Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014

On Tuesday, an event took place that added momentum to the massive rollout of "Made in America" fuel...   Ford Motor announced it will begin offering compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel systems for one of the country's best-selling trucks – its F-150 pickup. It will be the first half-ton pick-up truck capable of running on natural gas.   For years, I've been telling readers how the low price and abundance of natural gas will help it become a major transportation fuel. The massive cost savings has led industry giants like Wal-Mart, Fed-Ex, UPS, Waste Management, Coca-Cola, and AT&T to switch their trucking fleets from diesel to natural gas   But natural gas isn't just replacing diesel as a fuel anymore. It's beginning to replace gasoline. Drivers are craving it. And it could lead to huge gains for the companies that can take advantage of it.  

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: National Penn Bancshares Inc.(NPBC)

National Penn Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for National Penn Bank that provides commercial banking products and services to residents and businesses primarily in eastern and central Pennsylvania. It offers various deposit products, including demand, NOW, money market, and other checking and savings accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also provides consumer loan products, such as installment loans, home equity loans, residential mortgage loans, multi-family loans, educational loans, and credit cards; commercial loans, including short-term loans for seasonal and working capital purposes, term loans secured by real estate and other assets, loans for construction and expansion needs, and revolving credit facilities; and commercial real estate lending services, including loans to developers of residential and commercial projects. In addition, it offers automated teller services; safe deposit and night depository facilities; Interne t banking services, including online bill paying services; remote deposit capture, disbursement, and collection; and private banking services. Further, the company provides investment management and fiduciary services to individuals, corporations, government entities, and non-profit institutions; investment and consulting solutions to the retirement plan market; securities brokerage services; property and casualty insurance services to individuals and businesses; employee benefits consulting services; and equipment leasing services. At March 31, 2011, it operated through 123 offices, including 122 community banking offices in Pennsylvania; and 1 office in Maryland. The company was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in Boyertown, Pennsylvania.

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: Rediff.com India Limited(REDF)

Rediff.com India Limited provides online Internet based services in India and to the global Indian community. The company's Websites consist of channels relevant to Indian interests, such as cricket, astrology, matchmaker, and movies; content on various matters, which include news and finance; search facilities; and a range of community features consisting of e-mail, chat, messenger, photo/video sharing capabilities, e-commerce, blogs, broadband wireless content, and mobile value-added services to mobile phone subscribers in India, as well as online advertising and online shopping services. It also publishes two weekly newspapers, ?India Abroad? and ?India in New York? for the Indian-American community based in the United States and Canada. The company?s target client base for advertising and sponsorships include global companies doing business in India, domestic corporations, and small and medium enterprises. As of March 31, 2010, it had 89.5 million online registered use rs. The company was formerly known as Rediff Communication Private Limited and changed its name to Rediff.com India Limited in February 2000. Rediff.com India Limited was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.

5 Best Bank Stocks To Buy For 2014: (SUZLON.NS)

Suzlon Energy Limited engages in the design, development, manufacture, and supply of wind turbine generators in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe. The company?s product portfolio includes drive systems, annular generators, and grid connection systems, as well as towers and foundations comprising tower constructions, tubular steel towers, precast concrete towers, and foundation constructions. It also involves in the sale/sub-lease of land; infrastructure development; sale of gear boxes, and foundry and forging components; and power generation operations. In addition, the company offers land sourcing and permitting, wind resource assessment, and erection and commissioning services, as well as operations and maintenance services for projects. Suzlon Energy Limited was founded in 1995 and is based in Pune, India.

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: Europtronic Group Ltd (E23.SI)

Europtronic Group Ltd., an investment holding company, develops, produces, and markets electronic components for the consumer electronics, computer and peripherals, and communications industries primarily in the People�s Republic of China and Asia. Its products include metallized and non-metallized polypropylene film, plastic film, ceramic, tantalum, and various types of chip capacitors, as well as chip inductors and beads. The company also engages in distributing active, passive, and mechanical components comprising aluminum electrolytic and MLCC capacitors, tantalum capacitors, ceramic capacitors, flat panel displays, base-band crystals, connectors, and diodes, as well as optoelectronic devices, such as transmitters and receivers; and provides handling services. In addition, it involves in growing bio-fuel related plantlets and renewable energy related business development activities, as well as engages in tissue culturing of fuel crop seedlings and ornamental plantlets . The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: UniTek Global Services Inc.(UNTK)

UniTek Global Services, Inc. provides outsourced infrastructure and technical services to the wireless and wireline telecommunications, satellite television, and broadband cable industries in the United States and Canada. Its services include network engineering and design services for underground plant construction, aerial infrastructure, and multi-dwelling content delivery; and construction and project management services for the cable and wireline telecommunication industries, which comprise systems engineering, aerial and underground construction, regular maintenance of the distribution facilities and networks, emergency services for accidents or storm damage, routine replacements, and upgrades of network overhauls. The company?s services also include comprehensive installation and fulfillment services that comprise residential and commercial installation, warehousing/logistics, call centers, inventory management, customer service compliance, fleet management, and ris k and safety related services. In addition, it offers wireless telecommunication infrastructure services, which include communications infrastructure equipment construction and installation; radio frequency and network design, and engineering; radio transmission base station installation and modification; in-building network design, engineering, and construction; and site acquisition services. Further, the company provides systems integration services for communications projects for transportation, public safety, entertainment, hospitality, and enterprise-grade commercial real estate projects. UniTek Global Services, Inc. was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  UniTek Global Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTK), a premier provider of permanently outsourced infrastructure services to the telecommunications, broadband cable, wireless, two-way radio, transportation, public safety and satellite industries, reported that Chief Financial Officer and Co-Manager of the Interim Office of the CEO, Ronald J. Lejman, will present at the Credit Suisse Engineering & Construction Conference on Thursday, June 7th at 1:55 p.m. Eastern time.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: Accretive Health, Inc (NYSE: AH), Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), UniTek Global Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: UNTK) Economic Releases Expected: Eurozone interest rate decision and PPI data, US National Employment Report, British construction PMI

  Thursday

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: ATMI Inc.(ATMI)

ATMI, Inc. supplies high performance materials, materials packaging, and materials delivery systems for use in the manufacture of microelectronics devices worldwide. The company primarily offers front-end semiconductor performance materials; sub-atmospheric pressure gas delivery systems for safe handling and delivery of toxic and hazardous gases to semiconductor process equipment; and high-purity materials packaging and dispensing systems that allow for the reliable introduction of low volatility liquids and solids to microelectronics and biopharmaceutical processes. It also provides containment, mixing, and bioreactor technologies to the biotechnology, laboratory, and cell therapy markets. The company serves semiconductor and flat-panel display manufacturers, as well as the life sciences industry. It has strategic alliances with Enthone, Inc. and Lake LED Materials, Co., Ltd. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Axler]

  In the table below, we've listed a sample of small-cap semiconductor capital equipment stocks such as Entegris (ENTG), Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS), ATMI Inc. (ATMI), MKS Instruments (MKSI), Photronics Inc. (PLAB), Rudolph Technologies (RTEC),FormFactor (FORM) and Mattson Technology (MTSN). The peers trade at approximately 1.0x and 15.5x 2014E revenues and EPS, respectively. Furthermore, the average peer trades at 2.1x tangible book value. However, these multiples are based on average 2014E industry revenue and earnings growth of 18% and 119%, respectively. Axcelis is poised to grow at a rate substantially above the industry average.

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: Panhandle Royalty Company(PHX)

Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. engages in the acquisition, management, and development of oil and natural gas properties. The company?s mineral and leasehold properties are located primarily in Arkansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas. As of September 30, 2011, it owned 255,857 net mineral acres; leased 17,480 net acres; held working and royalty interests in 5,107 producing oil and natural gas wells; and operated 48 wells in the process of being drilled. It serves pipeline and marketing companies. Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. was founded in 1926 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Best Low Price Companies To Invest In 2014: BTU International Inc.(BTUI)

BTU International, Inc. engages in the design, manufacture, sale, and service of thermal processing systems used in various manufacturing processes primarily in the electronics, alternative energy, and automotive industries worldwide. Its alternative energy products include solar processing equipment for silicon and thin film photovoltaics, including in-line thermal systems and coating systems; in-line diffusion systems; rapid thermal processing furnaces for the solar cell metallization process; and walking beam and pusher systems for sintering nuclear fuel. The company?s electronics products comprise thermal processing systems used in the solder reflow and curing stages of printed circuit board assembly; convection reflow systems; and wafer level and die level semiconductor packaging systems. Its products are used in various applications, such as solar cell manufacturing, nuclear fuel processing, printed circuit board assembly, and semiconductor packaging. The company pr imarily serves multinational original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturing companies. BTU International markets and sells its products directly, as well as through independent sales representatives. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in North Billerica, Massachusetts.

3 Reasons to Love Cheesecake

The market was loving The Cheesecake Factory's (NASDAQ: CAKE  )  third quarter earnings report. Shares were trading up 6% to all-time highs. I've been a fan of the stock for a couple years now, but the latest quarter underscores several of the company's strengths. Here are three reasons to give The Cheesecake Factory a closer look.

Positive comp-sales 
In the most recent quarter The Cheesecake Factory increased comp-sales 0.8%. While that gain is modest, it's the 15th consecutive quarter of positive comp-sales. This growth came at a time when many restaurants are seeing slowdowns in consumer spending and restaurant traffic.

Keep in mind that the company hasn't been driving growth by running promotions. Many restaurants do this, but growth often comes at the expense of profit margins. Consider that Darden (NYSE: DRI  ) banks its ability to grow comparable sales on promotions. It ran promotions across all its brands, which included a three-course Italian dinner for $12.95 at Olive Garden and endless shrimp for $15.99 at Red Lobster.

Specifically, with the endless shrimp promotion $15.99 is the menu price historically. Shrimp are not selling for their historical price right now. The promotion was run in August when shrimp were selling for 56% more than August 2012 due to a shrimp shortage. In an attempt to gain comp-sales, Darden sacrificed margins.

Positive comp-sales without value promotions prove that The Cheesecake Factory is a concept that resonates with consumers, even during a supposed spending slowdown. 

New restaurant locations
Restaurant expansion is an often overlooked strength of The Cheesecake Factory. The company plans to open nine new locations before year's end -- less than 6% growth. However, the quality of this growth is impressive.

Consider that the two new locations opened so far this year -- Novi, Michigan and San Juan, Puerto Rico -- each generated over $400,000 in opening week sales. Next year the company plans to open 10-12 new restaurants on its way to its ultimate goal of 300 units -- 89% growth from today's number.

For a little perspective, a company-operated McDonald's (NYSE: MCD  ) does just over $700,000 in sales a quarter. With the company planning to open around 1,500 locations this year, it's growing about the same rate as The Cheesecake Factory. However, these 1,500 locations won't be as big of a boost for McDonald's as new locations will be for Cheesecake.

Many restaurants are reporting weak consumer spending, so one would think that overall McDonald's would be resonating better with consumers than The Cheesecake Factory. That's not what we've seen. McDonald's has been trying to retain an eroding customer base with limited time initiatives like Mighty Wings and the popular Monopoly game. While these initiatives did help comparable sales, guest traffic at McDonald's was still down last quarter.

So again, The Cheesecake Factory only looks to open 10-12 locations next year, but these locations have big implications for its earnings potential.

Stock buyback
The Cheesecake Factory is a strong company financially speaking. It generates huge amounts of free cash flow -- $82 million this year -- and has no debt on the balance sheet. This financial position allows the company to return virtually all of its money to shareholders via dividends and stock buybacks.

This year alone the company plans to spend $200 million to buy back shares. It has already bought back around $135 million this year, leaving $65 million next quarter alone. This will lower the outstanding share count in the high single digits, which in turn will boost earnings per share. 

Stock buyback programs are fairly common, but they aren't always followed through on. For example, last year Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ: CBRL  ) was authorized to buy back $100 million worth of its shares. When the year ended the company had only actually repurchased a relatively measly $14.9 million worth of its shares. Now that the $100 million program has expired, Cracker Barrel's board has authorized a new $50 million repurchase program.

Cracker Barrel isn't in the financial position that The Cheesecake Factory is. The company is aggressively paying down debt -- $125 million in fiscal 2013 -- to put itself on better footing. This hasn't sat well with Biglari Holdings, which instead proposed a $20 per share special dividend. Though this proposal has since been withdrawn, there will still be a shareholder vote on a special dividend. 

I think it's a smarter move to pay down the debt instead of paying out special dividends. However, as long as Cracker Barrel has this debt, it will also have to continue choosing between the two. In contrast, The Cheesecake Factory can continue returning the majority of its cash to shareholders.

Love of Cheesecake
As we've seen, The Cheesecake Factory is in a strong position. The brand continues to resonate with consumers, the chain is still growing, and it's returning value to shareholders. Considering it's only trading at a forward P/E of 18, I think the market has been overlooking this one.

Will The Cheesecake Factory take over the world?
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L-3 Wins Predator Drone Training Contract

"Hey! Who's Flying This Thing?" you may ask. Well, assuming you're talking about unmanned aerial vehicles, chances are that at least initially, the answer to that question is going to be L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL  ) .

Since the advent of the General Atomics Predator drone set off the race to fill the sky with UAVs, the U.S. military's preferred contractor for training its troops to fly the robotic airlines has been L-3. And this remains true today. On Monday, L-3 announced that its L-3 Link Simulation and Training subsidiary has just won a "recomplete" for the right to keep on building training systems to fly the UAVs, and to keep assisting in that training as well.

L-3 originally won the contract to build seven Predator Mission Aircrew Training Systems (PMATS) for the U.S. Air Force back in June 2005. PMATS links an actual drone ground control station to L-3 computers running flight simulation software, allowing users to train on the same equipment they will be using once training has been completed. L-3 has won additional work on this system since, including an upgrade of the PMATS software in 2008, and contracts to build new equipment. At present, the Air Force has 26 of the company's PMATS systems in operation.

L-3's latest contract win extends its base contract through September. Six one-year option extensions to this contract may extend the contract through 2019. Under this contract, L-3 will support training activities on the machines. It is also in the running to win further manufacturing work to build more than 50 new PMATS devices in addition to those already delivered.

No contract value was included in L-3's news release, but its original PMATS contract from back in 2005, for both devices and training services, was valued at approximately $1 million per unit.

 

Boeing's Fire Sale Sinks the Dow

Stocks have meandered lower today after it was announced that consumer sentiment in the U.S. fell in July. A reading from the University of Michigan and Thomson Reuters shows that the index fell to 83.9 in July from 84.1 a month ago, which is still relatively high from a historical perspective. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is down 0.25% in late trading, while the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC  ) sits at breakeven.  

The big mover on the Dow is Boeing (NYSE: BA  ) , which is up in flames again -- literally. A 787 Dreamliner parked at London's Heathrow Airport caught fire today, and Boeing's shares quickly fell 7.4%. As of 3:15 p.m. EDT, shares have recovered to a 5.2% loss, but there will be a lot of pressure on management to explain the fire without causing the stock to crash.  

Boeing has been a leader on the Dow this year, jumping 36.6%, even with the Dreamliner being grounded for several months over a battery issue.

BA Total Return Price data by YCharts.

Investors thought that problem was solved in March when a design fix was approved and flights soon resumed, but now we may have to rethink that. We don't know the cause of the fire in London yet, but Boeing certainly will have to do its best to make passengers and investors feel safe again. The risk now is that shares have priced in too much good news for the Dreamliner and have nowhere to go but down. I would be hitting the sell button today to take gains off the table, if nothing else. The downside risk for investors is too high to ignore now.

JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM  ) is the other big news-maker today, although its stock is only down 0.4%. The company reported a 31% jump in net income to $6.5 billion, or $1.60 per share, on the back of strong investment-banking activity. But the company warned that mortgage applications could fall in the second half of the year if interest rates remain high. This is one of the risks of the Federal Reserve's tapering of its $85 billion-per-month asset purchases, and it shouldn't come as a huge surprise to investors.  

The good news for big banks is that rising home prices should limit loan losses, even if volume falls in coming months. Still, there are a lot of risks for investors, and in a sea of mismanaged and dangerous peers, there's only one company that rises above as "The Only Big Bank Built to Last." You can uncover the top pick that Warren Buffett loves in The Motley Fool's new report. It's free, so click here to access it now.

Airline industry on profitable path

A more disciplined airline industry, buoyed by lower fuel prices and a stronger economy, scored another profitable quarter, results that bode well for the rest of the year and possibly into 2014, travel analysts say.

Southwest and United were the latest U.S. carriers to report a profit for the period running July through September. Low-cost carrier Southwest said Thursday that it saw a profit of $259 million, or 37 cents a share, up from $16 million during that period in 2012. United posted a profit of $379 million or 98 cents a share, during the third quarter.

But United's gains fell below analyst expectations.

Overall, U.S. carriers saw their bottom lines bolstered by a combination of factors, including their careful calculations about how many seats to fly, and where the flights should be headed. That has enabled them to boost fares.

"They're putting the planes where the demand is and where they can make the profit,'' says travel analyst Henry Harteveldt.

Airlines are also reaping billions by charging for everything from checking a bag to extra legroom. United, for instance, said that its revenue from such extra charges increased 16% in the third quarter, to over $20 per passenger, compared with the same period in 2012.

As in the previous quarter, fuel prices were lower in the July through September period than they were last year, a big benefit for airlines, because the price of fuel can account for a third of a carrier's costs. And the airlines are also flying more fuel-efficient jets outfitted with amenities that are more appealing to passengers, such as in-flight Wi-Fi.

"They can serve markets more intelligently ... with those types of planes,'' says

Kevin Schorr, vice-president of Campbell-Hill Aviation Group.

Areas where performance dramatically improved varied from airline to airline. Delta and American, for instance, showed significant gains when it came to attracting premium-paying corporate trekkers and vacationers during the third q! uarter, Harteveldt says.

Southwest attributed its strong third-quarter performance in part to its lower fuel costs as well as significant progress toward fully integrating with merger partner AirTran, the low-cost rival that it purchased in 2011.

"It was an exceptionally satisfying quarter,'' said Gary Kelly, Southwest's president and CEO, during an earnings call with investors. "It's a better economic environment overall, much stronger travel demand in the third quarter than what we were seeing in the second quarter and compared to a year ago.''

United officials, however, acknowledged that while the airline company made a profit, it did not meet the forecasts of industry analysts and needed to do better.

"Our financial performance this quarter did not meet our expectations and fell far short of what we can and should deliver,''Jeff Smisek, United's president and CEO, said during an earnings call. "Our financial results remain unsatisfactory. We need to accelerate our revenue growth and improve our efficiency.''

The $1.51 per share in net income that United reported for the third quarter, not counting one-time items, was below the expected $1.54, according to FactSet. And the $10.23 billion in revenue United brought in during the most recent three-month period was below an expected $10.26 billion.

Company officials said that lower-than-expected growth in passenger revenue was due to several factors, including increased competition in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China, and United needing to better match the right aircraft to the right routes.

The airline, which merged with Continental in 2010, is trying to pare costs and is launching new service, including non-stop flights between San Francisco and Chengdu, China.

Vicki Bryan, analyst at Gimme Credit, said in an investors note that "United has not just been going the wrong way profit-wise, it seems to have squandered so far the promising potential that had seemed so obvious with the combina! tion of t! wo such ... strongly competitive networks now three years after the merger closed.''

Still, the airline industry as a whole seems to be on solid ground. "The airlines are poised to show a good year overall for 2013,'' Harteveldt says. "The September quarter was good, and I anticipate a good December quarter, and I'm optimistic 2014 will be at least as good as 2013, if not materially better.''

How to always choose the best investments for yourself

"I am always at a loss while planning my finances. With so many options and choices available, everything looks green in one second and completely in red the next second. I get confused a lot on choosing the best investment option for me, what can I do about it?" Not only the beginners but also the experts get such thoughts many times.

What is known as the best investment option?

To be frank with you there is no "best investment option". There is only the right investment option. The right investment option is the one that helps you meet your financial goals. Are there any criteria available to buy the right investment products? Of course yes. Read on to get clarification on all your doubts.

Understand what you need

At times, I have seen people who are not clear about what they need. When i ask them 'what kind of investment you are looking for?' the typical answer i get is 'low risk with quick and high return'.

Detail what you are looking from an investment:

• What for you are investing? ( financial goals)

• How long you will stay invested?

• What kind of risk you are willing to take?

• How much you are planning to invest?

• How are you going to invest? Lumpsum or periodical...?

This gives you clarity about what you want. This clarity helps you avoid 50 percent of your confusion and makes your short listing process easier.

Understand the product before investing:

Understanding the different investment vehicles will help you avoid the balance 50 percent confusion gives you more clarity.

• What are all the charges involved in this investment?

• What are all the different types of risks involved in this investment?

• Is there any lock-in period?

• How long i need to stay invested to get an optimum return?

• How much return i can expect from this investment?

• What is the tax liability for the returns from this investment?

Understanding is the one simple thing that can make or break your relationship with your investment as well as your spouse. Take time to understand what you need and in which you are planning to invest.

Warren Buffet quotes "Don't invest in something you don't understand"

Let me give you 3 examples, about how investors invest without understanding and how to correct them.

People trade in shares and derivatives without understanding the risk:

Trading in derivatives is a zero-sum game. Money is not getting generated in trading. Money is getting rotated from one pocket to another pocket. Whatever the gain you make out of trading is somebody else is loss. Whatever loss you make is someone else's  gain.

In investing, both the parties, buyer and seller can make money. In trading any one of the parties can make money.

Also for trading in shares or derivatives, you need not pay the full value. By paying just 15 percent to 20 percent of your trading position,  you are allowed to trade. So you end up taking more risk then you are afford to take risk. If the trade makes you loss, the loss can be more that what you have paid. So you may need to pay more from your pocket to cover your loss.

Understand how the guarantee works in your investments:

People invest in insurance products like the highest NAV guaranteed ULIPs thinking that they have invested in risk free instruments.  It is extremely essential to know how guarantee works here.

ULIPs begin with the highest exposure to equity funds, then slowly move to debt funds. Upon maturity, they increase the fraction to debt funds. NAV is maintained within the pre-set level as the equity profits are transferred safely.

Ok, NAV is maintained as guaranteed, what is there to worry about? Is this what you think? Please understand that the high NAV is not the same as high market value. Also, keep in mind that the investments involving equities do not guarantee assured returns.

Understand the interest rate risks associated with your investments:

Most of the times, you invest in income funds and gilt (g-sec) funds without understanding the interest risk in it. Gilt funds are mutual funds connected with government sector securities. The income funds are the mutual funds invested in government, municipal, corporate debt funds and dividend paying instruments.

You must understand the difference between credit risk and interest risk here. As gilt funds are supported by government, you almost have nil credit risk. But, the interest rate and bond prices in gilt or government security funds and income funds are inversely related. When the interest rates go high, the government security gilt funds and income funds value drops down. So you may incur losses in gilt funds and income funds.

The most important steps you must take while choosing the investment option:

1. Do not recklessly follow what the agent or the relationship manager talks about the products.

2. There is no guarantee or risk-free plan come along with equity investments. When you hear about 'guarantee' connected to any product, understand it well how it works in the market.

3. Ask questions about the interest risks, credit risks and other threats associated with the products.

4. Learn well about the key fundamentals used in calculating the stock value.

5. Educate yourself about various products like equity, debt and other investment options.

6. Always read the instructions in the brochures and get all your queries clarified before investing.

Be very careful and do not hesitate to ask questions to the agents talking to you about various products. Do not blindly sign the application form because of laziness or falling victim to marketing pressures.
Always remember that no supernatural number will give you an idea whether to sell or buy your stocks. Educate yourself very well before taking decisions!

Education brings awareness. Awareness brings understanding. Understanding brings clarity. Clarity removes confusion and brings confidence. By understanding your requirement and the investment product you will transform from a confused investor to a confident investor.

The author is Ramalingam K, CFP CM is the Chief Financial Planner at holisticinvestment.in, a leading Financial Planning and Wealth Management company.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now

24/7 Wall St. reviews literally dozens and dozens of Wall Street analyst research reports each morning. Some calls are for stocks to buy and some are for stocks to sell. Some may be oriented to value investors and some may be oriented toward day traders. It has been surprising just how many research calls there are when you consider that this week is historically been one of the most quiet weeks each year.

There are several key upgrades that did not make Monday morning’s top analyst upgrades and downgrades.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) is up by less than 1% despite being touted in Barron’s over the weekend. The financial publication showed that more good is coming here and that shares could rise by another 30%. The only point we might make is that video game stocks already are�seeing such high gains ahead of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 that we cannot help but wonder if all the good news has been priced in even before the new consoles hit the retail shelves.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Torchmark Corporation(TMK)

Torchmark Corporation, an insurance holding company, provides individual life and supplemental health insurance, and annuities, to middle income households in the United States. Its life insurance products include traditional and interest sensitive whole-life insurance, term life insurance, and other life insurance; and supplemental limited-benefit health insurance products comprise cancer and accident plans, as well as Medicare Supplements plans and Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance. The company?s annuity products consist of single-premium and flexible-premium deferred annuities. The company sells its products through direct mail, Internet, television, magazine, exclusive agents, and independent agents in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Torchmark Corporation was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in McKinney, Texas.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Primerica Inc.(PRI)

Primerica, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the distribution of financial products on behalf of third parties to middle income households in the United States and Canada. The company operates in three segments: Term Life Insurance, Investment and Savings Products, and Corporate and Other Distributed Products. The Term Life Insurance segment underwrites term life insurance products. The Investment and Savings Products segment distributes mutual funds, variable annuities, fixed annuities, and segregated funds. The Corporate and Other Distributed Products segment provides mortgage loans, which include debt consolidation or refinance, and purchase money loans; unsecured loans; prepaid legal services that assist subscribers with legal matters, such as drafting wills, living wills and powers of attorney, trial defense, and motor vehicle-related matters; mail-order student life products; short-term disability benefit insurance; and auto and homeowners? insurance products. The company was founded in 1927 and is based in Duluth, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Private equity investor Warburg Pincus has been a shareholder in term life insurance underwriter Primerica� (NYSE: PRI  ) since its IPO in 2010. However, the financial products marketer will be buying back all of the holdings Warburg Pincus owns for $154.7 million. That translates into�almost�2.5 million shares of common stock�and warrants that �are�exercisable for 4.1 million shares.

Hot Stocks To Watch For 2014: Nuveen Texas Quality Income Municipal Fund(NTX)

Nuveen Texas Quality Income Municipal Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is managed by Nuveen Asset Management. It invests in the fixed income markets of Texas. The fund invests primarily in municipal securities rated Baa/BBB or better. It invests in securities that provide income exempt from federal and Texas income tax. The fund employs fundamental analysis with bottom-up stock picking approach to create its portfolio. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P National Municipal Bond Index and the S&P Texas Municipal Bond Index. Nuveen Texas Quality Income Municipal Fund was formed on July 26, 1991 and is domiciled in the United States.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Cotton #2(CT)

Capital Trust, Inc., a real estate investment trust, operates as a real estate finance and investment management company that provides credit sensitive financial products in the United States. The company?s investment programs focus on loans and securities backed by commercial real estate assets, including mortgage loans, property and corporate mezzanine loans, commercial mortgage backed securities, and subordinate mortgage interests. Its balance sheet investments include various types of commercial mortgage backed securities and collateralized debt obligations or securities, and commercial real estate loans and related instruments. The company qualifies as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes. It generally would not be subject to federal corporate income taxes if it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its stockholders. Capital Trust, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: U.S. Dollar Index(DX)

Dynex Capital, Inc. operates as a mortgage real estate investment trust (REIT). It invests in residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by a federally chartered corporation, non-agency mortgage-backed securities, and securitized mortgage loans, as well as unsecuritized single-family and commercial mortgage loans. The company finances its investments through a combination of repurchase agreements, and non-recourse collateralized financing, such as securitization financing Dynex Capital, Inc. has qualified as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, it would not be subject to federal income tax, provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. The company was founded in 1987 and is based in Glen Allen, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Dynex Capital Inc. (NYSE: DX) is rated as Buy, with a price target of $9.00, versus a recent price of $8.02. The book value was $8.94 at the end of last quarter and was projected to be $8.91 by the end of August.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Hansard Group Plc(HSD.L)

Hansard Global plc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialist long-term savings provider, offering life assurance and investment solutions to international investors. The company provides a range of flexible and tax-efficient investment products within life assurance policy wrappers. Its products are unit-linked life assurance contracts that qualify for favorable tax treatment. The company distributes its contracts through financial service intermediaries, independent financial advisers, and retail operations of financial institutions, as well as through its multi-language Internet platform, Hansard OnLine. Hansard Global plc was founded in 1970 and is based in Douglas, the United Kingdom.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Petroleum Resources Corporation(PEO)

Petroleum & Resources Corporation operates as a nondiversified investment company. It primarily invests in the equity of energy and natural resource companies. The company also has investments in various sectors, including energy, services, basic industries, and paper and forest products. Petroleum & Resources was founded in 1929 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Deutsche Bank AG(DB)

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft provides investment, financial, and related products and services. The company?s Corporate and Investment Bank division engages in the origination, sale, structuring, and trading of bonds, equities and equity-linked products, exchange-traded and over-the-counter derivatives, foreign exchange, money market instruments, securitized instruments, and commodities to sovereign countries and multinational organizations; and medium-sized companies and multinational corporations. It also offers mergers and acquisitions advisory, corporate finance, and transaction banking, as well as trade finance, cash management, and trust and securities services for financial institutions and other companies. The company?s Private Clients and Asset Management division provides mutual funds and alternative investment products; manages real estate and infrastructure investments and private equity funds; offers advisory and portfolio management services to insurance companies; and provides investment solutions to institutional customers, high net worth individuals, and families. This division also offers a range of banking products and services, including current accounts, deposits and loans, and investment management and pension products to private and self-employed individuals, and small to medium-sized businesses. Its Corporate Investments division?s principal investment activities comprise private equity and venture capital investments, corporate real estate investments, a minority stake in Deutsche Postbank AG, credit exposures, and other non-strategic investments. As of December 31, 2010, the company operated 3,083 branches in approximately 74 countries worldwide, including 2,087 in Germany. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Virginia Harrison]

  The global foreign exchange market has grown steadily over the last three years and is worth $5.3 trillion a day. Deutsche Bank (DB), Citigroup (C, Fortune 500), Barclays (BCLYF) and UBS (UBS) are among the biggest players in the market. Spokespeople for the banks declined to comment on the investigations.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Nuveen Select Tax Free Income Portfolio III(NXR)

Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio 3 is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments Inc. It is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors, Inc and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of United States. It invests in the investment-grade municipal securities rated Baa and BBB or better. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Standard & Poor?s (S&P) National Municipal Bond Index and Lipper General and Insured Unleveraged Municipal Debt Funds Average. Nuveen Select Tax-Free Income Portfolio 3 was formed on July 24, 1992 and is domiciled in the United States.

10 Best Financial Stocks To Watch Right Now: Westaim Corp Com Npv (WED.TO)

The Westaim Corporation invests, directly and indirectly, through acquisitions, joint ventures, and other arrangements, with the objective of providing its shareholders with capital appreciation and real wealth preservation. Previously, the company, through its subsidiary, JEVCO Insurance Company, provided property and casualty insurance products in Canada. The company sold JEVCO Insurance to Intact Financial Corporation on September 5, 2012. The Westaim Corporation was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Microsoft Pretends to Be Sad

"Zynga announced today that Don Mattrick would be its new CEO, effective July 8. This is a great opportunity for Don, and I wish him success."
-- Steve Ballmer, in an email to employees

After Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA  ) announced that it was getting a new CEO by taking Don Mattrick from Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) gaming business yesterday, I guess Microsoft had to put on a sad face. "Oh no," it cried. "The guy who helped us launch the Xbox One is going to a sort-of rival."

What no one brings up is that there are two scenarios that Mattrick could have left under. Either he knew he was leaving when the new Xbox was rolled out, or he thought he was staying. If he knew, then his lackluster attitude toward the new product makes a certain kind of sense, but it also makes him a liability. From the outside looking in, the options for Mattrick weren't great.

Moving along
Mattrick's launch of the Xbox One was greeted with limited enthusiasm. Gamers were happy to see a new system, but many questioned the requirement for an Internet connection, the rigid new digital rights management rules, and the $499 price tag. Then, during June's E3 video game conference, Sony (NYSE: SNE  ) unveiled its PlayStation 4, and the world went mad.

The revolution that the Sony announcement sparked was based on... no evolution. Used games will work like they currently do. Internet requirements, the same. As an added insult, the PS4 will cost $100 less than the Xbox One. By not changing anything, Sony put Microsoft on the defensive.

Mattrick was the face of the Xbox while the controversy swirled, and he didn't make all the right moves. For instance, when asked what gamers without reliable Internet connections should do, since the Xbox One needed gamers to check-in online once every 24 hours, Mattrick said, "Fortunately we have a product for people who aren't able to get some form of connectivity. It's called the Xbox 360." I don't want to vilify Mattrick, but "keep what you've got and be happy" was the wrong answer. It seems that Microsoft may have agreed, given that it pulled a dramatic 180 soon after E3.

The Zynga position comes with a significant title, as Mattrick will be CEO of the whole company instead of just one portion, like he was at Microsoft. That increased responsibility doesn't actually come with a bigger job. Zynga pulled in $263.6 million last quarter, while the entertainment and devices division that Mattrick is leaving generated $2.5 billion.

Who wins?
Even if it's not great for Mattrick's ego, he's the biggest winner overall. The Xbox bungling was made out to be bigger than it was by hardcore gamers and gaming media. The combination put Mattrick in a difficult PR position if he were to stay at Microsoft. By moving to Zynga, he can put that episode behind him.

Microsoft is no worse off. There are plenty of internal and external candidates for the role, and the evolving nature of the Xbox One means that even a new hire could make some real differences. I imagine that role will be filled in the next month, or possibly left vacant until after the launch.

While Zynga certainly doesn't lose in this scenario, it's clearly not the winner. The CEO position could have gone to someone who had a history of making real game-changing decisions. Mattrick is well-qualified, but that seems to be it. I can't imagine him being more than a manager -- but Zynga really needs a leader.

No Pitch

Top 10 Casino Companies To Invest In Right Now

 Steve Cohen, the billionaire founder of hedge fund SAC Capital, is gearing up for inflation...   As we've discussed many times in these pages... high-quality, prestigious assets – what we call "trophy assets" – tend to escalate in value during periods of high inflation. That's one reason Porter has invested in Miami Beach real estate.   Cohen's buying high-end real estate, too. He recently purchased a $60 million beach home in the Hamptons – the playground of New York City's elite. It's his second Hamptons house. He also owns two apartments in Manhattan – one is estimated to cost $115 million.    In addition, Cohen is also one of the largest players in contemporary art. His collection is worth an estimated $1 billion. He paid music and movie billionaire David Geffen $139 million to buy the piece "Woman III" by the artist Willem de Kooning. In 2010, Cohen bought "Flag" by the artist Jasper Johns for around $110 million. In 2007, he purchased "Turquoise Marilyn" by legendary "pop" artist Andy Warhol for around $80 million.    But his latest acquisition tops them all, and comes in the same week as his Hamptons house purchase... Cohen bought Pablo Picasso's "La Reve" from casino mogul Steve Wynn for a reported $155 million.   Coincidentally, one of the first pieces I published at S&A was about "La Reve"... And how Wynn accidentally elbowed a hole in the painting in 2007. (He paid $85,000 to repair it.)    The highest-quality real estate, art, wine, and other collectibles always have a market with the ultra-rich. Regardless of what is happening in the economy, these billionaires have cash. And they're always ready to purchase a one-of-a-kind asset (especially when it doesn't trade hands often).   The ultra-wealthy are looking to preserve their wealth. And with the threat of inflation looming, art and real estate are popular options.   But Cohen may have other motives for bulking up his art collection... As Porter explained in the February 14 Digest Premium... art and other collectibles are also a great way to protect your wealth from the IRS. From Digest Premium:  

Owning collectibles offers one major advantage – one that I think drives 90% of the demand for collectibles: It's a great way to protect your wealth from the IRS. People know that when they die, the IRS won't have any idea what is hanging up on their walls or hiding in their vaults. So they hide money in these trophies to give to their children to avoid estate taxes.

Top 10 Casino Companies To Invest In Right Now: Boyd Gaming Corporation(BYD)

Boyd Gaming Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multi-jurisdictional gaming company in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the company owned and operated 1,042,787 square feet of casino space, containing approximately 25,973 slot machines, 655 table games, and 11,418 hotel rooms. It also owned and operated 16 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and New Jersey. In addition, the company owns and operates a pari-mutuel jai-alai facility located in Dania Beach, Florida, as well as a travel agency in Hawaii. Further, it holds a 50% controlling interest in the limited liability company that operates Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Boyd Gaming Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  One gaming player that's rapidly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade is Boyd Gaming (BYD), which owns and operates gaming entertainment facilities located in Nevada, Mississippi, Illinois, Louisiana and Indiana. This stock has been blazing a trail to the upside so far in 2013, with shares up sharply by 115%.

  If you look at the chart for Boyd Gaming, you'll notice that this stock has been uptrending strong over the last month and change, with shares moving sharply higher from its low of $11.27 to its intraday high of $14.38 a share. During that move, shares of BYD have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of BYD into breakout territory above resistance at $13.79 a share, and it's quickly pushing the stock within range of another big breakout trade.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in BYD if it manages to break out above its 52-week high at $14.50 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.34 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then BYD will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $18 to $20 a share.

  Traders can look to buy BYD off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below some near-term support at $13 a share. One can also buy BYD off strength once it takes out $14.50 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  The real question is whether Zynga can hold off experienced casino operators if online gambling becomes a reality. Already, alliances are forming, with Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD  ) and MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM  ) having linked up with bwin.party -- the same company Zynga tapped for its real-money Zynga Poker -- to help Boyd take advantage of newly legal online gambling in New Jersey. Zynga has the obvious edge with its social savvy, but established casino companies will have huge incentives to defend their turf if Zynga starts to make a serious dent in the industry.

• [By Seth Jayson]

  Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD  ) reported earnings on April 24. Here are the numbers you need to know.

  The 10-second takeaway
  For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), Boyd Gaming met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Top 10 Casino Companies To Invest In Right Now: Penn National Gaming Inc.(PENN)

Penn National Gaming, Inc. and its subsidiaries own and manage gaming and pari-mutuel properties in the United States. It operates approximately 27,000 gaming machines; 500 table games; and 2,000 hotel rooms in 23 facilities in 16 jurisdictions, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ontario. The company was formerly known as PNRC Corp. and changed its name to Penn National Gaming, Inc. in 1994. Penn National Gaming, Inc. was founded in 1982 and is based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

   

  Penn National Gaming (PENN) is a diversified, multi-jurisdictional owner and manager of gaming and pari-mutuel properties. This stock closed up 1.4% at $56.13 in Monday's trading session.

   

  Monday's Volume: 1.11 million
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 824,334
  
  Volume % Change: 73%

   

   

  From a technical perspective, PENN jumped modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $54.71 with above-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of PENN within range of triggering a breakout trade. That trade will hit if PENN manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $57.44 to some past resistance at $58 with high volume.

   

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PENN as long as it's trending above Monday's low $55.65 or above more support at $54.71 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that this near or above 824,334 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then PENN will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $59.93. Any high-volume move above $59.93 will then give PENN a chance to hit $65.

   

Hot Penny Stocks To Buy Right Now: MGM Resorts International(MGM)

MGM Resorts International, through its subsidiaries, primarily owns and operates casino resorts in the United States. The company?s resorts offer gaming, hotel, dining, entertainment, retail, and other resort amenities. It also owns and operates golf courses and a golf club. As of December 31, 2010, the company owned and operated 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan; and has 50% investments in 4 other casino resorts in Nevada, Illinois, and Macau. In addition, MGM Resorts International has an agreement with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates a casino resort in Connecticut, to carry the ?MGM Grand? brand name. The company was formerly known as MGM MIRAGE and changed its name to MGM Resorts International in June 2010. MGM Resorts International was founded in 1986 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  The other knock against the sector is merely that it's cyclical and prone to downswings ��especially for the casino operators relying heavily on the currently stagnant U.S. market. MGM Grand (NYSE: MGM  ) is an example of a casino operator that's expanded into Macau but still derives the majority of its business from the United States. Unsurprisingly, it hasn't turned an annual profit since 2007 and isn't expected to until at least 2015.

Top 10 Casino Companies To Invest In Right Now: (XTRN)

Las Vegas Railway Express Inc. focuses to re-establish a conventional passenger train service between the Las Vegas and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. It plans to establish a ?Vegas-style? passenger train service. The company is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Top 10 Casino Companies To Invest In Right Now: Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.(PNK)

Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. owns, develops, and operates casinos, and related hospitality and entertainment facilities in the United States. It operates casinos, such as L'Auberge du Lac in Lake Charles, Louisiana; River City Casino and Lumiere Place in St. Louis, Missouri; Boomtown New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana; Belterra Casino Resort in Vevay, Indiana; Boomtown Bossier City in Bossier City, Louisiana; and Boomtown Reno in Reno, Nevada. The company also operates River Downs racetrack in southeast Cincinnati, Ohio. As of May 26, 2011, it operated seven casinos and one racetrack. The company was formerly known as Hollywood Park, Inc. and changed its name to Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. in February 2000. Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. was founded in 1935 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK  ) has reached an agreement in principle with the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission that would allow the company to complete its proposed acquisition of Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ: ASCA  ) , Pinnacle announced today.

• [By Travis Hoium]

  What: Shares of Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ: ASCA  ) and Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK  ) fell as much as 11% today after the government brought into question the merger of the two companies.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Time to make the switch
  If I could name a sector that I'd certainly tread lightly around considering that consumers are tightening their wallets, it would be the casino sector. Casino companies rely on loose wallets and vacations to drive profits. This is why I feel it could be the time to say goodbye to casino and race track operator Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK  ) near its 52-week high.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) has gained 56% this year; Las Vegas Sands (LVS) has climbed 38%. And Deutsche Bank has nice things to say about both today.

  Bloomberg

  First Pinnacle. Deutsche Bank’s Carlo Santarelli ponders the stock’s big move and comes away still seeing value in its shares. He writes:

  When we upgraded PNK in April, our thesis centered on the FCF strength of the combined entities [Pinnacle completed its acquisition of Ameristar Casinos on Aug. 14], a handful of favorable catalysts, easing regional gaming comps, & an inexpensive relative valuation. Given the shares’ sizeable move since then, we believe it is worth revisiting the investment case. Post the announcement of several asset sales and the closing of the transaction, we are adjusting our estimates, raising our PT to $30 from $24, and maintaining our bullish view at current levels given what we still believe to be an attractive free cash flow valuation, meaningful potential synergy realization beyond the $40 mm of announced benefits, and a free option on a lagging regional recovery.

  Santarelli also revisited Las Vegas Sands and there too, he likes what he sees. He writes:

  With…LVS at [a share price level] that have been challenging to break from over the last year plus, we believe this time is different and hence we see continued upward momentum…In the case of LVS, we see; 1) meaningful mass market strength continuing through year end, setting the stage for upward company and market estimate revisions for 2014, 2) continued cash flow appreciation and capital returns serving as downside protection and positive catalysts, and 3) continued shared gains, largely driven by table optimization and mass market strength, driving both estimates and sentiment.

  He also likes Wynn Resorts (WYNN), despite its 34% gain.�Santarelli writes:

  As for WYNN, we believe near-term estimates continue to take a back seat to capital return

Top 10 Casino Companies To Invest In Right Now: Wynn Resorts Limited(WYNN)

Wynn Resorts, Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, ownership, and operation of destination casino resorts. The company owns and operates Wynn Las Vegas casino resort in Las Vegas, which includes approximately 22 food and beverage outlets comprising 5 dining restaurants; 2 nightclubs; 1 spa and salon; 1 Ferrari and Maserati automobile dealership; wedding chapels; an 18-hole golf course; meeting space; and foot retail promenade featuring boutiques. Wynn Las Vegas casino resort also features approximately 147 table games, 1 baccarat salon, private VIP gaming rooms, 1 poker room, 1,842 slot machines, and 1 race and sports book. It also owns and operates an Encore at Wynn Las Vegas resort, a destination casino resort located adjacent to Wynn Las Vegas that features a 2,034 all-suite hotel, as well as a casino with 95 table games, 1 sky casino, 1 baccarat salon, private VIP gaming rooms, and 778 slot machines. In addition, the company operates Wyn n Macau casino resort located in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People?s Republic of China. Wynn Macau casino resort features approximately 595 hotel rooms and suites, 410 table games, 935 slot machines, 1 poker room, 1 sky casino, 6 restaurants, 1 spa and salon, lounges, meeting facilities, and retail space featuring boutiques. Further, it operates Encore at Wynn Macau resort located adjacent to Wynn Macau. Encore at Wynn Macau resort features approximately 410 luxury suites and 4 villas, as well as casino gaming space, including a sky casino consisting of 60 table games and 80 slot machines, 2 restaurants, 1 luxury spa, and retail space. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  His largest new buys in the first quarter are: Penn Virginia Group Holdings LP (PVG), Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN), Methanex Corp. (MEOH), Solutia Inc. (SOA) and Georgia Gulf (GGC). Of his top eight stocks, five are from the chemicals industry.

Why Bank of America Stock Is Headed Higher

Shares of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) are following the broader market higher today on the heels of better-than-expected data out of the housing sector as well as a lower-than-expected core inflation figure for the month of May. Roughly halfway through the trading session, stock in the nation's second largest bank by assets is up by $0.11, or 0.83%.

The performance of bank shares today belies the fact that the industry is at a crossroads. With the Federal Reserve's quarterly monetary policy meeting scheduled this week, many are speculating that the central bank will begin to taper its support for the economy over the next few months. This will most likely entail a reduction in open-market bond purchases -- it's currently buying $85 billion worth of federally insured securities a month -- and a resulting increase in long-term interest rates. This is invariably good for banks, as it will lead to an expansion of net interest margins across the industry.

Yet, the expected move by the Fed is not without risk. The primary issue concerns what will happen to the housing market -- and specifically, prices -- when the Fed reduces its purchases of agency mortgage-backed securities. There's little doubt that this will drive mortgage rates up, which it already has, as you can see in the chart below. But will this also drive the price of houses, and therefore the value of mortgage collateral, down? Or could it have the opposite effect by freeing up banks to make more purchase-money mortgages as opposed to refinance loans?

US 30 Year Mortgage Rate data by YCharts.

I personally think it will do the latter. Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) serves as a particularly prescient example, here, because it underwrites roughly one in every three mortgages in the United States. For most of last year, more than 70% of its mortgage applications related to refinancing requests, leaving less than 30% related to purchase-money mortgages. In the most recent quarter, however, this mix shifted, as only 65% of mortgage applications related to refinancing. As the share of purchase-money mortgages increases -- assuming, of course, that the total number of applications doesn't markedly decline -- the housing market should continue to gain momentum.

Whatever may be the case, there's little question that we're currently approaching this critical fork in the road, at which the Fed must decide which path to pursue. And it's for this reason today's data releases are so important. The first, issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed that core inflation -- that is, consumer prices less food and energy -- rose sequentially by only 0.1% last month compared to the consensus estimate of 0.2%. And the second, issued by the Commerce Department, estimated that new home construction ticked up by 24.9% in April over the same month last year. Critically, however, almost all of the growth in the latter was in multifamily construction, which is notoriously volatile, and not in the more important single-family space.

What does this mean for the Fed? That remains to be seen, but both would seem to indicate that it should not rush into a decision to taper. Either way, however, the market took the news in stride, sending stocks, and particularly those in the financial space, higher, as evidenced by Bank of America's ascent as well as the climb in the KBW Bank Index (DJINDICES: ^BKX  ) .

Indeed, Bank of America's stock doubled in 2012. Is there more yet to come? With significant challenges still ahead, it's critical to have a solid understanding of this megabank before adding it to your portfolio. In The Motley Fool's premium research report on B of A, analysts Anand Chokkavelu, CFA, and Matt Koppenheffer, Financials bureau chief, lift the veil on the bank's operations, including detailing three reasons to buy and three reasons to sell. Click here now to claim your copy.

Monday's Top News Headlines

Here are today's top news headlines from Fool.com. Check back throughout the day as this list is updated, and follow us on Twitter at TMFBreaking.

Stillwater CEO to Step Down

Consumer Credit Oozes Up 0.4%

Sagent Recalls Anesthesia Drug Dosages

Salesforce Hires a President

Integrys Applies for 6% Natural Gas Rate Increase

FedEx Increasing Freight Shipping Rates by 4.5%

iRobot, Cisco Team to Develop Video-Conferencing Robot

ECB Defends Bond Program Before German Hearing

AT&T Increases Wait for Subsidized-Phone Upgrade Eligibility

Dollar Tree Names New President

Duke Energy's New Indiana Coal Facility Begins Operation

Elan Rejects Latest Royalty Pharma Offer

McDonald's May Comps Rise 2.6%

AstraZeneca to Acquire Pearl Therapeutics for Up to $1.15 Billion

Sprint to Launch Its Own Smartphone

Canadian Solar Lands $301 Million Contract to Help Build Solar Power Plant

Obama Observes 50th Anniversary of Equal Pay Act

IHS to Buy Carfax Owner for $1.4 Billion

Cleanup Work After BP Oil Spill Ends in 3 States

Portfolio Recovery to Split Stock 3-for-1

Music Service, Mobile Software Expected From Apple

Greek Gas Sale Deflates Amid New EU-IMF Inspection

Apple Shows Off iOS 7

Apple Details Next Version of OS X

Apple Updates MacBook Airs With Newest Intel Processors

Nordic American Cancels $55 Million Tanker Buy

Apple Unveils Redesigned Mac Pro

Apple Unveils iTunes Radio Streaming Service

Rapid Growth In Data Demand By Smart Connected Devices Is Bullish For Cisco

The giant in the worldwide data communications equipment business has to be Cisco Systems (CSCO). The growth in data usage by smart connected devices is a bullish trend for Cisco. It is interesting to explore just how quickly data usage is growing and where that growth is coming from.

The recent successful launch of the iPhone 5S and a comment by Tim Cook that NetMarketShare data show that Apple (AAPL) devices are used more extensively that those of competitors made me wonder if Apple's dropping market share was going to limit the growth of the market for data communications equipment. The comment by Tim Cook pointed to data from NetMarketShare, which claimed that 55% of mobile traffic was on devices using iOS versus only 28% for those using Android. Cook relies on that statistic for his view that people use their iPhones and IPads more often than those who use Android devices.

While Tim Cook's comment made me think that demand for Cisco products might be tied somewhat to the success of Apple, more reliable data suggest that is not likley to be the case.

Data from Cisco published recently show data usage by operating system for 2011 and 2012 and show that Android devices are larger data users than iOS by a wide margin. Cisco data are not surveys but drawn from their extensive array of Internet traffic devices. As the number of high end Android devices proliferates this trend is likely to continue.

(click to enlarge)

Cisco certainly thinks the trend to greater data usage by all smart connected devices is well established. It also published a forecast out to 2017 that showed very high growth rates of data usage worldwide with particularly high growth in Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. These are areas where the Android devices are predominant.(click to enlarge)

Cisco also provided information on average data usage per device and its view on the growth of data usage out to 2017. It is pretty clear that smartphones and tablets will spur high growth in data usage over the next few years. With this kind of growth in demand for data, Cisco should be a major beneficiary.

(click to enlarge)

Cisco stock has been in somewhat of a holding pattern since 2010, trading in a range between $16 and $24 most of the time.

(click to enlarge)

At its current price of about $24 it is trading just over a 12 times earnings multiple and carries a dividend a bit under 3%. The stock by conventional measures is cheap.

Analysts are divided on the company's prospects with a more or less neutral consensus and a smattering of upgrades and downgrades in recent months.

In my view the analyst community does not give Cisco enough credit. The burgeoning demand for more data usage by connected smart devices including the incipient market for machine-to-machine communications creates a backdrop where the demand for Cisco gear should keep rising.

Cisco is not without risk. SA author Cyrus Mewawalla wrote a very interesting article on the possibility that software defined networks might make a lot of Cisco gear obsolete.

Whether Cisco is in fact at risk to software defined networks or more likely to benefit from them is an issue I am sure John Chambers thinks about, and I am reasonably confident Cisco has the ability and resources to compete regardless of the trend, but I don't ignore the risk and I thank Cyrus for his excellent article on the subject.

While I don't currently own any Cisco stock, I will very likely establish a long position in any sell off.

Source: Rapid Growth In Data Demand By Smart Connected Devices Is Bullish For Cisco

Disclosure: I am short AAPL. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Additional disclosure: I am short calls on Apple.

FreeSeas, DryShips, & NewLead are Buys, and Not Just Because of the Baltic Dry Index (NEWL, FREE, DRYS)

The last few weeks have been, shall we say "interesting" for maritime shipping stocks like FreeSeas Inc. (NASDAQ:FREE), DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ:DRYS), and NewLead Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:NEWL). The strong rise in the Baltic Dry Index - the average daily charter rate of a dry goods vessel - since mid-August (and really since early June) has meant maritime shippers can charge more for their services, and who knows? Maybe they can even turn a profit sometime in the foreseeable future. As a result of that possibility, DRYS gained nearly 100% in a little over a month., NEWL was up as much as 70% at one point in late September, and FREE advanced nearly 300% on the heels of the Baltic Dry Index's runup from 1000 to more than 2000 in just a little over a month.

In all fairness, shares of NewLead Holdings Ltd, FreeSeas, and DryShips have all since peeled back a little, as they all three became overextended, and some had their doubts about the legitimacy and longevity of the Baltic Dry Index's rally. A funny thing happened on the way to the Baltic Dry Index's funeral, however... nothing. The BDI has held up around 2000 since mid-September, suggesting this new charter price - and maybe even the rising price trend - is for real. If that's the case (and it seems to be - read on), then this dip from NEWL, DRYS, and FREE are buying opportunities.

First and foremost, price is the final arbiter for any stock or index. It represents the amount of cash someone is willing to buy to buy something. Period. The merits and logic can be debated all day, but "the price" is never wrong. That idea matters in this case, if only to say there has to be a reason the Baltic Dry Index has been climbing, and held onto new levels for more than a couple of days.

Thing is, it's not just rising dry bulk shipping prices that's implying there's a rebound underway for the bulk-shipping industry. There are other clues pointing to the same (and all of them for the first time in a long time). In no particular order:

The price of used (5 year old) Capesize and Panamax vessels are on the rise. They have been for months, but they really started to head up in August. Ditto for new vessel prices. The cost of an average Capesize has grown from $45 million at the end of last year to $48 million now. Capacity growth is at multi-year lows, and still falling. It may seem a little counter-intuitive - for shippers to become more profitable, shipping capacity should fall in order to dial down supply to meet what's relatively weak demand. And truth be told, that would help enormously. That's not going to happen though. The next-best plausible alternative is very, very slow shipping capacity growth. The most recent growth rate says Capesize capacity growth is now at 5%, while Panamax capacity growth is now at 10%. We're almost to the point where new supply and demand growth are at a sustainable (and profitable) balance. Construction activity is still falling too. Scrappage rates are falling, and orders are rising. In mid-2012, the industry was scrapping an average of more than 15 ships per week. That pace is now right around 6 scrapped vessels per week, and still falling. Meanwhile, vessel orders are rising (even though in-construction counts are falling... admittedly a tad conflicting).

The bottom line is, while the Baltic Dry Index has been bumped around in the past, this is the first time the BDI has risen this much at the same time other key indications have  suggested the supply/demand imbalance seen in 2008 is finally getting back to a sustainable normal. Use the lull from shares of FreeSeas Inc., DryShips Inc., and NewLead Holdings Ltd as a buying opportunity - this is the real deal.

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How to "Light Up" 300% Gains

They used to call it dark fiber...

It was the 1990s. Telecom firms plowed billions into fiber optic networks to prepare for the coming explosion in traffic for the web, wireless systems, and computer networks.

Turns out, the supposed "gold rush" was just a few years ahead of its time. So, much of the fiber optic systems sat unused. They were quite literally dark - no light, no data, was shining down the high-speed cables.

But quietly over the past few months, the fiber-optic sector has hit critical mass.

It's lit up like never before.

Consider that one small-cap leader has already handed savvy broadband investors gains of nearly 300% over the past year.

And with a market cap of just $342 million, the fast-moving stock still has plenty of room to run.

In a moment, I'll show you just what I mean...

First, we need to look at the big trends pushing this and other fiber optic stocks into the stratosphere.

Time to Invest in "Ultra-Broadband" Just Like Google

Simply stated, we have entered the era of ultra-broadband technology.

What that means, for users and investors alike, is that network demands are growing exponentially. And suppliers are scrambling to meet the need for higher bandwidth.

No less an authority than broadband supplier Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) notes that Internet traffic has doubled every year for the past five years. And much of that data, voice, and video travel over fiber optic cables for at least a portion of the journey.

Several factors are pushing broadband needs like never before, Cisco and industry analysts note.

Let's start with the tidal wave of video demands brought on by YouTube, a unit of Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG). YouTube reports that roughly 100 hours of video are uploaded to its servers every minute of the day, and that people watch about 6 billion hours of video a month.

Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) is a broadband provider's dream come true. The online video streaming service counts roughly 26 million customers, who watched roughly 1 billion hours of video in the month of June alone.

And these numbers don't count the millions of hours of corporate video that companies are hosting on their websites.

Neither do they account for what's happening in the TV industry, where broadcasters are gearing up for ultra-high-definition (UHDTV) sets. These are TVs that display images at roughly four times the resolution of today's high-def technology. That means they will soak up bandwidth like never before.

All this is occurring as the demand for  web-centric smartphones and tablets is putting huge strains on wireless networks, which also use fiber optic systems.

Welcome to the Internet of Everything...

7 Trillion Sensors, Working Together

Consider that Google says it has activated more than 900 million devices using its Android operating system. Each day it adds roughly 1.5 million handhelds to the world's wireless networks.

Throw the Internet of Everything (IoE) into the mix, and you have years of pent-up demand for ultra-fast networks. As the name implies, the IoE means connecting nearly every physical object in the world to the Web.

Cisco says by the end of this decade some 50 billion devices will be on the IoE, and the number will quickly grow to 10 times that amount. And the giant German firm Bosch predicts that, by the time it's all said and done, we'll see some 7 trillion sensors transmitting data to the IoE.

Now you know why the broadband industry is building out networks to deliver a 10-fold increase in capacity from today's pipes, now more than a decade old.

We're talking about 100-g networks. That means the systems can deliver Web content at 100 gigabits per second - roughly 200 times faster than what most consumers have at home these days.

All of which puts optical networking firms front and center. Then again, when it comes to raw speed, nothing beats light.

Enter Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. (Nasdaq: AFOP). Basically, Alliance helps make fiber-optic technology possible for homes and businesses.

These Shares Are Unstoppable

The company builds optical networking components, modules, and subsystems needed by long-haul carriers as well as those who connect what's called the "last mile" from the network to your home.

Ironically, if ever there was a dark fiber bust it was Alliance. Riding the original Internet wave, the stock traded as high as $27.65 a share in February of 2001.

Then the dot-com bust cut the legs out from under the stock. By October of 2002, AFOP shares were trading for $0.97 each.

Today, however, Alliance has become an unstoppable force on greatly improving profits and cash flow. In fact, the company has raised guidance several times this year.

That's why Alliance has gained roughly 300% over the past year and has turned in a 785% gain over the past five years.

Demand for the stock has been so intense the company recently split two-to-one - and the gains reflect the split-adjusted prices.

With a market cap of about $320 million, the stock trades at a post-split price of less than $18. Alliance has excellent financials, as well. It boasts a 24% profit margin, and a return on equity of 20.6%. It has $38 million in cash, and no debt.

Aside from the market's chaos brought on by Washington's budget battles, the main short-term risk remains possible shareholder dilution.

Later this month, the company will host a special meeting in which one of the proposals is to increase the number of authorized shares to 100 million from the current 20 million.

Let me be blunt. Yes, I see risk in more shares trading. But that will be greatly reduced by  institutions snapping up shares, which I believe will be the most likely outcome. They currently hold less than one-third of the stock, and all indications are they want to own more of it.

I don't expect the firm to issue all its new shares at once, either, unless it has lined up buyers who will take them without asking for a substantial discount.

Either way, there's no denying that Alliance and other firms in the sector will continue to face explosive demand for their products as the world moves to ultra-broadband technology.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Buy For 2014

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) is up 77 points, or 0.51%, as of 12:50 p.m. EDT, bringing it within firing range of its all-time closing high of 15,409. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are also making gains this afternoon, up 0.72% and 0.58%, respectively. There's been little economic news today, which is a good sign that investors are buying stocks based on individual company results, rather than macro events that often have disproportionate effects on stocks.

The Dow has even managed to overcome the considerable drag of its heaviest-weighted component, IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) , whose shares have lost 1.9% of their value after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock and lowered its price target this morning. The analyst responsible for the move was Bill Shope, who said in a client note that IBM will experience more pressure in emerging markets, which IBM relies upon for about $17 billion in revenue as part of its five-year growth plan. The stock's rating was changed from "Buy" to "Neutral," while the price target was cut from $220 per share to $200 per share. �

Top 10 Value Stocks To Buy For 2014: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brendan Byrnes]

  It wasn't exactly an encouraging earnings report last week for Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) , as the company both missed expectations and cut its full-year 2013 forecast. Caterpillar now expects revenue for the full year to come in between $57 million and $61 million, down from the previous range of $60 billion to $68 billion. Caterpillar also lowered its full-year 2013 earnings per share guidance to $7 from the previous midpoint of $8 per share.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Clearly, investors see the jobs report as evidence that the economy has turned the corner. The fact that cyclical giants Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) and General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) are among the Dow's biggest winners today -- they have gained 3.1% and 1.8%, respectively -- shows the extent to which people are banking on an economic recovery, not only in the U.S. but also in harder-hit areas of the world such as Europe. Both Caterpillar and GE need a marked improvement in global conditions to support their stock prices. Given the importance of the U.S. in the overall global economy -- especially on the consumer front, which is arguably most directly tied to employment conditions -- it's reasonable to conclude that better domestic jobs numbers will support economies worldwide.

• [By Jeremy Bowman]

  Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) was the worst performer out of the 30 Dow components, falling 1.5%. Talks between the construction equipment maker and a Milwaukee union fell apart after workers rejected a new contract that would have frozen wages for current employees and paid new employees a lower wage. Shares of Caterpillar had increased more than 10% in the last three weeks so the stock may just be cooling off after its bullish run.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Buy For 2014: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lawrence Meyers]

  The finance sector, as mentioned, can make money in many ways. The second-highest growth sector is expected to be consumer discretionary, with a 6.2% increase. When you look at earnings from luxury brands like Tiffany & Co. (TIF), and that the hotel sector continues to do very well, it suggests that those people who are in good financial shape are spending their money. Meanwhile, dollar players like Dollar Tree (DLTR) continue to perform very well, suggesting that folks with less money are spending it on cheaper items.

Top Insurance Stocks To Buy Right Now: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)

Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Everyone is familiar with�the Tupperware brand from�consumer products stock Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) and you are probably familiar with the brands�of mid cap stock Jarden Corp (NYSE: JAH) along with small cap stocks Libbey Inc (NYSEMKT: LBY) and Lifetime Brands Inc (NASDAQ: LCUT); but what about the stocks themselves? Chances are, their brands or products are right under your nose at home and you probably don�� know anything about the mid cap or small cap stock behind them.

Top 10 Value Stocks To Buy For 2014: 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 Houston, 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 Lee Jackson]

  Energy: Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB)�crushed earnings by an astonishing 50.9% last quarter. With Mexico changing its policy on oil exploration, the oil field services leader may see continued strong earnings growth in the years ahead. The consensus price target for the stock is posted at $96. Investors are paid a 1.5% dividend.

• [By Arjun Sreekumar]

  Opportunities for oilfield services firms
  Not surprisingly, Halliburton and other major energy companies view Chinese shale gas development as a significant opportunity for future growth. Many of them, including Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI  ) , ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP  ) , and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) , have already developed strategic relationships with Chinese firms to better evaluate the nation's shale gas potential.

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Halliburton has focused much of its attention on the booming U.S. market, giving it more exposure to domestic production than more globally focused rival Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB  ) . With domestic drilling activity having been fairly weak lately, Halliburton's U.S. concentration has raised concerns among investors, as land-based rig counts have fallen sharply. But with efficiency gains from multi-pad drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, bulls hope that rig counts don't accurately reflect actual production activity and therefore that Halliburton's earnings will hold up better than some expect.