Top Gas Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now

As the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) begins the third quarter up 155 points as of 11:50 EDT this morning, it has history on its side. Though investors felt some serious turbulence as the first half of the year's trading came in for a landing, the index and its compatriots still recorded impressive gains -- the Dow itself up 14%. So if history truly repeats itself, is the index in store for even more soaring in the coming months?

First of July
Even though investors have an abbreviated trading week due to the Independence Day holiday, they're wasting no time in capitalizing on some good economic news this morning. Sending the Dow over the all-important 15,000 mark, investors were happy to see the ISM manufacturing index beat expectations with an almost two-point jump from May's reading -- the lowest seen in four years. Coming in at 50.9, the June reading gives hope that continued improvements in manufacturing will help support the economic recovery during the second half of the year.

Hot Mid Cap Companies To Own For 2015: PartnerRe Ltd (PRE)

PartnerRe Ltd. (PartnerRe), incorporated in August 24, 1993, is the ultimate holding company for its international reinsurance group. The Company provides reinsurance on a global basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries, including Partner Reinsurance Company Ltd. (PartnerRe Bermuda), Partner Reinsurance Europe plc (PartnerRe Europe) and Partner Reinsurance Company of the U.S. (PartnerRe U.S.). Its risks reinsured include property, casualty, motor, agriculture, aviation/space, catastrophe, credit/surety, engineering, energy, marine, specialty property, specialty casualty, multiline and other lines and mortality, longevity and health. The Company also offers alternative risk products, which include weather and credit protection to financial, industrial and service companies on a global basis. In January 2013, the Company acquired Presidio Reinsurance Group, a United States-based specialty accident and health reinsurance and insurance writer. In March 2013, the Company announced the formation of Lorenz Re Ltd.

The Company provides reinsurance for its clients in approximately 150 countries globally. Through its branches and subsidiaries, the Company provides reinsurance of non-life and life risks to ceding companies (primary insurers, cedants or reinsureds) on either a proportional or non-proportional basis through treaties or facultative reinsurance. The Company operates in three segments: Non-life, Life and Corporate and Other. Its Corporate and Other segment is consisted of the capital markets and investment related activities of the Company, including principal finance transactions, insurance-linked securities and strategic investments, and its corporate activities, including other operating expenses.

Non-life Segment

The Non-life segment is divided into four sub-segments, North America, Global (Non-the United States) Property and Casualty (Global (Non-the United States) P&C), Global (Non-the United States) Specialty and Catastrophe. The North America sub-seg! ment includes agriculture, casualty, motor, multiline, property, surety and other risks generally originating in the United States. The Global (Non-the United States) P&C sub-segment includes casualty, motor and property business generally originating outside of the United States. The Global (Non-the United States) Specialty sub-segment business include agriculture, aviation/space, credit/surety, energy, engineering, marine, specialty casualty, specialty property and other lines. The Catastrophe sub-segment is consisted of the Company�� catastrophe line of business. The Company reinsures, primarily on a proportional basis, agricultural yield and price/revenue risks related to flood, drought, hail and disease related to crops, livestock and aquaculture. The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for airline, general aviation and space insurance business on a proportional basis and through facultative arrangements.

The Company�� space business relates to coverages for satellite assembly, launch and operation for commercial space programs. Its casualty business includes third party liability, employers��liability, workers��compensation and personal accident coverages written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis, including structured reinsurance of casualty risks. The Company provides property catastrophe reinsurance protection, written on a non-proportional basis, against the accumulation of losses caused by windstorm, earthquake, tornado, tropical cyclone, flood or by any other natural hazard, which is covered under a property policy. Credit reinsurance, written on a proportional basis, provides coverage to commercial credit insurers, and the surety line relates to bonds and other forms of security written by specialized surety insurers. The Company provides reinsurance coverage for the onshore oil and gas industry, mining, power generation and pharmaceutical operations on a proportional basis and through facultative arrangements.

The Company p! rovides r! einsurance for engineering projects globally, predominantly on a proportional treaty basis and through facultative arrangements. The Company provides reinsurance protection and technical services relating to marine hull, cargo, transit and offshore oil and gas operations on a proportional or non-proportional basis. The Company�� motor business includes reinsurance coverages for third party liability and property damage risks arising from both passenger and commercial fleet automobile coverages written by cedants. This business is written predominantly on a proportional basis.

The Company�� multiline business provides both property and casualty reinsurance coverages written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis. Property business provides reinsurance coverage to insurers for property damage or business interruption losses resulting from fires, catastrophes and other perils covered in industrial, commercial property and homeowners��policies, and are written on both a proportional and non-proportional basis. The Company�� predominant exposure under these property coverage is to property damage. The Company�� property reinsurance treaties exclude certain risks, such as war, nuclear, biological and chemical contamination, radiation and environmental pollution.

The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for non-the United States casualty business. This reinsurance protection is offered on a proportional, non-proportional or facultative basis. The Company provides specialized reinsurance protection for non-the United States property business. This reinsurance protection is offered on a proportional, non-proportional or facultative basis. The Company�� Non-life business is produced both through brokers and through direct relationships with insurance companies. In North America, business is written through brokers, while globally, the business is written on both a direct and broker basis.

Life Segment

The Company�� Life ! segment i! ncludes the mortality, longevity and health lines of business written primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. The Company provides reinsurance coverage to life insurers and pension funds to against individual and group mortality and disability risks. Mortality business is written on a proportional basis through treaty agreements. Mortality business is subdivided into death and disability covers (with various riders) written in Continental Europe, term assurance and critical illness (TCI) written in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and guaranteed minimum death benefit (GMDB) written in Continental Europe. The Company also writes certain treaties on a non-proportional basis in France.

The Company provides reinsurance coverage to employer sponsored pension schemes and life insurers who issue annuity contracts offering long-term retirement benefits to consumers, who seek protection against outliving their financial resources. The Company�� longevity portfolio is subdivided into standard and non-standard annuities. The non-standard annuities are annuities sold to consumers with aggravated health conditions and are underwritten on an individual basis. The Company provides reinsurance coverage to life insurers with respect to individual and group health risks. The Company�� Life business is produced both through brokers and through direct relationships with insurance companies. During the year ended December 31, 2011, one cedant accounted for 13% of the Life segment�� total gross premiums written and one broker, the Aon Group (including the Benfield Group), accounted for 16% of the Life segment�� total gross premiums written.

The Company competes with Munich Re, Swiss Re, Everest Re, Hannover Re, SCOR, Transatlantic, Arch Capital, Axis Capital and XL Group.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  International insurance holding company PartnerRe Ltd. (PRE) raised its quarterly dividend 5% to 67 cents per share, payable on Feb. 28 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 18.
  PRE Dividend Yield: 2.72%

Top Gas Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Ishares Trust Dow Jones United States Financial (IYG)

iShares Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the financial services sector of the United States equity market and is a subset of the Dow Jones U.S. Financials Index. The Index includes companies in sectors, such as banks and investment management/brokers.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Mary Anne & Pamela Aden]

  So, for now, the US stock market is the best overall market. So continue holding the stocks you have, which are mostly doing very well. If you want to buy new positions and increase your stock allocation, the following ETFs are among the strongest ETFs, and we recommend them for purchase: SPDR KBW Bank (KBE)
  
  Consumer Discretionary SPDR (XLY)
  
  Merrill Lynch Retail HOLDRS (RTH)
  
  iShares Dow Jones US Financial Service (IYG)
  
  PowerShares Dynamic Leisure & Entertainment (PEJ)
  
  

  Subscribe to The Aden Forecast here��/P>

Top Gas Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Mueller Industries Inc (MLI)

Mueller Industries, Inc., incorporated on October 03, 1990, is a manufacturer of copper, brass, plastic, and aluminum products. The Company�� products include copper tube and fittings; brass and copper alloy rod, bar, and shapes; aluminum and brass forgings; aluminum and copper impact extrusions; plastic pipe, fittings and valves; refrigeration valves and fittings; fabricated tubular products; and steel nipples. The Company also resells imported brass and plastic plumbing valves, malleable iron fittings, faucets and plumbing specialty products. Mueller�� operations are located throughout the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, and China. The Company has two segments: the Plumbing & Refrigeration segment and the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) segment. The Plumbing & Refrigeration segment is composed of the Standard Products Division (SPD), European Operations, and Mexican Operations. The OEM segment is composed of the Industrial Products Division (IPD), Engineered Products Division (EPD), and Jiangsu Mueller-Xingrong Copper Industries Limited (Mueller-Xingrong), the Company�� Chinese joint venture. On August 16, 2012, the Company acquired 100% of the stock of Westermeyer Industries, Inc. (Westermeyer), located in Bluffs, Illinois. Westermeyer designs, manufactures, and distributes high-pressure components and accessories for the air-conditioning and refrigeration markets. In October 2013, Commercial Metals Company completed the sale of Howell Metal Company, to Mueller Copper Tube Products, Inc., a subsidiary of Mueller Industries, Inc.

Plumbing & Refrigeration segment

SPD manufactures and sells copper tube, copper and plastic fittings, plastic pipe, and valves in North America and sources products for import distribution in North America. European Operations manufacture copper tube in Europe, which is sold in Europe and the Middle East; activities also include import distribution in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Mexican Operations consist of pi! pe nipple manufacturing and import distribution businesses, including product lines of malleable iron fittings and other plumbing specialties. The Plumbing & Refrigeration segment sells products to wholesalers in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and refrigeration markets, to distributors to the manufactured housing and recreational vehicle industries, and to building material retailers.

Mueller�� Plumbing & Refrigeration segment includes SPD, which manufactures a line of copper tube, in sizes ranging from 1/8 inch to eight inch diameter, which are sold in various straight lengths and coils. Mueller is in the air-conditioning and refrigeration service tube markets. In addition, Mueller supplies a variety of water tube in straight lengths and coils used for plumbing applications in virtually every type of construction project. SPD also manufactures copper and plastic fittings and related components for the plumbing and heating industry that are used in water distribution systems, heating systems, air-conditioning, and refrigeration applications, and drainage, waste, and vent systems. SPD�� products are used in the domestic residential and commercial construction markets. The Plumbing & Refrigeration segment also fabricates steel pipe nipples and resells imported brass and plastic plumbing valves, malleable iron fittings, faucets, and plumbing specialty products to plumbing wholesalers, distributors to the manufactured housing and recreational vehicle industries and building materials retailers.

The Company competes with Cerro Flow Products, Inc., Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC , Wolverine Tube, Inc., KobeWieland Copper Products LLC, Howell Metal Company, Elkhart Products Company, NIBCO, Inc. and Charlotte Pipe & Foundry.

OEM segment

The OEM segment manufactures and sells brass and copper alloy rod, bar, and shapes; aluminum and brass forgings; aluminum and copper impact extrusions; refrigeration valves and fittings; fabr! icated tu! bular products, and gas valves and assemblies. Mueller-Xingrong manufactures engineered copper tube primarily for air-conditioning applications. The products are sold primarily to OEMs located in China. The OEM segment sells its products primarily to original equipment manufacturers, many of which are in the HVAC, plumbing, and refrigeration markets.

Mueller�� OEM segment includes IPD, which manufactures brass rod, nonferrous forgings, and impact extrusions that are sold primarily to OEMs in the plumbing, refrigeration, fluid power, and automotive industries, as well as to other manufacturers and distributors. The Company extrudes brass, bronze and copper alloy rod in sizes ranging from 3/8 inches to four inches in diameter. These alloys are used in applications that require a high degree of machinability, wear and corrosion resistance, as well as electrical conductivity. IPD also manufactures brass and aluminum forgings, which are used in a variety of products, including automotive components, brass fittings, industrial machinery, valve bodies, gear blanks, and computer hardware. IPD also serves the automotive, military ordnance, aerospace, and general manufacturing industries with cold-formed aluminum and copper impact extrusions. The OEM segment also includes EPD, which manufactures and fabricates valves and custom OEM products for refrigeration and air-conditioning, gas appliance, and barbecue grill applications. In addition, EPD manufactures shaped and formed tube, produced to tight tolerances, for baseboard heating, appliances, and medical instruments.

The Company competes with Chase Brass and Copper Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Neil Macneale]

  Among the potential addition to our portfolio, Mueller Industries (MLI) may seem among the least likely. It�� a very small-cap company ($1.8B) and it�� not very well known (covered by only two analysts).

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) has dropped 5.2% so far this year, while Mueller Industries (MLI), which has plunged 55%, Medidata Solutions (MDSO), which has plummeted 44%, Financial Engines (FNGN), which has slid 42%, and Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS), which has tumbled 42%, are the index’s biggest losers.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Mueller? ...Mueller?
  Although quality value stocks can be as elusive as Ferris Bueller on his day off, investors would be wise to add Mueller Industries (NYSE: MLI  ) , provider of�copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic products, to their watchlists.

Top Gas Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: KVH Industries Inc.(KVHI)

KVH Industries, Inc. engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of mobile communication products for the marine, land mobile, and aeronautical markets primarily in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company also offers navigation, guidance, and stabilization products for the defense and commercial markets. Its mobile communications products and airtime services include TracVision; TracPhone; CommBox system, a middleware software; and mini-VSAT broadband airtime, which enable customers to receive voice, Internet, and live digital television services in their marine vessels, recreational vehicles, automobiles, and commercial airplanes through satellite. The company?s guidance and stabilization products consist of precision fiber optic gyro based systems that help stabilize platforms, such as gun turrets, remote weapon stations, and radar units, as well as provides guidance for munitions; and tactical navigation systems that offer access to navigation and point ing information in a range of military vehicles, including tactical trucks and light armored vehicles. Its guidance and stabilization products are used in various commercial applications comprising precision mapping, dynamic surveying, autonomous vehicles, train location control and track geometry measurement systems, industrial robotics, and optical stabilization. The company sells its mobile communications products through an international network of retailers, distributors, and dealers; and guidance and stabilization products directly to the United States and allied governments, and government contractors, as well as through an international network of authorized independent sales representatives. It also leases its products directly to end users. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Middletown, Rhode Island.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  In trading on Thursday, technology shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 0.08%. Top decliners in the sector included KVH Industries (NASDAQ: KVHI), off 8.6%, and Yandex NV (NASDAQ: YNDX), down 7.3%.

Top Gas Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Spdr S&P Homebuilders Etf (XHB)

SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (the Fund) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before expenses, the performance of the S&P Homebuilders Select Industry Index (the Index). To accomplish this, the Fund utilizes a passive or indexing approach and attempts to approximate the investment performance of its Index, by investing in a portfolio of stocks intended to replicate the Index.

The S&P Homebuilders Select Industry Index seeks to provide a representation of the homebuilders��sub-industry portion of the S&P Total Market Index. The S&P TMI tracks all the United States common stocks regularly traded on the NYSE, American Stock Exchange, NASDAQ National Market and NASDAQ Small Cap Exchanges. The Homebuilders Index is an equal weighted market cap index.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Maxfield]

  Meanwhile, housing is feeling the effects via higher mortgage rates. For portions of last year, a 30-year conventional mortgage carried an interest rate of less than 3.5%. Since the Fed's announcements, the same rate has climbed back to more than 4%. This is sending shivers through homebuilders' stocks, as the net effect is to make homes more expensive. The SPDR S&P Homebuilders (NYSEMKT: XHB  ) ETF, which tracks the housing sector, is down almost 9% since May 22.

Top Gas Utility Companies To Watch In Right Now: Model N Inc (MODN)

Model N, Inc., incorporated on December 14, 1999, is a provider of revenue management solutions for the life science and technology industries. The Company�� solutions enable its customers to maximize revenues and reduce revenue compliance risk by transforming their revenue lifecycle from a series of tactical, disjointed operations into a strategic end-to-end process. The Company�� customers use its application suites to manage mission-critical functions, such as pricing, contracting, incentives and rebates. Its solutions include two complementary suites of software applications, Revenue Management Enterprise and Revenue Management Intelligence. On January 18, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of LeapFrogRx, Inc. (LeapFrogRx), a privately held cloud-based analytics solution provider for the pharmaceutical industry.

The Company provides solutions that span the organizational and operational boundaries of functions such as sales, marketing and finance, and serve as a system of record for key revenue management processes including pricing, contracts, rebates and regulatory compliance. Its application suites are purpose-built for the life science and technology industries and are designed to work with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) applications that do not typically provide revenue management capabilities by enabling real-time pricing, managing contracts and automating channel incentives management, including rebates.

Revenue Management Enterprise suite

A broad set of transactional applications that serve as a system of record for, and automate the execution of revenue management processes such as incentive and rebate management, pricing and contracting. This suite includes its Price Management, Deal Management, Contract Management, Incentive and Rebate Management and Regulatory Compliance Management applications, which can be purchased together as a suite or as separate stand-alone applications.

Revenue Management Intelligence suite

A broad set of intelligence applications that provide the analytical insights to define and optimize revenue management strategies. This suite includes its Price Strategy, Brand Strategy, Channel Strategy, Managed Markets Strategy and International Reference Pricing applications, which can be purchased together as a suite or as separate stand-alone applications.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  I went out on a limb last week, and now it's time to see how that decision played out.

  I predicted that Model N (NYSE: MODN  ) would post a smaller loss than analysts were expecting. The provider of revenue management solutions has been a dud since going public nearly a year ago, but one thing it has consistently done is post a smaller deficit than what the pros are forecasting. Wall Street was settling for a loss of $0.12 a share, and Model N sported only $0.03 a share in red ink. The stock soared 19% on Tuesday after the better-than-expected report. I was right. After more than a year of predicting that the tech-heavy Nasdaq would outperform the Dow Jones Industrial Average � (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) , I mixed things up two weeks ago. I simply predicted that the Dow would bounce back after plunging 3.5% and 1.1% over the prior two weeks. I repeated the call this time around, and the Dow responded with a hearty 2.3% gain. I was right.� My final call was for LeapFrog (NYSE: LF  ) to beat Wall Street's income estimates in its latest quarter. The maker of electronic learning toys has been routinely beating Wall Street projections over the past year. I was banking on a repeat performance, but it wasn't to be. LeapFrog merely broke even on a sharper drop in revenue than expected. Analysts had been braced for a profit of $0.14 a share. I was wrong.

  Two out of three? I can do better than that. Let me once again whip out my trusty, dusty, and occasionally accurate crystal ball to make three calls that may play out over the next few trading days.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Model N Inc. (NYSE: MODN) develops applications, such as managed care and government pricing, for life science companies and channel incentives based on design wins for technology companies. The company’s customers use its application suites to manage mission-critical functions, such as pricing, contracting, incentives and rebates. The company had a recent initial public offering (IPO) that traded as high as $24.80 before badly missing earnings and being taken to the woodshed. Deutsche Bank still rates it as a stock to buy and has a $12 price target. The consensus target is at $15. The stock closed Friday at $9.88.

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Top 5 Safest Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Julius Baer Gruppe AG (BAER)

Julius Baer Gruppe AG (the Group) is a Switzerland-based private banking group, with an exclusive focus on servicing and advising private clients and independent asset managers. The Group has a global presence with approximately 50 locations in more than 25 countries and jurisdictions. Julius Baer Gruppe AG was established through spin off from Julius Baer Holding AGs businesses into two independent entities, namely the Company, together with its subsidiaries, comprising Bank Julius Baer & Co Ltd as its principal operating entity, and GAM Holding, together with its subsidiaries, comprising GAM and the Julius Baer-branded asset management business, which includes the private label funds business that formerly was part of Julius Baer Holding Ltds Bank Julius Baer segment. The Group diversifies its operations into geographical segments, including Switzerland, rest of Europe, Americas, and Asia and Other Countries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Corinne Gretler]

  Julius Baer Group Ltd. (BAER) rallied 5.7 percent to 42.04 francs. Switzerlands third-biggest wealth manager said increased client trading boosted margins as it integrated Merrill Lynch businesses acquired from Bank of America Corp. last year. The gross margin, which reflects how much the bank makes in revenue on managed client assets, rose to 102 basis points in the first half, from 98 basis points in the year-earlier period.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-safest-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now-2.html

Gilead Sciences: “Officially a Value Stock”

Earlier this month, RBC Capital Markets wondered whether Gilead Sciences (GILD) is actually a value stock. After last night’s earnings release, Piper Jaffray’s Joshua Schimmer and team say that’s now officially the case.

Bloomberg

They explain why Gilead’s “officially a ‘value’ stock:”

[Gilead Sciences] reported one of the most impressive beats in biopharma history, led by Sovaldi’s $2.27B vs consensus $0.94B and was above expectations in the U.S., EU and ROW. Equally importantly, the performance highlighted the sizable upside on operating margins and taxes. As consensus estimates increase to reflect these factors, we believe [Gilead Sciences] will appeal to value investors (and, eventually dividend investors). Along with ongoing launch execution in EU/ROW, the all-oral GT1 combination in the U.S. and beyond and advancing the pipeline including idelalisib, this bodes well for share outperformance…With our new estimates, [Gilead Sciences] now trades at just 12x our 2015 EPS estimate and 10x our 2015 EPS estimate, both of which may yet prove conservative.

Top Dividend Companies To Own For 2015

JPMorgan’s Geoff Meacham and team make a similar point:

Clearly, Gilead's dramatic 1Q results…should drive Street forecasts significantly higher. Indeed, we've raised Sovaldi forecasts by ~50% and non-GAAP EPS by ~30% for 2014-2015. The debate, however, is not whether 1Q was stellar (it was), it's on payer influence, patient tiering and hep C franchise duration. While the Street is busy fretting over these issues, [Gilead Sciences] shares will be trading at ~11.5X our new (and still conservative) 2015 estimate of $6.52, yet with a 100% earnings growth rate for 2014-2015E.

Might that be the reason that Gilead’s shares are climbing today, even as most other big biotech names get clobbered. Gilead has risen 3.2% to $75.17 at 12:15 p.m. today, while Amgen (AMGN) has fallen 5.2% after missing earnings forecasts and Biogen Idec (BIIB) has dropped after it too disappointed. The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) has declined 2.2% to $131.13, while the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) is off 1.4% at $231.54.

Hot Communications Equipment Companies To Buy For 2015

Hot Communications Equipment Companies To Buy For 2015: Motorola Solutions Inc (MSI)

Motorola Solutions, Inc. (Motorola Solutions), incorporated March 9, 1973, provides communication infrastructure, devices, software and services. The Company provides these products and services for enterprise and government customers worldwide. The Company operates in two segments: Government and Enterprise. The Government segment includes sales of public safety communications systems, commercial two-way radio systems and devices, software and services. The Enterprise segment includes sales of rugged and enterprise-grade mobile computers and tablets, laser/imaging/RFID-based data capture products, wireless local area network (WLAN) and integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN) infrastructure, software and services. In January 2014, the Company announced that it has acquired Twisted Pair Solutions, a provider of push-to-talk over broadband applications for secure, real-time communication anywhere, on any device.

Government

The Government segment designs, manufactures, sells, and provides services around voice and data communications systems, devices, security products and applications. These products and services are sold to a range of customers, including government, public safety and first responder agencies, as well as commercial customers who operate private communications networks and manage a mobile workforce.

The Company offer a portfolio of network infrastructure, devices, applications and services, based on Association for Public Safety Communications Officials 25 (APCO), terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA), and digital mobile radio (DMR) standards, as well as broadband technologies (Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and WiFi). Its products and services are sold stand alone, as well as part of an integrated system. In addition, Motorola Solutions offer critical appli! cations in the public safety command center, including voice, computer aided dispatch and multimedia/video. The Company's service offering includes mobility consulting, system design and installatio! n, network and device management and product support.

The Company competes with Cassidian/EADS, Harris, Hytera, Kenwood, Sepura and Tait.

Enterprise

The Enterprise segment designs, manufactures, sells and provides services around WLAN infrastructure, rugged and enterprise-grade advanced data capture and mobile computing devices, security products and applications. These are sold to a range of enterprise customers, including those in retail and hospitality, transportation and logistics, manufacturing, energy and utilities, education and healthcare. Motorola Solutions offers a portfolio of devices, infrastructure, applications and services, which include rugged and enterprise-grade mobile computers and tablets, laser/imager/RFID based data capture devices and kiosks, WLAN switches/controllers and access points, network and device management software, network and device security software, voice-based devices and software, and systems bas ed iDEN technology.

The Company competes with Apple, Aruba, Bluebird, Cisco, Datalogic, Honeywell, Hewlett Packard, Intermec, Psion, Panasonic and Samsung.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Vigna]

  Motorola Solutions Inc.(MSI) reported sales and profit that exceeded the company’s expectations, while it unveiled a new share-repurchasing plan.

• [By Sara Murphy]

  As part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, representatives from Intel (NASDAQ: INTC  ) , Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI  ) , Ford (NYSE: F  ) (NYSE: F  ) , and Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG  ) participated in a round-table discussion on responsible minerals sourcing, hosted by the Enough Project at the Center for American Progress. Each of these companies ha! s develop! ed robust systems that aim to eliminate the terrible human cost associated with the minerals they need to make their products. They are working with the Enough Project, an NGO that works to provide a framework for best practices.

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

  Zebra Technologies made a bid to substantially grow its business, agreeing to buy Motorola Solutions Inc.'s(MSI) enterprise business for $3.45 billion in cash. The deal represents a large expansion for Zebra as the barcode-printing and asset-tracking company looks to strengthen its presence in retail, logistics, transportation and manufacturing. Zebra shares rose 5.54% to $72.04 and Motorola Solutions shares increased 3.5% to $66.01.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-communications-equipment-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

5 Best China Stocks To Invest In 2014

Bitcoin was supposed to be beyond the reach of governments, but investors in the virtual currency are realizing that is not the case.

The price of a Bitcoin slumped Wednesday after China's largest exchange for the virtual currency said it would stop accepting deposits in yuan ��China's local currency.

The much-ballyhooed currency has lost more than half its value since hitting records above $1,100 at the end of November. On Wednesday, the price of a Bitcoin fell 18% to $558 and traded as low as $422.50 earlier in the day, according to an index run by CoinDesk, a website focused on digital currencies.

The exchange, BTC China, said that "due to the reasons that everyone knows, BTC China has to temporarily stop its yuan account recharging functions." BTC China made the comments on Weibo, a popular Chinese micro-blogging service similar to Twitter.

Top Specialty Retail Companies To Watch In Right Now: Changyou.com Limited(CYOU)

Changyou.com Limited develops and operates online games in the People?s Republic of China. It involves in the development, operation, and licensing of massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs), which are interactive online games that might be played simultaneously by various game players. The company operates seven MMORPGs that include its in house developed Tian Long Ba Bu; and licensed Blade Online, Blade Hero 2, Da Hua Shui Hu, Zhong Hua Ying Xiong, Immortal Faith, and San Jie Qi Yuan. As of December 31, 2010, Changyou?s games in China had approximately 111.4 million aggregate registered accounts; 1.0 million aggregate peak concurrent users; and 2.7 million aggregate active paying accounts. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China. Changyou.com Limited is a subsidiary of Sohu.com Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damian Illia]

  In the video game industry no one is playing games. Users are seeking entertainment on all kinds of devices, and companies strive hard to stand out and profit in this shifting field. Competition might be stiff, but it�� a highly profitable business for those that make it to the next level. Electronic Arts (EA), Changyou.com (CYOU) and Activision Blizzard (ATVI) are three game developers with different, but interesting, prospects ahead. Let�� take a closer look at them and see if you��e up for play:

5 Best China Stocks To Invest In 2014: Perfect World Co. Ltd.(PWRD)

Perfect World Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, operation, and licensing of online games primarily in the People?s Republic of China, the United States, and the Rest of Asia. It develops online games based on its game engines and game development platforms. The company?s 3D massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) include Perfect World, an adventure and fantasy game with traditional Chinese settings; Legend of Martial Arts, an adventure story of Chinese swordsmen set in an ancient kingdom; and Perfect World II, which is set in a similar content and graphic background as Perfect World. It also offers Zhu Xian that is based on martial arts focused adventure set in a fantasy world; Chi Bi, a war story developed based on ancient Chinese history known as the Three Kingdoms; Hot Dance Party, a 3D online casual game; Pocketpet Journey West, a 3D MMORPG based on the classical novel of Chinese literature, Journey to the West ; Battle of the Immortals, a mysterious adventure, which enables game players to travel between eastern and western cultures, and adventures in historic sites and turf wars; and Fantasy Zhu Xian, a 2D turn-based MMORPG based on the Internet fantasy novel Zhu Xian. It also involves in the production and distribution of films, as well as television advertising activities. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Perfect World Co (NASDAQ: PWRD) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.43 per share on revenue of $142.11 million.

  TICC Capital (NASDAQ: TICC) is estimated to report its Q4 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $28.43 million.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Perfect World's (NASDAQ: PWRD  ) fortunes might just be improved with a freshly announced new title. The company has revealed that its latest game, Fortuna, will be available starting on July 18. Set in Europe during the Age of Discovery, the browser-based title is a strategy/war game in which players vie to develop modest settlements into global empires. Fortuna features the usual cutthroat conventions of the strategy and combat genres, including the ability to throw armies into battle, and to form opportunistic alliances with other players.

5 Best China Stocks To Invest In 2014: KongZhong Corporation(KONG)

KongZhong Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless interactive entertainment, media, and community services to mobile phone users in the People's Republic of China. It also involves in the development, distribution, and marketing of consumer wireless value-added services, including wireless application protocol, multimedia messaging services, short messaging services, interactive voice response services, and color ring back tones. In addition, it offers interactive entertainment services, such as mobile games, pictures, karaoke, electronic books, mobile phone personalization features, entertainment news, chat, and message boards; and through Kong.net offer news, community services, games, and other interactive media and entertainment services; and sells advertising space in the form of text-link, banner, and button advertisements. Further, the company develops and publishes mobile games, including downloadable mobile games and online mobile games cons isting of action, role-playing, and leisure games. As of December 31, 2009, it had a library of approximately 300 internally developed mobile games. Additionally, it develops online games; and provides consulting and technology services, as well as media and net book services. The company was formerly known as Communication Over The Air Inc. and changed its name to KongZhong Corporation in March 2004. KongZhong Corporation was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top losers in the sector included China Unicom (Hong Kong) (NYSE: CHU), off 4.5 percent, and Kongzhong (NASDAQ: KONG), down 4.7 percent.

  Top Headline
  The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) reported better-than-expected first-quarter profit. Boeing's quarterly profit declined to $965 million, or $1.28 per share, from a year-ago profit of $1.11 billion, or $1.44 per share. Its adjusted earnings surged to $1.76 per share compared to $1.73 per share. Its revenue climbed to $20.47 billion versus $18.89 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $1.57 per share on revenue of $20.24 billion. For the full year, Boeing expects adjusted earnings of $7.15 to $7.35 per share.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 wireless services player that looks poised for a big spike higher is KongZhong (KONG), which is a provider of WVAS and mobile games to mobile phone users and a wireless media company providing news, content, community and mobile advertising services through its wireless Internet sites in the PRC. This stock is off to a hot start in 2013, with shares up sharply by 53%.

  If you take a look at the chart for KongZhong, you'll notice that this stock has been downtrending badly for the last two months, with shares plunging lower from its high of $14.92 to its recent low of $7.78 a share. During that downtrend, shares of KONG have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of KONG into oversold territory, since its current relative strength index reading is 30.21. Shares of KONG are now starting to spike higher off its recent low of $7.78 a share and off its 200-day moving average of $7.95 a share. This spike could be signaling that the downside volatility for KONG is over in the short-term and the stock is ready to trend higher.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KONG if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $8.50 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 519,857 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then KONG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $10 to its 50-day moving average at $11.33 a share.

  Traders can look to buy KONG off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support at $7.78 a share. One can also buy KONG off strength once it takes out $8.50 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [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 Kongzhong (Nasdaq: KONG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

5 Best China Stocks To Invest In 2014: BHP Billiton Limited(BHP)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Alcoa took a risk in putting itself in its current position, and so far, that effort has paid off. Major competitors like BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP  ) and Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO  ) have taken steps to reduce their exposure to aluminum, and their willingness to sell off assets at less than premium prices in part contributed to Alcoa's big share-price decline going into last year. Yet investors are counting on Alcoa's aluminum focus to boost its growth as the industry strengthens.

• [By David O��ara]

  BHP Billiton
  With operations targeting steel production (iron ore, coking coal and manganese) along with a considerable energy portfolio,�BHP Billiton� (LSE: BLT  ) (NYSE: BHP  ) is the most diverse of the three companies. BHP also has most of its operations in Australia, the U.S. and Chile. As such, it is less exposed to political risk than Anglo American (LSE: AAL  ) .

• [By John Buckingham]

  BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP)

  Australian conglomerate BHP is one of the world's largest miners, with diverse businesses that include aluminum, coal, copper, iron ore, mineral sands, oil, gas, nickel, diamonds, uranium, and silver.

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014

After suffering through one of the most trying periods in its history, US automakers have emerged financially stronger and stand to benefit from a number of tailwinds in the domestic market, observes Elliott Gue, editor of Capitalist Times.

At the end of 2012, the median age of passenger vehicles still on the road in the US touched a record high of 11.4 years; the rising age of the US auto fleet implies that many of these cars will need to be replaced in coming years.

Credit availability and affordability have also improved dramatically, which should continue to fuel sales of new cars. Although interest rates have ticked up slightly this year, the cost of financing the purchase of a new vehicle remains near a record-low.

The only major US automaker to avoid bankruptcy during the Great Recession, Ford Motor Company (F) boasts the best-positioned product lineup to take advantage of improving automobile sales in the US, and long-term demand growth in China, and other emerging markets.

Best Communications Equipment Companies To Buy Right Now: Intuitive Surgical Inc.(ISRG)

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets da Vinci surgical systems for various surgical procedures, including urologic, gynecologic, cardiothoracic, general, and head and neck surgeries. Its da Vinci surgical system consists of a surgeon?s console or consoles, a patient-side cart, a 3-D vision system, and proprietary ?wristed? instruments. The company?s da Vinci surgical system translates the surgeon?s natural hand movements on instrument controls at the console into corresponding micro-movements of instruments positioned inside the patient through small puncture incisions, or ports. It also manufactures a range of EndoWrist instruments, which incorporate wrist joints for natural dexterity for various surgical procedures. Its EndoWrist instruments consist of forceps, scissors, electrocautery, scalpels, and other surgical tools. In addition, it sells various vision and accessory products for use in conjunction with the da Vinci Surgical System as surgical procedures are performed. The company?s accessory products include sterile drapes used to ensure a sterile field during surgery; vision products, such as replacement 3-D stereo endoscopes, camera heads, light guides, and other items. It markets its products through sales representatives in the United States, and through sales representatives and distributors in international markets. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sue Chang and Ben Eisen]

  Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) �rallied 8.6% following a positive write-up on its da Vinci surgery system from analysts at Wedbush. ��utcomes and cost-effectiveness data are beginning to favor da Vinci surgery as surgeons and operating room personnel gain greater experience with the technology,��said analyst Tao Levy in his report. Levy believes adoption of robotic surgery will increase over time.

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  If the Apple stock split does succeed in putting splits back into vogue, these companies are most in need of one:

  Priceline Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PCLN) - Share price: $1,232.43
  The online travel company famous for its commercials with William Shatner actually did a 1-for-6 reverse stock split back in 2003 following the dot-com bust. That bad memory has probably been a factor holding PCLN back from doing a stock split. But at this point a 10-to-1 split would make perfect sense. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) - Share price: $568.09
  The Mexican restaurant chain has enjoyed a lot of growth and is a star player in the casual dining sector. It has never had a stock split. Management has frequently scoffed at the idea of a stock split, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. Until about a year ago, Apple said the same thing. Autozone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) - Share price: $533.84
  AutoZone is a retailer and a U.S. distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories. The company has had two 2-for-1 splits in its history, in 1992 and 1994, so it certainly is due. Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) - Share price: $421.54
  Growing from a by-mail DVD rental and subscription service into a full-blown Internet-based TV network has pushed NFLX to impressive heights. Netflix had one 2-for-1 split back in 2004. But the dramatic fall of the stock back in 2011 - from just over $300 to $50 - no doubt has kept the company from pulling the trigger on a stock split. The price will have to go even higher to convince management it's safe to split. Intuitive Surgical Inc. (Nasdaq: ISRG) - Share price: $373.90
  Intuitive Surgical designs, manufactures, and markets its own da Vinci Surgical Systems and related instruments and accessories. As ISRG has pulled back from highs of about $575 a share over the past couple of years, a stock split for Intuitive would seem counterintuitive for now. Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq
• [By Sue Chang and Saumya Vaishampayan]

  Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) �shares fell 6.5%, breaking an eight-session winning streak. The stock got a strong boost recently after the company said it received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its da Vinci Xi Surgical System.

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: Waste Management Inc.(WM)

Waste Management, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides waste management services to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in North America. It offers collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal services. The company also owns, develops, and operates waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. Its collection services involves in picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility, or disposal site; and recycling operations include collection and materials processing, plastics materials recycling, and commodities recycling. In addition, it provides recycling brokerage, which includes managing the marketing of recyclable materials for third parties; and electronic recycling services, such as collection, sorting, and disassembling of discarded computers, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment. Further, the company e ngages in renting and servicing portable restroom facilities to municipalities and commercial customers under the Port-o-Let name; and involves in landfill gas-to-energy operations comprising recovering and processing the methane gas produced naturally by landfills into a renewable energy source, as well as provides street and parking lot sweeping services. Additionally, it offers portable self-storage, fluorescent lamp recycling, and medical waste services for healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and individuals, as well as provides services on behalf of third parties to construct waste facilities. The company was formerly known as USA Waste Services, Inc. and changed its name to Waste Management, Inc. in 1998. Waste Management, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Hill]

  Waste Management (NYSE: WM  ) reported a slight decline in first-quarter profits but revenues increased. Shares of the trash giant hit their highest point since 1999. In this installment of Motley Fool Money, our analysts talk about the future of Waste Management.

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI)

Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides workers compensation insurance and reinsurance products in the United States. The company?s Workers Compensation Insurance segment provides traditional workers compensation insurance coverage products, including guaranteed cost policies, policyholder dividend policies, retrospectively-rated policies, deductible policies, and alternative market products to employers. This segment distributes its workers? compensation products and services through its independent insurance agents primarily in Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Maryland, Indiana, and Virginia. Its Segregated Portfolio Cell Reinsurance segment offers alternative market workers compensation solutions comprising program design, fronting, claims administration, risk management, segregated portfolio cell rental, asset management, and segregated portfolio management services to individual companies, groups, and associations. Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  ProAssurance Corp.(PRA) agreed to acquire Eastern Insurance Holdings Inc.(EIHI) for about $205 million, expanding the insurance company’s casualty insurance offerings. Eastern Insurance is a domestic casualty insurance group specializing in workers’ compensation products and services, among other things. ProAssurance plans to pay $24.50 in cash for each outstanding Eastern share, a 16% premium over Monday’s closing price.

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

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanin Aegea]

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

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

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

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

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

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

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

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

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

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Back in 2012, I wrote a piece titled, "Five Trends Driving Traditional Retail Towards Extinction." Looking back, I'm generally happy to see that the trends I examined are still valid, though "extinction" might be a little strong. Living in New York provides a firsthand view into the petri dish that many of these companies use to experiment. So almost two years later, I've revisited the space to focus on three more trends that are changing the way we shop. (I'm leaving out an exploration of mobile for the moment, since it's probably worth its own post.) The Macro View First, a brief look at the bigger picture. Last month marked Amazon's (AMZN) 20th anniversary, which is kind of amazing to think about since e-commerce seems both very new and indispensable at the same time. Either way, the world has had plenty of time to digest the trend. It makes some sense then that the pace of e-commerce growth appears to be decelerating in both the developed and developing worlds. I should note that a deceleration in the developing world means going from say, 94 percent year-over-year growth in China in 2012, to 64 percent in 2014. Those are still monster numbers, and there's still plenty of land to grab, but the peak growth rates appear to be in the rearview. In the U.S., the pace of growth is a more stately 14 percent. The sector attracts a healthy sum of sum of venture money -- nearly $1 billion in Q1 of 2014, according the National Venture Capital Association. But all of that strength doesn't mean that the future of shopping is as simple as buying everything online. Consider our first trend: Location-Based Technology for Stores For online retailers, it's always been relatively easy to gather data about customers. If you run a Web company you can track all kinds of information about shoppers who visit your site -- where they're located, how they reached your page, what they look at and where they get held up during the shopping process. This helps e-commerce companie

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Other department stores, such as Nordstrom (JWN) and Kohl’s (KSS) are also dedicating more space to active wear, the analysts say.

  As a result, Boss and McCormick upgraded Under Armour to Neutral from Underweight. They write:

10 Best Growth Stocks To Watch For 2014: Checkpoint Systms Inc.(CKP)

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. manufactures and markets identification, tracking, security, and merchandising solutions for the retail and apparel industry worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Shrink Management Solutions, Apparel Labeling Solutions, and Retail Merchandising Solutions. The Shrink Management Solutions segment provides shrink management and merchandise visibility solutions. It offers electronic article surveillance systems, such as EVOLVE, a suite of RF and RFID-enabled products that act as a deterrent to prevent merchandise theft in retail stores; and electronic article surveillance consumables, including EAS-RF and EAS-EM labels that work in combination with EAS systems to reduce merchandise theft in retail stores. This segment also provides keepers, spider wraps, bottle security, and hard tags, as well as Showsafe, a line alarm system for protecting display merchandise. In addition, it offers physical and electronic store monitoring solutions, incl uding fire alarms, intrusion alarms, and digital video recording systems for retail environments; and RFID tags and labels. The Apparel Labeling Solutions segment provides apparel labeling solutions to apparel retailers, brand owners, and manufacturers. It has Web-enabled apparel labeling solutions platform and network of 28 service bureaus located in 22 countries that supplies customers with customized apparel tags and labels. The Retail Merchandising Solutions segment offers hand-held label applicators and tags, promotional displays, and queuing systems. The company serves retailers in the supermarket, drug store, hypermarket, and mass merchandiser markets through direct distribution and reseller channels. Checkpoint Systems was founded in 1969 and is based in Thorofare, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap Checkpoint Systems, Inc (NYSE: CKP) fights shoplifting or retail theft and other forms of�"shrink��that costs retailers over $112 billion worldwide last year (according to a study funded by the company), meaning it might be an interesting stock to take a closer look at and to compare its performance with that of SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: XRT) and PowerShares Dynamic Retail ETF (NYSEARCA: PMR). Just how bad can shoplifting or shrink be for a retailer? Troubled retailer J.C. Penney Company, Inc (NYSE: JCP) has just reported that shoplifting took a full percentage point off the department store chain's profit margins during the quarter. Moreover and given that tens of millions of Americans are now facing higher health insurance costs thanks to Obamacare (which will likely impact consumer discretionary spending),�retailers�will need to find ways to shore up their margins and bottom lines by preventing�retail theft with solutions from company�� like Checkpoint Systems.

Here's How the 'Smart Money' Is Playing Gold Stocks

Part of the recent move up in gold prices to more than $1,400 an ounce and the uptick in gold stocks is a response to the crisis in Syria.

However, there is a lot more occurring just beneath the surface than geopolitics.

But investors would never get that sense from Wall Street, which is still in the midst of its perennial "hate gold" campaign.

Take, for instance, the hullabaloo over the liquidation by hedge fund manager John Paulson of a large part of his position in SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD).

In the second quarter of this year, Paulson cut his position in GLD from 21.8 million shares to 10.2 million shares. At first glance, he seemed to have lost faith in gold and was getting out.

But, there's more to that story...

The Financial Times reported that Paulson offset much of the sale of GLD by purchasing gold swaps on the over-the-counter (OTC) market.

Part of the reason may be cost. GLD has a management fee of 0.4%. The FT reported that with gold forward curve flattening, there's little cost to holding gold derivatives.

Another reason may be less transparency, making it easier to make a major move. In the OTC derivatives market, not everyone can figure out exactly what Paulson is doing with regard to investing in gold. 

Editor's Note: This chart, with a few simple lines, illustrates a major reason to be investing in gold now - take a look here.

The real underreported action, however, may not be in the gold market, but in gold stocks.

More Smart Money Investing in Gold Stocks

Li Ka-shing, 85, is one of Hong Kong's richest businessmen. Bloomberg estimates his net worth to be about $27 billion.

He is also known as one of the world's savviest investors, buying assets on the cheap.

And he recently made a major move into gold stocks.

One of his companies, Cheung Kong Holdings Limited (CHEUY), recently formed a 50/50 joint venture with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE: CM) called CEF Holdings. They want to invest into beaten-down mining stocks and particularly gold equities.

The CEO of the joint venture, Warren Gilman, told Bloomberg, "Long term, gold is a good place to be."

He added that gold's drop in price this year "is great" because his firm can now make quality long-term investments into certain gold stocks on the cheap.

Gilman said to Bloomberg, "It's tougher and tougher to find economic gold deposits in safe jurisdictions. You [will] see mine supply struggling to keep up with demand long term. That's a great recipe for higher prices in the longer term."

The bullishness of Li Ka-shing and CIBC echoes thoughts expressed recently by Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald.

Fitz-Gerald said, "I could very easily make the argument that gold miners are unloved, undervalued and probably the worst investment of the year. But, we know from history that's precisely the best time to buy. History shows you want to buy when there's blood in the streets."

Gold Stocks Rebound

For individual investors who have fewer resources than Gilman to research specific gold-mining companies, an ETF such as the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSEArca: GDX) is a good option for investing in gold stocks.

Since hitting bottom in early July, GDX has soared about 30%. This caught some investors' attention, and now inflows into the fund are up.

But it has more upside potential for investors - and if it dips again, that would be an even better time to follow Li Ka-shing and others into gold stocks.

More support for investing in gold stocks now is the gold-stocks-to-gold ratio flagged by Money Morning Global Resource Specialist Peter Krauth. Krauth said this indicator is flashing the best buy signal in a dozen years.

In fact, Krauth found four bullish gold-price indicators all flashing buy signals now. Take a look...

Related Articles:

Money Morning:
Why Gold Mining Stocks Are a Buy Now Money Morning:
Today's Gold Convergence Is Your Best Buy Signal Yet ETF Trends:
Paulson Slashes GLD Stake Financial Times:
Paulson's Faith in Gold Unshaken Despite ETF Sale Bloomberg:
Li Ka Shing -Backed CEF Seeking to Make Gold Investments ETF Trends:
A Double for Popular Gold Miners ETF? Maybe

Hot Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014

InterOil (NYSE: IOC  ) has a new name on the door of its CEO's office. The company announced that it appointed Michael Hession to be its chief executive, effective immediately.

He replaces interim CEO Gaylen Baker. Baker briefly took the helm following the departure of Phil Mulacek, who was also the founder of the company. Mulacek's retirement was announced in April, although he has continued as a director.

The incoming CEO has many years of seasoning in the oil and gas industry. His most recent position was vice president at Browse LNG Development, a unit of Australia's Woodside Energy. He also worked in several managerial capacities in various locales around the world for BP (NYSE: BP  ) , where he began his career.

In the press release announcing Hession's appointment, Baker said the new CEO "has strong commercial ties in the industry and has shown great skill in liaising with partners and governments on complex projects."

Best Financial Stocks To Invest In 2015: FMC Technologies Inc. (FTI)

FMC Technologies, Inc. provides technology solutions for the energy industry worldwide. Its Subsea Technologies segment designs and manufactures subsea systems used in the offshore production of crude oil and natural gas; and multiphase meters used in production and surface well testing, reservoir monitoring, remote operation, fiscal allocation, process monitoring and control, and artificial lift optimization, as well as provides installation and workover tools, installation assistance, and field support for commissioning, intervention, and maintenance of subsea systems. This segment also provides remotely operated vehicle systems and remote manipulator systems, as well as offers support services for subsea control systems and other high-technology equipment for subsea exploration and production. This segment markets its products primarily through its own technical sales organization. The company�s Surface Technologies segment offers surface wellheads for standard and cri tical service applications; fluid control products for use in well completion and stimulation activities; and fracturing flowback and wireline services for exploration companies in the oil and gas industry. Its Energy Infrastructure segment offers measurement systems for the custody transfer of crude oil, natural gas, and refined products; fluid loading and transfer systems to the oil and gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries; material handling solutions, such as bulk conveying systems to the power generation and mining industries; systems that separate production flows from wells into oil, gas, sand, and water; and direct drive systems for various energy-related applications. This segment also offers design, engineering, project management, maintenance, and aftermarket services for blending and transfer systems; and automation, control, and information technology for the oil and gas, and other industries. FMC Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Yet Total has been positioning itself to take advantage of some of the most promising prospects in energy production around the world. In Africa, Total holds a substantial stake in lucrative blocks off the shore of Angola, and it also has added a presence off the coast of Nigeria, for which it recently spent $1.2 billion to buy subsea equipment from FMC Technologies (NYSE: FTI  ) to support its new operations in the Egina offshore field.

Hot Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: MPLX LP (MPLX)

MPLX LP, incorporated on March 27, 2012, is a fee-based limited partnership formed by Marathon Petroleum Corporation to own, operate, develop and acquire crude oil, refined product and other hydrocarbon-based product pipelines and other midstream assets. The Company�� assets consist of a 51% indirect interest in a network of common carrier crude oil and product pipeline systems and associated storage assets in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions of the United States.

The Company generates revenue by charging tariffs for transporting crude oil, refined products and other hydrocarbon-based products through its pipelines and at its barge dock and fees for storing crude oil and products at its storage facilities. The Company is also the operator of additional crude oil and product pipelines owned by Marathon Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries (MPC) and third parties, for which it is paid operating fees.

The Company�� assets consist of a 51% partner interest in Pipe Line Holdings, an entity which owns a 100.0% interest in Marathon Pipe Line LLC (MPL) and Ohio River Pipe Line LLC (ORPL), which in turn own: a network of pipeline systems, which includes approximately 962 miles of common carrier crude oil pipelines and approximately 1,819 miles of common carrier product pipelines extending across nine states. This network includes approximately 153 miles of common carrier crude oil and product pipelines, which it operates under long-term leases with third parties; a barge dock located on the Mississippi River near Wood River, Illinois, and crude oil and product tank farms located in Patoka, Wood River and Martinsville, Illinois and Lebanon, Indiana; and a 100.0% interest in a butane cavern located in Neal, West Virginia, which serves MPC�� Catlettsburg, Kentucky refinery.

Crude Oil Pipeline Systems

The Company�� crude oil pipeline systems and related assets are positioned to support crude oil supply options for MPC�� Midwest refineries, whic! h receive imported and domestic crude oil through a range of sources. Imported and domestic crude oil is transported to supply hubs in Wood River and Patoka, Illinois from a range of regions, including Cushing, Oklahoma on the Ozark pipeline system; Western Canada, Wyoming and North Dakota on the Keystone, Platte, Mustang and Enbridge pipeline systems, and the Gulf Coast on the Capline crude oil pipeline system.

The Company�� Patoka to Lima crude system is comprised of approximately 76 miles of 20-inch pipeline extending from Patoka, Illinois to Martinsville, Illinois, and approximately 226 miles of 22-inch pipeline extending from Martinsville to Lima, Ohio. This system also includes associated breakout tankage. Crude oil delivered on this system to MPC�� tank farm in Lima can then be shipped to MPC�� Canton, Ohio refinery through MPC�� Lima to Canton pipeline, to MPC�� Detroit refinery through MPC�� undivided joint interest portion of the Maumee pipeline, and its Samaria to Detroit pipeline, or to other third-party refineries owned by BP, Husky Energy, and PBF Energy in Lima and Toledo, Ohio.

The Company�� Catlettsburg and Robinson crude system is consisted of the pipelines: Patoka to Robinson and Patoka to Catlettsburg. Its Patoka to Robinson pipeline consists of approximately 78 miles of 20-inch pipeline, which delivers crude oil from Patoka, Illinois to MPC�� Robinson, Illinois refinery. Its Patoka to Catlettsburg pipeline consists of approximately 140 miles of 20-inch pipeline extending from Patoka, Illinois to Owensboro, Kentucky, and approximately 266 miles of 24-inch pipeline extending from Owensboro to MPC�� Catlettsburg, Kentucky refinery. Crude oil can enter this pipeline at Patoka, and into the Owensboro to Catlettsburg portion of the pipelines at Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, from the third-party Mid-Valley system.

The Company�� Detroit crude system is consisted of Samaria to Detroit and Romulus to Detroit. Its Samaria to Detroit pi! peline co! nsists of approximately 44 miles of 16-inch pipeline that delivers crude oil from Samaria, Michigan to MPC�� Detroit, Michigan refinery. This pipeline includes a tank farm and crude oil truck offloading facility located at Samaria.

The Company�� Romulus to Detroit pipeline consists of approximately 17 miles of 16-inch pipeline extending from Romulus, Michigan to MPC�� Detroit, Michigan refinery. Its Wood River to Patoka crude system is consisted of two pipelines: Wood River to Patoka and Roxanna to Patoka. Its Wood River to Patoka pipeline consists of approximately 57 miles of 22-inch pipeline, which delivers crude oil received in Wood River, Illinois from the third-party Platte and Ozark pipeline systems to Patoka, Illinois.

The Company�� Roxanna to Patoka pipeline consists of approximately 58 miles of 12-inch pipeline, which transports crude oil received in Roxanna, Illinois from the Ozark pipeline system to its tank farm in Patoka, Illinois.

Product Pipeline Systems

The Company�� product pipeline systems are positioned to transport products from five of MPC�� refineries to MPC�� marketing operations, as well as those of third parties. These pipeline systems also supply feedstocks to MPC�� Midwest refineries. These product pipeline systems are integrated with MPC�� expansive network of refined product marketing terminals, which support MPC�� integrated midstream business.

The Company�� Gulf Coast product pipeline systems include Garyville products system and Texas City products system. The Company�� Garyville products system is consisted of approximately 70 miles of 20-inch pipeline, which delivers refined products from MPC�� Garyville, Louisiana refinery to either the Plantation Pipeline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana or the MPC Zachary breakout tank farm in Zachary, Louisiana, and approximately two miles of 36-inch pipeline that delivers refined products from the MPC tank farm to Colonial Pipeline in Zachary.

The Company�� Texas City products system is comprised of approximately 39 miles of 16-inch pipeline that delivers refined products from refineries owned by MPC, BP and Valero in Texas City, Texas to MPC�� Pasadena breakout tank farm and third-party terminals in Pasadena, Texas. The system also includes approximately three miles of 30- and 36-inch pipeline that delivers refined products from MPC�� Pasadena breakout tank farm to the third-party TEPPCO and Centennial pipeline systems.

The Company�� Midwest product pipeline systems include Ohio River Pipe Line (ORPL) products system, Robinson products system and Louisville Airport products system. The Company�� ORPL products system is consisted of Kenova to Columbus, Canton to East Sparta, East Sparta to Heath, East Sparta to Midland, Heath to Dayton, and Heath to Findlay.

The Company�� Kenova to Columbus pipeline consists of approximately 150 miles of 14-inch pipeline that delivers refined products from MPC�� Catlettsburg refinery to MPC�� Columbus, Ohio area terminals. Its Canton to East Sparta pipeline consists of two parallel pipelines, which connect MPC�� Canton, Ohio refinery with its East Sparta, Ohio breakout tankage and station. The first pipeline consists of approximately 8.5 miles of six-inch pipeline that delivers products (distillates) from Canton to East Sparta. The second pipeline consists of approximately 8.5 miles of six-inch bi-directional pipeline, which can deliver products (gasoline) from Canton to East Sparta or light petroleum-based feedstocks from East Sparta to Canton.

The Company�� East Sparta to Heath pipeline consists of approximately 81 miles of eight-inch pipeline that delivers products from its East Sparta, Ohio breakout tankage and station to MPC�� terminal in Heath, Ohio. The Company�� East Sparta to Midland pipeline consists of approximately 62 miles of eight-inch bi-directional pipeline, which can deliver products and light petroleum-based feedstocks betwe! en its br! eak-out tankage and station in East Sparta, Ohio and MPC�� terminal in Midland, Pennsylvania. MPC�� Midland terminal has a marketing load rack and is able to connect to other Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-area terminals through a pipeline owned by Buckeye Pipe Line Company, L.P. and a river loading/unloading dock for products and petroleum feedstocks. This pipeline can also transport products to MPC�� terminals in Steubenville and Youngstown, Ohio through a connection at West Point, Ohio with a pipeline owned by MPC.

The Company�� Heath to Dayton pipeline consists of approximately 108 miles of six-inch pipeline, which delivers products from MPC�� terminals in Heath, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio to terminals owned by CITGO and Sunoco Logistics Partners, L.P. in Dayton, Ohio. This pipeline is bi-directional between Heath and Columbus for product deliveries. Its Heath to Findlay consists of approximately 100 miles of eight- and 10-inch pipeline, which delivers products from MPC�� terminal in Heath, Ohio to MPC�� pipeline break-out tankage and terminal in Findlay, Ohio. Robinson products system is consisted of Robinson to Lima, Robinson to Louisville, Robinson to Mt. Vernon, Wood River to Clermont, Dieterich to Martinsville and Wabash Pipeline System.

The Company�� Robinson to Lima pipeline consists of approximately 250 miles of 10-inch pipeline, which delivers products from MPC�� Robinson, Illinois refinery to MPC terminals in Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as to MPC terminals in Muncie, Indiana and Lima, Ohio. Its Robinson to Louisville pipeline consists of approximately 129 miles of 16-inch pipeline, which delivers products from MPC�� Robinson, Illinois refinery to two MPC and multiple third-party terminals in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition, these products can supply MPC and Valero terminals in Lexington, Kentucky through the Louisville to Lexington pipeline system owned by MPC and Valero.

The Company�� Robinson to Mt. Vernon pipeline consists of ap! proximate! ly 79 miles of 10-inch pipeline that delivers products from MPC�� Robinson, Illinois refinery to a MPC terminal located on the Ohio River in Mt. Vernon, Indiana. It leases this pipeline from a third party under a long-term lease. The Company�� Wood River to Clermont pipeline consists of approximately 153 miles of 10-inch pipeline extending from MPC�� terminal in Wood River, Illinois to Martinsville, Illinois, and approximately 156 miles of 10-inch pipeline extending from Martinsville, Illinois to Clermont, Indiana. This pipeline also includes approximately 9.5 miles of pipelines utilized for the local movement of products in and around Wood River, Illinois, and Clermont, Indiana.

The Company�� Dieterich to Martinsville pipeline consists of approximately 40 miles of 10-inch pipeline, which delivers products from the termination point of Centennial Pipeline to Martinsville, Illinois. From Martinsville, these products (including refinery feedstocks) can be distributed to MPC�� Robinson, Illinois refinery or to other destinations through our other pipeline systems. Its Wabash Pipeline System consists of three interconnected pipeline pipelines: approximately 130 miles of 12-inch pipeline extending from MPC�� terminal in Wood River, Illinois to Champaign, Illinois (the West leg); approximately 86 miles of 12-inch pipeline extending from MPC�� Robinson, Illinois refinery to Champaign (the East leg), and approximately 140 miles of 12- and 16-inch pipeline extending from the junction with the East and West legs in Champaign to MPC�� terminals in Griffith, Indiana and Hammond, Indiana. This pipeline system delivers products to MPC�� tanks at Martinsville, Champaign, Griffith and Hammond. This pipeline system also delivers products to tanks owned by Meier Oil Company at Ashkum, Illinois. The Wabash Pipeline System connects to other pipeline systems in the Chicago area through a portion of the system located beyond MPC�� Griffith terminal. The Company�� Louisville airport product! s system ! consists of approximately 14 miles of eight- and six-inch pipeline, which delivers jet fuel from MPC�� Louisville, Kentucky refined product terminals to customers at the Louisville International Airport.

Other Major Midstream Assets

The Company�� butane cavern is located in Neal, West Virginia, across the Big Sandy River from MPC�� Catlettsburg, Kentucky refinery. This storage cavern has approximately 1.0 million barrels of storage capacity and is connected to MPC�� Catlettsburg refinery. Rail access to the storage cavern is also available through connections with the refinery.

The Company�� barge dock is located on the Mississippi River in Wood River, Illinois and is used both for crude oil barge loading and products barge unloading. The barge dock is connected to its Wood River tank farm by approximately two miles of 14-inch pipeline, which transfers crude oil from the tank farm to the dock, and two 10-inch pipelines, which are each approximately two miles long and transfer products and feedstocks from the dock to the tank farm. This dock generates revenue through a FERC tariff, which is collected for the transfer and loading/unloading of crude oil and products. It also owns tank farms located in Patoka, Martinsville and Wood River, Illinois and Lebanon, Indiana, which it uses for storing both crude oil and products. These storage assets are integral to the operation of its pipeline systems in those areas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Two things PSXP has going for it are that it has no debt, and is likely to be able to grow future distributions. But there are other midstream MLPs that have little or no debt and are also in position to grow distributions, but with a higher yield than PSXP. Marathon Petroleum’s (NYSE: MPC) midstream affiliate MPLX (NYSE: MPLX) also has essentially no debt, but a slightly higher yield of 2.9 percent.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Refiners that have spun off midstream assets have done very well over the past years.�Valero Energy Partners�(NYSE: VLP) is up nearly 60 percent since its December IPO,�Phillips 66 Partners�(NYSE: PSXP) has more than doubled since its July IPO (and is the biggest gainer among MLPs year-to-date), and�MPLX�(NYSE: MPLX) — formed from�Marathon Petroleum�(NYSE: MPC) — is up 110 percent since its November 2012 IPO.

Hot Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: BG Group PLC (BRGXF.PK)

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

• [By Heather Ingrassia]

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

Hot Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc (HLX)

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc.( Helix), incorporated on November 17,1983, is an international offshore energy company that provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on its growing well intervention and robotics operations. The Company had had two business segments: Contracting Services and Production Facilities. Its Contracting Services seek to provide services and methodologies which it believes are critical to developing offshore reservoirs and maximizing production economi regions. Its Production Facilities segment consists of its majority ownership of a dynamically positioned floating production vessel ( Helix Producer I or HP I). In June 2013, Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc closed the previously announced sale of its pipelay vessel, the Caesar, to Trevaskis Ltd.

In January 2012, it sold its oil and gas properties within the Main Pass area of the Gulf of Mexico. On September 26, 2012, the Company sold its pipelay vessel, Intrepid, to Stabbert Maritime Holdings, LLC. On February 6, 2013, it sold Energy Resource Technology GOM, Inc. (ERT), a former wholly-owned United States subsidiary that conducted its oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Contracting Services Operations

The Company provides services and methodologies which it believes are critical to developing offshore reservoirs and maximizing production economics. Its life of field services are segregated into four disciplines: well intervention, robotics, subsea construction and production facilities. It provides a full range of contracting services primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Asia Pacific and West Africa regions primarily in deepwater.

The Company's services include production, which includes inspection, repair and maintenance of production structures, trees, jumpers, risers, pipelines and subsea equipment, well intervention, life of field support and intervention engineering; reclamation and remediation services include pluggin! g and abandonment services, pipeline abandonment services and site inspections; installation of subsea pipelines, flowlines, control umbilicals, manifold assemblies and risers, pipelay and burial, installation and tie-in of riser and manifold assembly, commissioning, testing and inspection, and cable and umbilical lay and connection. It provides oil and natural gas processing services to oil and natural gas companies, primarily those operating in the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico using its HP I vessel. The HP I is being utilized to process production from the Phoenix.

The Company engineers, manages and conducts well construction, intervention and asset retirement operations in water depths ranging from 200 to 10,000 feet. Three of its vessels serve as work platforms for well intervention services at costs that are typically significantly less than offshore drilling rigs. In the Gulf of Mexico, its multi-service semi-submersible vessel, the Q4000, has set a series of well intervention firsts in increasingly deeper water without the use of a traditional drilling rig. In August 2012, it acquired the Discoverer 534 drillship from a subsidiary of Transocean Ltd.

The Company operates remotely operated vehicles ( ROVs), trenchers and ROVDrills designed for offshore construction and well intervention services. As global marine construction support moves to deeper water. Its chartered vessels add value by supporting deployment of its ROVs. It provides its customers with vessel availability and schedule flexibility to meet the technological challenges of their subsea activities worldwide. Its robotics assets include 49 ROVs, four trencher systems and two ROVDrills. It operate in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Asia Pacific and West Africa regions. It charters four vessels to support its robotics operations and it has engaged additional vessels on short-term (spot) charters as needed. In 2012, its robotics operations had 377 vessel utilization days and 16% of global revenues derived from! alternat! ive energy contracts. Subsea construction services include the use of umbilical lay and pipelay vessels and ROVs to develop fields in the deepwater.

The Company owns interests in two production facilities in hub locations where there is potential for subsea tieback activity. It has invested in two over-sized facilities that allow the operators of these fields to tie back without burdening the operator of the hub reservoir. It owns a 50% interest in Deepwater Gateway, which owns the Marco Polo TLP located in 4,300 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico. It also owns a 20% interest in Independence Hub which owns the Independence Hub platform, a 105-foot deep draft, semi-submersible platform located in a water depth of 8,000 feet that serves as a regional hub for up to one billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas production per day from multiple ultra-deepwater fields in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The Company competes with Oceaneering International, Inc., Saipem S.p.A., Fugro N.V., DOF ASA, Aker Solutions ASA, Subsea 7 S.A., Technip, McDermott International, Inc., Island Offshore and Edison Chouest Offshore Companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Smith]

  Helix Energy Solutions Group (NYSE: HLX  )
  At $2.70 billion in market capitalization, Helix is equidistant between Flotek and Superior from a size perspective. The company operates through two segments: contracting services and production facilities.

• [By GuruFocus]

  Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc (HLX): PRESIDENT & CEO Owen E Kratz Bought 50,000 Shares PRESIDENT & CEO of Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc (HLX) Owen E Kratz bought 50,000 shares on 10/24/2013 at an average price of $24.03. Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc has a market cap of $2.54 billion; its shares were traded at around $24.03 with and P/S ratio of 2.96.

Hot Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Carnival Corporation(CCL)

Carnival Corporation operates as a cruise and vacation company. It provides cruises to various vacation destinations with a portfolio of cruise brands comprising Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn in North America; and AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, and P&O Cruises in Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company also involves in operation of hotels, as well as offers tour and transportation services. It operates approximately 98 ships, as well as owns and operates 15 hotels or lodges that include 3,420 guest rooms; 395 motorcoaches; and 20 domed rail cars. The company sells its cruises through travel agents, including wholesalers and tour operators. Carnival Corporation was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Cruise line operator Carnival (CCL) has seen some rough seas in recent years. Costa Concordia, the ocean liner that ran aground off the coast of Italy last January, was one of Carnival's ships. So was the Carnival Triumph, which suffered an engine fire earlier this year, leaving passengers adrift for four days. But despite PR nightmares and freak accidents, the world's largest cruise operator has some attractive tailwinds pushing at its back this summer.

  Carnival owns more than 100 ships that fly the flags of its wide spectrum of brands. In addition to Carnival's namesake line, the firm's portfolio includes names like Holland America, Cunard, Princess, and more than a half-dozen other lines. That diversification gives Carnival exposure to vacationers in all income brackets and on three continents. As the cruise industry continues to grow in popularity, especially as cruise-hungry baby boomers reach their retirement years at record rates, Carnival's upside potential is continuing to increase. And the conspicuous mess-ups of the last couple of years are helping investors grab a bargain price tag right now.

  There's no question that the cruise industry is capital-intense: new ships can ring up at a price tag of around $1 billion. But Carnival is entering the tail end of its buying cycle, and limited deliveries should help boost profits in the next couple of years. From a financial standpoint, Carnival's best-in-breed balance sheet gives it the wherewithal to handle unexpected rough seas. And while fuel costs have been rising materially over the years, CCL indexes its prices to the cost of oil, reducing risk and taking the need for commodity hedging off the table. Expect CCL's fortunes to turn with the tide.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Carnival (NYSE: CCL) reported better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings and raised its FY14 forecast.

  The Miami, Florida-based company posted a quarterly fiscal third-quarter profit of $1.25 billion, or $1.60 per share, versus a year-ago profit of $934 million, or $1.20 per share.

Hot Oil Stocks To Buy For 2014: Pinecrest Energy Inc (PNCGF.PK)

Pinecrest Energy Inc. (Pinecrest), formerly Antler Creek Energy Corp., is a Canada-based junior oil and gas exploration company. Pinecrest is engaged in the acquisition, exploitation and development of petroleum and natural gas-related assets primarily in Western Sedimentary Basin. During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2010 (fiscal 2010), Pinecrest was engaged in two (0.4 net) wells that were drilled in the southeast Saskatchewan Bakken. On July 14, 2010, the Company acquired the Loon Properties. On July 14, 2010, Pinecrest acquired the Red Earth #1 Properties. On July 15, 2010, the Company acquired the Red Earth #2 Properties. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MLP Trader]

  Here are the current top five companies in the list:

  CompanySymbolEV/BOEPD/NetbackPrice/NAVEV/DACFPinecrest(PNCGF.PK)53564%4.0XLightstream(LSTMF.PK)131753%4.5XNovus(NOVUF.PK)133290%4.1XZargon(ZARFF.PK)138664%5.6XTwin Butte(TBTEF.PK)155885%5.5X

  Of the larger companies, one that remains obstinately near the top of the list is Lightstream . Lightstream trades at 40% of its book value and a whopping 13.4% yield.