Top 5 Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy Right Now

As earnings season draws to a close, the few late-reporting companies have the potential to make big impressions among news-starved investors. Yet today, great news from Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO  ) wasn't enough to counteract weakness on the economic front: Claims for unemployment rose, while the Philadelphia branch of the Federal Reserve reported weakness in manufacturing activity in its region. Moreover, although the latest CPI figure confirmed the lack of inflationary pressures, housing starts plunged more than 16% to hit six-month lows. Combine all those factors, and the Dow Jones Industrials (DJINDICES: ^DJI  ) are down a modest 10 points as of 10:45 a.m. EDT. The broader market was mixed, with the S&P down but the Nasdaq up.

The Nasdaq owes much of its success to Cisco, which has soared more than 11% after reporting earnings last night. Previous reports from Cisco's networking competitors had led investors to expect relatively little from the tech giant's report, so news that Cisco's revenue and net income came in better than expected came as a big surprise. Cisco certainly has plenty of future challenges ahead of it as it seeks to reinvent itself as a broader-based IT leader, but last night's results give value-investors hope that betting on the stock at its low multiples will prove to have been a prescient move.

Top 5 Gas Utility Stocks For 2015: Alstom SA (AOMFF)

Alstom SA is a France-based company that specializes in the manufacture of transport and energy infrastructure. The Company divides its activity into three sectors. The Power Sector offers a range of power generation solutions from integrated power plants for all types of fuel to a range of services, including plant modernization, maintenance and operational support. The Transport Sector serves the rail passenger travel and freight markets with rail transport products, systems and services. Alstom SA designs, develops and manufactures trains, and develops and implements system solutions for rail control. It also designs and manages the creation of new railway lines, and offers maintenance and renovation programs. The Grid Sector designs and manufactures equipment and engineered turnkey solutions to manage power grids and transmit electricity from the power plant to the user. In January 2013, the Company acquired Tidal Generation Limited. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By reports.droy]

  Investors need to take note of GE�� expectations from the industrial segment. The company hopes that industrial segment would comprise 75% of its earnings by 2017. GE is also working on the approval process to acquire Alstom (AOMFF) Power and Grid businesses for about $16 billion. The deal would possibly add close to $0.06 to $0.09 per share in 2016, since it�� expected to close by end of next year.

Top 5 Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy Right Now: Theragenics Corporation(TGX)

Theragenics Corporation operates as a medical device company serving the cancer treatment and surgical products markets primarily in the United States and Europe. It operates through two segments, Surgical Products and Brachytherapy Seed. The Surgical Products segment manufactures, markets, and sells disposable devices primarily utilized in surgical procedures. It offers wound closure products, including sutures, needles, and other surgical products; vascular access products comprising introducer sheaths, guidewires, and accessories; and specialty needles consisting of coaxial, biopsy, brachytherapy, guidewire introducer, spinal, and disposable veress, as well as access trocars and other needle-based products. This segment?s products are used in various markets and applications, such as interventional cardiology and radiology, vascular surgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery, urology, veterinary medicine, pain management, endoscopy, and spinal surgery. The Brachytherapy See d segment manufactures, markets, and sells TheraSeed and I-Seed, which are FDA-cleared devices for treatment of solid localized tumors and localized prostate cancer. The company sells its products primarily to physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers, original equipment manufacturers, and to a network of distributors. Theragenics Corporation was founded in 1981 and is based in Buford, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By James E. Brumley]

  I hate to be the one to say I told you so, but, I told you so. Back on February 26th I suggested IsoRay, Inc. (NYSEMKT:ISR) shares were a budding breakout play. The 48% rally that's played out for ISR in the meantime unfurled right on cue. While overbought in the very short run, this small cap stock looks like it's earning the right to be compared to the likes of bigger brothers in the cancer-treatment space... names like Roche Holding Ltd. (OTCMKTS:RHHBY) or Theragenics Corporation (NYSE:TGX).

Top 5 Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy Right Now: China Citic Bank Corp Ltd (CHCJY)

CHINA CITIC BANK CORPORATION LIMITED is a commercial bank. The Bank operates its businesses primarily through retailing banking, including band card services, saving, personal loan, wealth management, credit card, banking services, private banking, financial services of traveling abroad and electronic banking services; corporate banking, including financial organization services, international business, investment banking, supply chain financing, account settlement, financing services for small enterprises, trading services, cash management, asset management, international settlement and trade financing, among others, as well as capital market business, including foreign exchange business, bond business, trading of financing and derivative products, financial service platform and financial solutions. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By MARKETWATCH]

  HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Hong Kong stocks opened lower Tuesday, after China's central bank reportedly drained 48 billion yuan ($7.9 billion) from the money market on Tuesday through bond-repurchase agreements. The Hang Seng Index (HK:HSI) moved lower by 0.3%. Banks retreated, as China Merchants Bank Co., (HK:3968) (CIHHF) declined 2.2%, Bank of Communications Co. (HK:3328) (BKFCF) fell 1.6%, China Minsheng Banking Corp. (HK:1988) (CMAKY) lost 1.4%, and China Citic Bank Corporation (HK:998) (CHCJY) dropped 1.2%. China's Dongfeng Motor Group Co. (HK:489) , currently in negotiations to buy a stake in PSA Peugeot Citroen, suspended trading of its H-shares in Hong Kong markets. The state-owned car maker didn't clarify the reason in the announcement. On Monday, the company said in a filing that its commercial-vehicle unit has been served with a request for arbitration by a Brazilian firm, which is seeking damages of approximately 1.67 billion Brazilian reals ($700 million) for Dongfeng's failure to establish a joint venture with the firm. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite Index (CN:SHCOMP) gave up 0.5% to 2,125.54.

Top 5 Healthcare Equipment Companies To Buy Right Now: Chimerix Inc (CMRX)

Chimerix, Inc., incorporated on April, 07, 2000, is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel, oral antiviral therapeutics that are designed to transform patient care in areas of high unmet medical need. Its lipid technology has given rise to two clinical-stage compounds, CMX001 and CMX157, which have demonstrated the potential for enhanced antiviral activity and safety in convenient, orally administered dosing regimens.

CMX001 is an orally administered drug that utilizes its lipid technology to deliver intracellular concentrations of a potent antiviral compound, cidofovir-diphosphate (CDV-PP). Following oral dosing, CMX001 is absorbed through the gut, remains intact in the plasma, and is readily taken up by and delivered into cells. Once inside cells, CMX001 is converted into CDV-PP, which acts as an alternative substrate in a replicating virus. CMX001 is similar to the drug cidofovir in that both drugs are converted into CDV-PP once inside cells. Although cidofovir is approved for administration in an intravenous formulation, Vistide, it requires a plasma concentration to deliver a therapeutic level of cidofovir into cells and its use is limited due to the risk of kidney damage.

CMX157, Its second clinical stage compound, is an oral nucleotide compound in Phase 1 development for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In July 2012, the Company granted Merck an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize CMX157 for all human uses. Merck is responsible for all development and marketing activities for CMX157 on a worldwide basis.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Biotech companies that are most likely to benefit because they are “Ahead in clinical development and/or have established relationships with [the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or] BARDA which may facilitate getting a contract” include GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), NewLink Genetics (NLNK), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Chimerix (CMRX). Kantor includes Tekmira�(TKMR) and Sarepta (SRPT) among “companies with viable programs” that are “moving forward and likely to attract additional funding.”