Top Railroad Stocks To Invest In 2016

Top Railroad Stocks To Invest In 2016: Eco Building Products Inc (ECOB)

ECO Building Products, Inc. (ECOB), incorporated on March 21, 2007, is a manufacturer of wood products treated with an eco-friendly chemistry that protects against fire, mold/mycotoxins, fungus, rot-decay, wood ingesting insects and termites with ECOB WoodSurfaceFilm and fire retardant coating). ECOBs newest product, Eco Red Shield also serves as a fire inhibitor protecting lumber from fire, slowing ignition time and reducing the amount of smoke produced. The Eco Building Products line includes dimensional lumber, wall and floor panels, I-joists, GluLam Beams, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beams, truss lumber and trim. These products can be coated at its production facilities and at the mill or distributor with its formula and coating machines. Its products include Eco Red Shield, Eco Clear Shield, Eco Blue Shield, Eco Shelter, Eco Cabinets, Smart Components Seismic Walls, Eco LVL Beam, Eco I Joist, Eco Corbels, Eco Trim, Eco LVL Studs, and Calvert Curved Beams.

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As of June 30, 2012, the Company owned 100% of E Build & Truss, Inc. (E Build), Red Shield Lumber, Inc. (Red Shield) and Seattle Coffee Exchange (Seattle). Red Shield was formed for the purpose of opening a plant in Canada utilizing the Companys red coating process for sale and distribution. As of December 31, 2011, the wholly owned subsidiary had little operating activity. E Build was formed for the purpose of operating the Companys Framing Labor and Truss manufacturing activities. ECOB has developed a line of eco-friendly protective wood coatings that extend the life of framing lumber and other wood used in the construction of single-family homes, multi-story buildings, as well as The Eco Shelter. In December 2011, the Company formed Seattle in the State of California. Seattle is a coffee shop which is located in the 1st floor of the Companys corporate headquarters in Vista, California. This wholly owned subsidiary has not started its operations,! as of June 30, 2012.

The Companys eco-friendly formula ! controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites (and other wood boring insects including Formosan termites), while simultaneously serving as a fire inhibitor. The Companys eco-friendly formula was designed for staining - it controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites while simultaneously serving as a fire inhibitor. ECOBs eco-friendly formula controls moisture and protects lumber from mold, mildew, fungus, decay, rot, termites (and other wood boring insects including Formosan termites). Eco Red Shield Smart ComponentsO wall systems are pre-engineered seismic wall systems. The Companys pre-engineered and pre-packaged kit comes pre-cut and ready to assemble with hammer and nails - the simple design makes it ideal for rapid response relief housing, events, offices, meeting halls, storage sheds, medical clinics and more. It is available in a range of sizes and floor plans.

Eco h as delivered cabinet solutions for kitchen, bath, garage and office space. Smart Components is made with Eco Red Shield Protected Lumber for builders in seismic hot spots, such as California, Mexico and Japan. The I beam joist is eco-friendly solution to large structural beams. Laminated Eco Trim is protected on all six sides and available in any protective coatings providing a nearly impenetrable barrier against moisture, mold and insects. It also offers an ultra-smooth surface for painting and a clean, finished look that builders and homeowners desire.

The Company competes with Arch Chemical and Osmose, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap green stocks Eco Depot Inc (OTCMKTS: ECDP), Eco Building Products Inc (OTCMKTS: ECOB) and Profire Energy, Inc (OTCBB: PFIE) has been getting some extra attention lately in various investment newsletters thanks to paid promotions or investor relation campaigns. Of cou! rse, ther! e is nothing wrong with properly disclosed promotions and investor relations campaigns, but small cap green stocks tend to be extra volatile when compared with other stocks. So how in greenbacks will these three small cap green stocks produce for investors? Here is a quick reality check:

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-railroad-stocks-to-invest-in-2016.html

Top Income Companies To Invest In 2016

Top Income Companies To Invest In 2016: Overstock.com Inc.(OSTK)

Overstock.com, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an online retailer offering discount brand name, non-brand name, and closeout merchandise in the United States and internationally. The company?s merchandise include bed-and-bath goods, furniture, home decor, kitchenware, watches and jewelry, shoes, electronics and computers, sporting goods, apparel, designer accessories, home and garden products, media, music, luggage, health and beauty products, baby products, crafts and sewing products, office products, gifts and flowers, toys and hobbies, and pet products. It also operates online car listing service that allows sellers to list vehicles for sale and allows buyers to review vehicle descriptions; travel shopping site, which offers discount travel packages, flights, rental cars, and other travel-related products and services; and insurance shopping service for auto and home insurance, as well as provides books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and video games. The comp any markets its products and services through its operating Internet websites, which include overstock.com, o.co, and o.biz. The company was formerly known as D2-Discounts Direct and changed its name to Overstock.com, Inc. in October 1999. Overstock.com, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN  ) reported earnings yesterday that showed the e-commerce giant is just barely eking out a living, with an operating profit margin of 0.5% (and a negative net). And now, Overstock.com (NASDAQ: OSTK  ) has announced a plan that might squeeze Amazon's profit margin even further.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/top-income-companies-to-invest-in-2016.html

Axel Merk Predicts Japan as Next Crisis, Yellen as Next Fed Chief

“We follow governments’ monetary policies and fiscal policies, and quite frankly I’m scared.”

The stark comment accurately summed the roundtable discussion hosted by Merk Funds’ president and chief investment officer Axel Merk on Monday in Denver. Titled “Currently Wars and Competitive Evaluation,” Merk (left) sounded off on a number of topics related to currency, economies and central bank actions worldwide.

Although Merk was nervous about the relative strength and actions taken recently by global policymakers, the strife nonetheless represents opportunity, he stressed.

“Cultural differences often dictate whether countries will, or will not, significantly add to their balance sheets,” Merk began. “For those that don’t like the bad guys adding to their debt, they will really like Australia, who is busy mopping it up.”

Japan, he said, is “only now getting around to ramping up their printing press,” and while “we talk about tapering, Europe is pursuing it.”

Moving to a discussion the Federal Reserve, he noted that regional presidents are mainly academics, and will often disagree. The institution’s governors, on the other hand, are more in lockstep and tend not to disagree.

“This year is one of the most dovish years for voting members,” he explained. “Although he didn’t use the term ‘irrational exuberance’ in the recent speech, that’s what he meant. The markets reacted poorly and he walked it back.”

The trouble the Fed is seeing, he added, is the underlying trouble with employment, in that more part-time jobs are being added and less full-time jobs, something that has little to do with the health of the economy and everything to do with Obamacare, Merk claimed.

“We might be the cleanest of the dirty shirts, as so many pundits like to point out, but we underperformed the euro last year as well as year to date. That means this is a financial boom, and not, say, a housing boom. So what happens when mortgage rates rise?”

Traditionally, Bernanke never really worried about long-term unemployment figures, Merk continued, because of the aging demographic and “that’s just what happens. Someone at the fed then showed him the raw numbers. It turns out that isn’t happening; people are working longer and not retiring. That’s a real problem.”

Bernanke, Merk claimed, wants to leave a legacy of “he saved the world during and after the financial crisis. It may not be true but that’s how he wants to pass the baton to the next guy or gal.”

Returning to Japan, he noted that after 2008, the yen was the best performing currency, but it’s status as a safe haven has eroded in conjunction with the country’s current account balance.

“If the government is dysfunctional, the yen goes up,” he explained. “The reason is that dysfunctional governments can’t spend money. But now the same party controls various houses of government. The Japanese think a weaker yen is their path to prosperity. The issue is a weaker yen allows them to export without having to innovate. There’s no incentive. Japan didn’t invent the iPhone, and that is a problem.”

The larger meaning is that “Japan is no Cypress,” and when they have a crisis it ripples through other economies.

“Japan is likely the next crisis, but it could also be the Brits or even us.”

He argued that real wages in many countries “have gone nowhere. “ When that happens discontent grows and populist governments are elected. Populist governments rarely deal with underlying problems. The path of least resistance is usually inflation.

When asked for his thoughts on the next Fed chairman, Merk cited vice-chairman Janet Yellen as the most likely candidate, but also mentioned former Treasury secretary Tim Geithner and Larry Suumers, as well.

“Yellen does not have much managerial experience, which you need when herding the cats on the FOMC. She did, however, gain kudos from the press when they recently released the transcripts of the 2007 meeting in which she pretty much predicted everything that happened in 2008.”

Geithner, Merk claims, thinks he saved the world during the financial crisis, and has signaled that he won’t end QE for five to eight years.

“Geithner won’t rock the boat, but he oversaw the IRS during the campaign, so Republicans would love to grill him on that.”

As for Summers, Merk calls him the greatest debater he’s ever met, but he still retains the mark of scandal for comments made while president of Harvard about women’s suitability for the higher echelons of science.

“Critics will ask why President Obama chose this ‘sexist’ over Yellen, even though Yellen was obviously qualified.”

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Check out this related story at ThinkAdvisor:

The Code Phrases Wall Street Insiders Don't Want You To ...

5 Best Growth Stocks To Invest In Right Now

When I received my MBA 20 years ago, I thought I was pretty well versed in the world of finance. But when I got to Wall Street that summer, I was quickly overwhelmed.

A litany of phrases were tossed out that I never read about in my finance textbooks. Here's just a small sample of investing phrases that they never talked about in b-school.

"Whisper number."

Investors often assess a company's near-term prospects by the directional change in earnings estimates. A rising estimate may signal an imminent good quarter. But as you get closer to the actual earnings release date, such numbers become irrelevant. In the final weeks leading up to earnings announcements, most analysts won't change their formal earnings estimates (which are published on sites such as Yahoo Finance).

Instead, these analysts call up their favorite clients to privately share their current thinking about expected quarterly results. Pretty soon, these numbers are "whispered" from trading desk to trading desk, and by the time actual results are released, share prices will have responded to the whisper number -- and not the formal earnings estimates that most investors will see.

	"I'm looking for the stock to consolidate from here." Translation: I expect this stock to start falling and wouldn't want to buy it. This is a similar sentiment to a Wall Street downgrade from "buy" to "neutral" or "hold." Such downgrades actually mean a stock is very unappealing and bound to fall in price. Analysts use that code to avoid the dreaded "sell" rating, which can alienate them from the companies they follow.
	"I smell a secondary." A secondary public offering, that is. Whether it's due to a cash crunch, the need to raise funds to make a major investment, or just an opportune time to raise cash when share prices are high, companies periodically replenish their balance sheets. And investors try to handicap when a company will soon announce a secondary public offering (as opposed to the initial one-time initial public offering (known as an IPO) of shares.) If there is a good chance that a share offering is coming, many investors quickly sell t! heir holdings. That's because lining up demand for fresh shares at current prices is often difficult, leading a company to lower its offering price to entice investors. And any deal that is priced below the current stock price will invariably pull the stock price down to the new lower level.
	"Those spreads will kill you." The difference between the bid and ask prices for a stock (known as a trading spread) are established by market makers (on the Nasdaq) or specialists (on the New York and American Stock Exchanges). Smaller companies are often subject to low trading volumes, and without a lot of action, market makers and specialists are content to keep those spreads far apart, sometimes by a nickel or a dime. And that spread can act like a tax, robbing you of gains when it comes time to sell the stock back to the market maker or specialist. That's why some investors will only seek out stocks with tight spreads, usually 2 cents or less.
	"The deal is instantly accretive." Ever notice how a stock will sometimes fall sharply when a company announces a major acquisition? That's because investors express concern that the deal will lead to too many new shares being issued (which can dilute per share profits), or the acquisition will be hard to integrate into a company's existing operations (known as "acquisition indigestion"). Yet some deals hold instant appeal, simply because the acquisition is expected to boost profits at a faster pace than the share count grows. This is known as an ! "accretiv! e" (rather than dilutive) deal and should almost always be welcomed by investors.
	"You want that in a paired trade." Analysts can sometimes be enthusiastic about a stock while conceding that the broader industry they follow may hold the same appeal. An investor exodus from a whole industry or sector can lead to losses in a stock that has comparatively better prospects. So these analysts suggest you invest in the company they recommend but also take a short position in another company in that industry. In effect, you are removing what is known as "market risk," "sector risk" or "industry risk" and just focusing on the relative upside for a given stock.
	"The earnings are high quality." Analysts often speak about the quality of a company's earnings, differentiating between companies that consistently deliver clean, transparent results and those that habitually resort to a series of one-time gains or charges to artificially generate a specific quarterly profit. In a similar vein, investors should always steer clear if a company has "one-time" charges or gains every quarter, simply because the practice is misleading. Most of the time, these repeated accounting changes are just a normal part of doing business, but if they constantly recur, then management is trying to slap "lipstick on a pig."

Action to Take --> It's important to think like an advanced investor, and understanding all of the little tricks of the trade, as embodied in these phrases, will help sharpen your game.

This article originally published at InvestingAnswers.com
7 Bizarre Phrases That Wall Street Insiders Use Every Day

Hot Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now

Hot Railroad Stocks To Own Right Now: Texas Roadhouse Inc.(TXRH)

Texas Roadhouse, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates a full-service casual dining restaurant chain. It operates restaurants under the Texas Roadhouse and Aspen Creek names. The company also provides supervisory and administrative services for other license and franchise restaurants. As of December 27, 2011, it owned and operated 294 restaurants; and franchised and licensed an additional 72 restaurants in 47 states in the United States, and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The company was founded in 1993 and is based in Louisville, Kentucky.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Chris Dieterich]

  In food, Morgan Stanley suggests that WhiteWave Foods (WWAV), which makes products such organic dairy and almond milks, might benefit from “consumers ability to’trade up’ out of conventional foods.” The same principle applies to Texas Roadhouse (TXRH).

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Peter Saleh of Telsey Advisory Group assumes that Darden sells or spins off Red Lobster in the next three to six months. At that point, the activists will have failed to break the company up, and will sell the stock. In that event, then, investors might flee to an alternative like, say, Texas Roadhouse (TXRH), which trades at 20 times forward earnings, with estimated long-term earnings growth of 13.2%, versus Dardens 18 times earnings and 9% earnings growth. Saleh thinks Darden is worth $45, somewhat less than todays price, given execution risk in spinning out Red Lobster.

• [By Timothy Green]

  This leads me to steakhouse operator Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ: TXRH  ) . The stock currently trades for around $25 per share, and with earnings of $1 per share last year this puts the P/E ratio at a lofty 25. Texas Roadhouse operates about 400 restaurants, and in 2012 recorded $1.26 billion in revenue. It seems that the company is being valued at a high multiple like many! other small to mid-sized restaurant chains. But there's a big problem.

source from Top Stocks To Buy For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/hot-railroad-stocks-to-own-right-now.html

Best Semiconductor Stocks To Own Right Now

Best Semiconductor Stocks To Own Right Now: Dialog Semiconductor PLC (DLG)

Dialog Semiconductor Plc creates integrated, mixed signal integrated circuits (ICs), optimized for personal portable, short-range wireless, lighting, display and automotive applications. The Company operates in three business segments: Mobile Systems, Automotive and Industrial, and Connectivity. The Mobile Systems segment includes its power management and audio chips especially designed to meet the needs of the wireless systems markets and a range of advanced driver technologies for low power display applications - from Passive Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diodes (PMOLEDs), to electronic paper and Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) displays. The Automotive and Industrial segment consists of products, which address the safety, management and control of electronic systems in cars and for industrial applications. The Connectivity segment includes activities, such as short-range wireless, digital cordless and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Morgan]

  Direct Line (DLG) dropped 2.5 percent to 212.6 pence. RBS sold 300 million shares at 210 pence apiece in its third sale of a stake in the insurance company, according to a statement. The bank, which is majority owned by the U.K. government, reduced its holding in Direct Line by 20 percent to 28.5 percent. RBS slipped 1.3 percent to 364.1 pence.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/best-semiconductor-stocks-to-own-right-now-2.html

Top Asian Stocks To Watch For 2015

The People's Bank of China worked to reduce rates by injecting large amounts of cash into markets on Monday and Tuesday.

The bank surprised investors on Monday with an unexpected shot of yuans and followed up Tuesday with the addition of 255 billion yuan, the largest amount of money the bank has injected in a single day in almost a year.

Top News

In other news around the markets:

The UN was forced to rescind its invitation to Iran to attend peace talks on Syria beginning Wednesday. UN leaders announced that Iran was no longer welcome at the meeting after the Syrian opposition threatened to boycott the talks if Iran was present. Iran has provided Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with everything from arms to cash, making the nation's presence at resolution talks controversial. With demand for PCs on the decline, China's Lenovo Group is looking for a new source of growth by expanding its server business. According to the Wall Street Journal, Lenovo is in talks with International Business Machines Corp to buy the company's low-end server business. Last year the two companies worked on a similar deal, but negotiations crumbled as they were unable to agree on valuation. If the deal goes ahead, IBM would have the capacity to focus more intently on its software and services while Lenovo would have the potential to join the ranks of HP and Dell in the servers business. Deutsche Bank surprised investors when it announced a 1 billion euro loss in the fourth quarter, but many believe this is just the beginning of the eurozone's banking cleanup. Deutsche Bank's loss was partly the result of the bank's anticipation of upcoming EU balance sheet examinations and could be an ominous sign of things to come in the eurozone's banking sector. Despite a disappointing jobs report for December, many see the US Federal Reserve cutting its asset purchase program further at the bank's January meeting next week. The meeting, current Chairman Ben Bernanke's last, is expected take the bank's bond buying purchases down to $65 billion per month from $75 billion per month.

Asian Markets

Top 5 Casino Stocks To Watch For 2016: PURE Bioscience Inc.(PURE)

Pure Bioscience, Inc. engages in the discovery, development, and commercialization of bioscience products principally in the United States. The company offers silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) based antimicrobials. The silver dihydrogen citrate technology is an electrochemical process that allows the generation of ionized silver in the presence of organic acid. It provides PURE Hard Surface, a hard surface disinfectant and food contact surface sanitizer for use in food processing equipment, machinery, and utensils; Axen30, a hard surface disinfectant; Silv�ion, an antimicrobial formulation used as a raw material in the manufacturing of personal care products; and Axenohl, an antimicrobial formulation for use as a raw material in the manufacturing of environmental protection agency-registered products. The company also offers research and development services in food processing, agriculture, water treatment, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas projects. It sells its products t hrough partners and distributors primarily to industrial and consumer markets. The company, formerly known as Innovative Medical Services, was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in El Cajon, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Glenwoods]

  While the fermentation-based method is still in its development stages, a Malaysian company, PureCircle (LON: PURE) (OTCMKTS: PCRTF), the world�� largest producer of stevia, continues to develop its stevia through farm-based methods.� Last September PureCircle, which also has offices in Oak Brook, Ill., signed a joint agreement with the Coca-Cola Coto investigate and develop a commercially viable stevia sweetener product; and earlier this month in a press release, the two companies announced they were developing what should be a better flavor profile than the much used Reb A with rebaudioside D (Reb D) and Rebaudioside X (Reb X).� Reb D, though roughly 10% less sweet than Reb A, has a significantly lower bitterness that Reb A and has been found to have a more desirable taste profile, especially in cola products where stevia previously has not worked well.� The issue with both Reb D and Reb X is that they are found in much smaller amounts than Reb A. Thus, at this time it will take a lot more stevia leaves to produce the extracts.

• [By Glenwoods]

  According to the global market research company Mintel, stevia-based products have increased 400% globally between 2008 and 2012, with a rise of 158% from 2011 to 2012. Stevia has grown so much in demand that the world�� largest alfalfa grower, California-based S&W Seed (SANW), began growing stevia with high glycoside yields for PureCircle (LN:PURE), the world�� largest producer of stevia, in 2011 and on roughly 250,118 acres. Now some U.S. tobacco farmers have begun to switch from growing tobacco to stevia, as tobacco sales are sliding and stevia sales are growing.

Top Asian Stocks To Watch For 2015: Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc.(SKT)

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT). The company, through its subsidiary, Tanger Properties Limited Partnership, engages in acquiring, developing, owning, operating, and managing factory outlet shopping centers. As of September 30, 2005, Tanger owned and operated 33 factory outlet centers in 22 states totaling 8.7 million square feet of gross leasable area. It also provides development, leasing, and management services for its outlet centers. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. As a REIT, it would not be subject to Federal income taxes provided it distributes at least 90% of its taxable income to its shareholders. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers was founded by Stanley K. Tanger in 1981. The company is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shauna O'Brien]

  Jefferies announced on Wednesday that it has cut its rating on Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. (SKT).

  The firm has downgraded SKT from “Buy” to “Hold,” and has lowered the company’s price target from $40 to $35. This price target suggests an 8% upside from the stock’s current price of $32.22.

  Analyst Omotayo Okusanya commented: “We expect near-term headwinds for the mall and outlet mall segment as tenant sales growth appears to be slowing.”

  “At SKT, development yields on two projects have also been reduced. Further, rising interest rates negatively impact our DDM-derived PT. Our lowered PT of $35 represents a 10% total return over the next-twelve-months (NTM); we are downgrading to Hold,” added the analyst.

  Tanger Factory Outlet shares were mostly flat during pre-market trading Wednesday. The stock is up more than 5% YTD.

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Discount outlet shopping-center retailer Tanger (SKT) raised its quarterly dividend� 6.7% to 24 cents per share payable on May 15 to shareholders of record April 28. The increase is the 21st consecutive dividend increase for SKT.
  SKT Dividend Yield: 2.71%

• [By Brad Thomas]

  REITs mentioned: (VTR), (OHI), (O), (DLR), (HCP), (HTA), (KIM), (FRT), (SPG), and (SKT).

  Note: This article is intended to provide information to interested parties. As I have no knowledge of individual investor circumstances, goals, and/or portfolio concentration or diversification, readers are expected to complete their own due diligence before purchasing any stocks mentioned or recommended.

Top Asian Stocks To Watch For 2015: International Northair Mines Ltd (INM)

International Northair Mines Ltd is a mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties throughout North America with a focus in Mexico. In Mexico, exploration is conducted by its wholly owned subsidiary, Grupo Northair de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (Grupo Northair). Its projects include La Cigarra Project, Sierra Rosario Project, and El Reventon Project. The La Cigarra Project is located near the municipality of Parral, in the State of Chihuahua in north central Mexico. La Cigarra consists of mineral concessions totaling approximately 32,000 hectares. The El Reventon Project is located in the municipality of Otaez, Durango and is approximately 170 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Durango. The El Reventon Project consists of approximately 3,400 hectares. Sierra Rosario silver/gold project is staked by the Company and joint ventured to American Consolidated Minerals Resources Corp., which has a 50% interest in the property. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Alexis Xydias]

  The ISEQ Index (ISEQ) in Ireland and the ASE Index in Greece, the first two nations to receive European Union-led bailouts, have soared more than 28 percent this year to lead gains among 18 national benchmarks in western Europe. Dublin-based Independent News & Media Plc (INM) and Athens-based Aegean Airlines SA (AEGN) rose the most, with jumps of more than 180 percent. Germany�� DAX Index (DAX) has advanced 18 percent in 2013, reaching a record.

Top Asian Stocks To Watch For 2015: Imperial Holdings Inc. (IFT)

Imperial Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty finance company in the United States. The company operates in two business segments: Life Finance and Structured Settlements. The Life Finance segment comprises life settlements and finance loan businesses. The Structured Settlement segment purchases structured settlements at a discounted rate and sells such assets to third parties. This segment primarily markets its products through the Internet and television. Imperial Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is based in Boca Raton, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By DCResearch]

  Imperial Holdings (IFT) fits the bill for all of those traits and investors today can buy Imperial Holdings for less than 0.75x book value. Upside to book value, an obvious valuation factor for most financial companies, would result in a greater than 40% return for a patient investor. I believe that this is far below the fair value for IFT�� book of life settlements, and upside is in excess of $13 per share.

• [By Whopper Investments]

  Note: This is my response to the recent short case on Imperial Finance (IFT). Obviously, all humans are fallible, and I'm sure someone can find just as much to argue with my long case as I found to argue with his short case. Please read for yourself, do your own research, and make your own decision. I am long IFT and plan on fully participating in the rights offering.

Top Asian Stocks To Watch For 2015: Southwest Airlines Co (LUV)

Southwest Airlines Co., incorporated on March 9, 1967, operates Southwest Airlines, a passenger airline, which provides scheduled air transportation in the United States. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was serving 72 cities in 37 states throughout the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company added addition services in two new states and three new cities: Charleston, South Carolina; Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina; and Newark, New Jersey. Southwest provides point-to-point. On May 2, 2011, the Company acquired AirTran Holdings, Inc. (AirTran).

AirTran�� route system provides hub-and-spoke, rather than point-to-point, service, with approximately half of AirTran�� flights originating or terminating at its hub in Atlanta, Georgia. AirTran also serves a range of markets with non-stop service from bases of operation in Baltimore, Maryland; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Orlando, Florida. As of December 31, 2011, AirTran was serving 68 United States and near-international destinations, including San Juan, Puerto Rico; Cancun, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Nassau, The Bahamas; Oranjestad, Aruba; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Bermuda. As of January 31, 2012, AirTran served 65 destinations. During 2011, approximately 71% of Southwest�� customers flew non-stop, and Southwest�� average aircraft trip stage length was 664 miles with an average duration of approximately 1.8 hours.

As of December 31, 2011, Southwest offered 25 weekday roundtrips from Dallas Love Field to Houston Hobby, 13 weekday roundtrips from Phoenix to Las Vegas, 13 weekday roundtrips from Burbank to Oakland, and 12 weekday roundtrips from Los Angeles International to Oakland. Southwest offers connecting service opportunities from over 60 Southwest cities to different Volaris airports in Mexico including Aguascalientes, Guadalajara, Mexico City (MEX), Mexico City-Toluca (TLC), Morelia, and Zacatecas. The Company�� International Connect portal conducts two separate transac! tions: one with Southwest�� reservation system and one with Volaris�� reservation system.

Southwest bundles fares into three categories: Wanna Get Away, Anytime, and Business Select. Wanna Get Away fares are lowest fares. Business Select fares are refundable and changeable, and funds may be applied toward future travel on Southwest. Business Select fares also include additional perks, such as priority boarding, a frequent flyer point multiplier, priority security and ticket counter access in select airports, and one complimentary adult beverage coupon for the day of travel. The Company�� Internet Website, southwest.com, is the avenue for Southwest Customers to purchase tickets online. During 2011, southwest.com accounted for approximately 78% of all Southwest bookings. During 2011, approximately 84% of Southwest�� Passenger revenues came through its Website, including revenues from SWABIZ, the Company�� business travel reservation Web page.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV  ) : up 100%
  Southwest doubled its dividend last June, but dividend investors shouldn't get too excited about it. The move only raised Southwest's puny payout by half a penny, and the dividend yield on the stock is just 0.3%. Still, with other major airlines being too stingy to pay dividends at all, even Southwest's token payout reveals its long history of stable profitability even in the face of massive bankruptcies and reorganizations elsewhere in the industry.

Top Asian Stocks To Watch For 2015: VocalTec Communications Ltd.(CALL)

magicJack VocalTec Ltd. provides voice over Internet protocol services over various platforms. It also offers magicJack, a competitive local exchange carrier. The company was formerly known as VocalTec Communications Ltd. and changed its name to magicJack VocalTec Ltd. on May 20, 2011. magicJack VocalTec Ltd. is based in Netanya, Israel.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Many investors or consumers alike are probably familiar with VoIP stocks magicJack VocalTec Ltd (NASDAQ: CALL) and Vonage Holdings Corp (NYSE: VG), but small cap VoIP stock Deltathree, Inc (OTCMKTS: DDDC) has surged more than 700% over the past two trading days. That�� pretty extraordinary, but what is the whole story about Deltathree and could it be more compelling than other VoIP stocks like�magicJack VocalTec Ltd and Vonage Holdings Corp?

• [By Bryan Murphy]

  To give credit where it's due, magicJack VocalTec Ltd (NASDAQ:CALL) was once one of the market's hottest stocks, and rightfully so. The company made a unique and highly marketable product, and consumers embraced the living daylights out of it. That's what caused shares of CALL to soar - and this isn't a misprint - more than 5000% between late-2008 and late-2012. It was even one of the SmallCap Network's featured stocks for a while back in 2012; the growth story was just that compelling.

Hot Stocks To Own For 2016

Hot Stocks To Own For 2016: Qualys Inc (QLYS)

Qualys, Inc. (Qualys), incorporated on December 30, 1999, is a provider of clouds security and compliance solutions that enable organizations to identify security risks to their information technology (IT) infrastructures, help protect their IT systems and applications from cyber attacks and achieve compliance with internal policies and external regulations. The Company designed its QualysGuard Cloud Platform to transform the way organizations secure and protect their IT infrastructures and applications The Company's cloud platform offers an integrated suite of solutions that automates the lifecycle of asset discovery, security assessments, and compliance management for an organization's IT infrastructure and assets, whether they reside inside the organization, on their network perimeter or in the cloud.

The Company provides its solutions through a software-as-a-service model, primarily with renewable annual subscriptions. These subscriptions require custome rs to pay a fee in order to access the Company's cloud solutions. The Company's QualysGuard Cloud Platform consists of a suite of IT security and compliance solutions that leverage the Company's shared and extensible core services and its scalable multi-tenant cloud infrastructure. The Company's suite of solutions provides security intelligence by automating the life cycle of IT asset discovery, security assessment and compliance management. The Company's cloud platform's infrastructure includes integrated services that deliver a automated and scalable scanning infrastructure capable of scanning IT systems and Web applications, inside and outside corporate firewalls. The Company also provides open application program interfaces (APIs), and other developer tools that allow third parties to embed its technology into their solutions and build applications on its cloud platform.

The Company's su! ite of solutions, which the Company refers to as the QualysGuard Cloud S uite, includes Vulnerability Management, Web Application Sca! nning, Malware Detection Service, Policy Compliance, PCI Compliance and Qualys SECURE Seal. The Company's customers can subscribe to one or more of the Company's security and compliance solutions based on their initial needs and expand their subscriptions over time to new areas within their organization or to additional QualysGuard solutions. The Company offers two editions of its QualysGuard Cloud Suite, the Enterprise edition for large and medium-sized enterprises and the Express edition for small and medium-sized businesses.

QualysGuard Vulnerability Management (QualysGuard VM), is a solution that automates network auditing and vulnerability management across an organization, including network discovery and mapping, asset management, vulnerability reporting, and remediation tracking. QualysGuard Policy Compliance (QualysGuard PC) allows customers to analyze and collect configuration and access control information from their networked devices and Web applicati ons and automatically maps this information to internal policies and external regulations in order to document compliance.

QualysGuard PCI Compliance (QualysGuard PCI) provides organizations that store cardholder data a automated solution to verify and document compliance with PCI DSS. QualysGuard Web Application Scanning (QualysGuard WAS) uses the scalability of its cloud platform to allow customers to discover, catalog and scan a large number of Web applications. QualysGuard Malware Detection Service (QualysGuard MDS) provides organizations with the ability to scan identify and remove malware infections from their Websites. QualysGuard Web Application Firewall (QualysGuard WAF) delivers enterprise-grade Web application security without associated with appliance-based Web application firewall solutions. QualysGuard SECURE Seal helps organizations demonstrate to their online customers! that the! y maintain a proactive security program.

Core Services in clude asset tagging and management, reporting and dashboards! , questio! nnaires and collaboration, remediation and workflow, big data correlation and analytics engine, and alerts and notifications. The Company's infrastructure layer, which it refer to as its Infrastructure, includes the data, data processing capabilities, software and hardware infrastructure and infrastructure management capabilities that provide the foundation for its cloud platform and allow the Company to automatically scale its Infrastructure and Core Services to scan millions of Internet protocols (IPs).

The Company competes with Hewlett-Packard Company, Imperva, Inc., International Business Machines Corporation, McAfee, Inc., Symantec Corporation, Barracuda Networks, Inc., BeyondTrust Software, Inc., Lumension Security, Inc., nCircle Network Security, Inc., NetIQ Corporation, Rapid7 LLC, Tenable Network Security, Inc. and Trustwave Holdings, Inc.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  Qualys (NASDAQ: QLYS) shares shot up 10.23 percent to $21.07 after the company reported upbeat quarterly results.

  Shares of Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) got a boost, shooting up 15.95 percent to $4.84 after the company reported upbeat quarterly earnings and announced its plans to close at least 400 stores in the US.

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Equities Trading UP
  Qualys (NASDAQ: QLYS) shares shot up 8.24 percent to $20.68 after the company reported upbeat quarterly results.

  Shares of Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) got a boost, shooting up 15.95 percent to $4.84 after the company reported upbeat quarterly earnings and announced its plans to close at least 400 stores in the US.

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

Top 10 Income Companies To Watch In Right Now

Top 10 Income Companies To Watch In Right Now: Energy Recovery Inc (ERII)

Energy Recovery, Inc. incorporated in April 1992, is engaged in developing, manufacturing and selling of energy recovery devices and circulation pumps primarily for uses in seawater desalination plants that use reverse osmosis technology. The Company's products are sold under the trademarks AquaBold, AquaSpire, ERITM, PXT, Pressure Exchanger, PX Pressure Exchanger, PEIT, Pump Engineering and Quadribaric. The Company develops and sells two main lines of energy recovery devices: PX pressures Exchanger devices and turbochargers. Each line includes a range of models and sizes to address the breadth of required process flow rates, plant designs and sizes. The company has two wholly owned subsidiaries: Energy Recovery Iberia, S.L. and ERI Energy Recovery Ireland Ltd. During the year ended December 2011, the Company merged three subsidiaries including, Osmotic Power, Inc.; Energy Recovery, Inc. International and Pump Engineering, Inc. into the parent company, Energy Recovery, Inc .

Energy recovery devices

The Company's PX offering includes: the PX-300 and PX-Q300; the 65 series (the PX-260, PX-220 and PX-180); the 4S series (PX-140S, PX-90S, PX-70S, PX-45S and PX-30S) and brackish PX devices (for the desalination of water with a lower concentration of salt than seawater). The Company's turbocharger offering includes: the HTCAT series (HTCAT-1800, HTCAT-2400, HTCAT-3600, HTCAT-4800, HTCAT-7200 and HTCAT-9600); the HALO line (HALO-50, HALO-75, HALO-100, HALO-150, HALO-225, HALO-300, HALO-450, HALO-500, HALO-600, HALO-900 and HALO-1200) and the LPT series for brackish water desalination applications (LPT-63, LPT-125, LPT-250, LPT-500, LPT-1000, LPT-2000 and LPT-3200).

High-pressure and Circulation pumps.

The Company manufactures and sells high-pressure feed, circulation and booster pumps for uses with its energy recovery devices in reverse osmosis desalination plants. The Com! pany's line of pumps inclu des the AquaBold series (AquaBold 2x3x5, AquaBold 3x4x7 and ! AquaBold 4x6x9); the AquaSpire series (AquaSpire-300, AquaSpire-450, AquaSpire-600, AquaSpire-900, AquaSpire-1200, AquaSpire-1800, AaquaSpire-2400, AquaSpire-3600, AquaSpire-4800, AquaSpire-7200 and AquaSpire-9600) and a line of small circulation pumps.

Technical support and Replacement parts

The Company provides engineering and technical support to customers during product installation and plants commissioning. The Company also offers replacement parts and services for its PX devices and turbochargers. The Company's PX devices and turbochargers are also used to retrofit or replace older energy recovery devices in existing desalination plants.

The Company Competes with Flowserve Corporation (Flowserve) based in Irving, Texas and Fluid Equipment Development Company, Clyde Union Ltd., Duchting Pumpen Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co KG, KSB Aktiengesellschaft, Torishima Pump Mfg. Co., Ltd. and Sulzer Pumps, Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ant贸nio Costa]

  Energy Recovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERII) broke out of a small consolidation area with heavy volume and will likely have the attention of the swing-traders in the next days.

source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/top-10-income-companies-to-watch-in-right-now-2.html

Top 10 Penny Companies To Invest In Right Now

John Dessauer, editor of John Dessauer Investments, looks at two important tech leaders. Although both companies disappointed analysts in the latest quarter, Dessauer sees the setbacks as opportunities.

Intel (INTC) reported second quarter earnings of $0.39 a share, a penny below the consensus estimate. Sales at $12.8 billion were in line with the analysts' estimates.

The quarter suffered because PC sales were sluggish and most analysts expect that to be the case in coming quarters.

Intel was slow to get involved in the mobile and handheld technology market, but has been making real progress in that regard.

Intel has a new CEO. Analysts are waiting to see how the changes he is making work out in terms of sales and profits. He has already flattened the management structure to improve new product development and basic decision making.

Intel is in transition, with a new CEO and an aggressive move into new markets. Intel is ahead of the competition in servers, and moving fast in mobile and handheld devices.

Top 10 New Companies To Invest In Right Now: S&W Seed Company(SANW)

S&W Seed Company engages in contracting the production of alfalfa seed varieties, processing the seeds, and marketing the certified seed to agribusiness firms and farmers worldwide. It also involves in the production of stevia leaf. The company primarily offers high fall dormancy (FD) alfalfa seed varieties, as well as markets and sells other varieties, including FD 7, 6, and 4 varieties. It sells the seed primarily to dealers and distributors who, in turn, sell primarily to hay and dairy farmers who grow hay for dairy cattle and other livestock; and through brokers. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Five Points, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  S&W Seed Company (NASDAQ: SANW) announced its plans to acquire all of DuPont Pioneer's alfalfa production and research facility assets, as well as all conventional (non-GMO) alfalfa germplasm for up to $42 million. S&W Seed shares jumped 1.40% to close at $3.61 on Friday.

• [By Glenwoods]

  �PureCircle does not grow its own product, but is more of a holding company as it contracts farms scattered around the globe to grow stevia to certain specifications.� One such farm is the S&W SEED Co. (NASDAQ:SANW).� Toward the end of 2011, PureCircle, with a goal of developing stevia in the U.S. for the U.S market, entered into a five-year agreementwith the California-based grower of high-yield alfalfa seeds, to grow stevia to the company�� specifications.� Unfortunately the results have not matched expectationsas reported by S&W Seed:

Top 10 Penny Companies To Invest In Right Now: Gamestop Corporation (GME)

GameStop Corp. operates as a retailer of video game products and personal computer (PC) entertainment software. It sells new and used video game hardware; video game software; used video game products; and video game accessories, which primarily consist of controllers, memory cards, and other add-ons, as well as strategy guides and trading cards. The company also offers PC entertainment and other software across various genres, including sports, action, strategy, adventure/role playing, and simulation, as well as products that relate to the digital category comprising network point cards, prepaid digital and online timecards, and digitally downloadable software. GameStop Corp. sells its products through stores, as well as through its electronic commerce Web sites, including gamestop.com, ebgames.com.au, gamestop.ca, gamestop.it, gamestop.es, gamestop.ie, gamestop.de, and micromania.fr. As of July 12, 2011, its retail network and family of brands included 6,573 company-oper ated stores in 17 countries worldwide. The company also publishes Game Informer, a video game magazine in the United States; and operates the online video gaming Web sites kongregate.com and joltonline.com. GameStop Corp. was founded in 1994 and is based in Grapevine, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jayson Derrick]

  Analysts at Bank of America upgraded GameStop (NYSE: GME) to Buy from Neutral with a price target raised to $56 from a previous $43. Shares lost 3.45 percent, closing at $42.86.

• [By Rick Munarriz]

  GameStop (NYSE: GME  ) is winning the game for investors these days. Shares of the leading stand-alone video game retailer hit a four-year high on Tuesday.

• [By Mani]

  [Related -GameStop Corp. (GME) And A Lesson In Patience]

  New hardware sales also dropped 19.4 percent to $148 million, reflecting a consumer pull-back for current legacy consoles ahead of the upcoming launches of Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One ��both of which are expected this November.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Invest In Right Now: Sparton Corporation(SPA)

Sparton Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, offers electronic manufacturing services primarily for medical device, defense and security systems, and electronic manufacturing services industries worldwide. The company?s Medical segment engages in the contract development, design, production, and distribution of medical related electromechanical devices for the medical OEM and ET customers primarily in the vitro diagnostic and therapeutic device areas. Its EMS segment involves in the contract manufacturing, assembly, design, preproduction, prototyping, and/or box building assemblies, such as flight control systems and fuel control systems for the aerospace, medical diagnostics systems, security systems, detection systems, lighting, and defense. The company?s DSS segment engages in the design, development, and production of electromechanical equipment, such as sonobuoys, an anti-submarine warfare device used by the United States Navy and foreign governments; and perf orms an engineering development function for the United States military and prime defense contractors on advanced technologies for defense products, and replacement of current systems. It also offers non-sonobuoy related manufacturing and services. Sparton Corporation was founded in 1900 and is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [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 Sparton (NYSE: SPA  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Louis Navellier]

  Sparton Corporation (SPA) provides electromechanical systems and operates in three segments: medical devices, complex systems and defense and security systems. The medical devices segment makes devices used in diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical, and laboratory applications. Complex devices makes printed circuit assemblies used in military, aerospace, industrial and commercial OEMs, while the defense and security segment designs products for defense applications.

• [By Jasmine Ng]

  Futures (SPA) on the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index lost 0.3 percent today. The U.S. equities benchmark index dropped 0.3 percent yesterday amid data that showed manufacturing unexpectedly climbed last month and retail spending fell on the weekend after Thanksgiving for the first time since 2009.

• [By Emma O��rien]

  Futures (SPA) on the Standard & Poor�� 500 Index fell and the yen climbed against the dollar as U.S. lawmakers continued to scrap over raising the debt limit and the government shutdown. Crude oil declined while gold rallied.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Invest In Right Now: Select Comfort Corporation(SCSS)

Select Comfort Corporation develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes adjustable-firmness beds and other sleep-related accessory products in the United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and Australia. It offers its mattresses under the Sleep Number brand name. The company also provides a line of accessory bedding products, including specialty pillows, mattress pads, comforters, sheets, and leg options. Select Comfort Corporation distributes its products through retail, direct marketing, and e-commerce channels. As of January 2, 2010, it had 403 company-owned stores and 146 retail partner doors. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Bieglmeier]

  [Related -Select Comfort (SCSS) Calls Active]

  Sales, unlike earnings, are expected to grow, rising 6.2% year-over-year (YoY). Select Comfort's consensus revenue estimate for Q1 is $ 274.27 million, more than last year's $ 258.24 million.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Select Comfort (NASDAQ: SCSS) is estimated to post its Q1 earnings at $0.32 per share on revenue of $274.27 million.

  E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE: DD) is projected to report its Q1 earnings at $1.58 per share on revenue of $10.45 billion.

• [By Michael Lewis]

  Ever-volatile premium mattress company�Select Comfort (NASDAQ: SCSS  ) delivered an earnings report this week that failed to impress the Street in a big way. The company missed its estimates on either end, suggesting that things were getting soft (punny, I know) in the mattress world. As a result, the stock took a near 10% hit in Wednesday's after-hours trading, and through into Thursday. Management, however, is sticking�to its full-year guidance, and did not find the missed estimates to be as terrible an issue. Does the stock drop create an opportunity for the company, or is the market a prophet of more difficulty to come?

Top 10 Penny Companies To Invest In Right Now: Cincinnati Bell Inc (CBB)

Cincinnati Bell Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications and technology services. The company?s Wireline segment provides local voice services, including local telephone service, switched access, and value-added services, such as caller identification, voicemail, call waiting, and call return; data services comprising high-speed Internet using digital subscriber line technology, fiber to the home, dial-up Internet access, network access, and gigabit Ethernet and asynchronous transfer mode data transport services. This segment?s services also comprise long distance and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)services, such as long distance voice, audio conferencing, VoIP, and other broadband services; entertainment services that consist of television over fiber optic cable and coaxial cable in limited areas, and DirecTV commissioning over the company?s operating area; and other services consisting of security monitoring, inside wire installation for busi ness enterprises, rental revenue of space, public payphones, and clearinghouse services. It?s Wireless segment provides advanced digital wireless voice and data communications services through the wireless network in a licensed service territory, which includes Greater Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and areas of northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana. This segment offers postpaid and prepaid wireless subscription services; and wireless handset devices to customers to use its wireless services. The company?s Data Center Colocation segment provides data center colocation services to businesses. This segment operates 17 data centers with 639,000 square feet of total data center space in Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. It?s IT Services and Hardware segment offers a range of managed IT solutions, including managed infrastructure services, IT and telephony equipment sales, and professional IT staffing services. The company was founded in 1873 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Paulo Santos]

  The birth of CONE was non-effusive; it came from the spin-off and IPO of the datacenter unit of Cincinnati Bell (CBB). Perhaps one could believe that not being a green field company, people didn't go as gaga on it. It came from a telecom dinosaur, after all.

• [By Jim Royal]

  One of my favorite reasons to reinvest in stocks I already own is when an uncertain, but favorable catalyst occurs, but the stock does little. So my Special Situations portfolio is adding $1,000 to each of the following three stocks: Cincinnati Bell (NYSE: CBB  ) , Bridgepoint Education (NYSE: BPI  ) , and First Financial Northwest (NASDAQ: FFNW  ) . Read on to see why.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Invest In Right Now: Kohlberg Capital Corporation(KCAP)

Kohlberg Capital Corporation is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in buyouts and mezzanine investments. It focuses on mature and middle market companies. The firm structures its investments through senior debt, second lien debt, secured and unsecured subordinated debt, mezzanine debt, and equity. It invests in all sectors except cyclical industries. The firm invests equity in both minority and control transactions alongside other equity investors. It invests through its own balance sheet. Kohlberg Capital Corporation is based in the New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  KCAP Financial (NASDAQ: KCAP) is projected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.25 per share on revenue of $13.27 million.

  Home Inns & Hotels Management (NASDAQ: HMIN) is estimated to post its Q4 earnings at $2.18 per share on revenue of $1.54 billion.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Invest In Right Now: Brocade Communications Systems Inc.(BRCD)

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. supplies networking equipment comprising end-to-end Internet protocol based Ethernet and storage area networking solutions. Its Data Storage segment provides infrastructure products and solutions, including directors, switches, routers, fabric-based software applications, distance/extension products, management applications, and utilities to centralize data management; and host bus adapters, converged network adapters, mezzanine cards, and switch modules for bladed servers. The company?s Ethernet Products segment offers Open Systems Interconnection Reference Model (OSI) Layer 2-3 switches and routers, which enable the use of bandwidth-intensive network business applications and digital entertainment on local area networks and wide area networks; and OSI Layer 4?7 switches that allow enterprises and service providers to build network infrastructures to direct the flow of traffic, and file area network products and associated management s olutions. The company?s Global Services segment provides break/fix maintenance, extended warranty, installation, consulting, network management, and related software maintenance and support services; consulting and support services that assist customers in designing, implementing, deploying, and managing networking solutions; and post-contract customer support and extended warranties. It serves various businesses and organizations, which include global enterprises and service providers, such as telecommunication firms, cable operators, and mobile carriers. The company has a strategic partnership with LG-Ericsson. It offers its products and services to end-user customers directly, and through various distribution partners comprising original equipment manufacturers, distributors, systems integrators, and value-added resellers in the United States, western Europe, Japan, and the greater Asia Pacific region. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in San Jose, Cali fornia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By jaggom]

  Brocade Communications (BRCD) is another company that provides solutions similar to EMC, but it is a smaller player. Brocade earns 50% of its total revenue from its core service of storage area networks (SAN). However, it faced a 7% decline in revenue in the second quarter from the prior year period. This can be concerning for investors. With major players like Cisco (CSCO), Brocade faces fierce competition for its core business and the company might be in for tough times.

• [By amal.singh70]

  Analysts forecast the Global SAN (Storage Area Networks) market to grow at a CAGR of 8.42 percent from 2012 to 2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market is the improved scalability facilitated by SAN solutions. The Global SAN market has also been witnessing an increasing adoption of Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) solutions. However, the high cost of FC SAN solutions could pose a headwind to the growth of this market. Brocade Communications�(BRCD) has been steadily gaining a wider market share, which influences growth in its stocks prices. This year, Brocade's share price has gained 18.3%, and the momentum should continue providing healthy returns to investors.

• [By John Udovich]

  Mid cap networking solutions company Brocade Communications Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: BRCD) has pretty much been a sleeper for investors since the dot.com bust, but that has changed over the past year���meaning its worth revisiting the stock along with potential performance benchmarks�like QLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QLGC), Emulex Corporation (NYSE: ELX) and iShares North American Tech-Multimedia Networking ETF (NYSEARCA: IGN). I should mention that we have recently Brocade Communications Systems to our SmallCap Network Elite Opportunity (SCN EO) portfolio because the company has successfully transitioned from being a hardware company to supporting virtual networks via software and it continues to offer best-of-breed technology.

Best Machinery Companies For 2015

With very little key economic data out this morning, investors focused their attention on interest rate changes in Australia and earnings reports, which for the most part have been strong. With these smaller catalysts, the bulls where out and running again today, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) pushed higher. The blue-chip average increased by 87 points, or 0.58%, and for the first time ever, closed above the 15,000 mark, at 15,056. The S&P 500 and the�Nasdaq�both also moved upward, gaining 0.52% and 0.11%, respectively. The S&P 500 broke the 1,600 mark last week and now sits at 1,625, while the Nasdaq is now fewer than four points away from the 3,400 milestone.

Let's take a look at a few Dow components that helped push the index above that 15,000 mark today.

Share of Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT  ) rose 2.51% this afternoon, making it the best-performing Dow component of the day. My colleague Dan Dzombak explained why lowering interest rates in Australia gave the stock such a boost this morning. The long and skinny of it is that Caterpillar receives about 10% of its revenue from the country and the lower rates should help spur construction in the country and thus boost sales for the heavy machinery manufacturer.

Top 10 Services Companies To Watch In Right Now: MSC Industrial Direct Co Inc (MSM)

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (MSC), incorporated on October 25, 1995, is direct marketers and distributors of a range of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products to customers throughout the United States. The Company operates primarily in the United States, with customers in all 50 states, through a network of five customer fulfillment centers (four customer fulfillment centers are located within the United States and one is located in the United Kingdom and 106 branch offices (104 branches are located within the United States, one is located in the United Kingdom and the other is located in Mexico). The Company offers approximately 600,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) through its master catalogs, weekly, monthly and quarterly specialty and promotional catalogs, brochures and the Internet, including its Websites, mscdirect.com, mscmetalworking.com and use-enco.com (MSC Websites). In April 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of the North American distribution business (BDNA or the Business) of Barnes Group Inc.

The Company's customers include a range of purchasers of industrial supply products, from individual machine shops to Fortune 1000 companies, to government agencies, such as the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Defense. The Company uses its database of companies and contacts, and the Company also purchases information on prospective customers in the form of databases, mailing lists, and email lists to target the distribution of these various publications and other marketing vehicles to specific individuals within an organization whose purchasing history or other criteria suggest receptiveness to specific publication titles and promotions. The Company also provides electronic ordering capabilities (EDI and XML) to support its customers' purchase order processing.

The Company's products represent a range of MRO products that include cutting tools; measuring instruments; tooling component! s; metalworking products; fasteners; flat stock; raw materials; abrasives; machinery hand and power tools; safety and janitorial supplies; plumbing supplies; materials handling products; power transmission components; and electrical supplies. The Company provides product information and ordering capabilities on the Internet. The Company also maintains a hardware and software platform in support of its VMI program, which allows customers to integrate scanner-accumulated orders directly into its Sales Order Entry system.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  MSC Industrial Direct Co (NYSE: MSM) was down, falling 4.79 percent to $88.91 after the company reported Q3 earnings of $1.06 per share on revenue of $720.50 million. The company also issued a weak Q4 earnings outlook.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  MSC Industrial Direct (MSM) has dropped 5.8% to $87.98 after the company met earnings forecasts but missed on revenue and offered disappointing fourth-quarter guidance.

• [By Demitrios Kalogeropoulos]

  Meanwhile, stocks on the move this morning include Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ  ) and MSC Industrial (NYSE: MSM  ) , which both reported quarterly earnings results before the opening bell.�

Best Machinery Companies For 2015: Boewe Systec AG (BSY)

BOEWE SYSTEC AG is a Germany-based provider of paper management systems. The Company is primarily engaged in the production of inserting systems, for the secure distribution of printed documents and plastic cards. Its product portfolio also includes plastic card personalization and mailing solutions, software for the monitoring and interconnection of various mailroom systems, paper processing solutions, sorting and mail verification systems, and scanners. The Company developed reading technologies used for cutters, cut sheet feeders, enclosure feeders and inserting systems, which are integrated into its software solutions. BOEWE SYSTEC AG�� products are modular, allowing machinery from different manufacturers to be connected into a production line, offering solutions for the automated mailroom. In addition, the Company provides installation, commissioning and maintenance services, as well as spare parts for its products. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  BSkyB (BSY) sank 3.3 percent to 822 pence, the biggest slide since May 16, even as the U.K.�� largest pay-TV broadcaster reported sales that topped estimates. The company unveiled a box to link televisions to the Internet and said it will buy back 500 million pounds of shares.

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  U.K. stocks erased losses in the last half hour of trading, leaving the FTSE 100 Index (UKX) little changed, as a rally in British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc (BSY) and SABMiller Plc (SAB) offset Dagong Global Credit Rating Co.�� downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt.

Best Machinery Companies For 2015: Fidia SpA (FDA)

Fidia SpA is an Italy-based company primarily engaged in the production of numerical controls and machine tools. The Company�� activities are divided into three main business lines. In the High-speed Milling Systems, it is involved in the production and sale of milling heads kits and cutting-edge equipment. Through the Numerical Controls, Dives and Software sector, it is active in the manufacture of numerical controls for milling systems, as well as in the development and distribution of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. The After-sales Service sector includes the provision of technical services, sale of spare parts and scheduled maintenance contracts. The Company operates in Germany, France, Brazil, China, Poland and India, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rahul Chattaraj]

  Every year more and more people are becoming health conscious and healthcare is one such industry which I feel can never be in slump. It�� is just brilliant of Apple to embed a hardware in a smartphone which will be able to cash on this opportunity. The iPhone 5S already has the hardware components to support the Healthbook app and once the iOS 8 is released for the next iPhone model and upgrades are available for the iPhone 5S, Apple will be poised to see huge surge in the demand for its devices. Certain incidents such as the top Apple executives meeting the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and former Mashimo Corp. Chief Medical Officer Michael O'Reilly joining Apple are clearly hinting that the company�� mobile health dreams will very soon turn into reality.

• [By Patricio Kehoe]

  Despite recent anti-tobacco laws passed by the European Union and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S, the company�� pricing power has helped maintain its margins. In 2012, for example, Phillip Morris hiked prices on its products in Russia, Germany, Belgium, Canada, France, Greece and Spain, among others. Although the necessary measure caused substantial volume declines in these countries, consumers rapidly became accustomed to the increased prices, and returned to their habitual product consumption. Given the success of this strategy, the firm is likely to rely on it in Japan for 2014, where taxes are expected to increase yet again by 8%, after the 40% spike in October 2010.

• [By Steven Silver]

  Its Apremilast is currently under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review for the anti-inflammatory condition, psoriatic arthritis, and has also shown promise in such indications as psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis.

Best Machinery Companies For 2015: Danaher Corp (DHR)

Danaher Corporation (Danaher) designs, manufactures and markets professional, medical, industrial and commercial products and services. The Company�� research and development, manufacturing, sales, distribution, service and administrative facilities are located in more than 50 countries. It operates in five segments: Test & Measurement; Environmental; Life Sciences & Diagnostics; Dental; and Industrial Technologies. In April 2011, the Company sold its Pacific Scientific Aerospace (PSA) business. On June 30, 2011, the Company acquired Beckman Coulter, Inc. (Beckman Coulter). In January 2012, the Company sold its Accu-Sort businesses. In February 2012, the Company sold its Kollmorgen Electro-Optical (KEO) business. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company acquired EskoArtwork, On February 6, 2012, L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. acquired Kollmorgen Electro-Optical unit of the Company. In January 2013, the Company acquired Navman Wireless.

TEST & MEASUREMENT

The Company�� Test & Measurement segment is a provider of electronic measurement instruments and monitoring, management and optimization tools for communications and enterprise networks and related services. The segment�� products are used in the design, development, manufacture, installation, deployment and operation of electronics equipment and communications networks and services. Customers for these products and services include manufacturers of electronic instruments; service, installation and maintenance professionals; manufacturers who design, develop, manufacture and install network equipment, and service providers who implement, maintain and manage communications networks and services.

The Company�� business designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of compact professional test tools, thermal imaging and calibration equipment for electrical, industrial, electronic and calibration applications. These test products measure voltage, current, resistance, power quality, frequency, p! ressure, temperature and air quality. Typical users of these products include electrical engineers, electricians, electronic technicians, medical technicians, and industrial maintenance professionals. Its business also offers general purpose test products and video test, measurement and monitoring products used in electronic design, manufacturing and advanced technology development. The business��general purpose test products, including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, signal sources and spectrum analyzers, are used to capture, display and analyze streams of electrical data. The Company sells these products into a variety of industries with electronic content, including the communications, computer, consumer electronics, education, military/aerospace and semiconductor industries.

Typical users include research and development engineers who use its general purpose test products to design, de-bug, monitor and validate the function and performance of electronic components, subassemblies and end-products. Its video test products include waveform monitors, video signal generators, compressed digital video test products and other test and measurement equipment used to enhance a viewer�� video experience. Typical users of these products include video equipment manufacturers, content developers and traditional television broadcasters. Products in this business are marketed under the FLUKE, TEKTRONIX, KEITHLEY, RAYTEK, FLUKE BIOMEDICAL, AMPROBE and MAXTEK brands.

The communications businesses offer network management solutions, handheld and fixed diagnostic equipment and security solutions, as well as related installation and maintenance services, for a range of private network applications, as well fixed and mobile communications systems. Typical users of the business��products include network engineers, installers, operators, and technicians. Its network management tools help network operators continuously manage network performance and optimize the utilization, uptime and servi! ce qualit! y of the network. Products in this business are marketed under the TEKTRONIX, FLUKE NETWORKS, ARBOR, VISUAL NETWORKS and AIRMAGNET brands.

Matco Tools manufactures and distributes professional tools, toolboxes and automotive equipment through independent mobile distributors, who sell primarily to professional mechanics under the MATCO brand. Hennessy Industries is a North American full-line wheel service equipment manufacturer, providing brake lathes, vehicle lifts, tire changers, wheel balancers, and wheel weights under the AMMCO, BADA and COATS brands. Typical users of these products are automotive tire and repair shops. Sales are generally made through its direct sales personnel, independent distributors, retailers, and original equipment manufacturers.

ENVIRONMENTAL

The Company�� Environmental segment provides products that help protect its water supply and air quality and serves two primary markets: water quality and retail/commercial petroleum. Danaher�� water quality business is engaged in water quality analysis and treatment, providing instrumentation and disinfection systems to help analyze and manage the quality of ultra pure, potable and waste water in residential, commercial, industrial and natural resource applications. Its water quality operations design, manufacture and market a range of analytical instruments, related consumables, and associated services that detect and measure chemical, physical, and microbiological parameters in ultra pure, potable and waste water as well as groundwater and ocean bodies; ultraviolet disinfection systems, which disinfect billions of gallons of municipal, industrial and consumer water every day in more than 35 countries, and industrial water treatment solutions, including chemical treatment solutions intended to address corrosion, scaling and biological growth problems in boiler, cooling water and industrial waste water applications, as well as associated analytical services. Typical users of its analytical in! struments! , ultraviolet disinfection systems, industrial water treatment solutions and related consumables and services include professionals in municipal drinking water and waste water treatment plants and industrial process water and waste water treatment facilities, third-party testing laboratories and environmental field operations. Its water quality business provides products under a variety of well-known brands, including HACH, HACH/LANGE, TROJAN TECHNOLOGIES and CHEMTREAT. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, and Asia.

The Company has served the retail/commercial petroleum market through its Veeder-Root business. Gilbarco Veeder-Root is a provider of products and services for the retail/commercial petroleum market, including environmental monitoring and leak detection systems; vapor recovery equipment; fuel dispensers; point-of-sale and secure electronic payment technologies for retail petroleum stations; submersible turbine pumps, and remote monitoring and outsourced fuel management services, including compliance services, fuel system maintenance, and inventory planning and supply chain support. Typical users of these products include independent and Company-owned retail petroleum stations, high-volume retailers, convenience stores, and commercial vehicle fleets. The Company markets its retail/commercial petroleum products under a variety of brands, including GILBARCO, VEEDER-ROOT, and GILBARCO AUTOTANK. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Sales are generally made through independent distributors and its direct sales personnel.

LIFE SCIENCES & DIAGNOSTICS

The Company�� diagnostics businesses offer a range of analytical instruments, reagents, consumables, software and services that hospitals, physician�� offices, reference laboratories and other critical care settings use to diagnose disease and make treatment decisions. Its life sciences businesses offer a range of research and clinical ! tools tha! t are used by scientists to study cells and cell components to gain a better understanding of complex biological matters. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, medical schools and research institutions use these tools to study the causes of disease, identify new therapies and test new drugs and vaccines. The diagnostics business consists of its core lab, acute care and pathology diagnostics businesses.

The Company�� core lab diagnostics business is a manufacturer and marketer of biomedical testing instrument systems, tests and supplies that are used to evaluate and analyze samples made up of body fluids, cells and other substances. The information generated is used to diagnose disease, monitor and guide treatment and therapy, assist in managing chronic disease and assess patient status in the hospital, outpatient and physician office settings. Its chemistry systems use electrochemical detection and chemical reactions with patient samples to detect and quantify substances of diagnostic interest in blood and other body fluids. Commonly performed tests include glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, electrolytes, proteins and enzymes.

The Company�� immunoassay systems also detect and quantify chemical substances of diagnostic interest in body fluids, particularly in circumstances where more specialized diagnosis is required. Commonly performed immunoassay tests assess thyroid function, screen and monitor for cancer and cardiac risk and provide important information in fertility and reproductive testing. Its cellular analysis business includes hematology, flow cytometry and coagulation products. The business��hematology systems use principles of physics, optics, electronics and chemistry to separate cells of diagnostic interest and then quantify and characterize them, allowing clinicians to study formed elements in blood (such as red and white blood cells and platelets). The business also distributes coagulation products, which rely on clotting, chromogenic! and immu! nologic technologies to provide the detailed information that clinicians require to diagnose bleeding and clotting disorders and to monitor anticoagulant therapy. It also offer systems and workflow solutions that allow laboratories to automate a number of steps from the pre-analytical through post-analytical stages including sample barcoding/information tracking, centrifugation, aliquotting, storage and conveyance. These systems along with the analyzers above are controlled through laboratory level software that enables laboratory managers to monitor samples, results and lab efficiency.

The Company�� acute care diagnostics business is a provider of instruments and related consumables and services that are used in both laboratory and point-of-care environments to rapidly measure critical parameters, including blood gases, electrolytes, metabolites and cardiac markers. Typical users of these products include hospital central laboratories, intensive care units, hospital operating rooms and hospital emergency rooms. Its pathology diagnostics business is engaged in the anatomical pathology market, offering a suite of instrumentation and related consumables used across the entire workflow of a pathology laboratory. Its pathology diagnostics products include tissue embedding, processing and slicing (microtomes) instruments and related reagents and consumables; chemical and immuno-staining instruments, reagents, antibodies and consumables; slide coverslipping and slide/cassette marking instruments, and imaging instrumentation including slide scanners, microscopes, cameras and associated software. Typical users of these products include pathologists, lab managers and researchers. Its diagnostics business generally markets its products under the BECKMAN COULTER, LEICA BIOSYSTEMS, RADIOMETER and SURGIPATH brands. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The businesses sell to customers primarily through direct sales personnel and to a lesser extent through ! independe! nt distributors.

The Company�� microscopy business is a provider of professional microscopes designed to manipulate, preserve and capture images of, and enhance the user�� visualization of, microscopic structures. Its microscopy products include laser scanning (confocal) microscopes; compound microscopes and related equipment; surgical and other stereo microscopes; specimen preparation products for electron microscopy; and digital image capture and manipulation equipment. The Company also offers workflow instruments and consumables that help researchers analyze genomic, protein and cellular information. Key product areas include sample preparation equipment, such as centrifugation and capillary electrophoresis instrumentation and consumables; liquid handling automation instruments and associated consumables; flow cytometry instrumentation and associated antibodies and reagents; and particle characterization instrumentation. The business also offers genome profiling services. Researchers use the business��products to study biological function in the pursuit of basic research, therapeutic and diagnostic development. Typical users of these products include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, medical schools and research institutions and in some cases industrial manufacturers.

The Company�� mass spectrometry business is a provider of high-end mass spectrometers. Mass spectrometry is a technique for identifying, analyzing and quantifying elements, chemical compounds and biological molecules, individually or in complex mixtures. Its products utilize various combinations of quadrupole, time-of-flight and ion trap technologies, and are typically used in conjunction with a third party liquid chromatography instrument. Its mass spectrometer systems are used in numerous applications, such as drug discovery and clinical development of therapeutics as well as in basic research, clinical testing, food and beverage quality testing and environmental testing. To s! upport it! s installations around the world, it provides implementation, validation, training, maintenance and support from its global services network. Typical users of its mass spectrometry products include molecular biologists, bioanalytical chemists, toxicologists, and forensic scientists, as well as quality assurance and quality control technicians. It also provides high-performance bioanalytical measurement systems, including microplate readers, automated cellular screening products and associated reagents, and imaging software. Typical users of these products include biologists and chemists engaged in research and drug discovery, who use these products to determine electrical or chemical activity in cell samples. Its life sciences business generally markets its products under the LEICA MICROSYSTEMS, BECKMAN COULTER, AB SCIEX and MOLECULAR DEVICES brands. Manufacturing facilities are located in Europe, Australia, Asia and North America.

DENTAL

The Company�� Dental segment is a provider of a range of consumables, equipment and services for the dental market, which encompasses the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and ailments of the teeth, gums and supporting bone. Its dental businesses develop, manufacture and market dental consumables and dental equipment orthodontic bracket systems and lab products; impression, bonding and restorative materials; endodontic systems and related consumables; infection prevention products, and diamond and carbide rotary instruments. Typical customers and users of these products include general dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, dental laboratories and other oral health professionals, as well as educational, medical and governmental entities. Its dental products are marketed primarily under the KAVO, GENDEX, iCAT, INSTRUMENTARIUM DENTAL, SOREDEX, PELTON & CRANE, DEXIS, ORMCO, KERR, PENTRON, SYBRON ENDO and TOTAL CARE brands.

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES

The Company�� Industrial Technologies segment ! designs a! nd manufactures components and systems that are typically incorporated by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and systems integrators for sale into a diverse set of applications and end-markets. The businesses in this segment also provide service and support, including helping customers with integration and installation and providing services to ensure performance and up-time. Danaher�� product identification business is a global provider of equipment and consumables for variable printing, marking and coding on a variety of consumer and industrial products. Its businesses design, manufacture, and market a variety of equipment used to print bar codes, date codes, lot codes, and other information on primary and secondary packaging. Its equipment can apply alphanumeric codes, logos and graphics to a range of surfaces at a variety of line speeds, angles and locations on a product or package.

EskoArtwork, the business is a service solutions provider for the digital packaging design and production market. Typical users of the product identification business��products include food and beverage manufacturers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, retailers and commercial printing and mailing operations. Its product identification products are primarily marketed under the VIDEOJET, LINX, FOBA and ESKOARTWORK brands. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The Company is a provider of electromechanical motion control solutions for the industrial automation and packaging markets. Its businesses provide a range of products including standard and custom motors; drives; controls, and mechanical components, such as ball screws, linear bearings, clutches/brakes, and linear actuators.

The products are sold in various precision motion markets, such as the markets for packaging equipment, medical equipment, robotics, circuit board assembly equipment, elevators and electric vehicles (such as lift trucks). Its motion products are marketed under a vari! ety of br! ands, including KOLLMORGEN, THOMSON, DOVER and PORTESCAP. Manufacturing facilities are located in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Its sensors and controls products include instruments that monitor, sense and control discrete manufacturing variables such as temperature, position, quantity, level, flow and time. Users of these products span a wide variety of manufacturing markets. Certain businesses included in this group also make and sell instruments, controls and monitoring systems used by the electric utility industry to monitor their transmission and distribution systems, as well as automatic identification solutions. The products are marketed under a variety of brands, including DYNAPAR, HENGSTLER, IRIS POWER, WEST, GEMS SENSORS, SETRA and QUALITROL. Sales are generally made through our direct sales personnel and independent distributors.

The Company�� defense business designs, manufactures, and markets energetic material systems. Typical users of these products include defense systems integrators and prime contractors. defense products are typically marketed under the PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC ENERGETIC MATERIALS COMPANY brand. The KEO business designs, develops, manufactures and integrates highly engineered, stabilized electro-optical/ISR systems that integrate into submarines, surface ships and ground vehicles. Jacobs Vehicle Systems (JVS) is a supplier of supplemental braking systems for commercial vehicles, selling JAKE BRAKE brand engine retarders for class 6 through 8 vehicles and bleeder and exhaust brakes for class 2 through 7 vehicles. Customers are primarily manufacturers of class 2 through class 8 vehicles, and sales are typically made through its direct sales personnel. Manufacturing facilities of its sensors and controls, defense and JVS businesses are located in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of General Electric dropped 1.6% to $25.34 today, while 3M (MMM) fell 1.3% to $130.81 and Danaher (DHR) declined 1.8% to $74.43. Shares of the Gap dipped 0.1% to $41.27, while Wal-Mart finished off 0.8% at $74.93.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Shares of Align have surged 24% to $57 at 12:37 p.m. Sirona Dental Systems (SIRO) has risen 0.8% to $69.61, Dentsply International (XRAY) is up 0.1% at $45.44, Integra Lifesciences (IART) has� gained 0.4% to $44.23 and Danaher (DHR) has fallen 0.3% to $72.13.

Best Machinery Companies For 2015: Emak SpA (EM)

Emak SpA is an Italy-based company primarily engaged in the manufacture of outdoor power equipment for gardening, forestry, agriculture and industry. The Company�� portfolio includes chainsaws, brush cutters, lawnmowers, garden tractors, water pumps, high pressure washers, transporters, rotary cultivators, motor hoes and power cutters, among others. It also manufactures spare parts, accessories and protective clothing. The Company sells its products under various brand names, such as Oleo-Mac, Efco, Bertolini, Nibbi and Staub. Emak SpA directly manages distribution in the Italian market and it sells products, through its commercial subsidiaries, in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, the countries of Benelux, Poland, Ukraine, among others.The Company is controlled by Yama SpA, which is an industrial holding company. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Federico Zaldua]

  Brookfield Infrastructure has a number of potentially profitable areas for investment around the world but, above all, in infrastructure hungry Emerging Markets (EM) such as Brazil. According to Credit Suisse analysts, in Brazil, funds can be invested at Funds From Operations (FFO) yields above 12%. Therefore, the company's ability to grow its distribution yield, whether through acquisitions or organically, is critical to evaluate the company's value. Moreover, the currently conservative dividend payout ratio should allow Brookfield Infrastructure to self-finance on going opportunities.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  As true value investors, Brandes oft en moves against the crowd amid markets' constantly changing performance cycles. Take the recent equity market weakness in a number of emerging market (EM) countries for example. Over the last year, while macroeconomic and geopolitical concerns cast a cloud of uncertainty over the asset class in general, we started to see some interesting investment opportunities at the company level as a result of such market weakness.