, and Europe. The company develops nanogel Medusa technology, which is intended to provide controlled release following injection of therapeutic proteins, peptides, and other molecules; a microparticle adaptation of the Medusa platform that is intended for use in the delivery of smaller proteins and peptides; and Micropump technology, a microparticle technology for oral administration of small molecule drugs with applications in controlled-release, taste-masking, and bioavailability enhancement; and Trigger-Lock technology, an adaptation based on Micropump technology, which is intended to minimize the misuse and abuse of medications subject to abuse. Its principal product based on Micropump technology is Coreg CR, which is intended for the treatment of moderate to severe heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction following myocardial infarction. The company?s products under development based upon Medusa technology include Interferon-alpha, a naturally occurring protein that the body uses for the treatment of Hepatitis C virus and as a immune response; and FT-105, an injectable insulin formulation for diabetic patients. Its products based on its Micropump technology comprise LiquiTime for the elderly and pediatric patient patients, or others who have difficulty swallowing. The company has strategic alliance with Baxter International, Inc.; GlaxoSmithKline; Merck Serono; and Pfizer Inc, as well as has a joint development agreement with Digna Biotech, S.L. Flamel Technologies S.A. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Venissieux, France.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anna Prior]

  Flamel Technologies SA(FLML) said the U.S. Food and Drug Ad! ministration has approved the company’s new drug application for Vazculep, an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor agonist indicated for the treatment of clinically important hypotension resulting primarily from vasodilation in the setting of anesthesia. American depositary shares rose 5.1% to $14.78 in premarket trading.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Healthcare shares gained 0.81 percent in the US market on Friday. Top gainers in the sector included Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG), StemCells (NASDAQ: STEM), and Flamel Technologies SA (NASDAQ: FLML).

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Healthcare shares gained 0.81 percent in the US market on Friday. Top gainers in the sector included Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG), StemCells (NASDAQ: STEM), and Flamel Technologies SA (NASDAQ: FLML).

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-european-stocks-to-buy-for-2015.html

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own Right Now

When Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) CEO Brian Moynihan launched Project New BAC, a cost-saving�initiative, many investors saw the goal of cutting $8 billion of expense by the middle of 2015 as too ambitious. However, as the bank marches through 2013, Moynihan and team are telling investors that the bank is on track to achieve those goals.

In this video, Motley Fool banking analysts David Hanson and Matt Koppenheffer debate whether the bank will ultimately achieve these goals and if its a bad thing for investors if they fall short.�

Bank of America's stock doubled in 2012. Is there more yet to come? With significant challenges still ahead, it's critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on B of A, analysts Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, and Matt Koppenheffer, Financials bureau chief, lift the veil on the bank's operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click here now to claim your copy.

Top 5 Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: State Street Corporation(STT)

State Street Corporation, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to institutional investors worldwide. The company?s Investment Servicing business line provides products and services, including custody, product- and participant-level accounting; daily pricing and administration; master trust and master custody; record-keeping; foreign exchange, brokerage, and other trading services; securities finance; deposit and short-term investment facilities; loan and lease financing; investment manager and alternative investment manager operations outsourcing; and performance, risk, and compliance analytics. This segment also offers shareholder services, which comprise mutual fund and collective investment fund shareholder accounting. Its Investment Management business line provides a range of investment management, investment research, and other related services, such as securities finance; and strategies for managing passive and active financ ial assets, such as enhanced indexing and hedge fund strategies for U.S. and global equities and fixed-income securities. The company serves mutual funds, collective investment funds and other investment pools, corporate and public retirement plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments, and investment managers. State Street Corporation was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Nicole Seghetti]

  Good news for ETF investors too
  Even excluding the multibillion-dollar tally of Swiss-based funds, BlackRock's empire is colossal. Its iShares ETFs overwhelmingly dominate the market, holding about 40% market share. With roughly 23% share of the ETF market, State Street's (NYSE: STT  ) SPDR ETF business comes in second place. Vanguard rounds out the top three. These top ETF managers account for roughly 84% of the industry assets.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Two additional banks with ratings previously placed on review for a credit rating downgrade also were�included in the review: Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK) and State Street Corp. (NYSE: STT).

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The ratings on Bank of American Corporation (BAC), Citigroup, Inc. (C), State Street Corporation (STT) and Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) were left unchanged.

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  While the big banks and financial firms have already reported earnings, Greenhaus noted this week will see the largest number of financial sector firms reporting than any other week. More than 20 S&P 500 financial sector companies report including several insurers such as Dow component Travelers Cos. (TRV) , a number of real-estate investment trusts such as Simon Properties Group Inc. (SPG) , capital markets firms such as Franklin Resources Inc. (BEN) �and State Street Corp. (STT) , as well as exchange operator Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ) �

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own Right Now: Parnassos Enterprises SA (PARN)

Parnassos Enterprises SA is a Greece-based holding company. The Company mainly operates through its subsidiary Seirios SA, which offers traveler services on the Athens - Lamia highway. Seirios SA owns a building complex with a total area of 16,720 square meters and it operates two petrol stations, a trading and repairing tire center, two road assistance buildings, two car washing stations, a laundry-lubricator station for tracks, snack bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. It also operates two more petrol stations on the Athens - Lamia highway in the Olympus Plazza block of buildings, which also operates two car washer and two track washer stations. The Company also owns, through Seirios SA, the subsidiary Alsity SA, a company which is engaged in the design, construction, development and operation of the Olympic Sailing Centre in Agios Kosmas, Greece. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Biotech news this week was dominated by a number of healthcare and biotech related IPOs, including Parnell Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: PARN), Signal Genetics Inc (NASDAQ: SGNL), ZS Pharma Inc (NASDAQ: ZSPH), Ardelyx Inc (NASDAQ: ARDX)�and Zafgen Inc (NASDAQ: ZFGN) with Kite Pharma Inc (NASDAQ: KITE), Microlin Bio Inc (NASDAQ: MCLB) and�Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: SNDX) presumably set to debut today (Note:�See�This Week�� Biotech IPOs: Two Losers and One Winner So Far (PARN, SGNL & ZSPH)):

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own Right Now: Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S.A. (BLX)

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. provides trade financing to commercial banks, middle-market companies, and corporations primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates in three segments: Commercial, Treasury, and Asset Management. The Commercial segment offers deposits and loans for foreign trade transactions. This segment also provides various products, services, and solutions relating to foreign trade, which include co-financing arrangements, underwriting of syndicated credit facilities, structured trade financing, asset-based financing in the form of factoring, vendor financing and leasing, and other fee-based services, such as electronic clearing services. The Treasury segment offers liquidity management and investment securities activities, including management of interest rate, liquidity, price, and currency risks. The Asset Management segment provides asset management services, including investment advisory services for funds and managed accounts. This division is involved in trading foreign exchange, interest rate swaps, and derivative products. The company was formerly known as Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones, S.A. and changed its name to Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. in June 2009. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Panama City, the Republic of Panama.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Panama-based supranational bank�Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior� (NYSE: BLX  ) announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.30 per share, the same rate it's paid for the past three quarters after raising the payout 20% from $0.25 per share.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior (NYSE: BLX  ) , better and more conveniently known as Bladex, is maintaining its dividend policy. The lender has declared a payout of $0.30 per share of its stock for its Q1, to be paid on May 7 to shareholders of record as of April 29. This amount matches the company's previous disbursement, which has been paid in both of the preceding two quarters. Before that, Bladex dispensed $0.25 per share.

5 Best Financial Stocks To Own Right Now: Home Bancorp Inc.(HBCP)

Home Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Home Bank that provides various banking services in Louisiana. The company offers various deposit products, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing checking, money market, savings, and negotiable order of withdrawal accounts; and demand deposit and certificates of deposit. It also provides various loan products, such as single-family residential first mortgage loans, commercial real estate mortgage loans, commercial loans, home equity loans and lines of credit, construction and land loans, and other loans. In addition, the company offers online banking, bank cards, and ATM services. As of December 31, 2010, it had 18 full-service banking offices in the Greater Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and Northshore regions of south Louisiana. The company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  The credit crisis slowed the pace of deals temporarily, but there are plenty of former thrifts trading at low valuations that have the potential for large long-term returns.

  Home Bancorp (HBCP)

  Home Bancorp (HBCP) is a 22-branch bank located in Lafayette, La. The bank has almost $1 billion in assets and the balance sheet is in excellent condition. Also, its equity-to-asset ratio is 14.5 — well above my preferred minimum of 10. Meanwhile, Home Bancorp’s nonperforming assets are just 2.09% of the total.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now

There are numerous ways to value investments, and many investors prefer a specific valuation method. For some it may be the often used price-to-earnings multiple. For others it may be revenue growth, and still others may look at price momentum. Yield investing is one way to value a stock by comparing the current price to various factors that produce income from an investment. There are many ways to measure yield - three common ones are dividend yield, earnings yield and free cash flow yield.

Dividend Yield
Dividend yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend per share by the price per share or the annual dividend by the market cap. A high dividend yield could reflect stocks that are undervalued and will provide a higher return. To determine if a dividend yield is high, it is often compared to the market yield. For example, the average dividend yield for the S&P 500 over the the last six decades leading up to 2013 is 3.4%. Using this as a benchmark, any yield above this mark is attractive. Rising dividend yield can be the result of two occurrences: a falling stock price or a rising dividend payout, the latter being preferable. Another use of dividend yield is to compare it to the yield on 10-year treasuries. If an investment's dividend yield is greater than the treasury yield, then that investment is attractive given that the risk profile is not too high.

10 Best Canadian Stocks To Buy Right Now: Cardinal Health Inc. (CAH)

Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as a healthcare solutions company that provides health care products and services. The company operates in two segments, Pharmaceutical and Medical. The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, over-the-counter healthcare, specialty pharmaceutical, and consumer products to retail customers, hospitals, and alternate care providers in the United States and Puerto Rico. This segment also operates nuclear pharmacies and cyclotron facilities that prepare and deliver radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear imaging and other procedures in hospitals and clinics; offers third-party logistics support services; franchises retail pharmacies under the Medicine Shoppe and Medicap brands; and provides pharmacy and pharmaceutical repackaging services, as well as other services comprising distribution, inventory management, data/reporting, new product launch support, and contract and chargeback administration. The Medical segment distributes a range of medical, surgical, and laboratory products to hospitals, surgery centers, laboratories, physician offices, and other healthcare providers. This segment also develops, manufactures, and sources medical and surgical products, including sterile and non-sterile procedure kits; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparel; exam and surgical gloves; and fluid suction and collection systems. Its medical and surgical products are sold directly or through third-party distributors in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and the Asia/Pacific region. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Victor Selva]

  The company has a very attractive current ratio of 33.03% which is higher than its comps: Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX), Cardinal Health Inc (CAH), Cooper Companies (COO) and Luxottica Group S.p.A. (LUX).

• [By Keith Speights]

  This market reaction doesn't mean that Lymphoseek lacks solid potential. It does. The product should appeal to oncologists. Navidea has a tight relationship with Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH  ) , which has exclusive U.S. distribution rights for Lymphoseek. Cardinal operates the largest nuclear pharmacy network in the nation with 140 pharmacies.

• [By Dividend King]

  Earnings per share for the last 12 months are $2.59, and these are expected to reach $2.81 in its next fiscal year (ending September 2012). These numbers place the shares on a trailing P/E ratio of 15.43, and a forward multiple of 12.30. Comparing the forward ratio to that of direct competitors Cardinal Health (CAH) and McKesson (MCK) Amerisource trades on a slightly higher rating, though not markedly so. Cardinal Health�� forward multiple is 11.99 and McKesson�� is 11.22.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Yesterday, the Pentagon announced awards of just $347 million in new contracts to contractors. Some were not the kind of companies you'd expect. For example:

  Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) landed a $9.6 million contract to supply the U.S. Army with desktop computers and tablets. Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH  ) won $18.6 million as a contract modification exercising an option year on a contract to supply various Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps locations, and federal civilian agencies, with laboratory supplies through April 12, 2014.

  On the other hand, traditional defense contractors are still earning money by working for the Pentagon. On Tuesday, Raytheon (NYSE: RTN  ) was awarded a $35.2 million order for AN/ALE-50 towed decoys, which aircraft can deploy to distract incoming missiles. Raytheon is expected to complete deliveries on this contract by March 31, 2015.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Scientific Games Corp (SGMS)

Scientific Games Corporation (Scientific Games), incorporated on July 2, 1984, is a global supplier of solutions to lottery and gaming organizations worldwide. The Company�� products and services include instant lottery games, lottery gaming systems, terminals and services, and Internet applications, as well as server-based interactive gaming machines and associated gaming control systems. The Company reports its operations in three segments: Printed Products Group, Lottery Systems Group and Diversified Gaming Group. Printed Products Group is a provider of instant lottery tickets in the world. The Company�� Lottery Systems Group is a provider of customized computer software, software support, equipment and data communication services to lotteries. Its Diversified Gaming Group provides services and systems to private and public operators in the wide area gaming industry, including server-based gaming machines and sports betting systems and services. On September 23, 2011, the Company acquired Barcrest Group Limited. During 2011, the Company launched MDI Interactive, a content services powerhouse dedicated to delivering gaming solutions for the Internet, mobile and all digital things. In October 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of WMS Industries Inc.

Printed Products

Printed Products segment is primarily consists of instant ticket lottery business. The Company generates revenue from the manufacturing and sale of instant tickets, as well as the provision of value-added services, such as game design, sales and marketing support, specialty games and promotions, inventory management and warehousing and fulfillment services. It also provides lotteries with cooperative service programs (CSPs), to help them manage and support their operations. The Company also provides licensed games, promotional entertainment and Internet-based services to the lottery industry. It operates six instant ticket printing facilities across five continents.

!

The Company provides lotteries with access to some entertainment brands on lottery products through its subsidiary MDI Entertainment LLC (MDI). The Company�� licensed entertainment brands include Harley-Davidson, Major League Baseball, Monopoly, National Basketball Association, The Price is Right, Wheel-of-Fortune and World Poker Tour. It also provides branded merchandise prizes, advertising, promotional support, turnkey drawing management services and prize fulfillment programs. In addition, it offers lotteries a Web-based platform called Properties Plus, which features players clubs, reward programs, second chance promotional websites, interactive games and, subject to applicable law, a subscription system that enables players to purchase lottery games securely over the Internet. The Company owns 20% interests in LNS ad Northstar, and 49% in CSG.

Lottery Systems

The Company is a provider of customized computer software, software support, equipment and data communication services to lotteries. In the United States, the Company typically provides the necessary equipment, software and maintenance services pursuant to long-term facilities. Internationally, it typically sells terminals and/or computer software to lottery authorities and may provide ongoing fee-based systems and software support services. The Company�� lottery systems business includes the supply of transaction-processing software, draw lottery games, keno, point-of-sale terminals, central site computers and communication platforms as well as ongoing operational support and maintenance services. The Company is the instant ticket validation network provider to the China Sports Lottery.

The Company has lottery systems operating in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. In addition, it provides video lottery central monitoring, and control systems and networks primarily to lotteries an! d gaming ! regulators. It also provides software, hardware and support for sports wagering systems. The Company has 50% interest in Guard Libang, a provider of instant ticket activation and validation and inventory management systems and services.

Gaming

The Company is a provider of server-based gaming machines and systems and other products and services to operators in the gaming industry. The Company�� Gaming segment includes The Global Draw Limited (Global Draw), a supplier of server-based gaming machines and systems, and game content primarily to bookmakers that operate licensed betting offices (LBOs) in the United Kingdom, and to gaming operators outside the United Kingdom. The Gaming segment also includes Barcrest Group Limited (Barcrest) and Games Media Limited (Games Media), suppliers of gaming machines, systems and game content to pubs, bingo halls and arcades in the United Kingdom and continental Europe.

The Company provides its Gaming customers with gaming machines, remote management of game content and management information, central computer systems, secure data communication and field support services. It develops its own game content, and supplements its offering with content from third parties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company installed approximately 23,100 LBO gaming machines in the United Kingdom, which included approximately 8,000 LBO gaming. As of December 31, 2011, it had an installed base of approximately 6,100 gaming machines in its United Kingdom pub, bingo hall and arcade business, and installed approximately 6,500 gaming machines outside of the United Kingdom. During 2011, the Company owned a 50% interest in Sciplay, a joint venture with Playtech Services (Cyprus) Limited. It also owns 29.4% interests in RCN, and 20% in Sportech.

The Compnay competes with Pollard Banknote Limited, GTECH, BI Worldwide Ltd., Alchemy3, LLC, ePrize, LLC, GTECH, Pollard, Intralot Technologies, Inc., International Lottery and Totalizator Systems, Inc.! , Inspire! d Gaming Group Limited, Danoptra Ltd, Sceptre Leisure plc, Games Warehouse Limited, International Game Technology, Lottomatica, Bally Technologies, Inc., Inspired, Aristocrat Leisure Ltd, Novomatic AG, Multimedia Games, Inc., WMS Industries Inc., Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., Amaya Gaming Group, Inc., Cryptologic Ltd., IGT, Microgaming Software Systems Ltd., Net Entertainment NE AB, NYX Gaming Group, OpenBet Technology Ltd. and Playtech Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stock Maelstrom]

  We are likely approaching the last time I will be reporting on WMS Industries (WMS), the former Williams Electronics. It has agreed to be acquired by Scientific Games (SGMS) for $26 per share, plus the assumption of WMS' modest debt. The deal is scheduled to close by the end of this year. On its own, WMS is having a dismal fiscal year, which ends June 30. For this year, the company, no doubt with distracted management, earnings are likely to end at about $0.90 per share, compared with fiscal 2012's $1.31 per share. Helping drive earnings lower are additional measures the company is taking to drive up revenues, which remain well below last decade's peak. WMS' stock has flat lined the past few months at within three percent of the $26 price. There is virtually no upside, though there is downside if the deal collapses. I see no reason to get invested in WMS.

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  According to Bloomberg, major banks including JPMorgan have put off syndicating $3.19 billion of loans for Scientific Games (NASDAQ: SGMS) that would have been used to finance its acquisition of Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI). Shares of Scientific Games lost 6.56 percent, closing at $9.26 while shares of Bally Technologies lost 2.07 percent, closing at $77.97.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Taseko Mines Limited(TGB)

Taseko Mines Limited engages in the exploration, development, and operation of mineral properties in British Columbia, Canada. The company principally holds interests in the Gibraltar copper-molybdenum mine located north of the City of Williams Lake; the Prosperity gold-copper project situated in the Clinton Mining Division, southwest of the City of Williams Lake; the Harmony gold project located on the Queen Charlotte Islands, also known as Haida Gwaii; and the Aley niobium project situated in the Omineca Mining Division. Taseko Mines Limited was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Vancouver, British Columbia-based Taseko Mines (NYSEMKT: TGB  ) needs to find itself a new chief financial officer. The one it had has flown the coop.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The stock market fought its way back from early losses on Friday, with investors taking heart from positive economic data, even as they prepared for the beginning of a new earnings season in the next couple of weeks. At least for now, it appears that policy makers will do their utmost to prevent any huge disruption in the stock market, and that boded well for shareholders today. In particular, shares of Universal Display (NASDAQ: OLED  ) , Taseko Mines (NYSEMKT: TGB  ) , and Organovo Holdings (NYSEMKT: ONVO  ) were among the best performers of the day, with their excitement helping to carry the whole market higher.

• [By Joshua Bondy]

  Taseko Mines� (NYSEMKT: TGB  ) is a relatively small miner that owns Canada's second largest open pit copper mine. The company is not profitable, but it is working on a number of interesting projects. Investing in undeveloped mines is risky, but Taseko mitigates these risks by focusing on projects in Canada where resource nationalization is a very small threat.�

Hot High Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Zhone Technologies Inc.(ZHNE)

Zhone Technologies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, and manufactures communications network equipment for telecommunications, wireless, and cable operators worldwide. It offers single line multi-service (SLMS) architecture, which provides support for voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and IP entertainment by integrating access, transport, customer premises equipment, and management functions in a standards-based system. Its SLMS products include broadband aggregation and service products that are deployed in central offices, remote offices, points of presence, curbsides, data and co-location centers, and enterprises to aggregate, concentrate, and optimize communications traffic from copper and fiber networks; customer premise equipment, which offers solution for combining analog voice and data services to the subscriber?s premises over a single platform; and Zhone Management System that provides optional software tools to manage aggregation and c ustomer premises network hardware. These products deliver voice, data, and video interface connectivity for broadcast and subscription television, Internet routers, and telephony equipment. The company also offers products that are deployed by service providers to support various voice and data services; and provides technical support, product repair, and education and support services. It sells its products to network service providers that offer voice, data, and video services to businesses, governments, utilities, and residential consumers; and telecommunications carriers through channel partners, which include distributors, resellers, system integrators, and service providers. Zhone Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Oakland, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Zhone Technologies (NASDAQ: ZHNE) dropped 20.94% to $4.91 on Q4 results.

  Hill-Rom Holdings (NYSE: HRC) dropped 14.43% to $37.74 after the company reported weaker-than-expected Q1 results and lowered its outlook. The company also announced its restructuring program.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Zhone Technologies (ZHNE), designs, develops, manufactures, and sells communications network equipment for telecommunications, wireless, and cable operators worldwide. This stock closed up 2.3% to $3.55 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $3.46-$3.58
  52-Week Range: $2.08-$6.62
  Tuesday's Volume: 198,000
  Three-Month Average Volume: 357,117

  From a technical perspective, ZHNE trended notably higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $3.24 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has been uptrending a bit over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $3.03 to its intraday high of $3.58. During that move, shares of ZHNE have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move is now starting to push shares of ZHNE within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if ZHNE manages to take out Tuesday's intraday high of $3.58 and then once it clears more resistance at $3.83 to its 200-day moving average of $3.92 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ZHNE as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $3.24 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 357,117 shares. If that breakout kicks off soon, then ZHNE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $4.24 to $4.45, or even $4.80 to $5.

Hot High Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Bristow Group Inc (BRS)

Bristow Group Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides helicopter services to the offshore energy industry primarily in Europe, West Africa, North America, Australia, and internationally. Its helicopters are used principally to transport personnel between onshore bases and offshore platforms, drilling rigs, and installations, as well as to transport time-sensitive equipment to offshore locations. The company also offers helicopter flight training services to commercial pilots and flight instructors through its Bristow Academy with facilities in Titusville, Florida; Concord, California; New Iberia, Louisiana and Gloucestershire, England. In addition, it provides military training; and helicopter repair, engineering support, aircraft leasing, airport management, and search and rescue services. Bristow Group provides its helicopter services to integrated, national, and independent oil and gas companies. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a fleet of 569 aircraft. The comp any was founded in 1969 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this installment of Motley Fool Money, our analysts explain why they're watching Buckeye Technologies (NYSE: BKI  ) , Bristow Group (NYSE: BRS  ) , and Western Union (NYSE: WU  ) .

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: Priceline.com Incorporated (NASDAQ: PCLN), Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBNT), Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS), Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN), Scotts Miracle Gro Company (NYSE: SMG) Economic Releases Expected: US GDP, US Consumer Credit

  Friday

Hot High Dividend Companies To Invest In Right Now: Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc (HAWK)

Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., incorporated on January 27, 2006, is a prepaid payment network utilizing technology to offer a range of gift cards, other prepaid products and payment services in the United States and 18 other countries. The Company is a third-party distributor of gift. Its product offerings include gift cards, prepaid telecom products and prepaid financial services products (including general purpose reloadable (GPR), cards and its reload network). In addition, it sells physical and electronic gift cards to consumers through both online distributors and its Website, GiftCardMall.com. It offers gift cards from consumer brands, such as Amazon.com, Applebee��, iTunes, Lowe��, Macy�� and Starbucks and from payment networks, such as American Express, MasterCard and Visa. In addition, it distributes GPR, cards provided by Green Dot and NetSpend, as well as PayPower, its own GPR card. REloadit, its reload network, allows consumers to reload funds onto certain of their previously purchased GPR cards. In November 2013, Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc completed the acquisition of InteliSpend Prepaid Solutions. Effective December 2013, Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc, a unit of Safeway Inc, acquired Retailo AG.

The Company also offers prepaid solutions, including functionality and connectivity for digital wallet products within digital payments space, as well as an online gift card exchange called Cardpool. The Company�� extensive prepaid network provides benefits to its three primary constituents: consumers who purchase the products and services it offers, content providers who offer branded gift cards and other prepaid products that are redeemable for goods and services, and distribution partners who sell those products. Its extensive network connects to more than 500 content providers and over 100,000 active retail distribution locations, providing access to over 160 million consumer visits per week. For consumers, the Company provides a variety of brands and content at ! retail distribution locations and online. For its content providers, it provides access to millions of consumers and creates new customer relationships. For its distribution partners, it provides product category that drives incremental store traffic and customer loyalty. It also distributes prepaid telecom products offered by prepaid wireless telecom brands. The Company distributes its products across multiple traffic channels, such as grocery, convenience, specialty and online retailers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ploutos]

  U.S. Stocks

  The S&P 500 (SPY) makes a new all-time high, but closes beneath that plateau for the year. The S&P 500 eclipsed its former all-time high close of 1565 on March 28th, faster than I anticipated. With the index now ending the week above 1700 for the first time, closing below 1565 for the year seems a distant memory. Not everyone was calling for a new all-time high to be reached in 2013, and investment bank equity analysts were targeting on average high single digit annual gains at the beginning of the year. I did not expect a 19.9% return through the beginning of August, but I will take it. Grade: BThe equal-weighted S&P 500 (RSP) outperforms its capitalization-weighted alternative. The equal weighted index has produced a total return of 23.34%, besting the market capitalization-weighted S&P 500. Long-time readers know that I have long extolled the virtues of equal weighting. The lagging performance of former top holding Apple (AAPL), which has 1/14th of the weight in the equal weighted index has contributed to the outperformance of the equal weighted strategy. Grade: AThe Russell 2000 (IWM) outperforms the S&P 500 as small caps outpace large caps. The Russell 2000 has bested the S&P 500 by nearly five percent with the small cap index producing an impressive 24.8% return year-to-date. Grade: AThe shares of Bank of America (BAC) outperform J.P. Morgan (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC) on both an absolute and risk-adjusted basis. Bank of America has outperformed the broader market, producing a 28% total return year-to-date, but it has lagged Wells Fargo (32.1%) and J.P. Morgan (31.1%) while exhibiting higher volatility. Grade: C-The banking sector (XLF) outperforms the S&P 500. The Financial Selector Sector SPDR has produced a 27.9% year-to-date, besting the S&P 500 by roughly 8%. Grade: AHomebuilders (XHB) outperform the S&P 500, but not when adjusting for their variability of returns, which is over twice that of the broad
• [By James Fink]

  Grocery store chain Safeway established Blackhawk back in 2001 and the business has grown in leaps and bounds in tandem with the gift card craze and they just spun off their Blackhawk Network holdings over the past few months to the NASDAQ stock, ticker symbol (HAWK).

• [By Bloomberg]

  Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images Cerberus Capital Management's $9 billion deal to merge Safeway (SWY) with Albertsons is a bet that a larger supermarket chain can better fend off an attack on the grocery business by big-box stores and online retailers. Safeway, the No. 2 grocery-store operator in the U.S., agreed Thursday to be acquired by Cerberus's Albertsons for about $40 a share. The deal will unite two chains with locations across the country -- especially in the West -- and narrow Kroger's (KR) lead as the nation's top supermarket company. Cerberus, a private-equity firm that has spent years investing in the supermarket industry, will use the new company's heft to combat a growing array of threats. Big-box retailers such as Walmart Stores (WMT) and warehouse clubs are increasingly targeting grocery customers, using their size and breadth of products to attract shoppers. Online food sellers and delivery services, including Amazon.com (AMZN), also have made neighborhood supermarkets less essential than before. "This merger will improve our competitive position," Safeway Chief Executive Officer Robert Edwards, who will be in charge of the combined company, said Thursday on a conference call. "Our customers will benefit from significant cost saving synergies and a stronger management team." Safeway shares fell as much as 6.3 percent to $37 in extended trading, reflecting concerns the deal may not close at the current price. The shares had increased 21 percent this year through the close of regular trading Thursday, outpacing the 1.6 percent gain of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. Blackhawk Network As part of the agreement, investors will get $32.50 a share in cash, plus stock in Safeway's gift-card unit Blackhawk Network Holdings (HAWK), according to a statement Thursday. Safeway, based in Pleasanton, Calif., had said last month that it was in talks about a sale of the company. Assuming a diluted share count of about 235 million shares,

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2014

With shares of Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) trading around $52, is CMCSA an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Comcast is a provider of entertainment, information, and communications products and services. The company operates in five segments: cable communications, cable networks, broadcast television, filmed entertainment, and theme parks. Comcast offers television, video, high-speed Internet, and voice services to residential and business customers. It also operates NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks; provides filmed entertainment under the Universal Pictures, Focus Features, and Illumination names; and operates theme parks, studios, and a dining, retail, and entertainment complex.

Comcast customers looking for a Wi-Fi hot spot might want to try their neighbor’s yard.�The cable and Internet provider has begun to turn hundreds of thousands of Chicago-area homes into virtual coffee shops, using existing Comcast equipment to build out its publicly accessible wireless network.�The neighborhood hot spots initiative, rolling out during the next several months, will send a separate Wi-Fi signal from Comcast-issued home equipment, enabling anyone within range to get online. Soon, entire residential blocks will begin to show as hot spots on Xfinity’s Wi-Fi mobile app, the company said Tuesday.�Since the Comcast subscriber’s signal will be kept separate from the second, publicly available signal, the subscriber’s speed and privacy shouldn’t be affected, Comcast officials said, acknowledging that such concerns have been raised in test markets.�”They’ll look like two separate networks and they’ll act like two separate networks,” said Tom Nagel, who heads the Xfinity Wi-Fi initiative for Comcast. “Any use on the public side doesn’t impact the private side.”

Best Communications Equipment Companies To Watch For 2015: Google Inc.(GOOG)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Let's be frank. The chances of Apple and Yahoo! hooking up are slim. Yahoo! turned down Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) at a much higher price point several years ago, and the stock's been a market darling since Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) executive Marissa Mayer took the helm after a long line of unsuccessful CEOs.

• [By Steve Symington]

  And Mayer would know, especially�after�more than 13 years at�Google� (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) �which just so happens to have topped Fortune's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in both 2012 and 2013. In fact, at the time she instituted the ban, Google was generating almost $932,000 in revenue per employee, compared to just under $345,000 per employee at Yahoo!. Curiously enough, that gap has narrowed since then to about $993,000 and $419,000 in revenue per employee for Google and Yahoo!, respectively. �

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2014: Amazon.com Inc.(AMZN)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adrian Campos]

  According to Quartz, the cloud storage company may already have secretly filed paperwork for an initial public offering� in an attempt to start trading before its main competitor Dropbox, which may have reached�a $10 billion valuation according to�The Wall Street Journal.�Does Box have sufficient economic moat to continue growing in a fierce environment, where even giant competitors such as Amazon.com� (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) are struggling to capture market share?�

• [By Dan Newman]

  One of the supposed benefits of bitcoin is that it is a peer-to-peer currency that does not rely on any central bank. As such a distributed currency, it shouldn't rely on one organization to succeed. Whereas past digital currencies like Flooz, Beanz, and e-gold relied on a singular company and its success, bitcoin shouldn't. As Amazon.com's (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) Coins and Facebook's (NASDAQ: FB  ) Credits are only valuable if those companies survive, bitcoin is meant to be free of any single organizational tie to prosper. But, with a lack of credible, efficient, and secure exchanges, losing full access to the largest exchange for a short while means a definite hit to bitcoin's value.

• [By Chris Neiger]

  The new Netflix plan will put it one step ahead of rival Amazon.com's� (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) Prime streaming service, which allows up to two devices to stream simultaneously.�

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  RadioShack continued to stumble in Q3��3, and we saw scant evidence in the company�� results a turnaround is on the horizon. While we are encouraged to see RadioShack secure the necessary financing to make it through the upcoming holiday selling season, we still have serious concerns about the company�� long-term viability��articularly as Best Buy (BBY) continues to right its ship and Amazon (AMZN) becomes a larger player in consumer electronics retailing.

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2014: IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  IAC/InterActiveCorp provides information and entertainment services through its wide portfolio of websites to consumers and companies across the globe. The stock has been moving higher in recent years and seems to be getting ready to test all-time high prices. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been mixed while revenues have been increasing, which has pleased investors. Relative to its peers and sector, IAC/InterActiveCorp has trailed in year-to-date performance. Look for IAC/InterActiveCorp to catch up and OUTPERFORM.

• [By John Kell]

  IAC/InterActiveCorp(IACI). said its fourth-quarter earnings jumped 89% as the Internet firm managed to offset a decline in search and media revenue with cost cutting. Revenue missed estimates, sending shares down 5.6% to $65 in light premarket trading.

• [By Eric Volkman]

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

• [By Brian Stelter]

  I hesitated, but she insisted that I come to the headquarters of Barry Diller's IAC (IACI) for an in-person demonstration of the product, which she called an "online TV platform." Once I was there, I understood. "Surprisingly high-quality signal," I scribbled in my notebook. "Place- and time-shifting!"

5 Best Internet Stocks To Invest In 2014: eBay Inc.(EBAY)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Several�very well-known apps are not on either top five list, but�each must get millions of downloads a month. Twitter, weather apps, Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY), Gmail, Pinterest, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Skype and Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) already rule across the PC, tablet and smartphone “ecosystems.” None of these is likely to lose popularity, and some probably will gain more.