Taco Bell's Latest Cheesy Franken-Food: The Quesarito

www.tacobell.com It's a quesadilla. It's a burrito. It's a Quesarito. Yum! Brands' (YUM) Taco Bell rolled out the Quesarito nationwide on Monday. The burrito wrapped in a quesadilla is the latest bold move by the Mexican fast food chain that's been raising the flavor bar with everything from Doritos-dusted taco shells to waffle-backed breakfast sandwiches. The new treat is cheap, just like most Taco Bell creations. The suggested retail price is just $1.99 for ground beef. Shredded chicken is $2.79, and steak is $2.99. The decadent concoction -- where a quesadilla blankets seasoned rice, chipotle sauce and reduced-fat sour cream -- starts at 620 calories and 30 grams of fat. If early results are any indication, the Quesarito is going to be a big fat hit for Taco Bell. A Quesarito By Any Other Name PYum! Brands -- the quick-service giant that's also behind Pizza Hut and KFC -- claims that the Quesarito was a hot seller in Taco Bell's test markets before the national rollout on Monday. The only product that fared better is the Doritos Locos Tacos, and that was a marriage made in fast food heaven. Doritos is owned by PepsiCo (PEP), the soda and salty snacks giant that once owned Taco Bell before spinning off its eateries as Yum! Brands. It made perfect sense that the two should come together to create taco shells flavored after popular Doritos corn chip varieties. Taco Bell has gone on to sell 825 million Doritos Locos Tacos since being introduced two years ago. The origin of the Quesarito is unusual. It's been a "secret menu" item at Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) for some time. It has the same name. It shares the same concept of a quesadilla doubling as a flour tortilla in a burrito. The Chipotle Quesarito costs more and has more ingredients. It's also larger. It's premature to say that Taco Bell is copying Chipotle because no one really knows where the decadent practice of a burrito-stuffed quesadilla originated. However, it won't be long that it becomes associated primarily with Taco Bell like the Gordita and Chalupa. Mixing Things Up Taco Bell doesn't have a problem taking chances. Doritos Locos Tacos was bold, and it has gone on to offer several versions. Plus, there have been other innovations in the brief timeline between Doritos Locos Tacos and the Quesarito. Just months after the debut of Doritos Locos Tacos in 2012, it rolled out a Cantina Bell line of premium offerings drummed up by chef Lorena Garcia. Taco Bell's biggest gamble may have taken place three months ago when it dove into the breakfast market. Most chains would've settled for breakfast burritos, but Taco Bell tweaked its CrunchWrap to feature scrambled eggs and a hash brown patty. It topped a taco-shaped waffle with scrambled eggs, cheese and either sausage or bacon. It's a safe bet that if the Quesarito is a hit, it will inspire a breakfast offshoot. Despite posting negative same-store sales during this year's first quarter, Taco Bell has treated Yum! Brands investors well with several strong periods before this likely temporary lull. Between the breakfast rollout in late March and now the Quesarito in early June, we should see a healthy spike in comps when Yum! Brands reports its second-quarter results this summer. . More from Rick Aristotle Munarriz
•Hey, Disney: Where Are the Thrills for Teens and Adults? •Wall Street This Week: Summer Fun for Gamers, Movie Fans •Netflix's Latest Rival is Really a Friend in Disguise

Best Wireless Telecom Companies For 2015

Best Wireless Telecom Companies For 2015: KDDI Corp (KDDIF)

KDDI CORPORATION is a telecommunications company. The Mobile Telecommunication segment is engaged in the provision of mobile communications services, including voice and data services, and mobile WIMAX services, as well as the sale of mobile communication terminals and the provision of contents. The Fixed-line Telecommunication segment provides broadband services, including fiber to the home (FTTH) and cable television (TV) services, as well as domestic and overseas communication services, data center services and information and communication technology (ICT) solution services. The Others segment is involved in the operation of call centers and the development of research and advanced technology. On December 2, 2013, it transferred all shares of a wholly owned subsidiary, JAPAN CABLE NET LIMITED to another subsidiary. In December 2013, the Company acquired the entire share capital in Yugen Kaisha Cosmos. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Daniel Inman]

  In Tokyo, KDDI (JP:9433)   (KDDIF)  gained 0.6% after the telecommunications company reported a record-high and consensus-beating operating profit for the first half of the fiscal year, due to a stronger-than-expected increase in subscription and a rise in usage revenue.

• [By Daniel Inman]

  In Tokyo, telecoms firm KDDI Corp. (JP:9433)   (KDDIF)  rose 2% after a Nikkei report said that the firm will likely report a record first-half group operating profit, with a 50% on-year increase. TDK Corp. (JP:6762)   (TTDKF)! , however, dropped 0.2% after a separate Nikkei report said that the electronics-component producer will report an 8% increase in operating profit over the same period.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/best-wireless-telecom-companies-for-2015.html

Hot Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now

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I have a new opportunity in the Big Data arena that is a different way to capitalize on the continued growth of Internet traffic and information that I’d like to share with you today.

Top 5 Clean Energy Stocks To Invest In 2015: Alston Energy Inc (ALO)

Alston Energy Inc. (Alston) is a Canada-based petroleum and natural gas company. The Company is engaged in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas reserves in Western Canada�� sedimentary basins. The Company�� projects include Alexander, Pembina and Chauvin. Alexander assets include a 14.0% average working interest in 10 proved producing gas/oil wells, three proved development locations, related production facilities and pipelines and 6,560 gross acres of mineral leases. Pembina assets include a 3.5% interest in 19 producing oil wells, one coal bed methane gas well, four standing or suspended wells, two oil batteries, related production facilities and pipelines and 5,690 gross acres of land in the Pembina/Cardium Pool. Alston has oil assets in the emerging Chauvin area resource play. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By victorselva]

  Furthermore, yesterday we found on the news that General Electric will buy Alstom SA (ALO), the French builder of power plants and transmission gear. The deal could consist on the separation of Alstom�� transport business, which manufactures high-speed TGV trains, to make easier the approval of the French government. A potential value for Alstom at about $13 billion would be about 25 percent more than its current market value. As a consequence, stock price surged as much as 18 percent in Paris, the biggest jump in the last nine years. General Electric will gain control of Alstom�� technology for power transmission and power plant maintenance.

• [By Sarah Jones]

  HSBC, Europe�� biggest bank, Societe Generale SA (GLE), France�� second-largest lender, and Germany�� Commerzbank AG each climbed at least 2.6 percent after posting results. Allianz gained 3.6 percent after Europe�� largest insurer reported a jump in profit. Alstom SA (ALO) sank 12 percent after the power-equipment maker cut its profit forecast.

Hot Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC)

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) is an India-based company. The Company is mainly engaged in the oil exploration and production activities. The Company operates in two segments: Offshore and Onshore. Its subsidiaries include ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd., ONGC Nile Ganga BV, ONGC Narmada Limited, ONGC Amazon Alaknanda Limited, ONGC Campos Ltda, ONGC Nile Ganga (Cyprus) Ltd. and ONGC Nile Ganga (San Cristobal) B.V. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lyubov Pronina]

  Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) and Oil & Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC), India�� biggest energy explorers, led Indian stocks higher as the nation�� cabinet agreed to lift the price of natural gas. The rupee posted the biggest quarterly drop since 2011.

• [By Zahra Hankir]

  India�� (SENSEX) benchmark stock index fell for a fourth day, capping its biggest weekly loss in three months, as the rupee dropped to a six-week low. HDFC Bank Ltd. (HDFCB) dropped 1.9 percent, leading a gauge of banking shares to a fifth day of losses, the longest losing streak since July. Oil & Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) slid to a three-week low, leading a slide in the S&P BSE India Oil & Gas Index.

Hot Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now: LivePerson Inc.(LPSN)

LivePerson, Inc. provides online engagement solutions that facilitate real-time assistance and expert advice in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The company facilitates real-time online interactions, such as chat, voice/click-to-call, email, and self-service/knowledgebase for corporations of various sizes; and connects businesses and independent service providers with individual consumers seeking help on its hosted software platform. Its products and services comprise LP Chat that creates real-time connections for businesses to connect with consumers through Websites, social media, and mobile devices; LP Voice, which provides customers a connection between a Website and the voice channel to engage prospects and consumers online; and LivePerson Expert Platform, a marketplace platform that allows users to chat live with independent experts in various categories. The company?s products and services also include LP Marketer that o ffers a real-time data-driven targeting solution that delivers personalized digital user experiences; and LP Insights, which provide customers with a text analytics tool that enables them to data mine for ?Voice of the Customer? and ?Voice of the Agent? content. In addition, it offers provides professional services and value-added business consulting services. The company sells its products through direct and indirect sales channels to small and mid-sized businesses, Internet businesses, online merchants, universities, libraries, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations, as well as to financial, retail, telecommunications, technology, and travel/hospitality industries. LivePerson, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Brendan Byrnes]

  The following video excerpt was taken from an interview with Robert LoCascio, founder and CEO of LivePerson (NASDAQ: LPSN  ) , as he talks about what was behind the company's incredible success story. In this segment, he�explains how his line of products and services uses predictive technology to move beyond a basic chat company. A transcript follows the video.

• [By GURUFOCUS]

  LivePerson, Inc. (LPSN) provides online engagement solutions (e.g., chat, marketing campaigns) and analytics. LivePerson's stock pulled back following first quarter results that missed management's expectations due to several enterprise customers cancelling the service. While we had been patient with the company's challenging transition from single product (chat) company to an engagement platform provider, we decided to exit our position as the large customer cancellations were inconsistent with our investment thesis. (Gilad Shany)

• [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 LivePerson (Nasdaq: LPSN  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Hot Integrated Utility Stocks To Buy Right Now: Sourcefire Inc.(FIRE)

Sourcefire, Inc. provides intelligent Cybersecurity technologies to commercial enterprises and government agencies worldwide. The company?s network security products include Sourcefire appliances for detecting, blocking, and analyzing network traffic; Sourcefire IPS to examine network packets for threats; Sourcefire NGIPS to discover the characteristics and vulnerabilities of computing devices communicating on a network; Sourcefire NGIPS with Application Control to provide granular control of applications; Sourcefire NGFW that includes application control and firewall capabilities; and Sourcefire SSL Appliance, which decrypts SSL traffic for inspection by network security appliances. It also offers FireAMP, a malware protection solution that uses data analytics to discover, understand, and block malware outbreaks; and Sourcefire Defense Center that provides application programming interfaces to interoperate third-party systems, such as firewalls, routers, log management, security information event management, trouble ticketing, patch management systems, and other technologies. In addition, the company provides Sourcefire Virtual Appliance, an application to inspect communications between different virtual machines; Sourcefire Virtual Defense Center, which provides central management, event analysis, and reporting services; Snort, a traffic inspection engine used in intrusion prevention system; ClamAV, an open source anti-malware product; and Razorback, an open-source project that addresses threat detection and protection. Further, it provides customer support, professional, and education and certification services. The company serves financial institutions, defense contractors, health care providers, IT companies, telecommunication companies, and retailers, as well as national, state, and local government agencies. Sourcefire, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Radovsky]

  IT company Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO  ) has agreed to acquire cybersecurity software company Sourcefire (NASDAQ: FIRE  ) , the companies jointly announced today.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Sourcefire Inc. (3.0%) (FIRE - $75.92 - NASDAQ) (FIRE), based in Columbia, MD, provides cybersecurity technologies ��both hardware and software ��to enterprises and government agencies worldwide. On July 23, 2013, Cisco announced it would acquire Sourcefire for $76.00 cash per share. The $2.7 billion merger currently has all required regulatory approvals. The shareholder vote is scheduled on October 7, and the deal should close shortly thereafter.

Does a Run at the Business World Make Sense for Facebook?

Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) is really good at converting personal data into dollar bills. It might be even better than Google (NASDAQ: GOOG  ) (NASDAQ: GOOGL  ) is at it. But when it comes to enterprise data, few things are more paramount than privacy. That would make the rumored "Facebook at Work" a particularly tough sell.

In addition, Facebook would be entering a market where established players with excellent sales teams, like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) , have already cornered the market. Microsoft generated approximately $20 billion in commercial Office licenses and Office 365 subscriptions in its fiscal 2014, so it's going to do everything in its power to protect its cash cow.

Various outlets are reporting that Facebook is working on a product that would allow employees to do things such as chat with co-workers, connect with colleagues,  and share documents in a way that is separate from their individual Facebook accounts. The Wall Street Journal reported that a "person briefed on the matter" said Facebook plans to launch Facebook at Work in January. Could Facebook overcome the competition and the perceived privacy issues and attract businesses to use Facebook at Work?

Why Facebook at Work?
If there's one area where Facebook sees low usage, it's in the workplace. Many offices ban the website, and it's often seen as a productivity killer.

Facebook's medium-term (five years) goal is to grow a new set of services to 1 billion users. Some of those services are well on their way -- WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram -- while others are still rudimentary and don't even exist. (Zuckerberg specifically mentioned "Search" on the company's latest earnings call.)

Workplace productivity software is a market nearly as big as Facebook's flagship social network service and indeed has the potential to connect 1 billion people. What's more, it's an area where Facebook is largely absent, so it wouldn't cannibalize existing products like WhatsApp/Messenger, Instagram/Newsfeed, or Paper/Newsfeed.

Making data secure
The biggest thing that will hold Facebook back from competing in productivity software is the idea that nothing on Facebook is private.

Facebook is working to show that it can keep information private. This week the company rolled out secure end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp, meaning WhatsApp is unable to see what its users are sending to each other. It's important to remember that behind the scenes Facebook is a technology company, and it's fully capable of providing secure data services.

It's clear that there's potential in the space for Facebook, as evidenced by Google's success with Google Apps for Business. The company, like Facebook, is strongly associated with using data to sell ads. Yet, it has overcome the stigma to create a strong customer base that's even cutting into Microsoft's business.

Top Managed Healthcare Companies To Invest In Right Now

Microsoft, on the other hand, is the reigning champion of workplace productivity software, and its software is fully entrenched into the workflow of many companies. Microsoft's collaboration software, Yammer and Sharepoint, offer private networks for sharing documents and are closely tied with its popular Office software. Yammer is included in Microsoft's Office 365 subscription for businesses and provides private chat and document-sharing capabilities.

Microsoft is pushing enterprises to upgrade from stand-alone software licenses to Office 365 subscriptions, which compete more closely with Google Apps for Business and any potential offering from Facebook. Additionally, the company sees a higher lifetime value from the subscription-based software versus the software license business.

Microsoft and Google are far from the only companies operating in the space, and the market includes names big and small competing to provide private messaging, document sharing, and productivity software. Not only does Facebook have to overcome perceived privacy concerns, it has to overcome the competition as well.

Is Facebook wasting money?
Even though it seems unlikely Facebook would make a big dent in the enterprise productivity software market, it's hard to say the company shouldn't go for it. First of all, it fits perfectly into its medium-term goals and fills a gaping hole where Facebook goes unused.

Second, things like private messaging and document sharing apply to personal users as well as businesses. Which means Facebook would be able to improve its core product -- near-term goal -- even if the foray into enterprise software falls flat.

Entering the enterprise space is more of a risk than pushing out another app like Slingshot, as the costs will certainly be higher. The company will have to spend money to develop the more complex software as well as fund a sales team to sell the software in a highly competitive market where other companies have successfully sold for years. Of course, the payoff for success is much higher as well.

If any company knows how to dominate a market, it's Facebook. (Note the 1.35 billion Facebook users, 500 million Messenger users, 250 million-plus Instagram users, and the list goes on.) A serious move into enterprise software will prove more challenging but could be worth it.

$19 trillion industry could destroy the Internet
One bleeding-edge technology is about to put the World-Wide-Web to bed. It could make early investors wildly rich. Experts are calling it the single largest business opportunity in the history of capitalism... The Economist is calling it "transformative"... But you'll probably just call it "how I made my millions." Don't be too late to the party— click here for 1 stock to own when the web goes dark.

Best Rising Companies For 2014

With the market making a new all-time highs last week but then quickly retreating, it can be difficult to determine which stocks are poised to move higher and which ones are just marking time before heading lower.

One of the best ways to determine this is to look at the volume; specifically, how the price and volume move together.

I mention this because price typically follows volume. And if your stocks are falling on an increase in volume, that suggests more sellers and maybe a set up for a larger correction.

Moreover, if the subsequent up days are made on lower volume than on the down days, that’s additional foreshadowing that maybe the stocks are running out of buyers and will soon be headed back down.

And that’s why in this week’s screen I want to focus on stocks with increasing price and�volume.

Once again, price should follow volume.

If a stock is rising on increasing volume, it can be a sign that new buyers are coming in and some short sellers may be giving up.

Top 5 Services Companies To Own In Right Now: Dusit Thani PCL (DTC)

Dusit Thani Public Company Limited is a Thailand-based company engaged in the provision of hospitality services. The Company�� principal activities are the operations of owned hotels and providing hotel management services and franchise services. It owns and operates two hotels: Dusit Thani Bangkok, a five-star hotel with 517 guest rooms, and Dusit Thani Pattaya, a resort-style hotel with 457 guest rooms. The Company owns the trademark of Dusit Thani, and Dusit Residence, as well as trademarks for spa business, including Devarana Spa and DVN Spa. Its properties include Dusit Island Resort Chiang Rai, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, Dusit Thani Manila in the Philippines, Dusit Thani Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Dusit Thani Lakeview Cairo in Egypt, among others. The Company is also involved in spa business, executive development training services, educational business, and culinary school. On 18 January, 2013, it had established a new subsidiary, Dusit China Capital Company Limited Advisors' Opinion:

• [By TaniaC]

  Gross margin expanded 170 basis points to 45.6 percent. The increase was primarily attributable to higher average selling prices and continued growth in the higher margin Direct to Consumer (DTC) business, partially offset by higher product input costs and unfavorable foreign exchange rates.

Best Rising Companies For 2014: Genco Shipping & Trading Limited (GNK)

Genco Shipping & Trading Limited engages in the ocean transportation of drybulk cargoes through the ownership and operation of drybulk carrier vessels worldwide. It transports iron ore, coal, grain, steel products, and other drybulk cargoes. The company charters its vessels primarily to trading houses, which include commodities traders; producers; and government-owned entities. Its fleet consists of 53 drybulk carriers, including 9 Capesize, 8 Panamax, 17 Supramax, 6 Handymax, and 13 Handysize drybulk carriers with an aggregate carrying capacity of approximately 3,810,000 dwt. The company, through its subsidiary, Baltic Trading Limited, operates a fleet of two Capesize, four Supramax, and three Handysize drybulk carriers with an aggregate carrying capacity of approximately 672,000 dwt. Genco Shipping & Trading Limited was incorporated in 2004 and is based in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By FinanceGuru]

  The second contrarian indicator is that the short interest in DryShips has increased significantly. They're topped only now by Genco Shipping (GNK), which is currently poised to be heading into bankruptcy.

• [By silvmich]

  This is Part Three of a series of articles published on GuruFocus outlining a short thesis against Genco Shipping and Trading (GNK). Part One was published on October 31, 2013 and Part Two was published on November 14, 2013. This Part Three provides certain updates on the situation, including recent news items, as well as a look into a number of counterarguments made against the short position.

Best Rising Companies For 2014: Pendrell Corp (PCO)

Pendrell Corporation (Pendrell), formerly ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited, incorporated on March 17, 2000, is a fully-integrated intellectual property (IP) investment and advisory company. The Company develops and implements strategies to create, acquire, commercialize and license IP. The Company provides IP valuation services, analysis and strategic advice through Pendrell�� wholly owned subsidiary, Pendrell Technologies LLC (PTL) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Ovidian Group LLC (Ovidian Group). It also assists its clients with a rangeof IP services, including IP valuation and investment analysis, IP landscape analysis, IP divestitures and IP risk mitigation strategies. On June 17, 2011, the Company acquired Ovidian Group. On October 31, 2011, the Company�� subsidiary, Pendrell Technologies LLC, acquired 90.1% interest in ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. In November 2011, Technicolor SA sold its 25.7% interest in ContentGuard to Pendrell Technologies LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pendrell Corporation. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company completed the divestiture of its satellite communications assets. Effective February 25, 2013, the Company acquired 68% interest in Provitro Biosciences LLC.

The Company competes with Acacia Research Corporation, Coller IP Management, Intellectual Ventures, Mosaid, Rovi, RPX, Wi-Lan, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company and Red Chalk Group.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Pendrell (PCO) is a fully integrated intellectual property investment and advisory firm. This stock closed up 2.3% to $2.18 in Tuesday's trading session.

  Tuesday's Range: $2.08-$2.22
  
  52-Week Range: $1.04-$2.71
  
  Tuesday's Volume: 263,000
  
  Three-Month Average Volume: 457,962

  From a technical perspective, PCO bounced higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $2.16 with lighter-than-average volume. This move is quickly pushing shares of PCO within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if PCO manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance at $2.22 with high volume.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in PCO as long as it's trending above Tuesday's low of $2.08 or above $2 and then once it sustains a move or close above $2.22 with volume that hits near or above 457,962 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then PCO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.50 to its 52-week high at $2.71.

Best Rising Companies For 2014: Imperial Oil Limited(IMO)

Imperial Oil Limited engages in the exploration, production, and sale of crude oil and natural gas in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration and production of conventional crude oil, natural gas, synthetic oil, and bitumen primarily in the Western Provinces, the Canada Lands, and the Atlantic Offshore. Its primary conventional oil producing asset includes the Norman Wells oil field in the Northwest Territories. The Downstream segment engages in the transportation and refining of crude oil, as well as blending, distribution, and marketing of refined products. It owns and operates crude oil, and natural gas liquids and products pipelines in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. The Chemical segment engages in the manufacture and marketing of various petrochemicals, including ethylene, benzene, aromatic and aliphatic solvents, plasticizer intermediates, and polyethylene resin. As of De cember 31, 2010, Imperial Oil Limited had 1,204 million oil-equivalent barrels of proved undeveloped reserves; maintained a nation-wide distribution system, including 24 primary terminals, to handle bulk and packaged petroleum products moving from refineries to market by pipeline, tanker, rail, and road transport; and sold petroleum products through 1,850 Esso retail service stations, of which approximately 510 were company owned or leased. The company was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Imperial Oil Limited operates as a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Dube]

  Cold Lake's most notable producers:

  Husky Energy (HUSK.PK), see article here.Pengrowth Energy Corporation (PGH), see article here.Southern Pacific Resource (STPJF.PK), see article here.Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), see article here.Devon Energy (DVN), see article here.Imperial Oil (IMO), see article here.Baytex, see article here.Bonavista Energy (BNPUF.PK), see article here.

  Athabasca's most notable producers:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Ten of Exxon�� major projects are expected to begin pumping energy throughout this year. These include expansions of Imperial Oil�� (IMO) oil sands production in Canada, new deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico as well as finally seeing production from its partnership in Russia. XOM �will start producing oil from the largest offshore oil and gas platform in that nation within a few months. These projects will add about 300,000 barrels per oil equivalent per day to Exxon�� production.

• [By Vanin Aegea]

  Two companies that have been around for some time now are Imperial Oil (IMO) and Pembina Pipeline (PBA). Political instability in the Middle East has also given an extra relevance to the reserves found at this region, so let us see what the future holds and what gurus think of them.

Best Construction Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX), the world�� largest producer of the metal, plans to sell shares to raise as much as $3.45 billion to help reduce its debt, which has increased this year as the price of the commodity declined.

It agreed to sell 163.5 million shares for $18.35 apiece in a so-called bought deal that�� being underwritten by a group led by RBC Capital Markets, Barclays Plc and GMP Securities LP, Toronto-based Barrick said today in a statement. There�� an over-allotment option for the sale of an additional 24.5 million shares, the company said.

Barrick has come under pressure this year after the price of gold fell 21 percent. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Sokalsky has explored cash-raising options including a strategic equity investment, a sale of a stake in its copper business and selling a stale in its $8.5 billion Pascua-Lama project to a state-backed Chinese investor, people with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. Barrick said earlier today it will suspend construction work at Pascua-Lama to help conserve cash.

Top 5 Oil Service Companies To Watch For 2015: Mostostroy No6 OAO (MSTF)

Mostostroy No6 OAO (Mostostroitel��yi trest No 6 OAO or Bridge Construction Trust N 6 OJSC) is a Russia-based company engaged in the construction industry. Its services portfolio includes the design, construction, reconstruction and renovation of bridges, railways, highways, tunnels and subways, nuclear and thermal power stations, residential and industrial facilities, among others. Mostostroitel��yi trest No 6 OAO provides its services mainly to companies engaged in the transportation, hydraulic engineering, industrial, civil and nuclear construction sectors and its customers include ROSATOM and Russian Railways, among others. The Company operates through 10 branches, as well as two representative offices, located in Moscow and Sochi. In addition, it has five wholly owned subsidiaries. As of March 4, 2011, the Company�� major shareholder was Malakhit OOO with a stake of 19.85%. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Taulli]

  But again, the most glaring red flag is the valuation of GOOG stock. Shares of Google stock are currently trading at a P/E ratio of 30, which is certainly rich. Consider that�Apple (AAPL) and �Microsoft (MSTF) sport multiples of only about 14. These companies also have decent dividend yields.

Best Construction Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Balfour Beatty PLC (BIH)

Balfour Beatty plc is a global infrastructure company that delivers services essential to the development, creation and care of infrastructure assets; from finance and development, through design and project management to construction and maintenance. The Company operates in four segments: Professional Services segment is engaged in the provision of project management; Construction Services segment is engaged in the activities resulting in the physical construction of an asset; Support Services segment is engaged in the activities, which support existing assets or functions, and Infrastructure Investments segment is engaged in the acquisition, operation and disposal of infrastructure assets, such as PPP concessions and airports. In July 2013, it announced the disposal of its 50% interest in the Salford Hospital PFI asset. In December 2013, Balfour Beatty Plc completed the sale of its UK facilities management business to GDF Suez Energy Services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Vanina Egea]

  A few companies excel over their market peers, granting them an unconventional competitive advantage. Everybody knows the market leaders, or the mammoth companies, but there are other particular services that can give a firm greater exposure. No other example is more relevant than the rotary rig count offered by Baker Hughes (BIH). The Baker Hughes Rig Counts provides a weekly count of U.S. and Canadian drilling activity to the industry since 1944, and has become an important business barometer for the drilling industry and its suppliers. Most importantly, the index allows industry analysts to identify industry trends, while providing valuable information to prospect investors beyond Baker Hughes itself. After experiencing a decline in performance from mid-2011 to the end of 2012, the company saw great improvement in overall performance during 2013. Can the trend be expected to continue?

Best Construction Stocks To Invest In Right Now: AECOM Technology Corp (ACM)

AECOM Technology Corporation (AECOM) is a provider of professional technical and management support services for commercial and government clients around the world. The Company provides planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, and program and construction management services for a range of projects, including highways, airports, bridges, mass transit systems, government and commercial buildings, water and wastewater facilities, and power transmission and distribution. It also provides program and facilities management and maintenance, training, logistics and other support services, for agencies of the United States government. It offers services in two segments: Professional Technical Services and Management Support Services. In June 2011, the Company acquired Spectral Services Consultants Pte. Ltd.

Professional Technical Services (PTS)

The PTS segment delivers planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, and program and construction management services to commercial and government clients worldwide in end markets, such as transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government markets. It provides program management services through a joint venture for the Second Avenue subway line in New York City, design and contract administration services for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge's Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities and engineering and environmental management services to support global energy infrastructure development for a number of petroleum and mining companies.

PTS segment contributed 86% of the Company�� revenue during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 (fiscal 2011).

Transit and rail projects include light rail, heavy rail (including high speed, commuter and freight) and multimodal transit projects. The Company provided engineering design services for the new World Trade Center Terminal for PATH and the Second Avenue Subway (8.5-mile rail route and 16 stations) in New York City, the Ma O! n Shan Rail (seven-mile elevated railway) in Hong Kong, and Crossrail (74-mile railway) in the United Kingdom. Marine, Ports and Harbors Projects include wharf facilities and container port facilities for private and public port operators. The Company provided marine design and engineering services for container facilities in Hong Kong, the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York and New Jersey. Highways, Bridges and Tunnels Projects include interstate, primary and secondary urban and rural highway systems and bridge projects. Aviation Projects include landside terminal and airside facilities and runways as well as taxiways.

Government Projects include the Company�� emergency response services for the Department of Homeland Security, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and engineering and program management services for agencies of the Department of Defense. It also provides architectural and engineering services for national laboratories, including the laboratories at Hanford, Washington and Los Alamos, New Mexico. Industrial Projects include industrial facilities for a variety of end markets, including manufacturing, distribution, aviation, aerospace, communications, media, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, chemical, and food and beverage facilities. Urban Master Planning/Design Projects include design services, landscape architecture, general policy consulting and environmental planning projects for a variety of government, institutional and private sector clients. It provides strategic planning and master planning services for new cities and mixed use developments in the People�� republic of China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Commercial and Leisure Facilities Projects include corporate headquarters, high-rise office towers, historic buildings, hotels, leisure, sports and entertainment facilities, hospitals and healthcare facilities and corporate campuses. Institutional Projects include engin! eering se! rvices for college and university campuses, including the new Kennedy-King College in Chicago, Illinois. It has also undertaken assignments for Oxford University in the United Kingdom, Pomona College and Loyola Marymount University in California. Healthcare Projects include design services for the Mayo Clinic Gonda Building in Rochester, Minnesota, University Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City and the Samsung Cancer Center in Seoul, Korea. It has also undertaken assignments for the new Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Orlando, Florida, and the Minneapolis campus of Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Correctional Projects include the planning, design, and construction of detention and correction facilities throughout the world.

Water and Wastewater Projects include treatment facilities as well as supply, distribution and collection systems, stormwater management, desalinization, and other water re-use technologies for metropolitan governments. Environmental Management Projects include remediation, waste handling, testing and monitoring of environmental conditions and environmental construction management for private sector clients. Water Resources Projects include regional-scale floodplain mapping and analysis for public agencies, along with the analysis and development of protected groundwater resources for companies in the bottled water industry.

Demand Side Management Projects include energy efficient systems for public K-12 schools and universities, health care facilities, and courthouses and other public buildings, as well as energy conservation systems for utilities. Transmission and Distribution Projects include power stations and electric transmissions and distribution and co-generation systems, including enhanced electrical power generation in Stung Treng, Cambodia. These projects utilize a range of services that include consulting, forecasting and surveying to detailed engineering design and construction management. Alternative/Renewable Energy Projects ! include p! roduction facilities, such as ethanol plants, wind farms and micro hydropower and geothermal subsections of regional power grids. It provides site selection and permitting, engineering, procurement and construction management and related services. Hydropower/Dams Projects include hydroelectric power stations, dams, spillways, and flood control systems including the Song Ba Ha Hydropower Project in Vietnam, the Pine Brook Dam in Boulder County, Colorado and the Peribonka Hydroelectric Power Plant in Quebec, Canada. Solar Projects include performing environmental work for the solar photovoltaic Brockton Brightfield project in New England, and environmental permitting services for the California Energy Commission to permit the development of a 250 mega watts (MW) solar thermal power plant in the Mojave Desert of California.

Management Support Services (MSS).

The MSS segment provides program and facilities management and maintenance, training, logistics, consulting, technical assistance and systems integration services, for agencies of the United States government. It also provides organizational and limited direct support services for equipment sent to the United States Army's Corpus Christi Depot in Texas. The MSS segment contributed 14% of the Company�� fiscal 2011 revenue.

Installation, Operations and Maintenance Projects include Department of Defense and Department of Energy installations where the Company provides services for the operation and maintenance of complex government installations, including military bases, test ranges and equipment. It also provides services for the operations and maintenance of the Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site. Logistics and Field Services Projects include logistics support services for a number of Department of Defense agencies and defense contractors focused on developing and managing integrated supply and distribution networks. Training Projects include training applications in live, virtual and simulation training! environm! ents. Systems Support Projects cover a set of operational and support systems for the maintenance, operation and modernization of Department of Defense and Department of Energy installations. Its services in this area range from information technology and communications to life cycle optimization and engineering, including environmental management services.

Technical Personnel Placement Projects include the placement of personnel in functional areas of military and other government agencies, as these entities continue to outsource critical services to commercial entities. It provides systems, processes and personnel in support of the Department of Justice's management of forfeited assets recovered by law enforcement agencies. It also supports the Department of State in its enforcement programs by recruiting, training and supporting police officers for international and homeland security missions. Field Services Projects include maintaining, modifying and overhauling ground vehicles, armored carriers and associated support equipment both within and outside of the United States under contracts with the Department of Defense. It also maintains and repairs telecommunications systems for military and civilian entities.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  If all goes right, URS could double in two years,�Mirshekari says, comparing it to AECOM Technology (ACM).

  Looks a lot like AECOMM, which did something similar and rallied.

• [By Garrett Cook]

  URS (NYSE: URS) shares were also up, gaining 9.60 percent to $57.01 after Aecom Technology (NYSE: ACM) announced its plans to buy URS for $4 billion in cash and stock.

• [By Eddie Staley]

  URS (NYSE: URS) shares were also up, gaining 11.76 percent to $58.14 after Aecom Technology (NYSE: ACM) announced its plans to buy URS for $4 billion in cash and stock.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Since Friday, three major acquisitions have been announced. AECOM Technology�(ACM) said it would buy URS�(URS) for $4 billion; Mylan�(MYL) agreed to pay $5.3 billion for�Abbott Laboratories�(ABT) non-U.S. generic drug business; and Whiting Petroleum (WLL) said it would take over Kodiak Oil & Gas (KOG). And amazingly, none of them appear to be overpriced.

Best Construction Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Massive Dynamics Inc (MSSD)

Massive Dynamics, Inc., incorporated on March 15, 2011, is a development-stage company. The Company is providing services to communication tower operators. On August 20, 2012, Kylemore Corp. (Kylemore) approximately 90% of the Company. On April 16, 2013, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Real-View 3D (RV3D). With the Company's acquisition of the assets of RV3D, the Company is providing engineering and compliance to communications tower operators to three dimension (3D) imaging. RV3D is an image capture product company that has developed and is committed to design, patent, manufacture and market 3D imaging Z-axis capture products for the consumer computer peripherals market.

The Company has developed technology around an imaging technology known as structured light, which allows for the rapid capture and processing of the digital signal capture 3D images of objects or real time 3D video of a desired target. A structured light image is a calibrated grid of lines that is projected on the subject. These projected lines deviate as they fall over the subject. An image of these lines is captured. Real View 3D software can extract Z-axis data from these line deviations and a topographical map is created. To image a complete subject, the subject is rotated 360 degrees for the image and then another 360 degree rotation for capturing the structured light for the Z axis map information. The resulting Z axis map and the image are then fused into a 360 degree renderable image. This image can then be exported into many other formats for viewing. The Company's primary business will be to develop and market 3D scanning, capture, rendering, and printing products to four markets: consumer, commercial, industrial, and medical.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Rich Smith]

  The problem with that, of course, is that competition is beginning to emerge in machine selling, as small companies with names such as ExOne (NASDAQ: XONE  ) and Massive Dynamics (NASDAQOTH: MSSD  ) begin to horn in on the printer biz. Competition will probably arise even faster in the selling of printing composites, as Hewlett-Packard discovered to its detriment, when printer ink cartridge "refillers" began stealing away its lucrative ink business.

Best Construction Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Aegion Corp (AEGN)

Aegion Corporation, incorporated on August 17, 2011, is engaged in infrastructure protection, providing technologies and services to protect against the corrosion of industrial pipelines and for the rehabilitation and strengthening of sewer, water, energy and mining piping systems and buildings, bridges, tunnels and waterfront structures. The Company operates in five segments: Energy and Mining, North American Sewer and Water Rehabilitation, European Sewer and Water Rehabilitation, Asia-Pacific Sewer and Water Rehabilitation and Commercial and Structural. The Company�� business activities include manufacturing, distribution, installation, coating and insulation, cathodic protection, research and development and licensing. Its products and services are utilized and performed in more than 100 countries across six continents. The Company offers solutions for rehabilitating aging or deteriorating infrastructure and protecting new infrastructure from corrosion. In June 2013, Aegion Corporation announced that it has sold its 50% interest in Insituform Rohrsanierungstechniken GmbH (Insituform-Germany) to Per Aarsleff A/S. In July 2013, Aegion Corp announced that it has completed the acquisition of Brinderson, L.P.

In March 2012, the Company organized United Special Technical Services LLC (USTS), a joint venture located in the Sultanate of Oman between United Pipeline Systems and Special Technical Services LLC (STS), for the purpose of executing pipeline, piping and flow line high-density polyethylene lining services throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa. United Pipeline Systems holds a 51% equity interest in USTS and STS holds the remaining 49% equity interest. In November 2012, the Company acquired the shares of its joint venture partner, SPML Infra Limited (SPML), an unaffiliated Indian contractor, in Insituform Pipeline Rehabilitation Private Limited (Insituform-India) in order to continue to pursue business opportunities in India involving CIPP installations and third party tube! sales, as well as to promote its other products and services. In January 2012, the Company purchased Fyfe Group�� Latin American operations (Fyfe LA), which included all of the equity interests of Fyfe Latin America S.A., a Panamanian entity (and its interest in various joint ventures located in Peru, Costa Rica, Chile and Colombia), Fyfe Latin America S.A. de C.V., an El Salvadorian entity, and Fibrwrap Construction Latin America S.A., a Panamanian entity. In April 2012, the Company purchased Fyfe Group�� Asian operations (Fyfe Asia), which included all of the equity interests of Fyfe Asia Pte. Ltd, a Singaporean entity (and its interest in two joint ventures located in Borneo and Indonesia), Fyfe (Hong Kong) Limited, Fibrwrap Construction (M) Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian entity, Fyfe Japan Co. Ltd and Fibrwrap Construction Pte. Ltd and Technologies & Art Pte. Ltd., Singaporean entities.

Energy and Mining

The Company�� energy and mining operations provide rehabilitation and corrosion protection services for industrial, mineral, oil and gas piping systems and structures. The Company also offers products for gas release and leak detection systems. Its worldwide energy and mining operations are headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri. These operations are conducted through its various subsidiaries (United Pipeline Systems based in Durango, Colorado, Bayou based in New Iberia, Louisiana, Corrpro based in Houston, Texas, CRTS based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Hockway based in the United Arab Emirates). Certain of its energy and mining operations outside of the United States are conducted through its wholly owned subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Chile, Canada, Argentina, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates and through its joint ventures in Canada, Mexico, Oman, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

United Pipeline Systems performs pipeline rehabilitation services using its Tite Liner process. Its Bayou business performs internal and external pipeline coating, lini! ng, weigh! ting and insulation services, as well as specialty fabrication services for offshore deep water installations, including project management and logistics. Its Corrpro business performs fully-integrated corrosion prevention services including: engineering; product and material sales; construction and installation; inspection, monitoring and maintenance; andcoatings. Its CRTS business specializes in the application of internal and external corrosion coatings services and equipment for new pipeline construction projects. Its Hockway business performs cathodic protection, engineering and design, manufacturing, maintenance and installation services to the oil and gas markets.

Water and Wastewater Rehabilitation Operations

The Company�� sewer rehabilitation activities are conducted principally through installation and other construction operations performed directly by its subsidiaries. In certain geographic regions, the Company has granted licenses to unaffiliated companies. Its North American Water and Wastewater operations, including research and development, engineering, training and financial support systems, are headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri. During the year ended December 31. 2012, tube manufacturing and processing facilities for North America were maintained in eight locations, geographically dispersed throughout the United States and Canada.

The Company also conducts Insituform CIPP process rehabilitation operations worldwide through its wholly owned subsidiaries and through direct and indirect joint venture relationships. The results from these operations are included in its European Water and Wastewater and Asia-Pacific Water and Wastewater operating segments, as appropriate. The Company utilize multifunctional robotic devices developed by its French subsidiary in connection with the inspection and repair of pipelines. The Company also maintain a manufacturing facility in Wellingborough, United Kingdom to support European operations and through wh! ich the C! ompany sell liners to third parties.

Commercial and Structural Operations

The Company�� commercial and structural operations perform rehabilitation and strengthening of pipelines, buildings, bridges, tunnels and waterfront structures throughout the United States and Canada through Fibrwrap Construction Services, headquartered in Ontario, California, in its Asian markets through Its wholly owned subsidiaries and through Its joint ventures in Borneo and Indonesia and in its Latin American markets through its joint ventures in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru. Through Fyfe Co., headquartered in San Diego, California, the Company designs and manufactures the FRP composite systems used in these applications. It�� wholly owned Fyfe entities located in El Salvador, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Hong Kong and its Fyfe joint ventures in Borneo and Indonesia, provide product and engineering services throughout Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Its licensee in Greece provides product and services throughout the Middle East and Europe.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By CRWE]

  Aegion Corporation (Nasdaq:AEGN) reported the award today of two subcontracts for its Malaysian subsidiary, Insituform Linings Asia Sdn Bhd, with a total value of approximately $9.3 million (USD).

• [By Damian Illia]

  Finally, I always like to see one of the most important financial ratios applying to stockholders, the best measure of performance for a firm's management: the return on equity. The ratio has decreased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of major weakness. Moreover, it is worse than those shown in the table like Aegion Corporation (AEGN), EnerNOC Inc. (ENOC), MYR GroupInc. (MYRG) and Pike Corporation (PIKE).

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Infrastructure protection specialist Aegion (NASDAQ: AEGN  ) announced yesterday that it was acquiring maintenance, contraction, and engineering firm�Brinderson for $150 million and that the deal will close on July 1.

Best Construction Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Granite Construction Inc (GVA)

Granite Construction Incorporated (Granite), incorporated on January 24, 1990, is a diversified heavy civil contractors and construction materials producers in the United States. The Company operates in four segments: Construction, Large Project Construction, Construction Materials and Real Estate. The Company operates nationwide, serving both public and private sector clients. Within the public sector, it primarily concentrates on heavy-civil infrastructure projects, including the construction of roads, highways, mass transit facilities, airport infrastructure, bridges, dams and other infrastructure related projects. Within the private sector, it performs site preparation and infrastructure services for residential development, commercial and industrial buildings, and other facilities. The Company owns and leases substantial aggregate reserves and own a number of construction materials processing plants. It also has contractor-owned heavy construction equipment fleets in the United States. In December 2012, it purchased 100% interest of Kenny Construction Company (Kenny).

Construction

Revenue from its Construction segment was approximately 47% of its total revenue during the year ended December 31, 2012. Revenue from its Construction segment is derived from both public and private sector clients. The Construction segment performs various heavy civil construction projects with a large portion of the work focused on new construction and improvement of streets, roads, highways, bridges, site work and other infrastructure projects. These are typically bid-build projects completed within two years.

Large Project Construction

Revenue from its Large Project Construction segment was 41.4% of its total revenue in 2012. The Large Project Construction segment focuses on large, complex infrastructure projects, which typically have a longer duration than its Construction segment work. These projects include major highways, mass transit facilities, bridges, tunn! els, waterway locks and dams, pipelines, canals and airport infrastructure. This segment primarily includes bid-build, design-build and construction management/general contractor contracts. It participates in joint ventures with other construction companies mainly on projects in its Large Project Construction segment. Joint ventures are typically used for large, technically complex projects, including design/build projects, where it is desirable to share risk and resources. Joint venture partners typically provide independently prepared estimates, shared financing and equipment and often bring local knowledge and expertise.

The Company also utilizes the design/build and construction management/general contract methods of project delivery. Under the construction management/general contract method of delivery, it contracts with owners to manage the design phase of the contract with the understanding that it will negotiate a contract on the construction phase when the design nears completion. Revenue from design/build and construction management/general contract projects represented 74.5% of Large Project Construction revenue in 2012.

Construction Materials

Revenue from its Construction Materials segment was 11.1% of its total revenue in 2012. The Construction Materials segment mines and processes aggregates and operates plants that produce construction materials for internal use and for sale to third parties. It has aggregate reserves that it has acquired by ownership in fee or through long-term leases. Aggregate products used in its construction projects represented approximately 42.7% of its tons sold during 2012.

Real Estate

Granite Land Company (GLC) is an investor in a diversified portfolio of land assets and provides real estate services for other Granite operations. GLC�� investment portfolio consists of residential, as well as retail and office site development projects for sale to home and commercial property developers. The range! of its i! nvolvement in an individual project may vary from passive investment to management of land use rights, development, construction, leasing and eventual sale of the project. Generally, GLC has teamed with partners who have local knowledge and expertise in the development of each property. GLC�� investments are located in Washington, California and Texas. Revenue from GLC was 0.2% of its total revenue in 2012.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Wallace Witkowski]

  Some of the companies most dependent on government for revenue are Harris Corp. (HRS) �with 80% of revenue government-derived; Granite Construction Inc. (GVA) �with 58%; Flir Systems Inc. (FLIR) �with 54%; and Waste Management Inc. (WM) � and Republic Services Inc. (RSG) �both with 50%, according to Goldman Sachs.

Best Construction Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Wolseley PLC (WOS)

Wolseley plc is a specialist trade distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors and a supplier of building materials in North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. The Company operates in seven segments: USA, UK, Canada, Nordic, France, Central and Eastern Europe, and Group. On September 1 2009, the Company acquired Decorative Product Source, Inc, a company engaged in the distribution and supply of construction materials and services. On January 8, 2010, the Company disposed of 100% of Wolseley Ireland Holdings Limited, which comprised all the Company's businesses in the Republic of Ireland and the Brooks business in Northern Ireland. In November 2011, the Company announced that it had completed the sale of its remaining interest in Stock Building Supply to The Gores Group. In April 2012, the Company sold its Brossette, the French Plumbing and Heating business to Saint Gobain. In October 2012, the Company acquired Davis & Warshow, Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Inyoung Hwang]

  Wolseley Plc (WOS) added 3.1 percent to 3,296 pence, its largest gain in more than five weeks. The world�� biggest distributor of plumbing and heating products said so-called trading profit in the 12 months through July climbed to 725 million pounds ($1.2 billion) from 665 million pounds a year earlier. Analysts had predicted earnings of 704 million pounds, according to the average of 20 estimates compiled by the company. Wolseley proposed a special dividend payout of 300 million pounds.

Top 5 Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now

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The grades of six internet and web service stocks are better this week, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Every one of these stocks has an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”) rating.

5 Best Small Cap Stocks For 2015: Phillips 66 Partners LP (PSXP)

Phillips 66 Partners LP, incorporated on February 20, 2013, owns, operates, develops and acquires primarily fee-based crude oil, refined petroleum product and natural gas liquids (NGL) pipelines and terminals and other transportation and midstream assets. The Company�� initial assets consist of the three systems, which include Clifton Ridge crude system, Sweeny to Pasadena products system and Hartford Connector products system. A refined petroleum product pipeline, terminal and storage system extending from Phillips 66�� Sweeny refinery in Old Ocean, Texas, to its refined petroleum product terminal in Pasadena, Texas, and ultimately connecting to the Explorer and Colonial refined petroleum product pipeline systems and other third-party pipeline and terminal systems.

A crude oil pipeline, terminal and storage system located in Sulphur, Louisiana, that is the primary source for delivery of crude oil to Phillips 66�� Lake Charles refinery. A refined petroleum product pipeline, terminal and storage system located in Hartford, Illinois, that distributes diesel and gasoline produced at the Wood River refinery (a refinery owned by a joint venture between Phillips 66 and Cenovus Energy Inc.) to third-party pipeline and terminal systems, including the Explorer refined petroleum product pipeline system.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Rapier]

  Investors in master limited partnerships (MLPs) tend to keep a close eye on interest rates, and for good reason. Yield-seeking investors are generally looking to minimize their risk to capital, and as interest rates rise other options may present themselves for generating yield at a lower risk. The cost of doing business may also rise for an MLP when interest rates are rising, cutting into the distributable cash flow (DCF). Thus, a low-yielding MLP may find itself especially vulnerable to a decline in price if interest rates rise.

  One example I sometimes use to highlight the risk in a rising interest rate environment is the low-yielding MLP Phillips 66 Partners (NYSE: PSXP), which was one of the most highly-anticipated initial public offerings of 2013. PSXP owns some of the midstream logistics assets of its sponsor, the refiner Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX). The IPO was initially intended to be 15 million shares at an indicated range of $19 to $21. According to the IPO prospectus the minimum yield was to be $0.85 per unit on an annualized basis, which translates into a 4.25 percent annual yield at the initial midrange IPO price. This yield is pretty typical for a midstream MLP.

  Demand for PSXP units proved to be very strong, so the deal was upsized to 16.4 million shares and the price increased to $23 a unit. But demand outstripped even the expanded offering, and units opened on July 23, 2013 at nearly $29, and traded as high as $36 in subsequent days before finally settling down in a range of $30 to $31. Then in the fourth quarter PSXP units raced forward, exceeding $38 at one point and presently trading at $37.16.

Top 5 Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now: World Point Terminals LP (WPT)

World Point Terminals, LP, incorporated on April 19, 2013, is a fee-based Delaware limited partnership formed to own, operate, develop and acquire terminals and other assets relating to the storage of light refined products, heavy refined products and crude oil. WPT GP, LLC is the general partner of the Company. It operates in a single reportable segment consists primarily of the fee-based storage and terminaling services it performs under contracts with its customers. The Company�� storage terminals are located in the East Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest regions of the United States and, as of May 31, 2013, had a combined available storage capacity of 12.4 million barrels. The Company provides terminaling and storage of light refined products, such as gasoline, distillates and jet fuels; heavy refined products, such as residual fuel oils and liquid asphalt, and crude oil. Most of its terminal facilities are located on waterways, and have truck racks. Several of its terminal facilities also have rail or pipeline access. As of May 31, 2013, approximately 93% of its available storage capacity was under contract.

The Company generates revenue from Storage Services Fees, Ancillary Services Fees and Additive Services Fees. Storage Services Fees are its customers pay base storage services fees, which are fixed monthly fees paid at the beginning of each month to reserve storage capacity in its tanks and to compensate it for receiving up to a base product volume on their behalf. The Company charges ancillary services fees to its customers for providing services, such as heating, mixing and blending its customers��products that are stored in its tanks; transferring its customers��products between its tanks; at its Granite City terminal, adding polymer to liquid asphalt, and rail car loading and dock operations. The Company generates revenue from fees for injecting generic gasoline, gasoline, lubricity, red dye and cold flow additives to its customers��products.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Emerson]

  Berman pioneered the idea of the World Poker Tour (WPT) and sold the concept to the Travel Channel. Watching poker on television had always been boring since the viewing audience could not see the down cards which the players held. Berman remedied that problem by allowing a camera to expose the down cards to the TV audience. That idea suddenly transformed Texas Holdem into a fascinating spectator�� sport. By the end of 2003 the stock had reached its book value of 15 dollars a share and I decided to take my profits, perhaps a bit prematurely. The stock quickly climbed to about 30 dollars a share on sheer momentum.

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  World Point Terminals L.P. (NYSE: WPT) was initiated as Outperform with a $23 price target at Credit Suisse.

  See also more analyst upgrades and downgrades for Tuesday.

• [By Robert Rapier]

  World Point Terminals (NYSE: WPT) owns and operates terminals and other assets for the storage of light refined products, heavy refined products and crude oil. World Point’s storage terminals are located in the East Coast, Gulf Coast and Midwest regions of the US. The partnership debuted on Aug. 9, and units have gained 2 percent since. The partnership agreement provides for a minimum quarterly distribution of $1.20 per unit on an annualized basis. At the recent closing price of $19.64/unit, this equates to a minimum annualized yield of 6.1 percent.
  

Top 5 Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now: Eagle Rock Energy Partners LP (EROC)

Eagle Rock Energy Partners, L.P. (Eagle Rock) is a limited partnership engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing and transporting natural gas; fractionating and transporting natural gas liquids (NGLs); crude oil logistics and marketing; natural gas marketing and trading, known as Midstream Business, and developing and producing interests in oil and natural gas properties, known as Upstream Business. On May 3, 2011, the Company acquired CC Energy II, L.L.C and outstanding membership interests of Crow Creek Energy. On May 20, 2011, it sold the Wildhorse Gathering System in its East Texas and Other Midstream Segment.

Midstream Business

The Company�� Midstream Business is located in four natural gas producing regions: the Texas Panhandle; East Texas/Louisiana; South Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico. As of December 31, 2011, these working interest properties included 591 gross operated productive wells and 1,197 gross non-operated wells with net production to the Company of approximately 87.7 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and proved reserves of approximately 234.0 Bcf of natural gas, 11.5 million barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons of crude oil, and 11.3 million barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons of natural gas liquids, of which 76% are proved developed. As of December 31, 2011, its Midstream Business consisted of Panhandle Segment and East Texas and Other Midstream Segment.

The Company�� Texas Panhandle Segment covers 10 counties in Texas and two counties in Oklahoma. Through the systems within this segment, the Company offers midstream wellhead-to-market services, including gathering, compressing, treating, processing and selling of natural gas, and fractionating and selling of NGLs. As of December 31, 2011, approximately 213 producers and 2,072 wells and central delivery points were connected to the systems in its Texas Panhandle Segment. The Texas Panhandle Segment averaged gathered volumes fo! r 2011 of approximately 155.1 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. As of December 2011, Chesapeake Energy and BP America Production represented 14% and 11%, respectively, of the total volumes of its Texas Panhandle Segment. The Texas Panhandle Segment consists of approximately 3,963 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines, ranging from two inches to 24 inches in diameter; seven natural gas processing plants with an aggregate capacity of 210 million cubic feet of natural gas per day; a propane fractionation facility with capacity of 1.0 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, and two condensate collection and stabilization facilities.

Eagle Rock�� systems in the East Panhandle (northern Wheeler, Hemphill and Roberts Counties, Texas) gather and process natural gas produced in the Morrow and Granite Wash reservoirs of the Anadarko basin. In the Panhandle Segment, natural gas is contracted at the wellhead primarily under percent-of proceeds (which includes percent-of-liquids) fixed recovery, percent-of-index and fee-based arrangements that range from one to five years in term. During the year endede December 31, 2011, it produced over 2,600 equity barrels per day of condensate in the Texas Panhandle Segment. During 2011, it stabilizes approximately 2,000 barrels per day combined at its Superdrip and Cargray Stabilizers.

The Company�� East Texas and Other Midstream Segment operates within the natural gas producing regions, such as East Texas/Louisiana, South Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. Through its Texas/Louisiana region, it offers producers natural gas gathering, treating, processing and transportation and NGL transportation across 21 counties in East Texas and seven parishes in West Louisiana. Its operations in the South Texas region primarily gather natural gas and recover NGLs and condensate from natural gas produced in the Frio, Vicksburg, Miocene, Canyon Sands and Wilcox formations in South Texas. Its operations in the Gulf of Mexico region are non-operated owne! rship int! erests in pipelines and onshore plants which are all located in southern Louisiana. The Gulf of Mexico region also provides producer services by arranging for the processing of producers��natural gas into third-party processing plants, known as Mezzanine Processing Services.

As of December 31, 2011, approximately 705 wells and central delivery points were connected to its systems in the East Texas and Other Midstream Segment. As of December 31, 2011, the East Texas and Other Midstream Segment provides gathering and/or marketing services to approximately 140 producers. During 2011, the East Texas and Other Midstream Segment averaged gathered volumes of approximately 319.9 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. As of December 31, 2011, Stone Energy Corporation and Anadarko Petroleum Company represented 18% and 9%, respectively, of the total volumes of its East Texas and Other Midstream Segment. Residue gas pipelines include Houston Pipeline Company, Natural Gas Pipeline Company, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Crosstex Energy L.P. and Southern Natural Pipeline.

Upstream Business

The Company�� Upstream Business located in four regions within the United States, such as Southern Alabama, which includes the associated gathering, processing and treating assets; Mid-Continent, which includes areas in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas Panhandle and North Texas; Permian, which includes areas in West Texas, and East/South Texas/Mississippi assets. As of December 31, 2011, these working interest properties included 591 gross operated productive wells and 1,197 gross non-operated wells with net production of approximately 87.7 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and proved reserves of approximately 234.0 Bcf of natural gas, 11.5 million barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons of crude oil, and 11.3 million barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons of natural gas liquids, of which 76% are proved developed.

The Southern Alabama region includes the! Big Esca! mbia Creek, Flomaton and Fanny Church fields located in Escambia County, Alabama. These fields produce from either the Smackover or Norphlet formations at depths ranging from approximately 15,000 to 16,000 feet. The Big Escambia Creek field encompasses approximately 11,568 gross and 7,334 net Eagle Rock operated acres. It operates 18 productive wells with an average ownership of 60% working interest and 51% net revenue interest in the Big Escambia Creek field. The Fanny Church field is located two miles east of Big Escambia Creek. Its ownership includes approximately 1,284 gross and 999 net operated acres that include three productive operated wells with an average ownership of 86% working interest and 66% net revenue interest. The Flomaton field is adjacent to and partially underlies the Big Escambia Creek field. The field encompasses approximately 1,280 gross and 1,256 net Eagle Rock operated acres and produces from the Norphlet formation at depths from approximately 15,000 to 16,000 feet. It operates three productive wells with an approximate average 91% working interest and 78% net revenue interest. The Smackover and Norphlet reservoirs are sour, gas condensate reservoirs which produce gas and fluids containing a high percentage of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.

The Mid-Continent region consists of operated and non-operated properties across the Golden Trend Field, Cana Shale play, Verden Field, and other western Oklahoma fields located in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma, the Mansfield Field and other various fields in the Arkoma Basin in Arkansas and Oklahoma, various fields in the Texas Panhandle, and the Barnett Shale in north Texas. Productive depths range from approximately 2,500 feet in the Arkoma fields of western Arkansas to greater than 18,000 feet in the Springer formation in certain western Oklahoma fields. Its producing field is the Golden Trend field that extends across Grady, McClain and Garvin counties in Oklahoma. It has 14,621 net acres in the Cana Shale play exte! nding acr! oss Canadian, Blaine and Dewey counties, Oklahoma. The Cana Shale produces from horizontal wells drilled to vertical depths of 11,000 - 13,000 feet and extended with horizontal lateral lengths of approximately 5,000 feet. In the total Mid-Continent region, it operate 316 productive wells and own a working interest in an additional 1,054 non-operated productive wells. The average working interest in these productive operated and non-operated wells is 83% and 9%, respectively. The net production averaged approximately 53.2 million cubic feet of natural gas per day during 2011, of which approximately 77% was produced from wells it operated.

The Permian region contains numerous fields, including Block 27, Estes Block 34, H.S.A., Heiner, Monahans N., Payton, Running W., Ward S, and Ward-Estes N. located mainly in Ward, Pecos, and Crane Counties, Texas. These fields are located in the Central Basin Platform which extends from central Lea County in New Mexico to central Pecos County in Texas and encompasses hundreds of individual fields with multiple productive intervals from the Yates-Seven Rivers-Queen through the Ellenburger formations. The Ward County fields contains two major properties, the Louis Richter and the American National Life Ins. Co. leases, and encompasses approximately 10,285 gross and 10,215 net Eagle Rock acres. It operate multiple fields consisting of stacked multi-pay horizons that produce from depths of 2,300 feet (Yates) to 9,100 feet (Pennsylvanian). The Southern Unit is located in the Running W Waddell field and produces predominantly oil at depths from approximately 5,750 to 5,900 feet. It operates approximately 5,875 net acres in this area.

The East/South Texas/Mississippi region includes the Aker, Birch, Edgewood, Eustace, Fruitvale, Ginger and Wesson fields in East Texas, the Jourdanton field in South Texas, and the Chicora W, High Road, and Stafford Springs fields in Mississippi. The East Texas fields produce primarily from the Smackover Trend at depth! s from 12! ,000 to 12,700 feet and encompass approximately 18,991 gross and 15,872 net Eagle Rock acres. It operates 32 productive wells, which produce gas that contains between approximately 30% to 69% of impurities (hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide). The Edgewood field also contains two productive gas wells in the Cotton Valley at depths of 11,500 to 11,600 feet which produce sweet natural gas. The East Texas production, with the exception of a single well, is delivered to the third party owned Eustace Plant for separation of condensate, removal of impurities, and extraction of natural gas liquids and sulfur for a combination of fees and percentage of proceeds.

In South Texas, it operates wells in the Jourdanton field in Atascosa County, Texas. It operates nine productive wells with 100% working interest and 88% net revenue interest. Its production from the field is primarily from the Edwards carbonates (7,300 to 7,400 feet). On December 31, 2011, the Company had under operation 290 gross (261 net) productive oil wells and 301 gross (251 net) productive natural gas wells. On December 31, 2011, Eagle Rock owned non-operated working interests in an additional 148 gross (18 net) productive oil wells and 1049 gross (72 net) productive natural gas wells.

The Company competes with DCP Midstream, LLC and Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P., Crosstex Energy, L.P., Energy Transfer Partners, LP and Enterprise Products Partners, L.P.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Matt DiLallo]

  I recently took a brief look at one of the more unique MLPs, Eagle Rock Energy Partners (NASDAQ: EROC  ) . What makes this company unique is that it's a blend of both traditional midstream MLP assets and oil and gas production assets. Today, I want to take a closer look at those oil and gas production assets, which I think provide investors with a lot of upside potential.

Top 5 Transportation Stocks To Watch Right Now: J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.(JBHT)

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a surface transportation, delivery, and logistics company in North America. It operates in four segments: Intermodal (JBI), Dedicated Contract Services (DCS), Full-Load Dry-Van (JBT), and Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS). The JBI segment provides intermodal freight solutions, including origin and destination pickup and delivery services in the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico. This segment operates 45,666 pieces of company-controlled trailing equipment; and manages a fleet of 2,592 company-owned tractors. The DCS segment involves in the design, development, and execution of supply chain solutions, which support various transportation networks. This segment offers final mile delivery, replenishment, and specialized services supporting private fleet conversion, fleet creation, and transportation system augmentation. As of December 31, 2010, it operated 4,259 company-owned trucks, 357 customer-owned trucks, and 23 independent contractor trucks. The JBT segment provides full-load, dry-van freight services by utilizing tractors operating over roads and highways. It operated 1,697 company-owned tractors. The ICS segment provides non-asset, asset-light, and transportation logistics solutions. It offers flatbed, refrigerated, expedited, and less-than-truckload, as well as various dry-van and intermodal solutions. The company transports a range of freight, including general merchandise, specialty consumer items, appliances, forest and paper products, building materials, soaps and cosmetics, automotive parts, electronics, and chemicals. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  JB Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ: JBHT) is estimated to post its Q3 earnings at $0.78 per share on revenue of $1.45 billion.

  KMG Chemicals (NYSE: KMG) is expected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.27 per share on revenue of $79.00 million.

• [By Chris Hill]

  In this installment of Investor Beat, our analysts explain why they're watching J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ: JBHT  ) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) .

• [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 JB Hunt Transport Services (Nasdaq: JBHT  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

Best Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014

Any company that creates products and relies on other companies to use and distribute them will inevitably forge strong relationships with its customers. It's an important thing to look into when investing, yet easy to overlook. Investors should know whether customers are reliable, which are leaned on the most, and if the company they own is too dependent on any customer (or a select few). Bioprocessing product company Repligen (NASDAQ: RGEN  ) may make consumables that are the lifeline of the biotech industry, but its customer relationships are absolutely critical for smooth operations. Let's look at how the company interacts with the Life Sciences division of General Electric (NYSE: GE  ) , EMD Millipore from Merck (NYSE: MRK  ) , and Sigma-Aldrich (NASDAQ: SIAL  ) -- the three most important customers.

Source: Repligen Stephens Fall Investment Conference.

Top 10 Penny Companies To Own For 2015: Computershare Ltd (CPU)

Computershare Limited is an Australia-based company. The Company is engaged in the operation of investor services, plan services, communication services, business services, shareholder relationship management services and technology services. The Company operates in six geographical segments: Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, Canada, Continental Europe, United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Ireland & Africa (UCIA) and the United States. In addition, technology and other segment comprise the provision of software specializing in share registry, employee plans and financial services globally, as well as the production and distribution of interactive meeting products. In December 2013, Computershare Ltd completed the acquisition of the Olympia Corporate and Shareholder Services assets (OCSS) from Olympia Financial Group Inc. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Toshiro Hasegawa]

  Leighton dropped 6 percent to A$16.24 in Sydney as profit missed analyst estimates amid a slump in mining industry demand. Computershare Ltd. (CPU) sank 6.3 percent to A$9.75 in Sydney, the most in three years, after the share-registry firm reported profit fell.

Best Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014: Arrow Electronics Inc. (ARW)

Arrow Electronics, Inc. provides products, services, and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Global Components and Global Enterprise Computing Solutions. The Global Components segment distributes electronic components and related services to original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturers. This segment provides online catalogs for electronic components; cloud-based design tools that expedite product development cycles; factory-direct end-of-life product inventory; reverse logistics; and electronics asset disposition solutions to redeploy, remarket, and recycle technology assets. Its products and services include semiconductor products and related services; passive, electro-mechanical, and interconnect products consisting primarily of capacitors, resistors, potentiometers, power supplies, relays, switches, and connectors; computing and memory; and other p roducts and services. The Global Enterprise Computing Solutions segment provides enterprise and midrange computing products, services, and solutions to value-added resellers; and unified communications products and related services, as well as cloud computing, security, and networking services. It also offers a suite of online supply chain tools. The company�s customers include manufacturers of consumer and industrial equipment, telecommunications products, automotive and transportation, aerospace and defense, scientific and medical devices, and computer and office products, as well as value-added resellers of enterprise computing solutions. The company was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

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 Arrow Electronics (NYSE: ARW  ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below.

• [By Monica Wolfe]

  Arrow Electronics Inc (ARW)

  FPA Capital's third largest stock holding is in Arrow Electronics. The guru holds on to a total of 1,515,500 shares of Arrow, representing 1.51% of the company�� shares outstanding and 9.2% of his total portfolio.

Best Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014: Synovus Financial Corp.(SNV)

Synovus Financial Corp., a diversified financial services and bank holding company, provides commercial and retail banking, financial management, insurance, and mortgage services in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Its retail banking services include accepting customary types of demand and savings deposits; mortgage, installment, and other retail loans; investment and brokerage services; safe deposit services; automated banking services; automated fund transfers; Internet based banking services; and bank credit card services, including mastercard and visa services. The company?s commercial banking services comprise cash management and asset management services, capital markets services, and institutional trust services, as well as commercial, financial, and real estate loans. It also provides various other financial services, which include the portfolio management for fixed-income securities, investment banking, the execution of securities transac tions as a broker/dealer, and the provision of individual investment advice on equity and other securities; trust services; mortgage services; and financial planning services. Synovus Financial Corp. was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Columbus, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Robert Eberhard]

  Synovus Financial (NYSE: SNV  ) throws its hat into the earnings ring early Tuesday, and investors are facing a big question: Will CEO Kessel D. Stelling and crew deliver good news? Or should investors be wary of less than impressive results?

Best Life Sciences Companies To Watch For 2014: (BANC)

First PacTrust Bancorp, Inc. operates as a bank holding company for Pacific Trust Bank and Beach Business Bank that provides retail banking services to individuals and small to mid-sized businesses. The company offers various deposit accounts, such as checking and savings accounts, money market deposits, certificate accounts, retirement accounts, interest bearing demand accounts, and certificates of deposits. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate mortgage loans, multi-family mortgage loans, small business administration guaranteed business loans, construction loans, lease financing, single family 1-4 unit residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, home equity loans, and other consumer loans. In addition, the company offers leasing and financing services, cash and treasury management services, card payment services, remote deposit services, ACH origination, and employer/employee retirement planning products. Furth er, it provides mobile, online, and telephone banking services; automated bill payment services; electronic statements; safe deposit boxes; and direct deposit and wire transfers. As of December 31, 2012, it operated 19 banking offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in California; and 24 single family mortgage loan production offices in California, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. First PacTrust Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Markus Aarnio]

  Banc of California (BANC) operates as a bank holding company for Pacific Trust Bank and Beach Business Bank that provides retail banking services to individuals and small to mid-sized businesses. Banc of California bottomed at $4.44 in December 2009 and is currently trading at $14.47 or 225.9% above the low made in December 2009. This performance is in line with the performance of the Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF.

• [By Tim Melvin]

  He opened a position in shares of Banc of California (BANC) in the quarter. The company is the holding company for Pacific Trust Bank and Beach Business Bank in the San Diego area. The bank has 60 locations and more than $3.5 billion in assets, and it just completed the acquisition of three institutions — The Private Bank of California, The Palisades Group and CS Financial –� which increased total assets by almost $1 billion. The shares trade right at book value. Banc of California is well positioned to benefit from a strong recovery in California and may eventually become a buyout target itself.

Top 5 India Stocks To Watch For 2014

Profile: He is an expert on financial derivatives and risk management
Known for: His book �raders, Guns and Money�was almost prescient in the way it foresaw the troubles of corporate India with derivatives in 2007

Investors approach investment in the same way that Woody Allen approached the subject of divinity: �f only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank.�For the last 20 years, despite occasional lapses, the mysterious investment gods have given clear signs of their existence �showering munificent high returns on investors.

As smart investors know, investment genius is a long position, leverage and a rising market. A rising tide, as they say, lifts all boats. But that may now be all in the past.

The global economic recovery is stalling. Major economies, such as the US, Europe and Japan remain mired in slow, low growth as they deal with legacy problems of debt, banking problems and deep-seated structural imbalances. Germany and emerging market economies, like China and India, which have contributed the bulk of global growth since 2008, are showing signs of slowing.

Top 5 China Stocks To Own Right Now: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd(RDY)

Dr. Reddy?s Laboratories Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a pharmaceutical company. It produces finished dosage forms, active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates, and biotechnology products. The company also conducts research in the areas of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, inflammation, and bacterial infection. In addition, it involves in the contract manufacture generic prescription and over-the-counter products for branded and generic companies in the United States. The company primarily focuses on therapeutic categories of cardiovascular, diabetes management, gastro-intestinal, and pain management. It markets its products in India, the United States, Europe, and the Russian Federation. The company has a co-development and commercialization agreement with Rheoscience A/S for the development and commercialization of Balaglitazone/DRF 2593, a partial PPAR-gamma agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes; an agreement with ClinTec Internatio nal for the development of an anti-cancer compound, DRF 1042; collaboration with the National Cancer Institute in Maryland; and an agreement with Argenta Discovery Limited for the joint development and commercialization of a novel approach to the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It also has an agreement with 7TM Pharma for drug discovery collaboration on selected drug targets; and an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline plc to develop and market pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, oncology, gastroenterology, and pain management. Dr. Reddy?s Laboratories Limited was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Hyderabad, India.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Carroll]

  The company's generic drug segment should also help push emerging market sales. Abbott markets generic pharmaceuticals outside the U.S. only, and while the division isn't growth-oriented -- sales actually fell around 2% for the quarter -- it provides an entry for the company to push into lucrative new markets such as India, where generics make up the large majority of the country's retail market. The company will face tougher competition in this industry, however: Firms such as India-based Dr. Reddy's (NYSE: RDY  ) have also pushed hard into emerging markets lately, and Dr. Reddy's in particular should benefit from its being headquartered in one of the industry's top locales.

• [By Monica Gerson]

  Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (NYSE: RDY) is expected to report its Q4 earnings at $0.52 per share.

  YuMe (NYSE: YUME) is estimated to post a Q1 loss at $0.15 per share on revenue of $35.36 million.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Teva has dropped 7.7% to $37.85 today at 3:23 p.m. but doesn’t seem to be spreading though the generic drug space. Taro Pharmaceuticals (TARO) ha gained 1.1% to $79, while Actavis (ACT) has gained 1.2% to $156.25 and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (RDY) has advanced 1% to $40.24. Mylan (MYL) has dropped 0.7% to $38.40.

Top 5 India Stocks To Watch For 2014: Sify Technologies Limited(SIFY)

Sify Technologies Limited provides enterprise and consumer Internet services primarily in India. The company offers various corporate network/data services comprising e-commerce and network connectivity solutions, such as end-to-end services network, application, and security services; voice origination and termination services; co-location and managed hosting services; and system integration services for data centre build, hardware distribution, security solutions, and turnkey projects. It also provides application services, including SLEMS and Microsoft Exchange messaging platforms; I-test for online assessment and LiveWire, which enable management of training processes across the organization; document management system for the management of documents electronically; and Forum, a forward supply chain solution. In addition, the company operates e-Ports that offer browsing, chat, email, gaming, utility bill payment, travel ticketing, hotel booking, mobile recharge, Intern et telephony, and online share trading services; and portals, which provide news, views, reviews, interactions, and services in the areas of movies, sports, finance, food, videos, astrology, online games, shopping, and travel, as well as offers content offerings and broadband services. Further, it provides infrastructure management services, such as network management, datacenter and helpdesk outsourcing, desktop and storage outsourcing, IT security outsourcing, LAN and WAN outsourcing, database and telecom outsourcing, and application monitoring and management services to automotive, chemical, media, and financial enterprises; and virtualization design, integration, and deployment services for servers, storage, networks, and end user clients. Sify has approximately 1,278 e-Ports in 200 towns and cities; and serves 1,06,000 broadband subscribers through 1500 cable TV Operators. The company, formerly known as Sify Limited, was founded in 1995 and is based in Chennai, India. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

  Leading and Lagging Sectors
  Technology stocks gained Tuesday, with Ku6 Media Co (NASDAQ: KUTV) leading advancers. Among leading tech stocks, gains came from Rubicon Technology (NASDAQ: RBCN), Bitauto Holdings (NYSE: BITA) and Sify Technologies (NASDAQ: SIFY). Utilities shares dropped by 0.11 percent in the US market today.

Top 5 India Stocks To Watch For 2014: Tata Motors Ltd(TTM)

Tata Motors Limited, an automobile company, engages in the manufacture and sale of commercial and passenger vehicles primarily in India. The company offers cars, utility vehicles, trucks, buses and coaches, and defense vehicles, as well as develops electric and hybrid vehicles for personal and public transportation. It also involves in distributing and marketing cars; and financing the vehicles sold by the company. In addition, the company engages in the provision of engineering and automotive solutions, as well as machine tools and factory automation solutions; construction equipment manufacturing; automotive vehicle components manufacturing and supply chain activities; tooling and plastic and electronic components for automotive and computer applications; and automotive retailing and service operations. It offers its products and services through its dealership, sales, services, and spare parts network. The company also markets its commercial and passenger vehicles in Eu rope, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, South Asia, and South America. The company was formerly known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Limited and changed its name to Tata Motors Limited in July 2003. Tata Motors Limited was founded in 1945 and is based in Mumbai, India.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Bruce Kennedy]

  Very mixed news has been released lately on�Tata Motors (NYSE: TTM).

  The Mumbai-based company reported a 71 percent jump in net profit to $566 million (35.42 billion rupees) for its fiscal second quarter ending September 30, compared to the same time period a year earlier. Revenue rose 31 percent, beating analysts' expectations.

Top 5 India Stocks To Watch For 2014: Stewart Information Services Corporation(STC)

Stewart Information Services Corporation provides title insurance and related information services required for settlement by the real estate and mortgage industries. It operates in two segments, Title Insurance-Related Services and Real Estate Information. The Title Insurance-Related Services segment offers services that include searching for and examining documents, such as deeds, mortgages, wills, divorce decrees, court judgments, liens, paving assessments, and tax records, as well as provides titles insurance for residential and commercial properties, undeveloped acreage, farms, ranches, and water rights. This segment serves attorneys, builders, developers, home buyers and home sellers, lenders, and real estate brokers. The Real Estate Information segment offers products and services, which primarily include lender services, title technology, foreign and domestic government services, mapping, title information, Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 tax-deferred property e xchanges, pre-employment services, and online filing and transaction management. Its customers include mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, mortgage investors, government entities, commercial and residential real estate agents, land developers, builders, title insurance agencies, and others interested in obtaining property information, as well as accountants, attorneys, investors, and employers. The company has operations primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, central Europe, Mexico, central America, and Australia. Stewart Information Services Corporation was founded in 1893 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James Fink]

  My housing pick is Houston-based Stewart Information Services (STC), a 120-year-old real estate business founded in 1893, that is still owned and managed by the founding family.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Tower Group has dropped 40% to $4.43 today, and some other small insurers are also getting dinged this morning. HCI Group (HCI) has fallen 1.8% to $39.36, Stewart Information Services (STC) has declined 0.7% to $31.36 and the Navigators Group (NAVG) has ticked down 0.4% to $56.10.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Tower Group has dropped 12% to $3.88 today at 11:39 a.m., while Stewart Information Services (STC) has dipped 0.1% to $31.16, the�Navigators Group�(NAVG) has fallen 1.4% to $54.78 and HCI Group�(HCI) has gained 1% to $38.16.