5 Stocks With Ugly Earnings Momentum — FNBN GYRO PNX CPN SHLD

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This week, these five stocks have the worst ratings in Earnings Momentum, one of the eight Fundamental Categories on Portfolio Grader.

FNB United () is a bank holding company. FNBN gets F’s in Equity and Cash Flow as well. .

Gyrodyne Company of America, Inc. () leases industrial and commercial real estate to diversified entities. GYRO also gets F’s in Earnings Growth, Equity, Cash Flow and Operating Margin Growth. .

Phoenix Companies, Inc. () operates as a holding company, which offers life insurance and annuity solutions for its customers’ retirement and protection needs. PNX also gets F’s in Earnings Growth and Sales Growth. .

Calpine Corporation () is an independent wholesale power generation company engaged in the ownership and operation of natural gas-fired and geothermal power plants in North America. CPN gets F’s in Earnings Growth and Operating Margin Growth as well. The stock has a trailing PE Ratio of 87.80. .

Sears Holdings Corporation () is a broadline retailer with full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. SHLD gets F’s in Analyst Earnings Revisions, Equity, Cash Flow and Sales Growth as well. .

5 Best Undervalued Stocks To Watch Right Now

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014

Margins matter. The more Numerex (Nasdaq: NMRX  ) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market. That's why we check up on margins at least once a quarter in this series. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, so I can compare them to current and potential competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Numerex's competitive position could be.

Here's the current margin snapshot for Numerex over the trailing 12 months: Gross margin is 42.4%, while operating margin is 4.4% and net margin is 9.9%.

Unfortunately, a look at the most recent numbers doesn't tell us much about where Numerex has been, or where it's going. A company with rising gross and operating margins often fuels its growth by increasing demand for its products. If it sells more units while keeping costs in check, its profitability increases. Conversely, a company with gross margins that inch downward over time is often losing out to competition, and possibly engaging in a race to the bottom on prices. If it can't make up for this problem by cutting costs -- and most companies can't -- then both the business and its shares face a decidedly bleak outlook.

10 Best Gas Utility Stocks To Buy For 2015: Kansas City Southern (KSU)

Kansas City Southern, through its subsidiaries, engages primarily in the freight rail transportation business. It operates north/south rail between Kansas City, Missouri, and various ports along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in the midwest and southeast regions of the United States. The company also operates direct rail passageway between Mexico City and Laredo in Texas, serving various Mexico?s industrial cities and 3 of its shipping ports; and a 157-mile rail line extending from Laredo, Texas to the port city of Corpus Christi, Texas, as well as owns the northern half of the rail bridge at Laredo, Texas. In addition, Kansas City Southern holds a concession to operate a 47-mile railroad located adjacent to the Panama Canal, as well as operates and promotes commuter and tourist passenger services. Further, the company operates a bulk materials handling facility with deep-water access to the Gulf of Mexico at Port Arthur, Texas that stores and transfers petroleum coke from rail cars to ships primarily for export; and a railroad wood tie treatment facility. It serves customers conducting business in various industries, including electric-generating utilities, chemical and petroleum products, industrial and consumer products, agriculture and mineral products, automotive products, and intermodal freight transportation. The company was formerly known as Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc. and changed its name to Kansas City Southern in 2002. Kansas City Southern was founded in 1962 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Investors have created a monster of their own–the emerging markets, an amalgamation of various countries that have very little in common–and like the monster in the original Frankenstein, they’re coming for their creator. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) fell 3.9% to $38.24 this week–dragging down U.S. stocks with it. The S&P 500 fell 2.6% to 1,790.29, its largest one-week decline since June, 2012, as it was pulled lower by International Game Technology (IGT) and Kansas City Southern (KSU). The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 3.5% to 15,879.11, its largest decline since November, 2011, with�EI Du Pont De Nemours (DD) and�General Electric (GE) the biggest losers. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.726%, down from 3.006% at the start of 2014, as investors flocked to the relative safety of bonds.

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: StealthGas Inc.(GASS)

StealthGas Inc., a ship-owning company, through its subsidiaries, provides international seaborne transportation services worldwide. The company transports petroleum gas products in liquefied form, including propane, butane, butadiene, isopropane, propylene, and vinyl chloride monomer. It also transports refined petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel, crude oil, fuel oil, jet fuel, edible oils, and chemicals. As of January 9, 2012, the company had a fleet of 33 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers with a total capacity of 153,088 cubic meters, 3 medium range product tankers, and 1 Aframax oil tanker. It serves LPG producers comprising national and independent energy companies, energy traders, and industrial users. StealthGas Inc. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Athens, Greece.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tim Melvin]

  Several shipping stocks have already started to move higher this year, but in a fashion that will be typical of the volatility in the sector, we saw an opportunity created this week. StealthGas (GASS) reported earnings that fell well short of analyst expectations, and the stock plummeted by almost 8 percent for the week.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  StealthGas (NASDAQ: GASS  ) has ambitions to raise $100 million from the capital markets. The company put a price tag on its upcoming public share flotation, and upped the volume in the process -- 10 million shares are to be sold, as opposed to the originally planned 8 million, and they will be priced at $10.00 apiece.

• [By Sally Jones]

  StealthGas Inc. (GASS) - Yield 0.00%

  StealthGas Inc. is up 38% over 12 months. The current share price is around $9.40, down 11% since John Keeley made a new buy as of June 30, 2013.

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE)

Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Energy Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes companies that primarily develop and produce crude oil and natural gas, and provide drilling and other energy-related services.

The Fund utilizes a passive or indexing investment approach to invest in a portfolio of stocks that seek to replicate the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is SSgA Funds Management, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Continental Resources have gained 4.8% to $55.47 at 1:28 p.m., easily topping the 1.4% rise in the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE), as oil prices have gained 1.4% to $78.97.

• [By Stephen Leeb]

  The bellwether S&P Energy Select Sector (XLE), has done very well so far this year, keeping pace with the overall market's push upwards; XLE remains a buy.

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: ResMed Inc (RMD)

ResMed Inc., (ResMed), incorporated on March 31, 1994, is a holding company for the ResMed Group. The Company, through its subsidiaries, is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of medical equipment for treating, diagnosing, and managing sleep-disordered breathing and other respiratory disorders. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) includes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and other respiratory disorders that occur during sleep. The Company has developed a number of products for SDB and other respiratory disorders including airflow generators, diagnostic products, mask systems, headgear and other accessories. Its manufacturing operations are located in Australia, Singapore, France, Germany, Malaysia and the United States. Its distribution and sales sites are located in the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Norway and Sweden. In December 2013, ResMed Inc acquired Unimedis SRO, a surgical appliance and manufacturing company.

Air Flow Generators

The Company produces continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), variable positive airway pressure (VPAP) and AutoSet systems for the titration and treatment of SDB. The flow generator systems deliver positive airway pressure through a patient interface, either a small nasal mask, nasal pillows system, or full-face mask. Its VPAP units deliver bilevel therapy. There are two preset pressures: a higher pressure as the patient breathes in, and a lower pressure as the patient breathes out. AutoSet systems are based on a technology to monitor breathing and can also be used in the diagnosis, treatment and management of OSA. The Company�� Stellar 100 and 150 ventilation devices, provide both invasive and non invasive ventilation applications for adult and pediatric patients.

ResMed Inc.�� CPAP products include S8 Escape, S9 Elite and S9 Escape. Its VPAP products include VPAP III STA with QuickNav, VPAP S / VPAP IV, VPAP IV ST, S8 Auto 25, VPAP Tx Lab System, S9 VPAP S, S9 VPAP ST! , S9 VPAP Auto, S9 VPAP Adapt, S9 AutoSet CS, S9 Auto 25 and S9 VPAP COPD. The Company�� automatic positive airway pressure products include S9 AutoSet and S9 Escape Auto. Its ventilation products include Elisee 150, VS III and Stellar 100 and 150.

Masks, Accessories, Motors and Diagnostic Products

Masks, accessories, motors and diagnostic products together accounted for approximately 46% of its net revenues in fiscal 2012. Its Mask products include Activa LT, Swift LT for Her, Swift FX, Mirage SoftGel, Quattro FX, Swift FX for Her, Mirage FX, Mirage FX for Her, Pixi Pediatric Mask, Quattro FX for Her, Swift FX Bella, Quattro Air and Swift FX Nano. Its diagnostic products includes ApneaLink + Oximetry and ApneaLink Plus (U.S.)

Accessories and Other Products

The Company to assist those professionals diagnosing or managing the treatment of patients have data communications and control products, such as the EasyCare, ResLink, ResControl, ResControl II, TxControl, ResScan and ResTraxx modules that facilitate the transfer of data and other information to and from the flow generators. These products include humidifiers, such as H5i and H4i, which connect directly with the CPAP, VPAP and AutoSet flow generators to humidify and heat the air delivered to the patient, helping to prevent the drying of nasal passages that can cause discomfort. Other optional accessories include cold passover humidifiers, carry bags and breathing circuits. The Company�� data/patient management products include S9 Embletta Adapter, ResScan v3.14, ResTraxx v17.1., ResTraxx v18.3, ResScan v3.16 and EasyCare 1.0.

The Company competes with Philips BV, DeVilbiss Healthcare., Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited, Apex Medical Corp, BMC Medical Co. Ltd and Weinmann Gerate fur Medizin GmbH + Co. KG.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  ResMed (NYSE: RMD  ) : 2% projected forward yield
  Like the previous companies, ResMed has operations on a global scale, but unlike the preceding device makers, its focus is on medical equipment that helps diagnose and treat sleeping disorders. Whereas growth at Smith & Nephew and Medtronic has been slow-and-go in recent quarters, ResMed has seen sales take off. In its recently reported fourth-quarter results, ResMed delivered record quarterly revenue and income of $414.6 million and $86.2 million. Revenue in its Americas and combined Europe/Asia Pacific regions rose by 11% and 12%, respectively, with the company announcing a 47% increase to its quarterly dividend.�

• [By STOCKPICKR]

  Medical equipment maker ResMed (RMD) is another name that's starting to look "toppy" after a bullish start to the year. RMD has more or less kept pace with the S&P 500 in 2014, climbing just over 11% from January to today -- but shares started forming a long-term triple-top over the summer, and that setup is getting close to completion this fall.

  It's worth noting that long-term price setups come with equally long term trading implications when they trigger.

  The triple-top that RMD is showing is a fairly rare pattern, but the trigger is pretty perfunctory: if shares break down below support at $48, then sellers are in control, and it's time to unload them. Downside isn't a foregone conclusion in ResMed, but this setup only gets invalidated if shares can close above their prior highs at $54.

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: Harmonic Inc.(HLIT)

Harmonic Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells video infrastructure products and system solutions to create, prepare, and deliver a range of video services for television and media platforms in the united States and internationally. Its products include video production platforms and playout solutions, such as video servers used by broadcasters, content owners, and multi-channel network operators to create and play-to-air television channels; video-optimized storage, which provides storage capacity and access bandwidth to support media production applications comprising video editing, content transformation, and media library management; and media applications that provide media integrated management and workflow control over content stored on its systems. The company offers video processing products, including broadcast encoders; contribution and distribution encoders; stream processing and statistical multiplexing solutions; content preparation and delivery for multi-scr een applications; decoders and descramblers; and management and control software. It also provides edge products that integrate routing, multiplexing, scrambling, and modulation into a single package; optical transmitters and amplifiers, which operates at various optical wavelengths and serves long-haul and local transport applications in the cable distribution network; optical nodes to supports network architectures for bandwidth delivered to a service area; and return path transmitters that support two-way transmission capabilities for analog or digital transport. In addition, the company offers technical support and professional services, such as maintenance and support; and consulting, implementation, and integration services. Harmonic Inc. sells its products through direct sales force, independent distributors, and integrators to cable, satellite and telco, and broadcast and media companies. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Harmonic (Nasdaq: HLIT  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings on April 23. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

  The 10-second takeaway
  Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Harmonic's revenues will decrease -10.8% and EPS will decrease -66.7%.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Harmonic (HLIT) designs, manufactures and sells versatile and hig-performance video products and system solutions that enable service providers to efficiently deliver the next generation of broadcast and on-demand services. This stock closed up 1.8% to $7.81 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $7.61-$7.85
  
  52-Week Range: $3.96-$8.04
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 656,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 777,544

  From a technical perspective, HLIT bounced modestly higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $7.51 with decent upside volume. This stock has been uptrending a bit for the last month, with shares moving higher from its low of $7.10 to its intraday high of $7.85. During that move, shares of HLIT have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move is now pushing shares of HLIT within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if HLIT manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $8 to its 52-week high at $8.04 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HLIT as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $7.51 or above more support at $7, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 777,544 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then HLIT will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $9.50 to $10.50.

• [By Lee Jackson]

  Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) is a top small cap name to buy at Oppenheimer. Revenue in the second quarter totaled $117.1 million, and bookings were $126.3 million. Non-GAAP net income was $5.6 million, or $0.05 per share. That bottom-line result is a welcome improvement compared to the adjusted net loss of $0.02 per share a year ago. The stock was up as much as 16% after earnings, and it may be a top name to own for the rest of the year. The consensus price target for the stock is $7.

• [By Eddie Staley]

  Shares of Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) were down 13.46 percent to $6.18 after the company lowered its Q2 forecast and issued a weak Q3 guidance.

  Riverbed Technology (NASDAQ: RVBD) shares tumbled 6.77 percent to $18.97 after the company lowered its Q2 revenue forecast.

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: Ashley(l)

Laura Ashley Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, sourcing, distribution, sale, and licensing of clothing, accessories, and home furnishings in the United Kingdom and internationally. It offers various furniture products, including beds, upholstered furniture, mirrors, and cabinet furniture; home accessories, such as lighting products, gifts, bed linen, rugs, throws, cushions, and children?s accessories; and decorative products comprising curtains, blinds, fabrics, paints, decorative accessories, and wall coverings. The company also offers fashion products, such as clothing that include dresses, knitwear, tops, blouses, skirts, trousers, leggings, coats, jackets, swimwear, and shoes, as well as accessories comprising bags, purses, jewellery, and scarves. In addition, it provides design services for homes; and licenses various products, such as stationery, wooden flooring, blinds, interior window shutters, carpets, nursery produ cts, fireplaces, garden products, eyewear, tiles, promotional gifting, toiletries, shoes, and Fairtrade clothing. The company sells its products through retail stores, online, and mail order. As of January 29, 2011, it operated 217 stores, including 138 mixed product stores, 55 home stores, 22 home concession stores, 1 gifts and accessories store, and 1 clearance outlet in the United Kingdom; and 240 franchised stores in 29 countries. The company is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Earnings Movers: Petroleo Brasileiro SA (NYSE: PBR) is up 9.1% at $17.35 after reporting earnings and getting a ratings boost. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is down 2.5% at $45.39 as the company struggles to boost revenues. Burger King Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: BKW) is up 5.8% at $20.91 as franchise revenues rose much faster than costs. Loews Corp. (NYSE: L) is down 0.2% at $48.70.

• [By Julius Ferraro]

  Diamond offshore is a $9 billion dollar offshore driller that is currently 50.4% owned by Loews Corporation (L). I like that the Tisch family has a significant ownership because in the case of an economic downturn, Diamond Offshore can be provided with the capital that it may need by some of Loews other businesses. Its Expected to earn $4.80 for this year and trades at a fair valuation of 11.8 times earnings. In addition, out of all of the offshore drillers Diamond is the most conservative with $1.2 billion in cash and $1.5 billion in debt. Diamond Offshore is the only A rated drilling contractor.

Top 10 Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2014: Galectin Therapeutics Inc (GALT)

Galectin Therapeutics Inc., formerly Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on January 26, 2001, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in drug development to create therapies for cancer and fibrotic disease. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has two compounds in development, one is to be used in cancer therapy and the other intended to be used in the treatment of liver fibrosis and fatty liver disease. These two compounds are produced from different natural starting materials, both possessing the property, which lends itself to binding to and inhibiting galectin proteins. GM-CT-01, the Company's product candidate for cancer therapy, is a linear polysaccharide polymer consisted of mannose and galactose that has a defined chemical structure and is derived from a plant source. GR-MD-02, the Company's product for treatment of liver fibrosis and fatty liver disease with inflammation and fibrosis, is a polysaccharide polymer possessing both linear and globular structures, which also is derived from a plant source.

GM-CT-01 has in development for the therapy of colorectal cancer and is in a Phase I/II clinical trial as a combination therapy with a tumor vaccine in patients with advanced melanoma. Based on the completed Phase I and partially completed Phase II clinical trials, the Company is exploring two additional potential indicia for the use of GM-CT-01 in combination with cancer chemotherapy. There are two additional pathways for the development of GM-CT-01 for use in treatment of cancer. GM-CT-01 was found to be generally safe when studied in a Phase I clinical trial in end-stage cancer patients with multiple tumor types alone and in combination with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), which is an Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved chemotherapy used for treatment of various types of cancer.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

   

  Galectin Therapeutics (GALT) offers drug research and development to create new therapies for fibrotic disease and cancer. This stock closed up 9.6% to $12.06 in Monday's trading session.

   

  Monday's Volume: 674,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 222,171
  
  Volume % Change: 149%

   

  Shares of GALT jumped higher on Monday after Ascendiant initiated coverage on the stock with a buy recommendation.

   

   

  From a technical perspective, GALT spiked sharply higher here with strong upside volume. This stock has been uptrending for the last three months, with shares ripping higher from its low of $3.95 to its recent high of $13.21. During that move, shares of GALT have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of GALT within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if GALT manages to take out Monday's high of $12.44 and then once it clears its 52-week high at $13.21 with high volume.

   

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GALT as long as it's trending above some near-term support levels at $11 or at $10 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 222,171 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then GALT will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory above $13.21, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $15 to $16.

   

Beware Uber's New Year's Eve price surge

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) New Year's Eve is one of Uber's busiest nights of the year. But that could mean you start 2015 with a much lighter wallet.

The controversial startup is expecting to service 2 million riders worldwide on New Year's Eve alone.

An Uber spokeswoman said New Year's Eve 2014 was one of Uber's busiest days. And the company has quadrupled its presence compared to last New Year's Eve. It's now operating in over 260 cities across the world -- up from 66 last year.

But how much -- or how little -- might riders pay? That's unpredictable due to Uber's price algorithm, which charges riders inordinate sums of money during periods when its cars are most in demand. (Hello, New Years Eve!)

Last year, the company issued a blog post ahead of New Year's Eve, explaining its surge pricing and providing timing guidelines (best times to ride: before 8 p.m., between 10:30 p.m. and 12:15 a.m., and after 3:00 a.m.). It's expected to publish a similar post Tuesday.

Uber requires users to confirm the price so there are no surprises, but there was still plenty of criticism from riders who felt they'd been unfairly gouged.

Last year, Twitter user @Uber_Surge retweeted receipts from riders impacted by the surge. Prices ranged from a 4.85 mile ride in Pennsylvania that cost $265 to a 59.13 mile ride in Texas that totaled $731.75.

Its surge pricing -- which the company is seeking to patent -- has been heavily criticized. Most recently, it caught flak for inflating prices during the Sydney hostage crisis. (It later refunded rides and issued a blog post apology to explain its algorithm, which operates automatically.)

Best Services Stocks To Watch For 2015

The company has had a wild ride this year -- from lawsuits to shutdowns to outspoken critics. But its supporters feel just as strongly: It closed a $1.2 billion round of funding earlier this month.

Best Income Companies To Own In Right Now

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO ) reported first-quarter 2014 earnings last week, and shares rose more than 5% for the week, a demonstration of the whimsical magic of beating lowered expectations, as the company's revenue, net income, and earnings per share declined 4%, 8%, and 6%, respectively, versus the prior year. Let's review highlights of Coke's earnings report to seek out any change in the tea leaves as the company works to alter its recent fortunes.

A quarter of attractive cash flow

Despite lower sales than in the comparable prior-year quarter, Coke enjoyed strong cash flow in the first three months of 2014. The company generated $1.1 billion in cash from operations from $1.6 billion in net income. This compares favorably to the $480 million of operating cash flow generated from $1.8 billion in net income during the same period in 2013. CFO Gary Fayard cited efficient management of working capital as a primary driver of the increased cash flow. This makes sense, for if you look at last year's statement of cash flows for the period, you'll see, conversely, changes in working capital items created the greatest drag on operational cash flow. Fayard also noted that Coca-Cola's largest pension plan is now fully funded, which should also have a positive impact on cash for the rest of the year: Coke's contributions to its pension plans in 2012 and 2013 totaled $1.1 billion and $640 million, respectively.

Hot Tech Stocks To Own Right Now: Chimerix Inc (CMRX)

Chimerix, Inc., incorporated on April, 07, 2000, is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel, oral antiviral therapeutics that are designed to transform patient care in areas of high unmet medical need. Its lipid technology has given rise to two clinical-stage compounds, CMX001 and CMX157, which have demonstrated the potential for enhanced antiviral activity and safety in convenient, orally administered dosing regimens.

CMX001 is an orally administered drug that utilizes its lipid technology to deliver intracellular concentrations of a potent antiviral compound, cidofovir-diphosphate (CDV-PP). Following oral dosing, CMX001 is absorbed through the gut, remains intact in the plasma, and is readily taken up by and delivered into cells. Once inside cells, CMX001 is converted into CDV-PP, which acts as an alternative substrate in a replicating virus. CMX001 is similar to the drug cidofovir in that both drugs are converted into CDV-PP once inside cells. Although cidofovir is approved for administration in an intravenous formulation, Vistide, it requires a plasma concentration to deliver a therapeutic level of cidofovir into cells and its use is limited due to the risk of kidney damage.

CMX157, Its second clinical stage compound, is an oral nucleotide compound in Phase 1 development for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In July 2012, the Company granted Merck an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize CMX157 for all human uses. Merck is responsible for all development and marketing activities for CMX157 on a worldwide basis.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Biotech companies that are most likely to benefit because they are “Ahead in clinical development and/or have established relationships with [the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or] BARDA which may facilitate getting a contract” include GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), NewLink Genetics (NLNK), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Chimerix (CMRX). Kantor includes Tekmira�(TKMR) and Sarepta (SRPT) among “companies with viable programs” that are “moving forward and likely to attract additional funding.”

Best Income Companies To Own In Right Now: Endeavor IP Inc (ENIP)

Endeavor IP, Inc., formerly Finishing Touches Home Goods Inc., incorporated on December 8, 2009, is an integrated consulting firm that assists individuals, organizations, companies and government agencies in finding solutions to home and workplace-related barriers for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as ergonomics consultancy. The Company�� focused on providing services and products that helps to create barrier-free homes and workplace environments. The Company provides consulting services, including site audits and accessibility/ergonomic planning and development; installation and sales of accessibility, ergonomic and safety products, ergonomic consultancy for homes and businesses. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2012, the Company focuses on providing services in two main areas: Accessibility and Ergonomics in the workplace and at home.

The Company offer functional assessment services for commercial and residential properties and offer recommendations based on its assessment to improve accessibility and safety of these sites. The Company offers its clients practical ergonomic solutions by offering consulting services, such as Ergonomic Assessments, Physical Demands Assessments, Disability Management / Return to Work, and Occupational Health and Safety. The Company�� consulting services include Workplace Risk Assessments, Office Layout, New Equipment Selection, Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Assessments, Accessibility and Disability Access Audits, Retail Ergonomics and Ergonomics Standards.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  They say a company is judged by the company it keeps. What's less said - though never disputed - is that a company is equally judged by the kind of talent it can attract... winning people tend to only work for winning companies. In that light, the fact that the newest chief of Endeavor IP Inc. (OTCBB:ENIP) is a former executive from the ranks of Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS) and Tessera Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSRA) should underscore just how seriously the market should be taking ENIP. RMBS and TSRA didn't become large powerhouses by hiring folks who don't know what they're doing, and conversely, the fact that a former Rambus and Tessera Technologies guy was willing to step into the unknown and take the helm at Endeavor IP speaks volumes about the potential of the young company's IP portfolio.

• [By John Udovich]

  Although some view patent investors or speculators as nothing more than "patent trolls," small cap patent stocks RPX Corporation (NASDAQ: RPXC), Marathon Patent Group Inc (OTCBB: MARA) and Endeavor IP Inc (OTCBB: ENIP) are a couple of interesting options that allow retail investors to invest in patents as they either invest in patents themselves or they provide patent related services. However, there could be risks associated with investing in patent stocks because a bi-partisan bill called the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) is�working its way through Congress to try and reign in the activities of so-called�patent trolls or companies�who go out and buy or license patents from others and then target alleged infringers with lawsuits.

Best Income Companies To Own In Right Now: Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP)

Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP) is engaged on the acquisition, development and production of onshore oils and natural gas properties in the United States. All of the Company's proved reserves are located in the Black Warrior Basin in Alabama, the Cherokee Basin in Kansas and Oklahoma, the Woodford Shale in the Arkoma Basin in Oklahoma and the Central Kansas Uplift in Kansas and Nebraska. The Company operates its oil and natural gases properties as one business segment: the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's total estimated proved reserves were approximately 201.3 billions of cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), approximately 76% of which were classified as proved developed, and 97% of which are natural gas and 3% of which are oil. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was the operator of approximately 88% of the 2,785 net wells in which the Company owned an interest. In March 2013, it announced sale of its Robinson's Bend Field assets, located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

Black Warrior Basin

The Black Warrior Basin is a coalbed methane basins in the country. The multi-seam vertical wells in the basin range from 500 to 3,700 feet deep, with coal seams averaging a total of 25 to 30 feet of net pay per well. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 100% working interest (an approximate 75% average net revenue interest) in its wells in the Black Warrior Basin, where the Company had 507 producing natural gas wells. The Black Warrior Basin is located in western Tuscaloosa County and Pickens County, Alabama, and encompasses a surface area of approximately 109 square miles. The field has been developed on 80-acre spacing. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was developing its properties in the field on both 40- and 80-acre spacing. The field has seven compressor stations with 800-1,200 horsepower compressors, approximately 170 miles of gas gathering lines (wells to header) and approximately 25 miles of trans! portation lines (header to compressor). In addition, there are approximately 152 miles of water gathering pipes and 28 miles of water transportation pipes. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Black Warrior Basin were approximately 84.9 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88% of which were classified as proved developed, and all of which are natural gas.

Cherokee Basin

The Cherokee Basin is located in the Mid-Continent region in southern Kansas, northern Oklahoma, and western Missouri. It covers approximately 26,500 square miles. The production is natural gas produced from coals and shales. There are multiple producing coal zones in the Cherokee Basin, including the Rowe, Riverton, Weir-Pitt, and Dawson zones. In addition, there are other productive shale zones, as well as conventional sandstone and limestone potential, which can add natural gas and oil production. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned approximately 2,261 net producing wells in the Cherokee Basin. The Company operates in excess of 20 booster compressors and stations to gets its natural gas to sales points owned by ONEOK Gas Transportation, L.L.C., Scissortail Energy, LLC, Enogex Gas Gathering & Processing, LLC, Enogex Inc., and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. The Company operates a substantial portion of its production in the Cherokee Basin. The Company also own a 50% working interest in wells operated by Bullseye Operating, L.L.C. (Bullseye) and a 50% interest in Bullseye itself. Bullseye operates approximately 500 gross wells in Washington and Nowata Counties in Oklahoma and sells its production through the Cotton Valley producers cooperative, Cotton Valley Compression, L.L.C. The Company's gross working interest in its Cherokee Basin properties is approximately 80%, with its average gross working interest in its operated properties being approximately 100% and its average gross working interest in its non-operated Cherokee Basin properties being a! pproximat! ely 50%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Cherokee Basin were approximately 110.7 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 66% of which were classified as proved developed, and 95% of which were natural gas and 5% of which were oil.

Woodford Shale

The Woodford Shale is located in the Arkoma Basin in southern Oklahoma. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 82 well bores, or approximately 9 net producing wells, located in Coal and Hughes counties. This area is gas-rich and is characterized by multiple productive zones. The production of natural gas in the Woodford Shale comes from shale rock that has been stimulated through fracturing jobs after a horizontal well has been drilled. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's 82 wells had an average gross working interest of 11.3% and an average net revenue interest of 9.1%. Approximately 90% of the wells are operated by affiliates of Devon Energy Corporation (Devon) and Newfield Exploration Mid-Continent, Inc. (Newfield), with the remaining wells operated by three additional companies. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Woodford Shale were approximately 5.2 billions of cubic feet equivalent.

Central Kansas Uplift

The Central Kansas Uplift is an oil prone region located in Kansas and southern Nebraska. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a gross acreage position of 4,345 acres, or approximately 1,050 net acres and the Company owned 39 gross wells, or approximately 8 net producing wells. Murfin Drilling Company, Inc., an oil producer in Kansas, operates all of the Company's wells in this region. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the average gross working interest in the wells is approximately 21% and the average net revenue interest is approximately 17%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's proved reserves in the Central Kansas Uplift were approximately 0.5 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88%! of which! were classified as proved developed and all of which were oil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The bulk of these awards came in the form of a single multiple-award, task-order contract to be shared among several energy companies:

  Constellation Energy Partners LLC's (NYSEMKT: CEP  ) Constellation NewEnergy subsidiary Privately held ECC Renewables LLC Enel Green Power North America, a subsidiary of Italy's Enel SpA LTC Federal LLC Siemens' (NYSE: SI  ) Government Technologies unit

  These five firms are now authorized to bid for individual task orders under an umbrella contract for the procurement of renewable and alternative energy from facilities that are designed, financed, constructed, operated and maintained by private companies on private land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. The ceiling value on this contract is $7 billion, thus accounting for 84% of the value of all Pentagon contracts awarded yesterday.

Best Income Companies To Own In Right Now: KB Home (KBH)

KB Home is a homebuilding company. The Company constructs and sells homes through its operating divisions under the name KB Home. The Company operates in nine states and 32 markets, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. The Company organizes its homebuilding operations into four segments: West Coast, Southwest, Central and Southeast. In July 2012, it acquired land within the Elworthy Ranch property in the town of Danville. In September 2012, it acquired Mason Ranch, which is a 330-acre land asset in Cedar Park/Leander West, submarkets in metropolitan Austin. In December 2012, the Company acquired 65 lots in Fuquay-Varina, N.C.

Homebuilding

The Company�� homebuilding operations offers a variety of homes designed primarily for first-time, move-up and active adult homebuyers, including attached and detached single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums. It offers homes in development communities, at urban in-fill locations and as part of mixed-use projects. During the fiscal year ended, November 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011), the Company, through its homebuilding segment, delivered 5,812 homes. During fiscal 2011, homebuilding operations accounted for 99.2% of the total revenues.

Financial Services

The financial services segment provides title and insurance services to its homebuyers. This segment also provided mortgage banking services to the Company�� homebuyers indirectly through KBA Mortgage, LLC (KBA Mortgage), a former unconsolidated joint venture of a subsidiary of ours and a subsidiary of Bank of America, N.A., from the venture�� formation until June 30, 2011, when it ceased offering mortgage banking services. Effective June 27, 2011, it entered into a marketing services agreement with MetLife Home Loans, a division of MetLife Bank, N.A. Under the agreement, MetLife Home Loans��personnel, located on site at several of its new home communities, can offer financing options and re! sidential consumer mortgage loan products to its homebuyers, and originate residential consumer mortgage loans for homebuyers who elect to use MetLife Home Loans. The Company�� homebuyers may also elect to use other providers of mortgage banking services. Its financial services operations accounted for 0.8% of the Company�� total revenues in fiscal 2011.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Joe Raedle/Getty Images Lennar (LEN) and KB Home (KBH) are the latest homebuilders to step up with their quarterly results, and the numbers are generally pretty flattering. KB Home moved higher on Wednesday after posting a larger-than-expected profit. Revenue climbed 11 percent to $450.7 million as strong growth in the Southwest, Central and Southeast regions were more than enough to offset a decline in the West. The 1,442 homes it delivered during the quarter that ended in February was fewer than the 1,485 properties it handed over a year earlier. The key to the revenue growth is that the average selling price rose 12 percent to $305,200. It was an even better story for Lennar on Thursday morning. Revenue soared 38 percent to $1.4 billion as a 13 percent increase in home deliveries was boosted by the fact that the average selling price was 18 percent higher than it was a year earlier. Profitability also blew past analyst expectations. Since prices for new homes are climbing faster than the actual raw materials and building costs, most real estate developers are posting explosive growth on the bottom line. Everything seems to be going right for the homebuilders, but let's approach reports with caution. Reasons to Worry Homebuilders have been rallying in recent years. Lennar shares have popped 12-fold since bottoming out at $3.42 a little less than six years ago. KB Home has seen its stock more than triple since hitting rock bottom at $5.02 less than three years ago. Investors can never forget that these same companies were trading a lot higher than they are right now in 2006 and 2007, just before the real estate market collapsed to trigger the financial crisis that was felt around the world. No one is predicting that we're approaching that kind of asset bubble, but it should be clear that the housing market has been outrunning its fundamentals lately. Zillow's Home Value Index shows that real estate prices have moved 5.6 percent higher over the past yea

• [By Sean Williams]

  The other factor that'll weigh on Trulia's success or failure is whether or not the homebuilding market is cooperating. Luckily for Trulia, we're seeing continued signs of success across the board with the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index coming in at a seven-year high yesterday. KB Home (NYSE: KBH  ) , for instance, which focuses on middle-and-upper income first-time and trade-up buyers, saw revenue increase 59% in the first-quarter from the year-ago period as its average selling price vaulted higher by 24%. Even struggling homebuilder Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) , which tends to market toward lower- to middle-income first-time buyers and retired persons, saw its revenue leap 51% as average selling prices added nearly 13% in the second quarter. The point is that low inventory levels are leading to higher home prices and renewed interest in owning a home.

Best Income Companies To Own In Right Now: Texas Roadhouse Inc.(TXRH)

Texas Roadhouse, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates a full-service casual dining restaurant chain. It operates restaurants under the Texas Roadhouse and Aspen Creek names. The company also provides supervisory and administrative services for other license and franchise restaurants. As of December 27, 2011, it owned and operated 294 restaurants; and franchised and licensed an additional 72 restaurants in 47 states in the United States, and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Louisville, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Dieterich]

  In food, Morgan Stanley suggests that WhiteWave Foods (WWAV), which makes products such organic dairy and almond milks, might benefit from “consumers��ability to’��rade up’ out of conventional foods.” The same principle applies to Texas Roadhouse (TXRH).

• [By Timothy Green]

  This leads me to steakhouse operator Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ: TXRH  ) . The stock currently trades for around $25 per share, and with earnings of $1 per share last year this puts the P/E ratio at a lofty 25. Texas Roadhouse operates about 400 restaurants, and in 2012 recorded $1.26 billion in revenue. It seems that the company is being valued at a high multiple like many other small to mid-sized restaurant chains. But there's a big problem.

Best Income Companies To Own In Right Now: Mine Safety Appliances Company (MSA)

Mine Safety Appliances Company develops, manufactures, and supplies health and safety products used by workers in the fire service, homeland security, construction, and other industries, as well as the military. It offers respiratory protection products, including self contained breathing apparatus, air-purifying respirators, gas masks, and escape hoods; and portable and permanent gas detection instruments, such as single-and multi-gas hand-held detectors, multi-point permanently installed gas detection systems, flame detectors, and open-path infrared gas detectors. The company also provides thermal imaging cameras; head, eye, face, and hearing protection products, such as industrial hard hats, fire helmets, and military helmets and communication systems; and body protection products comprising fall protection equipment and ballistic body armor. In addition, it offers consumer and contractor safety products through retail channels. The company?s products are used by first responders; general industry workers; military personnel; oil, gas, petrochemical, and chemical workers; hazmat and confined space workers; and construction workers and contractors. Mine Safety Appliances Company sells its products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company was founded in 1914 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Two of those companies, railroad tycoon CSX (NYSE: CSX  ) and safety equipment provider Mine Safety Appliances (NYSE: MSA  ) , paid out higher per-share amounts than they did last quarter. Both raised their payments by about 7% -- with CSX's moving from $0.14 to $0.15 per share and Mine Safety Appliances' rising from $0.28 to $0.30.

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  For investors, American Railcar could be one best sleepy plays on the shale boom.

  Mine Safety Appliances (MSA)

  No industry likes seeing more regulations — except for those firms that help energy companies comply with those new rules. In the oil and gas industry that would be Mine Safety Appliances (MSA).

• [By Chuck Saletta]

  Take Mine Safety Appliances (NYSE: MSA  ) , for instance. The safety equipment provider missed expectations in its most recent quarter. But its very solid balance sheet helps protect it from the cyclicality in its industry, and its overall strength enabled it to increase its dividend last week, in spite of that short-term weakness. That solid balance sheet was one of the key factors that led to its selection for the iPIG portfolio and the reason the portfolio still has room for the company even though it slipped.

Best Income Companies To Own In Right Now: Unilever NV (UNA)

Unilever N.V. (NV) is a supplier of fast moving consumer goods. The two parent companies, NV and Unilever PLC (PLC), together with their group companies, operate as the Unilever Group (Unilever). The Company�� four product areas are Personal Care, Foods, Refreshment and Home Care. The Company's personal care, which includes sales of skincare and haircare products, deodorants and oral care products; foods, which includes sales of soups, bouillons, sauces, snacks, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarines and spreads; refreshment, which includes sales of ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight-management products and nutritionally enhanced staples sold in developing markets and home care, which includes sales of home care products, such as laundry tablets, powders and liquids, soap bars and a range of cleaning products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adi Narayan]

  Unilever (UNA) fell short on its public offer to raise its majority holding in Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUVR) to 75 percent, ending up with about a two-thirds stake after some shareholders of the Mumbai-based company opted not to sell.

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Unilever (UNA) slipped 2.8 percent to 27.94 euros after saying sales growth slowed as trading in emerging markets deteriorated at a faster rate. Underlying group sales for the three months will rise 3 percent to 3.5 percent, the maker of Lipton tea and Dove soap said late yesterday in a statement. That compares with 5 percent growth in both the first half and second quarter.

KLA-Tencor Names New CFO

Milpitas, Calif.-based KLA-Tencor (NASDAQ: KLAC  ) will soon have a new CFO. On Tuesday, KLA announced that when Mark Dentinger's term as Chief Financial Officer ends upon the filing of the firm's fiscal 2013 10-K form with the SEC, the company's current head of treasury and investor relations functions, Bren Higgins, will be promoted to the CFO role. The fiscal year ended June 30.

A 14-year veteran of the firm, Higgins is described by the company as "a seasoned veteran of KLA-Tencor's finance group" and "intimately familiar with [KLA's] operations." He has served primarily in the firm's corporate finance and financial planning and analysis departments.

Best Energy Stocks To Watch Right Now

In an SEC filing concurrent with the promotion announcement, KLA noted that "Higgins' compensation and benefits in connection with his new role are subject to approval by the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors" but "such compensation and benefits terms have not yet been determined." The company promised to update investors in an 8-K filing on any "material" aspects of his compensation plan once that has been worked out.

link

Top China Stocks To Own Right Now

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Stocks are within striking distance of reclaiming the all-time high reached less than two months back, with the pullback resulting concerns that the Fed was getting ready to pare back its QE program. We will get more clarity on the Fed question this afternoon with the release of the minutes of the Fed�� June meeting. Also at play in today�� session are renewed concerns about China�� growth outlook after another weak economic reading ��this time about that country's exports.

The stock market�� ability to claw back its losses over the last few weeks despite the persistent rise in benchmark treasury yields, is very impressive. My sense is that these gains will prove sustainable only if they reflect investors��collective judgment that an improved economic outlook trumps less Fed QE and somewhat higher interest rates. But if the market�� gains reflect the hope that ��apering��was not imminent, then we may be at risk of giving all of these back in the coming days.

Hot Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2015: Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd.(QIHU)

Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. provides Internet and mobile security products in the People's Republic of China. Its principal products include 360 Safe Guard, an Internet security product for Internet security and system optimization; 360 Anti-Virus, an anti-virus application to protect users? computers against trojan horses, viruses, worms, adware, and other forms of malware; and 360 Mobile Safe, a security program for the Google Android, Apple iOS, and Nokia Symbian smartphone operating systems. The company?s platform products comprise 360 Safe Browser, a Web browser; 360 Personal Start-up Page, a default homepage of 360 Safe Browser and a key access point to popular and preferred information and applications; 360 Application Store, a key access point to securely obtain and manage software and applications; and 360 Safebox, a solution that protects users against thefts of personal account information. It also provides online advertising services, including online marketi ng services and search referral services; and Internet value-added services comprising the operation of Web games developed by third-parties, remote technical support, and cloud-based services. The company was formerly known as Qihoo Technology Company Limited and changed its name to Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. in December 2010. Qihoo 360 Technology Co. was founded in 2005 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kevin Chen]

  Though the new search engine offers four seemingly simple searches -- across web, news, images, and maps -- Fool contributor Kevin Chen discusses three reasons why this move should frighten investors in Google� (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) , Baidu� (NASDAQ: BIDU  ) ,�and Qihoo� (NYSE: QIHU  ) .�

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Qihoo 360 Technology Co. (NYSE: QIHU) was raised to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.

  Safe Bulkers Inc. (NYSE: SB) was raised to Buy all the way up from Underperform for a two-notch upgrade, and the price target was raised to $8 from $6, at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

• [By Robert Martin]

  Top holdings include internet companies Qihoo 360 Technology (QIHU) and Baidu (BIDU) — both about 8% — as well as Chinese media giant Sina (SINA) at 6.6%. More than half of PGJ is dedicated to tech stocks, with another 20% allocated in consumer discretionary. This makes a good play for China�� burgeoning tech industry, with a side dish of consumer stocks for the country�� enormous population.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd (QIHU) �is a stock I have mentioned a few times in the past few weeks. The company provides Internet and mobile security products in the People’s Republic of China and is growing a very high rate. In the most recent quarter this company had sales growth of over 100% and earnings surged by more than 200% year over year. They are now the undisputed leader in smart phone security in China with over 70% market share.

Top China Stocks To Own Right Now: Trina Solar Limited(TSL)

Trina Solar Limited, through its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells photovoltaic (PV) modules worldwide. The company offers monocrystalline PV modules ranging from 165 watts to 185 watts in power output; and multicrystalline PV modules ranging from 215 watts to 240 watts in power output that provide electric power for residential, commercial, industrial, and other applications. It also involves in the design and production of various PV modules, such as colored modules for architectural applications and larger sized modules for utility grid applications based on customers? and end-users? specifications. Trina Solar Limited sells and markets its products primarily to distributors, wholesalers, power plant developers and operators, and PV system integrators. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Changzhou, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wall Street Strategies]

  Naturally the news is a big positive for the industry, with Chinese solar names like Yingli (YGE), Trina (TSL), Canadian Solar (CSIQ) -- which is actually Chinese despite its name -- JinkoSolar (JKS), JA Solar (JASO), and LDK Solar (LDK) each up more than 10% at midday. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN), which tracks several global solar companies, was up 8%, breaking to a new 52-week high.

Top China Stocks To Own Right Now: Netease.com Inc.(NTES)

NetEase.com, Inc., an Internet technology company, engages in the development of applications, services, and other technologies for the Internet in China. It provides online game services to Internet users through the in-house development or licensing of massively multi-player online role-playing games, including Fantasy Westward Journey, Westward Journey Online II, Westward Journey Online III, Tianxia II, Heroes of Tang Dynasty, and Datang, as well as the licensed game, Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft. The company also offers online advertising on its Web sites. In addition, NetEase has paid listings on its search engine and Web directory, and classified advertising services, as well as an online mall, which provides opportunities for e-commerce and traditional businesses to establish their own storefront on the Internet. Further, it provides wireless value-added services, such as news and information content, matchmaking services, music, and photos from the We b over SMS, MMS, WAP, IVR, and Color Ring-back Tone technologies. Additionally, the company offers community services, including instant messaging, online personal advertisements, matchmaking, alumni clubs, and community forums; and aggregates news content on world events, sports, science and technology, and financial markets, as well as entertainment content, such as cartoons, games, astrology, and jokes from over 100 international and domestic content providers. NetEase.com, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES) was down, falling 4.55 percent to $66.25 after the company posted its Q3 unaudited financial results. Deutsche Bank downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold.

• [By MONEYMORNING.COM]

  As of early last week, we'd pulled down gains of 10% with NetEase Inc. (Nasdaq ADR: NTES), 28% with Qihoo 360 Technology Co. Ltd. (NYSE: QIHU), and 37% with Baidu Inc. (Nasdaq ADR: BIDU).

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Andy Wong/AP Alibaba (BABA) is the new belle of the dot-com ball in China. The e-commerce juggernaut pulled off a record initial public offering in September when it raised $25 billion on the way to becoming a public company. Analysts love Alibaba. They were able to initiate coverage on Wednesday, following the 40-day quiet period that follows an IPO's debut. Only one of its underwriters -- Goldman Sachs -- failed to tap it as a buy recommendation. It's easy to see the appeal. Alibaba helped 231 million active buyers place 11.3 billion orders totaling $248 billion in transactions last year, and it's just getting started. However, the stock, with its nearly $250 billion market cap, isn't cheap. Let's look at some Chinese dot-coms that have been trading longer and could be more compelling bargains. Baidu (BIDU) China's leading search engine posted another blowout quarter on Wednesday, just as analysts were gushing all over Alibaba. The company behind China's largest search engine saw revenue soar 52 percent over the prior year's third quarter. Earnings climbed just 27 percent, but that was twice as fast as analysts were expecting. Baidu is investing in low-margin online specialties including travel, video and mobile app storefronts, and that weighs on bottom-line growth. Baidu remains one of China's biggest winners. It went public nine years ago at a split-adjusted price of $2.70, and now it trades north of $200. Baidu fulfills roughly two-thirds of all queries, and it is rocking at a time when its profitability is still suppressed. 51job (JOBS) Matching employees to potential hires started out with old-school tech for 51job. It got its start by inserting weekly job listings in more than two dozen leading Chinese newspapers. Then the Internet came along, allowing 51job to convert its thick Rolodex and respected brand into a leading online recruiter. It's working: 51job is growing its revenue in the low double digits. It's trading at a reasonable 22 time

Top China Stocks To Own Right Now: China Mobile(Hong Kong)

China Mobile Limited, an investment holding company, provides mobile telecommunications and related services primarily in the Mainland China. It offers various services comprising local calls, domestic long distance calls, international long distance calls, domestic roaming, and international roaming. The company also provides voice value-added services, including caller identity display, caller restrictions, call waiting, call forwarding, call holding, voice mail, and conference calls; customer-to-customer messages and corporate short message services; and mobile Internet access services. In addition, it engages in other data businesses, which primarily include multimedia messaging services; color ring services that enable users to customize the answer ring tone from various selection of songs, melodies, sound effects, or voice recordings; and mobile reading, mobile gaming, mobile video, mobile payment/wallet, mobile TV, mobile market, and Internet data center services. F urther, the company offers telecommunications network planning, design, and consulting services; roaming clearance services; technology platform development and maintenance services; and mobile data solutions, and system integration and development services, as well as operates a network and business coordination center. Additionally, China Mobile Limited sells mobile phone handsets and devices. As of March 31, 2011, it served approximately 600.8 million customers. The company was formerly known as China Mobile (Hong Kong) Limited and changed its name to China Mobile Limited in May 2006. China Mobile was founded in 1997. The company is based in Central, Hong Kong, and is considered a Red Chip company due to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. China Mobile Limited is a subsidiary of China Mobile Hong Kong (BVI) Limited.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By GuruFocus]

  China Mobile Ltd. was incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong on Sept. 3, 1997, as a limited liability company under the name China Telecom (Hong Kong) Limited. China Mobile Ltd. has a market cap of $194.9 billion; its shares were traded at around $48.48 with a P/E ratio of 9.70 and P/S ratio of 2.20. The dividend yield of China Mobile Ltd. stocks is 4.20%. China Mobile Ltd. had an annual average earnings growth of 16.60% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated China Mobile Ltd.�the business predictability rank of 3.5-star.

Top China Stocks To Own Right Now: China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited(CHOP)

China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited engages in the manufacture and sale of cold-rolled narrow strip steel products in the People's Republic of China. The company converts steel manufactured by third parties into thin steel sheets and strips. It sells its products directly to its customers in a range of industries, including food and industrial packaging, construction and household decorations materials, electrical appliances, and telecommunications wires and cables industries. The company was formerly known as Golden Green Enterprises Limited and changed its name to China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited in December 2009. China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Limited is based in Zhengzhou, China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  China Gerui Advanced Materials Group (NASDAQ: CHOP) is expected to report its Q2 earnings.

  Ambarella (NASDAQ: AMBA) is estimated to post its Q2 earnings at $0.28 per share on revenue of $44.67 million.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  On Tuesday, the basic materials sector proved to be a source of strength for the US market after Yellen statement. Huntsman (NYSE: HUN) shares surged 2.62 percent after reporting strong quarterly earnings, while China Gerui Advanced Materials Group (NASDAQ: CHOP) gained around 2.5 percent.

Top China Stocks To Own Right Now: China Life Insurance Company Limited(LFC)

China Life Insurance Company Limited provides life, annuities, accident, and health insurance products in China. Its individual life insurance and annuity products consist of whole life and term life insurance, endowment insurance, and annuities. The company also engages in the writing of life insurance business. In addition, it offers group life insurance products, including group annuity products, and group whole life and term life insurance products to enterprises and institutions, as well as universal life products. Further, the company provides short-term insurance products comprising short-term accident insurance and short-term health insurance products; accident insurance products, such as individual accident insurance and group accident insurance; and health insurance products, including defined health benefit plans, medical expense reimbursement plans, and disease specific plans. It distributes its products through its direct sales representatives and exclusive ag ents, as well as through intermediaries comprising insurance agencies and insurance brokerage companies, non-dedicated agencies, bancassurance arrangements, travel agencies, and hotels and airline sales counters. The company was founded in 1949 and is based in Beijing, China. China Life Insurance Company Limited is a subsidiary of China Life Insurance (Group) Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Inman]

  China Life Insurance Co. (HK:2628) � (LFC) �rose 2.7% after China�� largest life insurer by premiums reported that it had made a 7.5 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) profit in the third quarter, reversing a 2.2 billion yuan loss in the same period last year.

• [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 Patricio Kehoe] g>Sun Life Financial Inc. (USA) (SLF), which all sport a 200% ratio. Moreover, the company�� excessive capital should allow it to maintain the above average dividend yield of 2.66% offered to shareholders.

  Valuation

  Over the next five years growth in the Asian market will likely boost the overall modest premium growth rate, averaging it at 2%, while the total revenue CAGR recovers to 3% after the steep declines reported since 2012. Furthermore, Manulife�� ROE will continue its current upward trend, increasing from 2013�� 10.9% to an average 12% by 2018, accompanied by the steadily expanding net margins of 16.8%. While it will take some time for the company�� growth to accelerate, I feel bullish about management�� optimism regarding its business shift, and see the dividend yield and returns on equity as solid benefits for a long term investment. Moreover, the firm is currently trading at a 10% price discount relative to the industry average of 14.0x, making it a relatively inexpensive buy.

  Disclosure: Patricio Kehoe holds no position in any stocks mentioned.

  Also check out: George Soros Undervalued Stocks George Soros Top Growth Companies George Soros High Yield stocks, and Stocks that George Soros keeps buyingAbout the author:Patricio KehoeA fundamental analyst at Lone Tree Analytics Currently 5.00/512345

  Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote)

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10 Best Airline Stocks To Buy Right Now

10 Best Airline Stocks To Buy Right Now: US Airways Group Inc (LCC)

US Airways Group, Inc. (US Airways Group) is a holding company whose primary business activity is the operation of a network air carrier through its wholly owned subsidiaries, US Airways, Piedmont Airlines, Inc. (Piedmont), PSA Airlines, Inc. (PSA), Material Services Company, Inc. (MSC) and Airways Assurance Limited (AAL). MSC and AAL operate in support of the Companys airline subsidiaries in areas, such as the procurement of aviation fuel and insurance. It has hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix and a focus city in Washington, D.C. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Washington National). During the year ended December 31, 2011, it offered scheduled passenger service on more than 3,100 flights daily to more than 200 communities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. It also has an East Coast route network, including the US Airways Shuttle service.

The Company had approximatel y 53 million passengers boarding its mainline flights in 2011. During 2011, the Companys mainline operation provided scheduled service or seasonal service at 133 airports, while the US Airways Express network served 156 airports in the United States, Canada and Mexico, including 78 airports also served by its mainline operation. US Airways Express air carriers had approximately 28 million passengers boarding their planes in 2011. As of December 31, 2011, the Company operated 340 mainline jets and was supported by its regional airline subsidiaries and affiliates operating as US Airways Express under capacity purchase agreements, which operated 233 regional jets and 50 turboprops. The Companys prorate carriers operated seven turboprops and seven regional jets at December 31, 2011.

In May 2011, US Airways Group and US Airways entered into an Amended and Restated Mutual Asset Purchase and Sale Agreement (the Mutual APA) with Delta Air Lines, Inc. (! Delta). Pur suant to the Mutual APA, Delta agreed to acquire 132 slot pa! irs at LaGuardia from US Airways and US Airways agreed to acquire from Delta 42 slot pairs at Washington National and the rights to operate additional daily service to Sao Paulo, Brazil. On December 13, 2011, the transaction contemplated by the Mutual APA closed and ownership of the respective slots was transferred between the airlines. During 2011, the US Airways Express network served 156 airports in the continental United States, Canada and Mexico, including 78 airports also served by its mainline operation. During 2011, approximately 28 million passengers boarded US Airways Express air carriers planes, approximately 44% of whom connected to or from its mainline flights.

The Company competes with Southwest, JetBlue, Allegiant, Frontier, Virgin America and Spirit.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  US Airways is an airline that operates passenger and freight planes. Beginning next summer, US Airways customers will have new non-stop daily service at their disposal from the airlines international gateway at Philadelphia International Airport to Edinburgh. The stock has exploded higher in 2013 and is currently trading near its yearly highs. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been decreasing while revenues have been rising, which has produced optimistic investors. Relative to its peers and sector, US Airways has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for US Airways to OUTPERFORM.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/10-best-airline-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2014

NEW YORK (AP) -- PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP  ) says it plans to start testing a new fountain machine at restaurants that lets people create a variety of flavor combinations, such as strawberry Mountain Dew.

The test follows Coca-Cola's (NYSE: KO  ) introduction in 2009 of its Freestyle machine, which also lets customers touch a screen to pick from a wide array of flavor combinations. PepsiCo's test is set to begin at five restaurants in Denver next week.

Gina Anderson, a spokeswoman for PepsiCo, said the "Touch Tower" machines let people add up to four flavor shots -- lemon, cherry, strawberry, or vanilla -- to eight varieties of drinks. That means people could create drinks like strawberry Pepsi or lemon Mountain Dew.

She said the company has other tests planned and that the "Touch Tower" being introduced in Denver is the first in a series. The test was first reported by the industry tracker Beverage Digest.

Coca-Cola's Freestyle machine also lets people pick from a wide variety of unique drinks, such as Caffeine-Free Diet Coke with lime or Minute Maid Light Orange Lemonade. The machines are seen as a way to help restaurants and other outlets such as movie theaters boost beverage sales and customer traffic.

Hot Energy Stocks For 2015: Noodles & Co (NDLS)

Noodles & Company, incorporated on December 19, 2002, is a casual restaurant concept offering lunch and dinner. The Company offers noodle and pasta dishes, staples of many cuisines, with the goal of delivering fresh ingredients and flavors globally under one roof from Pad Thai to Mac & Cheese. The Company�� globally inspired menu includes a variety of cooked-to-order dishes, including noodles and pasta, soups, salads and sandwiches, which are served on china by its friendly team members.

As of May 28, 2013, including the 16 Company owned restaurants and one franchise restaurant opened in 2013. The Company opened 39 new company owned restaurants and six franchise restaurants. In 2012, the Company began using Your World Kitchen to describe the breadth of its offering and its customers' dining experience.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Fast and furious
  Upon its IPO several business days ago, Noodles & Company (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) stock rocketed up as if it were NASA reincarnated. The company, around since 1995, is 343 restaurants strong, with more on the way. Unsurprisingly, Noodles & Company sells mainly noodle-based dishes, but from different corners of the earth -- customers can opt for Chinese, Italian, Thai, Indonesian, and more. (Of course, all dishes are centered toward more Americanized versions of the ethnic foods.)

• [By Daniel Sparks]

  Fool contributor Daniel Sparks doesn't think highly of Noodles & Company's (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) stock after its hyped IPO. In the video below he explains why Noodles is probably not the next Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG  ) , a fast-casual concept that has seen�mind-boggling�success since the company went public.

• [By Chris Hill]

  Noodles & Company's (NASDAQ: NDLS  ) stock continues to rise. Westport Innovations (NASDAQ: WPRT  ) experiences a pullback. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV  ) and DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH  ) team up to offer live TV to passengers. And it was a bad day for anyone who thinks Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) is overvalued. In this installment of Investor Beat, Jason and Matt discuss four stocks making big moves today.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Aram Boghosian/The Boston Globe/Getty Images The next hot restaurant initial public offering could be a company that wouldn't mind playing games with you. Dave & Buster's -- the chain of gargantuan restaurants with enclosed arcades and game rooms -- filed to go public earlier this month. If everything goes as planned, it will begin trading later this year under the ticker symbol PLAY on the Nasdaq exchange. There's more to Dave & Buster's than a D&B logo on the outside and a group of adults reliving their childhood at the video game arcade on the inside. Let's go over several of the reasons you may want to consider buying into the upcoming IPO. 1. Dave & Buster's Is Growing Quickly One thing to watch for in assessing eatery IPOs is to make sure that they're not going public as an exit strategy. Investors were burned last year by chasing the once-hot IPOs of sandwich baker Potbelly (PBPB) and pasta tosser Noodles & Co. (NDLS) while store-level popularity was actually peaking. Growth is accelerating at Dave & Buster's. Revenue may have inched just 5 percent higher last year, but sales have soared nearly 17 percent through the first half of this fiscal year. 2. It's Been Here Before This isn't the first time that Dave & Buster's will be a publicly traded company. Investors were able to bet on the company's success until it was taken private by Wellspring Capital Management in 2006. It was then sold to Oak Hill Capital Partners four years later in a $570 million transaction, and now that firm is taking it public. This may not seem like much of a selling point. Some will argue that it reveals a tendency to quit. However, it can also be viewed as a company that is already used to the market's quarterly expectations, with the experience to navigate through Wall Street's fickle tastemakers. 3. Dave & Buster's Offers Diversity From Volatile Food Prices One of the biggest potential setbacks for a restaurant operator is the volatil

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2014: Burger King Worldwide Inc (BKW)

Burger King Worldwide, Inc., incorporated on April 2, 2012, is a fast food hamburger restaurant, under the Burger King brand. The Company generates revenues from three sources: franchise revenues, consisting primarily of royalties based on a percentage of sales reported by franchise restaurants and fees paid by franchisees; property income from properties that it leases or subleases to franchisees, and retail sales at Company restaurants. In September 2012, it sold 41 Company-owned BURGER KING restaurants in Singapore to Rancak Selera Sdn Bhd. As of December 31, 2012, it owned or franchised a total of 12,997 restaurants in 86 countries and United States territories. In April 2013, it announced the sale of Burger King Restaurants of Canada (BKRC), including 94 Company owned BURGER KING restaurants in the Canada market to Redberry Investments Corp.

The Company operates in the FFHR category of the quick service restaurant (QSR), segment of the restaurant industry. In the United States, the QSR segment is the segment of the restaurant industry and has demonstrated steady growth over a long period of time. The Company launched four new menu platforms (salads, wraps, smoothies and desserts) and expanded its chicken, coffee and ancillary menu platforms. It has established a data driven marketing process, which is focused on driving restaurant sales and traffic, while targeting a broader consumer base with more inclusive messaging to reach women, parties with children and seniors.

United States and Canada (U.S. and Canada)

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 7,293 franchise restaurants and 183 Company restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company refranchised 752 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, bringing the region to 98% franchised. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it also continued to implement its Four Pillars strategy to improve comparable sales growth and franchise profitability by enhancing its Menu, Marke! ting Communications, Image, and Operations.

Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 2,989 franchise restaurants and 132 Company restaurants in EMEA. While in Germany continues with 684 restaurants as of December 31, 2012, Turkey and Russia are two of its growing markets with net openings of 78 restaurants and 47 restaurants, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2012.

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 1,290 franchise and 100 Company restaurants in LAC. In 2011, the Company entered into a joint venture agreement with Vinci Partners for Brazil and granted franchise and development rights to the joint venture. The Company received a minority stake and board seats in the joint venture without deploying its own capital.

Asia Pacific (APAC)

As of December 31, 2012, the Company had 1,007 franchise and 3 Company restaurants in APAC. As of December 31, 2012,the Company had 357 restaurants in Australia. It contributed 44 Company restaurants in China. In September 2012, the Company sold 38restaurants to Rancak Selera, the Burger King franchisee in Malaysia.

The Company competes with McDonald�� Corporation, Wendy�� Company, Carl�� Jr., Jack in the Box and Sonic.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Burger King Worldwide (BKW) has risen 3.2% to $33.45 after Warren Buffett said he would help finance its merger with Tim Hortons (THI). Tim Hortons has leaped 10% to $82.55.

• [By Gregory Wallace and Charles Riley]

  Most have ended their relationship with the company or stopped selling its products. Among them are Yum Brands (YUM) (owner of KFC and Pizza Hut), Burger King (BKW), Papa John's (PZZA) and Starbucks (SBUX).

• [By Aaron Smith]

  A Burger King (BKW) spokeswoman told CNNMoney on Thursday that 5,000 of its restaurants will participate in its new program, called Burgers at Breakfast.

• [By Chris Hill]

  Shares of Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ  ) rose on Thursday after the apparel retailer reported a 19.7% jump in March same-store sales. Shares of Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT  ) fell on weaker-than-expected sales and profits. Rite Aid Corp (NYSE: RAD  ) registered its first annual profit since 2007, and shares hit a new 52-week high. And shares of Burger King Worldwide (NYSE: BKW  ) jumped after the company announced transition plans for its top executive. In this installment of Investor Beat, our analysts discuss some of the market's big movers.

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2014: BAB Inc (BABB)

BAB, Inc., incorporated on July 12, 2000, franchises and licenses bagel and muffin retail units under the Big Apple Bagel (BAB) and My Favorite Muffin (MFM) trade names. At November 30, 2012, the Company had 100 franchise units and 6 licensed units in operation in 24 states. The Company additionally derives income from the sale of its trademark bagels, muffins and coffee through nontraditional channels of distribution including under licensing agreements with Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard, Kaleidoscoops, Green Beans Coffee, Sodexo and through direct home delivery of specialty muffin gift baskets and coffee. The Company has two wholly owned subsidiaries: BAB Systems, Inc. (Systems) and BAB Operations, Inc. (Operations). At November 30, 2012, the Company had 100 franchise units and six licensed units in operation in 24 states.

The Company additionally derives income from the sale of its trademark bagels, muffins and coffee through nontraditional channels of distribution including under licensing agreements with Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard, Kaleidoscoops, Green Beans Coffee, Sodexo and through direct home delivery of specialty muffin gift baskets and coffee. The BAB franchised brand consists of units operating as Big Apple Bagels, featuring daily baked bagels, flavored cream cheeses, premium coffees, gourmet bagel sandwiches and other related products. Licensed BAB units serve the Company's par-baked frozen bagel and related products baked daily. BAB units are primarily concentrated in the Midwest and Western United States. The MFM brand consists of units operating as My Favorite Muffin, featuring a variety of freshly baked muffins, coffees and related products, and units operating as My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Cafe, featuring these products as well as a variety of specialty bagel sandwiches and related products.

The Company�� BAB offering franchises in all 50 states, its initial development focus is targeted for the Midwest, specifically Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. A! s part of its introductory development plan, BAB will be donating 10% of the initial franchise fee from its 50 SweetDuet units to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, of which BAB is a corporate sponsor. SweetDuet, as its name implies, is a fusion concept, pairing self-serve frozen yogurt with BAB's exclusive line of My Favorite Muffin gourmet muffins, broadening the shop's offering and therefore differentiating itself from the numerous frozen yogurt outlets already populating the market. SweetDuet shops include BAB's Brewster's Coffee and a streamlined breakfast menu. The concept is designed to work in 1600 square feet of space.

BAB franchised stores daily bake a variety of fresh bagels and offer up to 11 varieties of cream cheese spreads. Stores also offer a variety of breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches, salads, soups, various dessert items, fruit smoothies, gourmet coffees and other beverages. A typical BAB store is in an area with a mix of both residential and commercial properties and ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet. The Company's current store design is approximately 1,800 square feet, with seating capacity for 20 to 30 persons, and includes approximately 750 square feet devoted to production and baking. A satellite store is typically smaller than a production store, averaging 800 to 1,200 square feet. Although franchise stores may vary in size from other franchise stores, store layout is generally consistent.

MFM franchised stores daily bake 20 to 25 varieties of muffins from over 250 recipes, plus a variety of bagels. They also serve gourmet coffees, beverages and, at My Favorite Muffin and Bagel Cafe locations, a variety of bagel sandwiches and related products. The typical MFM store design is approximately 1,800 square feet, with seating capacity for 20 to 30 persons.The Company advertises its franchising opportunities in directories, newspapers and the Internet.

The Company competes with Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Panera Bread Company and Brue! gger's Ba! gel Bakery.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, BABB remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.800 thus far (ref. google finance July 11, 2013).

  For the quarter ended May 31, 2013, BAB had revenues of $658,000 and net income of $125,000, or $0.02 per share, versus revenues of $826,000 and net income of $267,000, or $0.04 per share, for the same quarter last year. For the quarter ended May 31, 2012, the Company received a $171,000 payment for the buyout of the Franchise Agreement from its Minot, ND franchisee so the franchisee could pursue its other business interests associated with the local energy boom. In that acceptance by the Company of the voluntary buyout is unique, no such transaction occurred nor was such income earned in the quarter ended May 31, 2013.

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2014: Brinker International Inc (EAT)

Brinker International, Inc. (Brinker), incorporated on September 30, 1983, owns, develops, operates and franchises the Chili�� Grill & Bar (Chili��) and Maggiano�� Little Italy (Maggiano��) restaurant brands. As of June 27, 2013 (fiscal 2013), the Company's system of Company-owned and franchised restaurants included 1,591 restaurants located in 50 states, and Washington, D.C. It also has restaurants in the Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Syria, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

Chili�� Grill & Bar

Chili�� operates in the Bar and Grill category of casual dining. The Company has operations worldwide, with locations in 32 foreign countries and two United States territories. Chili�� menu features items, such as Baby Back Ribs smoked in-house, Big Mouth Burgers, Sizzling Fajitas, hand-battered Chicken Crispers and house-made Chips and Salsa. The all-day menu offers a range of appetizers, entrees and desserts. A special lunch section is available on weekdays. In addition to its flavorful food, Chili�� offers a line of alcoholic beverages available from the bar, including Margaritas and draft beer. During fiscal 2013, food and non-alcoholic beverage sales constituted approximately 86.1% of Chili�� total restaurant revenues, with alcoholic beverage sales accounted for the remaining 13.9%.

Maggiano�� Little Italy

Maggiano�� is a full-service, casual dining Italian restaurant brand. Its Maggiano�� restaurants feature individual and family-style menus, and its restaurants also have banquet facilities designed to host party business or social events. It has lunch and dinner menu offering chef-prepared, classic Italian-American fare in the form of appetizers, entrees with portions of pasta, ch! icken, seafood, veal and prime steaks, and desserts. The Company�� Maggiano�� restaurants also offer a range of alcoholic beverages, including wines. In addition, Maggiano�� offers a full carryout menu, as well as local delivery services. During fiscal 2013, food and non-alcoholic beverage sales constituted approximately 83.0% of Maggiano�� total restaurant revenues, with alcoholic beverage sales accounted for the remaining 17.0%.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Abba's Aces]

  On a financial basis, the things I look for are the dividend payouts, return on assets, equity and investment. The company pays a dividend of 1.74% with a payout ratio of 65% of trailing 12-month earnings while sporting return on assets, equity and investment values of 4.1%, 37.7% and 8.2%, respectively, which are all respectable values. The really high return on equity value (37.7%) is an important financial metric for purposes of comparing the profitability which is generated with the money shareholders have invested in the company to that of other companies in the same industry. For comparison, Dunkin' has the third highest ROE out of 12 companies in the mid-cap restaurants industry. It is behind Brinker International (EAT) which has a value of 71.4% and Bloomin' Brands (BLMN) which has a value of 43.5%. Because I believe the market may get a bit choppy here and would like a safety play, I don't believe the 1.74% yield of this company is good enough for me to take shelter in for the time being if I were to initiate a new position.

• [By Meetu Anand]

  Brinker International (NYSE: EAT  ) has been no exception to the trend of falling comps, while BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ: BJRI  ) and Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI  ) have also followed along�.

• [By Tom Rojas var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(func]

  Brinker International Inc.(EAT) said its first-quarter profit increased 12%, helped by higher sales at its Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy chains.

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2014: DineEquity Inc (DIN)

DineEquity, Inc., incorporated on May 07, 1976, owns franchise and operate two restaurant concepts: Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, (Applebee's), in the bar and grill segment of the casual dining category of the restaurant industry, and International House of Pancakes (IHOP), in the family dining category of the restaurant industry. As of December 31, 2012, the franchise operations segment consisted of 2,011 restaurants operated by Applebee's franchisees in the United States, one United States territory and 15 foreign countries and 1,569 restaurants operated by IHOP franchisees and area licensees in the United States, two United States territories and five foreign countries. As of December 31, 2012, the Company restaurant operations segment consisted of 23 Applebee's Company-operated restaurants, 10 IHOP Company-operated restaurants and two IHOP restaurants reacquired from franchisees and operated by IHOP on a temporary basis until refranchised. Financing operations revenue primarily consists of interest income from the financing of franchise fees and equipment leases, as well as sales of equipment associated with refranchised IHOP restaurants and a portion of franchise fees for restaurants taken back from franchisees not allocated to IHOP intellectual property. In October 2012, it completed the refranchising program and completed the transitioning to a 99% franchised restaurant system.

Applebee's

The Company develops, franchises and operates restaurants in the bar and grill segment of the casual dining category of the restaurant industry under the name Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar. As of December 31, 2012, 68 franchise groups operated 2,011 of these restaurants and 23 restaurants were Company-operated. The restaurants were located in 49 states, one United States territory and 15 countries outside of the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2012, 20 domestic franchise restaurants opened, six domestic franchise restaurants closed. 154 Company-operated! restaurants were franchised. The number of restaurants held by an individual franchisee ranges from one to 438 restaurants. As of December 31, 2012, it is focusing on international franchising primarily in Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Mediterranean/Middle East. As of December 31, 2012, there were 149 international Applebee's franchise restaurants. During 2012, 14 international franchise restaurants opened and 13 international franchise restaurants closed.

IHOP

The Company develops franchises and operates restaurants in the family dining category of the restaurant industry under the names IHOP and International House of Pancakes. As of December 31, 2012 there were a total of 1,581 IHOP restaurants of which 1,404 were subject to franchise agreements, 165 were subject to area license agreements, 10 were Company-operated restaurants and two restaurants were reacquired from franchisees and operated by IHOP on a temporary basis. The Company owns and operates 10 IHOP restaurants in the Cincinnati market area primarily to test new remodel programs, operating procedures, products, technology, cooking platforms and service models. IHOP restaurants are located in all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands and internationally in Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. As of December 31, 2012, the area licensee for the state of Florida and certain counties in Georgia operated or sub-franchised a total of 152 IHOP restaurants, and the area licensees for the province of British Columbia, Canada operated or sub-franchised a total of 13 IHOP restaurants. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had signed commitments and options from franchisees to build 245 IHOP restaurants over the next 17 years, comprised of 5 restaurants under single-restaurant or non-traditional development agreements, 120 restaurants under multi-restaurant development agreements and 63 restaurants! under in! ternational development agreements. As of December 31, 2012, there were 1,525 domestic IHOP franchise and area license restaurants. During 2012, its franchisees and area licensees opened 40 domestic franchise restaurants and 17 domestic franchise and area license restaurants were closed. As of December 31, 2012, there were 44 international IHOP franchise and area license restaurants. During 2012, its franchisees opened eight international franchise restaurants and no restaurants were closed.

The Company competes with Chili's, T.G.I. Friday's, Ruby Tuesday's, Denny's, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Bob Evans Restaurants.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Brinker International Casual dining stocks aren't dead as an investment category. Investors just need to know where the tasty treats can be found on the menu. Chili's Grill & Bar parent Brinker International (EAT) moved higher on Wednesday after reporting better than expected quarterly results. Company sales climbed higher, fueled by a 0.3 percent increase in comparable-restaurant sales. Its international locations fared even better. Some casual dining chains that are bucking the general downward trend and posting positive comps are doing so by discounting aggressively to keep patrons coming. But that's not Chili's game at all. Net margins actually expanded nicely at Brinker, with adjusted earnings per share climbing 18 percent during its fiscal second quarter. The 1,557-unit Chili's chain is doing just fine. But the same can't be said about its competition. Red Ink, Ruby Ink Seeing shares of Brinker open 8 percent higher after posting better than expected quarterly results may be painful for investors in Ruby Tuesday (RT) or Red Lobster parent Darden Restaurants (DRI). Those two stocks took a hit the last time they offered up fresh financials. Ruby Tuesday and Red Lobster are falling out of favor with the hungry, with comps plunging 7.8 percent and 4.5 percent respectively in their latest quarters. Both companies have fallen short of Wall Street profit targets in each of their past three quarters. Brinker, on the other hand, has now surpassed bottom-line expectations in three of the past four quarters. With Ruby Tuesday's profits turning to losses and Darden so disillusioned with Red Lobster that it's looking to sell it or spin it off, it's easy to see why savvy investors looking at the casual dining sector are turning to Brinker. The stock hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday, and this could be just the beginning. Tech is the Secret Ingredient Why is Chili's succeeding at a time when profits at many of its peers are receding? Barron's argued earl

Best Restaurant Stocks To Own For 2014: Sodexo SA (SW)

Sodexo SA, (formerly Sodexho Alliance SA), is a global provider of services in three primary business areas: The On-site Services Solutions offer various services that range from food services to construction management, reception to the maintenance of scanners and laboratory equipment, management of data centers, leisure cruises and provides housekeeping to rehabilitation services at correctional facilities. The Motivation Solutions division provides passes and vouchers, comprising Restaurant Pass, Gift Pass, Sport Pass, Training Voucher, Service Card and Book Card, among others. The Company also provides Personal and Home Services in the form of childcare, tutoring, concierge services and in-home service care facilities. The Company is present in 80 countries in a number of geographic areas, such as North America, South America, Continental Europe and United Kingdom and Ireland. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenwoods]

  Recently giant food conglomerate, Cargill announced it had partnered with the Swiss biosynthetic pharmaceutical company, Evolva (EVE:SW), to develop a more consistent and less expensive stevia sweetener via Evolva�� microbial fermentation-based process.� This is big news for the future of stevia because a microbial fermentation-based process does not have to rely on soil conditions or weather, and stevia can be manufactured anywhere, thus having the potential of guaranteeing an endless supply line of stevia.� Through the microbial fermentation, the manufacturer has the capability to process the key sweet individual components of stevia using low-cost plant sugars, and allows for the individual components of stevia, regardless of how minute, to be developed creating blends in any volume, which then could open the door for these manufacturers to fine-tune its stevia to local tastes.� But what would be most attractive is that, because the fermentation process does not require the entire plant, the method could conceivably shave upwards of 70% off the cost of producing stevia extracts.�