Top Medical Stocks To Buy For 2016

Top Medical Stocks To Buy For 2016: Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc (INO)

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., incorporated on June 29, 1983, is engaged in the development of a new generation of vaccines, called synthetic vaccines, focused on cancers and infectious diseases. The Company's SynCon technology enables the design of universal vaccines capable of providing cross-protection against existing or changing strains of pathogens, such as influenza and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The Company's electroporation delivery technology uses brief, controlled electrical pulses to increase cellular uptake of the vaccine. Its clinical programs include cervical dysplasia (therapeutic), avian influenza (preventive), prostate cancer (therapeutic), leukemia (therapeutic), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV vaccines. It is advancing preclinical research and clinical development for a universal seasonal/pandemic influenza vaccine, as well as preclinical work for other products, including malaria and prostate cancer vaccines. Its partners and collaborators incl ude University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, National Microbiology Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health/Malaria Vaccine Initiative (PATH/MVI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Merck, ChronTech, University of Southampton, United States Military HIV Research Program (USMHRP), the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and HIV Vaccines Trial Network (HVTN). As of December 31, 2011 it owned 16.1% interest in VGX Int'l.

Inovio's Solution

The Company's synthetic vaccine platform consists of its SynCon vaccine design process and electroporation delivery technology. It has developed a preclinical and clinical stage pipeline of vaccines. The Company's synthetic vaccines are designed to prevent a disease (prophylacti! c vaccines) or treat an existing disease (therapeutic vaccines). Its synthetic vaccine consists of a deo xyribonucleic acid (DNA) plasmid encoding a selected antigen! (s), which is introduced into cells of humans or animals with the purpose of evoking an immune response to the encoded antigen. The Company's synthetic vaccines are designed to generate specific antibody and/or T-cell responses.

The Company's SynCon technology provides processes that employ bioinformatics, which combine extensive genetic data and sophisticated algorithms. Its design process uses the genetic make-up of a common antigen(s) from multiple strains of a virus within a viral sub-type or taxonomic group (family) of pathogens, such as HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza and other diseases to synthetically create a new antigen for the desired pathogen target that does not exist in nature. Its synthetic vaccine candidates are being delivered into cells of the body using its electroporation (EP) DNA delivery technology.

Cancer Synthetic Vaccines

The Company has two broad types of cancer vaccines : preventive (or prophylactic) vaccines, which are intended to prevent cancer from developing in healthy people, and treatment (or therapeutic) vaccines, which are intended to treat an existing cancer by strengthening the body's natural defenses against the cancer. Two types of cancer preventive vaccines are available in the United States. The United States Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) has approved two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix that protect against infection by the two types of HPV-types 16 and 18-that cause approximately 70% of all cases of cervical cancer worldwide. In addition, Gardasil protects against infection by two additional HPV types, 6 and 11, which are responsible for about 90% of all cases of genital warts in males and females but do not cause cervical cancer.

Cervarix manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, is composed of virus-! like part! icles (VLPs) made with proteins from HPV types 16 and 18. Cervarix is approved for use in females' a ges 10 to 25 for the prevention of cervical cancer caused by! HPV type! s 16 and 18. Gardasil manufactured by Merck, is approved for use in females for the prevention of cervical cancer, and some vulvar and vaginal cancers, caused by HPV types 16 and 18 and for use in males and females for the prevention of genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11. The vaccine is approved for these uses in females and males ages 9 to 26. The FDA has also approved a cancer preventive vaccine that protects against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Inovio's VGX-3100 is designed to raise immune responses against the E6 and E7 genes of HPV types 16 and 18 that are present in both pre-cancerous and cancerous cells transformed by these HPV types. E6 and E7 are oncogenes that play an integral role in transforming HPV-infected cells into cancerous cells. In March 2011, it initiated a randomized, double-blind Phase II study of VGX-3100 delivered using the CELLECTRA intramuscular electroporation device in women with HPV Type 16 or 18 and diagnosed with, but not yet treated for, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3. The study is designed to enroll 148 subjects. In January 2011, it announced the publication of a scientific paper in the journal Human Vaccines detailing potent immune responses in a preclinical study of its SynCon vaccine for prostate cancer targeting two antigens, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA).

In January 2011, the Company announced the regulatory approval of a Phase II clinical trial (WIN Trial) to treat leukemia utilizing its new ELGEN 1000 automated vaccine delivery device. The single dose level, Phase II study, called WT1 immunity via DNA fusion gene vaccination in haematological malignancies by intramuscular injection followed by intramuscular electroporation. Cancer Vaccines encodes for hTERT, an antigen related to non! -small ce! ll lung, breast and prostate cancers. The vaccine is delivered using its electroporation delivery technology.

Infectious Disease Synthetic Vaccines

In Marc! h 2011, the Company announced the initiation of a follow-on open label, single dose Phase II clinical study in collaboration with ChronTech of the ChronVac-C HCV DNA vaccine delivered using its electroporation technology in treatment naive HCV infected individuals. Its HIV vaccines consist of candidates for HIV prevention, as well as therapy or treatment. PENNVAX-B is designed to target HIV clade B (most commonly found in the United States, North America, Australia and the European Union (EU). PENNVAX-G is designed to target HIV clades A, C and D, which are more commonly found in Asia, Africa, Russia and South America. This Phase I clinical study of PENNVAX-B (HVTN-080) vaccinated 48 healthy, HIV-negative volunteers to assess safety and levels of immune responses generated by Inovio's PENNVAX-B vaccine delivered with its CELLECTRA electroporation device. PENNVAX-B is a SynCon vaccine that targets HIV gag, pol, and env proteins.

The Company's VGX-3400X targe ts H5N1. The vaccine consists of three distinct DNA plasmids coded for a consensus hemagglutinin (HA) antigen derived from different H5N1 virus strains; a consensus neuraminidase (NA) antigen derived from different N1 sequences; and a consensus nucleoprotein (NP) fused to a small portion of the m2 protein (m2E) based on a broader cross-section of influenza viruses in addition to H5N1 and H1N1. Conventional vaccines are strain-specific and have limited ability to protect against genetic shifts in the influenza strains they target. They are therefore modified annually in anticipation of the next flu season's new strain(s). It is focused on developing DNA-based influenza vaccines able to provide broad protection against known as well as newly emerging, unknown seasonal and pandemic influenza strains.

Animal Health/Veterinary

VGX A! nimal Health, Inc. (VGX AH), a majority-owned subsidiary, has licensed LifeTide, a plasmid-based growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) technology for swine. LifeTide is one of onl! y four DN! A-based treatments approved for use in animals and is the only DNA-based agent delivered using electroporation that has been granted marketing approval (Australia). VGX AH is also developing a GHRH-based treatment for cancer and anemia in dogs and cats. It is developing a synthetic vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) administered by its vaccine delivery technology. The FMD virus is one of the most infectious diseases affecting farm animals, including cattle, swine, sheep and goats, and is a serious threat to global food safety.

The Company competes with Crucell N.V, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Inc., Novartis, Inc., MedImmune and CSL.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Leo Sun]

  With 2014 drawing to a close, biotech investors are probably wondering which stocks to stuff in their stockings for next year. While there are plenty of promising biotech stocks to choose from, we should also take note of three high-risk, low-growth biotech stocks that investors might consider avoiding: Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: INO  ) , VIVUS (NASDAQ: VVUS  ) , and Zogenix (NASDAQ: ZGNX  ) .

• [By Matt Egan]

  Other drug makers rallying on the Ebola headlines include BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX), Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO) and Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT).

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another biotechnology player that insiders are jumping into here is Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO), which discovers, develops, and develops synthetic vaccines and immune therapies focusing on cancers and infectious diseases. Insiders are buying this stock into notable weakness, since shares are off by 17.4% so far in 2014.

  Inovio Pharmaceuticals has a market cap of $578 million! and an e! nterprise value of $415 million. This stock trades at a premium valuation, with a price-to-sales of 30.15 and a price-to-book of 4.30. Its estimated growth rate for this year is 56.9%, and for next year it's pegged at -43.5%. This is a cash-rich company, since the total cash position on its balance sheet is $108.86 million and its total debt is zero.

  The CEO just bought 250,000 shares, or about $2.26 million worth of stock, at $9.05 per share.

  From a technical perspective, INO is currently trending below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bearish. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last few weeks, with shares moving lower from its high of $14.20 to its recent low of $8.60 a share. During that downtrend, shares of INO have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. Shares of INO have now started to explode higher off that $8.60 low and it's quickly approaching a big breakout trade.

  If you're in the bull camp on INO, then I would look for long-biased trades as long as this stock is trending above Wednesday's intraday low of $8.92 or above that recent low of $8.60 and then once it breaks out above both its 50-day at $10.11 and its 200-day at $10.24 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.87 million shares. If that breakout hits soon, then INO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $11 to $11.50, or even $12 to $12.5

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-medical-stocks-to-buy-for-2016.html

Top Insurance Stocks To Own For 2016

Top Insurance Stocks To Own For 2016: Allstate Corp (ALL)

The Allstate Corporation (Allstate), November 5, 1992, is a holding company for Allstate Insurance Company. The Company's business is conducted principally through Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Life Insurance Company and their affiliates. It is engaged, principally in the United States, in the property-liability insurance, life insurance, retirement and investment product business. Allstate's primary business is the sale of private passenger auto and homeowners insurance. The Company also sells several other personal property and casualty insurance products, select commercial property and casualty coverages, life insurance, annuities, voluntary accident and health insurance and funding agreements. Allstate primarily distributes its products through exclusive agencies, financial specialists, independent agencies, call centers and the Internet. It conducts its business primarily in the United States. Allstate has four business segments: Allstate Protection, Allstate Financial, Discontinued Lines and Coverages and Corporate and Other. The Company is a personal lines insurer in the United States. Customers can access Allstate products and services, such as auto insurance and homeowners insurance through nearly 12,000 exclusive Allstate agencies and financial representatives in the United States and Canada. In October 2011, the Company acquired Esurance and Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group.

ALLSTATE PROTECTION SEGMENT

In this segment, the Company principally sells private passenger auto and homeowners insurance through agencies and directly through call centers and the Internet. These products are marketed under the Allstate, Encompass and Esurance brand names. The Allstate Protection segment also includes a separate organization called Emerging Businesses, which comprises Business Insurance (commer! cial products for small business owners), Consumer Household (specialty products including moto rcycle, boat, renters and condominium insurance policies), A! llstate Dealer Services (insurance and non-insurance products sold primarily to auto dealers), Allstate Roadside Services (retail and wholesale roadside assistance products) and Ivantage (insurance agency). The Company also participates in the involuntary or shared private passenger auto insurance business in order to maintain its licenses to do business in many states. In some states, Allstate exclusive agencies offer non-proprietary property insurance products. Allstate brand auto and homeowners insurance products are sold primarily through Allstate exclusive agencies and serve customers who prefer local personal advice and service and are brand-sensitive. In most states, customers can also purchase certain Allstate brand personal insurance products, and obtain service, directly through call centers and the Internet.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, total Allstate Protection premiums written were $25.98 billion. Its broad-based network of approximately 10,000 Allstate exclusive agencies in approximately 9,700 locations in the United States produced approximately 86% of the Allstate Protection segment's written premiums in 2011. It provides personal property and casualty insurance products through independent agencies in the United States. Additionally, Allstate distribution, through brokering arrangements, offers non-proprietary products to consumers when an Allstate product is not available.

ALLSTATE FINANCIAL SEGMENT

Allstate Financial segment provides life insurance, retirement and investment products, and voluntary accident and health insurance products. Its principal products are interest-sensitive, traditional and variable life insurance; fixed annuities, including deferred and immediate; and voluntary accident and health insurance. Its institutional products consist of funding agreements s! old to un! affiliated trusts that use them to back medium-term notes issued to institutional and individ ual investors. Banking products and services were offered to! customer! s through the Allstate Bank through September 2011. In 2011, after receiving regulatory approval to voluntarily dissolve, Allstate Bank ceased operations.

The Company sells Allstate Financial products to individuals through multiple intermediary distribution channels, including Allstate exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists, independent agents, specialized structured settlement brokers and directly through call centers and the Internet. The Company sells products through independent agents affiliated with approximately 125 master brokerage agencies. Independent workplace enrolling agents and Allstate exclusive agencies also sell its voluntary accident and health insurance products primarily to employees of unaffiliated businesses. Its mortgage loan portfolio, which is primarily held in the Allstate Financial portfolio, totaled $7.14 billion as of December 31, 2011

Allstate Financial, through several companies, is authorized to sell life insurance and retirement products in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States, Virgin Islands and Guam. Allstate Financial distributes its products to individuals through multiple distribution channels, including Allstate exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists, independent agents (including master brokerage agencies and workplace enrolling agents), specialized structured settlement brokers and directly through call centers and the Internet.

OTHER BUSINESS SEGMENTS

The Company's Corporate and Other segment consistsof holding company activities and certain non-insurance operations. It's Discontinued Lines and Coverages segment includes results from insurance coverage that it no longer writes and results for certain commercial and other businesses in run-off. Its exposure to asbestos, e! nvironmen! tal and other discontinued lines claims is presented in the segment. The segment also includes the hist orical results of the commercial and reinsurance businesses ! sold in 1! 996.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Kingkarn Amjaroen] The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL  ) , a $27 billion property and insurance company with a focus on home and auto insurance, presented solid third quarter results on Thursday.   The insurance business reported earnings, which beat consensus estimates, delivered another quarter of strong net written premium growth and combined ratios, but also reported higher catastrophe losses that weighed on Allstate's operating income.   1. Earnings beat
  Allstate reported operating earnings of $1.39 per share, which beat consensus estimates of $1.33 per share. Allstate's earnings beat follows similarly strong results at The Travelers Companies and The Hartford Financial Services Group, which both reported third quarter earnings beats as well.
  Though catastrophe losses affected Allstate's third quarter profitability by $517 million compared against just $128 million in the year ago quarter, Allstate's results nonetheless indicate a strongly performing insurance franchise.   2. Robust premium growth and combined ratios
  Probably the biggest takeaway from Allstate's third quarter results was, that the company was affected by catastrophe losses that were four times larger than last year.

  Despite that, Allstate was able to achieve a property-liability underwriting gain of $474 million in the most recent quarter. Its combined ratio has slightly improved sequentially to 93.5%, which compares against 97.4% in 2Q 2014 and against 90% in 3Q 2013. Allstate's underlying combined ratio, which adjusts for non-recurring items like catastrophe losses, however, remained in the mid-80% neighborhood with 86.1%.

• [By , DividendChannel.com]

  Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on May 28 Allstate (ALL), SunTr! ust Banks!  (STI) and CBOE Holdings (CBOE) will all trade ex-dividend for their respective upcoming dividends. Allstate will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.28 on July 1, SunTrust will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.20 on June 16 and CBOE Holdings will pay its quarterly dividend of $0.18 on June 20.

• [By Dividends4Life]

  Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. Avg. High Yield Price 2. 20-Year DCF Price 3. Avg. P/E Price 4. Graham Number CINF is trading at a discount to only 3.) above. The stock is trading at a 36.8% premium to its calculated fair value of $34.96. CINF did not earn any Stars in this section. Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. Free Cash Flow Payout 2. Debt To Total Capital 3. Key Metrics 4. Dividend Growth Rate 5. Years of Div. Growth 6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15% CINF earned two Stars in this section for 1.) and 2.) above. A Star was earned since the Free Cash Flow payout ratio was less than 60% and there were no negative Free Cash Flows over the last 10 years. The stock earned a Star as a result of its most recent Debt to Total Capital being less than 45%. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1954 and has increased its dividend payments for 54 consecutive years. Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. NPV MMA Diff. 2. Years to > MMA The NPV MMA Diff. of the $62 is below the $500 target I look for in a stock that has increased divide! nds as lo! ng as CINF has. If CINF grows its dividend at 1.2% per year, it will take 5 years to equal a MMA yielding an estimated 20-year average rate of 3.68%. Memberships and Peers: CINF is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers™ Index and a Divid

• [By John Kell]

  Allstate Corp.(ALL) said its fourth-quarter profit more than doubled, boosted in part by rising insurance policies in several units and fewer catastrophes.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-insurance-stocks-to-own-for-2016.html

SEC’s White Pushing to Finish Fiduciary Proposal ‘Quickly’

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairwoman Mary Jo White told lawmakers Tuesday that the agency was “focused” on completing a fiduciary duty rule proposal and that “it’s important for me to get to wherever we are going on that [rulemaking] as quickly as we can.”

Since the July 5 close of the comment period on the costs and benefits of a fiduciary rulemaking, White (left) told members of the Senate Banking Committee that she has met with senior officials at the Department of Labor regarding collaboration on both agencies’ fiduciary rules and has directed staff “to engage more” with DOL “to make sure they understand [the SEC’s] perspective” on its fiduciary rulemaking, particularly the impact of the DOL’s fiduciary rule proposal on broker-dealers.

However, White stressed at the hearing, titled, “Mitigating Systemic Risk in Financial Markets through Wall Street Reforms,” that while the agencies are collaborating, they will proceed independently.

The DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, released July 3, states that a reproposal to amend the definition of fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act will come in October.

While White said that the SEC is focused on the fiduciary rulemaking--which is not a mandatory rulemaking under Dodd-Frank--she noted the “full plate” of Dodd-Frank and the JOBS Act mandated rules that the agency must wade through and act on.

To ensure completion of both Dodd-Frank and JOBS Act rulemakings, White said that she has created “parallel" teams at the agency to focus on rulemakings under each law. White said that the sheer volume of Dodd-Frank rulemakings as well as the fact that some are more complex than others and need to be worked on jointly with other agencies has delayed action on some. However, she said the agency “is making progress” on various "front burner" issues like derivatives, the Volcker rule, crowdfunding and money market funds.

Action on fiduciary rulemaking, however, could be stymied by the arrival of the two new SEC Commissioners–Kara Stein and Michael Piwowar–who were confirmed by the Senate Banking Committee on July 18. Industry officials say full Senate confirmation of Stein and Piwowar could come this week, before Congress breaks for its August recess.

White noted that the two new SEC Commissioners could hinder completion of the agency’s rules on money market funds, which she said could likely be released in a “month or two.”

The SEC on June 5 proposed two alternative reforms to money-market funds. First, to require that all institutional prime money-market funds operate with a floating net asset value (NAV). Second, to employ a “fees-and-gates” approach in which a nongovernment money fund imposes a 2% liquidity fee if the fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below 15% of its total assets.

White said at the time that the two reforms could be adopted separately or combined into a single reform package. “The two alternative approaches in today’s proposal target the common goal of reducing the incentive to redeem in times of stress, albeit in different ways,” she said.

As to the SEC's equity crowdfunding rules, White said that the agency is working to ensure that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's rules governing crowdfunding portals are released simultaneously with the SEC's equity crowdfunding rules.

Hot Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday announced that Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) of Cincinnati and its former CFO Daniel Poston had settled charges of "improper accounting of commercial real estate loans in the midst of the financial crisis."

Fifth Third agreed to pay a $6.5 million fine, while Poston agreed to pay $100,000 and "be suspended from practicing as an accountant on behalf of any publicly traded company or other entity regulated by the SEC."

Poston had been demoted from the CFO position and named Fifth Third's "chief strategy and administrative officer in November, when Fifth Third announced its agreement to settle the charges.

The SEC accused the bank and Poston of failing to classify a pool of nonperforming commercial real estate loans as "held-for-sale" during the third quarter of 2008, even though the bank had already decided to sell the loans.  Recategorizing the loans during the third quarter of 2008 would have included a significant write down, which would have "increased Fifth Third's pretax loss for the quarter by 132 percent."

The SEC said Poston during the third quarter of 2008 was "familiar with the company's loan sale efforts, which included entering into agreements with brokers during the third quarter of 2008 to market and sell loans."  The regulatory added that "Despite understanding the relevant accounting rules, Poston failed to direct Fifth Third to classify and value the loans as required," and that the former CFO made inaccurate statements to auditors.  Poston also made inaccurate statements to Fifth Third's auditors about the company's loan classifications, and certified the company's inaccurate results for the third quarter of 2008.

Neither Fifth Third nor Poston admitted any wrongdoing.

Fifth Third's shares were down slightly during the final hour of trading Wednesday, to $19.93.

FITB data by YCharts
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Best Safest Stocks To Watch For 2016: Soditech Ingenierie SA (SEC)

Soditech Ingenierie SA is a France-based company that is primarily engaged in electronic and mechanical engineering services in various sectors. The Company�� activity is organized into three sectors: Defense & Research, Space and Energy & Nuclear. It provides specialized services in four fields: aerospace, covering communication satellites, observation satellites and space stations; automotive, providing such services as engine design and plasturgy for equipment manufacturers; aeronautics, offering structural research for aircraft makers, instruments or electro-mechanical systems for assisting pilots and others, and defense, providing engineering of numerous tests and trials systems, with or without implementations, among others. The Company also offers additional services, such as energy forecasting and environmental analysis, environmental management system, and others. In May 2014, it restructured company into three main divisions: Defense & Research, Space and Energy & Nuclear. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damian Illia]

  Over the past days hedge funds have been filing their form 13-F, which is a quarterly report of equity holdings filed by institutional investment managers with at least $100 million in equity assets under management, as required by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In this article, let's concentrate on one particular hedge fund and try to see the principal holdings in its portfolio. I will look into Renaissance Technologies LLC from Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio), a private investment firm based in New York.

• [By ovenerio]

  Over the past days hedge funds have been filing their form 13-F, which is a quarterly report of equity holdings by filed institutional investment managers with at least $100 million in equity assets under management, as required by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In this article, let麓s concentrate in one particular hedge fund and try to see the principal holdings in its portfolio. I will look into Abner Herrman & Brock LLC, which provides portfolio management for high net worth individuals, endowments, and corporate retirement plans.Recently the fund reported its equity portfolio, as at the end of June. The total value of the portfolio amounted to $331.2 million, up from $311.3 million disclosed at the end of the previous quarter. Consequently, the fund's total return was 6.4% in the last quarter. The filing revealed that at the end of June, the fund added 4 new positions to its equity portfolio, and sold out of 3 other companies. The top ten portfolio holdings as of the end of the quarter represented 30.85%. The largest changes from previous 13-F麓s fillings are in the energy sector (3.5%) followed by the reduction of financials and industrials.In this article, we have selected three companies, in which the fund holds the largest stakes, in terms of market value.The first on the list is Merck & Co. (MRK), in which the fund disclosed a $15.2 million stake with over 263,570 shares. The company is a leading global drugmaker, producing a wide range of prescription drugs in many therapeutic classes in the U.S. and abroad. It has improved earnings per share by 9.6% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. With respect to price performance, this stock has enjoyed a rise of 26.85% which was in line with the performance of the market. It has a proven commitment to returning cash to investors, with a current dividend yield of 3.0% which is considered good to protect investor麓s purchasing power. Other hedge

Hot Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Swedish Export Credit publ Corp (FUE)

Swedish Export Credit publ Corp (SEK) is a Sweden-based company engaged in the provision of financial solutions for the private and public sectors with the aim of promoting the development and international competitiveness of the Swedish industry and trade. The Company�� business activities are structured into three segments: the Financing segment includes corporate banking, export finance, trade finance, project finance, customer finance, structured products and Cirr-rates; the Advisory segment provides financial advice to International Financial Institutions, governments and corporations, in a range of areas, such as power and energy, utilities, environment, transport, telecoms, and pulp and paper, and the Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) segment offers finance services to small and medium-sized enterprises. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  On Tuesday, lightly traded small cap biodiesel stock Methes Energies International Ltd (NASDAQ: MEIL) soared 53.78% on record production figures, meaning its worth taking a closer look at whether that surge was actually warranted plus look at the performance of�potential peers like biodiesel stock Renewable Energy Group Inc (NASDAQ: REGI) and biofuel ETF the ELEMENTS MLCX Biofuels Index TR ETN (NYSEArca: FUE).

Hot Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Big Lots Inc (BIG)

Big Lots, Inc., incorporated in May 2001, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a North America's closeout retailer. At January 28, 2012, the Company operated a total of 1,533 stores in two countries: the United States and Canada. The Company operates in two segments: U.S. and Canada. The merchandising categories include Consumables, Furniture, Home, Seasonal, Play n' Wear, and Hardlines & Other. The Consumables category includes the food, health and beauty, plastics, paper, chemical, and pet departments. The Furniture category includes the upholstery, mattresses, ready-to-assemble, and case goods departments. The Home category includes the domestics, stationery, and home decorative departments. The Seasonal category includes the lawn and garden, Christmas, summer, and other holiday departments. The Play n' Wear category includes the electronics, toys, jewelry, infant accessories, and apparel departments. The Hardlines & Other category includes the appliances, tools, paint, and home maintenance departments. On July 18, 2011, the Company acquired Liquidation World Inc. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 (fiscal 2011), the Company opened 92 stores, acquired 89 stores and closed 46 stores.

All of the Company�� stores are located in North America and has an average store size of approximately 29,900 square feet, of which an average of 21,600 square feet is selling square feet. The 54 owned stores are located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas. At January 28, 2012, the Company owned or leased approximately 9.4 million square feet of distribution center and warehouse space. The Company leases and operates two regional distribution centers in Canada located in British Columbia and Ontario. Of its 1,533 stores, 33% operate in four states California, Texas, Ohio, and Florida, and net sales from stores in these states represented 36% of its fiscal 2011 net sales.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) reported earnings last Thursday night, turning in adjusted EPS of $0.31 on revenue of $1.23 billion, beating the consensus EPS estimate but slightly low on revenue. Big Lots lowered its full-year earnings and revenue guidance. Third-quarter guidance was lowered from an expected EPS loss of $0.01 to a loss of $0.05 to $0.13 and same-store sales to be flat to down 2% as the stores build inventory for the holiday season. Still, the stock price rose 2.25% on Friday.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Big earnings movers: Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) is up 12.5% at $49.11 and posted a new 52-week high of $49.94 today. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD) is down $15 at $19.74. Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) is up 12.8% at $55.18 after posting a new 52-week high of $55.83 earlier today. Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) is up 2.3% at $35.42. ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL) is up 8% at $4.75.

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE:BIG) will announce its first-quarter, 2014 financial results on Friday, May 30, 2014 prior to the market open. On the same day, executives will discuss the financial results on a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Hot Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Meritage Homes Corp (MTH)

Meritage Homes Corporation, incorporated on May 26 1988, operates as holding company. The Company through its subsidiaries is a designer and builder of single-family detached homes based on the number of home closings. The Company primarily builds in regions of the western and southern United States and offer a variety of homes that are designed to appeal to a range of homebuyers, including first-time, move-up, active adult and luxury. It has operations in three regions: West, Central and East, which consists of seven states: Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Florida, and the Carolinas. Operations within the Carolinas include the Raleigh and Charlotte metropolitan areas, with some Charlotte communities located across the border into South Carolina. These three regions are its principal business segments. The Company�� homebuilding and marketing activities are conducted under the Meritage Homes brand, except for Arizona and Texas where it operates under the name Monterey Homes. As of December 31, 2012, it was selling homes in 158 communities. Effective September 4, 2013, Meritage Homes Corporation acquired Phillips Builders Inc from Beazer Homes USA Inc.

The Company�� homes range from entry level to luxury. The Company purchases a combination of finished lots and partially-developed or undeveloped lots. As of December 31, 2012, in addition to its approximately 17,500 owned lots, it also had approximately 3,300 committed lots under option or contract. It also participates in three mortgage and one title business joint ventures. The mortgage joint ventures are engaged in mortgage activities, and they provide services to both its customers and other homebuyers. The Company acts as a general contractor.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Of five stocks we looked at, only one shows a gain over the past 12 months. Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE: MTH) has a market cap of $1.68 billion and the stock closed at $45.39 last Friday, in a 52-week range of $38.42 to $52.95. The stock is up more than 8% over the past 12 months. The consensus price target is around $50.10, which indicates an implied gain of about 10%, about half the implied gain we saw in December. Meritage has easily beaten EPS in each of the past four quarters. Shares were up nearly about 0.8% at $45.82 on Monday morning. Meritage reports earnings on February 5 and is expected to post EPS of $1.03 on revenues of $537.3 million.

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Given the bad news regarding new-home sales unveiled� this morning, it's no real surprise that homebuilder stocks like KB Home (NYSE:KBH) and M/I Homes Inc. (NYSE:MHO) are struggling. KBH is down 2.8% as of the last look, while MHO shares are off 4.1%. None of the major homebuilder names are underwater as much as Meritage Homes Corp. (NYSE:MTH) is today, though, with its 8.6% drubbing. Already struggling, today's stumble from MTH may well jump-start a more serious selloff that the bulls have thus far been able to stave off.

Hot Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Platinum Group Metals Ltd (PLG)

Platinum Group Metals Ltd. (Platinum Group) is a platinum focused exploration and development company conducting work on mineral properties it has staked or acquired by way of option agreements in the Republic of South Africa and in Canada. The Company conducts its South African exploration and development work through its wholly owned direct subsidiary, Platinum Group Metals (RSA) (Proprietary) Limited (PTM RSA). PTM RSA holds the Company�� interests in the Project 1 platinum mine (Project 1) and Project 3. PTM RSA also holds 100% of Wesplats Holding (Proprietary) Limited (Wesplats), and a 37% interest in Wildebeest Platinum (Pty) Limited (Wildebeest), a company set up to hold prospecting rights for the exploration joint venture between the Company and Sable Platinum Mining (Pty) Ltd. (Sable) and Umnotho NREF Joint Venture. In September 2011, it purchased the Providence Copper-Nickel-Cobalt-Platinum Group Metals (Cu-Ni-Co-PGM) property from Arctic Star Exploration (Arctic Star). Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Zacks Investment Research]

  Investors hoping for a turnaround in precious metals prices and looking for exposure to precious metals miners could consider Platinum Group Metals (PLG), currently ranked #2 (Buy) by Zacks.

Hot Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc (LL)

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc. (Lumber Liquidators) is retailer of hardwood flooring, and hardwood flooring enhancements and accessories. The Company offers an assortment of wood flooring, which includes prefinished domestic and exotic hardwoods, engineered hardwoods, unfinished hardwoods, bamboo, cork and laminates, as well as resilient flooring. Its flooring enhancements and accessories include moldings, noise-reducing underlay and adhesives. Lumber Liquidators and Bellawood are it brands. Its hardwood flooring products are available in various widths and lengths. It offers approximately 350 different flooring product stock-keeping units. In September 2011, it acquired certain assets of Sequoia Floorings Inc. (Sequoia) relating to Sequoia�� quality control and assurance, product development and logistics operations in China.

In June 2013, Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc announced that the Company has opened its 300th store, located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company opened 40 stores. As of February 20, 2012, the Company operated 266 stores located in 46 states and Canada. During 2011, Lumber Liquidators opened its first stores in Canada. It operates a central distribution center located in Hampton, Virginia, supplemented by its facilities in Toano, Virginia. In addition, it operates a facility in Toronto, Canada, with both a store front and a small warehouse serving that metropolitan market. In 2011, Lumber Liquidators finished approximately 79% of its Bellawood products at its finishing facility in Toano, Virginia.

Solid Hardwood

The Company�� solid hardwood products are milled from one thick piece of wood, which can be sanded and refinished numerous times. It offers flooring products made from more than 25 wood species, including both domestic woods, such as ash, beech, birch, hickory, northern hard maple, northern red oak, pine and American walnut, and exotic woods, such as bloodwood, cherry, cypress, e! bony, koa, mesquite, mahogany, rosewood and teak. Lumber Liquidators sells these products either prefinished or unfinished.

Engineered Hardwood

The Company�� engineered hardwood products are produced by bonding a layer of hardwood to a plywood or fiber board backing. Its engineered hardwood floors are offered in domestic and exotic wood species, and in either glue down or floating application. All of its engineered hardwood products are prefinished. Engineered flooring is designed primarily to be installed in areas where hardwood is not conducive, such as slab construction, basements and areas where moisture may be a factor.

Laminates

Lumber Liquidators Holdings, Inc.�� laminate flooring is constructed with a fiber board core, inserted between a melamine laminate backing and photographic paper displaying an image of wood and a ceramic finish, abrasion-resistant laminate top. Its laminate flooring brands allow for easy-click installation, and some include a pre-glued undersurface, moisture repellent, soundproofing, single-strip format or a handscraped textured finish.

Moldings and Accessories

Lumber Liquidators offer a variety of wood flooring moldings and accessories. It sells stair treads and risers in both finished and unfinished versions. Accessories include underlayments that are placed between the new floor and the sub-floor, insulating sound and cushioning the floors. In addition, it sells installation supplies, such as sealers, adhesives and trowels, floor cleaning supplies, and butcher-block kitchen countertops.

Bamboo and Cork

The Company�� bamboo products, harvested from the bamboo plant, are offered as a prefinished, natural or stained, solid or engineered floor. Its cork flooring is produced by harvesting the outer bark of the cork oak tree.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jacob Roche]

  Sherwin-Williams, along with some other home-improvement stocks, benefits from being part of that rare breed of stocks that do well when times are good, and still do well when times are bad. If the housing market is good, new homes get built en masse, and those homes need to be painted and floored. Hence, with U.S. housing starts up nearly 90% over the past couple of years, homebuilders KB Homes (NYSE: KBH  ) and Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH  ) have seen revenues finally starting to recover, and companies such as Sherwin-Williams and Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL  ) are being pulled along for the ride.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL  ) is the leading standalone retailer specializing in hardwood flooring. At a time when the housing market is showing signs of life, Lumber Liquidators is roaring. As home prices move higher, owners can upgrade their flooring to stylish hardwood planks without fearing that banks will take over their properties now that they're no longer underwater.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Analysts had two choices when Lumber Liquidators (LL) gapped down after its last earnings miss in July: To run for cover or hold on tight. The latter are paying for their decision today.

  Shares of Lumber Liquidators have dropped after the flooring company said it had earned 58 cents a share during the third quarter, well below forecasts for 68 cents. Lumber Liquidators also lowered its full-year guidance to a range of $2.38 to $2.52, below forecasts for $2.66.

  Janney’s David Strasser and team recommend waiting before buying Neutral-rated Lumber Liquidators:

  We continue to advocate waiting for evidence of a recovery as opposed to trying to anticipate improvement at Lumber Liquidators. It remains unclear how much of Lumber Liquidators’s problems are macro vs. self-inflicted. It also remains unclear when either issue will be resolved, hence a continued risk to estimates, while valuation remains elevated.

  And even the bulls are acknowledging doubts. Canaccord Genuity’s Laura Champine and Jason Smith note that the results have weakened their “conviction” in Buy-rated Lumber Liquidators. They explain why:

  The company continued to feel the effect of constrained inventory as it spent the quarter getting laminates and vinyl product back in stock. Engineered hardwood inventory has improved, but there were still SKUs out of stock at the end of the quarter. SSS declined 4.9% on top of +17.4%, versus our estimate and consensus of -1%. Net sales fell roughly $10MM short of our estimate, with up to $6MM of the miss the result of lost sales due to lack of inventory or lower-priced substitute product. With inventory back in line for two of the three categories, we would expect SSS to improve sequentially in Q4, but updated guidance suggests flooring demand remains weak. LL�� Q4 SSS outlook calls for a low-single digit gain or decline, versus our prior estimate of +4% on top of +15.6%. We are maintaining our B

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL) tumbled, and tumbled fast following Whitney Tilson presenting the company as a short idea at the Robin Hood Investors Conference. Shares immediately fell almost nine percent, then continued lower throughout the afternoon before closing the day lower by 11.78 percent at $101.77.

Hot Regional Bank Stocks To Buy Right Now: Empresas Ica Soc Contrladora (ICA)

Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V., through its subsidiaries, engages in the construction and related activities in Mexico. The company?s Civil Construction segment focuses on infrastructure projects that include the construction of roads, highways, mass transit systems, bridges, dams, hydroelectric plants, tunnels, canals, and airports; and on the construction, development, and remodeling of multi-storied urban buildings, such as office buildings, hotels, multiple-dwelling housing developments, and shopping centers. This segment also engages in demolition, clearing, excavation, de-watering, drainage, embankment fill, structural concrete construction, concrete and asphalt paving, and tunneling activities. Its Industrial Construction segment focuses on the engineering, procurement, construction, design, and commissioning of manufacturing facilities comprising power plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, fertilizer plants, pharmaceutical plants, steel mills, paper mills, d rilling platforms, and automobile and cement factories. Empresas ICA?s Rodio Kronsa segment engages in sub-soil construction involving the construction of tunnels, underpasses, and retaining walls. The company?s Housing Development segment engages in the development, trading, ownership, sale, assistance, operation, and administration activities. Its Infrastructure segment involves in the operation and maintenance of concessioned airports, highways, bridges and tunnels, water supply systems, and waste treatment systems. The company also provides a range of services that include feasibility studies, conceptual design, engineering, procurement, project and construction management, construction, maintenance, technical site evaluation, and other consulting services. It serves public and private sector clients. Empresas ICA, S.A.B. de C.V. was founded in 1947 and is based in Mexico.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Empresas ICA (ICA) is engaged in a range of construction and related activities, including the construction of infrastructure facilities as well as industrial, urban and housing construction. This stock closed up 6.2% to $8.12 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $7.66-$8.24
  
  52-Week Range: $6.14-$13.73
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 965,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 719,832

  From a technical perspective, ICA ripped higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $7.48 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last month and change, with shares moving higher from its low of $6.14 to its intraday high of $8.24. During that move, shares of ICA have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of ICA into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $7.93 to $8.08.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ICA as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $7.48 and then once it sustains a move or close above Tuesday's high of $8.24 with volume that hits near or above 719,832 shares. If we get that move soon, then ICA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $9 to its 200-day moving average at $10.05. Any high-volume move above its 200-day will then put $11 to $11.77 into range for shares of ICA.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  It's been said plenty of times that our neighbor to the south is home to a burgeoning, debt-light economy that offers emerging-market growth with an element of domestic risk and valuation. China is very much "last season" when it comes to manufacturing, and Mexico offers a fantastic answer, with geographical superiority and an eager work force. One company based in Mexico, Empresas ICA (NYSE: ICA  ) , is a heavy-construction firm with a market cap of $1 billion that was as recently as April worth nearly $2 billion. The causes for the haircut includes a collapsed deal and lousy first-quarter earnings. But with a strong outlook for Mexican infrastructure spending, and an apparent case of market negligence, Empresas ICA might be an undervalued pick with substantial upside potential.

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One under-$10 name that's starting to trend within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Empresas ICA SA (ICA), which is engaged in construction and related activities, including the construction of infrastructure facilities as well as industrial, urban and housing construction. This stock is off to a decent start in 2013, with shares up 11.8%.

  If you take a look at the chart for Empresas ICA SA, you'll notice that this stock has been trending sideways inside of a consolidation chart pattern for the last two months, with shares moving between $7.94 on the downside and $9.73 on the upside. Shares of ICA are now starting to push back above its 50-day moving average of $8.75 a share, and the stock is quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if ICA manages to take out the upper-end of its recent sideways trading chart pattern.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ICA if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $9.34 to $9.73 a share and then once it clears its 200-day moving average at $9.94 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 527,965 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ICA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $11.50 to $12 a share. Any high-volume move above those levels could then put its 52-week high at $13.73 into focus for shares of ICA.

  Traders can look to buy ICA off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some key near-term support levels at $8 a share, or around $7.94 a share. One can also buy ICA off strength once it clears those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

Top 10 Airline Companies To Buy For 2016

Top 10 Airline Companies To Buy For 2016: SkyWest Inc (SKYW)

SkyWest, Inc. (SkyWest), incorporated in 1972, through subsidiaries, SkyWest Airlines, Inc. (SkyWest Airlines) and ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. (ExpressJet) operates the regional airline in the United States. In addition, the Company provides ground handling services for other airlines throughout its system. The Company operates in two segments: SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet. On December 31, 2011, its subsidiary, ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. (ExpressJet Delaware) was merged into its subsidiary, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc. (Atlantic Southeast), with the surviving company named ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. (the ExpressJet Combination). ExpressJet includes the operations of Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Inc. (Atlantic Southeast) and ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. (ExpressJet Delaware), which is prior to the ExpressJet Combination.

As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest and ExpressJet offered scheduled passenger and air freight service with approximately 4,000 total daily dep artures to different destinations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. All of its flights are operated as Delta Connection, United Express, Continental Express, US Airways Express or Alaska under code-share arrangements with Delta, United Air Lines, Inc. (United), Continental Airlines, Inc. (Continental), US Airways Group, Inc. (US Airways) and Alaska Airlines (Alaska). As of December 31, 2011, its consolidated fleet consisted of a total of 732 aircraft, of which 443 were assigned to United and Continental, 268 were assigned to Delta, eight were in preparation for new code-share assignments, five were assigned to Alaska, four were subleased to affiliated entities, two were assigned to US Airways and two were subleased to unaffiliated entities. In addition, it provides electronic or paper copies of its filings free of charge upon request.

As of! December 31, 2011, it operated two types of regional jet aircraft: the Bombardier Aerospace (Bombardi er) regional jet, which include the 50-seat Bombardier CRJ20! 0 Regional Jet (the CRJ200), the 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700 Regional Jet (the CRJ700) and the 70-90-seat Bombardier CRJ900 Regional Jet (the CRJ900), and the 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet (ERJ145). As of December 31, 2011, it also operated the 30-seat Embraer Brasilia EMB-120 turboprop (the Brasilia turboprop). During the year ended December 31, 2011, approximately 65.2% of the Company's aggregate capacity was operated under the United Express Agreements and Continental Express Agreement, approximately 33.6% was operated under the Delta Connection Agreements, approximately 0.9% was operated under the Alaska Capacity Purchase Agreement, approximately 0.1% was operated under the US Airways Express Agreement and approximately 0.2% was operated under a code-share agreement with AirTran Airways, Inc.

On November 17, 2011, SkyWest Airlines and US Airways entered into the SkyWest Airlines US Airways Express Agreement. As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines ope rated two CRJ200s under the SkyWest Airlines US Airways Express Agreement, flying a total of approximately ten US Airways Express flights per day between Phoenix and designated outlying destinations. On April 13, 2011, SkyWest Airlines and Alaska entered into the SkyWest Airlines Alaska Capacity Purchase Agreement. As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines operated five CRJ700s under the SkyWest Airlines Alaska Capacity Purchase Agreement, flying a total of approximately 30 Alaska flights per day between Seattle, Portland and designated outlying destinations.

As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet scheduled the daily flights as Delta Connection carriers: 530 flights to or from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, 316 flights to or from Salt Lake City International Airport, 132 flights to or from Minneapolis International Air! port, 94 ! flights to or from Memphis International Airport, 94 flights to or from Detroit International Airpor t and 8 flights to or from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Inte! rnational! Airport.. As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines scheduled 15 daily flights as an Alaska carrier to or from Portland International Airport and 15 daily flights as an Alaska carrier to or from Seattle International Airport. As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines scheduled ten daily flights as an US Airways Express carrier to or from Phoenix International Airport.

As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet scheduled the daily flights as a United or Continental Express carrier: 572 flights to or from Houston International Airport, 486 flights to or from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, 412 flights to or from Denver International Airport, 306 flights to or from San Francisco International Airport, 284 flights to or from Los Angeles International Airport, 214 flights to or from Newark International Airport, 148 flights to or from Washington Dulles International Airport, 128 flights to or from Cleveland International Airport and 64 flights to or from other airports. As of December 31, 2011, it operated 17 CRJ200s for United under a pro-rate agreement. The Company also operated one CRJ200 under a pro-rate agreement with Delta, as of December 31, 2011.

SkyWest Airlines

SkyWest Airlines provides regional jet and turboprop service primarily located in the midwestern and western United States. SkyWest Airlines offered approximately 1,650 daily scheduled departures as of December 31, 2011, of which approximately 1,110 were United Express flights, 500 were Delta Connection flights, 30 were Alaksa-coded flights and 10 were US Airways Express flights. SkyWest Airlines' operations are conducted from hubs located in Chicago (O'Hare), Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, San Francisco and Salt Lake City. SkyWest Airlines' fleet as of December 31, 2011 consisted! of 21 CR! J900s, all of which were flown for Delta; 96 CRJ700s, of which 70 were flown for United, 21 were flown for Del ta and five were flown for Alaska; 153 CRJ200s, of which 82 ! were flown! for United, 61 were flown for Delta, eight were in preparation for service under a code-share agreement with US Airways and two were flown for US Airways; and 45 Brasilia turboprops, of which 35 were flown for United and 10 were flown for Delta.

As of December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines was conducting its Delta Connection operations pursuant to the terms of an Amended and Restated Delta Connection Agreement, which obligates Delta to compensate SkyWest Airlines for its direct costs associated with operating Delta Connection flights, plus a payment based on block hours flown (the SkyWest Airlines Delta Connection Agreement). SkyWest Airlines' United code-share operations are conducted under a United Express Agreement, pursuant to which SkyWest Airlines is paid primarily on a fee-per-completed block hour and departure basis, plus a margin based on performance incentives (the SkyWest Airlines United Express Agreement). During December 31, 2011, SkyWest Airlines ent ered into code-share agreements with Alaska and US Airways, pursuant to which SkyWest Airlines is paid primarily on a fee-per-completed block hour and departure basis, plus a fixed margin per aircraft each month.

ExpressJet

ExpressJet provides regional jet service principally in the United States, primarily from hubs located in Atlanta, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago (O'Hare), Denver, Houston, Newark and Washington Dulles. ExpressJet offered more than 2,100 daily scheduled departures as of December 31, 2011, of which approximately 650 were Delta Connection flights and 1,450 were Continental Express or United Express flights. As of December 31, 2011, the combined fleet of ExpressJet consisted of 10 CRJ900s, which were flown for Delta, 46 CRJ700s,which were flown for Delta, 113 CRJ200s, 99 of, which were flown for Delta and! 14 of, w! hich were flown for United and 242 ERJ145s, which were flown for United or Continental.

Under the terms of a Second Amended and Restated Delta Connection Agreement exec! uted betw! een Delta and Atlantic Southeast and to, which ExpressJet is a party (the ExpressJet Delta Connection Agreement), Delta has agreed to compensate ExpressJet for its direct costs associated with operating Delta Connection flights, plus, if ExpressJet completes a certain minimum percentage of its Delta Connection flights, a specified margin on such costs. Under the ExpressJet Delta Connection Agreement, excess margins over certain percentages must be returned to or shared with Delta, depending on various conditions. ExpressJet's Continental and United code-share operations are conducted under a Capacity Purchase Agreement between ExpressJet and Continental (the Continental CPA) and two United Express Agreements between ExpressJet and United (collectively, the ExpressJet United Express Agreements), pursuant to, which ExpressJet is paid by Continental or United, as applicable, primarily on a fee-per-completed block hour and departure basis, plus a margin based on performance ince ntives.

The Company competes with Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation, American Airlines, Inc. Delta Air Lines, Inc. Compass Airlines, Alaska Air Group, Inc. Mesa Air Group, Inc., Pinnacle Airlines Corp., Republic Airways Holdings Inc. and Trans State Airlines, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Adam Levine-Weinberg]

  Like other regional airlines, Republic Airways Holdings (NASDAQ: RJET  ) has been hard hit by the growing U.S. pilot shortage. However, while rivals such as SkyWest (NASDAQ: SKYW  ) are struggling to stay in the black in this challenging environment, Republic's focus on more-profitable large regional jets is allowing it to boost earnings.

• [By Michele Lerner, The Motley Fool]

  Alan Diaz/APAmerican Airlines did better at staying on sche! dule last! year than it did in 2012, when it accused pilots of a work slowdown. DALLAS -- A big drop in customer complaints helped U.S. airlines post their best ratings ever even though more flights were late and more bags were mishandled, according to a report released Monday by university researchers. Virgin America topped the ratings, and three regional airlines scored at the bottom. Among the four biggest airlines, Delta Air Lines (DAL) ranked best followed by Southwest (LUV), American (AAL) and United (UAL), according to researchers from Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The researchers have graded airlines since 1991 on government figures for on-time performance, mishandled bags, bumping passengers, and complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation. Their key findings: On-Time Performance: Airlines operated 78.4 percent of their flights on time in 2013, down from 81.8 percent in 2012. Best: Hawaiian Airlines (HA); worst: American Eagle. Only two airlines improved: American Airlines and United. Bag Handling: The rate of lost, stolen or delayed bags rose 5 percent. Best: Virgin America; worst: American Eagle. Bumping: The rate of bumping passengers from flights fell 8 percent. Best: JetBlue Airways (JBLU); worst: SkyWest (SKYW). Complaints: Consumer complaints to the government dropped 15 percent in 2013 after rising 20 percent the year before. Best: Southwest Airlines; worst: Frontier (RJET). One of the report's authors, Wichita State business professor Dean Headley, credited the drop in complaints partly to United Airlines. The company suffered several computer-network outages and grounded hundreds of flights in 2012 when it combined the United and Continental computer networks after a merger, but "got their act together" in 2013, he said. Headley said the drop in complaints might also reflect "a certain amount of resignation" that "it's neve

• [By Paul Quintaro]

  Shares of Delta Air (NYSE: DAL) are down 3.6 percent at last check, ! shares of! United Continental (NYSE: UAL) are down 3.8 percent, US Air (NYSE: LCC) shares down 2.8 percent, shares of Southwest (NYSE: LUV) down 2 percent, JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) shares down 2 percent and shares of SkyWest (NASDAQ: SKYW) down nearly 4 percent.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-10-airline-companies-to-buy-for-2016-2.html

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks For 2016

Top 5 Undervalued Stocks For 2016: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)

Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houst! on, Texas .

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dr. Kent Moors]

  That's why some of the biggest OFS providers - like Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB), Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) and Weatherford International (NYSE: WFT) - have been buying up oil and gas equipment companies.

• [By John Kell]

  Schlumberger Ltd.(SLB) reported its fourth-quarter income rose a bigger-than-expected 22% as oil-field services revenue jumped in the Middle East and Asia. Shares edged up 1.3% to $89.79 premarket.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  Oilfield services giant Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB) saw short interest rise 12.5% to 14 million shares, about 1% of Schlumbergers float. The largest oilfield services company reported fourth-quarter results last week and posted higher EPS and revenues than it did a year ago.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-undervalued-stocks-for-2016.html

Top 10 Consumer Companies For 2015

There's never a dull week on Wall Street. Let's go over some of the news that will shape the week to come.

Monday
The first trading day of the week kicks off with Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) �Worldwide Developers Conference summit. The consumer tech giant's annual event is a gathering for developers, but it's also been a good time for Apple to show off its latest operating system updates and possibly divulge any new products that are on the way.

Apple is trading considerably lower than it was during last year's WWDC event, so investors will be hoping that the company can kick-start its growth with well-received updates.

Tuesday
Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY  ) hopes to energize investors with its quarterly report on Tuesday. The utility company distributes natural gas to more than a million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The stock's 3.7% yield may not seem high, but slow and steady growth should give Piedmont the ability to increase that payout over time.

Top 10 Canadian Companies To Buy Right Now: John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc.(JBSS)

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. engages in the processing and marketing of tree nuts and peanuts in the United States. It offers raw and processed nuts, including peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, filberts, cashews, English walnuts, black walnuts, pine nuts, and macadamia nuts. The company provides nut products in various styles and seasonings, such as natural, blanched, oil roasted, dry roasted, unsalted, honey roasted, flavored, spicy, butter toffee, praline, and cinnamon toasted. It also offers peanut butter; food and snack products comprising snack mixes, salad toppings, natural snacks, trail mixes, dried fruit, and chocolate and yogurt coated products; baking ingredients; bulk food products; sunflower seeds, almond butter, sesame sticks, and other sesame snack products; and toppings for ice cream and yogurt. The company provides its products under various private labels, as well as under the Fisher, Orchard Valley Harvest, and Sunshine Country brand na mes. John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. markets its products through its own sales department, a network of independent brokers, and various independent distributors and suppliers to retailers and wholesalers, as well as to industrial, food service, and contract packaging customers. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Elgin, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Non-cyclical consumer goods & services shares rose by 0.04 percent in today’s trading. Top gainers in the sector included John B Sanfilippo & Son (NASDAQ: JBSS), up 3.3 percent, and Blyth (NYSE: BTH), up 3.1 percent.

Top 10 Consumer Companies For 2015: Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc.(SPB)

Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer products company worldwide. It offers consumer batteries, including alkaline and zinc carbon batteries, rechargeable batteries and chargers, and hearing aid batteries and other specialty batteries; pet supplies, such as aquatic equipment and supplies, dog and cat treats, small animal foods, clean up and training aids, health and grooming products, and beddings; and home and garden control products comprising household insect controls, insect repellents, and herbicides. The company also provides electric shaving and grooming devices; small appliances, including small kitchen appliances and home product appliances; electric personal care and styling devices; and portable lighting. Its sells its products through various trade channels, including retailers, wholesalers and distributors, hearing aid professionals, industrial distributors, and original equipment manufacturers primarily under t he Rayovac, Remington, Varta, George Foreman, Black & Decker, Toastmaster, Farberware, Tetra, Marineland, Nature?s Miracle, Dingo, 8-in-1, Littermaid, Spectracide, Cutter, Repel, Hot Shot, Black Flag, and TAT brands. The company was headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. As of January 7, 2011, Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Harbinger Group Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Consumer products manufacturer Spectrum Brands (SPB) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to 30 cents per share, payable on Mar. 18 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 19.
  SPB Dividend Yield: 1.58%

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Energizer have jumped 15% to $112.37 at 10:24 a.m. today, while Spectrum Brands (SPB) has risen 1.4% to $76.88 and Kimberly Clark (KMB) has gained 1% to $112.14.

Top 10 Consumer Companies For 2015: Revlon Inc.(REV)

Revlon, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in manufacturing, marketing, and selling cosmetics, women?s hair color, beauty tools, anti-perspirant deodorants, fragrances, skincare, and other beauty care products worldwide. The company?s cosmetics include face makeup products, including foundation, powder, blush, concealers, bronzers, and finishers; lip makeup products comprising lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip liners; eye makeup products consisting of mascaras, eyeliners, eye shadows, and brow products; nail color and nail care products, such as enamels, treatments, and cuticle preparations; and face and eye makeup removers. Its beauty tools comprise nail, eye, and pedicure grooming tools, such as clippers, scissors, files, tweezers, eye lash curlers, and makeup brushes; and fragrances consist of perfumes, eau de toilettes, colognes, and body sprays. The company markets its products primarily under Revlon, Revlon ColorStay, Revlon Super Lustrous, Revlon Age Defying, A lmay Intense i-Color, Almay Smart Shade, Revlon ColorSilk, Mitchum, Charlie, Jean Nate, Ultima II, and Gatineau names. Revlon, Inc. sells its products through sales representatives and independent distributors to mass volume retailers, chain drug stores, chemist shops, hypermarkets, general merchandise stores, department stores; other specialty stores, such as perfumeries; and to the United States military exchanges and commissaries. It also licenses its brand names to third parties for the manufacture and sale of beauty-related products and accessories. The company was founded in 1932 and is based in New York, New York. Revlon, Inc. is a subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vinay Singh]

  Compared to other players like Estee Lauder (EL) and Revlon (REV), Elizabeth Arden definitely lags behind. Elizabeth Arden has been unable to outpace its peers as the chart below indicates:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Revlon (NYSE: REV  ) will need to have a serious discussion with its headhunters. The company revealed in an SEC filing that Executive Vice President and CFO Steven Berns has tendered his resignation. He has done so in order to take up the same positions at privately held media conglomerate Tribune Company.�

Top 10 Consumer Companies For 2015: LendingClub Corp (LC)

LendingClub Corporation, incorporated on October 2, 2006, provides online marketplace connecting borrowers and investors. The Company operates an online market that connects borrowers looking for loans with individuals with the money to fund them. It lends money to help consumers pay off credit-card bills, consolidate debt and take vacations. Its platform enables customers in investing in and obtaining personal loans by providing financial data and credit information.

The Company provides search algorithm, credit decisioning, a secondary market, and a choice of loan durations. The Company serves the professional fixed income investors, such as family offices and insurance companies.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rana Pritanjali]

  Lending Club's (NYSE: LC  ) stock is up a stellar 66% since the company went public in December. The peer-to-peer lending specialist offers an alternative to the traditional banking system with an online platform for borrowers and lenders. It has a leading 40% share of the�peer-to-peer lending market, far outstripping No. 2 player�Prosper.com and its 8% market share.�

Top 10 Consumer Companies For 2015: Tesla Motors Inc.(TSLA)

Tesla Motors, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and advanced electric vehicle powertrain components. It offers Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car. The company markets and sells its vehicles directly to consumers through the phone and Internet, as well as through its network of Tesla stores. It operates 18 Tesla stores located in Boulder, Chicago, Los Angeles, Menlo Park, Miami, New York, Newport Beach, San Jose, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Copenhagen, London, Milan, Monaco, Munich, Paris, Tokyo, and Zurich. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  Finally, alternative-fuel engines -- namely electric vehicles such as the Model S produced by Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA  ) -- could present a growing challenge for Ford's predominantly gas-powered vehicles. Admittedly, the Model S is in a completely different price bracket and is targeting a wholly different consumer than most of Ford's lineup, but it nonetheless represents a growing threat to gasoline-powered engines' existence. Ford will need to stay vigilant with regard to innovation or risk falling behind newcomers like Tesla.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Barclays’ Brian Johnson and team hosted Jeff Evanson, Tesla Motors’ (TSLA) vice president of investor relations, for a series of investor meetings last week and came away with a better sense of what’s going on at the company.

  Getty Images

  In a report released Friday, Johnson wrote:

  The meetings provided us with better appreciation of the ongoing momentum at Tesla ��revenue growth will be driven by the international rollout, and battery costs are coming down, which at some point may make the Gen III vehicle a viable option for consumers. However, we reiterate our EW rating as the path to margin expansion will be gradual ��although Tesla believes it can ultimately generate mid-teen op. margins, investors should expect closer to low-mid single digit margins as Tesla invests in its growth. Moreover, we already give Tesla the benefit of the doubt in valuation on many fronts, and we see the grid storage opportunity as only a 20-25% boost to valuation, not the doubling that some expect.

  Shares of Tesla have dropped 3% to $238.93 at 3:04 p.m. today.

Top 10 Consumer Companies For 2015: British/Swiss Franc(UN)

UNILEVER N.V. operates as a fast-moving consumer goods company in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. It offers personal care products, including skin care and hair care products, deodorants, and oral care products under the brand names of Axe, Brylcreem, Dove, Fissan, Lifebuoy, Lux, Pond's, Radox, Rexona, Signal & Close Up, Simple, St Ives, Sunsilk, TRESemm� Vaseline, and VO5. The company also provides home care products comprising laundry tablets, powders and liquids, soap bars, and various cleaning products under the Cif, Comfort, Domestos, Omo, Radiant, Sunlight, and Surf brand names. In addition, it offers food products consisting of soups, bouillons, sauces, snacks, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarines and spreads, as well as cooking products, such as liquid margarines. The company markets its food products under the brand names of Becel/Flora, Bertolli, Blue Band, Rama, Hellmann?s, Amora, and Knorr. Further, it provides refreshment products, which include ice cream, tea-based beverages, weight-management products, and nutritionally enhanced staples under the brand names of Heartbrand, Lipton, and Slim?Fast. UNILEVER N.V. sells its products through its own sales force, as well as through independent brokers, agents, and distributors to chain, wholesale, co-operative and independent grocery accounts, food service distributors, and institutions. The company, formerly known as Naamlooze Vennootschap Margarine Unie, was founded in 1927 and is based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Unilever N.V. is a subsidiary of The Unilever Group.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MONEYMORNING]

  Own a giant, global player in consumer goods that has a diversified array of household brand-name products that are sold all over the world and that pays a fat dividend. Unilever N.V. (ADR) (NYSE: UN) is one.

• [By Philip Springer]

  What’s this week’s big story for investors?
  
  Candidate #1: RadioShack (NYSE: RSH) said it will close up to 1,100 of its nearly 5,200 US stores amid widening losses. The company also announced that revenue in the fourth quarter of 2013 fell 20 percent from year-earlier levels.
  
  It doesn’t matter whether the latest announcement is in addition to or merely an expansion of the company’s Feb. 5 statement that it would close 500 stores. That, in turn, shortly followed the beleaguered company’s $4 million expenditure for a widely praised but clearly ill-timed 30-second ad during the Super Bowl.
  
  Also this week, Radio Shack agreed to pay its top executives “retention” bonuses, saying their skills are critical to the company�� comeback plan. CEO Joe Magnacca will get a $500,000 payment, while other executives will receive $187,500 to $275,000.
  
  The stock currently trades around $2, down from its 1999 peak of $61.
  
  No, that’s not the week’s big story. But it was too good to ignore.
  
  Candidate #2: The current bull market celebrates its fifth birthday this week, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 delivering a total return of about 175 percent during that time.
  
  Since 1921, the median bull market has been 50 months long and has delivered 115 percent in price appreciation. So this market is older and better than most. Still, the conditions aren’t yet present to suggest the end is near. Indeed, Wednesday’s advance, the best of the year to date, was exceptional for both its breadth and heavy volume.
  
  The five-year anniversary also means that stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds and so on will boast very good five-year returns. Don’t be overly impressed. Reason: Almost everybody will be a winner. (Other than Radio Shack.) But you should dig deeper: Comparisons will be useful to sort out leaders and laggards for potential investme

• [By Maxx Chatsko]

  Good news for deep-sea sharks: Synthetic biology pioneer Amyris (NASDAQ: AMRS  ) has engineered yeast to create the hydrocarbon farnesene, which can then be processed into large amounts of high-quality squalane. The emollient is naturally produced by your skin to prevent moisture loss; thus, it's an important ingredient for numerous global cosmetic brands offering skincare lotions, hair care creams, hand washes, lipsticks, and various other personal-care products. In fact, you may have used a product containing squalane today. Several�Avon (NYSE: AVP  ) products, the St. Ives brand from Unilever (NYSE: UN  ) , the Cover Girl and Olay brands from Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG  ) , the Nivea brand from Beiersdorf, the Dial brand from Henkel, the Aveeno and Johnsons brands from Johnson & Johnson, and many others list squalane as an ingredient. �

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports including Unilever NV (NYSE: UN), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT).

Top 10 Consumer Companies For 2015: Rallye SA (RAL)

Rallye SA is a France-based holding company organized around two sectors of activity: large scale distribution to the food stores and supermarkets and distribution of sports items. The Company is present in France, Latin America, Poland, and Asia through its interests in brands, such as Geant, Monoprix, Leader Price, and United Grocers Cash & Carry, among others. It also has its interst in the Groupe Go Sport. Rallye SA is notably present in France, the United States, Luxembourg, Poland and Colombia, among others. The Company operates through its subsidiaries and affliated companies, such as Cobivia SAS, L��abitation Moderne de Boulogne, Magasins Jean SAS, Matignon Sablons SAS, MFD SA, Parande SAS, Casino Guichaqrd Perrachon DA, Groupe Go Sport, Sivigral SCI and French Develompent Venture SA. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  A risk involved with the company is that its Republic Bank & Trust business derives 78% of its net income from TRS, which offers bank products that help get customers who electronically file their tax returns their payments. RB&T is only of the few financial institutions in the U.S. that provide the service. Under the program, the taxpayer may receive a Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL), which has been questioned by various governmental and consumer groups. In May 2011, RB&T received an order to cease and desist which could result in an order by the FDIC to terminate its RAL program. It has a hearing on Feb. 12, 2012 in Kentucky regarding the matter.

Hot Heal Care Stocks To Buy Right Now

Hot Heal Care Stocks To Buy Right Now: Th inspace Technology Inc (THNS)

Thinspace Technology Inc., formerly Vanity Events Holding, Inc., incorporated on November 22, 2006, is a holding company. Utilizing their licensed trademark of America's Cleaning Company, Vanity established a cleaning company offering residential and commercial cleaning services. In October 2012, the Company acquired fineartlender.com. In October 2012, the Company acquired additional URLS, which include Weddinggownlender.com; Suitlender.com and Bridalpartylender.com.

The Company seeks out, licenses, develops, promotes, and brings to market various consumer and commercial products. The Company markets products directly to the consumer and marketplace through one of its own properties www.ThereIsAProductForThat.com.

The Company competes with Rent the Runway, Inc., Rent-A-Center, Inc., Bag, Borrow or Steal, Inc., Aarons, and Gilt Groupe, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

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

  Thinspace Technology Inc (OTCMKTS: THNS) Was Recently Busy With Press Releases

  Small cap Thinspace Technology Inc is a global provider of reliable, scalable and affordable application delivery, virtualization and cloud client technology to public and private sector companies and organizations of all sizes. On Monday, Thinspace Technology Inc rose 2.80% to $0.330 for a market cap of $30.24 million plus T! HNS is down 82.6% over the past year and down 89.8% over the past five years according to Google Finance.

• [By Peter Graham]

  Last Friday, small cap biotech or tech stocks Amanasu Techno Holdings Corp (OTCMKTS: ANSU), Bio Matrix Scientific Group Inc (OTCMKTS: BMSN) and Thinspace Technology Inc (OTCBB: THNS) surged 44.74%, 42.31% and 14%, respectively, with only one of these small caps appearing to be the subject of some sort of small paid promotions or investor relations campaign. Given the lack of a big pump from promoters or IR people, will these three small caps keep surging or will the tide go out again this week? Here is a quick reality check to help you decide on a trading or investing strategy:

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-heal-care-stocks-to-buy-right-now-2.html

Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now

Against the current economic and fiscal backdrop, the most prudent course of action is to focus on large-cap consumer and information technology stocks that are less vulnerable to unexpected political shocks and the market�� ups-and-downs.

However, investors worried about the contractionary effects of ��equestration��don�� have to sit on the sidelines. They can take a defensive stance and still enjoy growth.

Accordingly, our latest ��est Buy��is Home Depot (HD), from the Growth Portfolio�� consumer discretionary sleeve. The stock is a timely play on rising home prices and the pick-up in construction activity.

Top Undervalued Companies To Invest In 2016: Western Asset Global Partners Income Fund Inc. (GDF)

Western Asset Global Partners Income Fund Inc. operates as a close-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and advised by Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC. The fund is sub-advised by Western Asset Management Company. It primarily invests in the fixed income markets across the globe. The fund invests in high-yield U.S. and non-U.S. corporate debt securities and high-yield foreign sovereign debt securities. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Lehman Brothers U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Cap Index and the JPMorgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Global Index. The fund was formerly known as Salomon Brothers Global Partners Income Fund Inc. Western Asset Global Partners Income Fund was founded in 1993 and is based in the United States.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chuck Carnevale]

  Our first example looks at Vectren Corp.�� historical earnings, a utility with a 15-year historical earnings growth rate that is below our 3% threshold established in Part 1. Note that fair valuation is calculated using Graham Dodd�� Formula (GDF) deriving a fair value PE of 13.8 (slightly below, but close to our PE 15 standard). However, a normal PE of 16 has been historically applied by Mr. Market. Therefore, valuation falls between a PE of 13.8 to 16, or well within a range of normalcy.

Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: Envestnet Inc(ENV)

Envestnet, Inc. provides technology-enabled, Web-based investment solutions and services to financial advisors. The company?s technology platform provides financial advisors with a series of integrated services, including risk assessment and selection of investment strategies, asset allocation models, research and due diligence, portfolio construction, proposal generation and paperwork preparation, model management and account rebalancing, account monitoring, customized fee billing, overlay services covering asset allocation, tax management and socially responsible investing, and aggregated multi-custodian performance reporting and communication tools, as well as access to a wide range of leading third-party asset custodians. It also offers Web-based access to a range of technology-enabled investment solutions, including separately managed accounts (SMAs), which allow advisors to offer their investor clients a managed portfolio of securities with a personalized tax basis; unified managed accounts (UMAs) that allow the advisor to use various types of investment vehicles in one account; advisor-directed portfolios, where advisors create, implement, and maintain their own investment portfolio models to address specific client needs; mutual funds and portfolios of exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and access to a range of investment managers and investment strategists. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Envestnet (ENV)

  During the second quarter, Columbia Wanger increased their position in Envestnet by 187.59%. The fund purchased a total of 511,394 shares at an average price of $20.28 per share. Since their addition, the price per share has increased approximately 26%.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Envestnet (NYSE: ENV) was also up, gaining 15.06 percent to $34.03 after the company priced 5,045,215 shares of common stock at $29.25 per share by selling shareholders.

• [By Evan Niu, CFA]

  What: Shares of Envestnet (NYSE: ENV  ) have jumped today by as much as 13% after the company said it closed the acquisition of Prudent Wealth Management Solutions, or WMS.

Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: Corewafer Industries Inc (WAFR)

COREwafer Industries, Inc., formerly Action Products International, incorporated on January 7, 1981, is a holding company that acquires or merges with companies with growth opportunity. The company's business model is to bring together companies that deliver complimentary technology and services. The Company�� products and services include Logistics & Transportation and Software & Technology.

Logistics & Transportation

Northeast Expedite Logistics, LLC (NEEL) is a provider of global logistics services, which includes a domestic service center and exclusive and non-exclusive agents. The Company�� customers include retail and wholesale, electronics, and manufacturing companies around the world. With industrial production increasing year-over-year, the shortage of qualified drivers and trusted shipping partners is apparent in mid-markets for local deliveries. As the economy improves, orders for delivery and logistics. The Company provide foundational shipping and coordination services between suppliers and destination businesses and warehouses, and the Company operate efficiently through cloud based tracking.

Software & Technology

The Company has a particular focus within technology on semiconductor testing. To enable success of its software and technology vertical, the Company acquired Core Wafer Systems, Inc. Core Wafer Systems, Inc., a Nevada corporation, creates software, software algorithms, and hardware that are used in the testing and data mining of the commonly used semiconductor components. Core Wafer ensures these components, created by semiconductor manufacturers, leave the factory in a working state after having been tested. Core Wafer helps ensure that products are manufactured within specification and won't suddenly fail for the end consumer. The Company is working to integrate the operations and financial records of Core Wafer with those of the Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Nyxio Technologies Corp (OTCMKTS: NYXO), COREwafer Industries Inc (OTCMKTS: WAFR) and NanoTech Entertainment, Inc (OTCMKTS: NTEK) are three small cap stocks in some very diverse industries. In fact, one of these stocks just bought a 3D ice sculpture business. So will investors see their investment melt with that small cap stock�along with the other two? Here is a closer look to help you decide for yourself:��

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap stocks COREwafer Industries Inc (OTCMKTS: WAFR), DC Brands International, Inc (OTCMKTS: HRDN) and PV Enterprises International (OTCMKTS: PVEC) surged 82.86%, 33.33% and 25%, respectively, last Friday ��meaning investors or traders got a nice Christmas present. Moreover, these small cap stocks have been the subject of minimal paid stock promotions. But will these three small cap stocks continue to deliver a good performance into and after the holidays? Here is a quick reality check before you get overly excited:

Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYA)

Ryanair Holdings plc (Ryanair Holdings), is a holding company for Ryanair Limited (Ryanair). Ryanair operates a low-cost, scheduled-passenger airline serving short-haul, point-to-point routes between Ireland, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and Morocco. As of June 30, 2012, the Company offered approximately over 1,500 scheduled short-haul flights per day serving approximately 160 airports largely throughout Europe with an operating fleet of 294 aircraft flying approximately 1,500 routes. Ryanair sells seats on a one-way basis. The Company also holds a 29.8% interest in Aer Lingus Group plc. As of June 30, 2012, Ryanair�� operating fleet was composed of 294 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, each having 189 seats. Ryanair�� fleet totaled 294 Boeing 737-800s at March 31, 2012. As of June 30, 2012, Ryanair owned and operated four Boeing 737-800 full flight simulators for pilot training. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Ryanair Holdings Plc (RYA), the discount airline operator that�� the second-biggest stock in Ireland�� ISEQ index, declined 1.7 percent to 7.23 euros in Dublin. Kerry Group, a supplier of food ingredients, sank 1.4 percent to 45.24 euros.

Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: Eaton Vance Municipal Bond Fund (EIM)

Eaton Vance Insured Municipal Bond (the Fund) is a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is to provide current income exempt from federal income tax, including alternative minimum tax. Eaton Vance Insured Municipal Bond primarily invests in high-grade municipal obligations that are insured as to the timely payment of principal and interest.

The Fund invests primarily in bonds with stated maturities of 10 years or longer. The Fund's portfolio includes tax-exempt investments. Eaton Vance Management acts as the Fund's investment advisor and administrator. Investors Bank & Trust Company serves as the custodian of the Fund.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Abbott]

  OpenText is a software company that operates in the field of Enterprise Information Management (EIM). Think of EIM as a catch-all category for companies that provide various kinds of infrastructure for business information, data, and tools.

Best Defensive Stocks To Watch Right Now: Boston Scientific Corp (BSX)

Boston Scientific Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices that are used in a range of interventional medical specialties. During the year ended December 31, 2011, its products were offered for sale by seven core businesses: Interventional Cardiology, CRM, Endoscopy, Peripheral Interventions, Urology/Women�� Health, Neuromodulation, and Electrophysiology. In January 2011, it completed the acquisition of Intelect Medical, Inc. In January 2011, it completed the acquisition of Sadra Medical, Inc. In March 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of Atritech, Inc. In February 2011, it announced the acquisitions of S.I. Therapies and ReVascular Therapeutics, Inc. In January 2011, the Company sold its Neurovascular business to Stryker Corporation. In June 2012, the Company acquired Cameron Health, Inc. of San Clemente, California and, as a result, added to its product portfolio subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator, called the S-ICD System.

Interventional Cardiology

The Company offers coronary stent product. Coronary stents are tiny, mesh tubes used in the treatment of coronary artery disease, which are implanted in patients to prop open arteries and facilitate blood flow to and from the heart. The Company offers a two-drug platform strategy with its paclitaxel-eluting and everolimus-eluting stent system offerings, and it offers a range of stent sizes. The Company markets its next-generation internally-developed and self-manufactured PROMUS Element stent system in the United States, its Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region and certain Inter-Continental countries, including China and India. It markets the PROMUS everolimus-eluting stent system, supplied to the Company by Abbott Laboratories, in Japan. It also markets its TAXUS paclitaxel-eluting stent line, including its third-generation TAXUS Element paclitaxel-eluting stent system in the U.nited States, Japan, EMEA and certain Inter-Continental countries.

The Compa! ny markets a line of products used to treat patients with atherosclerosis, a principal cause of coronary artery obstructive disease. Its product offerings include balloon catheters, rotational atherectomy systems, guide wires, guide catheters, embolic protection devices, and diagnostic catheters used in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). The Company markets a family of intraluminal catheter-directed ultrasound imaging catheters and systems for use in coronary arteries and heart chambers, as well as certain peripheral vessels. The iLab Ultrasound Imaging System continues as its flagship console and is compatible with its line of imaging catheters. The system is designed to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of blocked vessels and heart disorders. Sadra is developing a repositionable and retrievable device for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to treat patients with severe aortic stenosis. The Lotus Valve System consists of a stent-mounted tissue valve prosthesis and catheter delivery system for guidance and placement of the valve. Atritech has developed a device designed to close the left atrial appendage in patients with atrial fibrillation who are at risk for ischemic stroke. The WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Technology, developed by Atritech, is the first device proven in a randomized clinical trial to offer an alternative to anticoagulant drugs, and is approved for use in CE Mark countries.

Cardiac Rhythm Management

The Company develops, manufactures and markets a variety of implantable devices that monitor the heart and deliver electricity to treat cardiac abnormalities, including Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) systems used to detect and treat abnormally fast heart rhythms (tachycardia) that could result in sudden cardiac death, including implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) systems used to treat heart failure, and implantable pacemaker systems used to manage slow or irregular heart rhyth! ms (brady! cardia), including implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker (CRT-P) systems used to treat heart failure. Its product offerings include its COGNIS cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D), its TELIGEN ICD systems and its ALTRUA family of pacemaker systems. During 2011, it began the United States launch of its next-generation line of defibrillators, INCEPTA, ENERGEN and PUNCTUA.

Endoscopy

The Company markets a range of products to diagnose, treat and ease a variety of digestive diseases, including those affecting the esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, duodenum, and colon. Common disease states include esophagitis, portal hypertension, peptic ulcers as well as esophageal, biliary, pancreatic and colonic cancer. The Company offers the Radial Jaw 4 Single-Use Biopsy Forceps, which are designed to enable collection of large high-quality tissue specimens without the need to use large channel therapeutic endoscopes. Its exclusive line of RX Biliary System devices are designed to provide greater access and control for physicians to diagnose and treat challenging conditions of the bile ducts, such as removing gallstones, opening obstructed bile ducts and obtaining biopsies in suspected tumors. The Company also markets the Spyglass Direct Visualization System for direct imaging of the pancreatico-biliary system. The Spyglass System is a single-operator cholangioscopy device that offers clinicians a direct visualization of the pancreatico-biliary system and includes supporting devices for tissue acquisition, stone management and lithotripsy. Its products also include the WallFlex family of stents, in particular, the WallFlex Biliary line and WallFlex Esophageal line; and in 2011, the Company launched its Advanix Biliary Plastic Stent System and the Expect Endoscopic Ultrasound Aspiration Needle in the United States and certain international markets. Its Resolution Clip Device is an endoscopic mechanical clip designed to treat gastrointestinal bleeding.

T! he Company markets devices to diagnose, treat and ease pulmonary disease systems within the airway and lungs. Its products are designed to help perform biopsies, retrieve foreign bodies from the airway, open narrowings of an airway, stop internal bleeding, and ease symptoms of some types of airway cancers. Its product line includes pulmonary biopsy forceps, transbronchial aspiration needles, cytology brushes and tracheobronchial stents used to dilate narrowed airway passages or for tumor management. Asthmatx, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets a less-invasive, catheter-based bronchial thermoplasty procedure for the treatment of severe persistent asthma. The Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System, developed by Asthmatx, has both CE Mark and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and is the first device-based asthma treatment approved by the FDA.

Peripheral Interventions

The Company sells various products designed to treat patients with peripheral disease, including a line of medical devices used in percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and peripheral vascular stenting. Its peripheral product offerings include stents, balloon catheters, wires, peripheral embolization devices and vena cava filters. In 2010 and 2011, it launched several of its products internationally, including the EPIC self-expanding nitinol stent system in certain international markets, and the Carotid WALLSTENT stent system in Japan. The Company launched three new peripheral angioplasty balloons in 2011, including its next-generation Mustang percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) balloon, its Coyote balloon catheter, a highly deliverable and ultra-low profile balloon dilatation catheter designed for a range of peripheral angioplasty procedures and its Charger PTA Balloon Catheter, a 0.035 inch percutaneous transluminal angioplasty balloon catheter designed for post-stent dilatation, as well as conventional balloon angioplasty to open blocked peripheral arteries. The Company has commenced a limited ma! rket rele! ase of its OFFROAD re-entry catheter system in certain international markets, and in February 2012, it launched its TRUEPATH intraluminal CTO device in the United States.

The Company sells products designed to treat patients with non-vascular disease. Its non-vascular suite of products include biliary stents, drainage catheters and micro-puncture sets designed to treat, diagnose and ease various forms of benign and malignant tumors. The Company continues to market its extensive line of Interventional Oncology product solutions, including the Renegade HI-FLO Fathom microcatheter and guidewire system and Interlock - 35 Fibered IDC Occlusion System for peripheral embolization. The Company�� FilterWire EZ Embolic Protection System is a filter designed to capture embolic material that may become dislodged during a procedure, which could otherwise travel into the microvasculature where it could cause a heart attack or stroke. It is commercially available in the United States, its EMEA region and certain Inter-Continental countries for multiple indications, including the treatment of disease in peripheral, coronary and carotid vessels. It is also available in the United States for the treatment of saphenous vein grafts and carotid artery stenting procedures.

Urology/Women�� Health

The Company�� Urology/Women�� Health division develops, manufactures and sells devices to treat various urological and gynecological disorders. The Company sells a variety of products designed to treat patients with urinary stone disease, stress urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and excessive uterine bleeding. The Company offers a line of stone management products, including ureteral stents, wires, lithotripsy devices, stone retrieval devices, sheaths, balloons and catheters.

The Company markets a range of devices for the treatment of conditions, such as female urinary incontinence, pelvic floor reconstruction (rebuilding of the anatomy to its original state), and ! menorrhag! ia (excessive menstrual bleeding). It offers a breadth of mid-urethral sling products, sling materials, graft materials, pelvic floor reconstruction kits, and suturing devices. The Company markets its Genesys Hydro ThermAblator (HTA) system, a next-generation endometrial ablation system designed to ablate the endometrial lining of the uterus in premenopausal women with menorrhagia. The Genesys HTA System features a smaller and lighter console, simplified set-up requirements, and an enhanced graphic user interface and is designed to improve operating performance.

Neuromodulation

The Company within its Neuromodulation business markets the Precision Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) system, used for the management of chronic pain. In 2011, the Company launched its Clik Anchor for its Precision Plus SCS System, a rechargeable SCS device for chronic pain management. During 2011, it received FDA approval for and launched the Infinion 16 Percutaneous Lead, a 16-contact percutaneous lead. The Company also markets the Linear 3-4 and Linear 3-6 Percutaneous Leads for use with its SCS systems, which are designed to provide physicians more treatment options for their chronic pain patients. Intelect Medical, Inc. is a development-stage company developing advanced visualization and programming for the Vercise system.

Electrophysiology

The Company within its Electrophysiology business develops less-invasive medical technologies used in the diagnosis and treatment of rate and rhythm disorders of the heart. Included in its product offerings are radio frequency (RF) generators, steerable RF ablation catheters, intracardiac ultrasound catheters, diagnostic catheters, delivery sheaths, and other accessories. Its products include the Blazer and Blazer Prime line of temperature ablation catheters, designed to deliver enhanced performance, responsiveness, and durability. Its cooled ablation portfolio includes the closed-loop irrigated catheter on the market, the Chilli II cooled! ablation! catheter, and the newly launched Blazer Open-Irrigated ablation catheter with a Total Tip Cooling Design.

The Company competes with Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, Inc., St. Jude Medical, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Boston Scientific (BSX) has dropped 4.2% to $10.81, making it the second-biggest loser in the S&P 500, while Zions Bancorp (ZION) has fallen 4.1% to $28.03.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  He added no new stocks to the low-turnover fund in the fourth quarter, but he did make several large increases. The stock positions he increased the most are: Hospira Inc. (HSP), CVS Caremark (CVS), Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX) and Zimmer Holdings Inc. (ZMH). Hospira (HSP)

• [By Keith Speights]

  Another avenue for employers -- large or small -- to minimize added costs from Obamacare is to ship the jobs abroad. The health reform legislation doesn't require companies to provide health coverage for employees outside the U.S. Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX  ) is one employer that, in addition to cutting jobs because of the new medical device tax, is also moving some operations to China.

• [By Brian Pacampara]

  What: Shares of medical device specialist Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX  ) climbed 12% today after its quarterly results and guidance topped Wall Street expectations.�