Top 10 Supermarket Companies To Invest In Right Now

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NYSE:WFM) shares are set for multiple expansion due to its potential opportunity to gain share as it is a best-in-class retailer with limited credible competition and it continues to narrow the price gap through targeted price investments.

WFM stock gapped up slightly�Tuesday�and has continued to gain ground. Whole Foods Market has risen past the upper end of a 3-week trading range and has set a new high for the year.

Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market, Inc. is the leading natural and organic supermarket in the US and is the first national "Certified Organic" grocery in the country. The company distinguishes itself by offering 2,700 private label stock keeping �units, led by its 365 Everyday Value and 365 Organic brands. The company operates over 350 stores in the US, UK, and Canada and employs over 73,000 non-union Team Members.

10 Best European Stocks To Watch For 2016: Lance Inc.(LNCE)

Snyder?s-Lance, Inc. manufactures, markets, and distributes snack food products primarily in the United States. Its products include pretzels, sandwich crackers, kettle chips, cookies, potato chips, tortilla chips, other salty snacks, sugar wafers, nuts, and restaurant style crackers. The company sells its products principally under the Snyder?s of Hanover, Lance, Cape Cod, Krunchers!, Jays, Tom?s, Archway, Grande, Stella D?oro, O-Ke-Doke, EatSmart, and Padrinos brand names. It also purchases and sells cakes, meat snacks, and candy under its brands, as well as partner brand products for resale. Snyder?s-Lance, Inc. sells its products through direct-store-delivery network, distributors, and direct sales to grocery/mass merchandisers, convenience stores, club stores, discount stores, food service establishments, drug stores, schools, military and government facilities, recreational facilities, offices, and other independent retailers. The company was formerly known as L ance, Inc. and changed its name to Snyder?s-Lance, Inc. in December 2010. Snyder?s-Lance, Inc. was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina with additional offices in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  At a quarter the size of Snyder's-Lance (NASDAQ: LNCE  ) , Diamond could actually be a buyout candidate in its own right, assuming its larger competitors can come to trust its accounting. It would be an easy acquisition for either Kellogg or General Mills� (NYSE: GIS  ) , neither of which has any notable nut or popcorn brands to speak of.

Top 10 Supermarket Companies To Invest In Right Now: New York & Company Inc.(NWY)

New York & Company, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of women's fashion apparel and accessories in the United States. The company offers a range of wear-to-work, and casual apparel and accessories, including pants, jackets, knit tops, blouses, sweaters, denim, T-shirts, activewear, handbags, and jewelry. It sells its products under the New York & Company, Lerner, Lerner New York, New York Style, City Stretch, City Style, and NY&C brand names. The company sells its branded merchandise through its network of retail stores and E-commerce store at nyandcompany.com. As of March 15, 2012, it operated 532 stores in 43 states. The company, formerly known as NY & Co. Group, Inc., was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sue Chang]

  New York & Co. (NWY) �is likely to post earnings of 10 cents a share in the fourth quarter.

Top 10 Supermarket Companies To Invest In Right Now: Walker & Dunlop Inc (WD)

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (Walker & Dunlop), incorporated on July 29, 2010, is a holding company and it conducts all of its operations through Walker & Dunlop, LLC, its operating company. Walker & Dunlop is a provider of commercial real estate financial services in the United States, with a primary focus on multifamily lending. The Company originates, sells and services a range of multifamily and other commercial real estate financing products. The Company�� clients are owners and developers of commercial real estate. It originates and sells loans through the programs of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac, and together with Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs)), the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) and the Federal Housing Administration, a division of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (together with Ginnie Mae, HUD). In September 2012, it acquired CWCapital LLC.

The Company retains servicing rights and asset management responsibilities on nearly all loans that it originates for GSE and HUD programs. It is approved as a Fannie Mae Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS) lender nationally, a Freddie Mac Program Plus lender in seven states, the District of Columbia and the metropolitan New York area, a HUD Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) lender nationally, and a Ginnie Mae issuer. It also originates and services loans for a number of life insurance companies, commercial banks and other institutional investors. In addition, through its subsidiary entities, it provides institutional advisory, asset management and investment management services specializing in debt, structured debt and equity.

The Company�� clients are developers and owners of real estate across the United States. It focuses primarily on multifamily properties and offers a range of commercial real estate finance products to the customers, including first mortga! ge loans, second trust loans, supplemental financings, construction loans, mezzanine loans and equity investments. It originates and sells loans under the programs of GSEs and HUD. It structures its internal working groups around the various services it provides, which includes Multifamily Finance, FHA Finance, Healthcare Finance, Capital Markets and Investment Services.

Multifamily Finance

The Company are one of 25 approved lenders who participate in Fannie Mae's DUS program for multifamily, manufactured housing communities, student housing and certain healthcare properties. It also is contracted by Fannie Mae to service all loans that it originates under the Fannie Mae DUS program. It is one of 26 lenders approved as a Freddie Mac Program Plus lender under, which it originates and sells to Freddie Mac multifamily and healthcare loans that satisfy Freddie Mac's underwriting and other eligibility requirements. It also is contracted by Freddie Mac to service all loans that it originates under its program.

FHA Finance

As an approved HUD MAP lender and Ginnie Mae issuer, the Company provides construction and permanent loans to developers and owners of multifamily housing, senior housing and healthcare facilities. It submits its completed loan underwriting package to HUD and obtains HUD's approval to originate the loan. HUD insured loans are placed in single loan pools, which back Ginnie Mae securities. Ginnie Mae is a United States government corporation in The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Healthcare Finance

Through the Column transaction, the Company provides healthcare real estate lending space, which includes skilled nursing facilities and hospitals. The process for originating healthcare real estate loans is similar to the process for originating multifamily loans with HUD or Fannie Mae. It is also contracted by HUD and Fannie Mae to service all loans it originates under their programs.

Capi! tal Markets

The Company serves as an intermediary in the placement of commercial real estate debt between institutional sources of capital, such as life insurance companies, investment banks, commercial banks, pension funds and other institutional investors, and owners of all types of commercial real estate. It often advises on capital structure, develops the financing package, facilitates negotiations between its client and institutional sources of capital, coordinate due diligence and assist in closing the transaction. In these instances, it does not underwrite or fund the loan and do not retain any interest in these loans.

Investment Services

The Company provides investment consulting and related services for two commercial real estate funds, W&D Balanced Real Estate Fund I LP and Walker & Dunlop Apartment Fund I, LLC. W&D Balanced Real Estate Fund I LP is a commercial real estate fund that has invested approximately $50 million in commercial real estate securities and loans, such as first mortgages, B-notes, mezzanine debt and equity securities, and has no further commitments to invest. Third-party pension funds hold limited partnership interests in this fund and are entitled to all regular distributions. Through the Company�� subsidiary, it holds a general partnership interest in this fund and is entitled to incentive distributions only if returns exceed certain pre-established thresholds. Walker & Dunlop Apartment Fund I, LLC is a commercial real estate fund that has invested $45 million in multifamily real estate properties and mezzanine loans, and has no further commitments to invest.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) dropped 19.17 percent to $12.86 after the company announced it would be raising another round of financing.

  Beacon Roofing Supply (NASDAQ: BECN) fell 7.11 percent to $34.25 after Robert W. Baird downgraded the stock from Outperform to Neutral.

Top 10 Supermarket Companies To Invest In Right Now: Meru Networks Inc.(MERU)

Meru Networks, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless local area network (LAN) solutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It offers a virtualized wireless LAN solution based on its System Director Operating System, which runs on its controllers and access points to enable enterprises to deliver business-critical applications over wireless networks. The company?s System Director Operating System provides centralized coordination and control of various access points on the network; controllers synchronize access points to optimize the user experience and manage traffic on the network; and Wi-Fi certified access points to provide network connectivity for wireless devices. It also offers Meru Networks E(z)RF application suite comprising E(z)RF Network Manager, E(z)RF Service Assurance Manager, E(z)RF Location Manager, E(z)RF OnTheGo, Spectrum Manager, and wired and wireless management solutions, which enable enterprises to configure, monitor, troubleshoot, secure, and operate virtualized wireless LAN solution. In addition, the company provides Identity Manager that simplifies enterprise network access and identity management; Wireless Intrusion Prevention System to recognize and mitigate threats; Compliance Manager to reduce the risk of security breach by protecting customer and employee personal information by extending security to the wireless network; AirFirewall to intercept and block unwanted communications as they transmit over the air, stopping them before they reach the network; and Security Gateway SG1000 to meet the demands of the Federal Information Processing Standard, 140-2 Level 3 security required by federal government agencies and other security-conscious organizations. It serves the education, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, technology, finance, government, telecom, transportation, and utility markets. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Meru Networks (NASDAQ: MERU  ) isn't wasting any time in finding a successor to one of its top executives. The company announced Monday it had appointed Brian McDonald to be its new CFO to replace the resigning Brett White. McDonald took up his position today, although White will remain at the firm through July 1 in order "to effect a smooth transition."

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

  Meru Networks Inc.(MERU), which makes networking products used to provide Wi-Fi service, said it would evaluate its options, including a potential sale, as it unveiled a restructuring plan.

Top 10 Supermarket Companies To Invest In Right Now: RDA Microelectronics Inc.(RDA)

RDA Microelectronics, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company, designs, develops, and markets radio-frequency and mixed-signal semiconductors for cellular, broadcast, and connectivity applications. Its products include power amplifiers, transceivers and front-end modules, FM radio receivers and transmitters, set-top box tuners, analog mobile television receivers, walkie-talkie transceivers, LNB satellite downconverters, and Bluetooth system-on-chips for mobile handsets. The company?s products also comprise GSM/EDGE power amplifier modules, GSM transceivers, TD-SCDMA transceivers, SCDMA transceivers, 3G switch modules, GSM power amplifier and switch modules, PHS transceivers, TD-SCDMA/GSM dual-mode transceivers, and radio frequency switches; DVB-T tuners, DVB-S and DVB-S2 satellite tuners, analog mobile television receiver system-on-chips, and FM radio receivers with radio data system; and Bluetooth + FM system-on-chips for mobile handsets and walkie-talkie transceivers for professional applications. Its products are incorporated into mobile handsets, set-top boxes, MP3 players, and other wireless and consumer electronic devices. RDA Microelectronics sells its products through distributors in the People?s Republic of China, southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Africa, the Russian Federation, and Latin America. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Luke Jacobi]

  RDA Microelectronics (NASDAQ: RDA) shot up 11.96 percent to $15.54 after the company received a non-binding acquisition proposal.

  Finish Line (NASDAQ: FINL) got a boost, shooting up 9.02 percent to $24.41 after the company reported a 6.1 percent rise in its fiscal second-quarter earnings.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  RDA Microelectronics (NASDAQ: RDA) was also up, gaining 11.12 percent to $17.28 after the company announced the receipt of $18.00/ADS acquisition proposal from Tsinghua Unigroup.

Top 10 Supermarket Companies To Invest In Right Now: Grillit Inc (GRLT)

Grillit Inc, formerly Holdings Energy Inc., incorporated on May 21, 2002, is a public corporation that discovers, invests and or acquires development-stage with solutions, clean technologies and eco-friendly products that serve the global alternative energy sector. The Company was formed to develop and engage in operations and management of digital wireless data communications services of 220 megahertz digital wireless data communications. In April 2013, the Company acquired Healthy & Tasty Ventures LLC. Effective December 19, 2013, GRILLiT Inc acquired a 10% interest in Natura Foods LLC.

Effective March 30, 2011, the Company had entered into a formal letter of intent with Remington Energy of Houston, Texas for the purchase of two oil and gas properties. On March 29, 2011, the Company disposed of its previous assets that represented the remaining business segment known as CX2 Technologies, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Last Friday, small cap stocks Cambridge Heart, Inc (OTCMKTS: CAMH), Abby Inc (OTCMKTS: ABBY) and Grillit Inc (OTCMKTS: GRLT) surged 176.92%, 71.2% and 24.07%, respectively. Of course, that was last week and today is a new trading week. So what should investors and traders alike be prepared for this week with these three small caps? Here is a closer look to help you decide on an investing or trading strategy:

Top 10 Supermarket Companies To Invest In Right Now: Wolverine World Wide Inc.(WWW)

Wolverine World Wide, Inc. designs, manufactures, sources, markets, licenses, and distributes branded footwear, apparel, and accessories. It offers industrial work shoes, boots, uniform shoes, outdoor sports footwear, rugged casual footwear, lifestyle footwear, sandals, and closed-toe products. It also provides outdoor apparel, and work and rugged casual apparel; and accessories, such as packs, bags, and luggage, as well as eyewear, gloves, handbags, socks, watches, and plush toys. The company offers its products under various brand names, including Bates, Cat Footwear, Chaco, Cushe, Harley-Davidson Footwear, Hush Puppies, HyTest, Merrell, Patagonia Footwear, Sebago, Soft Style, and Wolverine. It sells its products to a range of retail customers, which comprise department stores, national chains, catalogs, specialty retailers, mass merchants, Internet retailers, governments, and municipalities in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company also markets its products in approximately 190 countries and territories through company-owned wholesale operations, licensees, and distributors. It also licenses its brands for use on non-footwear products. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 101 retail stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom; and operated 42 consumer-direct Websites. Further, it markets pigskin leather, and purchases raw pigskins from other source. Wolverine World Wide, Inc. was founded in 1883 and is based in Rockford, Michigan.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Wolverine World Wide (NYSE: WWW  ) reported earnings on July 9. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended June 15 (Q2), Wolverine World Wide met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

• [By Anna Prior]

  Wolverine World Wide Inc.(WWW) unveiled plans to close about 140 stores over the next 18 months and to consolidate store operations to improve its profit. Shares of the maker of Hush Puppies and Merrell shoes rose 1.9% to $26.95 premarket as revenue for the latest quarter topped market expectations.

• [By Isaac Pino, CPA]

  Sustainable, exactly, long term. Let's start with wealth and the importance of walkability in creating strong economies -- and strong companies, for that matter. One of the things that you point out is a company called Wolverine Worldwide� (NYSE: WWW  ) , I think based in Grand Rapids, Mich.?

First Take: Yahoo revenue remains flat

SAN FRANCISCO -- Yahoo, you have a revenue problem.

Its user numbers may be enviable, but sales don't reflect that in the latest quarterly results.

Flat seems to be the operative word -- as in traffic (700 million global visits a month) and quarterly revenue ($1.13 billion) for Yahoo.

"All the usage figures are up, but the revenue isn't," says Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research. "For Yahoo to do that, it needs to improve search and video revenue -- which (CEO) Marissa Mayer is pursuing."

Despite Mayer's considerable star power and boatload of flashy business moves, the Silicon Valley company continues to struggle to jack up ad revenue amid intensified competition from Google and Facebook.

Yahoo's cut of the $120 billion worldwide digital ad market declined to 2.9% in 2013 from 3.4% in 2012, while Facebook and Google increased, according to eMarketer. Yahoo's share will decrease even further in 2014, eMarketer estimates.

At the same time, Yahoo last year lost its No. 2 spot as digital ad seller in the U.S. to Facebook for the first time, eMarketer says.

Yahoo's share of search advertising revenues is also declining.

Mayer has vowed Yahoo will focus on its ad business this year.

Wall Street, meanwhile, is fixated on Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant that is expected to raise $15 billion in a titanic IPO this year. Yahoo owns 24% of the company. (Based on anticipation of Alibaba's imminent IPO, Yahoo shares were up 11%, to $37.05, in after-hours trading today.)

Alibaba showed signs of a slowdown in growth in its last quarter, when it raked in $1.8 billion in revenue, up 51% from the year-ago quarter. That's lower than the 61% surge in revenue from the previous quarter.

Perhaps Yahoo sees advertising nirvana in the TV-programming business. The Wall Street Journal reported Yahoo is on the verge of ordering four original video series, joining Netflix, Amazon.com and other companies that have dipped into original programming.

At this point, no idea is too radical for Yahoo to rev up revenue.

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015

With shares of Men�� Wearhouse (NYSE:MW) trading around $37, is the company an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE or STAY AWAY? Let�� analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our Cheat Sheet investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Men�� Wearhouse is a specialty retailer of men�� suits and a provider of tuxedo rental products in the U.S. and Canada. The�company operates 1,049 stores in the U.S. and 117 stores in Canada in two segments, retail and corporate apparel, operated under the brand names of Men�� Wearhouse, Men�� Wearhouse and Tux, K&G, and Moores Clothing for Men. Men’s Wearhouse also offers dry cleaning and laundry operations through MW Cleaners. Men’s suits will always be in demand — the styles have stood the test of time. Look for Men’s Wearhouse to continue to provide its customers with the products and services needed to always look their best.

Top Solar Companies To Own For 2016: Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS)

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (Barnes & Noble), incorporated on November 19, 1986, is a bookseller. The Company is a content, commerce and technology company that provides customers access to books, magazines, newspapers and other content across its multi-channel distribution platform. As of April 27, 2013, it operated 1,361 bookstores in 50 states, 686 bookstores on college campuses, and operates one of the Web eCommerce sites, and develops digital content products and software. Barnes & Noble operates in three segments: B&N Retail, B&N College and NOOK. The Company�� principal business is the sale of trade books (generally hardcover and paperback consumer titles), mass market paperbacks (such as mystery, romance, science fiction and other popular fiction), children�� books, eBooks and other digital content, NOOK and related accessories, bargain books, magazines, gifts, cafe products and services, educational toys & games, music and movies direct to customers through its bookstores or on barnesandnoble.com.

Of the Company�� 1,361 bookstores, 675 operate primarily under the Barnes & Noble Booksellers trade name. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC (B&N College), a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, operates 686 college bookstores at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble Retail (B&N Retail) operates the 675 retail bookstores. Retail also includes the Company�� eCommerce site and Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. (Sterling or Sterling Publishing), a leader in general trade book publishing.

B&N Retail

This segment includes 675 bookstores as of April 27, 2013, primarily under the Barnes & Noble Booksellers trade name. These stores generally offer a dedicated NOOK area, a comprehensive trade book title base, a cafe, and departments dedicated to Juvenile, Toys & Games, DVDs, Music, Gift, Magazine and Bargain products. The stores also offer a calendar of ongoing events, including author appearances and children�� activities. The B&! N Retail segment also includes the Company�� eCommerce website, barnesandnoble.com, and its publishing operation, Sterling Publishing. Barnes & Noble stores range in size from 3,000 to 60,000 square feet depending upon market size, with an overall average store size of 26,000 square feet. During the fiscal year ended April 27, 2013 (fiscal), the Company reduced the Barnes & Noble store base by 0.3 million square feet, bringing the total square footage to 17.7 million square feet. The Company�� B&N Retail segment purchases physical books on a regular basis from over 800 publishers and over 50 wholesalers or distributors. As of April 27, 2013, Barnes & Noble had stores in 162 of the total 210 Designated Market Area markets.

Sterling Publishing is a publisher of non-fiction trade titles. It is a range of non-fiction and illustrated books and kits across a range of imprints, in categories, such as health and wellness, music and culture, food and wine, crafts and photography, puzzles and games, history and current affairs, as well as a children�� books.

B&N College

B&N College sells new and used textbooks in campus bookstores and online. As of April 27, 2013, B&N College operated 686 stores nationwide. The Company�� customer base, which is mainly consisted of students and faculty, can purchase various items from their campus stores, including textbooks and course-related materials, emblematic apparel and gifts, trade books, computer products, NOOK products and related accessories, school and dorm supplies, convenience and cafe items.

As of April 27, 2013, B&N College operates 651 traditional college bookstores and 35 academic superstores, which are generally larger in size, offer cafes and provide a sense of community that engages the surrounding campus and local communities in college activities and culture. The traditional bookstores range in size from 500 to 48,000 square feet. The academic superstores range in size from 8,000 to 75,000 square feet. B&! N College! �� three customer constituencies are students, faculty members and campus administrators.

NOOK

This segment includes the Company�� digital business, which includes the Company�� eBookstore, digital newsstand and sales of NOOK devices and accessories to third party distribution partners, as well as to B&N Retail and B&N College. Barnes & Noble�� NOOK digital bookstore and Reading Apps provide customers the ability to purchase and read their digital content and access to their Lifetime Library on a range of digital platforms, including Windows 8 PCs and tablets, iPad, iPhone , Android smartphones and tablets, PC and Mac. Barnes & Noble has implemented features on its digital platform to ensure that customers can access their NOOK content from almost all of today�� most popular devices.

The Company competes with Target, Books-A-Million, Waldenbooks, Amazon.com, Apple, Wal-Mart and Costco.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alanna Petroff]

  4. Expecting earnings: Barnes and Noble (BKS) and Burlington Stores (BURL) will report earnings before the opening bell. Krispy Kreme (KKD) is set to report after the close.

• [By Douglas A. McIntyre]

  Investors seems to believe that J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) showed signs of life when it released earnings, and that Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) admitted it was doomed. No matter which side Wall Street takes of either case, all of the evidence shows that neither has made any advance against its real enemy — Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)

• [By Reuters]

  Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images SEATTLE -- The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission charged two Seattle men Thursday with 35 counts of illegally trading on private Microsoft information, which prosecutors said netted the pair more than $390,000 in illicit profits over an 18-month period. Brian Jorgenson, a senior portfolio manager at Microsoft (MSFT), passed information to a former colleague, online day trader Sean Stokke, who executed the trades, according to prosecutors. According to complaints filed by the department and the SEC, the scheme began in April 2012 when Jorgenson, 32, found out through his job in Microsoft's treasury department that the software company was planning a multimillion dollar investment in the digital business of bookseller Barnes & Noble (BKS). He passed that information to Stokke, now 28, who bought options betting that Barnes & Noble stock would rise. It jumped about 50 percent when the investment was announced in late April, reaping Stokke profit of more than $184,000, prosecutors said. Stokke, who had previously worked with Jorgenson at an asset management company, then shared his profits with him via envelopes stuffed with $10,000 in cash, according to the charges, which resulted from probes by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the SEC. The pair repeated a similar process twice more in the following 18 months, prosecutors said, by buying options on Microsoft stock or an exchange-traded fund prior to earnings that Jorgenson knew would surprise Wall Street. Together, the two men took in another $208,000 in profit from the trades, according to the SEC complaint, which indicated they planned to start their own hedge fund. The Justice Department's insider trading charges are criminal and could result in up to 20 years in prison and $5 million in fines for both men. The SEC's charges are civil and call for financial penalties and the return of illegally gained profit.

• [By Doug Ehrman]

  Recent stories have suggested that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) plans to buy the Nook Media division of Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS  ) , of which it already owns 17%. The story comes just days after the bookseller announced that Nook devices would include the full suite of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) applications; the device runs on the Android operating system, but has never had full functionality.

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: West Marine Inc (WMAR)

West Marine, Inc., incorporated in September 1993, is a specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories. The Company offers an assortment of merchandise for the boat and for the boater. It operates in three segments: Stores, Port Supply and Direct-to-Customer. The Company sells to both retail and wholesale customers in its Stores segment. In addition, the Company has three franchised stores in Turkey. The Company�� Port Supply segment is its wholesale segment. The Company�� Direct-to-Customer, which includes e-commerce, catalog and call center transactions. During the year ended December 31, 2011, Stores segment generated approximately 90% of its net revenues. During 2011, products shipped to Port Supply customers directly from its warehouses represented approximately 4% of its net revenues.

During 2011, its Direct Sales segment offered customers around the world more than 75,000 products and accounted for the remaining 6% of its net revenues. Private label products, which the Company sells under the West Marine, Black Tip, Third Reef, Pure Oceans, Lifesling, SeaVolt and Seafit brand names, usually are manufactured in Asia, the United States and Europe.

Stores Segment

During 2011, the Company opened six stores while closing 14 stores. In December 2011, it opened its Fort Lauderdale Boating Superstore, a 50,000 square foot flagship. Its flagship stores ranging in size from 21,000 to 50,000 square feet, offering an array of merchandise typically about 16,000 items, as well as displays designed to help customers make informed product selections. It also operates large format stores, standard-sized stores and smaller Express stores. Its large format stores range from 13,000 to 19,000 square feet and carry about 11,000 items. The standard-sized stores typically range from 6,000 to 12,000 square feet and carry over 6,000 items. Express stores typically range from 2,500 to 3,000 square feet and carry over 4,000 items, mainly hardware and other supplies needed! for day-to-day boat maintenance and repairs.

Port Supply Segment

Port Supply customers include businesses involved in boat sales, boat building, boat commissioning and repair, yacht chartering, marina operations and other boating-related activities. In addition, Port Supply sells to government and industrial customers who use its products for boating and non-boating purposes. Port Supply, the Company�� wholesale segment, serves wholesale customers seeking convenience and a larger assortment of products than those carried by typical distributors.

Direct-to-Customer Segment

The Company�� e-commerce Website provides its customers with access to a selection of approximately 75,000 products, product advisor tips and technical information, over 450 product videos and customer-submitted product reviews. This segment also provides customers with access to knowledgeable technical advisors who can assist its customers in understanding the various uses and applications of the products it sell. It operates a virtual call center from which its associates assist its customers by taking calls from their homes or from its support center in Watsonville, California. Its virtual call center supports sales generated through its e-commerce Website, catalogs and stores and provides customer service offerings.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Interactive Buyside]

  West Marine (Nasdaq: WMAR) is an undervalued retailer.  The company is going through a change in focus from a bricks and mortar boat product retailer to a fully integrated retail and wholesale business through bricks and clicks, targeting the boating and water enthusiast customer.   Recent results have been affected by a severe rainy and cool spring which hurt boat usage and delayed the start of the season.  The company has accelerated cash investments to build larger more productive stores and expand its ecommerce abilities, consequently affecting free cash flow short term.  The stock lacks sponsorship as there is only one research report written on the company by a small boutique firm.  The stock trades at only book value despite the company being the leading industry player with a solid balance sheet and significant net cash position. 

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Vitacost.com Inc (VITC)

Vitacost.com, Inc. (Vitacost), incorporated in May 20, 1994, is an online retailer of health and wellness products, including dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids and metabolites, as well as cosmetics, natural personal care products, pet products, sports nutrition and health foods. The Company sells these products directly to consumers primarily through its Website, www.vitacost.com. It offers its customers the selection of healthy living products. It offers its customers a selection of approximately 40,000 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs), from over 2,000 third-party brands, such as New Chapter, Nature�� Way, Twinlab, Source Naturals, Jarrow Formulas, Jason, Desert Essence, Atkins, Bob�� Red Mill, BSN, Optimum Nutrition, USP Labs and MuscleTech in addition to its own brands: Vitacost, Cosmeceutical Sciences Institute (CSI), Best of All, and Smart Basics. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had approximately 2.1 million customers.

The Company offers products in a range of potency levels and dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, vegi-capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids and powders. It offers products that encompass four main categories: Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Supplements; Sports Nutrition; Beauty; and Natural and Organic Food.

Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Supplements (VMHS)

VMHS products are taken to maintain or improve health and address specific health conditions. In its dietary supplements category, the Company offers its offer its Vitacost branded products as well as third-party brands such as Nature�� Way, Twinlab, Jarrow, Carlson and Rainbow Light. Vitamin and mineral products include multi-vitamins, lettered vitamins, such as Vitamin A, C, D, E and B-complex, along with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chromium and zinc.

Herbal products include whole herbs, standardized extracts, herb combination formulas and teas. Supplements include essential fatty acids, probiotics, anti-o! xidants, phytonutrients and condition-specific formulas.

Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition products are used in conjunction with cardiovascular conditioning, weight training and sports activities. Major categories in sports nutrition include protein and weight gain powders, meal replacements, nutrition bars, sport drinks and pre and post-workout supplements. The Company offers bodybuilding and sports products from third parties, such as Optimum Nutrition, CytoSport and BSN as well as our Vitacost branded sports nutrition products.

Beauty

Natural care products consist of a variety of natural products for skin, body, hair and oral health. The Company offers hundreds of natural personal-care products from companies, such as JASON, and Kiss My Face, as well as its CSI-branded products. These products appeal to allergen-conscious and environmentally-conscious consumers seeking products that are made without harsh chemicals and additives.

Natural and Organic Food

Natural and organic food products consist of organic and specialty products such as organic peanut butter, gluten free foods and low mercury tuna and salmon. The Company offers third-party brands, such as Kashi, Eden Foods and Amy�� Organic, as well as its Best of All natural food products.

Under its Vitacost brand, the Company offers over 900 products including multivitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, anti-oxidants and others. Under its CSI brand, it markets and sells health and beauty products such as facial cleanser, facial and body moisturizing creams and lotions, and other beauty and skincare products. Under its Best of All brand, it markets and sells organic food products such as banana chips, trail mix, almonds, cashews and more. Under its Smart Basics brand, it markets and sells organic fruit juices and extracts and related dietary supplements. Under its Walker Diet brand, it markets and sells low carb powders used to assist in weight loss and ! managemen! t.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Vitacost.com (Nasdaq: VITC  ) 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 Vitacost.com's competitive position could be.

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Natural Grocers By Vitamin Cottage Inc (NGVC)

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., incorporated on April 9, 2012, is a specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements. The Company operates within the natural products retail industry. The Company offers products and brands, including a selection of natural and organic food, dietary supplements, body care products, pet care products and books.

The Company offers its customers an average of approximately 18,000 store-keeping units (SKUs) of natural and organic products per store, including an average of approximately 7,000 SKU of dietary supplements. As of June 30, 2012, the Company operated 55 stores in 11 states, including Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as a bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center in Colorado. The size of its stores varies from 5,000 selling square feet to 14,500 selling square feet, and a new store averages 9,500 selling square feet.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Mamos]

  The Fresh Market Inc. (Nasdaq: TFM), Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. (NYSE: NGVC), and privately held Trader Joe's are others crowding into the field.

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: WH Smith PLC (SMWH)

WH Smith PLC is a United Kingdom-based retail company. The Company has two businesses divisions: Travel and High Street. The Company's Travel division sells a range of newspapers, magazines, books and impulse products for people on the move and a broader convenience range in hospitals and workplaces. The Company's High Street sells a wide range of stationery, books, newspapers, magazines and impulse products, as well as a small range of entertainment products.The Company�� subsidiaries include WH Smith PLC, WH Smith Retail Holdings Limited, WH Smith High Street Holdings Limited, WH Smith Travel Holdings Limited, WH Smith High Street Limited, WH Smith Travel Limited and WH Smith Hospitals Holdings Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Hays Plc (HAS) climbed 2.2 percent after the recruitment company said quarterly fees increased in its European markets. WH Smith Plc (SMWH) jumped the most in six months after raising its final dividend and saying it plans to repurchase an additional 50 million pounds ($80 million) of shares. Melrose Industries Plc (MRO) added 1.8 percent after KKR & Co. said it will pay about $1 billion for two of its U.S. industrial-products companies.

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Ulta Salon Cosmetics and Fragrance Inc (ULTA)

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (Ulta), incorporated on January 9, 1990, is a beauty retailer, which provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon products and salon services in the United States. During the year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Company opened 61 new stores. It operates full-service salons in all of its stores. Its Ulta store format includes an open and modern salon area with approximately eight to 10 stations. The entire salon area is approximately 950 square feet with a concierge desk, skin treatment room, semi-private shampoo and hair color processing areas. Each salon is a full-service salon offering hair cuts, hair coloring and permanent texture, with salons also providing facials and waxing.

The Company offers products in the categories, such as cosmetics, which includes products for the face, eyes, cheeks, lips and nails; haircare, which includes shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and hair accessories; salon styling tools, which includes hair dryers, curling irons and flat irons; skincare and bath and body, which includes products for the face, hands and body; fragrance for both men and women; private label, consisting of Ulta branded cosmetics, skincare, bath and body products and haircare, and other, including candles, home fragrance products and other miscellaneous health and beauty products. The Company has combined its three operating segments: retail stores, salon services and e-commerce, into one reportable segment.

The Company competes with Macy��, Nordstrom, Sephora, Bath & Body Works, CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart, Regis Corp., Sally Beauty and JCPenney salons.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  [Related -Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (ULTA): Bullish Options Play Eyes Further Upside in Ulta]

  Ulta operates specialty retail stores in the United States. Its stores offer cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, and skincare products, as well as related accessories and services. As of February 1, 2014, the company operated 675 retail stores across 46 states. It also operates full services salons in its stores and distributes its products through operating ulta.com.

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance (ULTA) dropped 20% after the company issued a cautious outlook for the current quarter, as the beauty-products retailer warned of soft sales trends and likely high promotions during the holiday season

10 Best Specialty Retail Stocks To Buy For 2015: Puget Technologies Inc (PUGE)

PUGET TECHNOLOGIES, INC., incorporated on March 17, 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in the distribution of luxury wool bedding sets produced in Germany. The Company�� product includes Lama Wool, Camel Wool, Cashmere Wool and Merino Wool.

The Company�� Lama Wool is consists of 50% Lama Wool hair, and 50% Merino wool hair. The Camel wool is consists of 50% Camel wool hair, and 50% Merino wool hair. The Cashmere wool is blended with Merino wool.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Inscor, Inc (OTCMKTS: IOGA), Puget Technologies Inc (OTCBB: PUGE) and PTA Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: PTAH) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters or investor alerts. However, two of these small caps have been the subject of paid promotions while the third is getting attention largely because its in the growing marijuana or cannabis business. With that in mind, are these stocks really all that hot or not? Here is a quick reality check:

Best High Dividend Companies To Watch For 2016

Best High Divid end Companies To Watch For 2016: JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd.(JASO)

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of photovoltaic solar cells and solar products, which convert sunlight into electricity in the People's Republic of China. The company?s principal products include monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells, as well as various solar modules. It also provides silicon wafer and solar cell processing services. The company sells its products primarily under the JA Solar brand name, as well as produces equipment for original equipment manufacturing customers under their brand names. It sells its solar cell and module products primarily to module manufacturers, system integrators, project developers, and distributors in the Germany, Italy, the United States, Hong Kong, Spain, India, the Czech Republic, France, and South Korea. The company has strategic partnerships with various solar power companies, such as BP Solar, Solar-Fabrik, and MEMC/SunEdison. JA Solar H oldings Co., Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Shanghai, the People?s Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

    Most Popular Will Bank Stocks Continue To Move Lower On Bad News? Analysts Almost Unanimously Bullish On Candy Crush Maker Earnings Scheduled For May 7, 2014 Benzinga's Top Downgrades Will Microsoft Unveil Its iPad Mini-Killer On May 20? Five Star Stock Watch: Oracle Corporation Related Articles (HIMX + JASO! ) Benzinga's Top #PreMarket Gainers Earnings Scheduled For May 8, 2014

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-high-dividend-companies-to-watch-for-2016.html

Top 5 High Tech Companies To Buy For 2015

The following video is from Friday's Motley Fool Money roundtable discussion with host Chris Hill, and analysts Ron Gross, Jason Moser, and Charly Travers.

Some big tech companies were rocked this week by a new report from the research firm IDC. According to IDC, worldwide laptop and desktop shipments fell 14% in the first quarter. It's the sharpest decrease since IDC began tracking the data nearly 20 years ago. Shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) , Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ  ) , and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL  ) all dropped on the news. In this installment of Motley Fool Money, our analysts talk about the slowdown of the PC, and the implications for investors.

It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who've watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in mobile over the past decade. However, with the release of its own tablet, along with the widely anticipated Windows 8 operating system, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In this brand-new premium report on Microsoft, our analyst explains that, while the opportunity is huge, the challenges are many. He's also providing regular updates as key events occur, so make sure to claim a copy of this report now by clicking here.

10 Best International Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Donaldson Company Inc (DCI)

Donaldson Company, Inc. (Donaldson) is a worldwide manufacturer of filtration systems and replacement parts. The Company's product mix includes air and liquid filtration systems and exhaust and emission control products. The Company operates in two segments: Engine Products and Industrial Products. Products in the Engine Products segment consist of air filtration systems, exhaust and emissions systems, liquid filtration systems, and replacement filters. Products in the Industrial Products segment consist of dust, fume, and mist collectors, compressed air purification systems, air filtration systems for gas turbines, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane-based products, and specialized air filtration systems for applications including computer hard disk drives. Effective January 14, 2014, Donaldson Co Inc acquired bankrupt Entreprise Dubourg Pere et Fils Sarl.

Donaldson�� products are manufactured at 40 plants around the world and through three joint ventures. The Engine Products segment sells to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the construction, mining, agriculture, aerospace, defense, and truck markets and to OEM dealer networks, independent distributors, private label accounts, and large equipment fleets. The Industrial Products segment sells to various industrial end-users, OEMs of gas-fired turbines and OEMs and end-users requiring clean air.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Filtration systems specialist Donaldson� (NYSE: DCI  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.13 per share, a�30% increase from the $0.10 per share payout it made last quarter.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Friday
  The market is typically quiet on Friday, but that's certainly not the case during earnings season. Donaldson (NYSE: DCI  ) checks in with its latest quarterly results on Friday morning.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Filtration parts and systems manufacturer Donaldson (DCI) raised its quarterly dividend 8% to 14 cents per share, payable on Dec. 20th to shareholders of record as of Dec. 9.
  DCI Dividend Yield: 1.33%

• [By James Miller Phd]

  As we can see, the firm has a higher ROE than it peers: Sharps Compliance, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST), Donaldson Company, Inc. (DCI) and GSE Holding Inc. (GSEH).

Top 5 High Tech Companies To Buy For 2015: Sarepta Therapeutics Inc (SRPT)

Sarepta Therapeutics Inc., formerly AVI BioPharma, Inc., incorporated on July 22, 1980, biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based therapeutics for the treatment of rare and infectious diseases. The Company�� product candidates include Eteplirsen, AVI-6002, AVI-6003, and AVI-7100. As of December 31, 2011, the Company primarily focused on advancing the development of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug candidates, including its lead product candidate, eteplirsen, which is in a Phase IIb trial. The Company is also focused on developing therapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases, including its lead infectious disease programs aimed at the development of drug candidates for the Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever viruses. The Company's program focuses on the development of disease-modifying therapeutic candidates for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The Company initiated a Phase IIb trial for eteplirsen in August 2011 with an objective of initiating a pivotal trial subsequent to 2011.

The Company is also leveraging the capabilities of its RNA-based technology platforms to develop therapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases. The Company's RNA-based drug programs are clinically evaluated for the treatment of DMD and have also demonstrated anti-viral activity in infectious diseases such as Ebola, Marburg and H1N1 influenza in certain animal models. The Company's lead product candidates are at various stages of development.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Program

The Company's lead program is designed to address specific gene mutations that result in DMD by forcing the genetic machinery to skip over an adjacent contiguous piece of RNA and, thus, restore the ability of the cell to express a new, truncated but functional, dystrophin protein.

Eteplirsen is an antisense PMO-based therapeutic in clinical development for the treatment of individuals with DMD who have an error in the gene codi! ng for dystrophin that can be treated by skipping exon 51. Eteplirsen targets the frequent series of mutations that cause DMD. Eteplirsen has been granted orphan drug designation in the United States and European Union. In addition to the Company's lead product candidate, eteplirsen, the Company is actively pursues development of a product candidate that skips exon 45 through an IND-enabling collaboration.

Anti-Viral Programs

The Company is implementing its RNA-based technology platforms in its anti-viral programs for the development of therapeutics to treat viruses, such as Ebola, Marburg and influenza. The Company's arrangement with DoD supporting the development of the Company's Ebola and Marburg virus drug candidates provides funding for all clinical and licensure activities necessary to obtain approval of a New Drug Application (NDA), by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), if DoD exercises all of its options under the arrangement. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company paused its clinical development efforts on AVI-7100 and is exploring funding opportunities or partnerships with DHHS and industry collaborators to advance its development.

The Company's anti-viral therapeutic programs use the Company's translation suppression technology and applies its PMOplus chemistry backbone, an advanced generation of its base PMO chemistry backbone that selectively introduces positive backbone charges to improve selective interaction between the drug and its target. The Company's translation suppressing technology is based on Translation Suppressing Oligomers (TSOs), which are PMO-based compounds that stop or suppress the translation of a specific protein by binding to their specific target sequence in mRNA.

The Company is pursuing development and regulatory approval of its Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever virus product candidates under the FDA's Animal Rule. The Company's lead product candidate against the Ebola virus infec! tion is A! VI-6002. For Marburg virus infection, the Company's lead product candidate has been AVI-6003. In February 2012, the Company announced that the Company received approval from the FDA to remove one of the two oligomers composing AVI-6003 and proceed with a single oligomer approach, AVI-7288, given that efficacy in non-human primates has been demonstrated to be attributable to this single oligomer. The Company is exploring the feasibility of alternate routes of administration of its Ebola and Marburg drug candidates, and at DoD's invitation, the Company is developing a proposal to be submitted for a study to demonstrates feasibility of the intramuscular route.

AVI-6002, which is a combination of AVI-7537 and AVI-7539, is designed for post-exposure prophylaxis after documented or suspected exposure to the Ebola virus. The Company is evaluating the feasibility of developing AVI-7537 as a single agent for the post-exposure prophylaxis after documented or suspected exposure to Ebola virus. AVI-6003, which is a combination of AVI-7287 and AVI-7288, is designed for post-exposure prophylaxis after documented or suspected exposure to Marburg virus. In February 2012, the Company announced that the Company received approval from the FDA to proceed with AVI-7288 as a single agent against Marburg virus infection. The Company intends to proceed with dosing AVI-7288 in the Phase I multiple ascending dose studies and in non-human primate studies.

Influenza Program

The Company's anti-viral therapeutic programs are also focused on the development of the Company's product candidates designed to treat pandemic influenza viruses. AVI-7100 is the Company's lead product candidate for the treatment of influenza and employs its PMOplus technology. In June 2011, the Company initiated dosing of AVI-7100 through intravenous infusion in single-ascending doses in up to 48 healthy adult volunteers. As of December 31, 2011, the Company paused its clinical development efforts on AVI-7100 and are exp! loring fu! nding opportunities or partnerships to advance its development.

The Company has developed three new phosphorodiamidate-linked morpholino oligomers (PMO)-based chemistry platforms in addition to its original PMO-based technology. The Company's PMO-based molecules are designed to sterically block the access of cellular machinery to pre-mRNA and mRNA without degrading the RNA. Through this selective targeting, two distinct biologic mechanisms of action can be initiated: modulation of pre-mRNA splicing and inhibition of mRNA translation.

The Company competes with GlaxoSmithKline plc, Toyama Chemical, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp., Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Prosensa, and Santaris Pharma A/S.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Liberty Media�and the iShares MSCI Mexico Capped Investable Market Index Fund ETF. Other new holdings of interest include Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT  ) . Sarepta stock has soared about ninefold over the past year, and some still see it as undervalued. After Sarepta petitioned the FDA for accelerated approval for its Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug, eteplirsen, the FDA requested more information. That sent shares lower, but management is optimistic about its recent interactions with the FDA.

• [By Leo Sun]

  Prosensa: GSK doesn't believe in it -- so why should you?
  Throughout 2013, Prosensa and its former partner GlaxoSmithKline competed against Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SRPT  ) to launch the first dedicated treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Top 5 High Tech Companies To Buy For 2015: Palo Alto Networks Inc (PANW)

Palo Alto Networks, Inc., incorporated in March 2005, offers a network security platform that allows enterprises, service providers, and government entities to secure their networks. The core of its platform is the Company�� firewall that delivers natively integrated application, user, and content visibility and control through its operating system, hardware, and software architecture. The Company primarily sells its products and services to end-customers through distributors, resellers, and partners, and directly to end-customers (collectively partners), who are supported by its sales and marketing organization, in the Americas, in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and in Asia Pacific and Japan (APAC). Its products and services can address a range of its end-customers��network security requirements, from the data center to the network perimeter, as well as the distributed enterprise, which includes branch offices and a number of mobile devices. It introduced PA-5000 Series and GlobalProtect subscription service in March 2011 and the PA-200 and WildFire subscription service in November 2011.

The Company�� platform is delivered in an appliance form factor and includes a suite of subscription services, as well as support and maintenance. Its subscription services can be activated on any of its appliances. All of the Company�� appliances incorporate its PAN-OS operating system and are based on its identification technologies, App-ID, User-ID, and Content-ID, which allow security policies to be defined within the context of applications, users, and content. It delivers these capabilities through a single-pass parallel processing architecture that simultaneously performs multiple identification, security and networking functions. The Company serves the enterprise network security market, which consists of Firewall/ Virtual Private Network (VPN), Unified Threat Management (UTM), Web Gateway, Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP/IPS), and VPN technologies. The Company deriv! ed 62% of its total revenue from the Americas, 27% from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and 11% from Asia Pacific and Japan (APAC) as of January 31, 2012.

The Company derives revenue from sales of its products and services, which together comprise its platform. Product revenue is primarily generated from sales of its Firewall. The Company�� Threat Prevention, universal resource locator (URL) Filtering, and GlobalProtect subscriptions provide its end-customers with real-time access to the antivirus, intrusion prevention, Web filtering, and malware protection capabilities across fixed and mobile devices. The Company�� application classification engine, called App-ID, uses multiple identification techniques to determine the exact identity of applications traversing the network. App-ID is the foundational classification engine that provides the core traffic classification to all other functions in its platform. The App-ID classification is used to invoke other security functions.

App-ID uses a series of classification techniques to identify an application. App-ID classifies all network traffic, including business applications, consumer applications, and network protocols, across all ports. User-ID integrates its platform with a range of enterprise user directories and technologies, including Active Directory, eDirectory, Open LDAP, Citrix Terminal Server, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Terminal Server, and ZENworks. Content-ID is a collection of technologies that enables its subscription services. Content-ID combines a real-time threat prevention engine, cloud-based analysis service, and a URL categorization database to limit unauthorized data and file transfers, detect and block a range of threats, and control non-work related Web surfing. Its WildFire, cloud-based analysis service provides a real-time analysis engine for detecting previously unseen malware. Its URL filtering database consists of millions of URLs across many categories and is designed to monitor a! nd contro! l employee Web surfing activities. Single-Pass Parallel Processing Architecture (SP3) has two elements: single-pass software and parallel processing hardware.

The PAN-OS Operating System operating system provides the foundation for its network security platform and contains App-ID, User-ID, and Content-ID. PAN-OS performs the core functions of its platform, while also providing the networking, security, and management functions needed for implementation. The PAN-OS networking functions include dynamic routing, switching, high availability, and VPN support, which enables deployment into a range of networking environments. PAN-OS also includes attack protection capabilities, such as blocking invalid or malformed packets, IP defragmentation, TCP reassembly, and network traffic normalization. The Company also offers, such as application traffic management, solution design and planning, configuration, and firewall migration. Its education services provide classroom-style training and are primarily delivered through its partners.

The Company competes with Cisco, Juniper, Intel, IBM, HP, Check Point Software, Fortinet and Sourcefire.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Palo Alto Networks (NYSE: PANW) was also up, gaining 6.89 percent to $49.26 after the company reported better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results.

Top 5 High Tech Companies To Buy For 2015: InSite Vision Inc (INSV)

InSite Vision Incorporated (InSite), incorporated in 1986, is an ophthalmic product development company advancing ophthalmic pharmaceutical products to address unmet eye care needs. The Company's current portfolio of products is based on the Company's DuraSite sustained drug delivery technology. Its DuraSite sustained drug delivery technology is a synthetic polymer-based formulation designed to extend the residence time of a drug relative to conventional topical therapies. It enables topical delivery of a drug as a solution, gel or suspension and can be customized for delivering a wide variety of drug candidates. The Company is focused its research and development and commercial support efforts on the topical products formulated with its DuraSite drug delivery technology. It may also utilize its DuraSite technology platform for the formulation of new ocular product candidates using either non drugs or compounds developed by others for non-ophthalmic indications.

AzaSite (azithromycin ophthalmic solution) 1% is a DuraSite formulation of azithromycin developed as a spectrum ocular antibiotic and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye). Azithromycin has a spectrum of antibiotic activity and is used to treat respiratory and other infections in its oral and parenteral forms.

Besivance (besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension) 0.6% is a DuraSite formulation of besifloxacin, a spectrum ocular antibiotic approved by the FDA to treat bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye). Besivance is the fluoroquinolone specifically developed for ophthalmic use. AzaSite Plus (ISV-502) is a fixed combination of azithromycin and dexamethasone in DuraSite for the treatment of ocular inflammation and infection (blepharitis and/or blepharoconjunctivitis).

DexaSite (ISV-305) is a DuraSite formulation of dexamethasone in development for the treatment of ocular inflammation. DexaSite is included in the Phase 3 clinical trial SPA for ! AzaSite Plus. The Company developed a topical formulation of the corticosteroid dexamethasone to treat eye inflammation caused by infections, injury, surgery or other conditions.

BromSite (ISV-303) is a DuraSite formulation of bromfenac in development for the treatment of post-operative inflammation and eye pain. ISV-101 is a DuraSite formulation with a low concentration of bromfenac for the treatment of dry eye disease.

The Company competes with Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Allergan, Inc., Bausch & Lomb, Novartis Ophthalmics, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. and Pfizer.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, INSV surged (+2.77%) up +0.009 at $.334 with 24,100 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:27AM EDT July 8, 2013).

  InSite Vision Incorporated previously reported it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on its DuraSite庐 2 next-generation enhanced drug delivery system. DuraSite 2 provides a broad platform for developing topically delivered ocular drugs with enhanced tissue penetration in order to improve efficacy and dosing convenience. The patent is expected to provide protection to 2029 for both the delivery system and the drugs that are formulated with DuraSite 2.

Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Own For 2015

The Motley Fool's readers have spoken, and I have heeded their cries. After months of pointing out�CEO gaffes�and faux pas, I've decided to make it a weekly tradition to also point out corporate leaders who are putting the interests of shareholders and the public first and are generally deserving of praise from investors. For reference, here's�my previous selection.

This week, we'll turn our attention to the automotive sector and focus on Ford's (NYSE: F  ) CEO, Alan Mulally, who has done a phenomenal job of turning around the once-aching car company.

Kudos to you, Mr. Mulally
Based on Ford's rising share price you'd just assume that things are peaches and cream in the automotive industry... but that couldn't be further from the truth.

General Motors (NYSE: GM  ) is still struggling with the stigma of having declared bankruptcy in 2009 and utilizing government loans to finance its operations during its restructuring. Also, what Japanese automakers Honda Motor (NYSE: HMC  ) and Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM  ) have gained in terms of U.S. market share they're ceding in rapidly growing China because of ongoing distrust between the two nations. On top of this, global growth in many developed markets isn't very conducive to strengthening sales. Both the U.S. and China's GDPs are growing well below their historical average, while Europe has been a disaster for nearly all automakers due to region-wide austerity measures.

Top Value Stocks To Buy For 2016: Fifth Third Bancorp (FFH)

Fifth Third Bancorp (the Bancorp), incorporated on October 7, 1974, is a diversified financial services company. As of December 31, 2011, the Bancorp had $117 billion in assets, operated 15 affiliates with 1,316 full-service Banking Centers, including 104 Bank Mart locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores, and 2,425 automated teller machines (ATMs) in 12 states throughout the Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States. The Bancorp operates in four business segments: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending and Investment Advisors. The Bancorp also has a 49% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC.

Commercial Banking

Commercial Banking offers credit intermediation, cash management and financial services to large and middle-market businesses and government and professional customers. In addition to the traditional lending and depository offerings, Commercial Banking products and services include global cash management, foreign exchange and international trade finance, derivatives and capital markets services, asset-based lending, real estate finance, public finance, commercial leasing and syndicated finance.

Branch Banking

Branch Banking provides a range of deposit and loan and lease products to individuals and small businesses through 1,316 full-service Banking Centers. Branch Banking offers depository and loan products, such as checking and savings accounts, home equity loans and lines of credit, credit cards and loans for automobiles and other personal financing needs, as well as products designed to meet the specific needs of small businesses, including cash management services.

Consumer Lending

Consumer Lending includes the Bancorp�� mortgage, home equity, automobile and other indirect lending activities. Mortgage and home equity lending activities include the origination, retention and servicing of mortgage and home equity loans or lines of credit, sales and securitizations of t! hose loans, pools of loans or lines of credit, and all associated hedging activities. Indirect lending activities include loans to consumers through mortgage brokers and automobile dealers.

Investment Advisors

Investment Advisors provides a range of investment alternatives for individuals, companies and not-for-profit organizations. Investment Advisors is made up of four main businesses: Fifth Third Securities (FTS), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Bancorp; Fifth Third Asset Management, Inc. (FTAM), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Bancorp; Fifth Third Private Bank; and Fifth Third Institutional Services. FTS offers full service retail brokerage services to individual clients and broker dealer services to the institutional marketplace. FTAM provides asset management services and also advises the Bancorp�� family of mutual funds. Fifth Third Private Bank offers holistic strategies to affluent clients in wealth planning, investing, insurance and wealth protection. Fifth Third Institutional Services provide advisory services for institutional clients including states and municipalities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bloomberg]

  Mattel (MAT), the world's largest toymaker, agreed to buy Mega Brands (MB) for $460 million, acquiring the biggest challenger to Lego A/S in the construction-toy market. Mattel is offering C$17.75 ($16) a share, according to a statement today, a 36 percent premium over yesterday's closing price. The board of Montreal-based Mega Brands unanimously approved the transaction, and investors holding 39 percent of the stock, including Chief Executive Officer Marc Bertrand and Fairfax Financial Holdings (FFH), agreed to the deal. The purchase of Mega Brands, the world's second-largest maker of snap-together blocks, will fill a product hole for Mattel. It doesn't have its own construction line, locking it out of a $4 billion market in the U.S. and Europe. The category also is a bright spot in a toy industry that has seen growth stall in the U.S. Mattel considered starting its own construction line, then opted instead to buy Mega Brands because it would be faster and less risky, Mattel CEO Bryan G. Stockton said on a call with reporters. Mattel got its first taste of construction in 2012 when it debuted blocks for its Barbie brand through a licensing deal with Mega Brands. Mattel realized that replicating this kind of expertise would take years, Stockton said. 'About Growth' "This acquisition is all about growth," Stockton said. "We see an opportunity to expand our brands in this category across boys, girls and preschool." Mattel shares rose 0.8 percent to $37.44 at 10:34 a.m. in New York. They had declined 9 percent over the past year through yesterday. Shares of Montreal-based Mega Brands surged 36 percent to C$17.73 today in Toronto. Mattel is coming off a lackluster holiday season, with sales sinking 6.3 percent -- the biggest quarterly drop since 2009. The El Segundo, California-based toymaker has looked to acquisitions to boost sales in the past. In February of 2012, it paid $680 million to buy HIT Entertainment, owner of Thomas the Tank Engine. It also acq

• [By Riddhi Kharkia]

  Last year, Blackberry investors were not quite pleased with the collapse of a $4.7 billion buyout by Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. (FFH) because the management had clearly highlighted the vulnerable cash position of the company and an uncontrollable rate of cash burn that reduced the time available to the company to bounce back. However, in retrospect, the decision made by FairFax to abandon the deal and instead fund the company with $1 billion in convertible bonds along with the appointment of a new management team proved to be beneficial for the struggling giant. In a bid to create superior products and innovate on the existing products, the current management has sparked reasonable hope among investors of a possible comeback.

• [By gurufocus]

  Prem Watsa, highly regarded CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. (FFH), wrote in March that ��e continue to fully hedge our common stock portfolios as our concerns about the United States��� You would think he has been wrong with the hedging as he is losing money with them. But the last time he was losing with hedging was during the last bull market from 2004 to 2006. He then made a killing with the hedges in 2007 and 2008.

Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Own For 2015: Carbonite Inc (CARB)

Carbonite, Inc. (Carbonite), incorporated on February 10, 2005, focuses on the development and marketing of personal computer backup software that enables users to backup, access, and restore data files online. Carbonite is a provider of online backup solutions for consumers and small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). The Company provides secure online backup solutions with anytime, anywhere access to files stored on its servers, which it calls the Carbonite Personal Cloud. In November 2012, the Company acquired Zmanda, Inc.

The Company�� backup solutions works automatically uploading encrypted copies of its customers��files to the Carbonite servers. The Company's customers can browse and share their photos, videos, and documents anytime, anywhere using a Web browser or its free iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android apps. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had subscribers in more than 100 countries, with subscribers based in the United States representing 94% of its total revenue for 2012.

The Company competes with CrashPlan, Mozy, SOS Online Backup, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, DropBox, SugarSync, Box and others.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Carbonite (Nasdaq: CARB  ) is expected to report Q2 earnings around July 12. 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 Carbonite's revenues will grow 27.5% and EPS will remain in the red.

Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Own For 2015: Prospect Capital Corporation(PSEC)

Prospect Capital Corporation is a mezzanine finance and private equity firm that specializes in late venture, middle market, mature, mezzanine, buyouts, recapitalizations, growth capital, development, and bridge transactions. It makes secured debt and equity investments. The firm typically invests across all industry sectors, with a particular expertise in the energy and industrial sectors. It invests in oil and gas production, coal production, materials, industrials, consumer discretionary, information technology, utilities, pipeline, storage, power generation and distribution, renewable and clean energy, oilfield services, healthcare, food and beverage, education, business services, and other select sectors. The firm prefers to invest in the United States and Canada. It seeks to invest between $5 million to $50 million in companies with EBITDA between $$ million and $75 million, sales value up to $500 million, and enterprise value of up to $250 million. The firm also co- invests for larger deals. It seeks control acquisitions by providing multiple levels of the capital structure. Prospect Capital Corporation was founded in 1988 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By salamat_uri]

  In the current market environment, there are many small and medium sized companies that have trouble gaining the requisite attention or in securing favorable terms in bank lending arrangement. For these reasons, business development companies (BDCs) are not only an essential part of the market but should continue to see sustainable performances in stock valuations, as well. One of the strongest choices in this space is Prospect Capital (PSEC), which has shown tremendous growth over the last three years and continues to build on the strategies that has made it one of the most stable choices in the market.

Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Own For 2015: NanoTech Entertainment Inc (NTEK)

NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (NanoTech), formerly Aldar Group, Inc., is a provider of gaming technology for the coin-op arcade, casino gaming and consumer gaming markets. The Company operates as a manufacturer, developing technology and games, and then licensing them to third parties for manufacturing and distribution. As of June 30, 2009, the Company�� products included MultiPin, Xtreme Rally Racing, NanoNET Online System, Pinball Wizard, Mot-Ion Adapter, Opti-Gun Adapter and Retr-IO Adapter. In April 2009, the Company acquired NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. In July 2013, NanoTech Entertainment Inc completed the acquisition of Clear Memories, Inc. of Napa California. Effective August 9, 2013, NanoTech Entertainment Inc acquired Worldwide Global Entertainment, a developer of prepackaged software.

The Company�� physics engine and motion sensors allow MultiPin to accurately recreate the experience of a mechanical pinball machine, while providing players with a variety of classic and modern pinball games to choose from. Xtreme Rally Racing is a driving machine that features three modes of game play: Xtreme Off-Road-Race Head to Head against other players and the computer to checkpoints while driving anywhere on the map with no preset course; Timed Rally Stages-Classic Rally Racing on real world courses. Players will be able to race in five different countries on real world rally courses, and Xtreme Stadium Racing-Custom Stadiums designed for Xtreme racing, including a figure eight multi-lap course with huge jumps. NanoNET Online System is remote operator control of machines, including diagnostics, accounting reports, and automatic software updates and enhancements downloaded over the net.

The Company has created the input device designed to give the pinball players a way to experience real pinball controls on their personal computer. Based on the technology developed for the MultiPin product it has built a controller that lets people play pinball using traditional controls and! the ability to shake and nudge the table. The Mot-Ion adapter is a universal serial bus (USB) adapter that allows do it yourself Pinball enthusiasts to build their own cabinet using real pinball controls providing analog inputs for nudging and bumping. The OptiGun adapter is a USB adapter that allows players to connect Arcade Light Guns to any USB based system. The Retr-IO adapters provide a standard JAMMA interface for USB based systems.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Nyxio Technologies Corp (OTCMKTS: NYXO), COREwafer Industries Inc (OTCMKTS: WAFR) and NanoTech Entertainment, Inc (OTCMKTS: NTEK) are three small cap stocks in some very diverse industries. In fact, one of these stocks just bought a 3D ice sculpture business. So will investors see their investment melt with that small cap stock�along with the other two? Here is a closer look to help you decide for yourself:��

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  Call them hunches (because that's all they are), but now would be a great time to get out of a NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (OTCMKTS:NTEK) position and/or get into an ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ACAD). NTEK looks like its reached its maximum potential - for the time being - while ACAD looks like it's ready to start rolling higher again.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Looking for a couple of near-term trades that have a decent shot at rallying even if the broad market feels like it might pull back? Then take a look at Liquidmetal Technologies Inc. (OTCBB:LQMT) and NanoTech Entertainment, Inc. (OTCMKTS:NTEK). Although both LQMT and NTEK will be dismissed by some traders simply because they're OTC-listed stocks, for those traders willing to look past the exchange and appreciate the opportunity, the risk-versus-reward ratio is actually quite compelling.

10 Best Prefered Stocks To Own For 2016

10 Best Prefered Stocks To Own For 2016: Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ENZN)

Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, engages in the research and development of therapeutics for cancer patients with unmet medical needs. The company?s drug-development programs utilize two platforms-Customized PEGylation Linker Technology and third-generation mRNA-targeting agents utilizing the Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) technology. It currently holds four compounds in clinical development and multiple novel LNA targets in preclinical research. The company?s development product pipeline consists of PEG-SN38 compound that utilizes Customized Linker Technology, which is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of metastatic colorectal and breast cancer, as well as a Phase I trial for pediatric patients with cancer; and the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 alpha antagonist in Phase I studies for the treatment of solid tumors and lymphoma. Its product line also comprises Survivin antagonist in Phase I study in pediatric patients with recurrent acute lymphoblas tic leukemia; Androgen Receptor antagonist, a validated target for the treatment of prostate cancer that is in a Phase I study in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer; and rights to five compounds, including AR, HER3, beta-catenin, PI3KCA, and Gli2. Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Over the past week Seth Klarman (Trades, Portfolio) of The Baupost Group made one real time reduction; the guru reduced his holdings in Enzon Pharmaceutical (ENZN). The guru cut his holdings in the company -43.6% by selling 3,353,595 shares of the companys stock. He sold these shares at an average price of $1.15 per share; the shares are still currently trading at around the same price.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Enzon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENZN) shares fell 2.57% to touch a new 52-week low of $1.11. Enzon ! Pharmaceuticals shares have dropped 75.85% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 24.92% in the same period.

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  With just a quick glance at the company's recent news (or lack thereof), Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ENZN) doesn't look like anything all that special... or even trade-worthy. It only takes a brief look at the chart of ENZN, however, to conclude this stock - lack of new or not - has just become something trade-worthy, because the rest of the market has clearly started to fall back in love with it; there's no telling at what price the love affair could end.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Enzon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENZN) shares tumbled 28.28% to reach a new 52-week low of $1.15. Enzon Pharmaceuticals shares have dropped 63.30% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 28.75% in the same period.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-prefered-stocks-to-own-for-2016.html

5 Best Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now

LONDON (MarketWatch) ��The U.K.�� benchmark stock index headed for a second straight day of gains on Thursday, with shares of Rio Tinto PLC rising after the miner committed to a major expansion plan in Australia. Some losses were seen in the home-building sector after the Bank of England said it would curb its support for home loans.

The FTSE 100 index (UK:UKX) �rose 0.1% to close at 6,654.47, adding to a 0.2% gain from Wednesday.

Click to Play Focus on funds: Gold, not so precious

Gold's twelve-year run of gains draws to a close this year��nd the pain for investors in the metal might not be over.

Best Consumer Service Stocks To Invest In 2016: CME Group Inc.(CME)

CME Group Inc. operates the CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX regulatory exchanges worldwide. The company provides a range of products available across various asset classes, including futures and options on interest rates, equity indexes, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, foreign exchange, weather, and real estate. It offers various products that provide a means of hedging, speculation, and asset allocation relating to the risks associated with interest rate sensitive instruments, equity ownership, changes in the value of foreign currency, credit risk, and changes in the prices of commodities. CME Group owns and operates clearing house, CME Clearing, which provides clearing and settlement services for exchange-traded contracts and counter derivatives transactions; and also engages in real estate operations. Its primary trade execution facilities consist of its CME Globex electronic trading platform and open outcry trading floors, as well as privately negotiated transact ions that are cleared and settled through its clearing house. In addition, the company offers market data services comprising live quotes, delayed quotes, market reports, and historical data services, as well as involves in index services business. CME Group?s customer base includes professional traders, financial institutions, institutional and individual investors, corporations, manufacturers, producers, and governments. It has strategic partnerships with BM&FBOVESPA S.A., Bursa Malaysia Derivatives, Singapore Exchange Limited, Green Exchange, Dubai Mercantile Exchange, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, S.A.B. de C.V., as well as joint venture agreement with Dow Jones & Company. The company was formerly known as Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. and changed its name to CME Group Inc. in July 2007. CME Group was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at Citigroup maintained a Neutral rating on CME Group (NYSE: CME) with a price target raised to $84 from a previous $82. Shares gained 2.72 percent, closing at $83.78.

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  CME Group Inc (CME) reported on Wednesday that September volume average increased 10% from September 2012, while its third quarter volume average grew 11% from last year.

  For September, volume averaged 13.1 million contracts per day, totaling 261 million for the month. Equity index volume in September averaged 2.9 million contracts per day, a 4% increase from last year. Equity index options volume was up 52% in September.

  Third quarter volume average was 12 million per day, up 11% from a year ago.

  CME Group shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock is up 48% YTD.

5 Best Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: Renaissance Oil Corp (ROE)

Renaissance Oil Corp, formerly San Antonio Ventures Inc., is developing a diversified shale and mature fields portfolio for development in Mexico and Spain. The Company is partnered with Grupo SAMCA, a diverse industrial with operations in energy, mining, industrial minerals, agriculture, environmental and various other business lines in Spain. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ovenerio]

  In this article, let麓s see one of the most important financial ratios applying to stockholders, the best measure of performance for a firm's management: the Return on Equity (ROE), and we are going to analyze it in the case of Oracle Corporation (ORCL), the leading provider of enterprise technology solutions, offering software, services and hardware.ROE is calculated as net income applicable to common shares divided by the average book value of common equity: ROE = Net Income / Av. Book ValueA higher ROE is viewed as a positive aspect for the company, but the reason behind it should be examine. From the equation above, we can see that if book value is decreasing more rapidly than net income, the ratio will increase, but this is not good for the firm.Dupont AnalysisThis approach can be used to analyze the ROE. With some algebra we can break down ROE into a function of different ratios. Firstly, we are going to consider the original approach:Original Dupont Equation: Three-Part DupontTaking the ROE equation: ROE = net income / shareholder's equity and multiplying ROE by (revenue / revenue), and rearranging terms we get:ROE = (net income / revenue) * (revenue / shareholder's equity)We now have ROE broken into two parts, the first is net profit margin, and the second is the equity turnover ratio. Now we can expand this by multiplying these terms by (assets / assets), and rearranging we end up with the three-step DuPont equation.ROE = (Net Income / Revenue) * (Revenue / Assets) * (Assets / Shareholder's Equity)This equation for ROE breaks it into three widely used and studied components:ROE = (Net profit margin)* (Asset Turnover) * (Leverage ratio)The first term is what we called previously net profit margin, the second term is asset turnover and the third tem is a financial leverage ratio. If we have a low ROE, one of the following must be true:The firm has a poor profit marginThe firm has a poor asset turnoverThe firm has a little leverageROE (%) 3 StepMay-05May-0

• [By nnnguyen1221]

  Return on Equity (ROE):

  If you had to teach a child about investment Returns, one of the first investing songs they may learn perhaps may be entitled, ��OE-ROE-ROE your Float.��All kidding aside, ROE is one of Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio)�� measures of a healthy company.

• [By Michael Robinson]

  Separate the signal from the noise: To create real wealth, you have to ignore Wall Street's hype machine and focus on firms with excellent fundamentals. And Jazz certainly has a great foundation. The company has operating margins of 41% and a return on stockholders' equity (ROE) of 31%.

5 Best Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: Goldcorp Incorporated(GG)

Goldcorp Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of precious metal properties in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. It produces and sells gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. The company was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  On an adjusted basis, Eldorado Gold (EGO) has the longest reserve/resource life amongst our coverage companies (39 years) with Goldcorp (GG) having the longest reserve/resource life (23 years) amongst the senior producers versus the group average of 22 years. Kinross Gold (KGC) and Iamgold (IAG) have the shortest adjusted reserve/resource lives amongst the senior and mid-tier producers (18 and 14 years respectively). On a percentage basis, the companies most affected by the adjustment are New Gold (NGD) and Iamgold which both saw reserve/resource lives fall by 47% however, we note that despite the adjustment,�New Gold still has the second longest reserve/resource life in our group (37 years). Newmont Mining was the least affected by the adjustments with reserve/resource life declining by only 12% to 22 years from 25 years.

5 Best Gold Stocks To Watch Right Now: Golden Star Resources Ltd(GSS)

Golden Star Resources Ltd., a gold mining and exploration company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of gold properties. It owns and operates the Bogoso/Prestea gold mining and processing operation that covers approximately 40 kilometers of strike along the southwest-trending Ashanti gold district in western Ghana; and the Wassa open-pit gold mine located to the east of Bogoso/Prestea in southwest Ghana. The company also has an 81% interest in the Prestea underground gold mine located in Ghana. In addition, it holds interests in various gold exploration projects in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cote d?Ivoire, as well as holds and manages exploration properties in Brazil in South America. The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Littleton, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Patricio Kehoe] ating price of the commodity, along with the geopolitical risks involved in mining in African nations such as Ghana, are just two of the obstacles the firm is facing. In addition, as one of the smallest gold mining firms in the industry, with a market cap of just $122 million, Golden Star has had a very difficult time financing its latest expansion projects. With share prices tumbling towards all-time lows, gurus such as Steven Cohen, Chuck Royce and Arnold Schneider have already sold out their positions in the troubled firm.

  Why Have Gurus Lost Faith in Golden Star?

  Despite aggressive expansion over the past decade, the Toronto-based gold mining firm has not been able to take advantage of its increased production output. Gold prices might have exploded over a ten-year period, yet the recent six-month decline has put a huge strain on Golden Star. The expedited maturation of its mines is particularly troubling, since the accelerated extraction rates, which allowed for short-term profits, are now falling considerably. The impact of the company�� excessive overproduction on profits and growth is clear: decreasing gold reserves mean less production, and thus reduced revenue for the gold miner. When the decline in metal prices are taken into account, the outlook is even more grim.

  In addition to overexpansion at the wrong time, Golden Star�� position has weakened due to its comparably less efficient operations. Unlike industry peers, such as IamGold Corp. (IAG) or Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI), the majority of the Toronto-based miner�� assets contain refractory ore, which is far more expensive to extract than non refractory ore. And, in an attempt to switch production to the lower cost gold ore, and thus increase margins, Golden Star has depleted its mines��non refractory ore. With low reserves and mounting cash costs, the firm inevitably turned to new acquisitions.

  Overpriced Acquisitions and Geopolitical Risk

  The purchase

• [By Sean Williams]

  Golden Star Resources (NYSEMKT: GSS  )
  It's simple physics: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. When gold prices nosedived earlier this week, gold miners with historically higher operating costs took the brunt of the hit. For the most part, that meant that development-stage miners, and those operating in Africa, where labor and political costs make cost-effective mining a challenge, took it on the chin. Possibly no stock was hammered more than Golden Star Resources, a gold miner in Ghana, which lost about one-quarter of its value on Monday alone.