Undervalued Stocks To Buy For 2017: 2014

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

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.

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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Hot Gas Utility Stocks To Watch For 2015

Hot Gas Utility Stocks To Watch For 2015: Puma Biotechnology Inc (PBYI)

Puma Biotechnology, Inc., incorporated in April 2007, is a development-stage biopharmaceutical company that acquires and develops products for the treatment of various forms of cancer. The Company focuses on in-licensing drug candidates that are undergoing or have already completed initial clinical testing for the treatment of cancer and then seeks to further develop those drug candidates for commercial use. As of December 31, 2011, the Company licensed three drug candidates: PB272 (neratinib (oral)), which the Company is developing for the treatment of advanced breasts cancer patients and gastric cancer patients; PB272 (neratinib (intravenous)), which the Company is developing for the treatment of advanced cancer patients, and PB357.

PB272 (neratinib (oral))-Breast Cancer

Neratinib is a potent irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor, or TKI, that blocks signal transduction through the epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs), HER1, HER2 and HER4. The Company's initial focus is on the development of neratinib as an oral treatment of patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer.

PB272 (neratinib (intravenous))

The Company develops neratinib as an intravenously administered agent. In pre-clinical studies the intravenous version of neratinib resulted in higher exposure levels of neratinib in pre-clinical models.

PB357

PB357 is an orally administered agent that is an irreversible TKI that blocks signal transduction through the epidermal growth factor receptors, HER1, HER2, and HER4. PB357 is structurally similar to PB272. Pfizer completed single dose Phase I trials of PB357. The Company is evaluating PB357.

The Company competes with Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim, Takeda, Array Biopharma and Ambit Biosciences.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By George Budwell]
With that being said! , developmental biotechs that fall hard on news could be worth taking a look at because they may have fallen for all the wrong reasons. Puma Biotechnology (NYSE: PBYI ) , for example, plummeted by 25% about a month ago after reporting mid-stage clinical trial data for the company's flagship cancer drug PB272 (neratinib).
[By Ben Levisohn]
After big rallies by biotech stocks, the folks at Weeden wondered if the rally getting overdone.UBS analyst Matthew Roden and team think biotech stocks like Gilead Sciences(GILD), Celgene(CELG),Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX),Puma Biotechnology (PBYI) and Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN) can keep running. They explain why:

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/hot-gas-utility-stocks-to-watch-for-2015-3.html

Twitter sinks as user growth underwhelms

Click the chart for more info.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Investors are starting to lose patience with Twitter.

Shares sank nearly 9% in after-hours trading Tuesday following uninspiring first-quarter results from the social-media company.

Twitter's active-user base is still growing, hitting 255 million as of last month. But that was only a 6% increase from the previous quarter -- not the breakneck pace that investors have come to expect from young social media companies.

Hot Promising Companies To Watch For 2015

Twitter (TWTR) booked $250 million in sales for the first quarter, but it still wasn't profitable, losing $132 million. Both revenue and Twitter's quarterly loss managed to beat Wall Street analysts' forecasts.

But Twitter's outlook wasn't much to be excited about: The company expects sales to rise only modestly to between $270 million and $280 million in the current quarter. That's in line with analysts' expectations, but investors were clearly hoping for more.

Twitter has been one of the biggest losers in this year's downturn for tech stocks, falling over 30% since the start of 2014. It is the second-worst performer in CNNMoney's Tech 30 index.

The stock surged over 70% on during its debut on the New York Stock exchange in November to $44.90, but was down to $43.03 as of Tuesday's close.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015

Top 10 Dow Dividend Companies To Watch For 2015: iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (IEO)

iShares Dow Jones U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Oil Exploration & Production Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the oil exploration and production sub-sector of the United States equity market. The Index includes companies that are engaged in the exploration for and extraction, production, refining and supply of oil and gas products.

The Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. Since all of the securities included in the Index are issued by companies in the oil exploration and production sub-sector, the Fund will be concentrated in the exploration and production industry. The Funds investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Michael Burnick]
The big E&P (exploration and production) and major integrated oil stocks see profits rise and fall with the price of crude. The iShares US Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (IEO) is one way to play this part of the oil patch.
[By Selena Maranjian]
Exchange-traded funds offer a convenient way to invest in sectors or niches that interest you. If you'd like to add some gas and oil stocks to your portfolio, the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Oil and Gas Exploration Index ETF (NYSEMKT: IEO ) could save you a lot of trouble. Instead of trying to figure out which companies will perform best, you can use this gas and oil ETF to invest in lots of them simultaneously.

The basics
ETFs often sport lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins. The gas and oil ETF's expense ratio -- its annual fee -- is a relatively low 0.47%. The fund is on the small side, to! o, so if you're thinking of buying, beware of possibly large spreads between its bid and ask prices. Consider using a limit order if you want to buy in to this gas and oil ETF.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-10-dow-dividend-companies-to-watch-for-2015-2.html

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Going Naked Has Its Place, Just Not in Options

I don't like trading opens stand alone, outright, or as it's sometimes called, naked.

The problem with buying options outright is that you can get the direction right and still lose money. That's because time decay works against you. I often lecture on trading options in three dimensions, with only one of them being direction. That's the What. The other two dimensions being time, the When, and Velocity, the how fast.

You can be right on the what, be wrong on the other two and lose money. Let's say you're bearish on Google (GOOG), now trading at 1142. You think it will be 1100 by the February expiration and you buy the Feb 1100 put. And, you're right, it goes to 1100 but it goes there very slowly. Don't forget, the 1100 put is still worthless at expiration with GOOG at 1100.

It's far better to trade in the form of a spread. Let's say you buy the 1100-900 vertical put spread. Your entry level price is much reduced, which acts as a buffer. Now, a vertical spread will cap your profits as the 1100-900 put spread can never be worth more than 20. But, hey, that's how trading works. You cap your risk means capping your reward.

Speaking of capping your risk, selling options outright, or naked, means an unlimited risk exposure. With the maximum reward being the premium you collect. I never advise taking on any position with unlimited risk exposure. So, once again, trade in the form of a spread.

Let's say you think GOOG will stay right around 1140 until expiration. You can sell the february 1140 straddle naked at 73, or $7300 per straddle. Admittedly, that's a lot of money. But, that's all you can make and your risk is unlimited.

So, if you buy the Feb 1220 call at 10 and the Feb 1020 put at 5 (the strangle at 15), you make 58, $5800, instead, but your risk is capped.

In conclusion, while we all like being naked now and again, being naked in options trading is not the way to be.

........

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Options Markets

Originally posted here...

Most Popular Earnings Expectations For The Week Of January 13: Big Banks, GE, Intel And More ETFs Poised For Apple Rally (AAPL, IYW, XLK, QQQ, GOOG, MSFT) China Gold Stone Mining Reports Cash Tender Bid for Allied Nevada Shares, Tendering Holders Will Be Paid $7.50/Share in Cash UPDATE: JMP Securities Reiterates Coverage on ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Sees Market Share Regain UPDATE: Stifel Downgrades Cree on Recent Performance Coming Soon: 3D Printing For Everyone Related Articles () L&L Selected Ernst & Young Advisory Services to Support its Independent investigation Benzinga's M&A Chatter for Tuesday January 14, 2014 IHS Inc. Announces Pricing of Secondary Public Offering of Class A Common Stock at $116 per Share Google's Deal to Purchase Nest Labs Sends a Surge Through the Home Automation Industry Document Security Systems Provides Update on Stay of Proceedings for VirtualAgility and Bascom Research Cases Macquarie Infrastructure Announces No Performance Fee Payable for Q4 2013 Around the Web, We're Loving... Lightspeed Trading Presents: Thunder and Tubleweeds: Trading Techniques for the New Market Enviroment Pope Francis Rips 'Trickle-Down' Economics Come See How the Pro's Trade in this Exclusive Webinar Wynn, MGM, Other Casino Giants Vying For U.S. Turf What Should You Know About AMZN? View the discussion thread. Partner Network View upcoming Earnings, Ratings, Dividend and Economic Calendars. //

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Top 10 Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014

The CEO of recreation vehicle (RV) stock Winnebago Industries, Inc (NYSE: WGO) recently appeared on CNBC to say that the economy is improving for RV makers, meaning its time to take a closer look at the stock plus take a look at the performance of other small cap RV stocks like Drew Industries, Inc (NYSE: DW), Skyline Corporation (NYSEMKT: SKY) and Thor Industries, Inc (NYSE: THO).

What is Winnebago Industries, Inc?

Incorporated under the laws of the state of Iowa on February 12, 1958, small cap Winnebago Industries is a manufacturer of RVs, which are used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. Specifically, the company builds�motor homes, travel trailers and fifth wheel products under the Winnebago庐, Itasca庐, Winnebago Touring Coach�� SunnyBrook庐, and Metro��brand names and then�markets these recreational vehicles on a wholesale basis to a diversified dealer organization located throughout the US and Canada. Other products manufactured by the company�consists of�original equipment manufacturing (OEM) parts, including extruded aluminum and other component products for other manufacturers and commercial vehicles.

Best Canadian Companies To Watch For 2015: SeaWorld Entertainment Inc (SEAS)

SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., incorporated on October 2, 2009, is a theme park and entertainment company. The Company is engaged in delivering personal, interactive and educational experiences that blend imagination with nature and enable its customers to celebrate, connect with and care for the natural world. The Company own or license a portfolio of globally recognized brands including SeaWorld, Shamu and Busch Gardens. The Company has built a diversified portfolio of 11 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States. Its theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests. In addition to its theme parks, it has recently begun to leverage its brands into media, entertainment and consumer products.

The Company generates revenue primarily from selling admission to its theme parks and from purchases of food, merchandise and other spending. During the year ended December 31, 2012, it hosted more than 24 million guests in its theme parks, including approximately 3.5 million international guests from over 55 countries and six continents. In 2012, the Company opened new attractions in seven of its theme parks. In November 2012, the Company acquired Knott�� Soak City, a standalone Southern California water park, from an affiliate of Cedar Fair L.P. The Company�� products and services include Admission Tickets, Theme Park Operations, Culinary Offerings , Merchandise , Licensing and Consumer Products , Group Events and Conventions and Corporate Sponsorships and Strategic Alliances.

Admission Tickets, which generate most of its revenue from selling admission to its theme parks. The Company also offers a Fun Card at select theme parks that allows additional visits throughout that calendar year. In addition, visitors can purchase vacation packages with preferred hotels, behind-the-scenes tours, specialt! y dining packages and front of the line access to enhance their experience. Theme Park Operations delivers a level of service, safety and security at its theme parks. It comprised of rides, shows and attractions operations, safety, security, environmental, water park and guest arrival services (including parking, tolls, admissions, guest relations, entry and exit), the theme park operations team manages the planning and execution of the overall theme park experience on a daily basis.

Culinary Offerings delivers a variety of high quality, creative and memorable culinary experiences to its guests. Culinary operations are strategically organized into five key guest-oriented disciplines designed to drive in-park per capita spending: restaurants, catering, carts and kiosks, specialty snacks and vending. The Company�� culinary team focuses on providing creative menu offerings that appeal to our diverse guest base. Merchandise offers guests the opportunity to capture memories through its products and services, including through traditional retail shops, game venues and customized photos and videos. It focuses on effort to leverage the emotional connection of the theme park experiences, capitalize on trends and optimize brand alignment with its merchandise product offerings.

Licensing and Consumer Products capitalize on its brands, it has begun to leverage its intellectual property and content through media and consumer strategic licensing arrangements. It extended the reach of its brands through outbound media licensing in areas such as films, television programs and digital e-books, as well as its first-ever multi-platform mobile app game, TurtleTrek, which launched on iTunes in November 2012. Group Events and Conventions host a variety of different group events, meetings and conventions at its theme parks both during the day and at night. Its venues offer indoor and outdoor space for meetings, special events, entertainment shows, picnics, teambuilding events, group tours and spec! ial group! ticket packages. Park buy-outs allow groups to enjoy exclusive itineraries, including meetings and shows, up-close encounters with animals and behind the scenes tours. Corporate Sponsorships and Strategic Alliances seek to secure long-term corporate sponsorships and strategic alliances with companies and brands that share its core values, deliver brand marketing value and influence and drive mutual business gains. Its current corporate sponsors include, among others, Southwest Airlines, which has been a sponsor for over 20 years, and The Coca-Cola Company.

SeaWorld.

SeaWorld is recognized as the marine-life theme park brand in the world. Its SeaWorld theme parks, located in Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego, each rank among the most highly attended theme parks in the industry and offer up-close interactive experiences and a variety of live performances, including shows featuring Shamu in specially designed amphitheaters. It offers its guests numerous animal encounters, including the opportunity to work with trainers and feed marine animals, as well as themed thrill rides and theatrical shows that creatively incorporate its animal collection.

Busch Gardens

Its Busch Gardens theme parks are family-oriented destinations designed to immerse guests in foreign geographic settings. They are renowned for their beauty and landscaping and gardens and allow its guests to discover the natural side of fun by offering a family experience featuring a range of attractions and rollercoasters in a richly-themed environment. Busch Gardens Tampa presents its collection of animals from Africa, Asia and Australia.

Aquatica

Its Aquatica branded water parks are premium, family-oriented destinations that are based in a South Seas-themed tropical setting. Aquatica water parks build on the aquatic theme of its SeaWorld brand and feature high-energy rides, water attractions, white-sand beaches ande entertaining presentation of marine and terrestrial an! imals. Th! e Company positions its Aquatica water parks as companion water parks to its SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando and San Diego and it has an Aquatica water park situated within its SeaWorld San Antonio theme park.

Discovery Cove

Discovery Cove is a reservations only, all-inclusive, marine-life day resort adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando. Discovery Cove offers guests personal, signature experiences, including the opportunity to swim and interact with dolphins, take an underwater walking reef tour and enjoy pristine white-sand beaches and landscaped private cabanas. Discovery Cove presently limits its attendance to approximately 1,300 guests per day and features premium culinary offerings in order to provide guests with a more relaxed, intimate and high-end luxury resort experience.

Sesame Place

Sesame Place is the only United States theme park based entirely on the television show Sesame Street. It is located between Philadelphia and New York City, Sesame Place is a destination where parents and children can share in the spirit of imagination and experience Sesame Street together through whirling rides, water slides, colorful shows and furry friends. In addition, it has introduced Sesame Street brands in its other theme parks through Sesame Street-themed rides, shows, children�� play areas and merchandise.

The Company competes with The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Six Flags, Cedar Fair, Merlin Entertainments and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
www.sixflags.com Summer is the peak season for enjoying thrill rides and family-friendly attractions at amusement and theme parks. Summer may also be a good time to approach these havens of coasters and cotton candy as investing ideas. Let's go over a few reasons why the fundamentals are strong for the industry. 1. Big Thrills Add Up to Big Yields Six Flags (SIX) and Cedar Fair (FUN) -- the country's two largest regional amusement park operators -- combined to entertain 49.6 million guests last year, and 80 percent of those visits came between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Many publicly traded amusement park operators pay out hefty quarterly distributions. Cedar Fair can get the credit for that pocket-happy trend. It's organized as a limited partnership, distributing most of its income to its stakeholders. Cedar Fair units currently yield 5.3 percent. When Six Flags returned as a public company four years ago, it decided to also declare beefy dividends. It now yields a healthy 4.5 percent. Even marine life park operator SeaWorld (SEAS) decided to ride the wave when it went public in last year. Its stock packs a 2.8 percent yield. Leading theme park operators Disney (DIS) and Universal Studios parent Comcast (CMCSK) aren't as generous with their payouts, with yields of 1 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively. 2. Parks are Making Big Investments for the Future Gated attractions aren't hesitating to make big investments that will pay off in the coming years. Just a few days ago, Indiana's Holiday World announced that it will spend $22 million for an ambitious expansion next summer that includes the country's first launched wing coaster. If a small yet critically acclaimed family-owned park can justify that kind of investment, one can only imagine what the larger operators will do. Universal Orlando has made a nine-figure investment this summer in its bar-raising Diagon Alley expansion. Despite some operating hiccups with the Harry Potter-themed area's flagshi
[By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]
Amy Sancetta/AP Plenty of stocks go up and down in any given week. The gainers inspire us to keep investing. The decliners keep greed in check while reminding us about the risks of the equity markets. Let's go over some of last week's best and worst performers. Chiquita Brands (CQB) -- Up 35 Percent Last Week Investors went bananas over Chiquita after it received -- and rejected -- a buyout offer. Cutrale and Safra offered an unsolicited offer to buy the banana giant at a price of $13 a share, representing a 29 percent premium to where Chiquita closed before bid was made public. Chiquita's board rejected the offer. The stock still moved higher -- above and beyond $13 -- on the possibility of Cutrale and Safra sweetening their bid. Monster Beverage (MNST) -- Up 34 Percent Last Week Soft drinks are out, and adrenaline-boosting energy drinks are in. Coca-Cola (KO) knows this, so it announced on Friday morning that it was buying a nearly 17 percent stake in Monster Beverage for $2.15 billion. Monster and Red Bull dominate this niche despite growing concerns about the health risks of young consumers taking in too many energy drinks. Monster's stock rallied on Friday. Investors may be hoping that Coca-Cola eventually swallows down all of Monster, but in the meantime it validates the beverage category. United Online (UNTD) -- Up 20 Percent Last Week It's possible to be at the right place at the right time but with the wrong approach. United Online hasn't been the market darling that it could have been given its ability to hop on to trends early. After all, it acquired alum-reuniting Classmates before social networking was hot. It built up NetZero when the country was just starting to migrate online. It also bought MyPoints from a legacy airline before the appeal of online coupons and loyalty clubs became popular. However, investors were rewarded last week when United Online posted preliminary quarterly results. Its bean counters are still trying to assess th
[By Steve Symington]
In addition, as fellow fool Rick Munarriz pointed out, Disney is taking a little less heat this year thanks to the fact that both�Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSK ) Universal Orlando and�SeaWorld� (NYSE: SEAS ) �only just finished raising prices for their own respective Florida parks.

Top 10 Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Thomas Cook Group plc (TCG)

Thomas Cook Group plc is a United Kingdom-based leisure travel company. The Company operates in 19 source markets and operates under brands, including Thomas Cook, Neckermann, Condor, Jet tours, Ving, Spies and Tja reborg. Thomas Cook directly or indirectly controls a number of subsidiaries. The Company also has investments in other companies. It operates a combined fleet of 87 aircraft. The Company�� operating structure comprises four segments which are principally organized according to the location of the customer�� origin. These are United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Northern Europe and Airlines Germany. Advisors' Opinion:

[By Sarah Jones]
Thomas Cook Group Plc (TCG) dropped 7.7 percent to 116.1 pence. The tour operator admitted new shares to its listing this week. The company last month announced plans to raise 425 million pounds in a rights offer and share placement.
[By Inyoung Hwang]
Thomas Cook Group Plc (TCG) tumbled 9.9 percent for the biggest drop in five months. UBS AG removed the 172-year-old U.K. tour operator from its list of preferred stocks, citing the ��igh-profile media coverage��of the violence in Egypt.
[By Tom Stoukas]
Thomas Cook (TCG) lost 6.6 percent to 145.3 pence, its biggest decline since Sept. 5. The tour operator said winter bookings started more slowly than last year across most markets due to geopolitical events and warm weather in Europe.
[By Sofia Horta e Costa]
Rio Tinto Group climbed 2.9 percent after saying it will cost $3 billion less than projected to increase iron ore output capacity. Boliden AB (BOL) added 3.1 percent as Morgan Stanley raised its rating on the stock. Thomas Cook Group Plc (TCG) rose 13 percent after the travel operator posted a 49 percent increase in full-year earnings. British tobacco companies slipped following a report that after a U.K. minister announced the review of cigarette packaging.

Top 10 Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Life Time Fitness Inc (LTM)

Life Time Fitness, Inc., incorporated on October 15, 1990, operates multi-use sports and athletic, professional fitness, family recreation and spa centers in a resort-like environment. As of February 28, 2013, the Company operated 105 centers under the LIFE TIME FITNESS and LIFE TIME ATHLETIC SM brands primarily in suburban locations in 28 major markets in the United States and Canada. The Company�� model centers target 7,500 to 11,000 memberships by offering, on average, 114,000 square feet of multi-use sports and athletic, professional fitness, family recreation, spa amenities and programs and services in a resort-like environment. Life Time programs include a range of interest areas, such as group fitness, yoga, swimming, running, racquetball, squash, tennis, Pilates, martial arts, kids activities and camps, adult activities and leagues, rock climbing, cycling, basketball, personal training, weight loss and nutrition initiatives, spa, medi-spa and chiropractic services. Life Time program offerings may vary by location. Effective August 28, 2012, MGC Diagnostics Corporation sold the assets of its New Leaf business to the Company.

The Company's offerings also include the Company's line of nutritional products and supplements, and its magazine, Experience Life. The Company also has an Athletic Events division, which offers more than 100 events each year, including running, cycling and triathlon events from entry-level to ultra-endurance. Additionally, the Company offers a portfolio of health assessments to its members at its centers, as well as employees at corporate clients, along with partnerships with health insurance companies. The Company offers different types of membership plans for individuals, couples and families. The Company's memberships include the primary member's children under the age of 12 at a modest per child monthly cost. The Company provides the majority of its members with a variety of services with their membership, including group fitness classes and fitness asse! ssments, towel and locker service and an online subscription to its magazine, Experience Life. The Company's membership plans include initial 14-day money back guarantees and are month-to-month, cancelable by giving up to 60 days advance notice. The Company's ancillary businesses include media, athletic events and related services, health promotion programs and training and certification programs.

The Company offers one-on-one sessions and small group sessions for individual member and a group of two to four members. The Company offers large group (typically eight to 12 members) programs under its T.E.A.M. platform. The Company's T.E.A.M. Weight Loss program focuses on exercise, education and nutrition and provides the resources and support toward long-term weight loss. The T.E.A.M. Fitness program combines cardio exercise with strength training. The Company's endurance program focuses on training in the proper heart rate zones, for the proper duration of time and at the proper frequency to burn fat more efficiently while improving overall health and fitness. The Company's T.E.A.M. Boot Camp enables members to test their strength, agility and stamina. From time to time, the Company also offers other weight loss and nutrition programs, such as the Life Time 90-Day Weight Loss Challenge, as an opportunity for members to receive education, training and motivation. The Company's centers offer fitness programs, including group fitness classes and health and fitness training seminars on subjects ranging from metabolism to personal nutrition. On average, the Company offers 85 group fitness classes per week at each current model center, including studio cycling, step workout, dance classes, circuit training and fitness yoga classes.

The Company's large format centers feature a Life Cafe, which offers fresh and healthy made-to-order and pre-prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner items, including sandwiches, salads, snacks, shakes and more. The Company's Life Cafes offer customers the cho! ice of di! ning indoors, ordering their meals and snacks to go or, in each of the Company's model centers and certain of its other large format centers, dining outdoors at the poolside bistro. Life Cafes also typically offer the Life Time line of nutritional products and supplements, third-party nutritional products, exercise accessories and personal care products. The Company's LifeSpa is a salon and spa. Each in-center LifeSpa offers hair, body, skin care and massage therapy services, customized to each client's individual needs. The Company also offers medi-spa services in select locations. LifeClinic Chiropractic services are provided by licensed chiropractors. LifeClinic Chiropractic offers non-invasive form of soft tissue and joint treatment. The Company's centers offer on-site child centers for children from three months through 11 years of age as part of a monthly fee per child. All of the Company's large format centers offer a variety of additional programs for children, which may include birthday parties, school break camps, parents' night out, sports and fitness classes and swimming lessons. For adults, the Company offers a variety of sports leagues and interest-driven clubs.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company produced over 100 events, serving over 90,000 participants. The Company's events range from entry level to ultra endurance events and draw from local, regional, national and international markets. The Company's larger events include triathlons such as the Life Time Tri Minneapolis and Life Time Tri Chicago, as well as the iconic Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race Across the Sky. The Company produces events primarily in markets in which the Company operates centers, including themed runs such as the Torchlight 5K Run and Turkey Day 5K. The Company offers a line of nutritional products, including Men's and Women 's Performance Multivitamins, Omega-3 Fish oils, Joint Maintenance Formulation, LeanSource Soft Gels, VeganMax, Whey Protein, and FastFuel Complete, its me! al replac! ement product.

The Company competes with 4 Hour Fitness Worldwide, Inc., Equinox Holdings, Inc., LA Fitness International, LLC, Town Sports International, Inc. and Gold's Gym.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Will Ashworth]
Activist investor Mick McGuire reported last week that his firm, Marcato Capital, acquired 7.2% of Life Time Fitness (LTM), the Minneapolis-based operator of 110 super-sized fitness centers nationwide. Although LTM stock is up 13% year-to-date through May 28, McGuire believes its stock price can do a lot more.
[By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Life Time Fitness (NYSE: LTM ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 10 Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Callaway Golf Co (ELY)

Callaway Golf Company, incorporated on May 7, 1999, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures and sells golf clubs (drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters) and golf balls, and also sells golf accessories (such as golf bags, golf gloves, headwear, towels, umbrellas and travel gear) under the Callaway Golf and Odyssey brand names. The Company sells pre-owned golf products through its Website, www.callawaygolfpreowned.com. In addition, it sells Callaway Golf and Odyssey products direct to consumers online through its Websites shop.callawaygolf.com and www.odysseygolf.com. The Company also licenses its trademarks and service marks in exchange for a royalty fee to third parties for use on golf related accessories, including apparel, footwear, eyewear, rangefinders and practice aids. Its products are sold in the United States and in approximately 100 countries around the world.

The Company designs, manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and designs and sells golf accessories. The Company�� products are designed for golfers of all skill levels, both amateur and professional. The Company�� principal products include Drivers, Fairway Woods and Hybrids; Irons; Putters; Golf Balls, and Accessories, Softgoods and Other. Drivers, Fairway Woods and Hybrids product category includes sales of the Company�� drivers, fairway woods and hybrid products, which are sold under the Callaway Golf brand. Irons include sales of the Company�� irons and wedges, which are sold under the Callaway Golf brand. Putters include sales of the Company�� putters, which are sold under the Odyssey brand. Golf Balls includes sales of the Company�� golf balls, which are sold under the Callaway Golf and Strata brands. Accessories, Softgoods and Other includes sales of golf bags, golf gloves, golf footwear, rangefinders, golf apparel, packaged club sets, headwear, towels, umbrellas, eyewear and other accessories, as well as sales of pre-owned products through www.callawaygolfpre! owned.com. Additionally, this product category includes royalties from licensing of the Company�� trademarks and service marks on products such as golf apparel, golf footwear, rangefinders and practice aids.

The Company competes with TaylorMade, Ping, Acushnet, Puma, SRI Sports Limited, Mizuno, Bridgestone, and Nike.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Greg Pugh] Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) has forged a reputation as a leader in golf equipment innovation. However, the company started sliding in 2008 due to recession, while the brand image fell as well. US industry golf sales hit a floor and flattened just above $1.8 billion between 2009 and 2011, but have started to rebound in the last two years.
[By Jeff Reeves]
Callaway Golf (ELY) is the ultimate consumer discretionary play, since its drivers and golf bags are hardly something people splurge on when times are tough. However, consumer spending continues to improve and the hopes of a decent Christmas shopping season and strong 2014 could bode well for Callaway.
[By Lauren Pollock]
Callaway Golf Co.'s(ELY) third-quarter loss narrowed significantly as the golf equipment maker reported a jump in sales and sharp increase in gross margins. Results for the period easily topped Wall Street’s expectations, sending shares up.
[By Jayson Derrick]
Analysts at Raymond James upgraded Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) to Strong Buy from a previous Market Perform with a price target of $9.50. The analysts are confident in the company's turnaround prospects. Shares gained 7.16 percent, closing at $8.53.

Top 10 Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Marine Products Corp (MPX)

Marine Products Corporation (Marine Products), incorporated on August 31, 2000, designs, manufactures and sells recreational fiberglass powerboats in the sportboat, deckboat, cruiser, sport yacht and sport fishing markets. The Company sells its products to a network of 135 domestic and 69 international independent authorized dealers. The Company focuses to remain a manufacturer of recreational powerboats for sale to a range of consumers globally. The Company manufactures Chaparral sterndrive and inboard-powered pleasure boats including H2O Sport and Fish & Ski boats, SSi and SSX Sportboats, Sunesta Sportdecks and Xtreme Tow boats, Signature Cruisers, Premiere Sport Yachts and Robalo outboard sport fishing boats. The Company offers a range of products to the family recreational, cruiser and sport yacht markets through its Chaparral brand, and to the sport fishing market through its Robalo brand.

The Company's products include Chaparral - H2O Sport Series, which is a fiberglass multipurpose runabouts; Chaparral - SSi Wide tech, which is a fiberglass closed deck runabouts; Chaparral - SSX Sportdecks, which is a fiberglass bowrider crossover sportboats; Chaparral - Sunesta Xtreme Tow Boats, which is a fiberglass pleasure boats; Chaparral - Signature Cruisers, which is a fiberglass, accommodation-focused cruisers; Chaparral - Premiere Sport Yacht, which is a fiberglass sport yacht, and Robalo - Sport Fishing Boats, which is a sport fishing boats for freshwater lakes or saltwater use. Domestic sales are made through approximately 74 Chaparral dealers, 16 Robalo dealers and 45 dealers that sell both brands located in markets throughout the United States. Marine Products also has 69 international dealers.

The Company competes with Sea Hunt, Sea Fox, Grady-White, Boston Whaler, Everglades and Parker.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Sean Williams]
Sink or swim
Sometimes the best short-sale opportunities are small, under-the-radar companies. One that I feel fits the bill perfectly is fiberglass boat maker Marine Products (NYSE: MPX ) .
[By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Marine Products (NYSE: MPX ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Top 10 Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Sealand Natural Resources Inc (SLNR)

Sealand Natural Resources Inc. (SLNR), incorporated on May 13, 2011, is a research and new product development company that manufactures, markets and sells new age functional beverages (SealandBirk), organic nutriceuticals, health supplements, medicinal raw materials and health food worldwide. SLNR specializes in research of natural new product development and mass market consumer product distribution. Its Products include Sealand BIRK, Sealand Living and Sealand research and development (R&D). Sealand Living Anew products offer supply of healing nutrients to athletic training.

Anew omega premium is a food supplement consists of shark cartilage powder, fish bone powder, and omega three polyunsaturated fatty acids. Anew omega premium is designed to reduce the decomposition, to stimulate resynthesis of the joint cartilage and to reduce pain. Omega Premium consists of shark cartilage powder, codfish backbone powder, and fish oil powder. Anew nutripeptin is a food supply. Sealand BIRK consists of five flavors original, elderflower, raspberry, blueberry, ginger and lime.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By CRWE]
Today, SLNR remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $7.23 with 100 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 10:29AM EDT June 24, 2013).

Sealand Natural Resources Inc. previously reported recent company milestones as of May 31, 2013.

Lars Poulsen, Chief Executive Officer of Sealand Natural Resources Inc., commented, ��ealand BIRK beverage has made significant progress on a number of important fronts. Sealand BIRK is a ‘first mover,’ in the market place offering a unique organic harvested beverage, packed with micro nutrients, no added sugar, less than 60 calories with health hydration attributes for consumers. In the market today, only extremes are available for consumers, ranging from water to high sugar, high calorie, nutritionally-deficient beverages. We organically harvest and deliver Sealand BIRK beverages for consumers that encourage improved health, while being clear that our products have key differentiating factors that set us apart from the competition.

Top 10 Recreation Stocks To Buy For 2014: Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure Inc (DJRT)

Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure, Inc., incorporated on November 24, 1998, offers entertainment based oval driving schools and events. The Company owns several National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) type racecars. These classes are conducted at various racetracks throughout the country. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 15 racecars, and had purchased six additional racecars for its Las Vegas hub. These racecars are classified as stock cars and are equipped for oval or round tracks only.

The Company offers five types of ride or drive programs for individuals and corporations. The Qualifier is a three lap ride with a professional driver, which lasts about five minutes, depending on the length of the track. The Season Opener is a half day training class culminating in the student driving 10 laps. The Rookie Adventure and Happy Hour are also half day driving classes with the students driving 20 or 30 laps, respectively. The Advanced Stock Car Adventure is a full day 60 lap class. The main purpose of each event is the thrill of actually driving the race car. It owns a Miller Semi Tractor Trailer to haul the cars from track to track. The Company also offers a range of add-on sale items, including compact disks (CDs) from its adventure cam located in the car, clothing, souvenirs and photography.

The Company competes with Richard Petty Driving Experience.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Peter Graham]
Small cap stocks Alliance Creative Group Inc (OTCMKTS: ACGX), Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure Inc (OTCMKTS: DJRT), Inscor Inc (OTCMKTS: IOGA) and Solar Thin Films Inc (OTCMKTS: SLTZ) have all been getting some attention lately in various investment newsletters and it should come as no surprise that two out of four of these stocks have been the subject of paid promotions ��which tend to benefit traders. However, two out of four of these stocks also have pretty good financials for being small cap OTC stocks and that might make them attractive to investors with a long term time horizon. So which of these stocks might make traders some profits in the short term and investors some profits over the longer term? Here is a closer look to help you decide:

Friday, December 26, 2014

4 Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

>>5 Big Trades You Can't Miss This Week

Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Hedge Funds Love

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside today.

IntelliPharmaCeutics International

IntelliPharmaCeutics International's (IPCI) business activities include research, development and commercialization of controlled-release and targeted pharmaceutical products. This stock closed up 9.3% to $2.34 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $2.25-$2.39

52-Week Range: $1.50-$3.72

Thursday's Volume: 1.49 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 107,047

>>5 Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume

From a technical perspective, IPCI gapped up sharply higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $2.14 with monster upside volume. This move today saw IPCI fill a previous gap from last July that started near $2.40. Shares of IPCI closed near its intraday high on Thursday that was $2.39, which is bullish price action.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in IPCI as long as it's trending above its 200-day at $2.05 and then once it sustains a move or close above Thursday's high of $2.39 with volume that hits near or above 107,047 shares. If we get that move soon, then IPCI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.80 to just over $3. Any high-volume move above those levels will then give IPCI a chance to tag its 52-week high at $3.72.

Cyan

Cyan (CYNI) provides carrier-grade networking solutions that transform disparate and inefficient legacy networks into open, high-performance networks. It also offers high-capacity, multi-layer switching and transport platforms, known as Cyan Z-Series. This stock closed up 8.5% to $8.74 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $8.10-$8.84

52-Week Range: $7.85-$15.05

Thursday's Volume: 195,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 131,938

>>5 Stocks Warren Buffett Is Buying in 2013

From a technical perspective, CYNI soared higher here right above its recent low of $7.85 with above-average volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last four months, with shares pushing lower from its high of $15.05 to its recent low of $7.85. During that move, shares of CYNI have been making mostly lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, it looks like CYNI is ready to stop its downside volatility and push higher from oversold levels.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CYNI as long as it's trending above $8 or above that recent low of $7.85 and then once it sustains a move or close above some near-term overhead resistance at $9.30 with volume that hits near or above 131,938 shares. If we get that move soon, then CYNI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 50-day moving average of $10.21 to $11.40. Any high-volume move above $11.40 will then put $12 to $12.50 into range for shares of CYNI.

Meritor

Meritor (MTOR) is engaged in the supply of a range of integrated systems, modules and components to original equipment manufacturers and the aftermarket for commercial vehicle, transportation and industrial sectors. This stock closed up 5.9% to $7.79 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $7.40-$7.86

52-Week Range: $3.83-$8.50

Thursday's Volume: 787,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 1.31 million

>>Hedge Funds Hate These 7 Stocks -- but Should You?

From a technical perspective, MTOR bounced sharply higher here right off its 50-day moving average of $7.42 with lighter-than-average volume. This stock has found some buying interest over the last month, whenever it's pulled back just below its $7.40. Shares of MTOR are now quickly moving within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if MTOR manages to take out its 52-week high at $8.50 and then once it clears some past resistance at $8.74 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MTOR as long as it's trending above $7.32 or above $7 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 1.31 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then MTOR will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are its next major overhead resistance levels at $10.31 to $12.

Meadowbrook Insurance Group

Meadowbrook Insurance Group (MIG) is a specialty commercial insurance underwriter and insurance administration services company, underwriting specialty property and casualty insurance programs and products on both an admitted and non-admitted basis. This stock closed up 2% to $6.09 in Thursday's trading session.

Thursday's Range: $5.94-$6.10

52-Week Range: $5.21-$8.90

Thursday's Volume: 353,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 408,859

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

From a technical perspective, MIG bounced modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $5.86 with decent upside volume. This stock recently plunged lower from $8.87 to that low of $5.85 with heavy downside volume flows. That move has now pushed shares of MIG into oversold territory, since its current relative strength index reading is 26.60. Oversold can always get more oversold, but it's also an area where a stock can make a powerful bounce higher from if buyers move in.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in MIG as long as it's trending above that low at $5.86 and then once it sustains a move or close above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $6.63 to its 200-day moving average at $6.95 with volume that hits near or above 408,859 shares. If we get that move soon, then MIG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $7.43 to its 50-day moving average at $7.72.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2014

It's no secret that oil and gas behemoth Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) operates in a vast array of locations. Along with being a major player in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, it's also the top dog in Australia's burgeoning LNG world. It's active in Sub-Saharan Africa and is the only major company working upstream in Saudi Arabia. It's also busy across Southeast Asia, and is trying to plumb hydrocarbons from Poland's shale formations.

But it's in South America, a continent on which it's figuratively been "snakebit" for years, that Chevron has made notable strides of late. The company has been attempting to fend off pesky legal challenges in Ecuador for about two decades, has seen its operations in Brazil called to a halt by an oil spill, and has evidenced a desire to begin operations in geologically promising but politically unstable Argentina.

Now, almost at once, there are tangible developments on all three of these fronts. Of course, progress in Ecuador, OPEC's tiniest member, doesn't imply new oil or gas discoveries or a pact for new exploratory efforts. It simply means that an ordeal of lawsuits and countersuits, all played out against a backdrop of apparently rampant fraud in the Ecuadorian legal system, may be coming to an end.

Hot Financial Companies To Watch For 2015: Maxim Integrated Products Inc.(MXIM)

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

Advisors' Opinion:

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

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2014: Cytomedix Inc (CMXI)

Cytomedix, Inc. (Cytomedix), incorporated in April 29, 1998, is a regenerative therapies company marketing and developing products within the United States and internationally .The Company commercializes cell-based technologies that harness the regenerative capacity of the human body to trigger natural healing. The Company is a commercial operation, and a robust clinical pipeline representing a logical extension of its commercial technologies in the evolving field of regenerative medicine. Cytomedix primarily operates in the United States. Its commercial offerings are centered on its point of care platform technologies for the safe and efficient separation of blood and bone marrow to produce platelet based therapies or cell concentrates.

The Company markets and selsl two distinct platelet rich plasma (PRP) technologies, the AutoloGel System for wound care and the Angel concentrated Platelet Rich Plasma (cPRP) Sytem in orthopedic and cardiovascular markets. Its clinical pipeline includes the ALDH, which are cell-based therapies (Bright Cells). In February 2012, the Company acquired Aldagen, Inc.

The AutoloGel System

The AutoloGel System is a point of care device for the production of a platelet based bioactive therapy derived from a small sample of the patient�� own blood. Using the patient�� own platelets as a therapeutic agent, AutoloGel harnesses the body�� natural healing processes to deliver growth factors, chemokines and cytokines known to promote angiogenesis and to regulate cell growth and the formation of new tissue.

Angel Product Line

The Angel concentrated Platelet Rich Plasma (cPRP) System is a multi-functional cell separation device which produces concentrated platelet rich plasma for use in the operating room and clinic and is used in a range of orthopedic and cardiovascular indications. Similar to the AutoloGel System, the Angel System is a point of care device for the production of a concentrated, aseptic platelet! -based bioactive therapy derived from a small sample of the patient�� own blood. The resulting cPRP is applied at the site of injury to promote healing. The Angel product line also includes ancillary products such as phlebotomy and applicator supplies and activAT. activAT is designed to produce autologous thrombin serum from platelet poor plasma and is sold exclusively in Europe and Canada, where it provides a safe alternative to bovine-derived products.

ALDHbr Cell Technology and Development Pipeline

The ALDHbr (Bright Cell) technology is an approach to cell-based regenerative medicine and a logical extension of its commercial technologies in the evolving regenerative medicine market, with potential clinical indications in markets with unmet medical needs such as peripheral arterial disease and ischemic stroke. The Bright Cell technology is in that it utilizes an intracellular enzyme marker to facilitate fractionation of essential regenerative cells from a patient�� bone marrow. The bone marrow fractionation process identifies and isolates active stem and progenitor cells expressing high levels of the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase, or ALDH, which is a key enzyme involved in the regulation of gene activities associated with cell proliferation and differentiation.

The Company�� lead product candidate, ALD-401, is an autologous preparation of Bright Cells for the post-acute treatment of ischemic stroke. ALD-401 is being evaluated in the RECOVER-Stroke clinical study, an ongoing 100-patient, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study in patients with unilateral, cerebral ischemic stroke with an NIH stroke scale score of less than 22. An additional product candidate, ALD-301, is in clinical development for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a condition causing reduced flow of blood and oxygen to muscles in the leg. It has completed a Phase 1/2 study of autologous ALD-301 in critical limb ischemia (CLI), a late stage condition caused by PAD. The Phase 2 PACE! (Patient! s with Intermittent Claudication Injected with ALDH Bright Cells) study is an 80 patient, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial intended to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of ALD-301 (Bright Cells) in patients diagnosed with IC.

The Company competes with Harvest Technologies (a subsidiary of Terumo), Biomet, Arteriocyte, and Arthrex.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By James E. Brumley]
To give credit where it's due, Cytomedix, Inc. (OTCBB:CMXI) and Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) have both helped shape the landscape of the hemostasis (bleeding control) market with their products, AutoloGel and TISSELL, respectively. Arch Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB:ARTH) has proverbially taken their concepts "up a notch", however, and its direct solution to a problem that CMXI and BAX can't quite solve may make ARTH the hottest trading candidate in the hemostasis space.
[By Bryan Murphy]
When traders think of post-surgical wound management stocks, they may first think of names like Cytomedix, Inc. (OTCBB:CMXI) or Alliqua Inc. (OTCMKTS:ALQA). And well they should. Both companies have something of a history in the arena. ALQA is the purveyor of SilverSeal and Hydress antibiotic bandages, while CMXI is the developer of the AutoloGel system, which induces an affected patient's on body to do what it's supposed to do if there's a wound that won't heal. Cytomedix also makes the Angel platelet-rich plasma (PRP) delivery system. There's a relatively new name to add to the list of game-changing stocks in wound-management industry, however.... Arch Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB:ARTH). The company is developing - well, has developed - a product called AC5 that nips post-surgical bleeding in the bud, largely negating the need for other post-surgical bleeding-control measures.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2014: PDI Inc.(PDII)

PDI, Inc. provides outsourced promotional services to various companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare industries in the United States. The company?s services offer customers a range of both personal and non-personal promotional options for the commercialization of their products throughout the product lifecycles, from development through maturity. It operates in three segments: Sales Services, Marketing Services, and Product Commercialization Services. The Sales Services segment focuses primarily on product detailing, which includes a sales representative meeting face-to-face with targeted physicians and other healthcare decision makers to provide a technical review of the product being promoted; and offers a portfolio of expanded sales services consisting of talent acquisition services, short-term teams, and vacancy coverage services. The Marketing Services segment is involved in the creation, design, and implementation of interactive digital commu nications programs to the healthcare community through the Internet, multimedia, tablet PCs, mobile devices, and dimensional direct mail, as well as DIAGRAM, a proprietary software to deliver non-personal selling solutions via interactive communications exchanges that accommodate the schedules of healthcare providers. This segment also engages in the creation of teledetailing programs executed via tele-representatives. The Product Commercialization Services segment provides product commercialization solutions, including product detailing, full supply chain management, operations, sales, marketing, compliance, and regulatory/medical management to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and diagnostics clients. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By CRWE]
PDI, Inc. (Nasdaq:PDII) reported the signing of a contract with a new customer to provide promotional services across PDI’s multiple communications channels that will target primary care physicians.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2014: Network Engines Inc(NEI)

Network Engines, Inc. designs and manufactures application platforms and appliance solutions on which software applications are applied for enterprise and telephony information technology networks. The company?s application platforms are pre-configured server-based network infrastructure devices designed to deliver specific software application functionality, and enhance the integration, manageability, and security of that software application in an end user?s network. It also offers platform management software tools and support services related to solution design, systems integration, application management, global logistics, and support and maintenance programs. The company markets its application platform solutions and services to original equipment manufacturers and independent software vendors in the United States and internationally. Network Engines, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By CRWE]
NEI (Nasdaq:NEI), a leading provider of server-based application platforms, deployment solutions and lifecycle support services for software technology developers and OEMs worldwide, announced today that it has signed a definitive merger agreement with UNICOM Systems, Inc. (“UNICOM”) and a new UNICOM subsidiary under which UNICOM, a global information technology company and part of the UNICOM group of companies, will acquire NEI for $1.45 per common share in cash.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2014: Digital River Inc.(DRIV)

Digital River, Inc. provides end-to-end global cloud-commerce and marketing solutions. The company offers a range of services that enables its customers to establish an online sales channel. Its services include design, development, and hosting of online stores and shopping carts; store merchandising and optimization; order management; denied parties screening; export controls and management; tax compliance and management; fraud management; digital product delivery via download; physical product fulfillment; subscription management; online marketing, including email marketing; management of affiliate programs; paid search programs; payment processing services; Web site optimization, Web analytics, and reporting; and CD production and delivery services. The company also provides paid search advertising, search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, store optimization, multi-variant testing, and Web analytic and e-mail optimization services. In addition, it offers a range of payment processing services, such as multiple payment methods, fraud management, tax management, cloud-based billing, and other payment optimization services. The company sells its products and services through Internet and direct sales force. It serves software, consumer electronics, and computer and video game product manufacturers, as well as online channel partners, including retailers and affiliates in the United States, Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Korea, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Digital River, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Garrett Cook]
Digital River (NASDAQ: DRIV) shares shot up 47.58 percent to $25.65 after the company agreed to be acquired by an investor group led by Siris Capital Group for $26.00 per share in cash.
[By Seth Jayson]
Digital River (Nasdaq: DRIV ) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 30. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Digital River's revenues will expand 0.4% and EPS will wane -85.0%.
[By Garrett Cook]
Digital River (NASDAQ: DRIV) shares shot up 46.84 percent to $25.52 after the company agreed to be acquired by an investor group led by Siris Capital Group for $26.00 per share in cash.

Hot Promising Stocks To Invest In 2014: Fortinet Inc (FTNT)

Fortinet, Inc. (Fortinet), incorporated November 28, 2000, provides network security solutions. Through the Company�� products and subscription services, Fortinet provides integrated and protection against security threats for enterprises, service providers and governmental entities worldwide. Its flagship Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution consists of its FortiGate physical and virtual appliance products that provide a range of security and networking functions, including firewall, virtual private networking (VPN), application control, antivirus, intrusion prevention, Web filtering, vulnerability management, antispam, wireless controller, and wide area network (WAN) acceleration. In addition, the Company offers virtual appliances for the FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiWeb, FortiMail, and FortiScan product lines. On December 7, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of XDN, Inc. (XDN), a privately held company that provides cloud-based content delivery solutions. On March 8, 2012, the Company completed the acquisition of IntruGuard Devices, Inc. (IntruGuard), a supplier of Intelligent Availability Protection Systems.

FortiGate appliances, from the FortiGate-20 for small businesses and branch offices to the FortiGate-5000 series for big enterprises and service providers, are based on its technology platform. This platform includes its FortiASICs, which are specifically designed for accelerated processing of security and networking functions, and its FortiOS operating system, which provides the foundation for all of its security functions. Its FortiGuard security subscription services provide end-customers with access to dynamic updates to its application control, anti-malware, intrusion prevention, Web filtering and anti-spam functionality based on intelligence gathered by its dedicated FortiGuard Labs team. By combining multiple security and networking functions with its purpose-built FortiASIC and FortiOS, its FortiGate UTM/NGFW solution delivers broad protect! ion against dynamic security threats while reducing the operational burden and costs associated with managing multiple point products. As of December 31, 2012, the Company has shipped over 1,100,000 appliances via more than 10,000 channel partners to more than 150,000 end-customers worldwide, including a majority of the 2012 Fortune Global 100.

Fortinet complements its FortiGate product line with the FortiManager product family, which enables end-customers to manage the system configuration and security functions of multiple FortiGate devices from a centralized console, as well as the FortiAnalyzer product family, which enables collection, analysis and archiving of content and log data generated by its products. The Company also offers other product lines that provide additional protection, such as: FortiAP, secure wireless access points; FortiWeb, security for Web-based applications; FortiMail, multi-featured, high performance messaging security; FortiDB, centrally managed database-specific security; FortiClient, endpoint security for desktops, laptops and mobile devices and that is primarily used in conjunction with its FortiGate appliances; FortiScan, endpoint vulnerability assessment and remediation; FortiSwitch, Ethernet switches; FortiBridge, bypass appliances to help ensure network availability; FortiAuthenticator, scalable secure authentication for enterprise networks; FortiBalancer, optimizing the availability and performance of mobile, cloud, and enterprise applications; FortiCache, reducing the cost of and impact of cached Internet content; FortiDNS, providing secure DNS caching; FortiDDoS, protection against denial of service attack, and FortiVoice, business telephone communication.

FortiGate

The Company�� flagship FortiGate physical and virtual appliances offer a set of security and networking functions, including firewall, VPN, application control, antivirus, intrusion prevention, Web filtering, antispam and WAN acceleration. All FortiGate models a! re based ! on its operating system, FortiOS, and all FortiGate physical appliances include its FortiASICs to accelerate content and network security features implemented within FortiOS. FortiGate platforms can be centrally managed through both embedded Web-based and command line interfaces, as well as through FortiManager, which provides central management architecture for thousands of FortiGate physical and virtual appliances.

By combining multiple network security functions in its purpose-built security platform, the FortiGate provides high protection capabilities and deployment flexibility while reducing the operational burden and costs associated with managing multiple point products. Through FortiGuard security subscription services, its products enable end-customers to add security functionality as required by their evolving business needs and the changing threat landscape. By purchasing FortiGuard security subscription services, end-customers obtain coverage and access to regular updates for application control, antivirus, IPS, Web filtering and anti-spam functions for their FortiGate appliances. With over 30 models in the FortiGate product line, FortiGate is designed to address security requirements for small- to mid-sized businesses, remote offices, enterprises, and service providers.

The FortiGate-20 through -100 series models are designed for perimeter protection for small- to mid-sized businesses, remote offices of distributed organizations and as customer premises equipment for service providers. Optional wireless LAN (WLAN), integration is available for the FortiGate-20, -40, -60 and -80 models, marketed as FortiWiFi, delivering additional network access and security for wireless environments. The FortiGate-200 through -800 series models are designed for perimeter deployment in mid-sized to enterprise networks. These products offer increased capacity and scalability designed to provide high network performance while delivering the same broad security suite as all FortiGate m! odels. Ad! ditionally, the FortiGate-300 -600 and -800 models provide hardware modularity, allowing end-customers the flexibility to customize solutions to their requirements. The FortiGate-1000 through -5000 series models deliver high performance and scalable network security functionality for perimeter, data center and core deployment in enterprise and service provider networks. Additionally, these products provide hardware modularity, allowing end-customers the flexibility to customize solutions to their requirements. Some products within the FortiGate-3000 and -5000 series leverage Advanced Mezzanine Card, or AMC, industry standards for hardware modularization to support the advanced networking requirements of enterprises and service providers, including high-speed networking, WAN connectivity, and network attached storage connectivity. The FortiGate-3950B platform also leverages its Fortinet Mezzanine Card (FMC), that provides hardware modularity to give end-customers the ability to add additional firewall and/or intrusion prevention performance, or the number of interfaces, as their network security needs evolve.

FortiGate System Virtualization (VDOM)

The Company�� FortiOS operating system offers system virtualization capabilities - to divide a security appliance into multiple, separately provisioned and managed instances. This capability is deployed in all of its FortiGate products as its virtual domain (VDOM) feature, where administrators have the ability to segment a single FortiGate appliance platform into multiple FortiGate instances.

FortiManager

The Company�� FortiManager family of products provides a central management solution for its FortiGate products, including the range of network and security features offered within FortiOS. One FortiManager product can manage thousands of FortiGate units, and also provides central management for FortiClient software. FortiManager facilitates the coordination of policy-based provisioning, device configurat! ion and o! perating system revision management, as well as network security monitoring and device control.

FortiAnalyzer

The Company�� FortiAnalyzer family provides network logging, analyzing, and reporting products that securely aggregate content and log data from itsr FortiGate devices and other Fortinet products as well as third-party devices to enable network logging, analysis and reporting. Additional functions such as vulnerability assessments and traffic analysis provide additional value for customers seeking to control and monitor their network infrastructure and security policies. A full range of content and log data, including traffic, event, virus, attack, Web content, and email data may be archived, filtered and mined for compliance or historical analysis purposes. Its FortiAnalyzer product family comes with a suite of standard reports as well as the ability to customize reports. The Company also offers

FortiGuard Security Subscription Services

The Company�� FortiGuard Labs global threat research team, comprised of over 150 professionals, uses automated processes to identify emerging threats, collects threat samples, and replicates, reviews and characterizes attacks. Based on this research, the Company develops updates for virus signatures, attack definitions, scanning engines, and other security solution components to distribute to end-customers through its FortiGuard global distribution network. Its FortiGuard security subscription services are designed to allow the Company to quickly deliver new threat detection capabilities to end-customers worldwide as new threats evolve. End-customers purchase FortiGuard security subscription services in advance, typically for a one year term, to obtain coverage and access to regular updates for application control, antivirus, intrusion prevention, Web filtering, and anti-spam functions for its FortiGate products; antivirus, Web filtering and anti-spam functions for its FortiClient software; antivirus and a! nti-spam ! functions for its FortiMail products; vulnerability management for its FortiGate, FortiAnalyzer and FortiScan products, database functions for its FortiDB appliance, and Web functions for its FortiWeb appliances. The Company provides FortiGuard services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

FortiCare Technical Support Services

The Company�� FortiCare services are its technical support services for the software, firmware and hardware in its products. In addition to its standard support service offering, the Company offers a service that offers faster response times and dedicated support oriented toward accounts. Its standard technical support offering for its products, channel partners often provide first level support to the end-customer, especially for small and mid-sized end-customers, and the Company typically provides second and third level support to its end-customers. The Company also provides knowledge management tools and customer self-help portals to help augment its support capabilities in an efficient and scalable manner. The company provides technical support to partners and end-customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week through regional technical support managers located worldwide.

Training Services

The Company offers training services to its end-customers and channel partners through its training department and authorized training partners. The Company has also implemented a training certification program to ensure an understanding of its products and services.

Professional Services

The Company offers professional services to end-customers primarily for implementations where technical resources are required. Its professional services consultants help in the design of deployments of its products and work closely with end-customer engineers, managers and other project team members to implement its products according to design, utilizing network analysis tools, attack simulation software and scripts.

Th! e Company! competes with Cisco Systems, Inc., Juniper Networks, Inc., Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., McAfee, Inc. , SonicWALL, Inc., and Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

[By Rick Munarriz]
5. In security
Shares of Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT ) tumbled 13% on Thursday after the company issued problematic guidance.

The network security provider sees a first-quarter profit of $0.10 a share on $134 million to $136 million in revenue. The refreshed guidance falls short of where Wall Street's perched, as analysts were targeting net income of $0.12 a share with more than $140 million on the top line.
[By Lee Jackson]
Fortinet Inc. (NASDAQ: FTNT) is one of the top names to buy in cyber security. After a slow start to the year, the company delivered solid second-quarter numbers, and the order backlog for the rest looks very promising. The consensus price target stands at $24.
[By Anders Bylund]
Nobody seems to expect another round of consolidation in the space. Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT ) has gained 4.8% today, but other data security experts have stayed flat or traded down. Fortinet always looked like a reasonable takeout target, particularly since the company parted ways with longtime CFO Ken Goldman last year. The Sourcefire deal paints a slightly larger target on Fortinet's back, but you have to wonder who would be able to pay a buyout premium on top of Fortinet's $3.5 billion market cap. Most of the big boys have already picked their positions in the security space, to the point where even Intel has jumped into the game.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Obama's startup visa alternative

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) On Thursday, President Obama vowed to make it "easier and faster" for foreign entrepreneurs to work in the U.S. But he was mum about the details that would make this happen.

More details were provided in a memo released by the Department of Homeland Security, which reveals a significant new opportunity for foreign entrepreneurs: parole status.

Parole status is typically granted for humanitarian or medical relief as a way to enter the country without a visa. But the DHS recommended that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services propose such a program that would enable inventors, researchers and startup founders to legally come to the U.S. for an unspecified period of time.

"This is a temporary fix for the fact that we never got a startup visa," said Susan Cohen, immigration attorney at Mintz Levin. "This is the solution the president has come up with, which is very creative."

An H-1B (the most popular visa for high-skilled workers) requires foreign entrepreneurs to show they can be hired, fired, paid and controlled by the company, so it's very difficult to launch a company.

As a result, many entrepreneurs are choosing to start their companies elsewhere, like Madhuri Eunni who launched a tech business in Toronto. (Canada is just one country that's implementing changes to cater to entrepreneurs. It launched a startup visa in April 2013.)

This new proposal provides an easier pathway for entrepreneurs who are looking to enter the U.S. market. In order to be eligible, they'll have to demonstrate that they're innovative and job creators -- or that they've received "substantial" funding from U.S. investors.

It could be tacked on to the existing parole regulation, although there's no telling how many would be accepted, since it would be determined on a case-by-case basis. Currently, USCIS accepts just 25% of the parole requests (out of 1,200 a year).

Experts say this could be a big leap forward for the startup community.

"[It's] by no means a visa. It's a runway," said Tahmina Watson of Watson Immigration Law. "I have a couple of [foreign startup founder] clients who could probably use it immediately. It allows them to do an exploratory, investigative side of their business, have meetings with VCs and raise money."

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The ultimate goal would be to build the foundation of a business so entrepreneurs would be eligible for a more permanent visa.

For now, there's no clarity about how long foreign innovators might be able to say in the U.S on parole or on what type of visa they might be eligible for after that period. And, Watson said those without any ties to the U.S. might have a hard time getting VCs to invest when there's no guarantee of obtaining a more permanent visa. Cohen also emphasized that the DHS memo was just a suggestion -- USCIS still has to implement it.

"Under the circumstances, this is the best that [Obama] can do," said Watson. "[But] there is no substitute to Congress doing work."

Monday, December 22, 2014

Top 5 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now

Top 5 Dow Dividend Companies To Own In Right Now: Landec Corporation(LNDC)

Landec Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells polymer products for food and agricultural products, medical devices products, and licensed partner applications incorporating its patented polymer technologies. It has two polymer technology platforms that include Intelimer polymers, a proprietary class of crystalline, hydrophobic polymers, which respond to temperature changes in a controllable, predictable way; and Hyaluronan Biopolymer, a non-crystalline, hydrophilic polymer that exists naturally within the human body. The company?s Food Products Technology segment markets and packs produced and specialty packaged whole and fresh-cut vegetables utilizing the proprietary BreatheWay specialty packaging technology for the retail grocery, club store, and food services industry. This segment also sells BreatheWay packaging to partners for non-vegetable products. Its Food Export segment purchases and sells primarily whole commodity fruit and vegetable products to Asian markets. The company?s Hyaluronan-based Biomaterials segment sells products utilizing hyaluronan, a naturally occurring polysaccharide that is primarily distributed in the extracellar matrix of connective tissues in both animals and humans for medical use primarily in the ophthalmic, orthopedic, and veterinary markets. It also supplies hyaluronan to customers pursuing other medical applications, such as aesthetic surgery, medical device coatings, tissue engineering, and pharmaceuticals. Its Technology Licensing segment licenses Intellicoat, a proprietary seed coating technology to the farming industry; and Intelimer polymers for personal care products and other industrial products. The company sells its products in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Belgium, Indonesia, China, and Japan. Landec Corporation was founded in 1986 and is based in Menlo Park, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

[! By John Kell var popups = dojo.query(".socialByline .popC"); popups.forEach(func]
Landec Corp.(LNDC) said its fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 34% as its food business reported higher revenue.

Lindsay Corp.(LNN) said fiscal second-quarter revenue and earnings fell as the company’s irrigation business remains mired in a sales slump. The company’s results underperformed Wall Street expectations.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-5-dow-dividend-companies-to-own-in-right-now-2.html