Home-Selling Advice From Around the Web

The housing market typically heats up as the weather does in spring and summer, but it's off to a slow start this year. The latest report from the National Association of Realtors shows that existing home sales were flat in March, growth in home prices slowed and current home sales activity shows signs of underperforming by historical standards. That's not particularly encouraging news for people trying to sell homes. But NAR expects the slow start to the spring selling season may be temporary. Even so, there are several steps home sellers should take to improve their chances of finding buyers. Here's some advice from a few of our favorite personal finance bloggers.SEE ALSO: How Smart of a Home Seller Are You?

Top 6 Ways to Sell Your Home Without Hosting an Open House [Money Crashers]
"Holding an open house has long been part of the home-selling process. The problem is, open houses no longer work – and real estate agents know this."

10 Cheap Ways to Stage Your Home for Sale [Living on the Cheap]
"There are many things you can do to spruce up the look of your home without shelling out a lot of money."

5 Best Financial Stocks To Invest In Right Now

This Is Why Your House Isn't Selling – Here's How to Finally Get Your House Sold [Free From Broke]
"If you can't figure out why your house isn't selling then seriously go through these reasons again and honestly ask yourself if any apply to your situation."

5 Myths and 5 Truths About Selling Your Home [Zillow Blog]
"Real estate agents participating in Zillow's 2014 Home-Selling Season Survey identified five top real estate myths; the debunking of them should put you on the fast-track to selling your property."

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Own In Right Now

Top 5 Construction Material Companies To Own In Right Now: Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL (CBN)

Societe Libanaise des Ciments Blancs SAL is a Lebanon-based joint stock company that operates in the construction materials industry sector. The Company is engaged in the production and sale of white cement. The Company is a 65.99% owned by Holcim (Liban) SAL. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CanadianValue]

  Nigerias reformed banking system has provided many foreigners with an attractive means to invest in the fast-growing domestic economy. The banking industry is important, not only because of the rise of microfinance, but because of the move by banks into consumer banking. Until recently, banks were mainly financing large businesses or the government through bond purchases. Following a banking crisis in 2008, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) conducted an audit of the commercial banking sector. All banks that failed the audit had their CEOs replaced. The state-owned Asset Management Corporation (AMCON) was created to purchase non-performing loans and recapitalize the unhealthy banks. A recent review of the countrys banks by the IMF showed a dramatic increase in profits for the industry in 2012, while the capital adequacy ratio was above the minimum requirement of 10% and non-performing loans were below the mandated threshold of 5%5.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-construction-material-companies-to-own-in-right-now-3.html

Top 5 Healthcare Technology Companies To Invest In 2015

U.S. stock markets got back to their winning ways on the back of some positive signals for the economy. U.S. import prices fell 0.5% in April, which met expectations, and the New York Federal Reserve said the amount of debt held by households fell by $110 billion, or 1%, to $11.23 trillion. If the economy is growing, household balance sheets are improving, and unemployment is falling, that's good for stocks, which is why markets are up today. As of 3:15 p.m. EDT the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) has gained 0.61% for the day, and the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) is up 0.85%.

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) is one of the Dow's leaders, climbing 2.5% after hedge fund manager David Tepper said he owns shares and has megabanks Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase in his portfolio as well. Tepper was actually bullish on all markets, making the case that Fed asset purchases and a falling federal deficit will drive stocks higher over the next six months. The reduction in household debt didn't hurt Bank of America today, either, because one of the drivers was falling mortgage debt, which was at one time a big risk for the bank.

Top Promising Companies To Own For 2016: Cavco Industries Inc. (CVCO)

Cavco Industries, Inc. engages in the design, production, wholesale, and retail sale of manufactured homes. It also produces modular homes, which include single and multi-section/modular ranch-style dwellings; split-level homes; Cape Cod style homes; two and three story homes; and multi-family units, such as apartments and duplexes. In addition, the company manufactures park model homes and vacation cabins, as well as commercial structures, including apartment buildings, condominiums, hotels, schools, and housing for U.S. military troops. Further, it provides conforming mortgages to purchasers of factory-built and site-built homes; and property and casualty insurance to owners of manufactured homes. The company sells its products under the Cavco Homes, Fleetwood Homes, Palm Harbor Homes, and Nationwide Homes brands. As of March 31, 2012, it distributed its homes through 53 company-owned retail outlets, and a network of approximately 1,029 independent retail outlets n the U nited States, Canada, Mexico, and Japan. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Manufactured Housing: This industry moved up 1.33% by 10:30 am. The top performer in this industry was Cavco Industries (NASDAQ: CVCO), which gained 1.4%. Cavco Industries' PEG ratio is 1.16.

• [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 Cavco Industries (Nasdaq: CVCO  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 5 Healthcare Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV)

Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of the Health Care Select Sector of the S&P 500 Index (the Index). The Index includes companies whose primary business may include healthcare equipment and supplies, healthcare services, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Hilary Kramer]

  As we move closer to full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, at the start of next year, we’re already beginning to see some impact on healthcare stocks. Since the ACA was signed into law in March 2010, the industry has performed well. The Healthcare Select Sector SPDR (XLV) has risen over 50%, slightly outpacing the rise in the S&P 500 over the same period.

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap BioScrip Inc (NASDAQ: BIOS) is a specialized health care services stock that���seeking to roll-up the heavily fragmented�home infusion care market���meaning its worth taking a closer look at the stock and its performance against healthcare ETFs like the iShares Dow Jones US Health Care ETF (NYSEARCA: IHF) or the Health Care SPDR ETF (NYSEARCA: XLV). However,�BioScrip has taken a beating and I should note that we have recently added shares to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio�because we believe the company is on the verge of turning a profit and is potentially undervalued.

• [By Daniel Putnam]

  First, the good news. The Health Care SPDR (XLV) is flat in 2014 (a total return of -0.07%, to be exact) compared with a return of -5.4% for the S&P 500. This places healthcare second only to utilities — up 1.6% based on the Utilities SPDR (XLU) — in terms of year-to-date performance among the 10 major sectors. This comes on the heels of a year in which healthcare stocks outpaced the S&P 500 by more than 9 percentage points.

Top 5 Healthcare Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Compressco Partners LP (GSJK)

Compressco Partners, L.P. is a provider of wellhead compression-based production enhancement services (production enhancement services). The Company provides its services to a base of natural gas and oil exploration and production companies operating throughout many of the onshore producing regions of the United States, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Its production enhancement services primarily consist of wellhead compression, related liquids separation, gas metering, and vapor recovery services. It also provides ongoing well monitoring services, and, in Mexico, automated sand separation services in connection with its primary production enhancement services. It design and manufacture most of the compressor units it use to provide its production enhancement services. Compressco Partners GP, Inc. is the general partner of the Company. In January 2014, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of Compression assets for gas lift markets as part of its defined strategic growth objectives.

GasJack unit fleet

The Company�� GasJack unit allows it to perform compression, liquids separation and optional gas metering services all from one skid. The Company focuses on the natural gas wells in its operating regions that produce between 30,000 and 300, 000 cubic feet of natural gas per day (Mcf/d) and less than 50 barrels of water per day. The Company primarily utilize its natural gas powered GasJack compressors, or GasJack units, to provide wellhead compression services. Its GasJack units increase gas production by reducing surface pressure, which allows wellbore fluids that would normally block gas flow to produce up the well. The 46-horsepower GasJack unit is an integrated power/compressor unit equipped with an industrial 460-cubic inch, V-8 engine that uses natural gas from the well to power one bank of cylinders that, in turn, powers the other bank of cylinders, which provide compression. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a fleet of 3,145 GasJack units.!

VJack unit fleet

The Company utilizes its electric VJack compressors, or VJack units, to provide its production enhancement services on wells located in larger, mature oil fields, such as the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico, and in environmentally sensitive markets, such as California, when electric power is available at the production site. Its VJack unit is designed for vapor recovery applications (to capture natural gas vapors emitting from closed storage tanks after production and to reduce storage tank pressures) and backside pumping applications on oil wells (to reduce pressures caused by casing head gas in oil wells with pumping units). Based on GasJack unit technology, the VJack unit is capable of full wellbore stream production, and can handle up to 50 barrels per day of liquids on a standard skid package. As of December 31, 2011, it had a fleet of 50 VJack units. Its GasJack and VJack compressor units are mounted on steel skids.

ePumper system

Utilizing its ePumper system, SCADA satellite telemetry-based reporting system, it remotely monitor in real time, whether its services are being continuously provided at each well site. The ePumper system improves the response time of its field personnel.

Well Monitoring and Automated Sand Separation Services

The Company also provides ongoing well monitoring services and, in Mexico, automated sand separation services. Its well monitoring services consist of ongoing testing and evaluation of wells to determine how its wellhead compression services are optimizing the production from a well.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Wellhead compression products manufacturer Compressco Partners (GSJK) raised its quarterly dividend 1.7% to 43.75 cents per share, payable on Feb. 14 to shareholders of record as of Jan. 31.
  GSJK Dividend Yield: 7.60%

Top 5 Healthcare Technology Companies To Invest In 2015: Expeditors International of Washington Inc.(EXPD)

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. provides logistics services in the United States and internationally. The company?s services include consolidation or forwarding air and ocean freight; distribution management; vendor consolidation; cargo insurance; purchase order management; and customized logistics information. Its airfreight services comprise the procurement of shipments from its customers; determination of the routing; consolidation of shipments bound for a particular airport distribution point; and selection of the airline for transportation to the distribution point. The company also offers breakbulk services that include receiving and breaking down consolidated airfreight lots and arranging for distribution of the individual shipments. Its ocean freight and ocean services include ocean freight consolidation; and handling full container loads. In addition, the company acts as a customs broker, who assists importers to clear shipments through customs by pre paring required documentation, calculating and providing for payment of duties on behalf of the importer, arranging for any required inspections by governmental agencies, and arranging for delivery; and provides other value added services at destination, such as warehousing and product distribution, time definite transportation, and inventory management. Further, it offers custom clearances for goods moving by rail and truck between the United States, Canada, and/or Mexico; and customs consulting services The company?s customers primarily include retailers, distributors of consumer electronics, department store chains, clothing and shoe wholesalers, manufacturers, and catalogue stores. Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

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, global logistics company Expeditors International of Washington (NASDAQ: EXPD  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  The express-delivery company has gained 28% during the past three months, trumping the 18% return from�United Parcel Service�(UPS), the 4.6% gain in J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) and the 0.2% rise in Expeditors International of Washington�(EXPD).

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Global logistics specialist Expeditors International (NASDAQ: EXPD  ) announced yesterday that the company's CEO would retire effective�March 1.�

• [By Rich Smith]

  This series, brought to you by Yahoo! Finance, looks at which upgrades and downgrades make sense, and which ones investors should act on. Today, three new ratings in the shipping sphere are grabbing headlines, as investment banker RBC Capital Markets upgrades UPS (NYSE: UPS  ) to outperform, but cuts both FedEx (NYSE: FDX  ) and shipping facilitator Expeditors International (NASDAQ: EXPD  ) to underperform.

YoungMoney: You'll want this for your wedding

Springtime means the start of wedding season. But here's one part of wedding planning you may not have thought of: wedding insurance.

The average cost of a wedding is nearly $30,000 now, according to a recent survey from wedding site TheKnot. And the day doesn't always go as planned. Or even happen at all. In which case, you'll probably want to ensure you'll get some of that money back.

Companies such as Wedsure and Wedsafe offer insurance for your big day, for everything from the venue to the dress to the jewelry. Both companies offer cancellation and liability insurance, which many venues require couples to have. Think about it: A wedding guest drinks too much, gets in an accident on the way home, all of the sudden you're being sued by the victim.

It happens more often than we realize, says Janet Ruiz, a spokesperson for Wedsure, which is backed by Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. Wedsure also allows you to purchase insurance against your photographer, gifts, rented property, and the bridal party's dresses.

You can even insure the coverage of professional counseling for the bride or groom if the wedding is canceled. Though Ruiz acknowledges it's more likely the parents involved in planning and paying for a wedding would buy this option than the actual couple.

The cost starts at $95; the average is about $200, Ruiz says.

"It's like inviting one other guest to your wedding," she says. "It's so inexpensive, why not get (it)?"

Wedsure lists horror stories on its site, situations in which people used their insurance coverage. At one wedding, 40 guests got food poisoning. At another, an elderly attendee was knocked over and broke both hips. And one bride woke up the day of the wedding to find her ring bearer had finger painted all over her dress, Ruiz says.

"Anyone serving liquor, renting a facility, spending money that they can't afford to lose," should be getting wedding insurance, Ruiz says.

In the wedding realm, that means just about everybody.

3 Stocks Under $10 Breaking Out on Big Volume

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- A smart trader keeps a close eye on unusual upside volume in stocks -- and unusual volume in a stock that trades below $10 should really make you sit up and pay attention.

>>5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

Stocks that trade below $10 a share can make big moves to the upside very quickly, and short-term traders can try to capture some of that massive volatility. Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits.

If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy for Big Gains

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making sharp moves higher with unusual upside volume flows.

Cinedigm

Cinedigm (CIDM) is engaged in digital cinema, software and content marketing and distribution businesses in the U.S. This stock is trading up 5% to $2.91 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $2.61-$2.94

52-Week Range: $1.25-$3.06

Tuesday's Volume: 583,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 327,968

From a technical perspective, CIDM is moving higher here with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last four months and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $1.48 to its recent high of $3.06. During that uptrend, shares of CIDM have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of CIDM within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if CIDM manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $3 to its 52-week high at $3.06 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CIDM as long as it's trending above Tuesday's low of $2.60 or above its 50-day at $2.36 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 327,968 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then CIDM will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $4 to $4.50.

Bona Film Group

Bona Film Group (BONA) engages in the distribution of films in the People's Republic of China and internationally. This stock is trading up 2% to $6.44 in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $6.30-$6.50

52-Week Range: $3.58-$7.77

Tuesday's Volume: 295,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 231,998

From a technical perspective, BONA is trending modestly higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $5.96 with above-average volume. This stock has been trending sideways and consolidating for the last three months and change, with shares moving between $5.20 on the downside and $6.92 on the upside. Shares of BONA are now quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern. That trade will hit if BONA manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $6.75 to $6.92 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BONA as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $5.96 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 231,998 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then BONA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at its 52-week high of $7.77.

10 Best Shipping Stocks For 2016

Crumbs Bake Shop

Crumb Bake Shop (CRMB) offers baked goods in the U.S. This stock is trading up 8% to 76 cents per share in Tuesday's trading session.

Tuesday's Range: $0.70-$0.76

52-Week Range: $0.56-$3.01

Tuesday's Volume: 235,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 194,426

From a technical perspective, CRMB is ripping higher here back above its 50-day moving average of 72 cents per share with above-average volume. This move has also started to push shares of CRMB into breakout territory, since the stock is beginning to take out some near-term overhead resistance at 75 cents per share. Market players should look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if CRMB manages to take out Tuesday's high of 76 cents per share with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CRMB as long as it's trending above its 50-day at 72 cents per share or above more near-term support at 65 cents per share and then once it sustains a move or close above 76 cents per share with volume that hits near or above 194,426 shares. If we get that move soon, then CRMB will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at 90 cents to its 200-day moving average of $1.05.

To see more stocks under $10 that are making notable moves higher with volume, check out the Stocks Under $10 Spiking Higher With Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

>>4 Big-Volume Stocks Triggering Breakouts

>>5 Shareholder Yield Stocks to Beat the S&P

>>5 Big Trades for a Correction Day

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com.

You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

Top 10 Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2016

Top 10 Defensive Stocks To Buy For 2016: Assurant Inc (AIZ)

Assurant, Inc. (Assurant) is a provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and select worldwide markets. The Company operates in four segments: Assurant Solutions, Assurant Specialty Property, Assurant Health, and Assurant Employee Benefits. The products offered by the segments include warranties and service contracts, pre-funded funeral insurance, lender-placed homeowners insurance, manufactured housing homeowners insurance, individual health and small employer group health insurance, group dental, disability, and life insurance and employee-funded voluntary benefits. On June 21, 2011, the Company acquired the SureDeposit business, the provider of security deposit alternatives to the multifamily housing industry. In October 2013, FirstService Corporation completed the sale of its Field Asset Services business to Assurant, Inc. In October 2013, Assurant Inc acquired Lifestyle Services Group Ltd.

Assurant Solutions

Assurant Solutions targets three product areas: domestic and international extended service contracts (ESC) and warranties, preneed life insurance, and international credit insurance. Through partnerships with retailers and original equipment manufacturers, the Company underwrites and provides administrative services for ESC and warranties. These contracts provide consumers with coverage on cellular phones, personal computers, consumer electronics, appliances, automobiles and recreational vehicles, protecting them from certain covered losses. It pays the cost of repairing or replacing customers property in the event of mechanical breakdown, accidental damage, and casualty losses such as theft, fire, and water damage. The Company provides administration, claims handling and customer service. Preneed life insurance allows individuals to prepay for a funeral in a single payment or in multiple payments over a fixed number of years. The insurance policy proceeds ar! e used t o address funeral costs at death. These products are only sold in the United States and Canada and are generally structured as whole life insurance policies in the United States and annuity products in Canada.

The Companys credit insurance products offer protection from life events and uncertainties that arise in purchasing and borrowing transactions. Credit insurance programs offer consumers the option to protect a credit card balance or installment loan in the event of death, involuntary unemployment or disability, and are generally available to all consumers without the underwriting restrictions that apply to term life insurance. In addition to the domestic market, the Company operates in Canada, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Chile, Germany, Spain, Italy, Mexico and China. In these markets, it primarily sells ESC and credit insurance products through agreements with financial institutions, retailers and wireless service providers.

Assurant Specialty Property

The product line within Assurant Specialty Property is homeowners insurance, consisting principally of fire and dwelling hazard insurance offered through its lender-placed programs. The lender-placed program provides collateral protection to lenders, mortgage servicers and investors in mortgaged properties in the event that a homeowner does not maintain insurance on a mortgaged dwelling. Lender-placed insurance coverage is not limited to the outstanding loan balance; it provides structural coverage, similar to that of a standard homeowners policy. The policy is based on the replacement cost of the property and ensures that a home can be repaired or rebuilt completely in the event of damage. The Company also provides insurance to some of its clients on properties that have been foreclosed and are being managed by its clients. This type of insurance is called Real Estate Owned (REO) insurance. Lender-placed and voluntary manuf actured housing insurance: Manufactured housing i! nsurance ! is offered on a lender-placed and voluntary basis. Lender-placed insurance is issued after an insurance tracking process similar to that described above. The tracking is performed by Assurant Specialty Property using an insurance tracking administration system, or by the lenders themselves.

The Company has developed products in adjacent and emerging markets, such as the lender-placed flood and mandatory insurance rental markets. It also acts as an administrator for the United States Government under the voluntary National Flood Insurance Program, for which it earns a fee for collecting premiums and processing claims. This business is 100% reinsured to the Federal Government. The Company offers its manufactured housing insurance programs primarily through manufactured housing lenders and retailers, along with independent specialty agents. The independent specialty agents distribute flood products and misc ellaneous specialty property products. Multi-family housing products are distributed primarily through property management companies and affinity marketing partners. Its lender-placed homeowners insurance program and certain of its manufactured home products are not underwritten on an individual policy basis.

Assurant Health

Assurant Health offers medical insurance and short-term medical insurance to individuals and families in the medical insurance market. Its products are offered with different plan options. Assurant Health also offers medical insurance to small employer groups. The Companys medical insurance products are sold to individuals, primarily between the ages of 18 and 64, and their families, who do not have employer-sponsored coverage. It offers a variety of benefit plans at different price points. The Companys group medical insurance is primarily sold to small companies with 2 to 50 employees, although larger employer coverage i s available. The Companys health insurance products are principally marketed through a network of independent agents. It! also mar! kets through a variety of national account relationships and direct distribution channels. In addition, the Company markets its products through North Star Marketing, a wholly owned affiliate.

Assurant Employee Benefits

The Company offers group disability, dental, vision, life and supplemental worksite products, as well as individual dental products. The group products are offered with funding options ranging from fully employer-paid to fully employee-paid (voluntary). In addition, it reinsures disability and life products through its wholly owned subsidiary, Disability Reinsurance Management Services, Inc. (DRMS). Group disability insurance provides partial replacement of lost earnings for insured employees who become disabled, as defined by their plan provisions. The Companys products include both short- and long-t erm disability coverage options. It also reinsures disability policies written by other carriers through its DRMS subsidiary.

Dental benefit plans provide funding for necessary or elective dental care. Customers may select a traditional indemnity arrangement, a preferred provider organization (PPO) arrangement, or a prepaid or managed care arrangement. Coverage is subject to deductibles, coinsurance and annual or lifetime maximums. In a prepaid plan, members must use participating dentists in order to receive benefits. Assurant Employee Benefits owns and operates Dental Health Alliance, L.L.C., a dental PPO network. The Company also has an agreement with Aetna that allows it to use Aetnas Dental Access network. Fully insured vision coverage is offered through its agreement with Vision Service Plan, Inc., a supplier of vision insurance. The Companys plans cover eye exams, glasses and contact lenses, and are sold in combination with one or more of its other products.

Group term life insurance provided through the workplace provides benefits in the event of death. The Company also provides accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insura! nce. Insu! rance consists primarily of renewable term life insurance with the amount of coverage provided being either a flat amount, a multiple of the employees earnings, or a combination of the two. It also reinsures life policies written by other carriers through DRMS. In addition, the Company provides group critical illness, cancer, accident, and gap insurance. These products are paid for by the employee through payroll deduction, and the employee is enrolled in the coverage(s) at the worksite. Its products and services are distributed through a group sales force located in 34 offices near metropolitan areas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Whitney Kisling]

  Assurant (AIZ), the insurer of foreclosed homes, has climbed 72 percent in 2013, extending the rally since the bull market started to 245 percent. Per-share profit the last two quarters exceeded analyst projections. Earnings growth at the New York-based company will slow to 1 percent next year and 5 percent in 2015, when sales contract, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Specialized insurance products providerAssurant (NYSE: AIZ  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.25 per share, the same rate it paid last quarter after raising the payout 19%, from $0.21 per share.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-defensive-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html

Hot Small Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Hot Small Cap Stocks To Invest In Right Now: KongZhong Corporation(KONG)

KongZhong Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides wireless interactive entertainment, media, and community services to mobile phone users in the People's Republic of China. It also involves in the development, distribution, and marketing of consumer wireless value-added services, including wireless application protocol, multimedia messaging services, short messaging services, interactive voice response services, and color ring back tones. In addition, it offers interactive entertainment services, such as mobile games, pictures, karaoke, electronic books, mobile phone personalization features, entertainment news, chat, and message boards; and through Kong.net offer news, community services, games, and other interactive media and entertainment services; and sells advertising space in the form of text-link, banner, and button advertisements. Further, the company develops and publishes mobile games, including downloadable mobile games and online mobile games cons isting of action, role-playing, and leisure games. As of December 31, 2009, it had a library of approximately 300 internally developed mobile games. Additionally, it develops online games; and provides consulting and technology services, as well as media and net book services. The company was formerly known as Communication Over The Air Inc. and changed its name to KongZhong Corporation in March 2004. KongZhong Corporation was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People?s Republic of China

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Top losers in the sector included China Unicom (Hong Kong) (NYSE: CHU), off 4.5 percent, and Kongzhong (NASDAQ: KONG), down 4.7 percent.

  Top Headline
  The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) reported better-than-expected first-quarter profit. Boeing's quarterly profit declined to! $965 million, or $1.28 per share, from a year-ago profit of $1.11 billion, or $1.44 per share. Its adjusted earnings surged to $1.76 per share compared to $1.73 per share. Its revenue climbed to $20.47 billion versus $18.89 billion. However, analysts were projecting earnings of $1.57 per share on revenue of $20.24 billion. For the full year, Boeing expects adjusted earnings of $7.15 to $7.35 per share.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 wireless services player that looks poised for a big spike higher is KongZhong (KONG), which is a provider of WVAS and mobile games to mobile phone users and a wireless media company providing news, content, community and mobile advertising services through its wireless Internet sites in the PRC. This stock is off to a hot start in 2013, with shares up sharply by 53%.

  If you take a look at the chart for KongZhong, you'll notice that this stock has been downtrending badly for the last two months, with shares plunging lower from its high of $14.92 to its recent low of $7.78 a share. During that downtrend, shares of KONG have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of KONG into oversold territory, since its current relative strength index reading is 30.21. Shares of KONG are now starting to spike higher off its recent low of $7.78 a share and off its 200-day moving average of $7.95 a share. This spike could be signaling that the downside volatility for KONG is over in the short-term and the stock is ready to trend higher.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in KONG if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $8.50 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 519,857 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then KONG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $10 to ! its 50-da! y moving average at $11.33 a share.

  Traders can look to buy KONG off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support at $7.78 a share. One can also buy KONG off strength once it takes out $8.50 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/hot-small-cap-stocks-to-invest-in-right-now-5.html

Best Gold Companies To Own For 2016

Best Gold Companies To Own For 2016: Pershing Gold Corp (PGLC)

Pershing Gold Corporation, incorporated on August 2, 2007, is a gold and precious metals exploration company. The Company is pursuing exploration and development opportunities primarily in Nevada. It is focused on exploration at its Relief Canyon properties in Pershing County in northwestern Nevada. None of the Company's properties contain proven and probable reserves, and all of its activities on all of its properties are exploratory in nature. The Company seeks properties with known mineralization that are in an advanced stage of exploration and have previously undergone some drilling but are under-explored. It is focused on exploration of the Relief Canyon properties, recommissioning the Relief Canyon gold processing facility and, if economically feasible, commencing mining at the Relief Canyon Mine.

Relief Canyon Mine Property

The Company's Relief Canyon properties totals approximately 25,000 acres and consists of approximately 940 owned u npatented mining claims, 120 owned millsite claims, 170 leased unpatented mining claims, and leased and subleased private lands. The Company drilled 44 holes for approximately 28,500 feet in 2013. This drilling was on land adjacent to the current deposit and focused on extending and upgrading the existing deposit. In January 2013 the Company reported 32,541,000 tons of mineralized material at an average grade of 0.017 ounces of gold per ton and a cut-off grade of 0.0046 ounces of gold per ton.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By ValueInvestor7]

  I listen to investing advice from self-made billionaire investors, and I try to ignore advice from everyone else. I suspect readers on this website will appreciate this, where thankfully the Focus is still Gurus. To this end, I bring you the instructive story of Pershing Gold Corp (PGLC) and Levon Resources (TSE: LVN) (! LVNVF).

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-gold-companies-to-own-for-2016.html

10-year Treasury reaches key 3% level

NEW YORK -- The 10-year U.S. government bond touched the key 3% level on Thursday as investors continue to price in less bond purchases from the Federal Reserve and an improving U.S. economy.

Interest rates are starting their push higher to more normal levels after falling to historic lows in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

The benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which hit a 2013 low of 1.63% in early May, has not closed above 3% since July 25, 2011, according to Yahoo Finance. It briefly ticked above 3% Thursday for the first time since September before retreating to 2.99%.

How markets react to rising bond yields depends on how fast they go up and why they are going up, says Scott Anderson, chief economist at Bank of the West.

"If long-term interest rates rise too rapidly, we could see stronger headwinds develop in housing, autos and business spending, (which) could temper our optimistic economic outlook," says Anderson. "Gradual rate increases that are matched by stronger sales, and improved investment opportunities are not as concerning as interest rates that are on the rise because the Fed is no longer a major buyer in the U.S. Treasury market."

So far, stock investors have shrugged off rising rates, preferring to focus on the positives related to a stronger economy. Wall Street has also been soothed by comments from the Fed that they will remain easy with policy, despite its move to start reducing stimulus. The Dow Jones industrial average is riding a five-session winning streak and closed at its 49th record high of the year on Tuesday. It is trading higher again today.

"Bernanke has set expectations pretty high that the Fed will remain accommodative," says Alan Skrainka, chief investment officer at Cornerstone Wealth Management.

In recent years, risk-averse investors afraid of the stock market have funneled massive amounts of cash into bonds and bond funds. In addition, there has been unprecedented intervention in the U.S. government bond market b! y the Fed. The nation's central bank bought $45 billion of long-term government bonds each month in 2013, a strategy designed to stimulate the economy by keeping borrowing costs low.

Heavy buying from Main Street and the Fed bolstered the demand for 10-year Treasuries, which pushed prices up, and yields, which move in the opposite direction, down.

But the investment thesis for bonds is starting to change. The biggest change is that the Fed said it will start to reduce its bond purchases beginning in January. It will trim its Treasury purchases by $5 billion next month to $40 billion, the first move in dialing back its asset purchases. The Fed has hinted that it might stop buying bonds altogether later in 2014.

In addition, the fear factor has come out of the bond market as well, due in large part to signs that the U.S. economy is finally picking up steam and may have enough juice to grow on its own without as much Fed stimulus.

Not only have big-ticket items like homes and autos picked up sharply in the past year, so to have broad measures of overall growth in the U.S. economy. The government, for example, in its final revision of third-quarter economic growth, said Friday that GDP rose at an annualized rate of 4.1%. The pick-up was driven in large part by greater consumption on the part of consumers, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of growth.

Top Communications Equipment Stocks To Watch For 2016

Top Communications Equipment Stocks To Watch For 2016: Location Based Technologies Inc (LBAS)

Location Based Technologies, Inc. (LBT), incorporated on April 20, 2006, designs, develops, and sells personal, pet, and vehicle locator devices and services including PocketFinder People, PocketFinder Pets and PocketFinder Vehicles. The Company markets and sells consumer and commercial location devices and services. Its devices utilize Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technologies in conjunction with its technologies designed to enhance the families to interact and stay connected around the world. The Company is a developer of the PocketFinder family of products and the PocketFinder Network. The PocketFinder family of products includes the PocketFinder People, PocketFinder Vehicle, PocketFinder Pets, PocketFinder Luggage, PocketFinder Mobile and PocketFinder Fleet. The PocketFinder is a small location device that enables a user to locate a device, person, or pet, at anytime from almost anywhere. PocketFinder personal locat or devices are wireless.

The Company generate revenue by selling its products and charging customers an ongoing service fee, for which it offers monthly and annual subscription plans. The Company's product, PocketFinder, is a small, waterproof and wireless location device that enables users to locate anyone or anything they care about, from a computer or Web-enabled device. Its products deliver critical information to users, such as: device location, longitude, latitude, heading speed and 60 days of location history. This information can be viewed passively through a user's account or can be sent to a user via email or push notification if the user sets an alert. The target markets for the PocketFinder include: young children, seniors, people with special needs and people who need to track valuable assets such a! s luggage or sporting equipment. In addition to the PocketFinder, it also sell the PocketFinder Pet and the PocketFinder Vehicle products. The Pocke tFinder Pet is designed for pets weighing 15 pounds or more,! and it markets the PocketFinder Vehicle to families with new drivers, car enthusiasts, motorcycle owners, watercraft owners and business fleets. The PocketFinder Vehicle attaches directly to a battery or fuse box, so it has a constant supply of power. All PocketFinder products operate on the same user interface, which enables its customers receive the same features, functionality and user-experience, regardless of which product they own. To access their account or locate their devices, users can logon to the Company's Website at www.pocketfinder.com or use its native iPhone, iPad or Android Apps.

The Company's products are sold through various brick-and-mortar and online retailers and through its Website. It provides customer service and support in the United States through existing call centers owned by Affinitas. It provides wireless location based solutions for global positioning products along with its friendly user interface software system. PocketFin der and PocketFinder Vehicle devices are being sold in the United States and in Canada through the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Stores. PocketFinder devices for Pets are available for purchase on its Website.

The Company competes with Geospatial Platform Providers, Application Developers, Garmin's GTU-10, Qualcomm's Tagg, Lo-Jack, SpotLight, Fleetmatics, NetworkFleet, and Qualcomm.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Today, LBAS surged (+10.27%) up +0.015 at $.160 with 39,780 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:41AM EDT July 5, 2013).

  Location Based Technologies, Inc. and EE, Ltd., the U.K.'s most advanced communications company, have previously entered into a purchase agreement which will allow LBT to embed EE SIM technology into LBT's world�! ��s best ! GPS products for immediate purchase throughout Europe and in additional areas around the world.

  EE's relationship with LBT continues to grow. The companies began their relationship earlier this year when EE launched PocketFinder Personal GPS Locators in their London flagship stores (https://explore.ee.co.uk/pocket-finder). With this latest agreement, LBT now has the capability to sell devices into Europe using a local SIM, thereby greatly reducing the monthly service fee charged to customers.

• [By CRWE]

  Today, LBAS remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.132 with 9,470 shares in movement thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 9:47AM EDT June 20, 2013).

  Location Based Technologies, Inc. previously received FCC and IC certification for its versatile LBT-886 device. These certifications are necessary before devices can be sold to consumers throughout the US and Canada.

  The LBT-886 device is available for manufacture in a 2G or 3G variant. The 3G penta-band variant will enable the device to function in countries which only operate on the 3G spectrum, such as Australia, South Korea, Japan and some areas of Canada. This global tracking solution also delivers additional features such as various environmental sensors or comes with an attachment with special capability designed to meet lone-worker or personnel security requirements

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-communications-equipment-stocks-to-watch-for-2016-2.html

Top 10 Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2016

Top 10 Communications Equipment Stocks To Invest In 2016: Alcatel Lucent SA (ALU)

Alcatel Lucent, incorporated on June 18, 1898, is engaged in mobile, fixed, Internet Protocol (IP) and Optics technologies, applications and services. The Company is a partner of service providers, enterprises, industries and governments worldwide. Alcatel-Lucent includes Bell Labs centres of research in communications technology. Its operations are in more than 130 countries. The Company operates in three business segments: networks, applications, and services. On December 31, 2010, the Company completed the sale of its Vacuum pump solutions and instruments business to Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG. In September 2010, the Company acquired OpenPlug, a mobile software and applications development tools vendor. In June 29, 2010, the Company acquired ProgrammableWeb.

During 2010, the Company launched the Digital Media Store, a multicontent digital storefront that allows service providers to deliver content to end-users. Launched during 2010, Optism is a permissi on-based mobile marketing solution. During 2010, it launched Alcatel-Lucents Mobile Wallet Service (MWS), which allows the mobile operator to leverage its secure network to deliver a mobile payment capability through a mobile handset. During 2010, it also launched Alcatel-Lucents Application Exposure Suite to facilitate the development of new services by third-party application developers and content providers.

Networks Segment

The Networks segment supplies a portfolio of products and offerings used by fixed, wireless and converged service providers, as well as enterprises and governments for their business communications. The Companys IP portfolio consists of four product families that deliver multiple services, including broadband triple play for residential customers; Ethernet and IP Virtual Private Network (VPN) services for Enterprise customers, and wireless second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G) and lon! g term evolution (LTE) br oadband services for mobile operators. The main product families include Internet Protocol/Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) service routers, Carrier Ethernet service switche, Multi-service wide-area-network (or MS WAN) switches and Content Delivery Network (CDN) appliances.

Internet Protocol/Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) service routers direct traffic within and between carriers national and international networks to enable delivery of a range of IP-based services (including Internet access, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), Voice over IP (VoIP), mobile phone and data, and managed Enterprise VPN services) on a single common network infrastructure with superior performance, with application intelligence, and with scalability (such as the simultaneous support of many diverse types of traffic and customers); Carrier Ethernet service switches. Carrier Ethernet service switches enable carriers to deliver residential, business and wireless services, an d these products are mainly used in metropolitan area networks; Multi-service wide-area-network (MS WAN) switches. Multi-service wide-area-network (MS WAN) switches enable fixed line and wireless carriers to transition their existing networks to support newer technologies and services, and Content Delivery Network (CDN) appliances. Content Delivery Network (CDN) appliances distribute and cache (store) Web and video content.

The Companys Internet Protocol/Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) and Carrier Ethernet products are designed to facilitate the development and availability of applications for the more participatory and interactive Web 2.0 business and consumer services. Its service routers are particularly well suited to deliver complex services to business, residential and mobile end-users. Its IP/MPLS service routers and Carrier Ethernet service switches are often used in conjunction with its DSL and Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) access p roducts to deliver these newer trip! le-play s! ervices, or with its wireless access products to deliver LTE solutions, or with its Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and optical switching products to deliver converged backbone transformation solutions for optimizing IP transport. Its Optics division designs and markets equipment for the long distance transportation of data over fiber optic connections via land (terrestrial) and under sea (submarine), as well as for short distances in metropolitan and regional areas.

The Companys transport portfolio also includes the microwave wireless transmission equipment. Its terrestrial optical products offer a portfolio designed to seamlessly support service growth from the metro to the network core. With its products, carriers manage voice, data and video traffic patterns based on different applications or platforms and can introduce a range of managed data services, including multiple service quality capabilities, v ariable service rates and traffic congestion management. These products allow carriers to leverage their existing network infrastructure to offer these new services. Its submarine cable networks can connect continents (using optical amplification required over long distances), a mainland and an island, several islands together, or many points along a coast. It offers a portfolio of point-to-point microwave radio products meeting both European telecommunications standards (ETSI) and American standards-based (ANSI) requirements.

The Companys Wireless All Around message developed during 2010 is a combination of wireless and IP products. The version of CDMA technology, known as 1X EV-DO Revision A, enables operators to offer two-way, real-time, high-speed data applications, such as VoIP, mobile video, push-to-talk and push-to-multimedia. The introduction of High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and HSPA+ (the latest evolutions of W-CDMA technology) on networks and devi ces has led to increases in data speeds available to broadband devices. The Company develops mobile radio ! products ! for the second generation (2G) Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) standard, including General Packet Radio Service / Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (GPRS/EDGE) technology upgrades to that standard.

LTE offers service providers a compelling evolution path from all existing networks (GSM, W-CDMA, CDMA or WiMAX) by simplifying the radio access network and converging on a common IP base. RFS designs and sells cable, antenna, tower systems and their related electronic components, providing an end-to-end suite of radio frequency products. RFS serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), distributors, system integrators, network operators and installers in the broadcast, wireless communications, microwave and defense sectors. Specific applications for RFS products include cellular sites, in-tunnel and in-building radio coverage, microw ave links, television and radio. The Company offers products that extend from legacy switching systems to IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) solutions for fixed, mobile, and converged operators. It has deployed its next-generation network (NGN) products in more than 170 fixed NGN networks, and it has provided the core network for more than 66 full IMS fixed and mobile networks. Its fixed access solutions allow carriers to offer triple-play services over a single access line. Its carrier customers are offering both residential and business customers multiple services, such as a number of broadcast channels, video on demand, high definition television (HDTV), VoIP, high speed Internet, and business access services.

Applications Segment

The Applications segment develops software-based applications and solutions that contribute to the personal communications for users. The Applications group is divided into two businesses: Enterprise Applications and Network Applications. The Enterprise Applications business includes its IP-based communications and collaboration applications for enterprises, including the Genesys contact cent! er busine! ss. The Network Applications business develops applications used by service providers to deliver a range of services to their customers, and also includes Motive, which provides software for service providers to remotely manage their customers at-home networks, networked devices and broadband and mobile data services. During the year ended December 31, 2010, its Applications segment accounted 12% of its total revenue.

The Applications segment is investing resources in next generation collaboration and communications systems offered by its Enterprise Applications division; customer contact, customer engagement and service management areas addressed by its Genesys and Motive businesses; carrier applications, such as communication and messaging, next-generation telephony, digital medi a and multi-screen delivery of content and personalized advertising, device agnostic location based address book services, and technologies, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), and Application Enablement.

Services Segment

The Services segment is focused in helping the service provider and customers realize the potential of media, information technology (IT) and telecommunications services and technologies. These services address the lifecycle of its customers networks and operations, and encompass business consulting, systems design and integration, maintenance and managed services. The service offerings are organized around four areas: network and system integration, managed and outsourcing solutions, multi-vendor maintenance, and product-attached services.

The Company competes with Avaya, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Huawei, ZTE and Nokia Siemens Networks.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  EDF, Europes biggest power generator, and Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) SA, a French maker of phone equipment, jumped more than 7 percent as profit beat analysts estimates. Barclays sank the most in 13 months after announcin! g a right! s offering and saying income fell. K+S AG, Europes largest potash producer, plunged 24 percent as OAO Uralkali ended a deal that controlled supplies of the fertilizer ingredient from the former Soviet Union.

• [By WALLSTCHEATSHEET]

  Alcatel-Lucent is a provider of mobile and communications solutions to growing businesses and consumers worldwide. The stock seems to have established a price value zone and is now headed higher. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenue figures have been declining which has produced unhappy investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Alcatel-Lucent has been a year-to-date performance leader. WAIT AND SEE what Alcatel-Lucent does in coming quarters.

• [By Marie Palumbo]

  Recently, French telecommunications equipment firm Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU  ) announced a plan to cut about $1.34 billion of annual costs and sell around $1.34 billion in assets. CEO Michel Combes said that Alcatel will lean more on its Internet Protocol routing business one of Alcatel's more successful segments.

• [By Rich Smith]

  AT&T's (NYSE: T  ) announcement of a $22 billion, three-year-long program of capital investment was supposed to save the telecom equipment industry. So far, it seems only Nokia (NYSE: NOK  ) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO  ) are thriving. Meanwhile, erstwhile industry giant Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU  ) is failing fast, as revenues fall, profits disappear, and cash vaporizes.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-communications-equipment-stocks-to-invest-in-2016.html

Fed to Start Tapering, Easing QE Program

The Federal Open Market Committee announced Wednesday that it would start reining in its QE program by instituting a “modest” $10 billion reduction in its monthly bond-buying program to $75 billion per month.

Beginning in January, the FOMC said, it will add to its holdings of agency mortgage-backed securities at a pace of $35 billion per month rather than $40 billion per month, and will add to its holdings of longer-term Treasury securities at a pace of $40 billion per month rather than $45 billion per month, which would slow down its stimulus program called quantative easing.

At his last press conference before he steps down as Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Ben Bernanke said Wednesday that further tapering will “be data dependent.” However, he said he anticipated that the Fed would “probably do a measured reduction” at each meeting.

“If the economy slows or we are disappointed we could skip a meeting or two, but if things pick up we could go a bit faster," he said. "I anticipate similar moderate steps through most of 2014.”

Like other economists, Jim O'Sullivan, Chief U.S. Economist at High Freqency Economics, had said that while he thought tapering "was quite possible today," HFE thought the Fed "would hold off for one more meeting." Markets appear to be taking the news in stride, O'Sullivan said, "with bond yields little changed and equities rallying by close to 1%."

Consistent with the message on tapering, O'Sullivan said that "the tone on growth was reasonably positive."

Bernanke said at the press conference that “We think inflation will gradually move back to 2%." However, inflation might rise due to health care costs, he noted. “We take this very seriously; inflation cannot be picked up and moved where you want it. We are committed to make sure inflation does not remain too low” and “get it back to target.”

Best Biotech Stocks To Invest In 2016

The unemployment rate that stood at 7% in November will continue to decline, Bernanke said. When the Fed started its QE program in September 2012, he said that the unemployment rate was expected to rise to more than 8%. “Economic growth will support further job gains,” Bernanke said. FOMC expects that the 6.5% unemployment threshold will be reached by the end of 2014. "We will continue to keep rates low well beyond the point that unemployment hits 6%," Bernanke said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday that the Senate would consider Janet Yellen’s nomination to lead the Federal Reserve this week.

The Committee said in its statement before Bernanke held his press conference that it would “closely monitor incoming information on economic and financial developments in coming months and will continue its purchases of Treasury and agency mortgage-backed securities, and employ its other policy tools as appropriate, until the outlook for the labor market has improved substantially in a context of price stability.”

The FOMC added: “If incoming information broadly supports the Committee’s expectation of ongoing improvement in labor market conditions and inflation moving back toward its longer-run objective, the Committee will likely reduce the pace of asset purchases in further measured steps at future meetings.”

However, FOMC continued, “asset purchases are not on a preset course, and the Committee’s decisions about their pace will remain contingent on the Committee’s outlook for the labor market and inflation as well as its assessment of the likely efficacy and costs of such purchases.”

---

Check out these related stories on ThinkAdvisor:

MasterCard Raises Quarterly Dividend by 83%, But Some Analysts Say Hold On

MasterCard (NYSE: MA) seems to get better and better. The credit card company announced an 83 percent increase its in quarterly dividend, a 10-for-1 stock split and a $3.5 billion share repurchase program last week.

Despite all the good news, there are some analysts who don't think MasterCard is a buy.

Janney Capital Markets Analyst Tom McCrohan told Barron's that he thinks MasterCard is overpriced. McCrohan expects MasterCard's share price will fall in the near future and he advised investors to wait to buy it.

In Thursday's trading, MasterCard seemed to justify McCrohan's statement. Shares fell slightly by $6.66, or .84 percent, to $783.91. That means MasterCard might not reach the $800 valuation some observers have expected any time soon.

Related: Post Office Expands Same-Day Delivery Test to New York

Despite the pessimism, MasterCard is still one of the biggest successes in the market. Barron's noted ts share price increased by 60 percent in 2013. The stock will also deliver a $1.10 a share dividend with the 83 percent increase announced by management.

At least some of MasterCard's share growth is being driven by an aggressive share buyback program.The company has a $2.5 billion stock repurchase in effect, in addition to the $3.5 billion repurchase program announced last week. The $3.5 billion program will start when the $2.5 billion one ends.

Barron's didn't say MasterCard was a buy but it did recommend that shareholders hold onto the stock.

Posted-In: Janney Capital Tom McCrohanEarnings Long Ideas News Short Ideas Dividends Barron's Economics Hot Markets Media Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

(c) 2013 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  Most Popular Short Sellers Climb Aboard The Twitter Train (GRPN, TWTR, ZNGA) MasterCard Announces 10-for-1 Split, Announces $3.5B Buyback Plan, Boosts Qtr. Dividend to $1.10/Share Biogen Idec, Pharmacyclics See Surges In Short Interest (BIIB, CELG, PCYC) A High-Yield Blue Chip on the Pink Sheets? Five Basing Stocks That Could Move Higher Why Google Wants To Plant a Microchip In Your Head Related Articles (MA) MasterCard Raises Quarterly Dividend by 83%, But Some Analysts Say Hold On Benzinga's Volume Movers Stocks Hitting 52-Week Highs Stocks To Watch For December 11, 2013 MasterCard Announces 10-for-1 Split, Announces $3.5B Buyback Plan, Boosts Qtr. Dividend to $1.10/Share Stocks Hitting 52-Week Highs Around the Web, We're Loving... Lightspeed Trading Presents: Thunder and Tubleweeds: Trading Techniques for the New Market Enviroment Pope Francis Rips 'Trickle-Down' Economics Come See How the Pro's Trade in this Exclusive Webinar Wynn, MGM, Other Casino Giants Vying For U.S. Turf What Should You Know About AMZN? View the discussion thread.

Hot Services Companies To Invest In 2015

Late last month, depending on how you look at it, either something wonderful happened - or the feds continued their cowardly, conniving ways.

A group of federal prosecutors met in Washington and in New York with various financial regulators to discuss filing criminal charges against and coercing guilty pleas out of two giant banks.

David O'Neil, head of the U.S. Justice Department's criminal division; Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York; and Cyrus Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, met in Washington with regulators and lawyers from the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). And then they took the Acela Express up to the Big Apple to meet with Benjamin M. Lawsky, New York State's first superintendent of financial services.

During these meetings, they discussed extracting guilty pleas from Swiss megabank Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE ADR: CS) and giant French bank BNP Paribas (Euronext: BNP).

10 Best Performing Stocks For 2016: Vestas Wind Systems A/S (VWS)

Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Denmark-based company active within the wind power industry. The Company operates within four business areas: Finance, Sales, Manufacturing & Global Sourcing, and Technology & Service Solutions. The Finance business area focuses on business support services. The Sales business area is divided into six geographical units: Americas, Asia Pacific & China, Central Europe, Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Offshore. The Manufacturing & Global Sourcing business area is engaged in the manufacturing of assembly, blades, components, controls and generators. The Technology & Service Solutions business area is responsible for the engineering solutions, platform and product management, as well as service engineering, among others. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated globally through a network of subsidiaries located in Denmark, Germany, Italy, China, the United States, Spain, Estonia, Sweden and Norway. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Pato Kehoe]

  Within the power infrastructure segment, GE is especially keen on advancing in clean-energy products, such as gas and wind turbines. Wind turbines have contributed significantly to generating a solid competitive advantage, even allowing the firm to surpass the Danish industry giant Vestas Wind Systems (VWS), thanks to superior customer care and manufacturing expertise. Hence, the road seems paved for continued success in this new industry sector, which is bound to continue growing as clean energy becomes more popular.

Hot Services Companies To Invest In 2015: CYNK Technology Corp (CYNK)

Cynk Technology Corp., formerly Introbuzz, Inc., is a development stage-company. The Company intends to develop a social network business. Social networks are Web based services that allow individuals to post a profile and link their profile to other friends and organizations.

The Company intends to develop a database of professional and other business persons, as well as other interested persons in providing and utilizing contacts. As of November 14, 2012, the Company had not generated any revenue.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

  CYNK Technology (CYNK), the mysterious over-the-counter stock that at one point broke a $6 billion market cap, dropped roughly 80 percent in its first trades after a Securities and Exchange Commission halt. The SEC halted CYNK for two weeks following a massive rise in the stock's value -- it had been worth only a few cents per share in June, but it jumped above $21 on July 10. The Belize-based CYNK Technology supposedly operates a social networking site, but filings indicate it only has one employee and virtually no assets. Experts told CNBC the week of the SEC halt that they expected CYNK to fall precipitously after reopening, and its first day of trading is proving those predictions correct. When it was halted, the stock was worth just less than $14 per share, and is now below $3 a share after briefly hovering around $5 earlier Friday morning. An OTC Markets spokeswoman told Reuters that CYNK's shares were not trading on its platform, but were occurring over the phone. Earlier this week Reuters reported that OTC's CEO did not expect CYNK to trade on its platform at all after reopening, as no brokerages would file the required paperwork for the stock to trade on their exchanges. An SEC spokesman said that the organization cannot comment on the status of a company after a suspension period ends, citing an online explanation of the process. That document notes that broker-dealers may not solicit investors to trade the previously suspended OTC stock until they satisfy several regulatory requirements. The SEC warned, however, that "unsolicited" trading may occur after a reopening -- as CYNK is now seeing -- but "even though such trading is allowed, it can be very risky for investors without current and reliable information about the company."

Hot Services Companies To Invest In 2015: Blue Nile Inc.(NILE)

Blue Nile, Inc. operates as an online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry worldwide. Its fine jewelry selection includes diamond, gemstone, platinum, gold, pearl and sterling silver jewelry, and accessories, as well as wedding bands, earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, and watches. Blue Nile, Inc. sells its products through the Web sites bluenile.com, bluenile.ca, and bluenile.co.uk. The company was formerly known as Internet Diamonds, Inc. and changed its name to Blue Nile, Inc. in November 1999. Blue Nile, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  We think the next chapter of Internet growth will be driven by increasing broadband penetration and mobile 3G rollouts globally. Baron invests in the global Internet in two ways: 1) U.S. based Internet companies that have substantial international businesses, and 2) foreign based Internet companies. Several Baron portfolio holdings such as Google, Inc. and priceline.com, Inc. receive 50% or more of their revenues outside the U.S., and we think the faster growth of Internet access in emerging economies will be a substantial benefit to these companies. Other Baron portfolio companies such as LinkedIn Corp. (LNKD) and Blue Nile, Inc. (NILE) are also accelerating their efforts to penetrate international markets in 2012 and beyond.

Hot Services Companies To Invest In 2015: GAIN Capital Holdings Inc (GCAP)

GAIN Capital Holdings Inc. (GAIN Capital) is an independent provider of online forex trading. GAIN Capital offers online trading services, specializing in foreign exchange (FX), contracts for difference (CFDs) and equities to retail and institutional traders worldwide. GAIN Capital provides execution, clearing, custody and technology products and services to an institutional client base, including asset managers, broker/dealers and other financial services firms. GAIN Capital�� trading services include FOREX.com, GAIN GTX, GAIN Securities and Asset Management. In September 2012, it acquired Open E Cry, LLC from optionsXpress Holdings, Inc., which is a subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation. Effective September 24, 2013, GAIN Capital Holdings Inc acquired the entire share capital of Global Futures & Forex Ltd, a provider of retail forex and derivative trading services.

FOREX.com

GAIN Capital�� FOREX.com is used by self-directed retail traders and professional money managers in over 140 countries worldwide. FOREX.com provides a range of trading interfaces, such as FOREXTrader PRO, Website Trading, FOREXTrader Mobile and MetaTrader4.

GAIN GTX

GAIN GTX offers a range of automated and manual strategies on both the buy and sell side. Automated trading strategies can be programmed and executed using a Java or Financial Information Exchange (FIX)-based Academic Performance Index (API). It is used by individual traders, hedge funds and financial institutions.

GAIN Securities

GAIN Securities is a brokerage firm offering customers access to a full suite of investment products and trading services, including equities, equity and FX options, exchange traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds and fixed income. It is used by individual investors.

Asset Management

GAIN Capital's Managed Forex Account Program (MAC) is offered by GAIN Capital Asset Management LLC (GCAM, LLC). MAC provides qualified institutional i! nvestors access to the FX market.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap stocks FXCM Inc (NYSE: FXCM), Gain Capital Holdings Inc (NYSE: GCAP) and up and coming�Indo Global Exchanges PteLtd (OTCMKTS: IGEX) all offer online trading platforms to retail or institutional traders and investors. Certainly if you have found yourself trading more lately or if markets become more volatile, trading platforms are going to be the big winners.�With that in mind, here is a close look at these three small cap trading platform stocks:�

• [By The GeoTeam]

  We also look for companies going through defining events that can significantly change their growth trajectory. One of these situations is a transformative acquisition, such as one that Gain Capital Holdings (GCAP) is in the process of consummating. We coded GCAP a GeoBargain on June 6, 2013, at $5.30. On June 12, 2013 we released our bullish thesis for GCAP on Seeking Alpha, "Double Your Gains With Gain Capital Holdings." Fast forward just 3 months from the time of our release and the stock has lived up to our title, returning investors over 100% so far.

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Own Right Now

Top 5 Energy Stocks To Own Right Now: Dejour Energy Inc (DEJ)

Dejour Energy Inc. is engaged in the business of acquiring, exploring and developing energy projects with a focus on oil and gas exploration in Canada and the United States. The Company holds approximately 113,000 net acres of oil and gas leases in the Peace River Arch of northwestern British Columbia and northeastern Alberta, Canada and the Piceance, Paradox and Uinta Basins in the United States Rocky Mountains. The Company has 71.43% working interest in this 3,014 acre (gross) project located south of Roan Creek. The Company also has 71.43% working interest in this 18,000 acre (gross) project located north of the Rangely Field, is prospective for oil in the Lower Mancos (Niobrara), Dakota, Morrison and Phosphoria formations. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Vancouver, BC, Dec. 16, 2013 — (CRWE Press Release) — Dejour Energy Inc. (NYSE MKT:DEJ) (TSX:DEJ), an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company operating in North America’s Piceance Basin and Peace River Arch regions, today announces that it has signed a Letter of Intent to create a strategic joint venture partnership with a private Singapore based energy company ('SECO') to develop the company's Colorado oil and gas assets.

  Upon completion of due diligence, legal documentation and requisite approvals expected prior to January 31, 2014, SECO will invest an initial sum of up to $27.5mm in 2014 and 2015 to earn an 85% share in Dejour's interests in its Colorado properties, primarily Kokopelli, subject to certain interest claw backs available to Dejour. Following this capital investment by SECO, the partners will continue to judiciously develop the reserves on a pro rata basis.

  The terms of the agreement include a capital injection to Dejour of approximately US$ 4.5mm, including cash and assumption of certain l! iability agreements on outstanding debt and the 100% development funding of an initial $10.5mm in capital expenditures in 2014 with a further $12mm in 2015, targeting Kokopelli, subject to certain provisions. Additionally, SECO will assume 85% of the ongoing overhead of Dejour's U.S. operations and joint project management during the initial period. SECO will also share responsibility to maintain the other Dejour U.S. leases in good standing on a pro rata ownership basis or return them to Dejour in a timely fashion. Dejour will remain the operator of record.

  "SECO shares Dejour's value proposition relating to the company's U.S. E&P portfolio. This partnership will bring many strategic advantages to Dejour: minimizing capital requirement in the short term, bolstering the company's balance sheet and long term US cash flow, the provision of flexibility for Dejour to pursue new

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-energy-stocks-to-own-right-now-3.html

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Investors over the past month have massively shifted from growth to value stocks, potentially creating a trading opportunity for stock pickers sifting through the recent carnage, investment research firm TrimTabs says.

The Sausalito, Calif., firm, which tracks stock market liquidity, including mutual fund and exchange-traded fund flows, announced Monday that growth ETFs have redeemed $5.6 billion, nearly 5% of assets, while value-oriented ETFs have issued $3.9 billion, close to 3% of assets.

The sector rotation marks a “huge” change in trend, according to TrimTabs CEO David Santschi, who told ThinkAdvisor, “We think investors are starting to re-evaluate the prospects of the higher growth companies, particularly cloud computing, social media and biotech companies.”

While acknowledging that one can only speculate as to what is motivating investors, Santschi says a three-step process seems to be occurring, and he has a high degree of confidence based on historical patterns on the first two steps:

Top 10 Computer Hardware Stocks To Watch For 2016: VocalTec Communications Ltd.(CALL)

magicJack VocalTec Ltd. provides voice over Internet protocol services over various platforms. It also offers magicJack, a competitive local exchange carrier. The company was formerly known as VocalTec Communications Ltd. and changed its name to magicJack VocalTec Ltd. on May 20, 2011. magicJack VocalTec Ltd. is based in Netanya, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  magicJack VocalTec (NASDAQ: CALL) is expected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.41 per share on revenue of $35.93 million.

  Abraxas Petroleum (NASDAQ: AXAS) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $0.04 per share on revenue of $23.05 million.

• [By Will Ashworth]

  Hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson believes magicJack VocalTec (CALL) ��� is the kind of growth story that investors could really fall in love with.��/p>

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Beamz Interactive Inc (BZIC)

Beamz Interactive, Inc., incorporated on May 25, 2001, develops an interactive laser controller technology that can be used in a range of music, game, therapy, education, senior care, lighting and consumer applications. The Company�� commercial products include Beamz Player and Beamz Pro. By connecting the Beamz Player to a personal computer (PC) and installing the included software, the user can play a range of digitized musical instruments by simply interrupting one or more laser beams with their hands, thereby creating great music in conjunction with a background rhythm track of original, popular, disc jockey (DJ) and children�� songs across numerous music genres (including Jazz, Blues, Hip Hop, Rock, Classical, Latin). In each song the user can select up to 12 different instruments, music clips and sound effects that are paired with a background rhythm track, amounting to hundreds of instruments to choose from across all songs in the Beamz music library.

BeamzPlayer software makes it easy to make great sounding music in minutes by following the diagram of the Beamz Player on the screen of the attached computer, which allows the user to identify which laser beam controls different instruments. Beamz songs are set up to be regardless of how they are played and the music samples assigned to a laser beam offer more complexity, often with several notes, chords and/or series of music samples controlled by touching one of the laser beams. The Company has commercialized several products that use the Beamz interactive laser controller technology for music making and music-controller related products. These products are interactive music systems that combine laser controller hardware and various versions of interactive music software, including mapping software applications that enable the Beamz laser controller hardware to be used with software applications offered by other companies relating to mixing/DJ, lighting controls and music creation/production applications.

The Com! pany�� hardware product offering consists of three product lines: the Beamz Player consumer product family, the Beamz DJ and Beamz Pro product family, and the Beamz Education, Special Needs, and Physical Rehabilitation product family (Beamz Products). The Beamz Player and Beamz Pro hardware may also be used as a general laser controller for many other purposes, such as lighting, games, music production, and other applications.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks Beamz Interactive Inc (OTCBB: BZIC), EHouse Global (OTCBB: EHOS) and Winning Brands Corporation (OTCMKTS: WNBD) were all heading in different directions at the end of last week with the first small cap surging 49.94% while the other two sank 31.28% and 25.32%, respectively, on Friday. Moreover, all three small cap stocks are already heading in different directions again this morning. So where should investors and traders place their bets? Here is a closer look at all three small cap stocks:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap tech or media stocks Thinspace Technology Inc (OTCMKTS: THNS), Beamz Interactive Inc (OTCBB: BZIC) and Hannover House Inc (OTCMKTS: HHSE) have been getting some extra attention lately, but it appears that only one of these stocks has been the subject of a paid promotion. Nevertheless, all three stocks have been busy with press releases trying to get the attention of investors or traders. So are these three small cap tech or media stocks worth your attention? Here is a closer look along with a reality check:

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Nortech Systems Incorporated(NSYS)

Nortech Systems Incorporated operates as a contract manufacturing company. It manufactures wire harness cable and printed circuit board assemblies, electronic sub-assemblies, higher level assemblies, and complete devices. The company also provides value added services and technical support, including design, testing, prototyping, and supply chain management; and repair services on circuit boards used in machines in the medical industry. In addition, it engages in the design, manufacture, and post-production service of electronic and electromechanical medical devices for diagnostic, analytical, and other life-science applications. Nortech Systems Incorporated serves various industries that include aerospace and defense; medical; and the industrial markets, which include industrial equipment, transportation, vision, agriculture, and oil and gas. The company markets its products through sales force and independent manufacturers? representatives. Nortech Systems Incorporated was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Wayzata, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  In a perfect world stocks would move in predictable, manageable ways. We don't live - nor do we trade in - a perfect world. In the real world we have to adapt to and deal with the curve balls the market throws us, and there are no two stocks that illustrate that point better than Document Security Systems, Inc. (NYSEMKT:DSS) and Nortech Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:NSYS) to today. While both NSYS and DSS are up today, one's overbought and ripe for a pullback, while the other is likely at the beginning of a trade-worthy rally.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Maxim Integrated Products Inc.(MXIM)

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. engages in designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing various linear and mixed-signal integrated circuits worldwide. The company also provides various high-frequency process technologies and capabilities for use in custom designs. It primarily serves industrial, communications, consumer, and computing markets. The company markets its products through a direct-sales and applications organization, as well as through its own and other unaffiliated distribution channels. Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By rusticnomad]

  Maxim Integrated (MXIM) didn't do very well last quarter as its revenue declined. This decline was anticipated by management, as its consumer business was facing seasonal weakness. However, the gains from the initial ramp of a new smartphone at its largest customer arrested the decline.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Johnson & Johnson(JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of various products in the health care field worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Consumer, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Devices and Diagnostics. The Consumer segment provides products used in baby care, skin care, oral care, wound care, and women?s health care fields, as well as nutritional, over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, and wellness and prevention platforms under the brands of JOHNSON?S, AVEENO, CLEAN & CLEAR, JOHNSON?S Adult, NEUTROGENA, RoC, LUBRIDERM, DABAO, LISTERINE, REACH, BAND-AID, CAREFREE, STAYFREE, SPLENDA, TYLENOL, SUDAFED, ZYRTEC, MOTRIN IB, and PEPCID AC. The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in various therapeutic areas, such as anti-infective, antipsychotic, contraceptive, dermatology, gastrointestinal, hematology, immunology, neurology, oncology, pain management, and virology. Its principal products include REMICADE for the treatment of immune me diated inflammatory diseases; STELARA for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis; SIMPONI, a treatment for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; VELCADE for the treatment of multiple myeloma; PREZISTA and INTELENCE for treating HIV/AIDS patients; NUCYNTA for moderate to severe acute pain; INVEGA SUSTENNAtm for the acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adults; RISPERDAL CONSTA for the management of bipolar I disorder and schizophrenia; and PROCRIT to stimulate red blood cell production. The Medical Devices and Diagnostics segment primarily offers circulatory disease management products; orthopaedic joint reconstruction, spinal care, and sports medicine products; surgical care, aesthetics, and women?s health products; blood glucose monitoring and insulin delivery products; professional diagnostic products; and disposable contact lenses. The company was founded in 1886 and is based in Ne w Brunswick, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ  ) also delivered quarterly results, beating estimates on both the top and bottom lines -- yet shares are nonetheless flat this afternoon. Johnson posted ex-item earnings of $1.48 per share on revenue of $17.88, topping expectations of $1.39 in EPS and $17.72 billion in revenue. But despite beating the Street, the management team did note a number of times during the conference call that the company is experiencing pricing pressure from the government and insurance payers. Additionally, the company cited changes in the "dynamic global macroeconomic environment" as a reason to be concerned about revenue growth.�

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc.(CBST)

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products that address unmet medical needs in the acute care environment. The company markets CUBICIN (daptomycin for injection), a once-daily, bactericidal, intravenous, antibiotic with activity against gram-positive organisms, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. Its clinical development product pipeline consists of CXA-201, which is in the phase III clinical trial for patients with complicated urinary tract infections; and in phase II clinical trial for patients with complicated abdominal infections. The company is also developing CXA-201 for the treatment of hospital acquired pneumonia. In addition, its product under development comprises CB-183,315, an oral, bactericidal lipopeptide with in vitro bactericidal activity against C. difficile, for the treatment of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). Further , the company?s pre-clinical programs include therapies to treat various bacterial infections and agents to treat acute pain. Additionally, it promotes MERREM I.V. (meropenem for injection), a carbapenem class intravenous antibiotic, in the United States under a commercial services agreement with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP; and DIFICID as the treatment for CDAD in adults under the co-promotion agreement with Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The company also has collaborations with Forma Therapeutics, Inc. to discover and develop antibacterial compounds; an agreement with the Broad Institute to transform natural products discovery; a collaboration with Hydra Biosciences, Inc., to develop ion channel drugs; and a collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for the development and commercialization of Alnylam's RNAi therapeutics as a therapy for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Lexington, Mas sachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CBST) share price is the beneficiary of an upgrade yesterday. Leerink Swann analyst Marko Kozul believes the biotech is headed to $76.

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Cubist Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CBST  ) , a biopharmaceutical company devoted to developing acute care therapies, added 12% following the announcement of its second-quarter earnings results.

Top 10 Tech Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Medifirst Solutions Inc (MFST)

Medifirst Solutions, Inc. (MSI), incorporated in November 2010, is a development-stage company. The Company is engaged in business planning activities, including researching the industry, identifying target markets for its products, developing its Medifirst Solutions, Inc. models and financial forecasts. The Company has diverse product line, including both consumer products and digital media. The Company intends to launch Florida Health Community as an on-line healthcare directory and social media site geared towards both professionals and consumers. MSI also intends to produce a tabloid size newsletter with healthcare industry related news and events. Its products include Miracle-cig and Florida Health Community Website and newsletter. In February 2014, the Company announced that it has acquired Consumer Resources Consultants Inc., a provider of online remote technical support to PC users.

The Florida Health Community Website is designed to be a medical directory with a social media component for users. The Miracle-cig is a name for its brand of disposable electronic cigarette. It is sold online at www.miraclecig.com. It intends to offer the Miracle-cig through retail outlets and convenience stores throughout the United States. It intends to add an electronic cigarette that is packaged and marketed to consumers 21 to 25 years old. The Miracle-cig will be sold at a suggested retail price of $9.95 per unit. It purchases the Miracle-cig directly from the manufacturer in China. Florida Health Community.com (FHC) is a Website currently under construction.

The Company competes with Green Smoke, NJOY. Eco and Blu.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  The marijuana field keeps sprouting small cap marijuana stocks like Primco Management Inc (OTCBB: PMCM), Medifirst Solutions Inc (OTCMKTS: MFST) and Modern Mobility Aids, Inc (OTCMKTS: MDRM) which are all trying to seek a high by playing up their connections (no matter how tenuous�� to what many consider to be the next high flying sector. But are these small cap marijuana stocks just blowing smoke at investors? Here is a quick reality check: