Is Dell a Dud?

With shares of Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) trading at around $13.40, is Dell an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

C = Catalyst for the Stock's Movement

The PC industry is in constant decline, revenues have been declining, and earnings have been inconsistent. As of right now, shareholders are set to receive $13.65 per share in cash by the second quarter of 2014 thanks to an LBO. Dell's board is attempting to finalize the deal, but shareholder greed is getting in the way. Considering the circumstances, it might be wise for them to take the money and run.

Q1 results for Dell weren't impressive. Non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.21 on $14.1 billion in revenue. Both were declines on a year-over-year basis. Enterprise Solutions Group revenue increased 10 percent, and Dell Services revenue increased 2 percent. However, Dell Software suffered an operating loss, and End User Computing revenue declined 9 percent. Gross margin declined to 19.5 percent from 21.3 percent for the same quarter one year ago. Costs and competition have increased. For those looking for good news, Dell yields 2.40 percent. Sorry, but there isn't much more good news to report.

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The chart below compared fundamentals for Dell and Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ).

	DELL	HPQ
Trailing P/E	12.69	N/A
Forward P/E	8.29	5.89
Profit Margin	3.30%	-10.86%
ROE	18.56%	-41.00%
Operating Cash Flow	3.38B	11.94B
Dividend Yield	2.40%	2.50%
Short Position	1.70%	3.20%

Let's take a look at some more important numbers prior to forming an opinion on this stock.

T = Technicals Are Mixed

Dell has performed well year-to-date, but it has underperformed the market for years.

	1 Month	Year-To-Date	1 Year	3 Year
DELL	0.04%	32.93%	-7.09%	-8.57%
HPQ	8.38%	49.71%	1.73%	-52.35%

At $13.40, Dell is trading below its 50-day SMA, but above its 200-day SMA.

50-Day SMA	13.66
200-Day SMA	12.37

E = Equity to Debt Ratio Is Normal

The debt-to-equity ratio for Dell is close to the industry average of 0.70.

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	Debt-To-Equity	Cash	Long-Term Debt
DELL	0.67	10.90B	7.25B
HPQ	1.21	12.63B	28.25B

E = Earnings Have Been Inconsistent

Earnings have traveled across rolling hills over the past several years. Revenue performance has been even more concerning.

Fiscal Year	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Revenue ($) in millions	61,101	52,902	61,494	62,071	56,940
Diluted EPS ($)	1.25	0.73	1.35	1.88	1.35

As stated earlier, Q1 EPS came in at $0.21 on $14.1 billion in revenue. Below is a look at the four previous quarters.

Quarter	Apr. 30, 2012	Jul. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013
Revenue ($) in millions	14,422	14,483	13,721	14,314
Diluted EPS ($)	0.36	0.42	0.27	0.30

Now let's take a look at the next page for the Trends and Conclusion. Is this stock an OUTPERFORM, a WAIT AND SEE, or a STAY AWAY?

T = Trends Do Not Support the Industry

PCs and laptops are in decline, and Europe is still very weak. On a global scale, there is an enormous disconnect between what's taking place in equity markets and what's taking place in the real economy. In other words, the consumer isn't as strong as advertised.

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Conclusion

Dell has been a well-run company for many years, but there isn't much reason for optimism at the moment. Dell’s goal is to become a leading global provider of services to enterprises. The following is a related quote from Brian Gladden, Dell CFO:

Can Merck Find a Cure for Depressed Sales?

A healthy pipeline and strong patent protection are vital to the success of pharmaceutical companies. Drug giant Merck (NYSE:MRK), has faced both patent expirations and a weak pipeline in the past year. Still, the stock is up almost 10 percent in the last 12 months. Will Merck's share price continue to rise in the second half of 2013? Let's use our CHEAT SHEET investing framework to decide whether Merck is an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY.

C = Catalysts for the Stock's Movement

Investors and analysts have critizized the lack of attractive late-stage drugs in Merck’s pipeline. An acquisition of drug maker Schering-Plough in 2009 has drastically increased the amount of these late-stage drugs Merck has in its inventory. Schering-Plough also provides synergies to Merck's business operations and will cut down on expenses in the coming years.

Merck suffered a blow on Wednesday as the Food and Drug Administration cancelled a meeting to determine the approval of reverse-anesthesia drug sugammadex. The surgery drug is already experiencing success overseas — marketed under the name Bridion — but with the FDA denying approval back in 2008, it has a long way to go before it can be sold in the U.S. This setback comes after the FDA denied approval for insomnia drug suvorexant earlier this month.

Merck, however, was granted “breakthrough” status for cancer drug lambrolizumab. Earning breakthrough status is important to pharmaceutical companies because it allows them to commercialize drugs faster, something Merck desperately needs. If lambrolizumab gains approval from the FDA, it would be a big win for Merck, as skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in the U.S.

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E = Earnings are Mostly Decreasing Year-over-Year

While Merck's first-quarter earnings surpassed analysts' estimates, these earnings were inflated due to the inclusion of a one-time tax break. The real disappointment was Merck's revenue growth, which declined 9 percent from the previous year's quarter. A big hit to the company was the expiration of the patent for allergy drug Singular, one of Merck's biggest sellers. Sales declined around 75 percent after cheaper generics came onto the market in mid-2012.

Additionally, sales of Merck's popular diabetes drug, Januvia, were almost 20 percent below analyst expectations. Januvia, which contributes 12 percent to Merck's top line, will continue to face difficulties. Rival Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) was recently granted FDA approval for its new diabetes drug, Invokana, which should intensify competition in the diabetes drug space.

On a more positive note, Merck recently announced a program to buy back $5 billion of its outstanding shares from Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS). This makes up part of a $15-billion share repurchase program — $7.5 billion of which Merck will buy back in the next 12 months. This will certainly help the stock price, which has struggled since the lackluster earnings announcement.

	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3	2012 Q2	2012 Q1
Qtrly. EPS	$0.52	$0.30	$0.56	$0.58	0.56%
EPS Growth YoY	-7.14%	-40.07%	-1.82%	-10.77%	64.71%
Qtrly. Revenue	$10.67B	$11.74B	$11.49B	$12.31B	$11.73B
Revenue Growth YoY	-9.04%	-4.53%	-4.44%	1.32%	1.30%

*Data sourced from YCharts

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart are Mixed

Merck is currently trading at around $45.50. The stock is trading above its 200-day moving average of $45.10, implying that it is experiencing a longer-term uptrend, but trading slightly below its 50-day moving average of $47.54, suggesting that the stock has experienced sideways price movement in the near term. Merck experienced a “golden cross” in late April — when the 50-day moving average surpasses the 200-day moving average — implying that investor sentiment has been positive as of late. Merck is trading 5.6 percent below its 52-week high of $50.16 that it set on June 4.

Conclusion 

In a surprising move earlier this year, Merck rehired Ron Perlmutter to take over its research and development division. After leaving Merck, Perlmutter successfully rebuilt Amgen's (NASDAQ:AMGN) pipeline during an 11-year run. While he has not formally stated his plans for Merck's pipeline, Perlmutter's proven track record could help revitalize it. Merck is relatively cheap compared with the market as a whole, trading at a forward price-to-equity ratio of 12.72. However, the pharmaceutical giant needs to prove it can grow earnings without relying on dated drugs Singular and Januvia. With Merck's second-quarter earnings announcement scheduled for July 30, investors should WAIT AND SEE how Merck performs.

Using a solid investing framework such as this can help improve your stock-picking skills. Don't waste another minute — click here and get our CHEAT SHEET stock picks now.

Is Zynga Back to Square One?

With shares of Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) trading at around $3.05, is ZNGA an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

C = Catalyst for the Stock's Movement

Let's begin with the famous email CEO Marc Pincus sent to employees. This will give readers an excellent idea of what’s taking place at Zynga:

"To our Zynga Community,

Today is a hard day for Zynga and an emotional one for every employee of our company.  We are saying painful goodbyes to about 18 percent of our Zynga brothers and sisters.  The impact of these layoffs will be felt across every group in the company.

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None of us ever expected to face a day like today, especially when so much of our culture has been about growth. But I think we all know this is necessary to move forward. The scale that served us so well in building and delivering the leading social gaming service on the Web is now making it hard to successfully lead across mobile and multiplatform, which is where social games are going to be played.

These moves, while hard to face today, represent a proactive commitment to our mission of connecting the world through games.  Mobile and touch screens are revolutionizing gaming.  Our opportunity is to make mobile gaming truly social by offering people new, fun ways to meet, play and connect.  By reducing our cost structure today we will offer our teams the runway they need to take risks and develop these breakthrough new social experiences.

Because we're making these moves proactively and from a position of financial strength, we can take care of laid off employees.  We're offering generous severance packages that reflect our appreciation for all of their work and we hope this will provide a foundation as they pursue their next professional steps.

Although these are hard decisions, I'm confident that our strategy of building leading franchises and supporting them with the largest network is the right one for the long term. I'm encouraged by our recent progress.  Running With Friends is a great example of the quality player experience we can deliver, already receiving an average 4.5 app star rating from 22,700 players in less than one month after launching. Our FarmVille franchise teams continue to innovate and deliver ground breaking new social experiences like County Fair which, despite only being available on the web, is engaging 39 million monthly players.

I want to thank every one of you for the spirit, creativity and energy that you've invested in Zynga.  You've reintroduced a generation of people to gaming and through these games offered them new ways to connect with their families, make new friends and even sometimes find love.

Everyone will be affected by these changes and I'm sure there will be many follow up questions to this email.  If you have specific questions relating to your project or team, please talk to your manager.  For any other feedback or thoughts feel free to email me directly.

Mark"

Zynga is shedding 18 percent of its workforce, which is expected to save between $70 million and $80 million. This might help in the short term, but it's not a long-term solution to Zynga's problems. And Zynga has many problems.

One, Marc Pincus doesn't seem to be the ideal leader. He might even be untrustworthy. When employees and investors lose trust in a company's leader, it's only a matter of time before it's Game Over. Marc Pincus has dealt with unscrupulous advertisers, taken stock back from executives that he didn't think was doing a good job, and more. As far as character goes, he seems to be the type of person that will take money from anyone regardless of the cost. According to Glassdoor.com, 54 percent of employees approve of Marc Pincus. This isn't terrible, but it's still on the low side. It should also be noted that "disorganized" was a common theme for employee reviews on Glassdoor.

According to Alexa.com, pageviews-per-user has declined 2.71 percent over the past three months, and time-on-site has declined 1.0 percent over the past three months. Once again, these aren't terrible numbers, but they're on the low side. Most visitors are 18-24 years old, and there are more female visitors than male visitors. Approximately 35 percent of visitors were on Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) prior to visiting Zynga, and approximately 39 percent of visitors went to Facebook after playing games on Zynga.

The chart below takes a look at some basic fundamentals for Zynga, and they're not very impressive.

	ZNGA
Trailing P/E	N/A
Forward P/E	N/A
Profit Margin	-9.80%
ROE	-6.59%
Operating Cash Flow	143.40M
Dividend Yield	N/A
Short Position	3.80%

Let's take a look at some more important numbers prior to forming an opinion on this stock.

T = Technicals Are Mixed

The numbers below can be deceiving. The only way someone made money investing in Zynga was by having impeccable timing. There is no doubt that those people are out there, but they’re the minority. Investing in Zynga has been a disaster for most people.

	1 Month	Year-To-Date	1 Year	3 Year
ZNGA	-6.68%	27.33%	-50.00%	0.47%

At $3.05, Zynga is trading below its 50-day SMA, but above its 200-day SMA.

50-Day SMA	3.29
200-Day SMA	3.01

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E = Equity to Debt Ratio Is Strong

The debt-to-equity ratio for Zynga is stronger than the industry average of 0.10.

	Debt-To-Equity	Cash	Long-Term Debt
ZNGA	0.05	1.27B	100.00M

E = Earnings Have Weakened

Zynga has difficulty turning a profit. Cutting 18 percent of the workforce might help in this regard, but it’s only a temporary solution. As far as revenue goes, there has been growth on an annual basis, but the growth has slowed.

Fiscal Year	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Revenue ($) in millions	19	121	597	1,140	1,281
Diluted EPS ($)	NA	NA	0.11	-1.40	-0.28

Looking at the last quarter on a year-over-year basis, revenue declined and earnings improved. At least it was a breakeven quarter opposed to a loss. Revenue doesn’t look good on a sequential basis.

Quarter	Mar. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013
Revenue ($) in millions	320.97	332.49	316.64	311.17	263.59
Diluted EPS ($)	-0.12	-0.03	-0.07	-0.06	0.00

Now let's take a look at the next page for the Conclusion. Is this stock an OUTPERFORM, a WAIT AND SEE, or a STAY AWAY?

Conclusion

Zynga is no longer using its spam-blast approach to gain exposure. Therefore, the biggest growth days might be behind the company. In order to see renewed growth, Zynga must find a way to be successful in mobile, but this will require the company to start all over again. As far as momentum goes, it's all to the downside. Another issue is an extremely low barrier to entry. In other words, another company can come along and become a fierce competitor in a short period of time.

The Great American Wall Of Worry

Traders and investors all around the world is having trouble climbing over the wall of worry/fear with the US stock market, and rightly so. There is a lot of things taking place and unfolding that carry a high level of uncertainty. Let's face it, who wants to invest money into the market when it's hard to come by (high unemployment, banks are still extremely tight with their money, companies are nowhere near wanting to hiring new staff).

The hard pill to swallow is the fact that the stock market loves to rise when uncertainty is high. It's almost doing it just to drive investor's nuts who sold out near market bottom or recent correction. You must overcome the urge to short the market when the economy looks so bearish in the years ahead, and continue to trade with the trend.

Short Term Investing – Weekly Volatility Index Chart

Below you can see the fear index. The chart is self-explanatory showing where it should move next. But if you are not familiar with the VIX then here is definition by investopedia:

"The first VIX, introduced by the CBOE in 1993, was a weighted measure of the implied volatility of eight S&P 100 at-the-money put and call options. Ten years later, it expanded to use options based on a broader index, the S&P 500, which allows for a more accurate view of investors' expectations on future market volatility. VIX values greater than 30 are generally associated with a large amount of volatility as a result of investor fear or uncertainty, while values below 20 generally correspond to less stressful, even complacent, times in the markets."

Weekly Investing Chart of the SP500 Index

After reviewing the VIX chart above which points to stocks nearing a level of selling pressure, then review the chart below we come to a conclusion that a minor pullback of 2-5% is likely to take place in the next week ortwo.

The divergence in the Relative Strength Index is a bearish sign for the broad market. While I feel a pullback is do and needed for the market to regroup, it is important to review the seasonality chart and know that we are entering one the strongest times of the year for stocks.

SP500 Seasonality Chart

Again, using the data from the previous two charts along with this graph clearly shows that a pullback in the stocks is likely going to be bought back up by the brave investors willing to override their fear and go with the trend. For more interesting charts check out my stock chartlists: https://stockcharts.com/public/1992897

The Wall Of Worry Conclusion:

In short, expect the stock market to correct in the next week or two. But once we get a correction of two percent or more, be prepared for buyers to step back in and buy things up into year end.

This WALL OF WORRY is about to GET HIGHER!

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What's Behind Those Odd September Jobs Numbers

If you still needed confirmation this is the slowest economic recovery in history, you need look no further than today's (Tuesday's) September jobs report.

Total non-farm employment in the United States rose 148,000 in September, a soft number well short of the 180,000 expected. The unemployment rate itself fell to 7.2% - the lowest it's been since U.S. President Barack Obama took office.

But 7.2% is just U-3, the official measure of unemployment. If we include discouraged workers - unemployed people who gave a job market-related reason for not looking for work - the rate (U-4) rises to 7.7%. If we include the "marginally attached" and persons employed part-time for economic reasons (U-6), the unemployment rate shoots to a European-like level of 13.6%.

In other words, approximately 21 million otherwise able Americans are underemployed, or unemployed, or have just given up looking for work because the job market looks so bleak.

And there's more bad news...

September Jobs Report: Twisted Numbers

According to Zero Hedge's analysis of the full-time and part-time numbers, "the US work force saw the rotation of some 594K part-time workers into a whopping 691K full-time jobs, in addition to adding over 100K net new jobs in the month."

Here's what they mean: The August household survey reported 116,208,000 persons employed full time and 27,999,000 persons employed part time. The September survey reported 116,899,000 persons employed full time, and 27,405,000 persons employed part time, changes of 691,000 and 594,000 respectively.

That seems impossible - and makes the jobs numbers even more unreliable than they already were.

Also, under Bureau of Labor Statistics definitions, "full time" employment does not necessarily mean a 40-hour-a-week job with benefits. Instead, it simply means that a person usually works more than 35 hours a week, regardless of the number of jobs they work.

Zero Hedge suggests the strange data could be a response to July's outsized growth in part-time jobs as a portion of the total jobs created. As Money Morning and others pointed out with the July numbers, only 35% of the jobs reported as created were full-time.

At the time, massive growth in part-time employment was attributed to employer fears surrounding Obamacare, which requires employers with more than 50 full-time employees to purchase insurance for them or face fines.

The jobs report makes it seem as though a large number of erstwhile part-time jobs have somehow become full-time - which is why we took a closer look at where these full-time jobs came from...

It's Only Temporary

The top industry gainers for September were government (22,000 jobs), retail (20,000 jobs), transportation and warehousing (23,000 jobs), and administrative support services (24,000 jobs). Together, they account for around 60% of the new jobs created.

On their own, these seem like sound categories for growth - although we have to wonder why state governments were increasing their payrolls amid all the worry about shutdown. (The federal government shed some jobs.)

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Retail might indicate some consumer resurgence, with about 20,000 new jobs added. The two largest gainers were in food and beverage stores and a vague category called "general merchandise stores."

"Transportation and warehousing" could have been a bright spot in the jobs report if it meant increased freight traffic. Sadly, almost all of the job growth came from transit and passenger ground travel: buses, trains, and taxis.

But it's the last category that should worry you the most.

The increase in "administrative services" comes almost entirely from temporary employees. Hiring a temp means that an organization has more work than it can immediately handle, but also has an uncertain outlook. Furthermore, temps are usually hired on a term basis and can hardly be considered full-time employees, even if they work a 40-hour week.

Part time America seems to be alive and well.

4 Stocks Under $10 Spiking Higher

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

>>5 Stocks Poised for Breakouts

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside today.

Cimatron

Cimatron (CIMT) designs, develops, manufactures, markets and supports a family of modular, high-performance, CAD/CAM software products. This stock closed up 4.1% to $7.25 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $6.90-$7.29

52-Week Range: $3.76-$12.88

Tuesday's Volume: 235,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 250,980

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From a technical perspective, CIMT ripped higher here right above its 200-day moving average of $6.77 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months, with shares moving higher from its low of $5.65 to its recent high of $7.36. During that uptrend, shares of CIMT have been mostly making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of CIMT within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if CIMT manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $7.36 to $7.59 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CIMT as long as it's trending above its 200-day at $6.77 or its 50-day at $6.20 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 250,980 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then CIMT will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at $8.70 to $9. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give CIMT a chance to tag $10.

Renren

Renren (RENN) is engaged in the operation of social networking Internet platform, as well as provision of online advertising services and internet value-added services, including online gaming operations, online talent show and other IVAS, among others. This stock closed up 1.5% to $3.94 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $3.93-$4.15

52-Week Range: $2.52-$4.63

Tuesday's Volume: 7.62 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 4.13 million

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From a technical perspective, RENN spiked higher here right above some near-term support at $3.80 with heavy upside volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of RENN within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if RENN manages to take out Tuesday's highs of $4.15, and then once it clears some near-term overhead resistance at $4.21 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RENN as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $3.59 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 4.13 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then RENN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 52-week high at $4.63 to $5. Any high-volume move above $5 will then give RENN a chance to tag $6.

Allied Nevada Gold

Allied Nevada Gold (ANV), a gold mining company, operates the Hycroft Mine and has prospective exploration claims in the State of Nevada. This stock closed up 5.8% to $4.34 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $4.11-$4.38

52-Week Range: $3.54-$39.23

Tuesday's Volume: 4.66 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 5.78 million

>>5 Big Stocks to Trade for Big Gains

From a technical perspective, ANV ripped higher here right above some near-term support at $3.99 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has been tending sideways and consolidating for the last two months and change, with shares moving between $3.54 on the downside and $5.32 on the upside. This spike higher on Tuesday is now quickly pushing shares of ANV within range of triggering a big breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent range. That breakout will hit if ANV manages to clear some near-term overhead resistance levels at $4.39 to $5.09, and then once it takes out more resistance at $5.24 to $5.32 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ANV as long as it's trending above some near-term support at $3.99 or at $3.74 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 5.78 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then ANV will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $6.50 to $7.50. Any high-volume move above $7.50 will then give ANV a chance to tag $8 to $8.50.

Vermillion

Vermillion (VRML) discovers, develops and commercializes diagnostic tests that help physicians diagnose, treat and improve outcomes for patients. This stock closed up 5.5% to $2.95 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $2.82-$3.09

52-Week Range: $1.03-$4.07

Tuesday's Volume: 242,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 50,789

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

From a technical perspective, VRML ripped higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.90 to $2.91 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of VRML within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if VRML manages to clear Tuesday's high of $3.08, and then once it takes out some past overhead resistance levels $3.24 to $3.40 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VRML as long as it's trending above Tuesday's low of $2.82 or above $2.70 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 50,789 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then VRML will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $4.07 to its next major resistance level at $4.50.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks To Own For 2014

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

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Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

Stocks to Watch: Delta, Whirlpool, Netflix

Among the companies with shares actively trading in Tuesday’s session are Delta Air Lines Inc.(DAL), Whirlpool Corp.(WHR) and Netflix Inc.(NFLX)

Delta’s third-quarter earnings rose 31% as the air carrier benefited from improved passenger traffic. Delta shares rose as the results topped expectations.

Whirlpool’s third-quarter earnings more than doubled as the home-appliance manufacturer benefited from increased North American demand and improved margins. The company raised its earnings view for the year as the bottom line beat views. Shares climbed.

Netflix’s third-quarter profit more than quadrupled as the movie-subscription company added more Internet subscribers globally. Shares jumped, as sales for the quarter exceeded expectations and Netflix issued a rosy outlook for the current quarter.

Microsemi Corp.(MSCC) agreed to pay almost $298 million to acquire Symmetricom Inc.(SYMM), a deal that will expand the power-management supplier’s exposure into the aerospace and defense industries while also immediately adding to earnings. Shares in Symmetricom soared.

Oxygen Biotherapeutics Inc.(OXBT) said it agreed to buy about $4.8 million in assets from Phyxius Pharma that treat cardiac-surgery patients. Shares of Oxygen Biotherapeutics rose.

VMware Inc.'s(VMW) third-quarter profit rose 66% as the virtualization-software maker posted strong growth in revenue and wider margins. Shares of VMware rose as the company’s earnings beat expectations.

Forest Laboratories Inc.’s fiscal second-quarter earnings soared as strong growth in the pharmaceutical company’s “next-generation” drugs boosted revenue. Results easily topped estimates and the company raised its per-share earnings estimate for the year. Shares rose.

Travelers Cos., one of the largest insurers of U.S. businesses, said its third-quarter earnings were flat from a year earlier as the company posted an increased underwriting gain, though net investment income slipped. Earnings beat estimates, and the company also authorized an additional $5 billion in share repurchases, sending shares up.

EMC Corp.’s third-quarter income fell 6.4% as the data-storage provider’s higher costs outpaced an improvement in revenue. Results missed Street expectations, and the company lowered its full-year outlook. Shares dropped.

Texas Instruments Inc.’s third-quarter profit fell 20% as the chip maker’s sales dipped slightly and it recorded a larger provision for income taxes compared with the year-ago period. The company’s stock fell as TI’s current-quarter outlook missed analyst expectations.

E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc. on Monday cut its estimate for third-quarter revenue as the Chinese online retailer said it cut sales of some lower-margin products. Shares dropped.

Shares of Illumina Inc. jumped after the gene-sequencing company reported better-than-expected third-quarter results and issued a rosier outlook for the current year. The stock climbed.

Medivation Inc.  and Astellas Pharma Inc. said a cancer-study committee informed the companies of positive results from a planned interim analysis of its late-stage trial of enzalutamide, a prostate-cancer treatment. Medivation shares climbed.

Discover Financial Services’ third-quarter earnings fell 6.9% as the company set aside more money to cover potential loan losses, though the company’s credit-card business continued to see growth in loans and a drop in delinquencies. Shares declined.

Jeffrey Saut of Raymond James: Stock market trend remains up

Jeffrey D. Saut

“The Boys Are Back in Town”

Guess who just got back today?

Them wild-eyed boys that had been away

Haven't changed, haven't much to say

But man, I still think them cats are crazy

They were asking if you were around

How you was, where you could be found

Told them you were living downtown

Driving all the old men crazy

The boys are back in town

The boys are back in town

... Thin Lizzy (1976)

The boys are indeed back in town as Washington D.C. opened its doors for business as usual last week following a contentious debt ceiling debate and a 16-day shutdown of the government. This outcome had been anticipated in these letters for often-stated reasons, and just like when the ”fiscal cliff” was averted, I now expect the media to turn its focus to the next Armageddon. While the self-inflicted crisis took the amateurish rollout of Obamacare out of the headlines, it will likely have a de minimis effect on the economy (maybe shave 0.03 – 0.04% off of the official GDP figures). The good news is that except for this week's delayed September employment report, I doubt investors will pay much attention to any of the other economic reports between now and Christmas due to the recent Beltway consternations and their expectation about the potential impact on the economy.

As for the impact on the stock market, it was profound with the S&P 500 (SPX/1744.50), the mid-cap S&P 400, and the small-cap Russell 2000 trading to new all-time highs. While there were some upside non-confirmations (most notably the D-J Industrial Average), the majority of indications confirmed the move higher. For example, the Advance/Decline Line climbed to a new bull market high, the Selling Pressure Index fell to a new reaction low, the short-term “buy signal” I spoke of on October 15th remains in force (when the 14-day Stochastic crossed above its moving average), the Short-Term Trading Index confirms that “buy signal,” the number of new highs on the NYSE expanded, and the list goes on. Such metrics caused the “godfather of technical analysis,” namely Ralph Acampora, t! o abandon his bearish “call” of last summer. Recall that like me, Ralph was looking for a short/intermediate-term stock market peak in the mid-July through mid-August timeframe. At the time I was expecting a decline of roughly 10%. And, we were about halfway into that 10% pullback when Vladimir Putin pulled our President out of a tight spot with Putin's Syrian solution. At that point I mainly gave up on my downside “call” and recommended recommitting 15% of the cash that was raised in June. Since then, while the equity markets have been choppy, they have refused to surrender much ground. As stated in last Thursday's Morning Tack, “With the debt ceiling debates behind us, the markets can focus on earnings, economics, and the Federal Reserve.” To that trifecta, the story is pretty good.

On the earnings front, the bottom up operating earnings estimate for the SPX is currently $107.58, leaving the SPX's P/E ratio at almost 16x. Next year's estimate is $121.66. If the SPX continues to trade at that P/E multiple it renders a price target of 1946. Moreover, so far of the 190 companies that have reported earnings, 60.5% of those companies have beaten estimates and 50.9% have beaten revenue estimates. As far as economics, as stated the numbers are probably going to be ignored for a few months because of the shutdown. However, I believe GDP growth will accelerate to 3% in 2014 driven by a capital expenditure cycle because companies like GM are running their plants flat out 24/7 and the equipment is wearing out. Finally, with Janet Yellen at the helm of the Fed it should be steady as you go. That implies no tapering and plenty of liquidity. And, a number of other things are going right in this country.

While the politicians do not want to broadcast it, the latest monthly CBO report shows tax revenues up 13% year/year and individual income tax payments up an amazing 15.8%. Further, payroll taxes are better by 11.6%, all of which have cut the CBO's 2013 estimate of the deficit! to $642 ! billion. Part of the reason for that deficit reduction is because median family annual incomes have stabilized for the first time since the recession to an inflation-adjusted $51,017. Another reason is that the U.S. is on track to overtake Russia as the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas. Of course the reason for that energy leap is the technologies of fracking and horizontal drilling. Interestingly, the research firm IHS Global Insights notes fracking has added the equivalent of $1,200 to real household disposable income on average in 2012 and estimates that figure will grow to $3,500 by 2025. Further, fracking added $283 billion to economic growth last year and is expected to add $533 billion in 2025 with an attendant federal/state tax payment of $138 billion. The relative resulting “cheap” energy estimates are causing foreign companies to invest, or are planning to invest, billions of dollars in plants that would churn out chemicals, fertilizers, plastics, metals, etc. Obviously, the American Industrial Renaissance (AIR) is happening. A few of the ways to participate in this renaissance is through Rich Bernstein and either of the mutual funds he manages for Eaton Vance, Richard Bernstein Equity Strategy Fund (ERBAX/$13.62) and the Richard Bernstein All Asset Strategy Fund (EARAX/$12.24). As for a pure play (100%) on AIR, there is First Trust's Richard Bernstein TS American Industrial Renaissance ETF (FWRVLX/$10.17).

Another theme we have embraced for the past two years has been the recovery in housing. Recently many investors have cooled on this theme due to the rise in mortgage rates. However, mortgage rates have declined over the past few weeks. A second derivative way to get at the burgeoning housing theme is via Strong Buy-rated Weyerhaeuser (WY/$30.11). As our fundamental analyst writes in the commentary for our Analysts' Current Favorites product, released earlier today:

We believe: 1) the embedded value of Weyerhaeuser's homebuilding platform is underappreciate! d relativ! e to other public builder valuations (most notably, the 17,700 lots it controls in California); 2) the recent underperformance of WY shares has created a buying opportunity; and 3) in the context of our REIT coverage, there are relatively few opportunities to find similar long-term earnings/cash flow growth stories. In our view, Weyerhaeuser's homebuilding platform (one of the 20 largest in the country), significant wood products business, and immense timberland portfolio position it as a compelling alternative to pure-play homebuilders in this housing recovery. Weyerhaeuser is targeting a payout of 75% of FAD over the cycle and is well positioned to raise its dividend as the housing recovery gains momentum. The company has already boosted its dividend by 33% since October (WY shares currently yield ~3%).

The call for this week: According to the weight of the evidence, the primary stock market trend remains “up!” Indeed, last Thursday's gain, while not a 90% Upside Day, was indeed an 80% Upside Day as the market breadth, and total points gained, were decidedly positive. Manifestly, since 1940 there have only been 45 other days when 80% of issues and volume were positive and the SPX closed at a new 52-week high (like happened last week). Of those, only seven occurred two days in a row. According to the must have SentimenTrader folks, “To get more precedents, let's look for any time that both the percentage of up issues and volume were both above 75%, with the last one occurring on a day the S&P closed at a new high. In 73 years, there have been 17 precedents. A week later, there were only three negative returns, and two of those were less than -0.5%. Three months later, there was essentially only one negative return, as was the case six months later was well. Average returns were about double what a random return was during the study period.” Verily, the only current negatives are the short-term overbought condition and the upside non-confirmations.

Jeffrey D. Saut is managing! director! at Raymond James & Associates. This commentary originally appeared on the firm's website. Like what yo

Hot Financial Stocks To Invest In 2014

China�� stocks rose the most in a week, led by financial companies, after valuations on the benchmark index dropped to a four-month low.

Poly Real Estate Group Co. and Haitong Securities Co. advanced at least 1.4 percent, driving financial stocks to the biggest gain in two weeks. Drugmaker Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. and Goertek Inc., a supplier to Apple Inc., surged to record highs. BYD Co., the automaker partially owned by Warren Buffett�� Berkshire Hathaway Inc., jumped 6.5 percent after the Shanghai Securities News reported the government may issue subsidies for renewable-energy cars.

The Shanghai Composite Index (SHCOMP) rose 1.4 percent to 2,205.50 at the close, rebounding from the lowest level since Dec. 24. The benchmark index slipped 0.2 percent yesterday after a private report showed decelerating manufacturing growth. Data today showed service industries expanded at a slower pace.

��his is a technical rebound after investors digested bad manufacturing data yesterday,��said Mao Sheng, an analyst for Huaxi Securities Co. in Chengdu.

Hot Financial Stocks To Invest In 2014: OMEGA IURANCE HLDGS LTD COM STK USD0.10(OIH.L)

Omega Insurance Holdings Limited operates as an insurance and reinsurance company in Bermuda, London, Chicago, and Cologne. The company primarily underwrites short-tail property insurance and reinsurance accounts, with a focus on small and medium sized insureds and reinsuring smaller insurance companies. It offers property catastrophe treaty reinsurance, property per risk treaty reinsurance, non-marine property insurance, liability insurance and reinsurance, marine insurance and reinsurance, motor insurance and reinsurance, and professional indemnity insurance, as well as satellite, aviation, war, fine art, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance or reinsurance. The company was founded in 1980 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Hot Financial Stocks To Invest In 2014: Southside Bancshares Inc.(SBSI)

Southside Bancshares, Inc. operates as the holding company for Southside Bank that provides financial products and services to individuals, businesses, municipal entities, and non-profit organizations. Its deposit products include savings, money market, interest and noninterest bearing checking accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company?s consumer loan services consists of 1-4 family residential mortgage, home equity, home improvement, automobile, and other installment loans; and commercial loan services comprise short-term working capital loans for inventory and accounts receivable, short and medium-term loans for equipment or other business capital expansion, commercial real estate loans, and municipal loans. It also offers construction loans for 1-4 family residential and commercial real estate. In addition, Southside Bancshares provides trust services that include investment, management, administration, and advisory services; safe deposit services; brokerage s ervices; and automated telephone, Internet, and electronic banking services. The company, through its subsidiary, Southside Financial Group, LLC engages in the purchase of automobile loan portfolios from lenders in the United States. Southside Bancshares operates 48 banking centers in Tyler, Longview, Lindale, Gresham, Jacksonville, Bullard, Chandler, Hawkins, Seven Points, Palestine, Forney, Gun Barrel City, Athens, Whitehouse, Fort Worth, Arlington, and Austin, of which 19 are located in grocery stores; 12 motor bank facilities; and 50 automated teller machines. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Tyler, Texas.

Top 5 Bank Stocks To Watch Right Now: Unum Group(UNM)

Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides group and individual disability insurance products primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. It also provides a portfolio of other insurance products, including employer-and employee-paid group benefits, life insurance, long-term care insurance, and related services. Its products include group long-term and short-term disability; group life and accidental death, and dismemberment; individual disability; group long-term care; voluntary benefits; group life; accident, sickness, and disability; and cancer and critical illness insurance products. The company also provides individual life and corporate-owned life insurance, reinsurance pools and management operations, group pension, health insurance, and individual annuities. Unum Group markets its products primarily to employers interested in providing benefits to their employees. The company sells its products through field sales personnel, independent brokers, consultants, and agency sales force. Unum Group was founded in 1848 and is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Among the biggest losers in the S&P 500: Air Products and Chemicals (APD), which dropped 3.3% to $103.20 as its Bill Ackman bounce fades, Charles Schwab (SCHW), which fell 2.4% to $21.76 as it became the 165th most popular short in the S&P 500, and Unum Group (UNM), which finished off 2.3% at $29.63 after Barron’s Sandra Ward recommended investors take profits on the insurance company.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Specialty insurance provider�Unum (NYSE: UNM  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.145 per share, an 11% increase to the payout made last quarter of $0.13 per share.

Hot Financial Stocks To Invest In 2014: Icap Ord 10p(IAP.L)

ICAP plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a voice and electronic interdealer broker. The company provides post trade risk and information services. It involves in commodities, credit, electronic and emerging, equities, foreign exchange, futures, interest rates, and equity derivatives markets, as well as in post trade risk services and shipping. The company provides information services that cover real-time, end-of-day, and historical market data products; post-trade processing, portfolio compression, and reconciliation and risk management services; and independent analysis, third party subscription, and education services. It operates primarily in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as in the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Hot Financial Stocks To Invest In 2014: Deutsche Bank AG(DB)

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft provides investment, financial, and related products and services. The company?s Corporate and Investment Bank division engages in the origination, sale, structuring, and trading of bonds, equities and equity-linked products, exchange-traded and over-the-counter derivatives, foreign exchange, money market instruments, securitized instruments, and commodities to sovereign countries and multinational organizations; and medium-sized companies and multinational corporations. It also offers mergers and acquisitions advisory, corporate finance, and transaction banking, as well as trade finance, cash management, and trust and securities services for financial institutions and other companies. The company?s Private Clients and Asset Management division provides mutual funds and alternative investment products; manages real estate and infrastructure investments and private equity funds; offers advisory and portfolio management services to insurance companies; and provides investment solutions to institutional customers, high net worth individuals, and families. This division also offers a range of banking products and services, including current accounts, deposits and loans, and investment management and pension products to private and self-employed individuals, and small to medium-sized businesses. Its Corporate Investments division?s principal investment activities comprise private equity and venture capital investments, corporate real estate investments, a minority stake in Deutsche Postbank AG, credit exposures, and other non-strategic investments. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 3,083 branches in approximately 74 countries worldwide, including 2,087 in Germany. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  UBS (NYSE: UBS  ) , Barclays (NYSE: BCS  ) , JPMorgan Chase's near-eponymous J.P. Morgan, Royal Bank of Canada's (NYSE: RY  ) Capital Markets arm, and the Securities wings of Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB  ) are the joint book-running managers of the issue.

• [By Andrew Marder]

  Problem with a capital "P"
  The biggest issue facing Barclays is its capital shortage. All U.K. banks are facing the same measures, but some have managed to get their houses in even worse order. Analysts have estimated that Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB  ) is about 12.3 billion euros shy of its requirement and is going to have to either raise capital or cut down the size of its balance sheet to make the minimum requirements.�

Top Undervalued Companies To Buy For 2014

CAPS, a stock-tracking game developed by The Motley Fool, is a great way to keep track of long-term picks even when they fall off of your watchlist.�In the following video, Fool.com contributor and active CAPS community member, Maxx Chatsko, explains why he hasn't given up on his CAPS pick of�Domtar� (NYSE: UFS  ) . He believes this company's progress has not been adequately rewarded by the market in the last six months, but feels as confident as ever that it presents a great opportunity for investors hunting for a great dividend or an undervalued and under-the-radar growth opportunity. You can follow all of his CAPS picks by clicking on the link in the disclosure below.�

If you're on the lookout for high-yielding stocks and Domtar doesn't quite fit the bill, The Motley Fool has compiled a special free report outlining our nine top dependable dividend-paying stocks. It's called "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks." You can access your copy today at no cost!�Just click here.

Top Undervalued Companies To Buy For 2014: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Oliver Pursche]

  European large-cap pharmaceuticals like Novartis (NVS) �and Bristol Meyers Squibb (BMY) �count amongst some of our favorite stocks right now, as do U.S. multinationals that are growing revenue and margins in Asia ��Tupperware (TUP) �is a shining example. Stay away from utilities and energy stocks, as they are likely to be the laggards over the next year.

• [By John Udovich]

  Everyone is familiar with�the Tupperware brand from�consumer products stock Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) and you are probably familiar with the brands�of mid cap stock Jarden Corp (NYSE: JAH) along with small cap stocks Libbey Inc (NYSEMKT: LBY) and Lifetime Brands Inc (NASDAQ: LCUT); but what about the stocks themselves? Chances are, their brands or products are right under your nose at home and you probably don�� know anything about the mid cap or small cap stock behind them.

• [By Arie Goren]

  After running this screen on May 21, 2013, before the markets' open, I discovered the following eight stocks: Sunoco Logistics Partners LP (SXL), Leggett & Platt Inc (LEG), Copa Holdings SA (CPA), RPC Inc. (RES), Tupperware Brands Corp. (TUP), Herbalife Ltd. (HLF), John Wiley & Sons Inc. (JW.A) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW).

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, household products company Tupperware Brands (NYSE: TUP  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

Top Undervalued Companies To Buy For 2014: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Carroll]

  That hasn't helped the industrial sector one bit, and the economically reliant industry has fallen on the day. Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) shares are down 1% so far today, while Alcoa (NYSE: AA  ) has lost 1.1%. All is not lost for Caterpillar, as the company is still the leader in the downbeat manufacturing industry. The company's heavy focus on China and the Pacific recently will help Caterpillar withstand the worst of Europe's drain on industrial giants. Don't expect Caterpillar to turn its European operations around quickly, however -- particularly in the mining industry, which has particularly hurt this company's fortunes.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The other surprise gainer was Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) , which some blamed for the Dow's initial drop after announcing disappointing earnings and guidance. Yet, by the end of the day, investors seemed to focus on the company's more upbeat statement of confidence and optimism about what it called the "relative stability" in the economies of the U.S. and China so far this year. That's hardly a glowing recommendation, given Caterpillar's guidance cut for 2013 earnings, but with the stock already having gotten beaten down, relieved investors bid shares up 2.8%.

Top 5 Clean Energy Companies To Watch In Right Now: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET.COM]

  Schlumberger provides essential energy products and services to consumers and companies operating around the world. The stock has not see much movement in recent years but may be getting ready to head higher. Earnings and revenue figures have mostly been increasing but investors have grown to expect more from the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Schlumberger has been an average performer. WAIT AND SEE what Schlumberger stock does this coming quarter.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  For example, Halliburton (NYSE: HAL  ) saw record first-quarter revenue of $7 billion. Declining rig counts and pricing pressures in North America were still more than offset by the company's international operations. Meanwhile,�Schlumberger's (NYSE: SLB  ) results seemed to mirror National Oilwell Varco's in that its revenue was up over the year-ago quarter but slipped sequentially. Again, though, the story here was strength internationally with weakness in North America. Further, both companies are very optimistic about the future and neither see any signs of a business slowdown.�

• [By David Smith]

  It's now two to one among the big oil-field services companies regarding the North American oil and gas markets. Through Monday, Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) , the largest company in the sector had expressed concern about the market and its short-term prospects, while Halliburton (NYSE: HAL  ) , the second-biggest member of the group, joined Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI  ) in assessing our continent's activity levels more positively.

Top Undervalued Companies To Buy For 2014: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) was maintained as a Buy but was removed from the prized Conviction Buy list at Goldman Sachs.

  Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) was raised to Buy from Hold with a $79 price target at Argus.

• [By Rising Dividend Investing]

  Falling Stock Correlation: What It Says About Consumer Spending

  As we mentioned in the Take Aways from the August 26th Investment Policy Committee meeting, the correlation index has been steadily declining. In 2008-09, macroeconomic events drove nearly every stock downwards. Specific sectors and stocks moved in tandem with one another. Today, stocks and sub-industries within each sector are performing very differently – which indicates a return to a more normal stock market environment.
  The Consumer Discretionary (also known as Consumer Cyclicals) sector is an example of an industry that has been rewarded for its fundamental success over the past 12 months. As a whole, the sector grew sales 6.1% and earnings 9.2% in the second quarter - much better than the 1.4% sales and 3.3% earnings growth of the S&P 500. While the overall sector did well in the second quarter, the table below shows how differently the 5 sub-categories of Consumer Discretionary performed:
  
  (click to enlarge)
  As we drill down even further, sub-categories of sub-sectors differ even more dramatically. Below is a snapshot of the Retailing sub-sector and its notable components:
  
  (click to enlarge)
  Specific stocks within each sub-category are varying in performance as well. General Merchandise retailers were significantly differentiated in the second quarter. Target’s (TGT) adjusted EPS were up 6.1% from 2012, while Dollar General (DG) and Dollar Tree’s (DLTR) earnings were up nearly 12% and 9%, respectively.
  The differences in sales and earnings growth amongst these different industries tell a story. The economy is not improving enough that people feel like they can let go and spend money on pure pleasures, but it is improving enough that they can afford to replace their cars and fix the doors on their houses. As these items wear out and need to be replaced, we expect the pent up demand will drive increased economic activity from cons

Hot Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now

Based in Portland, Oregon, Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: BREW), formerly Redhook Ale Brewery, Inc., is an independent craft brewing enterprise. The company established in 2008 through the merger of Widmer Brothers Brewing and Redhook Ale Brewery. In 2010, Craft Brew Alliance acquired Kona Brewing Co.

Craft Brew Alliance could be a long play for small-cap niche investors interested in the company's new focus from solidifying its foundation to its current appetite for growth. However, the fickle nature of consumers' tastes as applies to the beer, wine, and spirits industry, in tandem with the inherent tough competition in the Beverages (Brewers) industry may prevent some investors from investing in the company.

Nevertheless, here's a rundown on the strengths of the company as well as some challenges it faces as a brewer.

Strengths

High-Growth Unique Brands

Craft Brew Alliance has a selection of diverse, original craft beer brands. The company's Kona, Redhook, and Omission brands are driving growth. Kona is its largest brand family, offering Big Wave Golden Ale; Fire Rock Pale Ale; Koko Brown Nut Brown Ale; Wailua Ale, and Pipeline Porter.

Hot Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Sara Lee Corporation(SLE)

Sara Lee Corporation engages in the manufacture and marketing of a range of branded packaged meat, bakery, and beverage products worldwide. Its packaged meat products include hot dogs and corn dogs, breakfast sausages, sandwiches and bowls, smoked and dinner sausages, premium deli and luncheon meats, bacon, beef, turkey, and cooked ham. It also offers frozen baked products, which comprise frozen pies, cakes, cheesecakes, pastries, and other desserts. In addition, Sara Lee provides roast, ground, and liquid coffee; cappuccinos; lattes; and hot and iced teas, as well as refrigerated dough products. The company sells its products under Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, State Fair, Douwe Egberts, Senseo, Maison du Caf

Hot Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Knick Explor (KNX.V)

Knick Exploration Inc. engages in the identification and exploration of mineral properties in Canada. The company explores for gold deposits on its properties located in the Val-d�Or, Quebec and West Timmins, Ontario. Its principal project is the East-West property covering 184 hectares in Dubuisson Township, Quebec. The Company is headquartered in Val-d�Or, Canada.

5 Best Value Stocks To Own For 2014: QLT Inc.(QLTI)

QLT Inc., a biotechnology company, engages in the development and commercialization of ocular products that address the unmet medical needs of patients and clinicians. It offers Visudyne that utilizes light-activated photodynamic therapy to treat the eye disease known as wet age related macular degeneration. Visudyne is also used for the treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathologic myopia, severe near-sightedness, and presumed ocular histoplasmosis. The company?s developmental stage products include Latanoprost Punctal Plug Drug Delivery System, which is in Phase II clinical trial for the treatment of glaucoma and allergic conjunctivitis; and QLT091001, which is in Phase Ib clinical trial for the treatment of leber congenital amaurosis and retinitis pigmentosa. QLT Inc. markets its products in approximately 80 countries worldwide. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Hot Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Cell Therapeutics Inc (CTIC)

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI), incorporated in 1991, develops, acquires and commercializes treatments for cancer. The Company�� research, development, acquisition and in-licensing activities concentrate on identifying and developing new ways to treat cancer. As of December 31, 2011, CTI focused its efforts on Pixuvri (pixantrone dimaleate) (Pixuvri), OPAXIO (paclitaxel poliglumex) (OPAXIO), tosedostat, brostallicin and bisplatinates. As of December 31, 2011, it developed Pixuvri, an anthracycline derivative for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Another late-stage drug candidate of the Company, OPAXIO, is being studied as a potential maintenance therapy for women with advanced stage ovarian cancer, who achieve a complete remission following first-line therapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin. As of December 31, 2011, it also developed tosedostat in collaboration with Chroma Therapeutics, Ltd. (Chroma). On May 31, 2012, CTI completed its acquisition gaining worldwide rights to S*BIO Pte Ltd.'s (S*BIO) pacritinib.

Pixuvri

As of December 31, 2011, the Company developed Pixuvri, an aza-anthracenedione derivative, for the treatment of non-Hodgkin�� lymphoma (NHL), and various other hematologic malignancies, and solid tumors. Pixuvri was studied in the Company�� EXTEND, or PIX301, clinical trial, which was a phase III single-agent trial of Pixuvri for patients with relapsed, refractory aggressive NHL who received two or more prior therapies and who were sensitive to treatment with anthracyclines. On September 28, 2011, CTI announced that a second independent radiology assessment of response and progression endpoint data from its PIX301 clinical trial of Pixuvri was achieved with statistical significance. The results of the EXTEND trial met its primary endpoint and showed that patients randomized to treatment with Pixuvri achieved a significantly higher rate of confirmed and unconfirmed complete response compared to patients treated with standard chem! otherapy had a significantly increased overall response rate and experienced a statistically significant improvement in median progression free survival. Pixuvri had predictable and manageable toxicities when administered at the proposed dose and schedule in the EXTEND clinical trial in heavily pre-treated patients. In March 2011, the Company initiated the PIX-R trial to study Pixuvri in combination with rituximab in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Pixuvri has also been studied in patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who have tumor progression after at least two, but not more than three, prior chemotherapy regimens. In the second quarter of 2010, the NCCTG opened this phase II study for enrollment. The study is closed to accrual and results are expected to be reported by the NCCTG later in 2012.

OPAXIO

OPAXIO is the Company�� biologically-enhanced chemotherapeutic agent that links paclitaxel to a biodegradable polyglutamate polymer, resulting in a new chemical entity. As of December 31, 2011, the Company focused its development of OPAXIO on ovarian, brain, esophageal, head and neck cancer. OPAXIO was designed to improve the delivery of paclitaxel to tumor tissue while protecting normal tissue from toxic side effects. In November 2010, results were presented by the Brown University Oncology Group from a phase II trial of OPAXIO combined with temozolomide (TMZ), and radiotherapy in patients with newly-diagnosed, high-grade gliomas, a type of brain cancer. The trial demonstrated a high rate of complete and partial responses and a high rate of six month progression free survival (PFS). Based on these results, the Brown University Oncology Group has initiated a randomized, multicenter, phase II study of OPAXIO and standard radiotherapy versus TMZ and radiotherapy for newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma with an active gene termed MGMT that reduces responsiveness to TMZ. A phase I/II study of OPAXIO combined with radi! otherapy ! and cisplatin was initiated by SUNY Upstate Medical University, in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Tosedostat

In March 2011, the Company entered into a co-development and license agreement with Chroma Therapeutics, Ltd. (Chroma), providing the Company with marketing and co-development rights to Chroma�� drug candidate, tosedostat, in North, Central and South America. Tosedostat is an oral, aminopeptidase inhibitor that has demonstrated anti-tumor responses in blood related cancers and solid tumors in phase I-II clinical trials. Interim results from the phase II OPAL study of tosedostat in elderly patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) showed that once-daily, oral doses of tosedostat had predictable and manageable toxicities and results demonstrated response rates, including a high-response rate among patients who received prior hypomethylating agents, which are used to treat myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a precursor of AML.

Brostallicin

As of December 31, 2011, the Company developed brostallicin through its wholly owned subsidiary, Systems Medicine LLC, which holds rights to use, develop, import and export brostallicin. Brostallicin is a synthetic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) minor groove binding agent that has demonstrated anti-tumor activity and a favorable safety profile in clinical trials, in which more than 230 patients have been treated as of December 31, 2011. The Company uses a genomic-based platform to guide the development of brostallicin. A phase II study of brostallicin in relapsed, refractory soft tissue sarcoma met its predefined activity and safety hurdles and resulted in a first-line phase II clinical trial study that was conducted by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).

The Company competes with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer, Roche Group, Genentech, Inc., Astellas Pharma, Eli Lilly and Company, Celgene, Telik, I! nc., TEVA! Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. and PharmaMar.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  If you have not been watching the biotech sector lately, you should start paying attention as the sector along with small cap biotech stocks like Cell Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: CTIC), BIND Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: BIND) and TNI BioTech (OTCMKTS: TNIB) continue to produce a steady stream of good news for investors thanks to positive industry trends. Moreover, Ophthotech Corp (NASDAQ: OPHT), Foundation Medicine Inc (NASDAQ: FMI), Evoke Pharma and Fate Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: FATE) are this week's biotech IPOs that will no doubt be watched closely by Wall Street and industry observers in general. With that in mind, consider the following biotech news or recent articles about the industry and the small cap players in it:

Hot Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: ENTERTAINMENT ONE LTD ORD CAD0.01(ETO.L)

Entertainment One Ltd. engages in the acquisition, production, and distribution of film and television content primarily in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries in Europe. The company operates as an integrated producer, distributor, and international sales agent of feature films and television programming. It offers a range of product genres, including independent films, TV on DVD, children?s programs, special interest, and music, as well as owns long term rights to theatrical, home entertainment, and TV titles. The company also engages in producing series, mini-series, television movies, and documentaries; international film and TV licensing, such as eclectic mix of programming from scripted series to kids? programming, animation, reality, factual, and movies; and TV broadcast sales, home video, and merchandising licenses, as well as provides digital music and video content for digital service providers. It has a rights library of approxima tely 20,000 film and television titles; and 2,500 hours of television programming. In addition, the company is involved in the wholesale of DVDs, CDs, and video games, as well as music and video through physical and digital channels to retail partners. Entertainment One Ltd. was founded in 1973 and is based in Toronto, Canada.

Hot Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: Celeste Mining Corp.(C.V)

Celeste Mining Corp., a junior natural resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Chile. It primarily explores for tin, copper, gold, and silver ores. The company holds an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in seven exploration concessions, Celeste IV�X, covering approximately 2,765 hectares located in the Cabeza de Vaca mineral district, Chile. It also holds three exploration concessions in the Manto Medio district of Chile. The company was formerly known as Celeste Copper Corporation and changed its name to Celeste Mining Corp. in November 2012. Celeste Mining Corp. was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Calgary, Canada.

Hot Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares Inc.(NHTB)

New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares, Inc. operates as the holding company for Lake Sunapee Bank, fsb that provides banking and other financial services in New Hampshire and Vermont. The company accepts various deposit products, including business checking, money market accounts, savings, negotiable order of withdrawal, and certificate accounts. Its loan portfolio comprises real estate loans, real estate construction loans, consumer loans, commercial loans, and municipal loans. The company also sells brokerage, securities, and insurance products. It operates 28 branches in Grafton, Hillsborough, Sullivan, Chester, and Merrimack counties in west central New Hampshire; and in Rutland and Windsor counties in Vermont. The company was founded in 1868 and is headquartered in Newport, New Hampshire.

Hot Heal Care Companies To Watch In Right Now: TeleTech Holdings Inc.(TTEC)

TeleTech Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides customer experience strategy, technology, and business process outsourcing solutions worldwide. The company offers revenue generation solutions, including designing and managing approximately 8,000 client-branded e-commerce Websites, and processing 3 terabytes of customer data daily to create and implement customer targeting and segmentation strategies to enhance customer acquisition, retention, and growth. It also offers customer innovation solutions that integrate voice, chat, e-mail, ecommerce, and social media to enhance the customer experience for its clients; and enterprise innovation solutions that comprise redesigning and managing clients? back-office processes to enhance clients? abilities to obtain a customer-centric view of their relationships. In addition, the company provides managed technology solutions consisting of software and infrastructure as a service; and designing, implementing, and m anaging clients? premise-based delivery center environments to enable companies to deliver a customer experience across various touch points. Further, it offers learning innovation training solutions that utilizes a methodology, which includes virtual job-simulation environments, eLearning courses, interactive social media networking, and collaboration, as well as intuitive 3D and game-based learning courses; data analytics to provide real time and actionable customer insight regarding how to grow revenue, reduce customer churn, and enhance operating efficiencies; and professional services to deliver customer-centric solutions. The company serves automotive, broadband, cable, financial services, healthcare, logistics, media and entertainment, retail, technology, travel, and wireline and wireless communication industries. TeleTech Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

GM to debut natural-gas powered Chevy Impala

America finally has another choice when it comes to a natural-gas powered car.

General Motors announced today that it will build a Chevrolet Impala sedan that operates on either gasoline or compressed natural gas, or CNG. It will go on sale next summer and be sold to both at retail and to fleets.

Even though the U.S. has seen a boom in natural gas production, and clean fuel sells for less than half the price of gasoline, not many vehicles that can use it have come from automakers and many CNG vehicles on the road are from private converters.

GM's product lineup now includes natural gas vans and it recently said it plans to offer bi-fuel versions of its 2015 full-size pickups.Only Honda has a natural-gas powered car on sale nationwide, a Civic.

But slick new redesigned Impala could have advantages that could bring greater acceptance. Since it will be able to use gasoline or natural gas, that mitigates worries about being stranded in places where there are no CNG stations. Also, its large trunk can hold the CNG tank and still have reasonable room for luggage.

The Bi-Fuel Impala will switch automatically to gasoline when the natural gas tank (which holds the CNG equivalent of eight gallons of gasoline) is depleted. The driver also can manually switch between fuels with a button on the dash. That approach resembles the Chevrolet Volt, which can travel on a battery charge before switching to gasoline.

The 2014 Chevrolet Impala, on sale since April, is a looker. It's the10th-generation of Impala, which was launched in 1957 as a 1958 model.  General MotorsFullscreen Impala is built on the same chassis used for the redone, smaller 2013 Malibu.  General MotorsFullscreen Impala joined the Chevrolet lineup as its new flagship for the 1958 model year. Pictured here is the 1958 Impala Sport Coupe, which broke new ground for high style in a mainstream-brand car.  ChevroletFullscreen Behind the big screen in the dashboard is a storage bin with USB port.  General MotorsFullscreen 2013 Impala LTZ.  General MotorsFullscreen The 2014 Impala offers a 2.5-liter four-cylinder rated 196 hp, 186 lbs.-ft. of torque, and a 3.6-liter V-6 rated 305 hp and 264 lbs.-ft. Both use six-speed automatic..  General MotorsFullscreen The rear seat has almost has generous leg room, as much as the front seat in many other cars.  ChevroletFullscreen The new Impala's interior is more upscale in design and materials.  General MotorsFullscreen Coming this fall for the Impala is a model with a "mild hybrid" powertrain GM calls eAssist. It's similar to what's used in the Eco model of the Chevy Malibu and in some of GM's Buicks.  General MotorsFullscreen 2014 Chevrolet Impala.  General MotorsFullscreen The 2014 Impala LTZ.  General MotorsFullscreenLike this topic? You may also like these photo galleries:ReplayAutopl! ayShow Th! umbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext Slide

The announcement of the bi-fuel version of the redesigned 2014 Impala -- winner of the recent Cars.com-USA TODAY-MotorWeek full-size sedan challenge and named by Consumer Reports this year as the best sedan in the U.S. -- was made by GM CEO Dan Akerson at the nonpartisan Securing America's Future Energy conference looking at U.S. oil dependence 40 years after the OPEC embargo.

"We know that U.S. energy security won't come from a one-off moonshot," Akerson said. "It will flow from our systematic investment in technology and innovation... our drive to get more from existing energy sources and renewables... our commitment to conservation... and it will be assured by fully and safely exploiting our shale gas reserves."

10 Best Small Cap Stocks To Buy Right Now

Akerson has made increased natural gas use a key part of what the CEO sees as a cohesive national energy policy.

"Natural gas power trains are one of the areas where we have increased investment because we believe the technology can satisfy the 'green' needs of both the environment and stockholders," Akerson told the conference, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.