Edmunds: Micromanaging can stifle employees

Hi Gladys: My wife and I often debate on how to deal with employees. I say that employees can often behave like children and I have to keep my eye on them and make certain that they do things the way I want things done. I am the head of our family construction company that was started more than 50 years ago by my late father. My wife works in the administrative office of the company and she accuses me of micromanaging. According to her, employees must learn to manage themselves and my job is to tell them what their duties are and I should step back and let them do their jobs. What do you think? — A. N.

Self-management is important. Micromanaging can waste both the time and energy of the manager and ultimately can become debilitating to the employee. This combination can create a lot of tension in the workplace for all parties and will most likely spill over to your customers, clients and even vendors.

When we talk about self-management, I believe that a person's strengths and weaknesses must be taken into account. How do you identify the strengths of your employee and how do you go about developing those strengths? Keep in mind that if we want our staff to self-manage then that has to be a part of our agenda during the hiring process.

I am the first to admit that managing a company and its employees is not an easy task. And I have made my own share of blunders.

I once managed my company like the proverbial mother hen. I watched everything my employees did and found myself correcting them when it wasn't going the way I would have done whatever the job was. Thank goodness I was shown the error of my ways. One day while having lunch with an older and wiser entrepreneur who I had designated as my mentor, he mentioned his concern for my management style.

He said he had observed me communicating to my staff before leaving for lunch. And he said that if I wanted to have continued success in business I should take his comments to heart.

He said: The boss's job is to det! ermine the objectives and goals of the company. Once that's done we must lead our employees in a way that meets our goals. In leading our staff in the right direction we must understand that each person brings to the company his or her own skills and talents. And it is our job to learn what those skills are and help the employee to develop them. When you succeed in recognizing an employee's strengths and make a point to give the kind of input that helps the employee develop, everyone wins. But, when you fail to develop a staff person and not allow them a chance to do the work you eventually erode confidence.

I have never forgotten that insightful luncheon. I make a point to follow his sage advice and it has served me well.

Management is not an easy task and there are many ways to approach it. However keep in mind that you don't want your management styles to become a roadblock between you and continued success.

Consider helping your employee to become the best that they can be and it's possible that you will see business increasing.

Gladys Edmunds, founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh, is an author and coach/consultant in business development. Her column appears Wednesdays. E-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com. An archive of her columns is here. Her website is gladysedmunds.com.

Small-Business 401(k)s Are a Ripe Opportunity for Advisors

In news that will probably come as no surprise to advisors, small-business plan sponsors who work with a financial advisor are more likely to be satisfied with their 401(k) plan than those who don’t, a Guardian survey found. Nearly half of small businesses don't have a retirement plan, but many are interested in starting one. 

All around, the survey, released by the Guardian Life Insurance Co. on Monday, paints a picture of ripe opportunity for advisors.

The study found 61% of plan sponsors who work with an advisor on their plan reported being “very satisfied,” compared with 40% who don’t have an advisor. Sponsors are pretty satisfied with their 401(k) plans in general. Ninety-eight percent said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their plan.

The survey was conducted by Brightwork Partners for Guardian in November and December among more than 450 senior executives. Respondents were responsible for employee benefit plans at firms with between 25 and 249 employees.

The survey found 46% of respondents don’t offer a retirement plan, mostly because it is too expensive. However, 58% of those who don’t offer a plan said they were interested in setting one up sometime in the next three years.

Hot Services Stocks To Buy Right Now

Advisors interested in grabbing some of that business should focus on educating their sponsor clients, as there are a couple of areas where they are confused. The survey found 30% of respondents who don’t currently offer a plan aren’t sure which type is best for their firm.

Fiduciary responsibilities are another source of confusion, with nearly 20% of plan sponsors saying they are unhappy with the level of fiduciary support they’ve received. Another third of respondents weren’t even aware they were the fiduciary to the plan.

As with overall satisfaction level, sponsors who work with an advisor were more knowledgeable about fiduciary responsibilities and other plan requirements than those who don’t have an advisor.

“While most plan sponsors are satisfied, there are still areas where employers and employees need help. Small-plan sponsors are increasingly realizing the value of working with third-party support services and financial professionals for outsourced solutions that help save time and mitigate fiduciary risks,” Dubitsky said. “This, and the fact that many non-sponsors are extremely confused by their options in the 401(k) market, reinforces what we have seen at Guardian for a long time – there are more and better opportunities for financial professionals in the small-plan retirement market than ever before.”

As for what specifically sponsors are satisfied with, the survey found 90% believe their plan is successful in recruiting and retaining talented employees, allowing the firm to offer competitive benefits and, most important, helping their employees save for an adequate retirement income.

About the same percentage agree that their plan works well for their employees. About 90% say their 401(k) plan has helped make saving easier for participants.

“Nothing in our history has helped promote retirement savings more than workplace defined contribution plans, and this study tells us that the vast majority of small business owners who offer 401(k) plans are satisfied with both the plan itself and their plan providers,” Doug Dubitsky, vice president at Guardian Retirement Solutions, said in a statement. “Even for small businesses, 401(k) plans are delivering what they were designed to do.”

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now

Kevin Menzie keeps his employees happy by taking them on "creative experiences," this one at the top of Colorado's Quandry.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) The job market is finally looking brighter: Recruiters are circling, pay is climbing and companies are scrambling to keep their best employees from leaving.

Tempted by the prospect of landing a better gig, 85% of the workforce is looking for a job or interested in talking with recruiters, according to a survey released Tuesday by LinkedIn. That even includes people who are "satisfied" with their jobs.

If you don't want to lose talented employees, here's how to keep them happy and engaged.

Give them a voice

As CEO of design firm Slice of Lime, Kevin Menzie knows competition for his employees is fierce. So Menzie ensures his 15 employees feel like they are the company, instituting monthly "retrospectives" to discuss what's working and what's not.

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now: Evercore Partners Inc(EVR)

Evercore Partners Inc. operates as an independent investment banking advisory firm. The company operates through two segments, Investment Banking and Investment Management. The Investment Banking segment offers advisory services on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other strategic corporate transactions primarily for multinational corporations and private equity firms; and restructuring advice to companies in financial transition, as well as to creditors, shareholders, and potential acquirers. This segment also provides capital markets advice; underwrites securities offerings; raises funds for financial sponsors; and offers equity research and agency-only equity securities trading for institutional investors. The Investment Management segment manages financial assets for institutional investors; provides independent fiduciary services to corporate employee benefit plans; provides wealth management services for high net-worth individuals; manages private equity funds ; and offers specialized investment management and trustee services. The company operates primarily in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. Evercore Partners Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sofia Horta e Costa]

  Evraz (EVR) plunged 11 percent to 185.8 pence, the most since Russia�� biggest steelmaker began trading in London in November 2011. The company�� board of directors refrained from announcing a final dividend, citing deteriorating market environment and a weaker second-half performance.

• [By David Hanson and Matt Koppenheffer]

  In this segment from Thursday's episode of The Motley Fool's everything-financials show,�Where the Money Is, banking analysts Matt Koppenheffer and David Hanson go through a rapid-fire round of three top headlines. The newsmakers included�KKR (NYSE: KKR  ) ,�Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) ,�Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS  ) ,�Lazard (NYSE: LAZ  ) , and�Evercore (NYSE: EVR  ) .

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now: Magnum Hunter Resources Corp (MHR)

Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation (Magnum Hunter), incorporated in June 1997, is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the exploration for and the exploitation, acquisition, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, primarily in the states of West Virginia, Ohio, Texas, Kentucky and North Dakota and in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company is also engaged in midstream operations, including the gathering of natural gas through its ownership and operation of a gas gathering system in West Virginia and Ohio, named as its Eureka Hunter Pipeline System. The Company�� portfolio includes Marcellus/Utica Shales in West Virginia and Ohio, the Eagle Ford Shale in south Texas, and the Williston Basin/Bakken Shale in North Dakota and Saskatchewan, Canada. As of December 31, 2011, its proved reserves were 44.9 million barrels of oil equivalent and were approximately 48% oil. In August 2012, the Company closed on the acquisition of 1,885 net mineral acres located in Atascosa County, Texas. With this acquisition, the Company has approximately 7,278 gross acres and 5,212 net acres located in Atascosa County, Texas.

On May 3, 2011, it acquired NuLoch Resources Inc. In April 2011, Triad Hunter, its wholly owned subsidiary, acquired certain Marcellus Shale oil and gas properties located in Wetzel County, West Virginia. On April 13, 2011, it acquired NGAS Resources, Inc. In February 2012, Triad Hunter acquired leasehold mineral interests located primarily in Noble County, Ohio.

Eagle Ford Shale Properties

Eagle Ford Shale is located in Gonzales, Lavaca, Atascosa and Fayette Counties, Texas. The Eagle Ford Shale properties are held primarily by its wholly owned subsidiary, Eagle Ford Hunter, Inc. As of February 27, 2012, the Company�� Eagle Ford Shale properties included approximately 54,000 gross (24,000 net) acres primarily targeting the Eagle Ford Shale oil window, principally in Gonzales and Lavaca Counties, Texas. As of December 31! , 2011, proved reserves attributable to the Eagle Ford Shale properties were 5.4 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which 94% were oil and 24% were classified as proved developed producing, and 5.4 million barrels of oil equivalent. As of February 27, 2012, its Eagle Ford Shale properties included 18 gross (10 net) productive wells, of which it operated 14.

Williston Basin Properties

The Williston Basin is spread across North Dakota, Montana and parts of southern Canada. The basin produces oil and natural gas from a range of producing horizons, including the Madison, Bakken, Three Forks/Sanish and Red River formations. As of February 27, 2012, the Company�� Williston Basin properties included approximately 413,003 gross (122,561 net) acres. As of December 31, 2011, proved reserves attributable to the Williston Basin properties were 8.9 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which 94% were oil and 42% were classified as proved developed producing, and 8.8 million barrels of oil equivalent. As of February 27, 2012, the Williston Basin properties included approximately 288 gross (98.9 net) productive wells.

The Williston Hunter United States property acreage is located in Divide and Burke Counties, North Dakota, with its primary production from the Bakken Shale and Three Forks/Sanish formations. As of February 27, 2012, its Williston Hunter United States properties included approximately 36,355 net acres in the Williston Basin in North Dakota. As of February 27, 2012, the Williston Hunter United States properties included approximately 105 gross (9.5 net) productive wells. The Company�� Williston Hunter Canada property is located primarily in Enchant, near Vauxhall, Alberta, Canada, at Balsam near Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada and at Tableland, near Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada. As of February 27 2012, the Williston Hunter Canada properties included approximately 107,270 gross acres (79,693 net acres). At December 31, 2011, the Williston Hunter Canada prope! rties inc! luded approximately 65 gross productive wells. As of December 31, 2011, Williston Hunter Canada had 41,797 gross (32,944 net) acres of land that is prospective for Bakken and Three Forks/Sanish oil in the Tableland field. The Enchant property consists of 10,720 acres. As of December 31, 2011, 48 wells (44.1 net) were producing on this acreage. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned approximately 43% average interest in 15 fields located in the Williston Basin in North Dakota consisting of 151 wells, and approximately 15,000 gross (6,450 net) acres.

Appalachian Basin Properties

The properties acquired in the NGAS acquisition are held by its wholly owned subsidiary, Magnum Hunter Production, Inc. As of February 27, 2012, its Appalachian Basin properties included a total of approximately 484,412 gross (412,323 net) acres, located primarily in the Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale and southern Appalachian Basin. At December 31, 2011, proved reserves attributable to its Appalachian Basin properties were 29.9 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which 27% were oil and 59% were classified as proved developed producing, and 30.2 million barrels of oil equivalent. As of February 27, 2012, the Appalachian Basin properties included approximately 3,112 gross (2,257 net) productive wells, of which we operated approximately 88%.

As of February 27, 2012, it had approximately 58,426 net acres in the Marcellus Shale area of West Virginia and Ohio. The Company�� Marcellus Shale property is located principally in Tyler, Pleasants, Doddridge, Wetzel and Lewis Counties, West Virginia and in Washington, Monroe and Noble Counties, Ohio. As of February 27, 2012, the Company operated 33 vertical Marcellus Shale wells and 16 horizontal Marcellus Shale wells. As of February 27, 2012, approximately 63% of its leases in the Marcellus Shale area were held by production.

Other Properties

The Company�� East Chalkley field is located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.! The fiel! d consists of approximately 714 gross acres (443 net acres). This developmental project is an exploitation of bypassed oil reserves remaining in a natural gas field located at depths between 9,300 and 9,400 feet. As of February 27, 2012, the Company operated the East Chalkley field and owned an approximately 62% working interest and an approximately 42.7% net revenue interest in the field. Other properties of the Company are located in Nacogdoches, Colorado, Lavaca, Bee, Fayette and Wharton Counties, Texas and Desoto Parish, Louisiana. As of February 27, 2012, these properties consisted of an aggregate of approximately 7,050 gross (1,188 net) acres.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  It's been a tough year for investors of Magnum Hunter Resources (NYSE: MHR  ) . As I write this, shares are down about 18% on the year, though shares had been down by more than 37% after the company�announced that it was ditching its auditor. While the stock has slowly recovered, the company has three major action items to accomplish if it wants to win back investors.

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  Magnum Hunter Resources (NYSE: MHR  )
  Topping the list with a five-year compound annual growth rate of 220% is Magnum Hunter Resources. First, I will point out that the company started at a very low base as its market cap was just $10 million as its share price bottomed out at $0.37 in 2009, when its current management team assumed leadership. However, that team has led the company to phenomenal growth in cash from operations since taking over.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Magnum Hunter Resources (NYSE: MHR  ) dropped as much as 27% today after the company dropped its auditor.

  So what: It was disclosed late yesterday that Magnum Hunter has dismissed PricewaterhouseCoopers as its auditor. The auditor said it had found material weakness in internal controls and had requested additional information about the value of the company's oil and gas assets.

Top Oil Service Companies To Own In Right Now: Barnes Group Inc (B)

Barnes Group Inc. is an international aerospace and industrial components manufacturer and logistics services company serving a range of end markets and customers. The products and services provided by Barnes Group are critical components for applications, which provide transportation, communication, manufacturing and technology. The Company operates under two global business segments: Logistics and Manufacturing Services, and Precision Components. On December 30, 2011, the Company sold its Barnes Distribution Europe (BDE) business to Berner SE. In August 2012, the Company acquired Synventive Molding Solutions.

Logistics and Manufacturing Services

Logistics and Manufacturing Services provides logistics support and repair services. Value-added logistics support services include inventory management, technical sales, and supply chain solutions for maintenance, repair, operating, and production supplies and services. Repair services provided include the manufacturing of spare parts for the refurbishment and repair of engineered components and assemblies for commercial and military aviation. Logistics and Manufacturing Services has sales, distribution, and manufacturing operations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Mexico, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom. Products and services are available in more than 30 countries.

The global operations are engaged in supplying, servicing and manufacturing of maintenance, repair and operating components. Activities include logistics support through vendor-managed inventory and technical sales for stocked replacement parts and other products, catalog offerings and custom solutions, and the manufacture and delivery of aerospace aftermarket spare parts, including the revenue sharing programs (RSPs) under, which the Company receives right to supply designated aftermarket parts over the life of the related aircraft engine program, and component repairs. In addition, the manufacturing and supplying of aerospace! aftermarket spare parts, including the RSPs, are dependent upon the reliable and timely delivery of components.

Precision Components

Precision Components is a global supplier of engineered components for critical applications focused on providing solutions for a industrial, transportation and aerospace customer base. It is equipped to produce every type of precision spring, from fine hairsprings for electronics and instruments to heavy-duty springs for machinery, as well as precision-machined and fabricated components and assemblies for OEM turbine engine, airframe and industrial gas turbine builders globally, and the military. It is also a manufacturer and supplier of precision mechanical products, including precision mechanical springs, compressor reed valves and nitrogen gas products. Precision Components also manufactures punched and fine-blanked components used in transportation and industrial applications, nitrogen gas springs and manifold systems used to control stamping presses, and retention rings, which position parts on a shaft or other axis.

Precision Components has a customer base with products purchased by durable goods manufacturers located in industries, including transportation, consumer products, farm equipment, telecommunications, medical devices, home appliances and electronics, and airframe and gas turbine engine manufacturers for commercial and military jets, business jets, and land-based industrial gas turbines. Long-standing customer relationships enable Precision Components to participate in the design phase of components and assemblies, through which customers receive the benefits of manufacturing research, testing and evaluation. Products are sold through Precision Components��direct sales force and a distribution channel. Precision Components has manufacturing, sales, assembly and distribution operations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdo! m.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Michael Flannelly]

  Before the opening bell on Tuesday, aerospace and industrial components manufacturer Barnes Group Inc. (B) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire M盲nner, a privately held, Germany-based company that is a leader in high precision mold-making, valve gate hot runner systems, and system solutions for the medical/pharmaceutical, packaging, and personal care/health care industries.

  Barnes Group has agreed to purchase all of the capital stocks of M盲nner�operating companies for ��75 million, or about $372.6 million. Following the closing of the deal, which is expected to occur in October or November of 2013, M盲nner�will operate as a business unit within Barnes Group’s Industrial Segment.

  M盲nner�operates out of three manufacturing locations in Germany, Switzerland, and the United Sates. Furthermore, it has sales offices in Europe, China, and Japan.

  Barnes Group shares were inactive during pre-market trading on Tuesday. The stock is up 55.48% year-to-date.

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now: Korea Electric Power Corp (KEP)

Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), incorporated on January 1, 1982, is engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and development of electric power resources in the Republic of Korea. KEPCO�� business operations include nuclear, hydro and thermal generation; transmission and distribution, and resources development. KEPCO consists of power generation companies, subsidiaries and affiliates, and other share-holding companies. On January 5, 2010, KEPCO developed the prototype of next-generation electric vehicle chargers.

KEPCO completed consulting projects in Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, Libya, Ukraine and Paraguay, and is working on 12 projects in Western Africa, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. KEPCO is investing in green growth business, which includes implementation of Smart Grid and electric vehicle charging infrastructure and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. KEPCO is engaged in development of renewable energy projects, including photovoltaic, wind and tidal energy to realize low carbon green growth. KEPCO��s overseas renewable energy projects include wind farms in Gansu (99 megawatts) and Inner Mongolia (1,075 megawatts) in China. KEPCO has secured an annual 520,000 tons worth of carbon emission rights. KEPCO has nine CDM projects related to wind generation project in China, out of 18 CDM projects.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Utilities stocks gained Friday, with Korea Electric Power (NYSE: KEP) leading advancers. Meanwhile, gainers in the sector included Huaneng Power International (NYSE: HNP), with shares up 1.8 percent, and Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE: HE), with shares up 1.4 percent.

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now: Boingo Wireless Inc.(WIFI)

Boingo Wireless, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides mobile Wi-Fi Internet solutions. The company installs, manages, and operates wireless network infrastructure to provide Wi-Fi services at its managed and operated hotspots, such as airports, hotels, coffee shops, shopping malls, arenas, stadiums, and quick service restaurants in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Its solution includes software for Wi-Fi enabled devices comprising smartphones, laptops, and tablet computers, as well as back-end system infrastructure that detects and enables access to Wi-Fi network. The company provides its solutions to individual users and partners consisting of telecom operators, network operators, cable companies, technology companies, enterprise software and services companies, and communications companies. In addition, it provides billing system and customer support services. Boingo Wireless, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Boingo Wireless, Inc. (NASDAQ:WIFI), the Wi-Fi industry�� leading provider of software and services worldwide, reported the launch of its managed Wi-Fi services at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), the second busiest airport in the world, through an agreement with Newbridge Technologies.

• [By Rich Smith]

  Boingo Wireless (NASDAQ: WIFI  ) has a new president.

  On Monday, the provider of Wi-Fi hotspots at airports, shopping malls, restaurants, and similar locations announced that it has hired away Rubicon Project�Chief Revenue Officer Nick Hulse to become its president. Reporting to CEO Dave Hagan, Hulse will be responsible for maximizing revenue at Boingo.

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now: ANA Holdings Inc (ALNPF)

ANA HOLDINGS INC., formerly All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., is a Japan-based airline holding company. Its Air Transportation segment is engaged in the air transportation business, the provision of various services at airports, the provision of reservation services via telephone, the freight express business, and the maintenance of aircrafts in domestic and overseas markets. The Traveling segment plans and sells tour packages under the brand names ANA Hello Tour and ANA Sky Holiday, it also offers services to travelers at arrival areas and sells travel products and air tickets. The Others segment involves in the information communication, trading and merchandise business, building management, logistics and airplane fixture repair business, and hotel operation. On March 4 and March 5, 2013, it fully acquired all shares of one and two consolidated subsidiaries through stock swap, respectively, made them become wholly-owned subsidiaries. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Inman]

  In Tokyo, ANA Holdings (JP:9202) � (ALNPF) �declined 4.7% after the airline lowered its 2013 fiscal-year net profit forecast by 65% on higher fuel costs and slow service expansion because of delays in Boeing (BA) �787 Dreamliner deliveries.

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now: United Parcel Service Inc.(UPS)

United Parcel Service, Inc., a package delivery company, provides transportation, logistics, and financial services in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: U.S. Domestic Package, International Package, and Supply Chain & Freight. The U.S. Domestic Package segment engages in the time-definite delivery of letters, documents, and packages in the United States. The International Package segment offers air and ground delivery of small packages and letters to approximately 220 countries and territories, including shipments outside the United States, as well as shipments with either origin or distribution outside the United States; export services; and domestic services move shipments within a country?s borders. The Supply Chain & Freight segment provides forwarding and logistics services, such as supply chain design and management, freight distribution, customs brokerage, mail, and consulting services in approximately 195 countries and territorie s; and less-than-truckload and truckload services to customers in North America. In addition, the company offers various technology solutions for automated shipping, visibility, and billing; information technology systems and distribution facilities to various industries comprising healthcare, technology, and consumer/retail; and a portfolio of financial services that provides customers with short-term working capital, government guaranteed lending, global trade financing, credit cards, and export financing. It operates a fleet of approximately 99,800 package cars, vans, tractors, and motorcycles; an air fleet of 527 aircraft; and 33,800 containers used to transport cargo in its aircraft. The company was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]

  AP On Monday, investors learned that Amazon.com (AMZN) is beefing up its shipment schedules in key markets by offering Sunday deliveries to its Amazon Prime customers. The Postal Service was a surprising choice given that FedEx (FDX) and UPS (UPS) were also in the running for Amazon's extended parcel delivery service business. While the new plan nice for customers, the biggest beneficiary may be the United States Postal Service. So now let's get into what this could mean for the struggling Postal Service. Dead Letters It wasn't that long ago that the U.S. Postal Service system was doing so badly that it was entertaining massive layoffs and ending Saturday deliveries. Things are starting to get better for it as the economic recovery shows signs of strengthening, but the Post Office is still losing a lot of money. The Postal Service generated $16.2 billion in revenue in its quarter ending in June, but that was more than offset by $16.9 billion in expenses. The $740 million loss is actually a dramatic improvement, and it would have been an actual profit if it wasn't for Congress-mandated health fund payments. (And who knows what its P&L statement might look like if Congress allowed the Post Office to charge enough for postage to cover its costs?) It may surprise some to see that revenue actually increased by nearly 4 percent during the period, but the growth isn't coming from traditional first-class mail. That business continues to slide as folks use e-mail, smartphones, and faxes to communicate without having to deal with postage stamped communiques. However, if the lines at the Post Office don't seem to be getting any shorter, it's because e-commerce is keeping postal workers busy. Less Mail in Our Boxes, More Mailed Boxes Revenue from package deliveries climbed nearly 9 percent during the June quarter, and at $2.9 billion now accounts for 18 percent of the Postal Service's total revenue. Amazon's move to start to sending Sunday deliveries through

• [By Lisa Levin]

  Analysts are expecting United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) to have earned $1.15 per share on revenue of $13.60 billion in the third quarter. UPS shares climbed 1.70% to $96.10 in after-hours trading.

• [By DAILYFINANCE]

  David Goldman/AP The post office expects to deliver nearly 15 billion pieces of mail and 420 million packages during the holiday season. The U.S. Postal Service said Wednesday that it expects letters to decline slightly while package deliveries between Thanksgiving and Dec. 31 will rise 12 percent over last year. The calendar could make letter carriers' jobs tougher. Thanksgiving Day, the traditional kickoff to the peak season, is six days later this year, on Nov. 28. "It'll be an interesting year this year. You'll have that volume crowded into four weeks instead of five," Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in an interview. "We'll be able to handle it." The post office is adding 8,000 to 10,000 seasonal workers, Donahoe said. The busiest mailing day is expected to be Monday, Dec. 16, and the busiest day for packages to be Thursday, Dec. 19. Package deliveries are rising as more consumers shop online. United Parcel Service Co. (UPS) expects daily volume during the holidays to increase 8 percent, and FedEx Corp. (FDX) predicts a 13 percent rise during the busiest week in early December. The Postal Service is looking to increase sales online, which enable customers print shipping labels and buy postage at home. It's also selling a special holiday stamp featuring gingerbread houses, but there might be fewer people using it. "Greeting cards are fairly stable," Donahoe said. "You might lose a [percentage] point or two [compared with last year], but it's not a real big change." We're not saying you should give up shopping on Black Friday altogether. Just do it online instead. At one point it may have been true that Black Friday was for in-store deals, while Cyber Monday was for the e-commerce set. But these days, retailers are taking pains to offer a seamless experience between their online and bricks-and-mortar channels, and that means many of the marquee Black Friday deals can be had from the comfort of your couch. "[Retailers] continue to get

Best Stocks To Buy Right Now: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.(RCL)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. operates in the cruise vacation industry worldwide. It owns five cruise brands, which comprise Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises, and CDF Croisi�es de France. The Royal Caribbean International brand provides various itineraries and cruise lengths with options for onboard dining, entertainment, and other onboard activities primarily for the contemporary segment. It offers surf simulators, water parks, ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, and shore excursions at each port of call, as well as boulevards with shopping, dining, and entertainment venues. The Celebrity Cruises brand operates onboard upscale ships that offer luxurious accommodations, fine dining, personalized services, spa facilities, venue featuring live grass, and glass blowing studio for the premium segment, as well as resells computers and other media devices. The Pullmantur brand provides an array of onboard activities and serv ices to guests, including exercise facilities, swimming pools, beauty salons, gaming facilities, shopping, dining, complimentary beverages, and entertainment venues serving the contemporary segment of the Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American cruise markets. The Azamara Club Cruises brand offers various onboard services, amenities, gaming facilities, fine dining, spa and wellness, butler service for suites, and interactive entertainment venues for the up-market segment of the North American, United Kingdom, German, and Australian markets. The CDF Croisieres de France brand offers seasonal itineraries to the Mediterranean; and various onboard services, amenities, entertainment venues, exercise and spa facilities, fine dining, and gaming facilities for the contemporary segment of the French cruise market. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated 39 ships with a total capacity of approximately 92,650 berths. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. was founded in 1968 and is headqua rtered in Miami, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)

  Chairman and CEO Richard Fain has made the largest insider buy this week, buying nearly one million dollars worth of shares.

Deepak Chopra's guide to thinking rich

Many people may dream of becoming wealthy. Some say having a certain type of mindset can actually help to create affluence.

Deepak Chopra, physician, educator and best-selling author, is a firm believer. He offers three strategies that can help you visualize your financial dreams and turn them into reality.

First, be grateful for wealth, not only in monetary terms.

"You want the kind of wealth that will make for a better life for you and for those that you love," Chopra told CNBC. "Be grateful for whatever you have, even if it's very little. When you express your gratitude and you count your blessings, that opens the window to what I call abundance consciousness. And then it opens up opportunities for you."

CHOPRA: The 'secret' to making money

DEBT STRESS: How to minimize anxiety

3 STRATEGIES: Chopra on reaching goals

Next, focus on your "abundance consciousness."

Recognize talents that you have and the way that you express them that makes you unique. "Society has needs for security, for love and belonging, for health and well-being, for self-esteem, for creative expression and for higher consciousness. Think what do you have that can help one of those needs," Chopra said.

Top Oil Service Companies To Own In Right Now

Finally, always be on the lookout for new opportunities.

"What I call 'good luck,' is just opportunity meeting preparedness," Chopra said. "So every day ask yourself: 'What kind of life do I want for myself? What kind of products and services can I produce? Who are the people I will connect?' Recognize that every encounter that you have, every relationship you have can give you the opportunity through meaningful coincidences to become extremely wealthy."

Chopra's bottom line: "Rather than think rich, think abundance."

Epperson can be reached at yourmoney@cnbc.com or on Twitter: @sharon_epperson #GetAPlan.

© ! CNBC is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

How to Cool a Home (And Save the Planet While You're At It)

Keeping your home cool is easy when you blast your air conditioner all day. If you want to keep your home cool while saving the planet, though, you have to consider alternatives to reduce wastefulness. These tips can help you cool your home without burning a lot of excess energy.

Use Blinds to Block the Sun

Direct sunlight will make your home hotter. By keeping your blinds closed, you prevent those rays from coming inside. You'll get the best results from closing the blinds tightly with the opening facing up.

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Use Ceiling Fans Properly

Most ceilings fans have summer and winter settings. The winter setting moves the blades clockwise to push cold air to the ceiling while pulling warm air down. During the summer, set your fan to move counter-clockwise. This will create a better breeze that cools the room and helps sweat evaporate so your body stays cooler.

Change Your Air Filter Once a Month

Air filters prevent debris from circulating through your home. If those filters get too dirty, they make it harder for your air conditioner to do its job. That means it stays on longer and uses more electricity. You can cut about one to two percent off your energy bill by replacing your filters once a month during the summer.

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Use Solar Windows

You don't have to avoid solar panels just because you think they look ugly. Solar windows offer a new option that will help you cool your home without pulling more energy from the grid.

Solar windows create electricity from the sunlight that shines through them. You can then use the electricity to power your home.

Companies are working on a variety of solar window products, including those made for commercial and residential properties. If you don't want to purchase new windows for your home, you can get a clear solar window film that attaches to your window.

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Use a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat makes it easy to keep your home comfortable without burning excess energy. For instance, you can program the thermostat to let the indoor temperature get warmer during the day while you're at work. An hour before you come home, the thermostat will adjust to a more pleasant temperature. You won't even notice that your AC isn't running all day. That could save you $65 to $100 by the end of summer.

Place Plants Strategically

Knowing where to place plants outside can lower the amount of energy you use by controlling the temperature inside your home.

If possible, plant deciduous trees on your home's west and south sides. Three strategically placed trees could help you save up to $250 a year.

You will also use less energy by plating shrubs that give your AC unit some shade. Those that operate in shaded areas use less energy cooling homes. Make sure the plants won't clog the unit when they drop their leaves in fall.

What other eco-friendly methods do you use to keep your home cool while protecting the environment?

Philly Fed Manufacturing Hits 2011 High

Manufacturing is making positive moves in the Northeast, according to a July Philadelphia Federal Reserve report (link opens as PDF) released today.

The "Philly Fed" publishes the results of a monthly survey asking regional (eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware ) manufacturing stakeholders whether certain components of manufacturing have experienced growth (positive number), or contraction (negative number). Investors watch regional manufacturing reports as a possible signal of larger economic upswings or downturns.

After clocking in at 12.5 for June, analysts had expected a more moderate 9.0 reading for July. However, actual results came in at 19.8, the index's largest measurement since March 2011.

Source: Philadelphia Federal Reserve 

Dissecting the index into components, shipments increased 10.2 points, to 14.3, while inventories continued to decline 15 points, to -21.6. New orders recorded growth at 10.2, but July's reading is six points less than last month's.

Looking ahead, July's optimism seems as if it'll last. The survey's future conditions (six months from now) index registered an 11.2 point increase, to 44.9. New orders are up 17 points, followed by a 14-point increase in the index's shipments component. In contrast to June, more firms than not (52%) expect overall business conditions to improve over the next six months.

What Zillow Gains From Its Recent Acquisitions

The Fool is exploring Seattle. Today, CEO Spencer Rascoff introduces us to Zillow (NASDAQ: Z  ) , telling us how the online home and real estate marketplace works, what he considers its greatest strengths, and what investors should know about it.

Spencer discusses Zillow's approach to acquisitions, with a closer look at the disruptive success story of Diverse Solutions.

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Austin Smith: Looking at the competitive landscape, Trulia just landed the acquisition of Market Leader. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts, if this is anything that concerns you guys?

Spencer Rascoff: I'm very, very pleased with our portfolio of assets. We've made six pretty small acquisitions over the last two years. All of them have been small development teams, each of which had a small piece of functionality easily bite-sized, integratable into the mother ship of Zillow.

Especially in the agent tool space, I feel like we have the right set of assets to address that need. When you're integrating, you're not innovating, and it's very difficult for companies to swallow large acquisitions.

Austin: With regard to the recent acquisitions you've made, of course I'm sure they're all wonderful and they're all lending great things to the Zillow portfolio. Is there one that you really just see a tremendous amount of potential, and that you're most excited about?

Spencer: I think the one that has borne the most fruit so far would be the Diverse Solutions acquisition, which was about a year and a half ago. This is a company that, originally when we bought it, connected to about 150 MLSs and sold, wholesale, that MLS connectivity to other companies that created websites for agents and brokerages.

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Fast forward to today, they connect to over 300 MLSs, so they've dramatically increased their footprint, and we've changed their business model. They now -- we now -- produce websites for real estate agents and we give them away for free.

We have a very disruptive business model here, where we're basically competing against the sales channel of Diverse Solutions by giving away free websites to real estate agents. That has been a very successful acquisition for us.

What the "Missouri Liquor Wars" Mean for Investors

Few businesses are regulated as eccentrically as the drinks business. A host of state and local laws, mostly relics of historical movements like Puritanism or abolitionism, have left the United States a diverse patchwork of jurisdictions with different -- and often odd -- rules about who can sell what kind of alcohol when and in what way. For example, in many states, alcohol can't be sold on Sundays, under the sophisticated legal reasoning that you should be in church. Some of these old laws are more relevant to business than others, however, and last week a ruling came down in Missouri that could pave the way for big liquor conglomerates such as  Diageo (NYSE: DEO  ) and Beam (NYSE: BEAM  ) to better consolidate the American market.

At issue is a law adopted by a dozen states nationwide that requires distillers to continually do business with the same distribution wholesalers, allowing a distiller to terminate a relationship with a wholesaler only if the distiller can legally prove "good cause." In effect, this rule prevents distillers from cutting costs by switching or combining wholesalers. These laws, and restrictions like them, such as limiting the number of stores a single business may own, were largely a response to the post-Prohibition era, in which organized crime had monopolized the alcohol supply chain, and were an attempt to introduce checks on that monopoly.

Today, however, the organizations attempting to consolidate the liquor supply aren't mobsters; they're public companies, and rules preventing them from shoring up their distributors are at odds with how business is done in other industries. Big liquor companies want more control over their wholesalers, and these laws prevent them from exercising the market power to ensure that wholesalers operate efficiently and focus on following the distiller's promotion and sales strategy.

So in May, French drinks giant Pernod Ricard, family-run rum icon Bacardi, and Diageo, the world's largest spirits producer, took aim at dismantling these regulations by announcing they would no longer be supplying Missouri-based wholesaler Major Brands with their products. The expected legal confrontation ensued almost immediately, with Major Brands seeking a court order requiring Diageo, which alone accounted for nearly a quarter of Major Brands' sales, to continue its existing distribution agreement. Diageo, meanwhile, was hoping to strike down its legal obligations to its wholesalers outright, freeing the company to select business partners as it saw fit.

The Circuit Court decision last Thursday ruled that Diageo had indeed broken its contractual obligations with Major Brands, but nonetheless refused to grant Major Brands the right to continue distributing Diageo products against Diageo's will, reasoning that such an "uneasy alliance" would require indefinite court oversight. Instead, the judge determined that the harm Major Brands would suffer from the loss of Diageo's business could be compensated with damages, potentially including the full enterprise value of Major Brands if the company couldn't continue on after losing Diageo's business.

Both sides claimed victory. Major Brands pointed out that the ruling affirmed that it was in the legal right, and CEO Sue McCollum expects to receive significant damages. The real winner, however, was probably Diageo, which gained the right to transfer its business to Major Brands' rival Glazer's Distributors and will probably attempt to use this ruling as a tool to chip away at similar laws in other states. The long-term benefits of consolidating the company's wholesalers should easily overcome the cost of damages in this case: The $550 million Major Brands brings in as annual revenue is just over 1% of the $44 billion in net income that Diageo recognized last quarter. Smaller distillers, like bourbon whiskey purveyor Beam, may enjoy the benefits of Diageo's actions without paying a dime.

This will provide another approach for boosting earnings at the top liquor companies as they become free to cut costs and more tightly focus their promotional efforts in the world's biggest liquor market. That's good news for investors, who have come to appreciate the solid competitive moats and predictable dividends of the big liquor distributors.

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'Dick and Jane' artworks for sale

BROOKLINE, N.H. (AP) — In the portrait, the little boy's blue eyes twinkle as he looks straight ahead. His apple cheeks shine. There's a gap in his teeth, and his reddish-brown hair is just slightly tousled. He's an All-American boy.

He's Dick, of the illustrated "Dick and Jane" series that helped teach generations of public school students from the 1930s to the 1970s how to read.

He's also Nancy Childress' childhood neighbor and the model for the drawing by her father, Robert Childress, that along with Jane, Sally, Spot and others brought the pages of the reader to life.

Nancy Childress is selling her father's artwork at auction in New Hampshire at the end of April. Along with Dick, there are other portraits, black-and-white drawings of John F. and Jackie Kennedy and offerings from his collection of pastel paintings of college buildings around the country.

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"As an artist, there were many illustrators during the time my father was working," said Nancy Childress, who lives in Gilmanton. "This was the day of the illustrator. What's different about my father's illustrations is that most could either do landscape or people, and he had the uncanny ability to do both equally well."

Childress' realism will remind the viewer immediately of Norman Rockwell's illustrations and that's not a complete coincidence: The two were friends.

Nancy Childress said her father, who retired to Warner and died in 1983, never took an art class, learning to paint with a set given to him as a gift from an aunt and uncle before he was 10. And he didn't just use the neighbor boy as a model for the series that he illustrated during the 1950s and '60s: Nancy was Sally, her sister Susan became Jane and their mother was also one of Robert Childress' inspirations.

"We loved it," she said. "My sister and I loved getting into costumes. And h! e would always include us. He would ask us, 'What do you think of this? Is it too green? Is it too blue?' But the opinion that mattered was my mother's."

Born in South Carolina, Childress was living in Ithaca, N.Y., when he was commissioned to paint a portrait of H.E. Babcock, a former chairman of the board for Cornell University. Through his connection with Babcock, he met Duncan Hines, the home food entrepreneur whose cakes and other products still stock grocery shelves. Childress painted the portrait of Hines that would adorn his product packaging and Childress launched a career in advertising.

He moved the family to Old Saybrook, Conn., where Childress painted ads for Coca-Cola, Mobil, Wonder Bread and the Campbell Soup Co., among others. Some of the ads are included in the auction.

Auctioneer Ronald Pelletier of Brookline Auction Gallery said estimates for the roughly 50 lots of Childress art run from $100 to $2,000 and because it is an "absolute auction" there is no reserve bid, meaning the lowest bid wins. He said there is a market for original art, but he couldn't predict how the Childress collections would fare.

He is most struck by how multidisciplined Childress was.

"I mean, the man could work in any medium," he said.

The live online auction will be held April 30.

Top Machinery Companies For 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) ��The U.S. trade deficit widened slightly in January as a rise in imports of oil and other foreign goods offset a solid increase in exports.

The trade deficit increased to $39.1 billion, up 0.3% from December's revised $39 billion deficit, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

Exports climbed 0.6% to $192.8 billion, led by increased sales of U.S.-made machinery, aircraft and medical equipment. Imports also rose 0.6% to $231.6 billion, reflecting a 9% jump in imports of petroleum. Imports of food and machinery also rose.

The trade deficit is the difference between imports and exports. A higher trade deficit acts as a drag on economic growth because it means U.S. companies are making less overseas then their foreign competitors are earning in U.S. sales.

Top Machinery Companies For 2015: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp (WAB)

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (Wabtec), doing business as Wabtec Corporation, is a providers of value-added, technology-based equipment and services for the global rail industry. It provides its products and services through two business segments: the Freight Group and the Transit Group, both of which have different market characteristics and business drivers. Effective November 18, 2011, Wabtec acquired Fulmer Company, a manufacturer of motor components for rail, power generation and other industrial markets. Effective November 3, 2011, Wabtec acquired Bearward Engineering, a manufacturer of cooling systems and related equipment for power generation and other industrial markets. On June 29, 2011, the Company acquired an aftermarket transit parts business from GE Transportation, a parts supply business for propulsion and control systems for the passenger transit car aftermarket in North America. On February 25, 2011, the Company acquired Brush Traction Group, a provider of locomotive overhauls, services and aftermarket components. In July 2012, it acquired Tec Tran Corp. and its affiliates. In October 2012, it acquired LH Group. Effective July 30, 2013, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp acquired Turbonetics Inc, a manufacturer of turbochargers and components. Effective September 24, 2013, Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp acquired Longwood Industries Inc.

The Freight Group manufactures and services components for freight cars and locomotives, builds new switcher locomotives, rebuilds freight locomotives, supplies railway electronics, positive train control equipment, signal design and engineering services, and provides related heat exchange and cooling systems. Its customers include railroads, leasing companies, manufacturers of original equipment, such as locomotives and freight cars, and utilities. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Freight Group accounted for 61% of its total sales, with about 75% of its sales in North America and the remainder! to international customers.

The Transit Group manufactures and services components for new and existing passenger transit vehicles, which include subway cars and buses, builds new commuter locomotives and refurbishes subway cars. Customers include public transit authorities and municipalities, leasing companies, and manufacturers of subway cars and buses globally. During 2011, the Transit Group accounted for 39% of its total sales, with about half of its sales in North America and the remainder to international customers. During 2011, about 66% of the Transit Group�� sales are in the aftermarket and the remainder in the original equipment market.

The Company�� specialty products and electronics include positive train control equipment and electronically controlled pneumatic braking products; railway electronics, including event recorders, monitoring equipment and end of train devices; signal design and engineering services; freight car truck components; draft gears, couplers and slack adjusters; air compressors and dryers; heat exchangers and cooling products for locomotives and power generation equipment, and track and switch products. Its brake products include railway braking equipment and related components for freight and transit applications, and friction products, including brake shoes and pads. Its remanufacturing, overhaul and build products include new commuter and switcher locomotives, and transit car and locomotive overhaul and refurbishment. Its transit products include rail and bus door and window assemblies; accessibility lifts and ramps for buses and subway cars, and traction motors.

The Company competes with Knorr-Bremse AG, Electro-Motive Diesel, GE Transportation Systems and Faiveley Transport.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Another area that is intriguing to us is the North American energy sector which looks to have a number of interesting catalysts currently. While the energy sector is at present only a modest overweight in the portfolios, we have been encouraged by several trends taking place for a number of years. These positive developments are also having an impact that goes far beyond the energy sector itself. Many believe that the U.S. will become energy independent and possibly a net exporter of natural gas and oil (currently restricted by law) in the next decade. This opinion is based primarily on the development of new drilling techniques (i.e. horizontal drilling, and high pressure fracking) that have enabled companies to access oil and natural gas reserves in shale formations that were previously not economically viable. The ability to tap into this acreage is a game-changer in our view and is already having a tremendous impact on the economy. Employment rates in these mostly rural areas surrounding the shale basins are very high and companies thus find hiring extremely competitive. Strong labor markets tend to create strong local economies. Oil States International (OIS) has been able to capitalize on this trend by providing housing and other services to oil service workers that are in demand in the area. CST Brands (CST) operates gas stations in Texas, but it is increasingly looking to broaden its product offering beyond fuel. Rail companies like Union Pacific (UNP), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU) and Genesee and Wyoming (GWR) have also benefited substantially. Given that shale areas are rural and often lacking infrastructure, substantial investment must be made to support drilling and production activities. Without pipelines in place, railroads have been the primary takeaway mechanism for moving production to the various clusters of refining capacity around the United States. In order to serve this demand, massive investment in railcars has been nee

Top Machinery Companies For 2015: AB SKF (SKFRY.PK)

AB SKF, formerly SKF AB, is a global supplier of products, solutions and services within rolling bearings, seals, mechatronics, services and lubrication systems. The services provided by the Company include technical support, maintenance services, condition monitoring and training. The Company operates in three divisions: Industrial Division and Service Division, servicing industrial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aftermarket customers respectively, and Automotive Division, servicing automotive OEMs and aftermarket customers. SKF operates in around 40 customer segments, including cars and light trucks, wind energy, railway, machine tool, medical, food and beverage and paper industries. In April 2009, the Company acquired the remaining 49% interest in SKF Polyseal.

In February 2008, the Company acquired QPMAerospaces�� metallic rods business. In October 2008, the Company acquired Cirval S.A Argentina. In November 2008, the Company acquired GLO s.r.l. Italy. In December 2008, the Company acquired the remaining 30% of the operations of SKF Automotive Bearings Company. In September 2008, the Company acquired PEER Bearing Company and its manufacturing units in the People�� Republic of China and Thailand.

Industrial Division

The Industrial Division serves industrial OEMs customers in some 30 global industry customer segments with a range of energy-efficient offerings. The solutions and know-how are based on the manufacturing of a wide range of bearings, such as spherical and cylindrical roller bearings, angular contact ball bearings, medium deep groove ball bearings and superprecision bearings, as well as lubrication systems, linear motion products, magnetic bearings, by-wire systems and couplings.

Service Division

The Service Division serves the global industrial aftermarket providing products and knowledge-based services for customers��plant asset efficiency. The solutions are based on SKF�� knowledge of bearings, sea! ls, lubrication systems, mechatronics and services, and customers are served by SKF and its network of over 7,000 authorized distributors. The division runs a network of Condition Monitoring Centres, which designs and produces global hardware and software. Service Division is also responsible for all SKF�� sales in certain markets.

Automotive Division

The Automotive Division serves manufacturers of cars, light trucks, heavy trucks, buses, two-wheelers and the vehicle service market, supporting them in bringing solutions to global markets. In addition, the division provides energy-saving solutions for home appliances, power tools and electric motors. Within the Automotive Division, SKF develops and manufactures bearings, seals and related products and services. Products include wheel hub bearing units, tapered roller bearings, small deep groove ball bearings, seals, and automotive specialty products for engine, steering and driveline applications. For the vehicle service market, the division provides complete repair kits, including a range of drive shafts and constant velocity joints.

Logistics Services

SKF�� business is supported by its logistics processes and systems, which involve all parts of the logistics needs in the supply chain. SKF Logistics Services provides warehousing, transportation, packaging and inventory management based on seamless information and communication technology for the SKF Group globally.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephen Simpson, CFA]

  I wrote on bearings and velocity control products company Kaydon (KDN) in early March of this year, and I didn't see a lot of value at the time. As the year went on, that call looked worse and worse, as the stock climbed about 18% - well above the S&P 500, and well above industry peers/competitors like Timken (TKR) and SKF (SKFRY.PK). To top it all off, Kaydon announced this morning (September 5) that it had received and accepted a buyout offer from SKF valuing the company at $35.50 - some 45% higher than the price when I thought it looked only about 10% undervalued. So what did I get wrong here, and what can investors do to avoid a similar mistake?

Top 10 Gas Utility Stocks To Watch Right Now: Rockwell Automation Inc.(ROK)

Rockwell Automation, Inc. provides industrial automation power, control, and information solutions. It operates in two segments, Architecture and Software, and Control Products and Solutions. The Architecture and Software segment offers control platforms that perform multiple control disciplines and monitoring of applications, including discrete, batch and continuous process, drives control, motion control, and machine safety control; and products comprising controllers, electronic operator interface devices, electronic input/output devices, communication and networking products, and industrial computers. This segment also offers software products, such as configuration and visualization software used to operate and supervise control platforms, advanced process control software, and manufacturing execution software to enhance manufacturing productivity and meet regulatory requirements; and rotary and linear motion control products, and sensors and machine safety components . The Control Products and Solutions segment provides low and medium voltage electro-mechanical and electronic motor starters, motor and circuit protection devices, AC/DC variable frequency drives, push buttons, signaling devices, termination and protection devices, relays and timers, and condition sensors; and packaged solutions, such as configured drives and motor control centers to automation and information solutions, as well as life-cycle support services. The company sells its products, solutions, and services primarily under the Rockwell Automation, Allen-Bradley, A-B, and Rockwell Software brand names to the food and beverage, transportation, oil and gas, metals, mining, home and personal care, pulp and paper, and life sciences markets through independent distributors and direct sales force in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Rockwell Automation, Inc. was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Milwaukee , Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The drive toward clean energy has opened up a number of opportunities for Emerson and its peers. Through membership in the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition, Emerson Process Management, as well as divisions of Honeywell (NYSE: HON  ) and Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK  ) , won a Department of Energy contract in March to investigate more energy-efficient manufacturing processes. Although the contract is small, the advances the coalition will produce should bolster Emerson's business prospects. Moreover, it should help Emerson hold off industry giant General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) , which has returned to its roots to make a bigger splash in the electrical industry. Specifically, GE initiatives like its smart-grid technology encroach on potential growth areas for Emerson.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK  ) isn't being an automaton with its disbursements. The leading player in industrial automation and information is jacking up its quarterly payouts 11% to $0.52 a share. This may not seem like much, but string enough of these increases along and you really move the needle. Rockwell's rate has soared 80% over the past four years.

Top Machinery Companies For 2015: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt Thalman]

  Despite having recently been upgraded by Longbow Research from "neutral" to "buy," shares of�Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) are down 0.35% today. The main reason shares are falling today is the poor earnings report released by Cummins (NYSE: CMI  ) this morning. The company reported that sales dropped 19% in the company's engine and turbine unit. Cummins also blamed the poor results on weak oil, gas, and mining demand -- areas in which Caterpillar also operates.�

• [By Rich Duprey]

  The dichotomy between the two segments would seem to represent what we've seen in the broader market where agriculture equipment powerhouse Deere (NYSE: DE  ) beat analyst expectations in the first quarter as it said it strong, 5% growth throughout the year should be expected, while construction equipment leader Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) had to cut jobs�because of waning demand.

Top Machinery Companies For 2015: Renishaw PLC (RSW)

Renishaw plc is a metrology company. The Company is engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of advanced precision metrology and inspection equipment together with products for the healthcare sector, including Raman spectroscopy systems, dental systems, molecular diagnostic equipment and neurosurgical products. The Company operates in two segments: metrology and healthcare products. The Company�� metrology segment product include Machine Tool Probe Systems, Co-ordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) products, large scale metrology, fixtures, materials research, styli for probe systems, performance testing products, gauging and position encoders. Its healthcare products include Dental Scanners, Raman Microscopes, Dental CAD Software, Neurosurgical robot, Structural and Chemical Analyser, In situ monitors and Neurosurgical Implantables. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Renishaw Plc (RSW) tumbled 5.7 percent to 1,580 pence, its lowest price since Aug. 7. The maker of precision tools said revenue for the quarter ended in September fell to 79 million pounds from 95.9 million pounds in the year-ago period.

PepsiCo 1Q Jumps on Snack Sales, Cost Cuts

Susana Gonzalez/Bloomberg via Getty Images PepsiCo (PEP) reported a stronger-than-expected first-quarter profit as the company slashed costs and sold more snacks around the world. The company, which makes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Mountain Dew and Tropicana, said global snack volume rose 2 percent while beverages were even from a year ago. Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said on CNBC that the results show the company's snack and beverage units are "really performing terrifically" together. Johnston compared the combination to peanut butter and jelly, saying that "snacks and beverages are bought together 55 percent of the time." His comments seemed to address ongoing calls by activist investor Nelson Peltz of Trian Fund Management for PepsiCo to split up the two units. Peltz says the company's stronger snack unit is being overshadowed by the underperforming beverage unit, which has long trailed Coca-Cola. PepsiCo has steadfastly rejected the suggestion. In its closely watched North American beverage unit, PepsiCo said volume was even for the quarter ended March 22. A 1 percent decline in sodas was offset by growth in other drinks. Core revenue rose as the company raised prices. For its Frito-Lay North America unit, volume rose 3 percent. In Europe, snack and beverage volume each rose by 3 percent. In the unit encompassing Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the company said revenue growth was driven by higher snack volume. For the quarter, the company earned $1.22 billion, or 79 cents a share. Not including one-time items, it earned 83 cents a share, above the 75 cents a share Wall Street expected. A year ago, it earned $1.08 billion, or 69 cents a share. Revenue edged up to $12.62 billion, higher than the $12.39 billion analysts expected. PepsiCo, based in Purchase, N.Y., stood by its outlook for the year. It expects adjusted earnings per share to grow by 7 percent.

BitAuto Holdings Stock Pulls Into the Fast Lane (BITA)

There are many ways to play the growth of China’s middle class and BitAuto Holdings (BITA) may offer a combination of two of the best: cars and the Internet.

BitAuto provides Internet content and marketing services for the automotive industry in China. Its BitAuto.com and Ucar.cn websites provide consumers new and used automobile pricing information, specifications, reviews and consumer feedback.

I last wrote about BitAuto as the Bull of the Day in late November when it was trading just below $35. In the subsequent four months, it built a base at $27 and reached an all-time high above $46 in early March. I thought it was a good time to revisit the name as it just became a Zacks #1 Rank again on a big boost in the earnings outlook.

New Name, Experienced Player

Since China overtook the US as the world’s largest automobile market in 2010, Chinese companies have of course been scrambling to capitalize on the boom. While you may have never heard of BitAuto and you may be skeptical about “another Chinese Internet company,” their roots in the auto industry go back more than a decade.

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BitAuto was originally an advertising agency focusing on the automobile sector before they expanded into an integrated online vertical/portal model. They operate their websites as vehicles for dealers, automotive advertisers and consumers to converge.

According to analysts at Oppenheimer, “With China’s emerging auto sector coupled with strong secular tailwinds of increasing Internet ad spend, rising domestic consumption, Internet penetration growth, and greater reliance by consumers on the Internet for car information, BITA is positioned to maintain its leading position in the automotive online advertising and agency business.”

The BitAuto Model

The company operates in three segments: BitAuto.com business, Ucar.cn business and digital marketing solutions business. The BitAuto.com business provides subscription services to new automobile dealers and advertising services to dealers and automakers on the their websites.

BitAuto’s Ucar.cn business provides listing and advertising services to used automobile dealers on Ucar.cn website. And their business services division provides automakers with digital marketing solutions, including website creation and maintenance, online public relations, online marketing campaigns and advertising agent services.

High-Speed Growth

In 2010 through 2012, BITA grew revenues at average annual pace of 57%. While that early-stage growth pace is slowing, the numbers are still impressive. In early March, BITA reported standout Q4 2013 results with the following highlights…

Revenue was $79.9 million, a 36.3% increase from the corresponding period in 2012. Revenue in fiscal year 2013 was $237.8 million, a 36.2% increase from 2012.

Operating profit was $17.2 million, a 52.2% increase from the corresponding period in 2012. Operating profit in fiscal year 2013 was $41.4 million, a 63.3% increase from 2012.

The company also guided to 1Q14 sales $53.9-55.5M, suggesting continued 36-40% year-over-year revenue growth. In reaction, Oppenheimer analysts noted…

“BITA continues to focus on providing more value-added services for auto dealers via its CRM system. According to mgmt, the EP platform generated over 11M sales leads for dealers in 4Q and 30M in 2013. The mobile business also started to gain momentum, accounting for over 40% of the sales leads in December.”

And these views, combined with strong forward guidance from the company, also prompted the analysts to bump their EPS projections for this year by 30%…

“We're raising our 2014 sales and GAAP estimates from $301M/$1.18 to $327M/$1.54, and increasing our target to $45 from $30.”

Innovation and Partnership

The Chinese have made it clear they like to build their own dominant companies in key industries, like the Internet for instance. For this reason, hedge fund manager John Burbank of Passport Capital has major investments in Baidu (BIDU), Qihoo 360 (QIHU), which specializes in Internet security, search, and mobile apps, and SouFun (SFUN) which he calls the “Zillow of China.”

In November, BitAuto announced a joint venture with Kelley Blue Book and the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) to provide data on the Chinese used car market. But not only did BITA pick a great US partner, they are also launching these services in mobile applications to meet the country’s increasingly high-tech consumer demand.

“Bitauto is delighted to cooperate with Kelley Blue Book and CADA to bring innovative vehicle valuations to China’s used car market,” said Mr. William Bin Li, chairman and chief executive officer of Bitauto in the company press release. “We see increasingly strong demand for vehicle valuation products particularly in China’s used car market which is currently under-served and is now entering a period of rapid development.

“We believe that consumers will greatly benefit from the joint venture’s products and services which will offer quick and easy access to the most market-reflective vehicle valuations, helping them make informed decisions on their vehicle transactions. We are confident that these will become the starting point for consumers and dealers seeking used vehicle pricing information.”

Mr. Li added, “Our combined experience, technology and brand will drive the development of this joint venture and allow us to deliver trusted values to China’s used car market. We believe this joint venture will further solidify Bitauto’s leading position in China’s online used car market.”

The new Web and mobile-based products will be the direct access point for China’s most comprehensive and up-to-date car valuation information and is expected to serve as a central hub for the development of China’s new and used car industries.

If you are looking for a high-growth play on the Chinese consumer, BitAuto may be a good option. When I last wrote about BITA in November, the forward P/E was pricey at 33X on a $35 stock. Now that shares are back to $32 and the EPS estimates are higher, you’re looking at paying under 25X for high double-digit earnings growth.

At that price, I think the stock is definitely worth looking at to own a piece of the key player in the biggest auto market in the world.

Kevin Cook is a Senior Stock Strategist for Zacks where he runs the Follow The Money portfolio.

BAIDU INC (BIDU): Free Stock Analysis Report

BITAUTO HOLDNGS (BITA): Free Stock Analysis Report

QIHOO 360 TECH (QIHU): Free Stock Analysis Report

SOUFUN HLDG-ADR (SFUN): Free Stock Analysis Report

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Hot US Stocks To Buy For 2015

In mid-2009, Morningstar introduced what it calls "moat trend ratings." Moat trend ratings can be either positive or negative. A positive moat trend indicates that a company's competitive position in strengthening. Conversely, a negative moat trend indicates that it is weakening. These moat trends have been an excellent indicator of stock performance.

In the video below, Fool contributor Daniel Sparks discusses the importance of these ratings and he suggests one way investors can identify positive and negative moat trends. To illustrate, Daniel takes a look at Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) , Whole Foods (NASDAQ: WFM  ) , and Nokia (NYSE: NOK  ) .

It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech.�Click here�to keep reading.

Hot US Stocks To Buy For 2015: WEX Inc (WEX)

WEX Inc., formerly Wright Express Corporation, incorporated on June 18, 1999, is a provider of corporate card payment solutions. The Company operates in two segments: Fleet Payment Solutions and Other Payment Solutions. The Fleet Payment Solutions segment provides customers with fleet vehicle payment processing services specifically designed for the needs of commercial and government fleets. The Other Payment Solutions segment provides customers with payment processing solutions for their corporate purchasing and transaction monitoring needs through the Company's payment products. The Company's United States operations include WEX Inc., and the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries Fleet One, WEX Bank, rapid! PayCard, and Pacific Pride. On October 4, 2012, the Company acquired Fleet One. On August 30, 2012, the Company acquired a 51 % controlling interest in UNIK S.A. On May 11, 2012, the Company acquired CorporatePay Limited.

The Company's virtual card is used for transactions where no card is presented, including, for example, transactions conducted over the telephone, by mail, by fax or on the Internet. The Company's virtual card also can be used for transactions that require pre-authorization, such as hotel reservations. The rapid! PayCard product, a pre-paid payroll card, provides a paycard benefit and ePayroll program designed for employers choosing to convert to electronic delivery of payroll in the United States, replacing paper employee payroll checks. The Company also has several other product offerings, including corporate purchase cards and pre-paid and gift cards.

Fleet Payment Solutions

The Company's closed-loop fuel networks afford the Company access to a higher level of fleet-specific information and control than is widely available on open-loop networks. This allows the Company to improve and refine the information reporting the Company provides to its fleet customers and strategic relationships. The Company offers a differentiated set of products ! and services, including security and purchases controls, to allow its customers and the customers of its strategic relationships to better manage their vehicle fleets. The Company provides customized analysis and reporting on the efficiency of fleet vehicles and the purchasing behavior of fleet vehicle drivers. The Company's software facilitates the collection of information and affords the Company a high level of control and flexibility in allowing fleets to restrict purchases and receive automated alerts.

Other Payment Solutions

The Company's virtual products offer corporate customers enhanced security and control for payment needs. The Company's strategic relationships include three of the United States based online travel agencies. The Company's operations in the United Kingdom provide corporate prepaid solutions to the travel industry. In addition, the Company offers virtual products in the insurance/warranty and healthcare markets in the United States. The Company offers paycard products in the United States and Brazil. These products include payroll cards which are used to replace paper payroll checks.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Seth Jayson]

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

Hot US Stocks To Buy For 2015: Konsortium Transnasional Bhd (KTB)

Konsortium Transnasional Berhad (KTB) is principally involved in investment holding. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the provision of public bus transportation comprising stage and express bus operations within Peninsular Malaysia. The Company operates in two segments: public transportation services, which is engaged in the provision of stage and express bus services across Peninsular Malaysia, and trading of vehicles, which through its subsidiary, PT Indonadi, is involved in the activity of trading of buses in Indonesia. The public transportation services segment includes revenue from the rental and charter of buses to third parties. Some of its wholly owned subsidiaries include Syarikat Kenderaan Melayu Kelantan Berhad, Syarikat Tanjung Keramat Temerloh Omnibus Berhad, Kenderaan Langkasuka Sdn. Bhd., Kenderaan Klang Banting Berhad, Kenderaan Labu Sendayan Sdn. Bhd., Starise Sdn. Bhd. and Syarikat Rembau Tampin Sdn. Bhd. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Anuchit Nguyen]

  The SET Index, which rose 328 percent from October 2008 to this year�� high on May 21, has since dropped 13 percent through yesterday as shares of Krung Thai Bank Pcl (KTB) and billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont�� CP All Pcl (CPALL) tumbled. Stock swings in Thailand have almost tripled in the past six months while trading volumes fell 52 percent, the most among 45 emerging and developed markets.

5 Best Quality Stocks To Invest In Right Now: CCR SA (CCRO3)

CCR SA is a Brazil-based holding company primarily engaged in the operation of highways. The Company's businesses are divided into five main operating segments: Highway which includes concessions such as AutoBAn, ViaOeste, NovaDutra, RodoNorte, SPVias, Ponte, ViaLagos, RodoAnel Oeste, Transolimpica and Renovias; Subway which includes ViaQuatro, Sea Transportation which includes Barcas concession; Airport Concessions which include Quiport, Aeris and CAP, and all companies related to these concessions; and Services/Holdings which is related to sub-holdings CPC and CCR Espana, among others. It is involved in the collection of toll fees on highways and is responsible for repairing, conserving, maintaining and operating of these highways. It is responsible for national highways network in Brazilian states of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Parana. Additionally, it is active in automotive inspection services, automatic toll payment and automatic vehicle identification systems operation. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ney Hayashi]

  Toll-road operator CCR SA (CCRO3) added 3.1 percent to 16.75 reais, snapping a five-day rout that drove shares 11 percent lower. Competitor EcoRodovias Infraestrutura e Logistica SA gained 1.7 percent to 14.75 reais today.

Hot US Stocks To Buy For 2015: Apache Corporation(APA)

Apache Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. The company has exploration and production interests in the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, east Texas, the Permian basin, the Anadarko basin, and the Western Sedimentary basin of Canada; and onshore Egypt, offshore Western Australia, offshore the United Kingdom in the North Sea, and onshore Argentina, as well as on the Chilean side of the island of Tierra del Fuego. Apache Corporation sells its natural gas to local distribution companies, utilities, end-users, integrated oil and gas companies, and marketers; and crude oil to integrated oil companies, marketing and transportation companies, and refiners. As of December 31, 2009, it had total estimated proved reserves of 1,067 million barrels of crude oil, condensate, and natural gas liquids, as well as 7.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The company was founded in 1954 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Independent energy company Apache (APA) raised its quarterly dividend 25% to 25 cents per share, payable on May 22 to shareholders of record as of Apr. 22.
  APA Dividend Yield: 1.25%

• [By Value Investor]

  Long-term prospects for Apache Corp. (APA) are still alive in spite of the recent plunge in stock price. Severe winter storms in the Permian basin and Central region has affected the production of the company, but this will only have a temporary impact. The company has good fundamentals and attractive valuations to be considered as a long term investment opportunity. The recent decline can therefore be considered as a good entry point for this stock.

Hot US Stocks To Buy For 2015: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated(UNH)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated provides healthcare services in the United States. Its Health Benefits segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services to national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; and non-employer based insurance options for purchase by individuals. It also provides health and well-being services for individuals aged 50 and older; and for services dealing with chronic disease and other specialized issues for older individuals, as well as health plans for the beneficiaries of acute and long-term care Medicaid plans. This segment offers its services through a network of 730,000 physicians and other health care professionals, and 5,300 hospitals. Its OptumHealth segment provides health, financial, and ancillary services and products that assist consumers through personalized health management solutions; benefit administration, and clinical and network management; health-based financi al services; behavioral solutions; and specialty benefits, such as dental, vision, life, critical illness, short-term disability, and stop-loss product offerings. The company?s Ingenix segment offers database and data management services, software products, publications, consulting and actuarial services, business process outsourcing services, and pharmaceutical data consulting and research services. Its Prescription Solutions segment provides integrated pharmacy benefit management services comprising retail network pharmacy contracting and management, claims processing, mail order pharmacy services, specialty pharmacy, benefit design consultation, rebate contracting and management, drug utilization review, formulary management programs, disease therapy management, and adherence programs to employer groups, union trusts, managed care organizations, Medicare-contracted plans, Medicaid plans, and third party administrators. The company was founded in 1974 and is based in Minne tonka, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jim Jubak]

  The main culprits in the Dow's decline were IBM (IBM) down 6.4%, Goldman Sachs (GS), down 2.6%, and United Health Group (UNH) down 4.97%.

  I think we saw two themes re-emerge, and one new theme emerge yesterday, that are likely to be major drivers of the US market for the next couple of weeks, as we move through the meat of earnings season.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Jeffrey Zients, the former acting Office of Budget and Management chief who was tagged to lead the Healthcare.gov repair, indicated that UnitedHealth Group� (NYSE: UNH  ) subsidiary Quality Software Services, or QSSI, is now in charge of the technical aspects of the website. We also learned that by the end of November the website should be working smoothly for a majority of people. In another context, that's just one month and two days away now!

Hot US Stocks To Buy For 2015: Ishares Msci Emu Index (EZU)

iShares MSCI EMU Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded securities in the aggregate in the European Monetary Union (EMU) markets, as measured by the MSCI EMU Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the equity market of the EMU member countries, which includes those members of the European Union who have adopted the Euro as its currency. The Index is a capitalization-weighted index that aims to capture 85% of the (publicly available) total market capitalization. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the Index. The Index is reviewed quarterly.

The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dave and Donald Moenning]

  At the beginning of the year, those seeing the glass as at least half-empty were expecting Europe (EZU) to drag the economies of the world into recession, China's (FXI) economic growth to tank, the unrest in the Middle East to become a huge problem, the Fed to make a mistake, earnings to soften and the politicians in Washington to send the U.S. into a depression.

Hot US Stocks To Buy For 2015: ManpowerGroup(MAN)

ManpowerGroup provides workforce solutions and services worldwide. The company offers permanent, temporary, and contract recruitment services; assessment and selection services; training and development services; outsourcing services; and workforce consulting services. It also provides professional resourcing and project-based workforce solutions in the information technology, finance, and engineering fields; talent and career management workforce solutions; and talent based outsourcing services, managed services, recruitment process outsourcing services, borderless talent solutions, and strategic workforce consulting services. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Buck]

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

Hot US Stocks To Buy For 2015: Erickson Air-Crane Inc (EAC)

Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated (Erickson) is engaged in the operation and manufacture of the Erickson S-64 Aircrane (Aircrane), a heavy-lift helicopter. The Company operates in two segments: Aerial Services and Manufacturing / MRO. Aerial Services offers a range of heavy-lift helicopter services through the Company's worldwide fleet, including firefighting, timber harvesting, infrastructure construction, and crewing services. Manufacturing / MRO manufactures Aircranes from existing airframes, manufactures new components on a contract basis, and provides customers with Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency certified maintenance, and MRO services in the Company's AS9100 certified facility. In October 2012, the Company purchased the Sun Bird Aircraft and associated spare parts inventory and accessories from San Diego Gas & Electric Company. In May 2013, Erickson Air-Crane Inc acquired the entire share capital of Evergreen Helicopters Inc. In September 2013, Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated announced the completion of its acquisition of Air Amazonia Servicos Aeronauticos Ltda and certain related assets from HRT Participacoes em Petroleo S.A.

In February 2012, its Malaysian subsidiary, Erickson Aircrane Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., entered into an amendment to its existing logging contract with Syarikat Samling Timber Sdn. Bhd. (Samling Global) to extend the contract term to January 31, 2013. Pursuant to the amended contract, it began providing aerial timber harvesting services in Malaysia on February 1, 2012 to Samling Global. In January 2012, its Canadian subsidiary, Canadian Air-Crane Limited, amended its existing agreement with Western Forest Products Inc. (Western Forest Products), a Canadian forest products and timberlands management company, to establish the terms for one year of aviation services.

The Company offers a full spectrum of heavy-lift helicopter solutions, including the design, engineering, development, manufacturing, and testing of the Airc! rane, as well as Aerial Services and MRO services. It has production, maintenance, and logistics facilities in Central Point, Oregon. It maintains a year-round international presence with operations in Canada, Italy, Malaysia, and Peru, and an operating presence in Australia and Greece.

It owns the Type and Production Certificates for the Aircrane, granting us exclusive design, manufacturing, and related rights for the aircraft and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) components. It has made more than 350 design improvements to the Aircrane since acquiring the Type Certificate and it has developed Aircrane accessories that enhance its aerial operations, such as its firefighting tank system and snorkel, timber heli harvester, and anti-rotation device and hoist.

Aerial Services

The Aircrane has a lift capacity of up to 25,000 pounds and is a commercial aircraft built specifically as a flying crane without a fuselage for internal loads. The Aircrane is also a commercial heavy-lift helicopter with a rear load-facing cockpit, combining an unobstructed view and complete aircraft control for precision lift and load placement capabilities. It owns and operates a fleet of 17 Aircranes, which it uses to support a variety of government and commercial customers worldwide across a range of aerial services, including firefighting, timber harvesting, infrastructure construction, and crewing. The Aircrane is capable of providing heavy-lift solutions to a wide variety of industries, including firefighting, timber harvesting, infrastructure construction, oil and gas and energy related construction, disaster recovery, and emergency response. It leases its aircraft to customers for specific missions, with customers generally paying for the aircraft, maintenance, and crewing services, as well as fuel expense. In addition, it provides crewing for aircraft it has sold. Its Aircrane accessories include Fire Tank and Pond Snorkel, Fire Tank and Sea Snorkel, Foam Cannon, Hydromulch Loading Manifo! ld, Heli ! Harvester, Hydraulic Grapple, Long-Line Shock and Pendant, Anti-Rotation Device and Hoist and Material Transport Bucket.

The Aircrane Helitanker has provided firefighting services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, and Australia. Its firefighting customers include federal, state, local, and international government agencies who hire the Company to be available as needed. Under its firefighting contracts, aircraft are deployed to locations prone to seasonal fires and remain on standby throughout the fire season. For these contracts, which it refers to as exclusive-use contracts, it typically charge on a per-day basis for availability and on a per-hour basis for actual aircraft use.

Aircrane is engaged in timber operations in a number of regions, including the United States, Canada, and the tropical forests in Malaysia. Its customers uses its harvesting solutions primarily for timber, such as tropical hardwoods and for remote area harvesting in locations that would otherwise require road construction or prohibit ground-based harvesting. Timber is vertically lifted and transported with its hydraulic grapple.

The Aircrane's rear load-facing pilot seat makes the aircraft particularly for infrastructure projects that require extreme precision in load delivery, such as electricity transmission and broadcasting towers, oil and gas pipelines, wind turbines, mining conveying systems, industrial equipment, emergency shelters, and ski-lift equipment. The Aircrane can be configured to transport heavy machinery and equipment, such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) units, automotive equipment, and other cargo items.

Aircraft Manufacturing and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (Manufacturing/MRO)

The Company manufactures Aircranes and related components for sale to government and commercial customers and provide aftermarket support and maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for the Aircrane and oth! er aircra! ft. It also offers cost per hour (CPH) contracts pursuant to which it provides components and expendable supplies for a customer's aircraft at a fixed cost per flight hour. Through its Manufacturing / MRO segment it manufactures Aircranes from existing airframes, manufacture components on a contract basis, and provide customers with FAA- and European Aviation Safety Agency-certified MRO services

The Company has manufactured a total of 33 Aircranes for its own use and for sale to customers, and has sold one for domestic construction operations and eight for international firefighting operations. It also builds and manufactures Aircranes for its own use and owns, operates, and maintains 17 Aircranes. As the owner of the S-64 Type and Production Certificates, it also has the authority and ability to manufacture an Aircrane entirely from new parts. It manufactures aluminum main and tail rotor blades and have partnered with OEMs to design and manufacture composite main rotor blades. While it provides MRO services to its own Aircranes, it continues to provide parts and maintenance and overhaul services to every Aircrane it has sold. It also performs similar operations on engines and other components for owners of other aircraft platforms. Its FAA-certificated repair station offers an array of services from small repairs to extensive heavy airframe maintenance.

The Company competes with Columbia Helicopters, Helicopter Transport Services and Siller Brothers.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Blake Bos]

  In the following video, Motley Fool industrials analyst Blake Bos takes a question from a Fool reader on Facebook, who asks, "What's your Foolish take on Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated (NASDAQ: EAC  ) ?"