Senate committee approves Yellen for Fed chair

The Senate Banking Committee voted 14-8 Thursday to send Janet Yellen's nomination to chair the Federal Reserve to the full Senate for confirmation.

Yellen, who is now the Fed's vice chairman, is expected to win confirmation to succeed Ben Bernanke after his second four-year term expires in January. She would become the first woman in the world to head a major central bank.

Republicans Bob Corker, Tennessee; Mark Kirk, Illinois, and Tom Coburn, Oklahoma, broke with other GOP members to support Yellen. Democrat Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., was the only Democrat to vote against Yellen's nomination. Corker had opposed her nomination for vice chair in 2010.

"Dr. Yellen understands the challenges facing our economy and the balance the Fed must strike as we navigate the path back to full employment," committee Chairman Tim Johnson, D-S.D., said in a statement. "Dr. Yellen also showed in her testimony that she understands the importance of completing ongoing Wall Street Reform rulemaking and of the Fed's regulatory role in supervising the riskiest banks.

Yellen, 67, served on the Fed's board in the 1990s. She also has taught economics at the University of California at Berkeley, headed President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers and served as president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank.

Yellen is considered one of the most pro-growth, or "dovish," members of the Fed's policymaking committee, meaning she has placed more emphasis on stimulating job growth than in preventing inflation. Several Republicans indicated they would oppose her nomination.

Yellen also has been instrumental in forging the Fed's easy-money policies that have supported the economy since the financial crisis and in Fed efforts to communicate more clearly to the public and financial markets.

She now faces the challenging task of gradually scaling back the Fed's extraordinary stimulus program without derailing the fragile economic recovery. The Fed is buying $85 billion in government bonds each m! onth to hold down long-term interest rates and spur economic and job growth.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Own Right Now

Yellen, and other Fed policymakers, also must be mindful not to move so slowly that they sow the seeds of inflation or fuel asset bubbles as low interest rates drive money to riskier investments.

Senators Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have said they likely would try to block Yellen's nomination in the Democratic-controlled Senate floor. But a handful of Republicans are expected to join most Democrats to remove the block.

New retirement Income designation attracts thousands of advisers

One of the first blogs I ever wrote for InvestmentNews back in early 2012 discussed the need for a retirement income designation (http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20120210/BLOG05/120219990). As many of my readers know, I firmly believe that retirement income planning requires different skills and tools than those used in the accumulation phase.

Many financial advisers obviously agree given the numbers who are enrolling in retirement income designation programs.

The American College of Financial Services announced this week that its Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) designation is the fastest-growing financial adviser credential ever launched in the nonprofit college's 87 year history.

Since the RICP was launched a year ago, more than 3,000 licensed advisers and insurance agents have registered for the online program which includes three college-level courses and subsequent exams.

The RICP program includes textbooks for self-study, online lectures and video interviews with leaders in the retirement income planning field. The curriculum explores questions such as:

&bull:What is the best strategy for meeting a client's income needs in retirement?

&bull:What is the safe withdrawal rate from a portfolio?

&bull:How should portfolios be managed differently during the course of retirement?

&bull:How can clients maximize income in a low-interest-rate environment?

&bull:What is the most tax-efficient withdrawal strategy?

&bull:How can clients choose the best Social Security claiming strategy?

&bull:How do income annuities and employer-sponsored benefits fit into the mix?

“The main feedback we get from program participants is praise for the practical nature of the coursework,” RICP Program Director David Littell told me. “They can watch a video and use the information in their practice the next day.”

Advisers can learn more about the RICP program by visiting TheAmericanCollege.edu/RICP. Much of the video content is free to anyone at the site's New York Life Center for Retirement Income.

Although the RICP designation is the fastest growing credential in the retirement income field, it is certainly not the only one.

This summer, retirement income professor and researcher Wade Pfau shared his perspectives on the three leading retirement income designations in a guest post on Michael Kitces Nerd's Eye View blog.

Mr. Pfau created a side-by-side table comparing what he called ”the three most promising designations”, including : the International Foundation for Retirement Education's (InFRE) Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC); the Retirement Income Industry's Association's (RIIA) Retirement Income Management Analyst (RMA) and the ! American College's RICP.

The CRC is the oldest and most established with more than 1,800 current designee holders. The RICP is the newest and fastest growing designation, awarding its first 247 designations in 2013.The RMA certification, first awarded in 2010, has 74 designees so far.

“H

Large companies find ways to a zero tax rate

Despite widespread groans about the recent disclosure that Apple is finding ways to cut its federal tax bill, an analysis shows the computer giant is one of scores of corporations largely dodging the taxman.

A surprising number of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500, 57, have found ways to pay effective tax rates of zero, according to a USA TODAY analysis of data from S&P Capital IQ.

The effective tax rate is a popular measure used by investors to compare how much companies pay in tax relative to profit.

CEO PAY: Executive compensation skyrockets on soaring stock market

The news comes months after after the Government Accountability Office released a report showing that companies in 2010 paid an average effective tax rate of 12.6%, well below the 35% federal corporate tax rate.

Corporate giants such as telecom firm Verizon, drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb and power management firm Eaton, all paid effective tax rates of 0% during the past 12 months. The findings underscore that while many companies bellyache about the top federal income tax rate of 35%, in reality, many pay much less than that, says Nick Yee of Gradient Analytics. "Investors hope company management is doing everything they can to generate profit, legally," he says. "But the tax code is gray, and there's often no set guidance."

TAX REFUND DELAYS: IRS says shutdown will delay tax filing season

Some ways companies are driving their effective tax rates to zero include:

• Offshore transfer payments. One of the favorite ways for companies to slash their tax bills is by setting up foreign subsidiaries to make raw materials and components in countries with low tax rates. The companies' U.S. operations then purchase these parts from the foreign units at well above cost. By doing this, the overseas unit makes a large profit, which then escapes U.S. taxes, as long as it stays in the foreign country, Yee says. Transfer payments are used at Bristol, Forest Labs, Agilent Technologies, Eaton! and Lam Research, he says. Many companies are likely waiting for a U.S. tax-holiday, giving them a chance to bring the cash to the U.S. tax-free, Yee says. Agilent and Bristol declined to comment. The other companies didn't respond.

Top Tech Companies To Buy For 2015

• Harvesting losses. Most of the companies with effective tax rates of zero, or even negative, are money losers. While Hewlett-Packard, J.C. Penney and E-Trade pay taxes, since they lose money, they have negative effective tax rates due to the way the number is calculated. Yet, some big companies that have lost money in the past accumulate credits that can be used to offset tax bills in future years. These reserves can be very lucrative and give profit a boost by lowering the effective tax rate, Yee says. Companies with these tax loss reserves include General Motors and Crown Castle, he says. GM, for instance, released credit from its reserve, taking it down from $45 billion to $11 billion. Investors must be aware, though, that once that $11 billion reserve is used up, the company's tax rate returns to the statutory rate. All this follows tax rules, but investors need to be aware. "This isn't anything illegal, but the reserve will run out," Yee says. GM declined to comment. The other companies didn't respond.

• Accounting rules. A big reason that Verizon's effective tax rate is so low, coming in at a negative 4.8%, is largely due to accounting. The company's sped-up depreciation, severance and pension costs are large credits that contribute to pushing the company's taxes down, says Jonathan Schildkraut of Evercore. But there's also a distortion caused by the company's 55% interest in Verizon Wireless. Vodafone, which owns 45% of Verizon Wireless, pays taxes on its share, but the entire profit is reported on income. Adjusting for this, Verizon's effective tax rate is closer to 30%, the company says. Verizon is buying Vodafone's stake! , which w! ill eliminate the issue in the future. Similarly, real estate investment trusts have low effective tax rates because they pass profit to shareholders, who then pay the taxes.

The question for investors is whether or not companies paying low effective tax rates might, eventually, attract the attention to regulators. "They are slow at getting at these issues," Yee says.

S&P 500 members citing effective tax rates of 0% in past twelve months, ranked by market value (in billions):

Verizon: $146.4

MetLife: $53.9

Eaton: $32.7

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: $29.6

Public Storage: $29.5

Ventas: $19.3

Avalonbay Communities: $17.4

Agilent Technologies: $16.9

Vornado Realty Trust: $16.8

Boston Properites: $16.7

Seagate Technology: $15.9

Broadcom: $15.7

News Corp.: $9.8

Lam Research: $8.8

Kimco Realty: $8.6

Waters: $8.5

Macerich: $8.3

Plum Creek Timber: $8.4

PulteGroup: $6.4

Apartment Investment & Management: $4.3

Perkin Elmer: $4.2

Source: S&P Capital IQ

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015

The technology company of the year, promising massive shifts in real-life behavior ��rather than mere digital-lifestyle changes ��is, to me, Uber, the app-based car service.

It also steps, disruptively, into the ever-growing debate about urban income disparity, wherein happiness, ease and advantage invariably go to the highest bidder.

While the information superhighway was imagined, came into existence and matured into the most important business in the U.S., the actual American highway and ever-degrading transportation infrastructure have remained relatively unchanged. Various lonely futurists have talked about a mobility revolution that would involve driverless cars. The prevalence of the Zipcar logo has suggested a new, well, zip in the rental care market. And starkly lower car-ownership trends among Millennials have begun to frighten the automotive industry.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Deswell Industries Inc.(DSWL)

Deswell Industries, Inc. engages in the manufacture and sale of injection-molded plastic parts and components, electronic products and subassemblies, and metallic molds and accessory parts for original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturers. The company produces various plastic parts and components for the manufacture of consumer and industrial products, including plastic component of electronic entertainment products; cases for flashlights, telephones, paging machines, projectors, and alarm clocks; toner cartridges and cases for photocopy and printer machines; parts for electrical products, such as air-conditioning and ventilators; parts for audio equipment; cases and key tops for personal organizers and remote controls; double injection caps and baby products; parts for medical products comprising apparatus for blood tests; laser key caps; and automobile components. Its electronic products include audio equipment, such as digital audio workstation, digital or analogue mixing consoles, instrument amplifiers, signal processors, firewire/USB audio interfaces, keyboard controllers, and speaker enclosures; high end home theatre audio products comprising 7.1-channel audio-visual Hi-Fi stereo receivers-amplifiers; complex printed circuit board assemblies; and telecommunication products consisting of VoIP keysets for business communications. The company?s metal products include metallic molds and accessory parts used in audio equipment, telephones, copying machines, pay telephones, multimedia stations, automatic teller machines, and vending machines. In addition, it distributes audio equipment. The company sells its products in the United States, the People?s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Holland, Norway, and Germany. Deswell Industries, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Provident Financial Services Inc(PFS)

Provident Financial Services, Inc. operates as the holding company for The Provident Bank that provides banking services to individuals, families, and businesses in New Jersey. The company accepts various deposit products, including savings, checking, interest-bearing checking, money market deposit, certificate of deposit, and KEOGH accounts, as well as IRAs. It also originates commercial real estate loans that are secured by income-producing properties, such as multifamily residences, office buildings, and retail and industrial properties; commercial business loans; construction loans for single family and condominium projects; fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans collateralized by one- to four-family residential real estate; and other consumer loans consisting of home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. In addition, the company offers cash management, remote deposit capture, payroll origination, escrow account management, and Internet banking services, as well as business credit cards. Further, it provides range of asset management services, including investment management, asset allocation, trust and fiduciary, financial planning, family office, estate settlement, and custody services to individuals, municipalities, non-profits, corporations, and pension funds. Additionally, the company sells life insurance and investment products, including annuities; invests in real estate development joint ventures principally targeted to meet the housing needs of low and moderate-income communities; and manages and sells real estate acquired through foreclosure. As of January 27, 2012, it operated a network of 82 full service branches in northern and central New Jersey. The company was founded in 1839 and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Top 5 Penny Companies For 2014: Castings(CGS.L)

Castings P.L.C. produces and sells various iron castings. It offers ductile iron castings, spheroidal graphite (SG) iron castings, austempered ductile iron castings, simo castings, Ni-resist castings, and grey iron castings. The company also undertakes the design, including virtual analysis, of ductile and SG iron castings; and produces prototypes and pre-series castings, as well as fully machined ductile iron castings and sub-assemblies. It serves the commercial vehicle and automotive markets. The company has operations primarily in the United Kingdom, Sweden, rest of Europe, and North and South America. Castings P.L.C. is headquartered in Brownhills, the United Kingdom.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Stoneshield Capital Corp(STS.V)

StoneShield Capital Corp., a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition and exploration of precious metals properties in North and South America. It has an option to earn interests in the Tabisco gold and silver project located in Sonora State, Mexico; the Risby copper/silver/lead/zinc project located in the Northwest Territories, Canada; and the Geldenhoof gold property located in central British Columbia. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Westcore Energy Ltd (WTR.V)

Westcore Energy Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of coal properties in western Canada. The company holds a 75% interest in coal prospecting permits in the Hudson Bay North property located in Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan; a 75% interest in a quarry exploration permit in the Black Diamond property located in Manitoba; and a 60% interest in the Panther Coal property located in western Manitoba, Canada. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Neovasc Inc. (NVC.V)

Neovasc Inc., a specialty medical device company, develops, manufactures, and markets cardiovascular products worldwide. Its products include the Neovasc Reducer for the treatment of refractory angina; the Tiara technology in development for the transcatheter treatment of mitral valve disease; and a line of advanced biological tissue products that are used as key components in various third-party medical products, such as vascular surgical patches and transcatheter heart valves. The company also develops and manufactures the PeriPatch, a line of biological tissue products for use in third-party medical products. In addition, it provides a range of custom Peripatch products to industry customers for incorporation into their own products; and consulting and original equipment manufacturing services to other medical device companies. Further, Neovasc Inc. offers pericardial tissue processing, vascular product development, design, and manufacturing solutions to industry partne rs. The company was formerly known as Medical Ventures Corp. and changed its name to Neovasc Inc. in July 2008. Neovasc Inc. was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Richmond, Canada.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Hongkong Land Holdings Limited (H78.SI)

Hongkong Land Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the investment, management, and development of real estate properties in greater China and southeast Asia. The company owns and manages approximately 5 million square feet of office and retail space in Central business district, Hong Kong. It also owns commercial investment property in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Macau. In addition, the company holds residential development property for sale in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Macau; and under development properties in Singapore and Mainland China. Further, it is involved in the hotel investment and property consultancy activities. The company was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong. Hongkong Land Holdings Limited is a subsidiary of Jardine Strategic Holdings Limited.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Resource America Inc.(REXI)

Resource America, Inc. operates as an asset management company. The company, through its subsidiaries, operates in three segments: Financial Fund Management; Real Estate; and Equipment Finance. The Financial Fund Management segment engages in the formation and collateral management of structured financial products and of issuers of collateralized debt obligations, such as trust preferred securities, asset backed securities, leveraged loans, private equity, commercial mortgage backed securities, residential mortgage backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, and home equity loans. The Real Estate segment focuses on the acquisition of multifamily properties on behalf of the limited partnership investment funds it sponsors. The Equipment Finance segment offers small ticket equipment leases to the small to mid-sized business market through the formation of strategic marketing alliances. Resource America, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylva nia.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Mediolanum(MED.MI)

Mediolanum S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of financial services in Italy. It offers personalized current accounts that are interest-bearing and includes checks, ATM card, and credit card services. The company also provides a range of payment cards, including credit cards, debit cards, and rechargeable cards; mortgages and loans; pension schemes; managed savings, including mutual funds and managed accounts, and index and unit linked products; and life insurance products. In addition, it provides financial brokerage, asset management and advice, fund management, real estate brokerage, and education and training services, as well as engages in the production of audio, film, and television programs. The company operates in Spain, Germany, Ireland, and Luxemburg. Mediolanum S.p.A. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Basiglio, Italy.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Edleun Group Inc (EDU.V)

Edleun Group, Inc. engages in the design, development, marketing, management, and ownership of child care centers under the Learning Centre names in Canada. The company provides children, families, and employers with access to early childhood care and education programs. Its education programs include infant programs that create a nurturing atmosphere and a developmental curriculum for infants and children growing out of infancy; toddler programs; preschool programs that prepare children to enter a formal education system; and kindergarten programs; summer and holiday camps; back-up care and drop-in care programs; tutoring programs; and meals and menus, which provide four-week rotating menus for various seasons. The company also provides various before and after school child care programs. As of November 18, 2012, it had a total of 50 operating centers with approximately 5,010 licensed child care spaces. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top 5 High Tech Stocks To Buy For 2015: Vishay Precision Group Inc.(VPG)

Vishay Precision Group, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets components based on resistive foil technology, sensors, and sensor-based systems in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company?s products include precision foil resistors, foil strain gages, transducers and load cells, modules, instruments, weighing and control systems, and PhotoStress coatings and instruments; and sensors that convert mechanical inputs into an electronic signal for display, processing, interpretation, or control by the company?s instrumentation and systems products. Its products are used in waste management, bulk hauling, logging, scales manufacturing, engineering systems, pharmaceutical, oil, chemical, steel, paper, and food industries, as well as in military/aerospace, medical, agriculture, and construction markets. The company sells its products through original equipment manufacturers, electronic manufacturing services companies, and independent distributors, as well as directly t o end-use customers. Vishay Precision Group, Inc. was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

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 Vishay Precision Group (NYSE: VPG  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Shutdown leads retirement plan regulator to hit pause

Thanks to the shutdown of the federal government, the Labor Department's Employee Benefits Security Administration likely will have to hit the “pause” button on certain investigations and enforcement actions.

Generally, federal employees are unable to work if there is no funding available, but some exception can be given to staffers who are deemed absolutely essential.

“The vast majority of government employees can't work, so most routine functions for EBSA are on hiatus until the shutdown is resolved,” said Bradford Campbell, an attorney with Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP and a former assistant secretary of the EBSA, which oversees retirement plans and enforces the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974

“For cases that were in the midst of litigation over the past week, the Labor Department has been filing with the courts to ask for extensions,” Mr. Campbell added. “They've been preparing for some of this, but at the same time, they have the authority to take action in extraordinary situations.”

Not all investigators are deemed essential workers. Those who aren't will likely stop working on their cases until the funding issue is resolved.

“If [investigators] are dealing with a timeline, say a statute of limitations, then they are addressing it,” said Steve Barr, a spokesman with the Labor Department. “If there is a criminal investigation before a grand jury, then they're trying to be responsive. If there is a bankruptcy filing coming in, they look at it to make sure there is nothing that warrants their attention.”

Mr. Barr added: “They are doing some investigative work, but not all of it: it needs to be a pressing matter.”

The EBSA last month proposed having 85 of its field and national office staff members declared “excepted” or “intermittently excepted” from the furloughs.

“This limited number of staff is needed in order to continue to perform excepted and 'by necessary implication' activities arising from the Secretary's criminal authority under ERISA,” wrote Alan D. Lebowitz, deputy assistant secretary for program operations, in a Sept. 12 memo to Labor solicitor Patricia Smith.

Those workers also could respond to emergencies and handle “imminent threats to human life when medical benefits are denied in life-threatening situations,” Mr. Lebowitz wrote in his memo.

Of the 85 employees who were proposed to be exempted from the furlough, 46 were needed to handle criminal cases involving ERISA plans, pursue civil proceedings and address life-threatening scenarios due to the denial of health or disability benefits by an ERISA plan. The remaining 39 employees are on an “i! ntermittent exceptions” list to perform specific activities, such as ensuring the agency's technology services continue running or participating in an criminal case.

In the end, some 46 EBSA workers out of 986 onboard are expected to remain during the shutdown, per the memo.

5 Year Lows: Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation, Cantago Oil & Gas Company, Sequenom and North American Palladium

Top 10 Stocks To Buy Right Now

According to GuruFocus list of 5-year lows, these Guru stocks have reached their 5-year lows: Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation, Cantago Oil & Gas Company, Sequenom Inc and North American Palladium Ltd.

Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation (NYSE:ANH) Reached the 5-year Low of $4.73

The prices of Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation (NYSE:ANH) shares have declined to close to the 5-year low of $4.73, which is 49.3% off the 5-year high of $8.340. Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation is owned by 1 Guru that we are tracking. Among them, 1 have added to their positions during the past quarter. 2 reduced their positions. Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation has a market cap of $676.247 million; its shares were traded at around $4.73 with a P/E ratio of 8.02 and P/S ratio of 6.42. The dividend yield of Anworth Mortgage Asset Corporation stocks is 12.68%.

Anworth Mortgage reported their 2013 second quarter results. The Company reported net income of about $23 million.

Contango Oil & Gas Company (AMEX:MCF) Reached the 5-year Low of $36.82

The prices of Contango Oil & Gas Company (AMEX:MCF) shares have declined to close to the 5-year low of $36.82, which is 54.6% off the 5-year high of $69.750. Contango Oil & Gas Company is owned by 3 Gurus we are tracking. Among them, 2 have added to their positions during the past quarter. 0 reduced their positions. Contango Oil & Gas Company has a market cap of $559.478 million; its shares were traded at around $36.82 with a P/E ratio of 35.60 and P/S ratio of 4.41.

Cantango Oil & Gas Company announced their 2013 fiscal year-end results with revenues of $127.2 million and net income(loss) per diluted share of $0.64.

John Rogers kept his position in Cantago Oil & Gas Company. He owns about 3 million shares as of June 30, 2013.

Sequenom (NAS:SQNM) Reached the 5-year Low of $2.81

The prices of Sequenom (! NAS:SQNM) shares have declined to close to the 5-year low of $2.81, which is 91.2% off the 5-year high of $29.140. Sequenom is owned by 3 Gurus we are tracking. Among them, 0 have added to their positions during the past quarter. 2 reduced their positions. Sequenom has a market cap of $326.477 million; its shares were traded at around $2.81 with and P/S ratio of 2.50.

Sequenom reported their 2013 second quarter results. The Company reported net income of $31.02 million and revenues of $34.9 million.

North American Palladium (AMEX:PAL) Reached the 5-year Low of $1.02

The prices of North American Palladium (AMEX:PAL) shares have declined to close to the 5-year low of $1.02, which is 88.7% off the 5-year high of $7.990. North American Palladium is owned by 1 Guru we are tracking. Among them, 1 have added to his position during the past quarter. 0 reduced their positions. North American Palladium, Ltd. has a market cap of $200.717 million; its shares were traded at around $1.02 with and P/S ratio of 1.17.

North American Palladium Ltd. declared revenues of $33.2 million and net loss from continuing operations of $26.3 million for their 2013 second quarter results.

Go here for the complete list of 5-year lows.

Related links:GuruFocus list of 5-year lows

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Earnings Preview: What To Watch In Q2 Results?

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is expected to report a low double-digit drop in earnings when it publishes its second-quarter financial results after the close of the market on Jan.23, 2014. A live webcast of the earnings conference call will be made available at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Time on the Microsoft Investor Relations website.

Wall Street, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, expects the Windows software maker to earn 68 cents a share, representing a decline of 10.50 percent from last year when it earned 76 cents a share.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft's earnings have beat Street view thrice in the past four quarters, with upside surprise of 1.3 to 14.8 percent.

[Related -How To Earn 30% A Year From Microsoft -- Without Buying A Single Share]

The consensus estimate has come down from 74 cents over the past 90 days, suggesting analysts are in a bearish mood over the company's earnings prospects for the second quarter as a weak PC market and macro conditions have dampened the Street's optimism. However, two analysts have raised the profit forecast while one analyst has cut the same in the last one month.

After better-than-expected first quarter earnings, the market is hoping for solid results for the October to December period despite a difficult macro environment and a continued decline in the PC environment. The focus would be on Windows 8 adoption, data center and Office 365.

[Related -Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Good Buy or Good-Bye?]

Quarterly revenue is expected to grow 10.4 percent to $23.68 billion from $21.46 billion in the same quarter last year.

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 82.6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013, a 6.9 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2012, according to preliminary results by Gartner,. This is the seventh consecutive quarter of shipment decline.

However, Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, believes that though PC shipments continued to decline in the worldwide market in the fourth quarter, markets, such as the U.S., have bottomed out as the adjustment to the installed base slows.

Strong growth in tablets continued to negatively impact PC growth in emerging markets. In emerging markets, the first connected device for consumers is most likely a smartphone, and their first computing device is a tablet. As a result, the adoption of PCs in emerging markets will be slower as consumers skip PCs for tablets.

Consumers shifting from PCs to tablets for daily content consumption continued to decrease the installed base of PCs both in mature as well as in emerging markets.  Greater availability of inexpensive Android tablets attracted first-time consumers in emerging markets, and as supplementary devices in mature markets.

Investors will look for further updates on the recent Nokia deal and ramping of Surface 2, Surface Pro 2 tablets. The market would also be focusing on the uptake of Windows 8.1, an update to its popular Windows 8 operating system, and newly launched Lumia 1520.

Since PC market remains weak, Microsoft has to gain ground in enterprise software. The company is looking to leverage the cloud and its own brand devices to stay afloat in the highly competitive enterprise market.

If Microsoft manages to get top firms to use its cloud software, it would lock them into its ecosystem. Investors would be looking at the company's cloud strategy and how it is faring.

In December, Microsoft introduced the Cloud OS Network, a worldwide consortium of more than 25 cloud service providers delivering services built on the Microsoft Cloud Platform: Windows Server with Hyper-V, System Center and the Windows Azure Pack.

Enterprise as a percent of revenues was 55 percent in fiscal 2013 up from 36 percent in fiscal 2010. The improved contribution from enterprise drives improved financial visibility but also greater long-term revenues and profit potential given higher margin cloud business.

In addition, the shift to cloud services promises to lessen Microsoft's decades-long piracy dilemma and monetize emerging markets like China which is now the company's fastest growth market at $1 billion plus revenues. Investors will want some color on the company's investment strategy towards the key emerging markets.

Meanwhile, Microsoft may record lower gross margins in the near to intermediate term due to higher CAPEX and the multi-year transition towards devices and cloud services. But, investors should look through this transition to the benefits that will accrue as a leading enterprise cloud IT provider from a larger total available market.

In addition, the entertainment division's revenue would also be closely watched and any updates on the next generation console, Xbox One. Microsoft sold more than 3 million units of Xbox One.

The Street would be hoping for any announcement on the CEO succession as Steve Ballmer would retire within the next 12 months. The latest in the candidates list is Ericcson (NASDAQ:ERIC) CEO Hans Vestberg while others include Stephen Elop and Satya Nadella. Microsoft, which has had only two Chief Executives in its 38-year history, is expected to announce its third CEO in the early part of 2014.

For the first quarter, the world's largest software company reported net income of $5.24 billion or 62 cents a share, compared to $4.47 billion or 53 cents a share for the year-ago quarter. Excluding $113 million in revenue deferred mainly related to pre-sales of Windows 8.1, Microsoft would have earned 63 cents a share. Quarterly revenue rose 16 percent to $18.53 billion. Excluding deferral, first quarter adjusted revenue grew 7 percent.

Shares of Microsoft have gained 8 percent since reporting its first quarter earnings, and increased 34 percent in the last one year. The stock, which has a market cap of more than $303 billion, traded between $27 and $38.98 during the past 52-weeks. The stock trades 12.6 times its forward earnings.

5 Stocks in Breakout Territory With Big Volume

 DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume today.

Mercadolibre

Mercadolibre (MELI) operates an online trading site for the Latin American markets. This stock closed up 7.1% at $128.50 in Monday's trading session.

Hot Biotech Stocks To Own Right Now

Monday's Volume: 814,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 479,008

Volume % Change: 69%

 

From a technical perspective, MELI ripped higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $117.07 with above-average volume. This move pushed shares of MELI into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $125.30. Shares of MELI are now quickly moving within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if MELI manages to take out some more near-term overhead resistance at $130.74 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MELI as long as it's trending above $125 or $124 and then once it sustains a move or close above $130.74 with volume that's near or above 479,008 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then MELI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $136.52.

Vipshop

Vipshop (VIPS) rovides branded products to consumers in China through flash sales on its vipshop.com Web site. This stock closed up 9.3% to $47.89 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 2.17 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 645,972

Volume % Change: 216%

From a technical perspective, VIPS soared sharply higher here right off some near-term support at $42.50 with heavy upside volume. This move pushed shares of VIPS into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $45 to $45.27 with high volume. Shares of VIPS are now quickly moving within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if VIPS manages to take out Monday's intraday high of $48.40 and then once it clears its all-time high at $50.43 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in VIPS as long as it's trending above $45 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 645,972 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then VIPS will set up to enter new all-time high territory above $50.43, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $55 to $57.

Liquidity Service

Liquidity Service (LQDT) is an online auction marketplace for surplus and salvage assets. This stock closed up 14.9% at $34.44 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 1.60 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 402,622

Volume % Change: 336%

From a technical perspective, LQDT skyrocketed higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $30.94 with strong upside volume. This move briefly saw shares of LQDT trend back above its 200-day moving average at $34.60, before it closed just below that level at $34.44. Shares of LQDT are now quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if LQDT manages to take out Monday's intraday high of $35.21 and then once it clears some more near-term overhead resistance at $35.71 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in LQDT as long as it's trending above $32.67 or above $31.60 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 402,622 shares. If we get that breakout soon, then LQDT will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $38 to $40.90.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines (DAL) operates as an airline, providing scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the U.S. and around the world. This stock closed up 9.4% at $21.76 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 48.67 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 10.83 million

Volume % Change: 336%

From a technical perspective, DAL gapped up sharply higher here right above its 50-day moving average at $20.06 with strong upside volume. This move pushed shares of DAL into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $20.55. Shares of DAL are now quickly moving within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if DAL manages to take out some more near-term overhead resistance levels at $21.99 to its 52-week high at $22.05 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DAL as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $20.76 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 10.83 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then DAL will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $25 to $27.

Isis Pharmaceuticals

Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS) is engaged in antisense drug discovery and development, exploiting a novel drug discovery platform it created to generate a broad pipeline of first-in-class drugs. This stock closed up 13.9% to $31.81 in Monday's trading session.

Monday's Volume: 4.54 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.50 million

Volume % Change: 227%

From a technical perspective, ISIS gapped up sharply higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $29.55 to $30 with strong upside volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $23.63 to its intraday high of $31.88. During that move, shares of ISIS have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. Shares of ISIS are now quickly moving within range of triggering another big breakout trade. That trade will hit if ISIS manages to clear its next major overhead resistance levels at $32.09 to its 52-week high at $34.31 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ISIS as long as it's trending above Monday's low of $29.85 or above its 50-day at $28.37 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.50 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ISIS will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory above $34.31, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $40 to $43.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis 

DAVOS: Adecco Can Profit from Pickup in Growth

Recruitment company Adecco (AHEXY) has been on a hot streak for more than a year – and it may not be over yet.

"I think we are in a good position to show good growth this year," said Chief Financial Officer Dominik de Daniel in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "I think there is no question that earnings have to grow faster."

The prospects of Adecco, which competes with the likes of  Manpower (MAN) and Randstad Holding (RANJY), are closely tied to growth in gross domestic product, so an improvement in the economic outlook for Europe is good news. In the euro zone, comprising the 17 countries that use the common currency, GDP shrank 0.4% in 2013, according to forecasts. It is expected to grow 1.1% in 2014. That's an important turnaround: the euro zone has seen positive growth in on two of the past five years.

De Daniel's confidence in 2014 stems in part from the rebound in manufacturing in Germany and Spain in the third quarter of last year. He sees good opportunities "especially in the first half of the year, primarily in the industrial business, because the industrial business is the early indicator of a real recovery." A recovery in the professional sector will come in the second half.
Still, de Daniel reckons many of the new jobs will be temporary rather than permanent. The economy needs to grow by 1.5% to 1.8% a year for companies to hire workers on a permanent basis.

5 Best Value Stocks To Buy Right Now

Glattbrugg, Switzerland-based Adecco has kept a lid on costs during the downturn, so it is in good shape. The stock has risen about 43% in value in the past 12 months, closing Thursday at 75.65 Swiss francs ($84.26). Despite that outstanding performance, rivals Manpower and Randstad Holding both did better, climbing roughly 80% and 57%, respectively.

Adecco's shares trade at 16.6 times forecast 2014 earnings of 4.55 Swiss francs per share, which is favorable compared with multiples of 18.3 at Manpower and 17.3 at Randstad. Adecco, which has a market value of more than 14 billion Swiss francs, is projected to earn 3.71 Swiss francs per share on revenue of almost 24 billion Swiss francs in 2013.

Adecco looks like it still has room to go higher. Its stock can add as much as 10% more in 2014, especially if it makes progress on improving its profit margin, which was about 4% in the first nine months of 2013. It is targeting 5.5% in 2015.

The company can benefit also from returning cash to investors. It has announced share buybacks in 2012 and 2013 totaling 650 million euros. With a clear focus on shareholders, there could be other opportunities along the road.

Adecco clearly is a work in progress.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014

Shares in�European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. climb 3% in early trade Monday after its unit Airbus announced several orders for its A380 superjumbo and new long-range A350 at the Dubai Air Show over the weekend.

Hometown carrier Emirates Airline ordered another 50 A380s, bringing its total order book for the world’s largest passenger plane to 140 units–or almost half of all A380s on order.

Next-door rival Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi said Sunday it placed a firm order for 87 Airbus aircraft with purchase rights for a further 30. Including the related engines, the order was worth $26.9 billion at list prices, it said at the air show.

And today Airbus announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with newly-launched Libyan Wings for three wide-bodied A350-900 airliners as well as four single-aisle A320neos in an order that’s potentially worth $1.26 billion on the basis of Airbus’s list prices if it is transformed into a firm purchase agreement.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: Arch Capital Group Ltd.(ACGL)

Arch Capital Group Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. It operates in two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment offers casualty; construction; executive assurance; healthcare; collateral protection, debt cancellation, and service contract reimbursement products; national accounts casualty; professional liability; programs; property, energy, marine, and aviation; surety; and travel and accident insurance products. It also provides other insurance products, such as excess workers compensation and employers' liability insurance coverages for qualified self-insured groups, associations, and trusts; captive insurance programs; and accident, disability, and medical plan insurance coverages for employer groups, medical plan members, students, and other participant groups. This segment markets its products through a network of licensed independent retail and wholesale brokers. The Reinsurance segment rei nsures third party liability and worker?s compensation exposures; individual property risks that include personal lines and commercial property exposures; other specialty lines, including surety, accident and health, workers' compensation catastrophe, multi-peril crop, trade credit, and political risk; catastrophic perils, such as hurricane, earthquake, flood, tornado, hail, and fire; marine business, which includes coverage for hull, cargo, and transit and offshore oil and gas operations, as well as aviation business that comprises coverage for airline and general aviation risks; and non-traditional business to provide insurers with risk management solutions. This segment markets its reinsurance products through brokers, as well as directly with the ceding companies. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Arch Capital (ACGL)'s Dinos Iordanu recently described to our analysts how he met me in 2001. Before we invested in his business, we asked him all sorts of personal questions about how he came to America from Cyprus; whether or not his wife had a job; and how big was his house? He told our analysts that "Ron was trying to get a sense of me. He wanted to understand how I viewed risk. No one else asked us such questions. They were the right questions since you were investing in our business, which was assuming underwriting risk on your behalf. "We got it right with Dinos and have about quadrupled our money in the past twelve years, not exactly the most propitious time to invest in stocks! Of course, there can be no assurance that future investments will be as profitable��lthough you can be assured that we will continue to work hard to try to achieve similar results.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: Hill & Smith Hdg(HILS.L)

Hill & Smith Holdings PLC engages in the manufacture and supply of infrastructure, building, and construction products, as well as in the provision of galvanizing services. The company operates through three segments: Infrastructure Products, Galvanizing Services, and Building and Construction Products. The Infrastructure Products segment offers a range of products, including permanent and temporary road safety barriers, fencing, overhead sign gantries, street lighting columns, bridge parapets, demountable car parks, glass reinforced plastic railway platforms, variable road messaging solutions, traffic data collection systems, plastic drainage pipes, pipe supports for the power and liquid natural gas markets, energy grid components, and security fencing. It serves roads and utilities markets. The Galvanizing Services segment provides zinc and other coating services for a range of products comprising fencing, lighting columns, structural steel work, bridges, agricultural, a nd other products for the infrastructure and construction sectors. The Building and Construction Products segment offers roofing systems, safety handrails and flooring, lintels, and doors in steel and composite materials for the infrastructure projects, such as schools, and other public and industrial buildings. The company offers its products in the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Thailand, and China. Hill & Smith Holdings PLC is based in Solihull, the United Kingdom.

10 Best Stocks For 2014: Spectra Energy Corp(SE)

Spectra Energy Corp, through its subsidiaries, engages in the ownership and operation of a portfolio of complementary natural gas-related energy assets in the United States and Canada. The company operates in four segments: U.S. Transmission, Distribution, Western Canada Transmission and Processing, and Field Services. The U.S. Transmission segment engages in the transportation and storage of natural gas for customers in various regions of the northeastern and southeastern United States and the Maritime Provinces in Canada. Its natural gas pipeline systems consist of approximately 19,000 miles of transmission pipelines; and storage capacity comprises 305 billion cubic feet in the United States and Canada. The Distribution segment engages in the natural gas storage, transmission, and distribution in Western Canada and the United States. This segment has approximately 37,600 miles of distribution main and service pipelines serving approximately 1.3 million residential, comme rcial, and industrial customers. The Western Canada Transmission and Processing segment provides natural gas transportation, and gas gathering and processing services; and provides services to natural gas producers to remove impurities from the raw gas stream including water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other substances. This segment serves local distribution companies, end-use industrial and commercial customers, marketers, and exploration and production companies. The Field Services segment gathers and processes natural gas, as well as fractionates, markets, and trades natural gas liquids. It engages in gathering raw natural gas through gathering systems located in nine natural gas producing regions consisting of the Mid-Continent, Rocky Mountain, east Texas-north Louisiana, Barnett Shale, Gulf Coast, South Texas, Central Texas, Antrim Shale, and Permian Basin. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aimee Duffy]

  Outside of Dominion and Energy Transfer Partners, Royal Dutch Shell and El Paso Pipeline Partners are teaming up to convert EPB's import terminal on Elba Island, just off the Savannah coast, to an export facility. ExxonMobil and Sempra Energy (NYSE: SE  ) , among others, have also thrown their hats in the ring. Both companies would export from the U.S. Gulf Coast.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Spectra Energy's (NYSE: SE  ) �1,717-mile Express-Platte System�is one of just three major pipeline systems moving crude oil from western�Canada�to U.S. refining markets in the Rockies area and the Midwest.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.(CMG)

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. develops and operates fast-casual, fresh Mexican food restaurants in the United States, Canada, and England. Its restaurants primarily offer burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 1,230 restaurants, which includes 1 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is based in Denver, Colorado.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Now, obviously this is the market predicting Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG  ) , version 2.0. But as Barron's recently pointed out, Noodles isn't quite Chipotle. Last year's same-store sales were up 5.4% and in the last quarter up 2.2%. In the year before Chipotle's IPO, same-store sales jumped 10.2%, and the company was earning much more per restaurant.

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  Alamy McDonald's (MCD) has been struggling to heat up its sales for more than a year, but let's not assume that all fast food chains are in the same boat. In fact, as McDonald's tries to upgrade its menu with premium-priced items and update its eateries with fancy decor, free Wi-Fi, and barista-brewed coffee beverages, a much smaller rival is doing just fine with a throwback business model and menu. At a time when many of its more modern peers are struggling to ring up sales, Sonic (SONC) -- the chain of drive-in restaurants where some orders are still delivered to parked cars by carhops on roller skates -- is doing just fine. Retro Chic Sonic reported another solid quarter on Monday. Same-restaurant sales rose 2.2 percent for its fiscal quarter ending in November. Margins improved to the point where adjusted earnings per share climbed 18 percent with the help of an aggressive share buyback plan. McDonald's doesn't operate on the same fiscal calendar, but we know that same-restaurant sales in the U.S. declined 0.8 percent in November and were up a mere 0.2 percent in October. McDonald's is the world's largest burger chain, but it's had several months since Oct. 2012 where it failed to drum up more sales than it did a year earlier. Meanwhile, Sonic is on a roll. This isn't a fluke. Sonic posted a 5.9 percent surge in same-restaurant sales during its summer quarter. Zigging When McDonald's Zags Sonic and McDonald's both serve cheap burgers, but what's more interesting to consider is where the two companies are going in different directions. McDonald's has been on a health kick lately. It's been promoting its grilled chicken salads and recently added breakfast sandwiches made with egg whites. Sonic, on the other hand, is crediting no small part of the success of its most recent quarter to its milkshakes and new Cheesecake Bites. Consumers may talk about eating healthier, but they do something else when they're eating out. We're seeing this in the chain

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Both stocks hit new highs, posting positive comps along the way. You don't see that very often these days among publicly traded casual-dining chains as the hungry flock to fast-casual establishments led by Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG  ) .

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG  ) has a plan to boost its moribund comps.

  The fast-growing restaurant chain will be adding premium margaritas -- handmade with Patron silver tequila, triple sec, agave nectar, and fresh lime -- to more than half of its restaurants next week.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: Poseidon Nickel Ltd (POS)

Poseidon Nickel Limited is an Australia-based company engaged in exploration, mining and production of Nickel and other minerals. The Company�� Windarra nickel project, includes an implied ore reserve (mineable resource) of 3,446,000 ore tons at an average grade of 1.79% nickel for 61,500 nickel metal tons and has a mine life of six years. Cerberus is closely located to Poseidon�� existing operations approximately 10.5 kilometers south of the Mt Windarra nickel mine. In September 2011, Poseidon entered into an earn-in agreement with Magma Metals Limited (Magma) for nickel, copper and PGE rights to a tenement package adjoining its Windarra Nickel Project (WNP). The new tenements cover 203 square kilometers. The Company�� subsidiaries include Poseidon Nickel Atlantis Operations Pty Ltd, Poseidon Nickel Olympia Operations Pty Ltd and Wells Gold Corporation (International) Pty Ltd.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: RM Plc(RM.L)

RM plc provides educational products and services for schools, colleges, universities, and local government and central government departments and agencies in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company offers learning technologies, education resources, and assessment and data services. Its learning technologies products consist of classroom technology comprising learning platforms, computer systems, and interactive teaching equipment; and infrastructure and managed services, including systems, networking, and MIS. The company?s education resources comprise curriculum-focused products, such as teaching equipment and materials, furniture, and software. Its assessment and data services consist of systems, platforms, and outsourcing for testing and qualifications; and data analysis and dissemination services for teachers, parents, and policy makers. The company offers various products and services through its Web site, including application software and educational s oftware; laptops, and desktop and mobile PCs; peripherals and electronic products, such as printers and scanners, monitors, TVs, digital signage, mice and keyboards, cameras and camcorders, and audio-visual and music devices; notebook and printer accessories; storage and media products; PC components and memory products; monitor and display accessories; and cables and connectors. Its other products comprise networking and communication products and services, which include network cables and accessories, Internet and email, and servers, storage, and backup products; educational/teaching products; and office products and furniture for teaching and learning environment. The company also offers training, support services, insurance and warranty, collection and disposal services, and RM UtilEyes monitors, as well as involves in leasing servers, software, and furniture. RM plc was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Abingdon, the United Kingdom.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: KDR Industrials Ltd (KDR)

KDR Industrials Ltd., formerly North American Medical Services Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiaries, North American Medical Services Inc. (NAMS-Nevada), NuCelle Inc. (NuCelle) and N.A.M.S. Capital Corp. (NAMS-CC), is engaged in the manufacture and sale of skin treatment formulations, products, and systems bearing brand of NuCelle and Mandelic Marine Complex. NuCelle�� provides skin care formulations for all skin types, sensitive, ethnic, trouble-prone, and aging. The Company operates two product lines: NuCelle Rx and NuCelle Mandelic Marine Complex. Its NuCelle Rx, physician only line of products, is formulated for, and distributed to physicians and medical professionals. Its NuCelle Mandelic Marine Complex, the aesthetician only line of products, consists of a five step regimen, including Mandelic Wash, Mandelic Mint Scrub, Mandelic Toner, Mandelic Laser-lift Serum and Mandelic Anti-Oxidant Treatment Moisturizer.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: Class Editori(CLE.MI)

Class Editori SpA engages in newspapers, magazines, digital satellite television (TV), digital terrestrial TV, radio, and electronic publishing businesses. The company publishes newspapers that provide news, features, and information of interest to economists, lawyers, tax specialists, bankers, and other professionals; and various magazines for business professionals and consumers. It also operates Class CNBC, an Italian business TV channel, which provides activities and events of Italian stock exchange and Davos world economic forum; Class TV Msnbc, a terrestrial digital information TV channel that offers information on the lives of Italians and weather news; ClassHorseTV, which provides horse events; and Class TV Moda, an Italian fashion channel that offers international events, fashion shows, and interviews with fashion celebrities and VIP guests at fashion shows, as well as other TV channels, such as Class Life. In addition, the company provides a mix of classical musi c and Italian, and international financial news. Further, it supplies data, information, and financial news through various platforms, including cable, satellite, Intranet, and the Internet. Class Editori SpA was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: Lender Processing Services Inc (LPS)

Lender Processing Services, Inc. provides integrated technology, data, and services to the mortgage lending industry in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Technology, Data, and Analytics; and Transaction Services. Its Technology, Data, and Analytics segment offers software systems and information solutions that facilitate and automate various business processes across the life cycle of a mortgage. This segment�s primary applications and services include mortgage servicing platform, an application that automates loan servicing, including loan setup and ongoing processing, customer service, accounting and reporting to the secondary mortgage market, and federal regulatory reporting; Desktop, a Web-based workflow information system that can be used for managing and automating various workflow processes; and other software applications and services that automate and facilitate the origination of mortgage loans. It also provides data and analytics services , such as alternative valuation services, and data and information. The company�s Transaction Services segment offers customized outsourced business process and information solutions. Its origination services include settlement and title agency services comprising centralized title agency and closing services; appraisal services; and other origination services, such as federal flood zone certifications and monitoring services. This segment also provides default management services, consisting of foreclosure administrative services, property inspection and preservation; default title and settlement services; and alternative property valuation services. The company serves mortgage originators and servicers, other financial institutions, investors, attorneys, trustees, and real estate professionals. Lender Processing Services, Inc. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

Top 10 Stocks For 2014: Halfords Group Ord 1p(HFD.L)

Halfords Group plc engages in retailing automotive, leisure, and cycling products. It offers car maintenance products, including car parts, servicing consumables, workshop tools, and body repair equipment; and car enhancement comprising in-car entertainment systems, cleaning products, accessories, interior and exterior car styling products, navigation systems, and alloy wheels. The company also sells new cycles; cycle accessories, such as lights, locks, and cycle safety helmets; car travel equipment, which include roof boxes and cycle carriers; travel accessories that comprise batteries, safety equipment, and child car seats; and outdoor leisure equipment. It sells its products through operating 473 stores in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, as well as through its halfords.com and halfords.ie Web sites; and provides car servicing and repairs through its 240 car servicing centers in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1892 and is headquartered in R edditch, the United Kingdom.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014

Agency mortgage real estate investment trust�Capstead Mortgage (NYSE: CMO  ) announced this morning�its second-quarter dividend of $0.31�per share, the same rate it paid last quarter.

The board of directors said the quarterly dividend is payable on July 19 to the holders of record at the close of business on June 28. The mREIT has made payouts to investors since 1990.

The board also announced an initial dividend of $0.32292 per share on the mREIT's 7.50% Series E cumulative redeemable preferred stock that trades on the NYSE under the symbol CMOPRE for the period between May 13 through July 14. The payout will be payable on July 15 to the holders of record on June 28.

The regular dividend payment equates to a $1.24-per-share annual dividend, yielding 9.9% based on the closing price of Capstead Mortgage's stock on June 12.

Capstead invests in mortgages issued and guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as government agencies like Ginnie Mae.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: DTE Energy Company(DTE)

DTE Energy Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an electric and natural gas utility company in Michigan. It also involves in non-utility operations. The company?s Energy Utility segment engages in the generation, purchase, distribution, and sale of electricity in southeastern Michigan. It generates electricity from various fuels, including coal, as well as from nuclear and hydro facilitates. As of December 31, 2010, this segment owned and operated approximately 674 distribution substations and approximately 412,100 line transformers; and supplied electricity to 2.1 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan. The company?s Gas Utility segment engages in the purchase, storage, transmission, distribution, and sale of natural gas in Michigan. As of December 31, 2010, this segment?s distribution system included approximately 19,000 miles of distribution mains, 1,036,000 service lines, and 1,319,000 active meters. It also o wned approximately 2,000 miles of transmission lines that deliver natural gas; and supplied natural gas to approximately 1.2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout Michigan, as well as to approximately 17,000 customers in Adrian, Michigan. The company?s non-utility operations include natural gas pipelines and storage; unconventional gas exploration, development, and production; power and industrial projects, and coal transportation and marketing; and energy marketing and trading operations. Its customers include electric utilities, merchant power producers, integrated steel mills, and industrial companies. DTE Energy Company was founded in 1995 and is based in Detroit, Michigan.

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 DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE) slipped 1.4 percent to 9.21 euros. Europe�� second-largest telephone company traded without the right to a dividend today.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE  ) is going to make its shareholders a little richer. The company has declared a dividend of $0.655 per share of its common stock. This will be dispensed on July 15 to shareholders of record as of June 17.�This amount is almost 6% higher than the previous quarterly payout of $0.62, which was handed out in mid-April.

• [By John Udovich]

  Meanwhile, Plug Power Inc was formed in 1997 as a joint venture of Michigan utility owner DTE Energy Co (NYSE: DTE) and Mechanical Technology Inc (OTCMKTS: MKTY) to develop fuel-cell systems to power homes and small businesses. Plug Power Inc says it has�revolutionized the material handling industry with cost-effective power solutions that increase productivity, lower operating costs and reduce carbon footprints as�it manufactures a full suite of products designed to fit seamlessly into the existing battery compartment of all major OEM material handling equipment. The company also says that�its GenDrive fuel cell is a superior alternative to lead-acid batteries for electric lift trucks in the $20 billion�global material handling market.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Torch Energy Royalty Trust(TRU)

Torch Energy Royalty Trust, a grantor trust, holds net profits interests, to receive payments from the working interest owners. Its working interest owners include Torch Royalty Company, Torch E&P Company, Samson Lone Star Limited Partnership, and Constellation Energy Partners LLC. The trust is entitled to receive 95% of the net proceeds attributable to oil and natural gas produced and sold from wells on the underlying properties, including Chalkley Field in Louisiana; the Robinson?s Bend Field in the Black Warrior Basin in Alabama; Cotton Valley Fields in Texas; and Austin Chalk Fields in central Texas. Torch Energy Royalty Trust was founded in 1993 and is based in Wilmington, Delaware.

Top Dividend Companies To Buy For 2014: Sempra Energy(SRE)

Sempra Energy, together with its subsidiaries, develops new energy infrastructure, operates utilities, and provides energy-related products and services worldwide. It operates in six segments: SDG&E, SoCalGas, Sempra Generation, Sempra Pipelines & Storage, Sempra LNG (liquefied natural gas), and Sempra Commodities. The SDG&E segment has electric and natural gas franchises that locate, operate, and maintain facilities for the transmission and distribution of electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, street and highway lighting, and direct access customers. The SoCalGas segment has natural gas franchises that locate, operate, and maintain facilities for the transmission and distribution of natural gas to electric generation, wholesale, large commercial, industrial, and enhanced oil recovery customers. The Sempra Generation segment involves in the generation and wholesale distribution of electricity through a fleet of natural gas-fired power generati on facilities in Arizona, Nevada, and Indiana, as well as Mexico with a total capacity of 2,513 megawatts. The Sempra Pipelines & Storage segment operates 1,883 miles of distribution pipelines, 224 miles of transmission pipelines, and 3 compressor stations in Mexico; operates Mobile Gas, a natural gas distribution utility located in Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama; and operates natural gas storage facilities in Washington County of Alabama and Simpson County of Mississippi. The Sempra LNG segment involves in the receipt, storage, and vaporization of LNG, as well as the purchase and sale of natural gas. It operates Energia Costa Azul LNG receipt terminal in Baja California, Mexico, as well as Cameron LNG receipt terminal in Hackberry, Louisiana. The Sempra Commodities segment engages in the commodities-marketing business. Sempra Energy has operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered i n San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By David Dittman]

  PG&E Corp (NYSE: PCG), Edison International (NYSE: EIX) and Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) are the parent entities of California’s investor-owned utilities.

• [By Justin Loiseau]

  According to the press release, Southern's newest solar farm will be built, operated, and maintained by First Solar. Generated electricity is slotted for Sempra Energy's (NYSE: SRE  ) San Diego Gas & Electric Company through a 20-year power purchase agreement.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Sempra�Energy (NYSE: SRE) was started as Buy at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

  Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) was downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform at William Blair and downgraded to Buy from Strong Buy by ISI Group. Janney Capital also downgraded it to Neutral from Buy, and Credit Suisse lowered its 2013 earnings estimates.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: CPFL Energia S.A.(CPL)

CPFL Energia S.A., through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, distribution, and sale of electricity in Brazil. It generates electricity through hydroelectric, thermal, biomass, and wind power plants. The company also involves in the provision of energy commercialization, consultancy, and advisory services to agents in the energy sector; manufacture, commercialization, rental, and maintenance of electromechanical equipment; and provision of administrative services, as well as telephone answering services. It has an installed generating capacity of 2,309 MW. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  Brazilian electricity giant CPFL Energia S.A. (NYSE: CPL  ) sank 20%, and recently yielded 5.9%. Its long-term debt has been rising, largely due to acquisitions, and its free cash flow has been shrinking (and even turning negative�recently). But it has been investing heavily in alternative energies, and it serves a massive and growing market in Brazil. The country's growth has been slower than many would like, but that won't last forever.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Lexington Realty Trust (LXP)

Lexington Corporate Properties Trust operates as a self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT). The company acquires, owns, and manages a portfolio of office, industrial, and retail properties net-leased to corporate tenants in the United States. It also provides investment advisory and asset management services to institutional investors in the net lease area. As of June 30, 2005, the company operated 185 properties and managed 2 properties. Lexington Corporate Properties Trust has elected to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it would not be taxed on the portion of its income, which is distributed to shareholders, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in New York City.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Lexington Realty Trust (NYSE: LXP  ) is acting like a relaxed landlord that doesn't want or need to modify the rent. The company is maintaining its dividend policy by declaring a $0.15-per-share distribution for its current quarter, to be paid on or about July 15 to shareholders of record as of June 28. That amount matches the firm's previous three distributions, the most recent of which was paid in April. Prior to that, the real estate investment trust dispensed $0.125 per share.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Sysco Corporation(SYY)

Sysco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, distributes food and related products primarily to the foodservice or food-away-from-home industry in North America and Europe. The company offers a line of frozen foods, such as meats, fully prepared entrees, fruits, vegetables, and desserts; a line of canned and dry foods; fresh meats, custom-cut fresh steaks, other meat, seafood, and poultry; dairy products; beverage products; imported specialties; and fresh produce. It also supplies various non-food items, including paper products, such as disposable napkins, plates, and cups; tableware, which include china and silverware; cookware comprising pots, pans, and utensils; restaurant and kitchen equipment and supplies; and cleaning supplies. In addition, the company offers personal care guest amenities, equipment, housekeeping supplies, room accessories, and textiles to the lodging industry. It serves restaurants, hospitals and nursing homes, schools and colleges, hotels and mote ls, lodging establishments, and other foodservice customers. Sysco Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Sysco (SYY) doesn’t move look this. Really, it doesn’t.

  Sysco’s shares have gained 4.51% to $34.03 at 1:22 p.m. today, which, if the stock closed there now, would be the biggest gain since August 2012. It’s also just the 31st time in 2612 trading days that Sysco has move 4.51% or more in either direction in a single day, just 1.2% of the time. It also has a beta, or volatility relative to the S&P 500, of just 0.62.

  Most of the big-move days, I imagine, are like today, when Sysco got a big boost from its fiscal first-quarter earnings report. MarketWatch has the details:

  For the period ended Sept. 28, Sysco reported a profit of $285.6 million, or 48 cents a share, down from $286.6 million, or 49 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding restructuring-related expenses and other items, adjusted earnings were lower at 56 cents from 58 cents. Revenue increased 5.7% to $11.71 billion.

  Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters recently expected per-share earnings of 48 cents and revenue of $11.62 billion.

  Today’s move is quite a turnaround for Sysco, which plunged more than 4% on August 12 after releasing a disappointing earnings report.

  Guggenheim’s John Heinbockel and Steven Forbes remain unconvinced that Sysco has fixed its problems:

  We remain Neutral-rated on Sysco, believing that an ongoing challenging economic environment and pressure on gross margin to drive top-line growth (and market share) will limit EBIT growth over at least the next few quarters. The longer-term outlook could be better, as some benefit is derived from ERP, but uncertain. The shares are rising 4% pre-market (vs. a 0.40% increase in the S&P 500), possibly on lower BTS expenses as well as a greater-than-expected CP-funded share buyback. We would remain on the sidelines and expect other names, like Family Dollar (FDO), Kroger (KR), and Five Below (FIVE) to outperform from here.

  Try telling that to the mark

• [By The Part-time Investor]

  The following stocks met the criteria in January of 2008 and were put into the initial portfolio:

  Abbot Labs (ABT)Advanced data processing (ADP)Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC)Bank of America (BAC)BB&T Corp. (BBT)Bemis Company (BMS)Anheuser Busch (BUD)The Chubb Corporation (CB)Clorox (CLX)Comerica Inc. (CMA)Diebold Inc. (DBD)Emerson Electronics (EMR)First Dollar Corp. (FDO)First Third BanCorp. (FITB)Gannett Co, Inc. (GCI)General Electric (GE)Hershey (HSY)Illinois Tools Works (ITW)Johnson and Johnson (JNJ)Leggett and Platt (LEG)Eli Lilly (LLY)La-Z-Boy (LZB)McDonald's (MCD)Marsh and Ilsley (MI)M&T Bancorp (MTB)PepsiCo (PEP)Pfizer (PFE)Procter & Gamble (PG)Pentair Ltd. (PNR)Regions Financial Corp. (RF)Rohm and Haas (ROH)RPM International (RPM)Sherwin Williams (SHW)Sysco Corp. (SYY)UDR Inc. (UDR)

  Historical quotes were taken from Yahoo Finance. $10,000 was put into each position, to the nearest whole share, so a total of $349,262.89 was invested. From 1/15/08 through 5/16/13 all dividends were reinvested back into the stock that paid them. If a dividend cut was announced, that stock was sold on the ex-div date of the new, lower dividend.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: (TELNY)

Telenor ASA operates as a telecommunication company worldwide. It provides mobile communication, fixed line communication, and television (TV)-based services. The company?s mobile communication services include voice, data, Internet, content, and electronic commerce services, as well as customer equipment, such as telephone sets, mobile phones, smart phones, computers, and PABX?s. Its fixed line services comprise analogue PSTN, digital ISDN, broadband telephony, xDSL, Internet, and leased lines, as well as communication solutions. The company?s TV-based services consist of pay-TV services via satellite dish, cable TV-networks, satellite master antenna TV-networks systems, broadband access services to cable TV-subscribers, and broadcasting rights, as well as security solutions to pay-TV operators. It also provides consulting and information technology services; maritime and aircraft telecommunications services; Internet protocol services; and mobile marketing agency service s, as well as manages two funds. The company has approximately 120 million mobile subscriptions. Telenor ASA was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Fornebu, Norway.

Best Dividend Companies To Watch For 2014: Vivo Participacoes S.A.(VIV)

Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A.-TELESP provides fixed-line telecommunications services to residential and commercial customers in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its services include local voice services, such as activation, monthly subscription, measured service, and public telephones; intraregional, interregional, and international long-distance voice services; data services comprising broadband services; pay TV services through direct to home satellite technology and land based wireless technology multichannel multipoint distribution service; and network services, such as interconnection and rental of facilities, as well as other services consisting of extended maintenance, caller identification, voice mail, cell phone blockers, computer support, and antivirus for Internet service subscribers. The company also offers multimedia communication services, such as audio, data, voice and other sounds, images, and texts and other information. In addition, it provides interc onnection services to cellular service providers and other fixed telecommunications companies through the use of its network. Further, the company offers telecommunications solutions and IT support designed to address the needs and requirements of companies operating various types of industries, including retail, manufacturing, services, financial institutions, and government. Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A.-TELESP provides its products and services through person-to-person sales, telesales, indirect channels, Internet, and door-to-door sales. As of December 31, 2010, its telephone network included 11.3 million fixed lines in service, including residential, commercial, and public telephone lines; 3.3 million broadband clients; and 0.5 million pay TV clients. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A.-TELESP is a subsidiary of Telefonica S.A.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Vivendi (VIV) rose 2.7 percent to 17.15 euros. Music, pay-TV, European cinema and Internet in Brazil will make up a new media group based in France after the split with phone unit SFR, according to a statement yesterday.

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Royal Mail (RMG) Group Ltd. jumped the most in a month after the U.K. postal service that listed its shares in October said first-half earnings almost doubled. Vivendi SA (VIV) advanced 1.9 percent after saying it will replace its chairman once it spins off its wireless business. Accor SA dropped 3.9 percent after saying it will separate the operation and ownership of hotels into two businesses.

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Ebix (NASDAQ: EBIX  ) will be very busy in the near future doing work for a major South American telecom incumbent. The company announced that it has signed a deal with Telefonica's (NYSE: TEF  ) Brazilian subsidiary Telefonica/Vivo (NYSE: VIV  ) , also known as Telefonica Brasil,�to supply its services for the latter's eHealth Self Care initiative, which aims "to provide health assistance and complimentary services to their millions of clients." Ebix will utilize its A.D.A.M. Health Content Exchange solution to make this happen.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's secret gastric band surgery in�February�has stolen front-page headlines today. His weight is often the target of comedic fodder, but it was a legitimate concern surrounding his overall health.

This news has gotten the political media stirring that the governor is planning a White House run in 2016, but here at the Fool we're more concerned with investing than with politics. With more than 200,000 stomach-shrinking procedures performed per year, is there money to be made for investors?

In this video, Motley Fool health-care analyst David Williamson takes a closer look at the companies and highlights why this may be no slam-dunk for investors.

What could be a slam-dunk for investors is a stock working to eradicate the macro trend Warren Buffett called "the tapeworm that's eating at American competitiveness." Find out what Buffett was referring to in our free report: "What's Really Eating at America's Competitiveness." Just click here for free, immediate access.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Hercules Technology Growth Capital Inc (HTGC)

Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. (HTGC), incorporated on December 18, 2003, is an internally managed, non-diversified closed-end investment company. The Company is a specialty finance company focused on providing senior secured loans to venture capital-backed companies in technology-related markets, including technology, biotechnology, life science, and clean-technology industries at all stages of development. The Company's investment objective is to maximize the Company's portfolio total return by generating current income from its debt investments and capital appreciation from its equity-related investments. The Company invests primarily in structured debt with warrants and, to a lesser extent, in senior debt and equity investments. The Company also makes investments in qualifying small businesses through two wholly-owned, small business investment company (SBIC) subsidiaries, Hercules Technology II, L.P. (HT II) and Hercules Technology III, L.P. (HT III).

The Company focuses its investments in companies active in the technology industry sub-sectors characterized by products or services that requires advanced technologies, including, but not limited to, computer software and hardware, networking systems, semiconductors, semiconductor capital equipment, information technology infrastructure or services, Internet consumer and business services, telecommunications, telecommunications equipment, renewable or alternative energy, media and life science. Within the life science sub-sector, the Company generally focuses on medical devices, bio-pharmaceutical, drug discovery, drug delivery, health care services and information systems companies. Within the clean technology sub-sector, the Company focuses on sustainable and renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency and monitoring technologies. The Company refers to all of these companies as technology-related companies and intend, under normal circumstances, to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in such businesses. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  Business development companies like Hercules Technology Growth Capital (HTGC) invest money into middle-market companies that are experiencing fast growth.� Often, these investments take the form of mezzanine debt paying interest in the teens, and some warrants.� Hercules likes to focus more on senior secured revolvers and term loans to refinance existing debt, and will even take second-liens.� It has more attractive upside with its investments than other BDCs because it focuses on tech, energy tech, healthcare, life sciences and business services — all of which can fetch higher multiples upon exit.� It pays out a sturdy 7.3% dividend.

• [By Helix Investment Research]

  Keating Capital is far from the only publicly traded pre-IPO investment company. There are several others, including GSV Capital (GSVC) and Firsthand Technology Value Fund (SVVC). Hercules Technology Growth Capital (HTGC) is also a pre-IPO fund, but with the bulk of its assets (over 92%) invested into loans to and debt of private companies, as opposed to their equity, the company's investment philosophy is different than that of these other pre-IPO funds. Unlike GSV Capital and Firsthand, Keating Capital, as a matter of policy, always purchases equity directly from portfolio companies, never from secondary markets such as SharesPost or SecondMarket. Mr. Keating outlined that this is due to the company's requirement that it be given access to all relevant financial data and managerial projections of its portfolio companies at all times, something that Mr. Keating believes is essential to being able to make informed investor decisions. We note that shares of Facebook (FB) and Twitter are conspicuously absent from Keating Capital's portfolio; the company declined to purchase shares of either company due to an inability to acquire direct financial information regarding these companies. In addition, Keating Capital has a stated goal of investing in the most senior equity securities available at each portfolio company.

• [By Chad Tracy]

  StreetAuthority expert analyst Amy Calistri has had incredible success with BDCs in her Daily Paycheck portfolio. When she recommended Hercules Technology (NYSE: HTGC) in February 2010, the stock was trading for a little more than $10 a share.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: icad inc. (ICAD)

iCAD, Inc. provides image analysis and workflow solutions that enable radiologists and other healthcare professionals to identify pathologies and pinpoint cancer earlier. It offers CAD solutions for digital and film-based mammography systems, including SecondLook systems, which analyze data, and automatically identify and mark suspicious regions in the images; and SecondLook Digital, a computer server residing on a customer�s network that receives patient studies from the imaging modality, performs CAD analysis, and sends the CAD results to PACS and/or review workstations. The company also offers image analysis and workflow solutions in MRI imaging, including SpectraLook for breast, VividLook for prostate, and OmniLook for other organs; and VersaVue Enterprise, a review and reporting solution that provides visual and quantitative depictions of the movement of contrast agent through a lesion. In addition, it offers VeraLook, which supports the detection of colonic polyps i n conjunction with CT colonography; The TotalLook MammoAdvantage system, a mammography specific digitizer; and Axxent eBx, which is used for the treatment of early stage breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and skin cancer, as well as for the treatment of other cancers or conditions where radiation therapy is indicated. The company sells its products to hospitals, ambulatory care centers, and free standing radiation oncology facilities. It sells its products directly, as well as through various original equipment manufacturer partners, distributors, and resellers worldwide. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Best Penny Companies To Watch In Right Now: RRSat Global Communications Network Ltd.(RRST)

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. provides content management and distribution services to television and radio broadcasting industries. The company, through its proprietary ?RRsat Global Network? comprising satellite and terrestrial fiber optic transmission capacity and the public Internet, offers distribution services for content providers. Its content distribution services consist of worldwide transmission of video and audio broadcasts. The company also offers content management services, including digital archiving and compilation of customer?s programming and advertising content into various broadcast channels. In addition, RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. provides various production services on a contractual basis and satellite newsgathering services through its fleet of vans for outside broadcasting and electronic news gathering crews and packages. Further, it offers live broadcast studios and editing facilities to its customers. The company?s RRs at Global Network delivers content to various end markets, including cable operators, satellite operators, Internet protocol television operators, direct to home market, and public Internet. Additionally, RRSat Global Communications Network provides mobile satellite telecommunications services, such as global telephony, fax, data, Internet, and other value added services for shipping, aviation, construction, and oil companies; humanitarian aid organizations; governmental agencies; and other end customers that require telephony and Internet services in remote areas. As of December 31, 2009, it provided services to approximately 545 television and radio channels in approximately 150 countries. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in D.N. Shikmim, Israel.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc.(SNSS)

Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of oncology therapeutics for the treatment of solid and hematologic cancers. The company?s principal product includes Vosaroxin, an anti-cancer quinolone derivative for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It is conducting various clinical trials of Vosaroxin, including Phase II clinical trial, known as VALOR trial in combination with cytarabine for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory AML; and a Phase II clinical trial, known as REVEAL-1 in previously untreated patients of age 60 years or older, as well as completed a Phase II single-agent trial of Vosaroxin in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. In addition, the company is conducting a Phase II/III trial, known as the Less Intensive 1 in patients older than 60 years with AML or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. It has a license agreement with Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. , Ltd. for the development and commercialization of Vosaroxin; a collaboration agreement with Millennium for the development of pan-Raf kinase inhibitor and one additional undisclosed kinase inhibitor program in oncology; and a collaboration agreement with Biogen Idec, Inc. to discover, develop, and commercialize small molecule inhibitors of a preclinical kinase inhibitor program in immunology. The company formerly known as, Mosaic Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biopharmaceutical company Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNSS  ) has received an alarming one-star ranking.

• [By Selena Maranjian]

  The biggest new holdings are Virgin Media�and Constellation Brands. Other new holdings of interest include Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNSS  ) , which has many investors hopeful about the phase 3 trials of its leukemia drug vosaroxin, which could be a blockbuster.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Mooncor Oil & Gas Corp. (MOO.V)

Mooncor Oil & Gas Corp., a junior oil and gas exploration company, engages in the exploration and development of oil and gas properties in Canada. The company principally holds interests in the Muskwa/Duvernay shale gas play at Hamburg, Alberta covering 103,000 net acres with contingent plus prospective resources of approximately 10.57 trillion cubic feet of gas in place and approximately 2.57 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas. Mooncor Oil & Gas Corp. is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Yale Resources Ltd. (YLL.V)

Yale Resources Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, copper, zinc, and lead. It also has interests in oil and gas properties in the United States. The company was founded in 1987 is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Brembo(BRBI.MI)

Brembo S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the analysis, design, development, application, production, assembly, and sale of braking systems for automotive vehicles worldwide. It offers brake discs, brake calipers, side-wheel modules, brake master cylinders, light-alloy wheels, and complete braking systems, as well as integrated engineering services for the vehicle manufacturers and manufacturers of motorbikes. The company also engages in the production and sale of brakes and clutches for racing cars and motorbikes; seatbelts for children?s seats and jumpsuits for the racing industry; purchase and resale of vehicles; development, production, and sale of foundry products for the automotive market; logistics and sales activities in the economic and technological development hub of Qingdao; and sale of brake discs, pads, drums, brake shoes, drum-brake kits, and hydraulic components for the aftermarket. In addition, it involves in the design, manufacture, assem bly, and sale of accessories and components for the car industry, including footwear and articles of apparel in general for the racing market; and carbon ceramic brake discs. Further, Brembo offers magnesium and aluminum wheels for racing motorbikes, seats for the original equipment market, and restraint systems for infants. It offers its products under the Brembo, AP Racing, Marchesini, Sabelt, ByBre, AP, and Breco brands to manufacturers of cars, motorbikes, commercial vehicles, and racing cars and motorbikes. The company was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Stezzano, Italy. Brembo S.p.A. is a subsidiary of Nuova FourB S.p.A.

Top Warren Buffett Stocks To Own Right Now: Paulson Capital Corp.(PLCC)

Paulson Capital Corp., through its subsidiary, Paulson Investment Company, Inc., operates as a brokerage company principally in the United States. It engages in securities brokerage activities, which include acting as agent for purchase and sale of common and preferred stocks, options, warrants, and debt securities traded on securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. The company?s corporate finance activities comprise underwriting initial and follow-on public offerings, private investments in public equity, and private placements for smaller companies; securities trading and market making activities consist of executing trades in equity securities, corporate debt securities, and municipal bonds; and market making activities are conducted with dealers in the wholesale market and its customers. Its investment activities include holding securities for investment, which primarily include securities purchased for investment and underwriter warrants. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 39 branch offices in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Paulson Capital Corp. was founded in 1969 and is based in Portland, Oregon.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Paulson Capital Corp. (Nasdaq:PLCC), parent company of Paulson Investment Company, Inc., reported a net income of $1,412,294 (or $0.24 per share) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 versus a net loss of $381,210 (or ($0.07) per share) for the like period in 2011.