Gregory James Van Raalte/Shutterstock The mumbo-jumbo used in the stock market can stop many potential investors in their tracks. So is deciphering the lingo so you make smarter investment decisions. Today, we'll start with three basic terms that define the investment strategy of many mutual funds: large cap, mid cap and small cap. "Cap" is short for capitalization and basically describes the size of the company in terms of its stock market value. Market cap is determined by multiplying the number of shares of stock a company has issued by the stock price. That means a company's market cap can fluctuate, but those daily moves don't usually change its place in these three categories. A Capital Idea Apple (AAPL), Exxon Mobil (XOM) and General Electric (GE) are three of the biggest companies in the world. Apple, the world's largest company, has a market cap of approximately $570 billion. Such giant companies make up the large cap sector. Large caps generally have a market value of more than $10 billion -- maybe $15 billion, by some definitions. That means they tend to be well-established companies with strong financial profiles, and many pay regular dividends.
The mid-cap sector is an often-unloved group in the investment world.
Top 10 Small Cap Stocks To Watch For 2015: TearLab Corporation(TEAR)
TearLab Corporation operates as an ophthalmic device company. It engages in developing and commercializing TearLab Osmolarity System, a proprietary in vitro diagnostic tear testing platform that measures tear film osmolarity for the diagnosis of dry eye disease. The company?s system enables eye care practitioners to test for sensitive and specific biomarkers using nanoliters of tear film at the point-of-care. Its TearLab Osmolarity System consists of TearLab disposable, which is a single-use microfluidic microchip; TearLab pen, which is a hand-held device that interfaces with the TearLab disposable; and TearLab reader, which is a small desktop unit that allows for the docking of the TearLab disposable and the TearLab pen, as well as provides a quantitative reading for the operator. TearLab Corporation markets its system through a network of distributors in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company, formerly known as OccuLogix, Inc., was founded in 1996 and is headquart ered in San Diego, California.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Seth Jayson]
TearLab (Nasdaq: TEAR ) reported earnings on May 13. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), TearLab beat expectations on revenues and exceeded expectations on earnings per share. - [By Roberto Pedone]
One potential earnings short-squeeze candidate is in-vitro diagnostic player TearLab (TEAR), which is set to release numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect TearLab to report revenue of $3.51 million on a loss of 13 cents per share.
This company has managed to top Wall Street estimates two times over the last four quarters, which is a bullish earnings trend. If TearLab can delve another beat, then shares could be setting up for a large move higher.
The current short interest as a percentage of the float for TearLab is extremely high at 37.1%. That means that out of the 25.54 million shares in the tradable float, 8.59 million shares are sold short by the bears. This is a huge short interest on a stock with a very low tradable float. If the bulls get the earnings news they're looking for, then shares of TEAR could easily explode higher post-earnings as the bears jump to cover some of their bets.
From a technical perspective, TEAR is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares moving higher from its low of $5.26 to its recent high of $15.18 a share. During that uptrend, shares of TEAR have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of TEAR within range of triggering a major breakout trade post-earnings.
If you're bullish on TEAR, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $14.28 to its 52-week high at $15.18 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that registers near or above its three-month average action of 942,598 shares. If that breakout hits, then TEAR will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Gentium SpA(GENT)
Gentium S.p.A., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and manufacture of its primary product candidate, defibrotide, an investigational drug based on a mixture of single-stranded and double-stranded DNA extracted from pig intestines. It develops defibrotide for the treatment and prevention of hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), a condition that occurs when veins in the liver are blocked as a result of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation, that are administered prior to stem cell transplantation. The company has completed a Phase III clinical trial of defibrotide for the treatment of severe VOD in the United States, Canada, and Israel; and a Phase II/III pediatric trial in Europe for the prevention of VOD. It also offers sulglicotide that is developed from swine duodenum, and has ulcer healing and gastrointestinal protective properties in South Korea; and urokinase, which is made from human urine to treat various vascular disorders, such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. The company was formerly known as Pharma Research S.r.L. and changed its name to Gentium S.p.A. in July 2001. Gentium S.p.A. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Villa Guardia, Italy.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sean Williams]
A parabolic problem
It has also been a year to remember for shareholders of biopharmaceutical company Gentium (NASDAQ: GENT ) whose share price has catapulted approximately 600% off its lows thanks to growth in its lead drug Defibrotide (known as Defitelio in the European Union). - [By Jake L'Ecuyer]
Shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals Public Limited Company (NASDAQ: JAZZ) got a boost, shooting up 7.77 percent to $123.65 after the company announced its plans to buy Gentium SpA (NASDAQ: GENT) for around $1 billion.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Vantage Drilling Company(VTG)
Vantage Drilling Company, through its subsidiaries, provides offshore contract drilling services to oil and natural gas companies in the United States and internationally. The company offers drilling units, related equipment, and work crews under contract to drill oil and natural gas wells; construction supervision services; and operates and manages drilling units owned by others. Its customers primarily include multinational oil and natural gas companies, government owned oil and natural gas companies, and independent oil and natural gas producers. The company owns and manages four jackup rigs and three drillships. Vantage Drilling Company was founded in 2007 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Despite the recent pain for offshore drilliers like Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO), Noble (NE), Transocean (RIG) and Vantage Drilling (VTG), RBC Capital Markets’ Robert Pinkard and team don’t think it’s time to buy their stocks. They explain why:
- [By Dimitra DeFotis]
Global Hunter also lowered its rating on Natural Gas Services Group (NGS) and Vantage Drilling (VTG). Global Hunter writes:
The market seems to be showing fatigue particularly with positive onshore oil service data points that may no�longer seem incremental. Investors have become especially focused on potential issues and macro concerns. We believe this phase�of enhanced risk perceptions will pass and still recommend owning selective stocks based on attractive valuations and healthy�fundamentals. Of the 16 oilfield services companies having reported their quarters to date, the share price changes have at times�been difficult to tie to specific results. �… Five of the 12 companies who have beaten earnings expectations have seen their share prices drop on the day, including Basic Energy Services (BAS) (-9.0%), Baker Hughes (BHI) (-2.5%), National Oilwell Varco (NOV) (-1.5%), Oceaneering (OII) (-4.2%), and Schlumberger (SLB) (-2.0%). Other stocks beating expectations have traded higher as expected, including Cameron International (CAM) (+4.1%), FMC Technologies (FTI) (+3.1%), Mitcham Industries (MIND) (+3.8%), Nabors Industries (NBR) (+1.2%), Patterson-UTI Energy (PTEN) (+1.8%), RPC (RES) (+8.4%), and Weatherford International (WFT) (+2.3%). Companies which have missed have universally seen their share prices decline, including Diamond Offshore Drilling (DO) (-4.3%), Gulfmark Offshore (GLF) (-0.1%), and Hercules Offshore (HERO) (-6.9%). Halliburton (HAL) was in line and flat on the day.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited (CCM)
Concord Medical Services Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates a network of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers in the People�s Republic of China. The company�s services comprise linear accelerators external beam radiotherapy, gamma knife radiosurgery, head gamma knife systems, body gamma knife systems, proton beam therapy, diagnostic imaging, and other treatment and diagnostic modalities. It offers clinical support services; develops treatment protocols for doctors; and organizes joint diagnosis between doctors in its network and clinical research. The company also operates a specialty cancer hospital, as well as leases medical and diagnostic equipment. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a network of 121 centers with 68 hospital partners that cover 46 cities and 24 provinces, and administrative regions in China. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People�s Republic of China.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Udovich]
China is set to ease the one child policy, something that could benefit Chinese stocks in general but be especially beneficial to insurance stocks like China Life Insurance Company Ltd (NYSE: LFC) and CNinsure Inc (NASDAQ: CISG) plus health care stocks like Mindray Medical International Ltd�(NYSE: MR) and Concord Medical Services Hldg Ltd (NYSE: CCM). First, let�� be clear that China is NOT abolishing the one child policy as the changes will merely�allow married couples to have two children if one spouse is an only child plus it will be up to China�� 34 province-level administrations to revise�their laws and put the new policy into effect. Moreover, China�� family-planning bureaucracy employs more than 500,000 full-time workers and six million part-time workers all the way down to the village level to�collect billions of dollars in fines and these bureaucrats have fought for years against policy changes���meaning they could throw up roadblocks if not placated. With that said, the insurance and health care sectors are two sectors with publicly Chinese stocks that look set to�take advantage of the coming changes.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Rose Rock Midstream LP (RRMS)
Rose Rock Midstream, L.P., incorporated on August 5, 2011, owns, operates, develops and acquires a diversified portfolio of midstream energy assets. The Company is engaged in the business of crude oil gathering, transportation, storage, distribution and marketing in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas. It serves areas that are through its exposure to the Bakken Shale in North Dakota and Montana, the Denver-Julesburg Basin (DJ Basin) and the Niobrara Shale in the Rocky Mountain region, and the Granite Wash and the Mississippi Lime Play in the Mid-Continent region. The Company�� operations are conducted through, and the Company�� operating assets are owned by, its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rose Rock Midstream Operating, LLC, and its subsidiaries.
Cushing Storage
The Company owns and operates 28 crude oil storage tanks in Cushing with an aggregate storage capacity of approximately 7.0 million barrels and an additional 600,000 barrels of storage. The Company�� storage terminal has a combined capacity to deliver 480,000 barrels of crude oil per day, and has inbound connections with the White Cliffs Pipeline from Platteville, Colorado, the Great Salt Plains Pipeline, the Cimarron Pipeline from Boyer, Kansas, its Kansas and Oklahoma gathering system and two-way interconnections with all of the other storage terminals in Cushing.
Kansas and Oklahoma System
The Company owns and operates an approximately 640-mile crude oil gathering and transportation pipeline system and over 660,000 barrels of associated storage in Kansas and northern Oklahoma. This system gathers crude oil from throughout the region and delivers it to third-party pipelines and refineries and its Cushing terminal. During the years ended December 31, 2012, the Company�� transported an average of approximately 52,000 and 36,000 barrels per day, respectively, from multiple receipt points. The system has pipeline diameters ranging from 4 to 12 inches and! has 25 pump stations. This system also includes 18 truck unloading stations.
Bakken Shale Operations
The Company owns and operates a crude oil gathering, storage, transportation and marketing business in the Bakken Shale area in western North Dakota and eastern Montana. Using its fleet of trucks and two truck unloading facilities, the Company purchase crude oil at the wellhead, transport it through its trucks and third-party pipelines, including the Enbridge North Dakota System, and market it to customers. The Company owns tanks in Trenton and Stanley, North Dakota, with an aggregate storage capacity of 61,800 barrels that connect into the Enbridge North Dakota System. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company handled and marketed an average of approximately 7,100 barrels per day.
Platteville Facility
The Company owns and operates a modern, sixteen-lane crude oil truck unloading facility in Platteville, Colorado, which connects to the origination point of the White Cliffs Pipeline. Much of the crude oil production from the DJ Basin and the nearby Niobrara Shale must initially be transported by truck due to a shortage of gathering capacity. Throughput at the facility averaged 43,500 and 32,400 barrels per day for the years ended December 31, 2012. The facility includes 230,000 barrels of crude oil storage capacity. The Platteville facility also allows customer pipeline gathering systems to connect to the origination point of the White Cliffs Pipeline.
The Company competes with Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P., Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P., Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., Blueknight Energy Partners, L.P., Enterprise Products Partners L.P, MV Purchasing, LLC, Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., National Cooperative Refinery Association, Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. and Eighty Eight Oil LLC.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Robert Rapier]
Rose Rock Midstream (NYSE: RRMS) isn’t a name we have discussed much here. RRMS is an MLP that owns oil-gathering, storage and transportation assets in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas. The MLP was formed by midstream energy giant SemGroup (NYSE: SEMG), which acts as the general partner. RRMS had its IPO in December 2011 with an initial EV of $1.2 billion and a minimum yield of 4.7 percent.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (REFG.PK)
Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions, incorporated on December 1, 2005, is a provider of integrated supply and distribution technology. The Company�� Seed-to-Sale (S2S) integrated solution is a management and compliance technology for growers, caregivers and dispensaries in the market. The Company also works with public officials and government agencies to expand the acceptance of medicinal cannabis, and the adoption of a legal framework where maximum market expansion is possible. The Company solves the fragmentation problem by identifying tools that are important to dispensaries, and customizing those tools specifically catered to the industry. The Company's solutions include Spark, Ghost and S2S.
Spark
The Company�� SPARK Hosted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provides customers with enterprise-class hosted phone systems customized to fit customers��needs. SPARK's service is a fully-managed, cloud-based system. The Company offers the convenience of an online Internet Protocol (IP)-based telecommunications system while still delivering substantial savings to customers bottom line.
Ghost
By offering customers a customized, tailored mobile solution, the Company's Ghost Mobile Apps give a marketing tool with a texting and e-mail solution, keeping customers in constant contact with patients and clients. The Company creates an optimized experience in context to each device or screen size.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Alan Brochstein]
Not too surprisingly, supply is starting to increase. We have seen some companies enter the space by expanding their own businesses, but there have been some reverse mergers lately too. I had mentioned Refill Energy (REFG.PK) recently (soon to be Medical Cannabis Financial Group), but earlier this month Promap (PMAP.OB) acquired 94% of Advanced Cannabis Solutions (link to 8-K). As an aside, I think that this company is worth considering given the management team and the business model. Investors should keep in the back of their mind that there are many companies that are quietly developing their business models and could become public over time, especially as the regulatory and legal landscapes improve.
Top 10 Mid Cap Companies For 2014: Pimco High Income Fund(PHK)
PIMCO High Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. It invests in the public fixed income markets across the globe. The fund invests in U.S. dollar denominated high-yield corporate debt obligations. It employs fundamental analysis along with a top down stock picking approach to make its investments. PIMCO High Income Fund was formed on April 30, 2003 and is domiciled in the United States.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Lesson 1: Income is king.
A look at the four funds trading at the highest premiums to net asset value reveals a common thread: They're all focused on maximizing income. What's interesting, though, is that they use different methods to reach the same ends. Among the three PIMCO funds, PIMCO High Income (NYSE: PHK ) looks largely to the high-yield bond market for its holdings, while PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunities (NYSE: PTY ) has a somewhat lower distribution rate but has a sizable allocation to investment-grade debt. The fund with the highest premium, PIMCO Global StocksPLUS, uses futures contracts to add stock exposure to its portfolio of income-producing bonds. Finally, BlackRock Virginia Municipal Bond rounds out the top four with its tax-free bond portfolio. - [By Morgan Housel]
Interest rates have risen over the last month, offering a taste. Pimco High Income Fund (NYSE: PHK ) is down 10% in the last month. The Vanguard Long Term Corporate Bond Fund (NASDAQ: VCLT ) lost 4.6%. Mortgage REITS sensitive to the same interest rate risk have been pummeled; Annaly Capital Management (NYSE: NLY ) shares are off by one-fifth over the last year.
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