Small Charities’ Investment Returns Trailed Broader Market in 2013

Investment performance for nonprofit groups with budgets of $25 million or less, though strong, lagged most investment benchmarks in 2013, according to a new study by Raffa Wealth Management.

Small and midsize charities that adhered to formal strategies and monitored how much they paid their financial advisors earned more on their investments last year, Raffa found.

The study was based on data from 77 charities, 19 private and community foundations, and 165 other tax-exempt groups, mostly associations, according to a summary of findings in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Nearly 60% of the charities and foundations studied had budgets of $5 million or less.

Overall investment returns for charities of all sizes increased by 10.8% last year. Private and community foundations earned 11.5% returns.

Broad indexes of U.S. stocks, in comparison, were up some 30% in 2013.

The Chronicle noted that smaller entities still did better that big ones last year. Its most recent survey of endowments at 209 mostly large foundations and nonprofits showed a median return of 8.4% for 2013.

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

The Raffa study found that more than half of the nonprofits surveyed did not know how much they paid in fees to investment managers. Groups with small amounts to invest typically were less aware of their fees than wealthier organizations.

Smaller nonprofits also tended to pay higher fees, imposing an additional drag on returns.

Raffa also found that groups with formal investment strategies for allocating their assets — nearly 60% of participants — increased investments by 12.7% last year from 2012.

Nonprofits without formal investment strategies grew by only 6.3%.

Such discipline paid off in another way. Groups that stuck with formal investment plans enjoyed bigger gains than those that made changes to their strategy.

---

Check out IRA Investors Can Make Peer-to-Peer Loans Through Prosper, Millennium Trust on ThinkAdvisor.

Meet the newest Apple supplier play

Congratulations, GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT ) investors, because your company just officially became Apple's (AAPL ) newest supplier.

Naturally, the stock popped more than 20% Tuesday following GT's announcement of the multiyear agreement, under which it will own and operate Advanced Sapphire Furnaces to produce sapphire material for Apple's wildly popular devices.

What's more, Apple is fronting GT Advanced Technologies an advance payment of $578 million to help the smaller company get its operations up and running, for which GT will reimburse Apple over a period of five years beginning 2015. Apple is also leasing GT Advanced Technologies a new 700-employee manufacturing facility in Mesa, Ariz.

A much-needed lifeline...

To be sure, the news couldn't have come at a better time; GT Advanced Technologies simultaneously released its dismal quarterly earnings that day, badly missing expectations thanks primarily to the continued long-standing weakness of its photovoltaic (PV) solar cell business.

For reference, in 2011, PV sales made up more more than 82%, or roughly $740 million, of GT's total revenue of $899 million. When all is said and done this year, taking the midpoint of management's latest guidance, PV should only account for around 10% of GT's projected $305 million in sales. Meanwhile, polysilicon sales will represent around 73% of this year's total, while sapphire should bring in the remaining 17%.

Thanks to the Apple deal, however, GT stated it expects revenue to more than double to a range of $600 to $800 million in 2014, of which 80% should come from the sapphire business.

...but the devil's in the details

Before you get too excited, let's talk about what this deal doesn't mean.

First, note GT's press release explained gross margin from this new sapphire business is expected to be "substantially lower than GT's historical equipment margins." That's fair enough; given GT Advanced Technologies' current weakness, few would argue they made! the wrong move by sacrificing margin in exchange for the long-term stability of the business.

Second, the agreement does not involve sapphire replacing Corning's (NYSE: GLW ) Gorilla Glass as the full-screen protective cover of choice on Apple's iPhones and iPads -- at least over the short term. Still, that's little consolation for Corning investors, who watched Corning stock drop 4.4% on the news.

But as fellow Fool Evan Niu pointed out back in March, sapphire is currently just too darned expensive and difficult to produce for Apple to be able to count on large enough quantities to fulfill demand. In fact, that's why GT management was quick to add the caveat that, while the agreement does require them to maintain a minimum level of capacity, it doesn't guarantee production volumes.

That's also why Apple only took advantage of sapphire's incredible scratch resistant characteristics last year by using it to cover just the tiny camera lens on the iPhone 5. Now, though, Apple is also using sapphire to protect the new Touch ID home buttons in this year's new iPhone 5s.

Meanwhile, Corning certainly hasn't been resting on its laurels. To the contrary, the 162-year-old company recently unveiled Gorilla Glass 3 at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, saying the latest generation is not only 20% thinner than the original, but also up to three times stronger than last year's Gorilla Glass 2. Going further, Corning has continued to relentlessly pursue ways to streamline its own manufacturing processes for Gorilla Glass, which singlehandedly drove sequential sales and earnings gains of 8% and 23%, respectively, in its specialty materials segment last quarter.

There's still hope yet

That said, GT's press release also pointed out it has already "accelerated the development of its next generation, large capacity ASF furnaces to deliver low cost, high volume manufacturing of sapphire material." When all is said and done, GT says, it'll be nicely positioned as "the industry's lowe! st cost s! apphire producers."

Top Blue Chip Stocks To Own Right Now

However, an MITReview article earlier this year pegged the cost of an average sapphire display cover at roughly $30, while at the same time saying the cost could eventually fall below $20 "in a couple years" thanks to competition and improved technology. Though that estimate likely didn't account for a massive cash infusion from Apple to speed up the process, it still becomes apparent the folks at GTAT have their work cut out for them if they plan on catching up to Corning's value proposition anytime soon.

But don't for a second think GT Advanced Technologies' only opportunity lies in its newfound status as a bona fide Apple supplier. After all, thanks largely to both an expected late-2014 rebound in PV sales and the introduction of several new equipment products in its other segments, GT expects 2015 sales to exceed $1 billion. By 2016, GT thinks sales could "nearly double from 2014 levels" and drive its non-GAAP earnings to over $1 per share, all on the back of continued sapphire segment contributions and incremental strength in equipment revenue.

If all goes as planned, then, and considering the stock currently trades for just under $10 per share, it appears patient long-term GT Advanced Technologies investors could be handsomely rewarded over the next few years.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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How A Nadex Binary Is Impacted By Implied Volatility

Implied Volatility can impact the price of an option more than any other factor.

Implied Volatility is a fancy word for an expected move. The longer there is until expiration, the more time there is for the market to move. This is why a binary will be worth more the longer there is until expiration.

In addition, "implied volatility" increases the premium cost of the binary as a large move is expected to take place. For example, before the FOMC or NFP Report, with two hours until expiration, a binaries premium will be closer to $50 than it would be at midnight, when no news is expected within the next two hours and when expected movement is normally low.

If you bought an OTM binary strike both above and below the market several hours before a news event, you may see both sides be profitable, even though the market has not moved and time has passed. This is due to the expected movement flooding into the options market and causing the premium to rise.

Related: What Is A Nadex Binary Option?

Understanding how implied volatility impacts the price of a binary option, by time and by pending government news events, can help a trader know whether they should pay or collect premium to take advantage of the rise or fall in the implied volatility impacting the binary's price.

A simple illustration can be seen in the same phenomenon on stock options before an earnings release. The implied volatility gets sucked out of the binary after the release has happened. Even more premium is removed when there is little movement after a large expected move. This is known as a volatility crush.

Notice the highlighted example below, that shows how the implied volatility for options on AAPL rose before th

Intel Corporation Makes Large Investment in Big Data Startup Cloudera (INTC)

On Thursday, Intel Corp (INTC) announced that it has made a “significant equity investment” in Cloudera, a Big Data startup.

Chipmaker Intel is now Cloudera’s largest shareholder, though Intel did not give details on the exact amount of its investment. Falling PC sales have affected Intel’s chip sales, and the company’s investment in Cloudera is seen as a way for Intel to diversify its business. The deal announced today will see Intel’s Xeon technology join with Cloudera’s enterprise analytic data management software, which is powered by Apache Hadoop.

Intel’s VP and general manager of the company’s data center group, Diane Bryant, had the following comments about the deal: "By aligning the Cloudera and Intel roadmaps, we are creating the platform of choice for big data analytics. We expect to accelerate industry adoption of the Hadoop data platform and enable companies to mine their data for insights that inform the business. This collaboration spans our data center technology from compute to network, security and storage, and extends to our initiatives for the Internet of Things."

Intel stock closed the day down slightly, losing 7 cents, or 0.26%, but it was moving higher in after hours trading. YTD, the company’s stock is down 1.59%.

INTC Dividend Snapshot

As of market close on March 27, 2014

Click here to see the complete history of INTC dividends.

EU-US Summit: Transatlantic Trade, Russia Sanctions Top Agenda

Top Safest Companies To Watch In Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Reducing Europe's dependence on Russian gas is one of the aims of a free-trade accord discussed at today's EU-US summit in Brussels, President Barack Obama's first visit to the EU capital.

He met with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU President Herman Van Rompuy to discuss ways to strengthen transatlantic ties - economically, politically, and even militarily - as tensions remain high over Russia's annexation of Crimea.

"Events in Ukraine and elsewhere go to show that there are many unsettling uncertainties, and that's why the solid certainty of the transatlantic relationship is so crucial," Van Rompuy told journalists after the summit, which lasted just over an hour. "It is the bedrock to face these challenges, a bond of friendship tested by history, and that bond is shock-proof. Cooperation among our countries is unrivaled."

President Obama, who attended the summit after paying tribute to American World War I veterans in Flanders, north of Brussels, underscored that Europe and the 28-nation EU is the "cornerstone of America's engagement around the globe." "We are more secure and we are more prosperous, the world is safer, and more just," he said, "when Europe and America stand as one." The two sides recently launched talks on a free-trade treaty the EU says can boost its economy by 119 billion Euros ($164.2 billion) a year and that of the United States by 95 billion Euros a year. Besides slashing tariffs for all sectors, the aim is to tackle barriers at the customs border -- like differences in technical regulations, standards and approval procedures - to make it easier for companies big and small to export in either direction. Currently, when a car is approved as safe in the EU, it still has to go through a new approval procedure in the U.S. under similar safety standards. A free trade pact is expected to boost EU car exports to Europe by as much as 149%, boosted by the already strong two-way trade in parts and components. That could give an added boost to Germany's Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, already among the top-selling foreign brands in the U.S. As for other industrial sectors, the EU predicts a 12% rise in metal exports to the U.S. post-treaty, 9% in processed foods and in chemicals, 6% in other manufactured goods and 6% in transportation equipment unrelated to cars. On Wednesday, both sides gave reassurances that they won't push for a pact at the price of sacrificing environmental standards or consumer protections. "I have fought my entire political career and as president to strengthen consumer protections," Obama said. "I have no intention of signing legislation that would weaken those protections." Nor does the Commission's negotiating mandate on behalf of the EU's 28 member states allow for any kind of weakening of standards, said Commission President Barroso. Freer trade is also seen as a way to reduce Europe's dependence on natural gas from Russia, all the more urgent in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. Obama said freer trade should make it easier for the U.S. to export liquefied natural gas to Europe, "something that's obviously relevant in today's geopolitical climate." Already, the U.S. has authorized the export of as much natural gas as Europe uses every day, he said. He also urged Europe to look for other sources of energy, cautioning that, "just as there's no easy, free simple way to defend ourselves, there's no perfect, free, ideal, cheap energy sources." At the same time, the EU and the US to stand shoulder to shoulder against Russia's actions in Ukraine, and waved the threat of additional sanctions if the situation escalates. "If Russia continues on its current course," Obama said, "the isolation will deepen. Sanctions will increase and there will be growing consequences for the Russian economy.....This reflects the enduring commitment to the goal that has brought Europe and the United States together for decades - a Europe that is whole and free and at peace." EU President Van Rompuy emphasized that sanctions should not be an end in itself, underscoring the need to stabilize the situation politically, economically and financially, "because that is the best answer." President Obama had a packed 24 hours in Brussels, meeting briefly with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and ending the day with an evening speech to students in central Brussels before jetting to Rome to meet with Pope Francis.

-- Written by Renee Cordes in Brussels.

Manitowoc (MTW) Has Uncharateristic Slide Today

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Manitowoc (MTW) -- which has been one of the top performers in the U.S. machinery space this year -- had a rough day finishing down 5.2% on the news that Jeffries had downgraded the stock.

The Wisconsin-based manufacturer has had steady success, rising 33% this year. However, Jefferies downgraded the stock due to an inflated valuation.

Manitowoc finished the day at $30.86 and continues its slide in aftermarket trading, down another 0.13%.

Must read: Warren Buffett's 10 Favorite Stocks

STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates MANITOWOC CO as a Buy with a ratings score of B. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation: "We rate MANITOWOC CO (MTW) a BUY. This is driven by some important positives, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, notable return on equity and good cash flow from operations. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: Compared to its closing price of one year ago, MTW's share price has jumped by 50.35%, exceeding the performance of the broader market during that same time frame. Turning to the future, naturally, any stock can fall in a major bear market. However, in almost any other environment, the stock should continue to move higher despite the fact that it has already enjoyed nice gains in the past year. The return on equity has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. This can be construed as a modest strength in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Machinery industry and the overall market, MANITOWOC CO's return on equity exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500. Net operating cash flow has increased to $270.50 million or 15.99% when compared to the same quarter last year. Despite an increase in cash flow, MANITOWOC CO's cash flow growth rate is still lower than the industry average growth rate of 27.15%. MANITOWOC CO's earnings per share declined by 30.8% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, MANITOWOC CO increased its bottom line by earning $1.14 versus $0.77 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($1.70 versus $1.14). Despite the weak revenue results, MTW has outperformed against the industry average of 17.1%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly dropped by 2.3%. The declining revenue appears to have seeped down to the company's bottom line, decreasing earnings per share. You can view the full analysis from the report here: MTW Ratings Report STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more.

Stock quotes in this article: MTW 

401(k) fiduciary lawsuit raises questions on record keeping

An appellate court's decision this week in a 401(k) fiduciary duty lawsuit is raising questions among legal experts in the retirement plan industry about float income and who it belongs to.

On Wednesday, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals backed a lower court's decision that found that ABB Inc. had breached its fiduciary duty to its workers when it failed to monitor its plan record-keeping costs, failed to calculate the amount the plan paid through revenue sharing and failed to determine whether the pricing was competitive.

The court also upheld the lower court's judgment for an award of $13.4 million against ABB with respect to the record keeping.

“This decision is a victory not just for ABB employees, but for all 401(k) employees and retirees,” said Jerome Schlichter, the attorney representing the plan participants in the suit. “That's because it states that plan sponsors have a strict duty to monitor record-keeping costs and make sure they're reasonable.”

The court, however, also reversed the lower court's ruling on other issues, clearing plan record keepers Fidelity Management Trust Co. and Fidelity Management and Research Co. of a breach of fiduciary duty.

The case, Ronald C. Tussey v. ABB Inc., is a landmark suit for the retirement plan industry.

In their initial suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Jefferson City in 2006, the participants claimed that the retirement plan was entitled to float income that was generated when plan contributions were made and held briefly in a depository account before being invested. The lower court sided with the participants, but the appellate court subsequently reversed the decision.

Though the appellate court took a strong stance this week confirming the duty of the plan sponsor and fiduciaries to track their record-keeping fees and ensure they are reasonable, it left some ambiguity with respect to how it views float income.

“They said the float belongs to the investment options [in the plan],” said Marcia Wagner, managing director of The Wagner Law Group. “If the plan invests in the investment option, then it is a plan asset.”

“This has created more uncertainty,” she added.

Circuit Court Judge Kermit Edward Bye dissented.

“Unlike the majority, I would conclude that float is a plan asset under these circumstances and Fidelity therefore breached its fiduciary duty of loyalty by transferring float to the depository account for the benefit of investment options and by using float income to pay for bank expenses,” he wrote.

The case raises another interesting issue with respe! ct to float: Whose dollars are generating float income?

In the decision, the judges agreed with Fidelity that when an exiting participant chooses to accept a check, the “funder of the check owns the funds in the checking account until the check is presented and this is entitled to any interest earned on the float.” However, the participants contest the ownership of the funds, claiming that the owner is the plan — and making float income a plan asset.

Expect to see this issue get more attention with respect to participants leaving plans, noted C. Frederick Reish, a partner in the employee benefits and executive compensation practice group at Drinker Biddle Reath.

Record keepers will say that if a participant leaves the plan, then his or her investment is liquidated and turned into cash. That cash is then held into an account, from which the record keeper will write the check.

“The issue with float is: Where did the money that earned the float come from?” said Mr. Reish. “I can see where the dissenting judge may have an argument in the sense that if the money is in the plan, then the plan owns the asset.”

Top 10 Performing Companies To Watch In Right Now

“But is it proper for the record keeper to move the money out of the plan and into a checking account?” he asked. “This is a common practice by record keepers, and that's the remaining issue.”

Vincent Loporchio, a spokesman for Fidelity, said the firm was “pleased” with the appellate court's decision.

Calls to ABB spokesman Barry Dillon were not returned.

Top 10 Performing Companies To Buy Right Now

Top 10 Performing Companies To Buy Right Now: Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Inc.(PEBK)

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. operates as the holding company for Peoples Bank, which provides various banking products and services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in Catawba Valley and surrounding communities in North Carolina. Its deposit products include demand deposits; interest-bearing checking accounts; NOW, MMDA, and savings deposits; regular savings accounts; money market accounts; time deposits; and certificates of deposit. The company?s lending portfolio comprises commercial loans, real estate mortgage loans, real estate construction loans, and consumer loans, as well as agricultural loans. It also provides real estate appraisal and real estate brokerage services, as well as access to investment counseling and non-deposit investment products, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, tax deferred annuities, and related brokerage services. It operates 22 banking offices located in Lincolnton, Newton, Denver, Catawba, Conover, Maiden, Cla remont, Hiddenite, Hickory, Charlotte, Monroe, Cornelius, Mooresville, and Raleigh in North Carolina, as well as a loan production office in Denver, North Carolina. The company was founded in 1912 and is based in Newton, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Peoples Bank of North Carolina (PEBK) has also seen strong insider buying recently. One director as well as the CEO and Chairman of the board have made open market purchases of the stock in the past few months. The bank serves the central areas of North Carolina and also operates Banco de la Gente, which has four branches that serve the region's fast-growing Latin American community. The bank serves a market with above-average economic prospects and has a very attractive 22-branch network that is likely to attract the attention of larger ! banks in the region.

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Stilwell's funds also bought more shares of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina (PEBK). The bank operates in central North Carolina and has 22 branches with a little over $1 billion in assets. PEBK just reported a solid quarter, increasing earnings by more than 40% year-over-year while working down nonperforming assets by 30%. The bank also grew its deposit base in the quarter — a difficult accomplishment for many small banks this year.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-performing-companies-to-buy-right-now.html

It’s time to Take Darden Stock Off the Menu

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Welcome to the Stock of the Day.

Darden Restaurants (DRI) has given investors heartburn after posting one disappointing earnings report after another. But shares are climbing this morning after the company’s latest earnings release. Could 2014 hold better fortunes for the restaurant operator?

Find out in today’s Stock of the Day.

Company Overview

Many have heard of American restaurant chains Olive Garden, Red Lobster or Longhorn Steakhouse, but few know that they are all owned and operated by Darden Restaurants. Based in Orlando, Florida this company rakes in $8.5 billion in annual sales but a good chunk of those sales go to food and supplies. Darden recently announced that it plans to sell or spin-off its Red Lobster chain, which has been struggling of late.

Earnings Rundown

In the third quarter, Darden Restaurants faced higher costs and expenses, which weighed on the company’s bottom line. Meanwhile, the company reported declining sales at Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse.

Compared with the same quarter last year, net earnings plunged 23% to $109.7 million, or 82 cents per share. This matched the consensus estimates. Over the same period, quarterly sales ticked down 1.1% to $2.23 billion, but this missed the consensus estimate of $2.25 billion.

Future Outlook

The company also declared a quarterly dividend of 55 cents per share, but not even DRI’s hefty dividend yield of over 4% would get me to buy Darden’s stock, especially given its earnings prospects for this quarter. While the Restaurants industry average is 194% earnings growth in the current quarter, Darden Restaurant’s bottom line is expected to shrink 5.9%.

And Darden could do even worse, considering that analysts have reduced their estimates by a penny over the past three months. I don’t like those odds. Looking ahead to FY 2014, DRI is headed towards a 21.1% year-on-year drop in earnings.

Current Ratings

Before you buy any stock, you should always run it through my free Portfolio Grader ratings system. 2013 was not a good year for Darden Restaurants–the stock has spent much of the year in sell territory. And the story hasn’t changed for 2014. This is due to a one-two punch of poor fundamentals (earning a D-rated Fundamental Grade) and nonexistent institutional buying pressure (D-rated Quantitative Grade).

Our of the eight fundamental metrics I graded Darden stock on, DRI outright fails on five, including operating margin growth, earnings growth and cash flow. The only area where Darden is doing OK is its A-rated return on equity. However, this hasn’t been enough to attract institutional interest, so DRI is still a sell.

Bottom Line: As of this posting I consider Darden stock a D-rated Sell.

Sound Off: What do you think about Darden stock? Are you a buyer at current prices? Let me know what you think by posting on our wall on Facebook. For more stock grades and commentary, please visit NavellierGrowth.com!

The 4 Stocks That Dominated the Market on Monday

March 17, 2014: Markets opened higher on Monday very likely breathing a sigh of relief that the situation in Crimea did not turn into a military confrontation. There's also a feeling that U.S. and E.U. sanctions are unlikely to give Russia much of a headache. In the final minutes of trading the DJIA was up 1.00%, the S&P 500 was up 0.84%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.74%.

Every one of the 30 Dow stocks is trading higher about half an hour before Monday's closing gell. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) has posted the largest gain today, up 1.82% at $185.55 in a 52-week range of $172.19 to $215.82 just ahead of the closing bell. Volume is on track to be about 20% below the daily average of some 5 million shares traded. IBM's share price is second-highest among the Dow stocks.

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) is among the most heavily traded Nasdaq stocks today following a downgrade this morning from Buy to Hold from Argus. The impact was limited though, as we pointed out earlier because Argus maintained both its $73 price target and its long-term outlook for the stock. Shares are up 1.21% at $68.56 in a 52-week range of $22.67 to $72.59. Share volume was about two-thirds the daily average of around 64 million shares traded.

Among other actively traded stocks on the Nasdaq today, Kandi Technologies Group Inc. (NASDAQ: KNDI) is up 22.41%. The Chinese car maker posted solid earnings growth numbers this morning and looks to be on track for an even better year in 2014. The stock will close at around $21.28 in a 52-week range of $3.55 to $22.11 (the high was set today). Volume was about 6-times the daily average of around around 2.8 million shares traded.

The Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) trades up another 1.73% today after gaining nearly 2% on Friday. The stock is set to close at $125.23 in its 52-week range of $83.80 to $144.57 shortly before the closing bell. Trading volume for Boeing's shares was about 40% below the daily average of around 5.3 million shares.

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR)(JASO) Q4 Earnings Preview: Cloudy Today, Sunny Back-Half of 2014?

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO)  will hold a conference call on Monday, March 17, 2014, at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong Time), to discuss the Company's fourth quarter and full year 2013 results. The Company will release its fourth quarter and full year 2013 results before the market opens that same day.

Wall Street anticipates that the sun stock will earn $0.01 per share for the quarter, which is $2.66 more than last year's loss of $2.65 per share. iStock expects JASO  to hit Wall Street's consensus number. The iEstimate is $0.01, too.

The big jump in EPS won't be matched with a corresponding hike ins sales, but analysts are forecasting a year-over-year (YoY) increase of 8.9%. The consensus revenue estimate for Q4 is $291.82 million, up from last year's $268.09 million.

[Related -Stocks Tumble Amid Weak Jobs Data; Kandi Technolgies Corp. (KNDI) Spikes]

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (JA Solar) is engaged in the business of designing, developing, manufacturing and selling solar cell and solar module products. The Company is also engaged in the manufacturing and sales of solar cells. Its principal products are monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells, and it also manufacture a variety of standard and specialty solar modules.

JASO earnings history is pretty wild, with a range of missing by as much as -1700% to topping the consensus by 164.29% in the last 13 quarters. During the same timeframe, the solar company delivered eight bullish surprises and five bearish surprises. The average positive surprise was 34.95 more than forecasted while average miss was, whoa… 498.10 less than anticipated.

[Related -Futures Fall After ADP Jobs Data; Apple Inc. (AAPL) Slips]

Fear must be in the eye of shareholders when misses like that cross the ticker tape.

EPS-driven price-sensitivity turned the bullish v. bearish surprise ratio upside-down. JASO's price fell eight times, from as little as -0.08% to as much as -11.21% with an average loss of -7.37%. Meanwhile, the handful of sunny reactions averaged 20.86% (a whopping 68.98% gain skews the number) with a range of 2.12% to 68.98% as we mentioned already. Take out the outlier and the average slips to 8.83%.

Of late, the solar industry has been plagued by oversupply. In macro-econ 101 terms, more supply than demand, which everybody knows hurts prices and profits. Volume, in terms of megawatts delivered, can outrun revenue increases, as a result i.e. units delivered ramps big-time YoY, but prices fall and revenue increases are marginal – see 8.9% for JASO in Q4 2013 compared to Q4 2012.

Considering current overcapacity, it is iStock's opinion that investors will pay particular attention to JA Solar's forward guidance. Although the demand/supply equation is unfavorable at the moment, Shyam Mehta from greentechmedia.com says, "there are definite signs that at long last, balance between supply and demand in the PV market has not just been restored, but is beginning to trend in the opposite direction from the past few years -- with the very real possibility of a supply shortage in the offing. Once again, it is a reminder that when it comes to the PV market, the winds of change can blow very quickly."

In all likelihood, the rebalance will happen in the second half of 2014, which could coincide with JASO unleashing its conversion efficiency of over 19% for its multicrystalline silicon (multi-Si) solar cells for commercial manufacturing lines.

Overall: JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd.'s (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO) history suggests the odds favor a bullish surprise with the stock price backpedalling. However, if Shyam Mehta's analysis is correct, any correction might be a buying opportunity as the 2nd half of 2014 could be sunny for JASO and solar companies in general. 

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Own For 2014

Top 10 Gold Stocks To Own For 2014: Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited(AEM)

Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited, through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Finland, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, as well as silver, copper, zinc, and lead. Its flagship property includes the LaRonde mine located in the southern portion of the Abitibi volcanic belt, Canada. The company was founded in 1953 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Gold miners are getting a boost today from solid earnings from the likes of Barrick Gold (ABX), Goldcorp (GG) and Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM). The exception: Kinross Gold (KGC), which missed earnings forecasts and cut its reserves.

• [By Charley Blaine]

  Gold mining stocks are pretty much a disaster. Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM) is down 50 percent in 2013. Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM) is off 51 percent. The NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index is down 56 percent.

• [By Patricio Kehoe] e, has cash costs of $912 per ounce, and Agnico Eagle's costs do not even reach the $700 per ounce mark. Hence, it comes as little surprise that revenue has been decreasing steadily, since gold prices are hovering around the $1300 mark at best. As the company is hemorrhaging money, investment gurus the like of John Burbank and Seth Klarman have decided to sell their entire stake in the firm. I agree with this bearish stance, and recommend investors stay away from Kinross Gold.

  Any Long Term Investment?
  
  If you were to follow Jean-Marie Eveillard's purchases, one would be inclined to see good growth prospects for Agnico Eagle, and thus believe in this stock's potential. And, you wouldn't be wrong, as the firm has been growing at a steady pace, with no end in sight to its expansion possibilities. However, with a 171% pric! e premium, investors might be better off waiting until a more favorable entry-point is available. Nevertheless, as a long-term investment, I feel highly optimistic and would thus even consider paying the additional cost.

  Disclosure: Patricio Kehoe holds no position in any stocks mentioned.
  
  Also check out: Jean-Marie Eveillard Undervalued Stocks Jean-Marie Eveillard Top Growth Companies Jean-Marie Eveillard High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Jean-Marie Eveillard keeps buying John Burbank Undervalued Stocks John Burbank Top Growth Companies John Burbank High Yield stocks, and Stocks that John Burbank keeps buying
  The Strategy of Ben Graham – Warren Buffett's Mentor From 1923 to 1957 Warren Buffett's mentor, Ben Graham, followed a strategy of investing in net-nets. He said: "It always seemed, and still seems ridiculously simple to say that if one can acquire a diversified group of common stocks at a price less than the...net current assets alone…the results should be quite satisfactory. They were so in our experience, for more than 30 years."
  Today net-nets are rare. They are collected under Gu

• [By Sally Jones]

  The once-troubled Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. (AEM) is hitting a new record for gold production in the third quarter at 315,828 ounces, according to the Financial Post, and the company's executives are buying. Here's a third quarter company update and a look at billionaire stakeholders of AEM, a stock that spiked 23.66% over the past five days.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-gold-stocks-to-own-for-2014.html

Top 10 Canadian Companies To Watch In Right Now

Top 10 Canadian Companies To Watch In Right Now: Transdigm Group Incorporated(TDG)

TransDigm Group Incorporated designs, produces, and supplies engineered aircraft components for use on commercial and military aircraft principally in the United States. The company?s products include mechanical/electro-mechanical actuators and controls, ignition systems and engine technology, pumps and valves, power conditioning devices, AC/DC electric motors and generators, NiCad batteries and chargers, engineered latching and locking devices, rods and locking devices, engineered connectors and elastomers, cockpit security components and systems, cockpit displays, aircraft audio systems, lavatory components, engineered interior surfaces, and lighting and control technology. Its customers comprise distributors of aerospace components; commercial airlines, including national and regional airlines; commercial transport and regional and business aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs); various armed forces of the United States and foreign governments; defense OEMs; system suppliers; and various other industrial customers. TransDigm Group Incorporated was founded in 1993 and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Cleveland-based TransDigm Group (NYSE: TDG  ) is buying a piece of GE.

  On Friday, as trading wound down for the week, TransDigm announced a deal to buy the Electromechanical Actuation Division of General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) Aviation for $150 million, cash. The business, which makes proprietary, highly engineered aerospace electromechanical motion control subsystems for civil and military applications, counts all three of the world's biggest airplane manufacturers -- Boeing, Airbus, and Brazil's Embraer -- among its clients, and Sikorsky and General Atomics, as well, on the military side.

• [By! Eric Volkman]

  TransDigm (NYSE: TDG  ) is rewarding its shareholders mightily with an extraordinary payout. The company has declared a special dividend of $22.00 per share, which will be paid on July 25 to shareholders of record as of July 15.

• [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 TransDigm Group (NYSE: TDG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  TransDigm Group (TDG)

  Fournier maintains his largest position in TransDigm Group where he holds 2,152,710 shares. His position in TransDigm represents 4.30% of the company's shares outstanding and 6.3% of his total portfolio.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-canadian-companies-to-watch-in-right-now.html

Best Chemical Stocks To Buy For 2014

Best Chemical Stocks To Buy For 2014: Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (APD)

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, equipment, and services worldwide. The company?s Merchant Gases segment sells atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, and argon; process gases, including hydrogen and helium; and medical and specialty gases for the metal, glass, chemical processing, food processing, healthcare, steel, general manufacturing, and petroleum and natural gas industries. This segment also offers respiratory therapies, home medical equipment, and infusion services primarily in Europe. Its Tonnage Gases segment provides hydrogen, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and syngas to the energy production and refining, chemical, and metallurgical industries; and produces dinitrotoluene used in the manufacture of a precursor of polyurethane foam. The company?s Electronics and Performance Materials segment offers nitrogen trifluoride, silane, arsine, phosphine, white ammonia, silicon tetra fluoride, carbon tetrafluoride, hexafluoromethane, critical etch gases, and tungsten hexafluoride; and tonnage gases, specialty chemicals, and services and equipment for the manufacture of silicon and compound semiconductors, thin film transistor liquid crystal displays, and photovoltaic devices. This segment also provides performance materials for a range of products, including coatings, inks, adhesives, civil engineering, personal care, institutional and industrial cleaning, mining, oil refining, and polyurethanes. Its Equipment and Energy segment designs and manufactures cryogenic equipment for air separation, hydrocarbon recovery and purification, natural gas liquefaction, and helium distribution; and offers plant design, engineering, procurement, and construction management services for the chemical and petrochemical manufacturing, oil and gas recovery and pr! ocessing, and steel and primary metals processing industries. The company was founded in 1940 and is based in Al l entown, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GuruFocus] l Gates sold out his holdings in Air Products & Chemicals Inc. His sale prices were between $102.58 and $113.66, with an estimated average price of $108.95.

  Sold Out: Toyota Motor Corp (TM)

  Bill Gates sold out his holdings in Toyota Motor Corp. His sale prices were between $118.61 and $131.65, with an estimated average price of $125.74.

  Sold Out: Diamond Foods, Inc. (DMND)

  Bill Gates sold out his holdings in Diamond Foods, Inc.. His sale prices were between $20.78 and $26.05, with an estimated average price of $23.92.

  Here is the complete portfolio of Bill Gates. 

  
  Also check out: Bill Gates Undervalued Stocks Bill Gates Top Growth Companies Bill Gates High Yield stocks, and Stocks that Bill Gates keeps buying
  
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• [By Dividends4Life]

  The basic materials sector is highly cyclical. It relies on a strong economy to create demand for its raw materials. Since most of its products are considered to be commodities, the sector is sensitive to supply and demand fluctuations, with end-users able to substitute based on price.
  
  Historically, yields in this sector have been on the lower end of the scale. However, with the increased demand for certain raw materials, the stocks in this sector are beginning to see higher yields with increased profitability. In addition, depressed prices on some companies have also boosted yields.
  
  This week, I screened my dividend growth stocks database for Basic Materials companies with a yield above 2.0% and that have increased their dividends for at least 10 consecutive years. The results are presented below:
  
  RPM International Inc. (RPM) makes specialty coatings and products for structural waterproofing and corrosion control, as well as products for the consumer, do-it-yourself and hobby markets. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1969 and has increased its dividend payments for 40 consecutive years. Yield: 2.3%
  
  Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (APD) is a major producer of industrial gases and electronics and specialty chemicals also has interests in environmental and energy-related businesses. Air Products and Chemicals Inc. is a major producer of industrial gases and electronics and specialty chemicals also has interests in environmental and energy-related businesses. Yield: 2.5%
  
  Nucor Corporation (NUE) is the largest minimill steelmaker in the U.S., Nucor has one of the most diverse product lines of any steelmaker in the Americas. Nucor Corporation is the largest minimill steelmaker in the U.S., Nucor has one of the most diverse product ! lines of ! any steelmaker in the Americas. Yield: 2.7%
  
  Alliance Resource Partners LP (ARLP) produces and markets coal primarily to utilities and industr

• [By Rich Smith]

  Maybe the world is running out of helium. Maybe it isn't. But global leader in helium production Air Products (NYSE: APD  ) isn't taking any chances.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-chemical-stocks-to-buy-for-2014.html

Crossovers, trucks beating cars in sales

DETROIT -- Trucks continue to outsell cars and that could be a good sign.

So far this year, cars account for 47.4% of U.S. sales, according to data from WardsAuto. Analyst Haig Stoddard forecasts light trucks will outsell cars for the foreseeable future.

"Going forward, if cars can stay below 50%, it's a good economic barometer," Stoddard said.

Pickup sales continue to rebound with the housing industry.

"As long as the economy keeps growing, pickups will be strong," Stoddard said.

And a seemingly insatiable appetite for crossovers is a sign that consumers have disposable income and are upgrading their purchase. Conversely cars tend to be the most affordable body style and get the best gas mileage, so their sales reflect a weaker economy or high gas prices.

The fallen status of cars represents a structural shift in the industry but perhaps not an ominous one.

Analysts say car sales are not declining because the offerings are poor. The consensus is today's cars — including the lineups from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler which are heavily weighted on trucks and utility vehicles — are the strongest and most competitive in years. Gone are the days when small cars from the Detroit Three were loss leaders to lure buyers to the brand in the hopes they would replace them with profitable models. And once Chrysler introduces a new 200, the domestics will all have credible midsize cars on the market.

"We're always one gas shock away from people moving back to cars," said Erich Merkle, U.S. sales analyst for Ford.

When gas prices were high, small-car sales seemed unstoppable and accounted for almost 20% of the market in 2012. They fell to 19% last year and will dip another tenth of a percentage point this year, Stoddard forecasts. The shine has come off the segment because of lower gas prices.

The other upside to the current sales trend is that light trucks deliver the most profit, and Detroit's automakers are best poised to reap the benefits if they ! remain disciplined about keeping stocks in line so incentives don't undercut the bottom line.

Cars have historically outsold trucks. They accounted for 80% of the market in 1980. Then in 2001, the world tilted and light trucks (pickups and SUVs) broke the 50% barrier, capturing 51.2% of sales as urban cowboys bought pickups with no intention of putting them to work.

When the recession hit in 2008, affordability tilted the scale back in favor of cars. With signs of economic improvement in 2010, trucks were back on top. A spike in gas prices in 2011 gave cars a temporary edge before trucks once again regained dominance.

Automakers have worked to diversify their portfolios. Japanese automakers have added pickups, Detroit automakers have improved their cars. Everyone added crossovers of all sizes.

Further smoothing things out is the global nature of the auto industry. Ford, for example, is not as concerned when sales of the Focus dip in the U.S. because it is the top nameplate globally and enjoying savings from the huge economies of scale. And automakers have invested heavily in plants that make multiple vehicle types to quickly change the mix to meet changes in demand.

Even still, in the billion-dollar guessing game of forecasting buyers' auto tastes, automakers pore over data to understand what consumers are buying and why so they can better allocate limited resources to develop future products that will be a sales hit.

Weather has played havoc with U.S. auto sales so far this year, but buyers' preference for pickups, SUVs and crossovers over cars seems to be more than seasonal.

The F-Series pickups continue to be the best-selling vehicles in the U.S., but Jim Farley, Ford's head of global sales, said annual sales of about 700,000 pickups pales beside the 1.2 million utility vehicles that Ford sold globally last year.

Top Chemical Stocks To Own Right Now

All autom! akers con! tinue to introduce new crossovers, especially small ones. The number of nameplates has grown from 180 in 2000 to 370 today, Farley said. One in five vehicles sold around the world in 2018 will be an SUV or crossover, accounting for 14 million in global sales, forecasts IHS Automotive.

In the U.S., crossovers are at record market share of 25.5% and forecast to end the year with 27% of total light-duty vehicle sales, Stoddard said. Add traditional SUVs and these functional vehicles account for more than a third of U.S. sales.

Conversely, pickup sales have been on the decline this year and the segment represents less than 12% of the industry, down from about 12.3% at this time last year, said Merkle.

Midsize cars are taking an even bigger hit, with so many midsize crossovers to choose from. Midsize cars peaked at 21.6% of the market in 2012 but fell to 20% last year and are forecast to end the year at 19.5%, according to WardsAuto. Ford's Merkle said it appears sales are leveling off after several months of decline.

Large cars have remained steady at only 2% of the market, Stoddard said.

"I don't think cars are losing their luster," said Michael Robinet, managing director of IHS Automotive Consulting.

Smaller cars tend to be cyclical and influenced by economic factors, fuel prices, even housing starts, which creates more commuters. They are also seasonal. "Dodging potholes and getting through snow is not conducive to small car sales," Robinet said.

----

(BREAKOUT)

Top selling vehicles in the U.S. in February and their year-to-date increase/decrease

Detroit Free Press

1. Ford F-Series pickup, up 1% from a year ago.

2. Chevrolet Silverado pickup, down 15%.

3. Nissan Altima midsize car, up 9%.

4. Ram pickups, up 24%.

5. Toyota Camry midsize car, down 17%.

6. Toyota Corolla compact car/Matrix compact hatchback, up 1%.

7. Honda Accord midsize car, down 13%.

8. Ford Fusion midsize car, down 11%.

9. F! ord Escap! e compact crossover, down 3%.

10. Chevrolet Cruze compact car, up 19%.

Five crossovers, four cars and one pickup round out the top 20.

MagneGas, Axxess Unlimited Both Over Their Humps (AXXU, MNGA)

If the names Axxess Unlimited Inc. (OTCMKTS:AXXU) and MagneGas Corporation (NASDAQ:MNGA) ring a bell, it might be because yours truly posted some bullish thoughts on both names earlier this week. Although neither small cap stock had done everything they needed to do in order become a fully bullish trade at the time, both MNGA and AXXU have cleared those hurdles in the meantime. So, in case you forgot (or in case you missed the first look), an updated review of Axxess Unlimited and MagneGas is merited.

MagneGas, as a reminder, is a supplier of hydrogen gas... in canister form. The bulk of its customer base is ironworking shops, who can use hydrogen as an alternative to acetylene for welding troches. But, MNGA was finding a lot of new interest from the automotive and automation world, which is increasingly using hydrogen as a fuel source or a fuel additive.

As of the time of our last look at MNGA, however, we weren't entirely convinced the stock was going to be able to wiggle its way out of the January/February lull. It had bumped into a ceiling at $0.94 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then didn't even bother testing that level on Thursday. Today, however, the bulls have gotten on their horse. MagneGas shares have punched through that ceiling, and have done so on huge volume. That's all we needed to see.

Axxess Unlimited was similarly hitting a ceiling of its own, at $0.50. That's where shares topped out and then pulled back in early February, and even with the early-March rally it looked like that resistance was going to be a problem. The buyers finally cleared that hurdle on Thursday though, with yesterday's high and close of $0.56. Although the stock has peeled back a little from $0.56 today, it's seems to be pretty comfortable above the key $0.50. Making forward progress from here isn't going to be terribly difficult (and as the weekly chart showed us, there's a ton of upside potential here).

AXXU is a web-marketing stock, though the description doesn't do the company justice. It doesn't simply build websites or provide domain-name-level e-mail service. It's doing some seriously high-end and high-caliber interactive marketing work for its clients, some of which are government agencies/division, auto dealers, and more... the kind of entities that need to know everything about their customers and users. No, Axxess Unlimited isn't a huge name, though as of yesterday, AXXU is a huge opportunity.

For more trading ideas and insights like these, be sure to sign up for the free SmallCap Network newsletter. You'll get stock picks, market calls, and more, every day. Here's what you've missed recently.

Top Value Stocks To Watch For 2014

Top Value Stocks To Watch For 2014: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory! management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas .

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  But it just doesn't seem to matter for Schlumberger (SLB). Schlumberger is a member of my Jubak's Picks portfolio.

  On January 17, the oil services and technology company reported fourth quarter earnings of $1.35 a share, beating Wall Street estimates by two cents a share. Earnings grew by 29.8% year over year.

• [By Editor , DividendChannel.com]

  ENB operates in the Oil & Gas Equipment & Services sector, among companies like Schlumberger (SLB), and Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD).

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  With a variety of oil stocks reporting full-year 2013 earnings, unconventional assets are the gifts that keep on giving for the oil service trio of Halliburton (HAL), Baker Hughes (BHI) and Schlumberger (SLB).

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-value-stocks-to-watch-for-2014.html

Top Mid Cap Companies To Buy For 2014

Top Mid Cap Companies To Buy For 2014: Ituran Location and Control Ltd (ITRN)

Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (Ituran), incorporated in February 1994, is engaged in the provision of location-based services and machine-to-machine wireless communications products for use in stolen vehicle recovery, fleet management and other applications. The Company operates in two segments: location-based services and wireless communication products. During the year ended December 31, 2012, 76.2% of its revenues were attributable to its location-based services. As of December 31, 2012, Ituran provided its services in Israel, Brazil, Argentina and the United States to approximately 276,000, 238,000, 131,000 and 22,000 subscribers, respectively. In 2012, 23.8% of its revenues were attributable to the sale of its wireless communications products.

Location-Based Services

The Company's stolen vehicle recovery and tracking services, which it refer to as SVR services, enable it to locate, track and recover stolen vehicles for its subscribers. T he Company's customers include both individual vehicle owners who subscribe to its services directly and insurance companies that either require their customers to install a security system or offer their customers financial incentives to subscribe to SVR services, such as its. In certain countries, insurance companies directly subscribe to its SVR services and purchase automatic vehicle location (AVL) products supporting these SVR services from us on behalf of their customers. The Company's fleet management services enable corporate customers to track and manage their vehicle. It markets and sells its services to a range of vehicle fleet operators in different geographic locations and industries. As of December 31, 2012, the Company provided its services to approximately 81,000 end-users through 21,000 corporate customers in Israel, Brazil, Argentina and t! he United States.

Personal locator services, which it offers allow customers to protect merchandise an d equipment. In addition, through a call center it provides ! 24-hour round the clock on-demand navigation guidance, information and assistance to its customers. As of December 31, 2012, the Company provided personal locator services in Israel, Brazil and Argentina and, as of December 31, 2012, it had approximately 7,500 subscribers to this service. The Company's call center services include the provision of traffic reports, help with directions and information on the location gas stations, car repair shops, post offices, hospitals and other facilities. The Company provides its concierge services to its subscribers in Israel, Argentina and Brazil. As of December 31, 2012, it had approximately 128,000 subscribers to its concierge service

Wireless Communications Products

The Company's wireless communications products employ short- and medium-range communication between two-way wireless modems and are used for various applications, including AVL. Its AVL products enable the location and tracking of vehicles, as well as assets and persons, and are used by it primarily to provide SVR and fleet management services to its customers. Each subscriber to its SVR services has its AVL end-unit installed in his or her vehicle. Subscribers to services for locating equipment and merchandise will use its SMART products. The Company's wireless communications products for AVL applications include: Base Site, Control Center, global positioning systems/ beneral packet radio service (GPS/GPRS)-based products and SMART. Base Site is a radio receiver, which includes a processor and a data computation unit to collect and send data to and from transponders and send that data to control centers as part of the terrestrial infrastructure of the location system. Control Center is a center, which consists of software used to collect data from various base sites, conduct location cal! culations! and transmit location data to various customers and law enforcement agencies.

Global positioning sys tems/ beneral packet radio service (GPS/GPRS)-based products! include ! navigation and tracking devices installed in vehicles. SMART is a portable transmitter installed in vehicles (including motorcycles) that sends a signal to the base site, enabling the location of vehicles, equipment or an individual. The Company maintains 103 base stations in Israel. The provides radio frequency (RF) based products and services only in the metropolitan areas of Sao Paulo, Campinas, Americans and Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. It operates throughout Brazil in providing GPS/GPRS based products and services. The Company operates only in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires with the RF technology, in Argentina. The Company operates throughout Argentina in providing GPS/GPRS based products and services for fleet management. It provides GPS/GPRS products and services throughout the United States.

The Company competes with Eden Telecom Ltd. (Pointer), Skylock Ltd, LoJack Corporation, Car System, Megatrans, Pointer Localizacion y Asistencia S.A, OnStar Cor poration, Sky Link Corporation, Spireon, Air Cept Corporation, SysLocate, GoldStar, PassTime, Guide Point, Sky Patrol, Sky Guard, I-Metrik, GPS Insight, Trimble, Network Fleet, Street Eagle, FleetMatics , Navtrack, Teletrac, Trim Track, FleetBoss, Sascar, Omnilink and Hawk Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matthew Indyke and Brian Zen]

  Four of Klarman's stocks include PDLBioPharma (PDLI), Ituran Location and Control (ITRN), BP (BP), and Microsoft (MSFT). What these companies have in common are annually increasing total revenues, annually increasing cash flows, and gradually decreasing operating expenses and debt. Additionally, they show a clear value focus with P/E ratios no greater than 15. And even when stocks like these go through a troubling period brought on by a sagging economy or major scandal, they h! ave an ab! ility to bounce back.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-mid-cap-companies-to-buy-for-2014.html

Top 10 Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2015

Top 10 Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2015: Cloud Peak Energy Inc(CLD)

Cloud Peak Energy Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in coal mining operations in the Powder River Basin of the United States. It produces sub-bituminous steam coal with low sulfur content for electric utilities and industrial customers. The company owns and operates Antelope surface coal mine located to the south of Gillette, Wyoming; the Cordero Rojo surface coal mine located to the south of Gillette, Wyoming; and the Spring Creek surface coal mine located in Montana. It also owns a 50% interest in the Decker surface coal mine located in Montana. As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately 970 million tons of proven and probable reserves. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Gillette, Wyoming.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Simply put, the coal stocks trio of Peabody Energy (BTU), Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) and Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) could be some of the biggest bargains out all energy stocks.

• [By Reuben Brewer]

  A ready supplier
  Malaysia, which is a coal export powerhouse, is going to be there to help fill the void. However, Cloud Peak Energy (NYSE: CLD  ) notes that Malaysian coal is at the lower end of the quality spectrum, particularly compared to its U.S. Powder River Basin coal. That's a positive sign for Cloud Peak's export hopes, particularly as China looks to clean up the most obvious pollution problems related to coal. Right now, Cloud Peak exports about 5% of its coal, but it plans to increase that as U.S. ports increase their capacity.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) has gained 3.1% to %15.03 after it was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Stifel.

  Novatris (NVS) has dropped 1.2% to $74.48 after it was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.

• [By Tyler Crowe]!

  At the same time, there are a few glimmers of hope for the coal industry. Cloud Peak Energy's (NYSE: CLD  ) balance sheet shows some characteristics that could help it survive another rough patch for coal. It may not be a great balance sheet overall, but it's certainly better than many others in the space. Tune into the following video to get Fool.com contributors Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy's take on a couple other coal companies that either look like they are headed for a big fall or have stronger balance sheets to weather the storm.

source from Top Stocks Blog:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-cheap-stocks-to-buy-for-2015-2.html

Top 5 Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015

Speaking at the debut Junxure Advisor Conference on Monday, noted securities attorney (and Investment Advisor columnist) Tom Giachetti warned the 180 attendees that since Bernie Madoff and the Dodd-Frank Act, “the SEC has gotten better on asking smart questions” in its exams of RIAs.

The questions asked of advisors and the areas of concern to the examiners is “much different than in 2008, 2009, even 2011,” he said, suggesting that RIA firms that have not updated their internal recordkeeping and documents could be in for a very nasty surprise when the examiners come to call.

The attendees at the first Junxure users conference included RIAs, dually registered advisors and independent broker-dealer reps, and they crowded into the main auditorium at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas to be alternately lectured and cajoled by Giachetti (right). Junxure co-founder and CEO Greg Friedman introduced Giachetti by saying that while he has been traveling with Giachetti on a multi-city compliance roadshow this year, and that he is Friedman’s own securities attorney at his Private Ocean wealth management firm, Friedman always learns something new when Giachetti speaks, even if what he hears can be scary.

Top 5 Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Timios National Corp (HOMS)

Timios National Corporation, formerly Homeland Security Capital Corporation, incorporated on August 12, 1997, provides radiological, nuclear, environmental, disaster relief and electronic security solutions to government and commercial customers. The Company is engaged in the strategic acquisition, operation, development and consolidation of companies operating in the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive, (CBRNE), incident response and security marketplaces within the homeland security industry. It is building consolidated enterprises (platform companies) through the acquisition and integration of businesses in the homeland security industry, particularly businesses focused on CBRNE incident response. In August 2011, the Company sold its Nexus Technologies Group. In October 2011, the Company sold its Safety and Ecology Holding Corporation subsidiary to Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. In May 2012, the Company announced the acquisition by its subsidiary Timios, Inc. of Glenn County Title Company. In June 2013, Timios National Corp announced that it has completed the purchase of Glenn County Title Company (GCTC). In September 2013, Timios National Corp announced that it had executed a purchase agreement for the assets of Adobe Title, LLC.

The Company offers a range of management and operational services to each of its subsidiaries through a team of dedicated professionals. Its subsidiaries compensate its holding company for such services. Its core services include environmental remediation and restoration, regulatory compliance, facilities management, facility deactivation, decommissioning and demolition, emergency response, design and construction services and security integration to the United States government agencies, such as the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the United states Army Corps of Engineers and the National Aeronautics and Space ! Administration (NASA). It conducts its operations through Safety & Ecology Holdings Corporation (Safety), its wholly owned subsidiary; Nexus Technologies Group, Inc. (Nexus), its 93% owned subsidiary, and Polimatrix, Inc. (PMX), its joint venture. Safety is an international provider of environmental, nuclear and radiological infrastructure remediation, disaster relief solutions and advanced construction services. Nexus designs, develops and installs integrated security systems for government and commercial clients. PMX markets, sells and distributes radiological detection equipment.

Safety & Ecology Holdings Corporation

Safety is a provider of global environmental, hazardous and radiological infrastructure remediation, upgrades and nuclear services in the United States and the United Kingdom. Safety�� main business areas and service offerings include decommissioning and remediation environmental and remedial consultancy services; environmental and consultancy services; nuclear energy design, build, refurbishment and operational support services, and instrumentation and measurement technologies. Safety offers a range of services that include characterization, decontamination, decommissioning of facilities, soil and groundwater remediation, infrastructure reduction and demolition, site preparation, excavation, and remedial system construction; underground and overhead utility installation; electrical and mechanical installation; security fencing and device installation and upgrades; building renovation; piping; roadways, parking lots, and drainage system construction/repair, and landfill remediation and capping.

Safety engages in facility deactivation, demolition and closure solutions, including project investigation; radiological pre-engineering; demolition planning; removing above ground structures and structural components; storing, testing, certifying, processing and shipping nuclear waste, and abatement of hazardous materials. Safety focuses its service offe! ring on t! he application and integration of health physics, industrial hygiene, hazardous material consultancy and safety and health. In addition, Safety couples its technology with its instrumentation offering, on-site radiological laboratory capabilities and mobile radiological materials license to provide radiological services and consultation. Safety provides integrated services to the nuclear energy industry. Safety provides specialized services to a customer base, including government agencies, commercial customers and major engineering and construction companies around the world that are focused in the nuclear new plant deployment initiative, facility operation, decommissioning and refurbishment. The elements of Safety�� technology offering are instrumentation services and instrumentation technology, both of which are targeted to field investigations, characterizations of contaminants and clean-up and material management and disposal solutions.

The Company competes with Stoller, Cabrera, Portage, LATA Northwind, Demco, Eagle, Pro2Serv, PMTech, Navarro, Energy Solutions, the Washington Group, Tetra Tech, Shaw Environmental and C2HM Hill.

Nexus Technologies Group, Inc.

Nexus is a mid-Atlantic security integrator for the corporate and governmental security markets that specializes in the engineering and installation of custom designed integrated electronic security solutions, including access control, alarm, closed circuit television (CCTV), video, communication, perimeter protection and bomb and metal detection security systems. Nexus provides solutions to protect people, property and assets. As a systems integrator, Nexus designs, customizes, installs, integrates and maintains closed CCTV, access control, video and communication systems for its customers. Nexus has undertaken projects in a range of markets, including financial services, corporate and commercial, healthcare, government, nuclear utility services, public transportation, airports, industrial complexes,! museums,! prisons, higher education and data centers. As a provider of custom engineered integrated security solutions, including access control, alarm/intrusion, CCTV, communication, perimeter protection and bomb and metal detection security systems, Nexus is aligned with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Nexus has focused on five sectors in which it intends to expand, both vertically and horizontally. These sectors are Financial Institutions, Infrastructure Security, Government Facilities, Education Facilities and Corporate Markets.

Financial Institutions include banks, brokerage facilities, trading facilities and foreign currency exchange centers. Infrastructure Security include nuclear power generating facilities, water processing facilities, electricity generating facilities, power transfer stations and transportation centers, which include highway, bridge, tunnel, airport, rail and port security. Government Facilities include federal, state and local government buildings and offices, domestic and foreign embassies, military installations and police and fire department operations centers. Education Facilities include grammar, high school and college buildings, dorms and campuses, satellite learning centers and daycare centers. Corporate Markets include office buildings and grounds, parking lots, garages, retail locations, warehouses and apartment and condominium complexes.

The Company competes with Henry Brothers Electronics, Inc., Diebold, Inc. and ADT.

POLIMATRIX, INC.

PMX is a total solutions provider delivering radiation and nuclear protection and detection services through several engineered portable and stationary devices. PMX�� business plan is the development and marketing of radiological detection products and services. PMX has developed a range of domestic and international marketing initiative in Washington, DC, Virginia and Illinois. These states have used the PMX detection devices for a range of detection, prevention and first respon! der activ! ities. PMX�� product line of portable detection devices are designed to detect potential threats and can be positioned along transportation routes or carried by nuclear power generating facility security personnel. It operates PMX with the assistance of Safety�� personal.

The Company competes with Thermo Scientific and Canberra.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Timios National Corp (OTCMKTS: HOMS) and Lattice Inc (OTCMKTS: LTTC) surged 54.29% and 20.83%, respectively, while Unique Pizza & Subs Corp (OTCMKTS: UPZS) sank 27.27% last Friday. But today is a new trading week with the last two trading days for the year. So what will these three small caps do today, tomorrow and after New Years�� Here is a closer look:

• [By Peter Graham]

  However, there have been no further updates since then. A quick look on both Google Finance and Yahoo! Finance reveals the latest financials date from the end of September 2012 ��meaning its investor beware.

  Timios National Corp (OTCMKTS: HOMS) Has No News Beyond Filings

  Small cap Timios National Corp is involved in the strategic acquisition, development and consolidation of real estate service businesses. Former Maryland Congressman C. Thomas McMillen, who served three consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from the 4th Congressional District of Maryland, heads the company. On Friday, Timios National Corp sank 32.28% to $1.28 for a market cap of $3.01 million plus HOMS is up 54.2% over the past year and up 1,013% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

Top 5 Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Makism 3D Corp (MDDD)

Makism 3D Corp., incorporated on May 4 2010, is a three dimensional (3D) printer manufacturing company. The Company produces consumer and professional grade 3D printers. The Company�� flagship product, branded as the Wideboy family of printers, offers packaging designed to fit any office or professional space.

Its 3D printers utilize British and German engineered components. Its printers are assembled in Cambridge (United Kingdom).

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  We are two trading weeks into the new year and the 3D printing sector along with 3D printer stocks like ExOne Co (NASDAQ: XONE), Stratasys, Ltd (NASDAQ: SSYS),�3D Systems Corporation (NYSE: DDD) and Makism 3D Corp (OTCBB: MDDD) have been printing their share of red ink for investors���despite the fact that 3D printing got� plenty of attention at�last week's�Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas while the�broader stock market rally has largely held up. With that in mind, here is the latest 3D printer stock or sector news you need to be aware of:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  They say the great ones withstand the test of time. If that's true of stocks (and it is), then it's becoming increasingly safer to say Makism 3D Corp. (OTCMKTS:MDDD) is one of the great ones within the 3D printing world. No, it's neither as big nor as prolific as 3D printer names like 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) or Stratasys, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS). Then again, everything is relative; MDDD may well be packing more of a punch for its investors than SSYS or DDD have in a long time.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  All well and good, but for veteran traders, there's something uneasy about the recent swelling of interest in these names... there's too much hype, and not enough substance. Enter another small cap name in the 3D printing race - Makism 3D Corp. (OTCBB:MDDD). It's not throwing any parties for itself, and it's not congratulating itself for achievements that may be a solution to a problem that doesn't actually exist. MDDD is simply on the verge of making a high-quality 3D printer at a very practical price that will appeal to individual consumers as well as businesses.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Well, as it turns out, the snake that bit L&L Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:LLEN) and Sovereign Lithium Inc. (OTCMKTS:SLCO) didn't end up biting Makism 3D Corp. (OTCMKTS:MDDD). And in retrospect, that's probably how it should be. Indeed, the fact that MDDD didn't even come close to suffering the same fate as SLCO or LLEN did may be the biggest assurance Makism 3D fans could hope for that the company is everything it says it is.

Best Performing Stocks To Watch For 2015: George Risk Industries Inc (RSKIA)

George Risk Industries, Inc. (GRI), incorporated on February 21, 1961, is engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of computer keyboards, push button switches, burglar alarm components and systems, pool alarms, thermostats, EZ Duct wire covers and water sensors. GRI is a diversified manufacturer of electronic components, consisting of the security industries variety of door and window contact switches, environmental products, proximity switches and custom keyboards. The Company operates in two segments: security alarm products and security alarm products GRI�� security burglar alarm products comprise approximately 84% of net revenues and are sold through distributors and alarm dealers/installers. These products are used for residential, commercial, industrial and government installations. Its products include security products/ magnetic reed switches, data entry peripherals, pushbutton switches, custom engraved keycaps and proximity sensors.

The security segment has approximately 3,000 customers. One of the distributors, ADI accounts for approximately 40% of the Company's sales of these products. The keyboard segment has approximately 800 customers. Keyboard products are sold to original equipment manufacturers to their specifications and to distributors of off-the-shelf keyboards of proprietary design. GRI owns and operates its main manufacturing plant and offices in Kimball, Nebraska with a satellite plant 40 miles away in Gering, Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Geoff Gannon] things I said was that I knew George Risk's materials cost was higher than some competitors' selling price. The fact that any company could survive under conditions like that immediately suggested that dollars paid for the product was not the key concern for this product.

  Perceived costs had to involve other concerns like customization, shipping speed, reliability, etc. Because it was a low cost product going into a higher cost product going into very high cost projects it seemed likely there was the opportunity to raise prices if needed. And that's what they ended up doing. The important clue for me in that investigation was the severe cost disadvantage George Risk had. You couldn�� compete at such a cost disadvantage unless price was less important than I initially thought.

  I think you will find that most of these insights are not available in the financial statements. They come from reading the 10-Ks of all companies in the industry, reading articles about the companies, listening to all conference call transcripts, etc.

  For example, there is not much in the financial statements of Carnival (CCL) that explains how the cruise business really works. But all of the companies in the industry (CCL, RCL and NCL) freely discuss the economics of their business in great detail. They break out costs before and after fuel. They give you per-passenger prices of how much newly built ships cost. They give you lots and lots of details. They explain how they price their product (the way airlines do) and so on. There is an extreme level of detailed explanation of the business in the various conference calls, 10-Ks, etc.

  A great source for this information is going back to the time the company went public or at least finding the S-1 of a competitor. When a company goes public it often gives much more detail into product economics, etc., than it will later on when it reports annual results.

  That is also a good place to learn about market share, com

Top 5 Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Western Digital Corp (WDC)

Western Digital Corporation (WD) is a provider of solutions for the collection, storage, management, protection and use of digital content, including audio and video. Its principal products are hard drives, which are devices that use one or more rotating magnetic disks (magnetic media) to store and allow access to data. Its hard drives are used in desktop and notebook computers, corporate and cloud computing data centers, home entertainment equipment and stand-alone consumer storage devices. In addition to hard drives, its other products include solid-state drives and home entertainment and networking products. The Company operates as the parent company of its hard drive business, Western Digital Technologies, Inc. Effective March 8, 2012, the Company acquired Viviti Technologies Ltd. In May 2012, the Company completed the divestiture of certain 3.5-inch hard drive assets to Toshiba Corporation. As part of its deal with Toshiba, WD also completed its purchase of Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand) Company Limited (TSDT), which manufactured hard drives.

The Company offers a line of storage devices. Its hard drives include 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch form factors, capacities ranging from 80 gigabytes to three terabytes, nominal rotation speeds up to 10,000 revolutions per minute, and interfaces, such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) and Serial Attached SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) (SAS). In addition, the Company offers a family of hard drives specifically designed to consume less power than standard drives, utilizing its WD GreenPower Technology. Its solid-state drives include 2.5-inch and Compact Flash form factors, capacities ranging from 1 gigabyte to 256 gigabytes, and interfaces, such as SATA and PATA.

Client Compute Storage Products

Client compute consists of hard drives and solid-state drives for desktop and mobile personal computers (PC��). During the fiscal year ended July 1, 2011 (fiscal 2011), it shipped 151 million hard drive clie! nt compute unit. Its client compute storage products include WD Caviar, WD Scorpio and WD Silicon Edge. WD Caviar family of hard drives is designed for use in desktop PCs. WD Scorpio family of hard drives is designed for use in mobile PCs. WD Silicon Edge family of solid-state drives is designed for both read-intensive client/consumer applications and write-intensive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) applications.

Client Non-Compute Storage Products

Client non-compute consists of branded products and consumer electronics products. Its hard drive client non-compute unit shipments were 46 million, during fiscal 2011.

Branded Products

Branded products consists of hard drives embedded into WD-branded external storage appliances with capacities ranging from 250 gigabytes to 8 terabytes and using interfaces, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, USB 3.0, external SATA, FireWire and Ethernet network connections. Certain branded products models include software that assists customers with back up, remote access and management of digital content. Branded products also include its home entertainment and networking products. Its branded products include My Book and WD Elements Desktop family of storage appliances. My Passport and WD Elements Portable family of storage appliances include WD ShareSpace, WD TV and WD Livewire.

My Book and WD Elements Desktop family of storage appliances are designed to add external capacity to desktops and digital video recorders (DVRs), allow for the transfer and storage of videos directly from certain camcorders, and connect to networks to simplify storage for consumers. My Passport and WD Elements Portable family of storage appliances are designed for external portability weighing less than one-half of a pound and allow for the transfer and storage of videos directly from certain camcorders. WD ShareSpace is a network-attached storage system designed for home office or small office applications. WD TV m! edia play! ers connect to a user�� television or home theater system and play digital movies, music and photos from an integrated hard drive, network hard drives, any of its WD-branded external hard drives, other USB mass storage devices or content services accessed over the Internet. WD Livewire, which enables consumers to use their existing electrical outlets to extend Internet connections throughout the home.

Consumer Electronics Products

WD AV family of hard drives is designed for use in products, such as DVRs and audio and video applications. WD AV drives deliver the characteristics CE manufacturers.

Enterprise Storage Products

Enterprise consists of hard drives for traditional enterprise and nearline storage applications, as well as solid-state drives for embedded applications. Its hard drive enterprise unit shipments were 10 million, for fiscal 2011. Its enterprise storage products include WD S25 hard drive, WD VelociRaptor, WD RE and WD SiliconDrive. WD S25 hard drive is designed for mission-critical enterprise server and storage applications, such as data centers and data arrays. WD VelociRaptor hard drive is designed for enterprise server and storage applications. This hard drive is also used in the high-end desktop PC market for applications including gaming, servers and advanced computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems. WD RE family of hard drives is designed for nearline storage enterprise applications. WD SiliconDrive family of solid-state drives features fast read/write speeds in high capacities and is designed for embedded system OEM applications.

The Company competes with Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Intel Corporation, Micron Technology, Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Seagate Technology, STEC, Inc. and Toshiba Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ICRAOnline]

  The Xyratex buy could put Seagate ahead of archrival Western Digital (WDC), which reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings last week and posted a 3.9% revenue growth.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) shares rose 2.75% to reach a new 52-week high of $74.43 after the company's board declared a cash dividend of $0.30 per share for the quarter ending Dec. 27, 2013.

• [By John Divine]

  Digital storage company Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC  ) rounds out today's list of laggards, tumbling 5.9% after its net income fell 44% in the fiscal fourth quarter. Western Digital's fall from grace exemplifies the declining PC market, as Western Digital's hard drives become less and less relevant in an era of shifting consumer tastes. Most mobile devices use chips to store data instead of the antiquated hard drive, a fact evidenced by a 22% revenue slump in the recent quarter.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Like chocolate and peanut butter, computer hard disk drives and solid state drives are two great tastes that taste great together -- or so hope Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC  ) and SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK  ) .

Top 5 Computer Hardware Companies To Invest In 2015: Lenovo Group Ltd (LNVGF.PK)

Lenovo Group Limited is principally engaged in investment holding. It is a personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries. The Company is a personal computer (PC) vendor. The Company develops, manufactures and markets technology products and services. Its product lines include Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smart phones. It offers a range of commercial desktops and notebooks to businesses of all sizes that feature cutting-edge technology, customer-centric innovation and productivity features. It operates in three segments: China, Emerging Markets (excluding China) and Mature Markets. Lenovo has research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina, the United States. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Investometrica]

  x86: With regards to the specific x86 server business, it seems that IBM is considering the possibility of fully divesting it. According to Morgan Stanley, the server business generated about $4.9 billion of the company's $15.4 billion in server sales last year. This enormous volume is due to the fact that IBM may be producing the overall market's highest volumes, at the lowest profit level; which suggests this segment is doomed. Finally, IBM has a history of aggressive shifts to areas with better growth prospects and margins. For example, the company agreed to sell off the PC business to Lenovo (LNVGF.PK) at a moment where the PC still seemed attractive.