Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks For 2014

SandRidge Energy (NYSE: SD  ) is emerging as one of the more intriguing oil and gas producers in the nation. It has basically sold everything it owned in order to concentrate on one big opportunity. Now, its building the company around the oil coming from the Mississippi Lime formation.�

When I describe SandRidge as intriguing, I do so for good reason.�You have boardroom drama with an embattled CEO, tremendous liquids growth opportunities, and a company that's selling for a compelling discount to its net asset value. The�parallels�to Chesapeake Energy are rather striking, and the opportunity is as good, if not better, due to the higher ratio of liquids to gas production.�

The company has undergone a lot of changes over the past year. That's why I recently updated a premium report�on the company. With so many changes, and more on the way, this is a company that investors need to keep close tabs on. �

Best Income Stocks To Invest In 2015: Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ARNA)

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in discovering, developing, and commercializing oral drugs in the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular, central nervous system, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases. The company?s clinical development programs include lorcaserin that has completed two pivotal Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of weight management, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss; and APD811, which is under Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Its preclinical development programs include APD334, for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The company also researches and develops cannabinoid, receptor agonists for the treatment of osteoarthritis and pain; and GPR119 agonists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Its other development programs, which had completed Phase I clinical trial include APD597 for th e treatment of type II diabetes; APD916 for the treatment of narcolepsy and cataplexy; and APD791 for the treatment of arterial thrombosis. In addition, the company provides manufacturing services. Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in San Diego, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brian Orelli]

  VIVUS really needs to find a partner to help the company compete with Arena Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: ARNA  ) Belviq, which is marketed by Japanese giant Eisai. Even Orexigen (NASDAQ: OREX  ) , which is about a year from marketing its obesity drug Contrave, already has a partner in Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  VIVUS' direct competitors in the obesity space both have large partners. Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARNA  ) secured a marketing deal with Eisai to market Belviq, and Orexigen (NASDAQ: OREX  ) will have help from Takeda once its obesity drug, Contrave, is approved.

• [By Keith Speights]

  Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARNA  ) and VIVUS (NASDAQ: VVUS  ) currently stand as the two drugmakers that fit this bill. VIVUS launched Qsymia in the latter part of 2012, but early sales for the drug were more sluggish than the company had hoped. Arena was held up on launching Belviq as it awaited DEA clearance. However, the company received the go-ahead earlier this month and is now on the market.The prospect of additional reimbursement bodes well for both Arena and VIVUS.

• [By Brian Orelli]

  A fat investment opportunity
  Two, in fact. Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARNA  ) and VIVUS (NASDAQ: VVUS  ) have both recently launched obesity drugs.

Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks For 2014: American Railcar Industries Inc.(ARII)

American Railcar Industries, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells hopper and tank railcars in North America. Its Manufacturing Operations segment manufactures general service and specialty hopper railcars that are used to transport, load, and unload grains, cement, plastic pallets, and bulk products, as well as to transport heavy ore mineral loads; and non-pressure and high pressure tank railcars used to handle various commodities, including petroleum products, ethanol, asphalt, vegetable oil, corn syrup, other food products, chlorine, anhydrous ammonia, liquid propane, and butane. This segment also manufactures custom and standard railcar components that comprise tank railcar components and valves, tank heads, discharge outlets for hopper railcars, manway covers and valve body castings, outlet components and running boards for industrial and railroad customers, and hitches for the intermodal market; and aluminum and special alloy steel castings for the trucking, construc tion, mining, and oil and gas exploration markets, as well as finished machined aluminum castings and other custom machined products. The company?s Railcar Services segment provides repair and refurbishment services that include full cleaning, interior and exterior coating, heavy repair/rebuilding, and non-destructive testing; engineering services, such as failure analysis, retrofit drawings, procedure preparation, regulatory compliance assistance, trouble shooting, and railcar inspections; and fleet management services comprising maintenance planning, project management, tracking and tracing, regulatory compliance, mileage audit, rolling stock taxes, and online service access. It sells its products through catalogs and sales force to leasing, industrial, and other non-rail companies, as well as to railroads. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in St. Charles, Missouri. As of January 15, 2010, American Railcar Industries, Inc. operates as subsidiary of Icah n Enterprises L.P.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Bullish economic news helped the Dow finally hold onto the 16,000 level at the end of the day, even after three previous forays had failed to result in a close above that figure. Even amid the general enthusiasm over stocks as the year draws to a close, GameStop (NYSE: GME  ) , American Railcar Industries (NASDAQ: ARII  ) , and Tower Group International (NASDAQ: TWGP  ) all fell sharply. Let's figure out why these stocks dropped so badly and what their moves could mean for the broader market.

• [By Anna Prior]

  American Railcar Industries Inc.(ARII) said billionaire investor Carl Icahn has resigned as a director and chairman. Mr. Icahn’s resignation didn’t stem from any disagreement, but rather he wanted to decrease the number of boards on which he served, American Railcar said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks For 2014: Paragon Shipping Inc.(PRGN)

Paragon Shipping Inc. provides shipping transportation services worldwide. The company engages in the ocean transportation of various drybulk cargoes and containers. Its fleet consists of 11 drybulk vessels with a total carrying capacity of 747,994 dwt. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in Voula, Greece.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another under-$10 name shipping player that's starting to move within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Paragon Shipping (PRGN), which is engaged in transporting drybulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along shipping routes worldwide. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up sharply by 114%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Paragon Shipping, you'll notice that this stock just recently took out its 50-day moving average of $4.19 a share with strong upside volume. Shares of PRGN are showing relative strength today, despite the overall market weakness, which shows this stock is in strong demand at current levels. This move is now starting to push shares of PRGN within range of triggering a big breakout trade

  Market players should now look for long-biased trades in PRGN if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $4.90 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 25,811 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PRGN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $5.70 a share. If that level gets taken out with volume, then PRGN could easily tag its next major overhead resistance levels at $7 to $8.35 a share.

  Traders can look to buy PRGN off weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below its 50-day moving average of $4.19 a share, or below its 200-day moving average at $3.74 a share. One can also buy PRGN off strength once it clears $4.90 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point. I would add to either position once PRGN takes out its 52-week high at $5.70 a share with strong upside volume flows.

Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks For 2014: Littelfuse Inc.(LFUS)

Littelfuse, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells circuit protection devices for use in the automotive, electronic, and electrical markets in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. The company offers electronic circuit protection products, such as fuses and protectors, positive temperature coefficient resettable fuses, varistors, polymer electrostatic discharge suppressors, discrete transient voltage suppression diodes, TVS diode arrays and protection thyristors, gas discharge tubes, and power switching components, as well as fuseholders, blocks, and related accessories under PICO II, and NANO2 SMF, TECCOR, SIDACtor, and Battrax brand names. It offers its electronic circuit protection products for use in wireless telephones, consumer electronics, computers, modems, telecommunications equipment, telephones, data transmission lines, and alarm systems. The company also provides automotive fuses that are used in automobiles, trucks, buses, and off-road equipment to protec t electrical circuits and the wires that supply electrical power to operate lights, heating, air conditioning, radios, windows, and other controls, as well as offers fuses for the protection of electric and hybrid vehicles. It markets its automotive fuse products under ATO, MINI, MAXI, MIDI, MEGA, MasterFuse, JCASE, and CablePro brand names. In addition, Littelfuse manufactures various low-voltage and medium-voltage circuit protection products, such as power fuses that are used in the protection from over-load and short-circuit currents in motor branch circuits, heating and cooling systems, control systems, lighting circuits, and electrical distribution networks to electrical distributors and their customers in the construction, original equipment manufacturers, and industrial maintenance and repair and operating supplies markets. Littelfuse sells its products through direct sales force and manufacturers? representatives. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Littelfuse (NASDAQ: LFUS  ) has signed an agreement to acquire Key Safety Systems' Hamlin subsidiary for $145 million in cash, Littelfuse announced Monday.

Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks For 2014: National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB)

National Australia Bank Limited provides products, advice and services. In Australia, it operates through National Australia Bank, MLC and UBank. In the United Kingdom, it operates through Clydesdale Bank. In New Zealand, it operates through Bank of New Zealand. In the United States, it operates through Great Western Bank. Segments include Business Banking, Personal Banking, Wholesale Banking, UK Banking and NZ Banking, MLC and NAB and Great Western Ban. As of April 5, 2012, the Company and its associated entities ceased to be a substantial holder in BlueScope Steel Limited. On May 17, 2012, it ceased to be a substantial holder in Spark Infrastructure Group and Sandfire Resources NL. As of August 24, 2012, the Company and its associated entities ceased to be holder in Tabcorp Holdings Limited. In September 2012, the Company and its associated entities have ceased to be a substantial holder in Incitec Pivot Limited, as of August 30, 2012. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Yoshiaki Nohara]

  Alacer Gold Corp. sank 4.1 percent in Sydney as the price of the precious metal declined. Honda Motor Co. (7267) lost 0.6 percent after Japan�� third-largest carmaker reported second-quarter profit that missed analysts��estimates amid slowing motorcycle sales in Southeast Asia. National Australia Bank Ltd. (NAB) retreated 2.3 percent as expenses climbed at the country�� largest lender by assets.