Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014

If you haven't already bought Valentine's Day gifts for your loved ones, take note: There are several items you should avoid buying if you value getting a good deal. Granted, it's difficult letting price dictate Valentine's Day purchases if your sweetie is expecting something particular. But you can get these four things for much less when retailers dramatically slash prices on them after February 14.

SEE ALSO: Best Buys of Winter

Chocolate. You can find affordable boxes of chocolate. But if your significant other won't settle for anything less than the best, you'll be better off surprising him or her with a special treat in March. Those boxes of chocolates that didn�� get snapped up for Valentine�� Day will be marked down by as much as 50% in March, according to dealnews.com, and you��l find the best deals at high-end chocolate shops. Dealnews.com recommends looking at stores such as Godiva and the gift section of department stores for decadent ways to treat your loved one on a budget.

Best Growth Stocks To Invest In 2015: Sanchez Energy Corp (SN)

Sanchez Energy Corporation, incorporated on August 22, 2011, is an independent exploration and production company. The Company is focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of unconventional oil and natural gas resources onshore along the United States Gulf Coast, primarily in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. The Company also has a position in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale in Mississippi and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had accumulated approximately 95,000 net leasehold acres in the oil and condensate, or black oil and volatile oil, windows of the Eagle Ford Shale in Gonzales, Zavala, Frio, Fayette, Lavaca, Atascosa, Webb and DeWitt Counties of South Texas. The Company's Eagle Ford Shale acreage is consists of approximately 9,700 net acres in Gonzales County, Texas, which the Company refers to as its Palmetto area, approximately 28,400 net acres in Zavala and Frio Counties, Texas, which the Company refers to as its Maverick area, and approximately 57,100 net acres in Fayette, Lavac.

The Company owns all rights and depths on the majority of its Eagle Ford Shale acreage. The Company is evaluating other zones, which may present the Company with additional drilling locations. Several of the Company's existing wells are either producing from or have logged pay in the Buda Limestone and the Austin Chalk formations.

Eagle Ford Shale

The Eagle Ford Shale is one of the unconventional shale trends in North America. In the Eagle Ford Shale, the Company has assembled approximately 95,000 net acres with an average working interest of approximately 87%. Using approximately 120 acre well-spacing for the Company's Maverick and Marquis areas and approximately 80 acre well-spacing for its Palmetto area, the Company believes that there could be up to 973 gross (815 net) locations for potential future drilling on its acreage.

In the Company's Palmetto area, the Company has approximately 9,700 net acres in Gonzales County, Texas with an! average working interest of approximately 48%. The Company has participated in the drilling of 16 gross wells on its acreage that had an average initial 24-hour production rates between 502 and 3,139 barrels of oil equivalent per day . The Company has identified up to 237 gross (113 net) locations based on 80 acre well-spacing for potential future drilling in its Palmetto area. The Company is drilling a five-well pilot program from a single pad to test 40 acre well-spacing in its southern portion of the Palmetto area, and Ryder Scott has given the Company 80 acre well-spaced PUD locations in the same area in its December 31, 2012 reserve report.

In the Company's Maverick area, the Company has approximately 28,400 net operated acres in Zavala and Frio Counties, Texas with an average working interests of approximately 87%. The Company has drilled ten gross horizontal wells that had a range of average initial 24-hour production rates between 214 and 931 barrels of oil equivalent per day . The Company has also drilled four vertical wells that had average initial 24-hour rates between 94 and 264 barrels of oil equivalent per day . The Company tests the feasibility of a vertical well development program and compare horizontal and vertical completion economic returns. The Company has identified up to 264 gross (230 net) locations based on 120 acre well-spacing for potential future drilling on its Maverick acreage.

In the Company's Marquis area, the Company has approximately 57,100 net operated acres, the majority of which are in southwest Fayette and northeast Lavaca Counties, Texas with a 100% working interest. The Company has drilled three horizontal wells that had a range of average initial 24-hour production rates between 1,114 and 1,369 barrels of oil equivalent per day . The Company has identified up to 472 gross and net locations based on 120 acre well-spacing for potential future drilling on its Marquis acreage. The Company is also drilling a 60 acre well-spacing test in the! western ! Prost area of its Marquis area.

Other

The Company has approximately 1,000 net acres in the Haynesville Shale in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, which are operated by Chesapeake Energy Corporation. The majority of the Company's Haynesville leases are held by production, giving the Company and its partners the option to accelerate drilling should natural gas prices increase.

The Company competes with Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Marathon Oil Corporation, EOG Resources, Inc., Halcon Resources Corporation, Penn Virginia Corporation and Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Sanchez Energy Corp. (NYSE: SN) was initiated with a Buy rating and $31 price target at Canaccord Genuity.

  Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) was raised to Outperform with a $10 price target at Cowen & Co. after earnings yesterday. Note that there were two other analyst upgrades yesterday as well after the report.

• [By Tom Armistead]

  We're attracted to opportunities like Sanchez Energy Corp. (SN) and Bellatrix Exploration Ltd. (TSX:BXE).

  Sanchez went public just a couple years ago. It had a decent-sized position in the Eagle Ford, which it has grown to over 125,000 acres��retty sizeable for a small-cap. Sanchez was producing 600 barrels of oil equivalent per day (600 boe/d); now it's over 12,000 boe/d and should be around 15,000-17,000 by the end of the year.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: Wendel SA (MF)

Wendel SA is a France-based investor for the long-term as the majority or leading shareholder in listed or unlisted companies, taking the lead in order to accelerate the growth and development. The Firm takes part in the definition and implementation of ambitious strategies and provides the funding necessary. The investment strategy and development of the Firm takes place via close interaction with the management teams of the companies in which the Firm is a shareholder. This partnership is at the heart of the value creation process. The Firm offers active and constant support, sharing the risks and providing expertise as well as financial and technical skills. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John McCamant]

  Incyte Pharmaceuticals (INCY) recently held their quarterly conference call. Importantly, sales for Jakafi��n advanced compound used for the treatment of patients with intermediate or high-risk myelofibrosis (MF)��et or exceeded Wall Street's expectations.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: Constellation Brands Inc (STZ)

Constellation Brands, Inc. produces and markets alcoholic beverages primarily in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. It offers wine, spirits, and imported beer. The company?s Constellation Wines North America segment produces, markets, and exports wine, as well as sells various wine brands across various categories, including table wine, sparkling wine, and dessert wine. It offers wine under various brands, which include Robert Mondavi Brands, Clos du Bois, Blackstone, Estancia, Arbor Mist, Toasted Head, Simi, Black Box, Ravenswood, Rex Goliath, Kim Crawford, Franciscan Estate, Wild Horse, Ruffino, Nobilo, Mount Veeder, Inniskillin, and Jackson-Triggs; and spirits under various brands, including SVEDKA Vodka, Black Velvet Canadian Whisky, and Paul Masson Grande Amber Brandy. This segment also produces and markets wine kits and beverage alcohol refreshment drinks in Canada. The company?s Crown Imports segment imports, markets, and sells beer under the Modelo Brands, which include Corona Extra, Corona Light, Coronita, Modelo Especial, Pacifico, Negra Modelo, and Victoria, as well as the St. Pauli Girl and Tsingtao brands in the United States. The company sells its products through wholesale distributors, as well as state and provincial alcoholic beverage control agencies in North America; and directly to retailers or through wholesalers and importers in New Zealand. Constellation Brands, Inc. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Victor, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) was raised to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill Lynch.

  Diageo PLC (NYSE: DEO) was raised to Buy from Neutral at Citigroup.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Thursday

  Earnings Expected From: Constellation Brands Inc (NYSE: STZ), International Speedway Corporation (NASDAQ: ISCA) Economic Releases Expected: Services PMI from Spain, France, Germany, the UK, the eurozone, and China; and eurozone retail sales

  Friday

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: Highway 50 Gold Corp (HWY)

Highway 50 Gold Corp. is an exploration-stage company. The Company is engaged principally in the acquisition and exploration of exploration and evaluation assets. The Company owns, or has the right to acquire an interest in, two projects located in Nevada (the Golden Brew Property and the Porter Canyon Project). Porter Canyon Project consists of 201 unpatented claims located in Lander County, Nevada that cover the projected north-eastern terminus of the Eastgate volcanic trough under pediment cover outboard of the Quito Mine. The Golden Brew claims (Golden Brew) consists of 153 claims prospective for Carlin-style gold mineralization. The gold mineralization at Golden Brew consists of a zone of gold bearing jasperoid measuring 2,500 feet long and up to 200 feet wide, hosted in thin bedded platey Cambrian-aged carbonates. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  It wasn’t all good news, however. Healthways�(HWY) plunged 30% to $11.41, making it the S&P 1500′s biggest loser, while�Cameron International (CAM) fell 18% to $53.25, making it the S&P 500′s weakest stock. Both released disappointing earnings reports this week.

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: Nissan Motor Co Ltd (NSANF.PK)

NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD. is an automobile manufacturer. The Company has two business segments. The Automobile segment is engaged in the manufacturing, trading and distribution of various types of automobiles, marine products and accessories, as well as the research, development and sale of lithium-ion secondary batteries. The Sales Financing segment is engaged in the provision of sales financing, as well as property and casualty insurance services, among others. On November 11, 2013, the Company announced that it had established an Indonesia-based subsidiary, which is engaged in the captive finance business to make loans to the customers of Indonesia. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Quoth the Raven]

  Regardless, through July of this year, Fusion was on pace to beat its 2012 numbers significantly.

  RankCarJuly
  2013
  YTD% ChangeJuly
  2013% Change#1Toyota (TM) Camry242,406- 0.6%34,780+ 16.3%#2Honda (HMC) Accord218,367+ 18.8%31,507+ 10.0%#3Nissan (NSANF.PK) Altima197,321+ 7.4%29,534+ 11.0%#4Honda Civic191,120+ 1.9%32,416+ 29.6%#5Toyota Corolla/Matrix183,435+ 4.6%24,463+ 3.5%#6Ford Fusion181,668+ 13.4%20,522

  - 12.0%

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT)

Hersha Hospitality Trust, a real estate investment trust, engages in the ownership and operation of mid scale limited service hotels in the Eastern United States. As of June 30, 2005, it owned interests in 35 hotels, including 4 hotels owned through joint ventures in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Georgia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, Hersha would not be subject to income tax to the extent it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By George Putnam]

  Steve Halpern: Now, you've also looked at a company called Hersha Hospitality (HT). How are they involved in the industry?

  George Putnam: Well, Hersha, again, has been refocusing its business. It was a little unfocused before. It had both a suburban and urban market, and it's recently agreed to sell the last of its suburban properties.

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  American Hotel Income Properties' competitors include Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT), RLJ Lodging Trust (RLJ), and Hersha Hospitality Trust (HT).

Top 10 Integrated Utility Stocks To Watch For 2014: Indo Global Exchange(IGEX)

Indo Global Exchange(s) Pte, Ltd., formerly Claridge Ventures, Inc., incorporated on May 7, 2008, presents and provides online trading platforms. The Company�� online trading platforms offer market access to the clients, which include over 30 global equity exchanges for trading in securities; over 30 global equity exchanges for trading in contracts for differences (CFD's), which include Euro Zone, the United Kingdom, Japan, Asia, Oceania, Canada, & the United States; over 180 currency pairs in spot (Cash), forwards and options; gold and silver trading in spot (Cash), forwards and options; global commodity futures exchanges including financial futures, and indices and commodity CFD's.

The Company�� trading services products include stocks, CDFs, forex, futures, contract option, exchange traded funds (ETF's) and exchange traded commodities (ETCs), foreign-exchange (FX) option and managed account. Education centre offers information through free tutorial and self paced learning for Shares, CFD's, Futures and FX for beginners and experienced traders alike. It is acting as the administrator, promoter, educator and integrator for the clients in Asia. The Company uses Halifax Investment Services Pty Ltd and Australian Stock Report as its clearing and settling operation in Australia. The Company is supported by global trading platforms in equities, CFD��, derivatives, commodities, energies, foreign exchange and options.

The Company provides online Forex trading for 24 hours a day on currency pairs worldwide. It offers a range of ETF's and ETCs that are tradable on live prices through its online trading platforms. It offers 1,500+ ETFs and ETCs. The Company�� platforms include Online Trader, WEBTrader and Mobiletrader. Its stock accesses more than 14,000 stocks from 29 global exchanges. Its CFDs access to over 8,000 CFDs including 21 Index-Tracking CFDs, 20 Commodity CFDs and Forex CFDs across 29 global exchanges worldwide. Its futures offer more than 190 instruments, includ! ing crude oil, currencies, gold and silver, agricultural products, meats, softs and stock indices.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  So who's going to head-to-head with E-TRADE, TD Ameritrade, or Charles Schwab and become the next heavy-hitter in the world of web-based stock brokers? Well, no one's going to go head to head with those firms to become an online trading powerhouse. Rather, Indo Global Exchange(s) PteLtd (OTCMKTS:IGEX) is going to mirror the success those companies have had in the United States (and to some extent their success in other nations) by becoming Indonesia's first - and best - online stock brokerage service.

Top 5 Consumer Companies To Buy Right Now

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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) ��Stocks ended a big volume week with gains and a dose of stability. The next week�� rush of consumer news, plus testimony from Janet Yellen and earnings from Cisco Systems Inc., will help determine whether that recovery is for real.

After a tough January, the worst month in over a year, stocks spent the first week of February in see-saw trade. Ultimately the bulls won out, and by Friday, some strategists were saying the correction was behind us.

Hot Penny Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sibling Group Holdings Inc (SIBE)

Sibling Group Holdings Inc., incorporated on December 28, 1988, is a development-stage company. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company was not engaged in any business operations.

The Company has entered into an Agreement of Acquisition and Plan of Reorganization with Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc. (Sibling) to acquire Sibling�� four wholly owned subsidiaries: Sibling Theatricals, Inc., Sibling Pictures, Inc., Sibling Music Corp., and Sibling Properties, Inc. and their subsidiaries, including Dick Foster Productions, Inc., Adrenaline MMA, Inc., Hats Holdings, Inc. amongst others. The Company was organized primarily for the purpose of importing fruits and vegetables from Latin America.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap holding companies Sibling Group Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: SIBE), Tranzbyte Corp (OTCMKTS: ERBB) and Readen Holding Corp (OTCMKTS: RHCO) are in the business of holding or acquiring other companies. They have also been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters and not necessarily because of acquisitions or other news but rather because of a few recent paid promotions. With that in mind, here is a quick look and a reality check about all three:

  Sibling Group Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS: SIBE) Has Been Quiet Lately

  Small cap Sibling Group Holdings intends to acquire, on a global basis, advanced technology and education management operations in order to enhance and accelerate the delivery of 21st century learning. On Friday, Sibling Group Holdings closed at $0.05 for a market cap of $39,342 plus SIBE is down 96.7% over the past year and down 80% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

Top 5 Consumer Companies To Buy Right Now: Pinnacle Foods Inc (PF)

Pinnacle Foods Inc., incorporated on July 28, 2003, is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded food products in North America. The Company operates in three segments: the Birds Eye Frozen Division, the Duncan Hines Grocery Division and the Specialty Foods Division. The Birds Eye Frozen Division and the Duncan Hines Grocery Division, which collectively represent its North America Retail operations, include the brands. Its brand portfolio enjoys household penetration in the United States, where its products can be found in approximately 85% of U.S. households. Its products are sold through supermarkets, grocery wholesalers and distributors, mass merchandisers, super centers, convenience stores, dollar stores, drug stores and warehouse clubs in the United States and Canada, as well as in military channels and foodservice locations. On June 24, 2011, the Company completed the sale of its Watsonville, California facility which had been recorded as an asset held for sale.

Birds Eye Frozen Division

The Company�� Birds Eye Frozen Division includes its steamed and non-steamed product offerings, with a 27.0% market share, making Birds Eye the recognized frozen vegetables brand in the United States. Birds Eye was the Company to capture a nationwide market share with a product that enables consumers to conveniently steam vegetables in microwaveable packaging.

Duncan Hines Grocery Division

Duncan Hines is the division�� brand and includes cake mixes, ready-to-serve frostings, brownie mixes, muffin mixes, and cookie mixes. During the fiscal year ended September 23, 2012, the Company added two additional items to the line. In February 2012, the Company introduced a line of frosting products, Duncan Hines Frosting Creations, which uses a patent pending frosting system to allow consumers to customize their frosting into one of 12 different flavors. The Company also offers a complete line of shelf-stable pickle products that we market and distribute n! ationally, primarily under the Vlasic brand, and regionally under the Milwaukee�� and Wiejske Wyroby brands. In 2012, the Company introduced Vlasic Farmers Garden, artisan-quality pickle line.

Specialty Foods Division

The Company�� snack products primarily consist of Tim�� Cascade, Snyder of Berlin and Husman��. These direct store delivery brands have local awareness and hold market share positions in their regional markets. The Company also manufactures and distributes certain products, mainly in the frozen breakfast, canned meat, and pie and pastry fruit filling categories, through food service channels. The Company also manufactures and distributes certain private label products in the canned meat, shelf-stable pickles and frozen seafood. As part of its ongoing strategic focus over the last several years, the Company has deemphasized the food service and private label businesses for the benefit of its higher margin branded food products.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top Headline
  Hillshire Brands Co (NYSE: HSH) announced its plans to buy Pinnacle Foods (NYSE: PF) for around $6.6 billion including debt. Hillshire will offer $18.00 in cash and 0.50 shares of its common stock for each Pinnacle share.

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Toby Talbot/AP NEW YORK -- Hillshire Brands is at the center of a barnyard brawl. Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat processor, has made a $6.2 billion offer for the maker Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park hot dogs, topping a bid made two days earlier by rival poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride. Based in Greeley, Colorado, Pilgrim's Pride is owned by Brazilian meat giant JBS. The takeover bids for Hillshire Brands (HSH) by the two major meat processors are being driven by the desirability of brand-name processed products like Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. The convenience foods are more profitable than fresh meat, such as chicken breasts, where there isn't as much wiggle room to pad prices. Selling more types of products also would give the companies a buffer from volatile price swings of fresh meat. When beef prices rise and shoppers turn to other meats, the companies can sell more chicken or bacon, for example. While both Tyson (TSN) and Pilgrim's (PPC) sell some prepared products like frozen fried chicken pieces, their main business has been as suppliers of fresh meat for supermarkets and restaurant chains. Both offers are contingent on Hillshire abandoning its plan to acquire Pinnacle Foods (PF), which makes Birds Eye frozen vegetables and Wish-Bone salad dressings. Hillshire had been trying to diversify its own portfolio by moving into other areas of the supermarket with the $4.23 billion acquisition. But some investors questioned whether combining with Pinnacle made sense, given the sharp differences in product categories and the outdated image of some Pinnacle brands, such as Hungry Man frozen dinners. Hillshire said earlier it strongly believes in its deal with Pinnacle Foods but would review Pilgrim's offer. In its latest statement Thursday, the Chicago-based company said it would review Tyson's offer as well and made no mention of its Pinnacle deal. Pilgrim's Pride said it is considering its options and will "update the markets in due cou

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  Joe Raedle/Getty Images NEW YORK -- Tyson Foods (TSN) has won a bidding war to gobble up Hillshire Brands (HSH), the maker of Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park hot dogs. Tyson had been vying with rival poultry producer Pilgrim's Pride for Hillshire, which wrapped up its bidding process Sunday. Tyson ended up raising its offer to $63 a share. It had previously offered $50 a share, after which Pilgrim's Pride (PPC) raised its bid to $55 a share. Pilgrim's Pride, which is owned by Brazilian meat giant JBS, said Monday that it is withdrawing its offer. Still, the deal isn't sealed yet. It is contingent on the termination of Hillshire's offer to acquire Pinnacle Foods (PF), which makes Birds Eye frozen vegetables and Wish-Bone salad dressings. Pinnacle could choose to cut bait and walk away with $163 million breakup fee, or force the deal to a vote by Hillshire shareholders. A Pinnacle representative didn't immediately return a call for comment. In a conference call with reporters, Tyson CEO Donnie Smith said he was confident the $63 offer would end up being worthwhile for Tyson shareholders, despite how high the price went. "Great brands like Jimmy Dean and Ball Park just don't become available very often," Smith said. Hillshire's stock closed at $36.95 on May 9, the day before the company announced the Pinnacle deal. Tyson, like Pilgrim's Pride, has been looking to boost its presence in brand-name, prepared foods like Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. Those types of products are more profitable than fresh meat, such as chicken breasts, where there isn't as much wiggle room to pad prices. While Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride already sell some brand-name products, their businesses have been more focused on supplying supermarkets and restaurant chains. In particular, Tyson said it was drawn by Hillshire's stable of breakfast foods, which would better position it in the fast-growing category. Tyson also noted the potential for cost savings by combining suppl

Top 5 Consumer Companies To Buy Right Now: Nestle SA (NESN.VX)

Nestle SA is a Swiss Company engaged in the nutrition, health and wellness sectors. It is the holding company of the Nestle Group, which comprises subsidiaries, associated companies and joint ventures throughout the world. It has such business units as Food and Beverage, Nestle Waters and Nestle Nutrition. It is also active in the pharmaceutical sector. It divides its products into Powdered and liquid beverages, Water, Milk products and Ice cream, Nutrition, Prepared dishes and cooking aids, Confectionery, PetCare and Pharmaceutical products. In February 2011, the Company acquired CM&D Pharma Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Calia]

  Post Holdings Inc.(POST) agreed to acquire the PowerBar and Musashi brands from Nestle SA(NESN.VX), further expanding the cereal maker’s position in the active nutrition category.

Top 5 Consumer Companies To Buy Right Now: CannaVEST Corp (CANV)

CannaVEST Corp., formerly Foreclosure Solutions, Inc., incorporated on December 9, 2010, is engaged in the business of developing, producing, marketing and selling end consumer products to the nutriceutical industry containing the hemp plant extract, Cannabidoil (CBD). The Company produces raw ingredients for neutraceutical markets. This substance can be used with foods and nutritional supplements for consumer health and wellness benefits, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. On March 4, 2013, the Company acquired KannaLife Sciences, Inc. On December 31, 2012, the Company acquired certain assets of PhytoSPHERE Systems, LLC (PhytoSPHERE). It also secured the license to the name PhytoSPHERE and PhytoSPHERE Systems for use in the development and commercialization of hemp-based products.

The Company focuses to develop applicable raw ingredients, and provide raw ingredients for the production and development of multiple existing and developing product applications. Its focus is to produce, market and distribute hemp-based consumer products, as well as acquire existing businesses involved in the industrial hemp industries.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Burrows]

  But it doesn’t end there. Investors should run away from all OTC marijuana stocks, including Medical Marijuana (MJNA), Cannabis Science (CBIS), CannaVest (CANV), MediSwipe (MWIP) and GreenGro Technologies (GRNH). As the SEC warns:

• [By John Udovich]

  The Marijuana Index is Really Getting Stoned. The Marijuana Index, which is the first and only registered equity tracking index for marijuana stocks, cannabis stocks and hemp stocks,�experienced significant volume and price fluctuations throughout the month of February when is started the month at the $25 level only to close the month at $56.21 for a 125% gain as some marijuana stocks experienced all time highs. Notable gainers included Abattis Bioceuticals (OTCMKTS: ATTBF)�being up 194%, Advanced Cannabis Solutions (OTCQB: CANN) being up 132% and CannaVest (OTCMKTS: CANV) being up 116%. You can see all of the�Marijuana Index�� advancers and decliners at http://www.marijuanaindex.org.

Get a Read on How Much You Can Save Using Your Library

Mike Kemp/Rubberball Libraries are passe. Or so prevailing wisdom goes. After all, in the Internet era, where practically every American has a computer (or tablet or a Web-enabled smartphone), there's no need to trek to the library to do research. And books? Who checks out, or even reads, physical books in the age of the Kindle, Nook and iPad? That all sounds logical, except for one thing: The facts contradict the theory. Readers Welcome Half of America has visited a library in the past 12 months, Pew Research found in a poll of 6,224 Americans ages 16 and older. And a mere 4 percent say they've moved exclusively to e-books. What's more, while the millennial generation is widely understood to be more wired than their elders, it turns out that the younger you are, the more likely you are to frequent the library: 59 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds say they've visited a library at least once in the past year. (And to be clear, we're talking about full-service, separately housed public libraries -- not just the school media center.) The same holds true for 48 percent of millennials ages 18 to 29, and 52 percent of folks ages 30 to 49 (moving into Gen X territory here). In contrast, those ages 65 and up, whom you'd expect to be most hidebound in their devotion to clothbound books, are the least frequent users of public libraries. Only 39 percent of this group says they've visited a library in the past year. Get a Library Card -- It's a Bargain Why do libraries retain their popularity in the digital age? In part, it's probably economics. According to a Huffington Post poll last year, about 68 percent of Americans read at least one book last year. Breaking that number down further, "25 percent read between one and five books, 15 percent read between six and 10 books, 20 percent read between 11 and 50, and 8 percent read more than 50" books. That works out to an average of about 12 books read per reader. The "official" estimate of the American Library Association is that library patrons check out about 8.1 books per person per year -- suggesting that the majority of books that Americans read are checked out of libraries. In fact, the numbers suggest that Americans borrow twice as many books from libraries as they buy from bookstores. And why not? The School Library Journal in 2013 figured the average cost of a book (excluding reference books) is $15.32. Multiply that by the 8.1 books checked out of a library, and you have $124 that library patrons -- including you? -- save in book-buying costs annually. Most of us spend a ton of time researching our options when we first sign up for a plan or policy, then forget all about it and make monthly payments like a robot. But this can cost you.

Hot Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014

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Twitter and Facebook have taken a beating, with their shares down 45% and 19% from recent highs.

They could be in for more punishment.

That, at least, is the conclusion of a common valuation formula that uses projected sales growth to estimate where newly public stocks will be trading five years after their initial public offerings.

Top 10 High Dividend Companies To Watch In Right Now: MEDIFAST INC(MED)

Medifast, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and sale of weight management and disease management products, and other consumable health and diet products in the United States. The company?s product lines include weight and disease management, meal replacement, and vitamins. It also operates weight control centers that offer Medifast programs for weight loss and maintenance, customized patient counseling, and inbody composition analysis. The company markets its products under the Medifast and Essential brand names, including shakes, appetite suppression shakes, women?s health shakes, diabetics shakes, joint health shakes, coronary health shakes, calorie burn drinks, calorie burn flavor infusers, antioxidant shakes, antioxidant flavor infusers, bars, crunch bars, soups, chili, oatmeal, pudding, scrambled eggs, hot cocoa, cappuccino, chai latte, iced teas, fruit drinks, pretzels, puffs, brownie, pancakes, soy crisps, crackers, and omega 3 and digestive health products. Medifast Inc. sells its products through various channels of distribution comprising Web, call center, independent health advisors, medical professionals, weight loss clinics, and direct consumer marketing supported via the phone and the Web; Take Shape for Life, a physician led network of independent health coaches; and weight control centers. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Hanley]

  Consumer-goods marketer Blyth (NYSE: BTH  ) , owner of weight-loss upstart ViSalus, has been in the doghouse lately, sitting near a 52-week low due to poor results in its weight-loss unit.� Despite a large potential customer base of overweight people worldwide, the industry has had difficulty generating growth lately, with data provider Marketdata Enterprises estimating that industry sales rose only 1.7% in 2012.� However, Blyth caught a bid in late October from a proposed combination with marketing-services provider CVSL, indicating that some people see incremental value in Blyth's businesses.�So, should small investors bet on this small cap or should they focus their attention on Weight watchers International (NYSE: WTW  ) and Medifast (NYSE: MED  ) instead?

• [By Holly LaFon] ast produces, distributes and sells weight and health management products with the brand names Medifast, Take Shape for Life, Hi-Energy Weight Control Centers and Woman�� Wellbeing.

  Its return on assets in the third quarter of 2011 was 19.6%, which has been increasing in the past several years. The average return on assets for the specialty retail industry is 10.48% for the trailing 12 months.

  The company�� total assets amounted to $94 million in 2010, which increased from $62.8 million in 2009. Net income also increased to $19.6 million in 2010 from $12 million in 2009.

  Boston Beer Inc. (SAM)

  Boston Beer Inc. is the largest brewer of handcrafted beers in America. Boston Beer is a growing company that recently saw a large increase in its return on assets. It increased from 19.3% in 2010 to 29.7% in 2011, and was negative as recently as 2008. The average return on assets for the beverages industry in the trailing 12 months is 9.47%.

  In 2011, the company�� total assets increased to $272.5 million from $258.5 million in 2010. Net income increased to $66 million from $50 million.

  Alliances Resources Partners (ARLP)

  Alliance Resources Partners is a coal producer and marketer primarily in the eastern U.S. Its ROA has been increasing since 2008 and increased to 22.5% in 2011 from 21.4% in 2010. The average return on assets for the oil, gas & consumable fuels industry in the trailing 12 months is 24.47%.

  In 2011, its total assets increased to $1.7 billion from $1.1 billion in 2010. Its net income increased to $389 million from $321 million.

  Factset Research Systems Inc. (FDS)

  Factset researches global market trends and develops analytical tools for investors. Of all of GuruFocus��5-star predictable companies, it has the highest return on assets at 27%. ROA has been increasing over the past several years. The average return on assets for the software industry for the trailing 12 m

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Medifast (NYSE: MED) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.36 per share on revenue of $80.83 million.

  Full House Resorts (NASDAQ: FLL) is estimated to post a Q4 loss at $0.06 per share on revenue of $33.24 million.

Hot Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Checkpoint Systms Inc.(CKP)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

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

• [By Rich Smith]

  Three months after settling upon a new chief executive officer, it looks like Thorofare, N. J.-based Checkpoint Systems (NYSE: CKP  ) will soon have itself a new CFO as well.

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Checkpoint Systems (NYSE: CKP) surged 17.73% to $14.21. The volume of Checkpoint Systems shares traded was 525% higher than normal. Checkpoint announced its intent to extend the filing date of its annual report.

Hot Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Thoratec Corporation(THOR)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anna Prior]

  Medical device company Thoratec Corp.(THOR) has purchased Apica Cardiovascular Ltd., in a deal that includes $35 million in cash upfront and potential milestone payments of up to $40 million.

• [By Todd Campbell]

  Competing for heart pump market share
  Abiomed's products provide circulatory support for up to six hours and are designed for use in cardiac cath labs or during heart surgery, but competitors Thoratec (NASDAQ: THOR  ) and Heartware (NASDAQ: HTWR  ) target the intermediate- and long-term-use market instead.

Hot Growth Stocks To Invest In 2014: Crocs Inc.(CROX)

Crocs, Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of footwear, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and children. The company primarily offers casual and athletic shoes, and shoe charms. It also designs and sells a range of footwear and accessories that utilize its proprietary closed cell-resin, called Croslite. The company?s footwear products include boots, sandals, sneakers, mules, and flats. In addition, it provides footwear products for the hospital, restaurant, hotel, and hospitality markets, as well as general foot care and diabetic-needs markets. Further, the company offers leather and ethylene vinyl acetate based footwear, sandals, and printed apparels principally for the beach, adventure, and action sports markets; and accessories comprising snap-on charms. The company sells its products through the United States and international retailers and distributors, as well as directly to end-user consumers th rough its company-operated retail stores, outlets, kiosks, and Web stores primarily under the Crocs Work, Crocs Rx, Jibbitz, Ocean Minded, and YOU by Crocs brand names. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 164 retail kiosks located in malls and other high foot traffic areas; 138 retail stores; 76 outlet stores; and 46 Web stores. Crocs, Inc. operates in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company was formerly known as Western Brands, LLC and changed its name to Crocs, Inc. in January 2005. Crocs, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Niwot, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alex Planes]

  Investors love stocks that consistently beat the Street without getting ahead of their fundamentals and risking a meltdown. The best stocks offer sustainable market-beating gains, with robust and improving financial metrics that support strong price growth. Does Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX  ) fit the bill? Let's look at what its recent results tell us about its potential for future gains.

• [By Pratik Thacker]

  Strong recovery from the past
  Although the shoe retailer's performance has been remarkable, this isn't the case when we look at its stock price. Over the last five years, Skechers did not perform as well as peer�Crocs (NASDAQ: CROX  ) , as evidenced by returns. However, it did manage to outperform Nike (NYSE: NKE  ) during the same period.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Memberships and Peers: NKE is a member of the S&P 500 and a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index. The company's peer group includes: Crocs Inc. (CROX) with a 0.0% yield, Deckers Outdoor Corporation (DECK) with a 0.0% yield and Wolverine World Wide Inc. (WWW) with a 0.4% yield.

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  [Related -Upside Calls Active On United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) And Put Options Active In Crocs, Inc. (CROX)]

  Crocs is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of footwear and accessories for men, women and children. The Company sells its products in more than 90 countries through domestic and international retailers and distributors and directly to end-user consumers through its Company-operated retail stores, outlets, kiosks and Webstores. Its footwear products are divided into four product offerings: Core-Comfort, Active, Casual and Style.

5 Things Danaher Corp.'s Management Wants You to Know

Investors in Danaher  (NYSE: DHR  ) saw the company deliver a disappointing set of second-quarter results that caused the stock to drop notably. In fact, as of today, it's pretty much flat on a six-month basis. In truth, the results weren't that bad: The midpoint of full-year generally accepted accounting principles earnings per share guidance was actually raised by a couple cents as management narrowed its guidance to $3.67-$3.72 from $3.60-$3.75.

However, the market obviously expected more, and certain elements of the company's performance surprised on the downside. Danaher reports out of five segments: industrial technologies, environmental (mainly water quality), dental, life sciences and diagnostics, and test and measurement. This kind of diversification normally means that the company is broadly exposed to the industrial economy, and management's commentary certainly reflected a moderately growing environment. With that said, here are five things management wants you to know about the quarter.

Weakness limited to two areas, profits and margins hit

First, Danaher's management was keen to point out that the weakness was limited to two specific areas. Communications revenue within its test and measurement segment was down at a "low double-digit" rate, which the company linked to delays in spending by wireless carriers. Indeed, rival Agilent (NYSE: A  ) also reported a 6% fall in its communications revenue. The other difficult area came in the dental segment, which recorded "weak consumable sales," possibly due to bad weather earlier in the year. Unfortunately, according to Danaher CEO Larry Culp, both products tend to be "high-margin variables", and their underperformance hit operating profits within the test and measurement and dental segments.

Source: Danaher Presentations

Second, the impact of these two weak products hurt margins, but elsewhere Danaher achieved good growth in core margins. The following chart illustrates how segmental operating profit margins (measured in basis points, with 100 points equal to 1%) grew handsomely in three of five segments.

Source: Danaher Presentations.

Good cash flow trends, bullish on acquisitions

Danaher has long been noted for its strong cash generation, which is often uses to make earnings-enhancing acquisitions -- a good example being the $6.8 billion acquisition of Beckman Coulter in 2011.

Management would like investors to know two things in this regard. First, while free cash flow was flat compared to the first six months of last year, the quarterly trend is upward. Per CFO Dan Comas on the earnings conference call: "[I]t's trending well and generated almost $850 million of cash in the quarter versus less than $400 million in the first quarter. I expect that positive trend to continue."

In fact, Danaher generated $2.97 billion in free cash flow in the last four quarters, representing nearly 5.7% of its enterprise value. A company's enterprise value (market cap plus debt) equates to what a potential acquirer would actually pay for the company, and free-cash flow is de-facto the return on their investment. A yield of 5.7% is attractive, as it it's significantly above the interest rate that an acquirer could get on its money. .

Second, Culp was keen to outline an intent to pursue acquisitions: "[W]e remain confident in our ability to deploy our more than $8 billion of M&A capacity." So, even though its forecast for core revenue growth is only 2%-4% for the full year, investors can expect management to use its strong cash flow generation to make earnings-enhancing acquisitions. In other words, growth could receive a boost in the future thanks to the company's strong cash flow generation. 

Cautious guidance

The final takeaway from management's commentary is a certain sense of caution. Core revenue grew at 3% in the second quarter, following a 3.5% increase in the previous quarter, but management maintained the 2%-4% full-year target. Moreover, the weakness in the communications branch of the test and measurement segment is expected to continue. Culp's commentary on the issue: " [O]ur network monitoring business was adversely affected by delays in wireless carrier spending, which we now believe will also result in negative growth for the platform for the rest of the year."

Furthermore, management described the overall growth environment as being "modest," with Western Europe growth coming in slightly below expectations in the second quarter. Looking ahead, the third-quarter guidance is for "core growth to be comparable with the growth rate in the first half." In a nutshell, Danaher's CEO is not telling you to expect great things in the coming quarters.

The takeaway

Best Promising Companies To Watch In Right Now

There were a couple weak spots in the earnings report. Dental consumables sales might well come back in future quarters, but communications looks likely to remain weak throughout the year. If you can forgive these two issues, then you could argue that Danaher's management is doing a pretty good job of increasing core margins across its segments while it waits for a better growth environment.

In addition, the guidance is cautious -- possibly creating some possibility for upside surprise --  and management has the free cash flow and will to make growth-enhancing acquisitions in the future. Given its acquisition history, you shouldn't be surprised if it does so.

Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you)
Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!

5 Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now

One remarkable fact about the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is that all 30 of its components pay dividends. But as we saw during the financial crisis, just because a stock pays a dividend now doesn't mean that it will necessarily be able to keep paying that dividend into the future.

Investors can't afford to get stuck with a dividend stock that doesn't deliver on its promise to provide steady income. So with that in mind, let's take a closer look at the stocks in the Dow to see if we can find the ones that are in the best position to keep making their current payouts for years to come.

A healthy dividend
Among Dow stocks, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH  ) leads the way in dividend strength with a ratio of dividends to earnings of just 16% on a trailing basis. That number will go up on a forward basis, simply because UnitedHealth boosted its payout by a whopping 32% earlier this month.

Even with the increase, though, UnitedHealth's 1.8% yield still lags well behind the Dow's 2.5% average. Health-insurance companies historically have tended to hold onto their cash rather than raising payouts, but lately, dividends have been on the rise, and UnitedHealth's actions show just how much investors expect successful companies to share their profits.

Top 10 Oil Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Metlife Inc (MET)

MetLife, Inc. (MetLife), incorporated on August 10, 1999, is a provider of insurance, annuities and employee benefit programs, serving 90 million customers in over 50 countries. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife operates in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. It is organized into six segments: Insurance Products, Retirement Products, Corporate Benefit Funding and Auto & Home (collectively, U.S. Business), and Japan and Other International Regions (collectively, International). In addition, the Company reports certain of its results of operations in Corporate & Other, which includes MetLife Bank, National Association (MetLife Bank) and other business activities. U.S. Business provides insurance and financial services products, including life, dental, disability, auto and homeowner insurance, guaranteed interest and stable value products, and annuities through independent retail distribution channels, as well as at the workplace. Outside the U.S., it operates in Japan and over 50 countries within Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. MetLife is the life insurer in Mexico and also holds positions in Japan, Poland, Chile and Korea. This business provides life insurance, accident and health insurance, credit insurance, annuities, endowment and retirement and savings products to both individuals and groups. In August 2012, it acquired Reynolds Plantation. In January 2013, the Company completed the sale of MetLife Bank, N.A.'s deposit business. Effective July 25, 2013, MetLife Inc acquired Broadstone Laurel Highlands, from Alliance Residential Fund I. In September 2013, MetLife Inc and Thayer Lodging Group acquired the 365-room Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in a joint venture.

Insurance Products

The Insurance Products segment offers a range of protection products and services aimed at serving the financial needs of its customers throughout their lives. These pro! ducts are sold to individuals and corporations, as well as other institutions and their respective employees. It is organized in three businesses: Group Life, Individual Life and Non-Medical Health.

The Group Life insurance products and services include variable life, universal life, and term life products. It offer group insurance products as employer-paid benefits or as voluntary benefits where all or a portion of the premiums are paid by the employee. These group products and services also include employee paid supplemental life and are offered as standard products or may be tailored to meet specific customer needs.

The Individual Life insurance products and services include variable life, universal life, term life and whole life products. Additionally, through its broker-dealer affiliates, it offers a full range of mutual funds and other securities products. The products within both Group Life and Individual Life include Variable Life, Universal Life, Term Life and Whole Life. Variable life products provide insurance coverage through a contract that gives the policyholder the policyholder flexibility in investment choices and, depending on the product, in premium payments and coverage amounts, with certain guarantees. With variable life products, premiums and account balances can be directed by the policyholder into a variety of separate account investment options or directed to the Company�� general account. In the separate account investment options, the policyholder bears the entire risk of the investment results.

Universal life products provide insurance coverage on the same basis as variable life, except that premiums, and the resulting accumulated balances, are allocated only to the Company�� general account. Universal life products may allow the insured to increase or decrease the amount of death benefit coverage over the term of the contract and the owner to adjust the frequency and amount of premium payments.

Term life products provid! e a guara! nteed benefit upon the death of the insured for a specified time period in return for the periodic payment of premiums. Specified coverage periods range from one year to 30 years, but in no event are they longer than the period over, which premiums are paid. Death benefits may be level over the period or decreasing. Decreasing coverage is used principally to provide for loan repayment in the event of death. Premiums may be guaranteed at a level amount for the coverage period or may be non-level and non-guaranteed. Term insurance products are sometimes referred to as pure protection products, in that there are typically no savings or investment elements. Term contracts expire without value at the end of the coverage period when the insured party is still living.

Whole life products provide a guaranteed benefit upon the death of the insured in return for the periodic payment of a fixed premium over a predetermined period. Premium payments may be required for the entire life of the contract period, to a specified age or period, and may be level or change in accordance with a predetermined schedule. Whole life insurance includes policies that provide a participation feature in the form of dividends. Policyholders may receive dividends in cash or apply them to increase death benefits, increase cash values available upon surrender or reduce the premiums required to maintain the contract in-force.

The Non-Medical Health products and services include dental insurance, group short- and long-term disability, individual disability income, long-term care (LTC), critical illness and accidental death & dismemberment coverage. Other products and services include employer-sponsored auto and homeowners insurance provided through the Auto & Home segment and prepaid legal plans. The Company also sells administrative services-only (ASO) arrangements to some employers. The products in this area are Dental, Disability and Long-term Care (LTC). Dental products provide insurance and ASO plans that ass! ist emplo! yees, retirees and their families in maintaining oral health while reducing out-of-pocket expenses and providing superior customer service. Dental plans include the Preferred Dentist Program and the Dental Health Maintenance Organization. Disability products provide a benefit in the event of the disability of the insured. This benefit is in the form of monthly income paid until the insured reaches age 65. In addition to income replacement, the product may be used to provide for the payment of business overhead expenses for disabled business owners or mortgage payment protection. This is offered on both a group and individual basis. LTC products provide protection against the potentially high costs of LTC services. They generally pay benefits to insureds that need assistance with activities of daily living or have a cognitive impairment.

Retirement Products

The Retirement products segment includes a variety of variable and fixed annuities that are primarily sold to individuals and employees of corporations and other institutions. The products in this area are Variable Annuities and Fixed Annuities. Variable annuities provide for both asset accumulation and asset distribution needs. Variable annuities allow the contract holder to make deposits into various investment options in a separate account, as determined by the contract holder. The risks associated with such investment options are borne entirely by the contract holder, except where guaranteed minimum benefits are involved.

Fixed annuities provide for both asset accumulation and asset distribution needs. Fixed annuities do not allow the same investment flexibility provided by variable annuities, but provide guarantees related to the preservation of principal and interest credited.

Corporate Benefit Funding

The Corporate Benefit Funding segment includes a range of annuity and investment products, including, guaranteed interest products and other stable value products, income annuitie! s, and se! parate account contracts for the investment management of defined benefit and defined contribution plan assets. This segment also includes certain products to fund postretirement benefits and company, bank or trust owned life insurance used to finance non-qualified benefit programs for executives. The products in this area are Stable Value Products, Pensions Closeouts, Torts and Settlements, Capital Markets Investment Products and other Corporate Benefit Funding Products and Services. The Company offers general account guaranteed interest contracts, separate account guaranteed interest contracts, and similar products used to support the stable value option of defined contribution plans. It also offers private floating rate funding agreements that are used for money market funds, securities lending cash collateral portfolios and short-term investment funds.

The Company offers general account and separate account annuity products, generally in connection with the termination of defined benefit pension plans, both in the United States and the United Kingdom. It also offers partial risk transfer solutions that allow for partial transfers of pension liabilities and annuity products that include single premium buyouts. It offers strategies for complex litigation settlements, primarily structured settlement annuities. Under the Capital Markets Investment Products, the products offered include funding agreements, Federal Home Loan Bank advances and funding agreement-backed commercial paper. Under the Other Corporate Benefit Funding Products and Services, it offers specialized insurance products designed specifically to provide solutions for non-qualified benefit and retiree benefit funding purposes.

Auto & Home

The Auto & Home segment includes personal lines property and casualty insurance offered directly to employees at their employer�� worksite, as well as to individuals through a variety of retail distribution channels, including independent agents, property and casu! alty spec! ialists, direct response marketing and the individual distribution sales group. Auto & Home primarily sells auto insurance, which represented 67% of Auto & Home�� total net earned premiums in 2011. Homeowners and other insurance represented 33% of Auto & Home�� total net earned premiums in 2011. The products in this area are Auto Coverages and Homeowners and Other Coverages. Auto insurance policies provide coverage for private passenger automobiles, utility automobiles and vans, motorcycles, motor homes, antique or classic automobiles and trailers. Auto & Home offers traditional coverage, such as liability, uninsured motorist, no fault or personal injury protection, as well as collision and comprehensive. Homeowners��insurance policies provide protection for homeowners, renters, condominium owners and residential landlords against losses arising out of damage to dwellings and contents from a variety of perils, as well as coverage for liability arising from ownership or occupancy. Other insurance includes personal excess liability (protection against losses in excess of amounts covered by other liability insurance policies), and coverage for recreational vehicles and boat owners. Most of Auto & Home�� homeowners��policies are traditional insurance policies for dwellings, providing protection for loss on a replacement cost basis. These policies also provide additional coverage for reasonable, normal living expenses incurred by policyholders that have been displaced from their homes.

International

International provides life insurance, accident and health insurance, credit insurance, annuities, endowment and retirement & savings products to both individuals and groups. The Company focuses on markets primarily within Japan, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. It operates in international markets through subsidiaries and affiliates. The Company operates in 22 countries in Latin America, with operations in Mexico, Chile and Argentina. It operates in fou! r countri! es in Asia Pacific with operations in Korea, Hong Kong and Australia. It operates in 35 countries in Europe and the Middle East with operations in Poland, the United Kingdom, France, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as through a consolidated joint venture in India.

Corporate & Other

Corporate & Other contains the excess capital not allocated to the segments, which is invested to optimize investment spread and to fund company initiatives and various start-up and run-off entities. Mortgage products offered by MetLife Bank include forward and reverse residential mortgage loans. Residential mortgage loans are originated through MetLife Bank�� national sales force, mortgage brokers and mortgage correspondents. The residential mortgage banking activities include the origination and servicing of mortgage loans. Mortgage loans are held-for-investment or sold primarily into Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) or Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) securities. Deposit products include traditional savings accounts, money market savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and individual retirement accounts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.5% to 15,545.75, led by big drops in Visa –down 3.5% after releasing disappointing earnings–JPMorgan Chase–off 2% after it and other large banks were sued by Fannie Mae–and American Express (AXP), which fell 1.6% to $81.80. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% to 1,756.54, as Avon (AVP)� plunged 22% on bad earnings and the likelihood of a larger-than-expected settlement with the SEC, and MetLife (MET) dipped 3.5% on disappointing earns and said it would no longer offering future guidance.

5 Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: CNO Financial Group Inc. (CNO)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonas Elmerraji]

  Up first is CNO Financial Group (CNO), a mid-cap financial stock that's rocketed close to 60% higher since the calendar flipped over to January. Yup, it's been a great year for the market, but it's been a far better one for investors who own CNO. But that strong performance isn't showing any signs of slowing yet. In fact, CNO looks primed for even more upside in the fourth quarter.

  That's because CNO is currently forming a bullish pattern called an ascending triangle. The ascending triangle pattern is formed by a horizontal resistance level above shares -- in this case at $14.75 -- and uptrending support to the downside. Basically, as CNO bounces in between those two technical price levels, it's getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakout above that $14.75 resistance level. When that breakout happens, it's time to become a buyer.

  ACCO's price action isn't exactly textbook. After all, the pattern is coming in at the bottom of a downtrend, not after an uptrend. But ultimately, that doesn't change the trading implications of a move through that $7.50 level.

  Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to think in terms of those buyers and sellers. Ascending triangles and other pattern names are a good quick way to explain what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

  That $7.50 resistance level is a price where there has been an excess of supply of shares; in other words, it's a place where sellers have been more eager to step in and take gains than buyers have been to buy. That's what makes a breakout above it so significant. The move means that buyers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess supply above that price level.

  Don't be early on this trade.

• [By Vanin Aegea]

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

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

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

5 Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: Helvetia Holding AG (HELN)

Helvetia Holding AG is a Switzerland-based holding company of the Helvetia Group, an internationally active, all-lines insurance service group. The Company divides its activities into country markets Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain and Other insurance units, which include Austria, France and the global reinsurance business, as well as the Corporate segment, which includes all the Helvetia Group activities, as well as financing companies and the Company. Helvetia Holding AG classifies its activities as life business, non-life business and other activities. The life business offers life insurance, pension plans and annuities, among others. The non-life business includes property, motor vehicle, liability and transport policies, as well as health and accidental insurance coverage. The reinsurance business, among others, is included in Other activities business. The Company operates through its branch offices and subsidiaries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Helvetia Holding AG (HELN) added 3.3 percent to 412 Swiss francs. Switzerland�� fourth-biggest insurer said first-half profit rose because of increased life-insurance sales and an acquisition in France. Net income climbed to 179.5 million Swiss francs ($192 million) in the six months through June, beating the average analyst estimate of 164.4 million francs.

5 Best Insurance Stocks To Watch Right Now: W.R. Berkley Corporation(WRB)

W. R. Berkley Corporation, an insurance holding company, operates as commercial lines writers in the property casualty insurance business primarily in the United States. The company operates in five segments: Specialty, Regional, Alternative Markets, Reinsurance, and International. The Specialty segment underwrites third-party liability risks, primarily excess, and surplus lines, including premises operations, professional liability, commercial automobile, products liability, and property lines. The Regional segments provide commercial insurance products to small-to-mid-sized businesses, and state and local governmental entities primarily in the 45 states of the United States. The Alternative Markets segment develops, insures, reinsures, and administers self-insurance programs and other alternative risk transfer mechanisms. This segment offers its services to employers, employer groups, insurers, and alternative market funds, as well as provides a range of fee-based servic es, including consulting and administrative services. The Reinsurance segment engages in the underwriting property casualty reinsurance on a treaty and a facultative basis, including individual certificates and program facultative business; and specialty and standard reinsurance lines, and property and casualty reinsurance. The International segment offers personal and commercial property casualty insurance in South America; commercial property casualty insurance in the United Kingdom and continental Europe; and reinsurance in Australia, Southeast Asia, and Canada. The company was founded in 1967 and is based in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  W.R. Berkley (NYSE: WRB)is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.74 per share on revenue of $1.57 billion.

  V.F. Corp (NYSE: VFC) is projected to report its Q3 earnings at $3.78 per share on revenue of $3.34 billion.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Earnings reports expected on Monday include:

  Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.48 on revenue of $1.10 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.13 on revenue of $905.09 million. Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $1.19 on revenue of $2.07 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.21. W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.71 on revenue of $1.57 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.61 on revenue of $1.42 billion. Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is expected to report third quarter EPS of $0.44 on revenue of $1.27 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.56 on revenue of $1.31 billion.

  Economics

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Insurance holding company�W.R. Berkley� (NYSE: WRB  ) �announced yesterday�its second-quarter dividend of $0.10 per share, an 11% increase over the $0.09 per share it paid last quarter.

Top 5 Chemical Companies To Own For 2014

The loonie was able to print fresh highs this week ($1.0842), mostly supported by the uptick in commodity prices, specifically crude on supply concerns from any geo-political fallout in the Middle East. Also aiding the CAD was the weakening EUR on the crosses.

On Thursday, Governor Poloz commenting on the semi-annual Financial System Review assessed risks roughly the same for Canada. Despite China's shadow banking issues raising risks for trade, they seem to be offset by lower Euro-zone risks. He acknowledged the downside risks to inflation and commented on the continued risks in the Canadian housing market. To many, there is a concern that Canada's low rate environment has “become a curse” to the housing market. Even a small change higher in Canadian o/n rates could have a massive impact or drag on Canada's economic performance.

Friday's Canadian manufacturing release was stronger that the April headline would suggest. Sales value dropped -0.1% vs. the expected +0.5% gain. However, sales were up in 2/3 of the 21 sub-categories (+0.4%), which would suggest that the headline drop was driven by a drop in ‘prices'. April's producer price report reveals that prices fell for primary metals, chemical and energy products.

Best Computer Hardware Companies For 2015: Sensient Technologies Corp (SXT)

Sensient Technologies Corporation, incorporated on December 07, 1882, is a global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors and fragrances. Sensient uses advanced technologies at facilities around the world to develop specialty food and beverage systems, cosmetic and pharmaceutical systems, inkjet and specialty inks and colors, and other specialty and chemicals. The Company�� customers include international manufacturers representing some of the Known brands. The Company operates in two segments: Flavors & Fragrances Group and the Color Group. The Asia Pacific and the China Groups are included in the Corporate & Other category, along with the Company�� corporate expenses. The Company's principal products include: flavors, flavor enhancers and bionutrients; fragrances and aroma chemicals; dehydrated vegetables and other food ingredients; natural and synthetic food and beverage colors; cosmetic and pharmaceutical colors and additives; and technical colors, inkjet colors and inks, and specialty dyes and pigments.

Flavors & Fragrances Group

The Company is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of flavor and fragrance systems for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care and household-products industries. The Company�� flavor formulations are used in consumer products. Under the unified brand names of Sensient Flavors, Sensient Dehydrated Flavors and Sensient Fragrances, the Company is a supplier to multinational companies. The Flavors & Fragrances Group produces flavor and fragrance products, which impart a taste, texture, aroma and/or other characteristics to a range of consumer and other products. It includes the Company�� dehydrated flavors business, which produces ingredients for food processors. The products are systems products, including flavor-delivery systems, and compounded and blended products. In addition, the Company is engaged in selected ingredient products, such as essential oils, natural and synthetic flavors, and aroma chemicals. The Company ! serves food and non-food industries. In food industries, markets include savory, beverage, dairy, confectionery and bakery flavors. In non-food industries, the Company supplies fragrance products to the personal and home-care markets and supplies flavor products to the pharmaceuticals market.

Operating through the Company�� Sensient Dehydrated Flavors business, the Company is produces dehydrated onion and garlic products in the United States. The Company is also producers and distributors of chili powder, paprika, chili pepper and dehydrated vegetables, such as parsley, celery and spinach. Domestically, the Company sells dehydrated products to food manufacturers for use as ingredients and also for repackaging under private labels for sale to the retail market and to the food service industry. In addition, Sensient Dehydrated Flavors is dehydrators of specialty vegetables in Europe. The Flavors & Fragrances Group operates through the Company's subsidiaries Sensient Flavors LLC and Sensient Dehydrated Flavors LLC. The Company�� principal manufacturing plants are located in California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Belgium, Canada, the People�� Republic of China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Color Group

The Company is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of colors for businesses globally. The Company provides natural and synthetic color systems for use in foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals; colors and other ingredients for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and technical colors for industrial applications and digital imaging. The Company sells its synthetic and natural colors to domestic and international producers of beverages, bakery products, processed foods, confections, pet foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The Company also makes inkjet inks and other dyes and pigments used in a variety of non-food applications.

The Color Group operates through the Company's subsidiary Sensient Col! ors LLC. ! Its principal manufacturing plants are located in California, Missouri, New Jersey, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The Color Group operates under trade names of Sensient Food Colors (food and beverage colors); Sensient Pharmaceutical Coating Systems (pharmaceutical colors and coatings); Sensient Cosmetic Technologies (cosmetic colors and ingredients and systems). and Sensient Industrial Colors (including paper colors; industrial colors for plastics, leather, wood stains, antifreeze and other uses; inkjet colors and inks; specialty inks, and display imaging).

Asia Pacific and China Groups

The Asia Pacific Group and the China Group focus on marketing the Company�� diverse product line in the Pacific Rim under the Sensient name. Through these operations, the Company offers a range of products from its Flavors & Fragrances Group and Color Group, as well as products developed by regional technical teams to appeal to local preferences. Sales, marketing and technical functions are managed through the Asia Pacific Group's headquarters in Australia. Manufacturing operations are located in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines. The Asia Pacific Group maintains offices for research and development, as well as sales, in India, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

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 Sensient Technologies (NYSE: SXT  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 5 Chemical Companies To Own For 2014: K&S AG (KPLUY.PK)

K&S AG is a Germany-based holding company which is active in the chemical sector. The Company divides its activities into four main business segments. The Potash and Magnesium Products segment is engaged in the crude potash and magnesium salts extraction and in processing raw materials into products for industrial, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries. The Nitrogen Fertilizers business segment distributes fertilizers for almost all agricultural crops, and products for home and garden, plant care and plant protection, specialty fertilizers for public green areas, tree nurseries, horticulture and various special crops are offered. The Salt segment offers food grade salt, industrial salt and salt for chemical use, as well as de-icing salt applied to ensure road safety. The Complementary Business segments include recycling activities and the disposal and reutilization of waste salt mines, granulation of CATASAN, logistics, and trading in different basic chemicals. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Damas]

  Other players, such as K+S (KPLUY.PK), Israel Chemicals and APC, Belaruskali and Soquimich (SQM) maintained their world shares at Uralkali's expense.

Top 5 Chemical Companies To Own For 2014: Uralkaliy OAO (URALL.PK)

Uralkaliy OAO (Uralkali OJSC) is a Russia-based company, which is engaged in the chemical industry. The Company specializes in the production of potash fertilizers. Its product portfolio comprises pink muriate of potash (PMOP), white muriate of potash (WMOP) and granular (GMOP). The Company is active through representative offices, located in Moscow and Beijing, as well as numerous subsidiaries, located countrywide and in Panama, Belarus, Singapore, Brazil and others. Uralkaliy OAO operates on the potassium and magnesium deposits located in Berezniki, Perm and Saint Petersburg. Its production assets include seven plants and five mines. Uralkaliy OAO sells its products domestically, as well as abroad in over 40 countries, including the United States, China, Brazil, India and South-East Asia, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Damas]

  This morning Russian potash giant OJSC Uralkali (URALL.PK) presented first half 2013 financial and operating results and more importantly, much anticipated comments on the strategy of the company and the state of the international potash industry, the latter blind-sided by the leading potash company's split with marketing partner JSC Belaruskali of Belarus.

• [By Tim Gallagher]

  The potash spat continues to get uglier, as Belarus investigators reportedly intend to seize property and assets of Russia's Uralkali (URALL.PK) following the collapse of the joint Russian-Belarussian potash venture.

Top 5 Chemical Companies To Own For 2014: Ashland Inc. (ASH)

Ashland Inc. operates as a specialty chemicals company in the United States and internationally. Its Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients segment produces cellulose ethers; and specialty additives and functional ingredients. Its products offer functionality, such as thickening and rheology control; water retention; adhesive strength; binding power; film formation; protective colloid, suspending, and emulsifying action; foam control; and pH stability. The company?s Ashland Hercules Water Technologies segment manufactures papermaking chemicals and supplies specialty chemicals. It offers sizing agents, wet/dry strength additives, and crepe and release additives for tissue manufacturing; and deposit control agents, defoamers, biocides, and other process additives. This segment also provides specialized chemicals and consulting services for the utility water treatment; and performance-based feed and control systems; and monitoring devices and remote system surveillance. Its A shland Performance Materials segment manufactures and supplies specialty chemicals and customized services to the building and construction, transportation, metal casting, packaging and converting, and marine markets. It also offers unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins, and gelcoats; adhesives and specialty resins; and metal casting consumables and design services. The company?s Ashland Consumer Markets segment produces and markets packaged automotive lubricants, chemicals, appearance products, antifreeze, and filters to the private passenger car, light truck, and heavy duty markets. It also operates a quick-lube franchise under the name of Valvoline Instant Oil Change. The company was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in Covington, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Margins matter. The more Ashland (NYSE: ASH  ) 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 Ashland's competitive position could be.

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Jefferies reported on Thursday that it has cut its rating on chemical company Ashland Inc. (ASH).

  The firm has downgraded ASH from “Buy” to “Hold,” and has lowered the company’s price target from $104 to $97. This price target suggests a 9% upside from the stock’s current price of $88.47.

  Analyst Laurence Alexander commented: “Investor confidence in the asset shuffling thesis may not withstand 2-3 more rounds of downward revisions to EPS and FCF forecasts for 2014E-2016E.”

  “Pension headwinds, incentive comp, Valvoline marketing expenses, sluggish end markets: in our view, it all adds up, and makes further multiple expansion more difficult.”

  Looking ahead, the firm has reduced estimates for the fourth quarter from $1.70 to $1.59 per share. For FY2013, earnings estimates have been lowered from $6.25 to $6.15 per share. FY2014 estimates have been cut from $7.45 to $6.75 per share.

  Ashland shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Thursday. The stock is up 10% YTD

• [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 Ashland (NYSE: ASH  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By GuruFocus]

  George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) just reported his first quarter portfolio. He buys Citrix Systems Inc, Baker Hughes Inc, Comcast Corp, Spansion Inc, etc during the 3-months ended 03/31/2014, according to the most recent filings of his investment company, Soros Fund Management LLC. As of 03/31/2014, Soros Fund Management LLC owns 305 stocks with a total value of $10.1 billion. These are the details of the buys and sells.New Purchases: BHI, CODE, CTRP, CLI, AVB, COMM, CNQ, AGO, AUY, ATML, ASH, BXMT, CSTM, AEM, CMA, ARE, CHKP, AUQ, BEAV, CX, ADSK, AALCP, BLK, AIG, BIIB, ADEP, AMRI, ARWR, ATHX, BALT, BCRX, BEAT, CFX, CLFD, CUR, CODE,Added Positions: CTXS, CMCSA, CNP, ALTR, BRCD, CBS, CRM, CHTR, CCJ, CIEN, BIDU, ALLE, ABT, CDNS, ACT,Reduced Positions: AAPL, CCI, AMT, ABBV, AAL, BITA, AL, ANGI, ARIA, CBST, BA, BIRT, EXAR,Sold Out: C, BAC, CRI, AMZN, AGN, CF, BRCM, COTY, BMY, AMCX, CAR, A, ADBE, AFL,For the details of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)'s stock buys and sells, go to http://www.gurufocus.com/StockBuy.php?GuruName=George+SorosThis is the sector weightings of his portfolio:Technology18.9%Energy14%Healthcare8.3%Consumer Defensive8.2%Communication Services8.1%Consumer Cyclical5.4%Industrials5.1%Basic Materials4.9%Financial Services2.5%Real Estate1.9%Utilities0.5%These are the top 5 holdings of George Soros (Trades, Portfolio)1. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA) - 10,310,041 shares, 5.4% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 10.67%2. Herbalife Ltd (HLF) - 4,901,337 shares, 2.8% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 52.9%3. EQT Corp (EQT) - 2,573,814 shares, 2.5% of the total portfolio. Shares added by 3.27%4. Adecoagro SA (AGRO) - 25,915,076 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio.5. Halliburton Co (HAL) - 3,596,353 shares, 2.1% of the total portfolio. Shares reduced by 20.73%New Purchase: Baker Hughes Inc (BHI)George Soros (Trades, Portfolio) initiated holdings in Baker Hughes Inc. His purchase prices were between $51.82 and $65.27, with an estimated

Top 5 Income Stocks To Buy For 2014

It's that time of year. Many folks are scheduling appointments with their accountants and collecting all the documents for the Internal Revenue Service. Or not.

The temptation to omit numbers and cut corners has led many a taxpayer down the dark road of tax evasion year after year. Who hasn't wondered if maybe the IRS won't notice if you fail to report a gain here or forget to file some income there.

But celebrities and the not-so-famous alike have found out the hard way what can become of playing games with the IRS.

Some tax cheats have claimed that the price of becoming too rich and too high-profile garnered unwanted and undue attention to their finances. Surely, that's true. Then again, some taxpayers cheated the IRS deliberately and repeatedly -- until they got caught.

Hot Small Cap Stocks To Own For 2015: InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG)

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG), incorporated on May 21, 2004, is a global hotel company, operating seven brands internationally. IHG is the holding company. The principal activities of the Company are in hotels and resorts, with franchising, management, ownership and leasehold interests in over 4,400 establishments, with more than 658,000 guest rooms in over 100 countries and territories worldwide. IHG�� hotels brands include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites and Priority Club Rewards. It has four geographical segments: Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), and Greater China. As of December 31, 2011, the pipeline totalled 1,144 hotels (180,484 rooms). In March 2012, the Company announced the launch of HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts in China. During the year ended 31 December 2011, it sold four hotels, three in the Americas region and one in the AMEA region. IHG also manages the hotel loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards. As of December 31, 2011, the Company has 3,832 hotels operate under franchise agreements; managed 637 hotels worldwide and owned 11 hotels. During 2011, the Company opened 241hotels (44,265rooms) and removed 98 hotels (33,078 rooms). IHG is focused on the three segments that together generate over 90% of branded hotel revenues: midscale (broadly 3-star hotels), upscale (4-star), and luxury (5-star). InterContinental Hotels & Resorts InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is IHG�� 5-star brand located in cities and resort destinations across more than 60 countries worldwide. Hotels under InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand are principally managed by the Company. As of December 31, 2011, there were 169 hotels and 57,598 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 51 hotels in development pipeline. Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is the IHG�� upscale 4-star segment, specializes in offering modern business and meeting facilities with a service style to provide productive and energising experiences to guests. The majority of hotels under Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand are principally operated under franchise agreements in the United States and Europe, and are managed by the Company. As of December 31, 2011, there were 387 hotels and 105,104 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 108 hotels in development pipeline. Hotel Indigo Hotel Indigo provides guests with the refreshing design and service experience with a boutique hotel. The Hotels Indigo brand is principally operated under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 39 hotels and 4,564 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 59 hotels in development pipeline Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations The Holiday Inn brand family consists of Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn Club Vacations. Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Club Vacations is the midscale hotel brand. Focused on creating an atmosphere where guests can relax, the brand is designed to support both business and leisure travellers. The brand family operates under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 1,240 hotels and 228,256 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 267 hotels in development pipeline. Holiday Inn Express Holiday Inn Express offers convenience and comfort. As of December 31, 2011, there were 2,114 hotels and 196,666 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 470 hotels in development pipeline. Staybridge Suites Staybridge Suites is the Company�� upscale extended stay brand for guests on longer trips, offering studios and suites complete with full kitchens and separate sleeping and work areas in a sociable, family-like atmosphere. Properties under Staybridge Suites brand are operated under a mixture of franchise and management agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 179 hotels and 19,567 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 95 hotels in development pipeline. Candlewood Suites Candlewood Suites is the Company�� midscale extended stay brand that gives its guests all the essentials they need for a home-like stay. Properties under Candlewood Suites brand are principally operated under franchise agreements. As of December 31, 2011, there were 285 hotels and 27,500 rooms. As of December 31, 2011, it had 94 hotels in development pipeline. The Company competes with Accor, Choice Hotels International, Inc., Hilton Hotels Corporation, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Reuters]
  ATLANTA -- A credit card data breach has been detected that exposed guests at certain Marriott, Holiday Inn, Sheraton and other hotel properties to theft, hotel management firm White Lodging Services said Monday. The breach occurred at food and beverage outlets at 14 hotels, including some operated under the Westin, Renaissance and Radisson names, between March 20 and Dec. 16 last year, White Lodging said in a statement. The company said information subject to potential theft by cybercriminals included names and numbers on consumers' debit or credit cards, security codes and card expiration dates. Customers who used their cards at the affected outlets should review all statements from the time in question and consider placing fraud alerts on their credit files, White Lodging said. White Lodging wouldn't estimate how many card numbers might have been taken. Krebs on Security, the cybersecurity blog that first reported the breach Friday, said thousands of accounts had been compromised. The latest data breach comes after the FBI warned retailers last month to prepare for more cyber attacks after discovering about 20 hacking cases in the past year involving the same kind of malicious software used against Target (TGT) over the holiday shopping season. The incident involving Target, the No. 3 U.S. retailer, was one of the biggest retail cyber attacks in history. In a confidential, three-page report to retail companies the FBI described the risks posed by "memory-parsing" malware that infects point-of-sale systems, which include cash registers and credit-card swiping machines in checkout aisles. Restaurants and lounges affected by the White Lodging breach were at hotels in Chicago; Austin, Texas; Richmond, Va.; Plantation, Fla.; Denver; Boulder and Broomfield, Colo.; Louisville, Ky.; Erie, Pa.; Indianapolis; and Merrillville, Ind., the company said. White Lodging, which manages 169 hotels that include brands of Marriott International (MAR), Starwood
• [By Patricio Kehoe] �s largest hotel owner, franchiser and manager, with over 4,500 hotels in 100 countries. But let�� see what really makes this company a solid long-term investment.

  A Majority Franchised System

  This company is known for its famous midscale brands Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, as well as the upscale hotels InterContinental and Crowne Plaza. The interesting factor, however, is the high rate of franchised and managed hotels among these brands, compared to industry rivals Hyatt Hotels Corporation (H) or Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (HOT). With more than 99% franchised or managed hotels in the InterContinental system, this company profits from excessive operating margins of 33.2% (the industry average is 8.70%) and minimal capital expenditures.

  Additionally, the typical 10 to 30-year contracts for hotel franchises create high switching costs for property owners, while simultaneously generating high returns on invested capital. Since 2010, for example, InterContinental has averaged a 29% return on capital, and currently reports a 57.8% return, all due to the firm�� asset-light strategy of selling owned hotels and converting them to management or franchising contracts. The latest transaction of the InterContinental New York Barclay, for example, sold at $300 million, was a well strung deal for the company, which will maintain a 20% ownership in the property, as well as manage the hotel for the next 30 years. This transaction is bound to boost free cash flow, as well as revenue growth, which has been somewhat stagnant throughout fiscal 2013 (4.0%).

  International Advantage

  One of InterContinental�� key growth segments is its international business. Since 1984, this company has been taking advantage of the underpenetrated Chinese market, and today this hotel operator holds the best infrastructure to grow and expand its brand presence in the country. With an estimated 50,000 rooms in its new Chinese hotel

Top 5 Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: AmTrust Financial Services Inc (AFSI)

Amtrust Financial Services, Inc., incorporated on November 7, 1990, is a holding company. The Company is a multinational specialty property and casualty insurer focused on generating consistent underwriting profits. The Company operates in four business segments: small commercial business, specialty program and personal lines reinsurance. The Company transacts business through 11 insurance company subsidiaries: Technology Insurance Company, Inc. (TIC), Rochdale Insurance Company (RIC), Wesco Insurance Company (WIC), Associated Industries Insurance Company, Inc. (AIIC), Milwaukee Casualty Insurance Company (MCIC), Security National Insurance Company (SNIC), AmTrust Insurance Company of Kansas, Inc. (AICK) and AmTrust Lloyd�� Insurance Company of Texas (ALIC). In January 2013, the Company acquired First Nonprofit Companies, Inc. In February 2013, the Company's subsidiary acquired Car Care Plan (Holdings) Limited (CCPH) from Ally Insurance Holdings, Inc.

Small Commercial Business

Small Commercial Business segment provides workers��compensation to small businesses that operate in low and medium hazard classes, such as restaurants, retail stores, physicians and other professional offices, and commercial package and other property and casualty insurance products to small businesses. The Company is authorized to write its Small Commercial Business products in all 50 states. The Company distributes its policies through a network of over 8,100 select retail and wholesale agents who are paid commissions based on the annual policy premiums written. Commercial package products provide a range of insurance to small businesses, including commercial property, general liability, inland marine, automobile, workers��compensation, and umbrella coverage.

The Company maintains Small Commercial Business property and casualty claims operations in several of its domestic offices and the commercial package claims operation is separated into four processing units: casualty, propert! y, cost-containment/recovery and a fast-track physical damage unit. As of December 31, 2012, its Small Commercial Business property and casualty claims were approximately 61% automobile and 13% property and inland marine with the remaining 26% involving general liability and umbrella losses.

Specialty Risk and Extended Warranty

The Company��Specialty Risk and Extended Warranty segment provides coverage for consumer and commercial goods and custom designed coverages, such as accidental damage plans and payment protection plans offered in connection with the sale of consumer and commercial goods in the United States and Europe, and certain niche property, casualty and specialty liability risks in the United States and Europe, including general liability, employers��liability and professional and medical liability. specialty risk business primarily covers, such as legal expenses in the event of unsuccessful litigation; property damage for residential properties; home emergency repairs caused by incidents affecting systems, such as plumbing, wiring or central heating; latent defects that materialize on real property after building or completion; payment protection to insureds if they become unable to meet financial obligations under finance contracts; guaranteed asset protection (GAP) to cover the difference between an insurer�� settlement and the asset value in the event of a total loss, and general liability, employers��liability, public liability, negligence of advisors and liability of health care providers and medical facilities.

The Company's extended warranty business covers selected consumer and commercial goods and other risks, including personal computers; consumer electronics, such as televisions and home theater components; consumer appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines; automobiles (excluding liability coverage); furniture, and heavy equipment. The Company also serve as a third party administrator to provide claims handling and ca! ll center! services to the consumer products and automotive industries in the United States and Canada. It underwrites the specialty risk coverage on a coverage plan-level basis, which involves substantial data collection and actuarial analysis, as well as analysis of applicable laws governing policy coverage language and exclusions.

Specialty Program

The Company�� Specialty Program segment provides workers��compensation, package products, general liability, commercial auto liability, excess and surplus lines programs and other specialty commercial property and casualty insurance to a narrowly defined, homogeneous group of small and middle market companies. The type of risk covered by this segment is similar to the type of risk in Small Commercial Business but also covers, to a small extent, certain higher risk businesses. The coverage is offered through accounts with various agents to multiple insureds. Policyholders in this segment primarily include industries, such as retail, wholesale, service operations, artisan contracting, trucking, light and medium manufacturing, habitational and professional employer organizations. As of December 31, 2012, the Company underwrote 77 programs through 44 independent wholesale and managing general agents. Workers��compensation insurance consists approximately 33% of this business during the year ended December 31, 2012.

Personal Lines Reinsurance

The Company�� Personal Lines Reinsurance Segment has a 20% participation in the Personal Lines Quota Share, by which it receive 10% of the net premiums of the personal lines business. The Personal Lines Quota Share provides that the reinsurers, severally, in accordance with their participation percentages, will receive 50% of the net premium of the GMACI Insurers and assume 50% of the related net losses.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  For the past several years, Berkshire has contrasted its own cost-free float provided by profitable underwriting against the industry�� (unimpressive) tendency to lose money on underwriting while generating net returns from investment income. So far, so good. Less edifying, though, is the repeated contrast of Berkshire�� track record of profitability to State Farm��…even though, as a mutual company, State Farm�� profitability goals are inherently different from for-profit insurers like Berkshire. It�� true that through year-end 2013, Berkshire�� underwriters have ��ow operated at an underwriting profit for eleven consecutive years,��but so have ACE (ACE), American Financial (AFG),� AmTrust Financial (AFSI), Arch Capital (ACGL), Chubb (CB), HCC (HCC), Progressive (PGR), RLI (RLI), and W.R. Berkley (WRB), any or all of whom provide a more meaningful comparison than contrasting Berkshire�� results to a company that�� not out to produce a profit in the first place.

Top 5 Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: Synergy Resources Corp (SYRG)

Synergy Resources Corporation, incorporated on May 11, 2005, is an oil and gas operator in Colorado. The Company is focused on the acquisition, development, exploitation, exploration and production of oil and natural gas properties primarily located in the Denver-Julesburg Basin (D-J Basin) in northeast Colorado. Effective November 13, 2013, Synergy Resources Corp acquired 21 undisclosed oil and gas producing wells, located in Wattenberg Field, Colorado.

As of October 31, 2013, the Company has 374,000 gross and 245,000 net acres under lease, substantially all of which are located in the D-J Basin. Of this acreage, 12,550 gross acres are held by production. In addition to the approximately 22,000 net developed and undeveloped acres that the Company hold in the Wattenberg Field, it hold undeveloped acreage positions in the northern extension area of the D-J Basin, in an area around Yuma County that produces dry gas, and in western Nebraska.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Value Digger]

  As peers, I selected Artek Exploration (ARKXF.PK), RMP Energy (OEXFF.PK), Synergy Resources (SYRG) and Magnum Hunter Resources (MHR). The first two firms trade also on the main Toronto board under the tickers RTK.TO and RMP.TO respectively. These peers comply with the following criteria:

Top 5 Income Stocks To Buy For 2014: Prothena Corporation PLC (PRTA)

Prothena Corporation PLC, incorporated on September 26, 2012, is an Ireland-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company. The Company is engaged in discovering and developing monoclonal antibodies that are directed towards misfolded proteins or improper cell adhesion. Its pipeline includes NEOD001, PRX002 and PRX003. The Company�� work in protein misfolding could result in therapies to treat several neurodegenerative diseases, including AL (primary) and AA (secondary) forms of amyloidosis (NEOD001), Parkinson's disease and related synucleinopathies (PRX002). Its cell adhesion development activities could generate new therapies to treat inflammatory diseases and metastatic cancers (PRX003). The Company�� program, NEOD001, is in Phase 1. In addition to antibodies directed to neo-epitope targets, it is developing antibodies directed to other targets. The Company has generated antibodies against cell adhesion targets expressed on certain pathogenic Th17 immune cells and tumor cells.

The Company�� pipeline also includes several late discovery stage programs for which it is testing antibodies in preclinical models of disease. It is also generating additional antibodies against other targets involved in protein misfolding and cell adhesion for characterization in vivo and in vitro.

NEOD001 for Amyloidosis

NEOD001 is a monoclonal antibody that targets the amyloid that accumulates in both AL and AA forms of amyloidosis. The antibody was designed to not react with normal serum amyloid A and only with the aberrant cleaved form of the protein (amyloid A).

PRX002 for Parkinson�� Disease

The Company has generated antibodies targeting alpha-synuclein that may slow or reduce the neurodegeneration associated with synuclein misfolding and/or transmission. It has tested these antibodies in various cellular and animal models of synuclein-related disease. In a transgenic mouse model of Parkinson�� disease, passive immunization with 9E4, a murine ver! sion of PRX002, reduced the appearance of synuclein pathology, protected synapses and improved performance by the mice in behavioral testing. The humanized antibody product candidate PRX002 has advanced into manufacturing and preclinical testing.

PRX003 for Inflammatory Diseases and Cancers

The Company is developing PRX003, a monoclonal antibody targeting MCAM for the potential treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancers. It has generated monoclonal antibodies that block MCAM-mediated cell adhesion and have been shown to delay relapse and severity of relapse in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The Company�� antibodies are being tested in animal models of inflammatory diseases and cancers. Based on early results from these studies, it has identified a clinical candidate, PRX003. It has advanced this antibody into manufacturing and intends to advance this antibody into preclinical testing.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Prothena Corporation plc (NASDAQ: PRTA) rose 24.40% to $46.23 after the company reported clinical data to be presented at International Symposium on Amyloidosis. Morgan Stanley raised the price target on the stock from $35.00 to $53.00.

• [By Michael Robinson]

  CSD is also tapping into the biotech boom. Another firm that it holds, and we like, is Prothena Corporation PLC (PRTA), a clinical-stage biotechnology firm focused on Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.