LPL’s Largest Hybrid Is on a Wild Growth Tear

Of the many ways to go independent, one Merrill advisor found his bliss at an RIA/independent broker-dealer affiliate that he credits with tripling his revenue.

“The advisor was doing $450,000 of gross revenue, which at Merrill means he keeps about $150,000 of that — 40% give or take,” says William Hamm, CEO of Independent Financial Partners (IFP), one of the nation’s largest RIA firms.

Hamm, in an interview with ThinkAdvisor, explained what changed in the former wirehouse advisor’s transition to his status as an independent working through IFP, an LPL affiliate.

“There were accounts at Merrill Lynch that he wasn’t getting paid on but now he could once in an independent channel. Moving to our platform opened a number of retirement plan opportunities because now he could be a fiduciary on the plan; and third, captive insurance … opened up another line of revenue generating services.”

The result is that, four years later, the former wirehouse advisors is producing about $1.4 million in revenue.

Hamm shows a desire to be fair in sizing up the matter by saying that “this advisor would have grown regardless of whether he was here or corporate [i.e., part of LPL’s general network].” But he adds that the advisor “keeps telling me joining IFP was one of the best decisions he ever made.”

Whatever the relative merits of going independent through a large broker-dealer network or joining a firm within a firm through a hybrid RIA, IFP would appear to be doing something right.

In 2013 the firm grew to $5.2 billion in client assets under management from $3.3 billion the year before. Natural growth based on the stock market’s nearly 30% gain last year would not have added more than a billion dollars — actually less, considering the reality that clients don’t typically own 100% U.S. equity portfolios. So most of the firm’s robust gains must have come from its adding of new advisors.

Indeed, Hamm says the firm brought on between 55 and 60 new advisors, bringing the Tampa-headquartered firm’s total number of advisors to 475 nationwide. And that, he says, is less than the 85 to 90 advisors IFP averaged the previous three years. 

“We took a break in recruiting last year because we completely changed our technology and back-office programs,” Hamm said.

Those additions include a new compliance system that conducts surveillance on all custodial accounts and produces exception reports if rules are broken, as well as paperless sytems that allow advisors to conduct all business with clients end-to-end electronically, where “no paper touches anyone’s hands,” Hamm says.

But though the technology pause produced fewer recruits, the new advisors have a higher production profile. Hamm says the new advisors average $330,000 in annual revenue compared with the previous three years’ average of about $235,000 in revenue.

“We’re making a specific effort to move in that direction,” he says.

Indeed, the IFP CEO is the firm’s chief recruiter, complementing a full-time recruting and transition staff, and has recently been talking to firms with seven-figure revenues. He says advisors come to IFP from across the wirehouse, independent and bank advisory spectrum (but only rarely from LPL itself — usually just cases where an advisor “has a specific business need,” such as joining an OSJ).

Hamm, who started IFP 14 years ago after having been an advisor for 30 years, says his goal was to create something he would have wanted as an advisor.

Those elements — the firm’s value proposition — start with a high payout. “We are one of the highest, or the highest payout in LPL,” he says. On commissions, IFP’s payout is “about the same” as LPL’s corporate BD (which ranges from 75 to 93%), but “3 to 4% higher than through LPL’s corporate RIA, and our platform has no administrative fees.”

IFP, whose advisor headcount is LPL’s largest (but third in terms of contribution to revenue), is also working assiduously to increase the fee-based component of advisor revenue. “Three years ago, we were 40% fee-based and 60% commission-based; today we’ve switched that [ratio]. We want to get to 80-85% fee-based.”

In addition to LPL’s broad resources, IFP offers its own research team (Hamm himself is one of the firm’s three CFAs), trading desk and money management for advisors.

Critically, it offers a dedicated transition team — “helping advisors move their books is a big concern for wirehouse advisors especially; that’s the scary part of moving,” Hamm says. Other elements that Hamm would have wanted as an advisor and included in the IFP value proposition are its study groups and the firm’s own national conference for networking.

In essence, IFP appeals to advisors wanting more of a boutique experience.

“They don’t want to feel like they’re one of 13,000 advisors,” is how Hamm describes the typical IFP advisor, all of whom independently own their own businesses, but who want the resources of a large firm along with the small-firm touch.

So, for example, networking within the smaller universe of IFP advisors can and does lead to substantial business growth, says Hamm, citing ongoing efforts to pair the firm’s approximately 180 retirement plan advisors with its 320 wealth managers (there’s some overlap).

“We try to marry the ones that make sense together. So now retirement plan people can join forces with wealth managers, who can now offer retirement plans. Hopefully this creates a 1+1=3 scenario,” Hamm quips.

For advisors not already doing financial planning, IFP is unrolling a turnkey system, now in beta testing.

“We’ll do a financial plan from A to Z; we’ll even gather the data from the client and input it into the system … That will give them the ability to bring in additional resources,” he says.

One more way Hamm thinks his firm’s capabilities can add value to advisors was recently demonstrated in the case of a new advisor, with IFP just three weeks, who had a prospect with a large windfall from the sale of a business.

The IFP CEO says it is not uncommon for such prospects to question whether a single advisor working alone can handle a large account.

“Our chief investment officer … built a customized portfolio for that prospective client that sold the case,” Hamm says.

The result?

“The advisor was able to lasso a $15 million account,” he says.

---

Check out 3 Steps to Moving Your Book to Fee-Based on ThinkAdvisor.

GM expects to recall 33,000 Chevrolet Cruzes

GM is preparing to recall some newer Chevrolet Cruze cars for an airbag issue. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) General Motors is expected to recall about 33,000 Chevrolet Cruze sedans for an airbag-related issue.

The affected vehicles may have been equipped with an incorrect part.

The automaker is preparing for the recall after it told dealerships to stop selling all Cruzes from model years 2013 and 2014 on Tuesday. It lifted that stop-sale order late Wednesday, after identifying all the affected vehicles.

The part in question was manufactured by Japanese company Takata, a supplier tied to airbag problems in millions of cars that other automakers recalled earlier this week. The Cruze problem is different than the one in those recalled vehicles, said GM spokesman Jim Cain.

The Cruze is GM's best-selling car model in the United States. It sold 248,000 last year.

  Barra on GM's bankruptcy protection

The news comes as the automaker is already in damage control mode for delaying the recall of 2.6 million vehicles for an ignition switch defect that's been tied to at least 13 deaths. Some GM employees knew the part was causing trouble more than a decade before the recall was issued in February.

Now, GM (GM) is facing dozens of lawsuits and a number of investigations concerning how it handled that recall.

The company has also issued a number of additional recalls this year for problems unrelated to the faulty ignition switch. It has recalled more than 20 million vehicles worldwide since January.

Higher Data Traffic Driving Growth For These Companies

Data traffic is expected to grow 23% annually over the next four years. Growing data creates complexity in managing and securing data. Data centers are moving towards the next-generation of virtualization and cloud environment. As a result, many networking companies are updating their products and technology to step up security and data management. Three such companies discussed in this post are developing various technologies to simplify data management and capitalize on the expanding market.

For the second quarter of fiscal 2014, F5 Networks, Inc. (FFIV) announced revenue of $420.0 million, up 3 percent from $406.5 million in the prior quarter and 20 percent from $350.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2013. Moreover, revenues were positively impacted by an 18.0% hike in Services revenues and a 21.6% increase in Product revenues on a year-over-year basis.

Application Delivery Controller, or ADC, segment accounts for the product revenue of the Company. Product revenue of $225.1 million grew 3% sequentially and 22% year-over-year, representing 54% of total revenue.. With improvisation in data centers, it announced an updated version of its chief ADC platform software, BIG-IP.

The updated version of BIG-IP, called BIG-IP v11.4, simplifies management of applications and data over physical networks, virtual networks, and cloud environment. This updated software will enhance its ADC segment. Furthermore, Cisco's exit from the ADC market will add to F5 Networks' market share growth opportunity. Its market share is expected to improve from 27.1% currently to 27.6% by the end of fiscal year 2015.

The increasing usage of 3G and 4G data from mobile devices is increasing the demand for content and applications. This situation is increasing network complexity and reducing security, increasing the probability of cyber attacks. The security products S/Gi firewall, offered by the company, is certain to benefit from this market of cyber security. This product protects the network service providers' infrastructure to ensure network availability and performance.

It will also protect subscribers from threat during data sharing. S/Gi will enhance connections per second by 20 times, which is equivalent to 8 million people using a service providers' network. This product will also contribute to F5 Networks' total revenue as the cyber security markets rises due to increased data traffic.

Data centers are becoming the foundation of every organization, and I.T. departments are moving towards cloud storage and virtualization. With organization adapting to various SAAS (Software As A Service) application deployed over cloud had created new market for data centers. To capitalize on this, Citrix Systems (CTXS): and Cisco recently expanded their strategic alliance to provide advanced technology in this market. The companies have been in partnership for the past two years.

Under this expanded alliance, Citrix will deliver its ADC technology 'NetScaler' to Cisco. NetScaler is a device that provides load balancing across multiple computer networks. In addition, this alliance recently released the next-generation of NetScaler called Netscaler10. NetScaler 10, its next-generation application delivery controller (ADC) that is the company's answer for bringing dynamic elasticity to the network. NetScaler 10 has automatic failure identification and management, which means that if there is a failure, NetScaler will identify it and automatically switch workloads to another ADC.

Cisco's technical support center will assist this new technology and will sell it through its various channel partners. As Cisco has already made an exit from the ADC market, this alliance will help the company serve its existing customers, without actually producing ADC products.

With this, Cisco will provide cloud network service to Citrix so it can develop a highly advanced cloud platform. The combination of the new NetScaler and the cloud service will strengthen Citrix's ADC market. The flexible licensing policy of the company enables the customers to easily opt for NetScalar. Pay-As-You-Grow pricing policy, provides investment protection, avoids costly hardware upgrades, and reduces TCO

The bottom line The companies are capitalizing on the opportunity provided by the shift in data management trends by updating their technologies and products. F5 Networks is enhancing its ADC segment with new security products for mobile threats. Citrix and Cisco are expanding their partnership to evolve the next generation ADC portfolio.

I would recommand a but for both these companies.

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Mixed Message: Economy Shrinks Most Since 2009, Nasdaq Hits 14-Year High

Yesterday, stocks fell despite top-notch economic data. So it only makes sense that stocks rallied today, despite an array of disappointing numbers.

AP

The S&P 500 rose 0.5% to 1,959.53, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.3% to 16,867.51. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.7% to 4,379.79–its highest close since April 2000–and the small-company Russell 2000 jumped 0.8% to 1,182.68.

Oh, but the news was so, so, disappointing. Today we learned that US GDP contracted 2.9% during the first-quarter, the biggest growth slump since the first quarter of 2009. You might argue that GDP is backward looking–and it most certainly is if we’re still talking about the first quarter near the end of the second–but durable goods orders are much less so, and they fell 1% in May from April.

RBC Capital Markets’ Tom Porcelli notes that the poor GDP number means the U.S. will be stuck growing at a 2% clip–again–in 2014. He explains:

The final analysis on Q1 from our perspective is that this was as much a weather-induced bump in the road as it was the economy hitting the reset button following a 2013 H2 where growth clocked in at an unsustainable 3.3% average. This result creates a very low hurdle for Q2 activity and we marked our best guess a full percentage point higher to closer to 4.5% following the softer Q1. But for all of the sound and fury, what we are left with is US economic growth that over the four quarters ending in Q2 of this year that averaged… wait for it… 2%! Effectively we have been growing at what has been the cyclical speed limit of this expansion. So spelling out the obvious, Q1 is not reality any more than the expected Q2 bounce is reality. And once the dust settles from this noisy H1, economic growth will sit pretty much where it has for the last few years – right around 2%

Still, stocks jumped. And yet, says Capital Economics’ John Higgins

The gains in stock markets over the past five years have obviously made them less attractively valued. But we think there is little evidence of "bubbles".

Take the S&P 500. It has more than trebled since the spring of 2009, driving up the ten year cyclically adjusted price/reported earnings ratio from 12 to 26. This is clearly a big increase. But the ratio has been a lot higher in the past: it topped 44 at the peak of the dot-com bubble. Granted, the ratio is now nearly 70% above its average since 1881, which some would say also constitutes a bubble – just a smaller one. But the ratio is inflated because reported earnings collapsed during the last recession. When these are substituted for operating earnings, and an adjustment is made for changes to firms' payout policy, the degree of overvaluation reduces to a less alarming 30%.

What's more, various factors – such as lower and more stable inflation than in the past – may have raised the equilibrium level of the ratio over time, so the true degree of overvaluation is probably even less. Applying the same changes and comparing the current level of the ratio to its average since 1960 suggests the market is only about 20% overvalued.

Only 20%. Wow. Nearly a bargain.

Obamacare Enrollment Exceeds 7 Million Target Despite Setback

Carolyn Kaster/APPresident Barack Obama waves to supporters as he leaves the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday. WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's national health care program signed up more than 7 million people by the end of March, the president said Tuesday, notching a rare victory after a months-long, glitch-filled rollout of the law. Appearing in the White House Rose Garden, the president said 7.1 million people had signed up for coverage under the law, known as Obamacare, and called for Republicans to end their bid to repeal it. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner repeated his pledge to repeal the law on Monday. "This law is doing what it's supposed to do. It's working," Obama said, with Vice President Joe Biden standing at his side. "The debate over repealing this law is over. The Affordable Care Act is here to stay." His remarks represented a victory lap for the administration, which suffered from the botched unveiling of the program's primary website, HealthCare.gov, and wavering support from Americans some three years after the U.S. Congress passed the health care law over Republican objections. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who has taken the brunt of the criticism for the shaky rollout, sat beaming in the front row during the Rose Garden ceremony. White House chief of staff Denis McDonough gave her a hug before Obama's remarks. Experts had predicted a last-minute surge in enrollment. The figure could give a boost to Democrats, who have suffered from the criticism of the law, ahead of November congressional elections. Obama's party is seeking to hold on to its control of the U.S. Senate and minimize losses in the Republican-controlled House, but the problems with Obamacare have complicated congressional races and handed Republicans a key talking point for skeptical constituents. Republicans on Tuesday were quick to highlight outstanding questions including how many of the enrollees had seen their plans canceled because of the new law; how many people saw their premiums go down, and how many people who selected plans actually completed the process and paid their premiums. "We don't know of course, exactly what they have signed up for, we don't know how many have paid," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters on Capitol Hill, referring to the enrollees in the program. "What we do know is that all across the country our constituents are having an unpleasant interaction with Obamacare. Whether they can sign up for a policy or not, they are discovering, of course, higher premiums, a higher deductible." Strong Surge White House officials dismissed the Republicans' criticism. Speaking to reporters ahead of Obama's announcement, one official noted that Democrats seeking to get voters from the coalition that elected Obama to support them wouldn't be able to do so without embracing the law. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters her members were not running away from the issue. "Our members are out there on the offensive on this issue because of what we did, and we're proud of it, and we're proud of what it means in the lives of Americans," Pelosi said after a meeting with Obama. Monday's deadline for initial enrollment in the program came after a surge in registrations despite the return of technical problems, including a longer-than-expected maintenance session, although nothing as serious as the issues that beset the website's launch in October. The site Tuesday announced that open enrollment for Obamacare had closed, but people whose applications were thwarted by technical problems would be given a chance to finish their registration. By last week, more than 6 million people had signed up for private health coverage through the new Obamacare insurance markets, surpassing a target set after the disastrous rollout called the enrollment process into question. Who Signed Up? Industry analysts echoed Republicans' calls for more information about those who had signed up. "We still have a lot to learn about what underlies those numbers in terms of who signed up and how many were newly insured people versus switching from other coverage," said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation. "We have more to see ... about how many of them actually completed enrollment and how much coverage expansion was accomplished." The health care law, one of Obama's key promises as a presidential candidate in 2008, was intended to expand access to health care coverage for millions of uninsured Americans, so having enrollment figures that reflect newly insured people is critical to the program's success. Having a robust percentage of healthy young people to offset older enrollees is also important. White House spokesman Jay Carney said such details were yet available, but he said the demographic mix would be sufficient to ensure that the health market places that form the cornerstone of the law would function smoothly. -.

Despite S&P 500's New High, Stocks Face Challenges

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Stocks ended the first quarter with a big rally; the Standard & Poor's 500 Index actually closed -- barely -- at a new high. The fact is, however, that the market overall was a muddle -- and likely to stay that way. And second quarters are often dicey.

On the Surface

The S&P 500 finished up nearly 15 points to 1,872.34 on Monday, breaking its old record of 1,872.25, set on March 18. It's up 1.3% for the year. The Nasdaq Composite rose 43 points, or 1%, to 4,199 and is sporting a small gain for the year, 0.5%. The Dow Jones industrials, up 135 points (0.8%) to 16,458, are still down slightly on the year -- about 0.7%.

The one-day gains for the Index, the Dow, and the Nasdaq Composite were their best in two weeks. The S&P 500 and the Dow ended March with their second monthly gains in a row, up 0.7% and 0.8%, respectively. But the Nasdaq fell 2.5% for the month and for the second time in three months.

The market overall gained support from energy and utility stocks. About 288 S&P 500 stocks were higher, led by First Solar (NYSE: FSLR) and steel-maker Allegheny Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ATI), up 22% and 18.6%, respectively.

So much for the surface numbers. This is one of those markets where you must dig through the numbers to get a clear understanding of what happened. March and the quarter didn't treat all stocks alike.

Digging Into The Numbers

Given the strong March of S&P 500 and the Dow, how to explain the Nasdaq's March fall? The short answer is that a lot of momentum stocks ran out of gas and fell, often heavily.

Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) fell $6.84, or 1.9%, to $352.03. For the month, the shares stumbled 21%; they dropped 4.4% for the quarter. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) closed down 0.5% to 336.52. It fell 6.1% for the month and 15.6% for the quarter. Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) fell 8.3% for the month and 0.6% for the quarter. It at least ended the month as the world's thirst most valuable company. Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) has no similar silver lining for its lackluster performance.

See also: Emerging Market ETFs Show Signs of Life

Biotechnology stocks suffered a particularly nasty beating in part because they were among the hottest of momentum plays in 2013 and the first two months of this year.

The NYSE ARCA Biotechnology Index fell 8.1%. Two exchange-traded funds fell more: The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index ETF (IBB) fell 10.6%. The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) dropped 12.9%. That was after rising 16.6% and 25.8%, respectively, in the first two months of the year. Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALXN) fell 18 from its intraday high of $185.43 on Feb. 27. Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) was an S&P 500 laggard.

There were exceptions to the Nasdaq damage. The most visible winner may have been Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), up 7% for the month and 9.6% for the quarter. Investors are optimistic with Satya Nadella replacing Steve Ballmer as CEO. Microsoft was the second-best Dow performer in March after AT&T Corp. (NYSE: T) and second-best for the quarter after Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE).

Second Quarter Omens

What's ahead depends on the economy's performance and, probably to a larger-than-expected degree on geopolitical concerns.

According to the Stock Traders Almanac, April is the best month for Dow stocks and second-best for S&P 500 stocks. It's the third-best month for Nasdaq stocks. But April tends to tail off when tax season is done and investors have made annual Individual Retirement Account contributions for 2013. Then, comes May, one of the weakest months of the year and traditionally the start of the year's worst six months.

The geopolitical risk comes largely from the Russia, Ukraine and what happens to the Crimean region of Ukraine. Retail gasoline prices moved up 7.1% in the quarter, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report as crude oil moved up 3.2%. And there will be continued worries about the health of China.Those concerns alone pushed a number of global investors to move money into the U.S. dollar. Gold fell nearly 2.9% for the month to $1,283.80 an ounce but is still up 6.8% for the year.

Should you worry about the Federal Reserve and interest rates? Probably not. Janet Yellen, the central bank's new chairman, has been signaling interest rates will remain low for the balance of 2014 and into 2015. The 10-year Treasury yield was 2.723% on Monday, up slightly from Friday.

A correction is possible. Stocks often fall 7% to 10% during the course of any year. A big ugly correction, like the crash in 2008, is probably not likely without a real catalyst such as a major and abrupt deterioration of the economy.

Posted-In: News Economics Federal Reserve Pre-Market Outlook After-Hours Center Markets ETFs Best of Benzinga

© 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Free Classes to Boost Your Career

Lifelong learning is part of many successful careers. But because employers are getting stingier with tuition-reimbursement benefits and graduate programs can leave young workers swamped with debt, higher education may seem hard to come by. Look to the growing crop of free online classes to give you a knowledge boost.

See Also: Will Your College Degree Pay Off?

Known by the unwieldy term "massive open online courses" (or MOOCs, for short), these classes are (mostly) free digital replicas of actual college offerings (sometimes you have to pay a fee if you want a certificate upon completion). While moving the classroom experience online may limit your time with the professor, the digital classes still encourage a high level of interaction with lots of multimedia extras, including forums to chat with classmates, videos and quizzes. Most courses are created and offered by traditional colleges or universities, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; others come from for-profit Web sites.

MOOCs are helping people earn more money, get promoted and switch careers. In the past, employers were hesitant to take them at face value. (In 2012, I gave free online classes a poor grade as career boosters; "hiring professionals don't care about them," a human resources consultant told me at the time.) But now that some courses are experimenting with accreditation and business partnerships, managers are taking notice. As Knight Kiplinger, editor in chief of Kiplinger's, noted in A College Degree Isn't Enough, once rigorous testing satisfies employers, these classes could mean as much as — or even more than — a conventional degree.

One MOOC success story, Ryan Hanna, 30, has a million reasons to agree. Just a few years ago, Hanna was a network administrator with limited coding experience. But he wanted to learn a new skill that would boost his annual income and eventually lead to a new career. As a 2012 New Year's resolution, he dove into a free course at Codeacademy. About six days into his lessons, he came up with the idea for Sworkit, a clever fitness app that launched in May 2012 and gained a million free downloads in just 307 days. Thanks to his app's success, Hanna has gotten several job offers and a new career track. Now, he's living in England, developing apps full-time and working with his wife on an education start-up to teach kids robotics and coding.

How MOOCs Work

You can start your own online-learning success story by creating an account on a MOOC Web site. Popular options include Udacity and Coursera. Another option is edX, which was created at MIT and features classes from MIT, Harvard, Georgetown and other esteemed schools. (Keep in mind that the vast majority of MOOCs currently lack accreditation.) Peruse the hundreds of class options, and take your pick.

Classes run the gamut, from the classic Intro to Statistics to the more advanced Intro to Artificial Intelligence and the professionally focused How to Build a Start-up. The first wave of MOOCs was adept at teaching science and math skills because it was easier to design an online class that gave auto-graded, multiple-choice quizzes. Now MOOCs are getting better at teaching important "soft" skills, including writing, critical thinking and public speaking.

For example, on Coursera, Matt McGarrity, a professor at the University of Washington, teaches Introduction to Public Speaking — a perfect choice to hone your job-interview skills, especially if you're trying to transition to a different field, says McGarrity. Students upload videos of their speeches onto a private YouTube channel (so you need a video camera or webcam to participate), and classmates review each other's work.

For some classes, you can start whenever you like. Others have specific start and end dates. Either way, without the motivation of in-person classes or the investment of tuition dollars, you may struggle to stay engaged. It's not uncommon for MOOCs to have completion rates in the single digits. The University of Pennsylvania found that its MOOCs have a 2% to 14% completion rate.

You'll need to schedule at least three hours per week for most classes. Stay engaged by interacting on online forums, tinkering with small projects and promoting your journey on social media.

Brandish Your Badge

Once you finish a MOOC, flaunt your academic accomplishment on your résumé, LinkedIn account and personal Web site. Many MOOCs make it easy to share your success. In addition to digital certificates, some courses award you small icons you can display on LinkedIn.

Those badges matter. They show employers you are actively learning and passionate about certain topics. "The more you can signal to employees what you can do, the better," says Mary Alice McCarthy, a senior education policy analyst at the New America Foundation, a public policy think tank.

Depending on your course of study, you should also aim to make something to show off at the end of your course. Knowledge is invaluable, but tangible evidence of your know-how may be needed to win over employers. It can also deepen your educational experience. Simply "learning to code," for instance, can turn into a dead end. But for Sworkit developer Hanna, setting his sights on building an actual app not only gave him a marketable product at the end of his course, it also provided him added direction throughout his lessons. Instead of memorizing facts, he was solving problems. "I learned more than any additional degree would have taught me," says Hanna. "All with zero new debt and no regrets."

4 Big Tech Stocks on Traders' Radars




BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Put down the 10-K filings and the stock screeners. It's time to take a break from the traditional methods of generating investment ideas. Instead, let the crowd do it for you.

>>Beat the S&P 2014 With 5 Stocks Everyone Else Hates

From hedge funds to individual investors, scores of market participants are turning to social media to figure out which stocks are worth watching. It's a concept that's known as "crowdsourcing," and it uses the masses to identify emerging trends in the market.

Crowdsourcing has long been a popular tool for the advertising industry, but it also makes a lot of sense as an investment tool. After all, the market is completely driven by the supply and demand, so it can be valuable to see what names are trending among the crowd.

While some fund managers are already trying to leverage social media resources like Twitter to find algorithmic trading opportunities, for most investors, crowdsourcing works best as a starting point for investors who want a starting point in their analysis. Today, we'll leverage the power of the crowd to take a look at some of the most active stocks on the market today.

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy as Stocks Test New Highs

These "most active" names are the most heavily-traded names on the market -- and often, uber-active names have some sort of a technical or fundamental catalyst driving investors' attention on shares. And when there's a big catalyst, there's often a trading opportunity.

Without further ado, here's a look at today's stocks.

International Game Technology

Nearest Resistance: $15

Nearest Support: N/A

Catalyst: Cost Cutting Measures, Outlook

Shares of International Game Technology (IGT) are down 8.5% this afternoon, following news that the firm would be reducing its workforce by 7% as a cost cutting measure. The cuts are needed to combat a lowered outlook for 2014 -- the firm expects earnings per share between $1 and $1.10, down from an earlier forecast of $1.28 to $1.38. While today's selloff didn't break the chart from a technical standpoint, that should come as cold comfort to IGT investors right now; shares are still very much in a downtrend right now.

That means that lower levels look likely for the foreseeable future. With the 50-day moving average acting like a solid proxy for resistance right now, it makes sense to stay away from IGT until shares can crack that level.

Oi

Nearest Resistance: $1.55

Nearest Support: $1.40

Catalyst: Brazilian Merger Ruling

Brazilian telco Oi (OIBR) is down more than 6% this afternoon following a ruling by the country's securities regulator that allows a vote to dilute shares with a capital raise tomorrow, ahead of a proposed merger with Portugal Telecom. The news sent investors fleeing from Oi on concerns that the deal lacks transparency.

From a technical standpoint, Oi isn't in dire straits just yet -- but a slip through key support at $1.40 changes everything. That $1.40 level has been a price floor for the last year and change, so if it gets materially violated this week, more downside becomes a lot more likely. Caveat emptor.

Youku Tudou

Nearest Resistance: $36

Nearest Support: $28

Catalyst: Tencent Stake Rumors

Chinese Internet video company Youku Tudou (YOKU) is up nearly 7% this afternoon, following rumors that Tencent was acquiring a 20% stake in YOKU. The rumors come on the heels of significant speculation over YOKU as an acquisition target, and it's not surprising that traders were ready to snap up shares in response to a potential deal. But don't go grabbing shares of YOKU just yet; after rallying 75% in the last 12 months, this stock is starting to look "toppy."

YOKU is currently forming a double top pattern with a breakdown level at $28. If support at $28 gets taken out, then look out below.

Oracle

Nearest Resistance: $40

Nearest Support: $37.50

Catalyst: Techncial Setup

Meanwhile, enterprise tech giant Oracle (ORCL) is making a run for new highs this afternoon, up 2% and change in Wednesday's session following a big move lower on Friday. Today's upward pressure finally puts ORCL above the high-water mark set last week. $40 is the resistance level to watch in shares or ORCL in the near-term. If shares can push through to new highs, we've got a buy signal.

Making new highs is significant from an investor psychology standpoint because it means that everyone who has bought shares in the last year is sitting on gains. As a result, the "back to even" mentality is less of a concern than it would be for a name with a higher proportion of shareholders sitting on losses. Wait for selling pressure at $40 to get taken out before jumping in.

To see these stocks in action, check out the at Most-Active Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.



-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.

RELATED LINKS:

>>5 Hated Earnings Stocks You Should Love

>>3 Stocks Under $10 Making Big Moves

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji

Endocyte nearly doubles on cancer drug news

NEW YORK — Shares of Endocyte nearly doubled in value Friday after European Union regulators said the company's drug Vynfinit should be approved as a treatment for ovarian cancer, and Endocyte said the drug helped slow the progression of lung cancer in a midstage trial.

The stock reached an all-time high of $33.70, and closed up $13.53, or 92%, at $28.17.

Endocyte and its partner Merck said a panel of European Union regulatory advisers recommended that Vynfinit be approved as a treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer in adult women whose disease isn't responding to platinum-based chemotherapy. The panel's recommendation also covers two imaging agents that are intended to help identify patients who could be helped by Vynfinit.

Vynfinit, or vintafolide, is designed to target a receptor that appears on cancer cells but doesn't exist on most other cells. The drug is intended to be used with the chemotherapy treatment doxorubicin.

EU regulators should make a final decision on the drug within three months, said Cowen and Co. analyst Simos Simeonidis. He expects them to approve Vynfinit and said the drug should be launched shortly thereafter. He rates Endocyte shares "Outperform."

The companies also said patients with lung cancer lived longer or saw a slower progression of their disease if they were treated with Vynfinit and doxorubicin. The midstage trial compared those drugs to standard treatment in 199 patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

This would be the first approved drug for Endocyte Inc., based in West Lafayette, Ind. Merck and Endocyte announced a partnership in April 2012. Merck paid Endocyte $120 million upfront, and Endocyte stands to receive more than $1 billion if Vynfinit is successfully developed as an approved treatment for multiple types of cancer.

Shares of Merck lost 93 cents to finish at $54.66.

Attorneys general ask retailers to nix tobacco

Attorneys general in 28 states are asking five major U.S. retailers to stop selling tobacco products in stores that also have pharmacies, urging them to follow the example of CVS Caremark Corp., which unveiled plans to remove tobacco products from its stores last month.

The attorneys general have written to the chief executives of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Walgreen Co., Rite Aid Corp., Safeway Inc. and Kroger Co., asking them to remove tobacco products from their shelves. They also praised CVS's decision to end tobacco sales in its stores.

CVS, the nation's second-largest pharmacy chain, is aiming to stop selling all cigarettes and tobacco products nationwide by October, and has said they have no place in a drugstore company that is trying to become more of a health-care provider.

The latest push to remove tobacco from retailers' shelves is being led by Ohio Attorney General Michael DeWine and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

"Pharmacies and drugstores, which increasingly market themselves as a source for community health care, send a mixed message by continuing to sell deadly tobacco products," Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement Monday.

Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

AT&T Inc. Dividend Stock Analysis

Linked here is a detailed quantitative analysis of AT&T Inc. (T). Below are some highlights from the above linked analysis: Company Description: AT&T Inc. (formerly SBC Communications) provides telephone and broadband service and holds full ownership of AT&T Mobility.

Fair Value: In calculating fair value, I consider the NPV MMA Differential Fair Value along with these four calculations of fair value, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. Avg. High Yield Price 2. 20-Year DCF Price 3. Avg. P/E Price 4. Graham Number T is trading at a discount to only 3.) above. Since T's tangible book value is not meaningful, a Graham number can not be calculated. The stock is trading at a 11.6% premium to its calculated fair value of $28.64. T did not earn any Stars in this section. Dividend Analytical Data: In this section there are three possible Stars and three key metrics, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. Free Cash Flow Payout 2. Debt To Total Capital 3. Key Metrics 4. Dividend Growth Rate 5. Years of Div. Growth 6. Rolling 4-yr Div. > 15% T earned one Star in this section for 3.) above and earned a Star for having an acceptable score in at least two of the four Key Metrics measured. The company has paid a cash dividend to shareholders every year since 1984 and has increased its dividend payments for 31 consecutive years. Dividend Income vs. MMA: Why would you assume the equity risk and invest in a dividend stock if you could earn a better return in a much less risky money market account (MMA) or Treasury bond? This section compares the earning ability of this stock with a high yield MMA. Two items are considered in this section, see page 2 of the linked PDF for a detailed description: 1. NPV MMA Diff. 2. Years to > MMA T earned a Star in this section for its NPV MMA Diff. of the $1,161. This amount is in excess of the $500 target I look for in a stock that has increased dividends as long as T has. The stock's current yield of 5.76% exceeds the 3.68% estimated 20-year average MMA rate. Memberships and Peers: T is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat, a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers™ Index and a Dividend Champion. The company's peer group includes: CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) with a 6.9% yield, Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) with a 0.0% yield and Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) with a 4.6% yield. Conclusion: T did not earn any Stars in the Fair Value section, earned one Star in the Dividend Analytical Data section and earned one Star in the Dividend Income vs. MMA section for a total of two Stars. This quantitatively ranks T as a 2-Star Weak stock. Using my D4L-PreScreen.xls model, I determined the share price would need to increase to $41.91 before T's NPV MMA Differential decreased to the $500 minimum that I look for in a stock with 31 years of consecutive dividend increases. At that price the stock would yield 4.4%. Resetting the D4L-PreScreen.xls model and solving for the dividend growth rate needed to generate the target $500 NPV MMA Differential, the calculated rate is -0.8%. This dividend growth rate is lower than the 2.2% used in this analysis, thus providing a margin of safety. T has a risk rating of 1.75 which classifies it as a Medium risk stock. The gains in consumer wireless and broadband should continue to outpace losses of wireline customers. After its failed attempt to acquire T-Mobile, T has been adding wireless spectrum and has the liquidity to continue to grow. The company has been investing heavily in LTE since 2011 in order to enhance its position in the market. Investors looking for yield in solid companies have run T's stock price up. It is currently trading above my calculated fair value price of $28.64. I will continue to look for opportunities to add to my position. Disclaimer: Material presented here is for informational purposes only. The above quantitative stock analysis, including the Star rating, is mechanically calculated and is based on historical information. The analysis assumes the stock will perform in the future as it has in the past. This is generally never true. Before buying or selling any stock you should do your own research and reach your own conclusion. See my Disclaimer for more information. Full Disclosure: At the time of this writing, I was long in T (2.1% of my Dividend Growth Portfolio). See a list of all my dividend growth holdings here. Related Articles: - Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) Dividend Stock Analysis - McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Dividend Stock Analysis - Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) Dividend Stock Analysis - ConocoPhillips Co. (COP) Dividend Stock Analysis - More Stock Analysis

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Friday, June 20, 2014 Stocks This Week: 'Need for Speed' Meets Desire for Doughnuts John Furniss, Invision/APAaron Paul (left) and Dominic Cooper at the U.K. Screening of "Need For Speed," which opens at U.S. theaters Friday. You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From a maker of decadent doughnuts stepping up with hot financials to the latest video game franchise to get the Hollywood treatment, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- Wearing it Well The trading week kicks off with Urban Outfitters (URBN) dressing up for its latest quarterly report. This will be a big report for the retailer of trendy apparel since it covers the seasonally potent holiday period. Analysts see a profit of 55 cents a share out of the chain, roughly in line with what it earned a year earlier. The same pros see revenue climbing 8 percent for the quarter. Tuesday -- Diamond in the Rough Diamond Foods (DMND) is a nutty company, and not just because it's the company behind Emerald snack nuts. The company -- which also puts out Kettle potato chips and Pop Secret microwaveable popcorn -- is just starting to bounce back from an accounting scandal that ended earlier this year with a $5 million settlement to put an end to fraud charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The timing for the irregularities was cruel, forcing Diamond Foods to forgo the planned purchase of the Pringles potato chip line. Now it may have to sell its Kettle line to raise money. There's a "when the chips are down" punchline in there somewhere, but we'll see if Diamond Foods discusses any potential asset sales when it reports financials on Tuesday. Wednesday -- Time to Enjoy the Doughnuts When it comes to doughnuts, it's hard to top the fried delicacies that Krispy Kreme (KKD) creates. You don't even need to have one of its doughnut shops nearby since it has a wide distribution net. Krispy Kreme reports on Wednesday afternoon, and Wall Street sees profitability improving to 13 cents a share in its latest quarter. It checked in with net income of just 9 cents a share a year earlier. Sales aren't growing as quickly, but it's always refreshing to see margins expanding alongside waistlines. Thursday -- Hair We Go Vanity never takes a holiday. Cosmetics, hair salons, and beauty parlors tend to hold up better than other consumer-facing industries when times are tight, and now it will be time to see how one of the leading beauty salons dolls itself up. Ulta Salon (ULTA) reports on Thursday. It has routinely blown past analyst profit targets, but it stumbled in its most recent quarter. This will place more pressure on Ulta to get back on track by beating the $1.07 a share that analysts see it earning in Thursday's report. Friday -- Shifting Into High Gear Video games have been providing content fodder for Hollywood in recent years. Some franchises have included "Tomb Raider," "Resident Evil" and "Silent Hill." On Friday we'll see if what has worked out generally well for action and horror flicks will pan out for driving titles. "Need for Speed" opens in theaters over the weekend, based on the most successful racing video game franchise of all-time, with more than 140 million games sold. The big companies behind it are DreamWorks (DWA), Electronic Arts (EA) and Disney (DIS). It comes at a time when the "Fast and Furious" franchise has lost its lead actor, so it will be interesting to see if movie buffs show up to the starting line. Thursday, June 19, 2014 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015 For the past few years, there's been an anomaly in the global oil industry. Brent crude oil, which comes from the Middle East, Africa and Europe, has been far more expensive than West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, which is drilled right here in the U.S. Both Brent and WTI are known as light, sweet crude, which means they are easily processed into gasoline, diesel and other distillates. So why had Brent been trading for up to $20 more per barrel than WTI? Blame it on geography.   Although the U.S. has tapped into a mother lode of oil in the past few years, much of the produced oil had nowhere to go. Storage hubs were filled to capacity as a lack of pipelines kept all of the oil from flowing to U.S. Gulf Coast, the West Coast and the East Coast, where many oil refineries are located. 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund(CFP) Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund is a closed-ended equity fund of fund launched and managed by Cornerstone Advisors, Inc. The fund invests funds investing in the public equity markets of the United States. It invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Cornerstone Progressive Return Fund was formed on April 26, 2007 and is domiciled in the United States. Advisors' Opinion: [By Dan Caplinger] But you can see in several places the consequences of the stampede toward high yield. Here are just a few: Closed-end funds Cornerstone Progressive (NYSEMKT: CFP  ) and Pimco High Income (NYSE: PHK  ) both make fixed payments back to fund shareholders on a monthly basis, and their distribution yields are truly extraordinary, at about 17% and 12%, respectively. Those dividends have enticed shareholders to pay $1.30 to $1.40 or more for each $1 of assets in the funds. Yet during most months, a substantial portion of those distribution payments has simply been a return of investor capital rather than true income from the funds' investments. A recent study discussed in The Wall Street Journal found that returns on a portfolio with a combined value and dividend-income strategy outperformed a strategy focused more exclusively on maximizing dividends by an average of 1.7 percentage points per year, a huge edge in long-run returns. In the dividend ETF arena, most funds tend to focus on maximizing yield. Although the popular Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (NYSEMKT: VIG  ) ETF bucks the trend by screening first for consistent dividend growth and only then looking at yield as a factor, many rival ETFs start with high-yielding stocks as their baseline and only then consider other desirable traits. Others focus solely on high-dividend niches of the market, such as iShares FTSE NAREIT Mortgage-Plus (NYSEMKT: REM  ) and its concentration on high-yield mortgage REITs. When dividend stocks get too popular, their prices get out of line with both their dividend income and the fundamentals of the businesses that underlie those stocks. In simpler terms, when dividend stocks become bad values, it's time to consider looking elsewhere for a margin of safety. 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Actions Semiconductor Co. Ltd.(ACTS) Actions Semiconductor Co., Ltd. operates as a semiconductor company in the People?s Republic of China. The company designs, develops, and markets integrated platform solutions, including system-on-a-chips (SoCs), firmware, software development tools, and reference designs for the manufacturers of portable media players. Its SoCs are integrated circuits that incorporate digital signal processor, a micro controller unit, embedded memory, codec, a power management unit, and other components. The company?s SoCs products also comprise on-chip memory, controllers for color liquid crystal display, and analog components, including digital-to-analog converters, phase lock loops, and USB transceivers. Actions Semiconductor Co., Ltd.?s solution development kits include the embedded firmware code, software tools, and documentation to utilize its SoCs in portable media players. The company?s firmware utilizes an embedded structure design with interface that allows customers to pick and choose functionalities and add new device drivers. Its manufacturing software tools also allow its customers in the mass production of products based on its turnkey process. The company?s reference designs consist of detailed specifications of other required components and references, which allow customers to assemble a portable media player. Actions Semiconductor Co., Ltd. also offers semiconductor product testing services. The company sells its integrated platform solutions directly, as well as through distributors to portable media player manufacturers, brand owners, and value-added distributors in China and internationally. Actions Semiconductor Co., Ltd. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Zhuhai, the People?s Republic of China. Advisors' Opinion: [By Seth Jayson] When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it's booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Actions Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ACTS  ) . Top Trucking Stocks To Watch Right Now: CSS Industries Inc (CSS) CSS Industries, Inc. (CSS), incorporated on November 5, 1923, is a company primarily engaged in the design, manufacture, procurement, distribution and sale of seasonal and all occasion social expression products, principally to mass market retailers. These seasonal and all occasion products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper, decorations, classroom exchange Valentines, decorative ribbons and bows, floral accessories, Halloween masks, costumes, make-up and novelties, Easter egg dyes and novelties, craft and educational products, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items that commemorate life�� celebrations. In September 5, 2012, it sold the Halloween portion of its Paper Magic business to Gemmy Industries (HK) Limited. CSS��product provides its retail customers the opportunity to use a single vendor for much of their seasonal product requirements. A substantial portion of CSS��products are manufactured, packaged and/or warehoused in 10 facilities located in the United States, with the remainder purchased primarily from manufacturers in Asia and Mexico. The Company�� products are sold to its customers by national and regional account sales managers, sales representatives, product specialists and by a network of independent manufacturers��representatives. The Company�� principal operating subsidiaries include Paper Magic Group, Inc. (Paper Magic), Berwick Offray LLC (Berwick Offray) and C.R. Gibson, LLC (C.R. Gibson). CSS designs, manufactures, procures, distributes and sells a range of seasonal consumer products primarily through the mass market distribution channel. Christmas products include gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, boxed greeting cards, gift tags, decorative tissue paper and decorations. CSS��Valentine product offerings include classroom exchange Valentine cards and other related Valen! tine products, while its Easter product offerings include Dudley�� brand of Easter egg dyes and related Easter seasonal products. CSS also designs and markets decorative ribbons and bows, all occasion boxed greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, decorative and waxed tissue, decorative films and foils, stickers, memory books, stationery, journals, notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, floral accessories and other gift and craft items to its mass market, craft, specialty and floral retail and wholesale distribution customers, and teachers' aids and other learning oriented products to the education market through mass market retailers, school supply distributors and teachers' stores. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markings, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Dudley��, Don Post Studios, Eureka, Learning Playground, Stickerfitti and iota. Key brands include Paper Magic, Berwick, Offray, C.R. Gibson, Markings, Creative Papers, Tapestry, Seastone, Dudley��, Eureka, Learning Playground and Stickerfitti. CSS operates 10 manufacturing and/or distribution facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas. Its boxed greeting cards are produced by Asian manufacturers to the Company�� specifications. Halloween make-up and Easter egg dye products are manufactured in Asia to specific formulae by contract manufacturers who meet regulatory requirements for the formularization and packaging of such products. Ribbons and bows are primarily manufactured and warehoused in seven facilities located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina and Texas. Memory books, stationery, journals and notecards, infant and wedding photo albums, scrapbooks, and other gift items are imported from Asian manufacturers and warehoused and distributed from a distribution facility in Florence, Alabama. Floral accessories, including pot covers, foil, waxed tissue, shred, aisle runners, corsage bags and other paper! and film! products, are manufactured in a facility located in Milford, New Hampshire and Juarez, Mexico. Manufacturing includes gravure and flexo printing, waxing and converting. Products are warehoused and distributed from a distribution facility in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Other products including, but not limited to, decorative tissue paper, all occasion gift wrap, gift tags, gift bags, gift boxes, gift card holders, classroom exchange Valentine products, Halloween masks, costumes and novelties, Easter products, decorations and school products are designed to the specifications of CSS and are imported primarily from Asian manufacturers. Advisors' Opinion: [By Rich Duprey] Gifts maker�CSS Industries� (NYSE: CSS  ) �announced yesterday its second-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share, the same rate it's paid since 2008. 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Dreyfus Strategic Municipal Bond Fund Inc (DSM) Dreyfus Strategic Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. (the fund) is a diversified closed-end management investment company. The fund�� investment objective is to maximize current income exempt from federal income tax to the extent consistent with the preservation of capital. The Dreyfus Corporation serves as the fund�� investment adviser. The fund invests at least 80% of its assets in municipal bonds. The fund also issues auction rate preferred stock and invests the proceeds in a manner consistent with its investment objective. Advisors' Opinion: [By Trista Kelley] Cenkos Securities Plc (CNKS) is running the spinoff and the share sale. Royal DSM NV (DSM), the world�� largest maker of vitamins, holds about 9 percent of SiS, while U.K. venture-capital trust Downing LLP owns 16.7 percent, Moon said. Provexis stockholders received one share of Science in Sport for every 100 shares of Provexis. [By Sherine El Madany] Dubai�� DFM General Index (DSM) posted the biggest drop in the Middle East, losing 2.3 percent, the most since June 10, to 2,345.47 at the 2 p.m. close in the emirate. Emaar Properties PJSC (EMAAR), developer of the world�� tallest tower in Dubai, registered its biggest decrease since April. The ADX General Index (MSM30) fell 0.9 percent, while the Bloomberg GCC200 Index (BGCC200) was down 0.2 percent. [By Tom Stoukas] Royal DSM NV (DSM) slid 5.4 percent to 55.13 euros. The company that spent $3.2 billion on nutrition-ingredient acquisitions said profit this year may fall short of an initial target because of stagnant markets in Europe and lower chemical prices. 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Greenlight Capital Re Ltd.(GLRE) Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, operates in the property and casualty reinsurance business in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and internationally. The company?s frequency business includes contracts containing smaller losses emanating from multiple events and enables the clients to increase their own underwriting capacity; and severity business consists of contracts with the potential for significant losses emanating from one event or multiple events. It offers personal and commercial property, general and marine liability, motor liability, motor physical damage, professional liability, financial, health, medical malpractice, and workers? compensation reinsurance products. Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd. sells its products primarily through reinsurance brokers. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands. Advisors' Opinion: [By MONEYMORNING] They pitched their research hard to client David Einhorn, the billionaire founder of hedge fund Greenlight Capital Re, Ltd (Nasdaq: GLRE). Shortly thereafter Einhorn started shorting the stock. 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Prudential Public Limited Company(PUK) Prudential plc provides retail financial products and services, and asset management services to individuals and businesses in Asia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It offers savings, protection, investment, and unit-linked products; manages investments across a range of asset classes for internal, retail, and institutional clients; manages onshore mutual funds; and provides retirement planning, consumer and Islamic finance, and health solutions. The company also provides retirement savings and income solutions; variable annuities; fixed and fixed index annuities; term life, universal life, and variable universal life insurance; permanent individual life insurance; and institutional products, such as guaranteed investment contracts, funding agreements, and medium term note funding agreements. In addition, it offers pensions and annuities; investment plans; and car, health, home, travel, and protection insurance policies. Further, Prudential plc provides fund man agement services for individual and institutional clients. The company was founded in 1848 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Advisors' Opinion: [By Rupert Hargreaves] Today, I am looking at�Prudential� (LSE: PRU  ) (NYSE: PUK  ) to determine whether you should consider buying the shares at 1,097p. [By David O��ara] Prudential Shares in insurer�Prudential� (LSE: PRU  ) (NYSE: PUK  ) are up 51% in the last 12 months. In that time, the FTSE 100 is 16.7% ahead. [By Patricio Kehoe] In fact, today the company announced that it will be launching a new universal life product for the Canadian market called Manulife UL by May 26 of this year. The new product will offer cost-effective insurance protection, as well as the opportunity for tax-advantaged investing, catering to customer�� demands for a more simplified insurance solution, which should help boost sales to some extent. Although the firm�� balance sheet is highly leveraged, exposing it to possible damages in the case of higher-than-expected policy liabilities, Manulife�� capital position has improved substantially over the past year. With a ratio of regulatory capital to capital required at 248%, the firm possesses excessive capital levels, well above competitors like Prudential Public Limited Company (ADR) (PUK), China Life Insurance Company Ltd. (ADR) (LFC), and Sun Life Financial Inc. (USA) (SLF), which all sport a 200% ratio. Moreover, the company�� excessive capital should allow it to maintain the above average dividend yield of 2.66% offered to shareholders. [By David O��ara] Prudential Back in January, analysts were forecasting that�Prudential� (LSE: PRU  ) (NYSE: PUK  ) �would make EPS for the year of 77.1 pence per share. Following a series of steady upgrades, that figure is now 83.6 pence. 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DXJ) WisdomTree Japan Total Dividend Fund (The Fund) is a non-diversified fund. It seeks investment results that closely correspond to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree Japan Dividend Index (The Index). The Index is a fundamentally weighted Index that measures the performance of dividend-paying companies incorporated in Japan, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and that meet other requirements necessary to be included in the WisdomTree DEFA Index. The Fund is managed by WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion: [By KIPLINGER] Investors seeking to cash in on the Japanese stock market face a Catch-22. The government is trying to goose the economy by, among other things, lowering the value of the yen, a move designed to make Japanese exporters more competitive (see Japan�� Rebound Is for Real). But a falling yen harms U.S. investors because money they have in Japanese securities translates back into fewer bucks. Enter WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity (DXJ), an exchange-traded fund that invests in the stocks of dividend-paying Japanese firms that have a market value of at least $100 million. [By Philip Springer, President, Retirement Wealth Management, Inc.] The other alternative is Wisdom­Tree Japan Hedged Equity (DXJ). As the name suggests, it's the better alternative when the yen is declining. This fund is up 23% so far in 2013, compared with 15.5% for the iShares ETF. 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Swift Transportation Company(SWFT) Swift Transportation Company, through its subsidiary, Swift Transportation Co., LLC, operates as a multi-faceted transportation services company and truckload carrier in North America. The company offers its truckload services through dry van, temperature-controlled, flatbed, and specialized trailers; and rail intermodal services. It also provides freight brokerage and logistics management services to other trucking companies, as well as leases tractors and offers repair services. As of December 31, 2011, the company operated a tractor fleet of approximately 15,900 units, including 11,900 tractors driven by company drivers and 4,000 owner-operator tractors; 50,600 trailers; and 6,200 intermodal containers in the United States and Mexico. It serves various industries, such as retail, discount retail, consumer products, food and beverage, manufacturing, and transportation and logistics industries. The company, formerly known Swift Holdings Corp., and was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Advisors' Opinion: [By Ben Levisohn] Shares of Heartland Express have gained 50% this year, trumping the 38% rise in Con-Way (CNW) and the 29% advance in J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) but lagging Old Dominion Freight Lines (ODFL) and Swift Transportation (SWFT). [By Ben Levisohn] Shares of Hub have dropped 5.1% to $35.41, but the plunge doesn’t seem to be weighing on other logistic companies. CH Robinson Worldwide (CHRW), for instance, has gained 1.1% to $58.64, JB Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) has risen 1.1% to $71.61, Swift Transportation (SWFT) has advanced 0.9% to $19.56 and Ryder System (R) is up 3.1% to $59.23. [By Sean Williams] For this week's round of "Better Know a Stock," I'm going to take a closer look at Swift Transportation (NYSE: SWFT  ) . What Swift Transportation does Swift is a transportation services trucking and intermodal company in North America. The company primarily transports discounted consumer goods, perishable and non-perishable foods, and manufactured goods. As of the end of 2012 Swift operated 15,300 tractors, 52,800 trailers, and had 8,700 intermodal containers. [By Seth Jayson] Swift Transportation (NYSE: SWFT  ) reported earnings on July 24. Here are the numbers you need to know. The 10-second takeaway For the quarter ended June 30 (Q2), Swift Transportation met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share. 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation(AP) Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation and its subsidiaries manufacture and sell custom-engineered equipment in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Forged and Cast Rolls, and Air and Liquid Processing. The Forged and Cast Rolls segment produces forged hardened steel rolls used in cold rolling for the producers of steel, aluminum, and other metals; and cast iron and steel rolls for hot and cold strip mills, medium/heavy section mills, and plate mills. The Air and Liquid Processing segment manufactures finned tube and plate finned heat exchange coils for the commercial and industrial construction, as well as for process and utility industries; custom air handling systems used in commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings; and a line of centrifugal pumps for the refrigeration, power generation, and marine defense industries. The company was founded in 1929 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Advisors' Opinion: [By Mae Anderson] ATLANTA (AP) ��Finding a knockoff version of the fur you want under the Christmas tree would ordinarily be a disappointment. Not this year. [By Anita Bruzzese] President Barack Obama embraces an unidentified woman Sept. 22, 2013, at a memorial service for the victims of the Washington Navy Yard shooting.(Photo: AP) 10 Best Healthcare Technology Stocks To Watch For 2015: Southern Cross Exploration NL (SXX) Southern Cross Exploration NL is an Australia-based company engaged in the investment in the Bigrlyi Uranium Joint Venture, on which pre-development investigations and further drilling were carried out; exploration for gold and minerals, reviews of opportunities for participation in and/or acquisition of mineral exploration and mining ventures, and examination of projects in respect of different commodities, share investments, loans and other securities. The Bigrlyi project is located in the Ngalia Basin, northwest of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory. The Company's interest in the Bigrlyi Uranium Joint Venture is one of its assets, in joint venture with two multi-billion dollar companies, CGNPC - via the Operator, Energy Metals Ltd (EME) - and Paladin Energy Ltd (PDN). Advisors' Opinion: [By idahansen] Due to the impact of The Great Recession, stocks in the agricultural sector such as Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), The Mosiac Company (NYSE: MOS), and Potash of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) are trading well below highs. The exchange traded fund for the industry, DBA Power Shares, (NYSE: DBA), is down more than 17% for the last year. Despite this bearish trend, legendary investors such as Warren Buffett, George Soros, and Jim Rogers are very positive for the agriculture group. With the long term bullish outlook for the sector from the greatest investors in history, small cap stocks active in the fertilizer sector such as Sirius Minerals (LSE: SXX) and Americas Petrogas (TSX: BOE) are especially attractive. Lululemon Athletica Is a Turnaround That Investors Shouldn't Miss Lululemon Athletica (LULU) is facing troubled times and the stock has declined around 35% since March 2013. It all started with the controversy of see-through yoga pants, and it has been more than a year since it recalled those pants. Yet, there seems to be no relief for the athletic apparel and yoga wear company. Lululemon has to face tough competition from its peers such as Under Armour and Gap, and with the current issues that Lululemon is facing, it would be very difficult for the company to move forward. However, management has taken various initiatives to turnaround its present situation. Trying for a turnaround The company has great expectations from the men's active wear market. According to Lululemon CEO Laurent Potdevin, "The company is ambitiously looking to tap the men's activewear market." Although Wall Street expects Lululemon's men's business to be around $200 million, but the company's anticipations are way ahead than Wall Street and believes that the men's business would be worth $1 billion in the next few years. The company is also working hard to bring its women's business on track. It has launched a new clothing line, known as &Go, that can be worn all day long. The company claims that the dress is designed in a way that whether you are in a gym or club, it can be worn anywhere. Lululemon is trying to strengthen its foundation by boosting its product line and is also seeking opportunities for international expansion. Going forward, Lululemon is anticipating more demand from Asia and Europe. As a result, it has plans to open more stores in Asia, where it already has stores at six locations. There would also be a change in the company's Asian management, as it is searching for a new manager for its Asian operations. We can expect that with this new change in its top management, development in the region will pick up. Expansion plans Lululemon has similar expansion plans in Europe as well, and the company has opened its first store in London. The company has generated a strong buzz around the brand by hosting a Yoga event at the Royal Opera House. The response was fascinating as more than 9,700 people turned up for the event, but there were only 350 spots. This reflects the company's strong marketing activities and brand equity. And with such a fascinating response, the company has decided to open its second store in London by the end of the year. Lululemon is also working on its product mix with focus on both seasonal and core products. Its new Chief Product Officer is working hard, looking at every aspect of product improvement. The company observed considerable increase in demand for its seasonal products in North America as they are selling at four times the anticipated rate. So, the company can be expected to focus more on this category. Some concerns However, there are some serious issues, which the company has to immediately address. One of them is its negative same-store sale performance. In the fourth quarter, the company's same-store sales were down 2%. The company has struggled in this area since the controversy of see through pants, which gave its rivals such as Under Armour and Gap room to eat into Lululemon's market with their own products. Under Armour has tried to take maximum advantage of Lululemon's blunder last year by promoting its UA Studiolux Quattro collection aggressively. The company currently has a budget of $250 million to spend on advertising. Moreover, it might be possible that Under Armour was able to woo customers away from Lululemon by advertising that its yoga pants never pill. So, Under Armour is a potent threat that Lululemon needs to watch out. Conclusion But, all is not lost for Lululemon and management is positive about its future prospects. It sees 2014 as an investment year, and expects to come out strong as a result of its aggressive strategies and improved product mix. Analysts expect its earnings to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of almost 17% for the next five years. Considering these factors, we can assume that the company will bounce back. Currently 0.00/512345 Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes) Subscribe via Email Subscribe RSS Comments Please leave your comment: More GuruFocus Links Latest Guru Picks Value Strategies Warren Buffett Portfolio Ben Graham Net-Net Real Time Picks Buffett-Munger Screener Aggregated Portfolio Undervalued Predictable ETFs, Options Low P/S Companies Insider Trends 10-Year Financials 52-Week Lows Interactive Charts Model Portfolios DCF Calculator RSS Feed Monthly Newsletters The All-In-One Screener Portfolio Tracking Tool MORE GURUFOCUS LINKS Latest Guru Picks Value Strategies Warren Buffett Portfolio Ben Graham Net-Net Real Time Picks Buffett-Munger Screener Aggregated Portfolio Undervalued Predictable ETFs, Options Low P/S Companies Insider Trends 10-Year Financials 52-Week Lows Interactive Charts Model Portfolios DCF Calculator RSS Feed Monthly Newsletters The All-In-One Screener Portfolio Tracking Tool LULU STOCK PRICE CHART 39.88 (1y: -36%) $(function(){var seriesOptions=[],yAxisOptions=[],name='LULU',display='';Highcharts.setOptions({global:{useUTC:true}});var d=new Date();$current_day=d.getDay();if($current_day==5||$current_day==0||$current_day==6){day=4;}else{day=7;} seriesOptions[0]={id:name,animation:false,color:'#4572A7',lineWidth:1,name:name.toUpperCase()+' stock price',threshold:null,data:[[1371704400000,62.7],[1371790800000,61.9],[1372050000000,61.33],[1372136400000,62.51],[1372222800000,63.88],[1372309200000,65.63],[1372395600000,65.5],[1372654800000,65.42],[1372741200000,65.05],[1372827600000,64.5],[1373000400000,63.55],[1373259600000,65.93],[1373346000000,65.45],[1373432400000,65.69],[1373518800000,65.95],[1373605200000,66.36],[1373864400000,66.14],[1373950800000,64.2],[1374037200000,65.32],[1374123600000,65.77],[1374210000000,67.7],[1374469200000,67.51],[1374555600000,67.79],[1374642000000,67.72],[1374728400000,69.21],[1374814800000,69.02],[1375074000000,69.05],[1375160400000,69.56],[1375246800000,69.57],[1375333200000,71.09],[1375419600000,72.7],[1375678800000,73.54],[1375765200000,73.66],[1375851600000,72.37],[1375938000000,72.62],[1376024400000,72.58],[1376283600000,72.9],[1376370000000,74.65],[1376456400000,73.35],[1376542800000,72.22],[1376629200000,70.13],[1376888400000,68.94],[1376974800000,69.26],[1377061200000,70.15],[1377147600000,70.96],[1377234000000,71.77],[1377493200000,72],[1377579600000,69.36],[1377666000000,69.28],[1377752400000,71.13],[1377838800000,70.84],[1378184400000,69.92],[1378270800000,70.1],[1378357200000,69.92],[1378443600000,69.49],[1378702800000,71.28],[1378789200000,70.07],[1378875600000,69.02],[1378962000000,65.29],[1379048400000,68.37],[1379307600000,70.04],[1379394000000,70.22],[1379480400000,74.46],[1379566800000,73.5],[1379653200000,73.588],[1379912400000,72.99],[1379998800000,73.07],[1380085200000,72.259],[1380171600000,72.25],[1380258000000,72.02],[1380517200000,73.13],[1380603600000,73.86],[1380690000000,74.46],[1380776400000,76.57],[1380862800000,76.45],[1381122000000,75.88],[1381208400000,73.64],[1381294800000,73.94],[1381381200000,75.72],[1381467600000,74.95],[1381726800000,75.64],[1381813200000,74.66],[1381899600000,74.05],[1381986000000,72.45],[1382072400000,72.75],[1382331600000,72.03],[1382418000000,72.9],[138250! 4400000,72.5],[1382590800000,72.58],[1382677200000,72.66],[1382936400000,71.88],[1383022800000,73.25],[1383109200000,70.67],[1383195600000,69.09],[1383282000000,67.85],[1383544800000,69.33],[1383631200000,69.49],[1383717600000,69.97],[1383804000000,68.33],[1383890400000,69],[1384149600000,68.96],[1384236000000,66.95],[1384322400000,68.98],[1384408800000,66.18],[1384495200000,66.94],[1384754400000,66.85],[1384840800000,66.75],[1384927200000,68.17],[1385013600000,69.37],[1385100000000,69.42],[1385359200000,69.83],[1385445600000,69.29],[1385532000000,70.2],[1385704800000,69.72],[1385964000000,71.4],[1386050400000,71.56],[1386136800000,70.28],[1386223200000,70.62],[1386309600000,69.84],[1386568800000,70.34],[1386655200000,69.12],[1386741600000,68.35],[1386828000000,60.39],[1386914400000,59.2],[1387173600000,57.88],[1387260000000,58.67],[1387346400000,59.1],[1387432800000,58.77],[1387519200000,58.8],[1387778400000,58.99],[1387864800000,58.98],[1388037600000,59.7],[1388124000000,59.16],[1388383200000,59 Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now For the last week, all has been forgotten about the most popular reasons as to why gold is going to begin to rally to infinity and beyond. The old arguments that gold is about to go parabolic based upon the resurrection of "troubles in the Eurozone," massive amount of easing being engaged in by the Asians, or whatever was presented as the reason-of-the-week are now completely forgotten. Now, we see articles that are calling for the death of the gold bull and the death of inflation, and others are pointing to the fact that gold is not money. Everyone, other than the perma-bulls, have become very negative about gold. As for our long-time gold bulls, they are all enraged by this decline. Prior to this decline, you would hear them walking down the halls muttering about their conspiracy theories. Now, their heads are exploding. They have called the final bottom in this market more times than Dennis Gartman has changed positions on gold in the last two years. Some have even thrown in the towel. Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: WisdomTree Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund (DEM) WisdomTree Emerging Markets High-Yielding Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to track the performance of the WisdomTree Emerging Markets High-Yielding Equity Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of emerging market stocks with relatively high dividend yields. The Index is created by selecting the top 30% of Index constituents ranked by dividend yield from the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Dividend Index. Companies eligible for inclusion in the Index must be incorporated in and have their shares listed on a major stock exchange in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand or Turkey. Companies must have paid at least $5 million in cash dividends on their common stock in the 12 months prior to the most recent Index measurement date. Companies are weighted in the Index based on regular cash dividends paid. The Index includes large-capitalization, mid-capitalization and small-capitalization securities. The Fund employs a passive management or indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the Index. The Fund attempts to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the stocks that make up the Index. The Fund generally uses a representative sampling strategy to track the Index. The Fund�� investment advisor is WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. Advisors' Opinion: [By Philip Springer, President, Retirement Wealth Management, Inc.] Our favorite is battle-tested WisdomTree Emerging Markets Equity Income (DEM). It holds some 200 high-yield emerging-markets stocks, weighted by their annual dividend payouts. [By Carlton Delfeld] Finally, to get more Asia and emerging market exposure, add a dash of the WisdomTree Emerging Market Equity Income ETF (DEM). DEM has 20% exposure to Taiwan, as well as 20% to Brazil. Telecom companies make up a majority of the companies in the basket and you can expect it to distribute dividend income in the area of 5% annually. Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Pharmerica Corporation(PMC) Pharmerica Corporation operates as an institutional pharmacy services company in the United States. It offers services to healthcare facilities and provides management pharmacy services to hospitals. The company purchases, repackages, and dispenses prescription and non-prescription pharmaceuticals in accordance with physician orders and delivers such medication to healthcare facilities for administration to individual patients and residents. It also provides consultant pharmacist services for customers to comply with the federal and state regulations applicable to nursing homes; and medical records services. In addition, the company offers various ancillary services, such as infusion therapy products and services; and hospital pharmacy management services, including hospital pharmacy operations, regulatory and financial management services, and clinical pharmacy programs to various hospitals. PharMerica Corporation operates approximately 95 institutional pharmacies in 44 s tates and provides pharmacy management services to 91 hospitals. Its customers primarily include institutional healthcare providers, such as skilled nursing facilities, nursing centers, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and other long-term alternative care settings. The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Advisors' Opinion: [By Sean Williams] What: Shares of PharMerica (NYSE: PMC  ) , a pharmacy services company, jumped as much as 11% after reporting better-than-expected first-quarter results. Hot Healthcare Equipment Companies To Invest In 2015: Textron Inc.(TXT) Textron Inc. operates in the aircraft, defense, automobile, industrial, and finance businesses worldwide. It operates in five segments: Cessna, Bell, Textron Systems, Industrial, and Finance. The Cessna segment manufactures business jets, single engine turboprops, and single engine piston aircraft, as well as provides aftermarket services. The Bell segment manufactures and supplies military and commercial helicopters, tiltrotor aircraft, and related spare parts and services. The Textron Systems segment produces armored security vehicles, marine craft, precision weapons, airborne and ground-based surveillance systems and services, the unmanned aircraft system, training and simulation systems and countersniper devices, and intelligence and situational awareness software. The Industrial segment offers blow-molded plastic fuel systems, windshield and headlamp washer systems, engine camshafts, plastic bottles, and containers; powered equipment, electrical test and measurement i nstruments, hand and hydraulic powered tools, and electrical and fiber optic assemblies principally used in the electrical construction and maintenance, plumbing, wiring, telecommunications, and data communications industries; and golf cars, professional turf-maintenance equipment, and off-road, multipurpose utility, and specialized turf-care vehicles that are marketed to golf courses, resort communities, municipalities, sporting venues, and commercial and industrial users. The Finance segment provides finance for aircraft, helicopters, and golf and turf-care equipment. The company sells its products through a network of sales representatives, distributors, and authorized independent sales representatives, as well as directly to end users, home improvement retailers, and original equipment manufacturers. Textron Inc. was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Providence, the Rhode Island. Advisors' Opinion: [By Ben Levisohn] The selling today has being driven by the industrial sector–the Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) has dropped 1.5% to $45.79–and defense stocks are getting hammered. Textron (TXT) has fallen 3% to $26.82, while Northrop Grumman (NOC) has declined 2.5% to $92.82. Not a surprise as reports of government contracts being held up and orders delayed make the rounds. [By Ben Levisohn] Stallard sees KEYW Holding (KEYW) and Textron (TXT) potentially missing earnings, while Honeywell (HON),� Alliant Techsystems (ATK),�Lockheed Martin (LMT),�Raytheon (RTN) and�Wesco Aircraft (WAIR) could beat. [By Rich Smith] Principal contractors, should the sales be approved, include Textron (NYSE: TXT  ) for the helicopter sale and General Dynamics (NYSE: GD  ) for the Strykers. No single principal contractor has been identified as associated with the spare parts sale, but both the HETTs and the HEMTTs, for example, are manufactured by Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK  ) , while Britain's BAE Systems (NASDAQOTH: BAESY  ) builds the recovery vehicles, howitzers, and M113s. [By Rich Smith] The Department of Defense issued 14 separate contract awards Tuesday, totaling just over $880 million in combined value. Among publicly traded U.S. defense contractors, a few of the notable winners were: Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Giga-tronics Inc (GIGA) Giga-tronics Incorporated (Giga-tronics), incorporated on March 5, 1980, includes the operations of the Giga-tronics Division and Microsource Inc. (Microsource), a wholly owned subsidiary. Giga-tronics Division designs, manufactures and markets a line of test and measurement equipment used in the development, test and maintenance of wireless communications products and systems, flight navigational equipment, electronic defense systems and automatic testing systems. These products are used primarily in the design, production, repair and maintenance of commercial telecommunications, radar, and electronic warfare equipment. The Company manufactures products used in test, measurement and control. The Company has two segments: Giga-tronics Division and Microsource. In April 2013, it completed the sale of its product line known as SCPM to Teradyne, Inc. Giga-tronics The Giga-tronics Division produces signal sources, generators and sweepers, and power measurement instruments for use in the microwave and radio frequency (RF) range (10 kilohertz (kHz) to 50 gigahertz (GHz)). Within each product line are a number of different models and options allowing customers to select frequency range and specialized capabilities, features and functions. The end-user markets for these products can be divided into three segments: commercial telecommunications, radar and electronic warfare. These instruments are used in the design, production, repair and maintenance and calibration of other manufacturers' products, from discrete components to complex systems. The Giga-tronics Division also produces switch modules and interface adapters that operates with a bandwidth from direct current (DC) to optical frequencies. These switch modules may be incorporated within its customers' automated test equipment. The end-user markets for these products are primarily related to defense, aeronautics, communications, satellite and electronic warfare, commercial aviation and semiconductors. Microsource The Microsource segment develops and manufactures a broad line of yttrium, iron, garnet (YIG) tuned oscillators, filters and microwave synthesizers, which are used by its customers in operational applications and in manufacturing a variety of microwave instruments or devices. Giga-tronics competes with Agilent, Anritsu, EADS, Aeroflex and Rohde & Schwarz. Advisors' Opinion: [By Monica Gerson] Giga-tronics (NASDAQ: GIGA) dropped 14.84% to $1.32. Giga-tronics' trailing-twelve-month profit margin is -30.58%. MER Telemanagement Solutions (NASDAQ: MTSL) dropped 14.62% to $2.09 after the company terminated MVNE solution provider agreement with SBC Communications. Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC) Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC), incorporated on November 9, 2009, is a petroleum product refiners, transporters and marketers in the United States. The Company operates in three segments: Refining & Marketing, Speedway and Pipeline Transportation. Marathon Petroleum�� refining, marketing and transportation operations are concentrated in the Midwest, Gulf Coast and Southeast regions of the United States. MPC has two retail brands: Speedway and Marathon. Effective as of June 30, 2011, MPC was separated from Marathon Oil Corporation (Marathon Oil) and became an independent company in a spin-off transaction. Refining & Marketing The Company owned and operated six refineries in the Gulf Coast and Midwest regions of the United States with an aggregate crude oil refining capacity of approximately 1.2 million barrels per calendar day as of December 31, 2011. During 2011, its refineries processed 1,177 million barrels per day of crude oil and 181 mbpd of other charge and blend stocks. Its refineries include crude oil atmospheric and vacuum distillation, fluid catalytic cracking, catalytic reforming, desulfurization and sulfur recovery units. The refineries process a range of crude oils and produce numerous refined products, ranging from transportation fuels, such as reformulated gasolines, blend-grade gasolines intended for blending with fuel ethanol and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, to heavy fuel oil and asphalt. Additionally, MPC manufacture aromatics, propane, propylene, cumene and sulfur. The Company�� Garyville, Louisiana refinery is located along the Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The Garyville refinery is configured to process heavy sour crude oil into products, such as gasoline, distillates, asphalt, polymer grade propylene, propane, isobutane, sulfur and fuel-grade coke. The Catlettsburg, Kentucky refinery is located in northeastern Kentucky on the western bank of the Big Sandy River, near the confluence! with the Ohio River. The Catlettsburg refinery processes sweet and sour crude oils into products such as gasoline, distillates, asphalt, cumene, petrochemicals, propane and propylene. The Robinson, Illinois refinery is located in southeastern Illinois. The Robinson refinery processes sweet and sour crude oils into products, such as multiple grades of gasoline, distillates, anode-grade coke, propane, butane and propylene. MPC�� Detroit, Michigan refinery is located near Interstate 75 in southwest Detroit. It is the petroleum refinery operating in Michigan. The Detroit refinery processes light sweet and heavy sour crude oils, including Canadian crude oils, into products, such as gasoline, distillates, asphalt, slurry, propane, and propylene. Its Canton, Ohio refinery is located approximately 60 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio. The Canton refinery processes sweet and sour crude oils into products such as gasoline, distillates, asphalt, propane, slurry and roofing flux. Its Texas City, Texas refinery is located on the Texas Gulf Coast approximately 30 miles south of Houston, Texas. The refinery processes sweet crude oil into products such as gasoline, chemical grade propylene, propane, slurry and aromatics. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned and operated 62 light product and 21 asphalt terminals. In addition, it distributes through approximately 52 third-party light product and 12 third-party asphalt terminals in its market area. During 2011, marine transportation operations included 15 towboats, as well as 167 owned and 14 leased barges that transport refined products on the Ohio, Mississippi and Illinois rivers and their tributaries, as well as the Intercoastal Waterway. As of December 31, 2011, the Company leased or owned approximately 1,950 railcars of various sizes and capacities for movement and storage of refined products. In addition, it own 124 transport trucks for the movement of refined products. The Company produces propane at all six of its! refineri! es. Propane is primarily used for home heating and cooking, as a feedstock within the petrochemical industry, for grain drying and as a fuel for trucks and other vehicles. The Company is also a producer and marketer of feedstocks and specialty products. Product availability varies by refinery and includes propylene, cumene, dilute naphthalene oil, molten sulfur, toluene, benzene and xylene. Propane is primarily used for home heating and cooking, as a feedstock within the petrochemical industry, for grain drying and as a fuel for trucks and other vehicles. Speedway The Company sells transportation fuels and convenience products in the retail market in the Midwest, primarily through Speedway convenience stores. The Speedway segment sells gasoline and merchandise through convenience stores that the Companu owns and operates, primarily under the Speedway brand. Speedway-branded convenience stores offer a range of merchandise, such as prepared foods, beverages and non-food items, including a number of private-label items. As of December 31, 2011, Speedway had 1,371 convenience stores in seven states. Pipeline Transportation The Company transports crude oil and other feedstocks to our refineries and other locations, delivers refined products to wholesale and retail market areas and includes, among other transportation-related assets, a majority interest in LOOP LLC, which is the owner and operator of the United States deepwater oil port. It owns common carrier pipeline systems through Marathon Pipe Line LLC (MPL) and Ohio River Pipe Line LLC (ORPL), both of which are wholly owned subsidiaries. These pipeline systems transport crude oil and refined products, primarily in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions, to its refineries, its terminals and other pipeline systems. The Company�� MPL and ORPL wholly owned carrier systems consist of 1,707 miles of crude oil lines and 1,825 miles of refined product lines comprising 31 systems located in 11 states, as of Decem! ber 31, 2! 011. In addition, MPL leases and operates 217 miles of common carrier refined product pipelines. The common carrier refined product pipelines include the owned and operated Cardinal Products Pipeline and the Wabash Pipeline. The Cardinal Products Pipeline delivers refined products from Kenova, West Virginia, to Columbus, Ohio. The Wabash Pipeline system delivers refined products from Robinson, Illinois, to various terminals in the area of Chicago, Illinois. Other refined product pipelines owned and operated by MPL extend from: Robinson, Illinois to Louisville, Kentucky; Robinson, Illinois to Lima, Ohio; Wood River, Illinois to Indianapolis, Indiana; Garyville, Louisiana to Zachary, Louisiana, and Texas City, Texas to Pasadena, Texas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had partial ownership interests in the pipeline companies that have approximately 110 miles of crude oil pipelines and 3,600 miles of refined products pipelines, including about 970 miles operated by MPL, which include Centennial Pipeline LLC (Centennial), Explorer Pipeline Company (Explorer), LOCAP LLC (LOCAP), LOOP LLC (LOOP), Muskegon Pipeline LLC (Muskegon) and Wolverine Pipe Line Company (Wolverine). The Company holds a 50% interest in Centennial, which owns a refined products pipeline system connecting the Gulf Coast region with the Midwest market. The Company holds a 17% interest in Explorer, a refined products pipeline system extending from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest. It holds a 51% interest in LOOP, the owner and operator of the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, which is a deepwater oil port capable of receiving crude oil from large crude carriers, located 18 miles off the coast of Louisiana, and a crude oil pipeline connecting the port facility to storage caverns and tanks at Clovelly, Louisiana. The Company holds a 60% interest in Muskegon, which owns a refined products pipeline extending from Griffith, Indiana to North Muskegon, Michigan. It hold a 6% interest in Wolverine, a refined prod! ucts pipe! line system extending from Chicago, Illinois to Toledo, Ohio. Advisors' Opinion: [By Claudia Assis] Among a handful of gainers, Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) �shares advanced 1.3%. [By Dimitra DeFotis] Oil prices headed past $108 per barrel, bringing with them a number of energy producers and drillers, as we reported here. But refiners fell, including Marathon Petroleum (MPC);�ExxonMobil (XOM) was off as well. [By Chris Dieterich] After the closing bell, the exchanges said in alerts that trades made between 3:49 p.m. and 3:51 p.m. Eastern in AOL, Nabors Industries Ltd.(NBR), Lorillard Inc.(LO), Marathon Petroleum Corp.(MPC), and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd(CNQ.T) and Nasdaq clearly erroneous. 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