Hot Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2014

New products and changes introduced over the last week include the Goldman Sachs Small/Mid Cap Value Fund; the Perritt Low Priced Stock Fund; an expanded advisory role for the advisor of the Vanguard Windsor II Fund; a new version of LPL Financial’s Portfolio Manager; and an integrated platform for Wells Fargo’s health savings accounts and 401(k) services.

In addition, NASDAQ OMX announced expanded availability of some of its global indexes; AdvisorShares announced the launch for its YieldPro ETF; Envestnet launched liquid endowment portfolios; First Trust launched the Dorsey Wright Focus 5 ETF; and Scivantage launched the next generation of its Scivantage Investor platform.

Here are the latest developments of interest to advisors:

1) Goldman Sachs Asset Management Launches Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) has announced the launch of the Goldman Sachs Small/Mid Cap Value Fund (GMVAX, A shares; GSMVX, I shares). The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation in a portfolio of small- and mid-cap securities that portfolio management believes are undervalued and have potential attractive risk-reward profiles.

Hot Performing Companies To Own For 2015: Ruth's Hospitality Group Inc.(RUTH)

Ruth?s Hospitality Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates restaurants in the United States and internationally. It operates the Ruth?s Chris Steak House, Mitchell?s Fish Market, Columbus Fish Market, Mitchell?s Steakhouse, and Cameron?s Steakhouse restaurant concepts in the full-service dining industry. The company?s restaurants cater to families, special occasion diners, and business clientele. As of December 27, 2009, it owned or operated 152 restaurants, including 64 company-owned Ruth?s Chris Steak House Company restaurants, 66 Ruth?s Chris Steak House franchise restaurants, 19 company-owned Mitchell?s Fish Markets, and 3 company-owned Mitchell?s Steakhouse restaurants. The company was formerly known as Ruth?s Chris Steak House, Inc. and changed its name to Ruth?s Hospitality Group, Inc. in February 2008. Ruth?s Hospitality Group, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Heathrow, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By The Specialist]

  Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc. (RUTH) a leading restaurant company focused on the upscale dining segment. The Company owns the Ruth's Chris Steak House, Mitchell's Fish Market, Mitchell's Steakhouse and Cameron's Steakhouse concepts. It has over 150 restaurants including its franchises, many of which are located outside of the United States. Included in the company-owned restaurants are exactly 8 restaurants which happen to be located in the BP (BP) Economic & Property Damages Settlement Agreement gulf region geographic zones making each of them potentially eligible for a claim payment.

Hot Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Healthways Inc.(HWAY)

Healthways, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides specialized, comprehensive solutions to assist people to maintain and enhance their health and well-being. The company?s evidence-based programs provide specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age, or health status; and delivers to consumers by phone, mail, Internet, and face-to-face interactions. It also offers wellness and disease prevention solutions through total population screening, well-being assessments, and supportive interventions; access to health improvement programs, such as fitness solutions, weight management, chiropractic, and complementary and alternative medicine; and educational materials and personal interactions with trained nurses and other healthcare professionals to create and sustain healthier behaviors for individuals who are in the early stages of chronic conditions. In addition, the company operates care enhancement and coaching centers; fi tness centers; and provides health improvement programs and services in Brazil, Australia, and France. Healthways, Inc. delivers its programs to various customers, including health plans, employers, integrated healthcare systems, hospitals, physicians, and government entities in the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lauren Pollock]

  Healthways Inc.'s(HWAY) profit fell 64%, hurt by shrinking margins and flat revenue. Shares of Healthways fell as the company lowered its guidance for the year, while issuing downbeat estimates for the fourth quarter and 2014.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  The last company I want to mention is HealthWays (HWAY), which was once a small-cap growth stock favorite. Due to increasing changes in the U.S. healthcare industry, as well as confusion around the implementation of ObamaCare, the company recently expanded its business to not just physical wellness but to social and emotional wellness, health, and nutrition.

Hot Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2014: PureSafe Water Systems Inc (PSWS)

PureSafe Water Systems, Inc., incorporated on March 9, 1987, is engaged in the design and development of its technology to be used in the manufacture and sale of water purification systems both in and outside the United States. The Company�� PureSafe First Response Water System (PureSafe FRWS) is self-contained and purifies most types of contaminated fresh or service water, including seawater that may be found at a first response emergency site. This system is mobile, by helicopter or transported by truck.

The PureSafe FRWS utilizes its technology which consists of water extraction boom that extracts water from the ocean, streams, ponds, pools of floodwater or a failed municipal distribution system. The extracted water is then treated by the application of advanced water treatment technologies which employ multiple stage filtration, multiple stage sanitation (including ozone, chlorine and ultraviolet purification techniques), reverse osmosis membranes, mineralization and final polishing to meet the standard drinking water requirements of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA). Its 2nd prototype (FRWS unit) unit can produce EPA compliant drinking from contaminated fresh or surface water at the rate of 30,000 gallons per day, to provide drinking water to 45,000 people. The unit has a built in generator and water bagging capability at the rate of 30,000 and a half liters bags of water per day

The Company competes with GE, Siemens, Severn Trent, Ecospheres Technology, Lenntech, Testa/Viwa, Lifekeeper, Mobile MaxPure, Bi Pure Water, Rodi, Global Water Group, Nirosoft, LifeStream, and Aquapura Tempest.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap Sodastream International Ltd (NASDAQ: SODA), an Israeli based developer, manufacturer and marketer of�home beverage carbonation systems, has attracted its share of hype over both its products and its stock, but could other small cap water stocks like Primo Water Corporation (NASDAQ: PRMW), Puresafe Water Systems Inc (OTCMKTS: PSWS) and Alkaline Water Company Inc (OTCBB: WTER) attract a similar following? After all, Sodastream International has managed to create a significant amount of buzz from consumers, investors and even short sellers because it�� the�world's largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of home carbonation systems as its�brands are sold in over 60,000 retail stores in 45 countries. Sodastream International is also up 45.7% since the start of the year, up 70.2% over the past year and up 99.3% since November 2010, but shares did spike up to the $75 level in the middle of 2011 and now trade at the $63 level.

Hot Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Discover Financial Services(DFS)

Discover Financial Services, a bank holding company, offers direct banking and payment services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Direct Banking and Payment Services. The Direct Banking segment offers Discover card-branded credit cards to individuals and small businesses that are accepted on the Discover Network. This segment also provides other consumer banking products and services, including personal loans, student loans, and prepaid cards, as well as other consumer lending and deposit products, such as certificates of deposit, money market accounts, online savings accounts, and individual retirement account. The Payment Services segment operates the PULSE network, an automated teller machine, debit, and electronic funds transfer network; the Diners Club International network, a global payments network; and third-party issuing business, which includes credit, debit, and prepaid cards issued on the Discover Network by third parties. The company was found ed in 1986 and is based in Riverwoods, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dan Caplinger]

  But the real key to eBay's success is�PayPal, the current leader in online payments. A new partnership with Discover Financial (NYSE: DFS  ) should help PayPal realize part of its growth potential, as Discover hopes to use the association with PayPal as a selling point for its less-prominent card network. The move will also help PayPal keep up with competition from privately held Square and other competitors, as well as opening up a whole new way for Discover cardholders to consider using online payments as part of their overall spending strategy.

• [By Jay Jenkins]

  Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS  ) entered the student loan market with a splash in 2011 when it purchased a $2.5 billion portfolio from Citigroup.�As of Q1, Discover had $8 billion in total student loans, an increase of $400 million year over year, but still just 13% of its total portfolio. (Credit cards account for more than 80% of Discover's holdings). Acquiring Sallie Mae could immediately propel Discover into the upper echelon of the market, and simultaneously balance out its concentration in credit card debt.

Hot Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Coinstar Inc.(CSTR)

Coinstar, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides automated retail solutions primarily in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The company owns and operates self-service Redbox kiosks that enable consumers to rent or purchase movies and video games; and self-service coin-counting kiosks where consumers can convert their coin to cash, a gift card, or an E-certificate. It also engages in identifying, evaluating, building, and developing new self-service concepts in the automated retail space, which includes coffee, refurbished electronics, and photo self-service concepts. As of December 31, 2011, the company had 35,400 Redbox kiosks in 29,300 locations and 20,200 coin-counting kiosks in 19,900 locations primarily in supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchants, financial institutions, convenience stores, and restaurants. Coinstar, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Canadian Value]

  Position % of Fund Assets 1) First American Financial Corp. (FAF) 7.0% 2) Apple, Inc. (AAPL) 6.5% 3) Coinstar, Inc. (CSTR) 4.8% 4) EMC Corp. (EMC) 4.4% 5) Coach, Inc. (COH) 4.4% 6) Kohl's Corp. (KSS) 4.1% 7) Blucora, Inc. (BCOR) 4.0% 8) Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTEK) 3.1% 9) OM Group, Inc. (OMG) 3.0% 10) American International Group, Inc. (AIG) 2.8% TOTAL 44.1% One area that we believe still offers some value in the market is in high quality, large��ap technology stocks that may be momentarily out��f��avor as they transition from rapid growth to slower growth. In particular, we become interested when that transition is also accompanied by a change in capital allocation policies designed to return more cash to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. We believe that Apple and EMC are two of the absolute highest quality technology businesses in the world and both have recently announced very material, shareholder��friendly changes to how they will allocate capital.

Hot Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Roche Holding AG (RHHBY)

Roche Holding AG is a Switzerland-based pharmaceuticals and diagnostics company. The Company belongs to the Roche Group that operates through numerous subsidiaries and associated companies located around the world. The Company�� products and services cover every stage of the healthcare process, from identifying disease susceptibilities and testing for disease in at-risk populations to prevention, diagnosis, therapy and treatment monitoring. Roche operates through two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Within the Pharmaceuticals Division there are three sub-divisions: Roche Pharmaceuticals, Genentech and Chugai. The Company�� Diagnostics Division includes five sub-divisions: Applied Science, Diabetes Care, Molecular Diagnostics, Tissue Diagnosis and Professional Diagnostics. Its activities are structured into six geographical segments: North America; Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Latin America; Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMAI), and Japan. In March 2009, the Company completed the acquisition of Genentech, Inc. In March 2010, the Company acquired assets from BioMicro Systems for all products associated with the Roche NimbleGen microarray workflow.

During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company Pharmaceuticals Division marketing gained approvals for its rheumatoid arthritis medicine Actemra/RoActemra in Japan, Switzerland and the European Union. In 2008, the division initiated 12 new phase III projects in, including clinical trials of the compounds pertuzumab, for breast cancer; taspoglutide, for type two diabetes, and dalcetrapib, for cardiovascular risk reduction. As of December 31, 2008, the Pharmaceuticals Division filed 11 major new marketing applications and gained 13 major regulatory approvals. At the beginning of 2009, the division�� research and development pipeline comprised 120 clinical projects, including 62 new molecular entities (NMEs) and 58 additional indications. Forty NMEs are in phase I, 16 in phase II and six in phase III or f! iled for regulatory review.

In 2008, Roche Pharmaceuticals signed a total of 57 new agreements including seven product transactions and 43 research and technology collaborations. In May 2008, Roche acquired Piramed Limited, a UK company with therapeutic research programmes targeting the PI3-kinase pathway in oncology and inflammatory disease. In June 2008, signed licensing agreement with ThromboGenics and BioInvent for their jointly developed anticancer agent TB-403 (R7334). In September, 2008, the Company acquired Mirus Bio Corporation active in the field of ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) delivery and completed the acquisition of ARIUS Research Inc., which has a antibody platform that identifies and selects antibodies based on their functional ability to affect disease. S Research Inc. In January 2009, Roche acquired Memory Pharmaceuticals, which develops drug candidates for the treatment of debilitating central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer�� disease and schizophrenia.

Pharmaceuticals

Within Pharmaceuticals division, the Company is engaged in the provision of drugs the areas of oncology, anemia, cardiovascular diseases, central nervous system, infectious diseases, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer, transplantation and virology. The products offered by Roche�� Pharmaceuticals division include MabThera/Rituxan, Herceptin, Avastin, Tamiflu, CellCept, NeoRecormon, Epogin, Pegasys, Tarceva, Xeloda, Bonviva, Boniva, Lucentis, Tamiflu, Xolair, Valcyte, Cymevene, Xenical, Pulmozyme, Nutropin, Neutrogin, Rocephin, Activase, TNKase and Madopar. The products offered by the Pharmaceuticals division are sold in seven geographic regions: North America; Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Latin America; Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMAI), and Japan.

Diagnostics

Roche�� Diagnostics Division is a supplier of in vitro diagnostics (IVDs). Its products are used to test body fluids a! nd tissue! samples to obtain information for the purpose of preventing, diagnosing, treating and monitoring disease. The Company has business areas five within the diagnostics division: Professional Diagnostics, Diabetes Care, Tissue Diagnostics, Molecular Diagnostics and Applied Science. Roche�� Diagnostics division provides IVD services, including centralized laboratory testing and point-of-care diagnostics to molecular diagnostics and diabetes self management. In addition, it supplies research tools to life scientists.

Roche Professional Diagnostics supplies instrument systems, tests, software and services. It provides point-of-care testing products to support clinical decision-making close to the patient, in doctors��offices, emergency rooms and other primary and specialty care settings. Twelve Serum Work Area assays were rolled out during the year ended December 31, 2008, across Europe and in other markets. New assays included the Elecsys anti-TSH receptor antibody assay for the diagnosis of Graves��disease the Elecsys anti-CCP antibody assay, a test to aid the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, and the Roche Cystatin C clinical chemistry test for early detection of impaired kidney function, among others. Roche Diabetes Care�� products portfolio covers the entire diabetes self-management spectrum, from glucose monitoring to insulin delivery, as well as monitoring systems with integrated lancets and test strips software for storing and analyzing data. Roche Tissue Diagnostics develops and manufactures medical diagnostic instruments and reagent systems that provide automation technology for use in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer and infectious disease. In 2008 Roche Tissue Diagnostics launched ofhe Bench- Mark Ultra, a system that performs immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation testing simultaneously on a single continuous and random access platform. Roche Molecular Diagnostics develops and commercializes diagnostic and blood screening platforms and tests based on Roche�� ! real-time! polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. Applied Science business area supplies a specific reagents and test kits for use in life sciences encompassing biology, biotechnology ,medical research, as well as disease areas like cancer and virology. Applied Science�� business area product portfolio includes such sequencing systems as LightCycler 480, LightCycler 480 II, GS FLX Titanium. In addition, Applied Science offers xCELLigence cell analyzer.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Keith Speights]

  You know Belviq and Qsymia and Contrave and Empatic, but do you recall the still most widely used weight-loss drug of all? It seems almost like ancient history now, but back in 1999 the Food and Drug Administration approved Roche's (NASDAQOTH: RHHBY  ) Xenical.�

• [By James E. Brumley]

  Earlier this week, Roche Holding Ltd. (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) made big news by winning the FDA's approval to administer a breast cancer drug before surgical removal of a breast tumor ... the first time the Food and Drug Administration has believed surgery (then followed by drugs and chemo) wasn't the best approach. Earlier in the year, a company called Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN) made a big splash, helped along by celebrity Angelina Jolie, who - using a DNA test from the genetic-testing company - elected to undergo a double mastectomy because her diagnostic's scores she was at a greater risk of breast cancer. Aside from being good for MYGN and RHHBY shareholders, both Roche Holding and Myriad Genetics are doing good work for cancer patients (and pre-cancer patient) too. Yet, there's another smaller company close to entering the same breast cancer fight that made big news of its own today... MetaStat Inc. (OTCMKTS:MTST). Indeed, this off-the-radar company in many ways has more potential than Myriad or Roche do, just by the virtue and capability of its underlying science.

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  There are two cancer vaccines on the market: Provenge, a prostate-cancer treatment from Seattle-based Dendreon�(DNDN), and Yervoy, a melanoma treatment from Bristol-Myers Squibb�(BMY), according to Dow Jones Newswires. In May, Roche�Holding (RHHBY) said its experimental cancer vaccine, called MPDL3280A, shrank tumors in 21% of 140 patients participating in a trial. It is now performing tests in lung cancer patients.

Hot Mid Cap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Goldsearch Ltd (GSE)

Goldsearch Limited (Goldsearch) is an Australia-based minerals company. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (fiscal 2012), the Company was engaged in the exploration of gold and other minerals and investment activities. It operates in five segments: Mineral Exploration Sweden, Minerals Exploration Australia-Victoria, Minerals Exploration Australia-Other, Investments and Administration. Its other projects include the Mary Kathleen joint venture in Queensland and the Musgrave joint venture in South Australia. It held 16,000 square kilometres of tenements within the Musgrave Ranges of northwestern South Australia that were in joint venture between Goldsearch and Independence Group. During fiscal 2012, the Company held investments in Morning Star Gold NL (MCO) and Musgrave Minerals Ltd (MGV). On June 30, 2012, the Company had sold off its total investment in Independence Group NL (IGO). Its subsidiaries include: Caytale Pty Limited, Chiljill Pty Limited and Miltonpak Pty Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Roberto Pedone]

  Another environmental services player that looks ready to trigger a near-term breakout trade is GSE Holdings (GSE), which provides geosynthetic containment solutions for environmental protection and confinement applications. This stock has been hammered by the bears so far in 2013, with shares down big by 55%.

  If you take a look at the chart for GSE Holdings, you'll notice that this stock recently ripped sharply higher back above its 50-day moving average of $2.32 a share with heavy upside volume. Following that move, shares of GSE have started to trend sideways between $2.60 on the downside and $2.95 on the upside. Shares of GSE are now starting to move within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade above the upper-end of its recent range.

  Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GSE if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.79 to $2.95 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above those levels with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 221,545 shares. If that breakout hits soon, then GSE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $3.50 to $4 a share.

  Traders can look to buy GSE off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below support at $2.60 or below its 50-day moving average at $2.32 a share. One could also buy GSE off strength once it takes out those breakout levels with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.